Day 975 - Jan 29, 2011

The meeting yesterday went pretty well, but I am still so skeptical that things will really work out. I know I came across like a witch, but I am so tired of people saying they are going to do something and then never getting the job done. Why waste everyone's time? Particularly mine?

So I guess there's nothing they can do within the VA for more help at home. We are supposed to find some organizations that will send people out to spend time with Kevin, but I am not sure exactly how that works out. It's not like I am going to allow a stranger to take Kevin to therapy or anything like that. It takes time for both Kevin and myself to trust someone for activities and things like that.

We did decide to admit Kevin to the hospital for 3 days in a few weeks where he will have extensive neuro-psych testing done to see how much he really does understand. At that time, they will also work on different therapies and send him to the gait clinic to help him learn to walk better.

I have decided to stay away from the hospital those three days completely. Yes, I am taking a break. Even better, he is going into the hospital the last part of the week that Moe is coming to visit. This will give me some time to spend with Moe and really take a breather. I talked to Johnnie and he agreed to check in on Kevin those few days for me and I'm sure Breezy will too. Now we just have to hope that I really can stay away. I really intend to because I so desperately need a little down time, but it's just really hard for me to trust anybody.

We discussed quite a few more things but I think I will hold off on those for a bit. I am a little tired and want to go veg for a bit.

Before I do though - and this is said lovingly (with no snark whatsoever) toward our loyal readers - FORGET THE DOG THING, lol! Honestly - it is just NOT gonna happen. To put it bluntly, I have given up everything for my son. I will bust my butt to get him better. But I will never in a million years live with a dog in the house. I can't stress enough how much I dislike dogs. Animals, really. But I did break down and get Kevin a cat a while ago, remember? Well, that thing drove me nuts. It was just more responsibility on an already heaping plate and it meowed constantly. Nope. No Dogs. NONE!

Love that y'all suggested it though. I do appreciate you thinking about Kevin, but for once since Kevin was wounded - my needs are coming first. And I need a dog free home.

(Now we'll see how many jokesters are out there, lol. Last time I said this I got a bunch of cards with puppies/dogs on them.)

Also, to clarify - in yesterday's photos, Christian is on the left in the first photo and that is also him in the last photo. My cousin's baby, Braeden (sp) is on the right in the top photo and we laughed that they both have the same outfit.

Day 974 - Jan 28, 2011

We had company yesterday. My cousin, Elizabeth, her husband and their new baby came over for the day. Two babies in the house made for a unique day, lol.

Here are some photos:






Such cuties, huh?

Today we had a meeting at the VA and it went pretty well. There is a whole bunch of stuff to say, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow night as I want to get to bed. Kevin is actually sleeping so I want to take advantage while I can.

Day 973 - Jan 27, 2011

Although I hate to do it, I am going to skip tonight. We have a meeting at the VA tomorrow and I want to compile my notes and then try to get some sleep.

Day 972 - Jan 26, 2011

Tonight I went to a support group of sorts. They meet once a month and there are both survivors of brain injury and loved ones/caregivers that go. Although I may or may not be hiding it from you guys - I am severely depressed. I think in part it's because I am just flat out exhausted. Only having help 15 hours a week is killing me both emotionally and physically. Kevin is just so much work.

I also seem to be crying at the drop of a hat lately too - mostly because we are nearing the third anniversary and moving into our fourth year and I just don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. There is no end to the round of therapies, procedures, doctor's visits, phone calls and battles anywhere on the horizon.

I wonder sometimes if I really have the strength to keep going.

Yesterday when Kevin was under anesthesia, I couldn't help but look at him and think of how tired I am of seeing my son hooked up to monitors, lying in a hospital bed, going through this procedure or having that surgery or going through any one of the million things that have happened to us since May 31 of 2008.

Will this ever end? EVER?

Because frankly - this life really sucks. For both Kevin and I. And Breezy too.

We are all still suffering so much. None of us have really dealt with what has happened to us - there hasn't been time to. We just keep 'wiping the sweat and driving on', but really - at some point shouldn't we be able to just sit down and rest? 'Cause I'm tired. And I know Kevin is too.

I really do try to come on here and be all positive all the time, but in reality - life isn't rosy. Kevin's life is really hard. And so is mine.

An example? I don't think I mentioned that Kevin had to quit walking around the neighborhood - something he was enjoying so much. His right knee is hyper-extending with each step he takes (meaning it's going too far back and pushing his muscle, tendons, etc. backward). He has been in so much pain and is back to using his wheelchair quite often now. He has always walked slow too, but now? Goodness, it hurts him so much he moves at a snail's pace.

Tonight he decided to try to walk to the mailbox though. I was shocked because he hasn't walked in weeks, but I told him to give it a shot. He did make it, but he called me on the way back and I had to run and get him. It's only two blocks away.

This breaks my heart.

It broke last night too when I was cooking dinner and Kevin grabbed his skateboard and decided to try to get on it in the living room. Obviously he fell and I had to turn the stove off and help him. He was so upset. He wants to skate so bad, but he just can't.

And it's just so sad to me that other than Ronnie, nobody calls him. He calls his old friends sometimes and they always have to hang up and they say they'll call him back, but they don't. Every time we go to the movies I tell him to turn his phone off and he always grunts and says 'WHY? Nobody calls'. He's right. Nobody does.

It's just all so heartbreaking to see him go through all of these hurts. And it's taking its toll on me. All of it is taking a toll on me.

I don't think I mentioned this, but when I went to the doctor a few weeks ago, he told me that if I didn't change my lifestyle I would be dead by the time I'm 50. So tell me, folks - how in the hell do I change it? What magic wand can I wave to make my son all better? Who can twinkle their nose and give us our lives back? Or better yet - where is the magic time machine that can take us back to the day before Kevin signed those papers to join the Army?

Day 971 - Jan 25, 2011

Kevin sailed through the Botox with flying colors! I was worried there for a bit though because we had to be at the hospital by 6:30 and everyone had been taken into their surgeries and we were still sitting there at 9:30. Nobody had even talked to us yet and Kevin was getting more and more angry. At about 9:10 he decided he was leaving. He was going to find a water fountain, take his pills (which he wasn't allowed to do) and he was going home. I chased him down and told him to give me five minutes. I then went to the admin and told her if they couldn't fit us in now, we needed to reschedule. She called upstairs and they said they would be right down for us.

I'm not really sure why it took so long. We didn't need an OR. We were just taken to a room in Burns ICU and the procedure was done right there. It took 15 minutes and it's crazy that we had to come in so early just to sit there and wait.

Ack! Well, at least Kevin did give them a few minutes to come down so we did manage to get through it and he did well. They gave him just enough anesthesia to get through it and we were able to wake him up about 15 minutes after it was all done and it was only maybe an hour later until we were able to go home.

