It's Time to Celebrate!

All is going very well with Gina and we're back into the swing of things. She will be graduating this year, right on schedule, and she finally decided she does want a party! (YAY!)
We will be celebrating all of Gina's accomplishments on Sunday, June 1 from 1:00 to 4:00 at Scioto Park. We hope that anyone reading this blog can make it. No need to RSVP.
Directions to Scioto Park
>From I-270 go North on Sawmill Rd. Turn Left onto Hard Rd. (3rd light). Turn Left onto Riverside Dr. (2nd light). Scioto Park is on the Right. Look for "Gina" signs with balloons.

No News!...is...Good News!

It means that we're just getting back to normal everyday life and nothing earth shattering has happened...we've all had quite enough of that! Gina is enjoying spring break and we're all enjoying the fact that we're all home again! Outpatient therapies are progressing nicely. As a matter of fact, Gina's physical therapist has to keep increasing her goals because Gina's progressing much faster than her therapist thought she would (no surprise to us though...just typical Gina determination!) Keep an eye on this blog for the big 'birthday/welcome home bash' info! I should have all the details posted by the end of next week.

Thinking of all of you,
Mimi

Happy Easter!

Gina's first week of school came and went successfully. She's adjusting to all of her classes nicely. She's taking government, english, keyboarding, drawing, and photography. (and all at a 12th grade level!). We had a few doctor visits this week that went exteremly well...we saw her neuro doc from OSU and after he reviewed her latest CT scan said that everything looked fine and he wouldn't need to see us again (we were told that sometimes these docs like to see their patients for 2-5 years after the TBI).

We also saw her trauma docs and they went ahead and removed her g-tube. (OUCH!!!) But, at least it's over and out! Gina is truely "cordless" now! We met her new outpatient therapists and they had a chance to assess Gina's progress and develope a plan for continuing improvement. This week is spring break for the school district, but for Gina it's still back to work! (after all she's already had a 7 1/2 week break!) ;-)

We're still planning to have a big 18th birthday party for Gina sometime in the next couple of weeks. So.....even though my blogs aren't as regular as they used to be, keep checking this site for the time and place. We hope to see everyone who reads this blog very soon!

Hugs,
Mimi

Happy (belated) St. Patrick's Day!

Gina, Paul, and I have all spent the last few days trying to acclimate ourselves to a normal schedule. On Friday, Gina and I went to meet the paramedics and EMT's that responded to Gina's accident & then we went back to OSU so she could officially meet some of the nurses that cared for her. There are so many wonderful people in this world. We've run into a few lately and we feel so blessed to have met the people who obviously care very deeply!

On Saturday, Gina and I went to see "Annie" at the Palace Theater courtesy of Childrens Hospital. It was a good play and we had a wonderful time!
Sunday was filled with relaxation and some friendly board game competition. Needless to say, Gina beat me badly...it's embarrassing because I REALLY was trying to win! ;-).

Yesterday she went back to school and was glad to be there! (she must be crazy!). She came home with a few stories about her day.....like, so and so broke up.....art is cool.....so and so was being stupid....I need to get a book for tomorrow...etc....same old, same old...it's good to be home!!!!!

Hugs,
Mimi

TODAY Is THEE Day!!!!

It's finally almost here and I can hardly believe it!!! Finally off the stinkin' couch and then we're OUTTA here!
We had the big meeting with Gina's School, her doctors, and all her therapists and it was decided that it would be best for Gina to go back to school on Monday!!!!! That's right...this coming Monday, March 17th. She'll have to remember to wear something green...especially at her school!

Special Note for Gina's Classmates: Please, please, pleeease remember to be careful around Gina. I know you'll be very excited to see her, but we all need to be careful around her so no one accidently knocks her over. So...gentle hugs only...no running hugs or hugs where she doesn't know what your about to do. To make her lose her balance and fall could be disasterous if she should accidently bump her head....but, if it should happen, make sure you let the school nurse know immediately....even if Gina seems ok. Spread this word around to everyone so Gina's first day back is a successful and positive one!!!!

Thanks so much,
Mimi

Good News Travels Fast!

The good news of the day is really a good news/bad news story. The bad news is that we won't be going home this Friday, but the good news is that we'll be going home on Thursday instead!!! ;-)

Gina's been busy taking pictures of the different areas of rehab that she spends her time in and writing short blurbs about them. She continues to work on her balancing skills and on multi-tasking. (Can blondes do that?).

After the last two nights back in the hospital we've both realized just how comfortable our own beds really are and we're anxiously counting down the nights left before we can return to them (2). (When Gina read this paragraph she said "mm hmm, true that!).

Tomorrow is the big meeting with Gina's school to discuss and make a plan for her reintegration. It should be exciting and informative.......it's all coming together now!

Hugs,
Mimi

Whew! What a Weekend!!!

We had a blast! We got to go home Friday afternoon instead of Saturday due to the weather. Once we made it home on Friday we snuggled in and relaxed in front of the TV and fireplace. On Saturday we went grocery shopping, then spent the rest of the day making some of our favorite meals and deserts!

