Written September 17, 2010  9:40 pm

Anita had a good day today.  She slept well through the night.  She was quite alert and in good spirits throughout the day.  She sat up in an armchair for over four (4) hours in the morning, and had some breathing tests  performed which showed  additional relative improvements in her breathing ability.  afternoon.  She visited with family  members and friends and watched some television during the course of the afternoon.  She will remain in ICU thru tonight, which is not necessarily a bad thing, i.e. room comfort, medical coverage, etc.

Sitting up in a chair.  A positive.  Try to clear the lungs.  The head.  An easy task for most.  Not so for one who cannot sit unsupported.  I remember the ordeal of getting out of that bed everyday.  An arduous task, made possible by modern technology.  The Hoyer lift.  The closest one gets to a carnival ride in the ICU.

I was rolled side to side so that the nurses could slide the mesh fabric under my torso. The cloth that would suspend and support me during the "ride."  This sling was then clipped to a frame with me cradled in the middle. I was unable to support my head independently.  I had an entourage to manage my neck, fold my arms across my chest, and captain the vent tube, feeding tube, IV lines, catheter, and my wayward legs.  After securing all my accessories, the nurse cranked up the lift, so that I was hovering over the bed.  Magic.  Then the transfer device was wheeled over to the chair, where I was slowly lowered to sitting.  I would be unhooked from the arms of the lift, with the mesh sling left in place for the return trip.

This was quite the production that soon became routine.  Sitting in a chair.  Not an amusement park ride, but definitely a three ring circus.  My new trick.  Part of my new normal. I had to keep reminding myself.  I was moving forward.  Now....for just a little while.