As Paige settled in to a busy schedule, we let the posts rest, but we forgot to tell anyone.  A week has now passed with good progress, and Paige has remained remarkably active with therapy, tutoring, and doctors' appointments.

On Thursday, Paige was up very early for the drive to her first school day at Kent.  She was thrilled to be back at school, and she was greeted with enthusiasm by many members of the community.

That evening, Paige met the neurosurgeon who treated her at Stamford Hospital. She did not remember him, but he clearly remembered her. He reviewed with her the images taken of her injuries when she arrived at the hospital. They show in detail her numerous fractures and the many areas of her brain injury. He also recalled for her some of the moments in her fiery recovery and the support that surrounded her while she was not conscious.

The good news is that she should continue to recover with time, and that she could be out of her neck collar within a week.

On Saturday, Paige again returned to Kent for a day. She made an emotional appearance before her swim team when she thanked her coaches for pushing her to pursue the superb conditioning that may well have helped save her life.  

We will post weekly updates on Paige's progress for the time being. Thank you again for all your love and support, faith and prayers. 

Paige had a full check-up from her regular general practitioner who has known her for years.  She followed Paige's progress during her recovery and was glad to see her. Tutoring continued, and Paige is catching up. Her eyes are doing better. 

Today, Paige reflected on her wonderful visit to Kent and edited yesterday's post to add energy to her father's rather flat account of the day. Several friends visited from Kent, allowing Paige to have more extended time in smaller groups.

One month has passed since her injury, and Paige continues to recover. As she settles into a routine, the posts will be brief. 

Paige is working towards returning for a first day of classes on Thursday. She hopes to fit in as many days as she can between now and the spring break, so that she can be a full time residential student by the end of March.

Paige was thrilled to be making her first trip to Kent since her injury. As we approached the town of Kent, she repeated at least twenty times how she was sooo excited.

We reviewed the warning signs that would alert Paige to too much stimulation: blurring vision, headache, increased emotions, decreased concentration, fatigue, personality change, interruption in memory, and shaking. Paige knew that she should withdraw if she felt any of these symptoms coming on.

Paige was mobbed in her dorm. Some of her friends were on the verge of tears when they saw her. If Paige said she had to go to the bathroom, someone would offer to go with her.

She walked over to see Ryan's last home hockey game, watched them play for awhile, then retreated to the warming room where her friends from Case Dorm were preparing for the breast cancer fundraiser at that evening's varsity hockey game against Trinity Pawling. 

Ryan's team won their game, and Paige hugged her sweaty and fatigued friends as they came off the ice. The entire team had sent her cards and flowers. She went to Case Dorm and was mobbed again, then returned to Middle Dorm for some more time with the girls before dinner in the school dining room. Two cups of tea made her more than hyper.

By evening, the hockey rink was full of pink balloons and decorations for breast cancer awareness. The Kent varsity hockey players wore pink jerseys (and one even taped his stick with pink tape), the spectators wore pink and had their cheeks marked with pink ribbons and the players' numbers, and the girls from Case sold baked goods and commemorative T-shirts.

The stands were packed. Paige moved constantly throughout the bleachers. She did not stop roaming. Teachers wanted to hug her. Her headmaster said she made his day. Friends would swoop in for a bear hug, then see the neck brace and handle her gently.

With five minutes remaining Paige figured it would take a long time to say her goodbyes. She went to the far end of bleachers and found her friends. 

The Kent hockey team played an exciting game and was victorious in pink. Paige was at rink-side as they came off the ice, congratulating every player. Saying her goodbyes, she was seen dancing and wiggling.

Paige did not stop talking on the way home, planning her return to Kent and saying how seeing everyone made her month. Her mother had baked her famous mac and cheese and left it out for a late dinner. Paige had no appetite because she had eaten half the bake sale. 

The Kent community has been so supportive of Paige and her family, from the visits on her first day in the intensive care unit just four weeks ago, to today's joyful homecoming. We marvel at the graciousness and maturity of the students, and at the warmth and concern from the faculty, staff and administration. While it may be something in the water, we think it comes from compassionate leadership and good, strong values reinforced in a beautiful setting.

Paige was evaluated at Burke for speech therapy, and with her current progress, she could finish in under four weeks. She also completed three hours of neuropsychological testing, with more to follow in two weeks. The tests should identify the cognitive changes resulting from the injury.

