Sally is not doing well. She has been moved back to intensive care because she is not breathing well and it is believed to be because of neurological problems. They haven't yet intubated her but that will probably happen soon. I will try to get in to see her tomorrow, but they only let in family--and they probably won't let me bring my banjo in, even though I can promise to play quietly (her roommate out on the ward liked it), but Sally is in bed 13 (bad sign?) so there are at least 12 more beds in the room, possibly more, but I don't know how many are occupied.

I did receive a couple of encouraging words late today. I went back to the hospital at about 4:30 and went to her old room, learned about her reassignment to ICU--but she hadn't yet been returned from the basement after the tests, so I started to leave. My cardiologist had just come off the elevator as I approached them and so I spoke with him a while and was encouraged a bit when he said the recovery rate from VME was actually pretty good--of course diseases of the brain are not his specialty, but he's not just some dummy off the street, either. Not only is he a good doctor, but he plays in a Celtic fiddle orchestra.

Then later, Walter, our piano player, told me that his best man had been in a coma for a month and everyone thought the best they could hope for him was life as a vegetable when he woke up and started flirting with the nurses. Of course he was in his thirties and Sally is 65, but, hey--miracles do sometimes happen.

--seed