On March 26th, 2007, Skye Barkschat and her boyfriend, Ben, were riding their bicycles home from the grocery store. It was a casual one mile trip through a residential neighborhood for Skye and Ben, both experienced cyclists. Just blocks from their apartment, Skye lost control of her bike and fell, hitting her head on the pavement, placing her into a coma.

December 02, 2007
The saga of the doves continued... Yesterday Skye and I went home to Green Creek to spend the afternoon. It's been at least a month since Skye's last visit home and two months since the doves last visited us there. While I was in the shed getting out Christmas decorations, Neil and Skye were in the house drinking hot chocolate. They came outside hand in hand and started down the walk as I was coming back from the shed. Less than a minute passed before one of the doves showed up, landing on the hood of the truck in front of us. Neil and I were speechless! It sat there a few minutes before heading straight for Neil and Skye, who were no more than a foot apart. It flew right between them, hovered between their heads for a few seconds, then flew over to land on the porch step. It stayed close to us for about five more minutes before taking off. When Skye and I got ready to leave about fifteen minutes later, there it was, sitting in the driveway right beside the passenger door of my car, as if just waiting for us and watching over us. If someone told me this story, I would have a hard time believing it actually happened. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around it even having been there when it happened. It was such an amazing and powerful experience! I have to believe the dove was bringing us a message of faith and hope- to remind us to continue to believe and to think in possibilities.

December 01, 2007
We've been told all along that recovery would involve a continuing series of ups and downs and we were reminded of that again this past week. Last weekend was absolutely stellar and we were excited with what seemed to be some cognitive breakthroughs. Skye's voice was louder, her memory came more easily, and she seemed more energized. On Saturday, we went to see the movie, "Enchanted". Sunday morning I asked her if she could tell me the name of the chipmunk, a pretty obscure fact when remembering the name of the movie or the lead characters can be challenging. She came right back with "Pip". After the movie, I gave her a choice of going back to the house or going to the Y to walk the track. She chose going to the track where we walked a full mile. As we made our rounds on the inside lane, she pointed to the outside "runner's" track and told me, "Before long I'm going to be RUNNING in that lane." On Sunday, I asked her if she recognized a difference and right away she responded, "I'm more with it." It was as if something had clicked and we were seeing a breakthrough. We were riding high! Monday morning she did well in her three hours of therapy. In the early afternoon Matt was at the house with Skye when she grabbed the door, her eyes training left and fluttering. He recognized that she was having a seizure and helped her down to the floor. It was brief and she was lucid immediately afterward, but the event was still pretty frightening. She got into bed to rest and spent the remainder of the afternoon either napping or resting quietly. She seemed okay, just very tired. In the early evening, as Ben was getting her out of the bath, she told him she felt like she was going to faint. As he got her into a safe position, she experienced another seizure. We took her to the hospital where they examined her, immediately put her on anti-seizure medicine and referred us to a neurologist. One of the side effects of the anti-seizure medicine is sleepiness and fatigue-- the same challenges that we've been trying to help Skye overcome in her recovery. The medicine makes her dizzy and tired, so she's spent most of the past week taking very long naps. We'll try this medicine out for a week or so and if the fatigue and dizziness don't subside, the doctor will prescribe a different medication. It may be a few weeks until we're able to see a neurologist. Meanwhile, it looks like she'll have to take some form of anti-seizure medicine for an extended period of time. Though tired, she's still as witty as ever. This morning as I was making her breakfast, I tossed a scrap of ham to Dakota. When he missed it, I teased him for being a lame catch. Skye laughed and said "He was just dazed by the tasty coming his way."

November 24, 2007
We're grateful for all of you who have kept Skye and us surrounded in love in prayers. We haven't been able yet to thank each of you personally, but please know how very much your love, friendship and support mean to us! You've been so wonderful and we are humbled by your generosity and kindness. While the last eight months have been the most challenging, painful and difficult time of our lives, we've also been given the gift of watching many miracles unfold before our eyes. We've been reminded just how fragile and precious life is. Every moment we're able to hold Skye, sharing a tender moment or celebrating a small victory feels like a cherished gift and we're reminded never to miss a minute of the blessings. Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you all!

