FREEDOM!!!

Excellent news everyone, Erica is being discharged tomorrow! We know many of you are anxious to see her, but for now, we’d like to keep it only family while she acclimates to being home (and a new home at that) until next week. We will let you all know when she is ready for in person visits and try to work out a schedule that doesn’t overwhelm her. 

We also wanted to say that unvaccinated people can't visit her at this time - we hope you understand, given Erica’s immunocompromised state and the battle she has fought to get this far, the gravity of this request. For those of you who are vaccinated, we would ask you wear masks when you come.


With love and gratitude to you all for your help, prayers, kindness, and love, from the Bren, Hedlund, and Weitzlstrong family

Rehab Day 4

 There were some concerns the last few days about a possible infection because Erica had a slightly elevated fever, but after chest x-rays and other tests, she’s all good on that front. She’s had a very busy schedule between OT, PT, and SLP the last few days and she’s always very tired at the end of the day (or really about 3 – 4pm), but she’s also showing lots of improvement. Bryon sat with her today, and we came to the window to say hi – we made some funny faces and smooshed our faces against the glass, and she laughed and then she threw her arm over the side of the bed and pulled herself right up to a sitting position! Which immediately set off the bed alarm, so apparently, she’s been trying to get up and about over the last 24 hours. Her short-term memory is still not great, but she is otherwise more alert, aware, and awake every day. 

 

 

She loves seeing people through the window (she blew me and my husband lots of kisses today, and was clearly very happy to see us, or maybe it was because Bryon had just gotten in the room too), but her PT/OT/SLP schedule changes every day, and although we usually know what it will be the day before, it could change the day of they’ve told us. The sitter schedule changes every day too (we’re currently rotating between myself, Kathy, and Bryon), and when she gets too tired to really interact with people changes too, so it’s kind of hard to say when a good time for a window visit might be most unfortunately 

 

 

Bryon is planning to start having movers get the furniture from the old house to the new on Friday, and we are looking forward to seeing some of you on Saturday for the cleaning party – come any time after 12pm!

 

Rehab, day 2

Erica was very alert and aware for a bit today, she laughed, she smiled, she showed off her wrist dexterity. She drank a full glass of cranberry cocktail without help, and she took a few bites without any assistance (with her left hand!) but her back has been hurting so they gave her some pain meds for it and she got very, very tired. I left around 3 so they could do some tests and take her to dinner, and by the time I got back at 5, she was too tired for visitors anymore. 

I told her about the packing help yesterday, and she got very emotional (in a good way) about all of the love, thank you everyone, so very much.