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JAN. 18, 2003  Well after 326 days and five different hospitals, we’re finally home! We did all we could
to keep Debi in rehab, however it was not to be. I’m told once she gets to a point that she can be moved into an acute
program, if our insurance company makes the necessary recommendations, Casa Colina will accept her back, but for now we’re going to try
things at home for a while. We’ve known about Debi’s possible discharge since around the middle of December so this came as
no surprise and our only other option was a standard nursing home, which does not offer the kind of therapy Debi still
desperately needs.
As for Debi’s continuing care: I’m told that an RN will be coming to our house once each week to draw Debi’s blood and keep an eye on whatever else comes up. Casa Colina has recommended to our insurance company that Debi receive physical, occupational and speech therapy, however we’ll see if they accepts their recommendations or not. If our insurance company follows their normal pattern, they’ll do only what’s required of them and nothing else! I’m also told that we will be given a home hospice for a few hours each day, but this might be just someone to help out around the house and it’s possible they won’t even be medically trained. For this reason before leaving Casa Colina, Debi’s mother and myself were trained to give Debi’s medications and take care of her nutritional needs. Debi’s Therapy: Each and everyday since 12-6-02 we’ve been able to get Debi into a standing frame and I believe this has been responsible for the activity we’re seeing in her legs lately. As we all know, there are many other benefits to standing as well, however without Casa Colina we also loose the standing frame. I recently mentioned this to a family member and low and behold, problem solved! Soon Debi will have her very own standing frame and can continue receiving its much-needed benefits. One final note: We’d like to again thank all of our friends/family at Casa Colina Rehabilitation Center, for without each and every one of you I don’t know how we’d of survived. Thanks and may God bless you all. Be sure to click the photo to view a larger version. -- Posted by Nick JAN. 9, 2003 No photo once again, sorry. The last several days have been quite eventful. Debi’s still moving her legs and now at her hips as well as her knees. She has also just started to move her right arm. This is something we have not seen for a very long time. I’ve been holding her right hand and asking her to pretend she holding on to a joystick, like the kind used on electric wheel chairs. I then ask her to try and move her hand in response to the direction I tell her to go. For now her movements are very slow and at times you pretty much have to holding her hand to know she’s even trying, but it’s certainly a start and that how her leg movements began. She’s also been working very hard trying to verbalize responses when asked. Yesterday while visiting with “Marie” one of the occupational therapists that was assigned to Debi at one time, I asked Debi if she could say “good night” as Marie was leaving. Debi then turned her head slightly to the right and out popped two separate words, the second one sounding very much like “night”. This is just one example of how hard she been working. As for the extra forty-five days we were given at Casa Colina: Dr. Loverso had told us that if at the end of this time Debi had made significant progress, she could stay longer. There’s no denying the fact that Debi has made a ton of progress since our meeting on 12-6-02. Her therapy records as well as several videotapes we’ve made should more then reflect this, however we don’t know if it’s enough to meet “significant progress” or not yet. We also don’t know how Casa Colina plans on counting our days. If you count total days from the date of our meeting, 1-20-03 is the forty-five day cut off, but if you count only the days Debi receives therapy, we’re good until 2-10-03. At any rate we’ve been working very hard to get things ready at home for Debi’s possible discharge. I’d like to thank you all once again for keeping us in your daily prayers. As you can all clearly see, Debi is making progress and is most certainly not in any vegetative stat as her doctors claimed she would be for the rest of her life. I really believe it’s the power of prayer we are witnessing and Debi is alive today because of you all. I’d also like to give a special thanks to Linda for writing us a very nice prayer and allowing it to be posted on our home page. Thanks again and may God bless you all. -- Posted by Nick JAN. 1, 2003  The start of a new year: We’d just like to take a minute and thank each and every one of
you for getting us through 2002 as an in-tacked family. We know in our hearts that this entire year has been very much a
team effort and if not for the several hundred of our friends and co-workers at Southern California Edison that gave up time
to be with their own families so that we could be together, I can’t imagine how we’d of gotten through it. Thanks to you
I’ve been at Debi’s bedside everyday since 3-10-02…unbelievable, It's been like a gift from God!
And then there’s Debi’s Doctors, Nurses, Therapists, Case Managers, Social Workers and Clergy, for without your help Debi’s survival would have been impossible. You’ll never really know how much we value all you’ve done for us. And as for our many friends and family, some of which we only know through this web site that continue to send us your prayers, cards, e-mails, guest book postings and jokes…thank you! I just wish you could see the smile you bring to Debi's face each and every time she hears from one of you. The photo was taken on 12-31-02 while Debi was in her standing frame. Be sure to click it to view a larger version. Happy New Year and may God bless you all. -- Posted by Nick DEC. 30, 2002  Another big day for Debi: As I’m sure most of you know, Debi lost pretty much all of her
hair soon after completing her chemotherapy. As you can see Debi’s hair is growing back, but it was getting a little
scraggly and needed to be evened up a little, so Debi’s mom setup an appointment with “Alice”. Alice has been cutting Debi’s
hair for several years and was more then happy to come to Casa Colina, visit with Debi and cut her hair. As I’m sure you’ll
agree, she did an awesome job too! Thanks Alice. Be sure to click the photo to view a larger version.
Soon after getting Debi out of the standing frame and into her chair, Debi’s speech therapist "Karen" came in to work with her. After washing up, she walked over and said “Hi Debi”. Debi’s normal response would have been a smile or possibly even a laugh, but this time Karen and I both were shocked to hear Debi say clear as a bell “Hi”…unbelievable! We as a family have all heard Debi form small words from time to time and have even recorded her, but I for one had never heard any quite this clear before. This was big and only preceded one of the best speech therapy sessions that I’ve been a witness to thus far…very cool. Please keep us in your daily prayers, as I truly believe Debi’s alive today and continues to make progress because of you all. -- Posted by Nick DEC. 27, 2002  Although progress is still quite slow, Debi’s been doing very well lately and now seems to
be pretty much through the hypersensitive phase I mentioned in the last couple of posts. She’s also gained the ability to
move her left leg at the knee just about anytime she wants. Debi’s leg movement is so good in fact that her speech therapist
has started working with her to kick a large button that verbalizes the word “yes” when pushed. The movement in Debi’s right
leg is still very limited, however she’s working real hard with that one as well. The photo was taken on Christmas Eve, while
visiting with my brother "Monsignor John Moretta". Also pictured is Debi’s mother "Peggy". Be sure to click it to view a
larger version.
As for Christmas: Each and every year we all get together at Debi’s parents house. We usually order pizza and spend the evening opening our gifts and having a great time. In that respect this year was really not much different from any other. We all gathered in a large family room, in front of a big screen TV. We order some pizza, opened our gifts and had a pretty nice time. I’d like to thank everyone for all your nice cards and gifts. They really help brighten up Debi’s room and I know she really enjoyed hearing from you. Please keep your prayers coming and may God bless you all. To Bill & Susie Alwin, I tried to write you, but the e-mail address you give me came back undeliverable. Write me here and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. -- Posted by Nick
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