Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving together. We ate at Mom and Dad's house, but everyone helped out so Mom and Dad could just relax and enjoy the time together with family. Mom received a cute little treat from a neighbor called Blessing Mix, which contains different snack items such as m&m's, bugles, pretzels, etc. She enjoyed it so much that she wanted to make one for each family member. She and Dad spent quite a lot of time shopping for all the ingredients and then Mom carefully assembled a bag of goodies for each child, grandchild, and great-grandchild.

After dinner we had a special Thanksgiving program. Everyone gathered in the living room to watch a beautiful DVD put together by Jim Jr, set to the song, "The Climb," by Miley Cyrus. He included a few photos from the early days after the stroke, and then focused the rest on all the progress Mom has made. It was sobering to see where Mom started, and exhilarating to see the miracle of her recovery unfold before our eyes. After watching the DVD, everyone was invited to share their thoughts and feelings about the ordeal. Our focus was on the many miracles showered down upon us by the Lord, who opened countless doors so Mom could get the help she needed to recover. Mom then expressed her gratitude for everyone's love and support and we ended the program with yummy desserts. It was a wonderful evening.

This week brought several more miracles as well. On Monday Mom went to the hearing specialist where they discovered that her hearing loss was just a wax buildup, so now she can hear again!!! Her eyesight is getting better as well, and she continues to regain more and more fine motor function through diligent practice and her wonderful therapists.

As we begin this holiday season, we continue to be full of gratitude to have Mom with us, and in awe of all the progress she has made and continues to make. We are also thankful for each of you for the love and support shown us through this long process. Most of all we are grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has been with us every step of the way!

November updates

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated the blog. (Can you spell SWINE FLU? I can!)

Mom has made absolutely amazing progress these past few weeks. She has been trying to cook more, and after one LONG afternoon in the kitchen that left her exhausted and still hungry, she has since had better luck. Mom has made her yummy macaroni and cheese along with her fabulous spaghetti, and although it takes a lot out of her, she wants to do the things she used to do.

To her delight, she finally figured out how to get down in the tub so she can take a bath as opposed to a shower. (Who ever knew it was so far DOWN from a standing position, not to mention equally as far back UP when you're finished?) She also washes her own hair and is maneuvering the blow dryer as well.

Mom continues to faithfully do her exercises and practice writing her name. In addition, she has begun using her computer again, typing with both hands! It is very, very slow and painstaking, but she is equally as determined. Early on, Mom couldn't remember where all the keys were on the keyboard, and several of them were worn off which made it extra hard to type. Undaunted, Mom carefully went downstairs and found her old typing textbook from high school (she knew right where it was!) and brought it up to the computer room so she could find the right keys. Thankfully, Randy had an extra keyboard, so now Mom can actually see the keys she is trying to use. Since handwriting is still a challenge, Mom is determined to use the computer to keep up with her correspondence. One of the things she feels the worst about these past few months is that she hasn't been able to write Jace his weekly missionary letter. She is determined to remedy that situation!

Mom's eye is finally getting a bit better. Her eye doctor admitted today that when he first saw her 3 weeks ago, he wasn't sure her eyesight would return because of the severity of the infection. Although it will take another two or three months, he is quite confident her vision will return. Whew!

We are also thrilled to report that the PEG line has been removed. HURRAH!!! It was a simple process done in the office, and other than a bit of discomfort at the time of removal, there was no pain involved. That's good, because all the pain at the time of insertion should have counted for alot!

New this week is the discovery that Mom has lost much of the hearing in her right ear. This wouldn't be unusual as a result of the stroke, so she has an appointment on Monday with a specialist to check things out more thoroughly.

This week Mom's sister, Louise, has been up from California to visit and help out. It has been so fun for them to spend time together laughing and reminiscing, and the week has gone by all too fast. As Mary Engelbreit says, "There is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather!" Mom is extra blessed in the sister department on both sides of the family!

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are especially grateful to have our dear Mother home again, and are in awe of the progress she has made. We are also grateful for each of you who have cried and rejoiced along with us these past four months. We couldn't have done it alone!

