Third year - Month of August, 2014

Early in the month of August, we had the all class reunion in Whitefish.  I had planned to go with Mark, but Stephany got outrageously sick with a kidney infection, so I stayed home with her.  In fact, I spent the weekend debating a return to Med North Urgent Care and did finally take her back for a second time.  It was decided at this visit to change the antibiotics and culture the specimen to see what bacteria was causing her symptoms.  She did not have the usual set of symptoms, but instead had a fever, nausea, and vomiting.  Also, aching all over like the flu.  However, unlike the flu, these symptoms persisted for over a week, so I took her to Med North.  She finally did the original three days of antibiotics and an additional ten days of a second antibiotics, and after three visits to Med North, she finally was feeling somewhat better and the tests showed the infection gone.  That was just two days before our move, so we actually moved with her feeling pretty ishy.  Anyway, also, the Wayments came to visit us.  Their daughter Courtney had a TBI two months before Bridgett.  We met them at the rehab hospital at the U of U.  We had such a great visit with them!  Courtney is doing great!  We had time to discuss the new Pathway program that Bridgett is enrolled in.  They were the ones that originally told us about it.  We are very excited and hopeful about the coming class that will start in September.  Penny (Courtney's mother) said that it was the best rehab money they spent.  We are hoping for the same kind of results.  The first semester Bridgett will take a class called Life Skills.  The description is as follows...

GS 120 teaches basic life skills that can lead to success in both personal life and academic studies. The three main areas of study are: learning to learn, self-sufficiency, and disciple leadership. The topics studied include study skills, career and academic planning, provident living, budgeting, goal-setting, time management, learning to lead by teaching others, and blessing others with what is learned.

Also, this month we actually accomplished the move, on August 21st. We ended up taking the big trailer and it was actually pretty full.  I had the lead in the convoy, with Bridgett and me in the Buick.  Arrianne and Stephany followed us, driving Arrianne's Elantra.  Mark had the rear, pulling the trailer behind his truck.  We had some extra excitement (NOT) on the way down as the girls car spun out of control and they did a few 360's, and hit a barrier but were mostly unhurt and just really shaken up.  The car did not fare so well, and was actually totaled.  We all know that they were watched over and protected and their lives were preserved.  Things could have ended up very differently.  Although we were in sight of each other almost the entire way, at the moment they spun out of control I had gone about two minutes without checking my rear view mirror, and luckily for me did not witness it.  If I had I would have probably had a heart attack!  I mean really!!  When I noticed they weren't behind me, I pulled right over and it was only 1-2 miles ahead of them.  We were just outside of Lima and had no cell service, so I waited, knowing that Mark was between us.  After a few long minutes of waiting, they drove up and pulled over behind us.  They got out of the car shakily and burst into tears.  Stephany's door was mashed in and wouldn't open, so she climbed out Arriane's side.  It was cold and rainy so we all got in my car and talked about it.  Next to stop was Mark and then two ambulances.  Someone had called it in as a rollover.  Unbelievably, after this entire episode, Arrianne was actually able to drive the car to Orem!  It took a lot of fortitude on her part!  But at last we made it!  BTW, when we went back to where they wrecked to meet the highway patrol, I saw that they were so close to going over a large cliff and I almost had a heart attack then!  I know that they were watched over, as they came so close to going over that cliff!  The highway patrolman was so very nice and did not give her a ticket, although the car took out part of the guard rail. 

We had a small Boyd Hall reunion for my mom and siblings on Saturday.  Mark, Bridgett, Arrianne and I went, and Stephany had to stay home and rest as the move really took a lot out of her (not to mention the wreck!).  It was great to see almost everyone!  Arrianne and Bridgett just stayed for about an hour and they headed back to Orem.  Mark and I stayed about an hour more. 

We went to the new ward on Sunday.  It was very nice and we were able to meet the bishop.  Bridgett introduced herself and told him a little about her wreck.  She actually did quite well.  We have been practicing introductions, in order to be ready for her class. 

