There are so many people to thank, I don’t know where to start.

The players? Da’Rick, Simms and the other young guys…

The teams? St. Louis Cardinals, perhaps…

Health care providers? T’ Rona, Amy, Melissa, Lana, Courtney, Zach, Tyler, Dr. Arora, Dr. Man, Dr. Mandge, Jennifer, Christel, Debbie, Tonya, Dr. Kimpel, Laura, Lauren, Julia, Bryan, Shannon, Kimberlee, Sandra, Tana, Katy, Paris, Dr. Jia… [the list to be continued]

My wife plays Angry Birds on iPad, I read/type on the Kindle…and we wait.

I’m not ready to call this a death watch but…

Major minor stroke…all the extremities are working but…

She’ll answer questions about pain, will move fingers/toes/arms/legs, and open eyes on command but…

She seems to be in her own world.

Her hands and feet move around even though she seems to be snoring in her sleep.

A pained look appears on her face. She scratches behind her ear, rubs her eyelid, and searches for her left hand under the covers with her free right hand.

My wife holds her mother’s hand for a few minutes.

Three or four drops of saline drip every fifteen seconds. 80 mL/hr…

We wait…

Comfort care…

What is she thinking? Does she feel like there’s anyone to look at when she opens her eyes for a second or two? Are memories her comfort food now? Does she know where she is? Is she waiting? Is she bored?

She returns to a deep sleep. She dreams, perhaps, of her successful adjustment to a second half game plan.

Pre-hospice care…

Only the mind’s I knows for sure.