A Fast of Gratitude

Today has been a sweet day of fasting in gratitude for the miraculous events that have occurred over the past three months. We are in awe of the progress Mom has made. We know that Heavenly Father has been there for us through all the ups and downs, and has caused many miracles to occur. The highlight of the day was that Mom bore her testimony in Sacrament Meeting. Although I wasn't there, I heard from several people that it was beautiful. I would imagine it was kind of like hearing from Lazarus!

This week Mom has continued to improve and can now do many things on her own. The various therapists have assigned "homework" and Mom is faithfully working at her assignments. She is supposed to do everything possible for herself, such as washing her own hair, doing the dishes, unloading the dishwasher and keeping track of her appointments on a calendar. She can eat well with her right hand and even helps with simple cooking tasks. Yesterday Mom and I went shopping for some new bed sheets and she walked around the entire store without even leaning on the shopping cart!!! She is diligently practicing writing her name and even signed the check when we went shopping. Although progress seems slow to her, cumulatively is is astounding, and she has come so far from where she was two weeks ago when she first came home!

Mom's right eye continues to slowly improve. This week the doctor removed the medicated patch and instructed Dad to put several different (EXPENSIVE!) eye drops in three times per day. He explained that Mom's eye is numb because of the stroke, which is actually a blessing at this point, as her condition would be excruciating to a normal eye. However, he still expects that the eye will recover and that Mom's vision will return.

We would like to sincerely thank each of you for your interest, prayers, fasting and kind acts too numerous to mention. Mom has been so eager to hear her story and thank each person who has helped her in any way. She wants to write thank you notes (now that's definitely our Mom!), so we're slowly and painstakingly working on letter writing! In the meantime, please know of our love and appreciation for all you have done for our family! We are so grateful!

Leaps and bounds!

Mom continues to improve this week. She went to the grocery store with Dad on Thursday and didn't need a wheelchair or even one of those riding carts. She just walked through the store with him! She's doing extremely well getting around the house and can even get up and down off the floor by herself. When you talk to her on the phone it sounds as if she's back to normal.

However, some basic skills still need relearning, and at times she's a bit of a danger to herself because she's in a familiar environment and wants to do all the things she's used to doing. For instance, she decided she wanted a toast, so she put a piece of bread in the microwave and turned it on for a very long time. Dad didn't realize what she had done until smoke started pouring out of the kitchen! She also decided she wanted to change the sheets on the bed, (despite the fact that Dad just did it on Thursday) so she took them all off and stuffed EVERYTHING in the washing machine at once - mattress pad, sheets AND blanket!!! Needless to say, they didn't quite fit and it took awhile to get everything laundered and back in place so they could go to bed!

But she is definitely improving in so many ways. I've been out of town since Wednesday and could hardly believe how well she did tonight at dinner using her RIGHT hand! And she is trying to work on her photos (although in a few weeks from now she will probably be frustrated with her current efforts!) She is also practicing how to write her name and is making pretty good progress. Dad writes her name in cursive at the top of the paper, and then she practices writing it below his example. In addition, she is lifting her weights several times each day in an effort to strengthen her arms. The best part of all is that she can laugh when things don't go well, instead of getting upset.

Medically she is improving as well. We are hoping to have the PEG line removed in the near future and are so glad she hasn't really needed it. Although her appetite is still not very great, she eats small portions at every meal and food hasn't been a struggle since we've gotten home.

The one big concern is Mom's right eye which has been infected on and off since the end of August. She has been on eye drops all this time, and her eye would seem to get better for a few days and then get red again. We just thought it was because she kept rubbing her eye and reinfecting it. However, Dad got her in to their ophthalmologist on Thursday, who said the drops actually caused a dangerous situation within her eye to where she currently has almost no vision at all on the right side. He put a special medicated contact in that eye, prescribed two different kinds of eyedrops, and wants to see her every 3 days. He feels everything will be fine, but is frustrated at the treatment she received. We are just grateful he knows what to do!!!

This week will be full of doctor appointments. Outpatient physical therapy begins on Wednesday, and will probably be three times a week, for three hours each time. In addition, there will be eye appointments as well as a visit with her regular internist who will be taking over Mom's care from all the inpatient physicians. Dad's becoming quite the scheduling genius, as well as a full time chauffeur!

