Court's back from Aruba..

Courtney headed out to Aruba last Sunday with her high school friends by her side to attend a wedding. They were there for four days and had a wonderful time. The weather was great and the wedding was beautiful. Needless to say none of them wanted to come home. It was the first outing for Court without family, just friends and I'm sure she enjoyed herself to no end. It was a much needed R&R for her and the rest of her cronies!
She had come home to Maine for a week before that and had some R&R, Maine style,visiting with her Dad and Martha as well. While here she went horseback riding twice with a great friend of ours. She was walking and trotting by herself! Then her old riding instructor came to watch and say hi to Court. They hadn't seen each other since before the event a year ago. That's Pam and her pony with Court above.
Speaking of a year ago, it's been almost exactly one year since Court had a cardiac arrest. We are celebrating a year of phenominal recovery,determination,hard work and most of all LIFE. We are all so grateful to have Courtney with us and watch her continue to recover and improve. This is such an arduous, long road for her. Please continue to read and comment on this blog even though it is not updated as often as it used to be, comments are ALWAYS WELCOME and make this blog more interesting. Without comments it's hard to post things so please let us know you are keeping track of our girl. Thanks to all who have kept up with this blog. God Bless....
Always, Julie/Mom

Courtney Update...

Hi to all you faithful Courtney fans.
It has been way too long since we have written about Court's progress. Basically her progress is still happening but still on a much slighter scale. She is refining some of her techniques, always striving to do better. I don't see her very often, it is very hard for me not be nearer to her but more than anything Courtney wants her independence back. With her will, stubborness (where did she get that from??) and determination, she will be there faster than anyone imagined. She is still the miracle girl and I am constantly amazed by her spirit. Things are getting very routine for her and I'm sure she'd like to move on faster. As we all know, patience is a virtue.
Courtney is coming home this Sat. to Maine for a week long visit. I will go over to pick her up Friday and hopefully attend two therapies with her.
I hope to post more later on her trip to Michigan last month for a mini family reunion and a memorial service for her Grandfather and Grandmother.
Thanks to all who keep this constant vigil over Courtney. Your prayers and thoughts are greatly appreciated and still very much a large part of her recovery. Please continue to do so. Bless you all.
Love, Julie/Mom

Fare well Joel....

We have lost a very good friend this past weekend. One of Courtney's oldest friends (since grade school) passed away. We are shocked and devastated at the news. A more compassionate person you wouldn't find. Joel was a benevelant young man who would do anything for his friends and did. He was key in helping execute the two benefits for Courtney this past winter and early spring as well as hosting the two events. He helped raise quite a bit of money for the fund, along with all the other friends of Courtney who put in their hard work, time and effort.
Joel is off to sail other oceans we cannot see...He has other agendas to tend to, others to help. Thank you my dear Joel. Sweet dreams, we all miss you terribly.
Julie/Mom

A Dining Adventure !

Courtney's trip home went way too fast! She was here a week ago Monday and gone last Sunday. I had to work Tues.- Thurs. so I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked to, but it beat a blank!
On Tues. she slept in until after 12 noon, probably for the first time since the arrest.(obviously not including the coma). The rest was much needed and appreciated by her but getting her to bed at a decent hour the next night wasn't easy and I had to get up early to go to work. So it was decided she wouldn't sleep that late the following mornings.
We had a great evening at the cottage in Damariscotta with friends who made one of Court's favorite dinners: burgers and dogs! It was mucho fun and delicious! Thanks Tom and crew! Wed. she dined at Moody's for lunch and then for dinner the Whale's Tooth Pub in Lincolnville Beach with her Dad,Martha and crew and Uncle Scott and wife Carolyn from Santa Fe. Thurs.after work more friends and neighbors arrived to wish Court happy returns,etc. so we just enjoyed the evening at home. Great to see everyone! Fri. Court and I lounged around in the morning and then went to Augusta to peruse the new(to us) Target store, one of our favorites! We had fun there and came home to join best friend Patricia and Jim for her birthday celebration dinner at the Silver Lane Bistro. YUM! We had a great time eating our way through the week! Sat. morning Court met her high school friends for breakfast in Washington at a new cafe called Sweet Seasons. Blueberry pancakes apparently hit the spot! She was then off to Belfast to meet her Dad and go sailing (tough duty) and on to have some well earned lobstah dinnah at the Lobster Pound.
She is back in Burlington now and hopefully put a few pounds! She is doing very well in her therapies. I couldn't believe how well she is going up and down stairs and actually doing some jogging! She is truly amazing and we are all very hopeful about the future of this incredible woman who has defied ALL the odds. Let's pray that she continues to do so. With everyones help and support I'm sure she will go far! Thank you for your continued support and vigilance of her.
Bless you all,
Julie/Mom

