Kimmie has been at home for one week today and things are going GREAT!   :) She called her Granny and Grampa tonight and they say that she sounds great...that her voice is stronger and clearer all the time. She sounded wonderful when I spoke with her last week. She is so happy to be home! She goes to outpatient therapy 3 days a week at this point and does therapy at home, of course. She is able to get around at home fairly well now...even going up and down the stairs (with someone beside her, of course). Mary says that Kimmie can walk just fine now without her walker as long as someone walks beside her and slightly in front so she can lay a hand on their shoulder for support!!

She went for an assessment last week and I spoke with her and my sister that afternoon. The neurologist that they went to wanted to get an idea of where Kimmie stands in rehab so he can plan her rehab from this point on. They are supposed to do a rigorous 8 hour exam sometime this week, but she met with him for a couple of hours last week as a preliminary assessment. He was nothing short of AMAZED at her progress! He talked with her about everything and then asked her what her goals for the future were. When she asked, "how long in the future?" ...he said, "In 1 year...where do you want to be and what do you want to be doing?"  She replied that she wanted to start teaching again, naturally :)  His response??? ------->>>>"I don't see that that's an unreasonable goal." (!!!!!!!)

He had her medical records and he asked her & my sister if they realized how bad Kimmie's injuries really had been. He told them emphatically that there was not ONE area of Kimberly's brain that was NOT injured (!)   All tissues, including her brainstem and blood vessels, had sustained shearing or tearing...and that she wasn't "just a miracle", but a "quadruple miracle"!

------>>>not only is it a miracle that she lived,
              but that she ever woke from the coma...
------>>>not only a miracle that she wasn't completely paralyzed,
              but that she walked into his office that morning...
------>>>not only a miracle that she recognized her family,
              but that she has seemingly retained her education, as well...
------>>>not only a miracle that she retained anything of her personality,
              but that she has apparently retained most of her cognitive functioning!!!!

She suffers short-term memory loss and some "flatness of emotion" (other than love, which she shows readily) -- all that really means is that she doesn't show extremes such as happy, sad, angry, etc... She seems "content" most of the time and shows appropriately different "love emotions" toward her mother versus those toward her fiance.

She has shown one other emotion...not anger necessarily, but more frustration or just plain confusion, perhaps? She was talking to Mary one night shortly before leaving the rehab center and they were talking about everything that's happened...and where they would go from here, etc...Kimmie said she just didn't understand why this happened to her (she knows that she did nothing to "deserve" it). Mary cried, for once...she's been so strong for Kimmie through this entire ordeal...and told her that she would gladly trade places with her in a heartbeat if she could. I don't think Kim is angry, per se...just experiencing the inevitable "why me?" stage.

She has a bit of trouble with decision making (although that will be aided with rehab, I know).  She doesn't seem to have an opinion on things and tends to let others decide for her. Some of that is natural for Kimmie, though...not quite sure how much has to do with the brain injury. She's always been easy to get along with!

She hasn't learned to control her speech yet (which he assured her would improve greatly in time) and she still has to get back her physical strength, but she is a living, breathing, walking, talking miracle...no doubt about it!!   :):):):):)

Now, how's THAT for an update??? *smiles ever-so-proudly*  Mary finally sent the first batch of updated pictures!!! Check them out HERE.
She says the rehab batch got lost in the "going home" phase, but that she will send them when she finds them. She also has a set being developed right now
that are from much later in rehab and when she left for home...I'll get those up as soon as I get them! :):)

NEVER GIVE UP HOPE!

MIRACLES REALLY DO HAPPEN!

I KNOW IT FOR A FACT...AND SO DOES KIMMIE.
 

Please continue praying for Kimmie's complete recovery...the Drs said it would take a miracle...our miracle is happening!!

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