Tracy had a very
restless night and had a busy day of therapy. She was showered during OT and
held her head up on her own for almost 5 seconds! During PT, Tracy, with help, grabbed onto her bed-rail and held
on, stretching her fingers. Tracy made noises during her morning speech session
and was in her chair for a few hours. Mom and Dad took Tracy outside to enjoy
some sunshine and take a much-needed nap. This afternoon, Tracy looked at pictures
of our dog, Snow, making vocal sounds when asked the name of her dog. Amanda, Cousin Michelle, and Charles are coming
to visit Tracy this weekend!
-------------------------------------
Tracy slept well last
night and didn't keep Dad up too much. She had speech and OT together this
morning and followed many commands, moving her head and initiating movement in
her legs. Tracy had botox injected into her feet/ankles this morning in order
to relax the muscles and keep them limber. During her afternoon session of
speech Tracy gave her speech
therapist "sweet
eyes" and smiled at her when asked. She was propped on the edge of her bed
this afternoon during PT and moved her head and eyes towards a picture of her,
Mamaw, and Nana.
----------------------------------
Tracy slept on and
off last night and had a busy day. Taylor, the Rehab dog came by to see Tracy
during her PT/OT session. Tracy was propped at the edge of her bed by her
Occupational Therapist, Kate and her Physical Therapist, Marlena and looked at
Taylor, tracking him vertically. She also petted Taylor, a black lab, with
help. During speech Tracy attempted to smile, brought her tongue to her lips,
and looked at some pictures.Â
---------------------------------
Tracy and I had a
sleepover and she slept through the night again. She was put in her chair early
and we took her to mass downstairs at NRH. After mass we took her outside for a
bit to bask in the sun. Some ducks came over to quack "hello" to Trace.
:) Dad has been stretching Tracy's legs and Mom gave her a few good neck and
shoulder massages to keep her in tip-top-shape. Technically, Tracy is no longer
in a "coma" since she is now a 3 on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale (on
the cusp of being a 4) and following most commands. You can read about the
Rancho Los Amigos Scale in the Important Links Section.
----------------------------
Tracy had a sleepover
with Mom and Dad last night and slept pretty well. She had a half-day of
therapy today and initiated movement in her legs (but doesn't have enough
strength to move them) during PT. She continues to focus on pictures and vertically
track them. During speech, Tracy followed directions four times, visually
localizing to a picture/person and horizontally tracking them.
---------------------------------
Tracy slept on and
off last night and has had a busy day of therapy. She was up in her chair for a
few hours and went to the therapy room during PT/OT. She was prone on the mat,
stretching her back and neck muscles. She seems to initiate movement in her
legs and she attempted to pick her head up during PT/OT. She was pretty tired after PT/OT and remained
relaxed for her hand massage this afternoon. Dad arrives this evening and we
can't wait to see him!
-----------------------------------------
Uncle Johnny stayed
with Tracy again last night and she rested on and off. Tracy stayed
"awake" throughout her entire OT session and made eye contact with
her OT, Kate. Plus, she has already surpassed her speech therapy goals for the
week! She stayed "awake" (eyes open) and relaxed, made sounds, and
tracked pictures with her eyes more than six times. She was stretched and
ranged during PT and was up in her chair for two hours. Tracy continues to make
sounds and we are hoping she will say that word soon! She is trying so hard! We
were told that Tracy is now a 3 on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale and she is on
the cusp of being a 4. You can read about the Rancho Los Amigos Scale in the
Important Links Section. Dad comes back from Italy Friday and we can't wait to
see him!
--------------------------------------
Uncle Johnny stayed
with Tracy last night and she rested on and off. Tracy had OT bright and early
this morning at 7am! She was stretched and ranged during PT and was up in her
chair for a few hours this afternoon. During speech, she kept her eyes open and
looked at a BIG picture of our dog, Snow, that Grisell made for us. Susan from
Naples, Italy is trying out her magnetic products on Tracy. Hey, we'll try
anything! We were told that Tracy is now a 3 on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale and
she is on the cusp of being a 4. You can read about the Rancho Los Amigos Scale
in the Important Links Section. Uncle Johnny swears that Tracy made "sweet
eyes" at him last night and smiled! We haven't seen that yet, but who
knows!
