Day 101 - Saturday March 24, 2012

Today was a good day.  Bridgett's appetite is continuing to improve.  She slept a lot in the morning but then got up and got dressed and was awake for the balance of the day and didn't go to bed until like 10:30 or so.  This is more like Bridgett!  She usually doesn't like early morning and loves late nights--although much later that 10:30!  And she was staying up this late before she passed out on February 24th and hit her head.  So, I see at as part of the proof that things are getting back to "normal" for her after her TBI.  Jamie came over to visit and after a bit Bridgett wanted to go walking.  Stephany and I went with them.  We walked two times around the complex and then Bridgett started to get a little wobbly.  We went back to the apartment and after about 10 minutes she was ready to walk again, although we did a short walk that time.  Jamie asked her what she was planning for the summer and she said she wanted to do races--running and biking.  Bridgett was happy to be seeing someone else besides us I think--and it helped that it was Jamie!  She was happy and smiling all the rest of the day.  She ate well and drank quite a bit today as well.  She is getting bigger sips and swallows of liquid now.  Her weight seems to have stabilized the past few days.  Hopefully she won't lose more weight.  Now she needs to be working out enough to gain some muscle back.  The girls and I went for a drive to Target about 8:30 p.m. as Arri needed something.  Bridgett did not want to go into the store when we got there, which was shocking as she loves Target.  However, she was getting tired by that time of night.  Bridgett wanted a chalupa, so we stopped across the street and got her one.  After I bought it she didn't want to eat it and I was wondering why.  Arrianne asked her why she wasn't eating it and she said well I'm not going to eat it now.  When are you going to eat it.  When we get home or stop somewhere.  I said I can stop now and you can eat it and she said I mean a real place to eat things.  I then remembered that she hates eating in the car normally--so that is another evidence that she is still the Bridgett we all love!  It was funny.  As soon as we got home and she sat up to the table she ate almost the whole thing.  I say she sat up to the table because the apartment is furnished and the table is like a bistro table with high stools.  They are a good height for Bridgett, Tyler and Mark but a little on the tall side for Steph, Arri and me.  Oh, we like them just fine, I just mean we have to try a little harder to get up on the stools! I always forgot to post things and here is another thing.  We had been told that Bridgett would have trouble with swallowing and we thought it was because of the brain injury.  We were surprised to learn that Courtney went off the peg feeding tube and immediately to a normal diet whereas Bridgett had to start with the soft foods first and move up.  I just found out on Friday at rehab that the swallowing problems are due to the fractures in the neck.  The occupational therapist asked about her eating and swallowing and I was telling him that she was on a regular diet but that she did baby swallows that were getting better all the time.  He said yes, that's because of the neck fractures.  We learn so much later on after the fact.  I told Mark, it's like I wish that someone had a great big paper saying all the injuries and the problems we could expect and what was normal etc.  Instead we find out piece by piece.  Many of you probably realized this long ago, but we didn't.  Some things I might realize if I had time to think and ponder about it.  But anyway, we will still probably be learning lots all of the time and each thing piece by piece.  Later on after we got home Arri needed to go out again.  I couldn't leave Bridgett alone with Stephany so Steph called Jenn and asked her to come over.  It was good for Steph to spend some time with Jenn.  When Arri and I got home, Jenn was brushing Steph's hair; that's always good for some relaxation!  Bridgett was still awake but resting.  Steph said that Bridgett asked Jenn a question and then drew a question mark in the air.  Jenn asked her why she did that and she said because she wanted to be sure that Jenn knew it was a question and that she wanted an answer!  Funny!  It's so great to have Jenn so close and able to help out so much.