EEG -

Dorothy and Kelcie had fun staying up all night, and the EEG was a breeze. We probably won't get the results back till next week. She napped the rest of the morning while I worked.

Update

There's not a whole lot to report. I just received the evaluation from the Speech Therapist regarding Dorothy's cognitive status. No surprises there. And the EEG was approved for tomorrow morning. That means no sleep tonight! Hopefully Dorothy can have a friend stay up with her, because if I do it, I won't be able to drive in the morning!

Happy Easter!

At church this morning, Pastor Dave asked me to speak about our ordeal, which I did. We are so grateful for Dorothy's recovery that sometimes I just want to tell everyone.

Brighton headed home yesterday morning with an Easter basket full of goodies in hand. Dorothy had a joint birthday party with a bunch of her friends yesterday from noon till after 8 p.m. It was really fun having a houseful of teen energy again.

Tyler joined us after church today, as have two of Dorothy's friends, so it looks like we're going to have a lovely day.

Good Friday

Happy Good Friday to everyone... Without sounding clichéd, I want to wish everyone the joy and peace that our Lord has for us. He is the One who has strengthened me through all of this. He knows, better than I, the pain of watching your child suffer. And His sacrifice that we celebrate this weekend has given me the peace of knowing that no matter what happened through all of this, He is with us, holding us in His arms, loving and worrying with us.

And Dorothy was feeling much better last evening after the anesthetic finally wore off. I haven't seen that many smiles in so short a time for quite a while! She's even planning a joint birthday party with several friends for this weekend...

Out of surgery... again...

Dorothy is home already. Surgery went well, and she's sleeping it off right now. I took Brighton with me so he could keep me company in the waiting room, and so he could sit with Dorothy in the back seat on the way home. Yea Brighton! I'm so glad he could be there for the both of us.

Tomorrow's a big day

Tomorrow morning Dorothy gets her arch bars off. Please be in prayer for a quick procedure and a wonderful recovery!

Adding a class

Dorothy has added another in-school class today - Hospitality, which is a cooking and catering class. So now she's in class five days a week - very part time, of course, but at least she's there! Luckily, Hospitality is right before lunch, so she'll get to spend social time with her friends everyday.

This coming Thursday, Dorothy will go in to the oral surgeon to have the arch bars removed - these were the bars that looked like braces at first glance, but in fact are installed with wires that run through her gums, as I understand it. The first few days after the wires that attached top to bottom came out, her jaws were so sore from not moving for 6 weeks that we still had to grind her food up - not pureed anymore, but ground up. She's now moved to chewing soft foods, and she feels like she can open her jaws almost all the way - which, I believe, is the main criteria for getting the arch bars removed. She'll be unconscious for the procedure, which I'm sure will be uncomfortable. She's not looking forward to getting the IV, although she's handling it really well, I think.

The sound of laughter

We recently converted our "baby" videos to DVD. As I type this, I am listening to Kelcie, Dorothy and Bob laughing their heads off as they watch the baby videos. Some things you start to appreciate a lot more...

The ENT recheck

We weren't especially looking forward to the ENT appointment today, as we thought the Dr. might decide to scope her vocal chords. Well, one listen and the Dr. decided against it! Yea! She did a quick visual with a mirror and declared Dorothy's vocal chords healing properly. Yippee!

Dorothy's neuro check-up

Dorothy saw her neurosurgeon for the first time since we left Sierra Vista in January. He was very pleased with her progress, but has some concerns that she may be having temporal lobe seizures, and so is ordering a "sleep-deprived" EEG. Dorothy is excited about the prospect of staying up all night on Doctor's Orders.... She's thinking about making a party of it... What a kid.

Dorothy has what she calls "states" - a confused state (where things seem jumbled), a lost state (where she loses her sense of direction), a dizzy state (random dizzy spells not related to movement) and a shut down state (where she feels like her brain is shutting down like a computer). She feels like she can control the 'shut-down' state consciously, which is good. Dorothy feels like all of these things are getting better with time. But she says that she still feels like she is in a dream-like state all the time.

Wires Out

Mikele says that D got her jaws back on Wednesday! The wires holding her jaws together came out. The doc warned that she would probably be sore and not have much range of motion available at first.

Dorothy's account

Dorothy wrote the most amazing account of her awakening process - and submitted it for the High School writing contest. The story follows:

Freedom
I am in a place of blank, blinding brightness. Here, my life is appraised. I know not why, but I understand the reason for which I am being judged.
A finch flies down and perches beside me. The white feathers along his wings and back are lightly freckled with black spots, interrupted only by the red blossom of color on his chest. He stands erect beside me, remaining silent while the figures before me compose my verdict.
I feel a hollowness within me. I know why I would have to come here...when did I realize it was that time? I don’t remember...much of anything, really.
Two bright-faced individuals who evaluate my life spin to face me. I look away, down at the finch instead.
“We have decided,” says one, “but we’d like for you to converse with someone before we deliver the results.”
I attempt to look one of them in the face, but it proves folly, as I’m almost blinded. But another figure comes up behind me...this one is not too bright to look at. And I know her well.

