The first result of a Google search on my question "what makes
a house a home?" gave us a solid result. "A home is a place where
you enter and can be fully yourself, where your values are
expressed and where you find relaxation. It is also a place in
which you grow and where ideas can be created and tested. All that
within the walls of a home."
Nicely described Google! But above all, what makes a home is the
people in that house. And since yesterday, for a little time, our
house really is a complete home!
Thank you hospital Leuven!
How time has flown! Three weeks and a few days ago, we were on the eve of what must have been the most stressful 10 hours of our lives. Yesterday we got to pack our bags in Leuven and drive home!
An overview of what can nevertheless be described as a positive story.
The luxurious hospital room at Gasthuisberg reflected everything UZ Leuven had to offer. From tremendously kind nurses and school teacher, to really decisive physiotherapists and on to thoughtful occupational therapists. In addition, we were very happy to know that Dr. Jansen was close to us, to monitor everything from a short distance. And she, too, saw that it was good!
Cognitive, social and motor progress
Of course, some things are already moving a little faster than others, but how happy we are to see that there is slight progress in everything. Most of all, the brightness that Ella-Marie is showing makes us happy. From focused gags in the hospital room to a happy (and impressed) teacher Kathleen at the hospital school. Could it be that the seizure freedom is finally giving Ella-Marie a chance to really learn? We hope so!
Socially, we notice that she is starting to send smoother
messages to her friends and that she can also express herself
better. Here we are mostly assuming that the tapering of
anti-epileptics is doing a lot. We have already reduced one of the
two medications by half and it is doing her noticeable good!
To be honest, we have to say that there are still some
frustrations. That lame arm and that weird leg are just hanging
around. It is clear that the language center was not hit during the
operation, because English swear words come out easily.
Motor skills remain the biggest problem. There, however, also positive small steps! Vision is no longer cloudy. We personally also have the impression that she sees a little more of the left part of the world than we first thought. An eye-test will follow to clarify that.
Her left arm can already be brought up a little. The mm movement has now become 10 cm. The movement comes mainly from the shoulder, but it is also nice to see that this also works a bit!
And then, dear reader, still a nice progress in the gross motor skills. Ella-Marie can sit up straight! The abdominal muscles she has created through all the attacks over the years are now controlled by the left hemisphere. That is, we straighten them on a bed, chair or even a big ball and she can sit for a while. That progress came fairly quickly after she had better nights.
Pulderbos
So over the weekend we are going to enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Simonne and omi and opi already came by. Tonight there is a birthday party for Olivia and niece Alice along "the Denies side" in picturesque Leefdaal. And Sunday "the Budts side" is coming to celebrate in the great Heist-op-den-Berg!
From Monday we start a new adventure in Pulderbos rehabilitation center. With positive courage, we're going at it again!