No good.......

Eddie and Lily T. came to see Paula yesterday, and Paula was really glad to see them. Marty Sliker came in to stay with Paula a while yesterday around 5:00. As soon as Marty walked thru the door, Paula said, "Marty!!!!!....I'm so glad to see you!" She got up and hugged Andy and Beth as they got ready to leave today. Then as soon as Amy and Vilas walked thru the door, Paula got out of bed, and hugged both of them and told them how glad she was to see them. So she is definetely recognizing and remembering people.

She had another good day today, except for eating.....she's just not eating much, so they're still having to feed her thru the feeding tubes. The Physical Therapist said she did really well. I've seen such a great improvement in Paula's coordination over the last 4-5 days!

At supper, she was so interested in talking about Glucose to Amy and Vilas, that they had to leave the room so as not to "distract" her, but after they left, she refused to eat anything. They came back in the room, and I promised her a "special" Pepsi if she would eat her supper. She didn't touch her meat, noodles, or peaches......she only ate her ice cream, then declared she was thru so I could bring her her Pepsi. Well....a stong disagreement ensued.....she said, "You promised, you promised, you promised!".....she then got in bed and turned her back to us. I covered her up.....then, in a few minutes, she said, "You promised....you're NO good!!!!"

While "eating" her supper, I left the room to wash some of her clothes.....Vilas and Amy said as I walked out the door, Paula followed me with her eyes and at the same time was putting her spoon full of food back on her plate.....all the while, giving me a "dirty" look, then she said something to the effect of "are we going to have to go thru this every night?????"

I lost my patience with Paula when she refused to eat.....I had to ask God for forgiveness....because He has given her TREMENDOUS progress in the last 4 weeks!!!! I just need to be patient, because she IS doing great.......

I've been told that brain injury patients "won't remember any of this....." Well, I hope so.....because I.....MAY be "NO GOOD"......but I certainly don't want Paula to remember that!!!!

Improvements.....

Paula had a good day. She ate a good breakfast and a good supper, hardly anything at lunch. All her liquids have to be thickened because of her slow swallowing.....she had improved on that so I hope next week she can start drinking regular liquids.......she was REALLY thirsty today, and I feel that the "thickened" liquids don't satisfy her thirst like regular liquids would.



She walked up 16 steps pretty easily today, even though she was very tired. She threw a ball back and forth to another patient, and she and I bounced a ball back and forth. Her coordination has really improved over the last week.

Paula is doing great in most respects.....her short term attention span is lacking, even though she can read pretty good, tell me what time it is after looking at a clock. But, she's had SO much improvement over the last 4 weeks. She's very active now, wanting to walk a lot....but it's REALLY keeping me busy......4 weeks ago, I could take a nap every now an then....but NO more!

They did another analysis of Paula yesterday, and said "when" she left Walton, she would need 24/7 supervision plus some more rehabilitation. Walton has another place, but it doesn't seem suited to Paula's needs. The other place is Restore in Roswell.......but she also said it would depend somewhat on the insurance company.

Paula's eating is improving....but needs more improvement to get her feeding tube out. And although she can follow a LOT of commands/request, she is not carrying on a meaningful conversation......but I am SO happy and thankful for her improvement!

Home.....

Paula did great today and yesterday. The PT said Paula walked up 12 steps and out of the blue, Paula told her that she had an accident on her bike and hurt her head.

Yesterday and today when I got there, Paula said "I SO needed you to come.....thank you, thank you!" They've got a net enclosure around Paula's bed so that she won't fall out of bed at night, and won't wander around the hospital by herself and she HATES it. She really pressed me today to go home. To try to satisfy her, I brought in the suitcase and let her packed it....when she got thru...she said "O.K. lets go....." "Why can't I go home?" I said "you've got to eat, get the feeding tube out, and go to the bathroom by yourself." She said "if you get me home I promise you I will eat.....let's go!"

She read a small business card and clearly wrote both of our names......she's doing GREAT! Thank God!

Med Tech at heart.....

Paula is a Med Tech.....so over the last week....she's been focused on glucose......she's been calling out numbers, and said several times that she didn't understand why the glucose levels were not going down......today she also mentioned CBC.....I ask the nurse what that meant and she said that is a Lab test.

Later, Paula was again saying 187 Glucose.....I ask her, "What about the CBC?" She said it was good, so I ask her what does CBC mean? Immediately she said "Complete Blood Count." So even though she's focused right now on her Med Tech experience and not the immediate things around her....her mind is as sharp as a tack!

She walked appx 300 ft. today with minimal assistance, the PT said she did GREAT! She ate appx 20% of her breakfast, nothing for lunch, and appx 10% of supper. The nurse said yesterday that her taste buds just need to "wake up."

Leigh got Paula a "scripture box" that has small cards with a scripture on each side. The PT also told me that on Friday, she picked up the box and read some to Paula.....she asked Paula where the verses came from in the Bible, and on one from Psalms, Paula told her the book, chapter, and verse!

I walked in yesterday and put my Auburn hat on the bed.....Paula was sitting appx 2' away. After talking with her a while, I went out to talk to a nurse, and when I came back in, Paula had put on the Auburn hat, with the bill cocked about 3/4 toward the back.....I almost fell over backward laughing.....I went out again, and when I came back, she had it on straight, with the bill toward the front!

She seems to be improving every day....praise God!

We accept it!

Paula had a good day today....she was busy all day today working with her "customers" about their glucose levels!!!!



She ate very little....the nurse said it sometimes takes a while to get the taste buds working again.



They gave her a shower and washed her hair, and they put on some Valentine pajamas that I got for her.



She went to the bathroom twice by herself, cleaned herself, then pulled her pants back up. After the first time, she said she needed to wash her hands. Leigh has made posters of scripture and put them up all over the room....and on the mirror in front of Paula was Psalms 30:5. I ask Paula to read it and she read appx 1/2 of it, I helped her with the rest. She then went back to the bathroom and turned the light off.

After the second time, when she was coming out of the bathroom....she said, "I love you Jesus!"

Sometime this afternoon, she told me she loved me and thanked me for taking care of her. I got her up and took her to some more scripture, and she read a lot of it herself, and I helped her with the rest.

When I got ready to leave this evening, I said, "Paula, I've got to go home....sweet dreams tonight, I love you." She said, "I love you too....a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!" I said, "Paula, before I go, I want to pray for you...." Paula was quiet for the first time today....as I said....she had been working with her "customers" about their glucose problems, but when I told her I was going to pray for her.....she became silent.....I was praying, thanking God for his healing of Paula.....Paula spoke up and said, "We accept it....we accept that healing."


So, as far as I'm concerned......Paula's healing IS.....COMPLETE.....IT....IS......FINISHED!!!!! Now, the only task we have right now is to wait at the station for that train (healing) to get here!!!

I told some on Christmas day, that God had put a present under our tree (Paula's healing).....but he hasn't let us open it yet.....I don't think it's going to be very long before He let's us open that present!!!