noelstanton

Noel swears she’s going to post to the blog today, but I have my doubts. It’s been two days of medical progress, but she’s not feeling it yet. She’s had trouble sleeping the last two nights, along with some gas build-up and nausea, so she’s more worn out than she was immediately following surgery. But she was finally able to prove that her colon had started to function again, which is the big step the doctors were waiting for. Still, she sleeps when she can (they moved her to a room further from the nursing station, where the chatter was disturbing her, and from the storage closet which seemed to be the source of constant noise at night). It was a bummer not having her home for Thanksgiving, but as she noted she had nausea and no appetite, and she was too worn out to visit anyway.

Just after Luke and I arrived in her room this morning, an entourage of four doctors came into the room to explain her medical status and progress. Annie carped a bit after they left that they had been there earlier and said the same stuff – I think she’s finally starting to get a feel for academic medical centers and teaching hospitals! She and Luke then did four circuits of the ward so we could check that off on her daily to-do list.

Flowers started arriving on Tuesday and now her room is starting to look like a florist shop – a very cheery florist shop (thanks to all). Robert and Laurel Jones stopped in for a quick visit, as did Kathy and Jack Berkemeyer (friends from Chicago who are out here celebrating their anniversary and joined us for Thanksgiving). One of Luke’s friends from law school, whom Noel had never met before, even stopped in to deliver some flowers and to visit. (I play the role of bouncer so she can rest, but I’m not always there.)

Noel’s doctor just called to confirm that she’s on schedule for post-surgical recovery and that he’s pleased with her progress. Monday looks to be the likely discharge date, though he emphasized that it all depends on how she feels and when she starts eating.

Edit: Forgot the other good news. The ND-Stanford game is on ABC, which Noel can watch at the hospital, so she’s happy aobout that. She asked me to remember to bring her something distinctively Irish to wear at the hospital tomorrow. Go Irish!

Clark