A Message from Marie - Part 2 (11/16)

To members of the First Christian Church congregation and ALL the visitors to this page:

THANK YOU for welcoming me back. I especially want to thank you for thinking of me, sending me cards, and most of all including me in your prayers. It is thanks to your prayers that I believe I have made the progress I have through the accident. I cannot thank you enough of thinking of others!!

THANK YOU!!!
Marie

Editor’s note:  Marie is back in Lincoln and currently residing at a rehab house known as “Our Homes”.  It is located at 2450 Q Street, but we don’t have information as to visiting hours, etc… Marie is able to check her own smail mail and email, so please feel free to contact her directly. Please note that Marie will be spending Thanksgiving in Iowa with her parents.

Update on Marie - Part 1 (11/16)

Email from Marie’s Parents —-

I think there are a few of you still checking the BLOG  and we are still getting inquiries about Marie; we sure thank you for not forgetting her!!!

While Marie’s dad and I made a quick trip out to N. Carolina to help Marie’s sister while she had surgery, QLI helped move Marie back to Lincoln!!  She is in an assisted living facility (Our Homes) and is not a happy camper, but “hanging in there”.  When one considers that she remembers nothing about the accident, and has had to adjust to temporarily losing some of her abilities, and has had to adjust to living in different facilities, it is no wonder she is sometimes “cranky”.

Her impulsiveness is still an issue;  she has always been “spirited” but has trouble keeping her emotions under control under certain conditions.  As I was speaking to her by phone the other day, her discussion of discontent at Our Homes just escalated, and she couldn’t calm down easily.  We pray that the part of the brain that controls that will continue to improve.

To see her in person and to visit with her, you would think she was pretty much back to normal; she has so much to be grateful for, and knows and appreciates that fact, and mentions it often. She continues to be amazed at all the people who have shown an interest in her.  She is just anxious to get back to her own home and feel normal again….and that is certainly not surprising.  Given all that she has been through over the past months, she has been pretty patient.  Some of us think the return of her “spunkiness” is a good sign!!

We will bring her back to Iowa for Thanksgiving, so we hope that will be a nice change of scene for her.

This may sound trite, but we have SO much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving season, and near the top of our list are the friends and acquaintances who have given Marie so much encouragement  and have kept her in their prayers.  We’re also aware there are folks who have done things quietly, “behind the scenes” (like mowing Marie’s grass, and fixing her mailbox, seeing to her mail and watering her plants, phoning her, and visiting  etc. )…thank you.

We know that as we continue to deal with this “life changing” event, that you too, have “issues” in your lives, and we pray that you will have the strength and wisdom to deal with them!!!!  We know how much it means to have support of friends.

Dick and Jeanne

Update on Marie - Oct. 21

Hi Friends:

Sorry we have been so slow updating you on Marie’s progress. First, we have been in Iowa for a couple of weeks. Secondly,we have been waiting for “new” news and don’t have any, really.  She still has not had the cognitive test they were going to give her last week.  She did have her vision checked and was assured it is 20/20 but she is still complaining about “fuzziness” so we are hoping that improves as her brain heals further.

We did meet with some of the staff again, and the psychologist continues to believe Marie cannot live alone yet.  Since she no longer qualifies for staying at QLI we are trying to decide what next step is best for her.  The psychologist continues to be concerned about Marie’s unpredictability and impulsiveness.

We do hear Marie say “i was overwhelmed”…by things like going to Barnes and Noble, The Zoo , the Pumpkin Patch etc.  We liken it to when someone gets a hearing aid and all the sounds are amplified at the same level…we think her brain is having trouble sorting out background from the “task” at hand.  If you sit and talk with her for short periods, you are not apt to pick up on these subtleties. Physically she is gaining strength, although still a bit “wobbly” .  Her right hand is not back to normal, but our biggest concern is her emotional health.

She is beginning to read through all the hundreds of e-mail messages, and is so touched that so many of you have written. I think she has even answered a few of them.

She also feels blessed that you continue to keep her in your prayers…it means a lot to all of us; and please add a general prayer for all the residents here at QLI and the people who love them.  There are a few moms who rent houses or apartments and attend to their children daily. They are inspiring.