But anyway, he did well and it's over for another three months. Yay!!

Day 970 - Jan 24, 2011

We spent the bulk of the day at BAMC today doing pre-admission tasks. I think we were there roughly four hours getting bloodwork done and talking to all the necessary people.

While there, I talked to the doc today about keeping the anesthesia at a minimum. Kev is only having conscious sedation, but I still asked them to keep it low until we see if he really needs it. Most people just have Botox injected in a doctor's office, but Kevin had a bad experience with it once and hasn't really been open to going without the anesthesia.

If he can do it with barely any 'help', then we won't have to go through all of this the next time.

After that, we just came home and both Kevin and I took a nap.

So tomorrow we have to leave at 5:45 AM. Yikes. That is gonna kill us both, lol. I think I am going to try and get to sleep though as we have to get up in a few hours.

Day 969 - Jan 23, 2011

We had a completely boring day today. We did nothing but lie around all day and watch tv. We have a pretty hectic week scheduled so it was really just what we needed to do to gear up for it.

I don't really have anything to say tonight so I think I'll sign off, but before I go...

HOW 'BOUT THEM STEELERS, EH?



I would lay odds that my friends fell off their chairs seeing what I just wrote because I am so not a football fan, lol!

Day 968 - Jan 22, 2011

Anita - thanks! The movie was Street Fighter! I forgot to mention it to Kevin until we were at Walmart tonight. He was looking for the movie, but couldn't find it. He did find a different movie with Jean Claude Van Damme though and that reminded me to mention the title and he was so excited that that was it. I am hoping to have Johnny take him to a CD Exchange this week and try to find one.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!

And before I forget - to the anonymous person that left 2 vision therapists' info on the blog a couple of weeks back, I called both and neither do the type of therapy that we need. Thanks anyway though.

And to Debbie - I told Kevin that Josh said "HO, HO, HO" and he just grinned and grinned. He clearly remembers him.

And that's pretty much it for today so I am going to sign off and watch some tv.

Day 967 - Jan 21, 2011

Today we had to go to BAMC for a H&P (history and physical). Kevin is going in on Tuesday for a BOTOX treatment and we needed to be seen by a doctor first. We are supposed to go in on Monday for bloodwork, but I am going to try to sneak down over the weekend when it's not so busy. I was told there is a special lab you can go to after hours and get your blood drawn. It's worth a shot - Mondays are horrendous at BAMC.

So while we were there, it turns out that the UFC fighters were visiting so Kevin lined up with the guys and I snapped a picture with my phone:



After we left the hospital, we went over to the warrior family center and Kevin was very excited to see Gumby, lol:



After that we just came home and Breezy and Christian were here waiting for us. Mom and Baby are doing well. I will have to get some more photos tomorrow, but to end here is one from the other day:

Day 966 - Jan 20, 2011

We had a really nice visit with Joe last night. We haven't seen him in over a year because his loads have never brought him to San Antonio before yesterday. It's just such a shame he had to hit the road again early this morning though.

This afternoon I went to a meeting for Humor for Heroes to help the organization out with their next show at the end of February. I dropped Kevin off at Breezy's and he helped her with Christian until Johnny came and picked him up. This way he wouldn't have to sit at the meeting bored.

After the meeting I came home and made stromboli for dinner and then the boys retreated to Kevin's room. Kevin is trying to come up with a movie title that is from when he was younger and he thinks it has the word "FIGHT" in the title. I know it's not Fight Club, but if anyone has any suggestions, please throw them at me. I am at a total loss.

And that's really about it for today.

Day 965 - Jan 19, 2011

I am going to skip tonight because my brother-in-law, Joe, is here. He drives truck and is 'laid over' on the south side of town so we ran down, picked him up and brought him here to spend the night.

Catch y'all tomorrow!

Day 964 - Jan 18, 2011

Kevin, Johnny and I went to see the Green Hornet tonight at the movies. Now that was one excellent movie! I don't think any of us have laughed that hard in a long while - it was hilarious! And action-packed!

Other than that, we didn't really do much today. Johnny did take Kevin to pick up his new glasses though. I will have to get a photo of Kevin sporting his new look tomorrow. He looks so darn cute in glasses, lol.

And yay! My mom and dad are coming next week to visit. They are also bringing my nephew, Michael. Of course they are really coming to see Christian, but we all get to benefit from it, lol.

I think I'm going to sign off now and try to get some sleep. I'm pretty tired tonight.

Day 963 - Jan 17, 2011

We had a busy day today. First we went to therapy for a little PT and then we headed to Breezy's house to babysit so that she could run to the grocery store. At one point Christian started crying and I told Kevin to sing to him so he started singing Bohemian Rhapsody (the song he sang in the video a couple of weeks ago - yes...a very odd choice, lol). Christian loved it. He immediately got quiet and fell asleep pretty quickly after that.

Kevin is just utterly and completely enthralled by the little one. I guess you could say that I am too, lol.

After that, we quickly grabbed a sandwich for dinner and then went to Walmart to grab a few groceries.

A boring day to read about, I'm sure.

Day 962 - Jan 16, 2010

Although I tried my darnedest to keep Ronnie and Marissa here - they left today. What a bummer. Kevin was just so normal while they were here and it was so wonderful to see. I got so much done while they were here too - even the dreaded audit (yes - another one!).

Today we didn't do much of anything. It's been a busy week so we both kinda just lounged around the house doing a whole bunch of nothing. It's back to the grindstone tomorrow though, lol.

Day 961 - Jan 15, 2011

We had a great dinner tonight. The kids went to the movies this afternoon (still cold and rainy here) and I worked on organizing my scraproom and just cooking and then we all got together to eat.

We had some fun with Christian and took a few pictures, shot some video. After that, Breezy and family went home and Kevin, Ronnie and Marissa went out for the a couple of hours. They are downstairs watching a movie right now and I am scrapping.

I want to continue while the kids are busy, so I am just going to upload some pics and a couple of videos of the baby. What a cutie he is...

This is just Christian crying:



And here is Kevin holding Christian. You can barely hear Kevin, but he is saying Christian's name:



And here are some photos:

The first is all the kids:



And this is Christian sleeping in the crook of Kevin's arm:






You should have seen Kevin when Breezy had to go home. He was very upset and told her she could go, but that Christian couldn't. It was funny.

And now I am going back to scrapping.

Day 960 - Jan 14, 2011

Today the kids went out for a nice lunch and then they went to the movies. Unfortunately, it is rainy, cold and just nasty here. They were planning to go downtown and hit all of the tourist traps, but it's just too yucky here for them to do that. We are hoping they can go tomorrow, but it's not supposed to be any better.

So I guess they went to the movies after that and then goodness knows what they did.

