And the Saga Continues...

Well, it's been a while since the last post, but for a little while there I was lucky to eat a meal let alone post on the blog. I'll try to get everyone caught up on the events of the past couple weeks and where things are now.

Last time I wrote we were waiting to hear what the verdict was on Carly's neck injury. We knew it was broken and where, but we didn't know how the soft tissue around it and the spinal cord had been effected. We finally got word from the neurosurgeon that the spinal cord appeared to be fine, but one or two of the vertebrae in her neck had hairline fractures on the edges and there was some torn and stretched ligaments around the bones. Basically, he said that she had just loosened up her neck but everything was still in place and lined up. She didn't need surgery but would just need to wear the brace for a few months to keep everything lined up while it healed.

The orthopedic surgeon said she could put weight on her leg if it didn't hurt, but she couldn't cross her legs, turn her toes inward, or bend her knee more than 90 degrees to prevent her hip from dislocating again while it heals. The main hurdles to coming home were passed, we just needed to get her feeling better and mobile. Each milestone she reached in the hospital was documented to be sent home to the mothership.

First time standing.

First time in real clothes.

First time walking (with crutches...er, I guess that's a walker).

For a while there Carly was having trouble speaking clearly and getting out certain words. It got better and better so she was only struggling with a word every now and then, but they decided to do another CT scan of her brain to make sure there wasn't any further injury. Sure enough, evidence of some contusions showed up that hadn't been there on the initial scan. They said her brain got knocked around a little bit and was bruised. They determined that's why her sinuses looked like they were congested in the initial scan; she had bled into them a little. She has since cleared up her speaking problem but has been having problems with headaches. We're told that should get better and in six months her brain should be back to normal. (Well, normal for her.)
By Tuesday Carly was well enough to go visit her roommate Nichole in ICU. We asked for a wheelchair and they wheeled in this sucker.

I told the nurse it looked like an old-fashioned mental patient chair that you strap people down to and how did she know it would be perfect for Carly. So we got Carly in it and properly restrained and went on a road trip through the hospital. Carly literally said "Hi" to everyone we passed in the hallway. I asked her if she was keeping score and she said everyone was staring at her so she was just saying "Hi" back.

Carly was well enough to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. She had been release from a full liquid diet to what I like to call a full Brownie diet, she could get up and in a wheelchair with assistance, and she was sturdy enough to travel. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a flight home until early Thursday morning so I packed her in the rental car, drove us back to Atlanta, and checked us into a hotel right by the airport. Mom and my sister-in-law Stephanie worked on getting us a place that had a good price, shuttle service to the airport, and a handicap room right by an outside door. They got us this gem where I stowed Carly, rearranged the room so everything was within reaching distance, wrangled up some dinner, returned the rental car, and took the shuttle to the airport and then back to the hotel.
When we saw the bathroom we almost wanted to give Carly another shower because it was so roomy, but that would have taken more energy than either of us had at that time.I got up at 4:00 am Thursday morning to get myself and Carly ready for the trip home. Getting her and three pieces of large luggage to the airport by shuttle was a challenge, but the flight was pretty smooth. We had to fly first class (darn it!) so Carly could have enough room for her leg and hip to stretch out and so she could recline as much as possible. When I wheeled her down the ramp to get on the plane one of the flight attendants took one look at her and shrieked in Southern accent, "Oh my goodness. What happened to you?"

By the time we had reached cruising altitude the flight crew had wrung the whole story from us. They fell over themselves trying to accommodate us. They let her keep her seat reclined for take-off and landing, prepared her meal first and brought it out when she was nauseous from medication, let me cry on their shoulders when I broke down because we were almost home, blocked other passengers from using the restroom when she needed it, and smothered us in pillows. I told one flight attendant that my mother had arranged to meet us at the gate to help us. She said she was going to see if she could bring my mom down to the plane. When we landed we waited for everyone else to get off the plane. As they were leaving, the flight attendant went up the ramp to try to find my mom. The pilot was leaving the cockpit and paused at our seat to let us out, but we told him we were still waiting for a few people to leave. He wished us luck and went on his way.

According to my mom she was standing at the gate waiting for us to get off the plane when a flight attendant came up to her and said, "You must be Robin." My mom said she just started crying right then. She said the flight attendant tried to take her down the ramp to the plane but the gate agent wouldn't let her. Just then, the crowds parted and the pilot whisked up the ramp. He went right to my mom and said, "Come with me." He took her down the ramp, passed the entire waiting flight crew, and to our seats. Needless to say the three of us had a little crying session right there in first class. They crew gave us some tissues and privacy. It was nice not to have to do that in the middle of the airport. When we had pulled ourselves together and got up to leave the plane, each flight attendant gave us a hug and well wishes. Thanks Delta!

My mom had decided to put Carly in the master bedroom because my dad was out of town and it was the only bed not being used. She had decorated it with pictures of family and friends and with scriptures. She only stayed there for a couple days because one of my mom's neighbors had an adjustable bed similar to the beds in the hospital. Spencer gave up his room and we put it in there so Carly could sit up and lay down without needing us to help her.One week after Carly came home her roommate Nichole came back to Utah. She still needs some physical therapy to recover so she will be at the Intermountain Medical Center for a few weeks. I took Carly to visit her on Friday and boy did she look a lot better than the last time we saw her.

They had to shave part of her head for surgery to release some of the pressure on her brain, so she had the rest shaved off. She is doing well and we think she will make a full recovery.

Carly has made some good progress. The orthopedic surgeon her told her she didn't have to wear the leg brace anymore, and she got the stitches in her forehead taken out soon after she got back to Utah. The scar looks like it is healing well.

Thanks to everyone who has sent their good wishes and prayers. Carly is doing well and even went to sacrament meeting today. I know we couldn't have done this without so many people's help and support.