Lydia is eating very well. She still has her g tube, for water intake, and medicines. She is learning to drink water from a straw, and sips slowly at it. There is danger in aspirating it, so we are slowly building strength for drinking water. So far, she is able to drink about 250ml daily. She receives 1.5 L of water through her g tube daily. We are hopeful that Lydia will progress with her drinking, and be able to have her g tube removed by the end of Sept.

She is doing very well with the commode, and is dry most days.

We learned recently that Lydia, although she is responsive and can converse with us, will not remember much of what is happening now. Typically brain injury patients say that their first memories date to the time when they are first home again after discharge from the rehab hospital. It is hard to believe that she will not remember moments that are so precious to us: learning to talk last week, and now to sing; enjoying chocolate chip mint ice cream together; laying under the shade tree; joking with her dad ....

We may share these memories with her, in time, or we may keep them in our hearts.  There are many memories of our time at Sick Kids that we have not shared with Lydia, and she does not have any memory of them.  Perhaps this is the Lord's mercy to her.  He is the Good Shepherd and he knows how to care for his lambs.