. *You can tell the nursing staff where things are located!
. *You say "Housekeeping, can I get fresh linens" and you're
. not talking to yourself.
. *You start calling the rehab hospital "home"!
. *The produce manager at Whole Foods knows you by name.
. *Your air mattress on the floor feels like a Tempurpedic!
. *You know the stop light patterns well enough to make a run for it!
. *You eat seafood for lunch and seafood for dinner.
. *You haven't filled up your car in so long, you can't remember which
. side the gas cap is on!
. *You start pronouncing the city-- "Bawsten"
. *When you start counting, in hours, how long until you can come
. home.
Today Meghan graduated from the hallway to the treadmill. It was a big day. No seriously! Lauren has not put her on the treadmill before because she has to have confidence in Meghan's ability to be consistent with her step. Lauren is an incredible physical therapist: She can tell me specifically which muscle is not "pulling it's weight" and what exercises will challenge this particular muscle. Knowledge can be such a blessing.
Our medical team here at MGH (minus Dr Tarbell who is also a Dean at Harvard Medical School). Left to right: Dr Jones (Neurologist), Meghan, Ev (Social worker) and Dr Ebb (Oncologist). Wonderful people who have been fabulous to work with. They are the reason that Boston has the reputation as being one of the best medical cities in the world.*
We had some very good news today. Last week, Dr Tarbell thought that she saw signs of Short Term Memory damage on the CT scan, so she ordered a full MRI with contrast. Today Dr Ebb told us that he scoured the MRI looking for damage from every angle, and he could find none. He said that he thinks that Meghan's short term memory issues are from "Collateral damage" from radiation, 5 brain surgeries and meningitis, and he thinks that it is "promising" that she will heal fully. "Promising" is medically stronger than "hope". I will take it, with much gratitude.
So now the "Goodbyes" are beginning. This is Maria, our absolute favorite nurse. She loves Meghan so genuinely and sincerely. Although I somehow think that Maria has the capacity to love many people simultaneously.....she's just that kind of person.
Goodbyes are hard, but the HELLOS are coming! Yay! Great news about the MRI. So... how many hours is it???
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see you come home!
Love,
Krista, Kat and the Bellings
You know you've been reading a blog too long when you:
ReplyDelete.* Know more about Meghan than your own children
.* Google "cyclotron" to try to figure out how it works
.* Think of how you'd like to use Meghan's room yourself
.* Feel happy that Meghan is doing well, but in a guilty way sad that you won't get updates from Boston anymore because it's more interesting than Buffalo
.* Read it in the middle of the night and try to be the first to post a comment
.* Start your own blog (well, Emma did and I have been allowed to post a few times)
.* Start doing your own research on possible treatments for Meghan (I e-mailed Stephan about mirror therapy for one sided arm paralysis in stroke patients, which you already knew about of course-why did I even think that I could know or find something you haven't already researched!?)
J Lahti
nice, dad. and tomorrow is the day!! i am SO excited!!!!! can NOT wait until u come home.
ReplyDeleteoh, and i read the lightning theif--it is AMAZING!!! I need the next book!!
~emma
Hey Meg!
ReplyDeleteThis is (as most people in school now call me), DR. MALLORY! Whenever I say I only read the blog and just use the words from it (and I usally dont understand what I am saying) they still call me it. You know now that I think about it the world does need more brain surgens. Jk I could never be one I would be to afraid I would remove their brain to operate.
This is my list:
You know you know Meghan too well when:
*you know everything about her
*can tell which books she would like in an instant
*know what her favorite thing to do is (read on the trampoline with her BFF)
*and when you can complain abou your sisters to each other
Your BFFEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAE,
Mal
Dear megal,
ReplyDeleteyou know when this blog is turning u in to a nerd when:
-you get into a fight with Mallory and riley about who commented first
-you actully are starting to understand the medical terms
- you look forward to reading the blog everyday
- you read it everyday and comment almost everyday
Ambres
Hey Meggie,
ReplyDeleteI'm a little jealous of the pic of you and Maria ... I like the one on your dad's phone a lot better. So glad you're coming home. Looking forward to seeing you next week!
Love,
Dolores
Meghan - I'm so glad you get to come home tomorrow! I can't wait to see your smiling face at church.
ReplyDeleteMegan Brinton
Hello Megs,
ReplyDeleteWell tonight is your last night in your second home !! Although life has been very difficult over the last two months, it has been a joy to be in touch with you thru' this blog. Thank you Helena you have been wonderful in every possible way.
It was such a pleasure to come to see you, Grandma and I talk endlessly about your lovely room, the wonderful Nurses and Doctors and all the things we did together, not forgetting the warm and welcoming Ronald MacDonald House with the so caring Volunteers. Everything was so memorable.
Your Mum always said that she got all of her strength from you because you accepted all of your adversities with such courage that truly belied your age.
When you say good bye tomorrow, to everyone who has taken such good care of you, please say a really big thank you from the Grans who came from England to see you and the Hospital.
We know that there will be such a welcome awaiting you in Clarence and we would love to be there with you, but first remember what you used to whisper to me when I first came to drive a car in America. " keep right Gradad "
but this time say " Drive carefully Mum "
Grandma and I send you all the love we have, we are so proud of you.
Grandma and Grandad fom England