February 22

I might have to work backwards on his post. My head isn't completely clear and my memory seems to on,y work in reverse. My dad left this morning to head back to Colorado. He got as far as Lubbock before daylight, weather and fatigue forced him to stop for the night. Hopefully this storm will go over him tonight. We went to church today and we're surprised by a lovely and thoughtful gift. I of course cried which seems to be my normal reaction now. Sidney ride her beloved TP this afternoon right before we turned into Popsicles. 

Yesterday was interesting. I got a bike ride in. I rode my road bike for the first time since the accident. I only rode about 8 miles but I actually felt OK. I was cautious and didn't ride the same route. I actually enjoyed riding outside and on a lighter bike again. After getting cleaned up we made a Home Depot run before going to get Kirk. Sidney had swim practice for an hour. This was her second practice and I think she has swam 40 to 50 laps in two hour practices. There have been small hiccups but we will see where it goes. 

After that was when the craziness started. My phone was ringing and I was getting texts when we all walked in the house starving. I was on call this weekend and spent the time I was supposed to feed the people and go to the store working. It got better after that. We were supposed to go see friends in the afternoon and take Stormy. So we got loaded into the Prius after I remember everything. Four humans and a dog. Pushed the start and nothing happened. Plan B was to take two cars. Dad would take his truck with Sidney and Stormy and I'd take my car with Kirk. I went to get Stormy out and she was locked in the back. I had to take the fence I put in to keep her in the back out and have her jump over the seat to get out. Car is charged and seems OK now. And I am opposed to allergies, at least air born ones. I've never had them and didn't believe in them until yesterday. I was miserable. I took Kirk home after dinner and then went to the store. After that allergy medicine and bed.

The week up to this weekend was not so great. I can't go into details but it was really rough. There is at least another week of rough coming. Sidney and I otherwise have a standard week plus the dentist and Alamo Head Injury Association meeting. 

February 16

It has been a busy few days. I was in the field with work Wednesday and Thursday. Sidney had piano practice Thursday and got her other blue ribbon. She got 100% on her theory test. I am very proud of her. I have also been buying all the stuff a swimmer needs. It seems like a lot of gear for water.

When we got home from piano I had to take Stormy to a friend and after that I fed the fish. That's when I noticed Rocky, our blue lobster, was curled up in the tank. He was dead. There were many tears from my soft hearted child and I had to clean the fish tank at 8:30 at night.

Sidney, my dad, and I left for Houston after work on Friday. We drove the through the worst traffic I have seen in San Antonio. It took almost an hour and half to get out of San Antonio. I was exhausted once we got to Houston.

Our purpose for going to Houston this time was to go to Cirque Du Soleil. I bought tickets for Sidney, Kirk and me way back in late September when Kirk was starting to wake up in ICU. It was one of the first things I allowed myself when I actually thought he would live. I never dreamed at that time that our situation would be what it is. I am obviously happy my dad could see the show with us but heart broken that my Valentine's Day gift to my husband did not happen the way I wanted. I am not sure that Kirk even realizes what Valentines Day is right now.

The show was about a maiden trapped on a mysterious island. A ship wrecks there and a young man is enthralled by her. The story continues with their courting and finally marriage. The Cirque is jam packed with humans doing amazing things. Sidney called the young man "lover boy" and repeatedly said the whole show was "epic".

She had not slept the night before. First she saw her girlfriend in Katy so they had to catch up until past midnight. Then she couldn't sleep. She missed her momma and texted me all night. She napped on the way to the Cirque which kept her going for a while.

It wasn't enough to survive dinner at Lupe Tortillas. She fell asleep with her head on the table and one time was startled awake only long enough to put her head back down in the chip bowl.

We went to church in Katy before stopping at Whole Foods for a grilled cheese fix and the swim store one more time. We made it to San Antonio and got groceries and had dinner on the table by 6:30 pm.

Sidney had Monday off of school. The weather was awful so she and grandpa were stuck inside except for the few errands we ran in the afternoon when I took a half day. My dad is taking Sidney to school everyday. That extra 30 minutes in the morning has been helpful at work. And he is keeping us fed.

