News from the Denver Outpost August 21, 2007

Dear Friends

We missed our nightly update last evening since Britanie and I were out gallivanting around. We went out and prepared a dinner for 8 with our friends Jim and Dee Fehr. They had two guest couples from their bridge club join us for dinner and the entertainment was watching Britanie and I cook. I think they were wondering what happened and when did the hurricane move through the kitchen as the dirty preparation dishes began to pile up. But, everyone at least acted as though they enjoyed the meal.

Rachel went down for surgery about 10:15 Monday, but then didn’t show up again until about 5 pm. She was bumped from the lineup and waited an extra 2.5 hours. The docs replaced the evac bandages on the arm, and expect to do the graft on Thursday of this week. The ankle wound was debrided again and hopefully will be able to be graft in another surgery some time next week.

The good news today was that the team of doctors, nurses, therapists and administrators got together and set a tentative date for getting her out of here and on her way home. Tentatively, we could be out of the hospital on September 11. Then we may be able to travel either by passenger car or commercial air to Omaha. This all depends on how PT and OT progress, and if lady luck keeps other factors from interfering. The bad news today is that she has contracted a bladder infection.

I talked with Zack today, and he is back at work. With OSU football season only weeks away, the team needs his help in preparing the players to win out the season. Hopefully, he can get invigorated with his job and find some joy in every day functions again. He misses Renee and still wants to believe that he is just keeping their apartment ready for her to walk back in. Bosko provides comfort and that necessary ingredient: unconditional love for Zack.

Zack also said he is receiving cards and letters from folks he hasn’t seen for years and from people who only knew Renee from reputation or from other friends. Memorial donations are being set aside to establish a violin scholarship in Renee’s name for out-of-state violin students. Such a scholarship brought Renee into Zack’s world, and he wants to have her memorialized in that way.

Another tough day for Dad and Zack. I miss Zack’s “Silly Girl” so so much. I wish I could hear another silly joke that she and Jane, her mother-in-law, so liked to share. One of her favorites was: “Do you know why you can’t hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom?” “Because the ‘P” is silent!”

Dad
jwhall2@gmail.com