Third year Day 32 - Tuesday January 14, 2014

Today Bridgett said, this wreck has made me so happy to be alive!  Wow!  What a great attitude!  She does help almost everyone who knows her get a better perspective on their lives I think.  I do think back over the past two years, and I believe that she has touched many people's lives for good.  That's a great thing for our whole family to see as well, thinking that good has come from this experience.  Not that we wish that it would have happened, or that we are happy with the pain and struggles that she/we go through.  But, to have positive things happen lightens that load considerably.  We had more good appointments today.  Faith is able to get a lot of brain work done for Bridgett this trip.  Also, Stephany is getting a lot of help.  We are testing for something new we haven't tried before....Gemmo Therapy.  It actually is a great concept and something that I was told about and asked Faith about.  She said that the Gemmo's have to be ordered in all of the time and that puts people off about them.  However, she's trained in them and does think they are very beneficial.  I don't mind the ordering thing....that's how we get most of our supplements.  I rarely go to the store to buy any of them because they are so much cheaper online.  This is a rough description of the Gemmo therapy....
Gemmotherapy is a form of herbal medicine that uses remedies made principally from the embryonic tissue of various trees and shrubs (the buds and emerging shoots), but also from the reproductive parts (the seeds and catkins) and from newly grown tissue (the rootlets and the cortex of rootlets). In two instances, remedies are also made from the sap.
This raw material is taken in the Spring (in the case of the seeds, in the Autumn), at the peak time of the tree or shrub’s annual germination, in order to capture the various nutrients, vitamins, plant hormones and enzymes that are released during this process, and which in some cases are only present in the plant at this time.

I did call and talk to Big Sky Compounding Pharmacy about the use of Gemmo Therapy.  They sell a few of the more common remedies there.  Overall, I think they are a promising therapy for both of the girls.  Time will tell! 

Third year Day 31 - Monday January 13, 2014

Today Mark left for home in the morning.  The girls and I need to head to Richfield by 1:00 so we can get checked in the hotel there to see Faith by 3:00.  We're pretty good at getting in and out of hotels these days!  We checked out of our hotel in Provo, and then ordered something and went to UVU and met Arrianne for lunch before we left.  Also, we got some extra food for dinner tonight in Richfield.  It was fun to get to eat together and a nice break for Arrianne as well.  The ride down went well and we barely got checked in before Faith arrived.  Our appointments went well and then we relaxed for the evening, without having to go out for anything (yes!).  Mark made it home safely and already we are missing each other. 

Third year Day 30 - Sunday January 12, 2014

Bridgett and I had a weird conversation today.  She asked me about the guy that hit her; did he ever send her a card or anything?  No, I said.  She said, I would never hit anyone but if there was an accident and I did, I would cry so much!  I would apologize and send flowers and cards and balloons and presents.  I'd send the person on a shopping spree to Target and let them get whatever they wanted!  So I guess that's what she would have wanted:)

Third year Day 29 - Saturday January 11, 2014

Today is Mark's birthday, as well as Bridgett's party.  Bridgett woke up feeling fine, so I didn't give her any pain reliever.  She went with me to get some helium balloons for the party.  I wanted to get some balloons that said something like celebrate or something along that line, but even Zurkers, the party store, didn't have any!! So, Bridgett picked out a rainbow of colors, and then a couple of zebra striped balloons to round it all out.  Then, 45 minutes before the party started, her neck suddenly started hurting.  I  quickly gave her some pain reliever, but it didn't kick in before the party started.  Darn!  But, she was a trooper and did just fine anyway.  Mark headed to Mimi's first, to meet anyone who came early.  We got there about five minutes early, at 10:55. We had a really good turnout and it was so much fun!  Bridgett had a blast for sure.  She did walk around a lot at first, as she couldn't be comfortable sitting.  But, she was in her glory, talking to everyone and getting lots of hugs (careful hugs for her neck).  People brought her cards and some presents.  I welcomed everyone out and said a few things, including thanking everyone for sitting at the hospital with us two years ago.  It was so great to be surrounded by family!  Of course, we were also lucky that my brothers are so funny; they really helped lighten things up for us at a time when we really needed that.  Bridgett had asked me weeks ago if she could give a speech at her party.  She said she would just say what she wanted to say, and not write it out:)  So, after I spoke I introduced her by saying this......from time to time Bridgett asks me if ALL of her family know how much she loves them.  I tell her that I'm sure that they do, but today she could tell everyone, so they could hear it from her mouth.  She stood up and started talking and it was so cute!  She's always been comfortable in front of people and this was no exception!  She thanked everyone and told them how much she loved them.  Then Mark said a few words, and reminded everyone to love their kids and hold them close.  We had a few quick tears and mostly just laughed and visited with each other.  The food was good, the company was great!  I'm so glad that we decided to do this.  Afterwards Bridgett said that we should celebrate every month!! Hah!  I told her that we would plan on celebrating every year, and that would probably have to do.  She said OK and I'm sure she'll hold us to that!  Thanks everyone for coming!   

