Update for 7/28/11

Chloe came home yesterday!  The doctors are letting her stay at home for a while and she will be doing her special exercises at a place closer to home.  She wears a helmet over her head because her skull still is missing a piece.  The doctors are keeping that piece for her until they make sure that the swelling of her brain will stay down.  We are so glad she is back!

Update for 7/22/11

Chloe has been working very hard this week with a lot more walking and working out. She gets to do puzzles and pick up things with both her hands. But Chloe doesn't like it as much as she used to. It got old fast.
Sometimes Chloe has a hard time seeing things in her peripheral vision but she's practicing. And she picks things up with her left and right hand unless someone specifically tells her to pick up things with her right hand. And then she has to think about it for a minute before it makes sense.
A few days ago, the doctor would tell her to move her left hand and she'd move her right hand. So she's making great progress! The doctors say that she could be in the hospital another 3 weeks, but it really just depends on how much progress she makes every day
She also got a visit from a very special dog who helps sick kids feel better just by letting them pet him.

Update for 7/19/11

Chloe walked today in physical therapy!  She's making so much progress so fast!  With the help of a nurse, she walked all the way from the gym back to her room!
Her dad says that he can tell that she doesn't want to be in the hospital any more.  Hospitals aren't very much fun. 
We don't know when she will be able to come home, but we're hopeful.  So her dad will be doing everything possible to make her home ready for her when the doctors say she can leave.

Update for 7/18/11

Chloe made great progress today.  First of all, she was taken out of ICU and is a regular patient now.  Tomorrow is her first "work out" day in physical therapy.  They will put her in a wheel chair and take her to a special gym for recovering children.  They'll put her through her paces and make her stand up.  She might even get to go outside in her wheel chair.
Today she tasted real food since her accident.  She had Top Ramen for lunch!  For dinner she ate a few different things like rice, applesauce, and string cheese.  And then ice cream for dessert!  Unfortunately, she still has to live with a feeding tube that goes in her nose and down into her stomach, but at least she can have some real food.
Chloe is starting to show her personality again.  Her dad was sticking his tongue out at her, but hiding it from everyone else.  When Chloe "told on him", he denied it - teasing her.  She held up two fingers and pointed them towards her eyes and then towards her dad.  She said, "I've got my eyes on you!"  We are so glad that her great attitude is coming back!  We look forward to seeing you Chloe!

Update for 7/16/11

Chloe had a rough go yesterday night. They had trouble getting an IV into her. They've poked her about everywhere there is to poke. It took 4 times to get it in. They took her off the sedative and the pain meds and Chloe went through withdrawl. So she was throwing up and shaking much of the night. So they have put her on a few more of the meds and will wean her off more slowly.

She is doing very well otherwise and making good progress. But they are still keeping her in ICU.

Update for 7/15/11

Chloe woke up last night for the first time since the accident. She slowly looked around the hospital room. Her Dad told her where she was at, what had happened with the horse, and what had happened at the hospital. Chloe cried a little bit. She was able to talk, but very, very softly.

The doctors took out her breathing tube, so she is now breathing on her own. They also took out the rod that had measured the pressure in her brain. They have taken her completely off the sedatives. The neurosurgeon was very pleased how everything was coming along. Her family has been reading books to Chloe and she’s able to follow along.

They are going to switch her over from her strong pain meds to milder pain meds. And then tomorrow they’ll be taking x-rays to see if they can take her neck brace off. There are many tests still to be done and she is still in ICU. But things are looking very good today.

Update for 7/14/2011

Chloe has made some good improvements.  She has opened her eyes.  She has done things on command and they have dropped her meds in half.
~ Brent

7/13/2011 - Update on Chloe

Today Chloe was taken off the medication which caused her to not be able to move.  The doctors have been monitoring the pressure in her brain, and it stayed around 10-13 all day.  Although normal pressure is 5, Chloe has been much higher - dangerously so.  Today would be considered a good day.  As she came off the medication, she was able to squeeze the nurse's hand when asked to.  She also squeezed her mother's hand.  She was able to move her toes when asked to and she made small voluntary movements to get more comfortable.  Also, her eyes are moving more under her eyelids and even following her dad's voice as moves around her bedside.  Chloe is still heavily sedated and receiving medication to relieve the pain.  The next step tomorrow will be to start to wean her off the sedative and to monitor her reaction.

With so much rapid progress today, we're all praying for continuing successes tomorrow!