Now in Rehab!

Dear Friends and Family,

This is Merwin substituting for Bernice until she can take the helm again.

The photo is of Bernice at 13 in her Uncle Daneel's junk yard in Buffalo. We met about a year later when I was just turning 15 and I was immediately star struck by this perky beauty. This coming January we will celebrate our 6oth anniversary.

Late this afternoon Bernice was transferred to the Rehab unit at Glen Cove Hospital. This unit serves the entire North Shore LIJ Hospital system and has an excellent reputation. She was deemed medically fit enough by the medical staff to go to rehab but she still wears a yellow band around her wrist signifying that she requires help to get into and out of bed and walk to the bathroom. I am not allowed to perform this service. In ICU she had a single room and attentive, constant nursing service. Prior to late this afternoon she was in a double room and now she is a rather large room she shares with three other patients. Many of the other patients have had knee or hip replacements or back operations. We did not read the book yet but we were told that she will be working with staff many hours each day to strengthen her legs and back and I can visit only after 4:00. I asked one of the nurses about the expected time of her stay. She said it very much depends on the individual progress but two weeks might be a good guess.

Bernice would still prefer not to receive either phone calls or see visitors. I have been printing out any emails she receives and taking these to her each day.

Thank you all for your good wishes,
Merwin