George Bonita Update
3 Oct Update
George, Jr. is still in the Critical Care Unit of Georgetown University Hospital in serious condition, but is making progress. On Wednesday they removed the breathing tube and all is well with his respiratory system. He is a little more alert and is now opening his eyes. He continues to communicate via hand squeezing and eye blinking. He seems to understand what we say and responds appropriately. He can respond to commands such as raise two fingers, give a thumbs-up. He has weakness on his left side, but his right side is fully functional. He also said a few words yesterday after they removed the breathing tube.
The doctors tell us that he is starting to “wake up” but we don’t know how long the process will take. Until he wakes up, they won’t be able to assess the extent of damage. Nevertheless, the doctors tell us that all the signs are good but we still have a long way to go. Please keep up the prayers.
Monica, Mary Beth, Mike and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and thoughts. We know that God is answering the multitude of prayers being offered for his recovery. We thank God for his love and mercy in bringing George to this point.
4 Oct Update
George Jr. made progress today in recovering from his stroke. About 4:45 pm he opened his eyes and started speaking. His speech was understandable and he was speaking in sentences. Among other things, he said that he wanted to, ” Get up, go home, and go to bed.” He acknowledged that he had a stroke. He was awake for about 30 minutes before he went back to sleep. Some movement is also starting to return to his left side.
Since he is now awake, the stroke team can begin assessing the damage. We don’t yet know what knowledge and motor skills might be lost. He is in a fragile physical state since he is also recovering from the surgery that removed part of his skull to allow his brain to expand.
We believe that God allowed this step to happen today through all the prayers you have been offering for him. He still needs a lot of prayers to continue his recovery. He has many hurdles, both physical and mental, to overcome. Please keep praying for George.
God bless all of you,
George and Monica Bonina