Not too much going on here lately....

    Scilla is doing very well. She is continuing to get stronger and working on achieving all her therapy goals. She will have her conference tomorrow and we will know if we are still on track for discharge on May 12. Also her doctor has suggested two day passes for the weekend! I will be sure to take lots of pictures! Please continue to pray for Baby Emma and her parents.

Praying for Scilla's complete healing and restoration and for Baby Emma's healing!

wordless Wednesday...

Not much going on today, so I will include 2 pictures and take this opportunity to ask for prayers for Baby Emma, who had her shunt put in on Tuesday. Please pray that the fluid drains as the doctors would like and that her wound from her back surgery continues to heal. Also pray for baby Elyjah who will be having cateract surgery on the 29th, he is only 5 months old, but was born was 4 months early.

Above is after church on Sunday at my house

Aunt Scilla and her favorite girl who makes Aunt Scilla's world go 'round and 'round!

SCI support group

    Prissy had a very good day. She has been in a "Funk" the past couple of days, so it was a great change of pace to see her a little fiesty today. I had the opportunity to go with her and her therapist to the Spartanburg Spinal Cord Injury Support Group meeting tonight. I really enjoyed meeting all of the really nice people and the group's leader, Dot, who visited Scilla at the RCP last week. Everyone there was so friendly and gave Priss some great advice and told her that everything she is worried about now will become second nature to her and that she is still "new" out. Once she get further out she will learn to adapt and find a way to do things.
 
    The group is really supportive and gave great advice on everything. One lady, Ms. Cynthia who has had her injury since birth is a fiesty little something and I absolutely loved talking to her. Both Cynthia and Dot gave Scilla some great advice and they even talked about how tasks such as grocery shopping by yourself requires adaptation. For example, Dot shops with a basket and just makes several trips to the front to drop off a basket and then fill another if she has a lot of shopping to do. You may ask why Dot doesn't get into a motorized cart and shop? The answer is simply that she doesn't want to run the risk of someone stealing or taking off with her $8,000.00 wheelchair! Ms. Cynthia, who is well over 50 drives a three wheeled motorized chair now and she takes produce bags, tie them together, then attached one end to the center of the shopping cart and the other to the back of her chair and pulls the cart behind her.

      Some other great advice was:

• From Ms. Cynthia: Don't be afraid to fall! You have already taken the big fall anyways; you fell 40 ft when you had your accident. Also make sure your wheelchair seat is snug to you and has sturdy arm handles.
• From Ms. Dot and Cynthia: Solid tires are better than air tires because you don't run the risk of getting a flat or puncturing a tire.

I noticed that almost everyone there did drive a van of some sort, which makes more sense to me if you are going to drive with hand controls because you have a better chance of successfully getting your chair into the car independently. I really enjoyed the meeting and look forward to meeting more new people and learning more.

"Walking in faith..."

Home Evaluation...

    Today was a pretty good day for Prissy! I got a wake up call at about 7:30 a.m. from her; she wanted me to meet her and her therapists at her apartment for her home evaluation.  Here are the results:

• The first problem I saw was that the handicap sidewalk entrance is a small distance from her apartment and someone had partially blocked it.
    
• Once on the sidewalk, she wheeled down to her apartment and had no problem entering because the doors were wide enough for her to enter comfortably.
    
• Once through the door, came the next problem in my opinion; carpet throughout the entire apartment except the bathrooms and kitchen.
   
• Her hallway is narrow, but she fit through with no problem. Her furniture is really big and some pieces had to be removed to allow her to pass through to her bedroom.
   
• The bedroom is a good size for an apartment, but her bed is too high and the options are to either remove the railing from the bed and put the box spring and mattress on the floor or get a new bed. Also in the bedroom, her bed will need to be shifted to the wall so that she can have enough room to enter bed on the side that is not against the wall.
   
• The bath in her bedroom is OK, but the height and width is of concern as to whether or not her bath bench will fit. The guest bath has a better tub, but she may have trouble getting into it.
• My biggest concern is the kitchen. Her apartment has a galley style kitchen that is very small. Something VERY SIMILAR to this picture I found on google:

Prissy's kitchen is very narrow like this one and it presents a lot of concerns for me and I do not feel comfortable with her even attempting to try and go in there to cook or get anything out the fridge for that matter. She would have to most likely back her wheel chair into the kitchen to even open the refrigerator. Also to put anything in the oven she would have to be on either side and could run the risk of burning her legs and not knowing it. While there, she rolled into her kitchen and got stuck because her chair is just about the same width of the kitchen and Greg had to help get turned around.

       Although there are some issues with her current apartment; it is not enough for her therapists to say that she will not be able to come home in May. I am hoping and praying that her apartment is temporary and that we are able to find her an accessible home that will allow her to be independent and do one her favorite things, cook!

A blessed Sunday....

     I hope everyone had a great Sunday, we sure did! I began my Sunday praying and saying to God that I am thankful for the rain and we needed it, but to please let it stop before I had to go pick Prissy up for day pass visit. I prayed that the rain would stop and hold off until I returned her back to RCP this afternoon; thank you God for hearing and answering my prayer!

     I arrived at RCP around 10:30 to pick up Prissy. After gathering everything we would need and signing her out. We went down and she did an excellent drive getting into the car. I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure how she would react to being inside a moving car, since her accident happened in a car. She was a little tense at first, but I could see her start to relax as I was driving.

    Once we arrived at church and I pulled into a parking space, she said to that she should not have come because she didn't want everyone to see her getting into her chair. I told her that there would be times when she would be around more people and have to get into the chair and that she was beautiful and for her not worry about others because she was there to give God praise. Our first attempt at getting her out of the car did not go as well as we practiced and we had to call for Uncle Perry to come quickly and help us lift her back into the car and we would start over. With the help of my Uncle Perry, Greg, and Scilla's son, A.D we were able to get her out successfully, but still with some kinks on the 2nd try.

     Once inside the church, the worship leader announced her presence and the congregation stood and gave her an applause; which made her cry. God's presence was definitely felt in our service today and the choir dedicated a melody of songs to her and my family. As the choir sung, the Holy Spirit touched me, it touched my who shouted and praised God throughout the service; it even touched Scilla who at one point was praising God and moving so much in her chair that I though she may just get up and walk!
    
