It’s obvious this is a “city kind of place” not only from the view and new decor, but because our girl was up all night.  At times I thought she was dancing.  Neither of us slept a wink! 

That’s why we are announcing the conversion of Spa Nine Thousand Eleven to Hillary’s Hotel (It was her sister’s idea and I’m just the reporter)

Hillary is much more agitated right now.  It can’t be dissatisfaction with the “hotel staff” because they are great.  Her increased agitation is a good thing neurologically and a natural progression she must do to come back to us.  As Dr. Miller said today, “Hillary is in there and she is more alert today than yesterday.”   Now alert for Hillary is not alert for you and me, but it is still good news and wonderful to hear. 

I hope I may be able to update you later today, but I will be working on finding next step locations for Hillary’s transition as she prepares to leave Vanderbilt.  While I wish we didn’t have to leave these wonderful people, the hardest part of it is that Hillary is not ready for Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehab.  The good news is she is healing beyond the trauma care she once needed so desperately.  Looking back we didn’t know if we would ever be able to say that.

So just the facts right now for her update:

• For the first time since arriving at Vanderbilt, Hillary’s white count is normal.  NORMAL.  What a beautiful word and one we know we will rejoice every time we hear it in the coming days.
• She is experiencing strong brain storms which include high BP, tachycardia, etc., –hard to watch, but again, expected.
• While she is still not responsive like we wish, she squeezed a soft ball (OK, clean and fresh brand new dog toy) several times on request.  Once she dropped the ball on the bed and reached further than she ever has for it and walked the ball back into her hands with her fingers.  IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!
• We are hoping for a speech therapist today to determine whether her trach can now allow a device so she can speak.  The vocal sounds she makes don’t appear to be words, but we won’t know until she has the valve on.
• Hillary has the most amazing friends, clients (who are her friends) and angels all around her.  Each and every one touching her case here (or back home in Paducah’s medical community) have her best interest in every way. We are so blessed to have each one of you.  We love our new case manager Christina Menz, and she is patiently helping us chart a course for what is best for Hillary’s next steps.  (Actually, everyone is!)

Thank you for every single “piece of this” each of you are carrying for our girl….especially those continued prayers.

XOXOX

—-Shawn

Spa #31 has relocated.

New Address (and under new management)

Spa Nine Thousand Eleven  

Located Ninth Floor Surgical Step Down Unit

Amenities include larger corner room with a view including contemporary architectural design

Private bath, closet and vanity (kind of) 

Our best client is progressing slowly but steadily with greater focus in her eyes and even puts her arm around her family when we approach her bed.  Dr Smith (plain spoken and direct) was very pleased when he saw her hugging me.  And this morning, Dr Miller said he felt good about Hillary.  In head injuries you should see progress in the first thirty days for best chance of recovery.  Hillary continues to slowly progress and we are at day twenty three so his words gave us hope.  As Angel Judy Jenkins and I spoke this morning, we both acknowledged we don’t know how far she will “come back to us” but she is coming back on some level.  In fact, Hillary may be moving slightly into Rancho Level III which is good news, but we need her at Level V for progressive rehabilitation services such as Stallworth or others. 

We are so honored by your notes of consideration about Hillary’s next phase of care.  We know case manager Joy and others are working from their end here as well.  We know the answer is going to reveal itself to us as we muddle through options (or closed doors) for our injured girl.

Now on to one of those stories I can not forget to share with Hillary when we finally get to that place where we are able to talk together and fast forward into the present:

Our son Alex is in college so when I quote him in this update keep that in mind.  His way of speaking about his family affectionately is like this:  “I love this family…we’re just Bat @%#* crazy…but loveable.”  I know my friends and family are saying “…wonder how he learned to talk like that?  (But remember, my mother is reading this.)  In any case, I realized Saturday Alex is right.