I have started a reverse resume for a care taker for Kirk. My current plan, assuming he goes to out patient rehab, is the someone will come at 7 to get him up, showered, fed and a lunch packed. That person would take Kirk to rehab by 9. Kirk would stay there until 3 and the same person would stay with him until 5:30. Unfortunately out patient rehab will last maybe a month or month and a half.

What do I do to make his life complete after rehab? He doesn't want to sit around and I don't think will be happy at the house all day every day.  And every hour I am not with him or he isn't with someone else who knows us or is willing to be with him, I have to pay for care. Please if anyone has ideas to help make his life full, share with me. I just don't know what to do after rehab. Ultimately return to a simple work would be ideal but that isn't an option yet. He loves to work at the food pantry and he hates to be bored. I'll take any an all suggestions. And please pray for answers to come my way and the right care taker or care takers.

February 10

Sorry for the delayed update when I promised to update every day when Kirk was in the hospital.  Kirk is doing much better and will be discharged back to Neurorestorative this afternoon.  There are still puzzles about why he got so sick.  So there was a mild urinary tract infection and based on CT an infection in his kidneys. There is also evidence of crystallization there. He also had some issues with his lungs but it didn't seem like enough to make him that sick.  So unfortunately we will stay puzzled. 

We will see how much he back tracked while not being in rehab for a week.  Hopefully he will get back on his feet pretty quickly.

I did have the monthly meeting with Neurorestorative yesterday.  The basic conclusion is that Kirk will likely be home in two months and that he will need 24 hour supervision for at least 6 months to a year or more.  To be honest I am not sure how I will manage that but I am working on a plan. 

He has made improvements. He is reading better, has better balance, identifying more objects, and doing better at functional tasks.  He will try to do anything anyone asks and willingly. But he does need constant supervision because of the lack of memory and balance issues and no safety awareness. 

Please pray for him to continue to recover and gain memory.  Please pray for me to make some really hard decisions and that I can continue to keep my family as happy and whole as possible. 

On another note, Sidney made the swim team.  Now we will see if I can juggle that. 

February 8

Kirk is doing a little better yet today. He hasn't fevered since last night and it was slightly lower. He is getting up now to use the bathroom which is another step in the right direction. So maybe we are getting this thing licked. I haven't talked to the doctors in a while but I am hoping he will get discharged in a few days. That's me hoping, not based on anything I know for sure.

I am meeting with the staff at Neurorestorative tomorrow for our monthly meeting. Kirk continues to progress so I am hoping for more than 30 more days there. I will however post tomorrow night with an update on Kirk as well as how the meeting goes tomorrow.

Sidney and I are enjoying my dad being here. He got to watch Sidney ride today. She swam yesterday in a swim team try out. She did a great job but we won't find out until tomorrow if she made the team. Even if she didn't I am proud of her and glad she had the experience. If she did make the team our world will get more hectic. Practice three times a week. Not sure how I'll manage but we will sort it out.

And we are making valentines cards. Please tell me why we can't just get the ones you fold in half and sign? Every year I decide we need to make something. This year's has 25 ish pieces. Yeah fruit cake who doesn't learn.

Back to work and the craziness tomorrow. Sidney has a break from swim lessons this week because the pool is under repair but it is a braces week also. So she will be off her feed for a few days.

February 7

Kirk is still in the hospital and going up and down. He is a little better during the day and then fevers at night. He was back to 103 degrees last night. Still no ideas why. And unfortunately when he fevers he gets more confused. He pulled his IV out last night. 

This is very frustrating. We are pumping him full of antibiotics but aren't sure we are getting whatever it is. Please pray for a healing touch. He is more settled now on the hospital but it isn't helping him rehab. We need to get him healthy and back to work.

February 6

Kirk continues to look a little better when I see him.  However he did have fever last night of 104 degrees.  He is on three antibiotics but no cultures have grown and we haven't found the infection source.  I was there while he ate lunch and he downed his fish sandwich and salad in minutes.  He also could tell me he was in the hospital.

I don't think he is feeling back to his new normal yet because he isn't restless.  He is pretty content to rest in the bed and watch TV.  Normally when he is at Neurorestorative he is always on the move. 

If he continues to respond to the antibiotics, they will keep him as long as the IV antibiotics are required.  He can return to Neurorestorative once he is off the IVs.

