Lots of Good News Today

This is Helen writing to say that there is lots of good news from the rehab unit today. George (Irvin) and his roommate agree that he has had a very good day. They had good conversations during the day. Also, he was not nearly as tired from the therapy as he was yesterday. He is cheerful and talking a great deal more than previously, and much more able to express complete thoughts than he was before today. And here is the really good news -- he is tentatively scheduled to come home September 19.

Leaps and Bounds

OK ... Mom passed "blog control" back over to me for this evening. We (Chip and family) drove over to Athens to visit with Dad today. What an amazing sight to come off the elevator onto the 5th floor to find Grandaddy there in his wheelchair with a grin on his face!

We moved into their dining area/activity room on the fifth floor and enjoyed some time with him. He smiles and laughs, and as reported earlier, the evidence of his surgery is slowly disappearing below a new crop of hair. It was wonderful for us to see him once again in familiar clothing ... he was sporting red and black despite the rough evening we had yesterday with the Dawgs and South Carolina.

Dad is doing remarkably well with his therapy. While we were there, we could tell it was difficult for him to sometimes finish a thought, but we were confident he was taking in all that we were saying and doing. After a while, he turned toward his room and that was our signal that he was ready for his afternoon siesta. We got a chance to meet his roommate, who was very nice and about to be discharged, and visited a short while in his room, complete with his own personal TV swiveling around on an arm above his bed!

Mom said he was dressed and in his wheelchair sitting at the doorway of his room when she arrived today, and let out a huffy "Well ..." as if to say "I've been waiting ... where have you been?" She said he also took a stab at his first Sudoku puzzle, which is a daily favorite of Dad's. She took a gander later and it appeared he was completing it slowly, but in order. AWESOME.

Jimmy and Brenda (Mom's brother and sister-in-law) visited with Dad later in the afternoon, and Skeeter and his son Bucky visited after that. We stayed in town long enough to have dinner with Mom and visit with her a bit once she got home from the hospital. As we were driving out of Athens, I got two simultaneous text messages from Bucky and Skeeter. They tell a fantastic story:

From Bucky: Leaps and bounds of improvement with Grandaddy today!

From Skeeter: I just had a 3-hour CONVERSATION with my Dad.

Praise God ... for all of it!

Let the Big Dawg eat!

With approval from the nurse, Chick-fil-a had the honor of furnishing the evening meal today and George (Irvin) ate every bit of a small bowl of soup and carrot and raisin salad, and most of a piece of cheesecake, together with lemonade. I left the hospital just after the kickoff of UGA vs. S.C. with the t.v. on and the radio turned to Munson, but George had turned on his side and dozed off. Hope he wakes up to see as much of the game as he wants to. Or maybe he just needs that nap. They had a busy half-day of rehab.

When I got there today the therapy class was still going on, and he looked like he was doing pretty well. Still has some speaking issues, but he is doing better every day in everything. The therapist said she had him play one of the other patients a game of checkers (that would tell her something about what he needs to work on) -- and George beat the other patient big time. Mr. Bush (his dad) would be saying, "Well I should hope so. I taught him how to play the game!"

He is walking around the room on his own. The staff wants him to ring for help (for safety's sake) but he actually did quite well while I was there.

I am thinking about baking a pound cake to take to the staff tomorrow. I'm really thinking hard about doing that. Now if I can only get up and get it started....

Helen

Let's hear it for Mickey D's...

...they fed a hungry man tonight! Yes, George (Irvin) enjoyed a double cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's a little while ago.

This is Helen blogging tonight, so Chip can sign in and get his hospital update along with everyone else. And really great info it is! (I hope I can handle this technology okay -- y'all bear with me.)

I felt so bad for George last night when we went to the rehab unit dining room, because I could tell that there was nothing on his tray that he really wanted. He was still on something less than a regular diet. He ate his jello but that was all. So today I called his nurse and asked if I could bring him a cheeseburger and fries tonight, and she said "Yes."

