Update on Sara ~ 10/30/08

Went to see Sara last night. Tuesday was her birthday, but I had my last Police Academy class, so I couldn't get up to see her. I promised her cake on Wednesday though.

I went to Hy-vee to buy the cake and I wasn't in the mood for cake. Nothing looked good. So I was thinking, and thinking...................cheeseCAKE sounds good. I was hoping Sara was a fan. So I headed to the pie section in frozen foods and grabbed a cheesecake and off to the hospital I went.

Sara likes cheesecake! YEAH! So we both ate a piece of slightly frozen cheesecake(it was still good!) and visited for about two hours.

She is doing really well. The nursing staff decorated her room during the night and on Tuesday when she woke up, she woke up to signs everywhere celebrating her birthday. Her doctors brought her cookies from Mrs. Fields and lots of friends and family stopped in that day. She said it was the best birthday ever. I had to ask to be sure I heard her right since she has been in the hospital five weeks now, but she was positive it was the best birthday.

She is getting close to discharge. The doctors are pleased with the progress of the graft. It is taking very well. She airs it out twice a day now, this is in preperation for going home. Her harvest site is scabbing over really well and it will look more or less like you would if you had skinned your knee. She still has a morphine drip, but rarely uses it. She is no longer being sedated for dressing changes. There is really no reason to keep her in the ICU, so they may move her back to Francis for the remainder of her days. She is still not weight-bearing on the graft leg, they want to be sure she doesn't do any damage to it at all. She pivots on her left leg to get to a chair or to the potty. She has all kinds of Theraband tied to various spots on her bed so she can do some exercising. Being in bed five weeks is not easy on the muscles.

They hope to discharge her on Sunday, that is when the antibiotics regimen will be done. They are still saying tentative based on the grafting, so if not Sunday, then Tuesday is the day. After nearly six weeks in the hospital, she is happy to have an end in sight! She'll go to her parent's house for a few weeks for continued recovery before returning to home and work. The doctors and nursing staff have all been spectacular, they love her and she loves them.

Please keep praying for continued healing.