Our daughter Ashley’s friend and client Kim, owner of Salon Seven, gave my husband and me a wonderful and thoughtful gift of massages for our weary bodies.  As I laid there trying to stop my brain from working and relax, all I could think about was how wonderful this could be for Hillary.  All of us know how miserable and achy our bodies get when we lay in the bed too long and I knew Hillary’s agony must be paramount after twenty two days of it.  (Not to mention my Mom’s after weeks and weeks in bed with her broken back and disc problems)  Paul agreed finding some way of duplicating that touch and feel as well as the scents of massage oils and music was something we should pull together for them both.  We wanted frankincense (said to be good for the brain) and other essential oils to ensure Spa #31 offered the best for our girl.  We also wanted to pull together a library of beautiful soft music like the sounds one can expect during a massage experience.

After several hours of Nashville traffic and logistics details for purchase of our spa inventory, we were ready to begin.  Soft spa music set at just the right volume…beautiful Care Partner Mary by our sides to assist ….adorable Nurse Shelley sharing her update of our spa client’s health assessment for the day…and we began Hillary’s custom massage.  Shelley and Mary suggested we begin at our client’s feet and sister Brittany began unleashing the most beautiful soothing and comforting touches and scents you can imagine.  I knew if Hillary didn’t respond by coming “to us” more, at least she would be soothed into a calm state and perhaps she would be less agitated overall.

Soon after beginning, my friends from New York, Kristie and Dana, arrived and everyone agreed I needed to hop out of the room and let Brittany and Mary and Paul take over.  Of course I wanted to be with my friends and hug them, but I did feel I was letting our client down in Spa #31 just a bit.  I was assured again, our client was in good hands and I should feel free to visit with my friends.  After a few brief minutes to catch up with the girls, I stuck my head back into Spa #31 where the music had changed to rock and roll and wild talking and laughter from the “spa professionals”. (“Professionals” stated VERY loosely—you be the judge)  Of course I was shocked!  It was just like elementary school when the teacher must step outside the room to the hall, and within seconds the classroom becomes a zoo.  How could the three of them not “get it”?!?!  I knew they had each had a massage/spa experience.  I scolded them all as they sheepishly returned the room to the calm and peaceful massage room I had designed.  I felt (no hoped) I could trust them and I went back out to the waiting room to be with my friends.   Just one little tip toe back to the room for a check, and I swear it was back to wilder than ever!  Each spa professional was pointing their finger at the other one and I looked at Hillary who I swear had a tiny hint of a smile on her face.  I went out to the waiting room to protest to Ashley (the Queen of Spa Experiences) and to Alex for support and they said, “She’s been sleeping for 21 days…she has slept long enough.  Let’s get her awake.  And I decided the crazy part of my family has always been in control…so I gave up.  While Hillary didn’t come all the way “to us”, she did focus a great deal more on each of us.  And oh my how beautiful she smelled!   Nurses who have cared for her and loved her stopped in and assured us she is making great progress…particularly the ones who had not seen her for a few days. 

So I let the monkeys of Spa #31 take over (they really did look like that commercial with the monkeys at the office) and I stayed away on Sunday figuring monkeys is exactly what Hillary is looking for as she finds her way back to us.  My guess is…monkeys have always been her favorite animal anyway after living with so many. 

Thank you for every prayer for our family…and most especially for Hillary and her sweet boy.

XOXOXO

–Shawn

I promised I would pick up right where I left off last night with you as I kept nodding while writing.  (OK, so maybe I do have a little compulsion problem now and then, but don’t we all in some ways?)  I really will pick up where I left off last night, but probably not until later this evening.  For now, I want to put “pen to paper” about God’s blessings and the many miracles we are seeing and living every day here in the Trauma Unit at Vanderbilt.

I am always moved and humbled by the video my family posted this morning.  Somehow missing the opportunity to praise God and the gifts He has provided to the caregivers, administrators, case managers, social worker, “enforcers”, spiritual counselors, and yes, infrastructure of Vanderbilt Medical Center’s, 10 North—Trauma Unit would be a shame.  It’s so important we share with you what we see and are living here everyday because thankfully, most of you (we pray all of you) will never experience these special people and this amazing place.

