One last surgery

Hi Everyone. It seems like it's an appropriate time to blog again, if only for a little while.

The last few months, Mom has been recovering quite well, but, alas, there is one more surgery before she can continue her recovery. Tomorrow morning, Mom will have a full shoulder replacement of her left shoulder. The shoulder had been fractured in the wreck, but the fracture wasn't discovered until a couple months after. At that point, doctors thought it was healing well on its own, however, grueling PT and subsequent scans revealed that the shoulder is pretty much... well, f*cked. Sorry, but it is.

I am in town for a week to help mom out during/post surgery. We will be at the hospital (Bone & Joint in OKC) bright and early tomorrow - admitting at 7:00, surgery at 9:00AM.

I'll be sure to update the blog when Mom gets out of surgery. It's just the easiest and most efficient way of letting everyone know what's going on. Geoff isn't here this time to help make all the calls... and for good reason - he and Heather are expecting their first child 8/17! So, Mom has lots to look forward to and needs a new shoulder so she can play with her new little grand baby. :)

Please keep us in your thoughts, prayers, send positive energy, healing light or whatever works for you. We're all anxious. It's not fun to relive what happened last September, but we are also very ready to have the surgeries be a thing of the past, so Mom can move forward in her recovery.

Much love and appreciation.

jennifer

Brief Update

Hi everyone. I just wanted to send a little update. Clearly, we aren't updating as often anymore. I guess since Mom is home and able to respond to phone calls and e-mails, as well as to have visitors, there hasn't been as much of a need for the blog. So, if you'd like to find out what's going on with Mom, shoot her an e-mail at sherylwow3@aol.com or give her a call.

Mom is still in OT/PT two times per week and is continuing to make progress, although she still has quite a bit of work ahead of her before she's completely mobile.

We are still waiting for the preliminary hearing to be set for the woman who hit us. The date should be set at the end of March.

Thanks to all of you for following the blog. We'll post updates as we have them.

love,
jennifer

from Sheryl:

Hello from the "recovery base." I'd love to hear from friends/family now that I'm more able to answer.

Times are slowly getting better and I'm excited about fun times after this recovery. Jennifer has been an angel helping me thru a very challenging time.

Good wishes, safe travel to all.

Sheryl

Moving into the New Year

Happy New Year! I, for one, was thrilled to see 2008 come to a close!

Just a little update to let you know how everything is going...

Mom has been home since 12/23. I was in OK helping until last Friday, when I returned to Indianapolis. I'll be going back to OK 1/10 - 1/17 for another stretch.

In the meantime, mom has caregivers coming to help her with things that she can't do on her own... some meal preparation, light house-keeping, etc. She is getting stronger and stronger all the time, becoming much less dependent on the wheelchair (aka "Breezy"), using the walker instead. Soon, mom's doctors should upgrade her to outpatient status (now she's on home-health), which will allow her more freedom to go out to eat, to a movie, etc. Currently, she is still receiving PT and OT in her home a few times per week.

Mom is happy to be home with Thatcher and her birds, Perula and Romeo. She loves having visitors, so give her a call if you'd like to stop by sometime.

Here's to a much better, healthy and happy 2009!

love,
jennifer

Post-Christmas Report from Sheryl

Christmas was special by my return home to enjoy family and friends after my hospital stay. Had one of my life-long friends, Linda, here for a couple days visit and Jennifer & Kuba for Christmas. Despite the past months of hospital stays, I feel refreshed being home and among family and friends again in a normal setting.

My boxer, Thatcher, is beside himself with my being home. He shadows me 24/7! Jennifer is extending her stay to help me for a few extra days, thank goodness. On Wednesday, however, I'll have my box of kleenex handy as she has to go back home to catch up for about a week. (Therefore, drop-ins welcome!) Geoff & Heather will be here on the 16th for 3 days, which will be great.

Look forward to catching up/reconnecting with those who have shown such support. I am having PT/OT in my home several times a week in effort to fully recover in a hopefully short stint of time.

Feel free to give me a call at my house, 405-285-5558, to catch up.

Sheryl

Home for the Holidays

Hi Everyone. Mom will be discharged from Mercy rehab tomorrow, heading home. The doctor thinks she'll be on "home health" for about 4 weeks before she'll start on outpatient therapy. I think home health sounds like house-arrest... she won't be able to leave the house except to go to church, the doctor or to get her hair done. House-arrest without the ankle bracelet! While mom has home health, she'll have OT and PT 2 - 3 times each in her home each week.

Since she'll be home-bound, I'm sure she'll be happy to see visitors! I'll be here until Sunday, 12/28, when I head back to Indy. Christmas Day will be a bit sparse for mom, since I spend that day at my dad's, so, if any of you are out and about, give mom a ring and stop by. There's plenty of home-made egg nog at her house, ready to be consumed!

I will, most likely, come back to OK again in a couple of weeks to help out one more time before mom is completely on her own.

Happy Holidays.

love,
jennifer

Going Home Soon

Hi Everyone. Mom's medical/therapy team had their meeting this morning, and it looks like mom will be going home on Tuesday! She will need to modify a few things in her house and will use a walker and wheelchair to get around until she is stable on her feet. Once home, she'll have home health-care checking in on her several times a day and doing her PT/OT at her house with her. After she is adjusted to home and is moving around more easily, she will begin out-patient therapy, which she will need for a couple more months. I will be in OK until 12/28, so I'll help her until then.

She saw an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Hale, today. He is looking at her left shoulder to see what they can do to increase her range of motion. He's asking PT to get more aggressive with their therapy, but might do another x-ray to check things out. He's also going to x-ray both feet to see if they can get mom into some more comfortable, less obstructive, foot supports. The boots she is wearing now are quite heavy and cumbersome, and the bottoms are angled, much like she's walking on little hooves. They'll also be fitting her with a new wrist brace for her right hand before she heads home, so that she'll be better able to use her hand. Then, time will tell if the radial nerve, which was damaged when the humerus fractured, will heal itself.

Today, they will move mom into an apartment on this floor, so that she can see what's it like to go back home. The room has a regular bed, couch, and a kitchenette with a fridge and microwave. She's excited to have a bigger room with more windows at least!

That's it for now.

love,
jennifer