Update # 12, Nov. 8th, 2007

Hello everyone.  This is Kal again with my poor grammar, so please forgive me.  Jitka is doing better today.  Her white cell count is down to 11 thousand, and most importantly, she is lucid and communicative.  She finally gave Jani permission to drink beer again, and gestured that she would like one too!  (Jani had sworn not to drink until she gave him permission)  Our Jitka is back!  She is doing well with the process of gradually coming off the ventilator, but has a busy day tomorrow.  We are told that they are going to do the skin graft on her right leg as well as the feeding tube that goes directly into her stomach (percutaneous enterogastric tube).  An unfortunate necessity to make sure she has adequate nutrition in order to properly heal.  I am sure the poor thing is starving after she pulled out her temporary feeding tube.  I have a feeling that all of this will be in for only a short while.  She is making outstanding progress.

In the meantime, Mervie and I are flying down for the weekend with our youngest son, Kellan (6 months).  I cannot wait to see her!  It has been horrible being away from her, but now that she is more lucid, I think that it will mean more to have us there.  Knowing her, I am sure she is angry that she slept through our last visit.

I was at work a couple of days ago, and a nurse that I have known for a few years approached me and kindly offered her prayers for Jitka.  She had asked what happened and we briefly discussed it and I gave her the website for the blog.  She explained to me that she had lost her son on the first of October to complications from diabetes.  He, also was a young man.  I cannot believe the tragedies that have occurred in the past month.  I saw her again today, and she had told me that she had started a website for her son as well, and that it had helped her so much to write her feelings and share them with those that she cares about.  Many people that don’t know Jitka or our family have e-mailed with their support and prayers.  I would like to say thank you to those wonderful people as well.  Everyone’s support has helped us tremendously.  I would ask you all to remember in your prayers those whom we do not know that are having difficult times as well.

My next letter will be from Greenville, NC.

Goodnight,

Kal