I work for the National Home Office of the American Cancer Society and ironically, we have just launched a major campaign regarding the importance of health insurance to every individual to ensure quality health care.  As an organization, we are advocating the importance of health insurance, both for employers to improve their health care offerings to their employees; but also for those people like Hillary who have ways and means to purchase insurance, but chose not to thinking “for now” they will be alright without it.  “Nothing is ever going to happen to them”…at least not before they get around to purchasing insurance.  The Society’s media campaign is also designed to empower the public to take charge of reviewing what their health insurance policy covers.  If insured, is it really a policy that guarantees complete coverage given a long term health crisis?  As you know, Hillary had no health insurance and was one of those “text book” people we are trying to reach.  And those of you who know us so well know how many times her family stressed the importance of coverage and how many times she smiled at us and said, “I know, I know…I will, I will.”  In fact we thought she had coverage again until a couple of days before her accident.

Having said all that, it has occurred to us the Trauma Center at Vanderbilt turns no one away…insured or not.  And when the LifeFlight helicopter

is summoned to Paducah, KY or an accident near by or wherever they are called to save a life, often the hospital has no idea who they are bringing in to that unit full of miracle workers.  Hillary’s name was “Radio Stat” as she entered Vanderbilt Trauma Unit that night on September 1^st.  It was some time before any discussions regarding business matters took place.  The only discussions the angels of 10 North Trauma discussed with us were “Radio’s” physical state and the status of impending medical procedures or results of them.  We all know without that unit and the LifeFlight team, our “Radio”, (now Hillary to them), would be dead. And all that matters even now to the angels of the Trauma Center at Vanderbilt is Hillary’s condition and progress and we feel that every minute of every day. 

God has blessed that floor…those people…and our daughter and our family will never be the same.  If you have trouble believing God is alive and awake, you won’t for very long once you arrive here.

Thank you for every prayer for our Hillary…her son… and the Trauma Unit team at 10 North, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  We are eternally grateful.  Please don’t stop.

XOXOXO

–Shawn

http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/surgery/trauma/index.html

Yesterday thousands of people prayed for Hillary….maybe hundreds of thousands!  When I hopped on the site I saw there were 7,982 visits to her update site.  Thats at least 7,982 times someone thought about or prayed for our daughter,  And what if on average each of those 7,982 made contact with 100 people regarding the need for prayers for Hillary?  That’s really not very far from the realm of possibility considering so many of your churches are praying and many congregations are larger than 100 people.  It is not at all impossible to think one million people may already be praying for our Hillary.  Thank you for wrapping your arms and your prayers around our injured angel.

Today has been a little up and down.  Her blood count has elevated to 14K and though I know her caregivers don’t like to see that, again, it is not time for alarm.  We will just continue to hope and pray that it is going to go down again…and stay down this time. She continues to move her right arm and leg in fairly repetitive movements several times per day.  The nurses tell us this is a good sign and part of the process to coming back to us. 

I am trying so hard to update you with more of the day’s progress but I am so tired I can’t keep my eyes open while typing..  I promise to wake up tomorrow morning and pick up where I leave you tonight.

Thank you for your prayers…..everyone of them

XOXOXO

–Shawn  

After planning only one day back home in Paducah, I had been strongly encouraged by my family to stay there one more evening.  Some of my girlfriends had graciously transported me both ways making the trip a wonderful “vacation” with much needed laughter and town stories.  What would women do without their girlfriends?  Mine mean the world to me and Hillary and I are going to be much better at being girlfriends to others when she and I can walk out of this nightmare together.

