Looking good!

Today was mom's follow-up appointment with her doctor.  The good news is that there was no bad news! In fact, mom will get to go to our Family Reunion next week!  Thank you so much for all of your prayers and your concern.  We have felt the reassurance and strength of the Lord and we appreciate that so much.  Mom is on a liquid diet and is now starting to eat soft foods.  She does have some pain in the area where the gastric bypass was supposed to have been done, but the doctor said that was probably just scar tissue.  He said she would definitely know if another leak started because she would get really sick right away.  (I guess that is comforting?)   Mom is very weak and will need several months to slowly build her strength back up now that her insides seems to be healed.  They are planning on doing an endoscopy to see what her insides look like, but that will be after the family reunion, so depending on when that gets scheduled for, she will either be allowed to go home with my dad back to Snohomish after the reunion, or she will travel back to Arizona with Becky and Ryan.  Either way, it won't be too much longer before she can go back to her home in Snohomish.  Yippee Mom!

Happy Birthday Wendy!

Today is Mom's 57th birthday!  She has been at my sister Becky's house for the past week and the good news is that she is still there!  She hasn't had to go back to the hospital now for 7 days, which mom is very grateful for.  Before she left the hospital, they took her off TPN (IV Nutrition), but left her PICC line is so she could continue her powerful IV antibiotics for a few more days at Becky's house.  A few days ago her home health nurse pulled out the PICC line since the antibiotics were finished and she is still doing okay...no signs of infection such as fever, vomiting, pain, etc.  We are very hopeful that her insides are finally actually healing!  Mom has an appointment with her doctor in his office this Thursday, and hopefully we'll be able to get a better idea of the condition of her insides and also what to expect during the next several months of healing and regaining strength.  If there is any negative news, it is that mom is very weak...she barely has the strength to stand on her own.  We are not sure why she is not gaining her strength back.  We know she has lost a lot of muscle in the past 3 months, but we don't know much else.  Mom could really use being cheered up so if you have a funny story or funny book or funny card to tell her about or send her, please do.  Her life is so different than what she had planned.  She had paid for a "Log Home Building" class that she was supposed to take last month.  And this month she had planned to be on the lake in Montana, building her own log cabin.  Instead she barely has enough strength to get herself to the bathroom.  Life is very different for her and she is realizing that she may never get back her old life or health.  However, she is grateful to be alive and have the support of family and friends.  At this time, she is finally off of ALL tubes, wires and drains!  It looks like all of your and our prayers are paying off...Mom may be able to attend our family reunion in Yellowstone after all!  If you want to call Wendy her cell phone is (425) 870-3641.  (I will warn you--she doesn't check her messages--my whole family stinks at that--and she sleeps often--but please keep trying.)  Also, I will post my sister's address where mom is staying on the top of the blog.  Thanks for your love and concern!