April 1, 2007 2:00pm***
Gi GI and I (Marsha) arrived at Metro around 2:00pm. Bonnie Griffith had left a little earlier after spending Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning at the hospital. Mike was remarkably awake and alert. He is comfortable as long as he is not actively moving. He asked for a tennis shoe since it appears rehab is starting and he will begin working on standing and using a walker. Mike is embracing the challenge and looking to cut as much time as possible off his rehab and ultimate goal of independent navigation.

Currently, he is considering entering Metro's in-patient rehab program for amputees. Starting this intense program now will mean overlapping rehab with the wound management and at this point the overlapping will move things along little quicker. The decision requires a commitment to the entire program.....that would mean recovery in the hospital rather than at home. The upside is that the wounds will continue to monitored very closely because a therapist will be evaluating progress with rehab and address any issues immediately as a member of Mike's care team. The down side is "cabin fever" because of the extended hospital stay.

Monday will bring another dressing change for the donor sites and reevaluation of the grafted areas. We're looking for good news here.