Week 3 at Home

Well, another week goes by. Stephi is doing very well. She gets around the house and has even started staying alone at home for a few hours at a time. She is amazing. We still continue to tag team kids as all of them get a little overwhelming for her at times. Everyone around here wants to take care of Steph!

She is getting out and about more. She goes to rehab a couple times a week. It is sounding like she may not need as much rehab as we thought. She says her PT and Speech therapy are easy. The Occupational therapy is the one that is tough for her right now. They give her a lot of homework and she continues to struggle with vision on the left side so homework gets frustrating sometimes. I told her to be glad that she gets tough homework instead of coloring pages or bubbles - it means that she is doing well. We got a little laugh out of that :)

I'm sure she gets sick of me protecting her - but what can I say?? I feel like she is so fragile all of the time and I know she is doing well on her own. She has been making dinner, doing laundry, cleaning, taking care of kids. Thank god for that. I'm always grateful for everything she can do.

We are looking forward to the benefit on December 6. Steph misses her hair.....so....I've decided to let her cut mine at the benefit. We can be bald together. I just told her she has to cut it with her left hand. ughhhh. We will see what kind of hair I end up with. I guess Steph didn't get to choose her hairstyle so I will get a little taste of what that feels like for her. Be kind to your big sis Stephi!!

Keep fighting Stephi!

Helping Hands through Stephanie's Fight

Stephi had her follow up appointment with Dr Baskaya last Thursday. The best news that we could all hear was that she would be expected to have a full recovery. That is what we got! Steph continues to have days where she feels terrible...but...she has life and she gets a second chance. She is a great mommy and I could never imagine this little face to the left never being able to see her mommy again.

We are all thankful everyday. Stephi is improving daily and she is getting herself more and more involved with activities of daily living. She is still a little slow and we will give her that, but she is up, moving around, helping with the kids and the housework. Thank God for her being able to get back on her feet. She never was one to sit around anyway - and sometimes the big sister in me tells her to take it easy and be careful. She is probably so sick of me :)

Our family and friends have been busy organizing a benefit in her honor. It will be held at Rachel's Roadside in Wittenberg, WI. on Saturday December 6, 2008 from 4pm-? We are planning to have some amazing entertainment, food, drinks, as well as some raffles, and hopefully a few donations for Steph and her family. Any questions about the event can be posted on the blog for me to answer or directed to our friend Rachel of Rachel's Roadside. THANK YOU RACHEL for being so supportive!!!!

Rachel's Roadside

W17298 Spruce Road

Wittenberg, WI 54499

715-253-3190

rachelsroadside@yahoo.com

We are hoping to give Stephanie and her kids an incredible Christmas this year. They have all been though a very tough year. Her kids have been tossed around and cared for by everyone in our family, yet they continue to smile and keep up the pace at school. Stephi is unable to work right now so she has additional worries as well as trying to continue to heal. Let's rally for her and give her kids a Christmas to remember - We want to honor their mommy's second chance :)

Thanks for all your support blog followers!! We love you - Keep fighting Stephi!

Another Week Goes By

Another Week goes by and Stephi continues to fight! She's back to work.....just to visit.....for the first time since the accident. There were several sighs of relief as she walked down the hallway to say hi to her co-workers. The last time they saw her she was on a stretcher being flown out as she fought for her life. We are all glad to see her back in the hallways at work (even if it is just for a visit).

Christopher and Olivia have been going with the flow and glad to have their mommy around all the time again. They are pretty much used to their mom's new makeover; however, Olivia continues to remind Stephi that her hair will grow back :)

We have had a constant slumber party at Aunt Sara's house and have been able to tag team the kids, and take care of Stephi together. Wow.....the dishes and the laundry.....never end! If anyone ever wonders what we need here (a maid would be good) :) LOL Just kidding - I'm sure even a maid would run away scared LOL. It has been going well. Olivia is Auntie Sara's side-kick and unfortunately for her she is the ONLY girl around here with my 2 boys and Stephi's Christopher. Sometimes we have to make the boys watch Dora the Explorer so Olivia gets the TV too - that is complete torture for the boys! Especially since they all believe that Spongebob Squarepants has the answer to all of life's questions. (Maybe he does??)

To all who are wondering - Stephi is doing well. We are trying to take good care of her. She gets around very well. She will go to outpatient Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy at St. Clare's Hospital and she continues to look a little more like herself each day. She is awake most of the day and has a few little naps, but she is helping with some of the house work little by little and she in enjoying being near her kids again.

Tomorrow she will go back to Madison to have a follow up appt with Dr Baskaya. She has a looooooong list of questions written down for him. LOL I hope he put aside some time for her tomorrow. She will get her sutures out of the long incision around the right side of her head, and she is looking very forward to that.

Sometimes she has to remove herself and rest when things get too overwhelming as they often do with all the kids here (but sometimes I have to remove myself too LOL). So I guess that is normal right??

Together we have had some good sister conversations and fallen asleep during some terrible movies that we were waiting to rent- but - I think it has been good for us in many ways.

Keep fighting Stephi!

Today is Wednesday Oct 5.

