She's Coming Home

Control

Gabby POV
I try to hid how much it hurts as they stretch out my wrists and hands to get the braces on. It takes along time to get me stretched out enough to put them on
Kate- you seem tighter today
Gabby- yes since seizures tight sore
Kate- ok well let's just see what you can do once you're up, it's perfectly fine if you can't do as much as the first day
Antonio- Gabby why didn't you tell me you were in pain?
I checked that Shay didn't have her processors on
Gabby- I told Nat she give me meds. Fine now. Always sore
Antonio- so when you say you're fine or good you actually mean you're in pain
Gabby- it's fine. This is brain injury it sucks it hurts I don't tell you everything because I don't want think about it
Antonio- I just want to help
Gabby- I know but you can't fix this. I have brain damage you can't just make that disappear now stop or leave
I say that because if he keeps going I'm going to cry and I just want to get up so I can move
Antonio- ok, I'm sorry.
Kate- ready to get up?
Gabby- yes
Janet- ok, we need everyone over by the wall until we get her in and everything set up.
Matt and Antonio move over the the window ledge where Shay's playing and Janet moves the wheelchair to beside my bed. Kate and Liam lift while Janet guides me in again but since I'm not on the vent April just disconnected everything so they can lift me without worrying about pulling on things. As soon as I'm sitting with the seatbelt on April reconnects the oxygen and puts me on the portable pulse ox again. Then they get me all strapped in which now includes flipping these little padded things down in front of my forehead to catch my head if it tries to fall forward and attach the eye gaze to my chair before sitting me up.
Kate- ok, how does it feel?
Gabby- good
Kate- now can you show us what you can do today?
Gabby- ok watch head
Janet- I got you, we're not going to let your head fall again. The headrest should catch you but if it doesn't I'm right here.
I try to ignore the fact that people are watching and focus on moving. I get my head and my arms moving then manage to kick my legs out again. Once I figure it out I just keep going.
Kate- ok now we're going to see how much you can control your movements. Can you touch my hand?
She put her hand in front of me near my arms
Gabby- have better idea. Tonio
Antonio- really
Gabby- I warn you you stayed anyways
Antonio- fine
He comes over to stand beside me
Kate- are you going to tell us what your plan is?
I look at Antonio
Antonio- I was teasing her earlier and she said when she got up she was going to hit me
Kate- ok, similar enough to what I was going for.
She stepped back, I guess she predicted how this was going to go. I flailed around for a while but then I managed to get my arm to move sideways like I wanted and hit Antonio's arm with my brace, harder than I'd intended to
Antonio- ow!
Gabby- sorry not mean that hard
Antonio- it's fine, you did great
Kate- he's right you did great. Now do you think you can do the same thing with your legs
Gabby- don't know maybe
Antonio- I'm not volunteering to be kicked!
Gabby- play ball Shay
I'd noticed she had a soft ball with her and I haven't been able to play with her in so long
Antonio(signs and speaks)- Shay can mama play ball with you
Shay(signs)- yes
She jumps up and comes running over to me, putting the ball in my lap. I accidentally knock it off immediately. Shay picks it up and gives it back
Shay(signs)- try again mama throw to me
She backs up a bit to stand in front of me. I knock it off forwards this time but more by chance then actually from controlling my movements. Shay claps and chases the ball and comes running back but Tonio stops her this time.
Antonio(signs and speaks)- mama is going to try to kick the ball now, can you give it to Kate, she's going to help mama
He points to Kate and Shay goes to give her the ball.
Shay(signs)- you help mama
Antonio starts to interpret but Kate surprises everyone.
Kate(signs)- I will thank you
Gabby- you sign
Kate(signs and speaks)- yes my son is deaf too.
Gabby- how old
Kate- he's 4, his name is Cooper
Gabby- can Shay meet him. Only met 1 other deaf kid.
Kate- I'm sure he'd love that. We'll set something up, maybe in a while so you can come. Now let's keep going with PT.
Gabby- ok
She puts a small step in front of me and puts the ball on it.
Kate(signs and speaks)- ready mama will kick you the ball
Shay stands in front of me and after a while of kicking out randomly I hit the ball. Shay being 2 of course misses trying to catch it and runs to chase it
Kate- that was great. I think next week after surgery we'll start bringing you to the PT room to do more exercises. But for now you're done, you can stay in the chair until you start getting uncomfortable or April decides you need to get out and leave the braces on for as long as you can.
Gabby- ok thanks
Janet- will you be ok to get her out?
April- ya I'll just get some more nurses.
Antonio- I can lift her
Matt- I can too as long as it's ok with Gabby
Janet- ok, we'll see you Tuesday then. We don't work tomorrow and you get Monday off for surgery.
They all head out
Matt- Gabby what surgery are they talking about?
Gabby- skull reconstruction Monday. I'm missing a big piece Tonio
Antonio- they removed a large piece of her skull during her first surgery to give her brain room to swell, her ICP's been stable so they're replacing it Monday. It needed to be removed so the pressure wouldn't cause more brain damage but missing a chunk of skull is also risky since nothing's protecting that part of her brain.
Gabby- so Monday surgery. Both stop worrying. Let's go see 51
Matt- ok, I'll call and tell them you're ready.
April- Goodwin said you can use the doctor's lounge in the ED so you're not all in the waiting room
Matt- ok
April- now I still need to bring a bunch of stuff in case you need it.
She gets the portable vent, suction and an oxygen tank and switches me from the oxygen on the wall to the tank.
April- ok, we're ready. I need one of you to bring some machines while I push Gabby.
Antonio- I got Shay, you grab the stuff that way we can wait outside while you tell them then I'll bring her in to meet everyone.
Matt- sounds like a plan.
April passes him the vent and suction machine and we head out.