It was on my return trip when I heard about Hillary’s new behavior.  Ashley called to say Hillary was extremely agitated…red face and all!  Ashley had felt helpless as she watched Hillary move her arms and legs up and down: then repeating the moves over and over again.  When nurse Will (stands for WOW—I learned loads) entered Spa #31 to observe, he said, “She’s pissed off!”   (Now I’m going to be in trouble when my mother reads this because she hates that word, but it is exactly what Will said… so I’m saying it, too)   Hillary is pissed off!  Though we can’t know for sure, it appears she doesn’t understand what is happening to her and why she can’t get out of that bed.  She does move her right arm and right leg in fairly large motions and repetitively while her left arm and leg are also moving better.  WOW Will (he’s so intelligent) explained as her brain begins to reroute its signals to learn new ways to do things, she may continue to do things repetitively once she discovers how to do “them”.  Unfortunately, Hillary may not know what she’s doing when she is doing “them”, but she knows she is sending the signal to do “them” right now.  Therefore, when the signal comes back to her brain she says “SUCCESS!” and does “them” again.   My ENG 101 TA (almost professor) would laugh out loud if he read these last few sentences.  He hated the way I wrote….or have I already told you that?

Hillary’s agitation seems to come in waves.  She literally tries to come out of the bed, though she can only raise her shoulders a couple of inches. She likes to move her right arm over her shoulder stretching it as much as possible now and then.  It was Ashley who found the way to calm her through these waves of anger, discomfort, frustration or whatever they are.  Ashley explained to Hillary that Paul and I wanted to be there and that I was on my way back; with Dad just a day or so behind.  Ashley went on to say, “They both want to be here with you, but I think I can help until they arrive.”  Ashley took a cloth and sprayed it with Paul’s cologne. She then laid the “Dad cloth” at Hillary’s head telling her it was her Dad’s scent and that it would be right beside her until he could be there.  And then Hillary relaxed and went to sleep. Paul does smell great, but more importantly he has the same calming effect on each of us.  Just ask our grandson why he used to run and hide if his Paul Paul was going to put him to bed.  That sweet boy would fall asleep almost the minute Paul touched him…completely counter to what he had in mind.  And every night of our lives when together at bedtime, Paul just puts his hand on me and I begin to relax my way to sleep.  Last evening I tried the same “Paul scent and touch therapy” for her when nothing else seemed to work, and she immediately relaxed and slept her way into a better “place” all through the night.

Our girl has had no fever in days and her blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels are great.  Her tracheostomy was downsized and she is at least making vocal sounds of sighs and moans; though she is unable to speak– even if her injured brain could be ready, but it is not.  Her white count is down to 12K which is so close to the 5K-10K range she needs.  Your prayers worked and the clinical trial from Angel Judy Jenkins (and J&J and Ortho-McNeil and Vanderbilt) at least to the Coltharps, is already a success (and Godsend) on so many levels.  Her right leg has been cast and today they will split the sides making it more of a splint to ensure her positioning of that leg is correct.  She moves both legs fairly well, but the right one VERY well even though it bears a cast.  (We are beginning to watch out for her kick on that side.)  Her eyes are open a great deal of the time and yesterday she began tracking somewhat… particularly following a picture of her son in her arms.  She also has looked towards someone entering the room on occasion. Unfortunately, none of these things are guaranteed.  Nor is any response like thumbs up or prompted squeezes of the hands now.  Paul and I realized we are not sure we have seen her hand/thumb responsive since the day of her pneumothorax when her lung was nicked. Yet even that “physical crash” was a Godsend, since it was the bronchoscope surrounding that day which discovered her extremely serious bacteria infection.

Hillary no longer has 24-7 liquid food but instead she is fed every 6 hours. She would be glad to hear this since constant feeding would concern her that she might gain weight.  Oh Lord, how I hope that obsession of hers might be one of the things gone when Hillary –Part DEUX arrives! And maybe Part Deux will really see herself in the mirror instead of the unattractive overweight girl she seemed to always see.  The right temporal lobe and Hillary’s brain trauma area houses our short term memory and some vision.  Perhaps her vision was “off” already and the “adjustment” will let her see the beauty inside and out she always was….the part that draws you to her even more now.  Somehow I already know that is what she is going to find out about herself once she comes back to us.

