One More Month

It's crazy how when they told me I'd have to wear a helmet for 6 months I thought it would be an eternity, but 5 months have already passed and only 1 month left until my surgery. My infectious disease doctor said that I've been off the antibiotics for one month and the infection has remained gone, which is good news, but I still have fears of it returning after my next surgery. Please pray that it stays gone and never ever comes back!! After 2 long weeks of stress and non-stop studying, I took 3 of my 4 finals. I don't know yet what I got in statistics..but I got a B in philosophy and an A in communications :) I start an online summer school class on Monday, which will help to get me caught up since I'm a semester behind. I went to see my orthopedist yesterday about my meniscal tear, and he told me they couldn't do an operation on it yet because my bones are still bruised from the accident, but they would probably be able to do the surgery in December. He also did x-rays on my knees, and told me that my right knee was broken in the accident!! I guess the doctors never noticed since I was unable to walk anyway. It healed on its own, but not correctly, so he said years from now it will probably give me arthritis and I'll most likely need a knee replacement. I asked if he could ever give me any good news and he said "Well, would you like me to lie and say everything is perfect and give you a lollipop?" Of course not...but I hope one day one of my doctors tells me everything has healed and I'm perfectly healthy..and a lollipop would be nice too :)

Return to (Semi) Normal Life

Well, therapy is OVER!!!!! Four long hard months later CNS finally considered me ready to leave. I moved back down to Long Beach on Sunday and have been sitting in on my last semester classes. I feel like all my classes are being taught in a foreign language, because even though I've already learned some of what's being taught, I don't remember it at all. Finals in 2 weeks are definitely going to be a challenge. It's hard walking around campus wearing a helmet; I definitely get stared at or questioned a lot. Less than 2 months though and I'll hopefully never have to wear it again. My neurologist explained to me what's causing my left hand weakness. Over time, a scar has built up on my brain, and it's now blocking the neurons that are in charge of sending the signals to move my hand. It's only fixable through surgery, and I don't think I can handle another one, but we'll see. I will most likely need another surgery though, but on my right knee. My last MRI on it showed that I have a meniscal tear. I haven't seen the doctor since I'm in LB, but I looked it up online and depending on the severity of the tear, it can either be fixed through physical therapy or surgery. Looks like I can't escape therapy or the operating room. Lets just say I can't wait until things are back to normal again.

glass discovery

My case manager at CNS let me know yesterday that there's a good chance that next week will be my LAST week of therapy!! I really hope that turns out to be true because I am definitely ready to leave. After therapy I'm going to return to Long Beach and sit in the classes I was taking at the time of the accident so I can get the final notes and review sessions, and then take my 4 finals the end of May! I'm registered for the fall semester so after I finish my incomplete fall '09 courses, I'll be ready to continue on with school. Today I went to the doctor and left with stitches. You would think that with all my exams and x-rays over the past 5 months, the doctors would have found it, but another piece of glass was recently found in my left elbow. It was pushing on a tendon and giving me pain, so the doctor cut it out and stitched it up. Since the stitches are on a joint which is constantly bending, when the skin is pulled, the stitches could easily tear out, so I am advised to not bend my elbow for 10 days. I have a splint taped around it so I don't accidentally bend it, but it is so hard to do everything with one arm! Other than that, I seem to be healthy and getting stronger :]

Happy Easter!

I'm so sorry I haven't updated this at all!! McKenzie was much better at that than I am. I will try to sum up the progress of this past month: CNS is still going well, I think i'll be released soon because some of my therapists say "we're running out of things for you to do." I'm completely walking freely now, even the occasional jogging in physical therapy. Sarah, my physical therapist wants me to eventually jog on the sidewalk along the street outside the clinic, but I'm definitely not ready for that yet. My infection appeared to be gone so I no longer take antibiotics through an IV, but my most recent MRI showed that the infection is still there, so I will continue to take antibiotics orally. About a week ago I experienced seizure-like activity in my left arm, and ever since my left hand has lost its use, making it very difficult to do simple tasks like zipping, buttoning, and opening things. I'm seeing a neurologist soon to see what the problem is. On Thursday I had a CT scan to create the measurements necessary for my prosthetic skull, which I will now officially be receiving on July 1st! 3 months away but I'm still excited, yet nervous, for the operation. A lot of information for one update, I will try to update this more often!!

God Bless

Pictures

Just a few inspirational pictures of the angel herself! Macey's miracle is still on full force :)

Speech on Macey's Miracle

Macey continues to attend CNS Monday through Friday and is getting better each and every day. She continues to practice walking with her walker, which is a miraculous sight to see in itself. This weekend I plan to post a few pictures of from Macey's recovery on the blog, for those praying who haven't already seen them on Facebook. This past Wednesday my roommate Jordie did an inspirational speech at a Toastmaster's meeting on Macey's miracle. Attached is the link of her speech on Macey's timeline of progress. I want to personally thank Jordie for sharing this speech with Toastmasters and all of you that will watch it. She has such a gift to be able to speak to an audience and relay Macey's miracle with such poise. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support as always! Look for pictures on the blog within the next couple days.

God Bless

http://www.youtube.com/user/PositivePam89#p/a/u/0/1O73lK8pf2E

Much Due Update

I'm so sorry for my untimely update! School, work, and an internship are definitely keeping me very busy. Macey continues to go to therapy from 11-4 Monday through Friday at Center for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield! She is definitely worn out by the end of the day! Also Macey is working on walking with the help of a walker! She actually is no longer allowed to bring her wheelchair to CNS, so she can practice walking as much as possible. Also she has managed to perfect lifting herself up the stairs with her arms to sleep in her own bed after 2 whole months of hospital beds and the couch. CNS has been assessing Macey with tons of tests since she began going there. On Tuesday they held a conference to discuss what level Macey was at and what things she needed to work on. Macey is at a junior in college level, which is amazing news given she is only a sophomore in college! Such a smart girl! She has very minor cognitive and physical issues that she will continue to work on in therapy. They predict she will continue her therapy for another 2-3 months. Macey's spirit and outlook on life now is inspirational. I rarely ever hear her complain. She realizes she has been given the gift of life. Missing out on school, friends, and her old lifestyle is irrelevant to the gift she has received from God. Every time I think negatively about stress or just daily activities, I think of my sister and a smile comes to my face. Life is so precious we've learned, I thank God for every day I have been given. God bless and thank you for your continued prayers and support.