About this blog

After sharing e-mail after e-mail with my mother's friends and family I decided that it would be more efficient to put this information on a blog so that it would be centrally located. Here you will find information mostly on Fredi Balzano's health struggles. Feel free to contact me with specific questions.

See my other blog at daisybrainlives.blogspot.com for thoughts on knitting and cooking and other family highlights.

Thanks everyone.

Tracy B.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

What Fredi came home with


I forgot to let everyone know what we are laughing at this week.

The day before Fredi was supposed to arrive at home (Monday) I told her that I might not be able to pick up her boxes until Tuesday. Because of that it would be a good idea if she packed what she would need initially for overnight; a toothbrush, something to sleep in, a change of clothes....

She arrived home the next day with:
a bag of paper (information and documents she had collected since last July) She really needed that?!
3 half full bags of candy
a toothbrush

That's all.

She would make a terrible girl scout or Farm and Wilderness camper.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Fredi Has Come Home

Well. It has finally happened.

Fredi has returned home to 11th Street.

No your eyes aren’t deceiving you.

After 19 months Fredi was delivered home Monday by ambulette accompanied by an aid.

No, we didn’t have a party although I was planning one. With all the preparation; getting what we needed, cleaning out a room for her, trying to spend a few days away, planning for August’s 6 birthday party, getting ready for school.... I have just been overwhelmed so… no party. At least not for her right now. We are expecting about 30 people on Saturday for August’s 6th birthday though. Heaven help me.

It was an emotional return for her. Only August and I were here and we made it up the stairs slowly. She rested on two landings sitting in her chair for a few minutes before continuing. When she saw the apartment she cried. So the question now is, what next. As glad as she is to be here the climax is over and now we need to think about the next steps.

She is still challenged by her body but her mind works and she is wants to feel useful again. There is work to consider and how to get it done from the apartment. She has already had a timely call from a referral for career counseling and we will see what else the future holds.

I also think that she is challenged by not being in a controlled environment. She was saying that she was bored at Amsterdam House and I told her that she would be bored at home too. We are learning how to make the most use of her aids who, so far, mostly do nothing.

On Friday I am going to get her out of the house again for a walk around the neighborhood and probably the dentist. Coming and going kind of need to be a scheduled event at this point so that is when we are going to try the down and up. Wish us luck.

For the immediate future she can be reached at 212-243-4675 or Verizon wireless 347-461-3556 and mail should be addressed to her at, 348 West 11th St, #4A, New York, New York, 10014. She can also be e-mailed at fjbalzano@emr-trends.com. We are expecting the cable guy today to install the router for the computer so she can have easy access to her e-mail and the Internet. Send her a note and she will be able to access it later barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Later that day...

The unforeseen circumstances occurred and while the router has been installed we are unable to connect it to her computer at this time. The only internet machine is upstairs and that makes it hard for her to use. Send notes anyway and I will print them out and give them to her.

Tracy