OK...so I'm really sorry that there has been such a gap in the posts. This time I have more of an excuse than just being busy. A few days after my last post both of my youngest boys got the stomach flu that is going around. Then, about the time they were getting over it, I had to go to the emergency room with what ended up being a very large kidney stone. I spent a couple of days in the hospital and had surgery to have the stone removed. I've been on quite a bit of pain medication. I probably could have posted something over the last day or so but was afraid that it may not have made much sense. So.....enough of my story, back to Carolyn and Mike.
The last couple of days have been pretty exciting for them. Carolyn has progressed enough that HealthSouth has accepted her for rehab. The most exciting part is that they were able to move her into Mike's room. I can't begin to express the joy that Mike had when he realized that she was his new roommate. The road is still long for Carolyn, but at least she is progressing.
Mike has decided to have the surgery on his spine. It is my understanding that it will take place in about two weeks. He will stay at the hospital for about two weeks then go back to HealthSouth. The hope and plan is for him to return home in less than three months. There hasn't been anything determined about Carolyn's time frame. I'm sure there are a lot more factors involved with her treatment.
I will continue to post information as I get it, but new information has slowed down some. So, please continue to check back here for updates. They just may not be as frequent as in the beginning.
We still continue to receive offers of help. They are all greatly appeciated, as is all of the help that we have already receieved. I can not even begin to imagine handling this situation without so much help. Thank you again!!!!!!!!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
GREAT News!!
First, Mike will be able to go to Lifecare tomorrow to visit Carolyn. Their anniversary is Valentine's Day so it will be even more special. He also hasn't seen her in about a month so they should have a good visit.
The "GREAT" news is that, after speaking with Lara and our cousin Carla, I was imformed that Carolyn is speaking. I know, you probably have the same reaction I did......WHAT?!!!!!(jaw-dropping open, tears in the eyes). In preparation for removing her trach the doctors have capped off her trach, so this allows her the ability to move air through the vocal cords. Now...like many things before this, she's not always consistent about it, but for us it's major progress. Most of what she has said are one or two word answers like "yes", "no", "ouch", or something like that. The answers do appear to be appropriate to the questions. Let's all hope and pray that she is lucid enough tomorrow to be able to respond to Mike. The doctors have their weekly meeting tomorrow so I will let everyone know if they have anything new to add to this. Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. It looks like they are really working!!!!!!
The "GREAT" news is that, after speaking with Lara and our cousin Carla, I was imformed that Carolyn is speaking. I know, you probably have the same reaction I did......WHAT?!!!!!(jaw-dropping open, tears in the eyes). In preparation for removing her trach the doctors have capped off her trach, so this allows her the ability to move air through the vocal cords. Now...like many things before this, she's not always consistent about it, but for us it's major progress. Most of what she has said are one or two word answers like "yes", "no", "ouch", or something like that. The answers do appear to be appropriate to the questions. Let's all hope and pray that she is lucid enough tomorrow to be able to respond to Mike. The doctors have their weekly meeting tomorrow so I will let everyone know if they have anything new to add to this. Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. It looks like they are really working!!!!!!
Monday, February 11, 2008
After Weekend Visit
I got home yesturday afternoon from visiting Carolyn and Mike in San Antonio. My sister also talked with Carolyn's doctor today and got some encouraging words.
Mike, after several days of waiting and several phone calls, has been transferred back to HealthSouth. They are still waiting for his blood work to get back to a normal range so he can have his surgery. He seems to be in relatively good spirits and was happy to have us in town. Once he has the neurosurgery, he will stay at Methodist Hospital for about 2 weeks. Then he will go back to HealthSouth to complete his rehab. He has mentioned, several times, how greatful he is for all the visits, thoughts and prayers. He can get a little "down" sometimes (which is totally understandable considering the circumstances). Every visit, letter, and prayer helps those moments be a little less often.
Carolyn is improving. They have started her on a couple of new medications that seem to be working. She has been responding, occassionally, with a nod or a shake of her head, to questions that she is asked. Her answers seem appropriate to the questions. There are times when it appears that she is focusing on you as you talk to her. She is moving around even more. According to what the doctor has said, she can "see" and "hear" things but there is still a disconnect somewhere and she doesn't usually process what she is seeing and hearing correctly. She has smiled at some comments or jokes that have been made and has evened laughed a couple of times when others in the room have laughed. She has her eyes opened most of the time now, but she mostly still has a blank stare. The doctor has also said that he thinks that she will do well. He said it will be a very slow, very long process, but he is very pleased with her progress and response to the medications.
