Hola!

Last few days have been busy but good. Yesterday we got to take Angie and Ambie out to lunch. What fun! And delicious!

Saturday we got to go on 2nd first date. Who says almost dying has no fringe benefits?!?! We went to Admiral and saw Where the Wild Things Are and then went next door to Porterhouse for a delicious dinner of fish and chips. It sure was nice to get play normal for a night.

Friday was a lovely Christmas day spent with Josh's family eating great food. It was nice. Tiring but nice.

Then there was today - a day of firsts to say the least. I was successful at Wii hula hooping this morning (which I failed miserably at 4 weeks ago). Yes!!! And I got to 2 hours and 15 minutes in my torture device (my arm splint that stretches my left arm out). Big progress! Painful, but progress.

Tomorrow we're having lunch with Pops and Gram. Sure to be a good time.

If you are looking for something to be in prayer for - I've been sort of sad lately. Mostly I've been sad for Josh feeling like I'm not the wife he deserves or signed up for. I just wish I could be better so I could help him out more. It's sort of a bummer being me right now. Most everything hurts and I never really feel all that good. Life is just pretty hard. Any and all prayers would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Ang

Wow - humble pie never tasted so good! We' have been REALLY humbled lately. Between our concert that was successful beyond our wildest dreams, people's amazingly generous hearts who have donated online, and SPU who did an amazing bake sale / craft sale to raise funds for us. Thanks to all of you from the bottom of our hearts!

The concert was fabulous!!! Angie Fuller was magnificent, moving, and funny as hell. There were about 350 - 400 people in attendance and it was awesome! Even my talk went well - I only choked up in 2 places and remembered to breathe and talk slow enough to be understood. Lucky audience. I think I was most surprised that somebody in charge put a donation box inside and despite that people had already bought tickets to donate they were still using it! Wow - thanks! And people in attendance were from all walks. Some were family, coworkers, and friends (as expected) but there were also some who had no idea who I was and just read about the concert in the newspaper. Thanks to all of you too!

Well - can you believe Christmas is here?! It seems like it was just summer. Especially when I've forgotten 2 months. It's here though and it's going to be great. Today we have brunch with my mom and family then dinner with Josh's mom and family. And then tomorrow we have dinner with Josh's dad and stepmom and sister so that should be nice too.

If you are about to get a Christmas present from us look no further... For the rest of you, it was great yesterday. I talked my OT into helping me make biscotti (since they included 10 minutes of kneading the dough which I promised to use my left hand for). Here's proof those cookies were made with love - Hope you enjoy them if you're on the receiving end...

Merry Christmas,

Ang

Hooray - I made some progress this morning. I noticed when I woke up that I have moved from "mad" to "sad". Yippee - I'm on my way through the stages of grief. And another little victory - even though I'm in "sad" I feel like I'm in it like I would have been before my accident. The thing I'm saddest about is Josh - how hard this all has been and continues to be for him. I am at least a little sad for myself too but it comes second to Josh. I feel like if things were different and we were grieving about something else I would have the same sentiments. So that's good news.

What am I sad about for me? Mostly I am sad because I lost some of myself in the accident. I don't feel like I have the same energy or voice or presence I had before and I hope desperately that they come back. I kept my sense of humor, love for my husband, love for Jesus, and mind which are the most important so that's a blessing. But I still miss the rest of me. Prayer for this would be much appreciated.

Thanks for listening. Sorry if it was a downer.

Ang

More to show...

For those of you that haven't seen it - this is the x-ray of my left arm. Talk about bionic woman! And the scanner even cut off the top part so there is more metal than you can see!

And there were more articles done about me too. One in the PI and on the west Seattle blog. Have a little look-see:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlearts/archives/188746.asp

http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=25310

Not too shabby.

Today has been alright. PT this morning then a busted attempt for pool therapy only to find a closed pool and finally a trip to the gym with OT for a good butt-kicking. Now I just have to get some dinner (pizza hopefully) and practice reading my statement for the concert tomorrow without sobbing all the way through it. We'll see how that goes - I just might have to sob through the whole thing.

Yesterday was good. Got to go to church and got to go to the Choi's for a corn movie with the girls. For those of you that don't know what a corn movie is it's a movie where we stuff our faces with caramel corn. Yesterday's was sure a good one - Nightmare Before Christmas. Ah, how I do love Jack Skellington.

That's about it for the last few days. Really looking forward to my concert tomorrow. Still blown away by the fact that Angie Fuller is willing to donate her time and talent to help me out. What a lady! Should be a good time.

Hope to see you there,

Ang

Lots to show and tell.





Yesterday I went to the dentist in the morning and found out that - as though I didn't get hurt bad enough - I need a root canal because there is nerve damage in my mouth. At least it's only one tooth. It was sort of crazy because one of the plates in my face showed up in the x-rays of my teeth. Check it out - and look closely for the little 3mm screws.
Wild, huh?!?!

After the dentist I had occupational therapy where I got my Dynasplint. It's supposed to help straighten my arm. I was supposed to wear it for 45 minutes but I could only handle 30. Wow - did that hurt!

Today has been really nice so far. Josh has a head cold so we are just laying low. I was able to wear my Dynasplint for the full 45 minutes today but it was pretty sore. Tomorrow we'll try an hour - phew. My article also came out in the Times today. We are pretty happy with it. Here's a link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010545332_benefit19m.html

Looks like we've got a relaxing weekend ahead. Hopefully Josh'll be able to get healthy. Then Tuesday it's time for my concert already. Wow!