Third year Day 28 - Friday January 10, 2014

Today was our second day of appointments with Faith.  We got done in time for lunch, and then checked out and headed back to Provo.  Mark and Tyler will be here tonight so that we can all be together tomorrow for Bridgett's Alive Day party at Mimi's.  They left late and therefore got in late, but at least they made it!  Then, of all the crazy things, tonight Bridgett got up and turned wrong and her neck was in agony!  I had to give her a Lortab and we are on pins and needles hoping that she feels OK for tomorrow.  She said, oh, I'll be fine for tomorrow!  Don't you worry!  I can't miss my party!! 

Third year Day 27 - Thursday January 9, 2014

We spent time with Arrianne this morning before she had class, and then we checked out of the hotel.  I stopped and bought food for lunch and dinner for the girls and I to take with us; there are limited choices in Richfield:)  Then we headed down to meet Faith for appointments today and tomorrow.  She met us in the hotel, as we can't go to her house right now.  She is living with her parents temporarily and they have a cat.  Of course, Stephany can't go anywhere that there is a cat, so that's out.  Actually, it works nice for us to have her come to the hotel.  We had good appointments today.  I'm so glad that Bridgett's neck was OK to travel down, and right away Faith was able to release the tension she was having. Then, she was on to brain work for Bridgett.  It's always great when we can brain work done!  The first thing she worked on was balancing the brain so as to stop the nausea Bridgett has been having all month.  It helped immediately!  Every time I try to take her to someone else, it seems that there is something else that happens negatively.  Maybe I'm too afraid to try anyone else at this point now.  It's a hard call, for sure! 

Third year Day 26 - Wednesday January 8, 2014

Today Bridgett's neck was doing better, thank goodness!  She said to me today....breaking your neck is kind of depressing!  I said, but you're not depressed!  She said, no, I like to laugh too much to be depressed!  Hah!  I really am thankful that Bridgett has a great attitude almost all of the time.  It would be complicated to deal with everything else AND depression as well.  Today we got Chinese food.  Bridgett's fortune said.....you are a traveler at heart.  There will be many journeys.  Hah!  No kidding!!  It's always funny when one of those things actually makes sense! 

Third year Day 25 - Tuesday January 7, 2014

The other day Bridgett said to me....I wouldn't make a good nun.  Why, I said (wondering what she would say).  She said do they have fun and excitement in their life like I like to have?  No, I don't think so:)  Funny! 

Third year Day 24 - Monday January 6, 2014

Today Bridgett woke up in pain still and so I had to cancel her appointment with Bob.  We will have to reschedule for February or Skype if that doesn't work out.  Most of the day Bridgett was in pain.  We just tried to hang out and rest up and hopefully she will be able to travel by Thursday, when we have to head to our appointments with Faith.  Arrianne started the new semester and things went fine for her.  Stephany was worn out, but making the trip in two parts helped her I think!  I have a list of things to get done while we are in Provo, and hopefully I will be able to get to everything! 

