We are visiting Grandma Ann and Grandpa Bob for part of our spring break. I had not seen her in about 10 days days. I was struck by how much better she looked generally. Her swelling has decreased significantly. She is moving her left arm much more than in Idaho Falls. She is in a nice new facility near the mouth of Provo Canyon. I am sure Mom and Bob appreciate all the visitors. Just yesterday Joyce, the Price's, the Aguilar's, and the Kadomsev's (I hope I spelled this correctly) all visited. My kids all read to her. We brought a guest book that we left in her room--we invite all visitors to sign it.

The pending medical issues are several. First she is still quite sleepy. This is likely due to several factors; including her head injury, not being on methylphenidate for about a week (this medication stimulates her neurotransmitters to hopefully wake up her brain) and continuing on the fentanyl patch (this is a morphine like derivative for pain which is also somewhat sedating). The second issue is her trach and her airway swelling. According the her respiratory therapist, they may change to a smaller sized trach. This might allow her to breath on her own better. The third issue is that because of her airway swelling they cannot trust the results of her swallow studies. As a result she is not eating by mouth. Rather she continues to get nutrition through a feeding tube. The medication she is getting for this airway swelling will hopefully work soon. The fourth issue is her overall strength. She is slowly improving with her physical and occupational therapy. Lastly, she is interactive when awake. We are all eager to see how she is when she can talk.

It may seem like she is not improving quickly. This is true, but she is improving. At her age and with the type of injuries she has sustained it will take weeks, if not months, for her to heal. It is really a lesson in patience. We appreciate every one's thoughts and prayers.