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Baby Steps
| Posted on March 24, 2010 at 1:37 AM |
"Baby Steps" - that's the wonderful advice Kerri's friends Judy and Lindsay have shared with us. Judy and Lindsay have gone through this journey before. We are happy to say some baby steps occurred today. Kerri felt well enough play a hand of UNO this afternoon. She also laughed tonight during our visit with Dr. Cantu. He came to Kerri's room at 9:30 tonight, sat down to talk with us, and made us feel he had all the time in the world to help Kerri feel better. He has consulted with Dr. Schwartzman and decided to change Kerri's medications for helping her get through the side effects of the ketamine coma. Kerri is anxious to start feeling more like herself again, but continues to "hang in there" with great courage.
A sidenote to Kerri's fellow Gilmore Girls fans (Erin, Jen, Megan, Aunt Lill, Jeff) - We watched Kerri's favorite "I love you Luke Danes" episode tonight.
Ordering Kerri's meals can be tricky with the language barrier. Recently though, a mixup worked to our advantage. We tried to order red jello (gellatina roja), but ended up with a delious strawberry smoothie, which is now Kerri's favorite hospital cuisine. Kerri has also been creating her own dessert by mixing peanut butter we picked up at HEB into chocolate ice cream.
Thanks for your prayers and encouraging words. Thay mean so much to us.
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11 Comments
I spoke with Jeff briefly tonight. He told me that Kerri is on a new medication to help with the side effects of the ketamine coma. Hope this will help and that she'll feel more like herself soon. I'm glad she was able to play UNO today, and that she's enjoying some of the foods she's tried - especially the strawberry smoothie. We continue to pray for her continued recovery and admire her attitude and courage.
Love, Bonnie, Allan, and Jackie
Love, Bonnie, Allan, and Jackie
"Small Steps, Huge Advances" is worded so simply, speaks volumes, and is exactly how we all feel about Kerri's progress! Thumbs up to the creative people that came up with it!!!!
I'm glad she felt well enough for UNO (any spanish pun intended?!) and was able to recieve a smoothie!!! Now thats a WIN!!!! Then again, so is Gilmore Girls!!! I've watched it so many times with Kerri (My mind went right to Kirk's speech about finding all the easter eggs, Giypsy and Jackson jinxing each other and then tricking Taylor, and finally Kirk yelling "I LOVE YOU LUKE DANES! LOVE! LOVE!") yeah, said we liked that one alot!!!
Im so glad Kerri is beginning to be able to enjoy some things and is still able to fight the most difficult fight that none of us could even begin to imagine!
Just let her know that we all love her, and we will be able to watch gilmore girls together soon. I can't wait til she is well enough to skype. I would give anything to see her now, but i know she needs to just focus on feeling better soon. Hopefully the new medicine will help!
I love you and am praying for you Momma and Papa J, and Kerri! (Erin and Jeff too
)
~Jen xoxox
I'm glad she felt well enough for UNO (any spanish pun intended?!) and was able to recieve a smoothie!!! Now thats a WIN!!!! Then again, so is Gilmore Girls!!! I've watched it so many times with Kerri (My mind went right to Kirk's speech about finding all the easter eggs, Giypsy and Jackson jinxing each other and then tricking Taylor, and finally Kirk yelling "I LOVE YOU LUKE DANES! LOVE! LOVE!") yeah, said we liked that one alot!!!
Im so glad Kerri is beginning to be able to enjoy some things and is still able to fight the most difficult fight that none of us could even begin to imagine!
Just let her know that we all love her, and we will be able to watch gilmore girls together soon. I can't wait til she is well enough to skype. I would give anything to see her now, but i know she needs to just focus on feeling better soon. Hopefully the new medicine will help!
I love you and am praying for you Momma and Papa J, and Kerri! (Erin and Jeff too
)
~Jen xoxox
Reply
Lindsay Spengler
11:14 PM on March 24, 2010
Haha! That famous Strawberry smoothie! That was my favorite too! It is like a great Strawberry Daquire without the alcohol. (After all, I don't think any of us would ever want to think about alcohol immediately following the coma.) 
