Dad update

[Guest guest]

Hi everybody! I am finally getting a chance to send you all an

update. Things have been very busy here, with lots of family around

and we had to wait until dad was doing better to get his password on

AOL so we could get on line. He is finally doing better and back in

rehab, as of yesterday morning. His progress has been very slow, but

he has finally responded well and is doing well. It turns out he did

have a heart attack, possibly from coughing and having so much

respiratory distress from pneumonia. The night I got here, dad

managed to smile at me around the ventilator tube after my brother

and sister-in-law had prepared me for the fact that he had been

pretty much unresponsive that day. It was not until several days

later that he was finally able to be taken off the ventilator. Then

a PEG tube was inserted because he wasn't able to eat. But since

then, he has had a modified barium swallow which went well and he is

now able to eat ice chips whenever he wants. Also a speech therapist

is working with him and he has had bites of pudding, but he is very

hungry and wanting more. My sister brought him a T-shirt which

said, " The comeback dad " on it. He wore that when he was being taken

down from the ICU to a regular floor, at his request.

So thanks so much everyone for all of the prayers. They have

definitely helped. Dad is looking great, but he has a long road

ahead of him to be able to finally come home. I will be back to work

on Sunday. For now I am writing this from the group, so I won't be

receiving any messages sent to the group, only ones sent to me

personally, but I probably won't even get a chance to check my e-mail

until Sunday. Hope you have all had a great Christmas and wonderful

New Year. Margaret