On Sunday we went out to Mad River Mountain for a pot luck lunch and race that was held for Gina. Thanks to all at Mad River for making it a fun and memorable day for Gina and I. We appreciate all the hard work and planning that went into the "Carhart Cup". After we got home it was time to get everything packed back up for the hospital. We got back at Childrens at around 8pm on Sunday......we had to.....we needed to get some rest!!! :-D

Today was filled with more testing and assessment for Gina. She did get time to finish the Corvette she was working on...it turned out really nice! She's also been practicing her guitar like crazy and is consistently improving there too! Only 4 days to go!!!!!!!!

Snow, Snow, Snow!!

It's really coming down today and tomorrow....so I think I'll take a couple of "snow days" myself. ;-) Gina spent most of her day testing and I spent most of mine packing...so....there's not much else to tell. We'll have more stories as the weekend progresses. I'll keep you posted!

Hugs,
Mimi

Blog Continues.....for now!

I didn't mean to stop blogging just yet, I just forgot about it last night because we were all having so much fun playing card games and getting rowdy!!! It really was a lot of fun!!! (Especially when we ganged up on Paul!)
Gina took her independent field trip to Easton mall yesterday. I wasn't allowed to go...just Gina and her therapist. She had a great time. They went to Cosi for lunch and to Color My World to paint a pottery item. I don't know exactly what she made yet...it's a surprise!
Today Gina started to jog! She's having to spend much of her day testing in order to get released next Friday, but she says it's not so bad. She also started to build a Corvette in one of her therapies...it's cool!

Hugs,
Mimi

Gina is Going Home!!!!!!

That's right, we found out that Gina will be discharged on the 14th (of this month)....that's only 1 week from Friday!!!!!!!!! All of Gina's hard work and her therapist's has paid off!!!!!! We're also cancelling visiting hours for this weekend. You can still come for a visit if you want, but we won't be here! ;-D. Gina has earned day passes for both Saturday and Sunday and so we're on our way back home! Thanks, so much Children's Hospital! You guys all rock!

Blog ya tomorrow with more exciting news!!!

Mimi

The Finer Points of Life!

Now that Gina has all the gross motor and cognitive skills back, she only has the finer points to work on. And so, in true Gina style, she's diligently doing those tasks. She's now balancing on one foot on uneven surfaces, playing soccer, expanding her problem solving skills, and working on some extremely fine motor skills for her right hand. One of the exercises she did today should be called stickpin torture......and yes, it really is as painful to watch as it sounds!!!!!!! Gina was given a foam block, tweezers, and some straightpins. She then had to pick up a pin with the tweezers and stick the pin into the foam block by using only those tweezers. It was a lot of hard work involving a very high level of concentration on Gina's part and a high level of restraint on my part, but Gina stuck with it and accomplished the task....twice......no problem!!! She also played fetch with Ansley and Ansley made me fetch the ball.......who says dogs aren't smart????? Or did I just say too much about my own IQ level??? It'll be another fun and exciting day tomorrow......I'll keep you posted!

Hugs,
Mimi

Gina wants visitors!

After a nice relaxing Sunday, Gina is ready to have visitors, but there is only a small window of time available in her very busy weekday schedule. If you'd like to come M-F please come no earlier than 6:00p and stay no later than 8:00p. If on Saturday or Sunday, first check the blog to make sure we're still planning on being here for the day, and then feel free to stop by no earlier than 3:00p and stay no later than 8:00p. From 5:00p-6:00p Gina will be eating dinner and all visitors will be asked to leave. We may also need to limit the length of stay and the number of people in the room depending on how Gina is feeling. When you come to Childrens Hospital (Parking costs $2) go to the "T" information desk, let them know who you are and that you're here to see Gina Whitt. They'll call me and I'll come down and get you. I hope that everyone understands that the visiting hours we've established were created in Gina's best interest and that she still gets tired easily.

See ya around,
Mimi

Road Trip!!!

Gina has been doing so well, the doctors gave her a day pass to go wherever she wanted with just Paul and I (no nurses or anything!). She chose to go up to Mad River Mountain to do some visiting for the day! We all had a great time...it was so nice to see our 'family' in their natural environment and to get caught up on all the latest happenings out there! :-). We returned to Childrens happily exhausted! When I asked Gina what her favorite part of the day was, she said "Getting out of the Hospital!". Maybe we'll get to go somewhere again soon!

Mimi

Leap Day Rocks on in Rehab!

And, as usual, Gina continues to leap!!! Literally! She practiced jumping for the first time today and did very well. She also started to read her blog out loud and we heard her full voice while reading in group...it made me cry! :-) She balanced on one foot on the trampoline while hitting a ball with a bat and walked on an inclined treadmill for 8 minutes! And, as if that weren't enough, she had her guitar instructor in and started taking lessons (we like to call it Music Therapy)...even during the lesson Gina showed marked improvement!!! She even learned a trick that even her dad doesn't know. Now she's rockin' on!