Hope to see you there,

Ang

I think my life is just as busy now as before my accident. Yesterday was a perfect example of that. First thing in the morning I had physical therapy where I went walking in the rain. Not too long after I had occupational therapy where we went to the gym and did lots of weights and rowed on the rowing machine. After that a friend stopped by to bring us dinner - thank you Jesus for chocolate chip cookies. Then we got interviewed by the Seattle Times which went pretty well and the story is supposed to be published on the 19th. After that we went to West 5 for some BLT's. And then on to the Choi's for a bible study / Christmas party. Whew - I slept well last night - that's for sure. Eleven and a half hours to be exact.

The Times interview was the big to do yesterday. They asked lots of questions about when I was in / coming out of a coma. Needless to say Josh did most of the talking. I am very much looking forward to seeing the story in print. Hopefully it'll be good. I did get to talk a little bit about how I'm doing now and how many bones I broke and stuff like that. I had 22 fractures or broken bones - can you believe it?!?! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I could get hurt this bad just riding my bike to work. Who knew?!?!

Tuesday was busy too, but a little less so. Josh's mom came over for lunch and then Josh and I got to go to my department's (work-related) Christmas party. It was fun and I was able to reconnect with a few people from work. And there was good food so that was nice.

Today should be minimal-ish. We're going to go do some water therapy at the pool around noon and then we have haircuts or in my case a bang-trim set up for this evening. Too bad I wasn't able to get my bangs cut before the Times came and took pictures for the paper. Oh well. At least it's in time for my benefit - I don't want to go up front and welcome people with crazy hair. The bang situation is really bad. When I first got in to ICU they shaved a patch on the front of my head to put in an inter-cranial monitor. The bangs have been sort of catty-wompus ever since. But not for long. The shaved side has finally grown out enough to cut the long side to match. Thank you Jesus that I get to look like myself again! And that I even understand that!

Blessings have certainly been aplenty. Although despite that I'm in a new emotional phase now. I'm pretty mad. Mad about how bad I got hurt, about how long it's taking to heal, and really mad about how much it makes my family hurt. I just kind of feel like I got the short end of the stick and am pretty pissed off about it. Please pray for me that I won't be here for long and that I would just focus on that this is all in God's plan and that He will be here for me when I'm not mad any more.

Thanks,

Ang

What a busy couple of days it has been.

Thursday I went to checkups at Harborview and it went really well. I'm decreasing one if my meds now which is great and most importantly I got approved for weight bearing in my left arm. Then after we were done at the hospital Josh was kind enough to take me to Laughing Buddha on Broadway and John Durante put all my jewelry back in. I didn't think it would be able to just go back back in - I thought the holes had closed up. But no, I now have my nose ring and both of my tragus' back in. I feel more like myself, that's for sure.

Friday came with lots of pain and a great date night. Lots of pain came because I can weight bear now and my OT had me on hands and knees trying to do push ups. Wow - that was an incredible and searing pain in my wrist! And my push ups weren't even that good. Bummer! Oh well. I am a little afraid of what OT has to bring now and that it'll just hurt so bad I'll have to quit and look like I'm wimping out. We'll see. Date night included lots of great sushi where I felt full again and a trip to Husky Deli to get some coveted Danish bacon.

Saturday was really busy. Mom came over in the morning and it turns out her whole ladies group got me Christmas presents so she schlepped them all upstairs. We had a great time opening and then got to go to the Mars Hill West Seattle Christmas tea. The tea was really nice. I think my favorite parts were getting to chat with Brit and getting to introduce Mom to Sandee. After it was over Mom and I went to Husky to get an appetizer platter because Josh and I had our new-married Christmas party yesterday afternoon. That was great fun too! I think the best part of that was a tie between 5-year-old Theresa telling me,. "I'm glad you're healing" and Tom Vo's heinous ornaments made out of liverwurst and summer sausage. Oh, they were even worse then you're imaging - if that's possible.

Not too much on the docket for today - just some good relaxing. If you want something specific to pray for me for I could really use prayer surrounding my left arm. Please pray that it gets working well and doesn't hurt too much. Also just prayer for me and my pride involved in that entire thing - that I don't hurt myself trying to satiate my pride.

Thanks.

Ang

I'm doing great! The last 2 days have been really good - busy but good. My poor OT agreed to take me to work and her normally hour and a half appointment grew into a nearly four hour appointment yesterday. We rode the bus down to Amgen and I got to say hi to a ton of people. We even got to go to the gym and Liz told Dan all about what I need to work on when I get back. And I did the whole trip with just my new pink cane! What a success!!!

Then today I did PT, went to the pool, then did OT! Whew - tiring to say the least! In PT I did lots of balance work and I got to go in the loft. Wow - another success! I'm definitely making progress. Then I went to the pool with just my cane and the lady at the desk even noticed I was there with no walker. I even swam the whole length of the pool today on my back! Another big success! Yeah!

All in all I'm doing pretty well right now. Being able to get around with just the cane has been a great reminder for me that God is not done healing me yet. I can't wait to see how far I'm going to go.

Tomorrow is a huge day. I have a musculo-skeletal (TBI) and orthopedic check-up at Harborview in the morning. I'm hoping to get approved for weight-bearing in my left arm. We'll see. And the plan right now is to go get my nose re-pierced after my doctor's appointments so that's good news. I'll finally look like myself again.

Hope all is well with you,

Ang

The last few days have been okay. Today I got to go to the gym with my PT. We tried the bike, the elliptical, the stepmill, and the treadmill. I'm okay to do the bike and the treadmill by myself, I felt really unstable on the elliptical, and I just have to have someone there with me if I want to do the stepmill. We also tried various weight machines that work the legs. All in all it felt pretty good to be back at the gym. Then this afternoon Josh and I went to Target and Barnes and Noble. Whew, I did lots of walking today. Guess that's good. And Josh got me a cane today too. Not too shabby - and it's powder pink!

