4-5-2005 & 4-8-2005

Quick update. Aliyah is out of the recovery unit :-). She has at least two weeks of rehabilititation ahead of her. Visitors may come at will. Okay not at 3am. If she is napping, she will wake up soon.

The room is in the main hospital building of St.Vincent's, still off of Naab road, but closer to the next road which is Harcourt. Turning off 86th Street onto either road works. The room number is... and the room's phone is ...

Thanks again for all your thoughts, prayer, help, and love the past 3 and a half weeks.

4-8-05

Aliyah is doing better everyday! She has most of the IV's removed. At this time she is only on heparin which is a blood thinner. She must be on one with the implanted device and when she leaves the hospital she will be on coumadin. She had a cat scan of her brain yesterday because she noticed some droopiness in one eyelid and also a difference in size of the pupils so they were checking her for a small stroke(which can occur with the device and blood clots) It turned out that she had nothing wrong as far as that goes. She passed her swallow test so the feeding tube has been removed and we just need to encourage her to eat often. She has lost 15-20 pounds during her stay here. They even upgraded her diet to regular food today instead of the ground food she had been eating. Physical therapy comes in once a day and she has other exercises she does several times a day. When she gets the portable pneumatic driver for her IVAD she can start walking the halls. Hopefully by the middle of next week! She will not be put on the transplant list for at least 6 weeks following her last surgery because she needs to get her strength back, etc. I expect she will be here at least 2 more weeks but the doctors haven't really given us a timetable.

I just want to thank everyone for all their prayers, support, visits, phone calls, and any help you have given with the family. The staff here have all commented on the love and support shown to our family by you all. You are terrific and we love you all !!

Will continue to let you know what's going on with Aliyah as she progresses.

She can receive visitors (and cards or flowers for those who have asked).

Also if interested in the device she has you can check it out at www.thoratec.com She has the device that she said looks like a bunny and it is implanted near her stomach. Her driver will be like a stewardess case on wheels.