Monday, June 9, 2008

weekend with Christie and Richard

Hello everyone,

This may be along blog, if I can remember everything from the weekend. The plane was late, so we didn't get to FINR until 7:00 P.M Friday night. We saw Richard right away, he was at the nurses station. He saw Mom and Me and got very emotional. He said " hey everyone(talking to the nurses.) This is my ex-wife, but always my best friend and my mother-in-law. Now you have met almost all of my family.
We talked with Richard for awhile, he didn't know I have been keeping up with Him and Christie the whole time, so he wanted to warn me, so I would know what to expect when I saw Christie. I told him it was OK, that I have been there, He was just asleep when I was there and didn't see me before.
Richard said he had seen Christie that day and he was upset by it, but by the end of the weekend, I think he is going to be strong for Christie and help her as she starts the progress he has made.
Christie has a throat infection because of the trach, but is normal and being treated with antibiotics. We took Christie outside in her chair(lays down like a bed) for a few minutes Sat and Sun. She is still in the coma, but we believe there are different levels. Christie can hear you when you talk to her. She smiled a lot this weekend. She is trying to communicate, I asked her was she ready to come back inside, I said if you are blink once, she did, then I said, I'm not sure you really meant yes, so if you want to go in, give me a thumbs up, she did. We came in. I accidentally took her to her Dads room, Richard had been outside with us. After I got her settled in the room I realized it was the wrong room. I said Christie, I brought you to your dad;s room by mistake, she smiled all over the place.
Richard seemed to enjoy our visit, while Christie slept, I would go for walks with Richard, Mom and I played BINGO with him in the common room. Richard seems to remember a lot, he brought up people we use to know over 20 years ago. He talked of pleasant memories that he recalled from our past, He remembered the pet names he had for Mama, he called her Mama cheese whiz, Mammaw and I can't remember the other, but he did, he remembered when I was coming to visit from day to day, he was waiting by the door Sat and Sunday when we got there. He said what took you so long, I've been waiting for you. I remember you said you would be here in the morning and if I was still asleep, you would wake me up.
He is determined to take care of Christie, If he is cold, he will go to Christie's room and turn off her fan. I told him I was glad he was there to look after Christie and take care of her, he said that WE would take care of her together and I told him yes we would.
He liked some of Christie's pictures, so I made copies, and he had me rearrange his wall of pictures. He put them where he wanted them and I taped them in place. They had been on his bulletin board, but he said he couldn't see them from his chair, so we moved them.
Christie also raised her head up several times. Paula and Aaron also came to visit Friday and Sunday. Christie seemed to enjoy their visit as well. Richard also joined us. Richard slept really well Saturday night and took 2 naps at least 2 hours each Sunday.
I'm glad Richard knows Christie is there, so now Angie and Phillip can visit her again without fear of Richard following them and finding out about Christie.
also we are looking for them to try and cap her trach this week, I call everyday for updates on Christie, but with Angie there in person, maybe she can put more current updates than I, so keep checking Richard and Christie's blog.
Becky

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank God you two got to go down and back safe. Sure am glad you got to spend time with Christie and Richard. You two will always have something in comman. Lee and Christie. God is good all the time. I pray that you and Richard will always put Lee and Christie number one in your lives. As you know God has a plan for you all and my prayers are with each of you. Richards family and yours. God bless

About Christie

I am Becky, Christie's Mom and I want to tell you about Christie. Christie is a beautiful, outgoing, and caring person. She loves outside, turtles, frogs, birds all kinds of animals especially horses. Christie has talked about maybe becoming a vet. Christie was injured in a car wreck on April 19,2008. Christie has a severe globial brain injury where they had to remove the whole left tempral lobe. This blog is to share Christie's story. She is a fighter, and she is making a recovery that no one thought she would.

MOTHERS


This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece. Please Read this at a slow pace, digesting every word and in Leisure...do not hurry... This is a treasure...
>For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mom,This is beautiful. For those of us who aren't, this is Even more beautiful. For those who are moms, you'll love this.
>The young mother set her foot on the path of life. 'Is This the long way?' she asked. And the guide said:'Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it... But The end will be better than the beginning.'
But the young mother was happy, and she would not Believe that anything could be better than these years. So she Played with her children, and gathered flowers for Them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and The sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried,'Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.'
>Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was Dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother Drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, 'Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.'
>And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and The children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children,' A little patience and we are there.'So the children climbed, and when they reached the top They said, 'Mother, we would not have done it without you.'
>And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up At the stars and said, 'This is a better day than the last, for my Children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness.Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I've given them strength.'
>And the next day came strange clouds which darkened The earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped And stumbled, and the mother said: 'Look up. Lift your eyes to the light. ' And the children looked and saw above the clouds An everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the Darkness. And that night the Mother said, 'This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God.'
>And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and The years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with Courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, For she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill,And beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And Mother said, 'I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end Is better than the beginning, for my children can Walk alone, and their children after them.'
>And the children said, 'You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.'And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates Closed after her. And they said: 'We cannot see her But she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She Is a living presence.......'
>Your Mother is always with you... She's the whisper Of the leaves as you walk down the street; she's the smell of bleach In your freshly laundered socks; she's the cool hand On your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives Inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love And your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can Separate you.Not time, not space... Not even death!
>I LOVE YOU MY BABY GIRL