UPDATES
Febuary 5 2005 Update
Marla is becoming more aware each day, and is physically very active. Her speech therapist has been monitoring her tongue and lip movements, as well as her swallow reflex. She supervised Marla’s first taste of soft foods (pudding, mashed potatoes). Marla was delighted to eat something. Her first words were, “Ow, eye, no.” She has corneal abrasions on her left eye which are very painful. Due to the nerve damage, her eyes do not blink or close completely, causing dryness and irritation. This has interfered with her therapies. On Tuesday, her eye was stitched shut to help it heal. We look forward to increasing speech and attention span, and remain full of hope.
We wish to encourage everyone over 21 to assign a power of attorney. Young people often mistakenly believe that they will be able to make decisions under circumstances such as Marla’s. Also, please hug a health-care worker. Their long hours, conscientiousness and genuine concern have been both reassuring and strengthening to us. We continue to be grateful for the caring, concern and encouragement from all of you.