One orphaned bear and a displaced monkey accompanied Paige home from the hospital. They unfortunately lost their identification during Paige's many moves.

One is a tall, dark and handsome Bearington Bear with a red ribbon around his neck. The other is a medium brown, lanky Gund monkey. The bear is keeping company with others from Mere and Whit; Mike; and Ann, Julie and Nancy.  The plucky primate is with monkeys from Ryan; Jordan; Brittany, Ali and Paige; and Julia, Nat and Lauren. If you can solve either of these identity crises, please write to nghost@mac.com. The rest of the menagerie is thriving.

Paige feels ready to visit Kent, so we hope you will all treat her gently and watch her for signs of fatigue. She has worked hard to get herself to where she is today. You have encouraged her in her recovery, and you can help her with a calm visit. Many thanks.

Paige had a settled day with her routine of tutoring and therapies. She will begin her comprehensive neurological testing tomorrow. This testing has been brought forward from an original starting date of 26 February, which is good news for Paige's desire to stay a step or two ahead of her projected recovery.

Another clarification: the term "true gentleman" was not intended to be redundant or imply that there are lesser versions of gentlemen. It is defined by John Walter Wayland and applies equally to a true lady: "The true gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe."

Finally, we have an orphaned animal that lost his identification as Paige was moved through five rooms in eight days. We will post a description tomorrow and hope that he is recognized. Paige loves your furry creatures that have followed her home.  Many thanks.

Paige returned to Burke for her outpatient physical therapy evaluation. Burke's outpatient department is separate from the hospital and requires its own evaluations. Her occupational and speech therapy evaluations will follow on Friday, after which Burke will propose a treatment plan.

Paige started her math tutoring today, and she thought it went well.  She then made a long-anticipated trip to Hotchkiss to be with her swim team for the last meet of the regular season.

The swimmers, parents and coaches welcomed Paige so warmly. They have provided a core part of the love and support that Paige has received over the last month. Paige enjoyed joining her team and her coaches on the pool deck and the parents in the stands.

Paige wanted her friends to see that she is recovering well.  She also wanted to join in the nostalgic tradition of paying tribute to seniors and co-captains. The coaches speak about each of the seniors and then give them each flowers. Paige has been swimming with these girls for three years. She and we will miss them.

A snooze on the way home refreshed her for an evening of history review.  What a wonderful day.

Paige worked through her morning speech therapy anticipating her first outing since her Stop & Shop adventure last week. She would be fulfilling a long time dream by making a brief appearance at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

Paige and her mother visited the stands and then headed for the grooming areas. Paige did well with the people. She learned the names of many breeds that were new to her and fell in love with virtually every dog in the show. As a bit of luck, Paige bumped into Avery who invited her to see the best labrador retrievers at ringside as they were being judged by the erect Mrs. Arbuckle.

Paige was fitted for her red reading glasses with their prism lens.  She used them with her evening tutoring.  She looks better than Sarah Palin.  

Her parents met with Paige's new neuropsychologists.  They outlined a program of testing, evaluation, counseling and remediation that will be implemented over the next several weeks. Paige begins with them on Thursday.

Paige's ophthalmologists got her set up with glasses while they get the various scans and films from the hospital and figure out what is wrong with her vision. We should see her in specs by the end of the week.  

Her orthopaedic surgeon showed Paige an x-ray of the fracture for the first time. The break was more dramatic than we had realized. Paige should know by June whether further surgery is needed.

The post winter break migration to Kent passed near our house, and several friends stopped in to see Paige. The visits were wonderfully uplifting.

Tutoring and physical therapy capped off a busy day.

Paige spent the day settling in after three weeks in the hospital. The pain in her shoulder and neck comes in the morning and lessens during the day.  Her eyes will be checked again tomorrow.  Paige's short term memory remains a frustration to her.

As we catch our breath after the rapid pace of the hospital, we have a few clarifications. Some of you have pointed out that Don't Worry, Be Happy is sung by Bobby McFerrin, not Bob Dylan. You are right, but the song is labelled incorrectly on the website that links music to the blog and the label cannot be changed. We are still amazed that Ryan found a huge balloon that sings the song when tapped and that stayed aloft for three weeks, and that Peter turned up a get well card that plays the song when opened.

Paige's father drove to Kent to get her books so that Paige can start on her Kent school work while she continues her outpatient rehabilitation.  The school is on its midwinter break, and the grounds were beautiful and unusually quiet.