He ate that double cheeseburger (all except one bite) and a lot of fries dipped in catsup. (I don't know if it was Heinz catsup, but I hope not. That's a family joke -- he doesn't like to eat Heinz because of its association with John Kerry's wife, the Heinz heiress.) As he ate I could tell that he was a man who had found something on his plate that he really enjoyed. Tomorrow night I will get his favorites from Chick-Fil-A.

We had some good news to share with him today about our granddaughter Betsy. She and Skeeter were with me, and she had just learned today that she has been selected as the 10th grade representative for their school's homecoming court. When we told George he responded with a hearty "All right!!" and gave her a big hug.

This is probably the big news of the day. He is walking! Yes, walking on his own two legs! How great is that!! The problem with his right arm and leg seems to be gone now. Of course I was hovering over him to be sure he didn't fall, but I probably didn't need to be. He did fine. The nurses keep an eye on him when they see him getting up, and go to help if needed. They can see right into his room from the nurses' station.

I would say that he is fully awake and alert now. He still has some trouble expressing some thoughts into words, but he is doing so much better than yesterday. The speech therapist gave me some things to work with him this weekend while the therapist is off, because he said it is important to have continuity in his therapy. George said many things pretty well though -- he has come such a long way for someone who only two weeks ago today suffered what the doctor described as a very serious head injury.

We read each comment you post and appreciate them so much. Also, it has been exciting to hear from a great many people we have not heard from in years. How wonderful that is. We'll have all the comments you've posted printed out so he can read them.

Can you tell that this has been a fantastic afternoon for me? Yes it was!!

I leave you with this thought that we find more true as the days go by -- "With God, all things are possible."

Helen

New Leg of Journey Today

Now that we're out of critical care, perhaps we do not have to count days anymore. We'll just have some titles that may give some context around what has been going on.

Today was Dad's first full day in the rehabilitation unit. By the time Mom and Skeeter stopped by to visit him in the early afternoon (we're not allowed to visit until after 3 p.m.), he was tuckered out! I think Mom said he was back in or on the bed. This was to be expected, as rehabilitation is apparently not a cakewalk!

He eventually drifted off to sleep, and the staff eventually stopped by to wake him up for dinner. Mom said they got him in a wheelchair and off to the dining room they went. But it was apparent he was either too tired or just not up for minced turkey anymore. She said he repeated the word "Honey" and pushed away from the table only after some slight interest in the Jell-o. So Mom wheeled him back to the room and someone helped him get back in the bed.

Tomorrow, he will have an opportunity to take a shower in his bathroom. That will certainly be a treat to really get clean!

Day 12: P.M.

Dad has been officially released from NCCU (praise God!) and is now a resident of the 5th floor rehabilitation unit. He is in room 5103 if you would like to send him a card.

St. Mary's Hospital
ATTN: George I. Bush, Jr.
1230 Baxter Street, Room 5103
Athens, GA 30606-3791

He's still "off limits" to visitors for now ... even the family cannot visit until late in the afternoon, and we're going to hog the visitation time that he gets! This allows the patient to focus on the rehabilitation without much interference. And we think that's great. Plus, it will allow Mom to take care of home and business without feeling like she needs to be bedside every hour. This is all good!

They have removed the stitches from the surgical site and it looks like it is healing real well. His hair is already growing back and should cover the scar before too long.

So, we're on the next leg of our journey. It's possible that we will move to a more sporadic blogging cycle vs. twice a day, so do not worry if you don't see a new update every day. But rest assured we want to keep you all informed and will post what we can (even if it's short) regarding Dad's progress.

And again, we cannot thank you enough for your comments, prayers, words of encouragement and faith. It has carried us through the past twelve days and that means a great deal to us, and it will be such a testament to Dad once he is reading this blog and all the comments you have posted.

Day 12: A.M. George Bush Speaks out ...

not on foreign policy .. or immigration issues.

Before everyone starts hammering Chip on "how tacky" .. let me clear his name and reputation. It's Skeeter, taking his first shot at being bloggy. I felt, however, that this would be an especially good time for me to attempt to contribute. So let me digress for a moment.

