UPDATES
February 10 2003 Update
It was a busy weekend for Marla, with many visitors coming to see her and lend her support and encouragement. Two of Marla’s long-time friends from college, her room-mates Megan and Lyndsay, both flew in to visit. Megan from Idaho, and Lyndsay from Boston.
On Saturday, many of the teachers from Glacier Peak came to visit and brought with them two huge cards signed by them and all of the students. Their sincere expressions of love and empathy provide us and Marla with a sense of support and caring. Plus, the teachers brought the results of their Penny Drive fund-raising effort for Marla, in which they and the Glacier Peak students raised funds to support her medical expenses. We continue to be amazed at the depth and strength of the on-going support for Marla.
On Thursday February 6th, we had a bit of a scare during afternoon physical therapy. While standing, suddenly the muscles on Marla’s left side stiffened, and the staff had to help her to the floor. We were concerned about a possible seizure, but Marla’s doctors believe that it was either related to a drop in blood pressure, her medications, or some combination of these factors. Marla had an EEG (a test of electrical activity in the brain) to rule out seizure, and it did not show any signs that a seizure had occurred. If anything positive has come of the episode, it is that it prompted her physician to do a detailed review of the medications that she is taking. Many of them have sedating effects, with the result that Marla has frequently been sleeping through her therapy sessions, which doesn’t yield maximum benefit for her. On Friday, after her medications were adjusted, Marla was the most alert that we have seen her since coming to Craig. She said “Hi” to people passing in the hall. When Mary said good-bye and “I love you” to Marla upon departing for Glenwood Springs for the weekend, Marla replied: “I love you.” We were so excited to hear her speak and express emotion.
Marla’s left eye, which was stitched closed earlier in the week to protect it from dryness and ongoing irritation, continues to heal and improve. Her opthalmologist believes that the cornea has probably had sufficient time to heal. She will work with Marla’s surgeon regarding when to remove the sutures. Marla has graduated to eating pureed foods and thickened liquids. She loves to drink the cold apple juice, and milk shakes. Because some of her medications can cause a dry mouth, she is desperate for anything to drink. She also enjoys the pureed fruits, jello, and sorbet. She doesn’t seem to like the pureed turkey, lasagna, sweet peas, or other hot liquified versions of dinner. She pushes them away, saying “Yuck!” or “Gross!”
Hopefully Marla’s tracheostomy tube will be removed soon. Her respiratory doctor reduced the size of the tube one more notch, and we believe that the next step will be removal. This will be a big improvement in comfort and mobility for Marla.
Marla continues to work hard in physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Speech therapy is proving to be a constant challenge for her. She seems to know many of the words she needs, but has extreme difficulty in expressing them. As she has become more aware, her struggles are becoming more evident to us and her therapists as she expresses her emotions. She often cries when tired or frustrated, which is a positive sign that she can express her feelings. But it is difficult for us to see her sadness. Nonetheless, we know that it is a part of the process, and we continue to be ever hopeful as we continue to see Marla improve. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and love.