Friday, August 27, 2010 — The journey continues —

This is all new territory for me. I went from living with college roommates in Berkeley to marrying Skip. And here I am, fifty five years later, full of gratitude, love, unbearable sadness and awe. The husbands of many of my oldest and dearest friends have died over these years and left wives who've had great lives with their partners and who have managed to come through it in one piece, more or less. But only now can I even begin to understand what they have gone through. I want you all to know that I'm making daily progress and learning things about myself, Skip's and my life together and what it means to have three loving children and their families to lean on and grieve with. It is so hard on them also I know. They had the most understanding, sympathetic father and they are dealing valiantly with their loss all the while watching over me and supporting me in every task that comes my way. I am so proud of them. Skip, they're doing a great job! Yes, I do talk to myself and to Skip a lot now.

This seems to be turning into the "thanks to all" entry, so let's continue. The notes, messages and cards I have received from all of you dear, concerned friends have touched me and our children at the deepest places in our hearts. The consistency of your descriptions of Skip is amazing to me even though, in my heart, I know there is no other truth. Your generosity in offering us everything from places to bed down our guests to gritty offers of all kinds of labor is appreciated more than you can imagine. Phone calls have offered me words of wisdom that comfort me and encourage me. I know it isn't easy for some of you to make those phone calls. I love you for doing it and for all your many varied efforts to make my life easier.

I seem to pace myself in a way through this. And I've noticed that dealing with such a loss must be done in a completely personal and individual way. I can sometimes lose myself in reading a fast page turner like the Chet and Bernie mysteries or the "Girl with the dragon tatoo." Other than sleeping when I can, it seems to be my most diverting form of escape. But Kathy, who has been staying with me all this week, cannot seem to read more than a page before reality strikes it's hardest blows. I know my boys and Skip's dear brother, Chuck, are all having to come to grips with this loss in their own more stoic and typical Wollenberg fashion. Sometimes, when I think about them, I wish I could carry the whole weight myself to spare them. But of course I can't. They're the ones who are watching over me on an almost hourly basis. So this seems to be the way families and friends work it all out.

I must return to the thank you mode one more time. In all of my daily "rehashing" of the events of this last month, I inevitably come upon images in my mind of the crew over at Santa Rosa's Sutter Medical Center and those in the ICU and ER at Fort Bragg Hospital. Their daily and nightly efforts to save Skip were nothing short of heroic. How we and Skip were treated in those last days and hours will never be forgotten. How Sarah, Sam and others took care of me as Skip was slipping away and after the wrenching realization of his death will be etched in my heart forever.

Final update on our progress: We're beginning to actually think about the logistics of how the "celebration" will go. Kathy and I are making lists. We're thinking about chairs for some of you to sit on in the garden while we talk about Skip and our experiences with him. I'm not much of a "stander" myself. Not after we cross over the half hour mark. So, at least some of you will find a chair to sit on. The benches on the south end of the yard will serve us and if you think you might be on the late side, bring a little blanket to cover the bases. We intend to eat, drink, play boule and table tennis, listen to music, have good conversations and celebrate a life that was lived so generously and will continue to be with us on a different plane. It's just getting used to that difference that I haven't quite figured out yet. But I'll keep trying.

P.S. I give deepest thanks and am so touched by the "moment of silence" dedicated to Skip at Town Hall and Eric's dedication of the trading time show to Skip.

August 21 — Skip and Jackie — A new time

Dear Friends, I'm sorry that I've been absent so long. I evidently needed a little rest from writing down my thoughts and without a doubt I needed time to just feel and be with family.

The hurt I feel is still intense and the cause is certainly not yet believable, but I am making progress.

We have settled on a realistic date to gather together next month and celebrate the life of the dearest man I have ever known. We will have a very short ceremony ( the way he would like it) and move on to a joyous celebration of a life so full of pleasure and curiosity and so well lived. Thank you all for the beautiful cards, sentiments, prayers and flowers that you have been sending. I cherish them all and they certainly resinate in their similarity of descriptions of this sweet man. I've put the cards in a lovely wooden basket for all to share.

