My sister just called me a few hours ago...giving me the great news...Kimmie ate her first food today!!!! I couldn't believe it when Mary told me what she had eaten...it was the EXACT thing I had fixed here for supper (although she had it in pureed form, of course)! Mind you, it wasn't something "normal" or "common",
either! We both had sesame-chicken and peaches!! *laughs* She said that Kimmie did so well, they fixed her a milkshake for dessert and then the nurse brought her a 7-Up  :)  When Mary called me tonight, they were having somewhat of a "party"...the nurses and Mary were dancing around the room and in the hallway while
Kimmie was "singing" some of her favorite tunes by Jim Croce and Don McLean!! *smiles* At least she still has her great taste in music! :):):)   Her voice is getting stronger by the day and her words are less slurred.

She has been walking more today, going back and forth to the restroom with her walker instead of her wheelchair. Mary says her balance is coming back more now. I understand that part of her rehab all too well...been there-done that! She's moving at a faster pace than I did and I hadn't been in a coma! It took me days strapped to the "turn-table" just to get me able to be upright without falling over...so she's doing GREAT! Her arm is healing nicely and the stitches come out tomorrow. :)  She finally asked for more details about her wreck and about her actual injuries/first days in ICU, etc... They decided to tell her everything, so she'd know just how well she really was doing. She, of course, isn't as joyous about her condition now as we all are. She thinks she's not doing as well as she should. Mary said she assured her that she was doing better than most do after this amount of time...and that we were all overly happy with her progress. She seemed surprised. *smiles*  She saw her vehicle pictures and just stared at them for awhile...then looked at her Mom. She said, "I'm lucky to be here now, aren't I?" to which Mary replied, "WE are lucky to have you here to love."  She saw a couple of pics of herself in ICU that Mary had taken with her camera (somewhat like the ones on this site, but from later on in ICU...not the first days)...Kimmie seemed amazed that she looked so bad (boy, is she ever going to be surprised when she sees the first pics!).

Kimmie is doing so well that the rehab center has officially told her she can go home in 3 weeks. I still can't get over how well she is doing in such a short time! One month in rehab is almost unheard of !!! Mary says if all goes as planned that they will be coming "home" (here to Kentucky) for Christmas, so the whole family can be together with Kimmie for the holidays and the New Year...also for Kimberly's birthday, which is New Years's Eve. I can't wait!! Talk about a wonderful Christmas present for each and every one of us!

Mary says that Kimmie is doing well in the memory and brain functioning...great, actually...but that there are still gaps sometimes. Certain days, she will forget a year or two...other times, she thinks she's 21 again...but it comes and goes...when she's "there", she's all there :)  Her sense of humor has returned...she's always been a kidder...and has started doing things to joke around with her nurses, etc...teasing and practical joke type of things. She's excited about getting married...but Mary has warned Joel that there will be NO elopement...there is no way they are going to cheat the family out of seeing that happen!! *chuckles*

OK  That's all for now...like that isn't enough!!! :):):)
 

Thank you to all who have sent e-mails and prayers for Kimberly!! It really does help and each one is appreciated!
Please continue praying for Kimmie's complete recovery...the Drs said it would take a miracle...our miracle is happening!!

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