for not posting yesterday, but I was wiped out by the end of the day. I had a PT session yesterday and James was able to meet my trainer, Devin. I had to do another balance test, which was very difficult! I was surrounded by cutouts of mountains & I had to stand still on a board - then the mountains began to move! Well, needless to say, that freaked me out a bit & I practically jumped off the board, lol. I was able to try it two more times & I did better, but Devin still had to hold onto my belt so I wouldn't fall. The next next test, the floor moved....believe it or not, I passed that test (barely, but I did!).

Devin & James had a nice chat about my treatment plan. My insurance will only allow 30 visits. James told him how he was working with me at home & Devin said that was excellent, to keep it up - I'm not too happy about that, he works me to death! :-p     James also told him we have a membership to American Family Fitness. Devin said that he was very familiar with the equipment there & he would make out a workout schedule for me; that way we could spread out my PT visits longer, only using them for balance activities. We think that it is great how they are working with us to get the most out of my training! Devin said that if I keep doing what I'm doing now, he said that I will be back being a police officer - that was great to hear, because I had my doubts.

              Mural inside the entrance to Sheltering Arms (Behind the Chesterfield Police Department)

                                                       Devin & James - AKA the Evil Twins!



After PT, James took my sister Kim & I to Sweet Frogs! That was our first time there & it certainly won't be the last! I had the Cake Batter yogurt with blackberries & sprinkles - YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That night we had the most fabulous meal - Bill & Charlotte Hamby stopped by and delivered us a meal fit for an army from Romas! We each had a HUGE Italian dish, salad, and desert. We were all so stuffed, we could barely move!

My sister Kim had to leave a day early - today - to go back to work. We have certainly ;appreciated all her hard work. She cleaned my cabinets out, cleaned my house, painted my front door (a pretty red), helped me pick out a new paint color for my living room, drove me back and forth to my appointments, and lugged my wheelchair in & out of the vehicle (she is probably covered in bruises). She has been a great help.But  I'm confident now that I will be able to get around the house by myself with no problems  - I've promised James that I will behave while he is at work :-)       He will continue to stop in & check on me every chance he gets.

Today started off kinda rough, but after I took a 3 hour nap (crazy, right?) I felt a little better. Drill Sgt James made me do his PT. I had to walk a couple laps around the yard, then do 20 mins on the bicycle.

 

                                                        My baby girl, Mollie, protecting me!

After I was tortured, once again, we went Frank & Barbara's (James' parents) house for a delicious meal! Yes, I am getting spoiled! We had pot roast, squash casserole, sweet corn, pickled beets, fresh green beans with potatoes, and rolls. We were all too full for desert! It felt really nice being able to get out of the house.
Afterwards, we stopped by the Communications Office for a few mins. I walked in, with James holding onto my belt. I forgot that it was time for the Police Explorer's meeting, so I was able to say 'Hello" to them. I was kinda embarrassed for them seeing me like this. But, I guess it will be good for them to see someone trying overcome a difficult hardship...which I will!  I was also able to see Sgt. Douglas, Officer Talley, Lt. Burroughs, Kari, Sherita, and the three new Communication Officers - LOL, I could imagine what they think of me :-)

I will continue to update this blog on a regular basis, but I may skip a day or two in between - it will be q\uite boring....PT, eat, PT, eat, PT, eat....oh, and I'll throw somw sleep in there somewhere! I promise to work my hardest toward a full recovery. It has been a struggle, but it's one worth taking!

Thanks for all of your continued support - hugs & kisses to all!

Today was very busy with freinds and family stopping by to see me.  Judy Chalkley (with the best mac & cheese I have ever had & meat loaf- yum!) Alan Foster -with a case of water the only refreshments I am allowed to have right now - next time we will share a golden beverage.  Kim enjoyed taking a stroll down memeory lane with Alan they went to high school together, Joshua (my son), Sue, Kimmy, Elizabeth, Lydia Brockwell also stopped in to see me. Mollie loved giving baby Lydia lots of kisses. Kim hung my new curtains and painted swatches on the wall for us to choose a new paint color.  Jamie arrives on Friday to paint after he takes me to PT - I can't wait to get rid of the hosiptal color.  James wants to know why we have so many dents in the hallway I told him that I am giving the walls the textured look - my walker is helping me.

My at home PT drill team (Kim & James) took me for a walk today.  Yes folks I am "walking" - really it looks like I am surfing and James holds me by my belt but in my book it is walking to me.  I can't wait to get rid of my wheelchair and walker - SOON!  My reward was a nice glass of ice tea with 2 lemon slices.

June 20th Good Days and Bad Days

Yes, we have posted a few fun pics/comments - we try and find bright spots in the day ( it does help) but the day and night can go from good to bad in a very short amount of time and it can be scary.  Last night was not great - she could not sleep, felt sick and head hurt a lot.  We had to get up very early this morning for a 7:00 AM PT appt  - the real deal not her fake - I mean drill team - I mean her loving husband and sister so called PT team.  We left @ 6:00 AM and off to learn to walk, balance and stand we went.  Shelly was so tired but she did it - we showed Devin (her real PT) the pics from yesterday - he didn't quite know what to think  but he did laugh - I think we are winning him over with our charming ways :)  After PT we went for coffee and made a list of items we needed.  Shelly gave me her orders (she is so bossy) and were able to get what we needed.  We took a slight detour and saw Sgt. Douglas in the parking lot so we stopped to say hello - I am not sure what he thought of me or as Shelly told him I "pick on her". How she could ever say or think that I do not understand - maybe it is when she told him that I used paint brushes and played drums on her today as she was sitting in her wheelchair at Lowes- what can I say we were bored and I heard a good song. That is not picking on her - right????

