We got great news about Kacyn! His blood work from a few weeks ago came back normal! (Remember, it had shown possible Organic Acid Disorder previously.)
Kacyn also had a dr appt yesterday. David said the dr was impressed by how well he's doing. He coo'd & goo'd at her & responded the way the dr expected him to. (He's 4 months old now, but he was 8 weeks early so his adjusted age is only 2 months.) He now weighs 14 lbs & 6 oz! David said they'll be changing his formula soon & the dr said his weight gain should slow down with the new formula.
Jennifer walked 24 feet today! It was with the help of 3 people, but it's a big deal that she was able to keep weight on her feet for that long & also to take that many steps!
David said her hands are showing slight improvement, but still have a long ways to go. The same goes for her speech.
He said he's requested another swallow test for Jennifer next week so hopefully she'll be able to move to the next step for food, soft mechanical.
My mom & daughter are going to Sullivan tomorrow. I know Jennifer will be as happy to see them as they will be to see her!
Please keep Jennifer in your prayers: speech, swallowing, hands, walking, muscle tone/strength, spirits (David said she was a little down today), everything. Please keep David, the boys, & all the family in your prayers also. This is still a difficult time for everyone.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Therapy
Jennifer will be doing therapy 2 days a week for 6 hours each day. They decided last week to try this instead of the original plan of 3 days a week for 5 hours a day.
My brother & his family went to Sullivan to see Jennifer this past weekend. He said she's doing well & is very happy at home, but also said she seems really frustrated at the same time. He said she still doesn't like therapy & doesn't want to do it. He always tries to encourage her to do her best at rehab & to get her to understand it'll help her get better faster. He thinks if she were able to use her hands she could probably be able to walk with a walker right now.
Please pray for encouragement for Jennifer to not get discouraged with therapy. Please pray for the use of her hands. Please pray for her complete healing to continue as well as Kacyn's.
My brother & his family went to Sullivan to see Jennifer this past weekend. He said she's doing well & is very happy at home, but also said she seems really frustrated at the same time. He said she still doesn't like therapy & doesn't want to do it. He always tries to encourage her to do her best at rehab & to get her to understand it'll help her get better faster. He thinks if she were able to use her hands she could probably be able to walk with a walker right now.
Please pray for encouragement for Jennifer to not get discouraged with therapy. Please pray for the use of her hands. Please pray for her complete healing to continue as well as Kacyn's.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A Special Thank You
I just wanted to say thank you to Kathy (aka David’s mom, Grammy), Bob (aka David’s dad, Grampy), & David.
Kathy has done a wonderful job caring for Josiah & Kacyn. Thank you, Kathy! I know it hasn’t been an easy task. Josiah is a normal 2 year old, rambunctious boy, not only trying to adjust to a new baby in the home but also having to deal with so many other changes in his life that I’m sure he doesn’t understand. I’m not sure what we would’ve done without her love & ability to care for the boys. She spent hours in the hospital with Kacyn, trying to learn how to feed him. His head & the bottle had to be held in just a certain way. A special technique had to be used to make sure he didn’t choke or the formula didn’t just run out of his mouth since sometimes his suck & swallow reflexes didn’t quite work together at the same time. She has spent many sleepless nights up with him. David said Kacyn’s “fussy time” is about 9:00pm- midnight! When David was released from the hospital, but unable to drive, she & Bob drove him back & forth to St Louis to see Jennifer & Kacyn. Sometimes Kathy would stay at home with Jo & Bob would take David to the hospital. When Josiah would come to the hospital, it would take all of us to keep him corralled & entertained! Once Kacyn was home from the hospital, the task of driving David back & forth to St Louis fell upon Bob alone. Kacyn needed to stay inside to prevent him from picking up any bugs, viruses, etc. Bob’s had some medical issues of his own over the past few years & the trip back & forth was very tiring for him. But he did it every day for David. Thank you, Bob!
