Kristins Coming Home!

Great news, Kristin is heading home this weekend! Even though there is still much work and healing to be done, so much progress has taken place. There will be lots of out patient follow-ups and therapy, however the comfort of home is in Kristin's very near future.

This week has had some highs and lows, however things are looking up. Physical therapy gets better each day, and Kristin is now able to walk short distances on her own without the aid of a walker. This brings new meaning to one step at a time. Keep at it Kristin, things will continue to look up for you.

It is my pastors theory that some times the things we go through are not always for us. Sometimes God is using us to be an example to others of faith and Gods love. As believers when we go through stuff people are watching us. People are watching to see if our faith grows or weakens, and if we are handling it in a Godly way or another way. Kristin, we have been watching you. We have watched you pray daily, we have watched you stay positive, we have watched you love all of your friends and family through your storm, we have watched you trust in God. After all of that observation, you have been a WONDERFUL example. God bless you Kristin. Thank you for allowing your experience to change the lives of others and help us appreciate the little things that we take for granted and have our faith restored.

The updates will continue and more pictures will come in the near future. In return all we ask is that you all continue to pray and extend your support to the family and Kristin.

Blessings!

Shampoo Anyone?

Hello All:

I had all intentions of getting an update out much earlier......my apologies. Meanwhile back to business, Kristin! She is trying to get settled in her new temporary address and I must say it's not going as well as we may have wished. There is a huge culture and staff adjustment. The nurses often appear unprofessional and a far stretch from reassuring. It also does not appear that any of the nurses are communicating with each other, as each nurse does things a little different than the last, which means that mom and Kristin have to "teach" the new nurse what things have worked and what things haven't. There have been some staff that are up to the task, but for the most part we have been a little disappointed. The energy in that place is largely different than that of the hospital. As we all know, in situations like this, a good bedside manner and proven ability can make situations like this much more bearable and comfortable. However Kristin CONTINUES to remain hopeful and determined to overcome this obstacle.

Aside from the disappointment we all hold for the rehabs services, we do manage to find humor in it. However joking aside, mom is on the job, and is not taking this lightly. She has been in contact with higher ups and being very vocal in her stern but friendly manner. She continues to be a blessing throughout this time.

Today is "Take Kristin's Stitches Out" day and she is all too pleased about that. This means more progress and it also means that someone can get a hair wash! In situations like this, it's the little things that can bring joy to someone like Kristin! Lather up little sis :)

Until next time......blessings!

Kristin Is Off To Rehab....

After what seems like forever, Kristin has left the building. The hospital that is. She is now on her way to rehab, where she will begin the next steps to her rehabilitation. We are all cheering her on!!!

Kristin has been transported via ambulance to NRH, which is considered to be one of the ten best rehab hospitals in the country. With that said, God continues to reassure us that she will be in the best of care. As it stands, she will be in rehab for one week. She will have 3 hours
of therapy every day, broken up into one hour sessions of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Its evident that we all have something to thank God for!

Mom is not far on her trail, as she is heading to the rehab center as well. Today will be an interesting day for mom in particular, as today is her birthday. However she is spending her birthday doing something she loves most, and that's being there for the ones she loves.

This is still just a step in what will be a long road ahead, however there's progress and movement. It is progress that we can see, and prayers that have been answered. Thank you God for hearing our voice!

Have a great weekend and continue to support and pray for Kristin and her family. The updates will continue.

God Bless!

No News Is Good News!

There aren't many things to report today. Kristin is hanging in there. She had physical therapy today and is trying to increase her mobility with several walks throughout the day. She still has issues with her comfort level and is about ready to rip that collar off her neck. However the collar will remain for up to six weeks as the bone in the skull/neck area repairs itself. Through it all, she remains in good spirits and is still her usual sweet and witty self.

In situations like this less is certainly more, as no news is good news. Your prayers, and our God has been working this situation out in our favor. Let's continue to stay prayerful and hopeful.

Blessings!

The Updates Continue...

Hello All:

Thanks for your continued support and concern. It has really helped bring us all through this tough time. This has truly been a reminder of how powerful love and prayer really is. Even more importantly, how great our family and friends are to us all.

Kristin is starting to have a lot more good days than bad. She really does look better with each passing day, and she is finally noticing it herself instead of just taking our word for it. She is even beginning to look more rested than just a week ago. Imagine my delight when I arrived at the hospital yesterday and saw her sitting up in her bed with her adorable turquoise PJ's with matching socks and a smile on her face. The absence of worry in her eyes was very apparent.