I (and I'm sure this will come as no surprise, lol) went to the hospital and spent the afternoon/evening with my grandbaby. He is doing super and they are both to be released tomorrow sometime.

If all goes well, we are having a big dinner tomorrow and I will get some pictures. I have yet to take any of Kevin, Ronnie and Marissa and I have to do that for sure as they leave Sunday morning. I sure wish they could stay...such wonderful kids!

Day 959 - Jan 13, 2011

Wow! What a day!

So Kevin stood behind the doctor and watched Christian enter the world. I know that Chris was a little freaked out by this, but I told him we are part of the medical world and body parts are body parts and nothing more to the three of us nowadays.

Truthfully though, what an experience! I have to admit that three years ago I would have fainted seeing all that blood and yuk, but I am a lot different person now than I was then. And I can pretty much guarantee that Kevin would have never wanted to see his sister's privates, but we sure have all changed.

Oh and before I forget - Christian is 20 1/2 inches long.

So anyway, here are some photos:







And one of my favorites - this is Kevin and Breezy both crying over the miracle of Christian's birth:



Kevin did amazing! Breezy did amazing! I am just so dang proud of my children!

It's a boy, lol!

Yes! Christian was born at 4:40 this afternoon and weighs a whopping 8 lbs 4 oz! (don't know the length yet) There is so much to say and so many photos, but I wanted to quickly let you know that both mother and baby are fantastic! I will come back in a bit with the rest of the info.

Another update

Breezy is 10 cm dilated (sp), but the nurses are joking that Christian is holding onto her ribs refusing to drop down low enough to enter the world. We are just waiting patiently for him to get into position.

Update

Well...little Christian decided not to wait until this afternoon. We are at the hospital now as Breezy has been in labor all night. They just gave her an epidural (sp) and are helping her along. I will check in as I can.

Day 958 - Jan 12, 2011

Kevin went to OT and PT today and the therapist mentioned that Kevin needs a new brace because he is in danger of destroying his bad knee. I called the doctor at the VA and mentioned it to her so that we can get that rolling.

While Kevin and I were on our way to therapy, Breezy called and her doc was sending her to the hospital because they thought she was in labor. She was having contractions, but they were 7 minutes apart so the hospital sent her home.

HOWEVER...they have decided to help Christian enter the world tomorrow at 2pm. YAYYY!!

And Ronnie and Marissa made it here this evening! Kevin is just loving it and he and Ronnie sat for hours in the kitchen tonight just talking and looking at pictures on Kevin's computer.

What a wonderful thing to see...

So anyway, I will check in tomorrow as soon as I can with photos of our new baby. Hopefully it's a quick delivery! I'm not sure if they are just breaking her water or what their plan of action is. I guess I'll find out pretty quick, huh?

Day 957 - Jan 11, 2011

Well...no baby. Darnit. Poor Breezy is just miserable. Tomorrow is her due date and she has a doctor's appointment so maybe they will decide to induce.

So Kevin and Johnny went out running around today. I had some errands to run and took care of them.

That's pretty much it so I think I'll just sign off early tonight.

Day 956 - Jan 10, 2011

You had to know that there was a freak winter storm that just happened to hit the one single week a year that Kevin actually has a friend come to visit, right? Yes. Atlanta airport is closed and Ronnie and Marissa's flight was canceled for tomorrow morning.

It took me 7 1/2 hours to get through to make alternate flight arrangements. Did you know that you are automatically hung up on after 60 minutes on the dot of holding? Ummm...yeah. I thought it was a freak thing the first time, but it happened again so apparently not.

So anyway, they are now scheduled for Wednesday morning. I sure hope it happens. Kevin was just devastated when we weren't sure if they were going to come or not. He was just so depressed. He's in a better mood now, though.

And for those that mentioned how good Kevin's skin looks...I...ummm...kinda brushed it with my photo editing software. I also brightened the whites of his eyes. Sorry. I still think he looks good, but sometimes I just touch up the photos a bit before printing. Here's the naked one:



I haven't learned the art of a lighter touch yet on the editing, but maybe someday. There's just so much to learn.

And still no Christian. Breezy wants to have him tomorrow because she likes the date 1/11/11. I guess we'll see, huh?

Day 955 - Jan 9, 2011

Spray butter. Gosh, it's such a wonderful thing, huh? I have been trying to teach Kevin to make his own waffles for a while now and although he can do it for the most part, he always had trouble buttering them. A couple of weeks ago I came into the kitchen and found him dipping his finger into the tub of butter and using it instead of a knife to get the job done. Yuk. Although I am not a full blown germophobe (sp), I do have a problem with someone's fingers in my butter. So that night, as I was lying in bed thinking about it - I remembered spray butter. I picked some up and today he made his own waffles and he was so excited that he could do it all without any help. Wonderful, eh?

So we stayed in again today and just cleaned house. Kevin is so excited about Ronnie coming on Tuesday that he went through his room looking for things to show him. He found his Army beret and I did snap a photo of him with it on:



He needs a haircut in the worst way, doesn't he? Maybe one day this week...

Day 954 - Jan 8, 2010

We didn't do too much today. I had to go for groceries, which I hadn't done in a while because I hadn't been feeling good. We were down to the bare minimum so we did do that.

And other than that - nothing. Both of us barely crawled out of our beds until late this afternoon. It was one of those sleep a little, get up for a bit, lie back down, etc kind of days. I hope tomorrow is the same, lol.

Day 953 - Jan 7, 2010

I feel so much better. Still not at 100% yet, but I feel better tonight than I have felt in weeks. I plan to try and take it easy the whole weekend as well and maybe by Monday I will be completely fine. Man, I hope so.

So Kevin is doing well. He has been 'working out' and I am happy to say that he is slowly losing some of his belly fat. He is doing a modified version of crunches and with the walks he takes daily it seems to really be working for him.

He has been spending more time out of his room lately too and that is a great thing. We are in the process of watching all six episodes of Star Wars and we are now up to episode four. We watch an hour one day and two hours a few days later and so forth and so on. It's just nice having him in the living room watching more and more tv, ya know?

I really need to find the cards and get back to playing Skipbo and Uno too. I haven't seen them since we moved so I will have to dig them out of a box before Ronnie and Marissa get here.

And now I am going to sign off and work on a scrapbook project that has been calling my name. I also have 26 episodes of NCIS taped that need to be watched, lol. It's my goal for the weekend. Lots of rest. Lots of TV. And lots of scrapping.

Day 951 - Jan 5, 2011

I canceled all of our appointments for today and tomorrow so that I could just stay home and get some rest. We really didn't do much today, so I am going to skip again. Truthfully, I am going to skip tomorrow night too and just take this couple days to get better (hopefully). I will catch up with everyone on Friday night.

