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Thank you, @Gerry for keeping us up-to-date. I love that you are so open and honest with us-- it feels like it is therapeutic for all of us. I am just as inpatient as you on all of this. I want her to be posting here again, but I will aim to see her posting by Canadian nationals. If not then, the 4CCs. And definitely by Worlds!
 
Gerry said:
Good morning, everyone.

Lee and I have had a pretty quiet Christmas. Not much happens on the ward, and her only present was a stuffed kitty to snuggle with. We get out every day to tour around in her wheelchair. I'm getting my exercise, anyway.

She has been sleeping a lot ... enough to worry me, but the nurses keep telling me that it happens sometimes, and that she is much more physically stable than she was. Let her heal, they say.

Yeah, there's that patience thing again... Patc keeps telling me to work on that. I am, but I think I'm a slow kid, because it isn't getting any easier.

Sometimes, she opens her eyes but seems to see right through me... other times, she is so lucid you think that she is finally ready... and then she sees me and goes back in her hole and we have 6 more weeks of winter.

The grandkids have all come around to try waking Nannie up, with not much success. It was hard on the older 2; the littles didn't know what to think, but when told that she's just really tired, they seemed to accept it.

The care here continues to be great. The doc stuck her in an MRI a few days ago to check some things... for those who haven't experienced it, an MRI is LOUD... boy, did that ever wake her up!

More tests today; her trache is out and all healed up, she seems to be swallowing on her own, but the speech paths want to check. They're also going for an EEG, to compare to an earlier one and look for anything unusual.

The nurses in ICU want me to thank you guys for all the cards.. coming from all over the place, all have something on them about figure skating... they thought it was pretty cool.

Lee's boss is coming up today with the box of mail from the school... there will be lots of cards in it. I want Lee to be awake with me while we open them... I want to see her smile when I read the cards and the names to her..

Thanks again for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers... you're good folks; Lee is lucky to have friends like you.
Click to expand...

Rest while you can and gather strength. Once Lee has the go ahead to start physio it will seem like slow going to her and she will be very frustrated..Just remember that any improvement is a great sign..even a mm of movement and everyone always wants to make the world turn quickly but sometimes it just takes time. Do a little bit and rest.Then do it again.Persistance wins out and she has plenty of that.
 
Thank you for the continued updates, @Gerry. It is extremely generous of you to share your precious time with us providing news about Lee.

This may have already been suggested to you, but if not, you might try playing music in Lee's room as there is evidence that it can be effective therapy for people who have been in a coma or had a traumatic brain injury. All the better if you can find a classical station that will sure to be rotating various skating warhorses (like Carmen, LOL), since it will call on additional memories.

My dad had an episode of hospital psychosis after some surgery which lasted about a month and during that time the only thing he seemed to connect with was music. And just when we were about to give up on him ever returning to us, he snapped out of it as if a fever had broken, so hang in there.
 
Anyone who has a head injury or is a caretaker with someone with a head or any illness, this is the best website. Lots of information, lots of support. Since what I had, only a few people in the US has had it. So it's been a godsend for me. Go to https://www.inspire.com/member-groups.pl and do a search for what you have or your love ones. There have been people from around the world that have been there, and done that. With the brain, doctors have no clue what is going to happen since no 2 people recover alike. You can ask questions, vent, whatever you need. The site covers everything from brain, COPD, diabetes, fibro, cancers and so much more. You can find local support groups or links to you name it. Financial help and lawyers.
Since my sister was totally unhelpful, my friends there filled in a lot of the blanks and the medical records helped me make sense of a lot of things. Lee is so lucky to have you Gerry.
Also, patients like me is another website that is helpful. I can keep a daily diary of how I feel. I can check if someone had the meds the doctors have ordered or test and see if it's worth it (including side effects). I even got into a study through there. They were looking for people to do a DNA study for brain injuries. I get a copy of the results. It turns out the test was something me and my doctor wanted me to take and the insurance denied. Now I get it for free!!
 
