Happy New Year everyone,

Here is Corey’s 2013 recap with a little message written by Corey to begin 2014, Cheers!

Vision
New glasses
recognized numbers
recognized letters
recognized roads traveled

ST/Cognitive
began reading
began writing and posting on carepage
began texting on the IPhone and IPad
wrote lists for packing, groceries and recipes
surfs the internet, excels in retail therapy
plays board games
blew her birthday candles out!

Behavioral
created “personalities” for emotional development
expresses emotions verbally and with journaling

OT/Arms
holding bottles with left hand to remove the cap
holds mixing bowl w/left hand to cook
advances in grooming, brushing hair, teeth, caring for personal hygiene, beginning attempts to dressing independently
can place gloves on both hands independently

PT/Walking
January-“I don’t want to be in this wheelchair anymore”
February-walked with assistance 20 feet
March-began using platform walker
April-new wheelchair, walk side by side w/mom & caitlin
May-first attempt at balancing to stand alone lasted 3 seconds
June-started Aqua therapy
July-can lift left knee to ‘march’, walked in the sand at the beach to float in the bay
August-water walking, independently pulled up from a seated position
September-peddled on recumbent bike
October-Turned 21 and walked down the aisle with walker for birthday entrance
November-new car and no wheelchair to walk into restaurants sitting in ‘regular’ booth
December-stood for 2minutes 56 seconds
and walked 740 feet with forearm cane. Cook her first omelette and grilled cheese standing at the kitchen stove

hi everyone its corey
Today is day 1 of a 365 page book. What would i like to write in it this year?

i asked myself what do I want to do or what can I do, that is the real question? what is the answer;
Mom says I can do whatever I set my mind to.

so here it goes!

i would like to concoct a really challenging chicken dish because after all i do want to be a chef

and that just gets me started! i’d also like to walk around the kitchen and make something really yummy for dinner

speaking of walking, i would like to learn to walk all by myself for my brothers wedding but first and most important, i don’t want anyone to help me across the stage at my high school graduation that is number 1.

this year i would like both of my arms to move 100% on their own which will be hard but I’m up for the challenge

for my memory we refer to her as forgetful fran and i would like to forget her and rely solely on corey,s memory no more fran. we can kick her to the curb!

and since we have the whole year, i would like to get out of bed by myself and start sleeping through the night so I don’t need nurses anymore.

maybe we could take a trip to see my extended family, go to a baseball game and my number 1 wish is to go back to disney but that might have to wait for next year.

i hope you fill your pages with fun things this year too, xoxo

Hi Everyone,

Corey was not happy about going to Bryn Mawr today and I knew today and Monday will be Insurance testing days (Corey’s not the only one stressed)…but off we went for a session with Natalie.

Corey arrived with a question prepared, “Natalie, how do you think I’m doing and I know this is a hard question to answer, but how long will it be before I’m all better?”

Natalie is always honest with Corey and is quite experienced at the art of distraction. She answers the question without answering the question and always has a positive spin.

N – well, let’s take a look at your chart. I know you don’t like when we ‘test’ you
C – I HATE IT
N – but those numbers go on record to track your personal bests!
M – we should rename the chart “Corey’s Brag Book”.
Looking at Corey, we weren’t sure she was buying it.

N – let’s see, about two months ago you’re all time best for standing by your self was 1 minute and 25 seconds.
M – at home she’s currently up to 2 minutes!
N – hmmm, maybe you can show me that later.

N – last time we tested your timed walking you went from 305 feet to 320 feet in 6 minutes.
M – (Looking at Corey) You can walk farther then that.
Corey was starting to panic
M – Tell you what, let’s bet on it.
She raised one eyebrow.
M – If you don’t blow away that distance, you have to cook me breakfast and serve it to me in bed.
C – and if I win you have to cook me dinner and I don’t have to help chop or cut anything and you serve me and do the dishes.
M – DEAL but you have to use your arm cane
We shook on it.

Corey stood at the starting point, Natalie had the timer and her hands placed on Corey’s hips for stability, Jackie (our tech) had the measurement wheel and I had the wheelchair ready for fatigue backup…off we went.

