This is one of those very short updates, that has only a few words but still says a LOT.    We have all heard the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words.   Well, a few minutes ago Rich and Jeannette sent me two new photos, and they speak volumes.   Jeannette is standing up!    See the photo album and enjoy the thrill of seeing her standing on her own legs for the first time since the accident!-John[...]

This is a quick update and is a reflection of my FaceTime visit with Jeannette this afternoon. I also had a chance to say "hello" to Rich and to Sam, both who were in the room while Jeannette and I were chatting. The cell phones were ringing, with lots of well wishers and concerned friends calling in to say "hi" as well. For a Sunday afternoon, things seemed busy to me.[...]

I saw Jeannette earlier today. Rich was packing her up for the move back to St Elias. She was eating some cream of wheat after a bout of nausea during the night. If you girls out there remember baby doll PJs, she was sporting a cute new flowered top. The décolleté gown was gone as was the neck brace. When I got there at 0830, there was no " order" for Jeannette to move. The day was saved when Dr Morgan ( a Sitka girl) came in and made things happen. Jeannette, and the rest of us, just love her. Jeannette was sad that the Dr's next rotation takes her to Humana. Communion was delivered and, big surprise, it was my friend Jeff from the AK Army Guard. He is a great guy so I know the prayers were especially heard this morning. Sam and I moved the bag lady's (all Jeannette's stuff is in shopping bags) possessions out to the car and then I had to leave for a Boy Scout function. I will leave the end of day update and relocation report to John. But as of 1000 today, all was well. Sully

I just spoke with Rich and he fed me "update info."   While I wasn't able to get by myself, I thought I"d take a few minutes and pass on this second hand report with all of the good news.   It seems when I am away things that happen are easier to spot; the day-to-day activities tend to blur together and often it's hard to see how much progress is going on.  And then, suddenly there is so much more to share.[...]

Jeannette was having a good day when I visited in the early afternoon. She had had some bleeding on the new bionic leg so there was some vampire activity going on. She received 2 bags of blood. The room was a flurry of activity as Rich, Sam and I had to keep dancing around the staff as they tried to learn how to provide quality care for Jeannette' s needs. St Elias was acute care and after 3+ months there, Team Keida was a fine tuned machine. Jeannette will have the Prov folks whipped into shape in no time. That is my prediction. As I walked in, she was instructing the trachea tube nurse on how to clean the apparatus. She was able to take her long compression stocking off the right leg to enjoy a scrub and then a rub (moisturizer) by Rich. She also had the dressing changed on the left leg and was able to leave it unwrapped for a while. It looked like the bleeding had subsided. As I was leaving, she and Rich were enjoying a lunch of soup, cheese and crackers. WiFi there is not great so phone calls are taking the place if face time. Sully[...]

Just spoke with Rich and Jeannette, and another day of healing has gone well.   Today the PT and OT therapy was in full swing, having her sit up for half an hour and work on the dizziness that comes with doing something you haven't been able to do for three plus months.   She also has some dedicated time for the CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine, which moves her leg up and down, slowly and continuously moving her new knee joint to make sure it stays flexible.   On the downside of things, there was some real pain earlier today, which came about because someone took Jeannette off of the "good stuff" when the doctor actually wanted her to stay on it for a while.   Rich got that sorted out, and then in the afternoon they brought her "iron pills" which she is allergic too, and all of that had to get sorted out too.   The little snafus were a good reminder how important having an advocate in the room is to make sure the all important "doctors orders" are being followed by the hospital staff.[...]

This afternoon Sam, Rich, Joyce, Sully, and were chatting with Jeannette. She's already off of the morphine drip, and her new leg has been through a two hour workout and its all working. They've kept her in the bed today, partly because some of those numbers needed adjusting. The big news is NO MORE GOWNS, YIPEE! That's right, the latest doctor's orders have eliminated the need for the rubber gloves and yellow hospital gowns for visitors. Another mark of progress of course, but more than that, we can look "cool" again. I am so used to seeing everyone in yellow that it seems odd now not to see us dressed that way.[...]

As a great day winds down there is much to be thankful for.   Jeannette's all important surgery went well; very well in fact, and her new bionic knee is in place and the operation appears to have been a complete success.   In fact, on doctors orders, tomorrow she is scheduled to leave the bed, and begin light "weight bearing" walking therapy!   Wow.  WOW!!!!!  The surgeon said that everything went as planned, and he was able to save more of her femur than he had initially thought would be possible.    The bottom line is all of the news is good tonight. She's still pretty drugged up, of course,  but resting comfortably, and everyone is pleased and excited that things are moving in the direction they seem to be going.  She's in a regular post-surgery room; not intensive care, which is another indicator that things are going well.  All of the post surgery "numbers" are where they want them to be, and the blood counts and O2 levels and temperatures are A-OK.   [...]

Rich just called. Jeannette is in recovery. The surgery went super. Not as much femur had to be removed as the Dr previously thought. The Dr was very well pleased. John is in town and hopes to swing by Prov to provide a more thorough update. All systems Go!

Mission stardate 11.5.12 1400HRS:   Mission control reports surgery is in progress; the expectation is that Dr Kayanaugh will brief Rich and Sam with a post surgery report once everything has been completed.   For now, that's all the news I know.  - John[...]