March 15

We have been busy since the last post.  We had all the normal weekly activities and made a trip to Colorado.

The first picture here is Sidney's science fair experiment in action. She choose the testable question "Does the type of liquid affect melting time?"  We froze a number of liquids and then watched them thaw several times.  All I can say is watching water boil is far more exciting than watching water melt.

We started our drive to Colorado on Friday morning, early. Our intention was to get to Carlsbad Caverns before 2 and we made it with time to spare.  We were able to walk into the caverns, enjoy the big rooms and then because we had been in the car all day, we walked back out.  That's all up hill to get out. Sidney was at least a little mad at me.  But we slept well.

We stayed overnight in Artesia before heading up to Colorado Springs. Between Carlsbad and Artesia is a lot of new oil field activity along with a large lake I had never seen before.  There were even at least a dozen white pelicans I could see from the highway. I asked about the lake and indeed it has been dry for years. However recent rains which also flooded Artesia, filled the lake to larger than it has ever been.

We got to my parents mid day on Saturday and just goofed off the rest of the day.  No one wanted to get in the car again.

We went to church on Sunday and received communion from my dad.  After church we had a second breakfast and then did small errands like get gas, groceries and a car wash. We went to the playground at the elementary school twice.  The second time Sidney and I took a longer walk over and took a basketball with us.  I am sure people who saw us had to think two short blonds with a basketball was at least funny.

On Monday we went to Garden of the God's in Colorado Springs.  We had a great time hiking but it was so muddy. There has been plenty of snow and it was melting into a muddy mess. Speaking of snow, Sidney got to play in some every day. The snow lasted in the shady parts on my parents yard all week but the weather was warm and wonderful.  The pictures here are the Siamese Twins with Pike's Peak in the background and the Kissing Camels, both popular formations in the park.

On Tuesday we took a trip to Denver. A girlfriend of mine has been up there for a few weeks at the hospital. She was flown up there from Durango when she went into labor very early while carrying twins.  The babies were born at 29 weeks, the same as Sidney. The little girl was quite a bit bigger than Sidney and the boy about the same size Sidney was.  They are a couple of weeks old now and doing well. We spent most of the day with my friend chatting and walking around the Denver Natural Science Museum. We also took in an IMAX while there. My friend is staying at the Ronald McDonald house and after seeing the support they provide I am a full supporter.

We had dinner with another friend who now lives in Denver. I know him from Africa.  It was great to see him and hear about his life back on the "normal" side of life.  He had been in Africa a long time and seems to be really happy in Denver.

We went to a wolf rescue center near Divide on Wednesday. They provided a very nice tour with great discussions about wolf rescue as well as the family structures of the wolfs there.  The wolfs were very talkative that day and frequently howled.  There were several roommate changes happening and so the wolves had a lot to "talk" about.  Some of the discussion on wolves was slanted but overall it was an enjoyable experience and a great opportunity to learn about these intelligent and family orient animals.  The paths were quite treacherous though and Sidney fell once along with three other people. We were quite cold after the tour from standing on ice for 2 hours.

After a refill from a tasty lunch in Woodland Park, we went to the Dinosaur Resource Center. It doesn't look like much from the outside but they had great displays, fossils, and educational materials including hands on displays. It was actually quite impressive. Sidney had another slip on the way in. She was running though the outside portico and stepped on what she thought was water. It was except for being frozen water. So off she slid. I did make sure she was OK before laughing hysterically.

We really enjoyed the time with my parents. At least for a few days I didn't have to worry about work, feeding us, getting us to activities or the future.  We were able to laugh and enjoy going to a park whenever we wanted, playing basketball, throwing snow and getting muddy.

Thursday meant we had to hit the road. We packed up and headed toward Lubbock where we would overnight.  We stopped at Capulin Volcano to explore and stretch our legs. There was also a good amount of snow for a last hurrah. After a snow ball fight and walk around the crater, we ate our packed lunch and drove on.  We drove very close, too close for comfort, to a wild fire on the way home. It was near Amarillo.  I got a little nervous but we made it through fine.

Sidney and I both slept well at the hotel.  We had a light dinner and swam for an hour before sleeping in real beds.  We had been sleeping on the floor in my parents living room because they had a full house.

We got home on Friday and are unpacked and settled in. We visited with Kirk and took him to run some errands with us Saturday.  Sidney was back on a horse this afternoon and the weather has been good so we have been outside a lot.

This is going to be a difficult week. I have run into more road blocks with getting help to take care of Kirk and I meet with the staff at the rehab tomorrow. I fully expect they will tell me that he will have to leave soon due to lack of progress. He still shows no signs of short term memory. He had a tough week and some of his medications had to be increased to try to temper his agitation. He has been more confused and agitated and even a little aggressive.  Hard decisions are coming my way. I have to figure out what the best course is for all of us.  Please hold us tightly in the coming weeks.

March 8

Sidney and I arrived safely at my parents in Colorado Springs. We took two days driving from San Antonio. We drive to Carlsbad Caverns on Friday. We had a nice time in the cave and we walked in and out. And Sidney needed to make up for words during the car ride. She hardly talked at all on the ride. So when we were walking around the cavern, she talked non stop. We also saw a herd of Desert Big Horn Sheep. We spent the night in Artesia. There was a lot of oil field traffic along the whole route. I also noticed a lake between Carlsbad and Artesia. It was a big lake and had Pelicans. Who would have thought. I asked about the lake at the hotel because I hadn't seen it before. Indeed it has been dry for years. Apparently there was a lot of rain this year, enough to flood Carlsbad and fill the lake.

We headed to Colorado Springs after our night in Artesia. We will be here for a few days before heading back to Texas. Hopefully with our batteries refilled and ready to get back to our busy life.

I saw Kirk briefly twice before we left. He is still about the same. I'm still expecting him to be discharged from rehab in a few weeks. And I'm still working a plan for that. Please keep praying for the right path to develop for him. And for the beginning of short term memory.

March 1

Today is six months after the accident. I cannot think of Labor Day and the fear and pain that day brought without tears, still. I did not think Kirk would live through that night or the many days that followed. And once I knew he would live, I did not imagine this result. We were living a dream, the perfect life. In an instant it changed.

Kirk became officially un-employed this week and his things were delivered to the house, sparing me of cleaning his office. But I unpacked and sorted years worth of work and a career that brought him great joy.

Kirk is not unhappy. His perception of the world is very altered. He likes to be busy and to be helpful. I don't think a "job" crosses his mind. He loves Sidney and I and although he doesn't remember our visits or the things happening in our lives, he remembers us.

Sidney and I have had fairly normal lives this week. Work has been far more challenging than normal but I am hanging on. Sidney is swimming twice a week with the team and she is gaining endurance, skill and confidence. She may not advance but the coach is a super role model and she is learning to work hard.

I am still trying to figure out how to make life complete for Kirk when he gets home. I can now start discussing his care with my insurance as he switched over today. I have found us an internal medicine doctor to follow both of us. Hopefully that will ensure our unusual conditions are managed in the best way possible.

This week will be short. Sidney and I are off to Colorado on Friday. We will drive to Carlsbad and treat ourselves to the Caverns on Friday and then head into Colorado Springs on Saturday. We will head back to San Antonio on the following Thursday. Yes my crazy self is driving.

Oh and Sidney has her first science fair project. She is testing if different liquids melt at different times. We have one if three trials done. With any luck we'll get the other two done thus week. Watching water me,t is worse, far worse, than watching water boil.

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.