A New Life: 2007

11/1/07
Yep, it's been a llooonnggg time, I know. Again, silence means generally good news in this situation. I've been going through some work-related issues myself the past few months, leading to a job change... yay! Hopefully I can relax a bit more & spend more time here.

Nikki's been busy & healthy, too. Her collar bone apparently healed well enough on its own, surprising her doctors Nikki moved into full-time serving in late spring, leaving hosting behind. Then, she started picking up bar shifts over the summer. This went slowly, as she hasn't tended bar since her accident in 2004. It took a while to get comfortable handling lots of glass at a high rate of speed. She also had to find shortcuts and work-arounds for some motions, as her fingers on the badly burned hand don't move nearly as well as they used to. After a few months of part-time bar work, she was set. She now has returned to full-time bartending. Finally, she's back to where she left off in July 2004. Some happy times for all, I can tell you.

Nikki did have a big negative recently. She was slated to attend the Phoenix Society's World Burn Congress in Vancouver in early October. She was attending as a delegate of the Ohio State Medical Center's burn support group- all expenses paid. Unfortunately, my daughter is the great procrastinator and she put off getting the passport until it was too late. By the time of her trip, they had stopped accepting proof-of-filing in its place. She couldn't go. Lots of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Fortunately, the burn support group was very understanding, especially since some money was non-refundable. Maybe next year?

On a positive note, Nikki has been invited by the Phoenix Society to apply for their SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery) program. If accepted, she will be trained professionally to meet with and assist burn survivors and family members in the hospital setting. She's very excited about this, feeling it’s a chance to give some back to those who helped her. Her interview is next week- look for a follow up soon.

Still no surgeries on the horizon. Nikki's committed to getting back into it next year, probably spring time. The focus is still on facial and hand reconstruction. I'll keep you updated.

5/3/07
A brief update to help fill a quiet time. Nikki is doing well, continuing to heal from her broken collar bone. She has continued to work during her recovery as a hostess, which requires no lifting. Although it pays a lot more per hour, she still loses a lot of money due to missing tips. The doctors are reasonably happy with her progress and are thinking that surgery may not be needed, after all. In the past week, Nikki has begun working some serving shifts. She has to be careful & the work makes her arm ache, but she keeps plugging away.

On other fronts, OSU has brought in a new head of plastic surgery, Michael Miller, from Baylor University in Texas. Dr. Miller has done original research in the emerging field of tissue engineering, a multidisciplinary field committed to developing new methods to fabricate tissue for reconstructive surgery by altering existing tissue at the cellular and molecular levels. Nikki has already been referred to him & he has some very aggressive plans for continuing her reconstruction. Nikki has a lot of interest in his plans, but has made it clear that it will be several months before she is financially ready to begin this work.

Nikki has also continued her participation in the fledgling OSU burn support group. She has already been chosen to represent the group to the World Burn Congress meeting in Vancouver in October.

That's all for now... more as it develops. Take care!

3/21/07
Nearly a month since the last posting and I finally have something to report- not very good news, either. Nikki was taking her dog out yesterday, leading him on a leash down the stairs from her apartment. She was wearing high heels, the dog tugged hard on the leash- yep, you guessed it. Nikki lost her footing & fell on the stairs. She went backward, landing on her back & shoulders, right on a riser. She was scraped & very sore, but basically OK- she thought.

The pain was very bad during the night and worse this morning and the impact site was very swollen. She finally gave up toughing it out and went to urgent care today. Prognosis?... a broken collar bone. Not just a simple break, either, but broken in two places. The doctor said she actually has broken a piece out of her collar bone. He also said it might require surgery to secure the piece... great.

Of course, Nikki isn't handling this well. The doctor said she'll need "a month or so" off of work- not an option, says Nikki, since she's not prepared for it. She's off to the Cheesecake Factory tomorrow to see if she can have some adjusted duty & keep working. She can handle anything that doesn't require lifting or carrying things. As a server, she has to carry drink trays and such, but Nikki hopes she can get a work around.

She's off to see her family doctor tomorrow. She also has to notify her plastic surgeon and occupational medicine doctors. I might have more then- stay tuned!

2/28/07
Winter's finally coming to an end and all's well here. Nikki is healthy & happy, and working lot's of hours at the Columbus Cheesecake Factory... be sure to stop in and meet her, if you're in the area.

There's been no talk lately of further medical procedures... again, Nikki hates winter & doesn't like to be out and about in it. Once the weather turns warm, she'll begin to think about "What's next?". then, the blog will once again be busy- and more interesting! Stay tuned for warm weather & more Nikki! Take care...