Kate's trach was plugged for about 6 hours today...twice as long as the last two days. When she struggled with a cough, nurses decided to unplug it to make her more comfortable. She will have to be plugged for 48 continuous hours (including nighttime) before they will consider pulling the trach permanently.
The day started with a particularly difficult p-t session during which John and...
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Kate is NOT in a coma any longer. Melissa is correct: Kate's eyes are open and they often focus on objects, she responds to some commands and attempts to talk. Technically that means she is not in a coma.
Kate's physical therapy was tough this morning. One therapist sat on beach ball behind Kate, supporting her back and holding her head while she sat on...
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Kate's day started early this morning with a 30 minute session in the gym on a tilt table that inclined to almost a 90 degree angle to get her "standing" on her own two feet. She also had two range of motion sessions and a visit from a speech therapist who was pleased with her responses.
Tomorrow Kate will have her trach plugged and nurses...
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Today was quiet. Kate spent a relatively restful night, "waking" at about 7:30 this morning when the nursing shift changed. She dozed on and off, had a session with the occupation therapist (for range of motion exercises) and then was placed in the wheelchair again...at about 12:30.
We went outside again...but didn't stay outside as long as yesterday because it was considerably warmer. I thought...
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so how are you hanging?
During the vigil at Kate's bedside in Marquette those first few critical days, I asked God to give me another day in the sun with Kate...I wanted to be outside with her and I specifically asked for the sun to be shining on us.
Today, my prayer was answered. For the second consecutive day, nurses put Kate into a wheelchair (despite the coma). Yesterday she...
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We have no explanation for the spasms, but Kate's attending physician and neurologist agree that they are probably not seizures. Today's EEG was not definitive, so another one was ordered for Monday and it will continue running to get one of the spasms on the test. (Even though she shook today when she was being prepped for the test, Kate did not have one of...
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Kate is moving to Sacred Heart Hospital today. She left Burlington at 2 p.m. I stopped at home to enter this post, while Dave rode with her in the ambulance. We are excited about the prospect of the good Sacred Heart can do for Kate as soon as she emerges...which we were hoping was imminent. Today, however, Kate had a couple of little setbacks: two...
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sometimes it seems like i had enough bad days now to cover the rest of my life...but the math doesn't work out that way.
Once I get this job thing straighten out, then I'll find me a spot. That's the plan for now.
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"Everybody's doing it. You wanna be popular don't cha? C'mon, Stacy for third period Biology will definitely dig you if you do it."
Today Kate got tired of moving her hands. (She had been moving her left hand quite easily, and the right only some.) Today she added her feet!!! While I was massaging them, they both started moving a little bit. Then when I asked her to do it again, she did.... many times. Some moves were bigger than others...some were just wiggling toes...but what an improvement!!...
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My girl keeps saying that, and it drives me nuts! Baby, you slept through the hard part.
But then you realize that's actually something to be thankful for.
So until then we'll just keep fingers crossed and let the good news roll in.
Between 5 and 8 p.m. this evening, Kate's eyes were open and blinking non-stop, and her mouth was moving almost as much. She was in a position she doesn't much like lying on her left side, so I sat next to her on that side a rarity for me. I took her hand in mine (even though it has a monitor on her index finger)...
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I remember when the nurse first told me my girl had turned the corner. She was still in the coma, but it was pretty awesome.
Although it wasn't as awesome as the first time I was talking to her and the blood pressure went up and all that jazz. She knew I was there.
Christ, that ruled.
I'll keep thinking hopefuly thoughts for Katie. How are you holding up?
