Day 138 - Monday April 30, 2012

Early this morning we set out for Salt Lake to meet with the neurosurgeon's PA Jean Hagerdorn.  She is such a nice person and very attentive to Bridgett and caring.  This is the second time we have met with her.  She also makes a point to talk directly to Bridgett and that's just nice.  First they did x-rays of Bridgett's neck.  She had to show up an hour early for the x-rays.  After that we waited in the exam room after first having the nurse check her vitals.  Bridgett did some reading on the Kindle first and then we looked at Sports Illustrated and I had her try to name the sport on that page and tell me what different things on the page were called.  The only one she had a little problem with was ice hockey and when I said ice she got hockey.  Jean came in and she examined Bridgett and asked her questions.  Actually when she first walked in the room she asked her one question and then turned to me and said she's so much better!  That was neat!  She tested Bridgett's reflexes and had her walk normally and then on her heels and on her toes.  She looked in her eyes and did range of motion stuff with her.  Afterwards she asked Bridgett some questions.  She turned to me and said you are following up with Moran about her eyes right? I said we had an appointment in August and she look stumped like why are you waiting that long.  I told her they didn't want to see her until then and that they had looked at the CT and said that would be fine.  So, she was OK with that.  She turned to Bridgett and said you won't even believe how great your life will be when you get things straightened out with your eyes.  You will be a whole new woman.  I know it's been hard but things are going to get much better.  Bridgett said Oh good!  Then Jean turned to me and said that she was all prepared before she met with us to tell me that they needed to do another CT and that we needed to see them more, but after examining Bridgett she's very impressed with her progress and that we don't need to see them anymore unless something comes up and we feel it necessary.  She was very excited and happy about how things are going and that of course made me excited and happy!  It was a day when I needed a little input from an outside experienced source.  Afterwards we drove to my sister Sue's house to have lunch with her, her girls and my mom.  When we got there Bridgett hugged everyone and said she remembered them.  We visited for a bit and then I said Bridgett was tired.  She tried to rest a bit on the couch, but after a while got up.  I said do you want to try to sleep again and she said not out here.  I want to go to the basement and sleep on the couch there.  Now that made me excited because she had to have remembered that there was a basement and that there were couches there.  Actually when Bridgett used to visit (after she was in college) she would come and sleep over on the couches in the basement.  We walked down there and looked around.  She said she didn't remember the room, but the girls said that things were re-arranged from how they used to be.  They were very sweet and offered to move the furniture around but I not to worry--it was just great that she remembered that there was a basement with couches to sleep on!  It kind of cold down here I said--should we go upstairs and find a place to sleep?  Bridgett agreed it was cold--she was still wearing a coat--and we went upstairs.  She went to what used to be the girls room and laid down on the bed that grandma uses now when she stays there.  I covered her with grandpa's big warm Dallas Cowboys fleece blanket and she had a very nice nap while we all visited in the living room.  After Bridgett's nap she came out and ate one of the cupcakes that Sue had made for her and she loved it.  We looked at scrapbooks that had quite a few pictures of Bridgett, Arrianne and Stephany with their cousins.  Heather reminded Bridgett that they used to call each other Suzzins--I don't know how you spell that--but sister-cousins.  Bridgett seemed to remember some things, she laughed and did some of her sing-song talking.  After a bit we had to leave to meet someone else so we said goodbye and off we went.  It was a very nice time for all of us I think and I was glad that things worked out to stop there.  We had to stop in Draper and by the time we got home we had been gone for over seven hours.  Bridgett had some gluten free macaroni and cheese.  We found some that she likes.  I probably didn't blog about this but before her accident Bridgett was eating Paleo--no grains and no dairy.  She was feeling very good while eating like this.  When she came home from the hospital and we had so much trouble finding something she would eat we finally let her eat mac-n-cheese and french toast, but we have slowly transitioned her back to gluten free and soon to dairy free, although she hardly has any dairy at this point either.  She is liking the food just fine and is doing better I think because of that as well.  We finally have been able to get her to drink other things besides Gatorade and now she mostly drinks water (like she used to) and even asks for water.  She is drinking bottled water--Dasani--but that's OK.  When we get home we will have filtered water available for her to drink.  Tomorrow we have to leave EARLY so we can be at the Urologists office at the U of U hospital at 9:00.  We have another big day--after the doctor we will head to Dr. Roberts office in American Fork and then to see the massage therapist next.