I don't put much stock in blowing out birthday candles and making wishes as a practical matter. Sure is fun though. Today, the fire marshall would probably issue a citation against my cake. I do firmly believe in prayer. So, this morning, my birthday prayer was .. Lord, Dad is making such progress every day. Baby steps .. but at the same time .. leaps and bounds. Please let him speak again soon. It would help us know what he needs.

Mom and I arrived at the hospital around lunchtime to find Dad sitting up in the chair and eating ( minced, not pureed meat .. and legitimate fruit cocktail chunks ). He was using both hands to assist himself .. steady even with a beverage. Already, silent "thank you"s were being lifted up. He appeared uncomfortable, and our nurse adjusted the pillows behind his back. We asked, " is that better ? " He nodded, and said "yeah." I looked at Mom and she looked at me. She smiled, and said, " THAT was a 'yeah'. " (wow)

He kept looking over past his tray, and pointing. We were trying to determine just what he was after. He was focused on the door that enclosed the little portable toilet, and plainly enunciated, "I want." (crystal clear) So, in short order ... he stood up with assistance .. relocated .. and he got! ( If the implications are too graphic for some .. get over it. This was a big deal. )

Subsequently, my remaining visit time there was rewarded with some additional "yeah" and "OK" phrases. Several nods.

OH! I was standing next to the bed, and I told him it was my birthday today. He looked back at me with that "so what" kind of look. I said "I'm OLD." He cracked a silly grin, lifted his left hand .. and smacked me on the arm. ( I really liked that ) Then, a couple of comforting pats.

So, as "George Bush Speaks Out" hits the news .. know that the offerings are positive and upbeat .. comprised of affirmations, endorsements, and a bold declarative statement making his desires .. crystal clear.

Before I turn this technobloggle back over to Chip, let me take a moment to thank him for setting it up and maintaining it. It is truly a blessing to us all. Let me also thank Mom for her steadfast strength and always positive attitude. What an inspiration. She would attempt to easily pass that off, but we all agree how amazingly good that is. Thanks to Dad for his courage and determination in recovery. It can't be easy coming out of such a fog, but I see him working his way. Thank you also to absolutely everyone who reads, posts, cards, e-mails and most importantly, prays. Our God is faithful.

( Returning control to Chip for the remainder of this entry. You folks will appreciate that. I've used up all the words I know. )

Dad has been cleared for release from the NCCU and to go directly to inpatient rehabilitation, but there was not a bed available today. So they may move him to a regular hospital room on the 7th floor for neuro patients until a slot becomes available.

These "recovery updates" should now be called progress reports, because he continues to show progress with each day. He is displaying the ability to use both left and right sides of his body, which is great. He continues to sit in a chair for his meals.

He is also now using some short verbals ... words like "Yeah" or "I want" in response to questions. We're confident that the initial assessments from the rehabilitation team will determine what areas will be focused on during that period.

( See ? Much more to the point. SB )

Day 11: P.M.

More encouraging activities had taken place by the time Mom and Skeeter were leaving the hospital this afternoon.

-- Dad fed himself his entire lunch while sitting up in a chair. He had turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, tea, grape juice and the strawberry "shake" again. This is a man who was totally sedated and on a ventilator only three days ago!

-- They removed the central line (intravenous line into the chest) today and setup a small port in his arm "just in case." Dad has proven to be able to swallow pills if needed.

-- They feel Dad does not really need the intensity of the neuro critical care unit (NCCU) any longer. It is also possible that he will skip going into a hospital room on the same floor (for neuro-related care) and go into the inpatient rehabilitation on the 5th floor. Before doing that, they want to be sure he's steady on his feet.

-- When Mom was stepping out of the room for a moment, she leaned down to Dad and told him that she would be right back. He raised his hand and patted her on the cheek!

-- Dad has been fairly intent on watching the events on TV.

-- Dad has nodded his head in affirmation to Skeeter on a couple of occasions. He's winked at the nurse, and Skeeter felt that Dad actually laughed at one point.

-- Mom had a card that had been sent to Dad at the hospital in her hands when she came into the room. Dad reached out for the card. When they helped him get the envelope open and the card opened up, he held it in his hand and intently studied it for a minute or two.

