Updates, at last!

Dear readers,

My sincerest apologies for not updating anybody for 10 whole days! What can I say - I am busy man. Now that Bridget is doing so, so, so much better, I don't really have the time to do posts during the day. We stay busy doing exercises during her therapy sessions, working on puzzles, playing games, or watching movies. So much different than when she was sleeping all of the time for the first few weeks! I am also very busy preparing for us to move in just 16 days! Yikes. Right now Sheila is up visiting, and so while she's helping Bridget at the hospital I have time to do an update (among other things).



I have been getting emails from many of you worrying a bit about Bridget, since I hadn't posted in so long. Rest assured, it is only for the aforementioned reasons. Bridget really is doing great these days! Her walking gets better and better and better. The other day she walked a total of 500 feet across her two PT sessions - a new record! She also has done stairs over the last two days. The stairs she is using have rails on both sides, which is rare for stairs in the real world. But, as long as she has one rail and someone to help on the other side, it looks like she'll be fine. Finally, just yesterday she was cleared to have a walker in her room, that she can use with supervision of a nurse or family member. This is huge!

All of this makes Bridget and I feel much better about her increased independence in the near future, as we prepare for her discharge from the hospital. Her discharge date is set for August 1st right now. Although someone will have to be home with her at all times, she'll be able to do a lot of things by herself. We'll have a have a week together at home in Seattle, with friends from afar visiting (our very brief summer vacation!). Our movers are packing up our stuff on the 6th, and then she'll leave for Eugene for a week or so. The cats and I will leave on the 7th, and arrive in Regina on the 10th. I'll get the house set up (e.g., purchase a bed and other necessities, as the moving company won't deliver our stuff for a little while). I'll then fly out to Eugene to pick Bridget up, and we'll fly out to Regina to start our new life together.

Regarding Bridget's symptoms, her sense of midline is hugely improved. This was a subtle development that sort of slipped under the radar, because it doesn't really "feel" any different to Bridget (she would always be shocked to learn that she was leaning left, as it felt centered to her). But it's something the therapists and I have noticed, as her standing and sitting is so much straighter these days. I'm sure all of the walking has helped her brain to figure some of this out. 

Bridget's double vision is still an annoyance. On Friday she had an appointment with a neuro-ophthalmologist, to get an assessment of what her specific double vision problems were. This involved a short car ride to a different hospital, which went very well (i.e., didn't increase her vertigo too badly). This guy was able to characterize just how bad her double vision was (pretty bad!), and noted that it is primarily due to trouble coordinating the left eye. He also also said that it is highly likely to go away. He said that she doesn't need to worry about exposing herself to double vision time (i.e., time without patching up one eye), and also doesn't need to switch which eye she is patching throughout the day, as there's no danger of one of her eyes "taking over". He said just patch up whichever eye you prefer, and wait it out. That was *really* nice to hear, as Bridget's rehab doctors and therapists have been giving her the opposite advice. It's nice to get the official word from someone who knows their stuff! :) And, in the very rare case that her double vision isn't gone within 6 months - 1 year, there are glasses that they can design which can correct the problem for the most part. So that was a very relieving and reassuring appointment :)

Bridget's hand coordination is also greatly improved these days. She eats most of her meals with her right hand now, and makes it look easy. She also practices writing with her right hand everyday, and it is getting more and more legible - which is amazing when you think about it, since she can't really feel that hand very well!

Over the last few days we have begun purchasing equipment for Bridget as well. I found a used wheelchair on Craigslist for her, which is in good shape and runs smooth (a "Tracer SX5", sounds speedy, eh?) We've also purchased a shower bench and other stuff for the bathroom.
Getting ready for home!

OK, there you have it. It should come as no surprise that I probably won't update for a few days again, at minimum. But it is so nice to know that so many people are following Bridget's progress, and get so much out of this blog. The world is indeed full of good, caring, internet-savvy people, like yourself :)