Third year Day 23 - Sunday January 5, 2014

We rested and then just hung around Idaho Falls for a bit.  We drove to the temple and sat outside and talked for a while.  Finally we were on the road, about 1:00.  The roads were clear and it was sunny and nice. We made it to Sue's house about 4:30, so they were home from church.  Also, mom had been to church with them and was there too, as well as Heather's family.  It was such a fun visit!  Bridgett was ecstatic to see everyone.  She was just so excited the entire time and kept saying that it was the funniest day ever.  Of course, Bridgett is in her element when surrounded by people, so it makes sense!  She got to visit with her suzzins and then Emily brought out a rainbow rubber band loom.  She showed Bridgett how to do it and then Bridgett made a bracelet of her own!  She was super excited about that.  We got some pictures of all the girls together.  I'm really glad that Stephany and Arrianne were there too.  It was a really fun visit.  When we left, all of the sudden Bridgett said how heavy is your head?  I said about nine pounds.  She said that her neck was having trouble holding up her head and then she was in real pain as the drive went on.  Luckily we only had to drive a short ways to Provo. The rest of the evening she was in pretty bad shape and had to have pain reliever. I'm having a really bad feeling about being able to make it to Ogden tomorrow.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see. This is the first trip that I didn't bring her neck brace with us.  I always bring it and we haven't had to use it the last few times, so I left it home.  Bummer!  It would have definitely helped! 

Third year Day 22 - Saturday January 4, 2014

We didn't end up leaving until like 10:30 but since we were only driving to Idaho Falls, it worked out.  It was snowing when we left and I was dreading driving the entire way in snow, but actually the worst roads were from our house to Polson!  Most of the rest of the day was just fine.  We got to Idaho Falls early enough to get settled in to the hotel, get some dinner (there's a drive up Café Rio! there!) and then later go shopping!  Arrianne and I left Stephany and Bridgett at the hotel and ran to the mall about 8:00 to check for an audition dress for her.  We've been having trouble finding one, so we thought we'd at least check it out.  No luck, but we did find her a new dress winter coat on sale.  Bridgett did fine on the trip, as long as she had Zofran.  When it was wearing off, she started getting sick again, so gave her a second dose.  Otherwise, the trip was really great.  We got to bed reasonable early  This was a funny thing.  I started singing a song from Primary without telling her the name of the song...Kindness Begins With Me.  I sang the whole thing and at the end said....kindness begins with......and waited for Bridgett to fill in.  She said "K"!  Hah!  Yes, it does begin with "K" but that's not the words!!  Funny!  Afterwards, Arrianne said she didn't know that song either, but Stephany did.   

Third year Day 21 - Friday January 3, 2014

My neck is feeling better so that's good.  So, for me anyway, the gal did a good job.  However, like I have said before, many of these people are just great for the average person to see.  However, with the complications of a severe traumatic brain injury, we really need someone very trained and very experienced with that particular issue.  Anyway, I'm glad my necks doing better, because there's a lot to get done before tomorrow.  I have some work things that I have to get done, as well as washing, packing, cooking food for the trip etc.  Hopefully we will all be able to be ready in time!  Worst case scenario, we will leave on Sunday.  Arrianne has to be to school on Monday and Bridgett has an appointment in Ogden with Bob Monday afternoon.  So we have to be here by Monday.  I was hoping to leave Saturday and drive to Idaho Falls this time so it's not so long of a trip.  With Bridgett's nausea and Stephany not feeling great, I thought it would be better.  Also, on Sunday we want to drive to Salt Lake and stop at my sister Sue's house and see her daughter, Ashley, before she enters the MTC on Wednesday. She is going to Romania on her mission.  Bridgett used to go  up to Sue's on some weekends and stay there, so she's close to her cousins.  These are the cousins that my girls call suzzins or sister cousins!  I ended up staying up pretty late getting things done, but luckily we don't have to leave early since we are just going to Idaho Falls.  I'm crossing my fingers that the roads will not be too bad.....