Yesterday was pretty low key. Just hanging around the house and then the 5 o'clock church service. Kinda nice just to have a day to rest.

Tomorrow is a big day. I get to visit work with my OT. Should be great. It'll be good to ride the bus since I haven't done that since my accident. I might even feel normal. Or at least normal-ish. And the day after is follow-ups with musculo-skeletal and orthopedic. I really hope to be approved for weight bearing in my left arm.

What I've been struggling the most with lately has been balance. I just don't feel that stable. Most of the time I feel a little tippy. Any prayers regarding this wouldbe much appreciated.

Thanks,

Ang

Today was full. I had PT this morning and got to get a long awaited gingerbread latte from Starbucks. Then we went to the pool with Nick and Rachel and Sharon. Mom met us there too. After the water workout we came home and Billy did a little acupuncture. I even stayed awake - just barely. Finally Josh and I made beef and broccoli stir fry and had dinner. Whew - what a day.

This morning I worked more on my paper for speech therapy. It is coming along well. It's on TBI. Pretty fitting if I do say so myself. Fun, hard, and very interesting.

Therapies have been great lately. In PT I've been cleared to walk with my walker by myself safely. I've also been cleared to get out of the house on my own going down the steps one at a time, but I get to come back up step-over-step.

My walking is improving a lot too. My PT had me walk fast and we found that my gait is even better then. I think it's because I'm not bogged down by thinking about every little thing as I'm going slow. All I'm thinking about when I'm going fast is trying not to fall on my ass. Whatever works.

Day before yesterday I went to Target with Josh. We were on the hunt for heinous Christmas ornaments for a gift exchange we do with friends every year. We found them alright! I just don't know who's is worse - mine or Josh's. They are both pretty bad. Should be a fun year for that get together.

Also emptied the dishwasher and put away some clothes. Almost felt like a regular wife for a minute. As a good wife, I put on the video of the UFC fights we had tickets to before my accident. Wish we could have been there and seen it live!

Yesterday I had a big day too. Walked over to QFC with my OT and did a little grocery shopping. Boy that is a long walk. Then Nick and Rach came over and we had a Wii bowl-off. Josh did really well - he bowled over a 200!! Is it just natural or was it because he was full of the awesome lasagna brought over by the Latvala's? Who knows - it could be either. That was a good lasagna! I didn't do too bad either.

Looking forward to seeing Z tomorrow and resting up over the weekend. I've got a full week next week between therapies and follow-ups at Harborview. I also have to work on what I'm going to say at my concert on the 22nd. It's coming up.

Thanks for reading,

Ang

"O Lord my God, I called to you for help and You healed me." Psalm 30:2

Bummer, PJ day was only relaxing for one of us - ME. It started out great. We went out for pho around 12:30 but when we got home things went a little awry. First we went over the checkbook which hasn't been balanced since before my accident. Great for me - still relaxed, Josh - not so much. Then we attacked paying bills. Again, ok for me - stressful for Josh. Oh well - I had a great day!

Next day we went to Angelo's to celebrate Josh's dad's birthday. I ate like a pig! A side salad, almost a whole small pizza, and dessert. Delish! It was really nice to visit too. Josh's step-mom joked around with me about all the things we can blame on my TBI. Too funny!

Yesterday was a productive day. We got a new resting hand splint for me with my OT. And then we loafed on the couch, ate pizza, and watched a movie. Apparently I had already seen it but it was like new all over again. I guess that's one of the perks of my accident. Old movies seeming all new again - who knew?!

Today has been alright. Got to go for a long walk in the sun to the post office with my OT today. Then Josh and I laid down for a bit and had lunch with Josh's mom. Yum! Chili.

That's all for now.

Ang

Today is gearing up to be the best day! Just woke up and took my morning meds. Josh is still asleep. But what is on the docket for today??? None other the most magical - PAJAMA DAY!!! Will write back later and let you know how it went.

Ang

What a Thanksgiving we had! We got to sleep in and then head over to Auntie Marian and Uncle Tim's house. When we got there we were able to spend time with them, ALL of the girls, Gramma Mary, Papa George, Uncle John, Auntie Jill, Drew, Lena, and Mickey. It was really nice! Finally when it was time for dinner we all went to Uncle Timmy's restaurant E-pulo where we met up with Mark and Terry and had quite the feast! I ate like a pig! My favorite thing there was a delicious casserole of cooked spinach, cream, onions, gruyere cheese, and parmesan cheese. Wow, was it good! Thank you Terry!

And we got to go to church the night before to celebrate Thanksgiving Jesus-style. It was really nice too!

I think what I missed most was not having Mom around. She went to Alaska to be with / surprise Tony. But I got to talk to her on the phone and tell her how thankful I am for her. I think over the last 3 1/2 months she has given me a glimpse of what God's love is for me - perfect. Am I lucky!

Today I had a great acupuncture treatment. It was encouraging that my left side still has energy and that it is getting more all the time. There was even more than two weeks ago. Yeah! I am on my way!

Hope you all had a great holiday and I hope to see you at the concert.

Ang

Ang

Tickets on Sale for Angela's Benefit Concert on 12/22!

Hi All-

For those of you interested in coming out to show your support at Angela's benefit concert you can purchase pre-sale tickets via the following link to Brown Paper Tickets: This page also provides a description of the event.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/91359

The event will be held at Mars Hill West Seattle on 12/22/09 at 7pm. Pre-sale tickets for the event are $20 and tickets available at the door on 12/22 will be $25.

If you run into any problems with purchasing tickets please let us know via the comments section of this post and we will do our best to get things squared-away. Tickets will also be available at the door the day of the event. However these tickets will be limited in number based on capacity and the number of tickets pre-sold.

