March 15, 2009

Good Morning, I just wanted to give a very quick update on Mary. We went down to St. Louis on Friday and had all of her staples removed. Everything went as planned. They said her incision looked good. Mary was able to able to wash her hair, which made her very happy! I have already noticed a spike in her attitude and self confidence. She seems to be a little more motivated, and is in pretty good moods each day. She is just so relieved to have all of the surgery stuff behind her. She begins her therapy again today on a full schedule. I think she she is really ready for it now. There is no looking back now. Nothing looming over her that still has to be done. I am so proud of her for working through this nightmare with desire and strength. She is very tough, I am certain she will make a good recovery from this. There is still a long way to go. We have the time though. So, we keep on moving in the direction she is taking us. That is, the right one. If there is anyone still reading this blog, please let me know with a comment. Mary likes to read them also! Thanks and have a great day!

March 4th, 2009

Good morning all. It is 10:08 and I'm still writing from Barnes. Mary had a pretty good night of sleep last night. Aside from the usual prodding and poking from nurses throughout the night for blood tests, BP and so on, she got quite a bit of rest. This morning as I was walking into her room about 5 am, there was a doctor already in there and they were removing the drainage tube from her head and also all the bandages. It was nice to see that she still had most all of the hair she had grown back. They only shaved a small strip around the old incision and that was it. I counted her staples this morning, and she has 53 staples closing her incision. It is quite dramatic to look at, but it will all be hidden when her hair covers it. Her incision starts at her hair line above her forehead, goes strait back, then curves around the right side, loops above her ear, and ends on her hair line in front of the ear. (for those who haven't seen Mary). So basically, the whole thing will be covered. It is so nice to see Mary with her normal head shape back. She was tested by a physical therapist this morning and Mary passed all of her tests. She has been disconnected from all monitors and IV's. The therapist had her get out of bed and walk for her. She did well. She went all the way down the hall, and then did a flight of stairs! They all say she is doing very well. There is a possibility of her going home sometime today, but most likely it will be tomorrow. They said she can continue to do outpatient therapy when we get home, which is good. Her platelets in her blood are still a little lower than what they want them, so that is something that we are going to have to continue to monitor. That's about all I know this morning. All in all, for having surgery just 2 mornings ago, I think she is doing quite well! Way to go Mary!!! Thanks to all.

March 3, 2009

Good morning everyone. It is 10:40 am, and I am writing today from a laptop that belongs to the hospital, which I reserved with my credit card. With my history of laptops down here, I am kind of scared to even be writing this! I just wanted to update you all again on Mary's condition after her surgery yesterday. She is doing pretty good today so far. She still is having her headaches, but that is pretty normal. I just wish it wouldn't hurt so bad for her. She is being a trooper so far though, and just dealing with the pain. She still has a drainage tube in her scalp, but that is supposed to come out sometime today. She also is still in ICU, but that was really just a precautionary measure to monitor her condition after the surgery. She will be moving out of ICU today also. I am not sure where she is going to be moved to, but I am assuming some sort of a step down room, or a semi-private one. Mary is alot more alert today than yesterday, and I'm sure it is because most of the anesthesia has worn off. She is still pretty medicated for the pain though. This mainly just makes her very tired, but she is still way more alert. When talking to Mary now, it is like talking to Mary. That may sound weird, but I think you know what I mean. She looks more like herself, and is acting more like herself. I think this step in her journey is going to be a huge one. Especially for her self esteem and positive thoughts. I am excited for her and so very happy that she has made the progress to get this far. Now we just concentrate on working hard on therapy, and getting her strength back. The nurses in the ICU actually remember Mary from 4 months ago! For all the people that they put through this hospital, I found it amazing that remembered Mary and our family. However, when I think about it, being the kind of person Mary is, healthy or not, she does leave a lasting impression on people with her personality. She is eating solid food already, and is getting stronger. I know her strength will continue to improve over time. I think that pertains to all of us. Thanks

March 2, 2009

Hi everyone, it is 6:38pm. I am at the guest services desk at Barnes Hospital writing this. This blog is just to let you know that Mary came through her surgery just fine. The Dr. said that it went as planned with no surprises! She actually had the surgery alot earlier than we thought, but that was probably a good thing, so Mary didn't have as much time to think about what was about to happen. (me too!) She is awake and doing really well. Still a little groggy from the medication that they are giving her, but alert also. She looks so much better than when we came here. You can already tell her face is so much more symectrical and normal shaped. I know she will get her beautiful face back soon! She is so happy that this is behind her, as we all are. But what a huge relief for Mary to take another step towards getting some normal back. She is a remarkable woman that we all love very much. I am thrilled for her that this is finally done and behind her. We will be here for at least a couple of days, but no sure when her release will be. I will stay in touch with you all. Thank God and thank all of you for your ongoing prayers. Have a great night!

March 1, 2009

Hi everyone. It is about 4:45pm, and I am writing this from the Hilton in downtown St. Louis. Very nice place. Mary and I came down a night early just to get a good nights sleep (hopefully), to get ready for her surgery tomorrow. We have to be at the hospital at 6am, so we will be getting up very early. Mary is pretty scared about tomorrow, and she has every right to be. She has been through so much these last few months. She knows this surgery has to happen for her to continue with any kind of a normal life. She is ready for it, she is just scared. Please keep her in your prayers tomorrow. She needs strength to get through this surgery. We all do. I know everything will go well, there is no reason to believe anything different. She has been so amazing so far through this ordeal, and has impressed so many people. I look for that to continue. Her surgery will be somewhere around noon, but I don't know for sure. Well, Mary is up in the room while I am writing this so I better wrap it up. Hopefully, we will only be down here for a couple of days, but we will see how everything goes. Once again, I ask that you pray for Mary tomorrow for a successful surgery, and a speedy recovery. Not to be greedy, but say a little one for me also! I am afraid some old memories of another surgery are going to running rampant through my head in the morning. We love you all, and I will update as soon as I know anything. Thanks.