     Today was our women's day celebration at church and the topic was "Let it be". The speaker spoke about Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1 having God's favor and that  blessed are those women who believe that what God has said to them, shall be done. My sister believes God for her healing and restoration and because she believes him for those things; they shall be done. At the end of the sermon, the speaker invited those who desired to come to the alter for prayer. My sister wheeled herself to the alter  and after the guest minister prayed; she began immediately to speak to my sister and she knew nothing of what had happened, but she said when my sister was wheeled into the church she felt the spirit enter with her. She said my sister was going to be OK and she felt like God was going to do things in my sister's life that we wouldn't understand.

     God really blessed on us Sunday and we felt his presence throughout the day. Before heading back to the hospital, we came by my house for a small family dinner. Prissy was so tired from all and it took a lot of convincing to get her out the car. Once in the house, she had a good time, but you could tell she was exhausted. On my way returning her to the hospital, I asked her if she wanted to go down Mauldin Rd. or Laurens Rd. to Faris. The reason I asked was I didn't want to take her Mauldin Rd. way if she didn't feel comfortable, because that is where her accident occurred. She said she wanted to go Mauldin Rd. way and see where her accident happened because she didn't really remember. Once we got to the spot of the accident and I showed her the deep and densely wooded area; all she could say was wow, I can't believe I lived through that; God had to save me."


"Walking in Faith..."

The presence of the LORD...

    God has definitely been showing up this weekend and sending messages that he is still in control. So much has happened so I will divide the blog into two sections Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday
        My Saturday morning began with a call from Prissy about 8 a.m. She was upset and crying and I had no idea what was wrong with her, but told her I would be there in 10 minutes. So I quickly brushed my teeth and through on the first thing I could find and rushed out the door. When I arrived at the hospital, she was still in tears and said she was just having a bad day; so she and I hugged for about 5 minutes and I told her everything would be okay and to calm down.  After I helped her with her bath, I returned to home for the afternoon. I went back to the hospital about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, when I arrived my mom, Greg, and one of her friends, Minister J. Senay Spurgeon were there.  Senay said to Scilla  "I had a VISION that you I came to visit you yesterday and you had on a white dress and was walking; I asked you where  you were going and you said to visit this baby." My mom and Scilla laughed and Senay is looking around like what is funny and Prissy told her that she went to visit one the daughter of one of her friends who had given birth on Friday. Senay was totally surprised, so we all continued to talk and Scilla told Senay that she was going to church on Sunday and Senay said "What are you going to wear, that pretty blue jean dress?" and Scilla said "Yea" and Senay was like "Stop lying!" So I went to the closet  and got the dress out to show Senay and she was ready to start shouting and praising God. But God did not stop working there; Senay picked up Scilla's bible to look at a picture and turned to a page that had a sticky note that said "RESTORATION, PSALMS 126." Senay asked Prissy, "How did you get this? This is my handwriting, it looks like one of the markers I use in my bible when I am giving a sermon." I was trying to figure it out and said "maybe she took it from your bible" and Scilla said " I didn't get that out of her bible, I don't know how I got it!" So Senay proceeded to read Psalms126:5-6 aloud to Scilla and it reads as follows: 5They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Scilla looked at Senay and said "I was crying this morning" and Senay was almost speechless.

       After all the above happened, Senay was saying to Scilla that because of her tears should would get joy. I believe that God sent Senay to give my sister a message on Saturday; He wanted her to know that he has heard her cry and that he is working on a miracle on her behalf. Senay knew nothing about Scilla going to visit the baby or the dress and all that was too much to be coincidental. I believe in her vision God made sure to include the part about the baby so that Scilla would know that it wasn't just Senay saying that she would walk again, but it was GOD. I feel as though God is getting ready to do something in my sister that we will never understand and Why do I believe this? I believe this because when we expect God to do great things; he does. When we stop expecting God to bless us; that is when our blessings become stalled. We must continue to walk in faith and expect to be blessed.

"Walking in faith..."

Fabulous Friday...

     Friday was fabulous for Scilla for the most part! She had a good night and a afternoon. Today her weekly conference was held and here is what we know:

• Tenative date of discharge : May 12, 2010. This is not set in stone and could change at next week's conference (i.e. become a later date).
• She will get a 1 day pass for Sunday and I HAVE to be the one with her at all times, since I have been trained to transfer her. We are planning on going to church, dinner at my house and then she said she wants to ride around..haha!
• She will also have a recreational therapy outting before going home.
• On Monday, she along with her therapists will go to her home to check out its accessibility.

    With all this great news today, it has definitely turned out to be a faboulous friday for Scilla. The only not so faboulous thing today was that they tried to put in a PICC line in her room, but couldn't get it after trying for almost 45 minutes, so they will do it by x-ray on Monday!

                                         WHAT A FABULOUS FRIDAY IT HAS BEEN!!!

"Walking in faith..."

Inspiration...

     It is amazing the progress that I saw in Prissy today! I was so excited and happy for her. On Wednesday, the staff at RCP made arrangements for a lady, Dot to visit Scilla around 1p.m. Dot has the same injury as Prissy and her injury occurred 7 years ago. She now drives, and is very independent, and has a healthy intimate relationship with husband. She also has awesome small light up wheels on her chair. Dot transferred from her chair, so easily and with no help or assistance of boards, lifts, etc. Scilla was impressed with Dot's transferring and said I wanna be able to get in and out my chair like that.

    Dot was so inspiring for Scilla that she was determined to do better in her transferring today. This morning as we practiced transferring from her chair to the car, she was able to do it ALMOST entirely by herself. Although, she still needs assistance getting back in her chair; I thought it was awesome she was able to get into the car using only the sliding board. In addition to getting into the car independently she was able to transfer to the mat in therapy room from her wheelchair WITHOUT the board; ANOTHER GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT! I am so thankful that Dot visited and gave Scilla a new and refreshing energy and determination.

      We also found out some information on a great rehabilitation center, the Shepard Center in Atlanta. They have a state of the art spinal cord injury program and we are learning more about it in hopes that the insurance company will cover an 8 week stay there once she has completed her time at RCP and has been home for a couple of months.

      Scilla is doing very well. Her lungs are clear and there have been no signs of blood clots or fluid build up. She is still working hard to get her back pain under control and also she has had a lot of low blood sugar levels lately which are also a cause for concern.

     She asked to see pictures of the car today. She hadn't really seen them before and I was kind of hesitant as to whether or not I wanted to show them to her. I ended showing her the pictures on my laptop and she was kind of quiet and she said she should have been dead, but God was in control and had a purpose for her and still has work for her to do; that is why he kept her here.

    I am such a proud little turned big sister! Mimi and I have really enjoyed becoming more actively involved in her care. Mimi is a great cheerleader and encourages Prissy and gives her hi-fives when she gets in and out of the car successfully. Keep on believing and having faith Prissy, you are doing an EXCELLENT job.