Thank you again for all the love and support. We hope to see you there!

Josh and Ang

Today has been really good so far. I had PT this morning and we got to work on the Wii fit games with the balance board. It was really fun! I think I'll be doing a lot of that for therapy on my own.

We also visited the nursing home I was in so we could fulfill my IOU to my old OT for spaghetti sauce. I gave him plenty of crap while I was there so he got a big container of sauce. I also got to see Trista, Sonja, Nicole, and Lee. It was nice to get to see all of them and give them hugs.

Josh and I just finished watching Up. It was nice. I think he is just as goos of a husband as is portrayed in that movie. How lucky I am!

And I had a big accomplishment this morning too. I showered all by myself standing up most of the time, then I dried myself off and dressed myself. Then I brushed my teeth and dried my hair without help too. I felt pretty good when all was said and done.

Finally, we got some good news this morning too. I gues Mars Hill Global is backing my benefit concert as an official Mars Hill event. Praise Jesus! I think that'll help draw a crowd.

Yesterday was nice too. I had a lunch visit with some folks from work. Josh said just having that company moved me to use "non-normal" vocabulary words. So that's good too. I also got to go to QFC again yesterday woth OT. What a trap! Everyone and their brother was there! We got what we came for and got out alright. And then my friend Lucy got to come over and watch Fired Up with me. The movie wasn't bad and the company was great! It's nice to finally watch the Netflix that has been here since before I got in my accident.

I have sort of a new struggle. I'm really trying to earnestly ask Jesus to put me where
I can serve him best. If that means I'm not fully walking or moving my left arm, then praise God. It has been hard for me to not want full physical recovery, but to want what God has for me with the knowledge and understanding to serve Him as He desires.

Thanks for reading.

Ang

Hi All-

If you are interested in volunteering at Angela's benefit concert please sign up via the following link. Mars Hill West Seattle is a large venue so we will be counting on numerous volunteers to get the benefit concert off the ground. If you can't volunteer, we of course hope you can at least attend.

Thanks,

Josh


http://groups.google.com/group/sweet-concert-volunteers/subscribe?hl=en

Today is good so far. It's 11 o'clock and I'm just getting up and around. I slept until after 9 and we didn't get out of bed until 10:30. It was fabulous! And it was followed by a delicious breakfast made by my husband. I am so lucky to have him!

Last night we got to go to Uncle Timmy's new restaurant with Ted and Katrina. It was great! The restaurant was super comfortable and Mom, Auntie Marian, and Kathryn joined us. We got to see Eric too because he is bartending there. What fun! And the food was great! If you're interested you can look at the menu and get the address at www.epulobistro.com. You won't be disappointed!

Marissa, Josh's sister, came to visit yesterday too. It was nice to see her and we had a fun time chatting. Cassie and Brandon were able to come as well which was great! I've really missed them!

We're headed to church tonight after a visit from Lynaia and Nova.

More later.

Ang

I am doing well. Meeting with the ladies last night for bible study was wonderful. We got to talk about what I have been struggling with, which has been pretty hard for me lately. I’ve been having a really hard time reconciling how God is good and I got hurt this bad. I’ve also been pretty frustrated with having to work so hard just to get back to where I already was. Any prayers for these things would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve also been spending a little bit of time lately just feeling bad for my husband and my mom that they have had to go through this with me. I just can’t imagine what it would be like to get a phone call that your baby is in a coma and might die, and that you should rush to the hospital. Josh must have had just as hard of a time if not harder when he had to check his 27 year old wife into a nursing home. I know I am not supposed to spend energy thinking about this stuff but its there and never far from my mind.

In bible study we talked about how this IS God’s plan and His intentions are not for me to understand or question. We worked through my new favorite verse, Joshua 1:9. It says, “Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” This verse has been extremely helpful for me in reminding me to trust God and reminding me that He never abandons me. Like my PT from Harborview said, “He was with me before the accident, He was with me during, and He is with me now.”

It was really fun to go to Dana’s house for tea yesterday morning. She really liked the slippers my mom made for her. She put them on right away! Lucy enjoyed her pair too.

For PT yesterday my therapist and I went to Target and walked around. Her intention was to see how I walked and get a feel for my endurance. I think I impressed her, at least on the endurance front.

This morning was exceptional because my kitty Suki let me pet her at the end of the bed. She let me pet her back and then she even rolled over and let me rub her tummy. Meow! Josh got the Wii hooked up last night and we put it to good use this morning. We Wii-bowled together and I even won! I think it will get plenty of good use. Josh golfed on it and I can’t wait to tell Tom to come over and golf with Josh. We’ll see how the balance board works out since I haven’t tried it yet.

Signing off-

Ang

Benefit Concert for Angela on 12/22 at 7pm MHWS

Just got the following great news:

On December 22nd, former Houston Symphony concertmaster Angela Fuller will be putting on a benefit concert at the Mars Hill West Seattle Campus.

Who: Violinist Angela Fuller and piano accompaniment
When: December 22nd at 7:00 pm
Where: Mars Hill West Seattle (7551 35th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA. 98126)

We will need volunteers to staff the event. We will be posting a contact soon who will be handling coordination of volunteers, etc. If any of you have an interest in being that person please contact Amber @ (206) 372-3664.

More to come and hope to see you there!

Josh

So far so good for today. Got to go to see my doctor this morning. It was nice to touch base. And I got both flu vaccines and my blood drawn. What an adventure - and not too bad.

Woke up a tiny bit sore this morning. Because we had a great workout yesterday with Sharon in the local community pool. It was grand. She really kicked my butt but it was a good and loving butt-kicking. Can't wait for next time!