Third year Day 20 - Thursday January 2, 2014

Today Bridgett said to me, what's that place in the mall that sells jewelry?  I waited for a bit to answer and she came up with Claire's.  Usually if she has a couple of seconds, she can find the answer to many things.  It just takes a little extra time.  She wanted to wear jewelry today and asked if she could wear a bracelet.  I said I didn't know if she had a bracelet or not and then she said, yes, I have that bracelet that Jenn brought back from Brazil for me. It's tight and leaves a mark on my arm!  Hah!  I don't even remember that I thought, but good remembering!  My neck is still hurting today and I have to be driving to Utah on Saturday!  So, yesterday I called a cranio sacral gal that we have been wanting to try.  I figure that I wanted to meet with her first anyway, to find out her experience, etc.  So, this is a good opportunity.  She can work on me first and we'll see how it goes.  Anyway, the appointment went well today, but there are a few big problems with going there with Bridgett.  First of all, I'm obviously nervous that if she is not really good, she will cause other problems.  So far, every other person we've gone to has caused other problems.  Next, she works out of her home and the entrance she uses is out back.  You have to park on an icy street that probably is not plowed really regularly, since it is still snow packed.  You then have to navigate through a fence and walk across the snowy yard, with no shoveled path and lots of ice.  Next, you go in the back door and down stairs into the basement.  There is no handrail and one side of the wall is open to the furnace.  It would be tricky!  She has a lot of knowledge, and I got some information from her that I think will help Stephany.  But, whether or not I will try to see her for Bridgett remains to be seen.  Mark suggested we ask if she would be willing to meet us at the shop of somewhere else.  We have a massage table that she could use.  Hmmmm..........

Third year Day 19 - Wednesday January 1, 2014

It's a new year and we all have some ideas of things we want to accomplish this year.  Bridgett and I sat down and made some plans for her and she was very positive about things she wants to do.  The first thing on the list is do a 5K run this spring.  We will be working on that as soon as we can get the nausea under control. Right now she can only walk for a short while before she gets dizzy and nauseated.  Our appointments with Faith are coming up next week, so hopefully she will get that right under control!  It looks like we will have between 46-52 people at the party at Mimi's on the 11th.  Exciting!  Somehow I got a tweak in my neck and its giving me a terrible headache.  I went to bed early, after taking some Advil.  Also, earlier in the day I used one of Bridgett's presents this year.  It's a rice bag for the neck that goes all around the shoulder too.  It's filled with rice and herbs for relaxation.  It's wonderful! 

Third year Day 18 - Tuesday December 31, 2013

New Years Eve! It was a nice relaxing day again today.  We are rushing to finish up our Christmas puzzle and hopefully we will make it!  It's slow this year because its really only Arrianne and I working on it.  The pieces are too small for Bridgett to really enjoy and Stephany doesn't feel good enough to sit and do a hard puzzle.  Add that to the fact that its a difficult puzzle and it's slow going!  We played some other games today and watched some movies.  Also, I took the opportunity to have a nap in my room with the door shut and woke up feeling amazing afterwards!  I know that I will be driving to Utah on this Friday, so there's a lot to do and I don't want to start the trip sleep deprived!  We decided to reschedule Bridgett's "Alive Day" party for January 11th, which is actually Mark's birthday.  Again I scheduled it with Mimi's and I am busy trying to get everyone confirmed for that day.  Hopefully we will get a good turnout--Bridgett is really looking forward to it!  Overall her health has been good these past weeks, with the exception of nausea.  Ever since we saw that gal in Bigfork she has been nauseated off and on during the day.  The second time we saw her I explained the situation and said don't work on anything new, but try to get rid of the nausea.  However, she was unsuccessful.  She said she'd never had anyone have nausea after an appointment.  With brain injuries, it seems to me that she would have seen that, but perhaps she really hasn't worked with many people with brain injuries.  Nausea was something that Bridgett had right from the get go.  Remember that particularly bad day in the first month home when she vomited so much on the way from Salt Lake to Provo and then afterwards, passed out and hit her head.  Not a good day!!  Anyway, sometimes its nice to think back on those days and how far we've come since then!  We all made it to 12:00 except Bridgett, who wasn't interested in doing that at all! 