   I leave you today or shall I say tonight with a photo of Prissy and her awesome Physical Therapists:

Prissy transferring from the mat to her chair with the help of her PT, Dorie!

Scilla and her PT's, Dorie in front and Laurie in back!

Making Progress...yay!

       Today was a good day for the most part for Prissy! She did an awesome job today with transferring in and out of the car. Today we made some changes that made the transfer easier! She did it really well and I was even able to do it well enough that her therapist and doctors may grant her a pass out for a couple of hours on Sunday! I felt really comfortable aiding her in her transfer; but at this point I am the only one in the family who has helped her and saw how the therapist did it. I am pretty sure that at some point; other members of the family will be able to attend therapy sessions to learn also. Some of the changes the therapist made were:

• placing a wheelchair cushion onto the seat of the car to give her some extra height
• placing a sheet on top of the cushion so that whoever is assisting her can grab hold of it and help pull her out of the car.
• They lined her transfer board so that it would not be as slippery.
• Lastly, one of the aide's made leg straps for my Scilla to aid in lifting her legs into the car; since they are really heavy for her to lift alone currently.

     Prissy did so well in practicing her transfer that the security man even commented that today was the best she has done since we have been practicing. So way to go Prissy! You did an awesome job and I was sooo proud today.

ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS: GETTING LEFT LEG IN CAR AND GETTING SUPPORT SLIDING IN.

GETTING OUT OF THE CAR AFTER FIRST ATTEMPT

ALMOST IN THE CAR ON 2ND ATTEMPT

RESTING AFTER THE HARD WORK OF GETTING IN THE CAR. YOU CAN SEE HER SLIDING AND THE SHEET AND LEG STRAPS. 

        

Still trying hard...

   Today was an okay day for Priscilla. She is getting frustrated with trying to achieve some of her therapy goals. Getting into the car is easier for her than getting out. The past two days she has practiced transferring in and out of the car, but today she was in a lot of pain afterwards.  In her frustration she wanted to give up and said she just needed a van. I kept telling her how well she was doing and trying to encourage her to stay positive and continue to work hard.

    Scilla is having a better afternoon and  her pain is better controlled after her hardwork this morning. They also changed her wheelchair to one that is more compact and foldable; also this is suppose to be closer to the one she will actually take home. Scilla doesn't really care for this chair because it a specialized chair and for her it feels constricting and she feels like she is squeezed into it. The following are pictures from practicing transferring in and out of the car :

She was super excited to try getting in the car for the first time since her accident.

Rolling up to the car on Monday, April 19, 2010 for day 1 of practice.

Resting. We had no idea something as simple as getting into a car after her accident would be so hard. It makes you thankful; I hope it gets easier for her.

Day 2, Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Trying to get out of the car. This has proven to be the most difficult part of the transfer. It caused her a lot of pain and frustration and we are hoping that God continues to give her strength, healing, and faith that she CAN DO IT!

"Walking in faith..."

tough times test your faith...

     Today as I was sitting at the hospital and reading one of Scilla's books about praying. I read something that I look at as confirmation to what I have been saying all along. I have said several times that sometimes God has to make drastic moves in our lives to get our attention; the book said "sometimes we have to go through difficult times to become closer to God and see his true purposes revealed". I found this very interesting because I had been praying for revelation and when my sisters accident first happened; God revealed to me that he was trying to get someone's attention and now I just need for him to reveal to me, who. It may even be more than one person's. It may be that he wants to use my sister as a testimony of faith and of his greatness to reach other people.

    Today at work, I was telling one of the parents about my sisters accident and I felt myself almost getting emotional. I was able to keep myself together, but I thought that I was over that part of the process.

      Today, I started a fast; I am fasting and praying for an accessible home for my sister and for strength. As she was practicing transferring from her chair to the car today; as she was taken for chest x-rays today; as she was transferred using the maxi lift today, I saw her struggle. I saw her determination. I saw her frustration. I saw her happiness. I saw so many emotions, both highs and lows.

     As I am becoming more actively involved in her care, I keep thinking "taking care of Scilla is going to be a lot of hard work; this is not going to be easy." I am almost afraid, because of course I want her to have the best care; but will we be able to give her that care?

        I know that God is awesome and tonight as I was showering (this is my time to talk and pray with God) I started to sing " We have come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord. Trusting in his holy word, He's never failed me yet. oh ooo ooh We've come this far by faith." I think that was God telling me that our faith in him has brought my sister, my family, my friends and I through this very tough and trying time. It is our faith and belief that what he says in his word; the very bible verses we keep turning to for strength and guidance through this test has become a testament of our faith, hope and belief. It serves as proof that we trust what he says in his holy word and that we do not doubt that he can perform miracles. I know that God can and he will do what he said; He is healing my sister, baby Emma, and little Ely everyday and if we look at what they have been through; what they are going through; you can't help but praise God for he has kept them. If God never does anything else for us, he has done enough already; and for that I am thankful...

"Walking in Faith..."

Family and friends...

   On Saturday night, I spent the night at Rogers with Scilla for the first time, and most likely my last. I do not know how my baby sister, Angelic; Greg's sister, Tabitha; Scilla's friends, Tammy, Loretta, and Adrienne have spent the night several times with her. I say thank you to them for your sacrifice. I am the type of person who has to have at least 6 hours of sleep to function; if I have less than that my voice becomes raspy and I get chills. Our night involved 2 visits from the respiratory therapist, several visits from the nurse, a visit from the lab tech, and a change of pajamas; all of this between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m! So here is a picture of my bed for the night; a far cry from the king I have at home.

      Our family has always been a praying family. Our family is a big pretty big one and I can say that

my family has definitely been a great support system for my sister since her accident. She enjoys the company of everyone and  it always makes her smile even through the pain. On Friday afternoon, I am sure my family broke some type of room capacity code at the hopsital. My sister over 15 people in her room at once; I don't know but everyone decided to visit at once! My sister was in heaven! She has said on several occassions that since her accident; God has allowed her to see who her true friends are and has shown her just how much our family loves her and cares about her health. Since my sister has been in the hospital, she has not spent one night alone. Someone has always been by her side and as a result she has anxiety about being alone in her hospital room now!

    Scilla is continuing to progress. My mom, who is a pro at it, cathed her for the first time today. Everyone else is also starting to get actively involved also. Because my wonderful husband is the only one in the family who does not drive and SUV, I will be taking his car to the hospital for her to practice tansferring in and out of a car. The therapist says that she want be able to get in an SUV, which means she will have to get a new or another car as well (the expenses continue to grow).

