Tag: winter

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Swagger

Veronica just had another appointment with the PT.  She walked further than all of the other days combined.  The PT had her walk without holding onto him or the railing.  At first, it was slow going, but she started to get her natural gait back moving her arms as she walked.  While on this epic journey, she went up and down a flight of steps!  I am so proud of her.  The PT also opened the shades in the room completely.

This is where Veronica went on her epic journey.  The white door goes to the stairwell where she practiced walking on the steps.

https://shecks.net/images/journey.jpg
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Balance

Veronica knows that the more vestibular work she does the sooner she will get her balance back, and hopefully minimize her dizziness.  She is very driven to fight through the vestibular struggles.  She, the nurses and the doctors have found a drug combination that helps her feel less pain however it causes her to feel tired and groggy.  She has asked the nurses today to lower the dosage of the pain medication, so she has more time to work on her balance and the dizziness.

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This Morning

Veronica spent this morning working on more vestibular therapy.  I keep noticing the little wins that she is racking up.  Her pain and dizziness keep her from noticing.  When she talks to me now she looks at me and makes eye contact.  She put a respectable dent in her lunch.  She is tired now from all of the work this morning and is resting.  OT is coming this afternoon.  There was some trouble with the IV yesterday and today.  The nurse was able to start a new IV in her arm, so OT won’t be so problematic.

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Breakfast Time

Veronica walked over to the recliner this morning and is now eating an egg and cheese omelette.  The pain has subsided a little, but the dizziness isn’t subsiding yet.  She is asking for prayers for the pain, and dizziness.

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“that feels better”

Dr. Friedman’s residents just took the compression bandage off Veronica’s head. She loudly and sharply said “Ah” which I thought meant that it was hurting more but she finished the sentence with “that feels better”.

Overnight the doctors and nurses continued to work on the right combination of pain medication. The medications seem to be starting to work. She is still in a lot of pain, but it doesn’t seem intense.

The doctors and nurses feel that she is continuing to recover as expected.

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The Way I Am Seeing Things

While heading out just now I saw this. The woman who owns this house had these flowers left for us for our arrival.  One little flower is no more, but the rest of the bouquet is still beautiful.

https://shecks.net/images/oneside.jpg
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Goodnight

I waited for Veronica to get her next round of pain medication. Now I will go to sleep so I can be alert for the nurse shift change at 7 tomorrow. We are told that tomorrow may seem the same to Veronica, but I will start to notice little wins. She is speaking with more complete sentences this evening. Still trying to manage the pain.

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Progress

This afternoon Veronica was brought out of the ICU to a regular hospital room.  When she arrived at the new room, she got out of the wheelchair and walked with help from the nurse to a chair about 12 feet away.  She was given the choice of laying down or trying to sit.  She chose to sit.  A short while later she walked with me to the bathroom which was about 15 feet away.  After that, we walked back to the bed.  She was exhausted but stayed sitting up on the side of the bed.  The more time she spends sitting up, and moving the faster she will recover.  The OT came a little while later.  Veronica at first walked with the OT and me helping.  She then took a walker all the way out of the room.  She turned around in the hallway and made it all the way back to the bed.  When the OT asked Veronica if she could speed up, she did.  She is exhausted now.  The doctors and nurses are working diligently to manage the pain.  Vestibular therapy is really hard, but whenever the shecklets are mentioned or asked about she fights through.  During what I hope is the hardest day of her life she is still a mommy first.

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Rest

Veronica was able to take some more effective medication to manage the pain.  She has been resting calmly for the last hour.  It seems like sleep to me.  If she is truly sleeping it will be the first time in days.  She will be moving out of the ICU soon.

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5 Minutes!

Peter from PT just came in and worked with Veronica.  Veronica stood and moved her feet for 5 minutes!  Peter left her with some exercises to do, and goals to reach today.  One goal is to walk to the hallway by this afternoon.  The hallway seems far away right now.