Hello, all.

Spring is underway in Maine - tulips, apple blossoms, lilacs, and the odd blackfly just to keep us realistic. Eliot is so happy to be back at Sunnybrook. Sunday morning when I was there there was a talented, funny pianist who ranged from Chopin to the Beer Barrel Polka. Evan trekked up from CT that afternoon, Lynn is planning a visit tomorrow, and Bex is coming from NC next week. Talk about great medicine!

We're making plans for a family outing for the weekend of El's birthday which is May 21st. If you have a chance to mail a card, I know he would love it. The mailing address is 340 Bath Rd., Brunswick, ME 04011.

Meanwhile, we all send love to each of you,

Taffy

Back at Sunnybrook

HE MADE IT!!!

Eliot had his final swallowing test, graduated to oral antibiotic, and moved from Mid Coast Hospital back to Sunnybrook. He is so delighted. 

Special thanks to Connie and John for transporting him so elegantly, to Chip for making the trek from Vermont for a visit, and to Nancy and Dale for driving up yesterday with hugs and waves. It’s all transporting in the best sense! 

Love to each and all of you ️

Taffy

 

Eliot is healing well. He is tentatively scheduled to leave Mid Coast tomorrow and he is psyched! One more swallowing study tomorrow, which may lead to a slightly more strict oversight of what he eats, and if all goes as we hope, Jesse can take him back to Sunnybrook. El is off supplemental oxygen, will move from intravenous to oral antibiotic after tomorrow's study, and doesn't need the heart monitor anymore. 

All those years of body-building athletics, or good genes, or the love of friends and family, or maybe all of that make this guy one heck of a healer.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow, and love to all of you,

Taffy

 Well.... After a weekend back in his sweet place at Sunnybrook, feeling welcomed back so warmly, El choked so seriously at lunch today that it took two staff members a couple of Heimlichs to save him. He went back to the ER with low oxygen levels and concern that there might be a residual something in his lungs that could lead to pneumonia. So now he is an inpatient at Mid Coast Hospital. He has some supplemental oxygen and an IV antibiotic, Tomorrow a pulmonologist and a swallowing therapist will check him out both to assess where he is now and to create future guidelines.  

Jesse and I tag-teamed at the hospital today and I will go back in the morning. The staff at Mid Coast is fabulous and kind, and we know he is receiving excellent care. But it's pretty discouraging to be back with lots of monitors and busy stuff.

And STILL he says his sprits are ok! What a guy.

Love to each of you; I will update here as I learn more. Thank you for your good wishes, which are still the best medicine.

Taffy

 Good news!

After a day of the kind of hurdles put in place by the forces that want to be sure we still have our senses of humor, Eliot made it back to Sunnybrook where people kept stopping by the apartment to welcome him back with warmth and huge smiles. He's one tired buckaroo, looking forward to a night with no roommate and no beeping monitors, and breathing deeply in his own space. I'll go back for more time with him in the morning. 

We both send love to you all. Thanks for the good wishes that have cheered him and are always the best medicine.

xoxoxo Taffy

 It's a beautiful spring day here in Maine and we have high hopes that Eliot will be out of rehab and home at Sunnybrook by Friday. A nurse from Sunnybrook will visit him at NERH on Thursday to see whether she concurs with their assessment that he is ready. We know he is eager!

NERH has been great - wonderful, caring staff, terrific therapies, and improved food over his last time there. We are all grateful.

Eliot has a telemedicine visit with his PCP in a couple of weeks to talk about adding a bone-strengthening med. 

We send love to you all!

Taffy

 Hardly able to keep his eyes open today after a hard day in therapy, but still resilient in spirit, here's our guy in his fields forever t shirt - and he's doing so well that he may well be able to go back to Sunnybrook sooner than Friday! xoxo to all, Taffy