Day 57

What a day... snow to clean off before leaving home. More snow to clean off before coming home. It has been snowing all day, and I hear it could keep it up for a couple of days. My biggest worry is getting up and down the hill to see Stan.

He had quite a day today!! A full course turkey dinner! (Pureed, of course!) Turkey, mashed spuds, carrots, and peaches, with apple juice to drink. Have you ever seen pureed turkey??? Interesting!!! The apple juice was thickened a little...he could still sip it, but it wasn't as thin as normal. He also tried the thickened water and found it not too bad. He really enjoyed his dinner. He ate every bite, and scraped the bowls!! First the speech therapist tried to get him to hold the spoon, but he just couldn't manage, and was SO wanting to EAT. She fed him the first few bites and then had me do it. She got to feeling secure enough with MY feeding him that she left for a few minutes. (I passed the test!!) He really did like the dinner. Mom had some similar and did NOT want that stuff. The difference may be that she hadn't gone 57 days without eating the real stuff.

I got a statement from the first hospital today. Stan is my "million dollar guy" and I have documentation to prove it. Thank goodness for insurance!!

Kathy decided to test Stan's vision tonight, so she held her hand over his left eye and had me hold up different numbers of fingers for him to identify. He passed with flying colors. Then she changed eyes and covered the right eye. He wasn't so adept at saying out I cold read to herl (WHEEEEEE!!! Guess you've figured out I am here to entertain you tonight. That should read ...adept at saying how many fingers I was holding up.)

The above was written last night....but I went to bed after that weird entry.....so now it is morning. Sorry!!

To finish the story of Kathy and the eye exam.... Stan fumbled around trying to tell how many fingers I held up and apparently doesn't see as well with his left eye. (Remember, Kathy has her hand over his right eye..) We keep asking, "Stan, how many fingers do you see?" Finally, he says, "I see FIVE of Kathy's fingers!"

He did so well with his meal that they plan to "button" up his trach today and see how he does breathing in and out through his nose and mouth....something he hasn't done since about day 2....whenever he was put on the ventilator. With the speaking valve, he has been breathing IN thru the trach and OUT through his mouth, and his oxygen levels have remained pretty stable. If he succeeds with the button for a couple of days, they will remove the trach. If he keeps eating as well as he did yesterday, they will remove the stomach tube. (I don't think it has been six weeks for the stomach tube yet. When it was put in I was told it had to remain for six weeks whether it was still needed or not....because it took that long for the incisions to scar together, or he would have an area between the stomach and the area outside the stomach that food could leak into.

When it was lunch time (Wednesday) the speech therapist asked him if he would like to sit up to eat, and he said, "I'm ready." So he was put into the chair and sat upright for the meal...which is way more "normal" than eating in bed....and will help him develop more muscles. So..every day he is still advancing by leaps and bounds!! His brothers are coming tomorrow (Friday) to see him and Cheri will be here on the 17th. Won't they be amazed!!!

Welllllll........I looked outside, and I have more snow to clean off than both of yesterday's cleanings put together!! I hope I can get out of our road. I just discovered that I left Stan's cell phone in his room, so if I get stuck, I am stuck!! Guess you'll have to wait for the next installment to know "Did she, or didn't she?"

Love, M