Dawn’s Story

Site created on August 24, 2018

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.  As you know, Dawn was injured when she struck a deer while riding her Harley with her husband and friends on Friday, August 17th.  She sustained what they are terming a 'severe concussion'.  She also broke 3 ribs, collar bone and shoulder blade.  She is currently in ICU at Rapid City Regional Health.  She is improving daily but with this type of injury it takes time.  Drs. can't say how much but they are encouraged by her progress and believe she will recover and get back to her amazing life.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Carmen Holland

Dawn is doing fantastic!! She and Larry were thrilled to finally get to their home on Saturday, October 6. They were both happy to be reunited with Deuce & he went nuts!!
    Her memory is getting better every day. (She has seen and/or spoken to several friends and she knows them all.) Pretty much the only thing she has problem with is short term memory-gets mixed up about time and who’s here etc. She does not remember the accident at all and Drs told Larry she may never. (She remembers that I’m her favorite sister. 😇)
   Her mobility is good. She navigates all the stairs here slowly and deliberately. That means she’s cognizant of the need to be careful.  We have been walking daily and she and I have cooked and baked together and she’s doing some household chores. 
    She practices writing and reading and is working on mastering her phone again. Rehab instructions stress that it is important to practice being able to give attention to two things at a time so we work on that. 
   There is some pain in her arms and legs and sometimes her chest. She is allowed to take OTC meds for pain but hasn’t. 
    Our understanding is that her brain is working overtime to establish new pathways/circuits to take over for the ones that don’t work anymore. So it is expected that she will tire easily as her brain is using an enormous amount of energy healing itself. The Drs all along have been pleased that she has a good appetite because her brain needs fuel. 
   She starts OT, ST, & PT tomorrow in Custer. Next week she sees several Drs in RC and we think they will be very pleased with how much she’s recovered. 
  I’ll update weekly at least. 
  I feel like I have my sister — not all the way back yet but on her way. 
   Thank you Jesus. 
        Carmen
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