Tracy had a gret day
at outpatient therapy Friday. During OT, Tracy received a surprise visit from
Taylor, the therapy dog and her longtime buddy. Since it was Halloween, Taylor
was dressed up as a pirate. Tracy was very happy to see him. Tracy continues to
work very hard during her therapy sessions. Dave her PT (a Hokie), and Julie
her ST, are working together to utilize the NDT approach. This is a neuro-
developmental training approach which aims to reintegrate Tracy's neuromotor
pathways through various combined movements. Saturday, Dad and Mom took Tracy
for a walk around Crystal City to enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. They found
the bicycle path that goes all the way to Mt Vernon. This afternoon, Tracy ate
3 ozs of coffee yogurt. She is getting better at eating from a spoon. This
evening, they are planning on watching the U of Miami Hurricanes vs. Virginia
Tech Hokies. Cousins Dawn, Guy and Sophia sent Tracy some adorable Fall cards
that Dawn's bible study class made. Thank you! Aunt Diane left Friday for Boca
Raton. We REALLY miss her!
Thursday, October
30th, 2003
Mom, Tiffany, and
Aunt Diane took Tracy to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum today. It was a
beautiful Fall day in DC and we all took a walk on the National Mall, taking in
all of the beautiful sights. The leaves were aglow with beautiful reds, golds
and burnt oranges! From downtown, we headed on the George Washington Parkway to
Tysons Corner to do a little shopping at Lord and Taylor. Hey, it was girls day
out and what's a field trip without a little shopping! Tiff did the driving and
let me tell you, the girl knows her way around the city! This evening, Tracy
enjoyed a massage from her massage therapist, Emil. Our friend, the infamous
Betty from Bella Napoli visited and brought Tracy a perfumed teddy bear from
Paris! We all relaxed and enjoyed the delicious soup that our friend Liz made.
It was wonderful! Aunt Diane is enjoying her visit and leaves tomorrow for
Florida. We will miss her! Cousins Dawn and Sophia sent Tracy some adorable
Fall cards that her bible study class made for Tracy. Thank you!
Wednesday, October
29th, 2003 ~
Mom, Dad, Aunt Diane,
and our friend Liz took Tracy to National Naval Medical Center to see the
neurologist and physical medicine rehab specialist. Then they went to the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and had lunch there at the cafe.
Tracy also had therapy today at NRH. She did not have OT, but she had PT and
Speech. They worked on head control and helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the
mat. Dave worked on trunk control with Tracy and her therapists said she
maintained good eye contact throughout the session. The wheelchair guy also
checked out Tracy's chair to make sure she is comfortable in it. Tomorrow we
are planning on taking Tracy to the Air and Space Museum. We'll let you know
how that goes! Aunt Diane is visiting from FL and she leaves Friday.
Tuesday, October
28th, 2003 ~
Tracy did not have
therapy today at NRH but our dear friends Debbie and Marty came to visit for
the day. Both Debbie and Marty are speech therapists and visited Tracy a few
months ago. Debbie flew in for the day from Florida and brought Tracy snuggley
goodies, such as socks and a blanket. Marty flew in from NYC. They worked with
Tracy all day and were very pleased. They observed Tracy's mouth movements
while she drank some yogurt smoothie and tried to get her to vocalize. Tracy
mouthed "yes" again and made some "ma" sounds. While Mom
was feeding Tracy some yogurt smoothie Tracy opened her mouth wide and said
"no more!" (At least that's what Marty thought!) We took Tracy
downstairs to Au Bon Pain and got her a hot chocolate with whipped cream. We
also took a walk around Crystal City and tried out the handicap elevator in our
apartment building. Aunt Diane is visiting from FL.
Monday, October
27th, 2003 ~
Tracy slept well last
night. Our friend Gloria accompanied Mom and Trace to NRH. Tracy had OT with
Kim and did really well! Kim stretched her arms and helped Tracy sit up on the
edge of the mat in order for her to practice on holding her head up. She also
laid Tracy down and asked her to turn her head to the right, left, and center.
