We're HOME! 2/26/11

Sorry for the delay in posting. We have had a lot going on since our return back to Carlisle! It has really been great to be home.

On Tuesday the 22nd, Erin was discharged from the Sunrise Desert Rehab Center. We took a taxi to the airport and made our way through security. This was a little different than just the average stroll through the airport security, but we gave ourselves plenty of time so it wasn't stressful at all. We even left ourselves enough time to get a Cinnabon (we used the excuse that Erin and I had lost a lot of weight and therefore it was actually a healthy decision for us to consume the thousands of extra calories from the ooey, gooey, sweet cream cheese frosted goodness). I also snuck in a hot dog:)

The plane ride went really well. We weren't able to get a front row seat, but Erin was quit comfortable in the second row with me. We met my brother and sister-in-law and Erin's uncle, Jeff, at the airport. We didn't know Jeff would be there so it was a really nice surprise. We got in our car and swung through McDonald's for our first meal back home. I never knew a cheeseburger could taste so good! We got home around 1:00 a.m. and put a few things together in the house. We finally hit the sack around 2:30.

On Wednesday morning we had a doctor's appointment with Erin's primary care physician. We figured we would do this as she could prescribe her pain medicine as well as help us obtain a temporary handicapped placard for the car. After that, we went to Wal-Mart and Erin scooted around on the motorized cart. I was a little worried as I think she thought she was a NASCAR driver half of the time. I think the tires were smoking a couple of times!

On Wednesday afternoon we went to a physical therapy appointment. This led us to referrals to our two ortho specialists that we will continue to follow up with. We were very happy with the PT that we met and we are excited to work with her as Erin tries to regain any lost strength and mobility in the near future. He also set us up for an appointment with the pelvis specialist for this Tuesday. We really hope he has good news as well and doesn't recommend any type of surgery. I think it would be a real surprise if he does as every other doctor has not recommended surgery thus far. Wednesday night we got to see our dog Abi (pictured above looking all cute) for the first time in 20 days. It was definitely uplifting to get to give her a big squeeze again!

Thursday, Erin's mom stayed with her and I was able to return to work for a day. It was nice to get organized and get back to a "normal life". I think Erin enjoyed the company of her mom as well as ALL of the visitors that we have had since our return. Anyone is welcome to visit, just call first to make sure that we are up to it or not away from home!

On Friday, Erin had a meeting with her spine specialist. He was very kind and had good news. Erin may be able to get out of her TLSO brace within a month instead of the 3 to 6 months previously predicted. We also were told that we shouldn't attend PT just yet because the stretching that I can help Erin with is adequate at this time. He wanted us to save our PT appointment allotment from insurance for when she is more mobile and can do more with machines and weights.

Today, Erin is home with her sister and some visitors. Everyone is welcome to visit, just make sure to call before you come to make sure Erin is up to it and that we are home. She also appreciates your calls and emails throughout the day! I am at work trying to catch up on a few things from the past two weeks (just taking a quick blog break!)

We would like to thank everyone for all of their generousity and support. We couldn't do it without each of you! We are so blessed to have you all in our lives. We said numerous times that we had many angels helping us get home.

We will try to continue to keep the blog updated as much as possible. It is tough since we still live in the stone-age and don't have internet access at home.

We hope that you have a wonderful weekend and God Bless,

Erin and Andy

Destination Iowa -- 2/20/11

Good News! The tickets are booked, the bags are half-way packed, and we are ready to bust out of this joint. We are more than likely returning to Iowa on Tuesday. We have a nonstop flight that leaves at 4:35 p.m. and we should be back to Omaha at 9:15 p.m. We will then see if we have the energy to make it back to Carlisle or if we will stay in Omaha or Harlan. We are so looking forward to returning home.

All in all, today was very similar to yesterday with the addition of me washing Erin's hair, watching the Daytona 500 and, most importantly, having a surprise PT session with Shelby who taught Erin how to get into a car in preparation for our departure on Tuesday. Shelby is so sweet; she even brought us bagels when she came in to work today. We are so thankful that we have had such wonderful care during Erin's rehabilitation and we feel like we are leaving here with friends that we will never forget.

It sounds like tomorrow will be a very busy day for therapy and also for organizing our return. We are still trying to get the loose ends tied up with transferring care back home as well as getting the medical supplies we need.

