You can reach Sue at (314) 452-3685 or (314) 726-2032. You can write to her c/o Rose Holt, 905 Barnard College Lane, St. Louis, MO 63130


Hello, it's Rose, reporting in from Dartmouth Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. Sue is with Den right now, and I left them to come update the blog. A group of neurologists came in this afternoon to give their assessment. They recommend Den be kept on the blood thinner and watched carefully. No surgery on the carotid artery is required now but may be later on should Den's condition worsen to such a degree that 'desperate measures are called for.' That is certainly not the case right now.

Tomorrow another group of specialists will tackle the problem that landed him in the hospital, his internal bleeding and bulging veins. The bleeding has stopped. His portal vein from the stomach to the liver is bulging. The procedure tomorrow is to place a shunt through this vein through his liver to allow the blood to flow normally.

Sue and I accompanied Den to physical therapy today. He has a very achy right knee, his good one, so he was in pain. The physical therapists showed us some exercises to help maintain mobility in his right arm and shoulder until he begins to regain the use of it.

The physicians now are saying that Den will have to spend a couple of weeks in intensive rehab once he is out of this hospital. Sue is hoping that means he can be moved to St. Louis to do the rehab. That is an open question right now and depends on the insurance coverage. Will it cover rehab in St. Louis IF Den is able to travel or will travel indicate he doesn't need rehab? These are questions that must be answered in the next several days.

In other family news, we learned this morning that Catrina's Lizzie was taken by ambulance to St. John's Hospital in St. Louis last night because she has pneumonia. Margaret tells us she is a very sick little girl. We'll post again when we get an update on Lizzie.

My luggage was lost until late this morning. My cell phone had run down, and the charger for it was in my suitcase. Now communications are restored. Whatever did we do before the days of the cell phone?

Den's daughter Kim and her husband Mike will come here this weekend. Both Scott and Chris are standing by to come if needed. All travel arrangements are pending the decisions about release from this hospital and location for rehab.

This part of the world is very beautiful. Sue and I drove about for a while just before dark. I guess the word we would use to describe it is 'quaint.' One thing for sure, it is a long, long way from Turnbo as brother Joe reminded us this day in an e-mail. The Dartmouth medical center is first rate. The staff couldn't be more responsive. It is a strange twist of fate that less than a month ago Den and I were visiting Sue in a far-from-home hospital! These twists of fate we can do without.