Blog ya later,
Mimi

Walking, Walking, Walking!!!

Gina walked the equivalent of a marathon today by walking downstairs (3 flights), walking around the first floor, and then back upstairs (3 flights)...and that was just her warm-up! She continued to walk to all of her therapies and made 2 additional trips down to the first floor! Her voice continues to get stronger and the small motor skills are refining nicely! Today she painted a small box to hold her earings in. Gina is progressing very quickly (much faster than anyone here thought) but, of course, we aren't surprised...she always has such a positive attitude and looks forward to brightening everyone's day! We're so lucky and proud to have her as our daughter!

Paul and Mimi

"I'm Cordless!"

Yet another H-U-G-E day here in Childrens! Gina did another floroscope and did much better! She can now eat most regular foods!!!! She also got her pic line and her trach removed!!!!....and so doesn't have to have the IV pole following her around anymore! When her therapists, PCA's and other nurses have noticed this, Gina would proudly tell them (with a smile on her face) "I'm cordless!" Her wit has obviously come back too!
In addition to all that, she's also becoming measurably stronger and more independent every day! She told me yesterday that she wondered what surprises awaited us today...and now we wonder what awaits us tomorrow! My adrenal glands are almost on overload...and I'm loving it!!!!!!!

Hugs,
Mimi

New shoes!

Gina continues to get stronger and is now walking so much the slipper socks just aren't enough anymore, so she got a new pair of tennies! She's trucking right along now and the goal is to have her walking to all her therapies by next Tuesday.
She was playing fetch with Ansley today.....or was it Ansley was playing fetch with Gina????? Ansley was supposed to go get the ball when Gina threw it, but would just look at Gina instead and wait for her to go get the ball herself. We think that he thought that for him to get the ball was much too undignified and dog-like....after all, his ID tag does say "Ansley, MD". Does he think it stands for Medical Doctor? It doesn't ......it's Medical Dog! :-D
After Gina's day was done, the three of us played a couple of games in her room with her and she found almost anything Paul was doing or saying absolutely hysterical and fell over in her bed more than once laughing.....it was a great evening....we're so glad Gina has her sense of humor back and is able to express it!!!!!!

Rockin' On,
Mimi

Talking up a Storm!!!!!!!!

What a day, what a day, what a day!!!!! Where to begin??? Gina started out her morning by amazing Paul and I by walking through an obstacle course and then having to pick up a ring from the floor and toss it onto a peg...she had to do this 4 times and never missed a peg! She then went walking up and down a 5 stair staircase (alternating feet while going both up and down the steps). While watching all of this I was as proud of her as I was the day she turned 9 months old and took her first steps!!! Her resident physician just got back from vacation today and commented that he couldn't believe that he'd only been gone 1 week with all the progress Gina was showing!

Later, in speech therapy, she started using her voice!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was doing so well, we went into the hall to practice yelling! Gina told us that she sometimes yells at people on the ski slope. When she was asked what she yells, she said she yells "Hey! You're cute!". :-D

The afternoon was spent talking, exercising, and generally showing off her new found skills!!!!!! Of course, you couldn't wipe the smile off my face all day long!!!!! Gina was smiling all day too!

What will tomorrow bring?

Happily,
Mimi

Lazy Days...

Another lazy Sunday has passed. Gina spent her day taking naps, visiting with grandparents, and later in the evening watching movies and getting a spa treatment from her wonderful mom! ;D). Spoiled rotten!!! Tomorrow starts another day of therapies and excitement...prepare your adrenal glands!!!!!!!

Mimi

Bounced Back!

Gina and I both bounced back today and are feeling up to par. Since Saturdays are short therapy days, Gina gets extra time to relax and get caught up on her naps. She did walk with a cane again, played another game while kneeling, ate all her applesauce and some yogurt for lunch and ate 1/2 her mashed potatoes and corn for dinner.....not bad for someone who isn't even feeling hungry yet! Tomorrow should be another lazy Sunday...but...you never know!

We all thought Paul did a wonderful job at writing yesterdays' blog and I tried to get him to take over...but he didn't fall for it! :-). I'm sure in the coming weeks I'll be able to get him to do a few more.

Mimi

‘Walking Tall’

Well, today when I came in to the Rehab station, the nurses told me that Gina and Mimi were not feeling well. Gina had missed most of her therapy today and was not crazy about lunch either. The doctor came in to see her and told Gina she would like for her to try her afternoon therapy sessions and see what happens. So Gina’s speech therapist along with ‘Ansley’ (specially trained speech therapy dog) came in to get Gina and off they went. I stayed with Mimi and we watched some TV and stayed warm. After a few hours, it was time for me to go and so I said my good byes to Mimi and left to go find Gina to say good bye to her. I could not find her and decided I would just see her tomorrow.