-- When he was moving from the bed to his chair for lunch, he appeared to use both legs and arms to help push up out of the bed.

These are such huge milestones for our family considering where Dad has journeyed from. Each step affirms our faith and raises our spirits!

Day 11: A.M.

Dad continues to progress well. When I arrived this morning to make one last visit before coming back to the Atlanta area, he was sitting up in a chair! Robin, the NCCU charge nurse, said he had actually fed himself a bit at breakfast and had even helped her shave his face when she couldn't get under his nose well. WOW!

He also was apparently reaching out for his water on the rolling table in front of him. When I told him I was heading back home to be with my family for a little while, and I held up photos of my kids (that we had taped on the wall in his room), he said "Yeah" back to me. While he's certainly not conversational yet, he's recognizing questions and giving back some simple affirmations such as nodding his head or short verbals.

The occupational therapist also came in just as I was leaving, and Dad was able to squeeze the OT's hand on command using his RIGHT hand ... the side that had shown some dormancy earlier. That was also an answer to prayer.

I believe they were going to remove the central line (an IV directly into his chest) today, and that will pretty much remove most of the connections to Dad. He's swallowing well and has even taken a pill with no issue.

We're looking for continued progress, and expect he will probably be moved out of NCCU soon. Thanks again for your continued prayers for his recovery!

Day 10: Afternoon

Well I spoke too soon ... Dad just had some lunch, and lo and behold it included steak and gravy! (Pureed, of course.). It also included mashed potatoes, pureed broccoli, tea and a strawberry "shake." We put his glasses on, but could not determine how his hearing aids fit! He actually tried himself, but we just decided to forego the hearing aids for now.

After he ate, in that it's possible that PT may not make it up today for letting him sit in a chair, the nurses got him up and let him sit on the side of the bed, which he did for a couple of minutes. Dessert? A bit of morphine before the afternoon siesta, which he is enjoying now. And for the record, it must be good sleep ... if the snoring is any indication!

Day 10: Lunchtime

Technology is a wonderful thing ... We are actually blogging "live" from Dad's room this morning by using my BlackBerry device to email my entry directly to the blog!

But enough about technology ... back to Dad! He continues to show excellent progress. The charge nurse brushed his teeth this morning, and he was able to swish and spit on command. She thought it was enough of a sign to let him have a little applesauce, which he did fine with on swallowing. The speech consultation has cleared him for the initial reentry into the world of food. No steak just yet, but in due time!

When we arrived, the nurse told Dad to shake my hand. He slowly raised his left hand and shook mine (even after having a little morphine for the pain). And when she came in to check his blood sugar, she said, "I'm going to stick your finger. Is that OK?" And he actually gave a muffled "uh-huh" in his throat. She said, "Did you say 'uh-huh'??" And he nodded his head. PROGRESS!!

They may try to have the physical therapy folks come up later today and let him sit up in a chair! Praise God!

Day 9: P.M.

For those of you checking in late ... be sure to read the other two posts of the day!

In short, Dad is now off the ventilator. As evidenced yesterday, Dad was doing better at breathing on his own and not letting the ventilator do all the work. So apparently this morning before we got there, they went through some weaning mechanism procedures to see how he would react if the ventilator was turned off, and he showed signs of being able to handle it. So they dropped his sedation, gave him one final pressurized test to be sure he was ready, and off the ventilator he came! It's so nice to see him without tubes coming out of his mouth.

And as well, since he is now off the sedative, he's much more alert than before. He will react to people coming in the room talking, and turn in their direction. He opens his eyes wide and they look much stronger. On the downside, it's apparent his head hurts and he's feeling it more! He will constantly put his left hand on his forehead and rub it from the eyebrows back through his hair, and let out somewhat of a moan. But it's nothing a little morphine hasn't been able to handle.