Arriving back home she did not fell well again - sleep and meds helped.  We will see how the night goes.  This chapter will be a challenge but if you know Shelly then you know that she will forge ahead and go the extra mile to get back to her old self - she has too many plans and things that she needs to do ASAP!    Thanks for all of your support - you have no idea how much it means to us. It is not easy watching your baby sister struggle and not feel well but her sheer determination is amazing.  She looks at what she is gaining in movements and not what she has lost.  Her attitude goes a long way.  I (we) are so very proud of her.

Today has been a very full day.  Visits by my fairy chocolate godmother Susan and my son Jamie made my day.  Then it all went south......Next up was my @ home PT lead by my drill team (sister & husband).  For some strange reason they thought it would be fun to blindfold me and make me drive the bulldozer - I don't understand them I am blinfolded - so I tried to escape but because I can't walk I didn't get that far- so for punishment they made me pull the bulldozer by a chain tied to my waist.  Isn't there some law against this?  Can someone talk to them please - now you know why I am trying to sell my sister (She is driving the bulldozer).  My husband I can't sell beacuse he is the only one who can wash my back the way I like it but he is pushing his luck :)

LOL.......

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there! I want to especially want to wish my wonderful & loving husband Happy Father's Day. I love you James! XOXO.   He has stood by me through thick & thin. His patience is truly being tested these past few days since I have been home, but he has handled it like a trooper! He is also a wonderful husband to his two sons & two step-sons!

With my sister in town, we decided to visit our Dad's gravesite at Merchants Hope - it is hard to believe that it has been 22 years since our Daddy "Chookie" died.  We also took the time to visit our sister Lisa's gravesite and Grandparents Dottie and Albert. We miss them all dearly.

Words to the wise, do not ever take a second for granted. Enjoy to smell of fresh cut grass, listen closely to nature's marvelous sounds, and stop saying "one day I want to do that" - today is the day! No reservations...
And always, always, be thankful for what you do have. I am truly blessed!

July 18

Drill Master James Crowder - I mean my loving wonderful husband - drilled - I mean assisted me with loving kindness with my at home PT.  James held me by me stabality belt so that I would not fall and I "walked" up and down my front steps (all 4) four times and then holding on to the front porch rail "walked" sideways four times back and forth and since that was not enough 15 minutes on a sit down bike. Resting the rest of the day with Mollie and Zack standing (I mean sleeping on my lap) guard.  Kim is be a good girl and following my instructions (I mean orders) to a tee. 

July 17 2nd Day Home

My sister Kim is with me - she is beautiful, talented, funny, smart and single - anyone out there? I am trying to sell her to pay my hospital bills-you would like her a lot - I do!
Started with outpatient PT - my PT did not fully understand our humor (Kim) she was trying to tell him or sing that I moved like a cyclone-some song she heard her girls sing - we thought it was funny.  After PT Kim took me shopping with stops at Lowes, Kohls, and my second home CVS where I picked up a huge batch of shots.  Kim is getting excellent at giving me my shots in my tummy and she really seems to enjoy it.  She also enjoys seeing how far and fast my wheelchair will roll - after she placed me in the car she forgot to put on the brakes and had to chase the wheelchair across the parking lot - good thing I wasn't in it although she did try one time :).  We picked up paint color chips (Jamie is going to paint my living room), a soft squishy pillow, front door mat, fern for the porch, and a few dresses -easy to get on and off. A very productive and full day. To top off the day when we returned home a package from my mom was waiting for me - a box of See's Candies. 

June 14th

Today was my last full day here, I get to go home tomorrow around noon! It is bittersweet though - I know I have a long way to go and need a lot more therapy, but it is going to feel so good to finally go home after being in the hospital for a month. I get to sleep in my own bed & wake up when I want :-)

James came early this morning and observed while I had OT & PT. He received training on how to walk with me, and I practiced getting in & out of our vehicle (no problem with that!). In PT, I tried walking with a different type of walker; it has 4 wheels & a seat to sit in if I get tired. I think I walked a lot better with that one than the one I was using before. It's just more difficult to back up. I ordered my wheelchair & walker today - I asked for a purple walker :-)    My wheelchair was just delievered a few minutes ago & I should get my walker tomorrow. James went to the store this afternoon & bought me some more supplies - a 2 1/2 lb ankle weight (for my left leg) and a blood presure cuff. Geezy peezy, I have become high maintenance!

Well, I found out that I cannot go to Day Therapy for 2 weeks because my insurance will not cover it. I can go to outpatient therapy for an hour a day, three days a week (for 30 sessions), at the same place though. My 1st session is Friday at 2pm.

Tomorrow will be a busy morning; I have my final PT session, then I meet with the staff to go over my meds & action plan. Once all that is done, I get to blow this joint!!!!!!