Day 950 - Jan 4, 2010

We managed to make it through this busy day and I felt better as the day went on. Mary mentioned to me about this Mountain Cedar that is killing everyone's allergies here in SA so maybe that's what it is? Who knows. I just know it needs to go away quick.

So we had the vision therapy appointment today and although I really liked the ophthalmologist, it wasn't what I was looking for at all. We did order Kevin some glasses and some prescription sunglasses though.

So if you remember, I was looking for the type of vision therapy that would actually train Kevin's brain to remember that it can see peripherally to the right. Well, the doc said that there is no one in San Antonio that does this type of therapy. Matter of fact, he believes there are only two therapists in the whole state of Texas. Now one of them is in Austin - which is only about an hour and a half from here, but I really can't see us having the time to drive up there two times a week.

But, it is very important so I am going to have to give it some thought. It would also require quite a bit of persuasion on my part to the VA if we went for it because it is very expensive.

But seriously - if other parts of his body can work again due to the brain rewiring, why can't his vision?

I am optimistic about it, especially as I was told recently that some folks are amazed that Kevin does as well as he does. With his vision, he should be walking into walls and bumping into everything. We have none of this.

I guess I just need to do a little research and do some in-depth thinking about it.

Day 949 - Jan 3, 2011

Well, no baby yet. They sent Breezy home this morning knowing she has a doc appt tomorrow.

We had a lazy day today. Kevin started vomiting this morning at about 7am so we skipped speech therapy and then we had a home evaluation done by the VA this afternoon.

I was so sick and exhausted that I then went up to bed after the VA rep left and napped all afternoon and evening. Johnny came and I did manage to get up and order pizza for dinner because I just didn't have the energy to cook and then we all watched a movie - sorta. I slept through some of it and Kevin slept through other parts. Not sure if Johnny did, but I think he managed to stay awake, lol.

Tomorrow we have a busy day with appointments and I'm just hoping I have the energy to do it all. I tried to go with Johnny and Kevin to the video store for the Narnia 2 movie we watched (hoping to see Narnia 3 this week), but I turned around not a block away and came home sending them to the store alone. I just feel like all out crap.

I think I'll go back to bed now.

Day 948 - Jan 2, 2011

I am going to skip tonight. Miss Brianna is in the hospital again. Dear Christian wants to come so badly, but as soon as he gets to the hospital, he changes his mind. They had Breezy walk for about an hour and then they gave her some sort of relaxant and decided to keep her thinking she might be back in 8 hours if they sent her home. Maybe tomorrow, eh?

Day 947 - Jan 1, 2011

Well, it's a new year. A time to reflect and a time to begin anew.

Reflection: Last year was a bit rough. Not rough in the acute phase, but still rough nonetheless. Lots of surgeries, major infections, overdoses, pain and battles with the VA. On the flip side though - Kevin has progressed cognitively to an amazing extent. The fact that we can more than likely get him declared competent in court is nothing short of a miracle. He just knows so much and is so normal in so many ways. He's needy though, but I think (hope) that even that will be changing soon.

His physical changes are amazing as well. He really looks good for someone that has went through what he has. No, he doesn't look like he used to, but his burns are starting to lighten and and each cosmetic surgery makes a huge difference. I am hoping to start the burns laser therapy soon and that will help too.

He is also walking so much better, being more active and having much more stamina than he did last year. His arm is slowly (very slowly) coming down into a more normal position and that will also make a huge difference.

All in all, it was a somewhat decent year that has enabled us to look forward happily to 2011.

To begin anew - I really hope that this year brings even more 'normalcy' to our lives. I want Kevin to be able to just 'be'. I want him to just be a person - not a patient. Just be a young adult - doing young adult stuff. I want him to make friends and get out and about with them.

I also want him to be able to do things more on his own. I have started the process in getting him into some sort of part time job or volunteer position to help him become more independent and give him a sense of responsibility.

He is now also in charge of taking out the garbage and recycling on their designated days and has an alert on his phone to remind him. He also has to fold all of his clothes after I launder them (too hard for him to carry his basket of clothes upstairs so I do that part). This is the year he is going to start doing more around the house to help me - and himself.

I want him to also be able to be alone more than a few minutes at a time. This will require figuring out how to communicate in the event of an emergency. Something I am not going to worry about the first quarter of the year.

And I know that I want him to feel better about the person he has become. This is going to require some therapies in learning how to accept the changes totally, but I think in time he can do it. He has made great strides in this area, but he still has issues and maybe in the second half of the year we can work on them.

All in all, it's going to be another very busy year. I sincerely hope that Kevin can remain in the more elevated medically stable position that he seems to be in right now, but I do know that there are no guarantees and we will obviously deal with whatever life throws at us.

I am feeling confident though that this will be the best year since our lives all changed so drastically. Positive thinking, right?

Day 946 - Dec 31, 2010

Happy New Year!!!!

I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve! Kevin and I decided to go to Six Flags tonight. We got there about 7:30 with the intention of staying til midnight when the fireworks went off, but it was too cold to stay that long so we ended up leaving at about 10:30. We did just drive around for about an hour and then we went to a mall parking lot right next to Six Flags and watched the fireworks show from there.

Although I was expecting a half hour show or more, it was only 5 minutes long - but totally worth it! It was just the grand finale the whole show. Totally awesome! Kevin and I both loved it!

Anyway, here is a video of Kevin playing one of the games at SF:



Here also are some photos:

Kevin and his new scooter:







And the one on the Merry Go Round? Geesh. Let me tell ya - that boy is so determined. He was just positive he could get on that horse. I was scared to death because even if he got on it - would he be able to a) stay on it and b) get back off it. The horse in front of the bench we were on was really low so he was tall enough to actually get on it from the rear of the horse - not the side like normal. He ended up though actually sitting on the horse's butt and I had to make him try to lift his and I pushed him up and onto the saddle of the horse.

And you had to know that his weak foot wouldn't stay in the stirrup, so it was just dangling there, but it didn't seem to affect him. And you also had to know that the horse did stop as high as it could go at the end of the ride. I was really worried about this, but somehow he managed to get off it. Kudos to him, eh?

We also rode the Hustler and Kevin did pretty well. It spun around pretty fast and I think he was starting to get a little sick, but he kept it under control. I'm not sure if it's due to the TBI or if it's just because he hasn't been on any type of spinning ride in gosh knows how long.

I do know that we do have permission to ride/do anything from our neurosurgeon so I am not worried about that. Kevin is even allowed to ride the roller coasters.

So anyway, that's about it for today. I want to go and finish scrubbing the floor now that Kevin finally went to his room.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 2011!

I forgot to add this...

Kevin being the goofball that he is...

Day 945 - Dec 30, 2010

Today I broke down and finally went to a doctor (at my parents insistence - geez). I have been really sick and I am just so drained - both emotionally and physically. I really tried not to go - I have no money and I have no insurance, but I was worried about pneumonia and passing it on to Christian when he gets here.

