Spring Break at PCMC!!

We hadn't heard much about Hannah this week since she moved out of the ICU and into the NTU (Neuroscience Trauma Unit) so my stomach was tied in knots as we drove to SLC yesterday to see her. We found Billy in the cafeteria and she reported some great news...that Hannah had been to physical therapy earlier that day to brush up on her bowling game and had even tried to stand up when Billie was helping her back into the wheelchair. We were so excited so we headed up to the room. As we rounded the corner we saw that her nurse was snuggled up next to her on the bed and they were watching a movie. Hannah immediately recognized us and got all excited trying to sit up and get to us. I couldn't believe it! It took her a minute to calm down and then she started waving at us with her splinted arm. It was so amazing to see her react like that compared to what she was like the previous weekend and even just the day before.

I took the nurse's place beside Hannah and talked to her and told her what was going on at school and how proud we are of her. I held her left hand and she would squeeze it to answer "yes" to questions. She had just gotten a voice thingy hooked up to her trach that morning and had surprised herself when she heard herself cough. It felt so good to snuggle with her and talk to her. People kept coming to her room and she would wave to each one of them. Her eyes were clear and she was watching everyone. She could move her left arm and leg on command, which is such a relief because the damage is on the right side of her brain which controls movements on the left side of her body.

Lindsey took my place and snuggled with Hannah and although her face is still expressionless I could tell she was happy to have her buddy next to her. It was so sweet.

We got to go to physical therapy with her and saw her bowl...she would hold and then release a big bouncy ball down a foam wedge to knock over the pins. Seems pretty simple but this is a big deal for a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patient who wasn't doing anything two days prior. She then did a puzzle by picking up the pieces with her left hand and then pointing to the space to show the therapist where a certain puzzle piece goes. It was truly amazing to watch her take these steps to rehabilitation.
This is Hannah and her cousin, Luka, holding hands. We all got so excited when she would squeeze our hands. Before we left the hospital yesterday we asked her if she wanted us to come back and she squeezed!

Hannah, Lindsey and Luka have always been the 3 Musketeers so when Lindsey and Luka walked into the physical therapy room today she was totally distracted from the puzzle she was doing. Everyone told the two girls to leave and as they were walking out Hannah got so upset they told the cousins to come back. They moved on to a different exercise where Lindsey and Luka could be involved and Hannah accomplished the task. The cousins all wanted to push her back to her room so we stopped to take a picture.

The therapist helped Hannah find the Easter egg that's on her lap so we took her to the playroom and she picked out a toy from a basket full of stuff...another accomplishment! It's been a busy, productive, exciting couple of days for Hannah and we're so proud of her. She was probably glad to see us go so she could finally get some rest. Not...I know she wanted to come with us.

Oh yeah...she did something else today...she said "Hi", "Mom" and "Thanks"!!!!