One small step for man.........

Nurse May's efforts today rewarded us with Jamie sitting up for an extended period followed by a short walk to the window and back to bed. Afterwards she was certainly exhausted, but a good nap has restored both her strength and spirit.

She is now giving herself her own ice and even brushed her teeth. I was also allowed to comb her hair and on several occasions invited to adjust the bed for her. Boy was I nervous. Under the stress of it all, the Crase family twitch really took over and I had some trouble maintaining a steady, but light press on the button. Thankfully no permanent damage was done to Jamie or our relationship.

Dave and Anne came today as well as Kenny and Beth. Jen is still here although she had to go to the hotel for a quick shower and nap. I sure appreciate her sharing duties with me. It has been nice to be able to get some fresh air, while knowing that someone is still by Jamie's side.

Jamie got her first estrogen patch today, I know so little about the dark feminine sciences to comment much, but apparently this has also improved her mood.

Lots of churning in her stomach today, a positive sign that we are headed towards eating and drinking in the next few days. She still has lots of gas pain and has let out a few burps, so we eagerly await the big one that tells us all is clear.

I was glad to see Michael on night shift again, he did a great job getting us through the evening yesterday. He is so thorough and seems to endure my endless quizzing with little irritation.

Jamie got some beautiful flowers today from Dick, Kris and Shelby, and Beth brought a wonderful pot of daisy which I can't wait to plant in our garden. Jen gets the award for best gift today for the foil balloon and turtle weight which brightens up the room, yet takes no precious floor or counter space. Thanks Anne for the PJ's. To the Lucero family thanks for the word search book, mag and excellent handmade card (posted on the bulletin board where Jamie can see). Dana Miller sent more word search and puzzle books and blanket, Jamie said you knew to send the puzzle books because she did them on the bus to softball games. Katrina of course is out of control and deserves thanks for another mag, new insulated mug and some great juice for use in a few days.

Joel and I also got to go out for a bit today, we found a quaint little place down on the Montlake Cut where we could talk about our feelings and enjoy a nice warm herbal tea.

Today's treats included Beth's banana bread as well as even more cookies and banana bread from Jen's coworker Rhonda. All these snacks serve well to sustain us day and night as well as reward our excellent nursing staff.

Now a more serious note. It has come to my attention that some of my posts have been altered and what you read my not be precisely my own hand. It seems hard to believe that the "man" is trying to control such a meager and politically neutral news source as this. This is not the Internet Al Gore dreamed of.

(Minor spelling & grammatical changes may have been made to this post. The content of its character has not been altered.)