Another Good Day

Once again, sorry for taking so long to update everyone. Our daily schedule - some night schedules too - with Vicki are so absolutely packed that we are suprised at how quickly each day passes! We're just so thankful that we have each day with her. Yesterday (Friday) wasn't the best of days. She was very confused and slept a lot. She had a fairly good night, but was very depressed this morning and cried a lot. We are frequently reminding her of the accident and her injuries so that she'll have a better understanding of where she is and why she's there. As the day progressed she improved so much. We were able to use the "lift" and sit her in a wheel chair for a stroll outside. Lucas pushed her up and down the street in front of Holly's house. She really enjoyed the ride and the beautiful trees and flowers in bloom. She napped very little and visited family and friends most of the day. She was ver inquisitive and asked a lot of questions about her prognosis and what she should expect in the coming months.

She has an appointment with her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Harris, next week regarding the cast on her ankle and arm. We hope they can come off soon. She still has an upcoming surgery date to remove some of the pins as well. Her therapists are all so wonderful and we are so thankful for each of them. Vicki does her best to put on her "game face" when we do her exercises with her. Sometimes we put on hip-hop music to pep up her spirits and encourage her to try harder. Despite the tragedy we've experienced and the emotional rollercoaster we're continuing to ride, we have shared cherished moments of sweet laughter with her.

Please continue to keep Vicki, Aaron, and our family in your prayers. We continue to progress along the road to recovery through our faith and the many prayers spoken on our behalf. We love you all!

Becky

Update

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on Mom. She's been doing really well. We had a really good Easter with lots of family around. She really enjoyed watching the kids through the window doing their Easter egg hunt. We continue to be very busy with all of her therapies, she just loves doing her physical therapy the best! haha

We are constantly amazed at how well she is doing. Sometimes she gets really frustrated but we keep reminding her of how far she has come. She doesn't even realize the progress she's made in the past 9 weeks. Well, it's bedtime so I just thought I would close the day by letting everyone know how she was doing. Again, as always, we appreciate everything and everyone.

Love,
Holly

A Good Day

I just wanted to apologize to everyone for not updating sooner.....as you can imagine things have been a little hectic. Mom is doing really well. She continues to improve everyday. The biggest thing today was getting her up to a wheelchair and taking her outside for the first time in 8 weeks!!! It wasn't easy, but it was definitely worth it. That is what the pictures are from. She said it felt really good. She wasn't able to tolerate it for very long, but I am sure that each time we are able to do it, she will tolerate it better.

We've had lots of things to keep us busy between home health, physical therapy, speech therapy. It seems like there is something going on constantly....not to mention grandkids running around everywhere! I think that is one of the things Mom has enjoyed the most. Her face just lights up when the kids come in or when she hears them playing throughout the house. She wants to be part of all the action.

As for her health, everything seems to be doing really well. All the nurses, etc. who have come in to see her are very surprised at how well she looks and is doing. Her memory is still not good, but getting a little better everyday. We still have a long journey ahead, but it will be worth every step. I really appreciate everyone still being so concerned about her and keeping her in your thoughts and prayers. It really means a lot. We love you!

Love,
Holly

She's Home!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Mom made it home safely today! Well, she made it to my house, which is just as good as home! :) We've been trying to get adjusted today and so has she. I'll try to update tomorrow after she's had time to settle in. We are just SO HAPPY that she has finally made it this far. Thank you to everyone!!!!

Love,
Holly

Birthday pictures

Here are a couple of pictures taken on Saturday at Mom's birthday party.

"Happy Birthday!"

Today was Mom's birthday. We had a little party for her in the hospital. She was quite surprised ( I think!). They have a little conference room that they let us use to set everything up in. It was the first time Mom had been out of her hospital room. All of the kids lined up to give her hugs and kisses. It was so good to celebrate with her.

I couldn't help but be reminded of how just a few short weeks ago we were all gathered together in an ICU waiting room, not sure of what Mom's outcome would be, and then here we were today, gathered together again to celebrate her life. It brought tears to my eyes to think of how far she has come and how much we have all been through. I know that our Heavenly Father has a greater plan for her than we could have ever imagined. And I know that she couldn't, nor could we have, made it this far without the prayers and support of all our friends and loved ones. We are forever greatful.

I can't think of another birthday that will be remembered or enjoyed more than this one. Love to all, Holly.

3/14/08

Well, we didn't get the best of news today. One of Mom's vocal cords is paralyzed and the other is very inflamed. It could've been caused by her being intubated or many other factors. She's just been through so much. An ear, nose, and throat doctor is going to evaluate her next week, so we will know more about it then. Hopefully it will be something that is only temporary, but if not, we feel it is a small price to pay for everything else she has gone through. Although, I know Dad really misses her sweet voice.

