03.30.03 Chelsie started her Sunday off by going to Sunday school and then church. Then after dinner at home, she went to the Lonoke Community Center for her Sunday workout. She had to finish 4 laps around the walking track today, and she did those easily and even had two of her friends Belinda and Paige do them with her. Then she worked on several arm/leg machines and the treadmill for 20 minutes and stationary bike for 10 minutes. She did scare Mom and Dad later at home when she lost her balance and fell in the bathroom, but it didn't seem to hurt her. She just laughed, but it so scared everyone else!
03.29.03 Chelsie had a busy and fun day. She went to PT this morning then waited patiently for her friend Belinda, her mom Ms. Anita, and Mom to arrive. Then they all headed to the dress shop in search of a prom dress. They stopped off and to eat lunch at McAlister's first. After eating, they all went to the dress shop where Chelsie tried on dress after dress until she found the right blue one. When all the fun of finding a dress was over, they went for a strawberry shake from Shakeys. Chelsie had so much fun today shopping with her friends that she had Dad take her to the mall tonight. Her strength must be getting better since she wasn't tired after a busy day of shopping.
03.28.03 Chelsie told us tonight on the phone that she worked really hard today in rehab. Her walking over 30 minutes on the treadmill was a real thrill for her. She told us that she was supposed to go to the movies with other kids tonight from Timber Ridge. She seemed really excited about that, but what she was really excited about was that tomorrow when Mom picks her up, she is going shopping for a prom dress. She has been talking about it for weeks now.
03.27.03 Chelsie had a pretty much usual day of rehab today. Mom and Dad had a staffing meeting with her team from Timber Ridge today. Everyone in the meeting was very happy with the way Chelsie has progressed and some were very amazed at her progress. Two officials from Lonoke Schools attended the meeting to get a better idea of what kind of help she will need once she returns to Lonoke High School.
03.26.03 Chelsie got over her headache this morning and made it through the day without getting another one. In OT therapy she worked on her fine motor activities. In ED/OT co-treatment, she worked in the greenhouse planting plants. For Speech therapy she worked with Idioms: she had a very difficult time with figurative language. She Identified an occupation based on the description and took notes from board. In PT therapy, Chelsie worked on the treadmill for 10 minutes, bike for 10 minutes, and did leg presses. But, she had poor initiation of speech and activities today.
03.25.03 Chelsie has been better about her swallowing and is closer to having her last swallow study done to get rid of the the thickening and straws during her drinking. In OT therapy she worked on time management and other skills. In Education she worked on her writing, which is getting better each day. In PT therapy she worked on the rocker board helping her balance, treadmill, stationary bike, and leg presses. She even made her mom and dad an anniversary card today off the computer for their 21st anniversary tomorrow. Tonight when Mom and Dad visited she was pretty sick with a headache that made her very sick to her stomach. This is something that has started happening more often. We will be asking the Dr. about it tomorrow.
03.24.03 Chelsie completed a full day of therapies today at Timber Ridge Ranch. She initiated conversations and tasks quite often,but still had some difficulty with discussing some of the same topics more than once. She learned that this was called preservation and that it was common after brain injuries. She said that she would work to become more aware of when she is persevering while communicating with others. Chelsie must have been worried about her dad and brother because she persevered a lot about their avalanche experience that held them up in Colorado. She worked on reading comprehension and answered questions with thorough answers in education,and worked on consumer money management and handwriting in occupational therapy. In physical therapy she walked on the treadmill, stairs, and did tamdem walking. She also pumped some iron by doing leg presses. In speech/cognitive therapy. Chelsie worked on scanning and visually tracking to her right in order to take notes from the board. From these notes, she had to generate complete sentences. She noticed when writing these sentences that she also perseveres sometimes. Again Chelsie was up to all challenges that we put in her way!
--Courtesy of Jeffery C. Adams. M.S. CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist at Timber Ridge Ranch
Chelsie's website and webmaster Amanda have also received an award from the Volvo For Life Awards. It made it into the Top 50 finalists
03.23.03 Chelsie started her Sunday off by going to Sunday school and then church. Then, she went to a friends funeral. After dinner with her family, she went to the Lonoke Community Center. She had to do three laps around the walking track, and she did those just fine. Her best friends came by the house to give her a special bear they had got for her while they had been shopping during their spring break, and she loved it! See pics of the week later today for some pics of her Sunday at home.
03.22.03 Chelsie started her Saturday off with PT therapy at Timber Ridge and then off to home for the weekend. She met her pop pop and granny for some Chinese food for lunch on her way home. She seemed kind of tired this afternoon and asked for a nap for the first time in several weeks. After her nap she watched TV with Mom and Dad for a while and then Dad and Chase filled her in on the ski trip she missed. She said she was going next year.
