3:43 am start to my Friday...

 My friday morning began with a call at 3:43 a.m. with what else, but a call from Scilla! I was tired and enjoying my sleep very much when the phone rang and the hospital's number showed up on the caller id so I had to answer! So I answer "hello" and it's Scilla saying "what are you doing" and of course I reply "sleep" and then she says "Oh, I just wanted someone to talk to, but ok bye". Please note this call was not important because if it had been I would have talked with her, she was actually bored.

   On Friday, a lot of things were learned and are experienced. So where do I start? I guess I will begin with an update on her health condition.

• Priscilla is doing very well with therapy, with the exception of the fact that they believe the medicine they are giving her for anxiety is causing her drowsiness and therefore she is falling asleep in her sessions, so they are going to cut down on the currect dosage.
• The biggest health concern for me is that we learned that she did experience some head trauma in the accident, a concussion. This is the reason for her slightly slurred speech mentioned in the previous post and as well as for small, but noticable change in her handwriting and a loss in some short term memory. The doctor thinks that the trauma to the head has had an effect on some, but not all of her motor skills and we are hoping that as her body heals, so too will any problems resulting from head trauma. 
• Keeping with her health, something they are giving her in the hospital is causing high blood sugar levels which are a concern to the doctors because high blood sugar levels can interfere and slow down the healing process. Before the accident, her levels were normal and under control. She is going to have a visit with an endocrinologist to see if they can determine or help gain control of her BSL's.
• She also has Strep in her blood and her doctors at the R.C.P thinks it is from her PICC line, so my question is how? Was someone who put it in sick? Did someone with strep touch it? How is what I want to know!

Now to experiences. Scilla insisted that she and I go for a walk. So we had the task of transfering her into her chair, without having any training or never seeing a nurse or therapist do it before. Let's just say that the transfer had a couple of glitches and did not go as smoothly as I would have hoped. Two things worked against us:

1. We did not have the sliding board and
2. She did not want us to use the sling

  So in the process of trying to get her into the chair, we missed and she ended up on the floor on her knees and it took 4 of us to get her in the chair FINALLY! I think I am going to have to start working out and build my muscles, because I know that have no muscle strength and I am really going to need it now and also once some of the swelling goes down, she may be a little bit lighter.

Mimi, my 3 year old daughter and I pushed Scilla around and took her downstairs and she tried to convince us to put her in the car and take her for a ride, of course we refused! She also wanted Mimi to ride in her lap on the chair, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that, so I did not her get in Scilla's lap, although Scilla insisted several times.

   On another note, Scilla had a good day; for the most part. During our walk, she reassured me that if she never walks again, it is ok! She said that to me several times and I am glad that she knows whether or not she walks again, life still goes on. Life will be different, but she can still have a fulfilling life.

     I also must mention that she received a visit from a childhood friend who was in a car accident 6 years ago and is now paraplegic also. Scilla had some questions for her and wanted to touch her legs and asked her to show her how she tranfers from her wheelchair to a regular chair. Her visit was a God-send and she said my sister could call her with any questions and that she would come to one of Scilla's therapy sessions and help her out as much as possible.


"Walking in Faith"