She did a great job! She had PT and Speech together with Dave and Julie. They worked
her out! Dave and Julie had Tracy try to vocalize "yes" and
"no" and she mouthed both! They also had her work on hitting a switch
with her head. The switch turns a radio on and off. Tracy also was nodding with
her head to indicate "yes" and "no." They asked her if she
wanted to listen to some music! Aunt Diane arrived today from Florida!
Sat, October 25
and Sun, October 26th, 2003 ~ Happy B'day Aunt Candy
Saturday, Tracy hung
out with Dad and Charles for the day while Mom went to a Brain Injury Conference
at George Mason. Charles and Dad brought Tracy to the conference later in the
afternoon. They met many survivors and family members and learned alot.
Saturday evening, Emil came over and massaged Tracy's muscles. Also, our
friends Dwight and Faith came by to watch the LSU vs. Auburn game. Go Tigers!
Tracy is pretty sleepy today and needs a day of relaxation. Mom and Dad
showered Tracy and she has been relaxing in her chair all morning. They plan on
stretching and ranging her while she lays on the therapy mat in our living
room. Charles is heading back to VA Beach this afternoon and Aunt Diane comes
tomorrow from Florida. We can't wait to see her!
Friday, October
24th, 2003 ~
Tracy slept well
except for the occasional jack-hammering that lasted until 3am here in our
building. Not fun! Mom and Roxanne got Tracy ready for therapy at NRH and Liz
accompanied us. Tracy had OT at 2pm with Kim and she worked on following
commands. She was asked to move her head to the left, right, and then back to
the middle and she did it, but slowly. During PT, Dave helped Tracy sit at the
edge of the mat and he did various exercises with her. He had her in various
different positions on the mat in order to see if her muscles would react. She
did a great job and is a real trooper! We also went up to the third floor to
see all of our friends at NRH. Charles is visiting again this weekend. Aunt
Diane comes Monday from Florida and we can't wait to see her! Sunday, we took
Tracy to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Mass. The Mass
was said for the Blessed Mother Teresa who was beatified today in Rome. Dad and
Tracy had their picture taken by an AP reporter. I recently found the picture
and a caption at The Nando Times website. You can also view the picture located
at my AOL Journal.
Thursday, October
23rd, 2003 ~
Tracy did not have
therapy at NRH today but will have it again tomorrow. Our friend Faith stopped
by today. She helped with Tracy and kept us company. Tracy has been ptretty
sleepy today and she slept on and off last night. Roxanne and Mom showered
Tracy this morning and her hair looks so pretty! Mom and Roxanne stretched
Tracy a bit this morning and Tracy has been in her wheelchair most of the day.
Yesterday I found a super soft, black jumpsuit for Tracy at Victoria's Secret.
It's a gift from Nana in Florida. Tomorrow, our friend Liz is planning on
helping us get Tracy to therapy. Aunt Diane comes Monday from Florida and we
can't wait to see her! Sunday, we took Tracy to the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception for Mass. The Mass was said for the Blessed Mother Teresa who was
beatified today in Rome. Dad and Tracy had their picture taken by an AP
reporter.
Wednesday, October
22nd, 2003 ~ Happy Birthday Mamaw!
Tracy slept pretty
well last night and had therapy today at NRH. Our friend Liz helped Mom bring
Tracy to NRH today and kept her company. Tracy had OT with Kim at 2pm and she
had Speech and PT together at 4pm. During OT Tracy sat on the edge of the mat
and leaned her arms on a table with help. Kim had her work on keeping her head
up for five seconds at a time. During PT and Speech, Dave worked with Tracy on
a mat and tried to get her to initiate holding her head up. He wrapped her in a
sheet again and worked on rolling her from side to side, allowing her to
initiate movement in her muscles. While Dave helped Tracy sit up on the edge of
the mat, Jan, Tracy's speech therapist, coached Tracy to try to pick her head
up and relax her muscles. Sunday, we took Tracy to the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception for Mass. The Mass was said for the Blessed Mother Teresa
who was beatified today in Rome. Dad and Tracy had their picture taken by an AP
reporter. I recently found the picture and a caption at The Nando Times website.