A few people have asked where a donation might be sent. Skip was a constant supporter of the non-profit I put so much of my energy into. Pacific Textile Arts is currently trying to raise the final funds toward moving some portable buildings being given to us by the Fort Bragg School District so that we may better house our fine textile arts library and have proper space to teach the children who are coming to us to learn to spin and weave. For some years Skip has hauled our mowing tractor down to Alger Street in Fort Bragg to cut the lawn in front and back of the little house that serves as our headquarters. Every year he also set up the white gazebos for the silent auction we hold in June. I would very much appreciate it if people who wish to send a donation in his name would send it to Pacific Textile Arts, 450 Alger Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437. You can read all about this project and see pictures of the youthful weavers at the Pacific Textile Arts at our website: pacifictextilearts.org Skip was a patient and loving supporter of all our projects and never complained about my obsessive behavior or sleepless nights while I've been working for this cause. He cared about this project because I cared about it. I really appreciate the gorgeous flowers that have been sent to me but there are enough now for quite a while and I know Skip would approve of sending any more "flower money" to this cause.

I invite all of Skip's friends and family to join us in our garden for a celebration of his life. It will take place Sunday, September 26 at 2:00 p.m. If locals can carpool that would be great. If you are coming from out of town don't hesitate to call me or email me for directions to our house. Also, if you need a place to stay overnight, you can find hotels, motels and B&Bs at two different sites.

1) mendocinocoast.com and 2) fortbragg.com Bill, (registered nag), thank you for your address. I have something to send you from Elena.

My family and I would like to gather with you and share some music, food and loving memories of Skip. If this all sounds too serious, don't worry, there will be some funny stories too, I guarantee. I will probably post several entries of my thoughts each week for a while. I am learning so much and find comfort in connecting with you all. Besides commenting on the blog site, you can reach me at (707)964-5279 or jwoll@mcn.org

Saturday, August 14, 2010 — Check back soon

Dear Ones, through my hurt and my tears I send you deepest thanks for all your prayers and words of support. Please check in after a few days and I will announce a date for the event at which we will celebrate Skip's life and all the joy and support he gave us. I'm simply hurting too much to call you yet but I am so touched by your email messages and your blog comments.

In about a month we will have a party to celebrate his life. That is definitely the way he would have wanted it. I will let you know as soon as I can schedule the right time — probably a Sunday toward the middle of September.

My love to all of you, Jackie.

P. S. Bill, will you please send me your address and email address. Love and thanks to you, Jackie

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 —

I had hoped to continue this blog for many weeks to come. I envisioned Skip making rapid progress with his physical therapy and returning home soon to Madsen Lane, the place he loved to be.

But the gods had something else in mind. Our warm and gracious patient has left us. He died this afternoon after a full code event involving his lungs and his heart. My darling husband is going to have to travel to the coast in a different way. Thank you for all your offers of housing, help and prayers. I love you all. My time now is taken with coming to grips with a reality that simply seems like a bad dream. I would like to wake up and find out that it isn't true. But this afternoon I said goodbye to my best friend and love of my life.

Adios amigo.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 — Getting ready to leave

Skip and I are both suffering from insecurity about leaving this very safe haven with doctors and nurses on call at a moment's notice. Not that we actually call on them very often but it is so nice knowing that someone could be there so quickly. We both recognize how we're feeling and know that we're going to have to "cut the cord." I am suddenly having to deal with communications from our supplemental insurance and calls from all others associated with the upcoming change of venue. I'm sure we'll survive and no doubt we'll learn a lot.

When I returned from Fort Bragg the nurse was drawing blood to check on several things. They have just switched to giving him digitalis to adjust his heartbeat. They'll be closely attending this patient until the moment he leaves. It seems he will be in a three man room at Sherwood Oaks and it will be a middle bed. That's all they have available. So I'm guessing that many of the warm and fuzzy things we've become accustomed to at Sutter will soon become a thing of the past. Such as visiting rights. Can't you just see how it would be if people could just waltz into a three man room at any old time of the day or night. "Visiting hours," here we come. Should provide another good incentive for Skip to work like a beaver at his physical therapy and get home to Madsen Lane.

