Merry Christmas!

Brent has been working on Suzy's Christmas present since Thanksgiving, when Michelle and her family were in town. One day while Michelle took Suzy to Physical Therapy, her husband and two boys helped Brent and the boys de-clutter their bonus room. Then after Thanksgiving Brent had a hardwood floor installed, so he could turn the bonus room into an exercise room for Suzy. 

Knowing that Suzy will be graduating from Physical Therapy on January 7th, Brent wanted to get things set up at the house so that Suzy would be able to continue with her therapy at home. He had the idea to customize Suzy's bike, so that she would be able to use it as an exercise bike. After meeting with her physical therapists to find out what would be safe, he met with someone that would be able to do the work for him.

Christmas morning Suzy had a great surprise!

Suzy's right foot has a tendency to turn in towards the chain, so they are having to tape the foot to the pedal & hold it straight while she pedals.

In preparation for Suzy graduating from the physical therapy program in a few weeks, they have been given some exercises to be doing at home.  She has made some great progress with lifting her leg and was able to surprise Brent the other night when she showed him she can raise it about 10-15 inches from a laying position. Hopefully we will have videos of her progress soon.

Suzy is also now able to go up the stairs by herself...no one watching or helping!

November 23, 2010

Occupational Therapy
Suzy working her arm






Physical Therapy
Suzy had some company during her PT workout today.
Sometimes they worked out with her...






And sometimes, they were a little distracting...but. Suzy loves the company when the boys can attend rehab with her.




Suzy's walking is improving daily!




I think Robby forgot who he was supposed to be videoing...


Walking sideways


Walking backwards

Lots of Videos!

There haven't been many videos lately, because I accidentally brought the cord for downloading videos and the battery charger for the camera home to Utah. Now that the cord is safely back where it belongs we have lots of videos from the last three Fridays.

More speech therapy from October 26th.



This one is kind of long, but the last five seconds are the best part of the video!



In this one Suzy explains a very interesting fact...



Suzy pedaling



Each week as part of the routine, Suzy makes goals of what she wants to accomplish both during rehab and also at home. Then on Friday they have an Accomplishments meeting where the patients discuss the progress they made during the week. This is a video of Suzy's turn reviewing her goals and the progress made toward accomplishing them.


The part where she is talking about "leaving the chair" is referring to the fact that Suzy hadn't been bringing the wheelchair upstairs for two days.

November 11, 2010

Spencer flew home to visit for a long weekend and got to go to rehab with Brandon and video Suzy.





The physical therapist took advantage of Suzy having two strong boys with her, and had her walk on the treadmill.





Suzy's speech is really improving!





Occupational Therapy



November 12, 2010

Friday Brent was able to stay and video Suzy during her rehab.

The muscles in Suzy's right arm and shoulder have a lot of tone (they are really tight) so in Occupational Therapy she does quite a bit of stretching to help loosen them up.



They also use electronic stimulus to help stimulate the nerves and muscles.



The fingers on Suzy's right hand have a tendency to curl up, so during occupational therapy they will sometimes tape them open. Next week she has an appointment to get Botox injections to help relax the muscles in her hand. Getting the injections will help the therapists to see how much use she will be able to regain.





Suzy practiced walking without the cane!











She was even able to walk the whole length of the bars without stopping or grabbing on! Way to go Suz!



Step ups & Side steps:




At the end of the last video as Suzy looked up she comments "I'm the only one working!" Everyone else had stopped to watch Suzy.



Suzy has been working so hard! It's great to be able to see her progress & watch as she gives her therapists everything she's got...and do it with a joke and a smile!

Speech Therapy

A couple of videos of Suzy in speech therapy.
October 26, 2010

Occupational Therapy 10/14/2010

Even though Suzy still has no sensation in her right arm, in Occupational Therapy the goal is to continue working and exercising the arm. Even though Suzy's brain can't feel the arm, she can still send messages to it to move the arm. By continuing to engage the arm this way, when she gets the feeling back her movements will be more controlled.