Thanks for your prayers during the bump in the road.  I'll keep a daily post even if it's short until he is discharged. 

February 5

Kirk is looking a little better today.  I have not heard anything definitive yet on what has been found as a source but it looks like the antibiotic is starting to work.  He still isn't back to where he was before getting sick but he didn't look nearly as bad as the last two days. He is starting to eat better and got a bath today.  He also asked how Orion was.  He isn't to far off. Orion is Sidney's middle name.  I think that might be the first time he has asked about her without me saying anything about her.  Otherwise there isn't much update to give.

My dad arrived from Colorado this afternoon. It will be nice to have him for a while.  And I am glad he got here safely.

February 4

Kirk got a room in the hospital a little after noon. He is in 5149 at University Hospital. He is still pretty sick. His fever isn't under control and we aren't sure the urinary tract infection is the cause of the fever. So they keep looking. They will continue the antibiotic and Tylenol and will keep taking cultures. It is more difficult to figure out what is going on because of the head injury.

He us clearly uncomfortable and mostly sleeps between shivering fits. Right now the estimated discharge date is February 8 but that's a guess I think.

Because he is back at the hospital he is being seen by neurology as well. They will be stopping his warfarin which was started to try to get rid of the blood clot that formed in the sinus vein in his brain following the accident. He has completed almost 4 months of treatment and they don't see a reason to continue.

I'll post anything I find out as soon as I can.

February 3

Kirk is in the hospital, actually the emergency room, at University Hospital. He has a unrivaled tract infection that has gone septic. He has a fever and is quite ill. He has started antibiotics and will be admitted but there is a shortage of beds so it could be tomorrow before he gets to a room.

He's not as sick as he's has been before but he is very uncomfortable right now. Hopefully with loads of fluids and antibiotics he will be feeling much better by this to e tomorrow or maybe Thursday. I unfortunately missed Sidney's choir performance tonight but the friends who were able to take her at the last minute sent me videos.

I will of course keep everyone posted.

February 2

So I forgot to put in the last note that Sidney had her three month follow-up following her eye surgery last week. Every thing looks good and her eyes are doing well. She has the slightest drift if her left eye is covered but she straightens it out immediately. So she doesn't have to go back for 6 months. 

Sidney has also been riding another horse. She is riding Royal now as well as TP. She loves TP most and is progressing nicely and having fun. 

We saw Kirk on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday this week. We saw him at the Alamo Head Injury Association meeting on Wednesday. I was surprised that there were twice as ,any head injury survivors as care givers at the meeting. The survivors had a meeting about physical fitness and care givers met to discuss what was going on in their lives. There were two newbies, me and Sidney, as well as another lady who is the sister of someone who also had a bicycling accident. The meeting was very hard. It was emotionally exhausting to meet the unknown but Sidney and I both want to go back and maybe I won't be as emotional next time. We were very welcome but it was overwhelming. 

We picked Kirk up on Saturday and went for pizza and shopping before Sidney had a piano festival. She got a blue ribbon for their playing and we are still waiting for the results from the theory test. I was very proud of her. I have to admit I was really nervous when she went to play. I thought I was going to be ill. 

Kirk and Sidney played some tic tac toe. I loved watching their strategy. Kirk one the first game but Sidney payed attention after that and the rest were a tie. Also when we got our pizza Kirk didn't use a straw. His may seem strange to comment on but it is another illustration of old habits hanging on in him. He always takes a straw out of a drink that comes with one. I also got Sidney and Kirk's hair cut this weekend and new tennis shoes for both of them. 

Kirk's comment of the day was while we were waiting for Sidney to take her piano theory test. I was really tired and leaning against him with my eyes closed. He to.d me not to fall down or I would look dead. It was funny. 

We also got Kirk on Sunday and took him to church for the first time since the accident. He did very well and seemed very happy slammed between Sidney and me. He snag all the songs and of course remembers things like The Lord's Prayer.  I also noticed that his ability to group read far exceeds his ability to read on his own. Everyone at church was happy to see him.

Please don't stop praying. We have just passed 5 months since the accident and there is still no indication of moment to moment memory. And we have only started this chapter of our lives.  I a, starting to think more seriously of when Kirk will come home and it is overwhelming. So please continue to pray and support us. We will need help for a long time to come.