We are excited to be able to share the good news of our upcoming return home with all of you. Once again, thanks for all of your support throughout our time spent here in Vegas and we ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers as there is still a long road ahead.

For anyone that would like to help us out in the upcoming months, our friend Kar G., has set up a care calendar which will help organize meals. You can view this calendar and sign up if you would like at http://www.carecalendar.org/?cid=66412. The login will be 66412 and security code is 5321.

We better turn in as we have a few big days coming up. We hope that you had an enjoyable weekend.

Heading back east soon!

Erin and Andy

Saturday Blog...(couldn't come up with a creative title-too tired) 2/19/11

Just two weeks after the accident, it is great to see Erin continuing to make great progress towards recovery.

We woke up this morning to a slight drizzle and chill in the air. We felt like a little bit of Iowa was with us in Vegas. Although it would have been a great day to sleep in and sip on a cup of coffee with the newspaper, we got up and got straight to Erin's exercises. She walked the entire halls of the rehab unit. This is further than any other excursion she had thus far. I am guessing it was because her substitute physical therapist, was me....and I'm a hard ass. Really, I didn't have to push her at all, she is so motivated herself!

While receiving her morning medications, Erin gave herself her first shot thinking that she would need to continue taking her blood thinner when she got home. Later in the day, she found out she won't have to do this, but hey, she learned that she could give herself shots if needed. More importantly, I won't have to give her shots....I'm off the hook!

Later in the morning we said goodbye to Bennett and had some lunch. We had our favorite from the cafeteria, a "Cuban Ruben". It was SOOOO good and could compete with the best of the best in Vegas. It has ham, smoked chicken, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and a ton of pickles on buttered and toasted rye bread. Just writing this makes me salivate. We'll have to try to reinvent this when we get home.

We did some Skyping with friends back home and took a cat nap during the early afternoon. We also visited with some of Erin's family on Skype after our naps. It will be so nice to see people in person very soon!

We enjoyed meeting our new "neighbor" today and talking with them for some time. Erin also was thrilled that she could "stay in touch with reality" when she brought over the new People Magazine for Erin to peruse.

I helped Erin with her stretches and we walked the halls one more time. We are getting ready for bed now, watching some "Wheel" and will try to get a good nights sleep since we have both been pretty tuckered out today.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and watch for more updates to come tomorrow.

Love ya all,

Erin and Andy

TGIF 2/18/11

Happy Weekend! Have a tasty treat like this gelato that Erin had at the Bellagio!

We hope that you all had a great week. We are happy to look back on the progress that Erin has made this week. Today was another good day with continued strength building exercises.

We started the day with Erin getting ready with a "bedside bath". Not quite as good as the shower, but good enough for the hospital. We had a later start with therapy so we were able to relax with my parents before they left for St. George. PT focused on different techniques to do stairs, exercising, and stretching. Paul taught me how to help Erin stretch for when we are home. It was good to practice with a PT watching so I don't pull her leg off or break her in two when we will do them when we are on our own.

She also had a short wound-care session which brought her total covered wounds down to 1. They are all looking great and it is crazy how fast she has healed.

A highlight for the day was seeing our friend Bennett. He came to visit us for the day and will be leaving tomorrow. It is so nice having another familiar face here and has been a good outlet for me for the day.

The next two days will not have scheduled PT but we will walk the halls. We actually just took a stroll up and down the hallway. I think it was the best walk Erin has had yet. Hopefully tomorrow will be both relaxing and helpful in building strength. We are definitely getting closer to making it back to Iowa!

Have a great weekend and cheer loud for Tony Stewart....oh, you can cheer for Erin too.

With Love,

Erin and Andy

No more ball and chain - 2/16/11

("I'm gonna see if the Old Man or Chum Lee is interested in this 'ball and chain'. Erin isn't using it anymore!")

We had a late start this morning with therapy not starting until 9:00. Erin got up and had some breakfast and got dressed for her morning PT. During PT she did a lot of new stretches and exercises. She was excited to find out that she had more mobility and strength in her legs than yesterday. She also did some walking during the PT session back to her room. She is moving quicker and quicker with her walker and soon she'll be racing me down the hall.

After her PT, she finally had her Foley catheter removed. Her occupational therapist said that she was getting rid of her ball and chain since she had to move it around each time she was walking or transferring to her chair. Erin might have gotten rid of that ball and chain, but she can't get rid of me! To make sure that her bladder was working properly they had to do a scan every two hours after she "went" to make sure that she was eliminating everything in her bladder. All three went great so she is catheter free from now on.