    Several family members have noticed a curveture in her spine. We are not sure if this is a result of the surgery or if it is because of her not sitting upright. So, today we put her in a chair and here is a picture of her playing cards with her husband. She enjoys rummy as a part of her recreational therapy.

                                                     

                                                        

I know I have a few pictures already, but here are a couple of more of family :

                                     

                                                Nicole and Kaylee ( Niece and great - niece)

                                                    they loved sitting on Aunt Scilla's bed

                                          

                                                            

                        A kiss from her niece Aaryanna

      In closing, if you have family and friends that care about you and are there for you when you need them most, be sure to thank God for them because there are so many people out there would love to have the family and friend support that my sister has and it is truly a blessing. Thank you God for placing every special person that you have placed in our lives.

"Walking in Faith..."

Thursday, April 15- one month since the accident!

Scilla had a pretty good day, today. She was eager to go to therapy and did well in her sessions today. She is still not eating as well as she should and experiencing pain; but she keeps pressing on and giving it her best! She only had 2 moments today when she was really emotional. One was when she was talking about the effect of the accident on her 16 year old daughter, Kelle. Kelle had been holding a lot in and on Wednesday we learned just how much this accident has effected her; she is really having a difficult time accepting her mother's paralysis and has expressed to us that she doesn't know how to handle this. Needless to say, we are working on getting her the proper help to aid her in better coping with her mom's accident. I asked Kelle if she wanted to write an entry on the blog and she said yes; so look for an entry from her very soon.



Scilla told me that her nurse told her tonight that our family is going to have to start getting more involved in her care; be more hands on and do things such cathing and helping her transfer. Mimi has already started getting more involved as you can see in the video below, she wanted to help her Aunt Scilla wheel to therapy and decided to do a little dancing on the way:

Scilla always says Mimi makes her world go 'round and Mimi says Aunt Scilla is the bestest girl in the world. So here a couple of photo's that requested I take today (they would want to take pictures, the one day I don't have my camera and only my phone).

Trying to push Aunt Scilla

Above and below: Giving away mommy's kisses to Aunt Scilla!

Such a sweet baby girl...

   Scilla was so happy to go back to Roger C. Peace on today! She went back about 12:30 and was anxious to get in her wheelchair because she was tired of lying on her back for over a week! She is in great spirits and excited to return to therapy on Thursday.

       I have been wanting to mention this in my blog for a while and today is the excellent opportunity. Since about December I have been praying for Baby Emma. The daughter of one of my high school classmates. Emma was diagnosed with Spina Bifida while in utero. I had been praying for her healing since I learned about the diagnosis. Well, little Emma was born on March 16, the day after my sister had her accident and immediately had to go into surgery. Emma was born into an awesome family; she has so many people who cares for and continues to pray for her. I would love for everyone reading my blog to add Emma to your prayer list. Emma will be hitting the 4 week old mark this week and she has been through a lot, but she has an awesome mom and dad that are there with her ALL the time and I ask that you pray for their strength, because as first time parents they really have a lot to handle.
  
     Emma has so many people praying for her and her parents have such a strong faith and belief in God which is carrying them through this very rough time. At this point, I do not think they are sure of exactly what Emma will be able to do or not do because of her spina bifida; but I am still praying for Emma daily and asking God for healing. I find it ironic the closeness of Emma's birth to my sister's accident, seeing as they both have issues with their spines. I think that Emma is going to be ok and she will have the ability to do whatever her hearts desire and I know God is going to heal her, I feel it in my heart. In praying for Emma, I have said I felt like I knew her even before she was born, and her parents and I are  not close or anything of that nature, but God always keeps her on my mind. Every day as I go to the hospital and at night when I am praying, I think of Emma and I can't help but think that God has great things in store for that beautiful baby girl.

For those of you who would like to keep up with Emma, she is on my blog roll and she is a precious little angel, i tell you!

"walking in faith...

A hard pill to swallow...

    Priscilla had an alright day; there was some frustration; but we just kept trusting and believing and we know that God is going to bring her/us out alright. She had her tube taken out today; but she didn't get moved to Roger C Peace because of what her therapist wrote in her notes on Monday. Her therapist said that she was afraid to sit up by herself, which was not true. My sister stated and the therapist agreed that the bed in my sister's room at memorial has that egg shell foam on it, so it was hard for her steady herself without being on a solid or firm bed or surface. But, because the therapist said my sister was scared, the insurance company is giving us a hard time about approving her to go back to RCP, because it appears like she is regressing, if they go by the therapy notes and they don't want to pay if no progress is being made. I think the whole thing is stupid and insurance companies are full of it, but in any case, I think they will approve her tomorrow once they talk to her rehab doctor.

     Everyday we learn new things about Priscilla's accident. As she gets better, she is able to recall more things about the accident. Today, she had a visit from one of her old co-workers, Rick. As she was telling him about her accident, I learned that somehow during the accident while she was passed out  her body was slung over to the passenger side of the car and when she regained consciousness, she was sitting on the passenger side of the car with her back against the door and couldn't move her legs. This information was very important to me because now it explains her injuries. In one of my first posts, I stated that I didn't understand her injuries seeing as though all the damage was on the passenger side of the car; so now that I know she was on that side of the car as well, I better understand her injuries and I am so thankful that she was not thrown from the car. She also told him that after  that, she doesn't remember much, but she remembers arriving at the hospital and the doctors telling her she was paralyzed. She said "THAT'S A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW, BUT I KNOW GOD IS STILL GOOD."

     You could look at Rick's face and see the astonishment of what had happened. He almost couldn't even look at her, you could see the hurt in his heart for her. I see people come in for the first time and visit her and it is almost as if they hurt for her the way our family does; it shows how much people care. Rick ended his visit with a nice prayer, which was one the greatest gifts he could have given us; we know that the prayers of righteous availeth much and that if we just continue to have faith that God will work in his time. We know there are things we desire RIGHT NOW, but God may not intend for those desires to be fulfilled at this time.


