Update on Grace, Tuesday, Aug 17

Tuesday. Latest update 7:40 PM.

3:50 PM - I did go see Grace this morning, but this is the first chance I've had to write about it. Please bear with me for being a bit late with the posting.

When I arrived in her room shortly after 9:30 this morning, she was sitting up in a chair! This was not just any chair, of course, but a specially designed chair that was elevated and has leg support. It seemed this chair was about halfway between a La-Z-Boy recliner and a hospital bed. The biggest difference was that Grace was about 80% in an upright position.

I chatted with her for a few minutes, then she said, "I thought they were going to bring me a pain pill." So I asked, "Is it time for your pill?" This seemed to puzzle her, but she said, "Yes, I think so." I said if the nurse didn't show up in a few minutes, I'd go see if I could find her.

Then I read Grace an email and a card that had just arrived, and opened an envelope from Boone, which contained some artwork from great-granddaughter Madison. I got some tape from the nurse and put the artwork up on the wall where Grace could see it.

Then I told Grace about the band rehearsal last night, and that I had gotten an email from her grandson Keith this morning, and Keith will be arriving for a visit on Friday. Grace was very happy about that.

Then she said again, "I thought they were going to bring me a pain pill." So I said I'd go find the nurse, and left for a bit. I found a nurse, who said she'd find Grace's nurse, who would check her chart and see if she could get another pill now. I told that to Grace, who said, "That's good, because it's really killing me." Curiously, there was no evidence of pain in her expression or in her voice, for which I was glad. Her voice was her normal (normal for these days) voice, with no strain at all.

Then she said she'd like to see the pictures again from the shower, so I brought them to her and got them out of the envelope.

Just as she got them out of the envelope, the physical therapist arrived. She said she needed to exercise Grace's good leg. I asked if I should put the pictures away, and the therapist said oh, no, She can keep looking at the pictures. But it soon became evident that if Grace kept the pictures during the exercise, it wouldn't be long before they'd be all over the floor, so I put them back on the counter.

About this time, the nurse arrived with Grace's pain pill, and asked Grace on a scale of one to ten how bad is the pain, with ten as the worst. Grace considered this for a moment, then said (again in a normal voice), "It's about a ten."

I really felt bad about Grace's pain, and I was glad they were able to give her something for it, but I found it curious that the pain could be that bad and not show any evidence of it in her voice or her facial expression.

Just as I was leaving to go meet a friend for lunch, Grace said to me, "I STILL haven't seen Snick. If you see him, please tell him to come see me!" She said this as forcefully as I've ever heard her say anything.

I stopped, turned, and looked at her. "Grace," I said. "You live in Mississippi now." Her expression seemed to say "I know this. Get on with it." I went on, "You've been living here with us for seven years now." She frowned slightly, I think not quite understanding or making sense of it. I lifted my hand in farewell. "I've got to go now. Bye! I'll see you this afternoon."

I'm thinking that while she is awake, and seemingly alert right now, she's still got a long way to go to be completely recovered from the anesthesia. We definitely need to keep praying.

Jan arrived just as I was leaving, and Bill came to visit sometime after that, and both reported Grace was mostly asleep, all the time they were there.

Probably the pain pill she took.

Now, as I write this, it's nearly 4PM, and I'm just about go go visit her again.

I'll report again after that visit. Take care, all.

************************

7:40 PM - It turns out I didn't get to go visit Grace again today. Bill went this afternoon - I noticed he wasn't here at the house, so I texted him: "Are you visiting Grace now?"

He answered back, "Yes, I am."

I texted, "Okay. I'll do some music stuff now and visit later, so we can spread out the visits," and he said "Okay."

But I didn't get to visit later either, because Jan has come down with some kind of bug, and I decided to stay home and take care of her.

When Bill got home from his first visit, he reported Grace is still pretty much the same. While he was there, the respiratory therapist came in to help Grace with some breathing exercises. That was nice to know. It seems this hospital is doing quite a bit to give Grace the therapy she needs to overcome this.

Bill also reported, "Mom also asked about Dad again."

Sigh. I guess we simply have to wait out this season, with continued prayer, and continued support.

While Bill was home, he and I had some dinner (leftovers), but Jan didn't feel like eating anything at all. She asked for "maybe a piece of dry toast?" So I fixed that for her but she managed only a few bites.

I told Bill I really wanted to stay home with Jan, and could he please fill in for us and visit his Mom tonight, and he was very happy to do that. I asked him to tell Grace that Jan wasn't well and I was staying with her, and that's why I couldn't make it in there tonight. I remembered telling her earlier today that I would be there, and I didn't want her to think I'd forgotten her.

So as I write this, Bill is visiting Grace, Jan is sleeping, and I'm about to do some of that music stuff I put off earlier today.

I'll be posting more tomorrow, after I visit Grace. Let's pray I have some more good news to report.

************************