Beth's Home and doing well!!!!

Hi All:

Beth went in for her Cranioplasty (putting in her new skull plate) on Thursday afternoon at Piedmont hospital. They took her to Pre-Op around 1:30 PM and back surgery around 3:00. We got to line the hallway as they took her in. She had a silver cap on her head that made her look like a popped container of Jiffy Pop popcorn.
Dr. Frankel came out at 5:20 to speak with us. He said the surgery went well and the skull plate fit in very well.
Beth's 2 major prayer requests were 1)her scalp would not be adhered to her brain and 2) her speech would not go backward.
Dr. Frankel said the membrain under the scalp was in place and there was no skin adhesion to the brain. He said he never saw the brain, 'which was a good thing'. He said he did not have to do anything involving the brain and he saw no reason that Beth would have trouble.
The hospital folks came and got us as they were moving Beth from Recovery to ICU. Beth was telling us that she was itchy. So we were all watching Beth scatch her arms and rubbing her legs when someone recognized that Beth was TALKING. Her 2 previous surgerys she come out mute, but she was talking. And not just talking, but talking as good or better than before her surgery.
After they took Beth to ICU we stopped to thank God for answering Beth's and our prayers.

Beth spent the night in ICU, but in the morning both Dr. Frankel and her ID Doc came in and agreed she could be released that day. So less than 24 hours after her surgery, Beth was discharged from the ICU to go home!

Beth is doing well at home and is speeking better than she has in several months. The right side of Beth's face is swollen enough to close her right eye. The swelling is normal because Dr. Frankel do not put in a drain to pull of fliuds. She looks like a boxer after 15 rounds. But the swelling will go down over the next few days.

She will be on IV antibiotics for a few weeks and is to get her stiches out in a week and a half.

Beth will be updating this blog as soon as she can see out of both eyes.

Thank you all for your love and prayers - clarke