4-2-2005

Aliyah is doing better physically each day (off of oxygen, chest tubes removed, and most medications have been reduced or removed completely; also she can stand up for brief periods of time), which is certainly great, but now comes the harder part. She is aware and thinking and pondering and understandably a little down. It also time for physical rehabilitation, which will be hard, and often painful work.

Aliyah still has persistent pain and still has a self-serving morphine drip she has learned how to use as needed. She also still has the feeding tube, which is uncomfortable. As several have agreed, she is probably getting better nutrition than if she ate what she wanted to :-), nonetheless we are hoping she will pass her swallow test Monday morning so she can have it removed.

Aliyah is still tired off and on, but is able to have regular visitations (for now visitors over age 14)most of the time and has even watched a couple of movies now. If you are planning a visit, using the standard visiting hours for the Cardiac Recovery Unit is still best (9:30 to 10:30am, 2:30 to 3:30pm, 4:30 to 5:30pm, and 8:30 to 9:30pm). If those times do not work for you, Dana or myself can get you in for brief visits most of the time. Obviously, if she is sleeping or having a procedure done, those would be exceptions. Usually Dana or myself are either in the room with Aliyah, in the waiting room, or occasionally in the cafeteria getting a meal. There is also a sign-in sheet on the waiting room's main desk that tells where we are if we have left the area.

As I have previously mentioned, she will need a lot of encouragement from everyone to be able to walk this difficult road, so please do stop by to say hi when you can.