She is starting to have quite a bit more pain, mostly in her legs. Physical therapy has been working with her a lot and we make her do exercises also. I guess it just comes with the territory. We just try to help make her as comfortable as possible.

Tomorrow (3/15) is Mom's 50th birthday! I am sure she would just love me announcing that to everyone! But, it's a big deal so I felt everyone should know. So please send her birthday wishes! Thanks so much to everyone......we love you.

"I feel like a new woman!"

As many of you know from reading Grandmother's comment, Mom's trach was pulled yesterday. As she stated, it was very emotional. I told her I had been waiting seven weeks for her to say my name again! One of the first things she said was, "I feel like a new woman!" Followed by, "I have a voice now." It was very cute. Unfortunately her voice isn't what it should be. It is not reacting the way the doctors feel like it should, so tomorrow they are going to scope her to check her vocal cords to see if there has been any damage done with all the tubes and everything she has had. So, I guess we'll find out more tomorrow.

As for everything else, we told her she was losing all her close friends....her catheter, her IV, her feeding tube....it's all gone! She still has oxygen, but it won't be long and that will be gone too. It is just absolutely AMAZING to see the progress she is making. Everyday I can tell a difference.

Her memory continues to fail her at times, but that is also improving. She can remember a few things that happen throughout the day, but still has to be reminded of her injuries, etc. at times. She really is doing so well. We are hoping for a discharge date in the very near future, possibly next week! We all cannot wait to get her home and just enjoy not being in the hospital! I am so grateful for my Mom. As all of you know, she is a very special person. There aren't many people like her in this world. And I am thankful that she has touched so many people's lives. Just continue to be mindful of her as she endures this long journey to recovery. We will never be able to thank you all enough for everything.

With much gratitude,
Holly

Coming Home Soon...

Vicki has continued to progress and it is scheduled for the trach to be removed today! They are going to place a bandage over the incision in her neck and that will allow her to vocalize her words. They were going to do the "button" but decided to go ahead and remove everything! We can't wait to hear her voice! She continues to eat good and gain strength (in small amounts). If things continue to go well it looks like she'll be released from the hospital by the end of the week or the beginning of next week! Vicki's birthday is Saturday...what a wonderful birthday present that would be for her!

Our family continues to pull together and provide strength for one another as well as for Vicki. Things won't be "easy" once she gets home, but we'll do what it takes to help her progress. She isn't eligible for a rehab hospital until she can bare weight on her legs so that is still going to be several months. She'll also be going back in the hospital in the near future for another surgery to remove some pins from her arm and ankle.

We'll keep you posted! We are so thankful for each of you and continue to be humbled by your love and support!

Continuing to Progress

I was able to visit Vicki last night. I brought her some supper and she ate really good! Holly, Lucas and Aaron were there and Chelsea came later to spend the night with Vicki. We had such a good time laughing and talking. This is the first time Lucas has seen Vicki in 3 weeks! He was so surprised at the progress she has made. She is now on the trach collar 24 hours a day. That means she is breathing entirely on her own and no longer uses the ventilator. They are going to be inserting a "button" in her trach opening on Monday which is another weaning process. If she covers the button with her finger she will be able to vocalize her words to us. She sat up on the edge of the bed with her legs hanging over the bed for 20 minutes yesterday!! I think she was so happy to be able to sit in a different position! She still has a little trouble with short-term memory though. I hope that improves once she's out of the hospital. Speaking of leaving the hospital...we all feel sure that will be happening very soon! We'll keep you posted! It's been a long road and we're more than ready for the next steps!

Love to all!

"Good Morning Sunshine"

It was so funny.....this morning when I went in to see Mom she looked at me and said, "Good morning sunshine!" Randy and I got so tickled! It was really good to see her so animated. She went through the night without any nausea or vomiting and also had a really good day today. The GI doc did an EGD (where he looks in her stomach) to see if he could find any cause and everything turned out great. So, we're still not sure what was/is causing it, but she is doing good today.

She was on the trach collar for a full 24 hours so she is officially "weaned" from the ventilator. She still has oxygen via the trach but is breathing completely on her own now. If things go well, we are hoping to have the trach out soon.

As for her memory, it is still not very good. She doesn't remember many things at all short term. No one seems concerned, so we're just waiting until she gets home and hopefully that will get better. Well, that's all I can think of for now. Thanks for everything.

Love,
Holly

Continuing to Progress

Vicki struggled with nausea through the night, but did better as the day went on. She did well with her swallowing test and is now officially able to drink regular liquids through a straw. We are feeding her in small amounts (jell-o, etc.) in hopes she won't start vomiting again.

They were going to try to keep her on the trach collar for 24 hours today. I'm guessing she'll be successful with that since she has continued to improve each day. From my understanding, once she accomplishes 24 hours off of the ventilator she will still continue with another phase of the weaning process. They were also able to place a smaller trach attachment (don't know what it's called) in her throat to begin the healing process of the incision in her neck originally made for the trach.