Occupational Therapy: therapy based on engagement in meaningful activities of daily life which restore a physically disabled person's ability to perform activities such as walking, eating, drinking, dressing, toileting and bathing.

Suzy's haircut...

In order to make life easier, Suzy got a haircut today. It's taken a while to get the long beautiful hair she had, but not being able to care for it the way she'd like to has been hard.



Not only is the new style adorable & easy to care for, but some sweet little girl with cancer will have a curly wig thanks to Suzy's donation to Locks of Love.

Suzy heading to bed...

Glad to be home...

Suzy has been home since Saturday, October 2nd. She had hopes of being able to sleep in her own bed, but first they needed a banister to be hung on the wall. A friend, Steve Huyett, built a customized banister to match the existing one for Suzy. This is a special banister to Suzy because some of the wood Steve used was left over pieces from a coffin he had built for a dear friend. It was a nice surprise to arrive home to today.

Being home though actually means more work then before. Suzy is now going to rehab from 9 to 3 weekdays. In addition to the physical, occupational and speech therapy she also participates in groups to help with memory, writing, stress management, journaling, quantitative concepts and deductive reasoning. Needles to say, by 4 o'clock when she get home she is worn out and ready to relax.

10-01-2010

They made a custom brace for Suzy's right leg. It will help keep her toes lifted when she steps, as well as support her ankle and prevent it from rolling.

The brace really improved her walking.


For physical therapy Suzy practiced on the stairs in the parking garage to make sure she would be okay on the stairs at home.




During speech therapy, Suzy would have to place a series of pictures in the orer they happened, then tell what is happening in each picture.

Yep, That's Suzy...

As I have been here at the rehab center with Suzy for the past two days, one thing is very clear...everyone LOVES Suzy!

As the nurses come on shift, even if they are not assigned to Suzy for the day, they all come by to say "Hi" and check on Suzy. As she attends her occupational, speech, and physical therapy sessions, all the therapists tell her what a joy she is to work with. During her sessions, Suzy not only gives them everything she's got, but does it with a smile and a joke or two. In the words of her speech therapist, she is "the bright spot in everyone's day."

I am sure that as most of you read this you are thinking, "Yep, that's Suzy!" She has always been one of those people, that other people want to get to know and be around. She still that same Suzy!

Suzy's day here at the rehab center starts at 7 a.m. and her day is full of hard work, both physically and mentally, so by the end of the day she is tired. One evening after a long day of working, Suzy had a visitor that stayed a little long. After the visit Brent apologized to Suzy that the visit had gone so long, but Suzy said, "It's okay, I don't mind ,because he talks to me like you talk to me." She appreciated that he talked to her just as he had prior to the stroke, he did not "dumb down" his speech when talking with Suzy.

Communicating what she wants to say is sometimes hard for Suzy, because the words get stuck in her head; but she understands what is being said to her perfectly, and notices when people talk down to her and treat her like a child. She is no less then she was before the stoke, she is still the same lovable, funny & fun to be with Suzy that she always was!
~Michelle

9-29-2010

Occupational therapy


Speech therapy









Physical therapy

9-28-2010

Video of the cast guy observing Suzy walking so he can make a custom brace for her leg.


Stepping up


Stretching with Liz


Stretching with Brent


Walking up the stairs

Family Home Evening

On Monday for Family Home Evening, Brent and the boys brought in Chinese food. Then they payed pool & visited in the Rec room.

A Visit Home!

Suzy got to take a trip home Sunday. At the rehab center as patients are getting close to a release date, they let them have a day pass so they can go home for a "test run" to see how things will go.

Checking the mail

Sadie was VERY excited to see Suzy!

Just hanging out.

  It was a good day!

Another busy day...

Suzy had a very busy day of rehab today.  They had her walk "the block" around the halls of the center...

Then she walked outside for a bit...she is getting really good at walking with a cane.

While they were outside, Suzy and the therapist were telling Brent about how funny it was when Suzy was trying to work out on Wednesday.

