Not running down the hallway...yet!

Next week we look forward to Ian, Rebekah, and Ariana visiting. They'll be flying in to La Guardia on the 29th and staying until July 8th. Of course, Dorie is excited about the prospect! Ariana will have turned the big ONE by then (on the 24th), joining cousins Sam & Micah. And we are very grateful to our Heavenly Father that Dorie is awake, alert and ready to enjoy the Colorado Penneys!

Praise the Lord, each day brings some improvements! Yesterday, Marge & Jerry Exizian, members of our church, visited Dorie and helped her with her lunch! Yes, she had some real food, chewable and drinkable, but still has some Ensure through a gastric tube! Of course that meant that the doctors were sure her swallow reflex was working well enough to allow her to eat. Good thing, Dorie was complaining on Tuesday of being hungry and thirsty, "Brian, couldn't you PLEASE, ask them if I could have something to eat, I'm starved!"

Today, sister-in-law, Lillian Penney and her mom, Elma Beccaria, joined James and I as we visited Dorie. We were pleased to hear that she is eating more, and that they had gotten her up yesterday morning! The PT team came in while we were there and Dorie was able to use the walker ( with a goodly dose of assistance) to walk out of the room, into the hallway, turn around and back into the room. And that was quite a work-out for someone who has been through what she has! She really enjoyed her little jaunt, and it's encouraging to her to realize that muscles that weren't obeying her mind are now beginning to do so. Praise the Lord, for He is good!

Special thanks to Monique Pascucci, who suggested I call her dad, Dr. Guy Abbate. What a wealth of knowledge and encouragement this dear Christian brother is! He gave me some things to think about and to ask the doctors. Really, if you don't know what questions to ask, you end up walking around in the dark! Thanks Dr. Abbate! Although, I have mentioned before, Dorie's aneurysm "fixed itself", there is the possibility of a re-bleed. That being so, the question becomes, "what course will be taken to prevent that from happening?" I asked Dr. Le Doux, and the answer is that now is the time to monitor and promote stability, get her stronger, and then a "coil" will most likely be called for. This seems reasonable. So right now we pray for improving strength and safety from any complications.