Happy New Year in the "Pines"

We spent the day at the hospital Wednesday with pre-surgical testing prior to the bronch / dilation procedure. It may be to early, but Joy feels she may be breathing easier but make no mistake about it, still short of breath most of the time. Time should be the healer, so they say.

Thursday's clinic was the usual "all day sucker" but at this moment in time, her numbers appear to be stable or improving. She is tolerating the "real food diet" but appetite is nill and the size of her meals are very, very small. NOW! for the first time in her life, she is advised to maintain or gain weight....................not lose anymore. She is down to her high school weight and can't believe it.

We anticipate the surgeon to place Joy on regular diet and eliminate the nightly tube feeding when we meet with him next Friday. If she tolerates that and does not lose weight, the Team will meet and hopefully concur that she can be released to return to Illinois sometime in early January. A lot of if's to go.............

But she is encourage that the is the FIRST real conversation about her leaving the area albeit to return every month or so for awhile before 3 month return visits become the norm.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Carolina pines.