Happy New Year to everyone!
I hope that Santa was good to everyone and that you had a chance to spend some quality time with family and friends. I have tried to be candid on this blog, so I am just going to say it was a very difficult time for our little family. We got through it and I am looking forward to a better year in 2010. I am doubly blessed to have Judi as my wife and Jessica as my daughter. Once again, I could never have survived this holiday period without Jess' help and love. 'Nuff said.
Therapy is going very well for Judi. She is gaining a LOT of ground physically and continues to slowly recover mentally. We have stopped using the hydraulic lift to move Judi between her wheelchair and other locations. She is able to stand with assistance to transfer now. This has a bit of a snowball effect for her. The more she stands, the stronger she gets and the more her brain "recognizes" that her left side is there. She is clearly regaining control of her left side and we hope it is only a matter of time before her strength is restored there as well. We are concerned about her left arm due to the contraction that she continues to exhibit. I have spent countless hours trying to prevent it and hopefully it will continue to improve.
In OT, the biggest challenge is keeping her interested. Judi gets a little frustrated with the tasks they ask her to perform because she thinks they are silly (my opinion). I have been working with her to perform the same movements concealed as normal activities and she does great. For example, they ask her to reach out and put a peg in the board, I get her to do the same thing asking for a hug. I compare the two and think she is finally warming up to what they are trying to accomplish.
Speech continues to be up and down for us. She is VERY vocal and continues to get stronger and stronger here. The problem is the neck continues to limit her ability to grow. She is a veritable chatterbox when she is laying down, but when she sits up it is more difficult due to the neck muscle interaction. We'll keep working.
Mentally she is still improving as well. The "yes/no" questioning is definitely getting better. I am starting to wonder if it is more an issue of making a choice as opposed to answering correctly. She clearly struggles when presented with a situation where she has to make a choice. I am not sure if she is struggling with "how" to make a choice or the fear of making the "wrong" choice. Those of you that know Judi well, also know the perfectionist she can be and this could be the real issue. We'll continue to work on this and see if we can refine it further. She has turned into an interesting conversationalist when she sleeps. We believe that she is dreaming a lot and that is a VERY good sign. All of these things point to an increase in mental activity. At times she also moves around a lot so I have to keep a close eye on her to ensure she remains safe.
I am looking forward to great things from 2010 and wish great things for each of you as well. I believe that Judi will make a full recovery with our continued support and prayers. Thank you all again and hopefully Judi will tell you herself very soon.
Steve
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
Keep On Keepin' On
Judi had her follow-up appointment with her neurosurgeon today and received a clean bill of health. The CT scan showed no issues and her shunt is performing as designed. This is very good news and she will just have routine checks from here on out. I did ask him to give us a referral to a neurologist to ensure that we had all aspects of Judi's recovery covered. He agreed it was a good time to integrate this into her care to ensure we maximize her recovery.
We are hot and heavy into the out-patient rehab program now. Judi is doing great and they are all very high on their expectations for her. She is currently getting all three disciplines (speech, OT, and PT) three times a week. We will have to monitor her energy level to make sure she can keep up at this pace. We plan to have her take a shot at walking (with mechanical assistance) this week or early next week. As I have said before, I have a lot riding on the psychological impact of this for her. Once Judi knows that she will ultimately be free of the wheelchair, I suspect she will tap into that considerable inner strength that we all know she possesses.
Judi continues to work on her speech and we have come back to the physical limitations imposed by the weak neck muscles she has. The lack of strength makes it difficult for her to coordinate all the muscles necessary to accurately form the words. We will continue to work on developing the muscles and her words. I still love to hear the words and the wonderful laugh. She is eating well and becoming more and more aware of what goes on around her.
I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please enjoy time with family and friends, but don't forget the reason for the season. There are a lot of people around us that are struggling this year. The economy has hit many very hard and the continued deployments have had a huge impact on our military families. If you have the opportunity and the means, please reach out to those in need. A little kindness can go a very long way. I will never be able to repay the kindness we have received from so many, but I will do my best to try! I will continue to keep all of you in my prayers and hope that you will continue to do the same.
Merry Christmas
Steve
We are hot and heavy into the out-patient rehab program now. Judi is doing great and they are all very high on their expectations for her. She is currently getting all three disciplines (speech, OT, and PT) three times a week. We will have to monitor her energy level to make sure she can keep up at this pace. We plan to have her take a shot at walking (with mechanical assistance) this week or early next week. As I have said before, I have a lot riding on the psychological impact of this for her. Once Judi knows that she will ultimately be free of the wheelchair, I suspect she will tap into that considerable inner strength that we all know she possesses.
