Day 66 - Saturday February 18, 2019

Special note:  I sometimes forget to explain some things, because we are close to the issue....if you see Bridgett and she calls you by the wrong name or title (aunt, grandma etc.) don't be upset or worried.  Even when she was in the rehab she was sometimes calling me her grandma or sister instead of her mom and she knows exactly who I am.  She occasionally calls her sisters by another sisters name (we all do that sometimes!) and even at the rehab was not always remembering who they were, who her brothers were or who Mark was.  Sometimes she didn't remember who she was. So, don't take it personally at all!  I know that she usually knows who people are she just doesn't remember the right word.  And if she doesn't remember you, just remember how frustrating it is for her--when she sometimes doesn't even remember herself!  Since we've been home I think she has always remembered who she is but she still doesn't remember how old she is.  Maybe in her mind she is sometimes back in those days when she was younger.  We don't really know and the mind is a very complex thing and hard to understand.  Switching gears....I always seem to forget to post things that I really wanted to until later on and this is one of those instances.  On Wednesday Penny and Courtney drove down from Kaysville to meet us at the Sugarhouse rehab to deliver a special present to us.  It was so nice of them to make the trip just for that purpose!  Anyway, Penny had a get well poster for Bridgett.  It was made by a primary class in Bull Mountain, Oregon.  This class of six year olds made a poster for Courtney and then when they (the teacher) found out about Bridgett, they made one for her as well.  It is on a bright yellow poster board and covered with bright stickers and says get well Bridgett.  Also, each child has a snapshot picture with a poster with their name in front of them. So darling and so thoughtful.  Additionally they sent a kind of paper doll image of Bridgett that is about 8-9 inches tall with a magnet on the back, which is colored with her in a blue dress complete with auburn colored hair.  Also they sent an identical doll that is just white to represent her spirit also with a magnet on the back. The class has been learning about spirit bodies.  Right now Bridgett's spirit is of course well and whole and her body is a little banged up. But her spirit is strong and fighting for survival.  And survive she will.  Bridgett is strong.  Bridgett is tough.  Bridgett is not afraid of hard work.  Those of us who know Bridgett well know that.  For those of you who don't--Bridgett was a woman rugby player on a college team.  That shows she is tough.  Bridgett biked 45-50 miles (in a day) on her road bike.  She is strong and determined.  Bridgett did a half marathon and was going to do a marathon in June.  She was training for a triathlon.  Bridgett has had many challenges and she has always dealt with the pain and worked through it.  When she was 14 she was very sick for over a year with migraine headaches, asthma attacks (3 per day), kidney stones (she's passed 5 or 6), appendicitis, and other things.  She pretty much lost a year or two of any social life.  Then when she got better, she determined to make her body strong and she worked hard to get tough enough for high school soccer and then college rugby.  She is a runner and loves working out.  In fact, she was studying to be a personal trainer.  In the summer of 2008, she totalled her car while driving on the Swan highway, headed home from Utah.  She was life flighted to Missoula and released only hours later.  She was of course banged and bruised.  In December of 2010 Bridgett went to the emergency room (one week before Christmas) thinking that she was having appendicitis pain again and going to finally have the appendix removed only to find that she had a tennis ball sized ovarian cyst.  The doctor was going to send her home on birth control but Bridgett (who has a high pain tolerance) said you need to check this out more; something is seriously wrong.  The doctor got our permission and opened her up to find that she had a torsion and the ovary and fallopian tube had already had the blood supply cut off and needed to be removed immediately.  She has a nice 4.5 inch scar from that surgery (and she had passed a kidney stone about three days prior to this).  And so Bridgett is no stranger to pain and she has a great attitude in spite of the challenges she's had to face already in her life.  Bridgett, we love and respect you and know that indeed you have a strong spirit and you will survive!  So many people are praying for your recovery and so many people love and respect you!