+all staples are out of her leg
+last staples (in her thumb and arm) will be out tomorrow
+first full day of PT and OT and she survived
+very fun DQ blizzard party with Bob and Vickie
+the rehab doc verified that mom will probably be here for two more weeks before she can even travel. Whether she will go home or into another rehab unit in CA is unknown at this time.
+Mom is starting to have enough coherence to help us think of things that will help her be more independent. For example, her own cell phone (possibly voice activated), the bedside table left in the same place each day (she has NO peripheral vision), velcro to attach the phone to her turtle shell, etc.
+we talked to several folks who had ideas about transporting mom (rent a motorhome?)
She is doing between 3 and 6 hours of therapy and doctor consults, plus sitting up in her wheelchair in the dining room at meals. This makes it more difficult to accurately schedule phone calls so be aware that we will always answer the phone if we are in the room, but we/Mom may not be able to chat. Also, we appreciate everyone who has sent or has thought of sending audio books, but since my folks were listening to an audio book when the crash happened, she told me today that she is not ready to listen to any yet. However she is getting a new laptop and will probably be emailing and watching DVD's soon. We are back on doing night shifts to lessen her nighttime anxiety.
The kids and I will be leaving tomorrow after we say goodbye to my mom. Not an easy decision for me. Well, I should sign off...these posts get less intelligent as I get more behind on sleep. Thank you to everyone who has sent their love and support for my mom and dad, my kids, and my sister and me. It is no surprise that so many people love my parents, but it is certainly overwhelming (in a wonderful way).
5 comments:
Dear Janet, Brian, Jill and Amy,
I tried again last night to send you an abbreviated version of all of my lost messages on the blog site...but I notice that they did not go through either. I will have my son watch over me a I send this one off!! Perhaps I need supervision when working on the computer.
My sister was in a similar accident. She suffered a broken neck and was in a halo for three months. She suggested some sleeping tips. She used lots of squishy pillows that were placed between her head and the halo. Then someone rolled her onto her side (in this case roll Janet onto her left side) and put pillows behind her back so she is sleeping on her side/back. This may be more comfortable and worth a try.
As for transporting her once she is home, my friend's husband shattered both of his legs in a motorcycle accident and was in a wheelchair for a good two months. They owned a van. They took out the middle seat and propped him up with one of those TV back cushions when he rode in the van. His wife could help him transfer from the wheelchair right into the van as they were both about the same height.
My sister offered to come over and meet Janet when she gets home. I would bring her over. At least she can talk to her and relate to what she is going through. She would be happy to do this. Please know that you will have the support of family and friends once you get back to Roseville. That's what friends are for. Love, Barbara Mayers
Dear Jill,
Hope you get this, but I'll cut and paste into an e-mail as well. You have been the most wonderful daughter any parent could wish for, and I know you're making the right decision in taking yourself home now. Derek and Anna need a mom who can stay awake, and there will be plenty of other opportunities for you to help both from afar and in visits. I wish I could deliver a hug in person, but consider yourself virtually hugged, and get all the support you need once you're home. You've been through a big trauma too.
Love,
Carolyn
I know these seem like "small" events but I am sure you don't think so, Janet. I never thought being the Bionic Woman sounded like it was at all pleasant. You are living proof that it's pretty awful. But, piece by piece, the metal is being removed.
I was delighted to see you sitting at a normal table in a normal kitchen having a pizza party. That has to be the best pizza party ever.
Brian, the guy who is remodeling the inside of our house just inherited the contents of an old barn. Among the items were small sheets of very old uncanceled stamps. I will be mailing you copies and if you would tell us whether or not they are worth something, we would greatly appreciate it. Janet, this is Michael, the champion rat assassin.
Jill, if someone looked up the phrase 'perfect daughters' in the dictionary, they would find a photograph of you and Amy. Your parents' hearts have to be filled to the bursting point. You need to get back to Montana and get your own home back on track. The kids need this. Barri needs this and, most importantly, you need this.
The offer is still open to write a feature for the newspapers in Challis or contact the editors to get a story done on Rita. I don't know how things work on the broadcast end of things, but they may decide to follow up if they see it in print. Just let me know.
Love to all of you, hugs all around and may there be tons of mint chocolate ice cream in your future, Janet. Oh - do you and Brian like chocolate-dipped strawberries a la Sherry's Berries?
My e-mail is jcarl20158@aol.com.
Dear Brian, Janet, Jill, and Amy,
It was good to hear Brian, Jill, and Janet's voices yesterday on the phone, and it's great to see pictures of Janet partying with her family.
Jill, I'm glad you're going to get to go home for awhile. You and Amy have done a terrific job taking care of your mom. The offer still stands for you and your kids come down to stay with us and go to Disneyland as long as we live less than 10 minutes away. If you make arrangements early enough, we could probably house the whole Hansen clan with beds for all. Maybe we could even work up a princess party for Janet.
