This morning I sit with Justin in Doctor Steve's office as he lays inside the Hyperbaric chamber for a few hours. This is him...:) I take the opportunity to type... We plan to do the chamber dives a few times a week for now. Along with neck adjustments to keep his spine in line as he heals. We pray for a full recovery!!
Inside this thing...
It's so easy to say "It was JUST a concussion that Justin suffered in his accident. It seemed he could just go on hanging with friends until late at night and even playing ball the weekend after his accident. He is sixteen and seems to think he is invincible. He seemed to brush it off as an "I got lucky" and was ready to move on with life!
The extent of his injury was far more then he realized and still does! A concussion as severe as his was and is nothing that we are interested in dealing with later on in his young life!
We are simply forcing him to rest... He sleeps until he can't anymore. We took him up to the cabin for a very restful weekend so he was away from any action. It was a very healing weekend for all of us after a week of little sleep and lots going on!!
Justin made the comment at the cabin... "I forgot how bored I was before I was sixteen and hanging out every weekend! He didn't appreciate being so bored but we hope he healed lots and he knows it was best for him this weekend!
This morning Dr. Steve did another Thermal Image Scan of Justin's neck and face, it looks better then it did a week ago. It is still obvious that he has inflammation and the exact spot where his head most likely broke the window is still showing pretty much damage. His neck is getting loose slowly but he still don't turn it to much with sudden movement. He has developed a big egg on his head at a spot where all was flat before. It seems the scar tissue is trying to somewhere and Doc will be keeping an eye on this thing and maybe even need to drain it.
It feels nice to have Justin being monitored by Doctor Steve at UCNC. He is the one we hope Justin will listen to as far as his restrictions go. He wants to help Justin heal without developing anything chronic later in life. Justin is being watched for "leaky gut" since this can often develop after concussion and then this leads to more serious issues. Justin is to do no sugar, dairy, or grains of any kind for three months. We upped lots of his supplements to like omega three, probiotic and turmeric for inflammation.
I'm not sure when he will go back to work but maybe this week he can start with light work in the afternoons. Sleeping is key and since he will sleep until lunch time if we let him I'm just letting him sleep for now... I hope he don't lose his work ethic over this one...:} Healing is so important and I refuse to push him and then regret it! Many with this type of concussion have chronic illness a bit down the road and I want him healthy and strong in his young life!
Our weekend was so lazy! Jenika was sick with the flu. She started with it Thursday night and Friday she laid all day with a fever. We still packed up because I knew a weekend at the cabin was going to be healing for all of us and she could get well up there just as well as at home. I took my natural remedies along to care for her.
Javon also had a cold and was fighting sore throat Friday morning so I kept him home Friday to. Jordan had an all day choir day with middle school and they were not planning to arrive home until six in the evening and since we had planned to head the cabin after school I kept him home to!! It gave me a taste for summer and I can't wait to have them home with me all the time!!
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| He rests.... Often. |
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| He is getting goodies sent to the door by Belize friends! We are so blessed to have met so many great people over the winter in Belize!! |
Our weekend was relaxing yet we still had some action!...:) Jordan got his first turkey with the assistance of his dad! They both had a blast calling this guy in... Good job Jordan!! Dad has just as much fun as you do on mornings like this Jordan!!
The sun was just the healing touch that we needed! Jenika snapped out of the flu by Saturday then and we are so thankful to have her on the mend as well.
Our running/walking trails are one of the few things we love about our time at the cabin! We love to get out on the trails when we come up here! Dave and I walked and talked one lovely evening... It was so beautiful that we just sat down in the middle of the field to enjoy the sunshine as we chatted... We talk mostly about our kids in the stage we are in!...:) Who would we ever talk to so in detail about our kids if it were not for each other?!...:)
Spending the weekend at the cabin with just our family is rare and it was so special as we did church together in the sun on the porch on Sunday morning after a "Belizian" breakfast...:) We talked about "Justin's second chance at life" and what we can learn from it. We talked in all seriousness about how things could have been different. We felt so very Blessed to be sitting on the porch talking as a family! I will forever treasure the moments!