Third year Day 17 - Monday December 30, 2013

Today is Arrianne's birthday and we had fun celebrating with her.  Arrianne wanted to eat at the Backroom in Columbia Falls, but Stephany and Bridgett didn't feel like going out so far from home.  So, I called in an order and Mark went and picked it up and brought it home.  It probably seems funny that Arrianne picks to go to the Backroom, which is a BBQ place, but she loves the fry bread and beans there (me too!) and everyone else loves the BBQ meat so we all enjoy the food!  Today Arrianne said to Bridgett, you say the cutest things!  Bridgett said, it's my speakaging.  I have funny speakaging!   Another example of Bridgett funny way of making up words:)

Third year Day 16 - Sunday December 29, 2013

Arrianne, Bridgett and I went to church today and met Mark there.  The parking lot and sidewalks were icy and there were no parking spaces left, so I dropped the girls off at the door and then parked a little ways away, kind of making up a parking space.  Then I thought, oh great, now I have to walk in with slick Sunday shoes and try not to fall!  I walked in very slowly and actually made it without falling (yippee!).  We were a little late, but were able to make it through the entire meeting.  Actually it turned out to be Nick Kerr's home coming talk and it was a good meeting.  After the meeting, Arrianne and Stephany went over to say hi to Sister Stanfill.  They always love to talk to her when they can.  Then, I had Mark go and get my car and pull up close and help us out to the car.  Bridgett and ice don't mix too well!  I love the snow, but I really don't like the ice! 

Third year Day 15 - Saturday December 28, 2013

Bridgett had loaded up some of her Christmas presents and put them on her dresser and I assumed forgotten about them.  However today she said, didn't I get some Vanilla Shimmer Body Spray from Bath and Body Works?  Yes! I'm always excited when she remembers things that happened even a few days ago.  I do feel that her short term memory is getting better.  It's been a while since we've seen Faith, and today Bridgett's right femur started hurting again.  She has that random pain from time to time, as well as pain in her right knee.  I assume that she must have injured them in her accident, although it wasn't evident at the time.  Another weird pain she has is pain in her heels.  I can't figure out that one.....

Third year Day 14 - Friday December 27, 2013

We were talking about rainbows today and discussing all about them.  I decided to tease Bridgett a little bit and see what she would say.  I listed all of the colors of the rainbow and talked about the refraction of the sunlight and then I said that at the end of the rainbow there is a pot of gold.  Bridgett said, I don't believe that!  Then she said if there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, she'd be a gold chasing fool!  Hah!  I'm glad she recognized that I was teasing! 

Third year Day 13 - Thursday December 26, 2013

I gave Bridgett some juggling balls for Christmas.  She used to juggle and actually was quite good at it.  So, I thought it would be good for her to try again and work on her coordination.  She thought she'd be able to do it and so she was disappointed at first when she dropped the balls.  However, I explained to her that it would just take some practicing to be able to do it again.  She was determined to get it under control today, which of course didn't happen.  However, she started out by just tossing up one ball at a time and catching it.  That took a little practice and then she was able to do it.  Then she tried holding two balls in one hand and tossing one at a time up and catching it.  She finally could do that at least three times without dropping one.  Next she tried holding a ball in each hand and throwing to the opposite hand and catching.  She finally got that three times in a row.  She plans on practicing that and hopefully one day she will be able to juggle again with three balls! 

Third year Day 12 - Wednesday December 25, 2013

I love Christmas!  We all love Christmas!  Now that the kids are older, we don't get up early (Mark says yippee)!  I was up at 6:30 and started cooking breakfast about 7:00 .  I told the girls that if Bridgett gets up, she could come up and help me cook even though we don't usually let any of the kids up until Mark gives the OK........on Christmas Day, the kids wait and come upstairs together, and Mark meets them at the head of the stairs.  So, last night we decided that we could hold out until 8:00 before coming up. By the time everyone was awake and ready to come up, I had breakfast under control, and Bridgett and Arrianne had helped set the table etc and had gone back downstairs to wait for Mark.  Mark got the living room lights on, including the tree and let everyone up.  It was fun to all sit around and open presents together.  We had our traditional strawberry waffles along with bacon and sausage.  Of course, we had meal modifications like always.  No meat for Arrianne and me.  Gluten free waffles for the girls and me.  Vegan whipped cream and egg nog for those who are dairy free, Bridgett, Arrianne and me. We all so much enjoy being together and had a wonderful and relaxing day.  We also had a wonderful time calling Scott's and Jenn's families and talking to them about their Christmas, as well as singing and talking to my mom. Unfortunately we were all napping and missed talking to Mark's parents.