As those of you in Boerne may have noticed, we moved all of Carolyn's things out of the office this weekend. We still have all of the photos and negatives and files (25 years worth). Over the next few months we will be going through everything to make sure that it is all organized. We (Lara, Monte, Mike, and I) made the decision after several discussions. I know that it will be really difficult for some of you to see that space empty (I know it was for me), but please know that because of the circumstances, we felt it is for the best. This does not mean that Carolyn will never do photography again, but since we know that it will be many months until she will be capable of doing it, we want to simplify things as much as possible. Thank you to everyone who helped in the move and cleaning. We also are very thankful for all of those who have helped in so many other ways. This is never an easy situation for anyone but with so much help, love, and support it does make it more bearable. THANK YOU!!!!!
Mike, after several days of waiting and several phone calls, has been transferred back to HealthSouth. They are still waiting for his blood work to get back to a normal range so he can have his surgery. He seems to be in relatively good spirits and was happy to have us in town. Once he has the neurosurgery, he will stay at Methodist Hospital for about 2 weeks. Then he will go back to HealthSouth to complete his rehab. He has mentioned, several times, how greatful he is for all the visits, thoughts and prayers. He can get a little "down" sometimes (which is totally understandable considering the circumstances). Every visit, letter, and prayer helps those moments be a little less often.
Carolyn is improving. They have started her on a couple of new medications that seem to be working. She has been responding, occassionally, with a nod or a shake of her head, to questions that she is asked. Her answers seem appropriate to the questions. There are times when it appears that she is focusing on you as you talk to her. She is moving around even more. According to what the doctor has said, she can "see" and "hear" things but there is still a disconnect somewhere and she doesn't usually process what she is seeing and hearing correctly. She has smiled at some comments or jokes that have been made and has evened laughed a couple of times when others in the room have laughed. She has her eyes opened most of the time now, but she mostly still has a blank stare. The doctor has also said that he thinks that she will do well. He said it will be a very slow, very long process, but he is very pleased with her progress and response to the medications.
As those of you in Boerne may have noticed, we moved all of Carolyn's things out of the office this weekend. We still have all of the photos and negatives and files (25 years worth). Over the next few months we will be going through everything to make sure that it is all organized. We (Lara, Monte, Mike, and I) made the decision after several discussions. I know that it will be really difficult for some of you to see that space empty (I know it was for me), but please know that because of the circumstances, we felt it is for the best. This does not mean that Carolyn will never do photography again, but since we know that it will be many months until she will be capable of doing it, we want to simplify things as much as possible. Thank you to everyone who helped in the move and cleaning. We also are very thankful for all of those who have helped in so many other ways. This is never an easy situation for anyone but with so much help, love, and support it does make it more bearable. THANK YOU!!!!!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Day 38
Sorry again for the "break" in my posts. I've started this post several times and keep getting interupted. Lara had a meeting with everyone involved in Carolyn's care. They didn't have a lot of new information for us. I think the most significant thing was that, when asked about what to expect in her progress, they said the most progress is usually seen in the first 2-3 months. After that the progress is slower. So, we still have some time. I'm told that she hasn't really changed significantly over the last several days.
Mike will be transferred back to HealthSouth tomorrow (Tuesday). They are still trying to resolve his blood clot but don't want him to miss out on so many days of therapy. He will return to Methodist to have his neurosurgery once the blood clot has completely resolved and his bloodwork has returned to normal. He probably will not be in the same room at HealthSouth and I don't have his room number right now.
My bother, Monte, and I will be coming into town at the end of this week. We hope to visit Mike and Carolyn as much as possible, as well as try to tackle some of the issues needing to be resolved at Carolyn's office. We will only be able to stay for a few days but hopefully will be able to get a lot accomplished. This being said.....I will try to post one more update before I leave for Boerne, but won't be able to add anything more until at least Tuesday of next week. Please keep checking back. I may try to find a computer while I'm visiting to add a quick post.
Mike will be transferred back to HealthSouth tomorrow (Tuesday). They are still trying to resolve his blood clot but don't want him to miss out on so many days of therapy. He will return to Methodist to have his neurosurgery once the blood clot has completely resolved and his bloodwork has returned to normal. He probably will not be in the same room at HealthSouth and I don't have his room number right now.
My bother, Monte, and I will be coming into town at the end of this week. We hope to visit Mike and Carolyn as much as possible, as well as try to tackle some of the issues needing to be resolved at Carolyn's office. We will only be able to stay for a few days but hopefully will be able to get a lot accomplished. This being said.....I will try to post one more update before I leave for Boerne, but won't be able to add anything more until at least Tuesday of next week. Please keep checking back. I may try to find a computer while I'm visiting to add a quick post.
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