When I went out into the main hallway, there was Gina and some therapists from Rec-Therapy standing in the hallway, shooting hoops!! I couldn’t believe my eyes... why was Gina standing there shooting hoops (underhanded with hackey sacks) with her right hand...and where was her wheelchair??

Then, all of the sudden, the therapist says to Gina, "Ok Gina, let’s turn around and go back to your chair." While the therapists had a hold of her IV pole, Gina grabbed her one-handed walker and proceeded to walk right back down the hall, past me and into her wheelchair!!! I couldn’t find words to speak, so I grabbed for the wall. I was overjoyed! I told her so and that I had to leave for work but I would be back tomorrow. She shook her head to me as ‘ok’. So I left feeling great yet not wanting to leave at all. As I turned the corner, I heard her therapist say, "Ok Gina, let’s go again, but not so fast this time." That was almost too much for me to take in. Good stuff!

Gina’s Occupational Therapist later told Mimi that Gina was lifting a 3Ib weight with her right hand, from her side, all the way above her head. Oh, and one more thing for today, in answer to a request from her occupational therapist the day before, I had brought in Gina’s nylon string guitar for her. They say it will be a part of her rehab to retrain her fingers to eventually the level she was at before. When I pulled Gina’s guitar out of its case, she took it immediately, held it and plucked the strings! What a day!

For Saturday and Sunday, Gina and Mimi are still feeling a little under the weather so they both are going to rest over the weekend to be strong for the next week.

Thanks everyone, great things are happening!


Paul

Walking Up that Mountain...Literally!

Well, I thought other days have been exciting, but this might be the most exciting day yet!!! Where should I begin??? I guess I'll start at the beginning...in the morning!

Our morning started out much the same as the other mornings...getting up way before we wanted to...but that's about all that didn't change! During physical therapy Gina was using her core strength and playing yahtzee against Ansley (the therapy dog), when she decided to start collecting and rolling the dice with her right hand!!!! (This is the arm that just started moving about 2 weeks ago!). Then, she played Sequence dice using both hands and having a 1 1/2 pound weight on her left hand! For speech she tried to yell "STOP" at some imaginary snowboarders who were being unsafe. It only came out as a loud whisper, but the intent was certainly there! (I'll turn her into a patroller yet!).

Gina also ate some pureed food today for lunch (the first "real" food she's had since her accident). She had mashed potatoed w/gravy, applesauce, and sprite. After lunch Gina decided to raise the bar......wayyyyyy up! She walked (only pushing a wheeled table) 75 yards.....twice!!!! Forget trying to walk in the parallel bars...she just gets right down to business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For dinner she had mac & cheese, chicken marinara, peaches, and iced tea....yummy! She did well with it and seems to enjoy eating a little bit of food.

But wait...that's not all....she also started writing with her right hand!!!! She wrote "I love mom" and "I walked mom" clearly. That's right folks....one amazement after another.....if she does nothing new the rest of the week.....that's fine with me.....but I doubt Gina will settle for that!!!!!!!!

Hugs,
Mimi

More Steps Up the Mountain

Today Gina was much less dizzy and so had more stamina and was able to step up to the plate. She had a really good, loud whisper most of the day. We also discovered she can still count money, tell time and she remembered the details of a story read to her yesterday. She marched in place in the parallel bars, did lots of leg and core strengthening exercises, and once again beat her therapists in some games.

She did get to do her swallow study (it was really, really cool to watch!) and will start to eat pureed foods tomorrow at lunch. After all that, she relaxed to the wonderful dialect of Mark Twain! More successes to follow tomorrow!

Mimi

Continuing to Strengthen

Gina went through a very full day of therapies starting at 8:30a and ending at 4:00p. In each therapy she continued to strengthen what she worked on yesterday...speech-whispering, physical-standing in parallel bars, occupational-self grooming, recreational-beating therapists at games! By the end of the day, Gina was totally worn out, but very proud of herself. (and so are we!). Just getting through such a packed day is definitely an accomplishment in itself!

I wonder what tomorrow will bring? Oh wait....I know one thing it'll bring...Gina gets to go have a swallow test done to see if she can start to eat orally again...it should be interesting....they use a floroscope to watch the food or liquid as it goes down...I'll let you know how it goes!

Hugs,
Mimi

Wooooooo Hoooooooo!

Gina's therapy went wonderfully today....this morning, for the first time, she actively moved her right ankle...and not just a little, but was able to plantar flex, dorsiflex, invert, and evert with resistance! (This is a huge step!!!). She also played a game of yahtzee and set a new rehab record of 512 points! (she rolled 4 yahtzee's)....I wonder where she gets her competitive spirit???

She didn't get her trach out today, but they did take a look at it...I should find out more about that tomorrow. She has a good airway with the trach in and they just want to make sure she'd maintain that airway without the trach before they remove it. Then, this afternoon, she actively opened and closed her right hand and moved all 5 fingers independently of one another! Woo Hoo! I Love Mondays!!!

Mimi

Movie Day!