A doctor I had when I was in Mexico gave me this suggestion when I was there and it has been a ketamine coma patient favorite since. (That is if you can get them to understand you want a smoothie, not strawberry ice cream, strawberry jello or anything else strawberry.) Good luck with that one. That was always our biggest challenge. Even when someone who spoke fluent Spanish ordered it somehow it still seemed to be a problem. Anyway, hope you have a lot more smoothies in your future!
So glad to hear of the Uno game today! Remember, "Small steps, huge advances" as someone famous once said. I know it is so difficult when progress is so slow and it makes it a thousand times harder when you don't feel like yourself. You will get there but it may take a bit of time. You have been so persistent and positive thus far and I have no doubt you will make it through this. In the recent weeks you are so much closer to your goal of recovery than you were even a short week ago. Praying for strength as these symptoms persist and glad to hear of the positives steps that took place today. Great job Kerri!
In His Love,
Lindsay
A doctor I had when I was in Mexico gave me this suggestion when I was there and it has been a ketamine coma patient favorite since. (That is if you can get them to understand you want a smoothie, not strawberry ice cream, strawberry jello or anything else strawberry.) Good luck with that one. That was always our biggest challenge. Even when someone who spoke fluent Spanish ordered it somehow it still seemed to be a problem. Anyway, hope you have a lot more smoothies in your future!
So glad to hear of the Uno game today! Remember, "Small steps, huge advances" as someone famous once said.
I know it is so difficult when progress is so slow and it makes it a thousand times harder when you don't feel like yourself. You will get there but it may take a bit of time. You have been so persistent and positive thus far and I have no doubt you will make it through this. In the recent weeks you are so much closer to your goal of recovery than you were even a short week ago. Praying for strength as these symptoms persist and glad to hear of the positives steps that took place today. Great job Kerri!
In His Love,
Lindsay
Reply
Rosemary Di Giovanni
8:58 PM on March 24, 2010
Hi Kerri and Family,
My goodness, you do have the "Dream Team" at your side! There is no doubt that with the combined wisdom of these three great doctors, you will begin to feel better soon. Lindsay is also a wonderful source of support and she knows all about those baby steps, she has walked them to get to where she now is and you will progress too. It is so hard to be patient when you feel things are going slow, but we are very sure you will move forward under the care of Dr. Cantu. You are all in our thoughts and prayers, stay strong and positive, you're a trooper.
Rosemary & John
My goodness, you do have the "Dream Team" at your side! There is no doubt that with the combined wisdom of these three great doctors, you will begin to feel better soon. Lindsay is also a wonderful source of support and she knows all about those baby steps, she has walked them to get to where she now is and you will progress too. It is so hard to be patient when you feel things are going slow, but we are very sure you will move forward under the care of Dr. Cantu. You are all in our thoughts and prayers, stay strong and positive, you're a trooper.
Rosemary & John
Reply
TOM
8:00 PM on March 24, 2010
Hi Kerri, Kathy and Mark,
Sorry this is the first time that I have written, but we have thinking about you everyday. Hope Kerri has wonderful progress and back to feeling like herself again. When you get back, I'm not sure about the Gilmore Girls but let me know if you want to watch Giligan's Island. My favorite episode is when they almost get off the island but Gilligan messes things up. By the way if you liked the Chocolate and Peanut Butter, you should also try Vanilla and Jelly.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Love, Tom and Ellen
Sorry this is the first time that I have written, but we have thinking about you everyday. Hope Kerri has wonderful progress and back to feeling like herself again. When you get back, I'm not sure about the Gilmore Girls but let me know if you want to watch Giligan's Island. My favorite episode is when they almost get off the island but Gilligan messes things up. By the way if you liked the Chocolate and Peanut Butter, you should also try Vanilla and Jelly.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Love, Tom and Ellen
Reply
Mom/Grandma
6:04 PM on March 24, 2010
Hello Kerri, Kathy and Mark,
Somehow, strawberry smoothies have always had healing power! Hope today brought more "Baby Steps". We are still praying for you to have a quick
recovery, and no setbacks. We know what you're made of Kerri, so we know
you can come through all this, and be the strong, healthy, happy girl we knew
before all this started. We love you so much and miss you and your Mom and
Dad. I will call Erin tonight and welcome her home.