And David…I can’t even imagine what it’s felt like to be in his shoes for the last 4 months. I can’t thank him enough. He was not only dealing with his own injuries & healing, but also dealing with almost losing his wife & baby. He spent his time at the hospital between Jennifer’s room & Kacyn’s. Jennifer needed him, but so did Kacyn. Kacyn needed the human interaction. Part of this time David was still in a wheelchair himself. Jennifer’s ICU room was so small, they had to leave the doors open so he could get in there. It never failed as soon as he got situated in her room, the nurses or drs would need in there & he’d have to get out of the way. When he was at home, he would call the hospital at all times of day & night, checking on Jennifer & Kacyn. I, personally, know of him calling Jen’s ICU at 2:00am when he should have been sleeping, but I’m sure he was unable to. I know he wanted to be with Jennifer more than he was able to, but was torn between home & the hospital. He needed to be both places at once which just wasn’t possible. He was also having to deal with getting their home ready for Kacyn, insurance, attorneys, etc…all without Jennifer’s input, as well as making all the decisions on Jennifer & Kacyn’s care. When Mom had to return to work & could no longer stay at Jennifer’s side all night, David took over that task. He then began spending the nights with Jennifer & driving home to the boys during the day when Jennifer was in therapy. He was still being torn between the 2 places, trying to take care of responsibilities at both places…he was also doing online schooling & has kept his grades up. At 25, David’s had to deal with more than most people ever will in their lifetimes. He’s handled everything better than most people would. Many times when the rest of us were breaking down, David was the strong one. They are all at home now. No one is in the hospital anymore. Praise the Lord! David is taking care of Jennifer, essentially doing everything for her as well as driving her to St Louis for therapy…and helping Grammy with the boys…and still doing school...and dealing with insurance, attorneys…and making the medical decisions for Jennifer & Kacyn. He is a true hero & a great man. I am very thankful that God sent him to my sister. God gave her a wonderful gift in David. I am very proud to say he’s my brother-in-law. I know he’ll probably read this & think he didn’t do anything special & that anyone would do what he did, but unfortunately not everyone would have done what he’s done or handled it as well as he has. My mom’s had several people ask her if Jennifer’s husband was still with her or if he’d left her. She said some of them have seemed surprised to hear her answer “no, he hasn't left her!”. What a crazy world we live in where people think this way. I know it’s David’s strong faith that has helped him be so strong & gives him the ability to take on these tasks & never complain…his faith as well as his strong love for Jennifer & their boys. He & Jennifer have faith stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. It’s also through the love, prayers, & support of all of you that he’s been able to make it through all of this. Thank you!
Thank you, Grammy!
Thank you, Grampy!
Thank you, David!
God bless you all!
David still has a long road ahead of him. The end still isn’t quite in sight yet, but it’s definitely closer than ever now. He’ll still need prayers to help him continue to be strong & make it through to the end. Please continue to pray for him. Please continue to pray for Jennifer’s complete healing as well as her morale. She needs to keep her spirits up & not get discouraged. Please pray for Kacyn & Josiah. Grammy needs prayers to stay strong & be able to love & take care of those boys. Grampy needs prayers as he not only travels back & forth between OH & MO, but also as he deals with his own medical issues right now. And we can’t forget my mom & dad & brother. Please continue to pray for strength & comfort for them & safe travels as they go back & forth to MO on their days off work.
Kathy has done a wonderful job caring for Josiah & Kacyn. Thank you, Kathy! I know it hasn’t been an easy task. Josiah is a normal 2 year old, rambunctious boy, not only trying to adjust to a new baby in the home but also having to deal with so many other changes in his life that I’m sure he doesn’t understand. I’m not sure what we would’ve done without her love & ability to care for the boys. She spent hours in the hospital with Kacyn, trying to learn how to feed him. His head & the bottle had to be held in just a certain way. A special technique had to be used to make sure he didn’t choke or the formula didn’t just run out of his mouth since sometimes his suck & swallow reflexes didn’t quite work together at the same time. She has spent many sleepless nights up with him. David said Kacyn’s “fussy time” is about 9:00pm- midnight! When David was released from the hospital, but unable to drive, she & Bob drove him back & forth to St Louis to see Jennifer & Kacyn. Sometimes Kathy would stay at home with Jo & Bob would take David to the hospital. When Josiah would come to the hospital, it would take all of us to keep him corralled & entertained! Once Kacyn was home from the hospital, the task of driving David back & forth to St Louis fell upon Bob alone. Kacyn needed to stay inside to prevent him from picking up any bugs, viruses, etc. Bob’s had some medical issues of his own over the past few years & the trip back & forth was very tiring for him. But he did it every day for David. Thank you, Bob!
And David…I can’t even imagine what it’s felt like to be in his shoes for the last 4 months. I can’t thank him enough. He was not only dealing with his own injuries & healing, but also dealing with almost losing his wife & baby. He spent his time at the hospital between Jennifer’s room & Kacyn’s. Jennifer needed him, but so did Kacyn. Kacyn needed the human interaction. Part of this time David was still in a wheelchair himself. Jennifer’s ICU room was so small, they had to leave the doors open so he could get in there. It never failed as soon as he got situated in her room, the nurses or drs would need in there & he’d have to get out of the way. When he was at home, he would call the hospital at all times of day & night, checking on Jennifer & Kacyn. I, personally, know of him calling Jen’s ICU at 2:00am when he should have been sleeping, but I’m sure he was unable to. I know he wanted to be with Jennifer more than he was able to, but was torn between home & the hospital. He needed to be both places at once which just wasn’t possible. He was also having to deal with getting their home ready for Kacyn, insurance, attorneys, etc…all without Jennifer’s input, as well as making all the decisions on Jennifer & Kacyn’s care. When Mom had to return to work & could no longer stay at Jennifer’s side all night, David took over that task. He then began spending the nights with Jennifer & driving home to the boys during the day when Jennifer was in therapy. He was still being torn between the 2 places, trying to take care of responsibilities at both places…he was also doing online schooling & has kept his grades up. At 25, David’s had to deal with more than most people ever will in their lifetimes. He’s handled everything better than most people would. Many times when the rest of us were breaking down, David was the strong one. They are all at home now. No one is in the hospital anymore. Praise the Lord! David is taking care of Jennifer, essentially doing everything for her as well as driving her to St Louis for therapy…and helping Grammy with the boys…and still doing school...and dealing with insurance, attorneys…and making the medical decisions for Jennifer & Kacyn. He is a true hero & a great man. I am very thankful that God sent him to my sister. God gave her a wonderful gift in David. I am very proud to say he’s my brother-in-law. I know he’ll probably read this & think he didn’t do anything special & that anyone would do what he did, but unfortunately not everyone would have done what he’s done or handled it as well as he has. My mom’s had several people ask her if Jennifer’s husband was still with her or if he’d left her. She said some of them have seemed surprised to hear her answer “no, he hasn't left her!”. What a crazy world we live in where people think this way. I know it’s David’s strong faith that has helped him be so strong & gives him the ability to take on these tasks & never complain…his faith as well as his strong love for Jennifer & their boys. He & Jennifer have faith stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. It’s also through the love, prayers, & support of all of you that he’s been able to make it through all of this. Thank you!
