Kari update

BTW, I took this pic of her from the top of the Isle of Capri, with the Faraglioni Rocks in the background, where the 'sirens' tried to lure Odysseus' sailors to their deaths. Anyway, phase one of the ordeal is over, though it took a long time. Several emergency surgeries put us behind schedule and we didn't get out of the hospital 'til about midnight. They removed all the fittings and tubes and gave her 2 external drains to drain the infected cerebral spinal fluid from her brain while they pump IV antibiotics into her for the next 7 days, then they replace the plumbing and she has another 2-3 days in the hospital, then has to have 4 weeks of self injections. Bad thing is, these are gravity drains, with no valves, so they have to be at the exact height, in relation to her head, or the siphon effect drains ALL the csf out. Kari has to call a nurse each time she wants to sit up, lay down, eat, drink, go to bathroom etc. She's already cranky and has a while to go. Her main goal is to be ready to travel by June 6th, when she is sceduled to travel to Rome, as Ted's paid assistant at the Int'l Geophysicists Convention. As of now, she is uncomfortable with tubes, needles and monitors all over, plus no shower or shampoo which is driving her crazy. She has about as much patience as her dad, so she wants it all over with, NOW. Will let you know more as we find out.