--------------------------------------
Uncle Johnny stayed
with Tracy last night and she rested well. In the last week, she has started to
have an evident "sleep/wake" cycle. She has always had a cycle, but
now she is finally sleeping at night and technically "up" during the
day. Tracy is following commands more during her therapy sessions and she was
"awake" (eyes open) and relaxed during speech today. She tracked
pictures and her therapist is trying "yes and no" cards to see if we
can get Tracy to communicate with us by using eye movements. Tracy was in her
chair this afternoon and had PT in the Rehab Room. She was "proned"
on the mat to stretch her back muscles, however, she did not enjoy this
activity. Our friend Susan from Italy is visiting until Friday and Charles has
to leave tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------
Tracy slept well last
night with cousin Phyllis and has had a nice Easter Sunday. We took her to Mass
today at NRH and she remained relaxed with her eyes open throughout the service.
Sunday's her day off from therapy so Phyllis and Mom ranged her legs and
stretched her feet. Tracy was up in her chair for almost 4 hours! We took her
outside to enjoy some sunshine and catch some rays. Uncle Johnny and our friend
Susan arrive this evening. Mother Teresa's Sisters brought Tracy an Easter
present and Father Jim Brown brought us a great Easter basket! Mrs. Annie
Vaccaro made us some delicious Italian cookies! YumYum! Plus, the Knapp Family
sent each of us an Easter goodie along with some very inspirational Inner Peace
Cards. Thanks! Charles is here for the fourth weekend in a row and brought Mom
and I beautiful Easter baskets full of goodies.
-----------------------------------
Tracy slept well last
night with cousin Phyllis and has had a very productive day. She had her best
speech session ever! She looked at pictures, tracked them, and remained calm
with her eyes open. Trace's Gonzaga-in-Florence friend, Nick helped out with
her speech session and gave Tracy his "traveling hat," that was with
him everywhere he traveled in Europe during their year abroad. She was up in her chair for a few hours and
was ranged and stretched during PT and OT. Our friend, Grisell stopped by and
brought Tracy a cute teddy bear and matching pillow! Uncle Johnny gets here
Sunday from Florida and our friend Susan arrives Sunday from Italy.
-------------------------------
Tracy was pretty
active through the night and most of today. She made some noises for her speech
therapist and looked at some pictures, tracking them in different
directions. She definitely has been
moving her mouth more and we are hoping that she will say that word soon! She
was ranged during PT and OT to stretch her muscles and keep them in
tip-top-shape. Trace was up in her chair for about an hour and enjoyed a visit
from her Gonzaga-in-Florence friend, Nick. Cousin Phyllis is here and will be
staying with Tracy tonight. Uncle Johnny gets here Sunday from FL and our
friend Susan arrives Sunday from Italy.
--------------------------------
Tracy rested most of
the night, but has been pretty unhappy today. During PT, Tracy went downstairs
to see a beautiful fish tank and ran into the Rehab dog, Taylor. She was up in
her chair for a few hours and looked at pictures during speech. She tracked the
pictures up and down. Also, the band Sister Hazel, from Gainesville, FL signed
a poster for Tracy! Pretty cool! We are expecting many visitors this coming
week. Cousin Phyllis arrives tonight from TX, Tracy's friend Nick is flying in from
Italy tomorrow, Uncle Johnny gets here Sunday from FL and our friend Susan arrives
Sunday from Italy.
------------------------------------------
Tracy had a very
restful night and was extremely relaxed for her shower today. She looked at some pictures and tracked them
during her speech session. Tracy was stretched and ranged during PT and
initiated some movement. She was in her chair for three hours and we took her
to the Washington Hospital Center to have an oral surgery consultation.