She still has brief moments of confusion, but that continues to improve as well. Vicki has always had such a strong spirit. She's definately the toughest of all the siblings. As she pulls through this she will gain strength she never knew she had and she will continue to be an inspiration to us all.

At times, I'm sure all of us have asked "Why does all this have to happen?" I have found comfort in the following passage from our prophet and would like to share it with you.

"We learn as we bear our afflictions and live through our heartaches... From the bed of pain, from the pillow wet with tears, we are lifted heavenward by that divine assurance and precious promise: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Such comfort is priceless as we journey along the pathway of mortality, with its many forks and turnings. Rarely is the assurance communicated by a flashing sign or a loud voice. Rather, the language of the Spirit is gentle, quiet, uplifting to the heart, and soothing to the soul.”

"Peace in Our Savior" by President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign June 2005.

I continue to pray that we may all listen more intently for the uplifting whisperings of the Spirit throughout our lives, especially through our trials.

Love to all...

Nausea Continues

The kids, Nathan and I went to see Vicki last night for about 30 minutes. She was in good spirits, looked good and interacted with the children even though she seemed to be so tired. I asked her, "Are you having a good day?" She softly replied, "No." I said, "Well, you look like you're having a good day!" And she said, "I don't know, maybe I am." Then we just smiled at each other.

We thought she had gotten over the nausea, but it has returned. She started vomitting again last night. The Nurse Practitioner is going to evaluate the situation today. She's still on tube feedings and eating some by mouth. It's possible that the combination of feedings could have something to do with it, but we really don't know. It could be a number of things. They are going to test her swallowing today to see how well she can tollerate liquids through a straw. She continues to wear the trach collar and they are trying to increase the duration each day, but the vomitting may slow that down a bit. They don't want to put too much on her at once.

She's gaining a little strength. She's able to raise her right arm on her own about an inch or two. That is the arm that's in a cast so it's quite heavy for her to lift. She can now raise her left hand to her face on her own as well.

Holly sat with her today and reminded Vicki that her birthday was coming soon (Saturday, March 15th). She asked Vicki what she wanted for her birthday and she said, "I want to get out of here!" :)

Aaron has returned to work and is doing okay. Of course he would rather be with Vicki. He's meeting with a surgeon about his knee later this week.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We love you all!

Small Steps of Improvement

I spent the day with Vicki on Friday and enjoyed spending so much time with her. She is more aware and doesn't seem to be as confused as she has been. We still have to remind her from time to time about the wreck and her injuries because she always wants to get up out of bed. Who wouldn't after being in bed for more than a month! :) We're still battling things like some hives and itching related to alergic reactions (to what - we're not sure). Some of her incisions didn't heal properly and they are having to pack them so they can heal from the inside out. She still has a horrible yeast infection in her throat. So many little discomforts that make up one big discomfort! We hate it so badly for her, but we're trying not to let those little things dampen our spirits...or hers.

She sat in the cardiac chair for almost two hours while she was on her trach collar. She's up to about 10 hours a day on the trach collar. It enables her to breathe completely on her own. There is a small oxygen cap/cup placed over the trach so that her oxygen saturation stays where is should even if her breaths are shallow. It's like exercising her lungs and sometimes she feels like she's not getting enough air and we have to talk her through it and explain what she's doing and why it feels different/hard to breathe. The physical therapist also came in and worked with her briefly. Her exercises are so small compared to what you and I think of "exercise," but she is able to flex muscles on command for 10 reps. I joked with her and said, "Vicki - I can see our exercise days coming back!" She just rolled her eyes. She hadn't had any nausea or vomitting for about a day or so, so they approved for her to have a meal tray. When I opened it I thought, "They've brought the wrong food." She had a baked potato, chicken w/ gravy (finely chopped), green beans and a roll! Sure enough it was for her! The occupational therapist and speech therapist came in to work with her and she was able to eat most of the baked potato and a few bites of the roll. She tried everything though. The only thing she kept asking for that we couldn't give her was her Diet Pepsi!!! :( It's so hard to tell her no when she asks us for something! Her liquids are suppose to be nectar thick right now. They have a thickener for us to put in her drinks...she hates it! :) They said if she keeps doing good that we could get her a cheeseburger from McDonald's and feed it to her in small bites!!!! Vicki loves McDonald's!!

We're all still taking shifts at the hospital with her. As I said before, we don't want her to wake up and see that one of us are not by her side. I could tell on Friday that she's experiencing some depression. We just keep reminding her where she's been and how far she's come.

Aaron is hanging in here and continues to meet with the doctors about his knee. He will definitely be going back to work on Monday though. Thank you for continuing to pray for him and Vicki and their family.

We love you all so much!