Stephanie is doing great. She stayed in Janesville by our mom from Friday-Sunday afternoon and she has been staying at my house since Sunday evening as it is a little bigger and easier for her to move around in than her own house right now. I know my mom and Jen were sad to see her go. It has also been easier for all of us to tag team the kids so she can rest. Christopher and Olivia are home :) and they and my 2 boys have missed each other because they run around like mad sometimes. Chris is back to school and is pretty much caught up with the work that he missed for the couple weeks that he was with his daddy up north.

I would try to post some more recent picture but I think she would kill me right now :)

She is tired and sore - and we all expect that. She rests a lot of the day, but she is moving well throughout the house. You would not know she ever had a left sided weakness. She is up and down the stairs without a problem. She is in and out of the bathroom well. She showers. She walks outside. The only thing that is visible is that she is slow right now and she sometimes looks around like she is trying really hard to take in her environment. She still has a slight left sided facial droop and her facial expressions are very hard to read a lot of the time. I have a hard time trying to tell if she is in pain. or frustrated, or overwhelmed. I feel like I am constantly asking her to tell me how she is feeling.

We had a small meltdown the other day as she is struggling with her limitations. She says she is less patient and she gets overwhelmed easy. She wants to run and play with her kids. She is stuggling with not being able to do all of the things she used to and that is is taking her time to heal. It will be the first of a few meltdowns I'm sure, but I try to reassure her that we are all proud of her progress so far and we are so happy that we have this second chance with her whether she has limitations right now or not. She tells me that she sometimes looks around and wonders where she is or who she is and what the heck happened (I've seen that look). It takes her a little time to process her environment but she eventually gets it and she has a totally appropriate conversation with you. She remembers people, places, and events from the past. Im amazed by her recovery so far, so I guess all I can do is keep telling her that.

She saw Dr Zabel yesterday for an OB appointment, and so far all is well. She was excited to get to see him again. She had an ultrasound and looked at those pictures all night last night. That little one has been through just as much as his/her (I will let her tell you :) !!! ) mommy in the past few weeks (she peeked). it will be touch and go whether or not she will be able to deliver without having a c-section as the pushing may cause too much stress on her recent brain surgery. She will see Dr Baskaya in Madison next week and hopefully have some answers to that question.

Rehab will be as an outpatient. She will have PT, OT, and speech therapy several times per week at Aspirus. She is still working on trying to get going with that.

I'm glad your home, Keep fighting Stephi!

Coming Home

I just got a phone call. It was Steph's quiet voice on the other end of the line. She will be on her way home today. Mom and Jen are going to miss her - but I can't wait to see her. She and the kids will stay with her big sis Sara for a couple days while Jay gets their house in order for her to go home. He has put everything on the back burner so he could be with her 24/7 over the past few weeks. He will make sure there is nothing for her to get hurt on, trip on, etc. PT and OT will probably go their home and make sure it is safe enough for her to eventually be there alone, until then she won't be alone.

Is it possible that this girl will come out of this unscathed??? This girl who we were told would probably not come out of surgery, and if she did her quality of life would most likely be limited.....I am still in total shock by the whole series of events over the past few weeks.

Keep fighting Stephi!

Discharge Day

Friday October 31 - Happy Halloween!

Stephanie is discharged from the UW hospital in Madison in the late afternoon. I am still up north and wish I had some more pics for you - but I will try to post them later. Jay gets to take Stephi home!

We have been so blessed with so much support from everyone - thank you for that! I don't think any one of us could have done it alone. It has been a very long few weeks. I can't even tell you how excited I am that we have her back. More tears (happy ones)

Stephi will go to our mom's house in Janesville and stay through the weekend. I know my mom as well as our sister Jen is probably excited to be able to take care of her for a few days. Christoper and Olivia are there too. It will be a nice reunion for them and mom will be able keep the kids occupied while Stephi rests. The kids need to be reminded that mommy is fragile still and they need to be careful, but they are doing well. She is still in an enormous amount of pain, but she's Stephi. She walks without any help even up and down stairs, she moves the left side very well although she says it gets tingly or falls asleep sometimes. She sees pretty well, but still does a little scanning on the left.

She will have outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy pretty frequently when she gets back home. We are still not sure where yet but they are supposed to call and set everything up on Monday. She has to keep herself at least at a 30 degree angle so when she not up in a chair or walking she is propped with many pillows and she loves the ice on her head!

I can't wait to see her. I am so proud of her!

Keep fighting Stephi!

Another Successful Surgery

Thursday October 30.

Stephi has another successful, this time to put her right bone flap back in place. The swelling has finally gone down enough after the shunt placement. Stephanie finally has her head together - wow - I'm still amazed at what people have to go through.

I am not in Madison today so I rely on updates from my mom, my sister, and Jay. It is hard not to be there, especially on a surgery day, but all the kids are out of school and I had promised mine long before Stephi accident that they could have a Halloween party tomorrow, and they are looking forward to it so I can't disappoint them. They have all been very patient with me being in Madison and my mind in another place lately. They deserve some fun too. We are home preparing for the kids party and I am thinking of Stephi constantly.

She is back in the Neuro ICU to recover from this final surgery and I am told she is terrible pain. Mom and Jay are with her, and today will be another day of rest for Stephi.

Keep fighting Stephi!