The highlight of the day was that Erin got to take a shower. She enjoyed it and felt great went she was done. She was VERY happy to get the Neosporin out of her hair. She used the blow dryer and even used her straightener...once a girlie girl, always a girlie girl. She didn't even have to put scrubs back on as she changed into real underwear and jogging pants. I was happy, because she finally looked like she had a butt again...xxxl scrubs just aren't that flattering.

After her shower Erin had her wound dressings changed and all but two are open to the air now. It is amazing what a few days of healing can make them look like. Since she was in bed for the wound care, we decided to take a little nap during the afternoon. We just finished up with supper together and she will probably sit up for a few more hours this evening and we'll watch Wheel of Fortune, Idol, and Modern Family before we retire for the night.

We hope that tomorrow is another great day with more improvements and good surprises.

Enjoy your evening,

Erin and Andy

Kick "Butkus" - 2/15/11

(Photo that Erin took of Dick Butkus at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace)

We are back on track today! We had a good night watching the "Bachelor" together and exchanging Valentine's gifts. It was nice to just relax. We both got a good night's sleep and Erin's nurses let her snooze until 7:00 which is about an hour to an hour and a half later than usual. The occupational therapist stood by while, for the first time, Erin walked to the bathroom with her walker to get dressed. Erin also stood at the sink to brush her teeth before breakfast.

During her therapy sessions today, she walked 230 feet with one stretch being 150 feet without a rest. She "kicked Butkus"! Physical therapy also included stretching exercises which Erin said felt very good and they were also helpful in loosening up her tight muscles. These stretches will ultimately help her gain more strength in her legs. While stretching, she found out that she could move her right ankle over her left knee in a sitting position and hold it there. She had stated the other day that she just wished that she could cross her legs to sit more comfortably in her chair......she did today! The left leg isn't quite to this point yet, but it is slowly getting stronger. She rounded out her therapy today with some weight lifting and resistance band training for both her upper and lower body.

The biggest accomplishment during PT and OT today was that she received the doctor's approval to sit up from a lying position and also lay down from a sitting position without having to wear her brace. This will allow her to more easily put on and remove the brace independently. The old process of "log rolling" to both sides and having Andy slide the brace underneath her is going to be a thing of the past very very soon. This is great, because it was a pain in Erin's "Butkus".

We just finished up dinner from Denny's. It probably wasn't the healthiest choice for us, but dang those seasoned fries were good. We all need a little comfort food every now and then.

We are turning in early tonight to keep rested so that we can have another successful day tomorrow. Erin plans to watch Biggest Loser and Andy will head back to the hotel to get some laundry done--the only downside to Erin wearing her own clothes again.

Have a wonderful evening and once again, we appreciate everyones support and encouragement during this challenging time!

Love & God Bless,

Erin and Andy

L - O - V - E !!! - 2/14/11

Good evening and happy Valentine's Day. We hope all of you lovebirds out there are having a great day together.

Valentine's has been a tougher day for the two of us, but Erin has still made some big accomplishments. We think we both "hit a little wall" today and are a little tired both physically and mentally. I think we are allowed a few days like that though and we are ready to get after it tomorrow after a good night's rest by each other's side.

Erin started her day by receiving a very cute V-day card made by an elementary student. It was a fun little surprise. She also received a lot of other very much appreciated cards in the mail.

Her "work day" started with physical therapy and walked a total of 80 feet. She is progressing well in this area. She is also having a much easier time getting into and out of her back brace and bed. After her PT, she met with her occupational therapist and worked on balance and upper body strength. She stood without any supports for 15 to 20 minutes in each of her two OT sessions. She also had a follow-up session with her speech therapist (memory specialist) to continue to make sure that everything is still good after the concussion. Finally, she had an hour long wound care session to get her wounds cleaned, de-breeded, and covered. We cannot believe the healing she has gone though in just one week and pretty darn soon, we won't even have to apply the Neosporin making the greased hair situation much better.

After her scheduled sessions today, Erin and I went out to the garden and spent some quality time together. It was nice outside, with a little breeze. It sounds like it will be cooling down here though in the next few days. We'll have to find a new destination for our field trips.

Tonight we are going to watch the Bachelor and just relax. We need to prepare for a good and busy day tomorrow.

