Small steps. Very small. Ella is in the neurology ward. The tremors seem to have subsided somewhat, they aren’t gone but they are less pronounced. She goes through a twenty minute cycle. Awake 20 minutes, asleep twenty minutes. When she is awake she looks around, doesn’t move, but seems to track us and other things around. The greatest reaction we got from installing the mobile she has over her bed at home on the hospital bed (thanks Vered and Lee for that mobile). She gave us the most alert look yet. She is only mildly interested in food and we manage to give her just a bit with a syringe. Hopefully that will change soon, otherwise they will be looking at alternative ways of feeding her… It is going to be a long process… Of course we were hoping that the minute she opens her eyes she will be back to old Ella and perhaps will even pick up a foreign language on the way. Maybe that wasn’t realistic, and we have to face the realities of coming out of such an (as my mother described it) impossible operation.
As I was writing this a mother we have been in touch with, whose son went through this same operation (done by the same doctor) about six months ago walked in with her son and a huge balloon to see how Ella is doing. Ella woke up and was her most alert yet. Will’s mom said Ella looks fantastic and the fact she is tracking and looking so alert is amazing. Will took much longer she said. She waited six weeks to get a smile out of him. (her hardest six weeks she said). Will was here, looking great. Walking around and talking (he is two) and interested in Ella’s toys. It was a very, very encouraging moment. Thank you Laura! Maybe it won’t be such a long process after all. It’s really up to Ella. We’ll just be here, if she needs anything.