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Captain's Log

Captain’s Log: Colleen’s AVM Adventures Day 13 Part 1

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Wednesday 12/27/2016 12:30PM Already having a synchronized nap this morning… Rehab and excitement already wore this pair OUT! First, a big thank you to Donna for the prayer shawl! Mom loves it. I actually got it to her for Christmas, but I realized I had forgot to say something!! You can also see that she loves the colorful blanket! Second! I am getting many, many visitation requests from all of you. I really appreciate it, I really, really do. I talked to the doctors about it and they would still like visitors to hold off until next week. This is *hopefully* the… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Colleen’s AVM Adventures Day 12

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Tuesday 12/27/2016 4:30PM I thought today would have been more difficult… after last night!  For some reason, Mom was super duper snarky last night… She ripped her feeding tube out twice and was going for the drain in her head so… back to the pillow-like boxing mitts!  They are — no joke — called PILLOW PAWS and poor thing, they’re hot and uncomfortable.  But they keep her safe!  She doesn’t remember a THING from last night… so if you run into her on the street later, best not mention it. So the surgeons, intensive care doctors, rehabilitation specialists, occupational and… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Colleen’s AVM Adventures Day 11

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Monday 12/26/2016 ( I guess I should quit apologizing for these being so long… there’s so much going on, let’s face it… they’re NEVER going to be short. And  I’m not actually sorry.  So… here’s the last two days!) Just turning in for the night…­ it’s about 11:15PM The weekend passed in a blur.  Between what’s becoming the normal of linen changes, early stage therapy visits, basic hygiene tasks, and doctor relays, I managed to get mom to start moving her shoulders more and lifting her head so that I could start washing her hair and putting her back together… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Christmas Day

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December 25, 2016 Christmas happens no matter how far away you are from everything that’s normal or expected. No matter how far away from family and friends. As Mom’s progress continues to slowly improve, I just want to take a quick moment to express again how much I appreciate every single kind thought, prayer, and nugget of hope that has been sent our way. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Colleen Watch Day 7 – Pooping Unicorns

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December 23, 2016 Oh lord… another day. That’s our miracle. That. is. our. miracle. Hard fought though. Hard fought. There’s so much to say and yet there’s nothing to say. Her situation has changed key, but it’s still the same song. Where to start today? First. Can I just say… how much this sucks? To see your mother, a strong, amazing woman… 7 days now. I guess today felt terrible because she’s just starting to be AWARE when she’s awake that something’s not right. She doesn’t remember the first few days… and then we were adjusting drugs, she’s SO sensitive… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Many Hands Make Light Work

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December 23, 2016 One day, maybe I’ll decompress enough to accurately describe the emotional roller coaster this is…. But I’m absolutely positive I’ll never be able to express the depth of my gratitude for the support and generosity that just keeps coming. Artful Dimensions Gallery contacted me late last night/early this morning to tell me that they had set up a go fund me account for moms medical expenses. I’ve been working with the social workers here to do what I can, but I know there are going to be LOTS of expenses down the road to recovery. Honestly, I just hadn’t… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Throwback Thursday Throwdown

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Thursday, December 22, 2016 Most emotional #tbt ever… I found this last night in mom’s/(Colleen’s) address book. It’s a note I wrote to her when I graduated high school.   No other big news… Colleen really just slept all day today. I’m reading her all the well wishes, emails and notes she’s received. She keeps lifting her eyebrows at names and smiling. Mom’s smile is physically little right now — it’s actually a huge, complicated thing for her to make facial expressions… But if you know my Mom, you know that her smile was very Irish… and on the rare occasions when we get to… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Huzzah!

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December 21, 2016 (The opposite of sunrise.) HUZZAH! For now, the breathing tubes are OUT! The gloves are OFF! … it’s been such an exhausting day. It was really slow going, really hard work to get those tubes out. Because of the swelling, the doctors and nurses are still really nervous — she’s under constant surveillance. The docs and nurses don’t want her trying to talk yet because they need the swelling in her throat to go down and for her to rest. Colleen looks SO much more comfortable now! What else do we know? Well… We found at least one blood… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Sunrise

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December 21, 2016 Sunrise from the top floor. Long night. TK and I took shifts staying up with Mom. The nurses found us a recliner for the room so that we can take turns. Her BP is high and her fever has spiked again but otherwise she slept okay last night… she Wiggles her toes when they ask and can often lift her arms after a brief delay. Her eyes seem to be starting to focus and track on the world around her… All energies still focused on getting her strong enough to get the breathing tubes out… maybe today… Read More »

Captain’s Log: Our New Angel

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December 20th, 2016 So much has happened today… it’s going to be another long one… First. Mom has a new guardian angel. Her father, my grandfather, Paul Lukens Thompson, son of Alexander Thompson and Isabella Brown of Wilmington, DE passed away comfortably and quietly while in the amazing care of Hughes Home and Mary Washington Hospice. I cannot thank them enough for their help over the last few days. Pops lived an awesome life. At 91 years young, he had 4 beautiful children and they married and had beautiful children, and he even got to spend time with his great-grandbabies…. Read More »

Life's too short for decaf coffee or annoying emails.

What I can't promise is regular, weekly emails. What I can promise is sporadic, humorous updates with a serious amount of gorgeous glassy adventures inside. Occasionally, there might even be a chance to join me for a cup o' coffee. (The really caffeinated kind!)

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