Everything is fine in that department! We are expecting many visitors this
coming week. Cousin Phyllis arrives on Thursday from TX, Uncle Johnny gets here
Sunday from FL and our friend Susan arrives Sunday from Italy.
----------------------------------
Tracy had a restless
night, but has seemed more "alert" today. She was in her chair for two hours and had her OT session out in
the atrium. Everyone keeps saying that she looks "different" today
and "so good." When Tracy's doctor came in to see her this afternoon
he asked her to "say hi" and she responded back with noises. She did
this repeatedly. She is so close to talking to us! We are expecting many visitors this coming week. Cousin Phyllis
arrives on Thursday from TX, Uncle Johnny gets here Sunday from FL and our
friend Susan arrives Sunday from Italy.
---------------------------------------
Tracy had a restless
night with Mom (maybe she could sense that Dad left), but she has been pretty
relaxed today. Hopefully she will rest for me tonight! She was ranged during PT
and OT and unfortunately slept through her speech sessions. We are expecting
many visitors this coming week. Cousin Phyllis arrives on Thursday from TX,
Uncle Johnny gets here Sunday from FL and our friend Susan arrives Sunday from
Italy.
-------------------------------
Tracy was restless
last night, but has begun to calm down today. We took her to Palm Sunday Mass
here at NRH and she remained calm during the service. Sunday's are her day of
rest and Tracy's therapy resumes tomorrow. She was up in her chair for about 2
hours and we were able to take her outside for a few minutes. While we were
outside, Tracy met a cute puppy, Cleo, who belongs to the young man in the room
next door. Dad leaves today for Italy and will return in two weeks. We are
looking forward to having many visitors during his leave. Cousin Phyllis
arrives on Thursday and we can't wait to see her!
-----------------------------------
Tracy rested last
night and has been pretty calm today. She seems more "alert" and has
been making some noises. She had a half-day of therapy since it is Saturday and
was stretched during PT. She was in her chair for a few hours and we were able to
wash her hair. During her speech session, Tracy looked at some pictures and
stuck her tongue out towards a lollypop! Our girl has to be hungry and we know
she's aching for some vino roso! Dad leaves Sunday for Italy for his Change of Command.
We are looking forward to having many visitors during his leave.
---------------------------------
Trace rested on and
off last night and has been very relaxed today. During OT, she was stretched
and ranged. Tracy's OT used some new "yoga" stretches on her. She was
not very alert during speech, but she did open her eyes a few times to look at
some pictures. Tracy was placed in a seating device that gets her in a standing
position. She did really well and was almost standing up straight. Please keep
in mind that this is a machine that she is strapped in. The machine and her therapist
stand her up, Tracy cannot stand on her own. Dad leaves Sunday for Italy for
his Change of Command. We are looking forward to having many visitors during
his leave.
---------------------------------------
Tracy rested most of
the night, but has been pretty agitated today. She continues to do well with
her trach out! Tracy was in her chair for about 2 hours and had her
Occupational Therapy/Speech Therapy session in the rehab room. During her OT/ST
session, Tracy tracked a picture and turned her head slightly towards it. She
continues to make noises, however, no words yet! Tracy was stretched and ranged
during her PT sessions. Tomorrow marks twelve weeks since Tracy's accident.
Tracy has had an
extremely busy day! Her trach was taken out this morning! That means that she
is completely breathing on her own, through her nose and mouth, 100%! No more holes
in our girl's throat! Incredible! Tracy made some noises and made eye contact
during her speech sessions today. She was in her chair for over 3 hours and
went out to the atrium to the rehab mats to get stretched during PT and OT.
Thank you for continuing to support and pray for Tracy. Keep those prayers coming!
Mrs. Landry stopped by and brought Tracy some darling PJ's and a beautiful
plant! Thanks!
