Today was Archie's neuro psych evaluation and we needed to be at Baylor in Dallas at 8:30 am if insurance information got verified. So we left the house at 7:15 to give us plenty of time because you never know how traffic is. On the way I called and insurance still hadn't been verified so we grabbed some breakfast and went to the office to start paperwork in hopes that insurance would approved and we would be taken to the evaluation. Thankfully we did not have to wait too long and I dropped him off and then headed to Carrolton to pick up Babes Chicken. I needed to get the food to the hospital by 11 am so I had a pickup time of 10:15 am. I dropped off the food right on time and then headed to go wait for Archie to have a lunch break. We went to lunch, I dropped him off and then headed to go visit my friend Kathy and her husband at a skilled nursing home. Kathy's husband had a brain aneurysm and arrived in ICU a few days after Archie did. I went over and sat with them for about an hour and a half until Archie called me to let me he was done. We then went up to ICU for a short visit to see all nurses. We had one of the nurses remove a stitch that was still in his head that was overlooked when they were being removed, Archie did not trust me to remove it. We stayed for about 30 minutes to visit with the nurses and I got to see one of my ICU friend whose husband returned to ICU recently.
Archie's testing that he completed today comprised of: a 570 true/false questionnaire, a matching game, repeating stories, drawing symbols, and much more. He was pretty beat down afterwards. I told him that it is good to have the evaluation done otherwise we would have to wait 3 weeks to get in plus it is the last thing that we needed to do. We have to go back on Monday to find out the results of the evaluation.
I received a phone call from HR and I get to return back to work next week on Tuesday and Thursday. Then the next week I am going to work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Apparently my FMLA expired today. Who knew? It seems that my FMLA started on Labor Day so I will be using vacation and sick time starting tomorrow, Friday, and then all the other days I am off. So I am going back to work soon. Tomorrow we are going to Fort Worth for a couple of jobs.
Driving Mrs. Crazy (that is me), Day 85
Archie has been coughing and sneezing since yesterday and we think he might be beginning to have a cold. We both started Airborne to start working on our immune systems. This morning we went to Colleyville for a job and it was done in about an hour, he fixed some minor issues at a house. We headed home after that but we stopped at the mall so that Archie could drive around the parking lot since it was pretty empty. After a minute, Archie asked me what he is suppose to do, just drive around and I said yes. So he drove around a minute or two longer and then drove us home. So for now Archie is going to be driving of side roads for a little while before he goes on the highways and stuff. When we got home I called the insurance company to see the status of my claim that I put in on Oct. 10th (my car was hit in the parking garage at the hospital) and was told the adjustor is trying to verify information between the lady that hit me and her boyfriend whose car and insurance are being affected- there are some discrepancies in the stories. We went for lunch and then Archie said he needed to rest a bit which I think is because he went up and down the stairs twice at the house. He rested while I went grocery shopping since we do not have much in regards to food in the house. After I dropped off the groceries Archie drove us up to Home Depot to get some parts for the lawnmower because Archie wants to try to fix the mower now, so we got a new spark plug and a new filter. I have been trying to schedule the neuro psych evaluation but did not have accurate information but received a phone call back today that there is an appointment on December 19th. I then received a phone call later that said they had a cancellation for tomorrow. So I had to call and request a referral from the neurologist, insurance and records be sent this afternoon. The insurance information still had not been received at 5 pm so it might be delayed a bit tomorrow. The neuro psych evaluation will be all day so it will be a long day for Archie. We are suppose to get there at 8:30 am to fill out forms and then the evaluation is suppose to start at 9 am. We are suppose to bring lunch for the ICU nurses tomorrow so I think I am going to drop him off in Dallas, run and get food and then return to Dallas. So it will be a busy day tomorrow.
3 Months, Twelve Weeks or 84 Days
The title is how long our journey has been, you can pick whichever one you would like to use. I am so proud of Archie and how much he has been through the past 3 months. I am so thankful he is here with me. I did not ever imagine that anything like this would happen to us. Cherish each moment you have with your loved ones and let them know that you love them.
This morning we got up and went to breakfast and then went to a clients' house to do a little work. Archie got both tasks completed within 45 minutes so it was a short workday for us. This afternoon I tried to mow the lawn again without success. The score for today was Lawnmower-1 Stewarts-0. Archie and I both tried a bunch of times without luck. Archie even took it apart to see if there was anything he could see. I suggested taking it to a small engine repair shop but I think we are just going to get another one tomorrow. I am trying to mow the yard before I put out the Christmas yard decorations. Tomorrow we are meeting Matt and Chris for work and Archie is going to work half a day. He also said that he would like to try driving in an empty parking lot tomorrow as well. I told him the mall parking lot early in the morning would probably be the best option since school is back in session.
