8-31-10 (Tuesday):  Well, the medical saga continues.  Wiley is just not healing up as quickly as expected.  We visited the infectious disease doctor yesterday and the neurosurgeon today.  They both recommended that we have the rest of the deep brain stimulator system removed.  After a course of antibiotics and then a couple of months free of infection, we can have the whole thing done over.  We decided that that made a lot of sense to us.  The doctors speculate that the bacteria continue to live on the implanted material even though antibiotics have stopped the infection in the tissues.  Then, when we stop the antibiotics, the bacteria grow again and the infection recurs.  We go for pre-op tomorrow and the surgery on Friday.  He'll stay overnight.  We'll plan to return to Florida for all my appointments by 9/11 or 9/12.  Our Florida doctors can supervise Wiley's recuperation.  Then, come Spring, we'll return here for the new implant and another visit with the grands.

We've really enjoyed our time here in Michigan (when we weren't visiting doctors).  I've had the opportunity spend some time with my girls.  The pigtails went over big!

They're getting ready to go back to school.  Anna was excited to get her first pair of glasses.  Aren't they cute?!

We gave Mom a break one day and took a trip down the Huron River.  Tom, Ann and Margo went in the canoe and Wiley and I took out our kayaks.  What a fun day!  The weather was beautiful.

There were lots of dragonflies and wildflowers.  Unfortunately, though he tried very hard, the fish were not biting for Wiley.

It's going to be tough leaving them, but we're looking forward to getting back to Florida (and our bigger home on wheels).  Hopefully, we'll be able to come back in the Spring for more fun times and to get my bionic man back up and running.