UPDATES
January 27 2003 Update
Marla continues to slowly improve, thanks to the prayers and support from all of you. As you may know, we had a meeting on 1⁄21 with the Craig Hospital team working with her. They are predicting discharge in early April, and that she will walk out! She may need a cane and will require someone with her 24 hours a day, but they believe she will be able to return to her home, including climbing the stairs. The doctors are in disagreement, one believing she had a stroke and another believing that she experienced deep-brain damage similar to “Shaken Baby Syndrome.” We are praying it was the latter, believing that damaged neurons hopefully can heal, whereas strokes kill neurons. The therapies are the same, either way.
The arch bars were removed from her mouth on Friday, 1⁄24, which clears the way to work on swallowing, first food, then water; both prerequisite to removal of her tracheostomy tube. She has swallowed small ice chips and at some point told the physical therapist, “No.” She has been moving her injured arm with her left hand and now has a hinged splint to help regain flexibility in her elbow. Her physical therapy has included standing, with support, for short periods and pedaling an exercise bike, modified to be used from a wheel chair.
Again, thank you for your prayers, your support, your visits, and for being Marla’s friends. The doctors, nurses and therapists have been impressed by the amount of support you have given her and continue to emphasize its great value in increasing the rate and extent of her recovery. The flowers, cards, food and financial help you’ve sent have helped us get through some difficult times, and our tremendous gratitude can best be expressed by our including you in our prayers.