School started on Monday for Arrianne and then starting on Tuesday Stephany began an institute class that they are taking together.  It meets twice a week.  They are also taking a Thursday night class in addition. Stephany's other classes don't start for a couple of weeks.  Likewise with Bridgett's classes.  Mark was able to stay with us until Wednesday the 27th.  We are mostly unpacked and situated, at least enough to get by:)  We dropped the Elantra off to Larry Miller repairs and have rented a little car so that we can all be where we need to be.  Now the waiting period to see what will happen to the Elantra (although as I mentioned, it ends up that it was totaled).  What a month!

Also during August, Bridgett finished the first phase of the brain protocol and started on the second phase.  I see a definite improvement in her memory and actually she is looking more like her old self all of the time.  Even the speech therapist commented that she is doing much better than her testing showed, which translates to me that she has improved from last month and the speech therapist is now seeing it.  Bridgett is VERY excited to start back to school and we are excited too, although of course a little apprehensive as well.  We pray so fervently daily for Bridgett's continued improvement and I know that there are others out there that pray for her as well.  Thank you so much!  All of the time we are seeing the answers to these many prayers and also witnessing a living miracle! 

Third year - Balance of the month of July, 2014

It's been so crazy around here that I have gotten so far behind with my posts.  So, I plan to post a few general posts and then hopefully get back to posting daily.  As I have mentioned before, this post has served many purposes.  First I created it in order to get information about Bridgett to people who we know and love. Second, I hope that this is a record that at some point in the future I can print into book form and give to Bridgett, as a way to see what she went through.  Especially when we are talking about the first year, she remembers nothing.  She has been asked what is the first thing she remembers after the wreck and she answered that she remembers flying to New York.  That was eleven months after her wreck.  From time to time she says something about the rehab hospital, but I think that these are things she remembers from the stories we tell her and not from actual memory of her own.  If I ask her questions about anything that happened the first year, she draws a blank really except for the stories we tell (like flying home with the Stanfills).  Third, I hope this blog can help someone else out, who may be going through some kind of a similar experience, whether it be a TBI or whatever. 

We had a busy for the rest of July.  My brother Dave and his two youngest kids, Jaiden and Justus, came up from Utah to visit.  We had lots of fun with them, and Bridgett for sure had a blast.  Bridgett was very close to Dave and his family in the few years preceding the wreck.  She often stayed at their house, took care of the kids, went to do fun things with the family, went running and biking with Dave and just had lots of fun.  She is always so excited to see them and really enjoyed their visit.  Also, Bridgett and I made a trip to Orem and Faith came and saw us at our place there. Mark had already brought down some mattresses for us and a few other things, so we were fairly comfortable there.  Additionally I was able to get a very quick visit to the dentists, as I have a tooth that feels as if it is broken a little bit, but there is no pain.  It turns out that it did indeed break, but it did not break to the root or anything.  I will get it fixed when we get to Orem at the end of August.  There was no one to be with Bridgett while I did it this trip, so no problem waiting from the dentists viewpoint.  Also, the girls and I are busy making lists of things to pack so that hopefully we will not forget anything important when we head to Orem.  At least if we do, Mark can bring it to us on the next trip down!

Third year Day 215 - Wednesday July 16, 2014

Well we learned something interesting today.  Bridgett was talking to Faith and we were discussing the fact that noise bothers her so much.  Suddenly Bridgett said when the dogs bark next door, I hate the noise because I can feel the vibration of the noise up and down my spine!  What!  She has never said that before.  I asked her if she feels that with all loud noises and she said yes she does!  So no wonder loud noises bother her so much.  I'd hate that too! Faith said that in utero the baby is in water and all noise is vibration through the water. Then things change in the primitive part of the brain development and this is during the phase of birth to nine months.  So the brain protocol first phase very important to Bridgett. Hopefully, her brain will continue healing so that won't be an issue any more. Today begins the second week on phase one of the brain protocol.

