Things are moving right along. Looks like our wait to get into Quillen Rehab is going to be longer than what we thought. We're still on the waiting list and hope to get a call sometime in the next couple of months.

Things are going good at HMG Rehab though. Vicki can walk about 85 feet with her walker using only her finger-tips (that way she puts more weight through her legs and not her arms when using the walker) before she has to stop and take a rest. Last Friday was her first day using weight machines at therapy...we're moving up!! :) She uses the leg press, leg extension, and leg curl machines with weight varrying anywhere from 4 - 15 pounds. She can do about 45 pounds on the leg press though! Wooo Hooo! She also rides the stationary bike for about 10 minutes and goes about a mile! Her legs are really jell-o after that! We've also started something called e-stem (electronic stimulation) for her hamstrings. Unfortunately, those muscles just aren't kicking in the way the therapists want them to - largely due to nerve damage. The e-stem stiumlates the muscles as well as the nerves. After an hour of working out she then does e-stem for 30 minutes. It makes her muscles work, but she has to do the exercise along with it or it's quite uncomfortable. I'm so proud of her and the progress she's making! It's still going to be a while before she is wheelchair free, but she's working really heard. I'm kind of like her personal trainer...can't praise her too much...gotta be tough on her!! LOL!

Love to all...we'll continue to keep you posted!

Getting Back on Track

Vicki has progressed wonderfully since her hip replacement! She has been going to physical therapy 3 days a week at Holston Medical Group Outpatient Services here in Kingsport. They work mainly with ortho physical therapy (joint replacements, etc.). Sometime within the next month she will start going back to Quillen Rehab Outpatient Services in Johnson City three days a week. They work more with nerve damage physical therapy which seems to be Vicki's major stumbling block right now. She is continuing to gain strength and accomplish therapy goals, but the nerve damage is slowing things down. Nerve regeneration is a very slow process. Continued stimulation is the key. She stood for 3 1/2 minutes today with her walker and used only one hand to support herself. That's an accomplishment! What happens is her muscles (the ones that are getting nerve stimulation) get overloaded and become weak. She's working more on her ab strength and trying to control her balance.

She will be having minor surgery (Same Day) tomorrow to remove two pins from her right ankle. That should be the last of her surgeries. Yeah!! :) Working on her short-term memory is still an every day exercise. I'm going to try to start updating the blog more regularly because I

We're starting to feel like we're getting back on track from when her hip pain started prior to surgery. It's time to start helping her more at her house - cooking, minor cleaning, etc. - instead of hanging out at mom's. That's going to be an adjustment...everyone loves hanging out at mom's! :)

We continue to be grateful for the love and support of so many friends both near and far. Love to each of you!!

Becky

Surgery complete!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Mom's hip replacement was performed today. She went in to surgery around 9:30 this morning and we didn't get to see her until 4:30 this afternoon, so that was tormenting for us!!!! But her physician, Dr. Minter, said everything went well. She was awake and talking when I left. She is having quite a bit of pain in that leg, but hopefully that will ease over the next few days. They said they would be getting her up tomorrow!!! No rest for the weary! So glad it's over with, and hopefully now we can get back on the road to recovery and get her walking again. Love to everyone!!

Holly

Christmas Pictures

Just thought I would post a few pictures from Christmas so everyone could see how good Mom looks! Even though she remains in a lot of pain, she trucks right a long. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!! Enjoy the New Year!

Disheartening Setback

As Vicki has continued to progress in therapy her left hip has started giving her some trouble. That is the hip that was dislocated in the accident. The doctors told us from the beginning that she would eventually need a hip replacement, but she was too critical at the time to perform that type of surgery. We had hoped it may be a year or two down the road, but it looks like it will take place in the next couple of months. She visited her orthopedic surgeon last week and will be seeing him again next week. He's referring her to another specialist for the hip replacement and she is scheduled to see him the first week on January.

Her pain has gotten progressively worse over the past three weeks. Vicki is disheartened because she was progressing so much and now things have almost come to a screeching halt. The pain is so intense at times. We were almost ready to decrease her pain medication to an "as needed" basis - we would give it when she asked for it. Now we're having to give it to her around the clock again. Even though she's been in pain she has continued therapy on these cold snowy mornings and hasn't complained a bit when I go pick her up. However, this morning before she even got out of bed she said, "I don't think I can do it today." Vicki's not a complainer and has a pretty high pain tolerance. So she had to be in quite a bit of pain to not go to therapy.

