Saturday May 23, 2009
Day 25

We must accept finite disappointment,
but we must never lose infinite hope.
~Martin Luther King Jr.

Daniel had another restful night. His condition
is still critical and he has remained stable. His vital
signs are normal and there has been no regression
in many of his other functions.

As reported yesterday, the sedation decrease
from 5 to 4 is a 10% drop. In the last week this
represents a 70% decrease in the sedative.
Obviously, he is not as heavily sedated. Perhaps
in the next few days the level might be decreased
again. Hopes are running high that once Daniel is
completelly off sedation he will be on the threshold of
regaining consciousness.

Daniel's ability to breath on his own has been
checked daily with mixed results. The pulmonary
specialist and the ICU nurse monitor this activity
very closely.

Cathy, the kids, Cathy's sisters, and Elena and Bob,
are deeply grateful and appreciative for the generosity
of family and friends. Cathy, Olivia, Danielito, and
Nayeli have received many gift cards for gasoline, food,
and other necessities. Mil Gracias!

When we consider all that Daniel has endured, it causes
us to reflect on the intangible- the will to live, something
embedded in the heart and the conscious and even the
unconscious mind that says 'keep fighting', don't surrender.
It is the human spirit, of which many stories of survival
have found their way into books and film. Daniel is writing
another chapter to those existing acts that have served
to lift our spirits.

"The human spirit is your specifically human dimension
and contains abilities other creatures do not have.
Every human is spiritual; in fact, spirit is the essence
of being human. You have a body that may become ill;
you have a psyche that may become disturbed.
But the spirit is what you are. It is your healthy core.
~Joseph Fabry

"Aqui, no se rinde nadie!"
A call exhorting insurgents to dig in and to incite or
even warn the opposing military of the dictator.
Sandinista Revolution 1979

Presente!

Alfredo and Diana Vega
Diana's mother
Oscar (Pilon) and Jessica Vega
Cathy and Michelle
Olivia, Danielito, & Nayeli
Chuy Morga
Zumbi dos Palmares
Armida Pimentel
Fernando Vega
Cuauhtémoc
Tairou & Marisha (Daniel's CBB colleagues)
Chuy Miranda
Armida Pimentel