Dave, Richard and I (Madge) visited Christie on Sunday morning. When we arrived there, Christie was in the hall near the nurses station and she was reading her Harry Potter book. I asked her if she liked the book and she said very emphatically that she loved it. Christie was in a very communicative mood. She communicated the whole time Richard, Dave and I were there. We went for a stroll in the park with Christie where she was so happy to feel the sun and wind on her face. It was nice to see a smile on her face but even better when she reached over and grabbed Dad's arm to pull him closer and held his hand while they walked/strolled together. She tried to vocalize a few times when she wanted to get Richard's attention. All in all it was a very great day for all.
We went on Monday at 1:45 so Richard could go with her to her doctor's appointment but she left earlier than was scheduled so we missed her. We stayed until 6:00 PM hoping to see her before we had to leave but she was late comming back. This was very dissappointing to us but we knew we would see her on Thursday for her Thanksgiving festivities.
Thursday we arrived just before she got back from another doctor's appointment. This was her hearing test. She was so glad to see us that she gave us all a big hug and lots of kisses. She talked and talked (with her letter board) so much that we had to slow her down. She told her dad about her Florida friends Courtney, Jackie, and Donella and asked him to contact them to say hello. She wrote a little note to them for Richard to send. Dave upgraded her DVD player and she asked to watch a movie. She picked a Naruto movie, took the remote and turned it on herself. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments. We all were dissappointed that she could not join the families and other patients in the dinning room for the breaking of the bread but it would not have been wise to have her in there as she can't eat and it would upset her. Hopefully soon after her swallow study she can join us. The staff agreed. Richard met with Christie's teacher to see how her studies will go. They will do her schooling in house instead of taking her to school. She has to have a thorough neuro eval prior to this so they can properly place her. Richard had to go to work the next day so we left at 7:30 but we wish we could have stayed with her longer. It takes 2 1/2 hours to get home. This was a very positive and uplifting day for everyone. Unfortunately, Angie and Philip couldnt join us. They spent the week on a WELL DESERVED vacation down in the Carribean but they were with us in spirit.
