Monday

Again, sorry I havent written. We have had company this week. Lee came to visit his father. He stayed for a week and hung out with Richard around his schedule. He enjoyed seeing him. I took the both of them up to see Christie and she was happy to see Lee. The look on her face was priceless. Lee wrote her a note that said 'Hi fruitcake" She immediately wrote back 'not so bro' I could tell she was happy to see him. Lee drew her pictures and she added to them. We watched and helped with her therapies. She has the other brace back on now. Her hair is almost long enough on top now to put it in a ponytail. She asked me to cut a little off. She even used her fingers to show me how much. I didnt do it though. All in all, we had a good time! Richard has returned to work and has been released from all his outpatient therapies!!!!! What an awesome blessing that is.

Mystery Solved

Sorry I havent written in a while. Things sometimes get hectic going here and going there that I fall asleep before writing a blog. We spent the day with Christie today. She looked wonderful! We had great conversation with her. She does really well with her letter board. I havent even seen her mispell a word on it. We tried to play UNO with her but she said she couldnt remember how to play. Once we explained it to her she was so tired and we knew she wouldnt be able to concentrate. Also, we heard several sounds today from her. They werent words but odd sounds. Whatever it was, we liked it. Once it was a squeek and once a loud moan. So the mystery is this...for the last two weeks or so everytime we go up there Christie tells us her shoes ran away. I show her all her shoes (i.e. slippers, boots, flip flops) and she says not those. Then she gets mad that we cant figure it out. So today shortly after we got there she wrote down...something ran away. I write...what ran away and she writes...shoes. Again I showed her all her shoes and she says...not those. I asked her...who took them. She wrote...I dont know you tell me. I wrote...when did they run away. She writes....when I was sleeping. Then she writes...have you seen my right shoe, only have the left. It finally dawned on me she was talking about her braces. She hasnt been wearing the right one because she has a pressure sore on that foot. I got her left one out of the closet and asked if thats what she is talking about about. She writes...yes, I used to have two! Now to some people this might sound silly but its hard to communicate with Christie sometimes so when we can figure something out for her its a victory!!! Thank you for your continued prayers.

Wednesday

We went and spent the day with Christie. We got there right at lunch and stayed until she was falling asleep talking to us. She had an excellent day. Her speech therapist said she said a full word today...not just a whisper...but an actual loud full word. We participated in her afternoon therapies with her. She worked really hard but started falling asleep on the bike so they let her go to bed. She was actually going like 43 RPM's but appeared sound asleep. Her blue toenails look lovely and she kept admiring them and said they looked awesome. I guess they will match her new wheelchair when it comes in! :) Christie also had a very mature conversation with us using her letter board. It was amazing to see her put together such deep thoughts. Also, when she was done with her first therapy and asked if she wanted to go back to her room, Christie typed on the computer...OK, you drive...to her therapist! :) Certainly has a sense of humor.

Saturday

We went up and visited Christie today and received an awesome surprise. She said HI when we walked in. It was very faint and it sounded like a whisper but she said it. Then for awhile we couldnt hear her. She asked why we couldnt hear her so we explained that her throat is hurt so we cant hear her...we are reading her lips. She said Oh, I see! Im sure she has been told that before but she forgets. Then later, she actually said Ball. Again it was faint but clear as a bell. So we started picking up objects and encouraging her to say it. So we HEARD her say...HI...BALL...PHONE...PEN. she tried to sat horse but some words dont come out right. I also took out my cell phone and took a picture of her. I showed it to her and she said it was a bad picture of her and to do it again. I ended up taking like 10 pictures and she didnt like any of them. Then she took the phone and asked me how to do it. I showed her and even with her unsteady hand, she took a picture of me, looked at it, then ACTUALLY laughed. I was centered in the picture and everything. She asked me to paint her toenails blue and asked her dad to buy her blue flip flops. So we got that stuff and will bring it tomorrow. She did say some repetitive odd things today. She kept saying her shoes ran away. We thought we misunderstood her but then she wrote it. She does think she is 14. We told her she is 16 and she said where did the other two years go. But when we asked her where she lived she wrote "Florida...I think" She had a sense of humor today....laughed alot. Cant wait until tomorrow!!

Future Comments:

Hello All,

As most of you know, the purpose of this forum is to communicate about the progress of Richard and Christie, and to provide uplifting support to Richard and Christie in their time of need.

There are some people who feel this is their personal forum to vent their juvenile frustrations.... Well it isn't, and I am tired of seeing  cowards verbally attacking both Richard and the rest of our family. Your soapbox time here has come to an end....go play elsewhere.

From now on, this forum's responses will be moderated. There may be a brief delay between the time you post and the time that the post appears while we sift through the trash. 

I am sure this will not be an issue to those who truly care about them. Please continue to post your positive comments as they are very important to Richard and Christie.

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day everyone!! Richard and I went up to see Christie this morning. She looks wonderful. She had her sense of humor back and was making faces at us and laughing. We are looking forward to hearing her speak. Her speech therapist said they are working hard on that but with the vocal fold paralyzed , she'll have to see the ENT doctor again. She also is moving her left arm around a little. Sometimes its big movements sometimes small but whatever it is, we'll take it. Richard is also doing great. Therapies have been extemely helpful! Keep praying for both to continue healing.