Day 7: Hard Day

Today was hard. And good. Hard because it was good.

Ronda is becoming a lot more alert, but with that comes more discomfort as she wakes up. She wants to get off the ventilator and get out of bed. She has been using the whiteboard to communicate. Her dexterity is still shaky but this morning she was able to tell Mike that she wants ice cream. She isn't allowed to eat or drink anything while on the ventilator. She had a stomach ache all day and had a hard time getting comfortable. She also kept trying to talk and got frustrated with the limited resources to communicate.

The good news is the swelling in her throat is going down and we are really hoping the ventilator can come out tomorrow. As soon as the ventilator comes out she can start working toward eating and drinking and talking. She will also be allowed to start progressing toward moving around a little more.

The neurosurgeon came in and measured Ronda for a helmet today. She will wear it until her skull is put back together. She will need to have it in order to start in-patient rehab so it is feeling like the ball is rolling on getting her to the next step. We are looking at rehab options and we’re hoping to have a better idea of the timing soon.