The last several days prior to Nicole “Moving out” of the hospital in Modesto, we were again touched with the love of the staff for our daughter.  We’d get a mesg from her nurse, “The crew from ICU came in at 6:00am, said “Give us her wheel chair, we’re takin’ her!” and away they’d go taking Nicole…uh…wherever they took her!  Nurses and aids would come in, shove a piece of paper in my pocket, when I read it later it’d say their home address & phone. We’d see someone in the pkg lot, they’d hollar..”How’s she doin’ what’s happening?” They’d come in her room and call us late at night, “I’m in here with Nicole, would you please bring her back later, we don’t get to see the outcome very often, would really like to see how she does. the tears, the choking up…you can’t ask for better. And we will parade her through that ICU with smiles on our faces. She was in ICU for 45 days, then went to a different area in the hospital for a week. We moved her on day 52 to San Francisco.  The place is built for quiet, state of the art, professional therapy. The staff is educated that way too. Nicole is addressed when they come in, not us. This is cool. She is entering a new stage, the wild one, (Dr.s say it’s great to get to but hang on!) So…get ready..I did see her the other day when the aide asked her to hand her the ball, she stuck it in her sock! Then I saw her also hide it in her neck brace collar thing! Oh boy…It’s kind of amazing, she’s conscious only here and there but its not like how we are, its lower and different, but can stand up for a few seconds and do those things. Amazing to watch. Well we’ve been trying to unwind from 52 days of shear panic and desperation. The night we left her in SF, we were: happy, sad exausted, proud, and…um..we left our broken hearts in San Francisco. But we know it’s the best thing for Nicole. We’ve looked and talked with all the choices. Best choice, best place, best Doctors, best therapists, best plan. They’re already making us happy because it’s about Nicole, not anyone else. We Like the little notes from you here and there, thank you for staying with us, and encouraging us to go on. Love, Kolpacks ttyl