{Karlton Bontrager}

Tuesday was a rainy day but much milder than Monday. When I arrived at ISIS Karlton was eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich that I had fixed for him the night before. Soon a nurse arrived with two bowls of oatmeal & fruit and soy milk. He gobbled down that quite fast and was ready for a big bowl of apricots I got for him. The amount of food this boy can eat is amazing and yet he doesn’t seem to put on any weight!

Karlton complained that he had terrible back muscle pain during the night and could not sleep until he got some medication. The PT explained to him that he had not used his muscles for so long that everything he does now will probably ache for a while. The PT had Karlton push the wheelchair with his leg to the physio room today. Under protest, he made his way there. Then the PTs had Karlton stand and balance himself for a wee bit longer than yesterday. He sat balanced on a table with his feet on the ground and had to hit a balloon with a badminton raquet. Soon the PTs raised the bed so his legs were dangling but he was able to maintain his balance and still swing the racquet. After the session was over, Karlton walked (with support) all the way down the corridor from the physio room. A great workout!!

Hooray! Today was PICC line removal day. The nurse warmed his arm for about ten minutes to let the veins expand. Karlton was told it would not hurt but was a bit hesitant so I told him not to watch as they pulled it out. I told him I would wait ten minutes and come back. He said he could feel his pulse as the nurse pulled the line out of his vein … 53 centimeters of it!! The nurse measured the line several times to make sure every centimeter of it had been removed. Karlton said it did not hurt but he could feel it coming out.

One more step towards normalcy in Karlton’s life! He was in good spirits, wide awake, alert and joking all day!! Thanks everyone for your e-mails, cards, prayers and good wishes.