Got to have my 90 day evaluation last night for the study that I'm part of. I think I did pretty well and it wasn't too bad.

Liz came today for OT and we went to QFC to work on endurance and do a little grocery shopping. It was nice to get a treat for Josh and it went well overall. Got to start the e-stim too.

Just a little update.

Ang

Today has been relaxing so far. The counselor from Rehab Without Walls came this morning and OT is coming later this afternoon. Lunch with Lucy will be sandwiched in between therapy today.

Yesterday was a great day. Dana and Shauna both came over for a visit. It was nice to see them. We went to the late service at church. Pastor Mark talked about our visit and Pastor Adam invited the whole church to come and pray for us after the service. The group of people that actually prayed for us was huge! It was made up of people that I knew and lots of people that I had never met or talked to before. It was really nice and made me feel loved, cared for, and that there are a lot of people pulling for me.

That's all for now!

Ang

Hi Everybody.

Ang here. Today has been wonderful so far! I got to sleep in with Josh this morning and little Suki even came up for some pets. I had a great breakfast (thanks to my husband) and I have an acupuncture appointment this afternoon. Lots to do.

Yesterday was good but tiring. I met my speech therapist and had an OT appointment. My speech lady was really nice and it seems like she'll do her best to challenge me so that sounds good. During my OT appointment I got to make pasta sauce so that was nice. I tasted it this morning and I think it turned out pretty good. At least I didn't lose my ability to do everything in the accident! Phew!

Will write back soon. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.

Ang

Today was busy! We started the morning by baking muffins to take to breakfast with some friends. Breakfast was a wonderful time. From there, we came back home and met the new physical therapist. We did a lot of assessments so she could see where to start my rehab program. I got to do the steps (mostly stair over stair) to my house two times today. WOW! I did pretty well on the balance test. I get to focus on balance, strength, endurance and eventually speed.

Yesterday I met my new occupational therapist. I really liked her although she plans to pull on my arm a lot. I hope to reach new heights with the extension of my arm...no pun intended.

My kitties are slowly adapting to me being home. Genghis is hard up for pets and to get in to the bed whenever possible. Suki is still being stand-offish but she did come downstairs today so we know she is here.

It feels great to be home with ONE BIG challenge. I have to try and remember where everything is and I do not like not knowing. I am working on transition and being patient. Fortunately part of my therapy program is a counselor who helps me learn how to rest. My first assignment is to sit doing nothing for 5 minutes. Sounds easy? You try it!

If you want to send me any cards, please send them to my Mom for the time being. Her address is:

1136 N 91st St. #B
Seattle, WA 98103

More soon,

Angela

Last night was very interesting to say the least. Someone pulled the fire alarm downstairs at about 10:30 last night. It was quite the wake-up call. I headed downstairs to make sure that everything was okay. The firemen from station 11 responded. They were the same guys that responded to Angela's accident. I happened to recognize them from when they visited at the hospital early on. Since Ang was already awake I asked her if it was okay if they came up to visit. She was excited to see them and fill them in on everything that she had been through thus far. She of course made them a promise to drop off some Danish bacon from Husky Deli for them at the station. We had previously talked about coming to visit them at the station, but turns out that God brought them right to our door. They were all extremely thrilled to see her doing so well. The situation was much different the last time that they had seen her.

Today was another busy day. We met with several of the new Rehab Without Walls therapists that will be working with Ang. She seemed to click with all of them so that is another huge blessing. The RWW folks are very flexible so any follow-ups that we have at Harborview shouldn't pose any problems.

Looks like Ang's days will be filled as usual with a few hours of rehab plus whatever homework she gets. She continues to be very driven and pushes herself daily.

Ang is definitely happy to be home. She will be hosting a women's bible study at the house tomorrow evening and heading out for tea with a friend in the morning. Ang has always been a busy-body so she is now learning to turn it down a notch, which is not an easy thing for her.

That left arm of hers continues to improve! We are curious to see what therapies are in store for her after the introductions are over and continue to pray for a speedy recovery.

Ang is fast asleep already so not much else going on tonight. Ang meets her new PT tomorrow so we will see what that brings.

More to come-

Josh

Almost forgot to update the blog tonight.

It was a crazy day. We finally are home and we are so thankful. Everything is unpacked for the most part and we are settling back in.

tomorrow is going to be hectic as well. I have to get up at the crack of dawn and head into work since my work computer crashed. Always fun... Teressa is heading over early-early to fill in form me while I am out and then hopefully we will all be present and accounted for at 9am when Ang's new rehab coordinator is supposed to be on our doorstep. Ang is diving right back into her therapies with new faces and a new environment. We are very proud of her! Still a long journey ahead of her and us, but being at home is already making a difference.

Thanks to the Dasek's for the delicious dinner! And thank you so much to Uncle Mark in PA. for the care package. I know that Ang will put everything you sent to good use. Can't tell you how much we appreciate your kindness from afar.

Off to bed before the early morning. Hopefully you all will be hearing from Ang herself tomorrow.

Good Night,

Josh

Today went well.  A little bit of work this morning followed by a HUGE lunch from Fred.  He brought McDonald’s for all of us.  Personally, I had a quarter-pounder with cheese and chicken nuggets.  Then I topped it all off with some macaroni and cheese.  Boy was I full!

I think being a glutton had a negative impact on my afternoon therapies by making me really tired.  At first, I thought that the tiredness might be from an increase in my medications.  But, having had another round of medication without sleepiness makes me believe it might have been a “food coma”.

It was nice to give the therapists here at Harborview the gifts that we got for them.  Plus we had a big platter of meats and cheeses delivered to the nurses’ station from Husky Deli that was much appreciated.  4 or 5 people came to my room just to tell me how good the snacks were.