----------------------------
Tracy's trach has
been plugged for over a week straight. That progress and the combination of
tackling her stomach problems by putting in a new and different feeding tube
made her doctors' decide to take her trach out tomorrow!!! This is huge! It
means that Tracy can completely breathe on her own. In addition, Tracy rested
well last night and has had a pretty sleepy day. She was up in her chair for
over two hours and had her eyes open a little for her speech therapist. Tracy's
muscles were stretched during PT and OT to keep them in tip-top-shape. She
received a darling "Angel Bear" today from the Weiss family, some
Easter Bunnies from Cousins Chip and Eileen, along with many cards from all of
you.
-------------------------
Tracy was pretty
restless last night and this morning. She only had PT today and we were told
that she initiated movement in her legs! Tracy had a stomach procedure at the
Washington Hospital Center. They put in a new feeding tube along with the old
one in hopes that she will stop having reflux. She is now back at NRH and doing
well. This should speed up the process of taking her trach out. She continues
to be plugged 24/7 and is doing really well with it. Tomorrow she will have a
normal day of therapy.
---------------------------
Tracy rested last
night. She has been very relaxed today and we were able to bring her to Mass
again. She seems to enjoy Mass and was making noises during it. Maybe she was
trying to sing along? Sunday is her much needed day of rest and her therapy
will continue tomorrow. Tomorrow, Tracy is having a procedure done at the
Washington Hospital Center to change the type of feeding tube she has to a
J-tube. Hopefully, the new tube will speed up her recovery and allow us to take
her trach out sooner than later. Her trach continues to be plugged 24/7. Mother
Teresa's Sisters came by again today and told us that the Relic that Tracy had
of Mother Teresa (you can read more about this in the News Section) was sent
back to Rome for Mother Teresa's beatification. Tracy was the last person to
wear the Relic!
------------------------------
Tracy had another
active night but settled down around 5am this morning and has been peaceful
since then. She continues to show signs
of being in touch with the outside world.Â
Deb asked her to turn her head and look at her. Tracy did it. These baby steps are very important and hopefully, Tracy will
start communicating with us soon. Her tracheotomy
continues to be plugged around the clock and as she becomes more aware of her
environment, we will be able to remove it.
-------------------------------
Tracy didn't get much
rest last night and has been agitated off and on today. She had another shower
this morning during Occupational Therapy and seemed to enjoy it. Cousin
Elizabeth's Cheerleading Mix couldn't even get Tracy to open her eyes for her
Speech Therapist this morning! She was really out, but started to become vocal
and agitated this afternoon. Tracy's trach is plugged 24/7 now!! She is doing
so awesome! She was in her chair for a few hours this afternoon and was slightly
more vocal during her speech session. Please continue to keep Tracy in your
prayers along with the men and women in our military.
-----------------------------
Tracy rested well
last night and has been pretty relaxed today. During PT, Tracy's therapists sat
her at the edge of her bed to stretch her limbs and to get her off her back
awhile. She was put in her chair and we were able to take her outside during
her OT session. Tracy loved it and was soaking up the rays. It's ONLY 80
degrees here! Thank goodness! She was outside for about 45 minutes. Her trach is
being plugged around the clock now! 24 hours a day! Pretty amazing.
---------------------------------------
Tracy had a very
restless night. She had a high fever, sweats, and was pretty unhappy. She has
calmed down a bit and went for chest x-rays this morning, because she got a
little dehydrated last night. Thankfully, the x-rays and lab work came back normal.
During PT and OT she had her legs and arms stretched and ranged. Her trach is
being plugged for 24 hours!Â
--------------------------------------------
Tracy has been pretty relaxed today and her trach will be plugged for a full 24 hours! She was up in her chair this morning and was pretty sleepy during her speech therapy. She was stretched and ranged during her PT and OT sessions and she's been chilling in some new pj's. Please continue to pray for Tracy! You are more than welcome to pass along her website to everyone you know! She received 3 tapes full of messages from her friends in Florence, Italy and we can't wait to play them for her! Thanks! Two of Tracy's hospitals have been on CNN this past week, Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany and Bethesda (National Naval Medical Center) in Maryland. Nice to know our Troops are in good hands!