Judi continues to work on her speech and we have come back to the physical limitations imposed by the weak neck muscles she has. The lack of strength makes it difficult for her to coordinate all the muscles necessary to accurately form the words. We will continue to work on developing the muscles and her words. I still love to hear the words and the wonderful laugh. She is eating well and becoming more and more aware of what goes on around her.
I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please enjoy time with family and friends, but don't forget the reason for the season. There are a lot of people around us that are struggling this year. The economy has hit many very hard and the continued deployments have had a huge impact on our military families. If you have the opportunity and the means, please reach out to those in need. A little kindness can go a very long way. I will never be able to repay the kindness we have received from so many, but I will do my best to try! I will continue to keep all of you in my prayers and hope that you will continue to do the same.
Merry Christmas
Steve
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Chatterbox
Judi has finally started to talk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am trying not to get too pumped, but I have waited a long time to hear her speaking voice again and I can't describe the impact this has had on Jessica and me. Before everyone gets too excited, the words she is saying are not understandable so we still have a long way to go. I can tell what she is saying in many cases based on what we are talking about and her response when I repeat it back to her. The key here is that she is mastering the mechanics of talking as opposed to speaking specific words. I have been in full cheerleader mode the last couple of weeks in this area. It appears that the BOTOX shots are helping a great deal with her neck control and very possibly in this area as well. She talks more when she is in bed than in her wheelchair which I believe is related to the strain (or lack of) on the muscles in her neck/jaw. We have been spending an hour or so each night with her in bed and talking about the tremendous accomplishments she has made. I usually walk away with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.
We have still not started outpatient rehab yet, but it typically takes a couple of weeks I have learned before things really get rolling in earnest. I hate waiting, but I have her in the Steve rehab program to prevent her from losing ground from where she was when the home health program came to a conclusion. We actually have a lot of fun doing these things together. The key thing I am looking for here is getting her up and walking with the necessary support equipment as soon as possible. I told her that what I wanted for Christmas was a walking and talking wife and I am holding out hope that we can get there.
The other areas are continuing to improve as previously discussed. She is eating great and continues to improve from an awarenes perspective. Yes/no response is still an area we are struggling in, but is getting better. She had a routine CT scan Tuesday and we have a follow up appointment with her neurosurgeon in a couple weeks to evaluate her progress to date. I suspect he will be surprised at where she is today compared to the last time he saw her.
I'll follow up as soon as we transition to outpatient rehab and the Dr. weighs in. I hate to keep asking, but please keep praying for us. I am convinced more and more every day that God has his hand on Judi's shoulder as a result of all the prayers she is receiving.
Thank you all again!
Steve
I am trying not to get too pumped, but I have waited a long time to hear her speaking voice again and I can't describe the impact this has had on Jessica and me. Before everyone gets too excited, the words she is saying are not understandable so we still have a long way to go. I can tell what she is saying in many cases based on what we are talking about and her response when I repeat it back to her. The key here is that she is mastering the mechanics of talking as opposed to speaking specific words. I have been in full cheerleader mode the last couple of weeks in this area. It appears that the BOTOX shots are helping a great deal with her neck control and very possibly in this area as well. She talks more when she is in bed than in her wheelchair which I believe is related to the strain (or lack of) on the muscles in her neck/jaw. We have been spending an hour or so each night with her in bed and talking about the tremendous accomplishments she has made. I usually walk away with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.
We have still not started outpatient rehab yet, but it typically takes a couple of weeks I have learned before things really get rolling in earnest. I hate waiting, but I have her in the Steve rehab program to prevent her from losing ground from where she was when the home health program came to a conclusion. We actually have a lot of fun doing these things together. The key thing I am looking for here is getting her up and walking with the necessary support equipment as soon as possible. I told her that what I wanted for Christmas was a walking and talking wife and I am holding out hope that we can get there.
The other areas are continuing to improve as previously discussed. She is eating great and continues to improve from an awarenes perspective. Yes/no response is still an area we are struggling in, but is getting better. She had a routine CT scan Tuesday and we have a follow up appointment with her neurosurgeon in a couple weeks to evaluate her progress to date. I suspect he will be surprised at where she is today compared to the last time he saw her.
I'll follow up as soon as we transition to outpatient rehab and the Dr. weighs in. I hate to keep asking, but please keep praying for us. I am convinced more and more every day that God has his hand on Judi's shoulder as a result of all the prayers she is receiving.