While I hate the description Super Hero Barry gave us about Hillary’s current state, I think he is probably right on target.  Hillary seems to be in a box with no understanding of how to get out.  I spent a few hours reviewing materials our wonderful friend Kristie Helm shared with us from her work at Frazier Rehab Institute in Louisville.  The information on brain injuries highlights behavior much like Hillary’s as a level in Rancho’s Scale.  I hope that is true and that she is quickly moving out of this one and on to another higher level soon.  Our friend Russ shared a story today about a friend of his who was in a terrible accident.  When he was in the hospital unable to “come back” neurologically, the friend says he thought he had been a captive and his captors where giving him mind control drugs through the IVs the doctors and nurses administered for his recovery.  We are stating over and over to Hillary that she is in the hospital after an accident and that she is doing OK and getting better every day.  It’s important to tell her she has the tracheotomy in her throat which makes her unable to speak.  And we tell her over and over again of your love and kisses and stories you have asked us to share.

Maybe the best news of today is that Hillary’s case manager, Joy, just stuck her head in Spa #31 and said…”We’re working on some things for Hillary, so don’t worry about where she may going right this minute.  Her financing is killing us…but we’re working on it”.  Joy is excellent at her job and just another angel sent to us from God and Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Trauma Unit. As Hillary would say, “Yippee Skippee!!!!”  These Coltharp women (AKA “The Committee”) love to get excited and celebrate the good things in life…even if we become disappointed later.  Who would EVER want to miss grabbing those happy moments, if only for a short while?!?!  (The Coltharp men are not in total agreement with this philosophy and would rather hold back just a bit fearing later disappointment.)  Today the whole family (men and women) are going to celebrate that Hillary has hope, and better health, a possible chance at a good place to reside for now, and a world of people praying for her every need—every hour.    

Thank you for every prayer!

XOXOXO

–Shawn

PS—OK, I know I was the slacker yesterday and didn’t give you an update.  Thank goodness, you were not!  We received several hundred notes yesterday assuring us you were still praying and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for that.  I’ll try to do better at holding up my end of the bargain )

I apologize for the lack of update information tonight.  We are both so tired.  More information tomorrow.  Tonight is another night I will cry myself to sleep. The case manager has begun the process to move Hillary out of Vanderbilt and on to a “long term care facility”… a nursing home and it is what I feared the most:  Bordeaux in Nashville.  I know it well and my heart is broken.  It is not a place I ever thought I would have to see my 26 year old daughter reside. How could she have let her self be without insurance?  And that is exactly what the case manager told me about her move today.  “She has no insurance so this is the only place that will take a KY resident without insurance.”  I am so angry with Hillary tonight that she allowed herself to be in this situation with no insurance. But I am also broken hearted for her in every inch of my soul.  My baby girl needs to wake up all the way.  Please pray for Hillary to wake up and to be restored to health….tonight…tomorrow—any time you possibly can say a prayer.

Our family will miss seeing our special little guy this weekend.  We had thought he might return to Nashville this weekend, but perhaps it is best he not be here.  We have lots to do to wake his mommy up the rest of the way.

Thank your for every prayer for Hillary…..and her sweet son.

XOXOXO

–Shawn

   Hillary is in good hands today…..literally….Sara’s hands.

(Hillay, Sara, and Justin)

Her wonderful friend and colleague Sara Rottering is pampering Hillary with a manicure today.  I can only imagine the things Sarah is sharing with Hillary as they spend the afternoon together.  Spend a few minutes in a salon and you have plenty of stories to share when you come out. That’s why I know there are many being shared right now at Spa #31, Trauma Center.

I have left Hillary in good hands: First with her sisters as well as Billy and Josh last evening, and now with girlfriends from home.   I needed to see my Mom.  She has been in the hospital for several weeks. Though I wish Mom could have been home by now, it felt pretty wonderful crawling up beside her in that hospital bed and crying on her shoulder while she ran her fingers through my hair.  What is it about us when we see our Moms at the times when life feels like it is falling apart? Why is that when we cry?  When we skin our knees as children, often the tears don’t flow until Mom acknowledges our pain.  And when trauma enters our adult life we try to be strong until our mother opens her arms to us.  I was not strong today with my Momma…or my Dad.

