Sunday, March 28, 2010

Week 41 : March 23 - March 29

Johnny,

Well, we got your motorcycle posted on Craigs list. The information and web address is listed below. I know you loved that bike but frankly, I can't wait to see it leave my garage. It's a constant reminder, suffering minor damage to the gas tank while you are paying the ultimate price.

2008 Harley Davidson Fatboy
Date: 2010-03-26, 4:10PM

Windshield, Leather Bags, Light Package. 2008 Softail FLSTF, 6 Speeds, 1584cc Displacement Engine, 2032 miles, Minor Damage to Gas Tank has been repaired.
Location: Midlothian, Texas
Original URL: http://stillwater.craigslist.org/mcy/1662990285.html

Mom spoke to the speech therapist and she is going to try to schedule a swallow test (x-ray) for you. Your swallowing immediately...which is a big deal! Swallowing without aspirating means your a step closer to solid foods!
This is a picture of you outside mom's house. You were waving to mom, enjoying the nice weather.

I just love this picture. Your feeding the chickens grass. Someday real soon you'll be able to enjoy the eggs that they lay everyday!! I kid mom all the time about not eating those eggs because they came from a chicken's butt. Her response to me is where do you think the eggs in the store come from...ha!

You spoil Izzy!

You are brushing your teeth with your speech therapist. (mom needs to change the date on her camera...it's not April yet)

Using your brushing skills you just learned.

Working with a spoon. (we all take these simple tasks for granted!)

Your holding a cold lemon swab. Lemon makes my mouth water too!


Love you so much little brother! xo Jen

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Week 40 : March 16 - March 22

Johnny,

You've had a very busy week, full of new progresses.
Your physical therapy girls tag teamed you this week. The two pictures below are of you "hanging out". They were stretching your back. You did very well.


There pictures are of you on your tummy for the first time. I bet that was a weird sensation for you! Mom said you did really good.


Watching TV with Izzy. She loves the attention!!!


Mom and Jackie attended a Dynavox training seminar in Richardson Monday morning. Jackie navigated and mom took notes. She said hopefully she can remember all the helpful tips she learned when she gets home. Diana stayed with you all day.

When she got home, mom changed the screen you had been using - hiding all but four keys. She told you which one to hit and you kind of explored. Most of the time you drag your forefinger hitting a lot of keys along the way to the one you want, or you drag your knuckles. Mom told you to go to the "my needs" folder then touch "I have pain". You did that. Then she told you to push the button you would push if you had pain in your arm. The "my needs" and "I have pain" buttons were at the bottom of the screen and fairly easy to push but the arm button was three over and three up which was harder for you. You stared at it for a while and just when mom thought you might not understand, you raised your hand over the screen and deliberately pushed the "arm" button. Mom hollered and fussed all over you and you just grinned.

Mom is excited now about the Dynavox and she can see the potential in it for you to communicate. Special thank you to Karen, speech therapist at Traymore Nursing. She was the one who got the ball rolling to get you the Dynavox. We have Angels along the way!!!

Love you!! xo Jen

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Week 39 : March 9 - March 15

Johnny,

I hate to repeat myself every week, but, what a great week you had! Your theracycle was finally delivered. It's like a stationary bike...used to exercise and strengthen your legs. You are riding it for 10 minutes at a time for about 2 MPH.


You also got your Dynavox this week. A Dynavox is a personal computer that does so much!!! It can be programed to turn the tv on and off, or the lights on and off. We can add your i-tunes and internet to it. Eventually we can add your facebook and you'll be able to communicate with your friends. Mom and Jackie are going to a training seminar to learn all about it.


Your occupational therapist came this week and did Sacral Cranial Therapy on you. I have no idea what that is... She puts her hands on your spine and it helps increase the spinal fluid flow. Your speech therapist evaluated you on Friday and said you were getting everything right - multiple choice, etc. You knew your age and the day of the week but you thought it was January 2007. Guess we'll have to work on that.

What a beautiful day the Lord blessed us with Saturday. Cody and I headed to the country to see you. Our plan was to spend a few days since it's spring break. I had mentioned to mom that I'd like to take you fishing so when I got there, she was ready to head to the lake. Mom, Cody, Jackie and I took you to Oak Park. They have a dock that we wheeled you out on. There wasn't much wind and the sunshine felt great. Cody sacrificed his sunglasses for you so you'd be more comfortible. You seemed to really enjoy yourself...although the fish were not biting. When we got back to the house, we watched a movie...Men in Black, the first one. I forgot how gross that movie is! Daylight saving time again. Spring forward. I wonder how the time change will effect you.




I blew some bubbles for you and told you to catch them. You had the best time trying to catch those bubbles.

Your playing Spider Solitare on your Dynavox....I think your cheating!!

So cute in your green taboggin!

Hang'in out with the guys.


***Saturday night Dennis the Menace capades***
I couldn't sleep and I knew mom would be up to turn you. She gets up every 3-4 hours - she does this to prevent bedsores...her track record is perfect! Anyway, I woke up at 12:30 and someone was in the bathroom. I thought it might be her so I checked on you. You were asleep and you had been turned. I came back and the light in the bathroom was off but the door to the room I was sleeping in was closed. I opened it and there was a body in my bed...Jackie's body. I got her back to the couch and went back to bed. Turns out mom got up at 12:00. So, at 3:30am same thing....I checked on you and you were asleep and turned. Mom had gotten up at 3:00am. Once again, at around 6:30am, I missed her by 30 minutes. By 8:00am, she was up for the day giving you morning meds. This is an everyday thing for her...and you. I had no idea how detailed her nights were.