After walking outside, she walked forwards and backwards at the parallel bars.


They also had her at the step again...and this time it wasn't to do the Hokey Pokey.

Brent's friend Dan Gilliou, who was on the US wheelchair rugby team that won the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Paralympics, stopped by for a visit.

Then for recreational therapy she got to play in the dirt.

I know this is a LOT of videos...but every one of them make me smile, so I just have to post them all! ~Michelle

Thursday, Spetember 23, 2010

On Thursday, Becky, Leslie & I   showed up for the last 20 minutes of Suzy’s physical therapy.  She was making up for Wednesday with her workout on Thursday, and the therapist agreed; she was amazingly better on Thursday.  He and she could both laugh about her performance Wednesday—she felt much better about things on Thursday.  It’s always great to hear a hearty “Suzy laugh!”

After walking the halls, she was back in the parallel bars practicing squatting—re-learning how to control her leg muscles when going up and down.  She’s really good at getting all the way up and down from her wheelchair unassisted. 

Her lunch at the rehab center was very forgettable (I can attest to that—not tasty!), but that was okay because she got to go on a field-trip to Applebee’s for a late lunch after her speech therapy, and I heard it was great.  Brent might have more details or information about that trip. ~Barb

Lazy days and Wednesdays...

Suzy hit a wall today. This morning she called Brent and was a bit upset about the fact that she just didn't have "it" in her today. She was way too tired for physical or occupational therapy. Later in the evening as they were talking they realized why she was so tired today.

Monday night, after a really good workout, they did a sleep apnea test on Suz. Due to all the gear they had on her, she was not able to get a good nights rest. Then on Tuesday she gave all she had to another intense workout, so today she was drained!

When I called her tonight to see how her day was, she told me "Hard." Not having the energy for physical or occupational therapy kind of threw her for a loop, but she says, "Tomorrow I will make up for missing today."

Seeing how hard she's been working, I don't doubt it. ~Michelle

Turning Corners

Good News!

Yesterday Suzy and Brent met with all the doctors, therapists, and social workers that have been involved with Suzy's rehab for a "Team" meeting for the purpose of deciding an exit plan for Suzy. The physical therapists wanted to work with Suzy for 3 more weeks, but the occupational and speech therapists said they thought she would only need one more week of acute rehab...so they compromised. They decided Suzy could be released from acute rehab in two weeks...that means Suzy will be coming home on Friday, October 1st.

Even though she is able to go home, Suzy will continue as an outpatient. She will be going to Sharp's Outpatient Rehabilitation for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week...this is when all of you wonderful friends that have been offering help will really be needed! ~Michelle

Another busy day!

Today in occupational therapy Suzy was able to move her arm unassisted...





She walked forwards & backwards...



Then did it again without holding on to the bar...



Then practiced stepping up...or was it the Hokey Pokey!

Good Food, Good Friends

Now that Suzy is not on a restricted diet In-N-Out is very popular!

Becky Gemmell, Suzy, Clarita Cueva

Finally a day of REST

Today was a rest day. No threapy at all. Tomorrow I won't be so lucky. I love all your comments and thank you for your prayers and support. (and for watching out over my boys)
Suzy


Even on rest days we can see improvement. Brent

Sept. 17 workout and other information

Suzy Starting her workout


Going Backwards


Starting stairs


Trying too hard, but moving right leg


P.T.'s Take on Suzys progress


Walking with cane


Brent helping???


Speach Therapist with good news

Sept. 17 Suzys' workout Warm-ups

Observations from Thursday, September 16th

Today, Suzy was able to walk around “the block” (the big, long hallway) at the hospital with a cane and minimal help from the therapist. She also practiced stepping up and down a small step. At the end of her session, she got strapped into the stationary bike for 8 minutes of pedaling, which was a good workout.

The Physical Therapist told Suzy that she had a former patient who is now walking very well, and that patient was not able to walk without the therapist’s help for three weeks after her rehab started, so Suzy is well ahead of that patient’s recovery, being only one week after starting rehab. According to the therapist, Suzy’s balance is much better today than it was yesterday.

