home is good

We got home on Wednesday afternoon. We are all in shock at the severity of the latest episode. It shook us to the core. There was one day when everything seemed hunky-dunky and we thought we were on our way home. She had eaten and even walked that day. The next morning she woke up and was in pain and locked up again. 

She's come out of it, and we are home and all together. We hadn't seen Addy in a whole week and being apart hurt us all. 

The rigidity has taken it's toll on her body. Most noticeably, her hands aren't as nimble as they usually are. She had a very immature grasp for a few days, and still can't feel the tips of her pointer fingers at all. We aren't sure if this is just temporary or if she has experienced some muscle death in that area. While still in the hospital, she had some smooth muscle issues. Her bladder seemed to be affected as she felt the urge to urinate at an alarming frequency. This scared  us, because it could have been affecting her diaphragm. They monitored her heart rate for two days due to tachycardia. Scary stuff. 

Since we have been home, there has been an outpouring of support from friends and family. Patrick started a gofundme page and immediately people started offering their donations. My brothers have paid to fill our oil tank even though we told them not to, but since when do they listen?

My faith in humanity has been restored. It feels very odd to both of us, who don't often reach out for help. It is alarming and heart-warming to know that so many people are thinking of our family. Thank you all so much for everything.