While You Were Sleeping ...: Year 1 Week 8: Aug 3

Johnny,

Today Mom took you to see Dr. Thomas. You had to leave home at 6:15 AM to get there by 8 AM. Your Physical Therapist met you and Mom there and the lady from Dynasplint came also to give you a new hand and wrist brace. At 9 AM you had twenty-one injections of botox in your right leg, both arms, back and neck. We won't see the results for a couple of weeks but it should relieve the spasticity in those areas so you will have better movement. Dr. Thomas was impressed that you did so well - you never even flinched. Last time you had eleven injections and the bill was $22,000.00 - a little outrageous given the size of the vials. You've been having a lot of what we thought at first was acne - which was new since you didn't even have it as a teenager. Mom talked to the doctor and he gave her a prescription for antibiotic gel. The spots are more like tiny cysts. Dr. Thomas upped your pump dosage of baclofen again - you are at 791.1 now. He said he thinks your max dose will be 2000. Mom is going to take you every two weeks to increase 15% each time. The baclofen helps the spasticity in your legs, ankles and toes. Since you were having injections in your right leg they had to put you on the bed rather than do the injections with you in your wheelchair. Turned out it was a bed that can weigh a person. Mom pushed the weight button and it registered 152.6. She asked the nurse how much to deduct for the mattress and pillows and the nurse told her it was automatic - you really weighed 152.6. Mom was shocked. She knew you had gained weight but this was more than you have ever weighed! She called you fatty and you laughed. Even with a Xanex and two hydrocodones in your system you were able to see the humor. You are amazing! You and Mom had to go by Walmart to get your prescription filled on the way home. You slept most of the time and when you got home you wanted to go to bed. Mom made you an appointment for August 20th to see the ENT doctor about getting your trach out. We will be praying for that to happen.

Mickey, Cody, Jackie, Ty and I went to Colorado for vacation this year. We had planned to go to the beach again but with the oil situation in the Gulf, we decided to give Colorado a try. The weather in Texas was in the upper 100's but the high in Colorado was in the mid 70's and at night it was in the 40's. Below are some picture of our trip. Thanks so much for allowing Jackie to go with us. When I asked you if she could go you gave me a thumbs up. She had a great time.

Jackie in New Mexico standing in front of a volcano

Cody and Ty standing in the same place

This is a brave little fox, he lives on the top of Pike's Peak, Co. He walked right in front of the truck and then went to the side of the road and pooped and then walked away.

The fox taking his Pike's Peak daily poop ... I don't know why we needed a picture of it but we did ... sad, I know.

Beautiful view on top of Pike's Peak

Cody, Ty and Jackie at Pike's Peak

This is a picture of a beaver

Jackie posing, we were in Estes Park

Jennifer and Jackie taking in the view in Estes Park

A mule deer in Estes Park

A duck in Estes Park

A blue bird in Estes Park

Cody and Jackie in Estes Park

A chipmunk in Estes Park

Another Chipmunk

Deer

Jackie bungee jumping in Winter Park

Jackie and her uncle Mickey on the ski lift in Winter Park

Ty having a bath at the rent house in the bathroom sink....He did not like it and he was telling me off!! When he got done, he peed on my toothbrush and my contact case. Mickey got a real kick out of that!!

Ty sleeping like an angel after his little bath tantrum

A deer on the mountain near our rent house

Beautiful Colorado view

Jackie in Winter Park

Another amazing view ... only God could create something so beautiful!!

This is the cabin we rented

Another view

A brave little chipmunk ... I guess they aren't as impressed with people as we were with them.

I thought this statue of a moose was really cool ... in the town we stayed in, a lady told us that she had seen a moose walk right through the 7-11 parking lot that morning. That would have been really cool. This is the closest I got to seeing a moose. I did, however, see a black bear but I didn't get a picture...after that, I had my camera ready just in case!