Two girls tumbled out of the car, on an urgent mission. One held her backpack open for loading; the other had both hands free, but was poised for the upcoming work. They mumbled a sermon of patience to the driver before dashing to the house.
As the gate opened, the dogs, eager sentries, galloped forward, throats lined with furious snarls. Immediately they recognized the intruders. Barks turned to squeals of glee as they began sniffing, tongues darting out for the occasional lick. The one with the backpack ignored the dogs as she opened the door.
Inside, a man was busy at his computer, while his wife slept on the couch. The girls hurried into a back bedroom. They sifted through a basket on the floor, flinging clothes from it as needed. Before long, they were looking contentedly at the laden backpack. Well done.
They had decided to watch some baby videos later. The backpack carrier approached the man and requested that he hunt down the videos. He wearily complied.
A while later, he returned carrying the tapes. They gratefully pulled them from his hands. He commented, in a concerned voice, that the driver would be tired of waiting. When the girls brushed off the observation, he began offering cream puffs that he was trying to avoid eating. He was, however, courteously declined.
After saying their farewells, the girls left. The man waved as they scurried away. He grumbled to himself as he hobbled back.
Several minutes later, the phone rang. Answering it, he recognized a distressed voice which belonged to one of the girls.
“There was an accident...”

“It’s good to see you, but why are you here?”
The girl across from me is my friend. I know that. But what I really want to know is why she’d come to such a bright, empty place.
“Hey!” she calls to me, face alight with gladness. “I just came by to see you.”
I nod, looking back at the judges with fierce curiosity. No hints come from the stoic adjudicators, so I turn to my friend. Her words are hard to make out, as if she is speaking through a wall. I strain my ears to hear, but the finch lands on her shoulder and begins twittering noisily. I urge him to silence, but he continues to shrill. Finally, wanting to hear, I wave my hands to shoo the bird away. He continues to ignore me. Finally, when my friend has finished speaking, the bird hops off of her shoulder and lands on mine. I scold him with my disapproving glare, but he just begins preening.
After a long pause, my friend speaks. “I just wanted to say ‘hi’, and I hope you get better soon.”
I fix her with a puzzled gaze, but she is engrossed with an item in her hand.
“I brought you something.” She brings it into view. “I hope you like it.”
A white, furry seal. Its beady black eyes look upon me in a surreal state of mocking, as if it knows something I don’t. I reach out to take it.
My hand passes through the small stuffed animal. I look first at the seal, and then at my hand. Now that I think about it, I do seem have a certain transparency...
Another hand appears and takes the seal, thanking my friend. She smiles sorrowfully and nods gratefully.
When she looks back to me, I’m no longer in a land of white.

“Most of the teachers have been easy on me since the accident...”
Accident...?
“Everyone at the school misses you.”
Her face looks weary, as if she has not slept in days. I happen to know what she looks like after a day of sleeplessness, and this is far beyond that.
She smiles, again in that woeful way. “Well, I hope your surgery goes well.”
Surgery?
Everything she mentions seems far and foreign. I am not in a normal state, I realize. Something has pulled me into a dreamlike condition where everything is blurry and forgotten. I am unable to recall my past.
The seal appears again. The hand that had snatched it places it in my hand, trusting me to take care of the white creature. To my surprise, I can touch it now.
My friend waves as she exits the room. I want to wave back, but I find my arms unable to move.
I begin to drift away.

I blink as I re-enter the white land. The finch warbles in joy and settles down.
The judges have left. I look about worriedly, but they are nowhere to be seen. The finch lulls a grim, reassuring tune.
In a flash, they’ve returned! One carries a roll of parchment...
“We have the verdict.”
I breathlessly await it. I just...want to know.
“Are you sure you wish to know?” One of the judges asks me, his voice low and sympathetic. I nod.
He straightens up into the intimidating man I saw before, mirroring his bright counterpart, who unravels the scroll he holds.
“You have been found guilty. Your sentence takes effect immediately. You must not resist your fate.”
I shake my head with disbelief. Guilty? Me?! But I did nothing wrong!
“Your life has been evaluated. The result is not favorable.”
All I ever did was...nothing! Nothing wrong! Yet...this guilt is not something new. I was waiting to hear these words for many years...
I turn and flee, the finch still with me. I know that this is forbidden. The judges won’t forgive me if they see me again. Every bit of my will is put into escaping.
As I gallop away, my left shoulder rams into something. Something shatters. I stop, cringe, and grasp it with my right hand. This alerts the finch, who chirps angrily, urging me to go onward. I comply.
Something sharp object pierces my tongue. Blood pours into my mouth, but I let it dribble down my face so I won’t choke. The finch leaves my shoulder and begins to fly beside me, steering me.
Next, my jaw tears itself apart. I feel the bone halves pull apart from each other violently. I cry out, but only the finch who hears me.
I finally reach my destination. Here, I see a disappointing truth...