It's hard on Aaron to see her take a few steps backwards. He knows how badly she wants to walk again and seeing her in pain breaks his heart.

We've been through worse...we'll get through this. I keep telling Vicki that this is just a small bump in the road - we can't let it get us down. She's come so far in 10+ months since the accident - we have to stay focused on the positive. Even though this is a disheartening setback we continue to count our blessings.

Love to all and Warm Holiday Wishes!

My...how time flies!

I can't believe it's been over a month! I'm not sure if we are still having many visits to this sight or not, but wanted to update the few who may still be checking.

I spent the day with Vicki today at her house. For the first time she cooked an entire meal for Aaron and Holly's family. She's still in her wheelchair and not steady enough on her feet to work around the stove and oven yet, but with assistance she's doing really good with everything else. Working in the kitchen is a big part of her therapy now. She can only stand for short periods of time before her legs become too weak, but she's giving it all the effort she can. Aaron came home from a long day at work and was greeted by his wife (and me and my 2yr. old son...HA!) and the aroma of cooked roast, mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls filled the house. One more step towards getting Vicki back to the things she loved the most. Right now our goal is cooking once a week. Her short term memory is still an issue, but days like today will hopefully help to improve that. She did the meal plan and told me how to do everything as we cooked together.

We've decided to stay in Johnson City at Quillen Rehab. The therapists there are just outstanding and finding a facility that is comparable isn't easy to do. She still has therapy three times a week. She enjoys pool therapy the most!

She's continuing to work hard and prayers are still needed for her continued recovery. Thanks to everyone for everything. As this season of Thanksgiving draws near we are ever mindful of the love and support that has continually been shown to our family.

Love to all!
Becky

One step at a time...

Hello everyone! I thought you might like a little update about Vicki! :) She continues to make good progress with a walker. In therapy this week she walked 80 feet with the walker before having to rest. Then, she walked another 50 feet! Last week she was able to walk on a treadmill (with assistance) for 5 minutes while resting approximately every two minutes! She even did the leg press for the first time! She did two sets of 10 reps! We're so pleased with her steady progress. She continues to improve with her Occupational Therapy (working with her right hand and arm which was broken in the accident). Her right hand doesn't really limit her daily living activities anymore so they are thinking on possibly releasing her from that therapy in the near future. We'll still have to continue strength and flexibility exercises at home though. They have been so good to her at Quillen Rehab, but due to the logistics of moving her home (from Holly's house) in the not too distance future, we may be looking at moving her physical therapy to a rehab facility in Kingsport. We're still working out all those details though. Vicki is still uneasy with change so we're taking it slow.

Her short-term memory loss is still an issue. It's improving, but it's just going to take time. We laugh with her and cry with her. The important thing is that we're together! Please continue to pray for Vicki and her family. Your prayers are felt and appreciated.

Love to all!

Progress Continues

Hello to everyone! Just wanted to let you know that Vicki continues to progress. She's still working on her transfers (from wheelchair to couch, from bed to wheelchair, etc.). The results from her EMG showed minimal nerve function on the inside of the left leg - this is the leg that was most effected by the sciatic nerve damage - however, nerve function on the outside of the leg was at the level that the doctor felt it should be. Since nerve function effects muscle function her legs are still weak, but she continues to give her all in therapy and we can see small steps of improvement each week. Her short-term memory is still improving, but it is also something we have to help her work on each day. I would say that is probably her biggest hurdle. Until it improves she can't enjoy caring for her grandchildren the way she use to always do and she still can't be left alone. We'll do all we can to get her there! :)

Aaron has done so much work to the house for Vicki. He recently had a deck with a ramp added on to the front of the house. I visited with them last night and we sat out on the deck until it was dark! Vicki (and Aaron) will really enjoy that. Plus, it allows Vicki to roll herself in and out of the house as she pleases.

Vicki is handling things pretty good and is in good spirits most of the time. Every now and then she gets a little blue - as you can imagine. We continue to cheer her on and encourage her to do her best. She still has a ways to go, but has already come so far. We continue to be thankful to our Father in Heaven for allowing her to stay with us. We often talk to her about when the accident first happened and the outpouring of love and support that we felt from each of you. It brings a smile to her face and we recount the many visits, cards and acts of love from so many.