Thank you all again!
Steve
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Hustle and Bustle
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving and that you gave some thought to the list I mentioned in the last post. I must admit that it was a difficult time for our family. Judi obviously recognized what was going on and she was "off" as we prepared for and had our Thanksgiving dinner. Jessica and I tried to carry on as if nothing significant had changed, but neither of us was totally successful. This time of year is full of family traditions for us and it is going to be an up and down time of year for us. Although this sounds a bit negative, we are EXTREMELY thankful to have our little family together with a future that looks very bright. Or said in Steve's terms, it could have been a lot worse.
Judi continues to grow stronger mentally and physically. We took our first big outing since the accident last Friday and took her to Cirque du Soleil. She did very well and it was great to do something like this as a family again. She did check out a few times during some of the louder/fast paced scenes, but overall followed the show pretty well. It was an awesome show and a great boost for us after struggling through turkey day. The trip to the Columbia Zoo is next and I am sure she will enjoy it as well.
Judi was evaluated for her outpatient therapy program at Walton today. Overall, everything was very positive. All disciplines felt she was doing very well and that they could make some significant progress with her. As a group, they also felt that it was time to give her some intense and aggressive therapy based on what she had accomplished so far in such a short period of time. I think most of you know that I have always thought this would be the most beneficial therapy environment for her and I am excited to see her finally reach this stage. She is strong enough mentally and physically to participate now and I am confident that Judi will show her true strength now. My hope is that each success along the way will provide the motivation to keep pushing to accept the next challenge.
Judi also got BOTOX injections in her neck today to aid in her recovery from wearing the cervical collar (neck brace) for so long. The goal is to relax some of the muscles that have contracted and allow her to continue recovering strength in this area. This continues to be one of the key issues in Judi's ability to perform some of the routine tasks we take for granted. If you think about the things that would be complicated if your head was down (chin on your chest), you have an idea of what she is faced with the majority of the time. She has compensated pretty well for it to date, but she is at the point now where it is limiting her recovery. We will have to watch her close to insure it does not impact her ability to swallow and the impact to her muscle freedom will take a couple of weeks to see.
I thank all of you again for your continued well wishes and prayers. We are building some momentum and I continue to hold out for a full recovery for my girl!
Steve
Judi continues to grow stronger mentally and physically. We took our first big outing since the accident last Friday and took her to Cirque du Soleil. She did very well and it was great to do something like this as a family again. She did check out a few times during some of the louder/fast paced scenes, but overall followed the show pretty well. It was an awesome show and a great boost for us after struggling through turkey day. The trip to the Columbia Zoo is next and I am sure she will enjoy it as well.
Judi was evaluated for her outpatient therapy program at Walton today. Overall, everything was very positive. All disciplines felt she was doing very well and that they could make some significant progress with her. As a group, they also felt that it was time to give her some intense and aggressive therapy based on what she had accomplished so far in such a short period of time. I think most of you know that I have always thought this would be the most beneficial therapy environment for her and I am excited to see her finally reach this stage. She is strong enough mentally and physically to participate now and I am confident that Judi will show her true strength now. My hope is that each success along the way will provide the motivation to keep pushing to accept the next challenge.
Judi also got BOTOX injections in her neck today to aid in her recovery from wearing the cervical collar (neck brace) for so long. The goal is to relax some of the muscles that have contracted and allow her to continue recovering strength in this area. This continues to be one of the key issues in Judi's ability to perform some of the routine tasks we take for granted. If you think about the things that would be complicated if your head was down (chin on your chest), you have an idea of what she is faced with the majority of the time. She has compensated pretty well for it to date, but she is at the point now where it is limiting her recovery. We will have to watch her close to insure it does not impact her ability to swallow and the impact to her muscle freedom will take a couple of weeks to see.
I thank all of you again for your continued well wishes and prayers. We are building some momentum and I continue to hold out for a full recovery for my girl!
Steve
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Next Phase Begins
Judi continues to advance physically and mentally. Progress is slow, but steady.
Based on her mental and physical health, we will be transitioning from Home Health to Outpatient Therapy at the end of this week. I suspect we will utilize the Walton Rehab Outpatient program for this phase. The facility is very nice and provides easy access to the other physical needs she may have (her brain injury doctor is in the same building). We are pretty excited about getting her back in this environment. It provides her access to a wide array of equipment to focus on her specific needs and it provides a good social environment as well. Those of you that know Judi also know she loves to socialize. I personally believe it will do her good to be around others who are also recovering. She is also a VERY competitive lady and I am hopeful she will "kick it up a notch" to show others what she can do.