“There was an accident...”

...This wasn’t all a dream.
I stretch out my left arm, surprised to see it is nearly healed. As I ponder what has caused it to recover so quickly, the finch lands and sings again, much louder than usual. It’s almost as if...
I grab the delicate bird in my hand.
...it’s hiding something from me...
I begin squeezing. It struggles feebly against me, trying to escape.
...it doesn’t want me to realize the truth...
I come at it with my other hand, finding its neck.
...it doesn’t want me to get free.
The neck snaps, and the finch is dead.
I suppose I’m free now?
I come across something I lost long ago.
My consciousness.

The therapist leads me across the sidewalk carefully. If I were to lose my balance, it would be cataclysmic.
I’ve been walking and awake for over a week. Hearing the details of an accident I don’t remember disturbed me. I’m told many things, but none of them strike a note of familiarity. Everything in the world is blurred; dark and unfamiliar.
In the corner of my eye, I see a finch land in a tree. I pause to observe it.
White. Black spots. Red chest. Familiar. He reminds me of someone I knew.
“What’re you looking at?” the therapist hums. She smiles as she sees the creature that fills my vision. “Ah, a bird. How cute.”
I nod absently, aware that I’ve been watching the bird for a while.
She yawns. “Let’s go back to your room. It’s almost time for you to eat.”
The bird sings a short tune before flying off.

D's night out

Dorothy had her first night out with friends last night. I only bit my nails a little bit...

My sis - and friends & family all over

One of the nicest things about doing and reading this blog is that I've heard from so many of our friends all over the place. Google analytics lets me know which states have people checking the blog daily - so I can see everyone from my lobster lovin' cousin in New Hampshire to my wonderful sister in Arcata (Northern Cal) who are checking. For those of you who haven't been in touch with us personally, my sister Otamay is the one who kept the dogs, cats, chickens and US alive those first two weeks in ICU. She dropped her whole life and came down here with her two doggies to be by my side when I needed her. She and my dear friend Carolyn coordinated the meals that made it possible for Bob and I to spend all our time with our girl. Tam came and sat with Dorothy one afternoon so I could take care of some business, as did Carolyn. Tam even made sure we had clean clothes. I have been so blessed by seeing that people from so many states are still praying, still reading the blog to check on D's progress. I do have one question, though. We have a faithful blog-checker in Pennsylvania. Who are you? My curiosity has been so piqued, and I just can't figure out who we know in Pennsylvania. Please let me know who you are so I can thank you! Actually, we'd love to hear from all our friends... "hushingkline at charter dot net"

Love to all,
Mikele

Eye Exam

The eye doc says there's no physical reason why D sometimes reports dark or tunnel vision. So it's probably a brain thing, which isn't all that surprising. The good news is that all the brain related problems have been constantly improving since day 3, so it's not unreasonable to expect improvement here too.

Healed clavicle - check!

Today we saw the Orthopedic surgeon, who has declared her clavicle healed! Yea! And Dorothy reports that she has full range of motion too.

While we were waiting for the doctor today, we had a fun moment. Ever since Dorothy was a tiny little girl, we jokingly called her "Dorth Vader" (in reference to the Star Wars character "Darth Vader") - and she just told me that she and Kelcie used to call Kelcie's Volkswagen Jetta (the car they were traveling in at the time of the accident) "the Jedi"... well, Dorothy & I realized that it would have to have been just a matter of time before "Dorth Vader" and "the Jedi" would have it out. And this time, the Jedi lost, and Dorth Vader wins!

Fun Visit

I found some time to visit with the HK's while I was in CA on business this week. I was overjoyed to have Dorothy come out to the car to meet me, when I got to the house. I settled for less than the usual bear hug, in deference to her healing clavicle. It's so great that I can't tell the difference between this Dorothy, and the one before the accident, aside from the custom mouth grill and shorter hair. I stopped worrying quite so much about her night vision, after we walked around the lake Friday night, and she didn't even want the little flashlight that I offered her. We even tried walking hand in hand with her eyes closed, and she was able to balance pretty well. I also think she's really really really looking forward to getting her jaw unwired in two weeks. :-)

PT & ST

On Thursday and Friday, Dorothy saw her new Physical Therapist and Speech Therapist for the first time. It was so great so see how far she has come since she was last evaluated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center on the 13th and 14th! We will continue to see both therapists for a while, I think, while we pinpoint those areas where Dorothy can still improve, and to find the best ways of helping that along. The next two weeks will be really busy, it looks like, with seven appointments scheduled in addition to our work/school schedule. Whee!

With Uncle Sumner visiting this weekend, we are hoping that both Brighton and Tyler will be here for a short family day or even dinner. By the way, Brighton feels pretty good about how his three-day Bar exam went. We won't know the results for a couple of months, but we are hoping and praying for the best!!

We are so grateful for all of you who are still caring and praying. May God bless you all as much as we are blessed by you!!