At other times, when his eyes are open and his head doesn't hurt as much, he looks around as if he's trying to get his bearings again and understand what's going on. We talk to him plenty, and he shows signs of response with raising his hand to take ours, and clenching it. About half an hour into our visit this morning, I was standing next to his bed saying, "Hey Dad ... it's OK. They are taking good care of you. You're doing great." He just stared at me for a moment, so I was sure to smile at him. My heart sank when he smiled back at me. While not necessarily a photo studio smile, it was most certainly an effort that took me by such great surprise that it choked me up pretty good. I'm sure that confused him.

Left side continues to be strong. Right side appears to be waking up slightly, with some movement of his right leg on his own. He also does other "Dad things" that you'd really have to have known him for a while to recognize, such as the face he makes when he's scratching his nose. He will raise up his left arm into the air, flex his fingers a bit, then drop it down on the bed as if to say, "Yep, it's still there." So for him, this is a period of awakening and reorienting, and I'm sure it's somewhat frustrating. He's not talking yet, but after a week of being on a ventilator, who would? But he is making sounds with his throat.

The pulmonary physicians' assistant stopped by and checked Dad's lungs, and said they sounded good and clear. The doctor making rounds also stopped by, asking if Dad had been tested for swallowing. We're waiting on a speech consult first, which we guess will determine his ability to swallow, so the doctor put Dad back on a saline drip to keep his fluids up. We were relieved to see that.

All in all, it was a befitting end to a wonderful day in the Bush family. We continue to covet your prayers ... for now, that's all we really need. We are all doing very well and continue to see God answering our prayers. We will continue to keep you posted ... so keep checking back often!

Day 9: WE'RE OFF THE VENTILATOR!

Here is PROOF that God hears and answers prayers.

The news from the hospital this morning is that Dad is off the ventilator, alert and responding to simple commands such as “Hold up two fingers.” Praise God! We're on our way to the hospital now and will have more details later this evening.

It's truly a "George Bush Sunday" for our family. The DAWGS won, Dad's story has hit the media with coverage in the Athens Banner-Herald (see the next posting), and we're off the ventilator! You'll recall that our very last post indicated that the doctor felt Dad would be on the ventilator through the weekend, but God decided to step things up a bit, and we thank Him for His grace and mercy to get us through to this milestone in Dad's recovery!

More to come medically speaking later this evening, but read on to the next post regarding the "media coverage" and a note directly from Mom.

Continue to pray!

Day 9: Athens Banner-Herald first to "break" the story

Dear Family and Friends,

This morning I (Helen) will give Chip a short break while I send you the following.

I have been thinking about the many people – some that I know and some that I don’t – who are following along with us. God bless you all. It occurs to me that some who don’t know George and me personally, but are friends of Skeeter and Chip and their families, may be confused at two different names you’re seeing – “George” and “Irvin.” They are one and the same. When growing up he was called by his middle name “Irvin” and when he went in the army they required that soldiers go by their first name, so everyone who has met him since that time know him as “George.”

Sunday morning in the Bush household always begins with coffee, cereal for George, an apple fritter for Helen, and reading Darrell Huckaby’s column in the Athens Banner-Herald before getting ready for church. This morning I was the only one following the usual schedule as I got ready to go to the hospital to see my “other half.”

Darrell is the author of a bunch of books, and the Bush household has a well-read copy of each. Two are hilarious novels involving UGA football, two are non-fiction, and several are collections of his columns. His writing will remind you of the late Lewis Grizzard – from humorous to heart-warming and everywhere in between.

Pardon us for thinking that today’s column is Darrell’s finest! When George can read it for himself, he will truly appreciate these words from someone whose friendship we treasure. For those of you who don’t live in the Athens Banner-Herald’s coverage area, here is the column for you to enjoy.

* * *

Being Friends With the Bush Family Has Plenty of Benefits
By Darrell Huckaby

I will admit it. I screen my calls.

You see, I have an aversion to talking on the telephone. I don't know when this developed because as a teenager – and as a young man – I suffered from black cord fever. I spent exorbitant amounts of time with a telephone receiver held to my ear and the receiver was, of course, attached to the phone itself by a black cord.

If you are younger than 40, get someone to explain why.

Not now, though. Now I answer the phone begrudgingly, if at all. When it rings, I look at the little machine to see who is calling. If it's not Barbara Dooley or Ed McMahon, there is a good chance that I will let the machine get it.