I have to say that the staff at St Francis & Sheltering Arms have been absolutely fantastic! They were very personable & the therapist challanged me daily. My sincere appreciation goes out to all of them!

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank ALL of you for your support & kind words. My family & friends are the ones who got me through this very difficult time. Without ya'll, I'd be lost. Thank you for standing by me!!!!!!!

Well, my first phase of my recovery process is almost over. Tomorrow, the second phase begins. This phase will be just as difficult, but I will have James & my family by my side - plus I will have Zack & Mollie to constantly lift my spirits! I'm looking forward to this next chapter...

June 13th

Well, time here is winding down. I had a very busy day today. PT right after breakfast for 1/2 hour, then I had a field trip. My Recreational therapist took me to Target; she wanted me to experience getting in & out of a vehicle and using a motorized cart inside a store. The cart was huge & somewhat difficult getting around some areas, but it was fun - nothing better than retail therapy! :-)

As soon as I got off the elevator, I was snatched by PT for another hour session. I did many laps on the Zero-G and 5 mins on the treadmill. I then practiced walking (with walker) from chair to chair and sitting down & getting up. I also had to walk w/o my walker short distances. When I was sitting down, I looked to my left & saw someone looking at me. My vision isn't the greatest, so I looked again; it was Mr. Hughes. I was surprised to see him! That was very nice of him to come & visit me.

On the way to my therapy, I ran into Chris Cahoon & daughter in the hallway. His wife had a doctor's appointment at the hospital & he dropped by to see me for a few minutes. Looks like he may have girl  #3 soon!

Next, I had OT for 1 1/2 hours. I did a lot of hand excercises. I also did a touch test & passed on both hands; however my left hand failed on the temperature test.

Jamie came by & brought me lots of munchies & James brought me some homemade potato soup & cucumber salad that Barbara made - needless to say I skipped dinner & ate in my room! It all tasted SO good!!!! Now I am all showered & tummy is full, ready for some more good Zzzzz's!

Tomorrow is my last full day here!

                                                                          Yummy!!!

June 12th

I dad a quiet, peaceful night.I had an hour of OT right after breakfast. Afterwards, I took an hour nap - still very sore from yesterday's PT session. After lunch I had an hour of PT. She took it pretty easy on me today - I walked quite a bit with the walker, climbed stairs, and practiced walking to chairs & sitting down. I ended the session with 15 mins on the leg bicycle.

James worked hard at home, rearranging my excercise room so that I can get in & out easily with my wheelchair. He sounded exhausted & was getting ready for work - he said that he is looking forward to work so that he can rest, LOL!

I had several visitors today, they actually came about the same time. Christina Baxley & Sean Moore dropped by and gave me a box of chocolate covered strawberries & bananas from Edible Arrangements. OMG, I ate one of each after dinner and they were delicious!

Susan & Noel Watson stopped by for a visit too. They gave me some more dark chocolate -I just ran out (AGAIN), Susan has been doing a great job keeping me stocked! :-)  I am getting SO spoiled!!!!!
I have a feeling that I will not be able to get much sleep due to a sugar high :-))))

June 11th

I slept well last night. James came during breakfast & was able to watch my PT session. I had a diffirent therapist today & she was brutal, lol. I began by walking a little bit with my walker, then I had one hour of excercises on a mat. I had to kneel on all fours & had to balance on alternate hands & legs and hold it - ugh! Then I had to kneel upright & stay there while I hit a baloon & ball back & forth to the PT assistant. OMG...my butt muscles are sooooo sore! The plan was for me to walk back to my room, using the walker; but, my legs were shaking too much from excercise that I couldn't make it very far. I was laughing because my legs looked funny shaking so bad :-)  The session was rough, but I actually enjoyed it.

After my PT session, I was done with training for the day. I have my room all to myself now. After lunch, I took a two hour nap - and it felt great!

I received a wonderful card today from the Prince George Animal Shelter gang. They are so awesome - In lieu of flowers, they made a $50 donation to one of my favorite charities - The Special Olympics. How cool is that?!!!!!

After dinner, I sat by my window and watched a storm roll in; I love thunderstorms.
As I was getting ready to get in bed, I saw that an "unknown fairy" placed a bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies & a Divine Icy Wine mixture (can't wait to try it!) by my beside. Thank you!!!

Now I am all snuggled in my bed & expecting another good night :-)

Jan 10th

I had a late night visit from da boyz - Jamie, Joshua, and Matt. They are such goofballs and keep me laughing.

I had PT right after breakfast this morning. I worked on the Zero-G, but had a bad morning, I just couldn't keep my balance very well. But, toward the end of the session, I began to get my stride.

After lunch, I had another PT session (1/2 hour). I worked on my balance. I stand on a board that has markings to place my feet. They pick a balance "game" - its very similar to Wii Fit. I look at the tv screen & have to try to hold my balance inside a small box, sometimes I have to move back & forth from box to box. Once the time is up, my motion is tracked on the screen by lines. Last week my result looked like abstract art, all over the place. Today looked much better.
The PT intern asked me if she could use me as a case study for her graduate class at ODU. I said yes & she was very excited.

