Home Sweet Home

It's hard to believe that I did actually make it home today, Wednesday, February 23rd. Exactly 8 months to the day since the first of my latest hospitalizations and this medical mess began. As Uncle Mickey put it best... I missed 3 seasons!

I feel so much better than the first attempt at being home on January 3rd. My spirits are better, my legs are stronger and for starters I can walk to the bathroom with the walker and I'm not wheelchair bound in a house that cannot accomodate a wheelchair! I am taking it easy....yet being careful not to fall into the habit of just laying in bed. 21 hours of my day at Kessler was spent laying in a hospital bed. Needless to say my endurance is real low but each day I will try to sit up and build my strength.

Tomorrow, I start outpatient physical therapy. My therapist has worked with me for quite some time yet I'm so hesitant and nervous to start this new chapter of my recovery. I suppose the real work now begins and I worry for complications.

Thank you (ahead of time) to anybody who may be a part of the "schlepping" Stacy to doctors appointments, physical therapy, or the hospital. You know who you are and I greatly appreciate the transporation rides.... for I would give anything to be able to take myself but it will be quite some time before I can drive again.

So, as I end this update, let me just say...although this has been a very long, painful, frustrating 8 months, I learned a lot. I learned a lot about myself and how much strength, determination, motivation and perserverence I have. I learned how thankful I am that although I have such a complicated medical history and I am facing more surgeries in my future and I have serious chronic medical issues that will last my lifetime...I will recover. I will go back to teaching. I will walk again. So many people I met along this journey will never have those options... will never talk or smile again. So I would like you all to know that I feel rather greatful right now because I learned and witnessed that it could be so much worse...

Last but not least... I would like to say a huge thank you to my Dad. My dad, a very quiet, hard to read emotion-wise man... visited me just about every day, twice a day throughout this entire ordeal. Whether it be at the hospital or at Kessler, he was there. A quick wave to make sure his daughter was ok... Thanks Dad for being so devoted. I appreciate your effort to see me twice a day and I love you!!

Thanks for reading,
To be continued.....

"Doctor Departo..."

As I type this entry.. I have finished my therapies for the day. I had my first (of I hope many ) huge accomplishments today. For the first time since June, I was able to independently stand up from the therapy mat!! Just myself and the walker - no hands or help from a physical therapist, no verbal cues... I just used all of my strength and stood up! My regular "mean" physical therapist has been away for the week-- hopefully he will also acknowledge this great accomplishment!

Last week,at the hand surgeon, as Uncle Mickey and I were watching the medical student wrap layer after layer of fiberglass on my arm for my new cast, we contemplated having them cut the whole thing off and restart because it was done so incorrectly. I thought I would be able to deal with the uncomfortableness for 6 weeks but Kessler actually fixed some of it with their cast saw. It's maybe 10% better- we will see if I can deal with it for 5 more weeks!

I've neglected to mention in previous posts that Kessler does offer art therapy. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I tell you that I thought that I would have ended up enjoying this past time as much as I do. The art therapist, Chris, is an amazing artist, patient with me ( as some of you may know I do not take after my dad's artistic skills) and the art helps at least provide temporary distractions from this medical hell. I've done work with clay, painting, mosaic tials, coloring, and more. I look forward to the days Kessler offers this service!

Lastly..."Dr. Departo"... Due to the fact that many of the brain injured patients on my floor try to escape because they are disoriented and want to leave... They wear ankle monitoring bracelets. If a patient with a bracelet gets too close to a door or an elevator- loudly over the intercom system notifying the whole hospital you hear, "Dr. Departo side door east" or "Dr. Departo elevator west. For the last 3 nights starting at 2am, every 5 minutes this announcement repeats itself. Just put these people back to bed.... PLEASE!!

Thanks for reading!!
To be continued...

Thanks for reading and to be continued...