Okay I have lost 4 more pounds as of today at my Dr. Office. That is a total of 34 pounds so far if I remember correctly since coming home. This really is a journey of the self I am now becoming. This part I like.....the rest is still out for determination. 

We really appreciate all your prayers and continued support. Please feel free to share one or both links with your friends and family and wherever else you can think of ( your work, schools, your church, social groups, etc). We can email you a flyer too if needed.

Also GREAT NEWS!!!

We have 2 ways to Donate now thanks to the help of some wise "owls".

You can donate on this site under "Donations". at the top of this page...(we start accepting debit and credit cards by Tuesday evening/Wed morning on this site here!!!! Thanks to some wise helpers. YAY!!! With this site the family receives 100% of the donations

Please also check out our other donation page as well:
https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/dnl4/caren-s-hope-for-recovery-fundraiser

We have had some questions about what Caren and the family needs for support. If you are interested in throwing a benefit or taking up a collection at work, church, school, or social group - helping out in any other ways, please contact the family and let them know. If you need questions answered or need more information, please send a message or email and someone from the family will get back with you.

I am truly humbled by your generosity thus far.[...]

Okay I have lost 4 more pounds as of today at my Dr. Office. That is a total of 34 pounds so far if I remember correctly since coming home. This really is a journey of the self I am now becoming. This part I like.....the rest is still out for determination. 

We really appreciate all your prayers and continued support. Please feel free to share one or both links with your friends and family and wherever else you can think of ( your work, schools, your church, social groups, etc). We can email you a flyer too if needed.

Also GREAT NEWS!!!

We have 2 ways to Donate now thanks to the help of some wise "owls".

You can donate on this site under "Donations". at the top of this page...(we start accepting debit and credit cards by Tuesday evening/Wed morning on this site here!!!! Thanks to some wise helpers. YAY!!! With this site the family receives 100% of the donations

Please also check out our other donation page as well:
https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/dnl4/caren-s-hope-for-recovery-fundraiser

We have had some questions about what Caren and the family needs for support. If you are interested in throwing a benefit or taking up a collection at work, church, school, or social group - helping out in any other ways, please contact the family and let them know. If you need questions answered or need more information, please send a message or email and someone from the family will get back with you.

I am truly humbled by your generosity thus far.[...]

"TBI Survivors can’t be taught, we have to learn all over again for ourselves – the only way the brain can rewire. But sometimes we just need help when we get stuck. I continues to try to do things the way I’d been doing them before my TBI, unwilling to leave behind the person I had been. Until you quit looking back, mourning the person you were, and the abilities you had, you can’t move forward and become the person you well be. We are all different after our TBI, but for many of us, we are not worse but better."

Cheryle Sullivan, Family Physician, Author, TBI Journey, Inc[...]

Okay, MaryFreeBed Evaluation Results, per my notes and repeating information back to therapists:

Psychological and Cognitive Testing unavailable until claim "open and billable" per that Department.

However I had evaluations done with other departments:

Occupational Therapy - met with that therapist on 4/29/2014 (will be working with arm and shoulder specifically)
Current Recommendations are therapy 2 times per week for 8 weeks and then reassess.
R side reaching out in front (flexion) measures at 25 degrees - should be 160 degrees
R side reaching out to side (abduction) is 50 degrees and should be 160 degrees
R side external rotation of arm - 42 degrees and should be 80-90 degrees
R side with R fingers trying to touch R shoulder with arm bent measures 139 degrees and should be 150
R hand palm up (supine) is measuring at 54 degrees and should be at 90 degrees.

Squeeze test on L hand was 75, 45, and then 25lbs. Squeeze test on R hand was 7,8, and then 5lbs. She said this shows her I get fatigued easily and is a good place for her to start to have these baselines.
The average grip strength in L hand (my good arm) is 46 lbs. and should be 70 lbs..
The average grip strength in R hand (injured arm) is 07 lbs and should be 70 lbs.

What's kind of funny is that I actually thought I was doing better as I progressed....I was wrong.

Goals for therapy with OT are Dressing, Bathing, Cooking, ROM in shoulder, strength in R side; Problem solving (remembering and multitasking). She also asked me if I had heard about a lot of things I had never heard of to help me be more independent. She was surprised none of this had been shown to me or discussed before.

She made me feel comfortable so far and was patient and a good listener. 

Physical Therapy - met with Tricia (student that examined me) and the actual therapist on 4/29/2014
Recommendations are therapy 2 times per week for 12 weeks and then reassess as we go along. They are NOT working with my arm or shoulder, just my gait and walking and balance.

Goals for therapy are to increase strength and balancee in legs and walking with and without the cane. Stair training. Increase strength in R leg. Try to get away from the wheelchair more and more.

I felt awkward with this because I felt my legs work okay, but not considering the balance aspect being related to my legs. The student was nice and patient and the therapist was very quiet. It sometimes made me feel awkward, with some of the testing, but they were both friendly.

Speech Therapy Evaluation - I met with a lady named Julie on 5/2/2014
It seemed like she spent a lot of time texting or reading her phone under the desk while doing tests with me. That was a little bit frustrating. She apologized and said she was dealing with an emergency. This meeting felt rushed and she said we didn't get to finish all the testing this time. She is recommending therapy 2 times per week for 8 weeks and then reassess where we are at. 

I told her about my throat and swallowing issues and how it seems to influence my speech now occassionally. Like almost a hiccough but not one that is audible that causes me to take a breath while talking and the frozen feeling on my left side when trying to swallow and how it is random whether I am calm or not when this happens.. I also told her how it made me dizzy to look up and to the left and to the left peripherally I could feel discomfort; but not like that when I look R and up or down. She said it was probably just a muscle spasm and even if I passed out from not being able to get my breath or swallow the muscles would then relax on their own probably (this is a scary thought to me). I talked aout how it is hard to find my words and the puzzle pieces in my brain and the random emotions.

I have NO IDEA how I did on this because I felt very frustrated and distracted and explained this to her too. I told her I felt this was a good day and I almost cried AGAIN, but I didn't. I remember some of the tests were the same, but some seemed very different than before, from the other rehab.

I am unsure how I feel about this therapy so far, or whether it's the eval was so short or just what I was feeling. My brain hurt and I felt even more frustrated by the end of this testing. I tried hard to listen, stay focused and not notice the things around me, while noticing a lot at the same time. I just do not have an idea how I did. She really didn't give me any feedback either at the end, so we will see how things gp. I am just happy to be getting help with my brain and my words again.

I don't know what else to say. That is all I know so far.[...]

     Today Caren had a coupla' errands to run, which also included picking up the boys from school.  I thought she was very brave, because I know riding in the car still makes her very anxious.  She was doing pretty good, until a crazy driver pulled out in front of me, and I glanced over to check on Caren after I quickly avoided a disaster.[...]

Just a reminder of what the van looked like after the wreck.  This is just a couple of pictures of the front of the van.  The third picture is where Caren was ejected out the passenger side window from when her seatbelt failed.  She again, was the driver.  Her brave little Austin, 5,  escaped with no injuries.[...]