I'm not a snob. I just have this thing about talking on the phone.

One day, here a while back (which is Southern for it might have been a few months or a few years ago), the phone rang and I glanced at the caller ID. George Bush was calling. Said so right there on the little printout. I answered the phone.

As it turns out, it wasn't George Bush at all. It was his wife. No. Not Laura. Helen. She was inviting me to speak to her Sunday school class at Mars Hill Baptist Church over in Watkinsville. I was, of course, happy for the invitation and more than willing to comply. Things must have gone well because I have been invited back many times. Once I even got to go to the Bush's basement – which resembles the sunken level of the Butts-Mehre building, by the way – to help celebrate one of George's milestone birthdays.

I had a lot of fun telling people that I was invited to entertain at George Bush's birthday bash. If any of them thought I was talking about the president, well – that was their error.

The bottom line is that I have come to count the Bushes and other good people of mars Hill as my very good friends – even if they have heard all my stories and don't invite me to speak there anymore. This is why I was so distressed last week when I got an e-mail from Helen telling me that George had fallen, while working in the yard, and suffered an injury to his brain.

He is still in pretty bad shape and is in, as I understand it, the critical care unit at St. Mary's Hospital here in Athens. He cannot have visitors, but he can have prayers and his family and his lint-head friend – that would be me – covet yours on his behalf. So if you believe in prayer, please keep George Bush in yours. And if you don't do that sort of thing, keep him and his family in your thoughts.

George is bound and determined to achieve a full recovery, and I am happy to report that neither he nor his family has lost a sense of humor throughout his current ordeal. When the EMTs came to his house after George fell, his son warned the paramedics that "if he tells you his name is George Bush, he is not delusional. It really is."

One of his son's co-workers at the Coca-Cola Co. – a Mr. Jimmy Carter – created quite a stir when he attempted to organize a prayer service at a local church. I can hear the secretary now, covering up the mouthpiece and saying, "Some nut claiming to be Jimmy Carter wants to arrange a service for George Bush."

And they tell me that the hospital staff has been after both his sons – whom they have dubbed the Bush Brothers – to bring in the secret family recipe for baked beans.

According to Reader's Digest, laughter is the best medicine, so it couldn't hurt. Nor could those prayers I solicited earlier.

And to George and his family – when you overcome this thing, I'll help lead the celebration – and when you call to tell me, I promise I will answer the phone.

(Ed. Note ... if you would like to visit the column online at the Athens Banner-Herald, the link is http://onlineathens.com/stories/090207/news_20070902040.shtml)

Day 8: P.M.

Today continued to be a day of "baby steps" toward Dad's recovery.

Dad appeared to be slightly more alert today (when he's not sedated for getting some solid rest.) Even when he's been sedated, I think they are keeping it a bit lighter than in days past.

He continues to raise his left hand, and even rolls his fingers like you would if you were tapping them on a table. He will flex his left wrist against the wrist restraint, like he's stretching his forearm. He will turn his head, raise his eyebrows, open his eyes (more open than in the past, where he was peeping out), then he would close his eyes and scowl like he was frustrated. Mom said it was as if he went from bewildered to confused over the course of the past couple of days. It does appear that he will look in the direction of someone speaking next to his bed.

He has a coughing "spell" every now and then, which is helping keep his lungs clear ... another good thing for him to be doing. During one spell, I was holding his hand and saying, "Dad, it's OK. You're doing great." He opened both eyes as big as I've seen them since the surgery and looked toward my face for a bit before closing them again and making his frowny face as if to say, "Is this tube still in my throat?"

His right side is still somewhat "dormant" as he has not been moving it as much as he had in the past. That may be the result of shifting pressures in the head and may indeed resolve itself in due course. Again, we're being graced with the patience from God to take it one day at a time. It sounds cliche, but it's so very true.

The respiratory therapist dropped in a few times, and late this afternoon indicated that Dad is continuing to improve slightly toward breathing on his own. She explained how the machine is set to do a certain amount of work, and that Dad has to create enough pressure on his own to breathe. However, when he's heavily sedated, the machine does all the work, which she called "riding the vent."