I was teasing Corey that I was daydreaming about staying in my pajama’s as I smelled my omelette, toast, bacon and coffee; anticipating her waiting on me. She ignored my comments and remained focused.

When the alarm sounded Jackie looked at the measurement wheel…371 feet in 6 minutes! She wasn’t finished…she and Natalie rounded the corner to hit a session record of 441 feet. I will be cooking her victory dish this weekend.

Back in the gym with time to spare we decided to up the ante. Dinner was back on the betting table but we added dessert if she could beat her balancing record.
C – Mom it doesn’t have to be homemade because I know you don’t like to bake.
(it’s true we are not the best bakers but I think that was a strategic move to protect herself in case she didn’t beat her record)

Corey positioned her feet, held onto the parallel bars, locked eyes with me as Natalie set the rules. “let go of the bar when you’re ready to start, grab the bar if you think you need to but each touch of the bar is one try. You get best out of 4”. Ready…Go…

The gym is usually packed and very noisy. Today it was nearly empty because of the holiday. We stopped conversation to help her concentration. The silence was deafening! Corey’s eyes were fixed, I swear she didn’t blink and I was holding my breath afraid to distract her.

Best out of 4…Her new personal best – 2 minutes 56 seconds! The final number is impressive but what is more significant is recalling where Corey began. Her first ever attempt was 7 seconds, then 23 and 35 etc. just a few months ago. Each of the first 3 trials today recorded 1 minute 20 seconds or above. She’s getting stronger!

Today’s achievement came at the perfect time for both of us. Her progress can feel as if its moving at a snails pace day in and day out. Just when the both of us want to scream and say we’ve had it, another new personal best is recorded to keep us inching forward.

“How long until she’s all better”? We have no idea but we have to keep crawling and before we know it she’ll be up and running, xoxo

Hi everyone,

I keep thinking about the meaning of Christmas; celebrating the birth of Christ. Then I think of Corey. She is working on her rebirth everyday. It may sound odd, ‘rebirth’, but in many ways that’s what we experience. Her accident stripped her of everything she knew. Corey has had to relearn everything we taught her as an infant and toddler yet deep within has the knowledge, vocabulary and experiences of a young adult.

I am amazed at how far she’s come given the odds that were initially placed on her recovery. Physically she has achieved the ability to freely move one arm and both legs, she is now standing independently for 2 minutes, she can walk with assistance and can almost stand from a sitting position. We are still working on her strength to roll over on her side and sit up when she is laying on her back.

Cognitively, she continues to improve in many areas. She can speak, participate in conversations and hasn’t lost her sense of humor. She can recognize letters, write and type. Corey never liked math but can add numbers faster now then ever before (we tease she has the super power of Rain Man). She is still working on recognizing money as well as multiplication, subtraction and division. She does not have a sense of time. She does not know the year, month, day, week or time of day; these, as well as many other skills, we continue to work on.

Emotionally and Behaviorally we peel the onion every day. Overall, Corey is very happy and continues to develop learning how to appropriately express her fear, anger, depression and anxiety.

As I’ve mentioned before, Corey’s short term memory is our greatest daily struggle. It affects her disposition and controls her responses. We are researching and trying multiple strategies to trigger connections. Some of the tools we use to stimulate her memory are calendars, clocks, UNO cards, recipes, puzzles and an assortment of Apps on the Ipad to name a few.

Today Corey utilized one of our tools; Reminder Cards. Rather then answering the same question 100 times, I write the answer to her repetitive question on a 4×6 index card. When Corey asks her question, I counter with “where can you find the answer to your question?” – the reminder card. This morning she asked me for a pen and paper. She wanted to write the answer her self.
C – Where are we going today mom?
M – Today we are going to exercise with Natalie and then we are going to get last minute stocking stuffers for xmas
C – picking up the pen, she writes;

note to self
exercise with natalie
more exciting
shopping for stocking stuffers

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her card. ‘Note to self’…we definitely need to title a chapter in her book after this one!

Corey continued to ask her question, forgetting her reminder card existed but I believe the real answer here is we are doing the best we can in the stage we’re in today. The TBI world uses the term ‘New Normal’, I prefer rebirth. It inspires thoughts of revival, regeneration, rejuvenation, renewal, reinvention…and recovery! xoxo