Third year Day 11 - Tuesday December 24, 2013

Christmas Eve at last.  We had a beautiful and quiet day.  The guys were busy in the morning, but made it home in time for Christmas Eve dinner.  We always have a large dinner on Christmas Eve, and then just eat leftovers on Christmas Day.  Bridgett was excited to hear the traditional telling of the Christmas story as well as have me read some of our traditional story books about Christmas.  Most of all she was excited to have everyone open their traditional one present on the night of Christmas Eve!  She was very excited to get a fedora from Stephany and didn't want to take it off!  We are used to having Scott, Jaclyn and Weston here for Christmas Eve and missed them a lot.  Also, fairly often we have Jenn's family here for Christmas.  So, it was a quieter and smaller Christmas Eve than usual, but still very nice.  Luckily there was snow so it was a white Christmas!  I was getting worried as we had lots of snow and then it melted a few days ago, but luckily it snowed a bunch again!  I'm almost finished with my Christmas cards, and will have them in the mail by Friday or Saturday I think.  Late, but not as late as last year (February!). 

Third year Day 10 - Monday December 23, 2013

Today is the anniversary of dad's death.  Of course, I think about him all of the time, not just today, but today I am particularly mindful of mom.  It's a hard time of year for anyone who has lost a loved one, let alone at this time.  I told the girls that dad "hurried up" and died late on the 23rd, because he didn't want to die on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and have that be a part of everyone's memory of Christmas.  I sure love my parents and I'm so glad that they are my parents.  I owe so very much to them!  Mom spent time with some of my siblings today and I talked to her twice.  She seemed quite happy both times.  I'm hoping that she doesn't spend lots of the holidays crying this year......
The girls are having a great time together.  We are doing our annual "Christmas time" puzzle.  Actually we did two this year.  First we did a 300 piece puzzle of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.  That was more fun for Bridgett, as the pieces are bigger and the puzzle overall was pretty fast and easy.  Then we made room for the second more difficult puzzle.  It is a puzzle of the nativity, very beautiful, 1000 pieces and randomly quite difficult.  So many of the pieces are almost the same color!  But we work on it a bit at a time and hope to finish it by New Year's.  We have lots of Christmas traditions and today we made our traditional Christmas sugar cookies and frosted them.  Everyone has fun decorating the cookies shaped as trees, stockings, angels, etc. 

Third year Day 9 - Sunday December 22, 2013

Late yesterday afternoon Stephany was able to come upstairs and help a little bit with the gingerbread house.  Actually evenings are best for her.  She helped for a bit and then got feeling quite ill and had to lay down.  Then after Bridgett went to bed, she and Arrianne finished up the house.  Today she is wiped out from doing that.  Today we had a dilemna and Mark and I discussed it.  Do we take the girls (Arrianne and Bridgett) to church and risk anyone getting sick just before Christmas.  Arrianne is on antibiotics and needs to get better before going back to school.  Bridgett has been sick and is just doing better.  In the end we decided to keep the girls home and just Mark went to church.  This afternoon we listened to Christmas music and visited together.  Bridgett's language is really great but every once in a while she has a hard time with a word.  Today's problem was hilarious!  We were all talking and suddenly she said, if there is a group of Santa Clauses in the same room together, do you call them Santa Cli? (pronounces do it rhymes with dry!)  That made us all laugh, even though we tried not to!  Nope, you just call them Santa Clauses.  Funny!!  This evening I was teary and couldn't figure out why.  I finally decided that it was because the two year anniversary of dad's death is tomorrow.......