July 5, 2009

Gene had a good day today. He had a visit from his granddaughter Lauren and her husband Ryan McSwain. They were traveling home from Florida where they worked with the Lighthouse a church project which serves families who are coping with cancer. They came via Atlanta where their daughter Madison had spent a few days with her grandparents, MaMa Pat and Poppa Steve. Lauren and Ryan took along their laptop and showed Gene a video of Madison kicking around in a swimming pool in Florida. He smiled and told them that she is a "cutie pie".

Emily and her sister Frances also visited the hospital twice today. We continue to have an expectation that he will be moved to Kindred Hospital, a facility which has expertise in ventilator weaning, sometime next week. The pulmonologist on duty over the weekend told Emily that his tracheotomy needed to be changed. We didn't have any indication about when that would happen.

Prayer requests:
Please continue to pray that Gene's respiration will improve, he will regain movement and strength in his hands and fingers, and he will have the strength and patience for the work he has to do for his recovery.