So I did go and the doc told me that I don't have any real problems with my lungs, but that my lifestyle isn't going to let that cough and all the other symptoms go away on their own. He wrote me out 3 scripts and I asked him to put them in their order of importance. I know how much meds can cost and I was pretty sure they weren't all going to be in my budget.

I did manage to get two of them, but I had to pass on the third. I am hoping the steroid and inhaler take care of things. We shall see.

I think I am going to have to sit down with some of the folks at the VA here in SA. I need more help. I just can't keep up at this pace. The VA here refuses to give me more than 15 hours a week and I use those hours to try to get other things done that I can't do while Kevin is underfoot. I should be using them for rest, but there's no time for that. It really needs to change.

And I forgot to tell you guys that yesterday I had to argue with a VA employee who called to remind Kevin of an appt next week. I told her she had to talk to me and she flat out refused. She was determined to speak to Kevin and wouldn't tell me anything. I tried to explain that he can't talk and that I manage all of his appointments, but she wasn't interested in hearing what I had to say. I had to call Mary today to find out if my guardianship papers are on file and they are so I guess I'll just chalk it up to someone not interested in doing their job fully. She really just needed to look closer at our file.

Whatever.

Can you just tell I don't feel good? I feel snarky and tired.

Day 944 - Dec 29, 2010

Today we drove to therapy only to find out that the speech therapist had called off. We just jumped back in the car and came home.

Oddly enough, Kevin's iPad quit working today. It was fine on the ride up to therapy, but it wouldn't even turn on on the ride home. I thought it might have needed synced, but iTunes wouldn't even acknowledge it. So I researched the Apple website and found that you can hold two buttons down simultaneously to 'reboot' it. Thank goodness for the internet, huh? That worked and all was right in Kevin's world again, lol.

Kevin and I didn't really do much else today. We played the Wii for a bit and then he went to his room to watch a movie.

And I'm not sure if he called Ronnie or if Ronnie called him, but they talked for a while too. I am excited to say that Ronnie and his girlfriend are coming to visit in a couple weeks! Kevin is beside himself. He is just so excited! He just kept walking around the house saying "YES!" all night long.

And now I really need to get some sleep. I have to take a hot bath first though - I am just so cold lately...

Day 943 - Dec 28, 2010

We didn't do too much today. It was rainy and kinda yucky so we mostly stayed in. We did go to the movies this evening though. Kevin and Johnny went to see one and I went to see another. And that pretty much sums up our excitement for the day.

I forgot to mention yesterday that my mom went back into the hospital the day before and it turns out she needed a cardiac stent as one of her main arteries was 80% blocked. She is doing well now and actually went home today.

Breezy is doing well too. Still no Christian though. Soon...very soon...

Day 942 - Dec 27, 2010

Today Kevin had to go to speech therapy. His OT and PT sessions have run out and I'm waiting for the VA to 'renew' them. It's been a couple of weeks already so hopefully they get on it soon. I really don't want him to lose any of what he has gained.

We also had the railings installed in the garage today. No more having to spot Kevin when he comes in and out of the house from there. Next week someone from the VA is coming to the house to look it over for other potential problems for Kevin. I can't think of anything else, but they are more versed in the world of disabilities.

And it's so wonderful to hear Kevin in his room playing Black Ops on his XBox. Some of his friends from PA are online playing the game with him and it makes me so happy. He wanted this game for Christmas and I wasn't sure if I should get it for him or not. He rarely plays on his XBox because his pinky finger is permanently bent at an odd angle and he can't use it on that one handed controller he has, but he didn't really ask for anything else so he got it. He has been on that thing for hours every day since Christmas. I love it!

Every day more and more of the old Kevin is back. Now if we could only get his balance back enough for him to skateboard...

Day 941 - Dec 26, 2010

Kevin and I did nothing much today. He did go for a walk and that's pretty much it. I haven't been feeling well and slept on the couch most of the day and to be honest, I think I'm just gonna sign off and go to bed already.

Day 940 - Dec 25, 2010

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!!! We did! The food was excellent (if I do say so myself, lol) and we all had a great day.

I'm not going to really write tonight, but I am going to leave you with some photos and a special video:

Day 939 - Dec 24, 2010

Poor Kevin. He went for a walk today and probably about 20 minutes after he left I heard the pitter patter of rain. At first, I didn't think anything of it, but then I realized it was coming down harder and harder and that Kevin was still out there. I hurried up and got in the car and started driving around the neighborhood. In the interim, he was calling to have me come and get him. I found him around the corner and by the time I got to him it was a torrential downpour. He was soaked!

It was funny because when he got in the car - he looked at me, I looked at him and we both burst out laughing. He had the appearance of a drowned rat. It was so comical.

After that, we just putzed around all day. I cooked a nice dinner and Breezy and Chris came over and once they left Kevin and I decided to begin our Star Wars marathon. All 6 movies are on TV in a row and we are taping them. We watched Episode 1 tonight.

Well, I think I am going to go up to my room and read a little bit.

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope Santa brings everything y'all asked for!

Day 938 - Dec 23, 2010

Kevin and I never left the house again today. I think I'm glad we ended up coming home early from the retreat because it gave me a chance to get things done that I wouldn't have had time to do otherwise.

We did get some more cookies baked and then I worked on getting the upstairs a little more unpacked. The main part of the house is finished - and has been for a while, but my area got forgotten about - like pretty much every facet of my life has.

We also Skyped with my family this evening as they were all having their Christmas celebration tonight. Chrissy and her husband both have to work over the holiday so it was best to do it today. It was nice 'seeing' everyone - esp Chrissy as she is pregnant too and is just starting to show.

So now I am going to sign off and take a hot bath and then try to get some sleep. I am cold for some reason tonight and will never be able to sleep until I get warm.

Day 937 - Dec 22, 2010

Yesterday Kevin's scooter was delivered! He was ecstatic and took it for a little spin around the driveway area. I was happy to see that he didn't really do much with it today though because it's not going to be for everyday use. The scooter is for long distances, like going to Six Flags and places like that. I was worried I was going to have to pull the 'mean mom' card and forbid it, but Kevin has been really working on his legs by walking as much as he does and he realizes he can't ride it all the time. Phew.

His new arm/hand splints were delivered yesterday too. He has three - one that is worn for a while during the day to keep his hand/fingers opened and the other two are to be worn at night to work on his hand and also to straighten his elbow. From what I understand, the 'tension' will be tightened every 90 days or so to extend his arm further.

So far, he is willing to wear each one about an hour, but we need to get up to all night and as much of the day as possible. It will take some time to get him accustomed to them though, so an hour is good at this point.

