January 21, 2011

Your smiling while you tickle Ty ... I love this picture : )

I asked you what you call me and you typed this.

Showing your therapist how you work with magnetic letters. She was impressed!

This is a retired therapy dog. We saw him at the Mckinney Christmas on the square. You're petting him. I think the dog is telling you to get that stupid hat off him.

You were listening to some very loud music and enjoying every minute of it.


The picture doesn't show it but you were tapping your thumb to the beat.


Reindeers. Pretty cool!

You're making a donation to the Salvation Army.

Jackie pretending to let you go ... mom said your brakes were on ... what do you think?

The animals on your residence.

Resting in the shade.


Jackie ... hmmm, I don't know ... being Jackie : )

Christmas morning ... Jackie's asleep in your bed.

Newest member of the family ... Danny. Izzy is saying hello.

January 8, 2011

Johnny,

Can you believe it? It's 2011!! Happy new year! I'm so looking forward to an amazing year, good things are going to happen!

I'd like to say that Christmas was uneventful for you but we both know that's not the case. You spent Christmas eve in the emergency room...you were sweating profusely but not running a temperature and you were groaning. The doctors had a ct scan done and found pnemonia in the lower part of one of your lungs. You were able to go back to your residence with some heavy duty antibiotics. Mom and Jackie spent the day with you, I spent the day at home with a sick baby waiting by the phone and dad and Diana did too. The weather was so terrible Christmas eve! Mom and Jackie spent the night in the apartment provided for family and Santa visited Jackie there. Then Christmas morning, mom and Jackie spent the morning with you and then dad and Diana spent the afternoon with you. You were not very pleasant company, you were feeling pretty terrible!!

Your nephew is growing up so fast! He turned 6 months right after Christmas and rang in the new year by crawling! It was so exciting! He is trying to pull up on everything and keeps a permanent red mark on his forehead where he face plants about a 100 times a day! I'm assuming you figured out by now which nephew I'm talking about...19 years with just one child, I'm used to talking about a single child ... Ha!

Cody is doing really good. We got him enrolled in another full load this semester. He looks and acts so much like you. I call him Johnny all the time. I guess that's a sign of old age ... Mom calls me Jackie and Jackie Jennifer all the time. Jackie and I have gotten to where we just answer her ... Whatever she calls us.

The other day I was on way to see you and I was driving through Dallas. I saw some homeless people on the side of the road with signs asking for money. It made me mad. I thought if my brother was able he would be out there working his butt off for everything he's got, wants or needs. I thought he would never be asking for hand outs. Well, then I was quickly ashamed of myself for judging ... Everyone has a story to tell and I'm certainly not the person to be judging. I just want my brother back and those low moments hit at the craziest times. When I finally got to your place, it was so wonderful to see you. You were clean shaven and your hair was soft like you just had it washed. You smelled good and seemed like you felt good. At one point you got cramps in you leg and you stiffened up ... You started saying my name over and over. It sounded like enifer, enifer, enifer.... I was in a panic and overjoyed all at the same time. I was rubbing your legs like crazy and beaming because you were saying my name. When you went to physical therapy, you were in a really good mood. Christy had two techs working on a leg each. She said she would be right back, she had to go to the ladies room. I leaned over and said, Johnny, when christy comes back ask her ... No. One or no. Two. You laughed out loud. The techs asked if we were making fun of them. And we both laughed again. When christy came back you were saying something to her but she couldn't understand you ... We know what you wanted to know, don't we! Ha!

I have a good friend who's dad is sick and was put in the hospital. The doctors said that he would need a stent put in his pancreas. They have him on antibiotics. They were giving the pancreas time to simmer down before they did the procedure. She told me that the day they were going to do the surgery for the stent the doctors said that he didn't need it. Praise god! That's what I told her! She said exactly. She said why is it that we pray to god for something to happen and when it does we question it. Are the doctors sure ... Did they miss something ... How can that be, that he would need it and now he doesn't. God answers prayers people! We shouldn't be surprised whe we pray to him and he hears us. Instead of being surprised, we need to expect his miracles and thank him and praise him for our answered prayers! After all, he is the master physician! The maker of all things! He has a plan! So, instead of being surprised, I'm saying ... My turn ... I'm ready for my miracle Lord ... Work your miracles on my brother Lord ... Let Johnny be a testimony to your miraculous works! Heal him as only you can Lord, I know you can, I want you to, I expect you to, I know you will. You have an awesome plan for Johnny Lord and we are ready! Shine your light on my brother Lord!

Johnny, you are on my mind constantly. I pray for you all the time. I have faith and I trust that the Lord will pull our family up out of this pit. Hang in there little brother, your miracle is coming! Love you so much and I won't stop believing in you!