Still working on yes/no responses. She is getting better there, but still a long way to go. She is keenly aware of everything going on around her and clearly understands even subtle comments/humor.
She continues to do everything necessary to talk (vocalize, move lips, whispers at times, etc.) and just needs to do it. Pulsing several doctors and speech professionals, the belief is that she just needs to make that last connection and then will step out of there with her bad self. There is nothing indicating that this connection won't ultimately occur.
As previously noted, she shows the most gains in the physical arena. She is beginning to move her left leg under her control (as opposed to some spontaneous movement). This is excellent news and is what we hoped the standing frame would stimulate. Hopefully we will get her walking in a harness in outpatient therapy soon. This will be awesome physical and mental therapy for her (and for me). I suspect it will be excellent mental medicine to know that she will indeed be able to get out of the wheelchair.
Judi continues to eat well and I am sure she will enjoy our traditional Thanksgiving Day feast. I have already factored her needs into our menu and it should be gastronomical treat for all.
I have been getting Judi out of the house every day I am off and taking her somewhere. This past weekend we finally got to the park at the lake and it did both of us a lot of good. We spent an hour just talking (still difficult for me to do all the talking and her listening) and enjoying the awesome weather. She clearly recognized the location and remembered the things I talked about. We are going to make the trip to the Columbia Zoo for the Christmas lights after turkey day. She had a blast there the last time we went and the trip is short enough for her to be able to tolerate it. If you have never been, it is worth the trip.
I have tried not to get philosophical on the blog, but I have a few things that I think need to be said as we approach Thanksgiving. First and foremost I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you that have lifted Judi and/or our family up in prayer this year. I have been blessed to see God's work up close and personal. I have watched the love of my life go from fighting for her very survival to a very real possibility of a full recovery. If that's not a miracle, I don't know what one could be. THANK YOU ALL Second I would ask that all of you step back and take a close look at your lives and what is truly important to you and your family. There is no guarantee that any of us will be here tomorrow and there are some things that we should simply just "do it" and quit coming up with reasons it can wait. I will tell you that if I had generated a list of the top 10 things most important to me the day before Judi was injured and compared it to what is important to me today, they would be VERY different lists. I encourage each of you as a family make that list and DO IT! And last, but not least by any means, there are a lot of people around us that are in desperate need this year. The wars and the economy have brought many families to a point where they too have the same lost feeling I have faced this year (and many of you have as well). If you can, reach out and help them as well.
Soooooooooo.... HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Steve
Based on her mental and physical health, we will be transitioning from Home Health to Outpatient Therapy at the end of this week. I suspect we will utilize the Walton Rehab Outpatient program for this phase. The facility is very nice and provides easy access to the other physical needs she may have (her brain injury doctor is in the same building). We are pretty excited about getting her back in this environment. It provides her access to a wide array of equipment to focus on her specific needs and it provides a good social environment as well. Those of you that know Judi also know she loves to socialize. I personally believe it will do her good to be around others who are also recovering. She is also a VERY competitive lady and I am hopeful she will "kick it up a notch" to show others what she can do.
Still working on yes/no responses. She is getting better there, but still a long way to go. She is keenly aware of everything going on around her and clearly understands even subtle comments/humor.
She continues to do everything necessary to talk (vocalize, move lips, whispers at times, etc.) and just needs to do it. Pulsing several doctors and speech professionals, the belief is that she just needs to make that last connection and then will step out of there with her bad self. There is nothing indicating that this connection won't ultimately occur.
As previously noted, she shows the most gains in the physical arena. She is beginning to move her left leg under her control (as opposed to some spontaneous movement). This is excellent news and is what we hoped the standing frame would stimulate. Hopefully we will get her walking in a harness in outpatient therapy soon. This will be awesome physical and mental therapy for her (and for me). I suspect it will be excellent mental medicine to know that she will indeed be able to get out of the wheelchair.
Judi continues to eat well and I am sure she will enjoy our traditional Thanksgiving Day feast. I have already factored her needs into our menu and it should be gastronomical treat for all.
I have been getting Judi out of the house every day I am off and taking her somewhere. This past weekend we finally got to the park at the lake and it did both of us a lot of good. We spent an hour just talking (still difficult for me to do all the talking and her listening) and enjoying the awesome weather. She clearly recognized the location and remembered the things I talked about. We are going to make the trip to the Columbia Zoo for the Christmas lights after turkey day. She had a blast there the last time we went and the trip is short enough for her to be able to tolerate it. If you have never been, it is worth the trip.