And today we baked cookies for Christmas. I hadn't planned on it because we were supposed to be away, but since we are home and all of our appointments had been canceled, I opted to do some baking. Kevin helped a little bit, but the kitchen here is tiny and there really isn't room for two in there. I put him to work at the table though, rest assured, lol.

And thanks for the well wishes on my mom. She is home now, but has a CT scan scheduled for tomorrow and they will go from there.

Breezy is doing well too. She goes to the doctor tomorrow and I'm anxious to hear how she's 'progressing'. I was so sure she was having Christian the other night as her labor pains were pretty intense and only 2 minutes apart. It didn't happen though, obviously, lol.

Day 936 - Dec 21, 2010

I am going to skip tonight. Kevin and I went to a late movie and then for a few groceries and I'm kinda beat.

Day 935 - Dec 20, 2010

Well...we are home already. Kevin was not a happy camper at all. First let me say that Ye Kendall Inn was a fantastic place! I loved it, but it was a very quaint inn and not something Kevin would enjoy.

We did go to the welcoming party and the dinner, but there was not one person there that was Kevin's age. All of the folks were married with children and it was just not any fun for Kevin (he did stay at the party for close to 4 hours though). I pretty much knew immediately that this wasn't going to work, but I had hoped that Kevin would at least stay the night and see how it went tomorrow. No go, though. He was miserable so we just came home.

So did anyone see the eclipse tonight? It's foggy here and I am so disappointed. Can't see a thing in the sky, darnit!

And to end, I would like to ask that y'all keep my mom in your thoughts. She was admitted to the hospital yesterday with chest pains. She hasn't had a heart attack (thankfully), but they are still running tests as her left arm is still numb. My dad thinks they will release her tomorrow, but we'll see. Keeping those fingers crossed...

Day 934 - Dec 19, 2010

Tonight we went over to Breezy's for dinner. Her and Chris cooked some lemon pepper chicken and we all pigged out. We were thinking about going to see some Christmas lights after dinner, but we were all too lazy to drive to the other side of town, lol.

Breezy is having some pretty serious contractions tonight too, as well as a LOT of pressure. Hmmm...like I said - I'll bet Christian comes while we are gone. It's ok though - it's probably not too much further to the hospital from the retreat as it is from our house. No matter what - we'll be there!

So tomorrow we are headed about a half hour north to Boerne, TX for the wounded heroes retreat that is sponsored by the Military Warriors Support Foundation. I have no idea what to expect, but we are both looking forward to it. It's a 4 day/3 night retreat with different events taking place daily. I understand it's a very quaint and artistic town with tons of things to do. And luckily, it's going to be in the mid seventies and sunny all week too! (did I hear a collective groan from all you northerners stuck up there in the cold? LOL)

I will be taking my laptop and assuming there is an internet connection, will post as the days go by. I'm not sure if there is though as the hotel was built in the 1800s, but I am thinking they have added modern conveniences. If you don't hear from us though - know that that is the situation.

Day 933 - Dec 18, 2010

We had company today. Daniel (who was with Kevin during the attack) came over to visit Kevin this afternoon and I know Kevin really appreciated it. It was the first time they ever got together out of the hospital environment and I think they had a great visit. I'm just glad the ramp was put in a few days ago so that Daniel COULD come to visit.

Here are some photos of the guys in front of Daniel's new car:




It was interesting to see the hand gas and brake device that enables Daniel to drive. If Kevin is ever able to drive - it's how he will too.

Here are a couple more pics from the other day too. One is of the hat Moe sent Kevin for Christmas and the other is a shirt that the other Leslie sent.




Cool, huh?

Day 932 - Dec 17, 2010

We ended up having a lazy day today, which was totally unexpected. We were supposed to have an appointment with the burns plastic surgeon, but Kevin wasn't feeling well this morning, so I had to cancel that.

In the interim, his speech therapist has the flu so she called and canceled today's session, leaving us with a totally free weekday.

I made about 3 hours of phone calls and got a LOT of things done. Kevin pretty much stayed in bed all day until this evening. He did get up for dinner and then we took Breezy home and stopped at Home Depot for a couple of things.

I am trying my darnedest to get over a bad cough. I woke up with it maybe a week ago and although it may be slightly better than it was the first day or so, it just won't go away. I am assuming this is why I am so tired, because every time I sit on the couch I start nodding off.

One great thing is that Kevin is letting me sleep some at night now. I am usually out by 3am and he rarely calls me after that so I am getting some quality zzzz's lately. I want to believe that he is sleeping as well, but I can't say for sure. If he's not, he's keeping himself entertained - which is just great. He must also be doing things for himself - which is even better, lol.

As for my decision on whether to post every day - I still don't know what I'll end up doing. I think we just might have more days that I skip as there are just so many days where we do nothing exciting. I do appreciate everyone's input though!

I think, in part, it's also because I am just tired and in that holiday funk. It's going to be weird not having my whole family at the table at Christmas. I have to think that this could be my dad's last Christmas and that makes it hard too.

But, I guess there's no sense in complaining. It is what it is and I can't change it so I guess I'll do what my favorite Airborne guy says "Wipe the sweat and drive on!"

Day 931 - Dec 16, 2010

I'm going to skip again tonight. We have hit a very boring time in our lives and it's hard to come up with things to say more often than not. Lately I've been thinking about not writing every night, but this is such an integral part of our lives that I'm not sure I can do it, lol.

Still, it may happen. We are just so predictable lately (therapy, docs, walks, etc) and it has to be just as boring for you to read about it as it is for me to write about it.

What do you think? I just don't know...

Day 930 - Dec 15, 2010

Kevin and I just had one of those days today. You know - one of those days where you just get on each others' nerves?

He was in such a mood that he even refused to go in to therapy. I went in and waited, hoping he would eventually get over it and come in, but after a half hour I realized there was no sense in waiting any longer. He just wasn't getting out of the car.

He did take a nap on the way home and it seemed to help some, but honestly - he was just in a snappy mood, which in turn put me in one too.

Yeah - it was just a long - and very rough - day.

Day 929 - Dec 14, 2010

A question for all of the folks out there that do acupuncture - does it work immediately? And if not, how long until it does start working?

Kevin had it done this afternoon and he did great lying there for the half hour with the needles in his face/head, but he says it has made no difference to his pain level. Apparently, he is always in pain, but it's not so bad most of the time. When it gets that way though, is when he asks for Tylenol.

So I was just wondering if it should be immediate? The doctor mentioned if it worked some we would do it again in 2 weeks, but I never thought to ask when it would work.

Anyway, after we saw the doc, we went to the burn ward and visited all of our friends. We haven't been there for a couple of months and it was nice to see everyone.

After that, we met up with Johnny and he and Kevin went off to go to a skate shop and I picked up Breezy and brought her to our house. I figured our couch was just as good as hers and it would at least get her out of her living room for a couple hours. She is still having minor, sporadic contractions (all of them in her back), but she goes back to see the ob/gyn on Thursday. I'm anxious to see what is said.