Thank you, Grammy!
Thank you, Grampy!
Thank you, David!
God bless you all!
David still has a long road ahead of him. The end still isn’t quite in sight yet, but it’s definitely closer than ever now. He’ll still need prayers to help him continue to be strong & make it through to the end. Please continue to pray for him. Please continue to pray for Jennifer’s complete healing as well as her morale. She needs to keep her spirits up & not get discouraged. Please pray for Kacyn & Josiah. Grammy needs prayers to stay strong & be able to love & take care of those boys. Grampy needs prayers as he not only travels back & forth between OH & MO, but also as he deals with his own medical issues right now. And we can’t forget my mom & dad & brother. Please continue to pray for strength & comfort for them & safe travels as they go back & forth to MO on their days off work.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Reflecting on the Last 4 Months
It’s been 4 months today since the accident that touched all of our lives. Even now it all still seems so unreal. It makes you realize how your life can change in an instant. All of our lives have been changed forever. Reflecting back on the last 4 months, some of the things I will never forget are:
~ Getting the call about the accident a little after noon on Saturday, Oct 18.
~ Rushing to St Louis, unsure how serious the injuries were. The relief we felt when we found out David & Jennifer had only a few broken bones, nothing too serious. Kacyn; however, was serious & our biggest concern at that time…or so we thought. My brother, being a paramedic, knew Jennifer’s injuries were more serious than the rest of us thought. He told me that first day in St Louis what the worst case scenario would be…blood clots are common with Jennifer’s type of bone break & most people don’t survive if the blood clot makes it to the lungs. The several days leading up to Jennifer’s cardiac arrest, she was having breathing problems. My brother would take one look at her stats on the machine & you could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t like what he saw. Even Jennifer noticed this & had commented to Mom about it.
~ Getting the phone call on Oct 29, David’s 25th birthday, telling us we needed to make our way back to St Louis…Jennifer might not make it.
~ The long, almost silent trip to St Louis that day…it took FOREVER to get there!
~ Arriving that evening to see Jennifer so lifeless with all those iv’s & machines attached to her, her body all swollen already from the fluids…it didn’t even look like her. I can’t even describe how it felt to see her that way.
~ The cd that played non-stop in Jennifer’s room. It was a cd of healing scriptures & songs from Victory Bible in Tulsa. Jennifer had asked for this cd. Our aunt in Tulsa purchased it & sent it to my house to take with me on my next trip to St Louis. Little did we know that the next trip would be the day after I received the cd.
~ Spending hours in her room, crying, talking to her. They said she could hear so I tried to talk constantly about everything from the weather to the kids (Josiah, her nieces & nephews) to how Kacyn was doing to stories about when she was little, anything I could think of. I even joked with her about how she wouldn’t believe it, but I was walking around the hospital with no makeup! I never go anywhere without my makeup! I was worried about her being scared because she could hear, but couldn’t open or eyes or do anything. I wondered about what she was thinking. I could picture her awake on the inside, crying, wanting to talk, wanting to ask what was going on. I wanted to tell her funny stories, hoping maybe this would calm any fears for at least a short time. The ventilator would “HONK!” really loud if Jennifer coughed or tried to breathe over it. One night while sitting in her room at 2am, the thing HONKED & I nearly came out of my chair! I told Jennifer if I didn’t know better, I’d think she did that on purpose & asked if she was laughing inside because I jumped so high!
~ Knowing I shouldn’t, but wondering & asking “why?” “Why did this happen to Jennifer?” “Why is she having to go through this?” Lots of whys... But then I would hear in the back of my mind the first few lines of the song My Savior My God: “I am not skilled to understand, what God has willed, what God has planned.”
~ Feeling anger toward the person who caused the accident, wondering if they knew what they had done to our family. Knowing I shouldn’t feel so much anger toward him because it was just an accident.
