Jean’s Story

Site created on October 19, 2023

Welcome to our CaringBridge website for Jean Regester. Mom (Jean) suffered a stroke on Sunday, October 8, 2023. She spent a week in the hospital and was discharged to Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids on Monday, October 16th to begin her rehabilitation and recovery.  Complicating matters, as many of you know, Mom broke her ankle on Labor Day weekend, and so this is an added challenge for Mom's rehab journey.

As you can see from the photo above, Mom is very motivated and has had a good start to her rehabilitation so far! We will keep this webpage updated as much as we can. 

Love to all of Mom's family and friends. 

--Craig and Kristen

Newest Update

Journal entry by Craig Regester

Hey Folks,

With apologies once again for the long delay between updates, we're happy to inform friends and family that Mom/Jean will be moving back to her condo on Friday, March 1st. Needless to say, it has been quite the journey these last six months! We are so appreciative of all the support Mom/Jean has received during this challenging period - it has made all the difference in the world as Mom continues to heal and prepares to move back to her condo.

A few other updates to share:
  • Mom/Jean had a very successful (and incredibly easy!) outpatient medical procedure a few weeks ago; she received an implantable heart monitor called a Linq II. It constantly monitors her heart rhythm keeping an eye out for any concerning heart arrhythmias, including potential Atrial Fibrillation which may be what caused her stroke. If we see A-Fibs then she would likely be prescribed with Eliquis - a very common blood thinner to prevent clots and potential strokes. We're grateful for this technology and for the Medicare coverage that paid for it!
  • Mom/Jean had two different driving assessments done in the past month - one by an OT at Mary Free Bed Rehab and a second on-the-road driving assessment by a certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist. Mom passed both tests with only minimal concerns. We've determined that she will be able to return to driving - albeit (for a while anyway) only during the day, locally, and in familiar areas. 
  • Kristen and Craig will be helping Mom move back to her condo the first weekend in March, which will include doing a few things around the house to make sure everything is ready. We hired someone to conduct a home safety assessment at Mom's condo last weekend and there were only a few minor suggestions (stair-gate and better shower-bars). We were glad to learn that Mom's general set-up is very safe and suited for her needs.
There are probably other details we could share, but this seems sufficient for the time being. Many thanks again for all of your love and support these past few months. Mom/Jean looks forward to regaining her independence, and Kristen/Craig believe we have done some good planning and preparation to make sure Mom is safe living at home. Much love to all! 
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