Kristi: “Alex had approximately 13 seizures yesterday during her 24-hr stay.”
Yep, Alex is doing VERY well … walking without a cane, talking more smoothly all the time, determined to get herself back to “normal”.
Here’s a photo of Alexandria at Pediatric Neurology, bright and early this morning for a sleep-deprived (on purpose) EEG.
She has still had NO SEIZURES since the surgery (PTL), and we’ve been allowed to reduce the less-active of 2 medications down to where she doesn’t have to take that one anymore at all!
Alex will be starting 7th grade in about a week, and apart from the physical and verbal limitations, the only thing that concerns us is that she still has some “twitching” sensations in the same places she used to have before the onset of a seizure. And she has also had a few “auras” at night where she feels a seizure coming on, but then it goes away. So we’re very encouraged by her recovery …and hope she will eventually even be off of her main anti-seizure medication Trileptol and still without seizures!
Update from Kristi:
Alex is doing REALLY well! We’ve been at Brooks Rehab Hospital in Jacksonville, FL for 12 days now. Alex has approx 5 hours of therapy each day, & I’m pleased with how far she has come.
Following the surgery, she couldn’t move her right arm, leg, and wasnt able to talk, but now she is talking in full sentences (slow, steady, & not nearly as frustrated as post surgery), & she is starting to bear weight while standing, & beginning to move her arm.
oh… one more REALLY important update! Alex hasn’t had ANY seizures since the surgery!
She did have a few “auras” in the week following her surgery (which the docs said were normal), but since then she hasn’t had any seizure activity! Before the surgery she’d have 4-5 MASSIVE seizures in her sleep, and I can testify that while I sleep next to her on this hospital bed (groan), she hasn’t had any night time seizures!
Hey ya’ll,
One thing that Alex probably enjoys most right now is reading cards, notes and even letters from friends and family!
Although her speech is (currently) limited, her reading is not.
If you’d like to send anything to Alex, here’s the address:
Alexandria Corley
c/o Brooks Rehabilitation, Room 2215
3599 University Blvd. South
Jacksonville, Florida 3221
Also, you can see the latest photos of Alex in physical therapy, etc. even if you don’t log into Facebook. The public photo gallery can be found here:
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112853&id=648431586&l=b6273253b5
Oh, I can’t tell you how good it feels to be at home! The only thing that would be better is if Alex and Kristi could be here with me – and here with Drew and Kaitlyn.
After talking with doctors and finding out that insurance would cover the physical therapy and speech therapy that Alexandria needs — at Brooks in Jacksonville, the second largest inpatient rehabilitation hospital in the US — we requested the transfer and were granted an official transport around noon today! (Thursday)
The plan is for Kristi to be with Alex in her room on weekdays across the next 3-4 weeks, Kristi’s sister Lori will pick Drew & Kaitlyn up from school each weekday and bring them home (Lori lives in the apartment behind our house), and I will work my normal day job in Orlando, see the kids in the evening, and then take everyone to Jacksonville (FL) on the weekends! Phew, how’s that for a plan?
I’ve heard from Kristi and they are all settled into their room and ready to begin some intensive rehab starting tomorrow. And if all goes as expected, Alex should have a full recovery and return home walking and talking just like before, but with NO SEIZURES!!!
So please continue to pray first and foremost for Alex’s healing. And then pray for all the logistics and planning details for each day of each week over the next month or so. I definitely desire this to be a time of healing for Alexandria, but I also would love for it to be a time of mini-vacations for our whole family as we go to Jacksonville each weekend. Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch … but if you know of any good activities or family adventures to be had in Jacksonville, please let me know!
Thanks so much for being a part of this “event” and for praying. You are definitely making a difference!
- Andy
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More updates on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191786667528752
Dear friends,
Yesterday and today were plenty tough, mostly with managing Alex’s pain, agitation, independence and self-sufficiency. She really wants to do everything she used to do – reading, writing, time on her laptop and Nintendo DSi, not to mention walking and using the restroom on her own. So I think the hardest part of everything has been the fear and frustration of being disabled … although her doctors are telling us that they are still expecting a full recovery.
Today we had visits from all the main physical therapy doctors, did some special exercises and began talking about the 3-4 weeks of in-patient rehab that Alex will need. And we’re looking at possibilities both in Jacksonville and in Tampa since nothing like that is available in the Orlando area.
Tomorrow we have an EEG scheduled for 6:30am, so we’re trying to get to bed early … and then we’re hoping to have this hospital stay wrapped up by sometime on Wednesday.
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and concern. I really don’t think we could survive without the support of so many like you.
- Andy
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More updates on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191786667528752
Dear friends,
Thank you all so much for your prayers … here’s an update.
We were glad that Alex was able to sleep at least 5 hrs last night (between a CT scan and an MRI), but throughout the evening after surgery and then most of the day today have been very difficult.
In addition to the normal disorientation from coming off of anesthesia, Alexandria (and Kristi and I) have been fighting fear as we realized that her right side was definitely weaker – and for the first couple hours she couldn’t move her right arm or leg at all or feel her lips and right cheek – and all of that was being communicated by frustrated gestures alone because of the (normal) brain swelling that has frustrated her speech abilities.
Alex is sleeping now, because we’ve had visits from neurologists, physical and speech therapists, various other doctors, and our favorite music therapist throughout the day today. But we have been reassured that the small movements in Alex’s right foot, hand, neck and face – and her ability to say words like Mom, Dad, no, ya, aow and “ma” for milk – that all motor and speech abilities will return 100%, probably within the next 1-3 weeks.
Again, thank you for supporting us through this time, and – since we haven’t seen a seizure since Monday night – we look forward Alex continuing to be SEIZURE FREE from now on!
- Andy
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More updates on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191786667528752
Thank you all for sticking with us through this time.
Just to “recap” … Alex came through her first surgery Monday and has been recovering all day yesterday.
Within the next hour or so, a number of neurologists will be here to run some tests, applying electical currents to sensors in Alex’s brain to see what parts of her body are affected and what sensations they cause her (she’ll be fully awake and responsive). The doctors have already monitored some seizures over the last couple nights and can see from the sensor grid exactly where they are coming from … but just need to see if there is any normal brain function from that area before they cut that section out in the second surgery tomorrow.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support!
- Andy
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More updates on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191786667528752