There were many phone calls to answer this morning. Some ridiculous and frustrating and some actually heartwarming. I won't bore you with the early attempts to answer five calls from the same mechanical woman at Anthem Blue Cross who, when I tried to answer her "urgent" request to have her call returned, would simply not discuss anything about Skip with me. I finally talked her into at least leaving a memo to the effect that I had tried to answer back. I finally allowed that irritating one to drop out of my mind when I opened up a letter from the same folks telling us that six days, from July 23 to July 29, would not be covered because the "doctor" who reviewed the case said there wasn't enough information available to warrent having Skip in the hospital at that time. Well, you can kind of guess what my reaction might be. I looked at the phone# on our cards and called. I informed the woman who answered that my blood pressure was rising and they might soon have me as a patient in the hospital also if they didn't have an answer to this craziness. And, I said that actually I was preparing to call the State Insurance Commission and tell them what Anthem was up to. Boy, was I mad. The very nice lady at the other end knew what she was doing. Her name is Brenda and she's a peach. She slowly calmed me down and assured me that it wasn't going to be that bad. She could make it all OK. She took every bit of personal info I could give her and then looked up the situation and looked up our coverage and told me it was very good coverage and I shouldn't worry. She'd fix it. I calmed down, thanked her and said goodbye. Ten minutes later she called me back and said it was all just a short term mistake and not to worry if that happened again. Sure! I was actually so grateful to her for being so caring and unruffled that I thanked her profusely, asked her for her name and started to say goodbye. But I couldn't help myself. I had to ask her if she lived in Florida. Her calm, capable manner expressed with a soft, special, recognizable little drawl made me think so much of Norma that I just had to ask. She said "yes," she lived in Jacksonville, Florida. How's that for nailing it? Imagine me with a forever pal at Anthem Blue Cross.

August 9, 2010 — New transport date set!

The doctors seem to be really honing in on the right balance of drugs to regulate Skip's heart beat and are switching over to having him try to take his doses by pills instead of through his tubes. That has led them to set a tentative new date for moving to Sherwood Oaks convalescent hospital in Fort Bragg. Currently he is scheduled for moving there by ambulance this coming Thursday. I am home for one night right now to go to a Pacific Textile Arts board meeting and take care of business. Before I left Santa Rosa this morning I was with Skip while he had a lovely visit from Alexandra, who we have known and loved since she was an infant. It was great seeing Skip being so curious about what was going on in her life and asking all about her two beautiful children who we have not seen in several years.

While we visited, a delivery man showed up with a brand new looking light weight wheel chair and a contract for rental of the same. Lolli says he mother has had one still rented by Medicare as this one will be, for so long that they could have bought a new one and nothing would have to still be being paid by the government. It seems crazy that they don't at least keep track of that and have an agreement that a certain length will constitute the buying of the chair. The patient would still have the use of the chair and Medicare would save a bundle. Maybe someday rational things like that will actually happen. Meanwhile I understand the fraud inspectors continue to conduct unannounced appearances to look at record books in an attempt to save the government's money????????

Skip is more and more interested in reading and before I leave he makes sure that his Kindle is within reach. How's that for a good sign? In the mail I'll take back to him from home are two envelopes from MLPA. He's so eager to hear what's going on there. Last week he opened a card and supplementary page with well wishing messages filling all the space. It was a card from his MLPA colleagues. I actually saw a few silent tears go down his cheek he was so touched by this card. I know he wants me to say a million thanks to all of you who wrote messages to him. It means so much to him to hear from you.

Skip's wish to see Fort Bragg may soon be fulfilled. Hold that thought for him. Thanks.

Sunday, August 8, 2010 — Good talk with the cardiologist today.

Mike and I were lucky enough to be with Skip when the cardiologist was just finishing his rounds today. Nurse Harriet told him that we were eager to ask him some questions and he paid a second visit to Skip's room to help fill us in. We think we were able to get a pretty good outline of the way the hospital is persuing the questions that still linger regarding Skip's heart fibrillation. They are trying certain drugs to lower his heart rate and to eliminate or at least control the occrance of the fibrillating events. They are giving him a diuretic and doing more frequent dialysis to bring down the toxicity numbers and address the adema in his legs and ankles. We asked the doctor about our fear of having him sent back to Fort Bragg before all their questions are answered. He said he agreed and Skip was not going back to Fort Bragg soon. A kind of bad news — good news reversal. That statement definitely addresses our worry of sending him back too soon, but we know it is also a huge frustration for Skip. I'm so glad Mike was there with us so that we could minimize any misunderstanding we might have been suffering from. Tomorrow we will talk with the main hospitalist and try to get a clearer picture of where we are going from here. "Patience!" I keep saying to myself.

