Denise Nickerson -- Prayers and support needed

[Gothick]

Jasmine posted an update--I think last night, but it hasn't been added to the "support" group yet, possibly because the individual who has been maintaining that group is having some personal things to attend to.

Jasmine wrote about Denise:

She's getting more vocal. As in, her voice has more strength and she's saying different combinations of letter sounds than before. She's showing less anger and aggression towards people (including us) and more frustration that she isn't being understood. But as she grows more frustrated, more "word" sounds become more clear.
She used the bathroom on her own after walking to it today. Another thing they and we didn't think she would ever do. But she did. On her own, granted with her nurse watching, but still. That's an astonishing feat. (end quote)

Jasmine wrote that the rehab center has made much needed improvements to Denise's care. There is also a current photo of Denise. I'm not friended to Jasmine but she is making all these posts public (if I'm understanding the Facebook "protocols" correctly).

Best wishes,

G.

[Josette]

I guess this will be pretty much a repeat of what I said the last time, but the initial report was so dire that I was amazed when she first started improving and was able to get to rehab.  These latest improvements seem to be coming quite quickly - great news - hope it continues!

[Gothick]

Jasmine posted a video update, I think sometime yesterday afternoon or early evening. Denise has been refusing to cooperate and comply with therapy and care directives from the rehab staff--basically refusing to go to therapy, I think. This means she is due to be discharged and sent home on Friday. Which also means that Jasmine has had to give notice at her own job and begin preparing the house for Denise to live there.

Jasmine has had a lot of medical training and experience and they have most of the equipment already, but they will need a lot of help, particularly in the next two days.

It was a very sad video to watch. Both Jasmine and Josh (Denise's son) are under a huge amount of stress.

I send thoughts of support and care to both of them and, of course, to Denise.

The video is public on Facebook but it's a very sad tape to view. Jasmine reported that Denise is not eligible for MedicAid, and will not be "for a very long time," which means that Jasmine will not be eligible to receive a salary for taking care of Denise at home. (I am just trying to summarize what was said by Jazz on the tape; I don't have training in the Byzantine crenellations of medicaid, care for stroke survivors, etc.)

G.

[Gothick]

Jasmine posted an update. Denise has been home now since last Friday, I believe.

An excerpt:

I have given her three feedings this far. The first two were terrible, the most recent was a breeze. But fortunately Josh was home and I could train him how to do so, too.

This is a process but even still I don't feel like I got much done today. Laundry, dishes, installed her bedrail, and some light organization. Everyday will be a bit easier hopefully.

Denise had been up and down all day. She wandered around the living room and kitchen a few times with our help. She's really adept at standing up on her own and walking around. She can change her own clothes and gets up to the bathroom when that urge hits her. She is overall doing pretty well. We agreed to take it easy today for therapy. (end quote)

Best wishes,

G.

[B.Collins]

i just learned of this late last night actually when i was looking DS up. i had seen on blu-ray.com that it had the show going to blu-ray,no release date though and i was looking online and when i saw that post i went WTF? so i found online that she had, had a stroke and i am so relieved she is doing better.

i've been a fan of her's since i was a kid. for me though DS wasn't the 1st thing i saw her in but Willy Wonka.
it's a shame she quit acting but she i'm glad has had a great life so far.  i hope she continues to do better with each passing day. i hope she sounds better than say Kirk Douglass. after he had his stroke it really messed his speech up cause it had been a really big one and i don't think it was his 1st either.

through the years for him it did get better but than at the oscars what was it this year or last? i forget which he was at and he sounded like his voice had gotten even worse.  and he is after all going to be 102 this year.
my point is i hope that Denise doesn't end up sounding like him and i hope it wasn't as bad as the one he had in the late 90's i think it was.

off topic a bit but my mom's was a nurse since retired but her name also is Denise. if i'm not mistaken Denise was one as well which is why i mentioned my mom

[Gothick]

Denise's recovery is really coming along. Jasmine posted this video earlier today of Denise singing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDn0CMQDY4E&feature=share

I hope that link works...

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It does work - and it's a great video. Thanks for posting the link, Gothick! 

[Gerard]

How wonderful!  And Denise is singing a song that's a blast from our past!  I feel so nostalgic!  Denise, you're the bomb - you make me feel young again!

Gerard

[Gothick]

The latest update about Denise's amazing recovery, from Jasmine Nickerson:

Denise said some pretty amazing words tonight. Words like, "impression" and "embarrassed" and "break." Of course we don't know the full context but she has been working so hard. And she still gets so flustered and frustrated with the apraxia, but her speech is improving. It's still not there but the words are becoming words and thoughts and sentences. Josh and I just listened and held her hand and tried to understand what she's trying to convey.

By the end of the conversation she just wanted to change the TV channel to "Snapped" on Lifetime, and the volume and when she finally got it out and I did it she said, "Thank you, Jazz, very much." And I cried. I was so proud of her and overwhelmed and she laughed and told me not to cry. Then she asked me to turn off her light and have me a big hug and said "I love you, bye bye" when I said goodnight.

This has been such a long, emotional road and her progress has been unspeakable. I'm literally in awe everytime she does something new or says something new.

Sorry, I know it just seems like normal stuff but Denise was one of my best friends and we would talk and joke and bicker and prattle on about whatever. And it's been so hard. I didn't think she would survive what happened. I didn't think she would ever be herself again or understand us or know us. And she did. She fought like hell. She's still fighting like hell. But I'm so proud of her fight and her unwillingness to accept that she might not be who she once was. She is a stubborn as the day is long and she won't give up. (end quote)

[B.Collins]

 sounds like my grandmother she's stubborn as hell but than mine is 94 years old too.. i'm thrilled to learned Denise is doing so much better and has started being herself again after the stroke. i hope her speech isn't as bad as say Kirk Douglass after his stroke years ago. 

but he's a guy i always get the impression who also is very stubborn too... so maybe that might be helpful for her to get better and to speak normally again? her stubborness maybe?

[Josette]

Great news - hope she continues to improve!!

[Gothick]

Sad news--Denise had a fall at home early this morning (around 6:30 a.m.). Jasmine said that she feared Denise had broken her hip again. She posted a video from her cellphone as they were following the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

I will update here as I am able to do, when we know more.

People who know her and care about her, please keep her, Jasmine, Josh and the family in your prayers.

G.

[Patti Feinberg]

A person (slightly more women) breaking their hip.....you have to be immobilized, which, the blood doesn't flow easily....it tends to build up.....

Patti 

[Gerard]

Denise and I are the same age.  I grew up with her from Dark Shadows to Willie Wonka and even The Brady Bunch.  Back in the late 90's, I connected with her online and we became penpals.  I started working on a mammoth, epic DS novel named Dark Shadows:  Occasion of Sin when the HarperCollins series got off the ground hoping for a submission.  It covered the Collins family from 1918 to 1949.  Of course, Nora Collins was a central character primarily in the 20's and 30's.  Denise was thrilled and wrote me descriptions of how "she" (Nora) would look and act based on my description of the character.  It was almost a collaboration.  Then the HarperCollins series fell apart and that was that and slowly Denise and I fell away in the way that things do with people who have busy lives.  I'm still basically healthy and Denise is suffering through this trial.  None of us are guaranteed anything.  You keep fighting, Denise.

Gerard

[Patti Feinberg]

Hope this is okay; I copied from the FB site (public):

She's out of surgery and it went smoothly. Popped it back into place and doesn't appear to have created any additional damage. She will be in a hip and knee con...

Thank God!!! So, maybe not broken, just dislocated.

Patti