Status: March 1

Apparently a lot of you have found this site already. I heard Megan Caster as well as the DHS people had found it before I really started trying to get it widespread, you've got to love the Internet. How did you hear? Leave a comment.

A number of interesting things today so here goes.

Today routine blood work showed that Mom's platelet count was running a bit low and subsequently and blood transfusion was performed and all was normal again.

Lots of visitors today; including Alma Anderson, Grandma Maria, Jane (Keeler?, Keiler?), Cynthia (don't know Cynthia's last name), and Beth Walling.

Alma and Grandma Maria reported some of the more interesting news of the day. Mom opened her eyes while they were visiting, if only for a few seconds. Gabe also reports lots of eye activity behind closed eye lids while he was in there. What all that means, I have no idea, but it certainly sounds good.

In other news, Mom's purse has been found. It had been brought to the hospital with her in the ambulance, and had been missing, but it turns out that the Public Safety office had it.

The driver of the car that Mom's car was hit into also stopped by today. She told us that while she was uninjured, her car was totaled as well. She said that she was pretty shaken up because she takes the same route to work every day and that on a normal day she would have been in the left lane where Mom was, but she was running behind and Mom was already in the left lane so she pulled into the right one to get around her. She also mentioned that the dump truck was not some independent contractor but a truck for an excavation company.

Got details that we don't know Internet? Send them to us, we'd like to know as much a possible.

Frankly, from my perspective, the details of the accident are pretty incredible, but what I wonder is if Mom even saw the thing coming. I know that when I am stopped on an exit ramp, and even when I am stopped at the exit ramp in question (we get off there to go to Shel's aunt and uncle's house) I tend to zone out waiting for the light to change, changing the radio station, etc. Probably better to be blindsided, than to have to think about it, if only for a second. Enough with the editorializing.

So to end this post I'd first like to thank everyone for their kind offers of assistance, know that when the time comes your help will probably be needed in some way, even if it is months down the road. Second, DHS people, I need to know who to get a hold of over there regarding what the policies are regarding FMLA and long term disability and insurance matters and such. Can someone drop me a line and point us in the right direction. My brother has a number, but we are not sure if it is for the right people or not, as the card we have is for someone in the Office of Consumer Affairs. Gabe said that he is supposed to meet with someone from the state regarding the long term disability stuff tomorrow, but I do not know if this person will have all the relevant information. Third, it would be nice to have a guestbook for people to sign with their thoughts and feelings at the hospital, and I am sure that it would be a treasured memento after this ordeal is over, so if any of you are willing to take care of that then by all means go for it. Fourth, I'd like to get a guestbook up and running on this site as well, but I'm not sure of how to do it. If anyone knows how let me know, otherwise I'll end up figuring it out myself and get it up next week sometime. Fifth, I would just like to thank Gabe and Colleen for running point on this whole operation down in Des Moines, just know that it's appreciated guys, you are doing a lot of good things.

If anyone needs to get a hold of me, especially you wily DHS folks, my email is caflores22@gmail.com

Say prayer tonight.