      My faith and my sister's faith is what has sustained us through these very tough times. I have said before that I am ok if she never walks again; some people don't understand how I can say that and some people think I am just saying it because it is not me who is paralyzed. But I say it because when I think about the goodness and the greatness of God; I realized he blessed her with 39 years of being able to use her legs, yet there are people who have never had the opportunity to walk. I say it because when I look around and see what other people are going through, our storm, really isn't that big. I say it because even though she has some very rough and tough days; if God never does anything else for her, HE has done enough already. I say it because I look at the blessing of her still having life; of still having the use of her upper body; still being clothed in her  RIGHT mind and all that is ENOUGH! I say it because of where he has brought her SINCE the accident. Her speech is no longer slurred, her short term memory has improved drastically; if not been completely restored. She can pull herself up; She can lean forward in the bed holding onto the rails. She has learned to pull her legs towards her upper body to put on her pants or socks; She plays a very active roll in reminding her nurses of what she needs, when. She is learning to live with her disability; to embrace the changes in her life. She is learning patience. God will never give us more than we can handle, although sometimes we beg to differ. Sometimes God puts us through tests before he blesses us, to make sure that we are ready to receive our blessings. I have learned not to question God; not to ask why or how, but to ask who? and the answer is God.

    In closing, although I do not always practice what I preach; if I find myself asking God why? I start to think and say "well, why not me or why not my sister?" What makes us so special that we don't deserve to be tested? Trials come to make us strong, they may seem to stay an eternity, but they don't really last for very long. When it is all said and done, we must remember that we are ALL blessed and highly favored and that THERE IS A BLESSING COMING THROUGH FOR YOU,  FOR MY SISTER, FOR ME!

"WALKING IN FAITH..."

Coping...

    I didn't write on Sunday because I was just so tired and emotionally that drained that I needed a day to just rest and relax with the people I care about the most.

      After having a very rough day on Saturday; Sunday was a much better day for Scilla emotionally. she was very cheerful and smiling; she laughed and joked with us which was a big change from Saturday. She did not have her drainage tube removed on Sunday because again she was putting out too much fluid.

    Now to today, Monday! Scilla called me early and said she hates these days that when she is sad or doesn't feel happy. She has been talking with various family members and  has realized that her accident has affected everyone in a major way, especially her husband and kids. Sometimes when life changing events happen, we have a tendency to internalize everything, but it is better to talk to someone or have some type of outlet to remove our stress and vent. As a family, we are beginning to look into our options as far as counseling for some members of our family. As African Americans many people in our community frown upon counseling; but it is not a bad thing. I think that more African Americans should take advantage of the health options available to us to help us live a more healthy and fulfilling life.

   Scilla did not get moved back to Roger C. Peace today because she is still draining too much and we are hoping that by Tuesday her drainage will be back under control and she can return to RCP. I was informed today that Her rehab doctor visited and said that she is now a 2-person case (she used another word, but she basically meant that she would need 2 care givers instead of one), but we don't understand why because nothing has changed or gotten worse since she has been back at Memorial.

   Scilla did have a small therapy session today. It is amazing what we take for granted when we are healthy and all is well. In her session today she worked on balancing, leaning on her arm/elbow for support and then pushing up using her arm/elbow. She also worked on sitting upright, as she tried to sit upright and stretch as in lifting her head and raising her shoulders, she commented on how good that felt and I could only imagine that it must have because of her surgery, she is often sitting with what looks like a curve in her spine. She also practiced lifting her arms and Mimi got to help today by standing in front of her aunt Scilla with her hands open as targets for Scilla to hit.

    I have been thinking a lot lately about how blessed so many of us are and how often we take for granted so many things that seem so minute to us. As I watched Scilla today and witnessed her fear of trying to sit in  an upright position as she tried to balance herself; I tried to encourage her, but I kept thinking that sitting up, balanced in an upright position, with the ability to support yourself is something we all take for granted; but when she is able to accomplish that; it will be a major milestone for her.

    We also learned some things for her therapist, Sue on today. Scilla told her about her legs feeling like they were hanging off the side of the bed and tingling. Sue said that is normal and could be one of two things:

1.  Phantom sensation, basically she hasn't had her injury long enough for her brain to know that her that part of her body doesn't work. So in her mind, she is still trying to move her legs, but can't. The therapists also said that it should not be possible for her to move her legs because from what they know; her injury was complete, meaning that her spinal cord was completely severed. Had Scilla's injury been incomplete, her chance's of walking would have been greater.
2. Maybe there is some regeneration going on in her spine or maybe there was just a small nerve or portion in her spine that remained connected during her injury and that could be the cause of what she is feeling; again this is very unlikely seeing as though doctors are sure that her spinal cord was completely severed.

   This has turned into a pretty long blog tonight, so I think I will end it here by saying thank you to everyone who continues to pray for our family because we all know that God has the final say in any situation.

"Walking in Faith..."         

Emotional Roller Coaster of a Saturday

This is a small poem that I came up with as I typed. Saturday has been just what this poem states, an emotional roller coaster for me and definitely for Scilla. This poem hasn't been thought out and may not be great, but I hope you all enjoy reading it.

Emotional. Roller. Coaster.

So much pain 

with little to gain.

When the car is on track, all  is well

until up comes a curve that seems like hell. 

My car turns left, then turns right

I wander how I can continue this fight.

Emotional. Roller. Coaster.

My car turns upside down 

and what once was a smile is now a frown.

There is a small pause, enough to spark fear

then the car moves and through a tunnel disappear.

As the car travels the curves and around the loops

I feel like I keep having to jump through hoops.

Emotional. Roller. Coaster.

I see the straightaway, near the home stretch we go

because I know the rest of this ride is not going to be so.

Faith, sustains me and prayer gets me through

because only God knows what's in store for you!

Emotional. Roller. Coaster.   

 Saturday was very rough for Scilla. It was one of those days that we expect more of, but know will be few and in between. She called me and said "today is a depressing day" and when I asked her why, she really had no explanation. I reminded her that everyday is not going to be a great day, there are going to be days when she is mad, frustrated, and don't want to be bothered, but the good days will outweigh the bad and that she must remain faithful because God is still good!

     As far as her health is concerned, her drainage tube did not come out on Saturday, but may be removed on Sunday. I talked with her doctor and he said that her body was putting out too much drainage to remove the tube; removing the tube too early would just allow the fluid to build back up in her body. She is also still experiencing fevers and the doctor said they would continue to check her cultures to see if anything shows up and if they keep coming up negative for infection, the next move would be to remove her central line. The doctor said that he is not saying that is what is causing the fever, but when they can't find the cause for something, they start removing stuff. Her fever fluctuates greatly, so much so that she sent April (Greg's niece ) to Kmart to buy her one of the clip on desk fans! I told her I had one at home if she could wait until tomorrow, but she insisted on getting one and said she could clip it to her wheelchair when she goes to the beach; so as you can see, she is already making travel plans!

