Help for the Carter family

Hi everyone, Thank you all for considering making a donation for Dolores and the family. As most of you know, Dolores had a nasty fall in Georgia while visiting her sister. She was rushed to the hospital with a brain bleed and as you can imagine she has quite a recovery ahead of her. Also while they were there, the transmission in their car blew. We would love to help this family out while Dolores recovers, as her ability to work will be in question indefinitely and her FMLA is unpaid. If ANYONE deserves help it's Dolores and the family because she would literally do anything for any of us!
Please continue to pray for the family and Dolores’ recovery.

 

 

Update: First of all, thanks to all who have checked in, prayed over us, sent cards, flowers, gift cards, meals, and helped in any way. Ron and I are overwhelmed and so grateful for all of you. You have been such a blessing to us.

I had my first follow up with my doctor yesterday. Stitches and staples are out (yay)! I have been cleared to go up and down steps myself (huzzah!), shower (Whoot Whoot), and spend 30 minutes a day on the computer as I can tolerate it. Still no driving. I will be out of work “indefinitely” - only because it’s hard to tell with brain injuries and the type of work I do when I’ll be able to do it again. I have vacation/sick time through the 18th so hopefully not too much longer than that - then I go on FMLA unpaid. I will be following up with my doc weekly and will be seeing a neurologist and getting another CT scan to see where things are sometime in the next few weeks and then we’ll know more. So kind of in a holding pattern and continuing to rest my brain as much as possible. (There are several jokes in there - I left it open for y’all!)

So thanks again for everything. Ron and I appreciate each and every one of you and all the help we’ve received. I’ll update as I have any news.

 

 

 

I’ll start by saying I’m doing OK. Have a bit of a road ahead but on the upswing. I know Ron has checked in with many of our friends and family but I figured this is going to be the best way to not have to tell the story a million times and try to remember who knows and who doesn’t (long post warning...)

Ron and I came to Ellijay early Friday morning to help Julie and dad out after his knee replacement surgery 2 weeks ago. I planned on doing some freezer cooking and Ron did some honey-do’s around the house as Zack and Tyler are working at summer camp this year. On Saturday I cooked all day and was carrying some meatloaf downstairs to put in the freezer that night. I had had 3 glasses of wine throughout the day (my pours lol) and a healthy shot of vodka with julie when she got home from work but I was not “drunker than cooter brown.” Lol. But the combination of drinks, flip flops, steep basement stairs, and carrying a nice heavy (delicious I’m sure) meatloaf caused me to somehow lose my footing - I think I missed a step or two, hard to tell it happened very fast. (RIP meatloaf)

Came to with my husband who does NOT do blood without passing out telling me not to move because my head was bleeding bad from the back. He told me yesterday that he had actually seen a skin “flap” . Of course I’m trying to get up lol. Anyways, I get a lovely ride from Gilmer County EMS to the local hospital - BFE general I think is the name (lol no it’s actually Piedmont General). They have 8 beds there it’s huge. Anyway, I’m thinking fine, they’ll throw a few stitches in my head and I’ll be on my way.

The doctor comes in to stitch and says he was going to stitch and they were waiting on a helicopter to take me to a trauma hospital. I freaked out just a little - actually just a lot when he said I had a brain bleed and needed better treatment.

Of course the bird wasn’t flying because there were clouds in the sky (when DO they fly?) so I got a lovely ride in a transfer ambulance with lights and sirens flying down to here, just outside of Atlanta.

The net net with my head after much testing and procedures is 5 stitches and 2 staples with a brain bleed. Nasty bump and bruise on my cheek. Thanks be to God no aneurysm or surgery needed, and nothing broken. Still in the ICU but ready for step down. It definitely could have been much, much worse. Just going to take time to heal my brain.

While this is going on, the transmission died on our Buick that we drove down here. So Ron is dealing with that as well as me. He doesn’t deal with medical stuff well lol. Car stuff he is better with. Fortunately Drew and Charley are going above and beyond our friendship and deal with that starting tomorrow, and I’m forever grateful for them!

Alexandra had already planned to come for a visit starting Tuesday for about 2 weeks, so she will be at the house whenever we get home. That will be a help.

I am hoping to break out of here tomorrow but Ron says he thinks it will be Wednesday, so we shall see who’s right about that then we’ll be able to go home.

I don’t have any answers yet about recovery, how long I’ll be out of work, etc. I have a wicked headache and can’t do a whole lot or even be out of bed too long. Taking anti-seizure medicine because that is a concern. BUT every day I feel a bit better so I’m encouraged. I’m embarrassed and feel bad that I came to help dad and julie and this happened. I did manage to get a bunch of food in the freezer before this happened so at least they have that. And I’m throwing out my flip flops and taking a long break from wine.

Thank you to everyone that has reached out, especially to Ron. He’s doing good but I’m the one who deals with crisis. We so appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Before you ask, I will let you know if we need anything. I don’t know much more at this point and will keep this updated as I know.