Thanks again for your thoughts, prayers and caring.  We’ll keep you posted on the next step when we know what it is.  She will not be at QLI much longer.

Jeanne and Dick

Update on Marie - Oct 2nd

Hello Everyone!

Marie has made big improvements (parents opinion) since I last wrote only a week ago, and we are so encouraged. The insurance did agree to pay for Marie’s therapies for another month.  When she found out, she was so relieved she could stay a bit longer, as she wasn’t ready to go home.  This week, however, instead of feeling anxious and uncomfortable about going home, she is beginning to mention things she could do if she was there!

The psychologist who gave her the original test of cognitive skills, (when she was anxious  and suffering back pain), is going to repeat the test, and of course we are very eager to hear what the results are.  We’re by no means experts, but she appears so good.  They  are quick to point out that with brain injury, one can’t always go by how things look….

We took her violin to her, and apparently she had a bit of trouble with the bowing arm (the right one) but the fingering hand worked good.  We weren’t there when she tried it, but the therapist said it sounded good to him!!  The exciting thing is that she tried it, and she wasn’t discouraged.  Another new adventure is trying to draw a still life with colored pencils; an artist comes in to help with the class. Marie enjoyed that.

She also tried to “jog” a few steps, but thinks it may be awhile before she’s really ready to run….but we’re just thrilled that she is feeling good enough to try.

They did tell her that she needed to slow down when she speaks…they thought it was a result of her brain injury….she had to tell them that is pretty much how she talks….fast. 

Thanks for thinking of Marie and “checking up on her!”   The cards, messages, BLOG messages etc. keep us all inspired.   We appreciate you (I know we say that a lot, but it’s so true.)

Jeanne and Dick

Update on Marie - Sept 21st

Dear Friends,

We had another meeting with the psychologist who had us in a “tizzy” before, and actually she has not changed her mind about Marie’s condition. It is hard for us, but we see some of what she is insisting is the case.

Marie is having trouble focusing on tasks,and needs quite a bit of “prodding” to carry through her tasks.  She is still experiencing anxiety…they are working on medicating that problem, but think it is a brain function also. The psychologist feels that many times the anxiety comes from mention of things from her “former life”…which was upsetting to us, because we thought if we could get her in her own home, she would feel better.  That is true of normal situations, but not Marie….it adds to her stress.

When she does feel stress, she no longer knows how to handle it…like write a list, or tackle the problem, or jog….so she sits with a knot in her stomach.

As many of her friends are aware, she suffered from depression before the accident, and the experts tell us that her pre-existing condition is complicating her brain injury recovery.

Because of what we have been told, we plan to extend her stay here at QLI and are waiting (and waiting and waiting) for confirmation from the insurance company.

Some of the activities appear to be “busy work” but it was explained that a trip to Target involves making a list, thinking through what should go on that list, understanding how much money you have to spend etc…pretty simple, unless one has had a brain contusion!!!

The good news is that she and her ribs and back survived a great big bear hug from members of the Torch group that came again to sing with her.!!  :-)  Everyone else in the room held their breath and cringed, but Marie never uttered a whimper…we had been SO concerned about the awful shape her ribs were in, and she has never complained of them being sore…we have experienced more than one miracle through all this trauma!!  Her back appears to be healing very well.

Marie continues to be “blown away” by all the cards, messages and e-mails sent her way.  She can’t believe all the people who have taken the time to let her know they care.

Thanks to all of you…wish I could thank each and every one of you individually. Lux Middle School teachers, kids and the principal continue to send cards and come by when possible (it is hard to find her not busy) and Marie does appreciate all the thoughts and messages she is receiving.

Thanks again to everyone for what you have done and what you are doing.  It has helped to sustain all of us through some of the low spots.

There are great strides in Marie’s recovery too, and it is heart warming to see.  We just wanted her to be “back to normal” in a few months  and are learning that that may not be the case…but overall, considering she was laying unconscious about two months ago, it is REMARKABLE she is doing as well as she is…and we are grateful.  We are hoping and praying that some of what the psychologists say is not accurate and that since they don’t know Marie…perhaps she can prove them wrong!!

Jeanne and Dick