Tuesday, October
21st, 2003 ~
Tracy was pretty
restless last night and thus has been extremely sleepy today. Mom and Roxanne
got Tracy in the shower and she has been sleeping in her wheelchair. This
afternoon, Mom stretched Tracy's legs while she laid on her therapy mat in our
living room. Tracy also had a few ounces of coffee yogurt. She has another full
day of out-patient therapy tomorrow at NRH. Mamaw went home to Louisiana this
afternoon and we miss her already! She was kind enough to cook us our favorite
foods while she was here and made our new home feel more like "home."
Tracy even had a tiny taste of Mamaw's famous gravy. Sunday, we took Tracy to
the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Mass. The Mass was said
for the Blessed Mother Teresa who was beatified today in Rome. Dad and Tracy
had their picture taken by an AP reporter. You can view the picture located at
my AOL Journal.
Monday, October
20th, 2003 ~
Tracy got some much
needed rest last night. Mom and Roxanne got Tracy ready for her first day of
out-patient therapy at NRH. She practically slept through speech even though
she had half of her session outside. During OT, Tracy sat in her wheelchair in
front of a mirror and her new OT, Kim, helped Tracy put lipgloss on her lips.
Kim also stretched Tracy's arms. During PT, Dave worked with Tracy in a mock
bedroom in Independence Square. He wrapped her in a sheet again and had her try
to roll left and right. He helped her alot but wanted her to work on her head
control. He also sat her up on the edge of the bed and stretched her legs.
Tracy held her head up while sitting on the edge of the bed for over thirty
seconds. That's the longest she has held it up in awhile. Father Brown came
over this evening and had dinner with us. Yesterday, we took Tracy to the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Mass. The Mass was said for
the Blessed Mother Teresa who was beatified today in Rome. Dad and Tracy had
their picture taken by an AP reporter. You can view the picture located at my
AOL Journal. Mamaw leaves tomorrow.
Saturday, October
18th and Sunday, October 19th, 2003 ~ Happy B'day Eileen
Tracy has been
sleeping really well at home and we are enjoying Mamaw's visit. Yesterday,
Tracy watched Miami play football and hung out in the living room with
everyone. Mamaw made some jumbalaya and our friends the Merchant's came over
for dinner. We watched LSU kick USC's butt! This morning we took Tracy to the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Mass. The Mass was said for the
Blessed Mother Teresa who was beatified today in Rome. Tracy did so well during
Mass and saw all of the Sister's from Mother Teresa's Order. Mom, Dad, Mamaw
and Tracy had their picture taken by an AP reporter and a reporter from the
Washington Times. Please let us know if you see their picture! Mamaw leaves
Tuesday and Charles is leaving this evening. Tracy starts her out-patient
therapy schedule at NRH on Monday.
Thursday, October
16th and Friday, October 17th ~ 9 Months
I apologize for not
updating the website the past couple of days. We have been in the process of
getting a cable connection at our new apt. Thank you for your patience! Tracy
slept wonderfully the past two nights and we are so excited that Mamaw is here!
Yesterday Tracy hung out with Mamaw and our friend Gloria stopped by to visit.
She also brought us a delicious dinner! Thank you! Tracy watched some of the
Yankees vs. Redsox game and was outfitted in her Redsox gear. Good game, but
bad outcome! Mom and Dad continue to stretch Tracy's legs and arms on our
therapy mat. This morning Roxanne and Mom showered Tracy and got her ready for
her trip to National Naval Medical Center. Mom and Dad took Tracy to National
Naval Medical Center for a doctor's appointment and she also had her yearly flu
shots. This afternoon Emil came by and gave Tracy a much needed massage here at
the house. Mamaw is here until Tuesday and Charles will be arriving this
evening! Tracy starts her out-patient therapy schedule at NRH on Monday.
Wednesday, October
15th, 2003 ~ 9 Months
Tracy slept much
better last night, but still had problems keeping her food down this morning.
Mom and our nurse's aide got Tracy ready for her big trip to NRH. Mom and I
took Tracy to NRH for her out-patient evaluation and tested out the new van.