Well, as predicted, today was a nice lazy day spent watching movies, napping, and listening to Mark Twain. Gina did get into her chair a couple of times for some short tours around her floor. She's not feeling as dizzy today, but says she still feels a little dizzy. Tomorrow will be a full day again filled with therapies and improvements (I'm sure!).....I'll keep everyone posted! Gina may get her trach out tomorrow or Tuesday!

Hugs,
Mimi

Rehab and Rest

On Saturdays, Gina has only 1/2 a day of rehab. She was able to sit on the edge of her bed and show amazing core strength improvement! She was even able to look out her window for the first time and see all the snow still on the ground. I asked her if she was going to go skiing on some new skis next season and she shook her head no! She still remembers she's a snowboarder....I tried! ;-). She's whispering louder and really working on getting her voice out...but it is a lot of work! Tomorrow should be a quiet, lazy day...no therapies!!!

Mimi

Getting Extra Rest Because of Snoring Mother!

Gina used today to get some extra rest and was able to successfully blow off about 1/2 her rehab....she has good reason though. When she woke up this morning she complained of dizziness, nausea and the fact that she didn't get a good nights' sleep. When I asked her why she didn't sleep well, she pointed at me! I asked her if I had kept her awake...she nodded her head...I asked her if I was snoring...and she nodded her head again! So, I asked her if she wanted to sleep with her new ipod on the next night and...she nodded her head! :-)

The doctors took a look at her and discovered she has 2 ear infections and was a little dehydrated and that was probably what was causing her vertigo and nausea. Gina made sure she let them know that I was the cause of a poor nights sleep! (now she's ratting me out to the doctors!!! Foiled yet again!!!)

Despite all of this, Gina was a trooper and continued to do as much of her rehab as she could from her bed! Her determination continues to shine!!! Even though she decided to slack off a little today, she was still able to enjoy her massage and get some more Mark Twain education! Hopefully she'll feel a little better tomorrow!

Hugs,
Mimi

Happy Valentines Day!

We had a very full Valentines day! On top of regular therapy, Gina received about a bazillion valentines and birthday cards that we read, and had a valentines party where she made a really cute picture frame! She continues to progress through her therapies....and is doing fantastic! She's started to whisper, is standing longer, sitting longer, and getting stronger every day!

You are all our valentines!
Mimi

Gina's Big 18th Birthday!

Well, although being in the hospital wasn't the way we were planning to celebrate Gina's 18th birthday, we all made the best of it and ended up having some fun! The day started out with Gina's room getting ambushed and decorated by the hospital staff. They put up a "Happy 18th Birthday" banner over her door, streamers all over her room, a Happy Birthday balloon, and even gave her some very nice presents. (The people who work here are absolutely wonderful!) Later in the afternoon Gina decided she wanted to go down to the gift shop and look around a little bit, so we did, and on the way back to her room one of the lady's at the information desk stopped us and sang Gina Happy Birthday! I don't even know how she knew it was her birthday...word gets around I guess!

In rehab she played Yahtzee (and won), got her trach capped (the final step before removal), practiced taking deep breaths and blowing cotton balls around on a table (trying to get her voice out), made some valentines, and is now sitting up with little or no assistance!

She got a harmonica to help her exhale forcefully, and after a couple tries, was able to play a few notes! Her grandfather was once again obliged to educate her with some more Mark Twain (which she enjoys very much...it seems to be a good 'sleeping pill') ;-o She also spent time listening to her new ipod, getting a manicure, reading all her birthday cards, and smelling all her flowers!

Thank you to everyone for helping to make Gina's 18th birthday nice for her! We'll have a big party when we get out of here!

Hugs,
Mimi

More Practicing

Today Gina continued to practice sitting up and standing. She played Sequence Dice, got another massage, started mouthing words (including 'I Love You'), and even smiled....it was the most beautiful smile we'd ever seen!

Tomorrow (Wed., Feb. 13) is Gina's 18th birthday and Childrens Hospital has cards that you can make and send online for free. The hospital will print them out and deliver them to Gina's room! It's easy...just go to www.nationwidechildrens.org and mouse over 'patients/families/visitors' and click on 'send a greeting card'. Her room # is A3643. We're hanging all her cards up all over her walls like wallpaper...she loves it.

We recently learned that all gifts are allowed except for latex balloons...balloons are great, just make sure they're mylar or any other plastic except latex.

Hugs,
Mimi

WOO HOO!!!!!

WOW!

We knew today would be full of pleasant surprises, but, as usual, we had no idea how wonderful they would be! Today Gina exhibited purposeful movement of her right leg...when it came off the footrest of her chair she put it right back on! She knows what day, month, and year it is...and she was able to correctly show what the weather outside was like.

She even knew that in 2 days it'll be her 18th birthday! She not only continues to win at Connect 4, but has now proven her prowess at UNO too! She was able to stand in the parallel bars 3 times (for a few minutes each time) and do a puzzle while standing! When she got back to her room for a break, she even got a massage!