I left Skip mid-afternoon so he could take a good nap. When I returned in the evening his nurse, Michelle and dear Bill from ICU had jointly given him a shave and trim. He looked great and seemed to have regained some of his strength from the morning's loss during and after dialysis. Evidently while I was gone Skip had a visit from Susan E. So sorry I missed you, Susie. And thanks for the delicious scone. After I arrived we watched a great history film about an artist who loved to go on explorations to Greenland and other remote areas. Such fun for Skip because he had been there when when he was working for the Danish government. I could see memories flashing through his mind. It's great to see him taking interest in such things. And when I was about to leave for the night he asked me to put his Kindle near enough for him to reach. That's music to my ears.

Saturday, August 7, 2010 — Still some questions —

I arrived this morning to find Skip using nasal oxygen. Earlier he had begun to feel seriously out of breath. His lungs still looked good and his numbers looked ok. So they gave him oxygen and began puzzling over which medicines might work for the situation. The cardiologist wanted to use one but the hospitalist was worried about what that might do to his kidneys. I'm not absolutely sure what doses of which meds he finally received. His ankles and feet have also become swolen so that also had to be addressed with diuretics.

By noon things seemed to have leveled off and Skip began to enjoy reading his Kindle. — "Dog On It." — About that time Chuck and Leah arrived and had a good visit before lunch arrived and the nurses had to attend to the patient for a while. So the three of us drove down to a favorite bakery and sandwich cafe. We are certainly learning to enjoy some of the eateries in the neighborhood of the Sutter Medical Center.

Soon after we returned to Skip's room the Giant's game began and soon after that Steve, Susan and Mira showed up. They had hit unexplained traffic and it took them over two hours to travel here from the San Rafael bridge. We were all busy through the next hour saying our goodbyes to Leah who will be leaving Monday for England for a five month stay and some travel as well as work in her cousins' cafe on the coast. It should be a wonderful time for her but it wasn't much time for the two cousins to to visit before going their separate ways again. Maybe Leah will be able to visit Mira in Italy during the winter. Bottom line is that it made Skip's eyes light up seeing these two granddaughters having such a good visit. In the midst of the earlier time with Leah and Chuck we were also visited by five tiny service dogs. Three of them were put right up on Skip's lap. Those of you who know how much he cares for his own dogs can understand what joy that brought him.

A call from Kathy in the early afternoon passed on the content of a conversation she had with our friends Tom and Kat (cardiologist and nurse) at Echo. She relayed to us that they wanted to know for sure that the hospital was going to check for for clots, given his symptoms. At that moment the technician arrived with the portable scanner to do just that. It did make us feel reassured to get that message from the Fashinells and have it actually happening within minutes. As far as we know, nothing serious was found but we await a more thorough rundown of the results of the sonogram.

Good stuff: Skip used the walker and made his way into the hall several times. He ate his dinner while sitting on a normal chair. He calls for the commode more often now and is able to achieve the standup and sitting in a better fashion each time. The physical therapist worked with Skip's legs and had him lifting each leg on his own ten times. That hurts but he does it and I'm sure he becomes stronger each time as a result of that exercise.

Of course the going to the coast schedule is still hanging in the air because of the questions posed today by the breathlessness and the swelling. I know how much Skip is looking forward to being able to visit with many of you when he is ensconced at Sherwood Oaks. But it's really important that these lingering questions get answered before he leaves the Sutter Center. Hold good thoughts for that to happen. Love to you all for sending such heartfelt good vibes. It works and there's no way to tell you how grateful we are. P.S. Can't wait to show Skip the boule pictures and narrative from last week. It just keeps getting better (worse?)

Friday, August 6, 2010 — Skip really back to reading.

It's a joy to walk into the room and see Skip avidly reading his Kindle or the newspaper. He looks much more rested today after being given a sleeping pill about 10:00 last night. He has a roommate who came in by helicopter last evening from Lakeport. He buys and sells restaurants and golf courses. Fun to see Skip taking interest in another man's life and stories. It's like getting one step closer to the good old Skip.

Last night after venting my fears to myself and the world, I began organizing the concerns that I have and planning questions for the doctors regarding, appetite, fibrillation, fatigue and other related subjects. I was actually able to rephrase and answer some of my questions in a way that calmed my spirits. I'll have ample opportunity to present them to the doctors before we leave and we'll also have a very competent doctor who will be receiving Skip as a patient and he will have all his charts. So I'm actually in a much better place today than I was yesterday. And though he was receiving dialysis today and is always tired after that, he is much more rested than he was all day yesterday. Oh, how you learn to savor those small incremental steps forward.