Court's coming to Maine...

Hi All,
I know it's been a long time since an update was added. Courtney has been doing well continues to progress. It is a slow, steady, hard road to go for her. She continues to do her therapies and routine exercises.
I wanted people in the Maine area to know that I will be bringing her home for a brief visit on June 16th. She will be here until that weekend, not sure which day she'll head back to Burlington, VT. So anyone in the midcoast area or further is welcome to come visit or call her on her cell. She and we would love to see and/or hear from you. Thanks for keeping Courtney in your thoughts and prayers. It really does make a difference!
Love, Julie/Mom

Horseback Riding Photos

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Originally uploaded by SeanCooley

Photo Slide Show here

Getting Back on the Horse

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Courtney paid a visit to Windswept Farm in Williston today, the horse farm where she worked in 2006, to start her therapeutic riding program. Physical therapist Keta, lesson instructor Tina and good friend/aide Ann were all on hand to help her mount Walter, a 25-year-old Morgan horse. Court says he's a kind and gentle beast.

It was a short, but sweet ride, Courtney was grinning ear to ear, she may have been a centaur in a past life, who knows. She'll be riding again this Friday and the Friday after, so more photos and videos may follow.

-Sean

The Great Outdoors

.Photos Link here

Burlington at 80 degrees in mid-April, the wonders of Vermont never seize to amaze. Courtney and crew have been soaking up at much UV as possible since being back, putting in tanning hours on the waterfront of Lake Champlain and exploring tourist havens like Middlebury and Stowe. Some of our other extracurricular activities:

A day at camp, the Flynn's own a quaint cabin and some land in Huntington, Vt. a town best known for it's gorge. We drove up in a pickup truck, grilled meat, fired guns and rode trails on an ATV thereby maximizing gas consumption. We are true-blooded Americans. The guns were of the BB variety and Court's aim wasn't half-bad, she buried a few rounds into the shooting range dummy Fernando.

Rock climbing, I was amazing after stepping into Petra Cliffs indoor climbing center in South Burlington. It's a warehouse sized building covered wall-to-wall with climbing and bouldering courses and a friendly staff of humans and canines. Having reviewed the work of Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger and pre-insanus Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, I belayed as Courtney tried to get her feel for climbing back. She's been a climber since she was a teenager and she has the basic technique if not the strength to climb again. She maxed out twelve feet up the beginner's wall, it's certainly a challenging activity that we'll pursue more regularly.

Swimming at the Sports and Fitness Edge, a gigantic warm water pool in Essex with a hot tub and fairly bodacious water slide. I'm working with her on swimming, she uses a buoyancy belt to stay afloat and can perform a limited back stroke and doggy paddle. It's a great workout for her coordination and she has direct feedback if she's not pushing as hard with her left arm and leg.

Therapy is going well at Fanny Allen, her occupational therapists have Court moving around in the kitchen, she was able to measure and mix ingredients for brownies last week. In PT, she's using a walking staff to move on flat ground without assistance. She's still cautious moving on stairs and uneven terrain, but her stride and gait is becoming more fluid. In speech, she is still working on conscientiously speaking up, her therapist uses a recording device to play back Courtney's voice and give her feedback on clarity and volume.