Once my PT session was over, I had 1 1/2 hours of OT. I began with 3 sessions of the arm bicycle (increased resistance a lot) for 5 mins each. Then into the kitchen I went.... I made chocolate muffins :-)
Luckily I had a basket on my walker so that I could carry the ingredients from the refridgerator! While the muffins were baking, I did arm & shoulder excercises. Then I took the muffins out of the oven, put them into a bowel & took them to my room to munch on :-)  Oh, I had to wash dishes 1st.

Dotty Brewer & her friend, Jeanie (I hope I remembered the name correctly) stopped by. Dotty gave me a book entitled "Pug Mugs - Good Pugs Gone Bad". I love it, it is hilarious! It has pictures of Pugs & the "crimes" they committed.

At dinner, I found out that seven people graduate tomorrow, they get to go home. That will only leave a handful of patients here - but, several more are expected to come Sunday & Monday. My roomate is one of those leaving tomorrow.

Wow, my body is sore from all the excercises & my neck is hurting a little. No worries, its all growing pains. But, still looking forward to my pain meds tonight :-)

June 9th

This is the Zero-G, it's a pretty cool machine. I have to wear a velcro support vest, the physical therapist hooks me up to a "clotheshanger", which is attached to a cable in the ceiling. She punches in my weight, minus 15-20 lbs, and sets it to catch me if I fall a couple of inches.

Today was a pretty good day. I started with occupational therapy at 7am, this was mainly a re-evaluation. According to the results, I am showing good improvement in all tests. On the hand grip test, my right hand is at 30% and my left hand (which I cannot feel) measured above average grip. My therapist said that shows that I  I still have a very long way to go, but I will get there!

James took me downstairs for my neck doctor appointment. Bandages & neck brace are now off!!! :-D
My head feels like a weeble wobble though, doc says I have to re-develope my neck muscles.
Eventually, I will have to go to physical therapy for my neck, but my Dr said that they will probably only have to add a few excercises to my other physical therapy sessions.

In PT, I used the Zero-G (in photos), and walked on the treadmill for 10 mins. I feel like I am getting more stable, but its still difficult trying to figure out weight shifts.

I had another PT session after lunch. This time I worked on standing on one leg - that was VERY difficult. I used the bars to keep my balance & attempted to let go of my hands. I didn't do too bad standing on my left leg, but it just wasn't going to happen on the right leg.

After dinner, I was able to take a shower - yay! I had very minimal help from my Tech. It's amazing how much I took for granted before. Simple things like walking, using the bathroom, showering, swallowing, etc, are major tasks for me now. BUT....I am getting better every day!

June 8th

Today was pretty much an uneventful day. Luckily, I had all my sessions before lunch today. Today was basically a re-evaluation day. The therapists have to submit a detailed report of my progress to my insurance company = they are trying to keep me til the 15th. Although I want to go home badly, I need more time here. We should find out something within the next few days.

Today was James' 1st day back to work as a Lt! I just spoke to him and he said so far itss been a quiet night...oops, I just said the "Q" word :-)

I'm starting to get to know my roomate a little better, she seems pretty nice & she seems upbeat like me. She is older and is in recovering from a fall - she has done very well here & gets to go home on Saturday.

I have a 9am appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Kim (my neck doctor). I should find out then how much longer I have to wear this neck brace. Hopefully he will take off the bandages on my neck so it won't be such a pain in the neck (hahaha) to take a shower.

It's been a relaxing day & I'm sure that I will sleep well tonight.

June 7th

I will be so glad when I get to go home, I'll be able to wake up on my own time! Once again, 7am, my occupational therapist came into my room. I used the walker for the 1st time getting out of bed & had to pick out my clothes & get dressed. After breakfast, I was able to take a short nap. I had physical therapy before lunch, pretty much the same training as yesterday - except I had to take my hand off the treadmill rail for a few minutes. I can't believe I was scared to death to let go, but I was! I love hiking, standing on the edge of cliffs, rock climbing, playing with ALL kinds of creatures (including snakes), dangling my feet out of an airplane & jumping....but I'm scared to walk! What's up with that????

Kari Wilson & "momma" dropped by while I was walking on the treadmill. It was great to see them & share a few laughs. Already planning for next year's Polar Plunge :-)

James came by around dinner time & brought me some watermelon. He had a difficult time trying to find a fruit bar, only found olive bars. He wanted to know who in the world eats all those olives...lol

Jeff & Cheryl Rose stopped by for a visit & gave me a beautiful card. They had two other stops to make here - I hope that the others are doing well!

Well, I just had a pain shoot through my left foot, not sure if that is good or bad, but I think it's good because I felt something. I told the nurse & she is going to pass it along to the doctor.

My team has another meeting tomorrow to re-evaluate me. I should find out tomorrow afternoon if the 15th is still my projected release date.

June 6th

Today was another good day. This morning (4am) the nurse was taking my blood. I always ask them to use my left arm because I don't have any feeling,; but this morning I actually felt a little sting. I can't believe that I was actually excited about feeling pain! Hopefully that's a sign that my nerves are regenerating.