~ Breaking down the first time I went to the NICU to hold Kacyn & being told only parents & grandparents were allowed to hold him & that I would need a note from the mother giving me permission to hold him. I just started crying right there in front of the nurses & thinking “I wish Jennifer could write me a note” and “I know she would if she could. She’d let me hold him.” David knew Jennifer would want me to hold Kacyn so he went to the NICU in his wheelchair with me & let them know it was ok. After a couple of trips with him, they let me see & hold Kacyn anytime I wanted. Many times I just sat there either looking at him in his bed or holding him & crying. I always told him how much his mommy loved him. I always made sure to tell him that.
~ Seeing our brother break down & cry every time he walked into Jennifer’s room. Listening to him talk to her. Watching him look at all the monitors, iv’s, & seeing the look on his face, knowing that he was worried about what he saw.
~ Going to the hospital chapel with my brother & praying…praying…praying…
~Seeing our dad who’s a pretty big guy & who always tries to act pretty tough, sitting beside Jennifer’s bed, holding her hand, & crying…not even able to say a word. He always just sat there beside her bed, holding her hand, & cried. He couldn’t talk to her. I remember one time Mom telling him to say something to her & he said he didn’t know what to say. Mom told him to say “Hi”. He said “Hi”. Mom said “Tell her you love her”. Dad said “I love you”. This conversation was going on in Jennifer’s room so she could hear it all!
~ Mom spending the most of 2-3 months at the hospital without even a car most of the time. I worried constantly about her also. Seeing her sitting in Jennifer’s room crying, praying, rubbing Jennifer’s arms & legs, holding Jennifer’s hand, talking to Jennifer, reading the Bible, holding the cd player closer to Jennifer’s bed to make sure she could hear it (the ventilator was kind of loud). ~ Thinking that once they took her off sedation, she would wake up & be the way she was before. Being confused when that didn’t happen. Not understanding why she wasn’t waking up, why she wasn’t showing any response. Being confused & not understanding what one dr meant when he said “she may stay like that forever”. Refusing to believe that was going to be the case. ~ Watching for any sign of her waking or any response, even the slighted movement of a hand or foot. Not caring if it was only a reflex…taking it as a sign that she was getting better.
~ Breaking down after seeing her for the first time on each of my return trips, expecting to see improvement over the last time. Being extremely disappointed when I couldn’t really see any changes.
Now I see considerable improvements in her condition each time I visit! I can see her fun-loving personality coming out! I can see the sister I know & love again! My baby sister…the one I pushed in a stroller around to the neighbor’s houses to show her off…the one who slept with me almost every night until she was about 10 even though she had her own room…the one I helped raise & spoil rotten :)…the one who people thought was my daughter when I’d take her places with me…the one who would wake you up by hitting you on the head with her baby bottle…the one who tried to stand on a glass fish bowl & had to get stitches in her ankle…the one I love with all my heart & have since the day she was born. We’ve almost lost her twice. The first time was when Mom was giving birth to her. (We almost lost both of them.) God has given her back to us again! Jennifer’s Miracle is an amazing one & one that is only possible through our God. I know Jennifer has brought many people closer to God with her story, myself being one.
I would’ve loved to have been there to walk into church with her Sunday. Below is an account of Jennifer’s day at church from Candace, a friend of Jennifer's from church (taken from her comments on the blog):
Oh my goodness, when that whole family walked in the doors of church I think everyone got goosebumps and tears in their eyes. It was the most amazing thing alot of people witnessed in a very long time. It was so awesome to see her there. She was just singing away with all the songs (She knew every word!) and then at the end she came up for prayer. She cried and almost everyone was crying with her and praying for her. What an amazing miracle we experienced Sunday! Jennifer is being healed and her being there Sunday was truly a miracle!
If anyone else who was at church that day would like to share what they witnessed this very special Sunday, I would love to hear about it! Please post a comment to the blog.
In ways it seems like it’s been a lot longer than 4 months. It’s through the love, support, & prayer of all of you that have helped us make it through. Thank you! David & Jennifer still need your prayers. Jennifer needs them for continued healing, strength, & encouragement. David needs them for strength & encouragement. He has a lot on his plate! And we can’t forget those little boys! Please continue to pray for them!
Monday, February 16, 2009
First Outing
Jennifer had her first outing (other than her trip home) yesterday.
She woke David up early yesterday morning, wanting to go to church. He said it took them about 2 hours to get ready, but they all went to church. For those of you who know Jennifer well, you know how much her church means to her. I'm sure it was very emotional for her for many reasons. This was not only her first trip back to church since the accident, but it was Kacyn's first time at church ever.
David had his wife & both of his sons at church all together for the 1st time ever!
I know it had to do wonders for Jennifer's spirits to be back in church, worshipping & praising the Lord.
I think she makes her first trip back to St Louis tomorrow for therapy. Please pray for a safe trip for her & David and as always please continue to pray for her complete healing.
She woke David up early yesterday morning, wanting to go to church. He said it took them about 2 hours to get ready, but they all went to church. For those of you who know Jennifer well, you know how much her church means to her. I'm sure it was very emotional for her for many reasons. This was not only her first trip back to church since the accident, but it was Kacyn's first time at church ever.
David had his wife & both of his sons at church all together for the 1st time ever!