The Occupational Therapist is teaching Suzy how to keep her hand and arm flexible, and how to exercise them. With her arm and her leg both, the plan is to get Suzy doing very familiar movements—the kind that we do reflexively. Then her brain can make a “detour” to get the desired action, since the straightforward pathways were disrupted. It’s fun to see those normal, habitual movements actually taking place.

Another therapist told us that speech is the last thing to come back to a patient, so for Suzy to be speaking so well this quickly is a very impressive thing. She continues to improve each day, and her spirits are high. If you make it in to visit her, don’t expect her to be at the level she was before her stroke; just know that for those of us who see her frequently, she is improving rapidly and is often told by her therapists that she should make a very good recovery. These things just take time. ~Barbara

Here's Suzy...

Observations from Wednesday, September 15th

Barbara Adams visited Suzy for a few hours yesterday and sent the following observations:

I was with Suz for 2 hours yesterday. When I got to her room she was up in the chair, with no one else around, eating her lunch, and managing very well. She looked great, with her hair in french braids.

The physical therapist had her up and walking by the bars, like on Monday, but as I was watching, Suzy seemed to be able to swing her right leg forward a bit on her own, rather than having the therapist do all the work to move the entire leg forward like it looked on the video from Monday. 

The therapist got Suz a different wheelchair, slightly lower to the ground, so that Suzy can wheel herself down the hall by herself much more easily. Suzy was really going quickly down the hall yesterday; she was a natural at steering with her foot while pushing with her hand and foot. She passed another, older, patient who was doing the same thing in his wheelchair and his wife said: "Do you think you could go that fast?" and he said "No, not me." It was fun to see her trucking down the hall. 

The speech therapist was saying that she's doing well because she still has a good vocabulary--she hasn't lost her words. Also, she is able to "self-correct;" she knows when she's said the wrong thing and tries to correct what she said. That's a great plus for her, according to the speech therapist.

Speech Therapy

Toni was at the rehab center Tuesday morning and was able to get videos of Suzy during her speech therapy.

It is so wonderful to see the progress she is making!

Monday morning while Suzy was in occupational therapy, the director over all the physical therapists came over to observe. While we were talking he compared what Suzy is going through to being in a foreign land...she knows what she wants to say, she just can't get the words out so people understand.~ Michelle

Today We Work the Arms Too

In physical therapy today they had Suzy up walking with a cane, but I didn't have the camera ready.

In occupational therapy they were excercising her arm and hand.

Suzy's Day of Rest

Today was a light day of PT for Suzy.

She stood up...



She walked...



and walked some more...



Then did some squats....



And then peddled for a bit!

Finally, time to rest!

Suzy Singing 9-8-2010

Suzy was singing as part of her speech therapy.

Suzy Can Have Visitors

Visiting hours at the rehab center are from 2:00-8:00 on Monday thru Saturday and 9:00-8:00 on Sunday. Suzy will be having 5-6 hours of therapy on weekdays and would prefer you come in the evenings, so she can rest a little after her work outs.

Please don't be offended but she is practicing how to say, "I love you, go home." Originally she was practicing saying "I love you, Good bye" but was very tired as we were practicing, so she changed it!

Saturday - September 11, 2010

Suzy's first day of therapy here at Sharp was a light day...only one hour each of physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Good thing she's starting on a Saturday! Weekdays will be two sessions of an hour each.

Brandon and Robby arrived for a visit while Suzy was in physical therapy and they got to see her walk! With the assistance of a physical therapist and a handrail, Suzy was able to walk about 30 steps!

We are going to be leaving a camera in Suzy's room so we can start getting pictures and video of her progress.

Palomar Hospital

After being released from Tri City Hospital's ICU, Suzy was moved to the Neuro ward at Palomar Hospital. Her room was in a wing specifically for stoke patients.