We have spent a portion of the day getting things ready for the trip home tomorrow.  I am very excited for tomorrow.  Saturday night was so great that it makes me really look forward to tomorrow.  It will be a change, but definitely a welcome one that has been long awaited.

My new therapy team called today and set-up a schedule for this week.  It doesn’t seem too crazy but they have already promised that it will change.  I think that it will take a while to settle in with the new schedule.

Looking forward to being back in “the hood.”  It is a miracle that we get to come back home.  God is good and gracious.  He woke me up and healed my body enough that I can come home.  What an answered prayer!  I think that there will be many challenges but I am ready for them.  My plan is to pray my through whatever might come and talk to my husband if there are any issues.

That’s all I’ve got.  Good night and sleep well.

Ang

Yesterday and today were definitely a whirlwind.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by yesterday to help me finish putting the house together for Ang.  I think that the new arrangement is going to work out just fine.  Ang didn’t have any problems navigating the new layout and was happy with how the house turned out.

It was such a blessing to have Ang home for a night after 3 months of being without her.  I don’t think that I have accepted the fact that she is hurt until now.  It has been very easy to associate “hurt” with the hospital setting over the weeks that have passed and having Ang home made the situation VERY real for me.

Nonetheless, I rejoice in all of the work that our Lord has done in Ang since her accident in August, and what He continues to do.  We did not know if this day would ever come, but God is good and faithful.  We went to sleep around 8 and didn’t get up and moving until almost 10 in the morning.  I felt like I could have slept for days.  I woke up a couple times in the night and just watched Ang sleep.  It was like a dream waking to see her next to me.

We stayed in bed and watched a movie this morning.  It was a Netflix that we were going to watch from before her accident.  Perhaps not the best choice.  It was about a lady who had been in a coma of all things..  Should have thought that one through a little better I guess, but it helped Ang process what she and our family had been through I think.  We stopped about half-way through and had a good talk / cry and finished the movie.

Trying to get used to the home setting and what Ang needs is going to take some time.  I tried to run a bath for Ang today only to find out that the plug in the tub needed some attention.  Talk about frustrating when the tub is still empty and all you are getting is cold water!  Ang laughed it off like she normally would and helped me to move on to the next thing.  It was hard not being frustrated because all I wanted to do was take care of her and I felt like I couldn’t do it.  More patience and more learning are to come without a doubt.

Ang’s Dad came by the house and they had a nice visit.  He and Ang caught up and it was fun to watch them interact.  Ang had some good suggestions for him in a situation that he is dealing with regarding her Grandparents based on her own recent experiences.

I made some pasta for dinner and broke out some of Ang’s famous meat sauce from the freezer.  Her comment, “This is SO much better than the stuff at the hospital!”  It was great to sit with Ang and have a meal that she helped to make herself.  She even helped me out in the kitchen a bit.

After dinner we headed off to 5 o’clock service at MHWS.  Ang stood through all of the worship music again.  She even commented that she was putting more weight on her left leg.  Ang focuses on her therapy even at church!  There were a lot of familiar faces this evening and many words of encouragement and thanks.  You are all a part of Ang’s healing, so thank you for having such a heart for my wife.

Many people have commented on the blog, saying that they are thankful for what we are doing.  Here is my two cents on the topic.  I want this experience to be transparent for people.  I want something good to come from it.  If opening our lives to all of you can bring any good to your relationships or your walk than let us serve you.  We are called to love one another as Christ loves the Church and if we can love you during this season by sharing this trial with you than we are for it.  Our heart is for our God, our Church, and our community.  Bringing our trial into the light will only bring glory to the Cross.

Please continue to pray for strength and endurance for our family.  Pray for protection against spiritual attack.  Pray that this season will only strengthen our faith and that God will redeem this time in our lives.

“God will not lead you anywhere that His grace will not protect you.”

In Christ,

Josh

It was a fairly quiet day all filled in with the anticipation of going home for an overnight.   OT this morning was focused on arm and leg exercises.   We got to watch Angela do tricep extensions with her left arm for the first time.   The therapist, Josh and I got much more excited than Angela.  Ang kind of looked at us like ...duh...of course I can do this.

Then the rest of the day kind of wore on until the 3:15 PT open gym therapy appointment which was 45 minutes of a variety of leg exercises.

OFF TO HOME! !  

Ang did the stairs to her house like a champ.   The cat even came fairly quickly to be petted and Mom exited so Ang and Josh could get reacquainted in their new home setting.    Josh did an EXCELLENT job rearranging the house to maximize space, flexibility, and coziness.

More soon.

Mom

It was a hard day.  My left leg kept buckling underneath me while I was walking and I was tired all day long.  OT went well this afternoon.  I made French dip sandwiches and they turned out really well.  It was nice to feed my husband something that he was used to and that he recalled from before the accident.  I ate one too.  It was pretty darn good.

Worked more on my walking and my left arm during PT and also had lots of visitors.

I get to go home tomorrow to stay the night and am very excited!  I get to sleep in my own bed with my husband and my kitties!

Ang

Ang-

I know it is your Mom’s turn to update the journal tonight.  I am moving things around in the house and felt the need to write you a little note.  My words are feeble in comparison to how you fill my heart and complete my life.

I love you.  I am so proud of you.  Your courage, your heart, your vibrant spirit.  I see you, Ang.  I see you the way that I have always seen you.  The accident has absolutely nothing to do with you being beautiful.  If anything it has served to show how truly beautiful you are.  You touch the lives of everyone around you and make us all better by knowing you.  I told you before we got married that I will always see you in white.  This still stands true.  You are and always will be my best friend.  You are a gift from God.  His grace is being poured out on you and our marriage.  Despite how things are now this will only make us stronger and more faithful.  Do not doubt that God has us in the palm of his hand.  I know that sometimes it is hard to see but look at how far we have come on this crazy journey.  I know that God will finish the good work that he has started in you and in us.

