Lego Land

Last weekend my family I went to Chicago to go to Lego Land and do some school clothes shopping.  Lego Land was really fun.  They have an area where they have a tons of legos and you get to build whatever you want and race it against the other people there.  They also have a couple of rooms full of things made from legos. One is a model of Chicago.  It is amazing.   Our hotel had an enormous pool we played at Sunday morning after having breakfast.

Us in front of Lego Land.

A giant lego
tarantula!

Julia inside a
lego lion.

Us in the lego building class

Jack posing
with Spongebob

Birthday Baseball Game

Jack had a family baseball game last week to celebrate his birthday.  I couldn't play but I had a great time helping get ready for the party and helping at the party.  We had team shirts, music, a concession stand with bottles of coke, peanuts, popcorn, baby ruths, soft pretzels, nachos, burgers, hot dogs and homemade baseball cookies.  It was awesome.

My nana and I were in charge of the score board and the music.  Jack wanted us to play "Another One Bites the Dust" during outs, "That the Way I Like It" for homeruns, "Chasing the Sun" when he batted and "Go Cubs Go" for the warm ups.

My brother asked my mom to make him a baseball cake.

Jack pitched an inning using his "fast ball".  This is him after he struck one of my friends out.

Party invitations looked like tickets

Julia got the first hit of the day.

Julia sliding into home plate, she was safe!

My mom batting.  She got two singles but pulled a muscle!

Jack pitching in the last inning.

My aunt Rebecca trying to turn a triple into a homerun ... she got thrown out at home plate.  

My dad cooking out after the game wearing Jack's John Cena stuff.

Going to Grandmas

After almost two months of recovery I was finally strong enough to sit through an hour long car ride and spend the night a couple times at my grandparents house. It was really fun. We made smore's and even went out to springfield for a couple of hours. While we are in Springfield we stopped by toys r us to get some ideas on what to get him for his birthday. He really wants this WWE tag team champion wrestling belt so that's what I'm going to get him.

The belt I'm getting Jack for his birthday.

A smore is not a smore without
Hershey's chocolate!

My brother hiding in my mom and
dad's room watching WWE.

Going to the movies

One of the best movies I have seen in a long time!

Finally over a month after surgery I went to the movie theater and saw a movie! My family and I went to see "The Dark Knight Rises" it was really good. Of course no trip to the movies can happen without incident. While squirming around my brother knocked over the popcorn and spilled it all over the floor.

Returning to my room

Yesterday my parents took my brothers bed out of the living room and I moved back up to my room. The first of my sterri strips fell off too, now just about 20 more to go!  I am starting to get back my normal life.    

My friend Hope and her mom Kim came to visit. We took them to our pool  and then out to eat at Monical's pizza.  They were excited to eat at Monical's because they don't have one in their town in Indiana.  We got caught in a huge rainstorm as we were leaving.  The rain was so heavy, it was bouncing off car roofs and people were running through giant puddles and getting soaked.  We all laughed at this man that came to pick up his pizza and got really mad at the rain situation.  He was swearing and stomping around deciding what to do to get his pizza to his car.  It was very funny.

Me, Hope & Julia at Holland's eating ice cream cones.

The next day we hung out in my room and talked, Hope is a lot of fun to be with.  We went swimming again and then watched to Olympic opening ceremony together.  Kim and my mom made us a delicious cookie cake with m&m's on it for the olympic rings.  

Happy Birthday Devin

Today is my friend Devin's birthday. We spent the day together with our friend Kendra at the pool.  They kept me company when I was sitting in my chair under the umbrella.  I spent about half the time under my umbrella and the other half in the water.  They saved me from some crazy boys trying to get on a raft that kept splashing us and then almost ran me over.   Luckily Kendra and Devin pushed the raft far away from me.  On the way home we stopped at Emo's and got some kit kat wizards.  I'm getting tired of being at home in my bed.  Each time I go out of the house we try something just a little bit more than the time before.  My next goal is to get well enough to go to a movie.

Happy Birthday Devin - you are an awesome friend!  I hope you had a great day today.  :) Kate

Going to the pool

Since my monicals adventure was a success my family and I decided to try to go to the pool for a couple hours. My mom even brought a special chair for me to sit in and a squirt bottle for if I got hot. I stayed at the pool for two hours before I started to get tired and then my mom took me home.

Getting out and about

Monicals = :)

After I started to feel a little better my family and I went out to monicals pizza, but it was no easy feat before I could even go I had to practice sitting for longer periods of time. In the end though it was worth it and I was happy to be out and about.

face off

We had a Piper vs. Hartke Mario Kart face
off when my cousins came to visit me.

Mario Kart
When the light turns green,
all eyes are on the screen.

Turtle shells are blue, green, or red,
going for people up ahead.

Rainbow ramps make you speed,
try hard to get to the lead.

If your up in first,
blue turtle shells are the worst.

Banana peels make you spin,
and everybody aims to win.

Delicious

Today some of my best friends came over to hang out with me.  It was really fun.  We just watched movies and talked.  My friends have been so supportive and helpful throughout my recovery.  Everyday someone comes over to keep me company and it has made this so much better for me.  I think my friends have figured out that my mom brings home Imo's ice cream on days that Jack and Julia have swim team practice for me and whoever is here with me :D

Walking down the street

Last night I went on a walk with my dad down the street. It felt really good to get out of the house and walk around for a while! I want to say thanks again to everybody for reading my blog and coming to see me! It really helps keep me occupied!

