"Breaking news" update for Saturday..

My land-line phone rang at about 7:30pm just as I was pouring water which had just boiled into the night flasks. I answered it and it was a vaguely familiar female's voice.  SHe said "hello", and then introduced herself as Vivien, Edi's sister in Melbourne.

My heart stopped for a moment.  It really did..

She sensed my hesitation and quickly said that nothing bad happened, and she apologised if her call had caused panic in me.

In fact, she call to tell me some very very good news !!  She explained that the surgeon who operated on Edi thinks that perhaps its better to now remove the feeding tube for psychological reasons.  Also he says perhaps its better that Edi gets home sooner so that he can be more at ease rather than wait to go through the rehab centre.  He says that is also psychologically good for Edi.

She called because Edi asked her to explain all these to Terry and me so that we are not left wondering why the sudden change of plans in his recovery process.  Vivien also said that they are waiting for a final decision to be made by Monday.  She and Hei Meng (Edi's brother) will also have to decide on an option now opened to them: that the rehab process (which is still needed) can be done either as an in-patient or as outpatient.  The only drawback as an outpatient is that should Edi need to be admitted fully into rehab due to whatever reason, it would be more difficult.

Anyway, Edi seems to be improving although undeniably he is still weak.  I took the opportunity to ask her about his "nightmares" and she told me that it was only in the last couple of days that Edi mentioned a few things (but not the kind of things that Edi had told William).  To Vivien, it seems that Edi is putting different things he remembers at different times during his recovery process into a continuous sort of recollection.  For that reason, a lot of the things he remembers are jumbled and confusing even to himself.

He however seem to recollect being by the sea and he says there was always this beaver playing about. Also he hears a voice always calling his name and saying "you are going to be alright"..  I don't know what to make of that... but if its true than I can only surmise its a positive sign.

I requested her to try install internet access in her house as it probably will be some time before Edi is really fit to go about on his own.  She says he doesn;t want to watch TV, and I told her it is not really his favourite past time.  I guess by having internet access, it would help him focus his thoughts and at least he is able to communicate with us back home.  Vivien was agreeable to this and she said she will ask Hei Meng to help in this.

Vivien will be going on leave also for a few weeks, not expressedly because Edi had this setback, but because she said she had in fact planned for it even before Edi few over to Melbourne.  To me it's all the more reason that she has internet access since she won't be going to her workplace in order to send and receive emails from everyone, not just me.

I asked her to let me know of their decision on Monday so that we are all in the know here.  I also asked her to take a look at the email which I sent late Friday regarding our thoughts on Edi's nightmares (even if he hasn't complained about it in last couple of nights).  Hopefully she will agree to what I have suggested..