Today was a GREAT day for Shannon. She was woken up for her medical stuff at 6am, and again around 9am (not that she recalls either) and then really woke up at Noon. After eating something, she headed BY HERSELF WITH HER GREEN TAG ON THE WHEELCHAIR (she's a grown up now, remember the get our of jail card?) to the art room. She told me she was there for six hours!!! Basically, it was a Best Day Ever day again.
Shannon only has THREE days left at Magee. Day four, we are picking her up and bringing her home!! We are going to be very busy for the next three days, and it's a bit terrifying. It's 'all hands on deck'! (That was a Seaman joke) Tuesday I won't even be home, since Rachael and I have all day/night training with Shannon. It's basically a dress rehearsal. Our chance to figure out what we don't know. It's also our last time spending time with Shannon with her therapists. It's been fun to interact with them and her favorite nurses, and to watch them banter back and forth with Shannon. I am praying she will connect with her new therapists at home and when she moves on to outpatient therapy.
We had a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing day today! We truly love Sunday's and the rest we get from the crazy that is our lives at present. There were a few visits from friends dropping off goodies and some visiting for a bit. Every single day for the past 11 weeks, at least one person has been at our house, showing us they care. We really are blessed with wonderful people in our lives. We must be doing something right to have such great friends. Thank you, friends. We love you more than you know.
Yesterday I shared where Shannon is currently with her physical and mental condition. I was looking for some information last week on a blog post from the beginning of April. Part of the reason I have this blog is to document what's been happening for Shannon to read, so she can understand what's been going on with her and how far she's come; and also for us to have a record. I came across the post for April 3rd. I shared it with Shannon, because she was having a bad day and said she doesn't see any progress. Well. Take a look at where they were hoping she would be when she came home. I wrote this three days after arriving at rehab (2 weeks and 4 days after her accident):
"The main part of her plan at her rehab is to learn to breathe. I know it sounds like Shannon is doing so well. And she is- compared to almost 3 weeks ago when none of her vital organs were working right. But we learned today for a certainty that her inability to breathe on her own is a spinal cord injury issue. At Jefferson, we kept getting conflicting thoughts on whether it was because of her contusion, broken rib, and pneumothorax condition- and then complications of being intubated, pneumonia, etc. It was mentioned that it could be from spinal injury, but they weren't calling it that, yet. So now they know she doesn't have good use of her abdominal and chest muscles required to breathe. She may need to still use a ventilator when she comes home, but they are hoping that won't be the case. Her Respiratory Therapist works with her every day, but so far, Shannon can't go more than two hours at a time without ventilator help. It's just too exhausting and difficult.
They are also planning to work on strengthening her arms, and improving fine motor skills with her; as well as helping her be mostly functional in her every day care. At this point, she will come home with a wheelchair, which they are hoping won't have to be an electric one, will most likely still have a trach, and perhaps the ventilator. She will continue with outpatient therapy when our insurance will no longer allow inpatient. We are hoping to push that to the two month mark. I'm writing this now, so that when Shannon proves to them all that she doesn't mess around and far surpasses all of their expectations in her abilities, I can go back and see where they thought she should be. Shannon's a fighter."
Shannon is NOT coming home in a power wheelchair, she is not on a ventilator, nor does she have a trach anymore. I don't even think she has a respiratory therapist any longer. She has been far surpassing their expectations. They reevaluate her every Thursday, and set new goals for her departure based on how well she is doing. A couple weeks ago, Shannon's Case Manager told me that it is VERY rare to have someone arrive at Magee so soon after leaving SICU. They normally spend several days in the hospital outside of SICU first, then transfer to them. Magee is one of the only hospitals that will take a ventilator patient, and normally, they are a lot closer to being off of one than Shannon was. She is mending quickly, even on days when she can't see progress. There are so many miracles at work here. I can't help but thank our Father in Heaven that she is not just alive, but doing so much better. There is still a long road ahead, but I'm positive that the scenery is going to be amazing.
It's going to be a hard week for Shannon. She is so excited to come home, but there is still a lot to do, and I know as the days pass by, she will be anxious and probably apprehensive about leaving her current comfort zone, with familiarity and new friends. Please pray for her to have the mental, physical, and emotional strength she needs this week, for her blood pressure and temperature to be regulated to make things easier on her, and for her to have the stamina for all that is required of her. Pray for her comfort, and to be comforted in this transition time, and for her family to recognize her needs and be able to address them.
Today we are really feeling an extra amount of love and support. Thank you all for what you are and have been doing for our family- and for those of you who have reached out to us today, we truly appreciate you.
Meme time!!
Because Disney knows friendship:
"You and I are a team; there is nothing more important than our friendship." — Monster's Inc.
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