Thursday Oct 27 update

I arrived at U Penn Hospital about 9:30. Linda was awake and alert, talking and listening the whole morning. I was curious to hear the normal Linda, while seeing that she was still in bed with tubes run in and out. Her memory of the last 3 weeks is weak to nonexistent, which is another peculiar aspect of the situation.
Dr. Stadtmauer (sp?) came in with 5 residents late in the morning. He said her numbers were good, and she looks great. He noted that her stool liquids were slowing down (good sign), and that they would be adjusting the IV liquids to match that. She has had some swelling in her arms from water retention due to the IV vs stool mismatch, so this should help that. He thought (but did not promise) that she would be able to start eating and drinking early next week. He was generally very happy with her progress. Side note: it was fun watching the verbal sparing between the doctor (from NJ) and the patient (from Brooklyn).
She has been lobbying for the removal of her biopsy stitches, and they did that this afternoon. They also gave her some sugar water IV to counter a low blood sugar.
The afternoon was rougher, with more pain and drowsiness. The PT person came and got Linda on her feet, but the movement seemed to increase her stomach pain. The afternoon was filled with sleeping and discomfort, on and off clarity, and general crankiness. She insisted that I leave around 4 pm.
Visitors should ask the nurses about cleaning/rinsing Linda's mouth, since it gets dry and "cottony" very easily. The foam rubber swabs dipped in ice water help when she is uncomfortable.
- Lee