The doctors switched her trach tube down to a size 4 (the smallest size) and are talking about getting it out completely (maybe by the beginning of next week). She's also been on regular "room" air since Saturday and is doing fine. No more O2! She's also looking to the right easily now (this wasn't even possible 4 days ago). :-).

So much improvement all in only one day! Stay tuned for more successes tomorrow!

Proud Mom,
Mimi

A Peaceful Day...

Gina spent her Sunday relaxing and conserving her energy for therapy today. She did spend 2 hours in her chair getting pampered and is still feeling very lovable! :-).

A quiet day overall with time spent listening to music, watching movies, and Mark Twain (read to her by her grandpa).

I wonder what surprises today will bring?

Things are Really Looking Up!

OK...I'm going to start trying to write these blogs in the evening instead of morning....mornings are just too full of excitement and I'm always afraid I might miss something!

Gina had another great day (as usual)! She got to play Connect 4 with her recreational therapist and gave her a sound beating! She was very sneaky and was definitely planning her strategy ahead of time. Her communication continues to improve every time we talk with her.

She gave me a kiss today and is feeling very emotional much of the time. (That's more good news because it's evidence of Gina continuing to climb that mountain)! There is no therapy on Sunday...she gets a day of rest....but I'm sure I'll still have more exciting news tomorrow!

Hugs,
Mimi

Progress by the Minute!

Sooooo much happened today. Gina's therapy went wonderfully. She can now answer some yes or no questions by pointing to yes or no signs. She can let us know if she's in pain and where the pain is. She also has a chart with eight pictures on it showing different things like a TV, a book, music, a movie, etc. and she knows how to look for what she wants and is able to point it out. She underwent her first trach downsizing...good news in that this is moving toward permanent removal.

We're so impressed with her ability. The determination she's always had is clearly showing through now!

Mimi

Busy, Busy, Busy

I'd like to start this blog off by apologizing for the lateness of it. I'm usually up early enough in the morning and have time to write it, but I slept in today and when I woke up, Gina's therapists were ready to rock and roll.

Yesterday went well. We got moved and settled in to Gina's new digs. They don't waste any time around here in getting therapy started. Gina did very well with her tasks and is trying very hard. She even got to spend some time with the therapy dog. He's a black lab named Ansley and very soft and sweet.

Many of you have had questions about Gina's birthday coming up this Wednesday. She can see well now and has good focus, but is still in a state of comprehension that causes her to become easily upset, overstimulated, and frustrated. So, with Gina's best interest put first, we're still not allowing visitors. We will have a birthday party for her when she is able, but it may be a few months. If you would still like to send her cards or balloons or something, please feel free to do so and we'll make sure that she gets to look at each one.

Hugs,
Mimi

News Flash!...Breaking News!

Gina moved out of OSU Hospital and into Children's Hospital Rehab. The "move" took place this morning! We're located in rehab now and Gina will be undergoing 3-6 hours of rehab a day...busy girl. She will have speech, physical, and occupational therapy.

I talked with the docs about visitation and they still feel that it will be best for Gina if we wait until she can communicate. She can now have anything in her room, so anthing you would like to bring in for her is fine (keep in mind she can't eat anything yet). I'll blog you with more info tomorrow!

Moving on!

Mimi

Hugs and Kisses!

Gina had another wonderful day yesterday. She is now very actively moving her right arm (although the movements aren't purposeful yet). She has also started doing a few things that really pull my "mom heart strings". She wants to hug me often and even tries to get her right arm up around my neck. She also tried to give me a kiss on the cheek! She blew a kiss a few times too! She still can't talk and getting her to give a thumbs up to a yes or no question is still hit or miss, but the improvements that are happening daily are HUGE! We're so Proud of our daughter....her will and her determination are taking her a long way.....no surprise there! :D)

Hugs,
Mimi

Moving Day!

Well, what a day yesterday was. During physical therapy Gina got to sit in the chair again and we watched a movie together. Then we found out a room was available and we moved to Rhodes 834 East (which took up most of the rest of the day). Hooray! Gina's doing well enough to go to the step-down ICU!

Gina still isn't able to communicate with much consistency, so we're going to wait a little longer before we have any visitors. I'll keep you posted and let you know just as soon as the docs think visitors would be beneficial for her.

Mimi

Climbing on with Humor!

Yesterday was an eventful, impressive and funny day. In the morning during physical therapy they got Gina into her chair again and showed her a stuffed OSU Football. One of the therapists asked her to get the football and she did. Then, when asked, Gina gave it back, then took it again and another therapist on Gina's other side asked Gina to give it to her....and she did! We continued to play pass the football throughout the day.

Later in the afternoon it was time to get Gina back into her chair again, so her nurse asked her to give a thumbs up if she wanted to get back in her chair...no response...so I decided to give it a try and asked her the same question...no response...then I asked her to give a thumbs up if she DIDN'T want to sit in her chair and the thumb immediately went up! We all had a good laugh and poor Gina still had to sit in the chair!

