Feb 13, 2016 at 02:45 pm

Kathleen progress

Update posted by Lorrie Bissonnette

Below you will find a personal update from Kathleen. Please be sure to share this on your FB page as Kathleen and Tom are still in need of donations.


Hi Everyone,

I wanted to shoot a quick thank you to those so kind enough to give to the fundraiser which was set up to help Tom and I, and to those who helped us out with some cash and gift cards independent of the fundraiser.Our financial situation is hitting home now that I am not bringing home a paycheck. I do not qualify for benefits; we have tried all appeals and reapplying and it's not going to happen .Also, I thought I would to take this opportunity to provide a bit of an update.

I have been home since January 16th when I was discharged from the rehab facility to home . I am thrilled to be home but it is a challenge for everyone,

Th nerve pain comes and goes. It is hard for me totbelieve it has been almost four months since I had this damn stupid stroke.

Overall, the news is positive. Especially if one enjoys receiving their good news in small, slow, teeny tiny doses.

My walking is getting better slowly but surely. Because the stroke affected my left side.I have the tendency to lean/shift my weight to the right when I walk. So we are working on my posture and weight bearing on my left leg in order to more evenly distribute the weight. It's coming along slowly. With the combination of wheelchair and cane we have also figured how to get in and out of the car pretty smoothly.

In physical therapy there are two main goals right now. The first one is to get myself into the bathroom and take care of business 100% by myself. This constitutes a huge part of my being able to stay home alone.I have just achieved that over the past two says and it is exciting!The second goal right now is to get me to out patient therapy which is where the therapist thinks I should be in the fairly near future. My best guess is in the next three to four months.The outpatient scenario might look like this. Move from my current pyramid cane to a quad cane to a regular cane to no cane!!! That of course is if everything goes according to plan.

Of concern right now is the lack of movement in my left arm.It is very tight. Tom and I and the therapist and myself are working on getting that arm back , and for right now, I'm not taking no for an answer.

Aside from the nerve pain , things are coming along slowly but nicely. I have learned to accept the smallest accomplishments as progress which has helped my confidence but may have grown my egoa little too much. How you ask? In order to establish a baseline for cognition, patients are givenThe Montreal Cognitive Assessment .I scored 100% !!!!

She also told me she has never seen anyone score 100%.'😊For as much as I have struggled throughout this whole thing ,it was just what I needed!! 😊😊

Tom's job has been very good to him but eventually his fmla time will run out and that time is coming up soon. I have no clue what we are going to do, but as I tell the girls when they become fearful about my situation. " We are a family, and we will make it work."

Additionally , Tom and I had been planning the trip of a lifetime next summer to Liverpool! Liverpool, where one can tour all of the Beatles historical sites including Paul McCartney's childhood home where he and John sat across from each and wrote their early songs together. I am getting a little misty eyed just thinking about it. That trip might need to be postponed a year or so but I will be using every possible minute to work hard, get stronger and make a full,recovery from this monster type thing that decided to take over my body with no warning. It will not win, I will win. Anyone who knows me knows I have a bit of experience when it comes to facing adversity head on and kicking it's ass. I refuse to let things such as fear, sadness, uncertainty or financial insecurity get in my way . Right now I envision myself walking around Liverpool in 2018 with no assistive device . However, if I require a cane to stroll around a Beatle fan's paradise,perhaps I can use it to snag Paul along the way.

This really was meant to be a reasonable, traditional thank you note to those who have helped us financially, but I seem to have gotten carried away. Some of you are Tom's friends whom I don't know, but to whom we are both very grateful.

Thank you all again and again and again for your generosity .

I WILL BE BACK !

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