The third neurosurgeon from the practice stopped by today as well, and indicated that Dad appears stable at the moment. He felt that Dad would not be coming off the respirator this weekend, but we'll continue to take the baby steps as they come.

Day 8: A.M.

Mom and I (Chip) are about to head up to the hospital. A new prayer request ... that we don't get snarled up in gameday traffic! Go DAWGS!

We've added photos of our family in the "About this Blog" section on the right under the link "The Bush Family."

Day 7: P.M.

Tonight's post is encouraging ... many good reports from today.

Test results were good (I didn't get specifics, but to know that they were good.) Dad is still on the ventilator, but the nurse said that every patient is different and he'll come off when it's right for him. (Let Oklahoma State get ahead by a touchdown or two, and that might give him some impetus!)

They are gradually lowering his sedative (replacing it with morphine to keep him comfortable) so we can move toward getting him off the ventilator. The pulmonary specialist once again turned the ventilator into a mode that let Dad do more of the work on his own, and Dad did better this go-around than before.

His pupils are reacting to light quicker than before, and that's another good sign. Also, today he started trying to roll over onto his right side (his favorite sleeping position) on his own. Once the staff came in and helped him on to his side, Mom said he seemed to be much more comfortable. (After being on your back for a few days, we all would!)

He ran a slight fever today around 101.2, but they treated it with Tylenol. He's on an antibiotic as well, and the fever appeared to react favorably to the Tylenol. He still shows good strength on his left side, raising the left arm, but not as much movement on his right side as before.

All in all ... many good things reported today from the staff. We're all in town for the weekend, so we'll keep you all posted.

Additionally ... Dad's nurse today revealed that she's a dedicated Bulldog fan. We can just imagine that very time she called to him, "George, can you hear me? Can you hear me?" that he was thinking in reply "Go DAWGS!"

Day 7: Lunchtime

It's been a full week since Dad fell. In some ways, it seems like yesterday, but then you begin to think what all we've experienced in a week, and it seems much longer. Your words of encouragement and prayers are tremendous and we thank you for that.

Dad is neurologically holding at about the same spot. We will probably hear more later today about the test results. He was put through the ringer this morning, but with some good things in addition to the tests. He's been bathed and shampooed, teeth brushed, and everything changed from head to foot. Even when you're sedated, that's got to feel better.

Also, the pulmonary specialist once again pulled back on the ventilator to let Dad try and do some of the work on his own, and Dad apparently did better this go around than the last time. I think they are going to continue to try and wean him off slowly. They raise and lower his sedation level to help keep him rested until his body is ready to start taking over again.

Day 6: Evening

Nothing much new to report. The evening shift was going to give Dad some morphine as he was somewhat restless. He's scheduled for a battery of tests tomorrow, which should give us an indication of our progress toward coming off the respirator. If his test results are good, they will start to get more aggressive toward getting him off the "tube." Mom said that Dad had been shaved and that the respiratory therapist had come in and retaped the respirator tube, so he looked real good with plenty of color in his face, etc.

Mom also said that the first responder from last Friday stopped by to check in on Dad ... we have been so very impressed with everyone we have been in contact with and are very fortunate to have Dad in St. Mary's for treatment. Doctors, ICU and NCCU staff, ER folks ... they have all been just top notch.

And thanks to everyone for their comments and words of encouragement on the blog and via other communication methods ... they mean a lot to us!

Day 6: Lunchtime

More word from the charge nurse in NCCU ... Dad didn't have a CT scan this morning. We're taking that as his condition is stable enough not to warrant a daily scan. They have cut his sedation in half, so we're working on letting him slowly come back. In Skeeter's words (and confirmed by the NCCU nurse), it is as if we're finally getting to the edge of the darkest part of the woods. That's encouraging!

Skeeter also got word from a reliable source at St. Mary's that we were in FANTASTIC hands with Dr. Semenoff, both in terms of skill and how he handles his patients and their families. We had made that determination ourselves, but it's a blessing to get confirmation from another source.