And because I haven’t been at Hillary’s side, my update will be a short one.  Most importantly, Hillary’s white count is back down again. It appears taking the lines, chest tube, etc., out was the right thing to do.  She has been sleeping very deeply and I had to be reminded she is off the ventilator entirely and her body is tired from all she has been through.  Her vitals are great and she is slowly waking up and improving every single day. Consultation with family friends/physicians has made us feel much better about Hillary and her chance for full recovery.  Paul and I celebrated last night together with the best steak you can find in Paducah, KY, besides off his own grill, of course. 

Yesterday, our two angel nurses

(Barber/Stylist Greg and Rock Star Jason)

suggested a child life specialist consult would be appropriate and sent Katherine Bennet, M Ed, CCLS from Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in to see us.  We are thrilled to once again have so many angels looking over our family, our daughter…and her son.. There is no question there is something very special going on in that unit and it starts in the hearts of the caregivers who are staffed there.

Thank you for every prayer for Hillary…and her sweet boy.  

XOXO

–Shawn

Hi Everyone!! This is Brittany! I just wanted to let everyone see something amazing, something that everyone needs a little more of, especially right now. Take the 5 or 6 minutes it takes to watch this and live it, breathe it. Everyone around you right now is looking for a hug. I know my family is right now.

I don’t believe that I have written anything thus far, so here goes.

My beautiful sister, Hillary. It just doesn’t even seem real sometimes.
Seeing her in this place and seeing those eyes open ever so slightly day to day is almost breathtaking. For how severe this accident was, I can’t believe how far this amazing girl has come.

I feel like I am saying this a lot, (in repetition to most people) but when people ask about her it goes something like this… “It’s going to be a VERY long road, she is amazing and really has already come so far. For only two weeks after such a traumatic experience, I can’t believe how much progress she has made. I like the word “amazing” (and Ashley if you are reading this, get ready there are plenty more where that came from ) It truly is going to be a long road. She is awake for now, but that doesn’t mean she is talking or walking around, she is responsive which is HUGE. I was rubbing her hand with my thumb tonight, and with her pointer finger she began to rub my hand back. I don’t know if it is an involuntary action, but it was beautiful none the less.   This will not be an overnight thing. It will take months, maybe even years. And I am prepared to be here every step of the way!

Thank all of you for your love and support everyday! I can’t believe what a big family can do when someone we love is in a situation like this. We have such a huge extended family at the same time. So thanks to all of you for your ongoing prayers and support. We couldn’t do this without you!

Thank you to all of Hillary’s nurses and the Vanderbilt staff for taking such good care of my sister and for all of the support you have given to my family. You guys will always be in my thoughts!

My plan was to give you a very quick update….maybe two sentences with a “stand by for more tomorrow”, but I am too excited to sleep!

Hillary’s eyes are VERY open and though she is not completely “there” yet, she is really trying.  In fact many of her moves are purposeful including a very big thumbs up for Nurse Laura and me.  No question…she gave a purposeful thumbs up on command. (And if you think that is the “Shawn Coltharp exaggeration factor” in play, you can just contact Nurse Laura and she’ll give you a resounding confirmation.) 

On top of that, Judy Jenkins, RN MSN, (and angel of Hillary’s clinical trial), informed Ashley in the infamous Vandy elevators that Hillary’s white count is coming down.  Nurse Laura just brought me the results showing a decline from 28K to 22K. (She needs to be 5K to 10K)  Her temperature is low grade to normal now and we are holding on to all hopes that the pneumonia is retreating under Vanderbilt’s army of brilliant caregivers and, of course, your love and prayers.

I’m afraid I am too excited to sleep (again, thank you Dr. John for your help with that) but I finally got my girl to close her eyes and I’m going to do the same.  Besides we have shopping to do tomorrow: Hightops….the prettiest ones we can find!

Thank you for your important and powerful prayers and messages….every one of them! 

XOXOXO 

–Shawn