July 1st

Yes, July 1st is an optimistic date set to get Mary Ann home. She is walking with a walker and two assistants helping her to make sure she stays balanced. She is doing 75% of the work. Very good progress from two months ago when she was lucky to blink and that was it.

The slogan on the floor reflects Mary Ann's great attitude, she is a real trooper trying so hard each day, so she can return home asap.

She has started to eat solid foods as of two days ago. Soft foods such as yogurt, apple sauce are her current mainstay foods; however, she is eating more and more solid foods each new day.

More Good News

Mary Ann moved from the Utah Valley Specialty Hospital to the Utah Valley Regional Medical Rehabilitation Center which is at the south end of the hospital. This is the main hospital on 5th West in Provo. They immediately removed her IV and catheter which now allows much more freedom of movement.

The goal for UVRMC Rehab Center is to ready her for returning home. It is intensive physical therapy (body strength), occupational therapy for personal readiness, meaning bathroom chores, getting dressed, etc. and speech therapy which is swallowing, eating, forming words, cognition and remembering.

She is in room 2677, and she can receive guests during the noon hour and after 3:30 PM until approximately 8 PM.

Good News

Mary Ann is progressing to the point that they were able to remove the tracheotomy tube from her throat yesterday afternoon. This is really good news. Mary Ann is making adjustments and is still not fully able to speak or mold words like you or I would normally expect; but it is happening little by little.

As you might note her hair is growing back quite quickly, nurses and every visitor notes that there are no grey hairs but just nice beautiful coloration of a red/brownish hue.

Birthday Bash May 29th

Mary Ann celebrated her birthday with cupcakes, flowers, good cheer, birthday song, birthday beads, birthday caps, banner, cards.

Jennifer Legas and Adam, Gunnar, Cooper, Mia and Kes. Gayle and Vic Deauvono added their bright smiles and beautiful voices to the Happy Birthday song plus the balloons and other birthday paraphernalia.

Connie Lee from our ward had a bunch of members sign her beautifully decorated and impeccably calligraphied birthday banner which graced the hospital wall with love.

The Baughman's who now serve as Mission Presidents in Budapest Hungary sent the beautiful flowers.

Patience

"You will learn the lesson of patience" said L. Tom Perry when he heard about Mary Ann's stroke. That is oh so true! Mary Ann continues to progress with lot's of activities towards reconnecting brain neurons leading her back to pre-stroke normalcy. She is advancing daily; it just doesn't feel like it when you contrast what happened in the morning with the evening. But, when you compare her today versus two weeks ago the difference is remarkable, especially considering it takes a baby a year to go from birth to crawling/walking.

Our daughter, Stephanie Blad and her daughter Addie are shown here comforting Mary Ann.

She had the Young Men and Young Women of the Grandview 21st Ward sing,

she had a gastrostomy tube inserted into her stomach for feeding rather than the tube through her nose, she walked 50 feet with a harness to hold her body frame, she walked in between the parallel bars, she passed the swallow test and now is breathing with a nose oxygen supply rather than a big respirator valve. If she continues on this pathway, she will be able to have the tracheotomy tube removed from her throat in a few more days. That will make everyone happy especially Mary Ann. Her hair is growing back fast since the operation on April 1st.

She is now at day 54 since the stroke occurred.

Jennifer Legas, our daughter here in Provo pose with "Grammy". Gunnar,

Cooper and Mia share in the joy of being with their grandmother. Because Mary Ann likes to hike, we celebrated the day before Mother's Day by hiking the "Y" mountain (even Sophie our dog made the climb).

75 FEET

Yes, Mary Ann piloted her wheel chair 75 feet yesterday. Slow and steady is what is happening in her progress, like mentioned before, 2% a day for 50 days is 100% better.

Her movements reflect a certain degree of awkwardness, yet she is really doing her exercises well. She is bicycling with her hands as one exercise, lifting her legs and a whole bunch of physical therapy challenges being exacted on her by a very competent staff here at the Utah Valley Specialty Hospital. Today they pushed her twice as hard, taking her to the gym once for 45 minutes working on her upper body and the second time her whole body for an hour. This was monumental. But all the activity wore her out and she has been doing a lot of resting this afternoon.

We are still wishing she was doing better with her swallowing. Her speech therapist gives her tests that determine whether or not she can swallow without aspirating the small amounts of liquid colored with blue kool aid. Sometimes she does really well and other times she fails. It is frustrating to her and to us as onlookers. As Dr.Reichman, the surgeon who operated on her said, sometimes two steps forward and another step backwards, that is what we should be prepared to witness. He is right. But we are happier than ever with her progress.

Thank You!

Fast Sunday has come and gone. We are again and again amazed by your kindness. Not a day goes by without someone telling us they are praying for Mary Ann,  have fasted for her or put her name on a prayer roll. We thank you and are excited to tell you she continues to progress. Her doctors have always said from the beginning there would be many ups and downs and currently the doctors think it best that she only receive visits from family. Her days are full of therapy and she needs down time to focus on healing. Her arms and legs are getting stronger each day but she is still struggling to make progress  swallowing. Please continue to pray for her. We feel blessed and connected to so many through your well wishes and kindnesses.