Hi Everyone,

Unfortunately, our transition home hasn’t been the smoothest. The nursing schedule is still an issue. We don’t have all the shifts filled and we only have two of our original nurses rejoining us. Corey’s short term memory is almost non-existent at the moment so she is having difficulty adjusting to her surroundings as well as the new staff.

On a good note, her long term memory keeps surprising us. I am amazed by some of the conversations we’ve had as she recalls information I’ve forgotten!

Today was her Out-Patient Eval day. We can’t use the words, “therapists”, “working out”, “exercise”, “Speech”, “PT”, “OT” or “therapy”. These words trigger Corey’s outbursts. She insists she doesn’t need the therapists or to “relearn” how to walk, talk, speak or eat because she already knows how to do those things and “I do them just fine”! Our eval was from 9-12. In order to get to Bryn Mawr on time (and we didn’t b/c of traffic) our morning physically starts at 5am. (Corey was actually up at 3:30).

On the drive back to Bryn Mawr, I asked Corey if she remember cheering. Did she remember going to the gym 3-4 times a week to train for competition? She recalled her days of cheerleading with excitement. I explained that going to Bryn Mawr’s OP center was the same as going to her gym. The therapists are her new coaches. She didn’t seem resistant to this idea. When we met her team (all were debriefed about her triggers, agitation and need for redirection) I casually introduced them to Corey as Coach Ted, Coach Jeanine and Coach Kate…Corey handled the transition well and the “Coaches” liked their new titles. Coach Ted told Corey the only difference between the two gyms was the ceiling height. He reassured her that he wasn’t going to put any tiered stunts as a part of her initial goals.

We headed to the cafeteria for lunch and then headed home. We both were in her bed for a nap by 2:45; we slept for 2 hours! (Yes, I slept too…I’m officially in my 2nd year of the parent Pre-Med residency student…4 hours sleep in 2 days).

Not to worry; I have nursing tonight, Corey is asleep and I am ready to catch a few winks hoping she will sleep through the night. Please keep us in prayers. We need patience as Corey adjusts to her new surroundings, new faces and new stage of recovery. The OP facility is bright and welcoming. The gym has mattes, parallel bars, exercise balls, treadmills, exercise bikes and a great radio set to Corey’s favorite station! There are private treatment rooms in case Corey needs a break from the stimulation and the center is working on finding her a bed to take a mid day rest. We are hoping she will develop strength and stamina in order to reap the benefits from working with her new coaches.

As for now, time to sleep. Happy dreams all, xoxo