Scrap Metal

Yesterday was a great day! The fixators were finally removed. The procedure was quick and went very well. Clare recovered fast, and after she woke up had a very nice lunch. It was so good to see her eat. Kris bribed her with a chocolate malt...if she finished most of her lunch, then he would buy her a malt, AND HE DID! (If you come to visit Clare, take a minute and go to the hospital grill, they make the best shakes and malts. An Oreo malt is Clark's favorite, and Clare really enjoyed both the Oreo flavor and chocolate flavor. You will have to vote on your favorite!)Our next big goal is to get Clare eating enough that they can discontinue feeding her through the feeding tube. It would be nice to get her pick line and feeding tube out.

Clare is working hard at her therapies, and the Social Worker indicated that Occupational Therapy is her favorite. For all of us that know Clare well, that is no surprise. They have her working on the computer and moving arrow keys or the mouse in order to identify spacial relationships.

Today at Physical Therapy, Clare was making tons of progress. Without the fixators in, the therapist could have her roll from side to side. Kris said that she was doing really well, and loving it. Clare is improving everyday.

During this recovery, it has given me a chance to see Clare and Kris together. It is very obvious that Kris is devoted to Clare. He is very loving and patient with her through the good moments and the bad. It is just as obvious that Clare loves and counts on Kris too.

This process of healing is unlike anything that we expected. It is long and gruelling. We are just beginning with the intense rehabilitation period, and expect that we will be in this new facility for at least a month.

Kris and the medical staff are working hard at helping Clare make new connections for her short memory. We know that the long term memory has come through intact. She remembers everything from her early childhood and into her married life. But, she doesn't always remember where she is or the current day. We need to repeat things frequently. We ask her the same questions over and over. Repetition is the best way to help all of those connections reform.

Kris is continuing to recover too. He has been experiencing heart arrhythmia. His heart will start to race, and he will experience some chest pain. The episodes happen multiple times a day and last for about 15 minutes each. Yesterday, he was given a heart monitor that he will have to wear for a month. The doctors want to have a good grasp on what is happening with his heart. He has a doctors appointment tomorrow, hopefully we'll learn more then.

We continue to hear about the thoughts and prayers that go out to Kris and Clare. Thank you for all the continued interest and support. This is going to be a long process, but I have the highest hope that both of these kids will recover. I believe that this experience will strengthen their relationship, and prepare them for a long and happy life together.

A side note about the fixators...Kris wanted to keep them to show Clare someday. Kris joked that he is collecting scrap metal for recycling$$$. ;o)