One other thing happened yesterday that is of note...we got moving orders...we're just waiting for a room, but we think we'll be moving to Rhodes 8 East...I'll keep everyone posted...the staff said sometimes it can take a couple of days.

Blog you tomorrow,
Mimi

Another Big Step!

Yesterday was a fairly quiet one, but it did involve another major step. In addition to Gina following commands a little more often, she was able to be put into a chair. She stayed in the chair for a few hours, watched part of a DVD, took a nap, and watched quite a bit of MTV.

She still doesn't answer yes or no questions (except that one time the other day???) but we feel as if she's headed that way. They'll probably put her in her chair again today and I think we may be changing rooms sometime this week...we'll see! :-) The three of us are so thankful to know that we have such a large and wonderful support group surrounding us!

Hugs,

Mimi

Who's Foiling Who Now???

Well, after a morning and afternoon of sleep Gina decided to become more alert...much more alert. This time she followed commands for her nurse twice in a row! I don't think Gina knew I was watching, otherwise I'm sure she wouldn't have done a thing. When her nurse asked her to hold up one finger, she did it without hesitation like she'd been doing this all along. The nurse then asked her to hold up two fingers and she again did it without hesitation. (and she didn't just put them up a little bit, she put them straight up in the air like she meant it!).

Then she asked her to stick up her thumb...straight up, no problem, no hesitation. She then did all three commands again! One more giant step up the mountain. After that I asked her if she would like to see her new portable DVD player...to hold up 1 finger for no and 2 for yes...she held up 2 fingers! So, we watched a bit more of a movie. This was great, but I couldn't get her to do it again....that's ok though....one step at a time.....and hopefully another step soon! Keep up the wonderful comments and prayers! All 3 of us love them!

Mimi

On with the blog! Groundhog Day!

Gina's surgery went exactly as planned yesterday. No complications or problems. Nothing much happened after that; lots of rest and sleep. They were able to get her back off the ventilator (standard procedure after surgery) and onto just a trach mask with oxygen. Three more steps up the hill accomplished. ;-)

Mimi

Exciting Day!

So much happened yesterday, but I'll try to stick to the highlights. First of all she kept her eyes open most of the day and was even looking at things intermittently. She's also following commands a little more often. We found out that Gina would be having surgery today (Friday) to replace her breathing and feeding tubes (this isn't permanent, and it'll make everything easier for Gina). It should take about 2 hours for everything and will decrease chance of infection and increase opportunity for mobility (among many other benefits). Last night Gina was watching her new portable DVD player...she was actually watching the movie!

Every day there seems to be a little more improvement. I'll let everyone know when it'll be ok to come see Gina...but we have no idea when that might be. We're waiting for her to be able to communicate a little and for her to be able to follow commands with some consistency (even though her eyes are open during the day, the determination that she's awake still hasn't been made). Please be patient and understand that we are only doing what's best for Gina. Keep the love coming...we share all of this with Gina and she really seems to enjoy it.

Much love,
Mimi

Rest and Relaxation

Yesterday was a day of rest for Gina after all the hard work she did on Tuesday. She's still up to her same old tricks though. This time, on command, (from her Grandfather) she held up 1 finger, then 2 fingers, then her thumb! This is one of the things we've been trying to get her to do right from the beginning, so I ran out of the room to the nurses station to grab Gina's nurse telling her on the way back into the room what had just happened. She said "Really? Let me try". Well, I'm sure you know exactly what happened next. That's right.....nothing! Foiled Again!

Last night she opened her eyes and kept them open from about 12:30a to 1:15a. We're not sure if she was looking at anything or not, but she seemed to periodically focus on things that were held in front of her. Only time will tell, but we feel that this may have been a big step in the right direction! Keep the prayers coming....they mean so much!

Gratefully Yours,
Mimi

Being Patient

Well, yesterday was a test of our patience. They removed the pressure sensor from her head and all went very well. The docs also decided they would try and remove her ventilation tubes and see if she could still breathe on her own. They knew that there was some chance that she wouldn't be able to adequately protect her airway due to her neurological status and have to be re-intubated.

After Gina had tried to get her breathing under control for a few hours, it was decided that she would need to have the tubes put back in. They also discovered that she has aspiration pneumonia primarily in her left lung, but a little in her right lung too. They're treating her for that now with the hopes that we can get it cleared up quickly before it takes hold. Gina rested comfortably all of last night, so everything was uneventful and I was able to get 5 hours of sleep! I feel like a new woman!

Gina, Paul, and I are enjoying reading the blog mail that everyone is sending. Please keep it up...it's a wonderful way for all three of us to wind down (and have a few good laughs) at the end of the day!

Everyone take care....we're so lucky to have people like you in our lives!

