Karine has put together an online auction for Chukka & it's tomorrow! I've sent my piece in. I wanted to do a fish (of course) but truly I haven't had time since the accident.
For more pictures and to bid online go here.
Chukka continues to do well. She is in acute rehab, and her work is to continue to get stronger, so that she can transfer herself in and out of her wheelchair. IN the meantime, her family and friends at home are getting the house ready -- making plans for a ramp, rearranging things so Chukka can move downstairs, and so on. It's hard, because we really couldn't start this while she was in Austria, and now she is probably coming home within a month, so there is a lot to be done in a short time. My Dad and some good friends have taken the baton and are doing most of the work for that, for which I am truly grateful -- this is ahrd work and there's allways something different.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
She's Got Fever
Chukka got a fever about the middle of last week -- it has been quite high at times. We had to cancel the surprise party, because she was tired and weak. I think I was more disappointed than she was -- after all, she didn't know it was going to happen! People did come by for her birthday, but lower key, of course.
She is better today, although they are still monitoring her. She has had some nausea and loss of appetite, but now she is able to eat. She is now in a private room, but a small one, and since there is always some sort of hospital personnel in there, it can get quite crowded. She is supposed to do her breathing exercises still, but I don't see when she is supposed to have time! Even with the fever, they have tried to sit her up in a wheelchair every day. Her spirits are still good -- she takes all the procedures and pain better than I do! I was a little faint out there today -- I guess if I'd ever had kids, I be less squeamish.
I put Star where Chukka could see her -- apparently when Chukka was most nauseous, Star didn't want to take the risk of being vomited on, so she is sitting on an enormous basket of goodies Crypto's friend Jimmi brought.
I couldn't raise the wireless network on my laptop. I know it's out there somewhere, but it's tricky to find, and it may need a key.
My cousin Saami asked exactly what the phantom pain is. It's a side effect of the amputation -- I think it's the brain trying to figure out where the legs went. When I saw her, her (virtual) feet were cold, and she couldn't warm them up, even when she put them inside each other.
Keep those letters and cards coming. Packages, flowers, stuffed animals all welcome. Maybe a stuffed rhinoceros?
Don't forget you can send her a card via the internet:
https://www.johnmuirhealth.com/index.php/greeting.html
Her current room is 510.
She is better today, although they are still monitoring her. She has had some nausea and loss of appetite, but now she is able to eat. She is now in a private room, but a small one, and since there is always some sort of hospital personnel in there, it can get quite crowded. She is supposed to do her breathing exercises still, but I don't see when she is supposed to have time! Even with the fever, they have tried to sit her up in a wheelchair every day. Her spirits are still good -- she takes all the procedures and pain better than I do! I was a little faint out there today -- I guess if I'd ever had kids, I be less squeamish.
I put Star where Chukka could see her -- apparently when Chukka was most nauseous, Star didn't want to take the risk of being vomited on, so she is sitting on an enormous basket of goodies Crypto's friend Jimmi brought.
I couldn't raise the wireless network on my laptop. I know it's out there somewhere, but it's tricky to find, and it may need a key.
My cousin Saami asked exactly what the phantom pain is. It's a side effect of the amputation -- I think it's the brain trying to figure out where the legs went. When I saw her, her (virtual) feet were cold, and she couldn't warm them up, even when she put them inside each other.
Keep those letters and cards coming. Packages, flowers, stuffed animals all welcome. Maybe a stuffed rhinoceros?
Don't forget you can send her a card via the internet:
https://www.johnmuirhealth.com/index.php/greeting.html
Her current room is 510.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Better every day
Chukka was a little tired on Friday after the transfer to rehab, but otherwise she is looking and doing better every day. She is already able to steer the wheelchair, even while backing up, and can turn over on her stomach and also can sit up.
She has phantom pain, or more like phantom sensation, and she can feel exactly where her virtual feet are. She can even put them inside each other! But when they are like that, she can only feel one at a time. It can be either one, and they switch back and forth, she says, like "vases faces". Supposedly the sensation will be helped by the desensitization process and also when she can wear prostheses.
She got a call from John Callahan's publicist, who saw the blog and is sending her a free autographed copy of his book. That's pretty cool.
As for me, I'm finally letting go a little. I talked to the hospital rehab social worker yesterday -- she's the person I've been wanting for the past two months! It's her job to negotiate insurance, keep track of Chukka's progress, help plan for coming home, etc. etc. It's really hard to do without it! When Chukka got to John Muir and got started on rehab, she told me "That's why they sent me to John Muir, because they have a really good rehab program." I thought, wait a minute -- "they" is me. But of course the hospital wouldn't imagine that all we got told in Austria is, "Can you find a hospital in the US that takes her insurance?" Fortunately one of the people who takes horseback riding lessons the same place I do is an ER doctor, so he made some suggestions and put me in touch with the Trauma Coordinator at John Muir. And everyone else I asked agreed it was an excellent facility.
But now there's someone else to help, who knows what she is doing and I can start to relax (a little). You don't know how much weight you're carrying until you start to put it down.
She has phantom pain, or more like phantom sensation, and she can feel exactly where her virtual feet are. She can even put them inside each other! But when they are like that, she can only feel one at a time. It can be either one, and they switch back and forth, she says, like "vases faces". Supposedly the sensation will be helped by the desensitization process and also when she can wear prostheses.
She got a call from John Callahan's publicist, who saw the blog and is sending her a free autographed copy of his book. That's pretty cool.
As for me, I'm finally letting go a little. I talked to the hospital rehab social worker yesterday -- she's the person I've been wanting for the past two months! It's her job to negotiate insurance, keep track of Chukka's progress, help plan for coming home, etc. etc. It's really hard to do without it! When Chukka got to John Muir and got started on rehab, she told me "That's why they sent me to John Muir, because they have a really good rehab program." I thought, wait a minute -- "they" is me. But of course the hospital wouldn't imagine that all we got told in Austria is, "Can you find a hospital in the US that takes her insurance?" Fortunately one of the people who takes horseback riding lessons the same place I do is an ER doctor, so he made some suggestions and put me in touch with the Trauma Coordinator at John Muir. And everyone else I asked agreed it was an excellent facility.
But now there's someone else to help, who knows what she is doing and I can start to relax (a little). You don't know how much weight you're carrying until you start to put it down.
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