On the vision front, Courtney is seeing an optometrist and an osteopath in Montpelier. She hasn't had a substantial improvement in her eyesight, it may be a matter of time before the prism prescription helps her adjust. It is frustrating for her when she's trying to read or stay aware when there is lot of movement in her field of view.

Overall, we're happy with how our transition to Burlington has gone. There's still a long road ahead, but having a support system of family and friends makes a big difference. We're lucky to have everyone to lend a hand. We're thinking of throwing a springtime party and BBQ, updates to come.

-Sean

Moo! Fun in Stowe..

Today was a short day of therapy for Court. Since she only had one today, we decided to take a short road trip to Stowe. Sean,Courtney,her Dad and I headed over to visit the Cabot cheese store and sample some of the fine selections they had to offer! After downing various varieties of cheeses and other goodies, we then went next door for some fine chocolates! It was off to the Apple Cider place across the street for some cider donuts and fresh pressed apple cider.

Waterbury was next on the tour for actual dinner at a really good pub/brewery called The Alchemist. It was great to just get out and be a tourist for an afternoon! The weather was some what c0-0perative by hitting 61 degrees for a minute. Some fog and rain made an appearance but it managed to clear off by the time we headed back to Burlington.

Court has had a somewhat rough time this past week trying to get off her last anti-seizure drug. It went well for a few days but after her last pill she bacame quite weak and shakey. The doc said to put her back on the lowest dose until we can sort out the problem. Could be she will stay on this drug for a while. Time will tell.

Please be sure to keep Courtney in your healing thoughts and prayers. She still needs all the hope and help she can get. This time of rehab is really hard on all of us. She is not making positive strides as quickly now that she has come so far. It's only natural for this to happen but at the same time it becomes somewhat disheartening for everyone, especially Courtney. This is the beginning of the next stage of her rehab. Wish her good luck!

Thanks,

Love, Julie/Mom

P.S. These pictures were put on the blog under protest from Court...
Doesn't she look cute?

Settling In

Being back in Burlington for the past weeks has been a nice return to familiar faces and places. We're happy to see all our friends, Court's been able to talk and joke around with everyone just like old times. There's been no lack of tasty food and helping hands.

Her therapists at Fanny Allen are terrific, she is slowly working on writing, working her left hand and buttoning or zippering clothes. She gets to swim in a heated pool Monday nights at the Sports and Fitness Edge in Essex, she can wiggle around doggie-paddle style until she's tired and relaxes in the hot tub. We've been to the past two weekly pot luck dinners her college friends hold and they've been a great time, it's a social environment that's easier to interact in and navigate than the bar scene.

A few folks have asked about Courtney's schedule and living situation. I'd say that anyone looking to hang out with Court, feel free to give her a call on her cell phone (she may not pick up right away, but can check voicemail and usually can use voice dialing to call back). She's free most nights after dinnertime as well as weekends. Court's also been practicing on the computer, using some of the adaptive features, so send her an e-mail if you like.

We're spending this snowy weekend in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, Marti's house here is filled with neat trinkets, I could probably spend hours peeling through old baseball cards. Winter is refusing to die, so I guess that means more drinking indoors and reading Stephen King late at night.

-Sean

Easter Egg Hunt Party :)

Tonight at 83A Ward St. there will be an Easter Egg Hunt Party. Its what it sounds like...at 9pm an Easter Egg Hunt, lots of games, plenty of Beverages, friends and fun. A suggested $5 donation to cover party costs and overflow goes to the coin drop. We'll see you all tonight! Give a call if you have any questions: 802.355.2466

Amber

Court's New Address!!!

