Day 153 - Tuesday May 15, 2012

Bridgett's eyes continue to improve.  I was thinking the other day that she has almost entirely lost that wide eyed, startled look that she initally had.  Her left eye is getting better all of the time--it responds to light, it is almost always dialated equally with her right eye, etc.  She frequently had been shutting her left eye because her double vision is getting closer together and now her brain is actually acknowledging the left eye vision.  In order to get better she has to come to that point and move past it, but it's hard because her tendency is to shut that eye because it's so annoying to see double.  At first I tried to remind her to keep the eye open but now I just say--I'm so proud of you for keeping that eye open even though it's hard because it's helping your eyes to get better so you hopefully won't have to have surgery.  That positive reinforcement seems to work better instead of reinforcing the negative by saying it again and again (since she has such a short term memory at this point).  Bridgett's neck was still very sore this morning and we had to lift her out of bed again, but by the afternoon the pain was more manageable and I didn't have to give her Lortab again.  Something exciting today--Bridgett sat down this afternoon and played the piano! She played a couple of songs that she used to play and it was sure fun! She was grinning and had a good time and she was actually following along with the music--reading it. I got it recorded on the second time through; she lost her place and Arrianne had to point it out to her, so that's how I know she was reading the music and not just playing by memory. When Mark got home she played the piano for him and boy was he surprised!  She even played something else she hadn't played earlier.  This evening Stephany asked her if she knew who John Wayne was and she said isn't he in El Dorado!  Then Steph said what kind of movies does he make and Bridgett said doesn't he make Westerns! So, little by little the memory is coming back.  We have high hopes that this summer will make a big difference--being at home. I guess home is always home and you always feel more comfortable and secure when you are home!  Tomorrow we will see Ginny Wood.  She will do a little big of massage to Bridgett's neck and hopefully things will loosen up.  She is very experienced and so she will be very gentle.  Someone needs to loosen things up some so that Bridgett can do regular things and be out of pain.  Bridgett is always so happy and positive.  When you ask if she has pain she will say yes but sometime it will quit hurting so it's OK or something to that effect.  She always has so many smiles and stays so happy.  Again yesterday I was talking to her about why her neck hurts--explaining that she was in a wreck--and she said I hope the guy that was driving the truck is OK.  I wouldn't want him to be hurt.  She's just so sweet!  Bridgett is still worn out from the two weeks before we left Utah.  It was a busy time and she just is still tired and resting/napping a lot.  Of course healing takes a lot of energy and when you are healing you need extra sleep I believe.