November 21, 2007
With all of her therapies and appointments along with her need for naps, Skye's days fill up quickly. Yesterday I asked her how she would plan her perfect day if she didn't have any appointments. She said, "I'd get up and go out for breakfast. Then I'd go hiking. Then I'd go out for lunch. Then I'd go hiking again. Then I'd go out for dinner. Then I'd go out to a movie." I laughed and asked, "Are you telling me you don't like my cooking?" She paused then eplied, "Mom, I love your cooking. I want to go out because I want to hang out with my friends and talk and I want to feel normal." She desperately wants to get back "in her life". We're definitely seeing improvement in her memory and that's helped her to engage in longer, more complex conversations. Fatigue is one of the more common issues people with traumatic brain injuries have to deal with and it's a huge challenge for Skye. This weekend we took her to see the Bee Movie (really cute!). Skye stayed engaged throughout 20 minutes of previews before the movie and the entire movie, laughing and giggling throughout. On Sunday we took her on a hike in the Pisgah National Forest. The trail turned out to be rockier and more challenging than we expected, but, no surprise, Skye was persistent and determined. Neil and I supported her on either side as she calculated her steps carefully, testing her footing with each one. It was really tough, but she insisted we keep going. Finally we had to turn back to make it to the car before the sun went down. She was totally exhausted, but had a huge grin on her face. She was so proud of herself!

November 05, 2007
Skye has a subscription to National Geopraphic magazine. On Saturday when the latest issue arrived, I noticed the cover referred to an article titled "Memory: Why We Remember, Why We Forget". Skye held the magazine on her lap from the mailbox to the house, but didn't take it out of the wrapper. I started reading the article before Skye woke the next morning and when she got out of bed told her, "Skye there's a really interesting article in the new National Geopraphic magazine." She immediately came back with " Why We Remember, Why We Forget". Almost 24 hours had passed, we hadn't spoken about the article and yet she remembered the title. Honestly, I didn't even remember the exact title myself, but she did. I was so excited I started jumping up and down and crying! Skye just grinned. On Halloween, Neil told Skye, "I see you're dressed up for Halloween." She looked at him quizzically and he said, " You're going as pretty." She quipped back, "I should hang tires on me. Then I could go as "pretty tired".

October 30, 2007
This weekend Skye and I were in the kitchen making breakfast. Well, actually SHE was making her own pancakes, measuring and mixing, pouring them into the skillet, flipping and serving them all on her own. We'd put a Catie Curtis CD on to listen to music while we cooked. At one point Skye stopped and said, "Mama, look at my left hand." She's had very limited movement with her left hand and arm, but there it was! Her hand was keeping beat to the song! We stopped and danced a little "happy dance" around the kitchen to celebrate! She's been working hard with her therapists and with her chiropractic neurologist and this is just one of the definite improvements we've been seeing. Within the next couple of weeks she'll start using a device called the Saeboflex. It's a mechanical device that will allow her to start using her hand functionally by positioning her wrist and fingers into extension. With the device she should be able to grasp an object by flexing her fingers and the extension spring system will help her to open her hand to release the object. She'll have to work with it 45 minutes every day for a year, but we have hopes that, along with her other therapies, she'll continue to regain movement in her left arm and hand. On Saturday, we went to the grocery store and for the first time she drove one of those motorized carts. She manuevered around the store pretty well, except for the time she ran into the Pepsi display. I'd stop to pick up some groceries and she'd just motor on. When I'd catch up with her and tell her she had to wait for me, she would just give me a big ol' grin. She was having a great time with her new found mobility!

October 11, 2007
Last Wednesday we took Skye to Mission Hospital for a CT scan to check for any changes that may have caused the seizure she experienced the previous Saturday. Today we got the results and the news was good! Skye's CT scan was clear! Her doctor said the scan showed nothing abnormal and he classified the episode as a very mild "absence seizure". We won't have to put her on any anti-seizure medication at this point, and will just watch her carefully for any future episodes. Since the accident Skye had developed candida issues. This wasn't any surprise considering the level of antibiotics she needed to be on and the length of time she had to take them. To help clear her system, we put her on a candida diet program, which she finished yesterday. For the past three weeks she had no bread, no sugar, no fruit, no dairy, no coffee. Skye would tell you she "barely survived" and teasingly called us "abominable" for making her stick to it. She was feeling pretty grumpy while she was following it (most people do), but her thought processes seem a little clearer, her response time a little quickerr and her skin seems clearer since she's done it. This weekend Neil, Skye and I took a drive to Hot Springs to soak in the natural mineral baths. It was such a beautiful day and a great time for the three of us to hang out, talk and joke with each other. We barely had our toes in the tub before Skye announced, "I'm hungry, let's go eat." We convinced her, with the help of a handful of nuts, to relax and stay most of the hour. As we were leaving, Neil was helping her with her fleece and having a bit of a time getting it on her. She looked up at him and said, "You think you're having a hard time, think about what it's like for me to try and do it." After the soak it was back to Asheville for a Mexican dinner at Papa's and Beer and a Sunday siesta. It was a short one for Skye and Neil who before long were up and playing "Wheel of Fortune" on the computer. I joined them after a bit and we ended up playing for an hour and a half with Skye engaged the entire time. It was a great exercise for her and she did a good job of solving the puzzles-- at times before either Neil or I could. Her progress is slow, but steady. She's up to two to three hours of therapy most weekdays now. Today she spent eight minutes on the elliptical trainer in therapy and a couple days ago, her physical therapist said she had her best therapy session ever!