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Change is taking place in the lives of a few other families right now... Families that are dear to us!!
I want to touch on these families a bit so you can join us in prayer for them!
My sister Marilyn and her husband Sam were ordained as minister in the Amish church this past weekend. It is a high calling and it looks a bit huge to them at times! I never in my wildest dreams would have thought my family would ever end up in the Amish preacher position but now that it happened I really am seeing that we are all normal and we walk through life's curve balls the best that we know how day by day by the grace of God!! (back in the day I ran from the preachers wife if I saw her somewhere in public cause I wasn't supposed to be seen looking so liberal...:} I look at it all totally different now! I did anyway but still I thought it comical...:})
Marilyn... I don't know what to say... I don't even know how to be there for you at this time!? Do we grieve or do we celebrate? I'm sure as you walk through the process in your minds (that one that God has laid upon your family) it is humbling and scary as well as exciting as you anticipate the blessings that God brings along with this type of high calling! I want to walk with you in this as a sister... You and your family are so dear to me and my family and we know nothing will change as far as that goes but it is still a calling on your lives that will bring with it some changes along the way.
We are praying for you at this time!!
You have the most special boys ever!! Micah says "Yup my daddy is a preacher now and he will be the best!" Mark says "He will be a good one!" James is more quiet but he is still so sweetly supportive in his own way! They are so blessed to have such great parents and I'm sure they will be the best PK's ever!...:)
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Last night was ordination at Spring Garden to. We went in support of those in the lot. It felt like "home" to be there and those people are also very dear to our hearts! HK had such a neat way of handing over his position for his healths sake. It was special to be there. Ike and Cathrine Lapp were ordained there. We are praying for your family Ike and Cathrine! Again some changes will take place... Ones we don't always welcome but when we see God's big picture we will totally "get it"! Blessings to the Lapp family!!
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This is another family that is so dear to us and they are walking through a very difficult time!!
EJ and Ada lost Logan! He was hit on the road at his grandma's house the other evening! They flew him to duPont Children's Hospital where he was on the breathing machine for a day before they had no choice but to pull the plug! He was four years old and full of life!! He was his brothers best friend as well as his sisters who was only twenty months behind him!
He was going for the mail with his young uncles when they stopped for the traffic but Logan kept running! Grandma was in the house and is totally devastated! Ada was cleaning school and made a stop at Target before coming to pick up the younger ones at her mom's. She got the call that every mother would dread! EJ was delivering a load of sheds out of the shop and he was almost at the New York line where he promptly turned around dropped his sheds then met up with Uncle Elam and Jason who took care of his truck and got him to the hospital as soon as possible!
Is he not just the most adorable little person!!??
I can only imagine how they will miss him and the hole this will leave in this young family!
EJ has the trucking business that hauls out of the shop. Dave has been working with EJ for years. They have a close relationship that is so neat. We always loved and enjoyed EJ and Ada!
Javon and Gabriel are great friends! They attended church together for the first five or six years of there lives and they so enjoyed each other in church! They attend the same school where they are both in first grade... Javon is sad for Gabriel and I'm anxious to see how he takes in the funeral process tomorrow. We want to take him along for Gabriel's sake but Javon has never even been to a viewing that he remembers of so I'm thinking this will bring lots of serious questions!?
We are still realizing this could just as well have been Justin a few weeks ago! Life is so fragile and we are so weak as people. We think we are strong at times but we are really weak. After Dave's bee sting the other summer we came to realized just how weak we really are! May we live each day as though it were our last!
EJ and Ada we are praying for your family and words do not come or we are not even able to grasp what you are going through as you lay your precious baby boy to rest! We cannot even begin to imagine what you will go through yet as you really start to miss his adorable little face!
