3/15 - A post about nothing, and how great it is

So, it’s been quite a while since I wrote on the blog. I’ve been bouncing from Dallas to Fort Worth to Austin to Houston and it’s sort of hard to get my bearings straight. Finally, I’m back in my comfort zone (writing). I was getting all geared up to talk about all of the new procedures and new routines that Jamie goes through on a daily basis…. Or maybe I’d write about some catastrophic mishap that took place while I was gone… or I’d write some big update about some major surgery… I mean, I’d been gone for two weeks now, so you’d think that there’d be something I could write about… but there just isn’t. So, without further ado, here’s my post about nothing and about how wonderful it’s been.

As mom may have mentioned, Jamie’s routine no longer includes the hyperbaric chamber or the whirlpool. She still does physical therapy sometimes, but since her left hand is draped over her body, it’s hard to do too much. She still has the wound care team come and tend to her, but only for her hands – yes, they even clean the hand that’s attached at her side. Other than that, mom and Jamie are just sitting around, waiting for lab results and blood tests to be completed. Mom mentioned earlier that there was an infection in Jamie’s urine screening; we were just told by Dr. Lin (from infectious disease) that this infection is now gone. As a result, this Dr. Lin may be leaving our life for a little while, which is how we’d all like it. She’s a great doctor, but the less we have to see Infectious Disease doctors, the better. Also, Jamie’s protein levels are improving. They’re not good or in the normal range, yet, but they’re improving. Now that Jamie is on fewer antibiotics, she’s been less nauseous and has eaten more. Jamie and I spent a lot of the afternoon yesterday chowing on random food, which is a big change from Jamie not wanting to eat anything. We watched W. last night and I thought it was pretty good, overall. In fact, the biggest improvement I’ve seen since I left is with Jamie’s attitude. She’s just a lot more “with it” (less pain medications) and is generally a lot more conversational and engaged in what’s going on around her. It’s really nice, and I’ll be here a lot in the next few weeks, so I’ll be sure to report on how she’s recovering emotionally and mentally, as well as physically. I’m really happy to report on this improvement.

Finally, I’m happy to say that I attended the Jamie Benefit, a party thrown by some of Jamie’s friends in Austin at the 21st street co-op. It was pretty awesome, and would have been more fun had it not been really cold. Jamie’s friends told me that this was just one of several parties for Jamie that they’re planning, so I’m looking forward to the next ones as well… and some freaking warmth! They charged for drinks and are donating the proceeds to Jamie! I’d like to specifically mention a few folks who went above and beyond with their donations. Bob & Norma Lavin and their daughter Ellen Roskin contributed mightily to the cause. Michelle, Stephanie and Sunshine also contributed big! These donations, in addition to the others that have been made for Jamie, continue to amaze and inspire us. (Btw, the link for donations is in the right-hand column of the blog on the blogspot site). We’ll keep fighting the good fight down in Houston for you all! We’re very grateful for everything. Thank you for continuing to follow along and we’ll hope to have more information soon.