The patient ate all his breakfast today before I arrived! Hard to believe after seeing his distasteful look when viewing food the last few days. Everything tastes like metal. Dr. Warner, the disease doctor says it will only be a few more days that he'll have to take certain medicines to protect him from the C.diff returning. That's a relief. Back to the breakfast. It evidently consisted of one large plate of fresh fruit. The OT had heard him say yesterday that he liked fruit so she really did it up for him. Good going, Kelly. As I said, he ate it all and told the nurse that he wished he could have that for every meal. Well, I guess that wasn't quite possible, but he had a very appetizing smaller plate of canned peaches and pears with cottage cheese for lunch. It was accompanied by a small, crisp green salad that Skip actually partook of enthusiastically. A fruit smoothie completed the picture. I can't say enough about how hard the entire staff at this hospital tries to make things work for their patients.

Skip can now pretty comfortably sling his legs over the side of the bed and sit there to wait for the lift team to help him to a comode. That's progress amigos! We'll just keep trying to concentrate on the good stuff and see where we go with it. The coast is calling to both of us.

Thursday, August 5, 2010 — A release date and a visit!

The two major events for today are the mentioning of a release date and a lovely visit from our dear friends, Yael and Jean Pierre. They brought Skip a book that had him laughing like I had not seen in quite a while. A book of one page creations filled with just the right brand of humor for the patient.

He evidently had trouble sleeping last night which might account partly for his seeming so much weaker than usual this afternoon. They said they would give him a sleeping elixer tonight. He could barely keep his eyes open when they took him downstairs for an echocardiogram. But when Yael and JP arrived he lit up like a neon sign. I think it's going to do him wonders just to be over in Fort Bragg. The date has been tentatively set for Tuesday which will fall between his dialysis days of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He'll know that he's on Sherwood Road, just a stone's throw from his home.

On the weekend we'll be able to consult with the kidney doctor and hopefully tomorrow the cardiologist to get a clearer picture of what is going on with those two functions and what the current predictions for the future are. The fibrillating episodes seem to occur off and on even though Skip has received medication to even things out. The more the infection situation betters itself the sooner they'll be able to separate things out and tell what causes or is related to what. To be honest, I find these remaining uncertainties quite frightening but it would be foolish to become incapacitated with fear ........ so I won't.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 — Patient getting impatient! A good sign.

"When do you think we'll get back to Fort Bragg?" That's the theme of the day now. Our Italy contingent arrived in the States late last night and were here most of the day today along with Chuck and Leah. Steve looks happy to have his family reunited. Mira and Susan both pretended not to be too sleepy but I'm sure the minute they get to Richmond they're going to go into deep crash mode. They both look great and so happy to see Skip on the mend after reading the blog day after day in Italy. Mira gave Skip a lovely poem she wrote for him when she was still in Torino. I'm going back for a short night visit and I'll try to retrieve it for y'all.

Speaking of Lolli, Skip asked when you were coming back to Fort Bragg for a while. He's got everybody on the brain and probably in better order than I do. His bodily functions continue to improve. But still a very diminished appetite, still on dialysis and still very weak. We just have to be patient with nature's healing process. He does get better each day now and we're so happy about that. The nurses have taken to coming in and complementing him on his latest breakthrough.

This coming Friday marks our third week at Sutter Hospital. Shozo has described what it was like while he waited for Alice to come to and rally to her recovery here. But there's no way to really understand what it's like until you're doing it yourselves. I can so much better realize what he and Alice went through now. Our love goes out to them and you and the nurses who have been so steadfast here and who still check in with the blog — especially Bill and Kathy. We love you all.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 — Back in Santa Rosa with our dogs —

I returned from Fort Bragg to Sutter Hospital with our two dogs. Kathy came down with Larkin and Elena from Echo Lake to visit with Skip and pick up the dogs. They are now happily on their way to the mountains for a week in a place they know and love. We will both miss having these two entertaining and loving creatures with us. They are so much a part of our lives. But I'm happy knowing they're in a good place.

The short trip to Fort Bragg was very productive. It's a tonic to be in the house we love living in even for a few hours and a night. I really visualized having Skip back in the house and slowly building up his strength.