Mimi

Teenage Mentality

Well, yesterday Gina invented a new trick. She got me three times with this one. Here's what she did; when I asked her to squeeze my hand, she did, when I asked her to let it go, she did. So, I asked her to squeeze again, and she did, and I asked her to let go again, and she did. Right then, the nurse walked into the room and I told her what had just happened and that I thought Gina would do it again. So...the nurse asked Gina to squeeze her hand...nothing...she told her again and got a small squeeze, then the nurse told Gina to let go and she wouldn't! I swear Gina's just trying to make me look like a liar! I think she set me up! Oh well, later on in the evening one of the docs stopped by and let me know that Gina followed a verbal command and squeezed and released her hand earlier in the day. I knew Gina was trying to set me up! Vindication!!!

Something else interesting happened last night. Paul was reading Gina her blog mail and she immediately seemed to relax, listen, and she kept squeezing his hand when she heard the name of whoever had sent that particular blog. So...keep up the wonderful messages, warm wishes, and prayers! We know God is listening. Hopefully she'll wake up soon!

Love,
Mimi

Feisty as Ever!

All went really well with Gina yesterday and last night. She kept her eyes open for about 1 1/2 minutes three different times and continues to be very active with her left hand. She was gently exploring all the sensors and tubes that are attached to her. Her nurses had decided to leave her left hand unrestrained for the past couple of days (the right is already unrestrained) so she could start feeling some of those things, but then yesterday she discovered how to wrap her hand right around her intubation tube.

She didn't pull it, but we decided it would be better to restrain her left hand again to keep it under control. Believe it or not, this is a good thing....she's getting so active that we're now having to make sure she just doesn't decide to remove everything herself.

Paul and I are doing just fine and we're still excited about all the forward progress Gina is making!

Much love,
Mimi

This Entry is a Short One, But When it's all Good News....Who Cares?

Well, another day has passed and improvements continue. Gina continues to open her eyes, squeeze fingers on verbal command, and will now take the finger of her left hand to reach up and explore her face or scratch her nose.

We just feel as if she's right on the edge of waking up. The docs say that as soon as she wakes up they can remove the tubes. Please continue to pray and send warm wishes for Gina. We read her all of them and we think they're really helping her to get out of this. It also feels good for Paul and I to know that there are hundreds of people out there who want Gina to be ok as much as we do.

Mimi

Improvements are Underway!

Well, yesterday morning the docs came by, did their exam, and said that all still looked the same. Then, at around 11:30a Gina was purposefully gripping and releasing my hand on verbal command! That was a big step up this hill we're climbing, and we were ecstatic! What a great day! I can't even explain the level of joy that we felt! Following verbal commands like this continued throughout yesterday and last night.

Last night she even opened her eyes a couple of times again. She's still not "awake" yet, but she sure is alot closer! Keep in mind that although Gina isn't "awake" yet, she isn't in a coma either (and never was)....there is a big difference between the two, and Gina is purposefully responsive to stimuli.

There have been a few questions on what kind of things Gina can have in her room. She can have ANYTHING except food and live flowers. All else is fair game, and we've started a collection of cards, hand made pictures, balloons, and stuffed animals in her room so that when she wakes up she'll be able to see all the love surrounding her!

Paul and I so appreciate all the comments everyone has posted....they help us more than you could know...please keep praying and sending healing thoughts for Gina.....it's working!

Much love,
Mimi

More of the Same: Watching & Waiting...But...

Yesterday was a bit of a roller coaster ride for us, but everything turned out just fine. Gina is still unconscious and sedated, but we're told to keep patiently waiting as it's too early to tell anything yet. The good news is that she's also as feisty as ever and even tried to kick her nurse last night...and her nurse liked it!!!

Thanks to everyone for the outpouring of love. It means more to the both of us than you may know. We read every card, e-mail, and comment out loud to Gina as we get them. We're also now hanging up all the cards, balloons, and signs in her room where she'll be able to see them when she wakes up. If you have something (not food or live flowers) that you'd like us to put in her room, please feel free to stop by the hospital and drop them off at the SICU visitors desk.

We are asking that no one plan on visiting with Gina until I post the "OK" on this site. Gina is very susceptible to infection and we don't want to risk her catching someones cold and developing serious complications from it. For that reason, we're also asking that if you come here and don't already see us in the SICU waiting room and wanted to see me or Paul before you left, to just have the volunteers at the desk give me a call.

Much Love,

Mimi

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Watching & Waiting

Gina is beginning to show some signs of improvement. Yesterday, she opened her eyes several times and was able to recognize Paul and me. Some further tests are being run, but at this point, the docs are mostly waiting for her to wake up.

Gina is in the intensive care unit of Doan's Hall, 4th Floor at OSU Hospitals. (NO flowers allowed) Paul and I would welcome visitors as we are staying at the hospital 24/7 and need some "breaks". We both have family helping out with our daily needs so what we really need are your prayers and support more than anything.

Stay tuned to this blog as I'll update everyone on Gina's progress as we work through her ordeal . We are blown away by the amount of calls and emails from everyone and want each of you to know how greatly we appreciate your concern for us!

Mimi

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