People were drifting in for a concert in Mattison Auditorium by 89-year old Dolph Traymon. Governor Rell had declared today Dolph Traymon Day in honor of the former pianist for Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee who later opened the Fife 'n Drum.  

The beautiful St. Joseph's Chapel, with its dark interior and many stained glass windows, offered a perfect place for reflection after the pain and pace of the last three weeks.

It is easy to understand why Paige wants to return quickly to this beautiful place where she is surrounded by so many supportive friends and faculty.  We are eager to see her recovery unfold in the days ahead.

Early this morning, Paige was subjected to a few last needles and tests.  She then checked out of the hospital.

This time, she left on her own steam and she knew all the members of her team:  Dr. Jordan, the director of the brain injury and memory evaluation programs,  Dr. Cuesta, the director of rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology, Lauren, her speech therapist, Carolina, her physical therapist, Janet, her case manager, and a host of other wonderful professionals, from Lisa who first checked her in to Room 259, to Marie and Moses who saw her off.

On her way to the lobby in her dreaded wheelchair, Paige suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to say goodbye to Richie, the elevator operator.  She popped out of her chair and trotted back to his elevator.  Marie, who a week earlier had sternly required Paige to memorize her name, and was now escorting her out, called for the chair to be sent back upstairs empty and smilingly walked Paige to the car.

When Paige checked in to Burke, her prognosis was not clear.  During Paige's first medical exam, Laurie demanded of a somber Dr.  Jordan that he assure her that Paige would be well. When Paige left the hospital, Dr. Jordan was smiling broadly as Paige complimented him on his sense of style.  

Paige's recovery at Burke brought smiles to every member of her inpatient team.  Next week, she will begin her outpatient program. 

We are overjoyed to have Paige at home.  Her speech therapist from Burke came over and worked with her this afternoon, but the rest of the day was spent settling in, reading the hundreds of cards that you have sent, and relaxing with Gen.  Virginia filled the house with red balloons.  Peter's life-size cutout of Barack Obama stood quietly at attention.

We have heard that most prayers are all Help! and Thank You!  You must have called up much more than that as so many people travelled together to such a happy day.

This morning, Paige and her team cooked up the ingredients from yesterday's outing to Stop & Shop.  The men did actually join in, and Paige complimented Joe on his chili.

This afternoon, we met with Paige's six team leaders.  They reported on her improved physical and cognitive functions.  Her neuropsychologist pointed out that Paige was called the tigress when she arrived.  Paige loves that he is a West Point graduate who meditates three times a day and, as he says, has gone from warrior to peacemaker.  Paige has made the same transformation in two weeks.

Paige's injuries still require that we focus carefully on her physical safety and her cognitive recovery.  Her balance is good, and her memory is improving.  Paige must be very careful to avoid head injuries in the future, as research indicates that the risks escalate significantly with subsequent injuries.

Paige's recovery has been so strong that her team moved up her discharge from 17 February to 12 February and then, in a surprise, to tomorrow.  This has left her caseworker and her family scrambling to assemble an outpatient program of physical, occupational and speech therapy, tutoring, exercise, doctors and other activities.

It will be wonderful to have Paige at home.  Her brother Brooks saw her tonight for the first time since the intensive care unit.  He reported that she looked better than before the accident. We look forward to welcoming a few visitors at a time, with tea and cookies.

Paige's occupational therapists decided that she was ready for an outing today, so at 9:30 they took Paige and one other woman to Stop & Shop to buy ingredients for baking tomorrow. Paige commented to her mother, "Can you believe this, a woman in rehabilitation, and they take her to the grocery store so she can cook!?"

The outing, however, was a great success. The therapists assured her that the men in rehabilitation also go to Stop & Shop, and not to Home Depot.  Paige was delighted to be out among people going about their daily lives after nearly three weeks in the hospital.

Paige's tutor focussed on World War I, the Civil War, stalemates and wars of attrition.  Paige now appears ready to start on the path back to her Kent curriculum.

A visiting ophthalmologist concluded that Paige's eyes are in good shape, so her vision is affected by the brain injury and should improve with time.  A series of cognitive and memory tests today showed that Paige has advanced in one week from being severely impaired in many areas to being within normal ranges in as many categories.

Paige's date for discharge from inpatient therapy had been set for February 17, but we are now told that this is being advanced because of her good progress.   We will confirm her new discharge date and her rehabilitation program tomorrow when she has a team meeting with all of her doctors and therapists.

