Nov 18?

Dear ALL..... (for some reason my server will not send....so this may not get sent in a timely manner...sorry.)

I do appreciate your prayers and the prayers of all the saints around the nation who are praying for Stan. He is in very loving hands....those of our heavenly Father, our family, our friends, and his medical staff.....What more could I ask! I cherish the visits and emails. Be assured I have read every one, and will write to each of you individually when I can.

Saturday was kind of "uneventful" and that could be called good, I guess. He is so heavily sedated and chemically paralyzed so that we cannot touch or talk to him as he must have no stimulus. We do not have a timeline for how long he will be kept in the coma like state. He is so still....but all his numbers are good. And believe me....he has NUMBERS. Numbers for everything imaginable and then some MORE. We had fewer visitors at one time, but a steady stream throughout the day....bearing cards, flowers, food, prayers, and love.

Occasionally those around will hear us doing a lot of laughter....like when our good friend asked his nurse if she was his only patient! So I asked the nurse if he was taking good care of her. Of course, my friend meant..."was HE her only patient!"

Another rather "humorous" event actually took place without my being aware until much later. I don't carry a cell phone, but I have Stan's with me all the time now....and it was in my pocket while the surgeon was telling us how the surgery went Friday evening. There were more than 30 people gathered around. The next day I learned that many couldn't hear him because someone's cell phone kept ringing. Someone said to me, "That is why he kept talking louder." Well... I guess you can figure out WHO'S cell phone was ringing!! The weird thing is, I did NOT even hear it! It usually makes me jump out of my skin when my "pocket goes off."

I am blessed with also having "Friends in court".....people who are in the medical field. One good friend went with me to see him, and asked questions that I didn't even know were something to ask about!! She asked the nurse if they were going to "lighten" Stan, and the nurse answered that they usually do a "sedation vacation" about every 24 hours. NOW I know to ask if and when they might do this. We thought maybe last night, but the night nurse said they usually do it around 8 in the morning, but aren't sure just how soon they'll do it to Stan. It means bringing him out of the "coma" just enough to get a twitch response to a small stimulus like a pin prick...and then putting immediately back into the "coma" state. They would not even bring him "out" enough to know I was there, etc.

I'll be back home late tonight....no computer until then.

Love, M