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Update for Norma February 24, 2008

It’s Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. I just watched the very end of the Oscars in the luxury of a beautiful condo unit in downtown Chicago which I’m able to stay in to rest through the generosity of Mary and John Vercellino . Again, allowing me an opportunity to stay close by, get some rest and at the same time be able to show up early in the morning to help relieve those who have stayed during the night shift, has been such a huge help and benefit to me and our family. So, again, Mary and John, thank you so much for your big hearts. You have no idea how much this has meant to us and I can’t thank you both enough! (Also, thanks to Dale Roberts for making this happen by discussing our situation with Mary and John).

Norma had an excellent weekend. On Saturday afternoon at approximately 5:00 p.m. they were able to move Norma from the intensive care unit over to a step-down area which is intermediate care on the same floor. They were able to remove her catheter, take out all her leads to her computer hook-ups and also remove the e-line out of her foot, which was giving her blood pressure medication to maintain her blood pressure where they need it to stay. The only thing she had left was a single IV for some fluid so she was off and walking.

Saturday was the first day she was actually able to take a shower. They didn’t really want her to do that yet but she kept insisting she could handle it. So sure enough, I got her in there on Saturday after they moved her and we basically hosed her down. She couldn’t get her head wet so we put a plastic bag over her head so she wouldn’t get her stitches wet and put plastic around her elbow because of her IV. She really enjoyed that shower… and I did too. She still hasn’t been able to shampoo her hair because of the stitches but I’m sure that’s going to feel very good when she gets that opportunity. She also took a couple of walks. Saturday was a really good day. .

On Saturday night, she rested up until about 10:00 p.m. Of course, her brother Ralph was on shift that night and she kept him and her nurse busy from about 10:00 p.m. until 4:15 a.m. Things to do! Places to go  She finally got to sleep about 4:15 on Sunday morning and slept pretty much up until breakfast when the doctors came in. After breakfast, she took another long nap. She rested pretty much through most of the day on Sunday until 10:00 p.m.

I was surprised to find when I got back to the condo that I had a message from Norma on my cell phone. It appears that she was able to convince the nurse to use the phone in her room to call me to ask me where her cell phone was. So I have a mission in the morning to make sure I get her cell phone back to her along with her all of her NSSEA files that she feels she has to look through for the upcoming Orlando show. This lady is on a mission to recover and get back to it. She still has some confusion but it is getting better day by day.

Thanks for all your prayers and continued support. We are hopeful that we may be in the step-down unit approximately one week. On Monday, they will set up an assessment for her with the occupational therapist to see what they are recommending as to whether or not to she needs to go to an acute rehabilitation center such as St. Joe’s hospital or Copley Memorial Hospital in Aurora for the next three to four weeks or perhaps we can find 24-7 help at home. That might be an option for us as well. They are still monitoring her to make sure she doesn’t have any more vasospasms but as each day goes by, the risk is reduced.

Again, thanks to all. I appreciate the family coming up to help over the weekend: My brother-in-law Ralph, Phil and Nancy Bonelli, Becky Bicknell, Chrissy Bonelli and Ginger Perkins as well as my brother Terry Ireland, who is also doing the night shift on Sunday night through to Monday morning. I’ll relieve him about 7:00 a.m. so he can get home. My Mom has also been a trooper, holding down the home front with Scooter and also still able to make trips in to Chicago by herself at the young age of 84. She too is a miracle and a pillar of strength for our family. Pa Green also visited for a short time on Sunday and it was good to have him come up and see Norma. As an almost-made-it, I want to thank Donna and Steve Dillon, several of Norma’s closest cousins, who made an attempt to come and see her on Sunday. Unfortunately, while visiting Chicago to see some buildings that her architect son Steve had a hand in, she tripped over a pot hole, fell down, needed five stitches and ended up in the hospital herself on Saturday so was unable to see Norma. She had to head back to Bloomington to recover from her spill. We pray for her quick recovery. Her heart was in the right place but her foot ended up in the wrong place.

Thanks again for the continuing prayers. We really appreciate it. Take care and stay in touch