Love to all!
Becky

This isn't the greatest picture ever, but this is the newest addition to the Norris clan. It is Ben and Raven's little girl. Her name is Adrianna (not sure if I am spelling that correctly.) Mom is definitely enjoying being able to hold her grandbabies again.

As for everything else, well, we are about the same. Mom is finally getting stronger in her legs. She is able to do a lot of her transfers on her own (i.e from bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to couch, etc.) She can take a few baby steps with the walker if someone helps her move the walker. So that is definitely promising. We still go to therapy 3 times a week and that will continue for forever! hahaha just kidding Anyways, she has an EMG on Monday to determine how much the sciatic nerve has healed in her left leg, so we can't wait for the results of that. Once again, thanks for everything!

Keeping You Posted...

Hello all! Vicki continues to improve a little every day. She still isn't taking steps on her own, but is doing well in other areas. She has gotten most of the use of her right hand back (reminder - her right arm had a compound fracture and now has 2 plates and 12 screws - which will remain). It's that time of year...canning season...so she has been helping put up green beans. Vicki strings and breaks the beans and mom does the rest of the canning. They've also put up some corn. Vicki's job was removing the silks after the corn was shucked. Her grip is still weak and wrist flexibility isn't quite where we want it to be, but it's getting there. Luckily she's a "lefty"! :) She went to see her orthopedic surgeon a couple of weeks ago and she will be scheduled for surgery soon to remove two pins from her right ankle. Also, sometime in the next few weeks she will have an EMG (?) which is a test to see how much nerve function has been restored. He reminded her that it could take 12 to 18 months (from the accident) before we know how much healing (of the nerves) will actually take place.

Aaron continues to work on the house. Mom and I went to see it today and everything looks so good! Aaron has really worked hard and has probably pushed himself more than he should to try and get everything done. As you can imagine, he's so anxious to get Vicki back home.

Thank you so much for your continued support, love, and prayers. We make sure Vicki knows of every new post from each of you. Please continue to pray for her recovery. We are so thankful for each of you.

Home Again!!

Here we are almost a month since our last update! Vicki was discharged from Quillen Rehab last week and returned to Holly's house. She continues out-patient rehab at Quillen three times a week. She loves her therapists there. They are so good! I think her favorite therapy is pool therapy. She can walk in the pool with no assistance and I think she really enjoys that. She has progressed so much, but still has a lot to accomplish. She is still wheelchair bound, but continues to build strength in her legs. It's hard to predict when she might be able to stand/walk with a walker...and then stand/walk on her own. It's taking longer than we thought it would, but we are seeing improvements every day. She does her best to keep her spirits high, but is looking forward to returning home and getting back to the life she left six months ago. Aaron is working on remodeling their bathroom so that it will be wheelchair accessible and is also working on a few other things around the house. I've been taking her to mom's house on the days she doesn't have therapy. She enjoys that so much! I think is has really helped her to be in familiar surroundings again. Vicki has always loved going to mom's and just visiting. She's also gotten back to her crocheting and has started working on a new afghan.

She had a doctors appointment today and her doctor stressed working on her memory. As with her other injuries, her short-term memory loss is improving but she still has a long way to go.

Sorry we are so late in updating everyone! We'll try to do better and we'll also get some more pics posted. Please continue to pray for Vicki and her family. We love you all so much!

Still working hard....

This is Mom working hard in UE group.
Just sitting outside taking a break.
Working hard on standing with her OT Brian.
Her PT Penny and tech Bev.
This is what she walks in.....the super duper wedgie machine!! hahaha Really it's called the ARJO.

Sorry for not updating sooner. Everything is just so hectic all the time it seems! Mom is doing really well in rehab. They have extended her time to July 9 to try to help her gain as much strength before returning home. Her spirits are much better and she is really enjoying her therapy. We have been blessed with wonderful therapists at Quillen. They really have given Mom excellent care. Our main obstacle at this point is her strength. Her legs still aren't strong enough to hold her up, but we are getting there. She stays up in a wheelchair all day and is able to do so much more than when we first started. And her mind has improved a lot. Her memory is doing so much better. We actually get to bring her home on pass this Friday for a few hours to see what barriers there might be for when she comes home. It will be great having her in a car for the first time in months! We are also going to take her by her house that she hasn't seen in 5 months!!! Anyways, we continue to be so grateful for everything and everyone that has blessed our lives these past few months. We know we wouldn't be where we are without everyone's care, concern, and prayers. There will never be a way for us to repay everyone, so THANK YOU!!!

