Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving was a very special one. We have a lot to be thankful for. Getting to spend Thanksgiving with my sister & her family this year was truly a blessing. Last Thanksgiving we had to celebrate Thanksgiving without them.

Jennifer said the grace before Thanksgiving dinner. It brought tears to everyone's eyes. We couldn't understand every word she said, but we know God did!

Josiah & Kacyn are getting so big! Kacyn is still eating through his feeding tube, but continues to improve in his spoon feedings. He just isn't able to eat enough by mouth to do away with the feeding tube yet. He's also getting better at sitting up by himself.

Jennifer got a new walker. They weren't able to bring it with them on the trip from MO this time because there just wasn't enough room in their car with everything else they have to bring. Hopefully, I'll get to see her use her walker when we see them again at Christmas.

Hope everyone had as blessed a Thanksgiving as we did. The last year has been filled with blessings & miracles & we are thankful for all of them & for all of you who have cried, prayed, & been here with us through this past year. Thank you for everything!

1 Year Ago...

It was 1 year ago today that I got the most devastating call of my life thus far. It was my mom calling, but she was crying so hard I couldn't undertand what she was trying to tell me. Finally, David's mom, Kathy, got on the phone & I found out my baby sister, Jennifer, had gone into cardiac arrest as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident 11 days earlier & was on complete life support. I can't even begin to describe the feelings & emotions of that day.

It was also my sister's husband's 25th birthday that day. There was nothing happy about his 25th birthday.

Today, a year later, Jennifer is still recovering from the brain damage which was a result of the cardiac arrest, brain damage that was so severe the drs didn't think she'd recover from it. She's come a long way in the last year, but still requires 24 hour assistance with everything. Her husband, David, who is celebrating his 26th birthday today, has taken care of her every need without ever complaining. He's a true hero in my book! He & Jennifer are inspirations to everyone.

Today we are not only celebrating David's birthday & life, but also the gift God gave back to us a year ago, Jennifer.

"Where there is great love, there are always miracles." -- Willa Cather
Jennifer's miracle began a year ago not only because of the great love of her friends & family, but also because of the great love she & David have in our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. It's this great love & faith that helped get all of us through the past year. Thank you for being there with us, helping, supporting, & praying with us. Thank you for being a part of Jennifer's miracle.

Love,
Lynn

Happy 1st Birthday, Kacyn!!

WOW! It's hard to believe, but Kacyn's a year old now! Sunday, Oct 18, was his 1st birthday!!

We celebrated his birthday all together at mom & dad's house with a Winnie-the-Pooh birthday cake. He didn't get to eat any of his cake, but we let him taste the frosting! He liked it!

We tried to focus on celebrating Kacyn's birth & not the events that led to his early arrival. He's our little miracle! He's getting so big and is the sweetest little baby!

I have added some 1st birthday birthday photos taken by a friend of the Dierkings.

Thank you for all the prayers. Please continue to pray for complete healing for this little family.

Family Picture

I have posted a family picture taken of the Dierkings by a friend of theirs. They look great! The boys are getting so big! What an amazing family! They truly are a miracle of God!

Jennifer is getting more botox injections in her left hand today to help loosen up the muscles & hopefully help regain movement & use of that hand. The botox injections usually make her sick for a few days.

She continues to slightly improve, but still is unable to walk or really do anything by herself yet. But it's just little subtle improvements that we, the family, can see that tell us she's still getting better such as being able to cross her legs by herself. She wasn't able to do this before, but now she can! Things we all take for granted are big accomplishments for her.

They are coming here to AR today. We will be celebrating Kacyn's first birthday on Sunday, Oct. 18! I can't believe he's a year old! Jennfier wanted to have his 1st birthday party here at mom & dad's. I'll post birthday pictures soon!

All of the prayers, support, love, encouragement over the last year has been appreciated more than I can put into words. Because of you, it helped us make it through this very difficult year. Thank you & God bless!

But don't stop praying yet! There's still lots of healing to be done!

Jennifer's Posting

Below is a posting directly from Jennifer. It's something she wants me to share with everyone.

A good friend of Jennifer's saw her in Tulsa several weeks ago. This friend was so taken aback & upset at seeing Jennifer like she is now that she couldn't sleep. She got up from bed & was praying for Jennifer when Jennifer's spirit appeared before her & said, "I'm still here, You're to see me as I really am. Tell David I love him. Thank him for not giving up on me and fighting for me. We win the fight, we have won the fight, with our God nothing is impossible."

Jennifer continues to improve with each day. The improvements are very subtle, but they are there. She may not be able to do everything yet, but her personality, sense of humor, smarts, are all there. She is the same Jennifer.

Kacyn got his new chair. He really likes it! It has a base for outdoors that comes off & can stay in the van & has another smaller base for in the house. It has great head support which is already making a big difference in helping to strengthen his neck. It also has a tray like a high chair that is removeable. He likes to play with toys on this tray.

Josiah got a new swing set which he is really enjoying! Our kids had outgrown their swing set so my husband took it apart. He & my brother drove it the 4 hours to Sullivan, MO, & put it up for Josiah. That made that little boy very happy! He was very excited!

I have posted a picture of Kacyn in his new chair & Josiah on his swing.

Please continue to pray for this little family. They've come a long ways, but still have a ways to go so they still need prayers.

Josiah's 3rd Birthday!

Josiah’s birthday was Aug 25. He turned 3. His birthday party was Sat, Aug 29. His party had an Imagination Movers theme. For those who don’t have small children & don’t know what Imagination Movers is, it’s a show on the Disney Channel that Josiah loves. Grammy made outfits for both Josiah & Kacyn just like the ones worn on the show. They looked so cute!! They had a good turnout for his birthday, about 50 people total (adults & children), & had a cookout. They also had a giant inflatable bounce house/castle that their church raised money to rent for them. The kids loved jumping & playing in it! A paramedic friend brought an ambulance by & let the go through it. Josiah truly deserved a special day to himself & that is what he got. Kacyn enjoyed the party too! He likes being outside. He loves looking around at everything & just coos & talks.

Kacyn continues to do well with his feeding tube. It took quite a few adjustments to his feeding schedule & a little time determining the amount of formula that was right for him, but Grammy’s got it all down now! She also feeds him by mouth daily to work on his swallowing & he’s doing pretty well with that also. Hopefully he won’t need the feeding tube much longer. Also I found out from Grammy today that he just got his 5th tooth! He’s such a sweet little baby.

Jennifer also continues to do well. The changes are very subtle, but I can see improvement each time I see her.

Thank you for all the prayers, support, & love. Please keep praying for complete healing for Jennifer & Kacyn. And don’t forget to pray for David & Grammy as they lovingly care for Jennifer, Josiah, & Kacyn.

