Weekend update April 27th

Sorry about the delay in blog posts. I've been working back to back shifts, but Dad has been in good hands this weekend...

Nancy's sister Janet came for 3 days from Minneapolis. Janet stepped right in to the hospital scene with arm massages, spelling, finding things for Dad to listen to, and just being present. It was a huge blessing for the sisters to have more together time than either one can remember since marriages and families came along. Yesterday was Janet's birthday and they got away to dinner at the Levee. This sweet time only got sweeter when Becky and Diksha were able to join them for dinner and Diksha and her (great) Aunt Janet met for the first time. 

Becky and Diksha will stay until Monday afternoon. Janet went home this morning (Sunday).


Mom wrote the following:

"Thank you to our wonderful "la la" family (Flora's sister, husband and kids) who came with instruments last night and serenaded Steve with a concert!

The healing of Steve continues mostly below the surface but these systems are the support for all the rest. His breathing is improving steadily with less need for the ventilator. He can breathe on his own with only oxygen added as needed up to 14 hours yesterday. His blood work has been in range so well that it only needs drawn 1 time daily now. He has been increased in amount of food given through his stomach peg and is doing well nutritionally. He looks much better than even a couple of weeks ago. Steve's right eye is mostly open now and the left one starting to, kind of like a flower....a little at a time.

Becky caught a slight head nod yesterday...twice when she asked Steve if he liked what she was doing. He can also shake it side to side some.

If you are in town and can come visit Steve he would love to have you stop by....just give me a call or check the website Lotsa Helping Hands to see what slots are open. The slot each day on that site is 6-8pm, but you can come anytime around then. OR if that time doesn't work for you, just give me a call and suggest another. Friends who visit have read to him, listened to tapes or news with him, just talked about what is going on in their lives or suggested topics and asked if he wanted them to talk about those things. Steve can clearly "say" yes and no. (Jaw up and down is yes, side to side is no.) He expresses his needs through spelling using an alphabet system which is posted on the wall.  Don't feel you have to try it, but most who have done so have found success and when it gets muddled they just start over. We are so thankful he has been able to "talk" this way from the beginning.

That's all for now from the front of this war on GBS!" - Nancy