Xo! Jen

December 12, 2010

Johnny,

It was really good to see you Saturday! Cody, Katie, Ty and I came to see you Saturday and when we got there you were having a shower. We were told that you were going to see a movie at the theater and then later that night you were going to look at Christmas lights. The group hadn't decided what to see by the time we left ... I hope you had a good time. I'm sure you did.

You seemed so mad at me this visit and I left feeling terrible. Mom said that when she visits you, you ask her every time when can you come home. Or you tell her you want to go home. You wouldn't even communicate with me. You kept your lips together tightly like i've seen you do a hundred times before your accident when you were mad. You were sweet to Ty, you kissed him and rubbed his feet but you didn't want to talk to me or cody. I wish that you could come home! It breaks my heart to leave you after a visit but i feel like this is the best place for you to progress. If you come home now, you may never be better than you are, but, if you stay and work hard your chance for recovery is so much greater! I know it's a sacrifice! I pray for you everyday Johnny! I know what God can do and I know it's on his time. I will never stop believing that you will come back to your daughter and your friends and family who love you so much!

See you soon little brother, I love you!! XO Jen

November 30, 2010

Johnny,

Well, I have to apologize for not blogging more often. It might come as a surprise to you, but, I'm not super woman ... Ha! Having a baby at 40 is kicking my butt! I bet you are laughing at that! You seem to really love having a baby nephew, you just pet on him and kiss him. Ty loves you too, he smiles at you and thinks your funny. You seem to light up when you're around Ty.

It's been several weeks since you moved to your live in facility. You are fitting in just great. You have therapy from 9am to 3:30pm Monday thru Friday. I come on Thursday to see you and help with your therapy. Mom comes on Tuesdays by herself and on Saturdays with Jackie. Dad and Diana come on Sundays. Those days are scheduled so you have a familiar face through out the week but, we come other days too. Your therapy is going super, you are amazing! You answer questions correctly, you work puzzles and word problems, you are working on the computer with the mouse and the arrow keys. One of the most exciting hurdles you've accomplished is the removal of your trachea. The wound didn't fully heal and you had to have surgery to completely close the hole but it looks really good and you were a champ through all of it, of course. You are starting to attempt to talk more but you are not eating through the mouth yet. I say yet because I feel positive you will be one day soon.

I have pictures to put on the blog and will soon ... I finally realized that I can update without having the pictures and add pictures later. Since having the baby, I seem to have misplaced my brain!

Love you so much Johnny!! Xo Jen

Year 1 Week 19 : Oct 19 - 25

The blog will be updated soon ...

If you are wanting to visit Johnny, email mom at nancykworley@yahoo.com for directions.

Way to go TEXAS RANGERS!!!! Awesome job!

Love you Johnny!! Xo. Jen

Year 1 Week 18 : Oct 12 - 18

Johnny,

It's been a long time since I've posted something to your blog. I'd like to say it's because nothing new has happened but that's not the case, is it! It's true that God never gives more than we can handle and He knows what we can handle. I recommend not asking him what else can happen because it's been my experience that He will let you know! Well, you have been doing super! We are still so proud and amazed by your progress. You are one of the toughest, strongest people I know and I'm so proud to be your big sister! I use big as a term of older not larger although in our case, both are true! Ha!

You've heard the term when one door closes another door opens. Well, your at home therapy has come to an end. Insurance ... need I say more. But, you have a wonderful opportunity to participate in a live in rehab center. You will be getting 6 hours of therapy geared toward your specific needs. They are going to work hard on your speech and swallowing which means that you will be able to get the feeding tube removed ... as soon as you master the swallowing. You are going to your new home tomorrow, Wednesday Oct 13th. Mom will be taking you and Dad will be following behind with your mattress and shower chair and I'm sure a lot of other things. I'm not sure how long your stay will be there but it is a great opportunity for you to get over some of the plateaus your on.

While we all have our own mixed emotions about Johnny attending another rehab, we are all excited about the progresses we know he'll make. Please be in prayer for Johnny as he adjusts to his new surroundings and new therapists. Pray for my mom who checks on Johnny even when she knows he's not home ... letting go is going to be hard on her. Pray for the whole family as we travel to visit Johnny often. Pray for Jackie who has another change in her life. She is such a strong little girl and handles so much with such grace! Thanks for loving my brother enough to check in on him and for loving us too!

Love you Johnny!! XO Jen

Year 1 Week 10 : Aug 17 - 23

Johnny,

You were tag teamed by your therapists today. You worked on feeding yourself and you did really well!!

Ty hung out on Granny's couch while his mommy visited with you. By the looks of him, he didn't mind! Ha!

You keep coughing and mom keeps giving you Mucinex. You don't have a fever so maybe it's just allergies. You've been sleepy today, maybe it's from your pump being increased ... your at 901 now.

Jackie had a good first day of school. After you went to sleep, she and mom went to walmart to get a few things that she needed for school. They said walmart was a zoo and had to go to the dollar store to get glue sticks because walmart was out.

Love you!! XO Jen