Tracy had PT first with Dave. Dave didn't hold back and did a lot of exercises
with Tracy to see how she moves. He had Tracy in a sheet (like a cocoon) and
helped her turn onto either side. He also had her try to sit up by using her
neck and stomach muscles. He did alot of the work, but said that she was
initiating movement and he was very positive. Tracy will meet with Dave three
times a week starting on Monday. She was also evaluated by her new OT, Melissa
and then had speech with Jan. During speech Tracy worked on hitting a switch
with her head. The switch turned a radio on and off. Hopefully Tracy can learn
to use the switch to not only listen to the radio, but to communicate with us
as well. Mamaw comes tomorrow!
Tuesday, October
14th, 2003 ~
Tracy didn't sleep
that well last night so she ended up sleeping most of today. Roxanne, our
nursing aide came by early this morning to help with Trace. She and Mom got
Trace in the shower and had her up in her chair bright and early. We let Tracy
rest most of the day since her tummy seemed to be bothering her. Tomorrow we
will take Tracy to NRH in our new Ford Windstar. She will be evaluated by the
out-patient therapists. Mom stretched and massaged Tracy's legs and arms this
afternoon and worked with Tracy to get her to vocalize. Mom asked Tracy
"do you love me" and Tracy responded with "yes"! Hopefully
these random words won't be so few and far between. Charles went back to Va
Beach this morning and Mamaw comes on Thursday. We can't wait to see her!
Monday, October
13th, 2003 ~ Columbus Day
Tracy slept really
well at home last night and our nursing aide came by early this morning to help
with Trace. She is going to come four hours a day to help us with Tracy. Mom
fed Trace some protein shake and this evening she had some pureed buttered
noodles with a few sips of water. Dad stretched and ranged Tracy's legs on her
therapy mat while we watched the Yankees vs. Redsox game tonight. GO REDSOX!
Charles is visiting and cooked us dinner again tonight. He goes back to VA
Beach tomorrow. Please note that Tracy's address has changed!
Saturday Oct 11th
and Sunday Oct 12th, 2003 ~ First Weekend Home
Friday, Tracy was
discharged from NRH after almost 9 months! We have had a very exhausting
weekend at home trying to figure out a schedule for Tracy, while continuing to
move into our apartment. Tracy watched the Miami Hurricanes cream FSU on Sat.
Charles cooked us dinner last night and Tracy joined us in her wheelchair. Mom
fed Trace some yogurt and some protein shake. Dad stretched and ranged Tracy's
legs and arms this weekend. Also, I would like to ask our DC friends for some
help: If anyone has some spare time and would like to either stay with Tracy a
few hours, take my Mom on a sanity shopping spree, or cook us a few meals, it
would be grealy appreciated! It's really tough trying to take care of Tracy
while maintaing some sort of normalcy. I'm sure it will get easier as time goes
by once we have a routine.
Friday, October
10th, 2003 ~ Over 8 Months at NRH
Today Tracy reached
another milestone in her recovery process! She was discharged from NRH, and we
took her home to our new apartment in Crystal City. We would like to thank all
of the wonderful nurses, doctors, therapists and staff at NRH who became our
extended family and friends. They all took wonderful care of Tracy and they are
the reason why she is here today. Thank you to Kate and Marlena for the cute
mittens and hat, candle, and hair accessories. Thanks also to our friends at
Washington 104 radio station for the beautiful flowers. Thanks Allison and
Debbie Rand for the beautiful plant and balloons. We look forward to your
visit. Charles comes tomorrow from Norfolk. Tracy will start outpatient therapy
next week at NRH.
Thursday, October
9th, 2003 ~
We took Tracy home
from NRH on an overnight pass, and she spent the night in her own room. She had
a great night sleep. It was so wonderful to have her home with us once again.
We were able to try out her new wheel chair and also tried out the new minivan.
Everything went very smoothly. We got back to NRH around noon, just in time for
Speech. Tracy ate about 10 to 12 bites of her pureed chicken and even ate some
pureed collard greens! She drank 4 ozs of apple juice to wash it all down.
During PT, Jana ranged Tracy's lower extremities and Jessica positioned Tracy
on the side of the bed. Tomorrow, Tracy will be discharged from NRH after a
little over 8 months! We are going to miss all of the great staff, especially
Kate, Marlena, and Jen,her primary therapists! Tracy will start outpatient
therapy next week!
