#21

February 15, 2012

They told us that there would be good days and there would be bad day. Yesterday was a tough day for Elaine. She didn’t sleep well and found out she has fluid in her left leg and lung. In addition, she is now wearing a contraption around her shoulders to keep her left shoulder from literally falling out of its socket. She also is wearing a brace on her left arm to straighten out her fingers. She continues to battle a headache from the stroke as her brain swelling subsides. She still gutted out the day and was eventually exhausted!

We are excited to report that she slept really well last night and had a wonderful day today. The nurse we hired brought in some new, more comfortable padding for the bed and is bringing in a new mattress tonight. She is also getting more used to her braces. She started off the morning with a wonderful therapy session. She was scheduled for 5 hours of therapy today! This morning they had her walking with just a cane and even walking from side to side. She was also excited to be “practicing” her golf swing as well and getting Little Darlin’ into the mix. 

                                                

She continued through the afternoon and all the sessions were very productive as she consistently astonishes her therapists. They attribute much of her progress to her determination and attitude. They call her “a hard worker!” The last session was by far the most remarkable! She walked without assistance! It was incredible and so exciting! Fred shot this video to share the moment with everyone. It was one we won’t forget. Elaine is starting to truly believe she will walk again and regain independence. She is nothing short of a miracle! It is such a reflection of her perseverance.

                              

Elaine has decided to retract her statement about working out. Her workout history has significantly helped her recovery and will continue to over the next year. Her sessions continue to be impacted by her “radar” or “antennae” that goes up when other people are in the room. Some things will never changeJ

We are so impressed by Elaine. She is just incredible and we all look up to her so much. Fred is, without a doubt, the world’s best cheerleader. He never misses a therapy session, encourages her, praises her progress, and is there to give her a boost when she is tired. They are a terrific team - the dream team!

                                    

Fred and Elaine had their dear friends from the desert come up to visit after therapy tonight, the Furmans. They were so excited to see Elaine looking so well and improving so much. She continues to inspire! They came armed with delicious toffee and encouragement. Thank you for making the effort in the pouring rain and awful traffic! 

                                                   

Speaking of inspiration, Fred and Elaine asked about Ashley today and when she would get her blood results. Elaine said, “I told Fred two weeks before this all happened, if I ever get sick, I am going to act like Ashley. She gives me strength and is my inspiration.” I don’t think Ashley will ever know how many people she has helped, inspired, and how many lives she has touched. Please pray for her tonight and keep her in your thoughts as she has another long day of chemo tomorrow and we are all really hoping her HCG level has gone to ZERO!

Vangie left today. She has been so helpful and caring.  We can’t thank her enough for putting her life on hold to help us out. She arrived only planning to stay one night and ended up staying 10! Thank you Vangie!

Thank you for the continuous love, thoughts and prayers! We are so excited with all the progress Elaine has made in such a short period of time and we thank you for being part of her recovery. It means the world to us! She is a hero to us all!