     Today, I have had a roller coaster of emotions. I attended funeral services for Patrick Jackson, the young man I mentioned earlier this week in the blog. Pat was a good friend of scilla's son, A.D and he was a very nice and respectable young man. This whole situation with Pat weighs heavy on my heart this young man's life was taken for no reason and as the result of a violent act. I ask for prayer for Pat's family, but I ask that you pray for my nephew, A.D also. I am praying that A.D does not let Pat's death go in vain. A.D is Scilla's first born and will always be her baby. She worries about him and lately her worry for him has been a source of stress for her. I have expressed to A.D that right now our family has a lot going on without having to worry for his safety. I love my sister and I don't want to see her hurt; so I am asking prayer for A.D that he realizes it is time out for playing games and running the streets; it is time to man up baby boy. Some people may think it is not appropriate to write about this here, but the bottom line is that as mother, your well being is linked to that of your children; when your children hurt, you hurt. So for Scilla's well-being I feel it important to ask for prayer for her son.

"Walking in Faith..."

Peace...

    Scilla is doing very well. Her daily x-ray didn't show any problems and her doctors are pleased with how the surgery went and her recovery. Today she did have a very small therapy session; they only did the range of motion exercises on her to ensure that she doesn't regress too far from what she has been doing at Roger C. Peace.

      She still has the tube in side and it should be removed tomorrow and hopefully she will return to RCP on Monday or Tuesday. The doctors are concerned that she has been feverish and are trying to find out if she has some type of infection and also her blood sugar levels have been dropping WAY too low; below 70! So they are trying to figuire out those two things, but otherwise she is doing great.

    She was in a good mood today and even wanted Mimi to get on the bed with her so they could talk!

Mimi on the bed with Aunt Scilla trying to tell her to put up a peace sign. Mommy was afraid and wanted Mimi down because she was lying on Aunt Scilla's drainage tube!

Again on the bed. Aunt Scilla and Mimi love each other so much!

Today has been good, not too much to stress over...

   I didn't get much sleep last night, Scilla called me about 5 a.m. and about every 30 minutes after that. If I didn't answer my cell phone, she would call my home phone. Mimi and I spent our morning running errands for Scilla and then I went to visit her in the hospital ICU. 
Scilla  had a great day today! She looks and feels much better than before she went into surgery on Wednesday on afternoon. We know that the fluid was contributing to her breathing problems, but I also noticed that the swelling in her back has gone down; her back does not look as "puffy".
 
  Today, she and I watched movies and talked and she had me rub her back for about an hour. Her mood was really great!

    Scilla still has faith that she will walk and joked with the nurse about getting out of the bed and walking. Her nurse didn't know what to say at first, you could see in his face that he was contemplating what to say, so he made a joke and then said only the good Lord knows.  While I am talking about her nurse, I want to give a shout out to Marty, her nurse in the Cardiovascular ICU of the heart institute. Marty was awesome and I really enjoyed him and Scilla loved him too; with all the crappy nurses we have had, it was refreshing to actually get a GREAT nurse.

    Around 7 p.m. this evening she was moved out of ICU into a room where she will remain for about a week.

    I would like to end todays very short post with a verses given to me to read by Rev. Gary McDaniel. The verses come from Acts 9:32-35(NLT version) and reads as follows :

32Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. 35Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.

I wanted to include a picture tonight and did a search for faith and this is one of the results, so I just had to include it, seeing as though "walking in faith" is the signature for this blog!

"Walking in Faith..."

2 surgeries today...

Today has been a very long day! As I wrote in yesterday's blog, Priscilla was scheduled to have a surgical procedure done at 8 a.m. this morning. So of course, I rushed out of bed and made it to the hospital shortly before 8. To my astonishment I beat my mom there; and to think I am not a morning person! Anyways back on topic, they did not take her down for the surgery until 10 a.m. and once in surgery I left to go home to get my baby, only to get a call from my mother and Scilla around noon; saying that they would need to perform a second surgery, most likely later on today.

    We were orignally told the second surgery would occur around 5 or 6 p.m. this evening, but it was moved up to 3:30 p.m. The Thoracentesis was unsuccessful due to the large size of the blood clot and fluid, which kept clogging the needle. So the same doctor who treated Scilla in the ER on the day of her accident came over to talk to us. And here is what she said :

• Scilla would be having a big surgery called Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). VATS is  performed using a small video camera that is introduced into the patient's chest via a scope. With the video camera, the surgeon is able to view the anatomy along with other surgical instruments that are introduced into the chest via small incisions or "ports".  The surgery should take no longer than 2 hours.
• Using VATS, they will drain the fluid from the fusion in the lung area using a suction and lightly scrape the lung.
• After doing the above they will be putting in a chest tube to keep draining any excess fluid. The chest tube will remain in for about 3 days or until the lung reinflates.
• While the tube is in, she will have a chest x-ray every morning to check the lung inflation progress.
• The blood clot itself will eventually reabsorb into the blood stream.
• With the VAT surgery, she will have a breathing tube during surgery and overnight. She will spend the night in ICU tonight, then she will be moved to a room at GHS on Thursday. The recovery period is 5 to 6 days, which means she will remain at GHS for this time period.
• Priscilla will return to Roger C. Peace sometime next week after her week of recovery at GHS.
  I think the time spent at GHS will add to the time in which she will have to spend at RCP, so the orignal 4 weeks before coming home has probably been pushed back, but we will know more about that when we get back to RCP and that is the least of our worries right now; we just want her to get better.

     The surgery went very well and they removed about a liter of fluid from her right lung area. They inserted the drain and she is resting in ICU in the heart instittute for the night. As stated above, she will be moved to a room tomorrow.  The doctor said she will be in a lot of pain and they are going to try to control it and hopefully once the drain comes out and the lung reinflates she will feel a whole lot better because she should no longer have problems with her breathing. I am so glad everything went well and I am hoping that from here on we make progress and no regressions because she is ready to leave the hospital. Please continue to keep Priscilla in your prayers.

"Walking in faith..."

Girl, you are sick!

    I must start off today's blog saying that Whatever you are going through, there is someone else out there whose storm is much bigger than yours. I know that whatever my family is going through right now that God will bring us through it because he said in Hebrews 13:5 that he will never leave you nor forsake us. I am asking for prayer for the Jackson family. One of my mother's neighbors that lives a couple of blocks over buried her husband on March 25, 2010 and in the wee hours of the morning on April 6, 2010 she lost her son in a violent robbery. As a mother and wife; I don't know if I could handle burying my husband one week and preparing to bury my child the next; but inspite of all she is going through I am praying for her and hoping that she knows God is still in control and that although her heart may be heavy laden, God is still Good! So to my family and friends, please keep this family in your prayers.