I know it had to do wonders for Jennifer's spirits to be back in church, worshipping & praising the Lord.
I think she makes her first trip back to St Louis tomorrow for therapy. Please pray for a safe trip for her & David and as always please continue to pray for her complete healing.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Welcome Home, Jennifer!!!!!!!
Jennifer was released from the hospital today! She is back at home with David & the boys where she belongs! They had balloons & a sign in front of the house that said "Welcome Home Mommy!" David said Jennifer was very happy to be home & that Josiah was very happy & excited for her to be home. He missed his mommy.
Even though Jennifer is now home, she still has a lot of healing to do. Please keep the prayers going for complete healing - muscles, speech, brain, hands, arms, legs, swallowing, legs - everything! Please continue to pray for David as he will now be doing or helping Jennifer with everything. Grammy is still there helping take care of the boys. Please remember them in your prayers too as well as the rest of the family.
What a wonderful day our wonderful Lord has given us today!
Even though Jennifer is now home, she still has a lot of healing to do. Please keep the prayers going for complete healing - muscles, speech, brain, hands, arms, legs, swallowing, legs - everything! Please continue to pray for David as he will now be doing or helping Jennifer with everything. Grammy is still there helping take care of the boys. Please remember them in your prayers too as well as the rest of the family.
What a wonderful day our wonderful Lord has given us today!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Day #116
Jennifer goes home tomorrow!! She is so excited that when they were trying to arrange her discharge tomorrow & the nurse asked her what time she wanted to go home tomorrow, Jennifer responded "Midnight"! At midnight tonight, it will be tomorrow! I don't think she'll get her wish to leave at midnight!
We still don't have the results from Kacyn's blood test for the organic acid disorder. David told me today when I asked about it that they also did a urine test. They said it would take less than a week to get the results of the urine test. They said this disorder would show up in the urine test also. If it did, they wouldn't wait on the blood test, they'd call & begin the meds needed to fight the disorder. They have not received a call about the urine test & it's been 2 weeks so we are guessing this means the urine test was ok!
The ramp on their front porch has been built & is ready & waiting for Jennifer!
Jennifer got a new physical therapist today. Her other one moved to Ireland. Before this therapist would sign off on Jennifer going home, David had to show the therapist he could transfer/move Jennifer by himself. He passed the test! He'd actually gotten training last week on how to do this.
The day Jennifer goes home is a day we have all looked forward to & prayed for for a long time now. That day is finally here! She may not be able to walk out of the hospital on her own like we would like, but she is finally well enough to go home! As we have all along, we will take & be thankful for every blessing & miracle God sends our way, even the tiniest ones. Jennifer going home is a BIG, GIANT miracle! God is good!
We still don't have the results from Kacyn's blood test for the organic acid disorder. David told me today when I asked about it that they also did a urine test. They said it would take less than a week to get the results of the urine test. They said this disorder would show up in the urine test also. If it did, they wouldn't wait on the blood test, they'd call & begin the meds needed to fight the disorder. They have not received a call about the urine test & it's been 2 weeks so we are guessing this means the urine test was ok!
The ramp on their front porch has been built & is ready & waiting for Jennifer!
Jennifer got a new physical therapist today. Her other one moved to Ireland. Before this therapist would sign off on Jennifer going home, David had to show the therapist he could transfer/move Jennifer by himself. He passed the test! He'd actually gotten training last week on how to do this.
The day Jennifer goes home is a day we have all looked forward to & prayed for for a long time now. That day is finally here! She may not be able to walk out of the hospital on her own like we would like, but she is finally well enough to go home! As we have all along, we will take & be thankful for every blessing & miracle God sends our way, even the tiniest ones. Jennifer going home is a BIG, GIANT miracle! God is good!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Day #115
I have a correction to yesterday regarding "the lady in the waiting room". She isn't the sister of an ICU nurse as I stated yesterday. Her name is Michelle & she heard about Jennifer & David from her her sister, Jen, who is a friend of one of the ICU nurses. And the nurse is Stephanie...the Stephanie I talked about before. They are all following our dear little Dierking family & praying for them. Thank you, Michelle, Jen, & Stephanie for all the prayers, concern, & for being part of Jennifer's Miracle! And Stephanie, thank you again for taking such good care of my sister while she was in ICU!
I don't really have much to say except I want to thank everyone again for everything...the support, love, & prayers. I can't even express how much it all means to us. I don't care what you hear on the news or read in the paper, there is still LOTS of good in the world!
I don't really have much to say except I want to thank everyone again for everything...the support, love, & prayers. I can't even express how much it all means to us. I don't care what you hear on the news or read in the paper, there is still LOTS of good in the world!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Day #114
David called this morning. He & Jennifer were back at the big St John's hospital. This is the hospital they were air evac'd to after the accident & where Jennifer was until being moved to the rehab hospital. They both had dr appts there this morning. They were sitting in the little waiting area by the front doors waiting on the wheelchair bus to come pick them up & take them back to the rehab hospital. A lady sitting nearby helped David figure out what Jennifer was trying to say to him once. A little while later, David said something to Jennifer about going home on Friday. The lady asked "Are you David & Jennifer?" Surprised, David replied "Yes." She then asked "Do you have a sister named Lynn?" Even more surprised, David replied "She does". The lady was a sister of one of the ICU nurses who had taken care of Jennifer at that hospital! She said she'd heard about Jennifer from her sister & had been following the blog since day 1! She said she reads the blog nearly every day. Once again this proves Jennifer & David's story is touching more lives than we know or even imagine! We'd probably be amazed at how many people are following this story!