Lots of Love, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom/Tom
Somehow, strawberry smoothies have always had healing power! Hope today brought more "Baby Steps". We are still praying for you to have a quick
recovery, and no setbacks. We know what you're made of Kerri, so we know
you can come through all this, and be the strong, healthy, happy girl we knew
before all this started. We love you so much and miss you and your Mom and
Dad. I will call Erin tonight and welcome her home.
Lots of Love, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom/Tom
Reply
Megan
1:20 PM on March 24, 2010
OMG - the Gilmore Girls! What a healing show. I am glad Kerri is up to watching some. I think liking that show is in our DNA. Even Hannah loves it! I think we all can relate a little too well sometimes.
Keep it up Kerri. You are so strong and we love you!
Oh I just saw my mom 's comment. "We've Got Ourselves a Pippi Virgin" is one of my fav episodes. Prob b/c Katie Mittermaier and I tortured my parents with watching that flick over and over.
We should make a date to screen our fav eps when Kerri gets home!
I am talking to Erin this week to see if she wants me to hang out at your house with her and Hershey this weekend.
Keep it up Kerri. You are so strong and we love you!
Oh I just saw my mom 's comment. "We've Got Ourselves a Pippi Virgin" is one of my fav episodes. Prob b/c Katie Mittermaier and I tortured my parents with watching that flick over and over.
We should make a date to screen our fav eps when Kerri gets home!
I am talking to Erin this week to see if she wants me to hang out at your house with her and Hershey this weekend.
Strawberry smoothies sound scrumptious! (And so does the chocolate ice cream and peanut butter). We miss you all and are thankful when we read the words " ...and Kerri laughed (or giggled)". The world needs to stop and just watch a few episodes of the Gilmore Girls and shovel in the desserts . And remember....baby steps will lead to running a marathon.
Reply
Aunt Lilly
11:24 AM on March 24, 2010
Speaking of favorite Gilmore Girls episodes...I saw one of my favorites a couple of weeks ago - the one where Luke, Lorelei, Dean & Rori double dated and went to the movies. They ended up having to watch Pippi Longstocking. Every time I think of Luke actually getting serious about this movie and asking questions, I start to laugh. At times, Marty would just look at me a bit strangely when I would be hysterical over some of things on that show. I think he thinks it is a little too crazy.
Maybe when you are all back & Kerri is feeling better, we could have a Gilmore Girls day and we could each pick a favorite one to watch together.
Love you!!!!
Maybe when you are all back & Kerri is feeling better, we could have a Gilmore Girls day and we could each pick a favorite one to watch together.
Love you!!!!
Those smoothies are awesome! the language being what it is , however, you can often get some weird things when you try to order them! My husband tried to order a strawberry smoothie one time only to get a can of coke! You can order them in all sorts of flavours. last month I tried pineapple, strawberry and banana. Also very good. Give it a go with your imagination!
Peanut butter and chocolate is also my hubby's favourite. Enjoy!
Keep celebrating the baby steps and we will keep celebratiing with you
Sending gentle hugs your way today
You can order them in all sorts of flavours. last month I tried pineapple, strawberry and banana. Also very good. Give it a go with your imagination!
Peanut butter and chocolate is also my hubby's favourite. Enjoy!
Keep celebrating the baby steps and we will keep celebratiing with you
Sending gentle hugs your way today
Reply
scott
8:46 AM on March 24, 2010
Yeah for strawberry smoothies!!! Somehow those seem to have a medicinal purpose for me as well! Keep on fighting the good fight, Kerri. We love you and pray for great things for you for many many years to come! You are a special young woman and we praise God for the gift of you upon this earth. I am praying for this to be a special day of great advance in your recovery and for many more things to bring you to laughter. We love each of you and are thankful to hear that Erin and Jeff returned home safely as well. May the presence of God fill each of your hearts so you know that even through the trials you are never alone! Have a wonderful and blessed day!
-Scott & Deeann-
-Scott & Deeann-
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