     Today, was a very long day for my family. The morning started out with my nephew, A.D. (scilla's son) having surgery on his eye at 6:30 a.m. The surgery went well and he is recovering in the hospital with an overnight stay, he will be discharged around lunch on Wednesday. Scilla was able to get into her chair and her friend, Carolyn wheeled her over to be with A.D before his surgery.

    After returning to her room from visiting A.D, the nurses took her vitals and her oxygen levels were very low and had been the last couple of times they checked. A CT Scan was ordered. LeeLee went over to the hospital to accompany her to the scan around 10 a.m. I arrived at the hospital around noon and went over to visit A.D before visiting Scilla. While visiting with Scilla, she was in good spirits and enjoying Mimi's company until the doctor came in. The doctor walked into the room and said "Girl you are sick", Scilla had a look of horror on her face and she began to cry and my heart sank to the floor, for we had no idea what the doctor was going to say. The doctor went on to tell us these things:

1. Scilla has a blood clot that has traveled to her right lung from her legs.
2. She also has fluid in her right lung.
3. The fluid in her lung is what led to the pain in her abdomen that I wrote about last week and also what was causing the breathing problem and her waking up in the middle of night feeling as though she was choking.
4. She will need to have a Vena cava filter put in to trap any future blood clots. She will also need a 6 month treatment of Coumadin, a blood thinner.
5. She will need a Thoracentesis or tap on right lung to remove the fluid.

After giving us the above information the doctor put Scilla on bed rest for the rest of the day. She had the Vena cava filter put in around 4:30 Tuesday afternoon by a vascular surgeon. A Vena cava filter is a metallic, umbrella-shaped device that catches blood clots to prevent them from traveling to the lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism.

Above is a picture of a Vena cava filter

    The Thoracentesis will occur around 8 a.m on Wednesday morning and I am praying that after we tackle this that we will have nothing but upward progress from this point forward.

     I feel as though I have been catapulted from next to the baby to the big sister. Anyone who knows me is aware that by nature I am a nurturer and although I am next to the baby, I have always tried to act like the "momma" to everyone else, including my 2 older sisters! With Scilla's accident, I am definitely feeling the stress of being the "big sister".  She called me when she needed someone to go with her to have the CT Scan this morning and of course because of the short notification, I called and made arrangements for LeeLee to get to the hospital within the next 15 minutes. I was the only one there when they gave the news about her lungs today and it took a lot to remain strong. I arrived at work late, only to be called by Scilla who was upset and in tears at about 4 and had to leave early (thank you to my supervisor for being understanding). Once at the hospital; I was the one, along with her husband who went to have the filter put in. She has since called me around 10:30 tonight to make sure that I will be at the hospital around 8 a.m for her lung tap. I am not a morning person, but I know if I am not there, she will be calling to see where I am at. Also in taking on the "big sister" role, Scilla has given me a lot responsibilty; I am helping her with insurance, the kids, and so much more. Who knew being the "big sister" was so much work, I can only imagine how my mom and her husband feel!

   Prissy is such a fighter. Her faith in God continues to sustain her and she is relying on him to bring her through. I ask that everyone who knows God, continue to pray for her. I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but not everyone has your best interest in mind and we know that people talk and they say things and spread rumors that are not true. We do not want anyone who is not praying for healing, restoration, or her well being speaking negativity or false reports into her life. So to my wonderful family and friends continue praying for her.

"walking in faith..."

Monday, last day of spring break....

    Today is my last day of spring break and I am sad to see it come; seeing as though I have not really had a break and also because it means I will not get to spend as much time at the hospital with Scilla. Over the course of the break, I spent at least 3 hours a day (more on most days) at the hospital. I enjoyed my time with Scilla and got to go to therapy with her and practice her exercises.

    Today makes 4 weeks since the accident occured and it has been a stressful and exhausting 4 weeks. I can tell that mom really needs some rest. She flew off the handle at me for no reason at all, but I did not take it personally because I know she has a lot on her plate right now. She really needs a break and sometime to rest, but it is hard when you are trying to take care of an 8 month old baby and her 39 year old baby, Scilla. I told my mom she needed a break and she should just take a day to rest, but of course she said "no". Anyone who knows my mom, knows that she always puts the needs of others before her own and she rarely ever says "no" when someone asks her to do something. This frustrates me because I want the best for my mom and I really want her to have time for herself and to learn to put others on the back burner; because if you are not well rested or healthy, how can you properly take care of someone else. Not only is my mom stressed, but also Greg, my sister's husband and her kids. I also feel the stress in my life and I can relate to how my mom feels because I flew off the handle for no reason  tonight and after I calmed down, I apologized to my wonderful husband, Eric because I know it is just that we have a lot going on in our lives right now.

     On another note Scilla said today that she should be coming home in about 4 to 5 weeks, but we will know more about that when her weekly conference happens on Thursday. She is doing a very good job at steering her wheelchair and increasing her upper body strength. She is now able to give us some leverage by lifting herself up some to assist in placing the sling underneath her to transfer her from her chair to the bed using the lift. She is also able to grab the bed handles and assist in pulling her up in the bed. Although she is making great improvements, doctors are still trying to get her pain under control. It is very painful for example for her to lie down and reach across her body with her arm and hold herself on her side.

    I know the last two post have not been exactly interesting, but please know that Scilla is doing great and we ask that you continue to pray for her healing.

Our first holiday without Prissy's presence...

  I have not updated the blog in the past two days because I have been tired and just haven't had the time. So where do I begin? I guess I will start with Saturday.

   Saturday was a very good day for Scilla. She was in good spirits and did really well in her therapy sessions. She asked for a home visit, but the nurses said that it required prior doctor approval and also she hasn't had any practice transfering from a car to her chair and vice versa. She really wanted to come for Easter, but was not able to.

   Easter Sunday was a very emotional day for her. I arrived at the hospital around 2p.m and she was sleeping. She woke up when I entered the room and I told her I loved her and gave her the basket Mimi and I made for her. She told me she was in pain and asked for the nurse. I went to get the nurse and when she came she said that it would be another 3-4 hours before she could have pain medicine and Scilla started crying, which tugged at my heart strings. Seeing her in tears made me sad and I wanted to cry with her, but had to suck it up and hold it end, because I try not get upset in front of her. The nurse and I comforted her and repositioned her in the bed. She was feeling a little better and she and I talked, looked at the newspaper and watched t.v. . I was planning on leaving at 4p.m. because Easter dinner was being held at my house and of course I wanted to be there as a host. Scilla did not want me to leave and got mad when someone called to ask when I would be leaving; she said "you should of just turned off your and then they couldn't call you" (very funny!). Everytime I got ready to leave, she would convince me to stay an extra 30 minutes until finally I was so hungry that I had to leave or else I was going to pass out! As I was gathering my stuff to leave, she looked so sad and I hated to go; as I turned to walk out the door, she said " I guess I will just go to sleep".
     We all really missed her presence on Easter and she was in everyone's thoughts and prayers and we all wished she could be with us on that day. As the family laughed, hunted eggs, ate, and chatted she remained on all of our minds and hearts. We love our Prissy and hope that this is the only holiday that she misses.