03.20.03 Chelsie had a busy day. In OT, she did cutting, art creating, and helped design abulletin board. In PT, she walked on the treadmill for 25 minute and did 20 lbs on leg press for approximately 10 minutes. Chelsie also walked 600 feet with minimal assististance. In Education/speech, Chelsie worked on brain education, function and characteristics (size, amount of blood required, number of cells etc. She took notes on the brain and labelled a neuron. She did some role playing using correct verbal skills when interacting with various professionals.
03.19.03 Chelsie's schedule for today:
In OT Chelsie worked on fine motor skills.
In OT/ Education, she worked in the greenhouse planting crocus bulbs.
In PT, Chelsie walked on the treadmill with a board between her feet for 5 minutes. Then she did leg presses which she was noncompliant (refused to complete task). She had to stand and walk on rocker board as well.
In Speech, she wrote an essay about a community outing yesterday and wrote a narrative about her family. She was off topic for part of this assignment. She also described/defined words by function and worked on varying responses to questions.
03.18.03 Chelsie went on a customer relations trip today. It included going to Wal-Mart with a list of items and finding them. If she couldn't find them, then she had to ask for assistance or read the aisle signs. She did very well and was able to communicate with every one and find all of the items. This took approximately an hour, which meant she was walking for this length of time. After Wal-Mart, she went to Colton's Steak House and had to order off the menu and remember to take small bites while eating. In PT, she rode the bicycle, walked, and exercised on other weight machines. The big treat came tonight when 3 of her friends were able to come visit at Timber Ridge. She was really excited and happy to see them.
03.17.03 In education, Chelsie read the story "The Fish From Japan" and then took a comprehension test. Speech had Chelsie taking notes from the board and then answering questions pertaining to what she had written. Her handwriting is looking a lot neater and straighter. She also had to take small sips of thin liquids. She made a few "wet sounds" after drinking, but otherwise did very well. In OT, she performed higher level money management tasks and basic math. In PT, Chelsie worked on sitting balance with the physioball, walked on the treadmill, rode a bicycle, stood on a rocker board, and worked on eye/hand coordination by throwing and catching a ball.
03.16.03 Chelsie started her Sunday out with going to Sunday School and then to church. Then she had lunch at home with her family. After several visitors came, she was off to the Lonoke Community Center for her Sunday afternoon workout. She walked 2 laps around the track and exercised over 10 minutes on the treadmill. Check out pics of the week for some photos from today.
*Important* There has been some "revamping" to the site. All of Chelsie's pictures (ex: birthday pics, photo albums) can be found under the new link "Pictures" Also, links such as "In The Valleys" and "Right Now" can be found under "Special Thoughts."
03.15.03 Chelsie put a surprised look on some of her friends faces today when they saw her stand straight up off the couch and start to walk without any assistance. She is doing great walking without her AFO's, and she really enjoyed being able to wear her own shoes. When Chelsie arrived home today, she and her friend Amanda had an interview with a journalist from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. They are doing an article on comas along with the website. Chelsie had a treat tonight she went to her friend Megan's' house for dinner and to visit. When dad asked if she was ready to go home, she said not yet she was having fun.
03.14.03 Chelsie had a great Friday, something happened that she has been looking forward to for a long time--she doesnt have to wear her AF'S {ankle foot braces} anymore. She now gets to wear just some high top tennis shoes. Be sure to check out some new video of Chelsie. It is from her walking on the treadmill at Timber Ridge several weeks ago, and it even has her speaking about her workout as well. We will soon post some newer video that shows how much she has improved since that film was shot. Lots of thanks to Mr. Luther Evans of Arkansas Childrens Hospital for the film. Chelsie and Amanda have a big Saturday coming up. Check back on March 26 to find out all the details.
03.13.03
Speech-- Laryngeal exercises, planned outing to restaurant for the F.E.A.S.T. group
Education--Participated in group activity giving responses to unplanned events/situations pretaining to everyday life.
OT--Typing personal goals on the computer
PT--Walked on the treadmill 12 min 28 seconds, 30 repititions on leg press, walked and had a great attitude.
Mom had Chelsie putting her own clothes away tonight. She actually did a good job in keeping her balance and putting clothes on a hanger at the same time. Chelsie is doing very well in standing up from the couch without any assistance at all.
--Courtsey of Keith Burroughs MS Ed
Special Ed Teacher at Timber Ridge
03.12.03. As always,Chelsie met this day with a positive attitude. She completed a full day of therapies which included working on word-finding (generating items within a category), describing attributes of objects, and stating logical solutions to problems during speech pathology today. She walked on the treadmill, stood on the rocker board, did many leg presses, and continued to work on her fine motor control in physical therapy. In occupational therapy, Chelsie worked on making purchases and attempted to use a checkbook register. She also worked on pattern replication with small pegs to address fine motor coordination. Her teacher reports that Chelsie worked on mathematic concepts of place value and using math calculators during educational sessions. Chelsie continues to smile and give it her all!
