Message Eighteen

What a beautiful day!  A, Elizabeth's nurse, decided that we should all go outside.  So a small team assembled:  the technician, to make sure the portable trachee was working safely;  a nurse to push Liz's wheelchair, and A with the emergency kit just in case anything went wrong.  Margaret, Joanna and I were there in attendance.  I thought of a great royal procession.  It all went very well.  Elizabeth has not seen beyond the back wall of the ward, and now she has been down eleven levels and out of the front door.  We were there for about fifteen minutes before we headed back upstairs, and to the comfort of bed.

Rachel and Tash called in.  Tash returns to Honduras soon.  Asli and Hana called in again.  They played a party game with Liz.

A Speech and Language Therapist had a meeting with Liz today.  She gave Liz an alphabet chart which we all learned to use.  It came in handy later to get the fan blowing in the right direction, and to ask the nurse to put water on Liz's lips to help her feel less thirsty.

Liz has worked hard at getting her neck to strengthen.  She reports greater feeling in her left side, but no movement as yet.  She is making lots of facial expressions, and is exercising her mouth to be ready to vocalise when she can breathe independently.

Tomorrow we move back up to Sheffield to stay until Elizabeth gets her transfer which will hopefully be at the start of next week.

Elizabeth leaves the hospital for the first time.