God is sovereign and faithful. We know he sees the bigger picture here. We want to trust he knows what he is doing even when we feel like he must have made a huge mistake! God will use the life of Logan for a reason and one day he will show it all to you... Blessings!!
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Sister Kath is having a baby really really soon!! We are so excited to meet new baby Smoker!! Pray for Kath and her family as they get ready for a big but FUN change to!... Love you Kath! Hang in there! You are such a wonderful momma to your Little's and you are an AMAZING sister to!!
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Please join in prayer for these families!!
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This morning I felt so helpless and weak as well!!... We got a new grill... A green egg!!...:)
So excited to have "Chef Jordan" man this new grill!!
We wanted to use it for supper tonight.
It was just setting in the garage this morning.
On the floor.
The table got sanded and Dave is ordering stain for it yet but I know him and who knows how long it would be until we can actually use this thing... so sometimes I just take matters into my own hands just to get them done on a better time table!
Sometimes this gets me into trouble! But mostly it's great because it gets er done...:)
I just hated to see the grill just set there for who knows how long before we can use it... So... Jordan and I tackled putting it together this morning before school bus time so we could use it to grill chicken and fish TODAY after he gets off the bus!...
Here goes!...
These things are firice heavy! I will recommend you not try to lift them. (if you are a woman like me anyway:})
The grill part just needed to go into the hole in the table. Didn't seem complicated. We carried the table out first. We used the bagwagon to get the grill part to the porch. We then worked to lift it up onto the table. We were going along just fine and we were going to just "roll" the thing into the hole. WELL... somehow my hand got down in between the table and that heavy grill! I mean really really wedged there!
I could feel the blood flow stop! I twisted and turned but there was no way out and I was sure my arm was about to snap and break! Jordan was hysterical as I tried to walk him through what to do! I saw there was no way he was going to lift the grill up alone and even when he tried to my arm only got pinched worse! I was feeling woozy at this point and I told him to RUN for Justin!! Thankfully he was here! Asleep in his bed but still here!
Justin came up from his room fast trying to get with the program as I tried to tell them how to position themselves and work together to lift this heavy thing up off my arm before it snaps in half! They tried different ways! I was sure Jordan wasn't going to be able to do it on his end but he gave it his all and when I finally felt relief on my arm I told them "YES!!! whatever you are doing its working!!" They got it up and my arm came out! Bruised to the max but still out and not broke!
I still feel a tingling in my fingers! It had my nerves so pinched as my arm was wedged! I was woozy and faint for awhile after wards even!
I braved it to get the kids on the bus... Justin was here when I got in and I was glad.
We even called Dave home because I was so faint and so so cold!! My hands were so pale in both hands even though I only pinched the one!
I feel so fortunate that Justin was here to help Jordan!! I feel so fortunate that it didn't break my arm!! We have a busy week with school activities and more and even without a broken arm I was ready to "hang on for the ride!" I feel blessed to be typing with my right hand just now!! I feel BLESSED to be "Hanging on for the RIDE" this week.
As we enter the busy month of May soon school ups the activity. It just happens this time of year. Ballgames and practice has started. Track practice going on. Volleyball is coming to an end for Jordan but still going... Outside work waits to be done. I got garden stuff and flowers waiting in the garage to be planted. We got a mulch pile waiting to be spread. Dave leaves for Dallas this week and will be gone for a few days. I don't mind... but... it will be awhile until I get out on a trip with him again!...:) I'm so thankful to be here with the children. I'm so thankful Justin is mending well. I'm so thankful for my friends and family!
The days are so perfect!! The temps are perfect!! The green is popping out everywhere!! We are weak creatures maybe but we are here and for a purpose to. God allows us to enjoy the beauty around us everyday and this is the time of year where its the funnest to take in! Honey Suckle season is just around the bend and its my all time favorite time of year!!
Have a blessed day and as we embrace some changes may we also realize how very BLESSED we are!
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