You are amazing, Meow.  I don’t know what the future will bring, but I know that whatever is around the corner we will face it together.

With love and admiration to the moon and back.

Your loving husband,

Josh

Mom here as the official typist....Angela is dictating...

Hi All,

My noteworthy event of the day was to go down to the cafeteria to Molly Moo's for ice cream with my PT.   I had Mojito sorbet.  We took the elevator down to the basement and then we took the elevator back up to the second floor but walked the stairs from the second to the fourth floor.  We did this step over step and I had very little help.  My body is really tired!  The muscles have tightened up and are sore so I am happily resting at this moment.

More work today in Speech with the Voice Recognition program.   I "typed" 34 words a minute using dictation which is a lot better than the 16 words a minute that I can type using just one hand.   I am learning the commands to make the program work for me and I can see a lot of improvement.

Plans continue to move ahead for discharge on Tuesday.   Lots of changes going on at home and I get an overnight pass to "test" out being there to make sure we have covered all our bases.   Don't plan to visit me at Harborview on Saturday afternoon through Sunday late evening.   I will be trying out all the conveniences of home.

Joshua 1:9 continues to sustain me and so does Phillipians 4:13.  Please keep me in your prayers as I process all this transition along with my husband and my Mom.

As I drift off to sleep, I wish you all the best.

Ang

What a day! (Again)

I missed the early part of the morning today due to some work training that I couldn’t miss.  But I know that Ang had her work cut out for her.  OT to work on her arm and then stairs again with PT.  After that she had her first evaluation with the neuropsych folks.  We were not allowed to sit in on the evaluation with Ang, but when she told us about it she was very happy with her performance.

The big event for today was heading to the grocery store.  We went to the QFC on Pike and Broadway close to Harborview and right next to where Ang used to live while attending Seattle University.  We got to walk past some of her old haunts such as The “Vomit” Comet as Ang calls it, as well as Balet, Which Ang will let you know has the best noodle bowl in the city.

Ang walked about 500 ft. while doing her grocery shopping.  She was able to use the grocery cart like a walker.  Ang decided that she was going to make French dip sandwiches for her OT exercise.  She had a ten-dollar budget that she did not know about and she also didn’t know that she was only making food for herself.  I don’t think that my wife has ever made food for one person in her life.  Needless to say she bought a half-pound of roast beef and 10 slices of provolone.  I had to explain to the therapist that she is Italian and this is how Ang has always been.

Thank you Amgen folks for bringing the lab gadgets for Ang!  Today was the first day that she has really dug into the box for therapy.  It was awesome to watch her work with the tools.  She has been moving her left hand and arm more and the lab equipment was excellent motivation for her.  She really amazed everyone with how much she was able to do.

Lots of visitors tonight as well.  Ang had a great time catching up and entertaining a handful of co-workers.  It really is great to see my wife fall right back into line when her work friends are around.  I know that this will make her transition back to Amgen much easier for her further down the road.

Thanks so much to everyone for visiting today.  And thank you for the Thai food and the special something.  We appreciate your generosity so very much.

Also-  Just a heads up, but we will be transitioning away from the caringbridge site soon.  We are going to be heading over to blogspot since it has more functionality.  We have set up a fund for Ang and the new website will enable people to donate online if they wish.  The fund is set up through the Seattle Christian Foundation and will be used to address any long-term care needs or medical bills and items that our insurance will not cover.  I’m not sure when exactly we will be moving to the new site but it will likely be within the next week.  We will update the journal with the link to the new blog accordingly.

Josh

Mom here again....

WHAT A DAY!   From the moment we started OT this morning, it was a non-stop day right through to 4:00pm.   Whew! ! !   Today included a trip to the swimming pool near Garfield High School.   Angela was in the water walking, and walking, and walking some more.   Wow, she really worked hard.   This was after her OT and PT regular sessions.   Then, she returns and has speech, a team meeting, then another OT and PT session.   Made me tired just to watch.

Needless to say, Angela is sleeping and getting restored for tomorrow.

At the team meeting, we reviewed the 13 goals that we set last week.   Six of them are accomplished and another 4 are very near.   We are focused and moving on and getting ready for the next transition to home.   We shall see how it all goes.

Today's highlight for me was watching her spread her fingers on her left hand.   Angela really wanted to do this and today she did it!   She was as shocked as I was.   It was fun to see.

Well, that's my message for tonight.

Teresa

Ang is actually watching a movie for the first time since the accident so I am filling in on the bridge tonight.  She had a very active day.  Lots of therapy as usual and a lot more progress.

The PT was very impressed by the progress that Ang made over the weekend.  (Walking without assistance and getting up and down safely) and the fact that she stood during all of the worship music before and after service last night.  Ang had her work cut out for her during both of her PT sessions today.  First session Ang worked on walking while balancing a beanbag on her foot.  She also kicked the soccer ball around and did some arm exercises. The PT was very excited by the amount of movement that Ang is regaining in her left arm. Second PT session today Ang worked on stairs again.  She worked in the stairwell here in the West wing of Harborview.  She went down three flights of stairs and right back up without taking any breaks.  She did all of the walking with very minimal assistance.  Way to go, Ang! She also got to work on her balance by playing Wii bowling for a bit.  Seemed like she was having fun.

OT ran a little short today due to a special visitor that Ang had.  We were fortunate enough to have Pastor Mark from MHC come and visit with our family and pray with us.  It was very special to us that he made the time to visit despite all of his other responsibilities.  Thanks, Pastor Mark!  We are VERY blessed to be a part of such a wonderful church family. 

