{Karlton Bontrager}

Yesterday was a quiet day. Karlton continues to sleep much of the day. The PTs were off for the weekend, so they didn’t get him up in a chair or make him stand. Occasionally he asked to write something. But much of the time he slept.

This morning (Sunday) a PT stopped in to listen to his lungs. He then got Karlton to sit on the side of the bed. Karlton wasn’t excited about that; he was all too ready to lie down again. The PT wanted to get him out of bed and into a chair, but Karlton nixed that idea.

Each week, I’m told, the medical staff will remove the old tracheostomy and insert a narrower one. It sounds as if they are encouraging him to get along without one again. The smaller one should make it easier for him to swallow. I believe swallowing training will begin again on Monday.

Choy-Lang and I have been staying at a hotel that’s set up rather like a Ronald McDonald House. It’s sponsored by a charitable organization, so it’s reasonably priced. It’s just across the street from the hospital, and is also convenient to shopping and restaurants. Someone else had booked the room previously beginning today, though. So we’ve moved to a hotel. It’s more spacious, has a cooking range, and is only 7 minutes’ walk away. So part of today’s agenda includes getting ourselves resettled.