Kevin and I are going on a wounded warrior retreat next week, so I will lay odds that she has Christian then...

Day 928 - Dec 13, 2010

I didn't sleep very well last night and I am just so tired tonight. I think I'm just going to skip and try to get my snooze on.

Tomorrow we have our first acupuncture appointment - both Kevin and I are excited about that! Will let you know how it goes tomorrow sometime. Wish Kev luck!

Day 927 - Dec 12, 2010

Well, the docs managed to get Breezy's labor stopped and she has been sent home with orders for bed rest for at least the next week. She is feeling much better and hopefully we have a couple more weeks before Christian arrives.

Kevin and I didn't do much today. I spent the day getting this house scrubbed down and Kevin went for his two walks and then just generally lay around the rest of the day. We did watch some tv together (we are watching the Indiana Jones movies consecutively), but that's really it. It was just a very boring day.

I am going to answer a few questions tonight though. I am so far behind.

Hallie - I see it's cold and windy up there in PA, but let me tell you - it's only 39 degrees here right now. It's been downright cold, but at least Kevin and I had hot cocoa with marshmallow fluff tonight. Still, I'm sure it's much yuckier up there... How's your husband doing?

Bryan - thanks for taking care of the water leak. I knew when the bill more than doubled that something was wrong. I will call Chris tomorrow and discuss the bill. Say 'hi' to JT for us!

Jessica - I had my sister bring my fake tree when they came at Thanksgiving. We decorated it last weekend so it's all ready to go. I have heard that real trees are quite expensive here, but that's coming from someone who lived near the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World" - Indiana, PA - where they were pretty cheap.

Jessica - you also mentioned about the woman who woke up speaking with a foreign accent - that is actually very common in this experience. Do you guys remember the roommate that Kevin got while in Tampa for the one night? The guy that threw his pants at me and was screaming at me and Kevin the whole time? Well, he woke up speaking Spanish. He hadn't been able to speak any other languages but English before his injury, but he couldn't understand a word of English for a while. From what I gather, this is also common. It has always made me wonder about the possibility of reincarnation. I mean...how else can you wake up as a completely different person speaking a different language altogether?

Nicolette, go for it. Kevin was in the Army as part of The Herd - 173rd Airborne Brigade Special Troops Battalion (I sure hope I got that last part right). He is now discharged.

Speaking of...Leslie - Kevin got his hat and shirt! Love them both! Thanks so much!!

Aggie - woohoo!!!! Call me after you get home from work either Mon, Wed or Friday while Kevin is in therapy if you can. We'll catch up then!

Ok - I know there are so many more than need commented on, but I am going to sign off and go read for a while.

Day 926 - Dec 11, 2010

We had planned to go to Six Flags today, but it didn't work out. I had an appt for the cable guy to come out and fix the tv, but he didn't end up getting here until really late in the day. By the time he left, it was just too late to go, so I can only hope we have another warm weekend day before Christmas.

So...both Kevin and I have been sitting by the phone all night talking to Breezy because she is in preterm labor. We just hung up again and the docs have decided to keep her in the hospital and medicate her every half hour to get the labor stopped. She has started dilating and she is 50% effaced, but her doc wants her to hold off a while yet. Some docs would allow her to deliver this early (due Jan 12), but the nurses told her this doctor is overcautious. I'm good with that. The longer Christian stays where he's at - the better.

And poor Kevin. He is addicted to Angry Birds on his iPad now and he downloaded the Christmas version and just found out that each level becomes available each day up until the 25th of this month. Hehe. He whaled through the first 11 levels today, but has to wait until tomorrow, the 12th of Dec, for level 12. Hilarious!

Well, I think I am going to try to get some sleep. Gosh knows if Breezy is going to end up needing us or not, so I want to be prepared.

Day 925 - Dec 10, 2010

Can you believe that Kevin can count up to 50 now? Yes, he stumbles over some of the numbers (ten, twelve, etc), but he can do it with a few little nudges from either me or his speech therapist. He also has almost all of the days of the week down pat as well. The other day I taught him to say "come here" and he also says "I'm going to walk". I have tried to get him to say "I'm going FOR A walk", but no go. No matter though - I'll take it. And so will he.

He isn't getting frustrated as often as he used to. Partly because he is able to say much more than he used to and I think in part because he has just accepted that he is limited and needs to find alternate modes of communication at times. The therapist even mentioned today that she is seeing a difference in the last few weeks and I totally agree.

All around, really. I really need to video tape him so that you guys can all see the difference too. You would just be amazed.

Day 924 - Dec 9, 2010

Today was a really good day. We just stayed home and did things around the house. We had a guy coming to measure the steps in the garage for a railing so we needed to be home. Kevin has fallen there a couple of times and Breezy even fell last week because they just weren't designed very well. I'm not really sure what the architect was thinking, but hopefully the railings will help.

The VA is putting in a temporary ramp as well to the front door, but we always park in the garage. The ramp will be for those times when Kevin just isn't feeling well and can't make the three steps into the house.

So I haven't mentioned lately how well Kevin is doing with the pain. There are often days where he takes no additional pain meds at all - today being one of them. Most days he takes one or two doses of Tylenol and that's it. I think he's had one oxy in the last 10 days or so. This Aleve has really made a difference.

I think it helps too that he enjoys living here much more than the apt. He is able to walk one or two times a day and we don't have to worry about the elevator not working. I think we were nervous every time we left the apartment.

This is really just a more 'homey' place. Much brighter and although the sq footage is nearly the same - it feels much bigger. It probably doesn't hurt to have some of our own things too, eh?

Case in point - I had to purchase Kevin a shelf for all of his movies since my sister brought all of his old ones from FL and after Johnny put the shelf together tonight, Kevin spent FOREVER organizing them. He is such a movie collector and he was just so excited when he opened the box from Florida.

Ok - Moe just called so I am going to sign off and BS with her for a while.

Day 923 - Dec 8, 2010

Kevin has been very needy tonight - something he has been doing much better about - so I am going to just post some pics of the baby shower and then sign off.

Day 922 - Dec 7, 2010

It was a crazy day today. We had numerous appointments at the house through the afternoon (heating, repairmen, blinds, etc) and then Breezy had her baby shower after work. The ladies she worked with threw it and it was so enjoyable. Kevin, Johnny and I all went and I took a ton of photos. Unfortunately, I am just too lazy to download and edit the pics tonight so I will upload some tomorrow evening.

So did y'all know they make Steelers pacifiers? Hehe. Yeah - she was real excited to get those cute little Steelers onesies and binkies. Quite a few of the other guests groaned when they saw them because we are in Cowboys country here and they all must jokingly argue with her about her Steelers fanaticism. It was kinda funny, lol.

