Monday July 26th, 2010 PM

Alyson was very tired all day long today. She had a hard time waking up and just seemed to be wore out all day long.

Pauline had spent the night. I arrived late morning, giving Pauline a chance to get out to get some supplies and then off to camp to rest.

Alyson had her first walk at 11:00am. Since she did not get a long walk yesterday, she was very stiff, tense and sore. She had a hard time straightening up and then walking. The therapist helped her, as Alyson leaned on Pauline, and Andrea pushed the medical stand with all the monitors on it. They did one hallway and that was it.

She sat in the chair after that, and lunch arrived. She ate some grapes, some cantaloupe with some juice.

She then had a good long sleep until 2:30 when another physical therapist came for her second walk. Alyson understands she has to get up more and move more, as this will help her recover faster, and this time it was a little easier to get out of bed and standing up. This time she had a walker, and she went out into the lobby and around the elevators. A good long walk. At times she was moving a little too fast. She is having problems staightening out her legs as she walks.

Back in her bed the therapist showed us some exercises to work her legs and hips to get them flexible again. Also some exercises for her neck which does not have very much flexability right now.

Just note here. This is day 16 for those keeping track. In all the hours in all these days that I have been in the halls and on the floor of the ICU unit, I have never seen another patient walking the halls. I have seen a few in wheel chairs. But most clients are moved about in their beds, to or from surgery or other proceedures. As I stood back and watched Alyson walk this morning, I noticed all the other staff on the floor take a break from what ever they were doing to watch her progress down the hall. It just seems like a rare event.

The fluid from the brain drain is just a shade lighter than yesterday. Not near being clear yet.

Her entire neck and back does not seem to be as sore or fragile as it has been. The worst pain is now in her lower back. She is able to now pull herself over from one side of her body to the other in the bed. She is also starting to help push herself up and lay herself down when needed. Both positive signs of improvement.

Pop Pop and Grandma Bailey arrived again today. They will help out the next two days.

She ate a little at supper time. It appears that maybe her appetite was a little better today.

There are only two bags of IV's being pumped into her today. That is a record low for her. Slowly but surely she is becoming more independent of those IV's. She is still receiving pain medicine, anti seizure medicine, blood thiners, and extra saline to get her salt levels higher.

I am back at home now. I will update each night.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.