The Burke experience continues to be exceptional.  Her neuropsychologist said that the latest research all points to the importance of having an intense rehabilitation immediately following an injury.  Paige's program has been intense, and the results support the research.

We could not have done all that we have needed to do for Paige without the incredible support of such good friends.  Her parents have not had a meal together in three weeks, but also have not cooked a single meal in that same period.  Perhaps we will need to join the next rehabilitation trip to Stop & Shop...

Paige was very focused on today's Kent-Kingswood Oxford swim meet.  This contest was the first meet that she was conscious of missing.  Paige desperately wanted to be in the pool. 

Last night she sent an email to her coach offering to break out of Burke and cheer on her teammates.  She also wrote to Barret, our best cheering parent, asking if he could please root relentlessly for Kent.  The saga of Barret's journey to poolside is beautifully chronicled in today's comments.  

The Kent girls put in a wonderful effort, with lots of cheering and one very worried teammate down in White Plains. Kent Girls Swimming and Diving won a 3-point squeaker in the last race!  

Tutoring this evening focused on the lessons of Langston Hughes' story and the agonies of disease and death in the trenches during the Great War.

There were no doctors today.  Her vision remains affected.  

We are very grateful for Paige's progress today.  There is rumor of her first outing tomorrow...

Paige climbed a flight of stairs in physical therapy with just a spotter, leaving behind the three step stair in the gym.  Her occupational therapy included a walk to the gift shop, where she was asked to memorize opening and closing times and prices on items.  Paige apparently got diverted in the earring section...

Her tutoring began today.  She spent the first part of the session talking about her Kent teachers and how great they are, and how much she misses them.  She gave details on each of them, even describing Mr. DesMarais' bow tie day and pink shirt Thursdays.

They then moved on to reading from Langston Hughes' Thank You, M'am.  Paige watched the evening news and discussed the Daschle debacle.

The Burke consulting orthopaedic surgeon reviewed Paige's x-rays and looked at her clavicle. He told her that it should heal well, but that she would have a bump for a souvenir that could be fixed later by a plastic surgeon.  Paige opted for the time being to keep the souvenir.

Paige has asked that we print out the blog and all the comments.  In due course, your comments will be her chronicle of support through this misadventure.

Monday was back to the business of rehabilitation.  Paige worked very hard all day at every type of therapy. Her appetite was healthy, and she gave her mother a few giggles and eye rolls.  

A new attending neurosurgeon thought that Paige was well enough that he could be more candid with us about the life threatening nature of her injuries.  His comments just reinforced how fortunate we are to have her recovering so well.

Paige's vision is still an issue, but Burke does have ophthalmologists and neuro-ophthalmologists available.  Her progress will be monitored carefully.

Her father mentioned that there were benefits - if she needed glasses, she could get some that made her look like Sarah Palin.  Paige looked grim, put her hands on the table and said, "Dad, that was way over the line.  The line is over here, and you were way over there".

Paige is enjoying reading your cards and comments.  Please keep them coming.

Last night, Paige slept well with few nocturnal activities.  This steady sleep was a huge improvement, perhaps brought on by Ryan's return from Kent.

Paige had previously preferred long midnight perambulations, going around the halls and into other patients' rooms.  On the previous night, she was up playing "Go Fish" with her godmothers Jane and Suzanne, who together very kindly took on the long night duty of watching over Paige. 

This morning Paige went outdoors for the first time in two weeks.  She was bundled up in her wheel chair and toured the roads around her building.  With its 58 acre campus, Burke has ample pathways and few cars.

Paige's great friend Genevieve came by, which was comforting to all of us.  Paige and Genevieve were in Greenwich hospital together when they were born and they have known each other since.  They touched on many subjects, perhaps most importantly that Genevieve's family dog is named after William F. Buckley, Jr.  

By late afternoon, Paige was back in touch with her world.  She was using her mobile for text and speech, and a hospital computer for instant messaging and checking Facebook.  Paige saw this blog for the first time, and she was very moved as she started to read your many wonderful comments.  They will provide comfort for her.

This burst of communication unfortunately turned up a problem with her vision, in her ability to focus on near objects.  We look forward to having her doctors back tomorrow.

Throughout the day, it became clearer that she has no recollection of the accident and the trials of her stay in Stamford.  That is a blessing.

Thank you again for your love and support.