The hospital has also agreed to provide ten more days of transitional care, where they pay for someone to come in and help out in any way needed for three hours each day. They will be coming in the afternoons, which will give Dad a bit of a break so he can run errands or work out in his shop for a bit, which will be so nice for him.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. Although this is a bit tricky at times, Mom is progressing in leaps and bounds now that she is home. It's wonderful to have her back!

"Grammie's out of the woods!"

What a fun evening! Mom came over to my house to eat cake and ice cream for Alan's birthday celebration. She hasn't been here since the 24th of July, so it seemed like old times. She was talking to Heidi on the phone and when Heidi asked how she was doing, Mom replied, "I think Grammie's out of the woods!" It was pretty cute.

Each day Mom is getting more and more aware, and trying to figure out new things. Today she and Dad went for a walk around the culdesac together. She also looked through her pictures for a bit this morning, so she's slowly getting back into the swing of things.

Now that Mom's home and things are going well, I've been toying with the idea of just updating the blog every few days. It's a hard thing to give up after 88 days of daily posts, as I consider you all dear friends who have sustained us with your faith and testimony throughout the ups and downs of our beautiful Mother's recovery. Thanks for joining our family on this journey, and watch for a new entry in a few days! I promise to keep you posted!

Twelve weeks!

It seems like forever ago that we walked into the hospital at 5:30 a.m., with the sky still dark, and Mom excited about finally getting new knees. I can still picture her walking down the hall to her room in her cute light blue jeans and matching sparkly shirt, and I can still remember saying goodbye to her as they wheeled her away, all snuggled under a warm blanket. Bit by bit and day by day, she's making progress towards where she used to be.

Today Mom worked at holding a fork and getting food to her mouth, and wanted to do it without help. Dad is so cute to help her just enough so she is successful. She is actually eating more than she did in the hospital, and the PEG line is not really necessary. Her sweet personality shines through, and also her independent streak! And there is no reasoning with her when she has her mind made up about something. But that just shows that she is making great improvements, so we'll take it. She is doing amazingly well getting up from a sitting position, and since she gets up every few minutes to move to a different seat or walk to a different room, she's getting lots and lots of practice! She is also getting more steady walking around, so we don't feel as if we need to hover near as much as we did on Saturday - for which I'm sure she's grateful!

Mom also enjoyed looking through some of her photos which were taken in the early summer. She had them all packed up to work on during her supposed 3 day stay after surgery. I guess 84 days later is a bit of a stretch, but it's exciting to see her doing something she loved to do before.

We're still trying to figure out options to give Dad a bit of a break, but he is hanging in there. He deserves the Nobel peace prize for all his efforts, and I learn so much just watching him. Way to go, Dad!!!

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand!

Today Mom was able to make it to Sacrament Meeting. When we drove up to the Church, she didn't want to park in the handicapped stalls even though we had a permit. Mom enjoyed being at Church again, and seeing her dear neighbors and friends who have been so kind and thoughtful and helpful! She commented on the way home about how special her ward is. We couldn't agree more!!!

We have seen much improvement in Mom just since yesterday. She is alot more stable walking around the house, and we don't worry quite as much about her getting up and down. Good thing too, since she doesn't sit in one place for long! When Jim Jr. came to visit he remarked that she is probably getting more therapy at home than she ever would in the hospital! She is working very hard to be independent, and even tried to do the dishes tonight. At dinner she laboriously tried to eat with her right hand, which is quite a bit weaker than her left. She said she needs to learn how to do things, so she didn't want any help. It is frustrating to her, but she is definitely trying.

Although she is improving, it remains a full time job for Dad to keep up with everything. We need to find some way for him to have a break for a bit each day, since this is non stop. As I said yesterday, Mom can do a LOT of things, but some steps are just plain missing, and she needs constant supervision. Although we are thrilled beyond measure to have her home and can see daily improvement, this will be a long process.

Despite the enormity of the task, we know things will work out. Today as I sat in Sacrament Meeting I was very touched by the words to a familiar hymn - How Firm a Foundation. I've sung it hundreds of times throughout my life, but it has never had more meaning than today:

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

He has truly strengthened and helped Mom, and caused her to stand. We know He will continue to be at her side.