2012 01 31 Tuesday January 31

Post date: Feb 1, 2012 2:52:56 AM

After tests, the doctors determined that Mom (Martha) had not aspirated food, and they decided to remove her feeding tube. Other than this change, the morning was much the same as the last several--i.e. Mom was groggy, speaking only occasionally. At noon, her lunch was delivered, and she assured the nurse that she would eat at least half the food on the plate, and indeed she did, while feeding herself-- a major accomplishment for someone who is as weak and groggy as she is. After the nurse left the room, she turned to me and said, "I've resolved that today I am going to change for the better, and that is good". Yes, indeed that is good! After lunch she was more wakeful and conversational, and she even laughed at Tommy's corny jokes.

As for next steps, we anticipate that Mother will likely be in Surgical Intensive Care Unit for another week, but there are still many unknowns, so that guess could change. After she is released from St. Vincent SICU, she will likely go next to Conway Regional Medical Center's Rehab for a few weeks. (I had a productive conversation with a CRMC Rehab nurse and St. Vincent medical personnel today). Recovery from this type of brain surgery is slow and challenging. Hopefully, Mother will be able to start working on walking next week, and we can anticipate weeks or months of intensive speech therapy. Although Mother speaks just fine, she strings ideas together is very strange ways, and speech therapy helps re-orient the brain. I am told that this is normal, even commonplace, after brain surgery. At this point, it is hard to know what her ultimate level of post-surgical functioning will be, but let's pray for a full recovery.

Mother is really enjoying the cards and messages you all are sending, so please keep them coming. (And she REALLY enjoyed the prayer butterflies from the children's Sunday School class at First Presbyterian). We are checking her mailbox daily, so you can send cards to her house or our house, and we will get them to her. She says to tell you all that she loves you, and she is getting better. --Amanda