Sunday Afternoon Update

Hi Everybody,

Courtney and myself (photographing) at the peak of Mount Hunger in Waterbury, Vt.

Everything has gone according to plan thus far, the neurologists have begun weening Courtney off the sedatives (Pentobarbital) again. They've been able to regulate her brain activity and we are looking toward Monday evening to see how she reacts to being woken. What's going for us this time: the doctors are already treating her with medication to prevent seizures, we've given her even more time to rest and she has the benefits of youth and physical condition.

Courtney received a visit from her close friends from Maine yesterday, they drove from all ends of New England to spend the afternoon, that was definitely a boost, they are great people. I can see why she looks forward to taking trips back home.

We've done some redecorating in Courtney's room in the ICU. She's got some stuffed animals to keep her company. Her shelves are filled with pictures and mementos. Amber and Melonie have been waiting to give her a particularly sentimental plastic rose (there's a charming old man who hands them out at her favorite bar downtown.)

Speaking of bars, we took a family trip to American Flatbread for dinner last night, reaffirming its status as the best food and beer in Burlington. They were nice enough to accommodate our party of 15 on short notice and the food was excellent. New Vermont Sausage had been my pie of choice until their new chili flatbread special completely blew it out of the water. We toasted, ate, drank and shared stories, it was a good break from the hospital, our second home in the McClure waiting room.


We've met some incredibly strong people in McClure. The hospital waiting room is about the last place anyone ever wants to be, so tears and hugs are a regular occurance. My first two nights staying at Fletcher Allen, I slept in the waiting room along with a woman named Ginger, who was visiting her 18-year-old niece, also an unfortunate young heart attack victim. She told me how her niece had gotten into drugs and in this instance had a number of relapses. We took turns cursing the world, but knowing she was there in a similar sitiuation as us was a support. While there's a lot of sadness surrounding these circumstances, but that same sadness has bred infinitely more love.

Let's keep praying for Courtney, and let's send a prayer out to anyone with a loved one in the hospital, anyone in pain.

We Love you Courtney and we can't wait to have you back safe and sound.

-Sean