| Lynn here, back in Fla for just this week past after 3 at home. Last Fri was the traffic court hearing for those who have so violated Kerry's "rights" to a normal life, without the long term injuries I am now witnessing. Kerry and John had been subpoenaed as their own witnesses which I read as a good thing, in that if the judge saw how very disabled she still is at the 4 and a half month mark it might help in the longer run with all of this. One hour before court time the court called with a postponement until June 12 because the officers who covered the incident were involved in an accident (covering it, not in it themselves) and could not make it. Damn, double damn--I so wanted to give faces to the offending parties, just for my sake, to know who did this to her and walked away with nary a broken fingernail. Not to be, another huge disappointment in my long list. I go home tomorrow with no immediate plans to come back as summer is upon us and that has a quite different agenda. Kerry has been home for 2 1/2 weeks now and doing well, considering what she has been thru. She has occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) every week. The PT is pretty much all about her legs and relearning to walk without fear and to help with maneuvers that help rebuild strength in her very weakened legs. Her gait has improved greatly as has her strength. She walks quite well, albeit with a cane as yet, and tires quickly - but that is all about her new back WITHOUT the turtle shell body armor. YIPPEE!!!! That will improve we are all quite confident. The big job on her hands is arm therapy as she has no use in her right shoulder and sadly to say she must have a rather major operation to repair that shoulder to as much as she will ever have from it - that too will take weeks of therapy. That will occur most likely in mid July. She is working hard and thru much pain to restore her left shoulder to function before that occasion. That left shoulder is not frozen but started out totally functionless due to months of inactivity. The therapy carries with it significant pain and following the treatments, exhaustion from one hour of tortuous work. Her therapist is very gently doing it all, is kind but demanding and has very good chats with Kerry about about her progress, her determination when it lags etc. I like her very much. She found out last Monday at the docs visit that vis a vis her blood work she in full blown menopause due to the trauma of the accident. Hence she is having a great deal of discomfort with night sweats that wake her, not that the shoulder pain is not enough to wake her! Lots of very frightening nightmares all about suffocating, prob residual from the beginning of having crushed lungs and the unconscious brain registering the suffocation feelings and now coming out in her dreams. Addition of progesterone to her regimen for so far three nights has significantly controlled those, hopefully and will continue to do so. Estrogen cream starting next week to help her with the bouts of depression and sweating and should be good to go. All these multiple problems compounding the injuries themselves. On the bright side. Kerry continues to improve on the computer keyboard. She is able to knit which she loves. She is able to play some tabletop games, good for her arms and her dexterity. When she is not in pain she is again cheery and is finding her sense of humor. Yesterday she went down two steps in the pool with her left arm on the handrail, could turn and come back. She was scared to death because of the height of the step but she overcame the fear and with coaching from "tough love" mom and encouragement from ever loving, caring and nurturing John she surprised herself. Kerry is learning that she is her own worst enemy and must "get out of her own way" and she is learning it well. I give her endless credit for her accomplishments to date. Perhaps no one amongst us has ever had 16 broken bones all at once and so all we can do is imagine . Even I cannot criticize any of her "work" in therapy because I have not walked in those shoes. A group hug from all of us is due. She is a trooper!!!!
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