This past week has been filled with positive for Billy, he has been moved out of intensive care, right now they are waiting for a bed to open up on the rehab floor. They have had Billy out of bed several times over the past week, he has to wear a helmet whenever they lift him out of bed to protect the section of his brain where part of the skull has been removed. They feel it will still be several months before the swelling goes down enough to reattach that sction of the skull. He seems to be more responsive to sounds around him, opens his eyes more frequently, has a lot of movement on the left side and the doctors are more positive that Billy will recover.

I was originally told Billy suffered a brian aneurysm when in fact he had a bleeding stroke not an aneurysm. Billy's condition was brought on by hypertension, he also has been diagnosed with diabetes which he never knew he had.

So, throughout this thread I have asked you for several things and once again I am going to ask you for another. Pay attention to your body, if you do not all ready have a regiment of a yearly physical, start one. Many young people in their 30's and 40's think doctors are for the elderly, men especially think they do not need to see a doctor for anything. Remember hypertension and diabetes can kill you, pay attention to your family medical history and by all means have a yearly physical. Also maintain a positive attitude. Many of us on this board have talked openly about cancer and how it has effected our families, the cancer history in my family taught me at an early age the importance of a yearly physical. I can not stress the importance of this enough, start young, it's your life we are talking about. If you think I am trying to scare you, well maybe. I am also talking from experience, I lost an Aunt to cancer at age 52, she didn't believe in going to the doctors so she was six weeks from dying before her cancer was diagnosed. Four years ago my brother-in-law died at the age of 58, he went to the emergeny room on a Thursday not feeling well, they found nothing wrong and sent him home. The following Monday he went to his doctor still having trouble breathing, they took one look at him and sent him back to the hospital, he was admitted and during the night went into cardiac arrest and died. A year later his sister also died in her early 50's from heart trouble.

Please add Billy's Mom to your prayers, she is a six year cancer surviver and has to return to Florida today for some follow ups on her own health, leaving Billy at this time is hard for her.

God Bless You All,

Patti