Welcome Home, Kacyn!!

Kacyn was released from the Childrens Hospital yesterday. Josiah's been a little pistol since I've been here! He's so full of energy & into everything! Yesterday when it was just me & him here at home he was germ-free!! He got a small bottle of hand sanitizer & covered his arms, legs, & bed with it! We also have carpet now that won't get sunburned because he put sunscreen on it today!

David's dad had his surgery today. They only had to remove the right side of his thyroid. They said it looked benign. He's doing well. He said it feels like he has a really bad sore throat. He should be released tomorrow. Kathy didn't get to go back to OH for his surgery as originally planned since Kacyn didn't get released from the hospital until late yesterday. David's sister, Chrissie, is there with him though & has kept Kathy & all of his posted today.

Please continue to pray for miracles for Jennifer & Kacyn. Also please remember David. It never ceases to amaze me to see how well he cares for Jennifer, doing absolutely everything for her & dropping whatever's he's doing to do it without ever complaining. He sometimes teases her about it, but he never really complains. They argue over what to watch on tv. Jennifer used to always control the remote. Since she can't use it, David now has control, but he almost always gives in to what she wants to watch. He says it's nice to have control over the remote, but he'll be happy when she is able to take it back. Please continue to pray for strength, encouragement, & comfort for him. He has more stress in his life than the rest of us can even begin to imagine having. Please pray for Grammy as she continues to care for these precious little boys & for David's dad as he continues to recover from his surgery. Thank you & God bless!

In MO

I arrived at David & Jen's house yesterday afternoon to spend the week helping out. Kacyn is still in the Childrens Hospital. We went to see him after I got here. He is just the cutest & sweetest baby. I held him the whole time I was there.

They are now looking at possibly releasing him tomorrow. They are still working on getting his feedings straightened out. Grammy is still at the hospital with him. Hopefully they will both get to come home tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for Jen's complete healing as well as Kacyn's.

G Tube

Kacyn made it through his surgery with no problems. He was in quite a bit of pain last night & this morning. If you have children, you know that a pain cry is like no other. It can break your heart. They gave him some morphine this morning & he slept for quite awhile. Then seemed to feel a little better after that.

The plan is currently that he will be released tomorrow. And will have to go back in about a month to have surgery to put a shunt in.

I have posted a couple of new pics. One is of his G tube & the other is this afternoon & shows the modifications Grammy made to his clothing to accomodate the tube.

Please keep the prayers going for this precious little baby & his family!

Surgery

Kacyn is in surgery getting his G tube put in. He should be getting to go home this week. He'll have to be fed through the G tube & his body temp will have to be monitored closely since it still drops too low especially when he's sleeping.

Please keep the prayers flowing for this little boy & his family.

Still in the hospital

Kacyn is still in St Louis Childrens Hospital. They are hoping to get his G tube put in place & possibly send him home by the end of the week.

Grammy said he's been more awake today like normal for him with only a few naps here & there. Still having difficulty with swallowing which is the reason for the G tube & with his body temp.

Once his G tube site has healed completely, they will bring him back in about 1-2 weeks to put a shunt in.

Mom is back home now, but will be going back Wed-Thu. Then I'm going up this weekend to help out while Kathy goes back to OH for Bob's surgery.

I have posted another new picture of Kaycn & Josiah that was taken yesterday. Josiah is in Kacyn's hospital bed with him, watching tv. They're sooooo cute!!

Please keep Kacyn & Jen in your prayers. We need healing miracles for them. Please keep Bob in your prayers as he prepares for his surgery. Pray for Kathy, Mom, & myself as we drive back & forth. Pray for strength & comfort for the entire family. And last, but not least please pray for David. He is a remarkable person. The world would definitely be a much, much better place if more people were like him.

More Tests for A Little Boy

Kacyn was awake all day yesterday & several times during the night! A lot of the time when he was awake he was smiling & coo’ing at Grammy!

They’ve put an iv back in him. This is so they can get anti-seizure meds in him quickly, if needed, since they cut his phenabarbitol anti-seizure meds in ½. The iv will also be used to sedate him for his MRI tomorrow.

He is undergoing a multitude of tests again today. They took blood for more blood tests this morning. Poor little guy may need a transfusion if they keep taking blood from him! Grammy says he looks like a pin cushion!

I have added a link to a video that David's mom, Kathy/Grammy, created. It shows how the lives of so many people (especially David's, Jennifer's, Josiah's, & Kacyn's lives) were changed forever in just an instant.

Thank you for all the prayers & support! Unfortunately, prayers are still needed & I have to ask that they please continue! Please continue to pray for my sweet baby nephew!

Jen still needs prayers too! She is fighting pneumonia & was running a fever yesterday. Her lungs are still very weak so pneumonia is a very scary thing for her to have. Please pray for her lungs as well as her brain. She is still trying to recover from her brain damage & learn to walk & get her other motor skills back.

The Latest

Grammy told me Kacyn was awake more today than he has been the last few days put together. She said he would smile & coo at her! I can't wait to see that beautiful little smile & hold him again!

Please continue to pray for little Kacyn & Jennifer & that whole little family!

What a little trooper!

I have posted a pic of Kacyn that was taken this morning. He was wide awake which is a good thing! You can see his big beautiful blue eyes - yes, he has blue eyes! He gets them from our dad or Pop-Pop as Jo calls him!

In this picture he's in his EEG head wrap, warming blankets & has his iv & feeding tubes, but he very rarely cries. He has a whole new set of tests to endure today.

Please pray, pray and then pray some more for this sweet, sweet little boy & his family. Jen is too tired & weak to make the trip to STL each day. David is tired from making the trip to STL each day and then taking care of Jen and Josiah. Mom arrived in MO yesterday to stay with & help with Jen & Jo so David can go see Kacyn each day. Again please pray. This family & this sweet little baby boy need a supernatural miracle from God. I can't even begin to thank everyone enough for the prayers & support, but I have to ask for the prayers to please continue!

Kacyn

Kacyn is still being kept at the Childrens Hospital. They have run numerous tests, but are still trying to determine what the real cause of his problems is.

They did a ct scan & determined that there has been no change in the spinal fluid buildup on his brain. It's still not putting any pressure on his brain.

His phena barb (sp?) level was high which would cause the sleepiness.

Since he hadn't eaten (or taken a bottle) since the day before arriving at the hospital, they put him immediately on an iv.

They attempted a lumbar puncture on Fri, but unable to draw any spinal fluid. They tried again on Sat & were successful that time. It'll be 48 hours before they have all the results from that & David didn't know exactly when the 48 hours ends.