I have tried not to get philosophical on the blog, but I have a few things that I think need to be said as we approach Thanksgiving. First and foremost I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you that have lifted Judi and/or our family up in prayer this year. I have been blessed to see God's work up close and personal. I have watched the love of my life go from fighting for her very survival to a very real possibility of a full recovery. If that's not a miracle, I don't know what one could be. THANK YOU ALL Second I would ask that all of you step back and take a close look at your lives and what is truly important to you and your family. There is no guarantee that any of us will be here tomorrow and there are some things that we should simply just "do it" and quit coming up with reasons it can wait. I will tell you that if I had generated a list of the top 10 things most important to me the day before Judi was injured and compared it to what is important to me today, they would be VERY different lists. I encourage each of you as a family make that list and DO IT! And last, but not least by any means, there are a lot of people around us that are in desperate need this year. The wars and the economy have brought many families to a point where they too have the same lost feeling I have faced this year (and many of you have as well). If you can, reach out and help them as well.
Soooooooooo.... HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Steve
Monday, November 9, 2009
Making Progress Slow and Steady
Judi continues to grow stronger physically and mentally.
The standing frame is already paying benefits. She enjoys standing and is able to work on other skills at the work table simultaneously. I think this allows her to stand longer since she is focused on other things and her body goes to its natural position.
Judi's awareness level continues to improve as evidenced by her reaction to things that go on and/or are said around her. We are also starting to have some success with yes/no responses using the new switch system with audible feedback. We still have a long way to go there, but we are encouraged by what we are seeing.
Judi is eating well and she has no difficulty swallowing or managing what she is eating now. I suspect we will do another swallow study in the next week or so and I believe the restriction on having to thicken her liquids will be removed. I think she will also be able to begin eating foods that have not been "chopped up" quite so much. She does a good job feeding herself and the independence is obviously good for her. We'll also evaluate what to do with the PEG after the next study. There are some distinct advantages to keeping it, but it does present a source of infection still and she has become increasingly interested in pulling on it.
Thanx to everyone for the continued support and prayers.
Steve
The standing frame is already paying benefits. She enjoys standing and is able to work on other skills at the work table simultaneously. I think this allows her to stand longer since she is focused on other things and her body goes to its natural position.
Judi's awareness level continues to improve as evidenced by her reaction to things that go on and/or are said around her. We are also starting to have some success with yes/no responses using the new switch system with audible feedback. We still have a long way to go there, but we are encouraged by what we are seeing.
Judi is eating well and she has no difficulty swallowing or managing what she is eating now. I suspect we will do another swallow study in the next week or so and I believe the restriction on having to thicken her liquids will be removed. I think she will also be able to begin eating foods that have not been "chopped up" quite so much. She does a good job feeding herself and the independence is obviously good for her. We'll also evaluate what to do with the PEG after the next study. There are some distinct advantages to keeping it, but it does present a source of infection still and she has become increasingly interested in pulling on it.
Thanx to everyone for the continued support and prayers.
Steve
Monday, November 2, 2009
Steady Improvemnt (Part 2)
I will keep this post short since it is nearly identical to the last. Please don't mistake this for a plateau, she IS steadily improving.
Getting physically stronger every day. We do have her standing frame (finally) and hope this will have a big impact on restoring strength to her left leg.
Mentally she continues to become more aware, but the consistent "yes/no" response continues to elude us. We will continue to focus a lot of attention here.
Speech - any minute. She is becoming increasingly vocal and experimenting with sounds. It won't be long.
She continues to eat well and is enjoying many of her old favorites.
Although Judi is doing better every day, she still has a long way to go. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we take on new challenges. I am convinced that Judi's recovery so far is nothing short of a miracle and that the power of prayer from people all over the world has made the difference.
Steve
Getting physically stronger every day. We do have her standing frame (finally) and hope this will have a big impact on restoring strength to her left leg.
Mentally she continues to become more aware, but the consistent "yes/no" response continues to elude us. We will continue to focus a lot of attention here.
Speech - any minute. She is becoming increasingly vocal and experimenting with sounds. It won't be long.
She continues to eat well and is enjoying many of her old favorites.
Although Judi is doing better every day, she still has a long way to go. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we take on new challenges. I am convinced that Judi's recovery so far is nothing short of a miracle and that the power of prayer from people all over the world has made the difference.
Steve
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