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.