Good morning and thank you all for your faithful support and compassionate attention to Joy’s healing journey. I can finally report that about 9:30 last evening we transferred out of the ICU to a surgical floor room 4101.
Joy made tremendous physical and modest but significant cognitive/aphasia strides yesterday. Mid-morning we were just planning to get Joy up in the chair while using the walker to go between the bed and the chair. But when Joy stood up to the walker, she headed for the door and proceeded to walk all the way around the whole ICU loop! She then sat in chair before returning to bed. She can push herself up and swing her legs over the edge of the bed. And even with somewhat limited mobility, strength, and grip in her right arm and hand, she can support herself when using the walker and is clearly gaining strength. Then a friend sent her a video greeting. She didn’t recognize the name when I said, “Your friend _____ sent you a message”, and I couldn’t get her to try and say her name, but when I played the video she immediately broke into a big smile and exclaimed, “My friend! She’s beautiful!”
Speech therapy visited and cleared her for any level diet as tolerated. Yesterday we went from pudding, soup, and ice cream to ground chicken with gravy and mash potatoes with gravy which she enjoyed tremendously. She only eats a small volume but is still on her tube feedings at night. Speech also practiced with her and gave some good suggestions around navigating her aphasia which were very helpful. Joy and I sang the complete ABC song together.
Later when we she was back in the chair, she was looking at her fingers and said, “They look old, I want to look like a little girl.” So I put some soapy water in basin on her lap and we did a manicure, with my only available tool being the top of a Bic pen, which actually worked amazingly well. She was quite pleased with our albeit limited results.
In the ICU she was using a commode at the bedside. After we got to our new room she indicated she needed to use the bathroom. I called the nurse and waited to see what happened. The nurse came in and rather than move the commode bedside, she brought the walker to Joy and then walked beside her but not supporting her into the bathroom. Joy proceeded to use the toilet, then used the walker to go to the sink and wash her hands and return to bed. She’s done that four times now. We thank all of you and praise and thank God for his healing favor shown to Joy for the advances made and those yet to come.
While Joy’s physical/cognitive gains felt substantial and encouraging, our efforts on our return to Minnesota seemed thwarted at every turn yesterday. However, we hope and pray that some 11th hour advances may have made a breakthrough, but won’t know until later today.
So, once again we ask for your continued faithful and fervent prayers for Joy’s healing of body, mind, and spirit and especially for favor and guidance as we try and pin down our home bound plan. And once again, thank you all so much!