In order to be accepted into a rehabilitation facility she first needed to be in a rehab situation where the doctors could assess her to see if she was a good candidate for acute rehab. (The first time I heard  "acute rehab" I thought it meant the patient was really bad off, but instead it means the rehab is very intense.~Michelle)

While at Palomar, physical therapy consisted of Suzy trying to lift her right leg or her right hip, bending her knees and moving them from side to side, and some resistance excercises for the right leg. She also had to sit in a wheelchair and walk herself around the hallways using her left foot.

Speech therapy required looking at pictures on a page and naming the item in the picture, completing a sentence such as, "her hair is long, his hair is ____.", and finishing the grouping, "banana, apple, ____, ____." It is hard work and sometimes the words get stuck in Suzy's head, but even from yesterday to today the words are coming quicker and the speech is improving.

Occupational therapy is relearning how to dress, brush teeth and hair, tie shoes, etc...

The nurses and therapists at Palomar were all very friendly and took really good care of Suzy, but we had a few favorites:

~ Barbara, is the RN that is the Director of the Stroke Division. She has a wealth of knowledge and was very helpful in educating us about what to expect in the future. She gave Suzy a tee shirt that has a picture of a brain and says, "Different Strokes for Different Folks."

~ Mai was the CNA assigned to Suzy. She cared for Suzy with just the right mix of caring, love and bossiness...She also gave Suzy her cute braids.

Barbara, Suzy, Mai...Just before transport to Sharp, September 10, 2010.

The Prologue

The following is an update of the progress Suzy has made, taken from notes and updates that have been sent to friends and family.

For those of you that don’t know, Suzy had a stroke Wednesday night. I sent out a group email, but missed some people due to the recipient limit. Hopefully I will be able to keep more people informed through a note.

Friday, September 3rd: Brent just left me a message that the MRI did confirm that Suzy had a little stroke. They are possibly starting her on Heparin (a blood thinner) today & possibly something stronger later today. She had a few little episodes during the night, which makes the doctors think some little platelets are breaking off of the clot. So far there has only been very little temporary damage because Suzy's body is being very resilient and causing the blood flow to change course. The doctors continue to be hopeful that there will not be any long-term damage. 

Saturday, September 4th: When I texted Brent for an update I received the following information in a text: "Everything is on hold right now. Suz is going through an episode with her right side. It's about an hour into it."

Sunday, September 5th: I spoke with Brent tonight. He said that yesterday they ended up performing a surgical procedure to remove the clot. They were able to dislodge the main clot and it broke into four pieces. They were able to remove most of it.

Right now Suzy has no movement on the right side of her body. She cannot talk right now, but is able to understand what is being said to her. At one point the Brent made a joke to the doctor & the doctor was surprised when he saw Suzy react.  Brent said they are going to devise a way to communicate.

The doctors mentioned to Brent that Suzy is a “clotter” and will need to be watched closely in the future. For now they will continue to monitor her in the hospital and try blood thinners to get the rest of the clot.

There has been some damage, so when Suzy is released from the hospital it will be to a rehab facility where she can relearn and regain some of her mobility. The neurologist told Brent he has a family member that went through something similar, but the clot was bigger than Suzy’s and the person now leads a normal life after rehab.

The doctors continue to be surprised by the resilience of Suzy’s brain and her ability to fight this. I am sure the power of prayer has something to do with this. Thanks to all of you that continue to keep Suzy in your thoughts & prayers. 

Tuesday, September 7th: Suzy was moved to a Neuro ward at Palomar Hospital in preparation to go into rehab. While there she began physical, speech and occupational therapy. In the short time she was there she made great strides. She also had several tests, one of which was a MRI.  The MRI shows there is still swelling in her brain: as the swelling goes down her function may come back quickly.

Friday, September 10th: Today was a LONG day for Suzy…physical and speech therapy in the morning and then a move to Sharp Rehabilitation Center. She has been poked, prodded, and assessed by several nurses, doctors & therapists. Tomorrow they will start the acute rehabilitation, a very demanding program. She will gain a new appreciation for naps.