Janet, sorry I never really answered your question about my family on the phone yesterday. I am doing really well controlling my allergies with drugs, herbs, and air purifiers. I have gone 13 days without having to use my inhaler or Benadryl, but I still need one Zyrtec per day. I have gotten sufficiently acclimated to the drug that my speech is no longer slurred and I can walk a straight line, but I can't do mental math or get a coherent answer out to questions until the next day. This has been a great frustration to Elizabeth because she has been wired on coffee studying for finals and trying to prepare her financial aid applications for USC. USC made an error and sent her acceptance notice to someone else, so she missed all their deadlines and was given a very short grace period to make it up. She had to get stuff in and study for three finals, so she was rushing at me and asking me to tell her how much we spend per month for utilities. I could get the gas and phone added in my head, but I couldn't add the electricity on to that. Then Elizabeth would storm off in tears (a frequent occurrence when she lives on coffee for too long) and tell me I wasn't helping her. I would try to frame an answer, but by the time I could get the words out, she was already off to some study group for calculus. She finished the financial aid form last night and had her last test this morning, and then she came home to sleep things off. I imagine she will be human again the next time I talk to her.
As I did manage to tell you on the phone, since I can't do seminars for people who use soap and deodorant, and since the unwashed masses all live in Europe, we have had to change our business format. Joshua and his friend and business partner Enrique have found some investors who are looking for bargain basement wrecked up houses that they are going to buy, fix up, and resell. They have put a lot of offers in, but not been lucky yet. They also have a few clients who want to purchase houses for the first time, since Orange County has been pretty unaffordable for quite awhile. Enrique has many contacts who would like to refi out of adjustable rate mortgages. We can help only 1% of them, unfortunately. Many of them do not speak English very well and did not really understand what they were getting themselves into. It's kind of sad.
In addition, because I am still slightly dizzy from the meds, Joshua has taken over the shopping and cooking. He and Enrique have been introducing each other to their home cuisines. But yesterday, Joshua made the leap to Mexican cooking. It was hilarious. He didn't know what he made. He made a kind of pork sandwich called a "torta". The meat is called "carnitas," and when it's just meat and hot sauce wrapped in tortilla, it's called "carnitas." So he was calling everyone to dinner saying, "I made fajitas, no tacos, no carnitas, no tortas. Just come try it, it's really good." It was good, and he did a great job. Enrique was there stuffing his face and laughing his head off.
Joanna graduated at the winter break after she came back from her semester abroad in Italy. She had thought she could transfer spring semester to a UC, but the budget was cut for spring transfers. She has been doing a Rosetta Stone Italian program to keep up with the language, and she is a nanny for a really cute baby and she is doing tutoring for the Anaheim school district and for an SAT prep class. She took a fencing class this semester just to keep her hand in. She was one of the top two fencers in the class. In order to graduate early, she took a CLEP test to get credit for English 101. The community college gave her credit, but UCLA is making her retake the class. She will start next week for an intensive 5 week version in the evenings at a different community college because the one she graduated from already gave her credit for the class. Bureaucracy, yuck!!
Phoebe finished her finals Monday. She immediately went bowling with her friends. She has a tutoring job also, but it is a private one. She spends much of her time watching Korean dramas dubbed with Chinese on her laptop. She also bought herself a mandolin and has taught herself to play. Sometimes she practices her violin.
All three girls promise me that they will begin cleaning some time this week. I hope so because something else smells in their room. I'm not sure what else might be buried under all their mess. I hope it's not toxic. At least I know it's not perfume...
Joshua's dad has pretty much recovered from his gall bladder surgery, but his mom is not doing so well with her situation. She is kind of depressed because she will not be allowed to sweep, mop or use a wash board again. Joshua will probably go visit them in the next month to assess the situation. It may be that when our girls have graduated from college, Joshua and I will move back to Taiwan for awhile to be with his parents. If Jill has not brought her kids to California Disneyland before then, she will just have to bring them to Taiwan and we will take them to dance with the aborigines like Brian did on Joshua's and my honeymoon. Then we can all go to Disneyland Tokyo or to the Disneyland clone in mainland China.
I'm so glad that Janet has made so many "baby steps" of progress today and wish her many more in the future.
Love, Teresa Liu
Hi all,
Hooray for progress! I am sure it feels like this has been going on forever but you are all doing so amazingly well. Janet you are make fantastic progress; I know you are working very hard. Try to be patient with yourself as you recover. Jill & Amy you have been so terrific & supportive of your mom & dad. Jill I hope you can go home & know that it was time for you to go. You did so much (& there is always more to do) & for now you need to get home with your kids. Amy & Brian, hang in there & remember to take care of yourselves in the process.
The party looked like a lot of fun! It made me hungry thinking about it.
Aunt Lucille is doing very well. Walked a little over 900' in 3 tries yesterday & today. She & the therapist had several "debates" over when to stop each leg of the walk; the therapist finally won the last one. I think mom wanted to top her record (not sure she is aware of what that is but you never know)! She was very alert, interactive & inquisitive on her walk today.
We were just down in L.A. visiting Chris & friends & will be going back down in a few weeks for his graduation. Unfortunately, Eric was up here for business while we were in L.A. but we got to see him briefly when we got home. I always love to catch up with their lives.
I will probably be in Granite Bay in early June so I will come & see you then. In the meantime, you are all in my thoughts & prayers & I am so thankful for how you are doing & supporting each other. The blog is great! I check it regularly & appreciate the updates.
love to all,
Valerie
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