Joshua came by during my occupational therapy session, I had to work in the kitchen area, just loads of fun! I had to make him a peanut butter & graham sandwich (eww) and fix him a drink. Wait..... shouldn't he be waiting on me?!?!? LOL

I had 1 1/2 hours of physical therapy. I worked with the Zeor-G and treadmill again - this time I was on the treadmill for 10 mins. James stopped by & brought me pizza for dinner! I have been craving pizza for a week now because they always show pizza commercials on tv. I wasn't quit sure if I could eat it, but he got extra thin cheese pizza, I chewed very well and ate slowly = it was delicious!!!! I was even able to eat Skittles :-)

After dinner, James took me for a stroll outside & then helped me take a shower. He definitely got a workout today!

My room-mate had a rough night last night, hopefully she & I will sleep soundly tonight.

June 5th

I slept well again last night. We had thunderstorms in the middle of the night, I enjoyed listening to the thunder. Today was supposed to be a free day for me, but a physical therapist snatched me after breakfast because she had a free period. Its nice getting a break, but I welcome all the training I can get. She worked me hard! I walked a lot using the Zero-G, then I stepped on the treadmill with it & walked 5 mins - I cannot believe that I worked up a sweat! The ankle weight on my left leg is still helping, but I still have trust issues with that leg. When I leave here, I will have a strong left leg (from the weights) and a strong right arm (from supporting my body weight due to leaning)

James came by during lunchtime & brought me some more of that fresh fruit mixture from Martins :-)
Just a few more days til he has to go back to work - that will be so good for him, he needs a distraction from me. I can be quite demanding at times, LOL

All-in-all, it was a good day!

Correction

I said I that I am numb on the right side - meant to say left side

June 4th

I slept ok last night. James came by early and sat in on both of my sessions - occupational & physical therapy. In occupational therapy, I did some standing arm excercises...then, I was finally able to take a shower!!!! I was so excited to wash my stinky hair! James helped me - he was signed off on one of the care-takers task :-)
He sat with me during lunch, then I had physical therapy. I walkes 170 ft with the walker - I fell trying to get back into my chair, my therapist caught me though. I practiced walking sideways - going left was ok, but I had a ore difficult time going right. Then I had balance excercises - eek! I had to stand on a wobbly board & tap each end 20 times. then I had to balance myself without holding onto the bars - that was rough. Since I cannot feel my right side, and I don't know how to lean to the left, my therapist decided to place ankle weights on my left leg. I think it actually helped, I at least had a sense where my left foot was when I walked.

Jamie stopped by for a few moments before he he had to go to work, Susan stopped by and gave me an awesome pirate flag banner, which is now hanging across my window :-) She also gave me some more dark chocolate - I ate my last piece of the other one last night.

I'm all clean and tired, now if I could only find something good to watch on tv.....

June 3rd

Finally! I has a good night's sleep. Today was a better day. I started out with Occupational Therapy at 7am. I had to stand & place quotations on large clothes pins & place them on metal bars - it was actually tiring. I had to take a few breaks, but stood 20-30 mins at a time. Sometimes I would get a little off balance when I had to place the clothes pins on the top bars - this excercise lasted 1 1/2 hours. Next, I went to Physical Therapy and did a lot of walking with crutches & then a walker. While on the cruthces, I have a better sense of my balance, but I tire so quickly. I feel more stable using the walker, but tend to use baby steps. So, I guess its good that I use both.

Chief Frankenstein & Capt. Young stopped by for a visit & gave me a hard time as usual, lol :-)
I honestly cannot wait to get back to work, hopefully I will make a quick, full recovery!

James came by just in time for my afternoon Physical Therapy session (only 1/2 hour). He was able to see my progress & the therapist gave him some suggestions when I go home. It was funny, I was taking baby steps with the walker & James told me I couldn't catch bad guys that way! No worries, once I get my eyesight right & neck brace off, there will be no holding me back! Before its all over with, I will be running circles around him....heeheeheehee

Barbara packed James a nice dinner and he sat with me at dinner. Afterwards, he signed me out & took me for another stroll outside - such a beautiful day!! We ended our outing at the garden patio - we sat there for a little while, I ate the watermelon that Kuykendall gave me - yumm yum :-)
James brought me back to my room & helped me get ready for thr night.  I'm all comfy now & ready for a good night's rest!

June, 2

Tuesday night was a rough night for me, I was very sick & vomitted most of the night. The next day I was too weak to complete my physical therapy session. I was unable to eat hardly anything. Towards the afternoon, I began to feel a little better. James & Jamie  stopped by again. Frank & Barbara stopped by for a visit too, they bought me a bag of "smellies"(lotion, hand sanitizer, and lip balm), along with some homemade cookies - I believe baked by Pam & Laura...yum yum.

Last night was a reply of the night before, no sleep. My Occupational Therapist got me out of bed at 7am.. She made sure that I was able to dress myself, which I did with a little wiggling :-)
While I was trying to get into the wheelchair, I fell on my therapist, & pushed her into the curtain - luckily, she caught me & helped me into the chair. She took it easy on me during our session, no standing excercises.

Right after breakfast, I had physical therapy for 1 1/2 hours. I was still dizzy, but wanted to continue on,Wheww, they definitely pushed me! I walked 50 ft with modified crutches, and a little help every now & then from my therapist. My arms are really tired now. They are pushing me harder than most because they say I am young & they don't want me getting comfortable with a walker. I'm glad they are pushing me.
I also walked up & down 4 steps - no help needed going up & only needed help on the 1st step going down. I'm making slow progress right now, but once I get my dizziness under control, watch out!