--Courtesy of Jeffery C. Adams, M.S. CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist at Timber Ridge
03.11.03 Chelsie was being the kind person she is when mom and dad arrived tonight for a visit. She was listening to her favorite song "I Can Only Imagine" on her headphones and letting everyone in the dorm take a turn listening to it also. She was Making sure that no one got left out. She had an average day in therapy and school today. Chelsie is working really hard on her next goal which is getting rid of the leg braces. Her wheelchair has been taken completely away from her. She is on her own now.
03.09.03 Chelsie started her Sunday off by going to Sunday school and then to church. Then after lunch at home, she went outside to enjoy the sunshine and play with her dogs for the first time since her accident. See the pics on pics of the week for pictures. Then she went to the Community Center for her workout. In addition to her regular machines, she added a walk around the walking track to her workout and she plans on adding a lap each Sunday. We hope she keeps improving her walking and stamina to reach her goal of 10 laps equalling a mile.
03.08.03 Chelsie started her day off with half a day of rehab at Timber Ridge and then off to home for the rest of the weekend. The first stop before home was her hairdresser. She really enjoyed getting her hair trimmed and fixed up. Then once we got home, she put her make up on for the first time since her accident. She did it all alone and did a great job of it. Then the family was off to eat mexican food for dinner.
03.07.03 Chelsie had a great day today. She had a first for her--she walked today without any assitance for a while. No one was holding her and she wasn't holding on to anything. In education, Chelsie wrote her schedule for next week. She has shown improvement in writing but continues to require visual and some verbal cues. In PT, she walked on the treadmill and worked on increasing her balance. For lunch, Chelsie has been working hard to take her time and take small bites. In OT, Chelsie worked on problem solving tasks and replicating patterns with small pegs to work on her fine motor coordination.
03.06.03 Chelsie had a good day at Timber Ridge today. She broke her treadmill record today. She says she did 21 minutes. She worked on a puzzle in OT therapy and worked on her swallowing in Speech. There are some pictures posted on pics of the week from yesterday at Arkansas Children's Hospital when Chelsie had her stomach tube removed. You can see exactly what the tube looked like. She had it for over four months but didn't have to use it in the past six weeks.
03.05.03 Chelsie just had Education and Speech Therapies today. Then she went to Arkansas Children's Hospital to have her feeding tube removed--something she has been looking forward to for a long time. It all went well, and out it came. All they do is just jerk it out. OUCH! She was very happy to have it gone. She says in two weeks she is going swimming. Hopefully it will be healed enough to let her do this.
03.04.03 Chelsie had a VERY big day today. She had a dentist appointment to see about fixing her broken tooth that happened when the emergency medics were trying to put a breathing tube down her at the scene of her accident and broke a tooth off. She went to see all the day shift nurses and therapists at Baptist Hospital ICU unit that had taken care of her while she was there. We dont know who was more excited there-- the folks at the hospital or Chelsie! One of her neurologists at Baptist Hospital found her in the hallway, and he was very happy to see her. Then she was off to Lonoke to visit Peppermint, the day care where she worked each afternoon after school. And again, we don't know who was more excited the kids, teachers, or Chelsie. Lots of smiles were seen there. Chelsie smiled more today than any day since her accident. Her walking seemed to be a lot better today also. See March pics of the week to view pictures of her day.
03.03.03 Chelsie was so excited when Dad called her this evening. She told him she had broken her record on the treadmill. It is now at 15 minutes. She was really happy! In school today she worked on reading, and she has really improved in the last week or so. Jeff in speech therapy had her bring her yearbook from last year to speech class today. He had her look up several things and friends in the book for him. She cant wait to see this year's yearbook.
03.02.03 Chelsie started her day off by going to Sunday school and then to church. She told us she even read a scripture from the Bible to her Sunday School class. Then after church there was a soup/chili potluck at church that Chelsie and her family attended. See March pics of the week for some pictures from it. Then she was off to the gym with Mom and Dad for a workout. She did the exercise bike for 20 minutes and the treadmill for 10 minutes and several other arm/leg machines for a total of over a 45 minute workout. Instead of riding the elevator up to the second floor like last week she walked up the 2 flights of stairs. She had really improved her performance on the machines from last week.
03.01.03 Chelsie started her Saturday with a PT therapy session, and then she was off to her house with an over night pass. Starting this coming Monday, each day in Speech therapy, Chelsie will be reading her guestbook entries each day as part of therapy. Mom and Dad feel that this will be a really great chance for her to improve her reading, so please try to sign her guestbook as often as you can and keep her informed of things she may be missing in school, church, community affairs and anything you feel like may help her in her Rehab. Try and challange her mind all you can. If you have any questions for her, she will try to e-mail you back and answer them, but she will only be able to answer the emails on the weekend while she is at home.