A Bumpy Road

Hi All,

Merwin here at the helm again.

Bernice continues her adventure in Rehab. She has graduated to wearing an orange bracelet which permits her to enter and leave the bed on her own and to visit the bathroom with no aid. The stitches have been removed from her head wound but it is that broken T9 vertebra which gives her the most pain, both during the day or night when some movement is required. Mention has been made of a return home next Wednesday but that will be qualified by her condition next week. Since entering the hospital she has been off the drug trial which she entered in mid-June and some of the annoying and distressing symptoms which may have been suppressed have now returned. The medical situation with her underlying blood condition and this new injury is complicated for everyone including her doctors. The hospital staff has been very good and caring. Dr. M (and his staff), her hematologist at Mount Sinai, has been very attentive. I have been sending her blood reports every day. He wants to see her as soon as she is mobile enough to make it to the city. He emails and is also a blog reader.

Our sons are also very attentive with almost daily phone calls. Arthur who lives in New Hampshire arrived on Wednesday night and will stay through the weekend. He is helping me do some things around the house when he is not working or visiting his mom. Luckily, his company has an office on the island so he has been working there this week.

I have already retrieved the "wheelie" from the synagogue where we sent it after she recovered sufficiently from her broken pelvis. I am going this afternoon to get another one which we borrowed and returned to Bernice's generous friend Elaine.

I continue to collect all her emails and take them to her. Thanks for all the good wishes. In closing I can state again that not all sailing is smooth and I note that engineers are permitted great leeway concerning mixed metaphors.

love to all,
Merwin