My doctor sais that my team's goal for me leaving here is Juine 15th =-a lot of work to do in a short period. Once I leave here, I will have to go to day therapy every day for a few months....Shelly gets to go to camp :-D

Henry Parker & Donna Vrable stopped by to visit today. Dotty Brewer stopped by also. She told me that I was on her church's prayer list & gave me a copy. I am blessed to have so many people praying for my full recovery. Sgt. Douglas dropped by shortly after she left. It was great seeing him & being told that my job is still there for me. He also gave me a card & book(that I have been wanting to read) from John Kuykendal, Leslie Stewart, and their four-legged babies.

James bought me fresh fruit & potato soup. After dinner, he signed me out & took me for a stroll around the hospital. It felt so good going outside & breathing fresh air!!!!! He is so good to me.

Well, my doctor is going to change my meds tonight, so hopefully I will have a quiet night - keep your fingers crossed!

Tuesday, May 31st

Wow, I am pooped! I had a full day of sessions. In occupational therapy, I had to stand up and fold a small basket of clothes. Right away the therapist told me that I was cheating by leaning against the table. I had to stand on my own while folding the clothes...well, that was interesting. I was wobbling and swaying all over the place, it felt like I was dancing, lol. It took me 7 min 40 secs to complete the task. Gues what James will be doing for a while :-)

Physical therapy was entertaining as well.I had to walk down the hallway using the rail (and a lot of assistance from the therapist). Next, I was hooked up to a pulley system in the ceiling. They placed a velcro vest around me and attached the wires to the pulley. They entered my weight, minus 20 lbs, and set it to catch me if I fall 6 inches. I had to walk, on my own, quite a distance - that was so scary. They kept telling me to lean to my left, but I just couldn't figure out how to. They placed a mirror in front of me & all I could do was laugh - I was leaning so far to the right, I looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

On a good note though, I can pretty much open my right eye all the way now. I still have double vision, but at least it is progress.

James is still holding down the homefront & visiting me daily. Joshua & Matt droppeed by & my sister Stacey came down from Maryland. She is going to help James shop for some items that I will need once I come home. My other sister, Kim, is going to come down when I come home, she is going to help me with the transistion.

The Warren family stopped by for a visit - I cannot believe that they did that on Jodie's last day before he leaves. I am truly honored - what a great family! Please keep them all in you prayers while Jodie is overseas!

Tomorrow, my team of doctors, nurses & therapists will meet to discuss my projected timeframe for completing in-patient therapy. So hopefully by tomorrow night, I'll have an idea when I may go home.

Monday, May 30th.

Well, today is mine & James' 9th anniversary, not exactly my ideal way to spend it :-(
James came by & gave me a beautiful anniversary card & some watermelon :-)))))
I had a wonderful visit from Alan & Robbi Foster. I am truely honored to have such great family & friends!

I didn't sleep very well last night, but hopefully tonight will be different. I had one hour of physical therapy & it kicked my butt; didn't too well walking today with my wobbly legs. I was a little frustrated, but realized that I am just beginning. Full therapy starts back tomorrow, maybe that will get my rear in gear!

I am usually always a happy, cheerful person....but for some reason today, out of the blue,  I caught myself shedding a tear once or twice today. I just wanted to kick myself! Just wanted to share my thoughts.. I'm really ok & don't want anyone to worry about me = honestly!  I'm going to have good moments & bad moments, EVERYbody does. As long as the good moments far outweigh the bad ones, I'll  breeze right through this!

Sunday, May 29th

Today was a "free" day, I did not have any scheduled sessions. Even so, I am still exhausted at the end of the day. I was a little wobbly today, I guess some days will be better than others. I had some great visitors today, which kept me going. James spent the 1st half of the day with me, then Jamie & Jessica stopped by. Butch Pearson & Debbie Bell surprised me by handing me a framed photo of Mollie & me during our visit yesterday. It's sitting on my window sill where I can easily see it :-)
To top things off, my friend Debbie Tate stopped by = she gave me an incentive to recover quickly...before the end of July. Keep those prayers coming!!!

Saturday, May 28th

It's Shelly again...
Today started off much better & ended GREAT! I had Occupational Therapy at 7am, then breakfast. James stopped by and bought me new sweatpants & v-neck shirts, he can actually shop, lol. He also bought me a container of watermelon (which I think was SUPPOSED to last a day or two) and rolled me out to the garden to get fresh air. The watermelon was so good, I ate every bit of it...oink, oink. I was supposed to go to group therapy at 11am, but ran into a little trouble (to disgusting to mention here) and missed the session = oh well, there is plenty more were they came from!
Joshua and Matt stopped by for a few hours :-) Karla Gerner stopped by and brought me some homemade chocolate chip cookies & strawberry salad - yumm-o!!!  Susan Watson & Karla Hartle surprised me with more goodies - Susan packed a picnic bag full of wine glasses and 2 bottles of sparkling juice, and she gave me some chocolate from Trader Joes :-) Karla made an awesome Get Well Soon poster (I'll take a pic of it tomorrow) and a Skittles bouquet! James, Keith, and Michelle stopped by & brought Mollie!!!! I have missed her so much & it was great to be able to hold her! I wish that Zack could have come too, but right now Mollie is quite a handfull. I am so thankful to have the best family & friends anyone could ever ask for. I love you all!!!!