What's with the nurses???

    I know there are some great nurses out there who love their jobs and put patients first, but for every great nurse, there are 3 lazy nurses who care nothing about patients, but are only there because the money is good and the work a-plenty. I strongly dislike most 3rd shift nurses because they don't really do any work and are lazy.

     Since my sisters hospitalization, we have had several problems with nurses on 3rd shift both at the main hospital and Roger C. Peace. At one point at GM(greenville memorial), she requested pain medicine more than once and it took them 8 hours to get it to her. At RCP, they have also gone long periods of time between requesting medicine and actually administering it, and we all know my sister can not feel below the waist and has no control over her bowels or stomach muscles and last night they left her on a soiled bed. The nurse was not on her job and I have requested to see the nurse supervisor ASAP! Notes were also taken, because this is unacceptable. The CNA's were pissed when we they came in this morning and my sister's best friend went on a rampage when she arrived this morning. My sister said to me today that the nurses on 3rd shift administer meds and then they go sleep and do not bother to check in on patients or anything. She said they remain sleep until the next time for them to administer meds, which is in many cases 4 to 6 hours later. I am so ready for her to come home, so we can take care of her and hire someone whom we know will do their job. THESE NURSES ARE REALLY PUSHING MY BUTTONS! I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE GREAT NURSES MY SISTER HAS, BUT THE ONES WHO ARE NOT ON THERE JOBS, PLEASE TAKE HEED, YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH NOT DOING YOUR JOB, WHEN IT COMES TO MY SISTER'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING!

    On a lighter note, therapy is still progressing well and her therapists commented today that she has made awesome progress. They want her to make sure to roll every couple of hours to prevent pressure sores and also they want her to make sure she wears her brace/boot thingys to prevent ankle and heal rolling.

     She also said she feels like she is going to walk again someday, even if she has to has some assistance. She also says she felt tingling in her right foot. In talking to her therapists today, they told her that every spinal cord injury is different and no two injuries are the same. Doctors and therapists say they can't gaurantee anything because no one really knows what will happen in the future and that they can't really give her any hope that she will walk again, because they have to prepare her for the worse and give her the diagnosis in which medical research supports which is that she will be paralyzed and never walk again.

Please continue to pray for my sister and all the patients at RCP and GM that they will have nurses who are caring, responsible, and has the best interest of the patients in mid.

"walking in faith..."

She got her roll on, but wasn't suppose to...

     After a long night on Wendesday, Prissy had a pretty good day on Thursday. Most of it was because for most of the day, she was in bed. The doctor came in to visit and ordered bed rest for Scilla today until she can have an ultrasound done on Friday to see what is causing the swelling and tenderness in her stomach. The surgeon who visited this afternoon said it could be several things:

• air trapped inside
• a pancreas problem
• a gallbladder problem
• or a problem with her lapband

      As mentioned in the title today for recreational therapy, her therapist allowed her to get into her wheelchair and roll herself around. The therapist didn't read the doctor's orders of bedside therapy today, but despite that  Scilla was able to get into the chair using the sliding board (a pic I found online below).

She did very well using the sliding board, but still needs a lot of work. Her therapists are working hard to build up her confidence. She gets really nervous and afraid; she has yet to learn to balance herself independently and this contributes to her anxiety when transfering using the board or even just trying to sit up unsupported which she still can not do yet. Her therapist said as soon as she can gain confidence sitting up unsupported and transfering into her chair; she will then be able to go on outtings or for family visists. While today was her first day using the sliding board, they will still continue to use this very cool machine for transfering also, it is called the maxi lift :

      As stated above she did get her roll on today, she still needs work "staying in her lane" and "turning" before she gets her lincense or permit to drive to her wheelchair. But overall she did okay today and here is a little video of her "getting her roll on"! I don't know why, but the video is not cooperating, it worked in the preview!

"Walking in Faith..."

Weekly Conference...1 day early!

    Every Thursday, all my sister's doctors, therapists, and case worker have a weekly conference to discuss her progress and the course of treatment for her. Well this week, because of the Easter holiday, her conference was today, Wednesday.  This is her 2nd conference and here is what we learned after being briefed by my sister's case worker this afternoon:

• She is not progressing as fast as she should or they would like for her to, so they are going to see if her stay can be extended at least 3 weeks perferably 4 or more if needed, for a total of at least 7 weeks at RCP (the norm or average is 4 weeks), we are currently in our 2nd week.
• Also they are still saying around the clock care will be needed, but this may be temporary.
• They are hoping the extra time at RCP will get her where she needs to be and then once she is home, she will continue with her therapies.

     As I am writing this blog, I am on the phone with Priscilla, she is having really bad pain, tenderness and bloating in the abdomen, but it could be several things, considering it is only the area where she has feeling; it could be:

1. pain from her back
2. pain from needing to empty her bladder or bowels

I hate to hear her in such pain and wish I could do something about it. She is hurting so bad that she does not want to lay down, she doesn't want pain medicine, she just wants to feel better. She asked me to pray with her and I did and I know that our God is awesome and she will begin to feel better soon. She didn't have a good night on Tuesday night and I am hoping tonight is better, but the way it looks now; I am not so sure.

   I told my mom that I will be so glad when she comes home, but that does not leave much time for us to come up with a plan for her, as far as where she will live or how to get her in an accessible home. Also again today she wanted my mom to rub her back; my mom was massaging it when Scilla said to her
 "Rub it like a momma rub" meaning she just wanted mom to gently slide her hand across her back while she relaxed. As mom and I rubbed her back, of course we had an extra set of small hands that wanted to rub too! Mimi helped rub Aunt Scilla's back, but for her it was just an excuse to play in lotion.

I have two pictures to share today, the first one is of my babe, Prissy about to take a phone call, she is sleepy and ready to get back in bed after an afternoon full of therapy:

And this one is of her, LeeLee (our baby sister) and "Louie"( my mom's foster child, might as well say he is LeeLee's baby, because he loves her to death and was his main caretaker the first 6 months of his life):