Vickie spent the evening sitting in front of her room passing out treats to the goblins visiting the facility for Halloween. She wore her witch hat and kept a running count of the treats she had on hand.

With the absence of infections and fever Vickie is becoming more talkative. While many of her comments and questions aren't in any logical [to us] context, she still comes up with some profound statements and quips. The change in the last two weeks is remarkable.

Vickie had another pleasant day with no setbacks. She interacted with her visitors well. Each day there is a small improvement.
The therapy issue is still in question.

Despite Vickie's speech therapy Dr.'s insistence, the insurance purveyor still insists on withholding payment for therapy.

Vickie did well today. She was awake and in her wheel chair until 9:30 pm. writing.
We have gone more than a week without any serious medical setbacks.

Vickie's speech therapy Dr. pronounced her ready for more therapy. The insurance moguls will reconsider her situation. She's ready if they do. Tonight she was wheeled down to the piano, without prompting she plunked out a one finger rendition of "Mary had a little lamb".

Thursday we have a staff/family meeting to discuss Vickie's care and future. Not sure what they can tell us that we aren't already aware of.

No crisis today. Vickie was in her chair for an extended time during the middle of the day. The subtle but steady progress is encouraging.

The Dr. was in to see Vickie this morning, he's ok with her progress.

This evening Vickie was in her chair taking a tour of the facility. When she was sitting by the piano in the TV room, she started plunking on the keys with her right hand. No concert, but music to our ears.

We now have to begin the aggravating duel with the insurance overseers, trying to persuade them to pay for Vickie's therapy.

Vickie had a quiet Sunday. No crisis today, we needed a break.
This evening Vickie asked the most pertinent question yet. She wanted to know what is wrong with her? Did she have cancer or some other debilitating disease? She was told that she had a stroke. She said she needed to ask her Dr. some questions. What should her diet be and some other relevant questions.

Vickie is becoming more aware every day now. This morning she experienced a minor panic episode while being lifted from her bed to the rolling chair for her shower. She has done this procedure often but this is the first time she has shown a negative reaction.
Later in the day vickie was talking and interacting with visitors as best she could. She has participated in several short telephone conversations in the last few days.

It's official, the financial overlords have determined that Vickie is no longer eligible for Physical therapy since she hasn't kept to their timeline for improvement.
Vickie's speech is improving along with her ability to comprehend. The down side is she is showing some frustration and she seems a little depressed at times.

Vickie participated in physical therapy this morning. She is now allotted P.T. an a one day at a time basis, providing she meets the criteria imposed by the provider. We probably should be thankful for the largesse of the provider.
Vickie is talking more now and making conversation, albeit not always in context.

Vickie was transported to Mt. Hood Medical Center this morning for tests to determine the cause of the pain and bloating she is experiencing. The tests were inconclusive.

Vickie spent a couple of hours in her chair this morning before asking to return to bed because of pain in her abdomen.
This evening she had a high fever, still don't know the cause of the fever or the pain.

After Vickie's sisters demanded more attention to the pain she is experiencing, the staff relented and contacted the house Dr. He appeared this afternoon and agreed to an ultrasound exam. The exam didn't show anything definitive that could be a source of the pain. Now we will wait for any results from the blood tests that were done today.

Vickie is continuing to talk and at times coherently.

The financial gatekeepers have decided that Vickie isn't progressing fast enough to meet their criteria for continued physical therapy and have stopped authorizing it. Just when we appear to be on the verge of a major breakthrough this comes up.

Vickie is still complaining about severe pain in her abdomen. The staff insists on treating the condition with Tylenol type medication. We suspect the problem might require a serious hands on investigation to determine the cause. The phantom Dr. is of little help so far, diagnosing by telephone or osmosis.
At noon, Vickie was whispering her thoughts to us. This evening she was speaking loud enough to hear from her bedside.

Despite bouts of nausea and the persistent fever, Vickie was able to have a good visit with three of her cousins from Washington this morning.
Although she's not speaking regularly, Vickie is still communicating her thoughts with audible whispering.
Today is the beginning of the fifth month in Vickie's recovery.

Vickie celebrated her birthday with a small group of relatives and friends tonight. It might have been a little overwhelming for her.
A new problem has come up now. Vickie says she is experiencing severe pain in her waist area. We don't know what's the cause or what to do about it.
One thing is for sure, she can now tell us what she's feeling, no more guessing and playing charades trying to figure out what's going on with her.

Thursday was pretty much a repeat of yesterday. Vickie is slowly regaining her voice, uttering an occasional word loud enough to be heard across the room. Some of her comments are profound, others are not.

Vickie actively participated in her therapies this morning. With the therapy and the fever that just won't go away, she needs to rest a lot in the afternoon. She was awake and responsive later this evening, but tired quickly.

The fever problem was still with Vickie this morning.
She spent a considerable amount of time in the wheel chair during the morning and then later this evening. Tonight she asked to be put in her chair.
We are trying to teach her to use the call button at her bed to summon the staff. It would be helpful if they would do their part in our little exercise.
Vickie's asking more questions about her circumstance. It's difficult for her to understand why she's where she is.

For some unknown reason Vickie is still having fever problems that come and go. Otherwise she appears to be doing good.
She isn't able to make the step from a quiet whisper to talking out loud yet. She has quite a bit to say even though a lot of it seems to be out of context.

There were lots of visitors today, including an aunt and cousin who traveled from North Dakota. Vickie was a good host, sitting in her chair ,writing and answering questions as best she could.
With Vickie's door closed and no noise in the room, it's now possible to hear and comprehend her whispering. Her comments and questions are another matter. They can be a bit confusing. Of course this is all understandable and acceptable considering what she's been through.

Vickie's fever was a little lower today. She was very alert and trying to whisper louder. She will be speaking soon.

Vickie participated in physical therapy despite a high fever and early morning nausea.
This evening the fever was lower and she seem to feel better.

Vickie spent a large part of the day in her wheel chair. Lots of writing in her tiny and random method. She is able to whisper what she wants to say at times. The trend is definitely up.

The fever Vickie had yesterday left as quickly as it came. No explanation.
Vickie had some potato soup today, slowly starting her on regular food.
This evening she was very "bright", alert and whispering at an almost audible level. We're getting very close now.

It was a down day for Vickie. She has a high fever, it's cause unknown. Maybe tomorrow it can be diagnosed and treated.
Vickie doesn't have much enthusiasm when she has to deal with extra problems.

We seem to have settled into a routine with no profound changes, just a slow and small incremental improvement for Vickie.

Sunday was a repeat of yesterday, only better. Good speech and swallowing therapy. Lots of self-directed writing exercise. Vickie was alert and responsive for extended times. She is now able to communicate some of her basic needs.

Vickie did good in her speech therapy this morning. She had a little ice cream and a small amount of soup to test her ability to swallow.
She managed to do a little larger writing, impressing the therapy Dr. He's predicting she could start talking soon.
She seemed alert and responsive during the day. Vickie is communicating her needs more now. Lots of writing on her pad, still difficult to decipher because it's so tiny and unorganized.

Another good session of physical therapy today for Vickie. With the aid of support equipment, she is able to stand up for a short period of time. Her ability to swallow under control is increasing, demonstrated by her eating a small amount of sherbet. At some point in the near future maybe the feeding tube will go away.