An Attempt to Stand Up

Heather had a great day yesterday. She spent considerable time with her tracheostomy button or plug in. This makes her work harder to breathe because she must do so around a tube with holes in it that is in her trachea. She seems to be getting much stronger with it though. She also worked really hard in both of her physical therapy sessions yesterday. On Sunday when I was there she was unable to lift a 2-pound weight with her right hand/arm, and yesterday she did. Her right arm is weaker than her left because for a long time it had all kinds of IV tubes, blood pressure cuffs, and ventilator tubes in/over/on it so she could not move it as much. She also tried to stand up for the first time in weeks. She wasn't able to get fully up, but with help was able to raise herself a little off the bed. She hasn't been able to do much to build strength in her lower body because they don't want movement to upset the grafts.

Heather's favorite visitor, Hannah, came to see her yesterday. Apparently they read stories together and enjoyed Heather's new ability to talk. Hannah told me all about the visit as I was taking her home last night. She seemed most struck by Heather's oxygen nasal canula, her bed (and how it changes from a "chair" into a bed), and the squeeze toys (a pig, an owl, a fire truck, and a penguin - Hannah didn't like the fire truck because it was "scary.") physical therapy has brought to Heather so that she can work on her grip strength.

Heather is scheduled for a wound dressing change today. They will again evaluate the wounds and grafts to decide when to do the next surgery. It will likely be next week.