Reposting it so it's easier to find:

Rather than cards or flowers, I was asked for a donation address for the U of A:

http://www.universityhospitalfoundation.ab.ca/

Remember it is in Cdn Funds. :)


Cards
The mailing address is:

Cards_4_Lee

Bentley School
Box 299, 5314 - 49 Street
Bentley, Alberta,
T0C 0J0

Updated as per Gerry's post
If you guys have an urge, it might also be nice to send a card to:

The staff at Neuro-recovery, Unit 4G3
University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 Street NW,
Edmonton Alberta
T6G 2B7
 
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Sitting in far-away Israel catching up, and @Gerry I'm so impressed with what you're doing and how you describe it to us. I'm just another stranger on the board, I know, but reading your updates I swear I'm sending palpable wishes for you that are floating around that hospital room in Alberta.

At the end of a terrible year, reading your updates, and hoping for as good a recovery for Lee as possible, is something we are all holding onto, I think.
 
It sounds like Lee is in the my dad was after the critical phase but prior to rehab. I found that phase to be difficult as sometimes my dad would be 'with us' an other times looked right through us. I recall the Dr saying my dads brain was having to create new pathways so it's very exhausting an takes a while. Interestingly asking my dad about it once he was recovered, he had a very hazy memory an didn't r really remember it. I'm also not a very patient person so it was frustrating but my brother was awesome an reminded us the great progress he made. Good luck @Gerry @Really, hope it's not too much simulation to watch Caadians as I'm sure Lee would love it.
 
As we close in on the beginning of a new year, may it bring lots and lots of forward/upward steps in Lee's gradual recovery. Like you, @Gerry, we all realize that they will be slow steps and that there might even be a bit of backsliding but with your care, attention to details, and patience she is in good hands :cheer:

Thanks for keeping her FSU family updated.

I'll be raising a glass to you both tonight and keeping you in my prayers.
 
Hi skatefans... you're going to like this one!

The testing, poking and prodding continued last week as Lee's neurosurgeons and resident teams continued to search for ways to help Lee wake up more consistently, and play a greater role in her own recovery.

Late last week, they found a few small areas of abnormal electrical activity in Lee's trace, and started her on a new medication to quiet that activity. By yesterday, she had started to talk out loud, to stay awake more consistently and for longer durations.

Today, on the first day of 2017, I was greeted with a smiling wife, speaking coherent sentences, and full of questions.

She is coming to grips with the fact that over a month has disappeared, that she has only fragmentary memories of that time, and that for some reason, she is weak and eating through a tube. With naps in between, we talked all day, our son and daughter-in-law came up and they talked with her, and everyone cried a bunch. (Except me... I'm tough that way.. ).

As some have noted might happen, her memories are a bit interleaved in places, and she is struggling to sequence and structure things, but that will come, with patience and care. She wants to get out of bed, and (when i told her to go ahead and take her best shot), seemed surprised at how weak she is (meanwhile, I was surprised at how strong she was!).

We went on a wheelchair field trip, and stopped several times to look things over. She seems quite calm about why she is here, but surprised that she has been here so long.

I read a bunch of your cards to her, as well as many of the posts from this thread... she smiled as she told me who many of you are, where some of you lived, and mentioned that she had met many of you in person.

She remembers us, she remembers you, she laughed at my jokes. (Or rolled her eyes, where appropriate).

I cannot believe how much change I have seen in only a few days… it truly is a miracle, made possible through the gifts of your positive thoughts and prayers, and the excellent care we have received. I have no words to explain how I feel right now.

Tonight, Lee is resting peacefully, and I feel better than I have for quite some time. I am grateful for all the support we have seen, for the thoughts and prayers that supported us in our darkest times, and for the thoughtfulness everyone has shown to us this Christmas Season.

We are looking forward to good things, at the start of a fresh year.

More to come...
 
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