Getting Better Every Day

Hi everyone. It's me, Dad. I am trying to get Nickey to post her own updates but she still isn't ready. She is recovering well, and getting stronger each day. She is walking around and can get in and out of bed with little assistance. She wants to go back to school already but she is not ready for that.

She wants to thank all of you that have followed her surgery and recovery. She can still be reached by cell phone, email, Facebook. My Space, etc. She welcomes your comments and would love to hear from you. I am on my way to Minnesota to be with my mom so I may be out of commission for a few days. I will post again as soon as I can.

Thanks again for all your kind words and prayers. Nickey will be fine, thanks to all of you. Take care and God bless.

Battle Scar

Aloha everyone. This is still dad posting. Nickey is doing very well, and we are going home today. I took the liberty of taking a picture of her "battle scar" and, with her permission, decided to post in online. As you can see, it was quite a surgery. As a matter of fact, 6 1/2 hours worth. It is amazing what these doctors can do today. Yes, she is still in pain, but the road to recovery has begun. She will be out of school for about 3 weeks and will have a tutor to help her catch up. She welcomes phone calls, text messages, blog comments and visitors at the house. She will also be posting her own posts on this blog. That should be fun. Until next time, take care and God bless.

Freedom At Last

As you can see, the Princess is back to work, in her palatial office located at the Pagoda Hotel. She didn't waste any time getting online to catch up on her Myspace, Facebook and other social networks. It is so nice to see her slowly getting back to normal. Yes, she is in a lot of pain but she is handling really well. She spends most of the day on her back, but is starting to walk around more every day. This morning we took a walk downstairs to see the fish in the pond. It was nice to get out.

We should be back home on Tuesday where she will be confined to the house for about 2-3 weeks. She will have a tutor to help her catch up with her school work. Fun, fun, fun!! Once home, she will be able to see all her friends again and catch up on all that gossip.

We would like to again thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers. You are all playing a major part in the recovery of this very serious operation. We look forward to seeing you all back home real soon. Take care and God bless.

Getting Better Every Day

Hi y'all. Nickey had a much better day yesterday. She walked twice and although in pain, was able to crack a smile on occasion. We got her a new pair of glasses so that she can make a fashion statement when she gets home. It really helped her vision also. The doctors removed all external tubes and catheters so all she has left is an IV in her neck. She is moving a lot better but it takes a while to get around. She has more physical therapy today, as well as x-rays of her corrected spine. Hopefully she will be released in a few days. It will take some time for her to recover but with her determination, she will be up and around very soon.

Please keep the text messages and phone calls coming. It really boosts her spirits. We want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, and we will be seeing you back home shortly. Take care and God bless.

Day 4 at Kapiolani Hospital

Good morning everyone. It's dad again, filling in for Nickey. She had a better day yesterday, although still in a lot of pain. She had two physical therapy sessions yesterday where she was able to get out of bed and walk a little bit. Her first attempt was to the door of her room and the second time she was able to walk outside of her room for a little while. They say that today should be a much better day. She is still sleeping a lot because of the epidural in her spine, but they may be removing that today. They did remove her incision drain yesterday so she is progressing quite well. She has three PT sessions today and she is hoping to walk down the entire length of the hallway. We will be there to cheer her on.

Her goal is to be at the Aloha Stadium this Saturday to watch football. That is a tough goal but she is determined to try. She is such a fighter. It amazes me how strong she is. She is a true inspiration.

She is so thankful for all of her friends and family that continue to call and send text messages. She is not up to talking yet, although she has tried to answer her phone a few times. She wants all of you to know that she loves you all, and appreciates all your kind thoughts and prayers. She said that she will be home soon to see all of you. Take care and God bless.

Another Day at Kapiolani Hospital

Hi everyone. It is Wednesday and things are moving along slowly. Yesterday was a tough day. Physical therapy had hoped to get Nickey up three times, but were only able to do it twice. The first attempt was stopped because of pain. The second attempt was pretty successful. They were able to get her to sit up on the edge of the bed. Nickey got really lightheaded and scared. She started to cry and they put her back down. Patsy and I were very scared but we were told that this was normal behaviour. The third attempt, which Patsy and I left the room for, was much better. They got her to leave the bed and sit in a wheelchair. She was able to sit for about 25 minutes before going back to the bed. This morning at 9am they will make her walk. This is very difficult to watch, and we have to keep reminding ourselves to let these experts do their jobs. We pray for a better day today.

Aside from the physical therapy, Nickey sleeps for most of the day. She can only have ice chips for now, but hopefully she will be upgraded to a liquid diet soon. She is remarkably strong and is handling really well. We are so proud of her and can't wait to get home. We appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. Nickey says THANK YOU ALL!! Take care and God bless.

A Long Day

Hi everyone. I am filling in for Nickey who is resting in her room at Kapiolani Hospital. She had a really long day. It started at 5:00am when she had to get ready for her 5:30am check-in time. We did have to wait a while but after prepping her for surgery, she was wheeled away at about 7:45am. The surgery lasted until about 2:30pm, and according to the doctors and nurses, was a success. She was in recovery for about 2 hours, then taken to her private room on the 2nd floor.

This surgery was major, with an incision that runs almost the entire length of her back. Recovery will be slow and painful, but with your words of encouragement, she will do just fine. She slept for most of the afternoon and evening, but she did have some moments where she spoke and made us laugh. She has feeling in all of her limbs, and she is responsive to verbal commands. Tomorrow they will start the physical therapy and she will be probably start to walk in the afternoon or on Wednesday morning. I know that the next few days will be tough, but we realize that it is necessary. Soon, she will be able to do things that she hasn't been able to do for years.

On behalf of our family, we would like to thank you all for your overwhelming show of support. The text messages and Facebook comments have been super. Keep them coming as they really brighten Nickey's spirits. God is great. The power of prayer is undisputed. Our family has been through some serious challenges recently, but through God we have been able to overcome. Thank you Jesus. Praise the Lord!!