Sending love your way this Valentine's Day,

Erin and Andy

Sunday-Funday 2/13/11

Today was a nice, relaxing day because Sunday's are "non-mandatory therapy" days on the rehab floor. With this being said, Erin still had a list of "things to do" for the day.

First thing on the agenda was to get Erin's hair washed. I wheeled her back to the "Salon de Andre" - the sink in her room - and slowly but surely got the week's worth of Neosporin/ointment out of her hair and her pretty blonde hair was back in all its glory.

After her hair appointment, Erin attended an optional group therapy session where she played Wii with some of the other patients. I told her to go easy on the others, but her competitive side still showed. I swear I saw a couple of the others leaving with black eyes and bloody noses (just kidding). She came back to the room and immediately challenged me to a game or two, but instead we both crapped out and decided to take naps after watching the Celtics game.

After we had our naps, the nurse came in and took Erin's stitches out of her chin. Erin said it wasn't very painful and the cut looks pretty good.

Later, we went outside to the garden where Erin did some resistance-band exercises. It just feels good to get outside and get some fresh air. After we came back in, we explored the hospital and found the nursery and looked at a few of the little "peanuts". There were sure a lot of cute little boogers wiggling around all bundled up.

We headed back to our room for dinner and Skyped with Erin's family when Erin was finished with her turkey dinner. Surprisingly, the food hasn't been all that bad. It was fun to see Olivia playing and dancing. The "little sunshine" brightened our evening.

Tomorrow is sure to be a busy day as they are going to begin pushing Erin more and more to learn how to become more independent. They will also de-breed her wounds again (which means another visit from Sunrise Hospitals version of McDreamy, Paul). She is also scheduled to get her stitch out of her eyelid tomorrow. I am sure she will do great, as she has met every challenge head on thus far!

We miss seeing everyone and we hope that this week will bring enough recovery to comfortably make it home soon.

Good night and God bless,

Erin and Andy

Boogity Boogity Boogity....Let's Go Racing Boys! 2/12/11

(Disclaimer: We are not Kyle Busch fans, this is a photo Erin took at M & M World in Vegas)

As Erin put it as we watched the NASCAR opener tonight, "today was amazing". She had another great day with more firsts.

1. Wear a real T-shirt, instead of a gown...CHECK
2. Put on socks, and not the ugly brown hospital ones without assistance...CHECK
3. Put on shoes without assistance...CHECK
4. Learn and complete standing exercises including calf lifts...CHECK
5. Group therapy with upper body exercise...CHECK
6. Date to the hospital garden outside with hubby...CHECK
7. Get heplock (IV site) removed...CHECK
8. #2...CHECK

As you can see, it was a pretty busy but rewarding day for both of us. She also walked during PT for about 30 feet which was great because today was about quality and not quantity. This was even after completing her standing exercises. We also got to relax and watch the NASCAR race together which made things feel like they were getting back to normal. All in all, it was a great day!

We miss you all and thank you for your support!

Love,

Erin and Andy

"I'm walking on Sunshine...Oh, Oh...and don't it feel good"

Actually, the title should read 'walking "in Sunrise" (hospital), but hey, close enough. Erin had another very busy day today but she took on every challenge and as I would put it, "kicked butt!"

She started her day with some pampering as I helped wash and style her hair. I don't think I should quit my day job, but it was better than nothing. After the trip to the Salon de Andre, Erin had her OT and PT appointments. During these, she worked on walking on the parallel bars and then walked with her walker in the hallway. She walked about 60 to 65 feet during her last session of the day which is such a great accomplishment. It is nice to see her confidence build each day. Erin also had fun learning how to put socks on with a device that allows her to put her foot into the sock without bending at the waist. If only I would have thought of that invention...maybe during my free time I can think about these obscurities! She also got "the claw" which allows her to pick things up from her bed or if she drops anything while walking. Knowing Erin, I have a feeling that a butt pinch or two might be in the works:).

Erin will have therapy tomorrow and Sunday will be a day of rest unless Erin requests to walk the hall. We also found out that she can go to the hospital garden with me so we hope that the weather is nice enough to do this during the afternoon. I think some fresh air would be great for the both of us!

I always knew that Erin was strong, but I never knew just how strong she really was. Her determination is really inspiring and makes me smile each time I see her out there "kicking butt."

As Erin and I would say...today deserves a 'high fiveeeeeeeeee"!