Their dr appts went well. The xrays on David's leg showed everything is healed well. He won't need to have any more follow up visits. He also completed his last therapy session last week. YAY! The dr said everything looked ok with Jennifer & she just needs to get her muscle tone & strength back. This is what they are working on in physical therapy! Speaking of therapy...
Normally, Jennifer doesn't like to sit for very long in a chair. She will sit for only a short period of time before she starts complaining about her hip hurting & wanting to go to bed. Part of her therapy is to sit for several hours a day. Well, today she'd been sitting in a chair at the hospital waiting for the wheelchair bus for about 3 hours & hadn't complained once. David asked her why it normally bothers her to sit for only a few minutes & today sitting for 3 hours seemed to be ok. She replied "no therapy" & laughed. She didn't mind sitting there because it was getting her out of having to go to therapy!
Also I want to explain more as to why Jennifer will still have the feeding tube in her stomach when she goes home. This will be used for administering her meds. Since she failed her last swallow test, she can't take pills by mouth. They tried crushing them up & giving them to her in applesauce, but that didn't work. It tasted too bad. The pills are dissolved in water & given to her through the feeding tube. Until she is able to take the pills by mouth, she will continue to get her meds via feeding tube.
Well, I don't really have much else to report on tonight. Please keep the prayers going! They are working & I can't thank you enough for them!
Love,
Lynn
Their dr appts went well. The xrays on David's leg showed everything is healed well. He won't need to have any more follow up visits. He also completed his last therapy session last week. YAY! The dr said everything looked ok with Jennifer & she just needs to get her muscle tone & strength back. This is what they are working on in physical therapy! Speaking of therapy...
Normally, Jennifer doesn't like to sit for very long in a chair. She will sit for only a short period of time before she starts complaining about her hip hurting & wanting to go to bed. Part of her therapy is to sit for several hours a day. Well, today she'd been sitting in a chair at the hospital waiting for the wheelchair bus for about 3 hours & hadn't complained once. David asked her why it normally bothers her to sit for only a few minutes & today sitting for 3 hours seemed to be ok. She replied "no therapy" & laughed. She didn't mind sitting there because it was getting her out of having to go to therapy!
Also I want to explain more as to why Jennifer will still have the feeding tube in her stomach when she goes home. This will be used for administering her meds. Since she failed her last swallow test, she can't take pills by mouth. They tried crushing them up & giving them to her in applesauce, but that didn't work. It tasted too bad. The pills are dissolved in water & given to her through the feeding tube. Until she is able to take the pills by mouth, she will continue to get her meds via feeding tube.
Well, I don't really have much else to report on tonight. Please keep the prayers going! They are working & I can't thank you enough for them!
Love,
Lynn
Monday, February 9, 2009
Day #113
My husband, kids, & I spent the weekend in St Louis with Jennifer. She continues to do well & is very excited about being released from the hospital on Friday! She will be going home with her feeding tube & in a wheelchair, but hopefully she won't need either of those things for very long!
My daughter, Kennedy, & I stayed at the hospital with Jennifer Saturday night. Kennedy enjoyed helping her Aunt Fer & I know Aunt Fer enjoyed having her there. She fed Jennifer her breakfast Sunday morning.
David went home Saturday night since Kennedy & I were staying with Jennifer. He said Kacyn had a good night Friday night & was hoping he would have one Saturday night also so he could sleep! Well, Kacyn kept him & Grammy up until after 2:00am!
We laughed a lot with Jennifer. It just warms your heart to hear her laugh & to see her smile. Her hands appear to be getting better. The fingers on her right hand were always straight & she couldn't bend them before. Now she can squeeze your hand with her thumb on her right hand & while I was there she started bending all 4 fingers around my hand. She can't quite bend them all the way, but she can bend them halfway or better. She wasn't able to do this a week ago. On her left hand the fingers have always been curled. She hasn't been able to straighten them, but now she can straighten one of them out. She can lift her left arm slightly now. She hasn't ever been able to move her left arm until now. The muscles in her hands have always been super tight & really hard to the touch. They seem to be quite a bit softer now.
She kept getting itches when I was there Sat night & I'd have to scratch for her. First it was her belly, then it was her eye, then it was her other eye, then it was her belly again, then it was her eye again, then it was her left hand, then her other eye again, then her forehead, then her left hand again. I would scratch wherever she told me to, but I told her not to ask me to scratch her butt because that's where I draw the line! She laughed.
