January: More exercise. Less drugs.

Mary’s condition is improving very very gradually. Her wounds are healing well andthough she is still suffering from some infection, most of her major bugs are gone. It will now be really important that Mary does not suffer from further infections and bugs as her immune system has taken a real bashing. In view of the risk of infection, visiting continues be restricted.

For January, Mary, like many of us, is committed to more regular exercising (enforced by daily visits from physiotherapists) and weaning herself off some hard drugs. The initial nicotine ban was nothing compared to the lessening daily dosage of Fentanyl. Nowadays her indulgences are Radio 4, Classic FM and novels read by her dad, her sisters and Bea. Doris Lessing continues to be a favorite. Oh, and long naps.

Mary continues to be unconscious, but the few of us that can visit her are in agreement that she looks far more alert, and more like Mary. Its hard to describe. She is opening her eyes more, and moving them in response to sounds. She has also started doing slight head movements and twitches. But is sort of feels like more is going on than that, that there is some recognition of familiar voices, or sounds, even though there is no big response. I'm sure reading this you also carry that sense, even if it just a hope, that there is more to come.

The next step for Mary will be that she may be transferred from High Dependency to a trauma ward as her condition becomes less critical. Her heart rate, blood pressure and other factors have become more consistent lately. As she is still not fully conscious, and awaiting further operations as her body heals, Mary will continue to be closely monitored with one-to-one care where possible. We hope that she will regain consciousness in the next weeks and months but doctors still cannot say when this may happen, or to what level.