The test results they've gotten back so far have indicated no infection. Everything is pointing to all of this being caused by something neurological.

Also keep Jennifer & David in your prayers. They are driving the hour back & forth to St Louis every day. Jennifer's also not feeling well due to her pneumonia & just overall tiredness which is worsened by the driving back & forth & pneumonia. Please pray for Kathy. She's staying at the Childrens Hospital with Kacyn. Bob has been staying home with Josiah, but had to leave to go back to OH. Please pray for a safe trip for him.

Rough Day

It's been a rough day for the Dierking family. I talked to David about an hour ago & he was making his 2nd trip to St. Louis today to take Kacyn to the Childrens Hospital. They were unable to get Kacyn to wake up today so he hasn't eaten all day, hasn't had a wet diaper since yesterday, & his body temp is at 93 degrees.

Jennifer has the beginning of pneumonia & has been put on antibiotics.

Please keep this little family in your prayers.

Thank you!
Lynn

EEG Results

Kacyn & Jennifer both had EEG's. Kacyn's didn't show any seizure activity, but it showed that it could happen at any time. David compared it to how you can tell it's getting ready to storm before it does. They put him on some seizure medication & he seems to be a little more alert & have better head control since being put on it. Jennifer's EEG showed no seizure activity which is what the drs really expected, but they wanted to do the EEG just to make sure.

Mom & Dad went to MO last Thu-Fri. Mom said Jennifer was very tired when they were there. They'd had another busy, busy week with 12 trips back & forth to St Louis. I would have been tired too! Mom & Dad brought Josiah home with them. He was going to stay a week here in AR, but Jen & David couldn't take it! They said it was just too quiet at home without him. They came down Monday to get him! They're going back to MO tomorrow morning.

David had an ultrasound to see if it was his gallbladder causing him problems & it showed everything was ok with his gallbladder.

I posted a pic of Kacyn's new chair! This makes him much more mobile & he really seems to like it. It's given a whole new view of the world!

Please continue to keep this little family in your prayers! God is working miracles in them!

Update to Today's Earlier Post

Just got word from David that they had to postpone Jen's EEG until next Thu because David was too sick to take her yesterday. They think he either has ulcers or an issue with his gallbladder. Either one doesn't sound fun! Please pray everything is ok with him too! He is feeling a little better than he did yesterday which is good news.

Busy Week

David & Jennifer celebrated their 4 year wedding anniversary last week. Congratulations! Happy Anniversary! I love you guys! I am so proud to have you in our family, David! I almost can't remember you not being a part of our family!

The Dierkings have had a very busy week this week. They had 1+ appointments every day this week in St. Louis (1 hour drive 1 way) between Jennifer & Kacyn.

Kacyn had an appointment with the neurologist. The neurologist thinks his eye fluttering & looking hard to the left may be slight brain seizures or it could be erratic brain activity. The neurologist wanted to go ahead & start him on anti-seizure meds, but David & Jennifer made the decision to hold off on this until Kacyn had his EEG this week. They were afraid the meds would make it incorrectly appear that he wasn't having seizures on the EEG. Please pray that Kacyn's EEG this week was normal.

Kacyn also had an appt to get new splints for his hands & feet.

Kacyn continues to grow! He is now approximately 19.5 pounds. His head has grown another 1/2 inch in the last couple of weeks, but his soft spot still appears to be ok. As long as his soft spot is still there the dr's don't think there is any pressure being put on his brain. His head measured 46 cm. Jen's head measures 48 cm. But David said big heads run in the Dierking family!

David was hoping they could have Jen's feeding tube removed. This is used only to give her her meds because she hasn't been able to swallow pills. The dr doesn't want to remove this yet because Jen still has difficulty drinking water unless it's thickened. Until she is able to drink water that's not thickened, the dr doesn't want to remove the feeding tube. They are looking at possibly after summer being able to remove this.

Jen had therapy this week along with appts with some of her drs & for an EEG also. She had her EEG yesterday. They are trying to determine if the times she passed out in therapy were seizures or due to lack of oxygen because her lungs are still weak. Her primary care physician thinks it's just her lungs, but they need to make sure there isn't any seizure activity going on in her brain. Please pray that her EEG is normal.

David has taken Jennifer to a friend's house to swim in their pool a couple of days this week. Jen really enjoyed this. She is also doing pool therapy as part of her physical therapy.

Please pray for David's dad. He is having surgery in Aug. Suspicious cells have been found in his thyroid so they are removing it. There's a 30% chance it could be cancer. With his history of cancer, they aren't taking any chances. He will need to take radiation pills if it's not cancer & chemo if it is. (Or at least that's how I understood what David told me...) Please pray for Bob.

I apologize for not posting more frequently, but there's really not a lot to report on on a daily basis anymore. I will probably only be posting once a week going forward unless there is a need to do an additional post.

Please continue to pray for this little family. They are getting better, but things are progressing very slowly & they still have quite a ways to go. Also remember to pray for Bob & Kathy as Bob faces surgery soon & Kathy continues to care for those precious little gifts from God for Jen & David.

8 Month Anniversary

Today is the 8 month anniversary of the accident that changed a young little family forever as well as the lives of many other people. Through the love and support of many friends and because of their faith in a loving & good God, that young little family is still with us & doing better each & every day.

Jennifer got another round of Botox injections in her left hand. Hopefully, this will enable her to begin using it. The last round of Botox helped her left hand some, but not enough for her to be able to use it.

I don't have a lot to report on. Things are progressing very slowly, but Jen & Kacyn do continue to improve. Kacyn continues to grow & gain weight! I can't believe exactly how much when I see pictures of him! As Kacyn gains weight...Jen's losing it! She's excited about that!

Please continue to pray for Jen, Kacyn, & this little family. They still have a long ways to go to being completely healed.

Prayers for Kacyn

I enjoyed my visit with Jennifer, David, & the boys (& you too, Grammy!). Jen is looking so good! She is beginning to look like the old Jennifer! I held Kacyn as much as possible - which was a lot! And I stole hugs & kisses from Jo whenever I could catch him! I got to see Jen walk. Of course, she can't walk on her own yet. This was with David standing in front of her, holding her up, & walking backward in front of her. But it's such an improvement for Jen. It was bittersweet seeing that because I was happy for her, but at the same time it was heartbreaking. As always, it was very difficult for me say "bye" & leave. I held my tears though until I was in the car so Jen wouldn't see. I love you, Jen!

They had a scare with Kacyn Monday. He had a seizure. Kathy called his pediatrician. The pediatrician told her to call the neurologist. The neurologist seemed to expect that seizures were something that were probably going to happen at some point. Kacyn has an appt with the neurologist on June 26 for them to determine what needs to be done. I know that seems like a long ways off, but they have been instructed to take Kacyn to the emergency room if they feel they need to.