Beaches

While laying in bed today I wrote this poem...

Beaches 

Waves crash along the shore,

surfers wanting lots more.

The sun is out and shining bright,

boarders catch the waves just right.

People tanning all around,

sand castles on the ground.

Kids out hunting for shells,

ice cream venders try to sell.

During the day it get hotter and hotter,

then the red sun disappears behind the water.

Let freedom ring

Today I left the house for the first time since my surgery.  I went to a pool party and got in the pool with my friends.  It felt really good because the pool made my body feel so much lighter.  I really enjoyed just being out of the house and hanging out with my friends.

Everyone made me a comfortable spot to sit.  This chair is great, they even brought out a fan and put in on me so I wouldn't get too hot.

In the pool with my friends

A poem I wrote this afternoon

Summer

Temperatures rise and pools get filled,

chicken is on the grill.

Kids jump off the diving board,

the woods are being explored.

Bags have goggles and sunscreen,

laying on chairs are tanning teens.

Pools filled to the max,

fireworks make loud cracks.

The sun is out and shining bright,

kids are playing day and night.

never stop improving

I'm getting better everyday! Now I'm able to get up out of chairs and my bed all by myself! I am so happy that I can also shower by myself! My body continues to get better everyday and I'm even going to a friends house for a pool party on the Fourth of July! I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay since I'm still kind of weak but it will be nice to get out of house even if it is just for a little while.  Thanks to everybody who has brought delicious foods,came to visit me, and read my blog. It means so much to me! 

I wrote this poem today...

Spring

Birds flutter and fly around,

feet never touching the ground.

Flowers rise up everywhere

and clever foxes sniff the air.

Bunnies hop all around

on the green,grassy ground.

Out come cautious deer,

finally Spring is here.

a little better each day

heaven


A reflexologist came to my house yesterday and worked on my feet to help relieve my back pain. She told me there are over 700 different nerve endings in my feet.  She rubs different parts of the feet and it affects different parts of the body.  She mainly worked on the middle of my arches and my toes.  It felt really good and I think it helped my back.  She is coming back in a few days.

My back is doing much better, I can do much more on my own.  I even took a shower by myself today.  I'm working on trying to sit up a little more each day, it still is the hardest thing for me.


My mom and I are getting ready to watch the second Lord of the Rings movie.  It's kind of fun to just hang out with my family and watch movies.  We have more time to do that now than before.

not ALL bad ...

At the hospital there was a room that they called the Nourishment Room.  In the room there was about every kind of snack and drink for the patients and their families.  It was my favorite part of the hospital stay.  At my home my mom made me my own "nourishment tray" next to my bed full of my favorite snacks.  I've lost a little weight and my mom is a little worried about it.  

My"nourishment tray" is awesome

Today I was able to sit down and get up by myself.  Someone still has to help me get out of bed though.  I can make 5 laps around our house. Being stuck in bed isn't all bad.  My friends visit and watch movies with me.  

I also have gotten some really nice cards and some great food.  One of my mom's friends brought an ice cream pie made with strawberries, strawberry ice cream, a cookie on the bottom and a layer of chocolate on the top.  It was delightfully delicious.  

Hanging around

Friends and family brought me balloons!

When I got home I was greeted with balloons and a welcome home sign! I can't go upstairs so my mom and dad brought down one of my brothers bunk beds and put it in the living room. My parents also made me a little nightstand with snacks and books.

I'm Home!

My siblings made me a welcome home banner!
So sweet!

The Jackson's surprised me with balloons to welcome me home!

My bed for the next six weeks.

Happy Day!

It's Kate again!  I want to thank everyone for putting me in your prayers, visiting me and reading and commenting on my blog.  Your support has really helped me get through this and recover.  I can't believe how many people have reached out to me and read my story.  

Today I finally got all of my tubes and lines out.  I am feeling a lot better and it is nice not to have to unplug four different machines and drag an iv cart with me every time I get up.  The nursing staff here has been really nice and helpful.  I might get to go home tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to being in my own house and seeing my kitty.

I want to share some before and after pictures so you can see just how bad my curve was and what is like now.

one week before surgery

immediately following surgery

The white lines you see in the surgery picture are the rods they used to straighten my spine.  The circular places along it are the screws they used to hold the rods in place.  There are also bone grafts that will encourage bone growth to further connect my spine to the rods.  

These are two of the screws they used in my back
but had to take out because they were too close to my nerves.

I still have a hard time believing this thing I've been so afraid of is over and I don't have to worry about it anymore.  Throughout the entire experience I always had family, friends and  the best doctors and nurses around me supporting me and helping me through.  I'm so grateful for all of them.

And the best news of all...

Right before surgery they measured me at the hospital.
I was 5' 1/4" tall

Today I measured 5' 3"!


This recovery would have been so much harder without the all the support and laughs from my friends and family.  I appreciate every single person that cared enough about me to follow my blog and pray for me.

that's my girl

Today was another great day.  Kate was released from therapy and got one more of her iv's out.  She is awake a lot more now and eating much better.  Tomorrow we are going to try to take her off the morphine pump and see if her pain can be controlled with just oral pain medicine.  If everything goes well over the next two nights she may get to come home Monday!

Today she walked down the hallway and then did 3 stairs up and 3 stairs down. Enough to prove she could get in and out of our house.

She was also doing well enough today for a few visitors

Jack enjoying the leg massagers Kate has
been wearing to prevent blood clots