James got promoted!

Yup, this is Shelly.... I'm going to try again to post something. I just wanted to say how proud I am of James for being promoted to Lt! In the middle of everything going on with me, he managed to pull it together for the interview panel. He was debating whether or not if he should even go... I gave him a gentle shove :-)
James has been my rock, waiting on me hand & foot. It's good that he cannot stay the night with me since I moved to rehab. He needs thbose "sanity" hours! Consider kidnapping him in the evening, make him get out & have fun! I feel horrible that we cannot go celebrate his promotion now. Hopefully, one day in the near future, we will be able to celebrate.

Sheltering Arms Day 1

       May 27th was Shelly's first day of boot camp.  She did not have a great start to the day.  They came and got her at 8:30, told her to get dressed because she was late for breakfast.  Then she was pushed in the wheelchair to the front of the mirror so she could brush her teeth.  The nurse said she would be back in a minute, 45 minutes later a doctor found her.  She fell asleep in the wheelchair.  There were a lot of sessions of physical therapy and speech therapy.  She said she got a 100 percent on everything and they said she was very intelligent.  "LOL boy do I got them fooled"  Shelly can still only swallow a little bit.  It turns out that trying to learn how to walk again is not very fun.  They had her walk down the hallway holding the guardrail. "That was scary"  She can stand if she leans on something.  She was in sessions from 7 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon.
     
      "I get to sit at the special table at lunch"  Mr. Morris and Shelly both sit at the special table in the dining hall because they need supervision.  "It was a shocker the first time she ate there because everybody was at least 70 and I'm the baby.  Its really cool watching people graduate.  They talk about going home and the older men flirt with the nurses"  James came down and they went downstairs and got some blackberries and ate them in the garden.  Shelly has a roommate and she is quite the snore machine.  Although it started out bad, the day got better and she says that she will learn a lot, but has a long road ahead of her.   "I want to thank everybody for the flowers and the cards"  She tried to type all of this up yesterday but after 30 minutes of typing it didn't take so I am trying to recreate it. 


     Shelly is really excited because Molly will be visiting this afternoon.  She will have a lot to update after the visit from her favorite pug.
Update by Matt

All Moved In To Sheltering Arms

The gateway to boot camp

Shelly's Flowers



Shelly's Flowers w/ clocktower



Its going to be very tough for the next week but we all know that Shelly can do it.  She is going to have a set schedule of at least three hours of physical therapy a day.  All her meal times are also set. 

Moving Day

Shelly is moving today to physical therapy.  Its called Sheltered Arms and its one step closer to home.  She is a little worried because we have been told that it isn't a private room.  There is liberal visiting hours, but we probably won't be able to stay overnight.  Some good news is that one of the nurses told us that there is a patio that she can sit and visit with Molly.  Should be there for several weeks.  More updates as they become available.


Matt

Shelly Tries to Escape

  Shelly still has not spoken to her neurologist yet, but the results of her MRI were posted on the computer and looked stable.  She has been cleared for physical therapy.  The blood doctor came in last night and took blood and it will take two weeks to come back.  The physical therapist came in this morning.  They have been following her case for two days and can't wait for her to come over.  They have her schedule all planned out for her.  Five hours a day of grueling physical and occupational therapy.  She is ready to meet the challenge.  "As long as they got good drugs"  While she is in this room they are coming in a few minutes each day.  This morning they took her in the hallway.  She had an american flag belt on that they used to help stable her while she was walking.  She thought she was going to just walk to the door and when they opened it she says her heart about dropped.  Of course she did great.  She walked about twenty feet and was dog tired when she got back. 




First time in the hallway without being on a gurney





Ready to get back to bed until next time

Update by Matt, photography by James

Busy Morning

  Shelly has been visited by numerous nurses and doctors this morning.  Just when it looks like sleep is possible another one comes on in.  She had another MRI this morning and got back just in time for her breakfast.  In the middle of breakfast a fire alarm went off and asked all visitors and nonessential employees to exit the building.  Josh and I just pretended not to hear it.  We just got the all clear on the fire.  30 seconds later it is going off again.  Waiting for the results of the MRI to determine when Shelly can start her physical therapy.  Another day in the life ...  We will update when we hear any news.


update provided by Matt

Monday May 23rd

Last night was a rough night again. Coughing and lots of hiccups. Just as Shelly was falling asleep at 7am she was brought down for another CAT scan. She said the dye they injected for the scan burned really bad and made her scream. She was then brought back up to the room and received more shots. Shelly was feeling really rough this morning and was dizzy and sick.  As the day went on she started feeling better and is now feeling pretty good.  Shelly received flowers today from the Warren family and Peterson family. She had great company today that lifter her spirits. Her sons Jamie and Joshua, Mother-in-law Barbara and Niece Laura baby sit her while James ran a few errands today. Family friend Karla Gerner stopped by with a huge bag full of goodies. Shelly's doctor wanted her to wear a gauze patch with tape over her right eye to help with the double vision but hurts her face really bad. Her friend Susan stopped by to visit and brought her an eye patch that they both got from a beer festival last year and she said it works perfectly and has no pain with it on.

