Dale's Holiday Wish

Dale was able to leave the rehab facility for the day to spend Thanksgiving with her brother and parents in Denver. It was a great outing. She will spend Christmas with family also. What a great break from the rehab routine! She continues to progress, gaining more leg strength and coordination. She is not walking on her own yet, but is able to walk using a walker and an assistant. Her speech also continues to improve. One of Dale's biggest challenges continues to be her loss of short term memory. It's frustrating not to remember what you did during the day or if your parents or brother came to visit. But, we're hopeful she will make gains in this as she has in so many other areas. Dale wants to wish you all the peace and joy of the holiday season, and she looks forward to being well enough to have visitors in the new year. Happy Holiday from Dale and all her family.

Progress!

Dale is making significant progress. She remains healthy and thus is able to fully participate in therapy every day. Each day she is more alert. Her vocabulary is coming back and she is more talkative. Therapy is still a challenging task and she tires easily, but she is working hard to regain muscle strength. The next goal is to develop the ability to walk again on her own. The feeding tube has finally been removed and Dale is eating on her own. There is still much work ahead, but the progress over the past three weeks is very encouraging.

Eating a bit - mmmmmm

Good news! Dale has started eating some at meals. The feeding tube is still in to ensure she's getting proper nutrition. Family or staff are with Dale at meal times as a precaution to guard against choking or problems. But, this is a positive step. Dale is talking a bit, but not a lot because she tires so easily. We're grateful that there have been no new complications this week.

Dale's Daily Challenges

Dale's physical condition remains precarious, as she continues to battle infections and clots. Clots are a common concern with TBI patients. On the bright side, Dale is now only on a feeding tube. Last week, the therapists were working to improve her swallowing, so hopefully the tube can be removed soon. On the days when Dale is physically able, she is working on learning to sit up and, with assistance, to move from the bed to a wheelchair. She is also working, with assistance, on standing. These tasks are challenging and hard work. Her speech is very limited and therapists are working on memory retrieval of words. We welcome your prayers and healing thoughts so Dale can have more continuous days of wellness in order to progress with her therapy.

Rehab ups and downs

Dale is continuing at the rehab facility. She has ups and downs as one might expect in these early stages of rehab. Because the rehab is so tiring, non-family visitation is still restricted. Sometimes family visitation is also limited since Dale needs lots of rest. Dale's strong and fighting spirit is a real asset at this time. Thanks to friends and family for your continued good wishes and cards. We sincerely appreciate your on-going thoughts and prayers.

Cards and Correspondence Welcome

The family welcomes cards and letters for Dale. These will be read to Dale over the next weeks and months as she continues through rehab. Please send to: Dale Pettigrew, 1514 Wicklow Lane, Fort Collins, CO 80526. On-going messages are welcome and invited. Thanks!

Therapy Begins, No Visitation

Dale was unconscious for about 4 weeks after her fall. She is now conscious, but still very fragile. Dale will begin rehabilitation therapy within the next week. During this time Dale will be engaged in challenging work and the doctors will permit only family members to visit. We know you are anxious to see Dale and we are anxious for her to see her friends. As soon as that is possible we will let you know. In the meantime we ask you for your patience and for you to send healing thoughts to Dale.

What happens in rehab?

It may be helpful for some of you to know what happens in a Rehabilitation Treatment Center. This information is provided not to cause you concern, but to help you understand the work that Dale will be doing, so in the future we can all support her better. You can read about the rehab treatment at:
http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/content/treatmentsfor/rehabilitativecentertreatment.html

Questions and Answers

Q: When can I visit Dale?
A: We don't know when the doctors will allow non-family visits. We will let you know just as soon as they tell us it's OK. We really wish it could be soon, but simply can't predict when that will be.
Q: Is someone taking care of her cat?
A: Trixie the cat is in good hands and is as feisty as ever.
Q: I want to help. What can I do?
A: We are so appreciative of the many friends Dale has. The two most helpful things you can do at this time are to read about TBI to understand the condition (see links at the top of page) and to send your healing thoughts to Dale. We hope to be able to call on you for help, visits and support sometime in the next months.