Anthea got some sleep last night which was a relief to her and the family after a couple of nights with very little rest.

Yesterday was another day with some signs of progress.  The team put the valve in the tracheotomy so she could speak out loud.  She was able to do this for a few minutes, putting words and sentences coherently together.  However, it caused her to cough so they removed the valve.

Anthea has been experiencing some hallucinations over the last two days.  These are caused by three factors: the drugs, sleep deprivation and the trauma of the accident.  These are not something to worry about long term but we hope will stop as they are disturbing for Anthea.

The night nurse commented to the family how positive and patient Anthea is being.  She obviously sees many people in these situations so it’s encouraging that the inner strength that Anthea has shown throughout the last week continues to be apparent.

As soon as a bed comes available in the high dependency unit, they will move Anthea out of intensive care.  They are also intending to put her in a sort of jacket which holds the spine stable so she will be able to sit up.