Day 81

She sleeps. I love to watch her sleep. I wonder what she is dreaming about. I hope it is a sunny day where everything that day goes right. It reminds me of the many times I went to Nicole’s room and just watched her sleep. I am sure many parents watched their children sleep. They hope and dream for their children when they are sleeping. My hopes and dreams for my children did not include this. My hope today is life.


From nearly the beginning our target date was Oct 2nd. Today we have been told a minimum of 60 more days. Our new target November 23. WOW! That is so far away. But that would be a great birthday present for me. Ironically that is my birthday. That date will tentatively be the discharge from the burn unit but not from the hospital. Nicole will go to the rehab inpatient center from the unit for 1-3 months. We were so hoping she was going to be home for Christmas but that just probably isn’t going to happen.

Nicole is looking a little better today. Her eyes are brighter although there is no twinkle I can see hope there.

Her would care was great today. All Nicole’s bandages came off and we were able to see the homograph sights on her legs and arm. Her legs looked great. Adhering well. Left arm the homograph is still slippery. Hopefully in the next couple of days it will tighten up.

Nicole is mostly breathing on her own now and the doctor put in a smaller cannula which is the first step in getting to talk again. We are very happy about that. Her lungs are doing better also although she will stay on IV antibiotics until Oct 1st.

Nicole’s back is looking slightly better. Thanks to nurse Kindi. As many things as has been tried and failed, she started changing Nicole’s linens every 4 hours. It has helped Nicole’s back be drier which in turn has helped in the healing process. The upper 1.5 inch of her back is starting to look really health. Now all we need it the rest to come on board. If the rest starts to heal up Nicole will not have to have the surgery on Friday. I would be happy for that. I think that anytime the body kicks in a does the job it was intended to do the better.

I am sure it is lonely to be lying in bed day in and day out. I purchased Nicole a book for her birthday. I brought it to the hospital today to see if it would help pass the time. Nicole loves to bird watch. This book had some 200 bird calls in it. There is a picture of the bird and then you push a button and it plays the call. Some birds have more than one call. The first one we listened to was the Canadian goose. Her eyes lit up and she smiled. It reminded her of Kansas. Kansas you say? Well, across from our home is a lake that many Canadian geese are at year round. We hear them honking in the skies and run out to look at their beautiful V shapes gliding across the sky. It really is an amazing sight. They are so close you feel like you can reach up and touch them. What a fun book.

Our friend Karen gave Nicole a beautiful angel statue. It is called: ‘Angel of Healing’. It sits on her DVD player which is high in the air so she can see it every day. Today she asked that I get it down so she could see it up close again. She mouthed the words ‘beautiful’ and then ‘watches me’. I am so glad she has something that comforts her.