Realizing I Was Ready To Return Home

Like I mentioned, skilled nursing was incredibly boring.  Therapy wasn't intense anymore and everyone had gone back to their normal schedules.  I didn't feel like I was getting better, but worse instead.  Not only was I not getting all of the therapy, but my mind was not as positive as it was before.  I was almost to the point of depressed.  I now understand why older people dread being put in a nursing home.  Life literally stops.


I went to skilled nursing thinking I needed more time.  Instead, skilled nursing showed me that I was ready to go home.  I was ready physically, mentally, and emotionally.  It was time.  I especially realized it when Patrick brought Jaelyn for "date night."  I could keep up with her just fine.  More than that, she wanted to be my helper.  She wanted me home and she instinctively knew that I needed her.

Facebook post from Patrick on November 23. 2013

Quality date night with Mommy and her mini me!!

While I was in skilled nursing I hit the one month anniversary of my stroke.  I still had a lot of people shocked that this had happened to me.  I had many people asking me about my symptoms so I eventually decided it would be beneficial to many if I shared my story.  It is included in my blog post titled, The Week My Life Forever Changed. 

 I also had many media outlets contacting me for interviews.  KWWL contacted me about two weeks after I had my stroke asking to do a "Someone You Should Know" segment because they had heard about my Facebook posts.  I turned them down.  Everything was still so raw and I wasn't ready to verbalize everything.  I wasn't comfortable in the way I looked and I still was so tired from even the slightest bit of exertion.  Plus, I hate being on camera and in the spotlight.  I felt so cowardly and selfish but there is just something about having to come up with answers on the spot and all the cameras that just terrified me. Finally, I just didn't feel deserving.  Like I have said before, I was just doing the best I could.

A reporter from New Hampton, near Patrick's hometown, contacted me to do a Thanksgiving special in their local paper.  Behind the scenes is much more my speed so I agreed.

 Facebook post from November 25, 2013 

We were scheduled to have our first high risk OB appointment in Iowa City on November 26, 2013.  Patrick worked really hard with insurance and New Aldaya to get me released before that so that I could just go home after we went to our appointment.  Of course, being the Superman that he is, he got me checked out of there!  I spent five days in skilled nursing.  It was the longest five days of my entire life!