Third year Day 202 - Thursday July 3, 2014

Busy day today getting ready for my older brother Frank and my mom to come and visit.  It will be a really quick visit.  They will be here tonight and tomorrow and leave Saturday.  Frank lives in Las Vegas.  He drove to Salt Lake yesterday and picked up mom and now up here.  That's a drive!  However, he recently bought a Mercedes convertible, so he's loving the driving.  My parents used to have a couple of convertibles, so mom is excited as well.  When they were first married, they had a corvette.  They had that when Frank was little too.  However, as Frank used to remind me, they sold it when I was born because there was no room.  That was back in the no car seat days, and Frank rode on the floor as an infant, and then by the gear shift as a toddler.  Hah!  Then when we were a little older (like I was maybe 7) dad bought a Buick convertible.  Both cars were black and shiny!  Anyway, Frank and mom got here around dinner time, so we had quite a bit of visiting time this evening.  Mark had our Lake County Republican Central Committee meeting this evening in Polson, so he wasn't home until later on.

Third year Day 201 - Wednesday July 2, 2014

I forgot to mention that when we were in town yesterday, Bridgett was telling me a block or two in advance, what businesses were located on Main Street.  These would be businesses that she remembers from before the wreck, as we have never had reason to discuss then since the wreck.  For example, she said, isn't the karate place up ahead on the right, at the corner? I do love it that she can be so much more aware of her surroundings.  Some of these landmarks are things that she haven't discussed, so I know that they are from her long term memory.  Cool!

Third year Day 200 - Tuesday July 1, 2014

Actually today was PT, and it was really too close to Speech therapy for Bridgett.  Another drive into town!  For her neck, that's really pushing it!!  But, she did OK today nonetheless.  Her neck was tight, but Loretta (Kat's assistant) showed us a way to push on the clavicle lightely and have another hand behind on the shoulder blade and this releases some of the tightness.  Part of the time Bridgett just needed to walk outside, so we went out with her and walked up and down the sidewalk.  We ended the appointment after only 40 minutes, instead of an hour.  Perhaps this is what we will need to do from now on???

Third year Day 199 - Monday June 30, 2014

Bridgett had speech therapy today with Lynn and her student Jenny.  She made it through almost the entire appointment before she finally started to get feeling poorly.  At the point when she started feeling bad she had just been showing Lynn how to do lunges and explaining some technique.  Lynn was impressed with her ability to explain and demonstrate etc.  Then Lynn talked to her about interrupting people.  She said that in conversation that Bridgett needed to be careful not to interrupt.  At this moment, almost precisely, Bridgett suddenly stood up and started to feel horrible.  Her neck hurt and she said that she needed to do some walking.  Afterwards I talked to Faith about this experience and she talked to Bridgett.  Faith then told me that Bridgett was upset because she doesn't like to interrupt, but with her memory issues, if she doesn't interrupt sometimes she forgets what she wants to say and it might be important.  When we talked to her about writing down her questions for later, Faith pointed out that often she begins a sentence and then forget her thought before she can get the entire sentence written down.  So, this whole line of discussion was very overwhelming to her and that's why she just kind of shut down.  Also at this time Lynn had talked to her about being more independent, and Faith said that right now with her memory issues she is very dependent on me for her "second brain" and then "pushing" her for independence is scaring her very much.  I understand this completely, and hopefully when I talk to Lynn about it she will understand too.  We need to have these appointments be productive, not counterproductive! 

Third year Day 198 Sunday June 29, 2014

Bridgett is still pretty sore from those exercises that the PT's gave her to do.  But, every day things are a little better.  This morning she was in too much pain between her legs and her neck and so we stayed home from church.  Luckily the girls go to the singles ward in the afternoon so they can still go even if we stay home.  Today Bridgett remembered about how we used to take our little Pomeranian named Buttercup with us on trips in the motor home.  She fit in a little crate and rode along quietly and then we didn't have to board her.  Actually, there was one trip when we did board her and she was so scared at the kennel because they put two Rottweilers next to her (after we left), and she was shaking when we picked her up and vomited afterwards.  She finally calmed down and we decided not to board her again.  She was at a kennel run by a veterinarian, so they checked her out and said it was just nerves.

Third year Day 197 - Saturday June 28, 2014

Bridgett says the funniest things sometimes!  She said to me today.....when you're ridiculously old and gray can I tell my children how beautiful you used to be??  Hah! 

Third year Day 196 - Friday June 27, 2014

Many months ago I posted that Inez had told me about a website...jenniferfield.org.  I searched around on her website quite a bit.  Jennifer Field was an Olympic hopeful when at the age of 17 was in a near fatal car accident, comatose and brain injured.  She is now a motivational speaker.  On her website, there is a list of therapies and treatments that her family used to help her get better.  One of these listed is Dr. Tobin Watkinson and his Bicom machine.  I have tried to get a hold of him by phone and have been unable to reach him as of yet.  His office is in San Diego, California.  Again this week I have been trying to reach him.  At last, he did call, but because I am missing calls on my cell phone, we did not connect.  He left his email address and a message and told me to email him my questions.  This I did and he has responded back to me.  He asked me to set up an appointment to talk to him and to tell him how Bridgett is doing right now and what things we have already tried.  Perhaps we will find another thing that we can do to help!!