David has a funny picture of Jennifer. They were watching a movie the other night & she said "Tape". He said "What?" She repeated "Tape". He asked what she needed with tape. She said "Tape glasses." She has problems with her glasses sliding down on her nose. I guess she was tired of them doing this while she was trying to watch the movie so she wanted him to tape her glasses to her forehead so they couldn't slide down. So he has a picture of her glasses taped to her nose & forehead while they watched a movie!
We stopped by to see Josiah & Kacyn on our way home. Kacyn is getting soooo big! He's a chubby little thing! He even has fat wrinkles on the back of his head! He also has the biggest blue eyes! I just love holding, hugging, & kissing him! Josiah was too busy with his cousins for me to hug or kiss. I had to steal them from him! Grammy shared a cute story about something that happened the other day. She was feeding Kacyn in the living room. She'd left the baby monitor on by Kacyn's crib. All of a sudden all the musical things in & on Kacyn's crib starting playing music! She went in there & Josiah was in Kacyn's crib with Kacyn's pacifier in his mouth, pretending to be asleep, & making a quiet "meemeemee" sound - kind of like how they snore on cartoons! Those boys definitely keep her hopping!
Thank you for all the prayers. Please keep them going! Jennifer still has a long ways to go! Please continue to pray for her, Kacyn, David, & Josiah. And don't forget about both sets of grandparents. They could use the prayers too!
Love,
Lynn
My daughter, Kennedy, & I stayed at the hospital with Jennifer Saturday night. Kennedy enjoyed helping her Aunt Fer & I know Aunt Fer enjoyed having her there. She fed Jennifer her breakfast Sunday morning.
David went home Saturday night since Kennedy & I were staying with Jennifer. He said Kacyn had a good night Friday night & was hoping he would have one Saturday night also so he could sleep! Well, Kacyn kept him & Grammy up until after 2:00am!
We laughed a lot with Jennifer. It just warms your heart to hear her laugh & to see her smile. Her hands appear to be getting better. The fingers on her right hand were always straight & she couldn't bend them before. Now she can squeeze your hand with her thumb on her right hand & while I was there she started bending all 4 fingers around my hand. She can't quite bend them all the way, but she can bend them halfway or better. She wasn't able to do this a week ago. On her left hand the fingers have always been curled. She hasn't been able to straighten them, but now she can straighten one of them out. She can lift her left arm slightly now. She hasn't ever been able to move her left arm until now. The muscles in her hands have always been super tight & really hard to the touch. They seem to be quite a bit softer now.
She kept getting itches when I was there Sat night & I'd have to scratch for her. First it was her belly, then it was her eye, then it was her other eye, then it was her belly again, then it was her eye again, then it was her left hand, then her other eye again, then her forehead, then her left hand again. I would scratch wherever she told me to, but I told her not to ask me to scratch her butt because that's where I draw the line! She laughed.
David has a funny picture of Jennifer. They were watching a movie the other night & she said "Tape". He said "What?" She repeated "Tape". He asked what she needed with tape. She said "Tape glasses." She has problems with her glasses sliding down on her nose. I guess she was tired of them doing this while she was trying to watch the movie so she wanted him to tape her glasses to her forehead so they couldn't slide down. So he has a picture of her glasses taped to her nose & forehead while they watched a movie!
We stopped by to see Josiah & Kacyn on our way home. Kacyn is getting soooo big! He's a chubby little thing! He even has fat wrinkles on the back of his head! He also has the biggest blue eyes! I just love holding, hugging, & kissing him! Josiah was too busy with his cousins for me to hug or kiss. I had to steal them from him! Grammy shared a cute story about something that happened the other day. She was feeding Kacyn in the living room. She'd left the baby monitor on by Kacyn's crib. All of a sudden all the musical things in & on Kacyn's crib starting playing music! She went in there & Josiah was in Kacyn's crib with Kacyn's pacifier in his mouth, pretending to be asleep, & making a quiet "meemeemee" sound - kind of like how they snore on cartoons! Those boys definitely keep her hopping!
Thank you for all the prayers. Please keep them going! Jennifer still has a long ways to go! Please continue to pray for her, Kacyn, David, & Josiah. And don't forget about both sets of grandparents. They could use the prayers too!
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Day #108
Jennifer had another swallow test last week to see if she could move up to "soft mechanical" foods such as french fries - soft foods that don't require too much chewing. Unfortunately, she did not pass this test. She is still on pureed foods & thickened beverages only. When you swallow, muscles close up the trachea to prevent food from going down into it instead of the esophagus. These muscles are not working properly with Jennifer consistently. They work correctly sometimes. They are close the trachea off too slowly at times. Eating heavier foods or drinking thinner beverages could move down her throat faster than the muscles can close off the trachea & cause her to choke. This is something that should heal as her brain & other muscles heal.
As stated previously, Jennifer can say just about whatever she wants to now. It's still very difficult to understand what she's saying. The dr's believe this is no longer due to her vocal cords being separated, but is brain-related. Her speech should continue to improve as her brain heals.
David says Jennifer's attitude has changed considerably over the last few days. He said it seemed to change after my brother visited her. He's not sure what John said to her, but David says it helped change her attitude. She's now more positive about everything including therapy. David said before she would come back from therapy & say "I hate Jill. She's mean." Today during therapy she told Jill she loved her.