Monday around 9:30am, Mom and Robert headed off on a much needed day-trip. I had you all to myself and you had a virus! I never changed someone so much in one day before! I don't think I sat down all day and by that evening my ankles and feet were swollen. I sure have an eye-opening appreciation for what mom does for you. God sure knew what He was doing when He blessed us with mom!!

Johnny, Every time I spend time with you I see miracles. I know your there and your on your way back to us. I trust that you can do it, that you want to do it. I'll continue to pray hard, you continue to work hard. I look forward to the day when you testify to the awesome miracles God has worked in you!!
Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
PRAY UNTIL!!! PRAY UNTIL!!! PRAY UNTIL!!!

Love you!! XO Jen

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Johnny's Harley

Johnny's Fat Boy Harley is FOR SALE

*Light package
*Windshield
*Leather saddle bags
*Maintenance package
*Low Miles
*2008

**Minor damage of the gas tank repaired.

Asking: $18,000

Contact: Nancy @ 972-345-0454 or Jennifer @ 972-921-4335 if your interested.





Monday, March 8, 2010

Week 38 : Mar 2 - Mar 8

Johnny,

Well, You must have felt the prayers being lifted for you this week. You had such an awesome week! You reached milestones and tried new things. I am so proud of you!!
I know I've said it before but for me...I need to hear things over and over sometimes. God's timing is always perfect, even if we don't feel that way most of the time. I have to remind myself that God is not in control if I'm still trying to get things done in my own power. God will not compete with me for control of my life. I need to lay everything down at His feet, then step back and wait for Him to do the work. It seems so simple and yet when I give things to Him I find myself taking them back. Patience Jennifer! I just love you little brother, so much, and I'm struggling to understand. John 11:40 says, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" I do believe! Isaiah 59:1 says, Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. What comfort it is to know that He hears us. I lift you up Johnny, so much so that I'm sure God is saying, "you again!" Ha!

Your speech therapist tried something new with you this week. Lisa used electrodes to shock your swallow muscles. She is going to do this every day. This first picture the setting was on low which caused you to feel needles and pins. The next picture the setting was raised and it was just grabbing the muscles. You did really well with it! It's true what they say, if you don't use it, you lose it. Well, in this case it's not lost, it just needs to be retrained.



I have to say that I've looked at this picture several times this week and it filled my heart with such joy everytime, making me laugh and cry at the same time. Just to look at the picture it looks like your poking me in the eye and cracking up about it but that's not the real story. I first have to apologize to Buddy because this is most definately at his expense although after he sees how you hearing the story made you crack up, I'm sure he won't mind being the butt of the joke. So, Buddy, I apologize. Here goes - Mom and I were talking to Kim, your therapist, about how you skipped over the cussing stage in your Rancho stages. I told mom that I thought you actually went through the stage because you were very angry and used your right hand to grab and throw and pinch. It was a wild time for your right arm although you never uttered a word. That's when Buddy came into the picture...I was telling mom, don't you remember when Johnny pinched Buddy on his chest and would not let go. I looked at you and you were cracking up. You sounded like muttly, the cartoon dog, laughing. Meaning, there was a little sound but clearly your face was laughing. You laughed for a while, long enough for mom to get her camera. I love the moments like these with you...I know it's just a matter of time!!

During therapy, Kim had you raising your foot to meet her hand. You did it several times. This is something you've not done before. We think you must have gotten a heads up that it was report card day. It was funny, and there's not a picture of it, but when Kim was having you lift your knee from a straight position to a slightly bent position, you wouldn't do it. But, as soon as she turned her back you popped that knee up. I was standing at your head and saw the whole thing. She'd turn around and you would do nothing and then turn her back and you'd do it again. You have such a perfect sense of humor! She was playing along too...little did you know, you were getting your therapy done : )

Here you are raising your knee to meet my hand. You really are making great progress!!

Mom was trying to get you to put your lips together. That's one of your speech therapy exercises. I just love the way you look at her. Why does it take an accident to slow people down enough to show how much they love each other?


Love you!! XO Jen

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Week 37 : Feb 23 - Mar 1

Johnny,

You had a very productive week. I am so proud of you and the progress you are making!! It's so easy to get discouraged because the timing of your healing seems so slow. I keep reminding myself that your recovery is on God's time, not mine.

It snowed Tuesday. Mom took this picture of a bird sitting outside your window.


Wednesday, you had a dentist appointment. Robert and Mom loaded you up in the van and took you to your appointment. You're going to have to have some work done on a few cavities and on the tooth in the front that was damaged in the wreck. You tolerated the visit well!

During your speach therapy, you held the tongue depressor between your lips to the count of 40. That took great concentration and control. What an awesome job!

You also worked with the magnetic letters during therapy. Your therapist, Lisa, asked you to spell her name. You started out with an AM and then spelled LICA. She told you no, it's not Lica, the letter sounds like "c" though. You grabbed the K and when mom and Lisa started laughing, you laughed too (soundlessly) and grabbed the S and handed it to her. You have such a sense of humor!!

I came to see you on Saturday and we were watching a movie together. You were sitting in your wheelchair and I was sitting on your bed. I watched you being sneaky trying to turn the light switch on that was on the wall near your wheelchair. It was a pretty high reach for you but you kept trying until you got it!

Working on your quarterback throw!!

Jackie bought some new shoes and came in to show them to you. She asked you, "Daddy do you like my new shoes?" And, you gave her a thumbs up!


Love you!! xo Jen

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
**Please continue to pray as God works his miracles in Johnny.
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31