Second year Day 83 - Wednesday March 6, 2013

Long ago I am sure that I made the comment on this blog that many things that saved Bridgett's life, also contributed to the daily pain/discomfort/challenges that she has now.  Today I got a confirmation about another one of these things.  We went to the doctor to have her look at a lump on Bridgett's back.  This is unrelated to the wreck--just a lipoma and not worrisome.  They offered to remove it, but Bridgett said no, she didn't want to have any "cutting" going on!  However, I also wanted them to listen to her lungs, because she is having terrific pain in the right lung--I mean with her pain level up to a five.  The doctor listened and then told us that her lungs sound great.  However, she said that being on the ventilator for a long period "stretched" the largest lobe of the lung, the right lobe, behind the right breast.  The ventilator saved her life (obviously) but also probably overinflated this lobe.  She said that there is probably scar tissue causing the pain.  Nothing can be done about it.  I told her we were putting the rice bag on it, along with pain relievers and she said that's fine.  Just another one of those things that Bridgett has to deal with.  Add it to the list!

• Daily problem with her vision--diplopia.  Eye problems because of the placement of the shunt, which saved her life but pierced the dorsal mid brain. This is been the most significant problem to recover from--affecting her rehab, etc.  Also, she has eye strain/pain any time she reads a lot of does her eye exercises.
• Daily pain with pleurisy and very frequent severe lung pain because of the ventilator over inflating the lungs.  The pleurisy may be because of the accident itself, or because of the ventilator.
• Daily neck pain because of the fracture, often severe enough to necessitate taking Lortab and Robaxin.  Almost daily she takes several doses of Advil.
• Daily pain in the kidney and related urinary issues because of long use of the catheter.
• Daily we deal with the memory problems and processing problems created by the traumatic brain injury.  I think that things are getting better all of the time with this area.
• Daily itching of the scars at the trach site and the brain incision site, sometimes pretty intense.  And no one can really figure this out--other than to say that there was nerve damage possibly and hopefully it will quit itching at some point.

I'm sure there are other things, but these are the things on my mind right now.  Naturally, we say that SHE'S ALIVE!!! and that's the most important thing.  But, still you have to deal with these things in daily life.  I just spoke to someone recently and they were surprised when I said that she has daily pain, so now you know--she does!!  Most of us don't walk around having such high daily pain as she does, although I do know that some of you understand.  Bridgett has a high pain tolerance, to be sure, but when the pain get so high that I see her collapsing with pain, it is very hard to watch! I almost cry myself each time her pain gets this bad--which luckily ISN'T daily. Bridgett does not complain about her life and the pain, although every once in a great while she will just say, it sucks to be me right now.  Of course, immediately we will talk about how lucky she is to be alive and overall she is just happy and in a good mood almost every minute of the day.  That was her personality before and it still her personality.  Daily I pray that Bridgett will get to a point where she will have at least some days without pain.