Wednesday, October
8th, 2003 ~
Tiffany stayed with
Tracy last night and they both slept well. Tracy feels a lot better today, and
has managed to keep her feedings down. We think she might have a head cold. Her
new wheel chair arrived today, and Katie and Marlena fitted Tracy in her chair.
Jana stretched and ranged Tracy's lower extremities and Adrienne massaged and
ranged her hands. During Speech, Tracy drank 4 ozs of a vanilla protein shake.
This evening, we are taking Tracy home for an overnight trial before she is
discharged from NRH on Friday. It will be great to have her home with us and to
all sleep in our own home again! Please continue to pray for Tracy. She needs
your support more than ever as she transitions from the hospital to out patient
therapy.
Tuesday, October
7th, 2003 ~
Mom stayed with Tracy
again last night and they both slept well. Tracy has not felt well today. She
hasn't been able to keep down her tube feedings. During OT, Katie stretched
Tracy's shoulders, arms and hands. Tracy did not feel like eating much of her
pureed tray today. Jana stretched and ranged Tracy's lower extremities and
Adrienne massaged and ranged her hands. During PT, Marlena stretched Tracy's
hips, legs, and feet again! The apartment is looking more like home each day.
If Tracy feels better in the morning, we will bring home on Wednesday on an
overnight pass as planned. We are planning on taking her home on Friday. It
will be great to have her home with us and to all sleep in our own home again!
Spoto spent the day with Tracy again and left this evening. We miss her
already! Please continue to pray for Tracy. She needs your support more than
ever as she transitions from the hospital to out patient therapy.
Monday, October 6,
2003 ~
Mom stayed with Tracy
last night and they both slept well. Tracy has been pretty sleepy again today!
We think it is her medication and her team is looking at making some
adjustments. During OT, Katie stretched Tracy's shoulders, arms and hands.
Tracy had about 2 1/2 ozs of chocolate protein shake and 2 ozs of peach yogurt
during Speech. Jana stretched and ranged Tracy's lower extremities and Adrienne
massaged and ranged her hands. During PT, Marlena stretched Tracy's hips, legs,
and feet again! We are getting the apartment set up to bring Tracy home on
Wednesday on an overnight pass to prepare for her discharge from NRH on Friday.
It will be great to have her home with us and to all sleep in our own home
again!
Sunday, October 5,
2003 ~
Uncle Johnny stayed with Tracy again last night and they both got a good night's sleep. Tracy's shoulders, arms and hands were stretched during OT by Sharon. During PT, Jana stretched and ranged Tracy's hips, legs and feet. The medicine she is taking for muscle spasms has really helped to improve her range of motion. Marlena positioned Tracy prone (on her stomach) and stretched Tracy's hips, back and legs. During Speech, Tracy had a small amount of pureed sweet potatoes and peas and a little broccoli soup. Emil gave Tracy her weekly massage which she enjoyed a lot.
Uncle Johnny stayed with Tracy again last night. Tracy did not sleep well. We think she may have gotten a little dehydrated, so today Mom made sure that she got plenty of water through her G-tube. Tracy was pretty sleepy through most of her therapy. Kate stretched her shoulders and arms during OT. During PT, Marlena and Jana stretched and ranged Tracy's lower extremities. Tracy was pretty sleepy during Speech and didn't eat any of her pureed turkey,sweet potatoes, and
Uncle Johnny stayed with Tracy last night and she slept very well. During OT, Kate helped Tracy practice brushing her teeth and also put her lip gloss on. Again, it took her awhile, but she is getting better at it each day! During PT, Marlena and Uncle Johnny positioned Tracy on her knees using a large square bolster. Tracy was able to put weight through her legs and also put weight through her arms and shoulders. Tracy was stretched and ranged by Jana, and Adrienne massaged her hands. During Speech, Tracy had some chocolate pudding and also several ozs of peach yogurt smoothie. Dad, Tiffany and Mo spent the day (and night) moving into the apartment. Spoto comes Friday!