Brian went to see his surgeon this week. It’s been 7 months since the accident and he said the film looked great. He said it looks like the graft is taking really well. He has to go back in 6 months to see him and in 1 year to see the physiologist. He seems to think that in another year he won’t be able to tell he had an accident. That’s truly amazing! I mean right now his fine motor skills are still behind and his strength is just over half way to full power….80 lbs in each hand. We were told normal male is 125 lbs. Since he’s construction, she said he was probably more originally.
Even if he’s never perfect it’s all so amazing how well he’s done. I’m in awe at what God, prayers, luck and hard work can do.
Lisa
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
They know better, but they do it anyways
She’s learned from tv, it’s not okay to bounce/jump on the bed. She can even tell you why, but little girls will be little girls.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Weiny Roast??
We worked most of the day on the landscaping, so the kids deserved a little something for being so patient lately. We decided that supper would consist of a weiny and marshmellow roast then they could swim some more. They LOVED it and had a great time roasting their dinner. 
That marshmellow was yummy!
That marshmellow was yummy!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Float Trip 2008
The kids had to check out the minnows and crawdads in the river after we stopped to eat on our float trip.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Have you counted your blessings today?
I was just reflecting on the past six months this week. The 14th marked 6 months since Brian’s accident and I was thinking about how much we’ve been through in these past 6 months and how friends, family and even strangers have crossed our paths and made a difference in our lives. I know so many days I, personally, would not have gotten through without some of these people.
Some of our friends and family and yes, even strangers, gave us some spare cash and gas cards to help us through as we paid for medical deductibles and expenses to see each other during Brian’s hospital stay. It’s pretty hard on the kids to be 45 minutes from their father on a daily basis for 6 weeks by no choice of anyone of us. I will never forget the night M brought the kids up so I could visit with them and then she could, in turn, visit Brian. She suddenly came back down the elevator and said Brian needed me NOW! That was the story of the nurse from hell…..if you remember from our caringbridge site at the time. I had to run upstairs suddenly and it left Chelsi screaming for me in the lobb of the hospital. She hadn’t seen me in a couple of days, just phone calls to say goodnight. I was crying on the walk to the elevators. It was about 9:00 pm and some young girl sitting in the lobby grabbed me as I was getting on the elevator and said “I thought you could use a hug”. Such a simple gesture that still brings tears to my eyes today. Such a nice thing for a stranger to do. She recognized the pain my family was in. I have a friend who I called while staying at the hospital one morning. I told her I just needed someone there with me and she dropped everything to come. All of this means the world.
We also had friends who drove me to see him once I returned home. It may not seem like much, but I was so exhausted with parenting, working full-time and worry that I don’t think I could have safely made it on my own. My mom or sister road with me and the kids on the weekends so I could have help with the kids….since again I was worn thin. Some people brought over food. Such a blessing I’ll tell ya! Some friends even bought Brian clothes to wear for rehab, so he could really workou comfortably. Brian’s work….they were nothing short of awesome from the administration to his co-workers. He’s been there for so many years, but that doesn’t guarantee treatment like this in bad times. They made sure his insurance stayed in place, co-workers donated their leave time to get us a paycheck and they let us use his work cell phone (I only have Tracfone) to enable Brian and I to talk to each other every night once I returned home. The ability to communicate with my husband during this was a gift!
On top of this, we had so many prayers. We had prayers from so many across the United States. We had heard about him being on prayers lines everywhere. Even the rehab facility wondered if it wasn’t those prayers that allowed him to recooperate the way he did. People we didn’t even know took time out of their day to think of us and pray for our family.
I think it’s his accident that made Cole’s appendectomy and Chelsi’s seizure, just four months later, both stressful and easier for me to get through. I was terrified through Chelsi’s seizure, ambulance ride etc., but most of that fear may have been because we were so far from home.
It’s so true that you don’t know who your friends are until you really need them and they’re either there or they’re not. They’re there to take care of you and your kids when your husband can’t, give you rides when you just can’t do it, nurish you and your children and just be there. We had no idea how rich we were in friends.
Do what you can for your friends when they need you. They will never forget the little things. During those times, it’s the little things that really count. We have a lot of blessings to count in our lives. Six months of stress and six months of blessings.
Count yours.
Lisa
Some of our friends and family and yes, even strangers, gave us some spare cash and gas cards to help us through as we paid for medical deductibles and expenses to see each other during Brian’s hospital stay. It’s pretty hard on the kids to be 45 minutes from their father on a daily basis for 6 weeks by no choice of anyone of us. I will never forget the night M brought the kids up so I could visit with them and then she could, in turn, visit Brian. She suddenly came back down the elevator and said Brian needed me NOW! That was the story of the nurse from hell…..if you remember from our caringbridge site at the time. I had to run upstairs suddenly and it left Chelsi screaming for me in the lobb of the hospital. She hadn’t seen me in a couple of days, just phone calls to say goodnight. I was crying on the walk to the elevators. It was about 9:00 pm and some young girl sitting in the lobby grabbed me as I was getting on the elevator and said “I thought you could use a hug”. Such a simple gesture that still brings tears to my eyes today. Such a nice thing for a stranger to do. She recognized the pain my family was in. I have a friend who I called while staying at the hospital one morning. I told her I just needed someone there with me and she dropped everything to come. All of this means the world.
We also had friends who drove me to see him once I returned home. It may not seem like much, but I was so exhausted with parenting, working full-time and worry that I don’t think I could have safely made it on my own. My mom or sister road with me and the kids on the weekends so I could have help with the kids….since again I was worn thin. Some people brought over food. Such a blessing I’ll tell ya! Some friends even bought Brian clothes to wear for rehab, so he could really workou comfortably. Brian’s work….they were nothing short of awesome from the administration to his co-workers. He’s been there for so many years, but that doesn’t guarantee treatment like this in bad times. They made sure his insurance stayed in place, co-workers donated their leave time to get us a paycheck and they let us use his work cell phone (I only have Tracfone) to enable Brian and I to talk to each other every night once I returned home. The ability to communicate with my husband during this was a gift!
On top of this, we had so many prayers. We had prayers from so many across the United States. We had heard about him being on prayers lines everywhere. Even the rehab facility wondered if it wasn’t those prayers that allowed him to recooperate the way he did. People we didn’t even know took time out of their day to think of us and pray for our family.
I think it’s his accident that made Cole’s appendectomy and Chelsi’s seizure, just four months later, both stressful and easier for me to get through. I was terrified through Chelsi’s seizure, ambulance ride etc., but most of that fear may have been because we were so far from home.
It’s so true that you don’t know who your friends are until you really need them and they’re either there or they’re not. They’re there to take care of you and your kids when your husband can’t, give you rides when you just can’t do it, nurish you and your children and just be there. We had no idea how rich we were in friends.
Do what you can for your friends when they need you. They will never forget the little things. During those times, it’s the little things that really count. We have a lot of blessings to count in our lives. Six months of stress and six months of blessings.
Count yours.
Lisa
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Parent Share
Just wanted to share this. I read it yesterday and it describes a lot of the ways we raise our kids in our home. Thought someone here might appreciate it too. It made me feel a little better.....not such a meany mom.
http://men.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7881416
Lisa
http://men.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7881416
Lisa
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