Until tomorrow,

Erin and Andy

A special visitor - 2/11/11

Yesterday, Erin and I had an unexpected visitor who was more like an angel. She is the co-founder of a support group that contacted me and later came to the hospital and visited with me as well as introduced herself to Erin. The visit was very helpful and we are blessed to have the support of this group that has experience with what we are going through.

Sometimes we forget that there are really wonderful people in this world.

We continue to appreciate the outpouring of support from all of you.

Love you all,

Erin and Andy

"These boots are made for walking...and that's just what they'll do" 2/10/11

Today was a BIG day. Erin kept very busy with her rehab and she did a great job with it all. She started the morning with a visit from her occupational therapist who helped Erin transfer from her bed to her wheelchair. After she was in the chair, the OT evaluated her strength in her legs and movement capabilities. Just as they were finishing up, the physical therapist came in to start her appointment with Erin.

Erin wheeled herself down the hall to the PT room and she used the parallel bars to take her first few steps since the accident. It was very moving to see her taking these steps. Although it was tough and painful, it was a great feeling for Erin, Andy, and even the therapist.

Erin also had her wounds cleaned by a wound specialist who wasn't too hard on the eyes according to Erin and Barb. Andy thought this would be the perfect opportunity to take Erin's glasses to get fixed so she couldn't stare:). It was also nice to have Erin sitting up for her lunch and dinner meals.

We both really enjoy and appreciate hearing from all of you and I apologize if I can't return all of your contacts promptly.

We love you all and God bless,

Erin and Andy

Looks like Andy is going to be a botanist...thanks everyone!

"I wanna go to rehab....I say 'go, go, go'!"-February 9

We have moved! Erin is now in room c343 at Sunrise Hospital (we basically moved down one floor). We have a private room, yet another blessing! The move went pretty well and Erin is finally getting settled into her new home. Although we are in the same hospital, the different floor had to go through the complete admission process and go through all of the same questions that she had just answered.

We were glad to hear that Erin's mom and sister made it back home safely. We miss having them here, but the few days we got to spend time with them were very uplifting.

We are going to relax tonight and watch American Idol and Modern Family. Hopefully we'll have a chuckle or two!

Thanks again for all of the texts, calls, emails, and comments. I have been reading her everything that is sent to me and pass along messages.

Big day tomorrow....signing off-

Erin and Andy

Because we also had good times in Vegas...

Good morning from Vegas

Good morning everbody (I guess afternoon back in Iowa)! Today has started off well. Erin was a little stiff and sore after the night but had a wonderful physical therapy session! She was nervous going into it, but did an amazing job sitting up, pulling herself up to stand with a walker, and transfering to another chair where she sat for nearly an hour and a half even though she only had to be there for a half hour. She ate buckwheat pancakes, eggs, and oranges for breakfast and has taken a little nap.

We have heard that we will more than likely be moving to the rehab floor this afternoon. We are really hoping for a private room, but will make whatever type of room work!

Thanks again to everybody for all of the well wishes and a big thanks for all of you that have sent gifts. I special Phi Alpha goes out to the "mystery SAE" from Tampa...:)

More to follow soon!

Love,

Erin and Andy

February 8 Evening News

Yesterday, we had such a wonderful surprise. Erin's mother and sister, Melanie, along with Andy's mom walked through the hospital room door unannounced. They have been so helpful and I think that it really has helped Erin to see more familiar faces.

Today, Erin had her first physical therapy session and although it was painful, it was a success. She sat up and was moved to a chair for an entire hour. She was so strong and did wonderful. I am so proud of her and her efforts to get better.

We have been working on finding out what the near future holds with her rehabilitation. We believe that she will be moving to a physical therapy floor here in the hospital tomorrow or the next day. This will allow for more PT each day and all of the nurses will have specialized training in rehab and movement of patients. We hope that each day the PT will be less painful and get us one step closer to coming back to Iowa.

Erin is eating dinner as I type and she has even gotten a foot massage or two from me. It is worth each squeeze to see her smile:).

Once again, we couldn't do it without all of you. I will be reading any comments to Erin and hopefully before too long, she'll be the one typing the updates!

I will continue to update as much as possible.

Best,
Andy & Erin

Tuesday, February 8th

Erin wanted me to set up a blog to keep everyone updated on her progress. I hope that I will be able to spend some time updated the posts later today. Thank you for all of your prayers, thoughts, and support during this time. We couldn't do it without you!

With Love,
Erin and Andy