A sleepless night..update.

A long time no write!

First off I would like see how are you all doing? I hope more positives!

I hope some of you remember be as it been a long time, my apologies!

As some of you know my mother had a traumatic brain injury a year ago on April 10th, while snowboard. She came home August 12th, at first it was very difficult and overwhelming as she was very dependent on others. But now she is doing very well, walking with a cane, her left arm is slowly gaining flexibility be limited to none mobility usage. Her left leg is getting stronger but not 100%, in the last month or so she has become more and more independent around the house which it has made it much easier on my brother and I. Now we are tring to figure out if we are going to sell the house that I basically grew up in and move because it is too expensive to keep and in order for my brother and I to move on we have to get mom into a place she be potentially more independent in, and have more support around. So we have been talking about movie to PA from Maine to where she grew up where all her friends and family are.

As for me it has been a much better year I have managed to stay out of the hospital for a full year! Which is huge since the year before I was in the house five times in basically 7 months. I've been on and off a low dose of steroids though, and we've added imuran and switched my humira schedule around. Something has been working since I have been able to work full weeks which I haven't been able to do in a very long time. I still struggle with fatigue but that is expected. But I have a great team of doctors. I saw my col/rectal surgeon two weeks ago and he said where my abscess was looks great and nothing to worry about woo hoo! The last week I been struggling a bit though, with poor appetite and fever due to what I believe is inflammation. So I started taking prednisone again today, and my doctor said that we probably will do another CT scan, and if the inflammation is in basically one place it might be time to have it removed, and if is located in various places that wouldn't be an option, so let see what happends! I have my moments when I am just fed up and say just take it out! But I am much better at dealing with my emotions and stress and that has made a huge difference. I am a much stronger and independent person now than I was a year ago, I have learned more in the past year that what most people my age learned in the four years of college. A lot for a 21 year oid to have on her plate.

Well I guess I will quit my rambling and try to get so sleep, best wishes to all!

It sound like your mom has made great progress in her recovery. Does your mom want to move? Will she be far from yourself and your brother? I remember you once wrote about how your mom always took care of everyone else and put herself second to her family, I guess thats where you get it from. I hope this is a better year for all of you. If you find you do need to have a bowel resection, you will be fine.

Julia