Prayers are needed for my sweet little baby nephew. He's had a rough little life so far, but we know through prayer & God's love he will be well & whole one day. Jen says Kacyn will be a "genius" & she kept saying yesterday when I was on the phone with Kathy that "he's going to be ok." I know she truly believes with all of her heart this is true & was saying that for my benefit.

Jennifer continues to get a little better everyday, but still is unable to walk & unable to use her left hand & arm at all. She is getting pretty good with her right hand, but it's still not quite there yet. Her speech is also getting better, but we still have to play Hangman sometimes for me to figure out what she's trying to say. Please continue your prayers for her. It's amazing to think what she's been through in the last 7 months. She has a wondrous story to tell!

Don't forget David & Kathy in your prayers. They are doing a wonderful job taking care of Jen & those babies! I can't ever thank them enough.

Happy 29th Birthday, Jennifer!!

Today is a wonderful day! It's Jennifer's 29th birthday! Other than the day she was born in 1980, no other birthday has had more meaning for our family. I have learned to never take birthdays for granted. Each every one of them we are given is a blessing & should be celebrated.

Some friends bought Jennifer a wireless keyboard & mouse for her birthday. David can now hook his laptop up to their tv so Jennifer can play games on it & do other things on the internet. He said she can use the mouse a little with her right hand, but of course can't type yet. He said they played a game of trivial pursuit the other night. Out of about 20 questions, he & Jen got 13 right. Out of that 13, Jen was the one who answered 12 correctly. David also said several times she read the question faster than he could! Her mind is definitely ok. It's just her motor skills that are still lacking, but they are slowly coming around. Of course, it's not fast enough for the rest of us!

They had a little bit of a scare in physical therapy the other day. Jen passed out. She was only out for a few seconds, but because of her condition & history, they called 911. Her blood pressure & everything was ok. They could find nothing wrong. They think she may have just overheated because they were pushing her a little harder than they have before.

I'm going to see Jennifer today! I want to see that big "bubba smile"!

Happy birthday, Jennifer! I am so very proud of you & love you very much!

Our Turning Point Video

Lynn doesn't know I am doing this but I went ahead and placed this video on the blog. This is a video that my mom ( Kathy ) made to show where we have come from and how much progress we have made. Thank You to everyone who has followed this blog and everyone who has prayed for us. We love and appreciate everyone of you!

Jennifer & the Boys

I have posted a new picture of Jennifer & the boys. The boys are soooo cute & Jennifer looks beautiful. She is beginning to look more & more like the Jen we all know & love.

Our brother went to visit her this past weekend. She was very happy to see him. Kathy calls the smile in the picture I just posted Jen's "Bubba smile". Jen has always called our brother Bubba & this is how she smiled when she saw him the other day, hence the name "Bubba smile".

Kacyn has a new device that helps him hold his head up. This should help strengthen those muscles so that hopefully before long he won't need help holding his head up anymore.

Kathy had a biopsy on her eye. It was determined that it was inflammation of the blood vessels. She told me the medical name/term for this, but I can't remember what it was. Even if I did remember, I don't think I could spell it. It was a fairly long name. Please remember Kathy in your prayers.

David's dad, Bob, had a biopsy & they found suspicious cells in his thyroid. They are planning surgery on the 10th. Please remember him in your prayers.

Jennifer had a dr appt on Thu. The dr told David that she thinks he needs to see a therapist. She thinks he's in denial about the possibility of Jennifer's condition being long-term. She just doesn't understand David's strong faith in the Lord & his strong love for Jennifer.

Whatever Jennifer needs David does without ever complaining. He takes wonderful care for her & while he's doing it, you can see the love in his eyes. He is truly a blessing from above. Please continue to pray for strength for him. Even though he always has a wonderful attitude about everything, I know it's not easy.

And last but not least, please remember to pray for the continued healing of Kacyn & Jennifer.

New Pictures!

I have posted new pictures of Josiah & Kacyn. These were taken in OH. They are the cutest little things! I love & miss them soooo much!

Happy Mother's Day!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day especially the moms in my life (my mom, my sister, David's mom). This Mother's Day is extra special for our family. Jennifer has a new baby & my mom still has her youngest daughter & a new grandson. 6 months ago we weren't sure we'd still have either of them. God has truly blessed our family. Not only do we still have them, but they are getting better each & every day. Our mom & David's mom, Kathy, have been wonderful examples of a mother's love & the extent to which a mother will go for her children. Our mom spent months in the hospital at Jen's bedside without even a car to leave the hospital. David's mom has put her life on hold to help Jennifer & David by taking care of their precious little boys for them. These are just 2 examples of the wonderful things these 2 mothers have done in the last 6 months. There is no way I could list everything they've done.

Jennifer & David have both been sick. Kathy took them to the dr earlier this week & it was determined they both have strep throat. The good news is the dr told them that children age 2 & under don't normally get strep throat so there really was no worry with the kids getting it. They are both on medication & are getting better.

Kacyn had his dr's appt today to check the fluid buildup on his brain & to find out if a shunt was needed. The dr said a shunt isn't needed right now! Praise the Lord! My understanding is it's more about the pressure the excess fluid is putting on the brain rather than the fluid itself. The fluid hasn't necessarily decreased. The fluid still isn't putting any pressure on his brain. Because there still isn't any pressure on the brain, a shunt isn't needed at this time. The dr wants to see him again in 3 months to look at it again. Please continue to pray for this darling little boy.

Thank you for all the prayers! I know it's because of your prayers that we are able to have this extra special Mother's Day. I hope all of the moms reading this have a wonderful Mother's Day! Being a mother is truly a gift from God & every moment should be cherished. I've known this since becoming a mother 13 years ago, but the events of the last 6 months have made me realize it even more. Being a mom is the best job in the world!

Happy Mother's Day!

Back from OH

The Dierking gang is back home in MO from their visit to OH. David said they had a good time & enjoyed their time there. He said they got lots of prayers from people while they were there. The road trip there & back was long. It took them considerably longer than normal to make the trip. Each stop for gas & bathroom breaks took about an hour. They would all use the restroom (David has to help Jennifer) & then there were diapers to change & Kacyn to feed. Needless to say they made 2 days of it each way.

Jennifer was wanting to climb the stairs going into church on Sunday. She gave it her best effort, but she was extremely tired & only made it up the first step. David said she just couldn't get up enough strength to lift her left foot high enough to make the second step. He didn't want to push it because he didn't want to get stuck halfway up the stairs with no easy way back to her wheelchair. But even the 1 step is a big achievement for Jennifer. I don't think she could have even done that a month ago!