We have our next big meeting with the rehab team tomorrow so we will see how that goes.  I think that the meeting might firm-up Ang’s tentative discharge date.

Pretty tired so I am going to keep in short tonight.  I know I am probably missing a bunch of stuff…

More to come-

Josh

Mom here....

It started out as a quiet kind of day and then we got an idea to try out Mars Hill at the 5pm service so we were off....   it was fantastic to attend church services and sing the songs....   more than one teardrop fell from eyes in this family!   Looking forward to going to other services.  Pastor Mark is just so special and so are the West Seattle pastors.   It was also terrific to meet some of the people that have written to Angela on the Bridge.  You are all so warm and welcoming.   I feel truly blessed.

Looking towards another action packed week.  We anticipate hearing more about a firm discharge date sometime this week and that is exciting and scary all at the same time.   

Today Angela re-created her year, remembering as much as she could for an assignment for her speech therapist.   Fortunately the girl keeps a detailed calendar so she could fill in many events.  I noticed a lot of baby showers, weddings, trips, and events.    It took a lot of typing since the girl is a busy girl! ! ! and only has one hand to type with right now.   Josh and I noticed many items she remembered and then the odd item that she doesn't remember.   Who can forget a West Five BLT?  Angela.   Who can forget Star Wars???  Angela.    Josh thinks it will be fun to re-introduce her to those fine items and any other gaps we find as we move through the therapies.

Well, more soon and hopefully directly from Angela.   Hugs to all, Mom

Not too much on the docket today.  I played hostess today to lots of visitors.  I practiced walking by myself and did my exercises.

We passed out a fair amount of candy to various trick-or-treaters.  We passed candy out to a fairy and a lion.

Not much else going on today.

No therapy scheduled for tomorrow either but I am looking forward to a day pass out of the hospital with my family.

Please continue to pray that I would have patience waiting for God’s plan to be revealed and that I would trust in Him.

Ang

Ang had a big day today so she has delegated the update for today to me....

Ang got introduced to Dragon Naturally Speaking and was able to calibrate the program and "type" her first three paragraphs using a speech recognition program.   It was fun to watch.

We had a new PT today who spent time just on how to stand up safely and how to better position her hip bones so that walking is easier.   We saw much improvement in stability and in Ang's confidence.   Now, we get to worry about her launching herself without any warning!   Ahhhh....  "letting go" is never easy.

OT got cancelled today because of an EMG.   Quite the test to check out if the nerves in her left arm are working both in transmission from the brain as well as in coordination within the arm itself.   It is hard to watch her be in pain but WOW is she a brave person.   She was quite captivated with the sound and recording of the muscle activity but she was quite stoic about just getting the test over with.

No official therapies this weekend but lots of homework from each one.  Writing/typing, exercises, outings, visits, and sleeping are all on the agenda.   

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and stop by for a visit if you are in the neighborhood.

Mom. 

I had my interview this morning with Rehab Without Walls.  It went okay I think.  Then my neuro-psycho-therapist came to visit me.  He seemed really nice and on top of his game.  

When I went to speech therapy, I met my vocational counselor.  Later in the afternoon my grandparents came to visit.  They watched some PT and all of my OT.  Gram left me some pizelles to share.

All day people have been trick-or-treat-ing in my room.  I have been handing out candy with my left hand which was a challenge given me friom my physical therapist.  

I started walking on my own today.  It works pretty well so long as I'm not giggling. 

Ang 

Because of a staff safety meeting this afternoon, Angela had all her therapies crammed into the morning.   It was action packed starting at 7:30am and pretty much moving right through until 2:00pm.   BUT...at 2:00pm, we got a pass and we got to take a field trip to her house.

In PT, we continue to work on gait and strengthening the legs so they can walk.   More stairs, more stretches, more talk about braces....  Please pray for strong hamstrings and excellent toe raises, it would be wonderful to not have a brace.

In OT, we continue to work on Ang taking responsibility for her own personal grooming up to and including blow drying her own hair.   We also work on cognitive skills as they apply in the home setting and today's focus was on balance.   Ang got to sit on the ball and work to maintain her balance while reaching, stretching, moving around, ...  we can get most of this as long as Ang does not start giggling.   She has no balance at all when she is laughing.    What a sight.

In ST, we showed off the brain program that Josh picked out after researching options and it appears her therapist is jazzed enough about Josh's selection to have us demo to all the other speech therapists later in the week.   Then, Angela learned a new game using deduction and that is always fun.   We also learned about interrupting and the importance of listening all the way through to the end of the speaker's message.   If you are talking with Angela (on the phone or in person), help her out if she cuts you off in mid-sentence by gently reminding her that you get a turn too!   It is all part of therapy.

We have an interview with Rehab Without Walls representative tomorrow so say a prayer that it all works out exactly as it is supposed to .... a lot rides on the outcome of this interview in terms of discharge date, next steps, return to work, etc.

And the BIG EVENT!   Angela climbed the stairs to her home.  Sat on her own couch.  Petted her own cats.  Ate dinner in how own living room.   And generally soaked up the familiarity of being home with her own stuff in her own space with her own husband!    It was fantastic.   It was a big trip and it took all of five minutes for her to be sound asleep once she got settled in for the night.   Here's to a full night's sleep.

Hugs to all,

Teresa 

We get our first PASS to take Angela out of the hospital this afternoon.   We are taking advantage and won't be here from about 2:00pm until about 7:00pm ...  so we hope this doesn't impact anyone planning to visit today.     We are anxious to try this type of "home therapy" and see how Angela's stamina is.  

More later....

Teresa