Court is transitioning into her new digs very well! Kathy and Pat are wonderful pseudo parents, or rather caretakers and they all seem to have a similar sense of humor(very important) as well as food likes/dislikes, etc.
Just to let everyone know Courtney's new mailing address is: 27 Oak Creek Drive, South Burlington, VT. 05403
My email in case anyone should want to contact me is: gallicat@hotmail.com.
Thanks,
Love, Julie/Mom

Moving On

The day has finally come, Courtney's leaving Crotched Mountain tomorrow and we're headed up to Burlington on Saturday afternoon. After much finagling, the pieces have come together for Court's rehab and living situation in Vermont.

Courtney will be living with the Flynn's, a middle-aged couple with traumatic brain injury experience in South Burlington. She'll have round-the-clock supervision and a bedroom and bathroom to herself. We're looking forward meeting them and getting Court settled in.

Her therapy evaluations will take place next week at Fanny Allen Hospital in Colchester, she'll be able to resume PT, OT and speech therapy there on an outpatient level. We'll also look to take advantage of some recreational and adaptive therapy programs in the area (swimming, horseback riding, etc.) She'll have a new case manager and a life skills aide on weekdays in Burlington as well.

Court's excited to be moving on up and continue the progress she's made at the mountain, most recently: ditching her wheel chair entirely and using a walking stick to move independently early in the day (which she's promised to swing upon the first Little Bo Peep joke) as well as getting a new prism prescription for her eyeglasses in hopes of realigning her eyesight and helping her balance.

We've got quite a few people to thank and chocolate cake to devour tomorrow.

-Sean

Dinner/Auction

Tonight's event went very well. It was absolutely delicious. There was spaghetti with marinara sauce or meatsauce, all kinds of breads and rolls, salad and homemade desserts to die for! My compliments to all the chefs! Far better than the average spaghetti dinners, this was excellent! I do not have any figures or a headcount yet but I did get to see many familiar faces that I haven't seen since Court's high school days (or in my case, daze!). It was so much fun and the evening went way too fast. The auction was fast paced and so many wonderful things were auctioned off. I think we did quite well.
I want to thank all the people involved in setting up this wonderful benefit event. I know it took a tremendous amount of work and planning and it showed! And to everyone who participated in it, whether it be working there or attending and bidding on the fantastic items, a HUGE THANK YOU as well! I hope everyone is happy with their treasures and we all appreciated the support and show of love for Courtney. It was great to see Court's friends and mine as well.
With sincere gratitude,
Julie/Mom

SFC Meeting This Coming Wednesday

what are those again?...

Sorry about the extended delay in SFC meetings and happenings. Personally, I was super busy and needed to get some things out of the way to allow myself to fully commit to SFC again. Jeff and Lynn Gregory's class hustled to organize a raffle which raised over $1,000 and the cycling team raised a similar amount. I've since spoken to Courtney's dad, Doug, and emphasized how much the money we've raised (and will raise) will help out with Courtney's continued rehabilitation when she gets back to Vermont. We are ready to get going this coming Wednesday (March 12th) to discuss a few event ideas, a new date for the silent auction (which is still happening); and best of all, Courtney's arrival back in Vermont. If I don't hear from anyone I'll plan on 6pm at Morrill Hall again. If anyone has a suggestion for a different day, time and/or location, let me know and I'll arrange it around everyone's schedules. After working through almost 1/2 a year of kinks and dilemmas in our 'management' and organization system, I think a few changes will be made to improve the flow of our meetings as well as events.

Spring in Vermont gets everyone out and ready for fun. The Sun is finally out, the days are longer and warmer and spirits are high. Lets take advantage of this get some outdoor events going.

Doug, I accidentally erased your message with the phone number when I was on the road this weekend. Could you e-mail or call back with it.


Well, unless posted otherwise, I'll see you on Wednesday of next week at 6pm - Morrill Hall. (I am bringing all t-shirts with me to distribute).

Happy Spring!
Amber