Jennifer is back to her normal physical, speech, & occupational therapy schedule again beginning tomorrow.

With your prayers she will one day be able to climb all of those stairs! Please continue to pray for her & Kacyn's healing as well as strength & support for David & Kathy.

Update & Another Correction!

Another correction to how much Kacyn's head has grown since Jan. I was correct in the first posting regarding it. His head has grown 4" since Jan, not 4 centimeters. I'm blaming this one on David! He's the one who corrected it to 4 centimeters then he e-mailed yesterday telling me it was 4". Just wanted everyone to know that even though I'm almost 40 (ALMOST 40, Jennifer!), I'm really not losing it!

Jennifer walked 100 feet in therapy on Monday! About 1/2 of this was with a walker! It was a special walker that was a little taller so she could rest her forearms on it. There were 2 people assisting her with this, but it's still a big accomplishment for her.

She's also walking to the bathroom in their house now with David's help instead of using the bedside toilet. That, too, is a huge accomplishment!

Jennifer was wanting to go to OH to visit all their friends & church members there. So David took her. They left yesterday & arrived today.

Please continue to pray for this little family. They are getting a little better each day, but still have a long ways to go & still need all the prayers they can get!

Love,
Lynn

Kacyn

After a long day of waiting at the hospital, Jennifer & David finally received the diagnosis & action plan from the neurologist.

They are releasing Kacyn from the hospital, but are going to observe the fluid buildup. If it gets worse, a shunt will be put in to drain it. The neurologist also told them that Kacyn has severe brain damage from the accident. His brain cortex (the top of his brain) is minimal & he is missing a lot of brain tissue. He does not expect Kacyn to develop much past where he is right now. He said any development will be good. He also said it would be a year before they know what the long term outlook is for Kacyn.

This was very disappointing & upsetting to hear. But we know Kacyn has surprised the drs from the very beginning. They have been wrong many times. The first neurologist that looked at Kacyn's MRI results was surprised he's still alive, didn't think he'd be able to breathe on his own or suck a pacifier, etc. Kacyn's developed way past those things. The drs can only report on what they can read on the test results. They don't know what God's plan is. We know & believe that God's plan for this precious baby is bigger than this. God is healing him just as he's healing Jennifer.

Please keep Kacyn in your prayers as well as the rest of the family. This news was very upsetting today. Even though we know God has a better plan for Kacyn, it was still very difficult to hear these things.

Update on Kacyn from 9:30pm Last Night

Talked to David again about 9:30pm last night. They were still at the hospital. The hospital was going to keep Kacyn overnight. They did not want him to take the 1 hour drive home last night then back again this morning due to possible jostling. David taking Jennifer home for the night & they are going back to the hospital this morning.

A resident neurologist looked at Kacyn & his CAT scan. He told them Kacyn's cortex (top of the brain) isn't as developed as it should be. This is a result of the trauma from the accident. His body is producing excess spinal fluid to fill the void. Since Kacyn still has a soft spot, he doesn't think there's a lot of pressure on Kacyn's brain. If there was a lot of pressure, he wouldn't have a soft spot anymore. They were still having to wait on the neurologist to see Kacyn today before they know what action, if any, they will be taking to reduce this fluid.

Even though I've learned more medical stuff in the last 6 months than I would've ever cared to, I'm still not a dr or a nurse & everything is still my interpretation/understanding. I'm trying to explain it the best I can!

Please keep Kacyn & this whole little family in your prayers. I will post any updates on Kacyn when I get them.

Correction & Update on Kacyn

I have a correction to my posting from earlier. Kacyn's head has grown by 4 centimeters since Jan, not 4 inches. OOPS!

I just got off the phone with David (approximately 9:00pm) & the CAT scan does show some fluid build up. At this time we don't know how much fluid there is or how much pressure it may be putting on his brain. A specialist will be looking at the test results in the morning. The dr thinks any jostling or even long car rides may give Kacyn a headache. Even the drive from their house to the hospital, about an hour, is too much. Because of this, they may be keeping Kacyn overnight instead of David driving him back in the morning. If they do keep him overnight, Kathy (Grammy) will be staying with him at the hospital. David will drive Jennifer home so she can get a good night's sleep before they go back to the hospital in the morning.

Prayers are needed! Please remember this precious little baby in your prayers!

New Pictures!

I have finally posted some of the pictures from Easter. Josiah found 28 eggs with the help of big cousin, Kennedy. There were 100+ eggs total for the kids to find at grandma's house. Josiah enjoyed finding the eggs so much that his older cousins re-hid eggs for him several times so he could hunt them again! We really had a great time that day. I can't even put into words what it meant to us to have Jennifer home. I only wish Kacyn could have been there too! But he will be next year!

I talked to David earlier this evening. Kacyn had a dr's appt today. His head has grown 4" since Jan. The dr is concerned about this much growth so quickly & possible fluid buildup on the brain. The way Kacyn moves his tongue in & out of his mouth could also be a sign of fluid buildup. When I spoke to David, they were taking Kacyn to the emergency room at the dr's request to have it checked out. Going to the emergency room would be quicker than trying to make an appointment with a neurologist (they've been trying to get him in to a neurologist for months). Please pray that everything is ok & he just has a large head! David is convinced that's all it is. Josiah always had a big head for his size...so it runs in the family!

Have a great evening! If you could remember this precious little family in your prayers, it would be appreciated more than you will ever know!

Love,
Lynn

Jennifer's Miracle Continues!

On Sat, it was exactly 6 months (1/2 year) since the accident. At times it still seems so unbelievable that this all has actually happened. It still seems like it was all a bad dream. I wish it were! Who would've ever guessed how much our lives would be turned upside down & how many lives would be impacted, changed, or touched forever. We've come a long way since I first started posting to this blog. Jennifer was on life support, Kacyn was still in NICU, & David was still in the hospital recovering from his surgery. Now Kacyn is 6 months old & a little chunk, David is completely healed, & Jennifer is home & getting better each & every day. Both Jen & Kacyn are doing better than the dr's initially thought they would. God had a different plan for them!

I missed a call from Kathy (Grammy) this morning. She left me a message telling me that a couple of exciting things happened this morning. First, Kacyn woke up with his first tooth (actually 2 of them!) & Jennifer brushed her own teeth this morning! This is a BIG accomplishment for her! Hopefully she'll be able to feed herself soon!

David has begun reading the blog & all the comments to Jennifer. Last time I talked to him about it, they had made it to Day 20.

I can't thank you enough for the love, support, & prayers over the last 6 months. It has truly helped all of us make it through all the ups & downs. It was truly a roller coaster ride for awhile & I was ready for it to stop! I have never liked roller coasters!