But seriously - I believe Kevin enjoyed himself. I wasn't going to take him as it's mostly a girl thing (although there were other men there), but Breezy asked for him to come and he agreed. I had Johnny drive too, just in case they wanted to leave early, but they stayed the whole time.

After the shower, we ate dinner and then Kevin and I went for a long walk. He took me on his 'path' so that I know where he walks every time he sets off. He walks the entire development, up and down every street, around each cul-de-sac and up the path to the elementary school playground. Quite the distance it was, that's for sure. I am very proud of him for being motivated enough to walk this distance at least once a day.

Day 921 - Dec 6, 2010

Kevin had therapy today and I was so happy to hear Roz (his speech therapist) say that they have really hit it off and Kevin is willing to now work with her no matter what she is asking him to do. We are working on more phrases (as opposed to single words) to help us at home. Things like "help me" and "come here" and "I got it". I like that we are working together too to keep the same phrases active in his mind on his 'off therapy' days. We keep each other informed as to what we are working on and what is pretty much down pat.

With Kevin, most of the time it is just about repeating and repeating until he has it embedded in his mind. Sometimes though - he just can't get the syllables to work together. For example - you too. I can't get him to say those two little words together for anything. He can say 'you' and he can say 'too', just not one after the other.

And sometimes he needs inflection to be able to say something. Oddly enough - he can say "I got it", but only with a British accent (kinda like - by golly, I think I've got it). It's why he picks up on movie quotes so easily - it's all about the melodic note to the phrase.

No matter what though - he is really doing fantastic with his talking.

Day 920 - Dec 5, 2010

Today was a nice day. Kevin and I went for a drive up into the hill country today and just gawked at all the multi-million dollar estates. It was such a sunny, yet chilly, day and perfect for a drive.

Other than that we didn't really do anything, so I think I'll just skip tonight.

Day 919 - Dec 4, 2010

Today was a pretty good day. We are both starting to feel better and it's about time. I spent the better part of the day getting more unpacked and organized. I also cooked a nice dinner and Breezy and Chris came over to eat and then we all put up the Christmas tree. Kevin wasn't there to help though because he went for a walk. He went for two today - in the hopes that he will lose some weight. I keep telling him it's more what and how much he eats and drinks, but he isn't willing to go so far as to cut back on that, lol.

He is doing great on the walking too. He didn't take his cane either time and he probably walks between 30-45 minutes each time. His stamina is getting better and better and his balance is too. It's unbelievable how well he is taking the step up onto the sidewalk now. He still has to stop and 'ready' himself to do so, but he doesn't have to use anything anymore to push himself up. I will have to try to remember to take some video soon.

And that's really about it today. I never left the house and Kevin only did so while walking. He wanted to ride his bike tonight, but I won't allow it while it's dark out. Tomorrow is another day though, right?

Day 918 - Dec 3, 2010

So yesterday Kevin had a dentist's appointment. I am so sad to say that our fabulous Dr. Craig is retiring at the end of the month. We are all quite sad by this fact, but Kev and Dr C made the best of it yesterday.

Oddly enough - they both collect goofy hats. When we went back to FL, Kevin found his Bob Marley hat and knew immediately he wanted to take it and show Dr. Craig. He has been patiently waiting to go see him and the hat even beat out his iPad in importance yesterday (gasp!!). Well...you know Dr. C had to try it on, right? Here he is:



And here is a photo of the two of them.



It's just so sad to think we will probably never see each other again. The two of them just hit it off so well.

So while we were in the dentist's office, the vision impairment folks called and wanted to get together to discuss vision therapy for Kevin. Apparently they knew we were on the third floor for the dentist and wanted us to go down to the second floor when we were finished to see them. That was mighty convenient and we were happy to do so.

The gentleman that was 'seeing' Kevin did a few tests and decided to have a private firm do an evaluation to see what Kevin could benefit from. He was (at first) more interested in having Kevin learn to 'deal with' his vision impairment, but I told him that we were not going to assume that Kevin could never get his vision back. Sure, he may not, but with all the other progresses he has made, who can truly assume that he couldn't get his full vision back with a little therapy to remind the brain that he has two good eyes?

So now we wait and see when the firm will call to get the ball rolling on that too.

And we do now have an appointment with the plastic surgeon too. I think I mentioned the other day that we were going to start that process as well.

The month is filling up. Our schedule is absolutely crazy for the next few weeks and I may have to start scheduling days 'off', lol.

Although...I did get a small chunk of time to myself today. While Kevin was at therapy, I went to this little bistro that was featured a while back in the news for being such a homey place. I grabbed a cookie and a bottle of water and just sat on the couch and read for about an hour. They had jazz music playing and it really was a relaxing hour or so. I was the only person in there at that hour and I liked that too, lol. It may become my new home while Kevin is in therapy. I haven't figured out if it's worth the drive back home for the few hours he's there. We'll see, I guess...

Day 917 - Dec 2, 2010

Although I have a bunch of things to mention, I am going to have to wait until tomorrow night. I just can't stay awake any longer. Darn cold!!

Day 916 - Dec 1, 2010

Today we had to go to BAMC to see the neurosurgeon for a 3 month post-op appointment. He had nothing but good things to say about Kevin's healing process. He commented on how well Kevin is talking now and he said his scar is looking great. There are no signs of any infection at this point either, but the 'danger zone' is a good six months.

While there, we started the process of fixing the indentation of Kevin's left temple area. The doc called a facial plastic surgeon for a consult, with the knowledge that we can't have the surgery done until the 6 month period is past. We know it will take that long to get everything in gear so I am glad we are setting the ball in motion now.

Obviously my fear is having all of this happen again (new surgery, bringing on another infection, causing the plate to be removed again). The surgeon feels there is very little risk (but there IS still risk) to do it this new way - where you basically take fat from your own body and inject it into the dented area. It's done as out-patient too, which is great.

Kevin is demanding that this be done though and I have to go along with his wants. I do understand his feelings, but I will always be fearful. I just can't imagine looking one way one day and waking up months later looking so completely different. Sometimes I catch Kevin looking in the mirror with this horribly sad look on his face. It's so heart-wrenching.

The surgeon also keeps bringing up that he wants to remove Kevin's shunt. My heart flutters every time he mentions it. He somewhat allayed my fears by telling me that he will go into Kevin's stomach first and clamp the tube to see if there is any effect, but still... (if you remember, the shunt tube goes from the top of Kevin's skull, under his skin down his neck, chest and then into his stomach.) I feel better knowing he doesn't plan to just remove it and see what happens, but again - it makes me so nervous. Remember how many shunt revision surgeries we had a while back? Gosh...I don't to even think about doing all of that again.

But...all of this is down the road. As are the few other surgeries he will still need.