Third year Day 214 - Tuesday July 15, 2014

Bridgett said my eye must be straightening out because sometimes I see straighter.  It's so hard to know exactly what she is seeing.  One of the therapists said I wish I could see from your eyes for one minute so I would know exactly what you were seeing.  I  think that as well sometimes.  Its very hard to describe what you are exactly seeing, especially since you may not know or remember how you used to see before!! Today Bridgett was thinking about girls camp songs.  Actually, this is the week that she would have gone to girls camp back in the day!  Anyway, she was singing camp songs and we had some fun times laughing over the silly songs!

Third year Day 213 - Monday July 14, 2014

Today was speech therapy.  After we parked and were headed into the hospital building where Lynne's office is, Bridgett suddenly stopped and said, hey, something is happening to my eyes!  Sometimes I'm seeing better!  Is my eye less crossed?  I looked at it and it looked the same; nevertheless, something must be happening in the eye--brain protocol at work??  I spoke to Lynne and asked if we could have the appointment without the lights on and only the light from the windows  Lynne's office is very light with a lot of windows in it and so plenty of light without the fluorescent lights on.  Faith speculates that the fluorescent lights flicker and add to Bridgett's eventual headache after a time.  BTW, it seemed to help; at least Bridgett did great during the appointment and made it to the very end with no problems.  Anyway, back to the appointment itself.  Lynne looked over Bridgett's journal, asking questions to see if Bridgett could remember things that happened during the week.  She came to yesterday's entry about Mark telling stories and when Lynne asked Bridgett about what stories he told, she immediately began laughing and laughing.  She tried to tell the story though her laughter, and did a pretty good job of remembering the details.  That was great!  During the therapy session, Lynne had Bridgett work with some blocks that she called the tower test.  There are three wooden posts, with rings on some of the posts--some large rings and some small.  Next, there was a series of pictures and Bridgett had to match the configuration of the rings to the picture, with the stipulation that you couldn't put a large ring on top of a small ring when you moved them.  She was able to do several of these and had a great time doing it.  Bridgett said afterwards, we need to get one of those to play--it was FUN!  I googled and found a game that looks the same, called Tower of Hanoi.  Maybe I will have to order it.  However, it probably wouldn't have the pictures that you are supposed to match.  Hmmmmm.........

Third year Day 212 - Sunday July 13, 2014

This evening Mark told stories while the kids and I listened.  There are some of those stories from when he was young that the kids know as well as he does, and maybe better now!  Hee hee.  Anyway, one of the stories was about a time that Mark went fishing with uncle Rick.  One of their friends took them someplace they had never been before and then left them.  They were walking along and found the river to fish but didn't know where to stop. There were all of these clumps of dirt with plants in the water and you could jump from clump to clump.  Mark called them lily pads for ease of telling the story, but obviously they weren't really as they weren't floating plants, but dirt with plants.  Anyway, after jumping from clump to clump Rick said the water doesn't look deep, I'm going to try just going through the water.  He stepped in and went clear under and nothing could be seen of him.  Mark waited and waited from him to pop back up for air but he didn't.  Finally a fishing pole end came up and so Mark carefully grabbed it and pulled, hoping that the pole wouldn't come apart.  He pulled and pulled and suddenly Rick's lips came out of the water and he drew in a huge breath of air.  He he pulled farther and got his face out of the water, though the rest of his head was still under.  At this point Rick said I could have drowned!  Then the two of them started laughing and laughing.  I'm sure part of that was after worrying that he would drown, they had that emotional release because he didn't.  Anyway, Bridgett laughed and laughed at that story!  She didn't remember Mark telling it to her before, but it really made a hit with her now!

Third year Day 211 - Saturday July 12, 2014

Bridgett told me today that uncle Frank is her favorite uncle.  Then she said that's kind of weird that I think that because he wasn't around much when I was young.  True!  I'm glad that she can recognize that and think that out.  But she really did have such a great time while he was here and is still talking about him! Of course, she does love all of her uncles!  And she has a great time with them!  She used to spend a lot of time with Dave and he definitely is one of her favorites!  They used to bike together and run together.  Also, she has a real soft spot for Jon and Justin, who always go out of their way for her and make her feel special.