It is a gloomy and rainy Monday for those of us here in Washington, DC today. However the sunny moment in all of this is that Kristin is being moved from the ICU today to a "step down" ICU floor, and that's a definite sign of progress. She is clearly doing well and doing much more on her own. I also know she's getting back to her normal self because she is starting to crack more jokes and fuss at me in her playful way. That is a comfort for all of us.

Kristin and her mom continue to make lemonade out of lemons during their stay at the hospital. They watch the food network while dreaming of all the yummy treats they will eat once things return to normal. Mom has even given Kristin a manicure. I imagine that they behave like high school girls at a sleepover while they pass the time during non-visiting hours (smile).

There are still a few hurdles to get over but we haven't lost momentum. We know with prayer, time and effort things will be better than ever. With the work of therapy and rehab, Kristin will be swallowing, eating, and talking better than before!

With those things in mind, please say a special prayer for a procedure Kristin will be having done this week to help with her vocal cord. She will have an injection in her throat, which is to help the left side of her vocal cord, which is still paralyzed at the moment. This procedure bares the hope of helping her speech return to normal. God bless you Krissy!

Until the next update....blessings!

Kristin Feels Your Prayers!

It seems that Kristin gets better with time! Each day I walk in her hospital room her spirits seem brighter and her body appears to be less tense. Amen to that. She's even able to get up out of the bed a little more frequently to venture out a few steps.

Yesterday was a busy day for Kristin. She had a couple of tests done, one including a swallowing test (that one did not go so well), another was an MRI, which did go well. Initially Kristin was thinking she would have a hard time doing the MRI considering she hadn't been able to lay flat since her surgery. However, by the grace of God, she handled it just fine.

Kristin was also busy writing a letter to her mom and sending a few of us text messages. Yes you heard correctly, she may not be able to talk much but it didn't stop her from expressing her love and appreciation. Her letter and text messages were to reassure us all that she loved us and that she was trying hard for all of us to get better. And she was sure to let us know to tell others that as well. So thank you from Kristin to you!

Today is another day of activity for Kristin. She will start speech therapy today, which should be pretty painless. She also will begin swallowing exercises this afternoon, so let's keep our fingers crossed that that goes well. After recovery in the hospital, she will be off to NIH for a week of intense rehab, which will help her get back to normal.

Kristin said something very touching during my last visit with her. When we spoke of all the prayers and support she had during this time, she smiled. She then said "I can feel it. I can feel the prayers". This is amazing and beautiful at the same time. We already know how powerful prayer is, but the fact that our prayers are reaching her in this way........absolutely touching!

Keep up the prayers and support. The updates will continue. It wont be long before Kristin is giving these updates herself.

Blessings!

Progress Continues!

The progress continues. Kristin is moving around much better each day and is looking better as well. She's saying a little more and even able to get up to walk a few feet away. She was even up dancing with the nurses yesterday to test her balance, of course with their assistance. This is no small task considering she just had brain surgery.


Several specialist have come to see her to check on things which include her speech, vision, balance and swallowing ability. Her balance is a little off on the left side and she is seeing double. We teased her by telling her that only means she gets to see twice the beauty in the room. This is all temporary and we are told that this will get back to
normal in time.


Later this evening the hospital will be taking Kristin for a walk around the hospital. She will do this with the assistance of a walker and her nurse. I have already given her instuctions to cover her tush in the back (smile). Though a walk around the hospital floor may be a simple task to many, this is pretty significant for her considering she has been confined to her bed for the past several days. I am confident that this is step in the right direction.


Mentally Kristin continues to be hopeful. However she does often express that she is extremely tired and frustrated. She is still getting little to no sleep and it's almost impossible for her to find comfort in any position that she lays in. She has mentioned that although everyone tells her how well she looks she doesn't feel so well. We all assure her that this will all be a memory and things will be better than ever soon. In spite of that, she still finds room to smile, and ask "how's your day going?".


Her mom has managed to stay strong in spite of her new sleeping arrangements. After telling her she could no longer stay in the room, she was then told that she could. That didn't last long as moms new sleeping arrangements now include a recliner in the hospital lobby area, as the new head nurse has decided that she can no longer stay in the room with Kristin. We hope that this will change once Kristin is moved into another room, as Kristin has found most of her comfort in having her mom by her side through this tough time.



There still has not been a day that has passed that she hasn't heard her 91st Psalms prayer. She likes it most with her big brother Kevin reads it to her. However I have promised her that I will start to read the bible to her, so if anyone has any favorite passages, I'll be sure to share it with her.


Blessings!