7/15/2021 & Current photos
Its been about 5 weeks since Cuca was discharged from the hospital and she couldnt be happier! 3 days each week she has therapy appointments and they put her through the wringer!! She often comes home exhausted and naps. her therapies include: speech and writing therapy, physical therapy, and occupational (functional) therapy. When she isnt at a therapy appointment, she has many tools at home to help her recover. her favorite right now is a stationary under-desk bike pedal machine. She has also started to draw and paint!! Albeit, with her right for now, she is working hard everyday to improve. Cuca does have a long way to but she has come a mighty long way already!
5/23/21
Mother’s day has come and gone. Myself and my 2 brothers were able to visit our mom at her nursing home where she is recovering. We are seeing improvement in her motor functions. She is still is far from walking on her own. Thankfully, she has now been moved to a dedicated rehabilitation facility in Chicago where she is receiving several hours of various therapies each day. The program at this facility lasting 3-4 after which she will be coming home! We have a lot to do in preparation of her return! With the help of the community, family and friends we have been able to purchase a wheelchair accessible minivan. Thank you to our friend, Nadi, and to the dealership owner, Oren, who helped us work out a deal and find the best vehicle we could. With this vehicle, we can help her get to all of her appointments…
4/16/2021 Big Milestone!
I’m happy to report good news! Earlier this week, my mother took her first few steps since her surgery! She did have medical staff there to support her but this is a huge sign of improvement! Just a few days before, I was able to visit her and she was able to lift her left leg while sitting, open and her close her hand, and rotate her wrist! She still has to regain the strength in her muscles that have suffered sever atrophy. To get her to this goal, her physical therapy has increased in intensity and frequency. Talking with her, she is ready and determined to do what it takes to come back home, be with her family and continue making art!! Thank you all for the continued support and prayers! A small plug: we are at The Mercado on Division Street in Chicago every weekend selling her art.…
3/17/21
Cuca has tested positive for the covid virus! The entire facility went on lockdown for 2 weeks when one patient was confirmed positive. I discovered this when they canceled the meetings I had scheduled with Cuca, including the one on her birthday. This week we were informed that she too now has tested positive and will now reset the counter of when she will be allowed visitors. This makes us very concerned as her health may not be at an optimal level yet. I have been able to speak with her and the nurses assisting her twice this week and so far she has only exhibited mild symptoms like a slight cough while her vitals remain stable. They are monitoring her closely. Very importantly, she continues to be in good spirits and her mental faculty seems more normal as time goes on. Please, continue to keep her in your prayers…
2/26/21
I was able to see my mom yesterday at the nursing home where she has been for the past 4 weeks or so. She is showing signs of improvement being more mentally there, holding longer conversations and recollecting facts. It was difficult however, , , she started crying telling my brother and I she was tired of being there and wanted to come home. We cried together. Some comfort was found when we told her she only had one more leg of physical therapy to go through. It was a good visit and we were able to stay with her for about an hour since we were the last appointment. The final leg of her PT is where we are finding some difficulty now. The current facility will soon reach the end of their program and this will trigger medicaid to stop paying for it. We are desperately looking for…
2/13/21 + Fundraiser!
This weekend we are having the first fundraiser for Cuca! Show your support in person or virtually. This weekend is going to be a cold one so bundle up if you will brave the elements! Visitation capabilities are opening up as restrictions ease. This week, Cuca was visited by two of her sons and she was excited to see them. The visit was short but they were able to show her love and support. Seeing her was such a joy and fresh of breath air. She is looking stronger is regaining more control over her motor functions, her eyes, head and arm. She does physical and mental exercises everyday. Still, no movements from the left side of her body but there is still plenty window for more recovery in that area. They have introduced soft foods into her diet, albeit there are still concerns about her ability to chew so…
1/20/2021
Hola, mi querida familia! Well, Cuca made a huge leap today. She was finally transferred to rehab! She has been placed in a facility located in Glenview, IL. She’ll most likely be there for a few weeks, then ‘graduate’ to more advanced Rehab at Lutheran when she gets stronger to succeed in their intense regimen.For now, Cuca continues to wake up. Not aIways talkative, but definitely more present. She will remain with the feeding tube for now. They’re giving her soft food, but still not consuming enough calories or nutrition. The feeding tube thus remains a must. She has lost 23 pounds since she was initially admitted. This next phase is gonna be rough. This is where the work to get her body back with movement/rehab begins, and it’s not gonna be easy. We pray that she remains motivated and fully participates as much as she’s capable to. Her mental…
1/15/2021
Yesterday, Cuca drank her first cup of coffee! She passed her swallowing test which is amazing news!!! It has been difficult for her to talk and she has not tasted food since the surgery. Since she could not swallow, the nurses were wetting her mount with a sponge. As you might imagine, it was difficult for her to talk at times since her mouth would get really dry. It broke our hearts when she would communicate that she was thirsty. There is a feeding tube going directly into her stomach that would provide her with plenty of nutrients and water but it might be hard to imagine not drinking or tasting food for so long for those of use who’ve never experienced it. Her mental awareness is really good although she does not respond verbally very often. On a positive note, she will soon be transferred to a physical therapy…
1/8/2020
The procedure to install a permanent drainage shunt has been successful. The neurosurgeon in charge said that he picked out the most state-of-the-art shunt he could find and is happy with the results of the procedure. After spending overnight in an ICU unit for observation, she is in a regular unit now. Cuca video called with a few family members and was much more active! She was reportedly more talkative earlier in the day but was able to say some very coherent and complex sentences! Her condition is on the incline! We did manage to catch the general doctor and he said improvements are expected to happen but it is difficult to give a timeline, but she is doing well. Typically, a stroke patient’s eyes tend to gravitate in the direction of the affected portion of the brain where the stroke happened. Cuca is showing progress because during the video…
January 5th, 2021
Cuca was removed from ICU after the removal of the shunt that was helping relieve pressure from fluid buildup in her brain. The community was excited for this progress! However doctors and those who spoke with her through video call quickly noticed she was less responsive and didn’t spoke less. CT scans showed she was experiencing a condition known as hydrocephalus, where deep tissues in the brain retain more fluid that eventually put pressure on the surrounding tissues. The doctors quickly recommended they install a permanent shunt (drain) in her skull that will drain excess brain fluid into her abdomen. This should not affect her ability to live a normal life. Instead, after the procedure tomorrow (Wed., 1/6/20) doctors expect her to be much more awake and responsive. This will help her in so many ways from psychologically seeing her own progress to allowing he medical staff to plan her…