Update

Mom continues to make progress. She was able to walk (heavily assisted in a harness) earlier this week. As you can see she loves having her grandkids around.

- LWN

Good day...

Today has been a good day for Mom so far. She continues to have several sessions of therapy a day, which is good for her. She actually sat up in her wheelchair or recliner for 6 hours straight today. That is really an accomplishment for her. Her emotions seemed to be in check today with only a little bit of crying this morning with Teri. Otherwise, she and I had a good time laughing and cutting up with one another. She gets tickled every time I lift her...she just can't believe I can do it I guess! :) Anyways, here are a few pictures of her in therapy today.

Emotionally Draining Day

Teri spent the night with Vicki last night and thankfully she slept peacefully. However, I'm not sure how much sleep Teri got! HA! It must not have been too bad because she's staying with her again tonight! :)

I was able to stay with Vicki today. She had about 6 therapy sessions back-to-back with one hour and a half break. She was up in the wheelchair longer than she is use to which was quite painful for her, but she managed to hang in there. Today's therapy was somewhat light due to completion of evaluations. I'm sure it will become more intense as the days go by.

Vicki was very emotional all day. She actually almost got sick this morning because she was so nervous. As I've said before, she's like a child in so many ways. She was nervous about the difficulty of therapy and the change in her environment and routine. She had become so use to things at Holly's that this was pretty difficult for her. I think she'll do better as she continues to get use to things, but in the meantime she's having a pretty rough time. Even though she cried a lot we managed to get in a few laughs as well. It's amazing how much my love for her has grown throughout this whole experience. I'm sure the rest of our family feels the same way. I have been so blessed to be with her almost every single day and see the progression she has made. It's truly been a humbling experience. I wish Vicki could realize how much she's come through...maybe one day she will. She still struggles with some short-term memory loss, but it has improved so much!

Aaron continues to work and comes to the hospital when he gets off. He was even able to attend a physical therapy session with her today. Please continue to pray for his strength as well as Vicki's.

Love to all!

We made it!!

Just wanted everyone to know that Mom made it to Quillen Rehab this morning. She has been very anxious today about everything, but she knows this is what she needs. They didnt really do much with her today other than different doctors and nurses coming in and evaluating her. Tomorrow will be when the intensity begins. Please just continue to pray for her comfort and strength. I miss her being at my house already!!!

We're On Our Way!!

After almost 4 long weeks of battling with insurance we are finally on our way!! Vicki will be entering Quillen Rehab tomorrow morning! She's been approved for 7-14 days and then we'll request 7-14 additional days. We're hoping to get at least a month there. Vicki is ready to see more results and improvement in her healing, but is still very uneasy about the move and how difficult therapy is going to be. We think she'll do great once she gets in there and gets use to the routine. Being at Holly's has been so good for Vicki, but she wants to get back home and get back to the life she once knew. It's hard to believe it's been over four months since the day of the accident...since she's known the comfort of her own home. This has been a very difficult journey for her. We'll get her home soon! Thanks to all who have prayed for her continued strength. Please continue to pray.

Love to all!

Vertical Lunch

We set mom up on the edge of the bed for lunch today.

Mom and Tori celebrating Cooper's first birthday!

Steady Progression

We are still ironing out some details with insurance in order for Vicki to start in-patient rehab at Quillen Rehab Hospital. It's taken a little longer than we had anticipated, but we're confident it will happen! In the meantime she continues to make steady progress with occupational, physical, and speech therapy twice a week. She was able to stand at the walker for almost five minutes today. It still requires three of us to help her stand, but she's giving it her all. She really needs consistent and intense therapy that she can only receive at the "in-patient" level.

Her memory has improved, but there are still certain times she struggles. Thanks to all those who have visited, brought meals and helped with child care. Your acts of kindness are so appreciated. Please continue praying for Vicki, Aaron and their family.

Love to all!