Please continue to remember Jen, Kacyn, David, & the entire family in your prayers.

Thank you for being a part of Jennifer's miracle!
Love,
Lynn

The Best Easter Ever!

Jennifer, David, & Josiah went back to MO yesterday. It was wonderful having Jennifer at home with all of us. We celebrated Easter on Saturday. Celebrating a holiday with Jennifer was a joyous occasion. We'd celebrated Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Year's without her. It was great having the family together again. The only thing missing was our little Kacyn.

Josiah really enjoyed the egg hunt! He was soooo cute to watch! My 13 year old daughter, Kennedy, helped him find the eggs. Jennifer wasn't able to help Josiah hunt eggs, but I know she'll be able to help Kacyn next Easter! She sat on the porch in her wheelchair, watching, & smiling.

Josiah also enjoyed running around & playing with all of his cousins! He thinks he's as big as they are!

Our aunt & uncle from Tulsa came over to see Jennifer on Saturday as did our uncle from Rogers, AR. It was the first time any of them had seen Jennifer since she woke up. It was a very emotional time for everyone.

Kathy, David's mom, made a video that I'm going to attempt to add to the blog. It takes you through pictures documenting the events since the accident. Hopefully, I'll be able to get this posted soon for everyone to watch. We watched it on Sat & there was not a dry eye in the place!

Jennifer was a great softball player when she was younger. My daughter plays softball & is a very good player too. Jen says Kennedy gets it from her. Kennedy had a scrimmage game on Sat afternoon. Jen wanted to go watch so she did! She was yelling (as best she could), cheering Kennedy on. She got very tired & had to leave before the game was over, but she enjoyed watching Kennedy play. Kennedy plays 1st base which is one of the positions Jennifer used to play.

I cannot put into words how much it meant to all of us to have Jennifer home again. It was very difficult saying "bye" to Jennifer yesterday. She started crying so, as usual when Jen cries, everyone cries! I miss them already!

They are going to begin focusing more on Jen's walking in therapy this week. The dr says that once she starts walking, her speech will begin improving considerably. It's still very difficult to understand her sometimes.

Hope everyone had a great Easter holiday also! I know it's because of your prayers that we were able to celebrate the holiday with Jennifer again! She continues to slowly improve. The progress is very, very slow & not as noticeable now as it was before, but she continues to improve. She still has a long way to go! She still needs to regain use of her left hand & arm. She is able to completely open & close her right hand & is able to pick some things up, but it sometimes takes several tries. She hasn't regained complete use of it yet because of her hand-eye coordination & also due to not having much movement in her wrist. Please pray for the use of her hands, wrists, arms, & her hand-eye coordination as well as her speech, legs, feet, walking, eyes, eating, & swallowing. (She is still limited on what she can eat & her beverages still have to be thickened.) She still needs prayers for head-to-toe healing! Please continue to pray for David. He's doing a wonderful job taking care of her, but I know this is not an easy task. She is totally dependant on him for everything which has to be stressful & difficult for him. Kacyn still needs prayers too! He still has to wear splints on his hands & feet. And we can't forget little Jo! Please pray for angels to watch over him & keep him safe! One last prayer request...for Grammy. She's doing a wonderful job taking care of Kacyn & Jo while David spends the majority of his time taking care of Jennifer & running her to dr appts & therapy. She may have the fun job, but I know it's not an easy one!

Love,
Lynn

Happy Easter!

Jennifer, David, & Josiah made it into town on Tuesday. She is very happy to be home & we are all very happy to have her here!

We are having our family Easter egg hunt for the kids on Sat since they are going back home Sunday. I know Josiah will have fun hunting eggs with his cousins! And I know Jennifer will enjoy watching them!

Just wanted to let everyone know that they made into town safe & sound & also wanted to wish everyone a "Happy Easter!"

Love,
Lynn

Home for Easter

Jen will be coming home to AR tomorrow for the Easter holiday! She has therapy in the morning then David is bringing her to AR! Josiah will be with them, but Kacyn will be staying in MO with Grammy. David wasn't sure how Kacyn would do on the long drive or how he'd do sleeping in a strange place. Also being a preemie, we still need to be cautious with taking him places.

We are so looking forward to spending time with them. Mom is ecstatic about having Jennifer home again. All of Josiah's cousins are looking forward to seeing him & hunting eggs with him. I know Josiah will have a good time too! He loves playing with his big cousins!

Hope everyone has a very happy Easter! I know we will! Please remember Jen & her family in your prayers!

I'm back!

I got back home from Sullivan last night about 9:30. I enjoyed my time with Jennifer, David, & the boys. I found out fairly quickly that I'm too old for a 2 year old & a 5 month old! There is definitely a reason you should have kids when you're younger than I am! :)

Jennifer continues to show slight improvements over time. She can pick up things with her right hand now that she's able to open & close it better. Her coordination isn't the best so she sometimes has to try several times before being able to pick something up. She can feed herself finger foods, but it takes her several tries to find her mouth & not bite her fingers right now. But all of this is a sign of improvement. David said before he lets her feed herself with a fork, she'll need goggles so she doesn't poke herself in the eye with the fork! Her wrist movement isn't great. This causes part of her difficulty with manipulating her hand the direction she needs it to go to put things in her mouth.

It was difficult just like always to leave her. She didn't want me to leave & I always hate leaving her. Once again I felt torn between needing & wanting to be with her & needing & wanting to be home with my family. I cried in the car on the way home...again like always!

I have an even greater appreciation for David & how he is taking care of my sister. Seeing it firsthand really makes me realize even more how much he does for her & how she's totally dependant on him right now. God truly blessed Jennifer when he gave her David. He does whatever she needs or wants & I never heard him complain once. Well, except for when she wouldn't let him watch what he wanted to on tv. She told him to "call the wah-mbulance".

I also have a greater appreciation for Grammy, taking care of those babies. It's not an easy job. Josiah goes non-stop! He's always doing something or into something! And he usually picks the time when you are busy feeding or changing Kacyn to really get into something he shouldn't! He's definitely a normal 2 year old! Those big brown eyes & cute little smile keep you from getting too upset with him though. He also has the cutest little laugh & voice. Just listening to him talk or laugh always made me smile. A child's laughter is the sweetest sound in the world!

Little Kacyn is such a sweet baby & he's such a good baby. I enjoyed holding him, feeding him, kissing him. He smiled & cooed at me a lot especially in the mornings. The 1st 2 nights with him were a little rough. I only got a few hours sleep, but once we got to know each other & had each other figured out, he slept through the rest of the nights. He'd go to bed between 9:30 & 10:30pm & sleep until 7:30-8:00am. Jen told me I was spoiling him because I held him so much. I told her I wasn't spoiling him! But even if I did spoil him...that's an aunt's job! :) I seem to remember an aunt spoiling my kids when they were little, but I won't mention any names!

