Road to recovery

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher

No one said the road to recovery would be a short one. It's a long road full of curves, bumps, potholes, and upward hills to climb and downward hills to coast. Sometimes the road is paved and clearly marked, but sometimes it's little more than a cow path in the fog. A lot of people are helping Mom travel along this road, and we do our best to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Monday: an A+ day

Monday kicked off the week with a bang, with Mom showing excellent progress and renewed energy. For the first time since last Wednesday, February 15, she stayed awake and alert for the better part of the day, waking early for breakfast and staying awake until late afternoon. She sat in a chair and was entertained by charming and loving grandchildren in the early morning and after school, and she worked hard with her physical and occupational therapists.

Happy Grandma and her soccer player, MC

Mom's exercises include stretching and moving her right arm and fingers, because the smaller muscles can tighten if they aren't moved enough. She can move and grasp with her right hand, but it takes an enormous amount of concentration for her brain to communicate with the nerves and muscles. Muscle memory is hard to access when the brain is healing, and if she succeeds in moving once or twice, subsequent moves are easier. We brought in a variety of objects for her to practice grasping, including some wine corks. Might as well give her something she's motivated to reach! Stress balls help all of us. (We have quite a collection now.)

Now where's my glass?

Charles and Macklin flew home to California on Monday afternoon. They'll keep cheering her on from there and return as often as possible. We didn't say goodbye, just "see you soon." Their departure was tough on Mom, though, and we're committed to sending daily photos and videos of Macklin to keep up her spirits.

Tuesday: a C- day

Tuesday was a difficult day. Mom's head is healing from surgery, and that is causing some headaches. The pain pills make her extra foggy and sleepy, and we suspect they negatively impact her ability to recall language and enunciate. Nonetheless, she worked hard at physical therapy and was able to stand for a few minutes, and she diligently practiced her leg lifts and hand stretches. More movement seems to help her stay alert.

Also, Mom has been on steroids every six hours since Friday, February 10, and its cumulative effect wreaks havoc on her emotions. She often is nervous, teary, sad and scared that her recovery is taking longer than she thought it would. (After this many days staring at hospital walls, who wouldn't be?) We try to explain that it's just the steroids talking, and it's like having PMS: brighter days are just around the corner, and in the meantime let's all eat some chocolate and watch "Downton Abbey."

In one exciting moment, an excruciatingly insensitive endocrinologist made a bone-headed and thoughtless comment to Sara and Mom, making us both cry. Needless to say, this sat poorly with our Dad, and the endocrinologist is no longer on Mom's team. You can still see the scorch marks in the hall from Dad's conversation with the medical staff. Go Dad!

Mom continues to love all the comments, emails, cards and gifts sent by her loving friends and family. Yesterday she received a gorgeous handmade quilt in cheerful yellow and pink, and we all had a good laugh with the fun things sent by her teacher friends at NRMS. We love the audio books and Hangman game! What a great idea.

Our uncle (Mom's big brother, Rick) arrived on Tuesday morning, and he's a boost to her spirits as well.

Wednesday

It's a sunny and warm day today, and apparently there's a baby boom because the labor and delivery waiting room at Harris Methodist HEB is packed with happy families. Let's hope all this positive energy radiates down the hall to Mom's room, too.

Keep up the prayers - we all feel them.