October 11, 2007
Skye has a doctor's appointment in a little more than an hour. At that time we'll get the results and analysis of her CT scan from last week. As soon as we know anything, I'll let you know. Thanks to you all.

October 03, 2007
Please keep Skye in your prayers today! On Saturday evening Skye suffered what we think was a mild seizure. It had already been a pretty full day and we were pulling out of the driveway to go to a Reach for the Skye benefit event when it happened. She didn't lose consciousness and was lucid immediately afterward, even cracking a joke about her cousin, Matt. The whole event only lasted about 30 seconds, but of course we all were shaken by the experience. This was the first one and hopefully the last, but we'll be watching her carefully. For the moment we're holding off on giving her anti-seizure medication, but if she has another episode we'll have to go that route. Her doctor thinks it's imperative that she have a CT scan, to rule out any underlying problems, so she is scheduled for that procedure today at 1pm. Since Skye is allergic to the Comtrast dye used with CT scans so she had to be pre-medicated. I'm sure everything will be fine, but just going back to the hospital for another procedure makes her, and us, a little nervous. Please say a prayer and keep her surrounded in your love as she goes through this procedure this afternoon. Thank you, kind hearts!

October 01, 2007
God's Messengers? This past Wednesday, Neil and I were out on the front porch of our house talking before he went to work when an amazingly incredible thing happened! A Mourning Dove swooped down and landed on Neil's right shoulder. We just kind of looked at each other with a "is this really happening" look. Even though we feed them and have many birds in our front yard, we rarely have doves visit and, certainly, nothing like this has ever happened. We've never had a bird come close to the house let alone interact with us this way. As we stood there, still totally amazed, a second dove flew in, landing on my right shoulder! These are wild birds! Now we looked at each other, saying, "Okay, this is some kind of powerful sign!" The doves hung around for a few minutes, sitting quietly on our shoulders and pecking gently at our hair, before flying off. What made the experience even more emotional was when we later realized it happened on the 26th, exactly six months after the accident and in the 7pm hour, the very same hour as the accident. The next evening about the same time they sought Neil out, finding him behind the house and lighting on his shoulders and head. They even followed him out front to the shed and waited for him, walking on the driveway behind him back to the house. Since then either one or both of the doves show up nightly, hanging out close to Neil, whether he's doing laundry, working on the tractor or sitting on the porch. They stick around anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours. The typical sounds and actions, like starting a diesel tractor ten feet away, don't seem to phase them. In researching the symbolism we've found the dove is a powerful sign in many belief systems. It's a symbol of the soul and of the Holy Ghost, who appeared at Christ's baptism under that form. It signifies peace, gentleness and purity as well as the power of God at work in man. It's been an incredibly moving experience for us and we're still trying to sort through it. What is the message they're delivering? Is it a message for Skye or about Skye? We're praying for insight to the meaning. If any of you have had this kind of experience or have thoughts or ideas of what it may mean, please, we'd love for you to share with us. You can post it here on CarePages or if you'd rather, you can write to us neilkate@alltel.net.

September 27, 2007
Today marks the sixth month anniversary of the accident. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, yet at the same time it seems like an eternity. Nothing could prepare us for the instant, life-altering effect the accident would have on our lives. We thank God for you, our family and friends, who have rallied round us in support as we move forward through the next minute, then the next hour, then the next day. Why this happened might always be beyond our understanding, but we wake every morning so grateful to have Skye with us, grinning, talking and walking. It must be incredibly difficult for someone like Skye, used to being so fiercely independent and high achieving, to deal with such forced limitations in her world. Her strength and attitude inspire me daily!

Today Skye worked on word associations with her speech therapist. When she was prompted with “states” Skye began naming the states. Her therapist expected her to come up with about twelve in one minute, but Skye came up with fourteen. Most amazing though was that she named them alphabetically! Her surprised therapist then asked, “What about the state where you live?” Skye responded, “North Carolina”. She then named “South Carolina” before returning to Indiana (the 14th state) and continuing to name the states alphabetically!

I want to express thanks and acknowledge the vital role Skye’s therapists, doctors, nurses, CNA's and case worker have played in her recovery so far. They have cared for her with such compassion and nurtured and lovingly encouraged her to push through to each new level. They are skilled, brilliant and just plain wonderful and we are so blessed to have them in our lives.