Kathy met with the doctor and nurse on duty today. They are now predicting that Skip will be discharged soon after the coming weekend. After much soul searching and with full input by Skip, the decision has been made to do the beginning physical therapy while residing at Sherwood Oaks. I spoke with someone at Fort Bragg Hospital today and they would be happy to have Skip do his therapy from a "swing bed" there, but because he will still be needing dialysis that will not be an option. Medicare will only pay for the dialysis if he is residing away from the hospital as an outpatient. For some reason, it's OK to be residing in Sherwood Oaks. Since the dialysis clinic is only a short wheelchair walk from the hospital, it doesn't really make any sense to have to get in a car and travel across town to do the dialysis. There still are some pretty amazing situations in mdical coverage that defy reason. But thank heavens the people setting these things up know the ropes so we don't end up with a hopeless expense.

When I returned to Santa Rosa early this evening, Mike, Kathy, Elena and Larking were with Skip. Shortly before I arrived he had a short cardiac fibrilation event. It scared him a bit and left him fatigued and slightly downturned in his emotions. Kathy and I both think it's perhaps a good thing for this to happen while he's here where there can be such immediate medical response. He said he felt like he did during recent occasional fainting episodes. He has tried to chalk them up to altitude and being in the mountains. However, I know that he's acually had this happen a few times in our own home. So I'm pleased that the whole situation will be questioned and explored. I feel a time of greater understanding coming upon us.

I appreciate so much all the good advice we've received since this whole ordeal began. I am now at ease knowing that Skip will receive good care when he returns to the coast.

Monday, August 2, 2010 — News by phone —

I am actually writing this on Tuesday before returning to Santa Rosa. Yesterday Steve held the fort at Sutter Hospital and Kathy plus Elena and Larkin joined him in mid-afternoon from Echo.

I am going to take the dogs over to them today and they will join the canine forces in the mountains for a while. Hopefully without any major battles taking place.

I talked by phone during the day and heard all the complicated possibilities for steps after discharge that were discussed. Of course Skip would prefer to come straight home. But until he can stand on his own or move with a walker, that doesn't seem very likely. He is still in that kind of circular dilema caused by taking several remaining courses of antibiotics which cause digestive irritations and make all his food taste like some kind of metal. This, in turn causes him to reject food ............. I went to Viraporn's last night and will be carrying his very favorite food in all this world back for tonight's dinner. He considers her shrimp lemongrass soup to be his necter of the gods or "the best tonic he knows." Let's hope it doesn't take on the metallic luster all the Sutter food is suggesting to him. If anything can turn the tide for him it is something from Viraporn.

Kathy says that Skip's voice has almost returned to normal, or at least seemed that way last night. He was so happy to see his grandchildren and Kathy along with Steve. He did a crossword puzzle and has requested his laptop and his Kindle. These are fantastic signs of improvement. We just have to figure out where he can go next. My own preference would be to transfer back to Fort Bragg Hospital for several days to do so physical therapy and then have a quick ride to Madsen Lane and a return to the place he loves. We'll keep you posted.

Sunday, August 1, 2010 — The paitient is getting frisky!

Skip is still really uncomfortable but he's getting better by the minute. And he's begging to go home to Fort Bragg. That's all he can think of. I on the other hand have turned into a pushy force feeder becuase I know how much he hates having that feeding tube down through the nose. That the only way to avoid having the tube is to eat some calories is what I understand to be a reality. Let's just say he is not quite on the same street. That I can even be saying this shows that we've come an incredibly long way since Skip entered Fort Bragg Hospital with type A strep infection turned sepsis. I am somewhat haunted by the fact that all the doctors appear not to have thought that Skip would survive. They are all amazed that he did and the whole Wollenberg family is thrilled beyond words that he did. So the only thing that really matters is that we add to the gains each day and not allow the trauma of what has happened to frighten us or interfere with that progress. Yes, it is frightening. Enough!

It looks like the next week will find us choosing a residential physical therapy location that can be combined with whatever dialysis regime is necessary. Skip has lost so much muscle mass in this ordeal. He is just what our favorite ICU day nurse predicted — weak as a kitten. I think the motivation to get back to Fort Bragg is the going to be the key to everything. He loves his life on the coast so much and he just can't wait to be back. I am home for a day to take care of business and I'm visualizing having him back here and growing in strength. Our house is a great place to move around as is our porch which completely circles our house. It seems to me to be the best place possible for Skip to get his strength back. I am seeing him down at the harbor playing boule and at the health club walking one of the pool lanes along with all those post -op exercisers. This is going to be the hardworking, getting back to normal stage of the game.

We're so grateful to all of you who have been following Skip's progress through this shocking experience. It makes such a difference to know that we're not doing this all alone. He is just now really beginning to understand what a miracle it is that he is still with us and what it is going to require to work his way back to wellness.