Kacyn got new splints for his feet while I was there. He was able to slide his foot out of the other ones he had, but he can't with his new splints! He's supposed to wear the splints for 4 hours at a time during the day with 2 hour breaks in between. Then he's supposed to wear them all night. He also has hand splints for his thumbs. Stretching exercises for his muscles are a big part of his routine too. His muscles are stiff kind of like Jen's so the stretching exercises help give him better movement.

Jennifer told David she wants to come to AR for Easter so Jo can hunt eggs with his cousins. David's going to see if they can make it work. It will be great to have Jen home even if it'll only be for a few days. Our grandmother who lives in TX along with our aunt & uncle may be here Easter weekend also. I know Jen will be happy to see them & they will be to see her. This ordeal has been very rough on grandma just like it has the rest of us. Jen is the baby of the family, the youngest of grandma's 17 grandchildren. If Jen & everyone else is able to make it for Easter, it will be an emotional time. Our grandmother's had medical issues over the last few years so I know it will mean a lot to Jennifer to see her. I know Jen will be excited to show off her beautiful babies too!

Jen's been having quite a few migraines. She had migraines even before the accident, but with her brain injury it makes the migraines even more worrisome. Please pray for her headaches as well as her complete healing. Please pray for strength for David to keep up the wonderful, but hard work he's doing taking care of Jen. Also pray for strength for Grammy to also keep up with the difficult task of taking care of the boys. And we can't forget little Jo & Kacyn! Kacyn still needs prayers for continued healing & Jo just needs prayers to keep him safe & healthy!

Thank you for all the prayers that have already been sent out on the behalf of David, Jen, & the rest of the family. They are truly appreciated as well as all the other support & love that has been shown to all of us during this time. Just saying "thank you" doesn't seem to be enough, but we are truly thankful for all of you.

Leaving Tomorrow

I leave tomorrow afternoon to stay with Jennifer & David & help take care of the boys for a week. I am excited about it & David said Jennifer's been very excited. He said she's been asking just about every day when I'm coming then this morning she told him "Lynn's coming tomorrow. I'm excited."

They finally got a new car. David's been using his mom's van since the accident. It's not brand new, but is new to them. It's a 1997 Suburban. This was really the only thing big enough for all them & Jen's wheelchair. David wanted to get something that he wouldn't have to make payments on.

Jennifer's able to make a fist with her right hand now. Hopefully, she'll be able to hold a spoon/fork & be able to feed herself soon. David said her hand-eye coordination isn't that great & she'd probably poke herself in the eye with the fork right now.

I'm looking forward to my week with them. My husband & kids will be coming up later in the week & staying one night.

Please keep the prayers flowing!! They're working, but are still needed!

Happy Birthday, Kacyn!

Kacyn is 5 months old today! Mom calls him our little miracle baby. And he is truly a miracle! According to some of the drs & their interpretation of his original MRI, we shouldn't still have him with us. He's surprised the drs from day 1 & continues to surprise them! Mom said he was so precious when she saw him this weekend. She said he just smiled & cooed at her. We love you, little Kacyn!

Since this is Kacyn's 5 month birthday, this is also the 5 month anniversary of the accident. In some ways it seems like it has been much longer than 5 months! It all still seems so unreal, like a dream - a nightmare to be exact. It's been a rough 5 months, but is getting a little easier each day. I'm not sure we could have made it through this time without the support, prayers, & love of all of you. Thank you!

Those prayers are still needed. Please continue to pray for Jennifer's full recovery from head to toe as well as Kacyn's. And don't forget to pray for David. None of us can even begin to imagine what he is going through even now with having to care for Jennifer the way he does. Most people wouldn't be able to do what he's doing. This shows what a great man he is. We can't forget little Jo in those prayers either! We need to keep him healthy & safe! Grammy needs prayers to help her continue to care for those little boys whom I love so dearly.

Thank you again! God bless!

Another Milestone

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend! If it was like mine...it was too short!

I talked to David yesterday morning. He said Jennifer had wanted him to call & tell me about her latest milestone. She drank from a cup by herself! Not sure if you've seen them or not but there are cups where the handle is actually the straw. David bought a couple of those to see if Jen could use them. He filled the cup, put Jen's hand through the handle, & she was able to lift the cup up to her mouth & drink from the straw! Jen was very excited about this & wanted to share the news with me. At the time I talked to David, Jen had drank 2 cups of chocolate milk.

Mom was in Sullivan Fri-Sat visiting with Jen, David, & the boys. She said Jen's eyesight still isn't very good. She said she was sitting across from Jen & held up 1 finger, asked Jen how many fingers she was holding up & Jen said "3". Mom then held up 5 fingers & asked how many she was holding up. Jen again said "3". Mom told Jen how many fingers she was holding up & how she thought she was still having trouble seeing...either that or Jen had forgotten how to count. Mom said Jen laughed when Mom said that about forgetting how to count. Mom asked Jen if she could see the picture on the tv screen. Jen replied that she could sometimes see it. Mom bought Jen a tv with a bigger screen while she was there to hopefully make it easier for Jen to watch tv.

My brother & his family went to Sullivan yesterday. It was going to be a quick trip for them. It's a 4 hour drive one way & they were driving there & back all in one day. When I talked to David yesterday morning, Jen was anxious for him to get her in the shower so she could be ready before John, Jenny, & the kids arrived.

I'm looking forward to my trip on the 24th. I'm staying with David, Jen, & the boys for about a week to help out while Kathy goes to OH to take care of a few things at home. David said Jennifer is very excited about me staying with them. So am I! Although I'll miss my husband & kids.

I know there are many people reading this who have never met David or Jennifer so I added a couple of their engagement pictures to the blog. I wanted everyone to know what a beautiful couple they are. (They've been married 4 years.)

Hope everyone has a great week! Please keep the prayers flowing for this little family. And may God bless you all!

Scars

David said Jennifer was talking about how ugly all her scars are. David said they're really not that bad. The scars on her left knee from her femur surgery are only about an inch long & are healing very well. They're hardly noticeable anymore. She has 2 scars on her right leg from being in traction for so long. Those are healing well too. He said his mom covered her trach scar with makeup & you couldn't see it at all. He said he's the only one who will ever see her c-section & pelvic traction scars & they don't bother him & he said she doesn't wear a bikini anyway. His scars from his leg surgery are much bigger than any of Jennifer's. He told her she could have the big scars from his surgery instead of her little ones. He said she responded, "No! Ugly!"