David thinks Jennifer could be released as early as a week from Friday This is due to insurance reasons. The drs would like her to stay a little longer. Of course, Jennifer wants to be released a week from Friday & is very excited about it. She will be in a wheelchair. She is still unable to walk or use her arms or hands. David will be helping her do everything. She'll be going back & forth to St Louis for therapy. David's worried about getting her in & out of the car. I joked & told him he needed to get her a helmet until he gets it figured out! Because none of the doors in their house are large enough to accomodate a wheelchair, David is moving their bedroom into the living room.
Jennifer, David, & Kacyn all had therapy today. Kacyn was scheduled to have occupational, physical, & speech therapy! I'm not sure how that works with someone as young as he is!
David said Kacyn is starting to coo & smile a little now. I can't wait to see him this coming weekend! My husband, kids, & I are all going to St Louis this weekend.
We are definitely seeing signs of Jennifer's personality as it was before the accident. She laughs, jokes, & is very ornery sometimes! She's getting back to the old Jennifer we know & love. All of this is truly a miracle from God! It's unreal to think of how far she's come. It's exactly 15 weeks to the day Jennifer was on complete life support with both us & the drs unsure if she was going to make it. She still has a long way to go, but it's so heartwarming to see her personality coming through! It's through the prayers of all of you that we are getting her back! Thank you!
Please remember to pray for her complete healing from her brain to her swallowing to her talking to her arms, hands, legs, eyes. Please remember little Kacyn also as well as David & Josiah too. Also please pray for Grammy as she continues to care for these darling little boys. Mom is in St Louis today, coming home tomorrow. Dad is driving up Friday, coming home Saturday. Please pray for them as they travel.
Thank you for being a part of Jennifer's miracle & helping make it happen!
Love,
Lynn
As stated previously, Jennifer can say just about whatever she wants to now. It's still very difficult to understand what she's saying. The dr's believe this is no longer due to her vocal cords being separated, but is brain-related. Her speech should continue to improve as her brain heals.
David says Jennifer's attitude has changed considerably over the last few days. He said it seemed to change after my brother visited her. He's not sure what John said to her, but David says it helped change her attitude. She's now more positive about everything including therapy. David said before she would come back from therapy & say "I hate Jill. She's mean." Today during therapy she told Jill she loved her.
David thinks Jennifer could be released as early as a week from Friday This is due to insurance reasons. The drs would like her to stay a little longer. Of course, Jennifer wants to be released a week from Friday & is very excited about it. She will be in a wheelchair. She is still unable to walk or use her arms or hands. David will be helping her do everything. She'll be going back & forth to St Louis for therapy. David's worried about getting her in & out of the car. I joked & told him he needed to get her a helmet until he gets it figured out! Because none of the doors in their house are large enough to accomodate a wheelchair, David is moving their bedroom into the living room.
Jennifer, David, & Kacyn all had therapy today. Kacyn was scheduled to have occupational, physical, & speech therapy! I'm not sure how that works with someone as young as he is!
David said Kacyn is starting to coo & smile a little now. I can't wait to see him this coming weekend! My husband, kids, & I are all going to St Louis this weekend.
We are definitely seeing signs of Jennifer's personality as it was before the accident. She laughs, jokes, & is very ornery sometimes! She's getting back to the old Jennifer we know & love. All of this is truly a miracle from God! It's unreal to think of how far she's come. It's exactly 15 weeks to the day Jennifer was on complete life support with both us & the drs unsure if she was going to make it. She still has a long way to go, but it's so heartwarming to see her personality coming through! It's through the prayers of all of you that we are getting her back! Thank you!
Please remember to pray for her complete healing from her brain to her swallowing to her talking to her arms, hands, legs, eyes. Please remember little Kacyn also as well as David & Josiah too. Also please pray for Grammy as she continues to care for these darling little boys. Mom is in St Louis today, coming home tomorrow. Dad is driving up Friday, coming home Saturday. Please pray for them as they travel.
Thank you for being a part of Jennifer's miracle & helping make it happen!
Love,
Lynn
Monday, February 2, 2009
Day #106
Jennifer continues to do well. Normally, David can't go to physical therapy with Jennifer, but today the therapist came to get him. They wanted him to see how well Jennifer was doing with standing. David said she was standing up as straight as he's seen her for a long time.
I asked David if the Botox injections seemed to be working yet. He said she can bend 3 fingers on her right hand now, but that this is probably due to the other medication (can't remember what it's called) that they've been giving her. He said it'd probably be about a week before we see any results from the Botox.
Prayers are still needed for Jennifer's complete healing, mentally & physically, & for Kacyn's blood test to be normal.
I asked David if the Botox injections seemed to be working yet. He said she can bend 3 fingers on her right hand now, but that this is probably due to the other medication (can't remember what it's called) that they've been giving her. He said it'd probably be about a week before we see any results from the Botox.
Prayers are still needed for Jennifer's complete healing, mentally & physically, & for Kacyn's blood test to be normal.
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