Shelly and Susan with there eye patches on! The patches say Aargh!

Good Day

Jamie combed the knots out of Shelly's head and he also brought her the next best thing closest to Mollie which is a stuffed animal pug!

Shelly with Jamie and Mollie Jr.

Mac N Cheese

Shelly with a full plate

She is tearing up her lunch.  She said that all of this eating is making her hungry. 

More Good News

  The doctor came in and said that Shelly can be put on a soft diet.  Hopefully solid foods will soon follow.  She looks and feels much better.  We are all very happy.  Wallenberg's Sydrome is what she has been going through as a result of the stroke.  It is a neurological condition caused by a stroke in the vertebal or posterior inferior cerebellar artery of the brain stem.  There is a long recovery timeline, but Shelly says she is going to cut that in half.  The doctor expects Shelly to make a near to full recovery within a year.  She is moving around a lot better which is awesome.

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts.

Finally got some food !!!

Shelly was able to eat some popsicles.  Watch out skittles, your next.

Bye Bye ICU !!!

Excellent news today.  Shelly has moved from ICU back the fourth floor.  She tried to eat an ice chip and was able to swallow.  Then she stepped her game up and ate two popsicles.  "Yee-haw !!! I'm so excited" It is the first thing she has had to eat in three days.  It looks like no feeding tube.  We were able to bring her flowers back into the room.  She is happy about the view and the fact that she has a real bathroom. 

Saturday Updates

                                          Shelly with her new hairstyle

Shelly with all her gizmos overhead

Shelly is very happy because she got a bath and her hair washed.  Nurse Clara gave her the bath early this morning and also put some good smelling lotions on her. She also put pigtails in Shelly's hair.  Last night James got into trouble for walking without shoes from a scary nurse.  Today guess who Shelly's nurse is ... thats right, one and the same.  She is actually a very great nurse but has given me a hard time about being a Cowboys fan.  Shelly is still having trouble swallowing.  They are giving her a Monday deadline before they put in a feeding tube.  We are still very hopeful that she will be able to swallow before it gets to that.  Shelly says she will be eating skittles by Monday.

2nd day of Physical Therapy

  Aunt Shelly is getting ready to start her second day of physical therapy.  It is great to see her moving around a little bit.  She is looking a lot better.   Right now doctors are keeping an eye on her white blood cell count because of a risk for infection.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  We read her your comments from the blog and facebook every day.  We will be posting more pictures shortly.  Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce.  We are all praying that she bounces back soon.  Jamie, Josh and I will continue to keep you posted through facebook and the blog.

Shelly sitting in a recliner now with her son Jamie

Shelly sitting with her pride and joys look at that smile!



Shelly with her sister Stacey and nephew Matt




Shelly with James and her sister Stacey




Shelly with her son Joshua



Friday Update

 

The two pics that Shelly wanted me to take and post. The first is a white board message in her room that I wrote a message on to the ICU team and of course the second is her special loving caring husband James.  I can not say enough about this man.  He truly is one of the finest men that I have known and he LOVES my sister and we love him for loving her and taking such good care of her.  You can not get any better than James Crowder -he is her healing power.
Right now she is sleeping a lot due to the increase of the stronger medication.  Still not able to swallow and she can not feel her left arm and leg and the right side of her face. She will continue to stay in the ICU until she is stable and then return to the PCC unit.
We thank everyone for all the love and support. I do read her all of your comments from her Face Book page and also the post to this blog.  She does enjoy hearing them. If you wish to send her a card - Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center 13710 St. Francis Boulevard Midlothian, VA  23114. At this time she can not have any flowers but when she returns to the PCC unit (hopefully soon) then she will.

Scary night

The stroke team was called in again tonight about an hour and a half ago and she was moved to the icu where she will be for a while so they can keep a closer watch on her.  The doctor told her that people usually have one or two complications with this type of stroke and that she has had everything on the list that could go wrong so all she can do now is get better bc she has had it all.  She is still asking for skittles but she cant have anymore until she can swallow again.

8:30pm Update

Today Shelly is experiencing additional swelling and bad headaches.  The neurologist will be coming back in tonight to discuss the results of her CTA scan that was done today.  It is becoming difficult for her to swallow and speak.  They are working on getting her stable before they can discuss with everyone the plans for her rehab.  James, Jamie, Josh, nephew Matt, and sisters Kim and Stacey continue to stay by her side.  Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.  We are reading to her everyones comments on here as well as facebook so she is aware of what everyone is saying.  Today we painted her toe nails bright pink and orange.  We also put her hair in a pigtail pom-pom. We have posted a picture of her toes, her with her pigtail, and picture of the bell tower at the hospital.  We showed Shelly and got permission to post all the pictures.

Surgery

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 Shelly arrived @ Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center to have a spinal fusion of C5-7. Surgery was successful but complecations quickly arose and Shelly had a medullar brain stem stroke @ 1:00 PM Wednesday, May 18th. James was with her and the stroke team was quickly called. The stroke appears to have affected her right side of her face, arm and leg.  Today it also affected her left arm and leg.  At this time she is not able to stand or walk without full assistance but she is able to eat.  Last night she tasted the rainbow and had a bag of skittles.  The staff @ St. Francis has been spectular!