Home at Last!

Michele has had a busy week. Her first night home was Wednesday, February 9th. That is 2 months and 1 day after the accident. She had about a month in Denver and a month at the Doak Walker Care Center. She is so excited to be home. Although she had great care at both facilities, there is just nothing like your own environment to speed up the healing process. My Steve brought a nice bottle of Silver Oak up to the Dunklin's house and we all celebrated her homecoming Wednesday. It was painful and exhausting for her the first night with the transport but she stuck to her pain medication timing. I would have given her drugs long before she was due, but she stuck it out till the allotted time - very strong and brave!  Sam was already busily replacing the kitchen sink as all of us talked about where she had been and how far she has come. Thursday was another travel day with a doctor and physical therapy appointment. Right now she is on her way to the High School to watch Zach's B-ball game (the first she has seen in a very long time). Her movements are slow and deliberate so there will be no walking without her walker, carrying anything, laundry, cooking, cleaning, or driving for some time. Her reaction time, pain medication, and healing of her wound and ribs will all play a factor in how fast she gets back to functioning on her own again. Right now she is just concentrating on healing.

Many people and  churches have been very generous with their food donations - thanks so much! I don't want to single anyone out in fear we will forget someone or don't make you feel as needed and necessary as all your donations of time, food, prayers, thoughts, visits, monetary donations, etc... have been, but I just have to say that Stevie D seemed really excited with the Spencer's thoughtfulness!  He is so thankful to all.

Michele is hoping to go to church on Sunday but the mornings are when she is in the most pain, we shall see what Sunday brings....

Great News!!!!

Michele is going home tomorrow - Thanks be to the good Lord!!!!

Walking all over the place...

Michele's sprits were very high today and she was walking all over the place while her room was getting spit shined clean. We went to the North wing and sat and chat for a bit then to her room (still getting cleaned) then to the physical therapy room where she rode the bike for 20 minutes then we walked back to her room (still getting cleaned) then down to the south wing where the pretty birds and the kitty all live then back to her room (still getting cleaned), but was almost beautiful, then back inside. She did all of this without the help of oxygen or any assistance. She has a brilliant red walker with wheels, brakes and a seat. Its really a lot more than an old fashion walker with no wheels and old tennis balls - its more like a powerful foreign sports car. We asked if she could borrow that one when she goes home. It may be a donated one and she can keep it till she needs only a cane. She had another right of passage moment today when the therapist took off her portable oxygen. She has been three days now with no oxygen.

The doctors still have not said 100% when the official going home date is but we are all under the impression it should be early this week. She sure is ready to be home and Steve even more so. I know he just wants his family under one roof. He had a joke in the ICU waiting room that he was sick of waiting since the very large acronym sign leading from the hallway of the ICU rooms to the ICU waiting room that read ICUwaiting. He was tired of Michele being in ICU now tired of her being at Doak. Everyone is thrilled she is going home soon. Hang in there Michele it won't be long!!!!

Tomorrow night is Diva at the Doak. She is so excited and has already requested a shower  so she can be pretty:) Speaking of pretty, she is ravishing. She looks like the old Michele minus a bunch of weight. She is a skinny-minnie now and although she has a lot of scarring on her mid section, her face is without a trace of the accident. Have fun on date night tomorrow night Michele & Steve! Thanks Diva in advance for tomorrow night - PS Michele likes her steaks medium while Stevie D is more on the rare side.

Just say "NO" to oxygen

I have great news again! know Matt's news article said Michele hopes to be out of the Doak by Valentine's day, but she is doing so great it may even be early next week, the doctors told her. In the last 24 hours she has been completely free of her oxygen and is doing quite well without it.  Soon you will see her out and about (well soon she will be transported home and will need weekly visits to her doctor to keep an eye on her progress and the leg wound.). Yesterday she had x-rays on her hip, lungs and ribs, but no report yet from the doctor on his findings. God is so good not just to save Michele but now a release is just around the corner.

In anticipation of Michele's release please remember to check in on the care calendar:

Euzoa Bible Church now has the Care Calendar up and running. Please check it out at: http://www.carecalendar.org/logon/64101
     CALENDAR ID      :   64101
     SECURITY CODE :   4021

No school today...

The biggest news in Steamboat today is the school was closed for the first time in over 20 years due to the temperatures dropping to -40 below. It was a stay at home day for most of us.

It is definitely looking like Michele should be released sometime the week of February 14th. The last hurdle is healing up the leg wound. The dressings still need to be professionally changed daily. Her physical therapy is taking her for long walks and even maneuvering around the kitchen at the Doak, so she can be more prepared for home.

Sam and Linda are preparing to make the journey out to help care for Michele and Sam's task is to install a new kitchen sink after he arrives.

Monday night is date night at the Doak. Cafe Diva is planning a wonderful 5 star meal for Michele, Steve and Zach. I can't wait to hear how that goes - Diva at the Doak, who would have imagined - this town is so awesome!