Mom's Update

Today Courtney sat up in the chair again. I bought her snowman slippers that have buttons for eyes and a carrot nose. Claudia thinks they're stupid and that Courtney will hate them but the nurses and I think they're cute.

We put them on her feet. As she sat in the chair she lifted her feet - left right - left right over and over as though she were walking. It was a very deliberate move and wonderful to see.

She sat in the chair for 2 1/2 hours - great for her lungs and overall strength of bones, muscles and joints.

Courtney continues to breathe easily on the ventilator mask. We are hopeful that tomorrow, with the full staff on, Courtney's ventilator tube will be downsized allowing her to breathe through both her nose and mouth. With the current trachea size she only breathes on her own through her nose. This downsizing of the tube (canula) is another important step.

We are also hopeful that doctors will turn off the chest tube pump and soon be able to remove the chest tube.

She has just 2 more days on the antibiotic and then she will have the main line - an IV line going into her central artery removed. This is good news as another potential port of infection will no longer exist once it is removed.

Courtney has had a very very restful day today. She certainly has earned it after all the fevers, sweats, brain storms, heart rates and respiratory rates up and down, not to mention muscle spasms that must be very painful. These periods of restfulness help her brain to heal.

When she was awake today she was once again very alert - almost sentry like about the people entering her room.

We pray that this week will continue to bring important steady progress that will soon lead to her leaving the ICU and onto Rehab. Please pray for this steady progress with us.

Later this week we will be visiting Rehab centers in Massachusetts with friends who are in the health care industry and can help us make an intelligent evaluation. Mom and Dad will be doing the emotional evaluation! We will keep everyone informed of our decision and certainly when she is moved to Rehab.

Thank you again for another wonderful week of prayers and support.