Just a quick note to bring everyone up to date.
One day short of three months in Intensive Care, Lina was able to get well enough to be transported to a new hospital that specializes in long term rehabilitation. Here she will work on getting rid of her trach in her throat, speech therapy and getting her muscles to regrow.
As of yesterday, her first day, she moved her neck a couple of times and her fingers on her right hand several times. She mouthed some words, but none of us could make them out.
The new hospital is very nice and homey and less clinical looking, which will help her in the long run. She has a lovely window and a bed that actually faces a television (and vcr, she watched part of SINGING IN THE RAIN last night before falling asleep).
She will be at this hospital for several weeks (I'm guessing about two months or more from what I could gather). She will then go to another facility for long term physical therapy where she will learn motor skills and fingers crossed be able to walk again.
Overall, I couldn't be happier and more relieved. We almost lost her several times, but she's got an incredible amount of fight in her. After three surgeries and half dozen "medical prodedures", she's proven for the first time that just being Lina's stubborn self was a good thing. She's survived heart failure, a collapsed lung, 108.9 degree fever, blood pressures rising to deadly levels only to fall to deadly levels. She's still here and healing faster than any doctor or nurse expected. When she left via ambulance bed yesterday, she received cheers and a standing ovation from the ICU staff, doctors and nurses. She broke hospital records at highline hospital. I'm sure she will continue to break GOOD records at Regional.
I'll be posting pictures on her wall and cards that have been sent plus flowers along with her stuffed dog that her daughter Jenni got for her on Valentine's Day.
The best thing for her with rehabilitation is positive memories and thoughts from friends and relatives.
Thanks again to everyone for their incredible support!
Mark and Lina