This morning we got up and went to breakfast and then went to a clients' house to do a little work. Archie got both tasks completed within 45 minutes so it was a short workday for us. This afternoon I tried to mow the lawn again without success. The score for today was Lawnmower-1 Stewarts-0. Archie and I both tried a bunch of times without luck. Archie even took it apart to see if there was anything he could see. I suggested taking it to a small engine repair shop but I think we are just going to get another one tomorrow. I am trying to mow the yard before I put out the Christmas yard decorations. Tomorrow we are meeting Matt and Chris for work and Archie is going to work half a day. He also said that he would like to try driving in an empty parking lot tomorrow as well. I told him the mall parking lot early in the morning would probably be the best option since school is back in session.
Boring Day, Day 83
I went to our church for the first time in almost 3 months. I had gone to church at the hospital and the other times my mom was bringing us communion at home but I had not gone to our church in a while. Archie was not feeling up to it yet and I figured since I left him at home alone for two hours while my car was dead that he could stay at home while I went to church. Hopefully next week he will go with me. I went to church and breakfast with my family at the Local Diner. I went home and Archie was just watching tv and had enjoyed some sausage balls that his mom made for Thanksgiving for breakfast. We went to Autozone to test my battery and got it replaced. That afternoon we headed over to my parents' house for dinner, this was our Thanksgiving meal together. A pretty boring day overall. Monday Archie is going back to work.
Haircut, Day 82
This morning Archie finally got a haircut after 3 months. I joked that he had a comb over because the right side of his head got shaved while the rest of it was long and I could comb it over the right side. Note: do not mention anything about the comb over because he was not thrilled to even have that discussed. Lynsey, the stylist used her scissors and cut the rest of his hair to match the right side of his head. The neurosurgeon on Monday said that clippers would not be the best because his head was so sensitive, he is a smart man. I was just thinking the clippers would be quick and easy but did not realize that they would cause him to be uncomfortable. Of course when the bill came it was quite a bit more than the Sports Clips bill but he was pleased with the job she did so it was worth it. Thankfully, Lynsey had some experience with clients with head scars and Archie was happy. Now that his hair is shorter you can notice his scars more but the hair will grow and hopefully fill in. We went to Twisted Root for lunch which was another first because I had brought Twisted Root to the hospital but Archie had not ever been to a restaurant. One of Archie's clients called during lunch and we had to go do a service call because the client's remote controls for the tvs were not working. The service call took a while because we had to go get a part and then when we were done they started showing other issues that they had. When we got home we lit a fire for the first time because it is chilly outside. This evening Jim and Lisa brought over a lasagna dinner for us which was delicious! The rest of the night and we hung out at the house.
I forgot to Blog, Day 81
I went to bed last night and forgot to blog, sorry. Yesterday we slept in and then ate breakfast. I went to the store for a quick trip but when I came out my car was dead. Unfortunately my parents were in Arizona, my sisters were in Dallas, my neighbors did not answer, another Frisco friend was out of town, and Archie still has not driven in 9 weeks. So I called my friend Bethany to find out if her brother who lives in the area was working or not which he was so Bethany's husband, Brent drove from Rowlett to Frisco to jump my car. He was my hero! So my quick trip to the store took 2 hours. After that we went to my brother-in-law's work, Elite Appliance for a Big Green Egg smoker show. They were smoking all kinds of food and we got a tour of the showroom as well. We headed home after tasting all different kinds food and hungout. We went for a long walk, I think the longest one we have done. We ate some chili that his mom made for us for dinner and relaxed.
Thankful, Day 80
Thankful that Archie is with us. Today myself and our families are grateful that Archie is with us this Thanksgiving. You know you do not appreciate what you have until something happens. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without Archie right beside me. I am also thankful for all of our friends and family that were there to support us during the past three months. Thank you so much for all the kind words, hugs and all the help you provided.
Thanksgiving had a new meaning this year. Archie's family came to Frisco this year, they were kind enough to drive into town from Wichita Falls. I did not feel comfortable having Archie 3 hours away from the hospital. Archie is doing well but that 1 hour trip from our house to Dallas when he had the infections was long and horrible and I could not imagine a 3 hour drive. His mom, stepfather and niece came yesterday. His brother and sister-in-law drove his grandmother in this morning. Archie's step dad's daughter and granddaughter joined us as well. Archie and his brother fried the turkey. His mom did all of the rest with no assistance, we offered plenty and were denied every time. We did a "simple Thanksgiving" but had all of the favorites. We ate lunch at 1 pm and then everyone left by 3 pm. Afterwards we watched the Cowboys win. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Thanksgiving had a new meaning this year. Archie's family came to Frisco this year, they were kind enough to drive into town from Wichita Falls. I did not feel comfortable having Archie 3 hours away from the hospital. Archie is doing well but that 1 hour trip from our house to Dallas when he had the infections was long and horrible and I could not imagine a 3 hour drive. His mom, stepfather and niece came yesterday. His brother and sister-in-law drove his grandmother in this morning. Archie's step dad's daughter and granddaughter joined us as well. Archie and his brother fried the turkey. His mom did all of the rest with no assistance, we offered plenty and were denied every time. We did a "simple Thanksgiving" but had all of the favorites. We ate lunch at 1 pm and then everyone left by 3 pm. Afterwards we watched the Cowboys win. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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