Jennifer hasn't been moved completely to soft mechanical foods, but can eat a combination of pureed & soft mechanical foods now. Her liquids still have to be thickened but not as thick as before. The way the beverages are thickened is through packets of thickener that can be added to any beverage. The thickener has no flavoring, but comes in different thicknesses or consistencies. The thickener Jen needed up until now made beverages the consistency & thickness of honey. She has now been moved to thickener the consistency of nectar which isn't as thick. Previously when Jen would aspirate food or beverage into her airways, she would show no reaction. She didn't cough or show any normal reaction to this. Now she shows a reaction & will cough when this happens.

David realized this weekend how much Jennifer really helps him move her from the bed to the chair, etc. She's able to put quite a bit of weight on her legs & feet in order to help him. This weekend he was moving Jennifer from her chair to the bed & I'm not sure what happened exactly, but he felt like he wasn't going to be able to make it to the bed with her so he tried to move her back to the chair instead. Her feet got tangled & he knew he was going to drop her so he slowly sat her down on the floor. This is when he realized how much she helps because in that position on the floor, she was unable to help at all. He had his mom come help him & they couldn't get her off the floor. He was beginning to think he was going to need to call someone to help them with her. He then got an idea & got a towel & worked it under her rear. They were able to lift her using both ends of the towels to help lift her off the floor along with lifting her under her arms. They finally got her off the floor & back to the bed!

David said Jennifer was talking about how ugly all her scars are. David said they're really not that bad. The scars on her left knee are only about an inch long & are healing very well. They're hardly noticeable anymore. She has 2 scars on her right leg from being in traction for so long. Those are healing well too. He said his mom covered her trach scar with makeup & you couldn't see it at all. The other scars on her stomach from the c-section & the traction that held her pelvic bone are the biggest scars she has & he said he's the only one who will ever see those & they don't bother him. He said she never has worn a bikini. His scars from his leg surgery are much bigger than any of Jennifer's. He told her she could have his scars from his surgery instead of her tiny ones. He said she responded, "No! Ugly!"

Kacyn had another appointment with the facial/cranial dr yesterday. David said his mom spent more time getting Kacyn in & out of the car than they spent with the dr. The dr measured his head & looked his head over & said everything looked good! Praise the Lord!

Jennifer's progress is going very slowly, but she is gradually showing improvement. Please pray for her speech, hands, arms, legs, feet, eyesight, swallowing, and all motor skills. Please pray for Kacyn to continue to do better than the drs expected. And last but not least, please pray for continued strength & encouragement for David.

The Bug is Gone!

The bug or whatever it was that everyone had last week is finally gone! Everyone in the Dierking household seems to be over it now & feeling better! What a rough few days that had to be with everyone getting sick with it at one time or another!

Jennifer missed therapy on Thu last week due to being sick. She'll be getting back on track with it this week. She should've had therapy today.

David took Jennifer shopping on Sat to get new clothes. She got khaki capris & shorts, something a little nicer than the athletic pants she has been wearing all the time. The trip wore her out, but she got new clothes & so did Josiah & Kacyn. Josiah & Kacyn needed spring/summer clothes. All they have right now that fit them is winter clothes. She wore her new clothes to church yesterday & Kathy fixed her hair & makeup. I know that made Jennifer feel good. David said a lot of people told Jennifer how good she looked. I know that, too, made her feel good.

David also took Jennifer & Josiah to the park yesterday. I know Jen probably enjoyed being outside & watching Jo play! I'm looking forward to the day Jen will be able to run & play with Jo & not just have to watch! That will happen one day!

I don't have much else to report on today. Please continue to pray for complete healing of Jennifer & for David & those precious little boys.

Any suggestions?

Terry & Sherry Palmer are reaching out for suggestions/ideas to help the Dierkings. They are the pastors at Word of Life Church in Sullivan, MO. This is the church that the entire Dierking family has been a part of for years & is where Jennifer worked when she met David.

For those who don't know the Dierkings have been through a lot. Some of the things this family has dealt with over the years include:
~Bob, David's dad - blood clots in his legs, heart problems, non-hodgkins lymphoma.
~David - a tumor on his finger
~Kathy, David's mom - cancer & several surgeries on her ankle
~The accident in Oct resulting in Jennifer & David's broken bones & Jennifer's cardiac arrest & brain damage as well as the premature birth of Kacyn

The Dierkings have spent their lives helping others & putting others first.

The house they are living is not big enough to accomodate 6 people (David, Jennifer, Josiah, Kacyn, Bob, Kathy) much less a wheelchair. The pastor & his wife at Word of Life want to help them out with the housing situation. Their thoughts are:

"We need a packet with a letter & a dvd showing the events of their lives & where it has led them. They need a home and we think we can take this packet to some major ministries, tv stations, construction companies, etc, to get help for them. It probably would have to entail using the current property already owned by Bob & Kathy and go from the approach of building this home so the 2 families can live together and possibly give David & Jen an apartment in that house."

The Palmers are asking is if there is anyone who can help in any way especially in the talent of videoing & telling the story. They have already written a 4 page letter putting the events in order over the last decade, but feel it would work better if this were on video instead of a long letter for people to read.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas, please e-mail them to wolwc@fidnet.com, Pastors Terry or Sherry Palmer attention. Please note in the subject that the e-mail is regarding the Dierkings.

It was a rough day & night yesterday for David. Jennifer, Josiah, & Kacyn all had a bug of some sort & were throwing up & had diarrhea. Needless to say David & Kathy were busy, busy, busy. God bless them. I hate being so far away.

I will be going to Sullivan for about a week later this month to help David out when his mom has to go home to OH to take care of some things there. I'm looking forward to spending so much time with Jennifer & being able to spoil those boys (that's the best part of being an aunt!!) :)

Please continue to pray for this dear little family. Also please pray for the Palmer's & what they are attempting to do. We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people praying & wanting to help. Each one of you is a gift straight from God & I can't thank you enough.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, GRAMMY!

Yesterday, March 1, was Grammy's birthday. Happy birthday!

Jennifer walked 36 feet today in therapy! Again this was with the help of 3 people, but it's still a wonderful achievement for her!

The speech therapist will begin working with Jennifer on soft mechanical foods on Thursday in therapy. Then they will be doing another swallow study/test on her next week (I think).

My daughter saw Jennifer this past weekend. She said Jennifer's speech seemed better to her. She could understand her better than she could last time she was there which was the weekend prior to Jennifer's release from the rehab hospital.

I have posted some new pics to the blog including one of Jennifer holding Kacyn! Be sure to check out my precious little nephews & my beautiful sister!

Please continue to pray for Jennifer & her family! God is working his magic on this precious little family every day!

This week

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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

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.