Thursday, July 8, 2004

Stevie returned home from the hospital June 22 with her white count down to 15000, elevated but much better.  Her appetite began to return and continued to improve.  At first, just special foods but during the last two weeks, anything and everything.

She returned to therapy on June 28.  Since then we have seen an incredible change in her.  Her mental fog which had been slow to dissipate, vanished in less than a week.   She now describes her memories as "being in a dream".  These "dream" memories stretch back to mid May, encompassing the last weeks at Shepherd Center in Atlanta.  She is able to describe the second, later room in Shepherd, the gym and where we took walks. 

Though her mental abilities have not been put to a rigorous test -- that is, a college level course -- if she has deficits, they are not readily apparent. 

Some milestones of the last several weeks: 
Next week a check up with Dr. Bilsky at Shepherd along with an evaluation by the Shepherd neuropsychologist.

Week after next a checkup with Dr. Moore, orthopedist at Piedmont in Atlanta.  He will take a deep needle biopsy of the hip incision to test for infection.  If negative  we expect him to give Stevie the green for a hip replacement. 

If given a green light, the hip replacement will have to wait until our return from Jay's wedding.  Jay Henderson, my nephew, is marrying Heather in Rhode Island on July 30.  The five of us (Susan, Stevie, Spenser, Stacey and I) are flying up.  It will be glorious to share Stevie with all of our family many of whom have been only as close to Stevie as this web site.