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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Gifts of Faithfulness

Unmerited favor...we are shown unmerited favor on a daily basis but sometimes it shows up in a more visible manner to our blind hearts.  Lately we've experienced this in several ways.  God chooses to bless at the most unexpected times.  We have a caregiver that we've had for several months and we really appreciate her caring, dedicated service to us in her care of David.  We wanted to show our appreciation by taking her to a good burger restaurant here in town.  We enjoyed our sumptuous WI fried cheese curds and burgers.  I asked the waiter for the bill.  He informed me that someone at another table, unbeknownst to us, had paid our tab! I don't know who it was but God used a stranger to bless us.

The last few days, David has shown incredible gains in his left leg.  He has suddenly gone from a 1/5 muscle grade to a 2/5 muscle grade.  He is able to march with it and straighten his knee in sitting!  It's amazing!  We never thought this left leg would do anything.  It didn't even have any trace muscle activity for 2 years and now he's standing on it, stepping with it, marching with it and straightening it!! 

I have started a treatment using essential oils the last two nights.  I'm not sure if this is what is aiding in David's gains, but we'll accept this added measure of healing from the hand of our Father!

We have made a purchase lately that we are pretty excited about: a tandem recumbent bike.  We will post a picture of us on it when we get it.  Although we may not be able to ride it outside much before the snow and ice envelops us, we will take advantage of better weather until that time! :)  David is excited to be able to get some aerobic exercise (which is very difficult for him to get).  I'm excited to be able to do something active with my husband.  Before the accident we enjoyed about every kind of active thing you could imagine, so to be limited in this way for the first 2 years of our marriage has been tough.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17


A Good Weekend

10/20/14 (Rachel Hanson) We have had a really good week, consummated by a great weekend. On Saturday, we had a beautiful, sunny fall day so we took advantage of it and went to a park. Jocelyn got to swing and David got to throw a frisbee. Then we went home and made cookies. Sunday, we went to church and went bowling and out to eat with family. It almost felt normal this weekend.

How I'm Doing

10/8/14 A lot of people ask how I'm doing...accompanied by a look that says they want more than just the, "Good, how are you?" When you go through something like this, it touches deep places in a soul that make it difficult to put into words what goes through my head and heart in a quick conversation. It's like I'm married to two different men in one body...the new David and the old David. I've found it almost impossible to grieve this loss that's an incomplete loss because life trundles on and if I don't want to miss the train, I better get on board. I love being married. I love having purpose and having the gift of loving my husband and daughter. I love being able to cook to my heart's content and spoil my husband's palate. I love being able to see God's healing handiwork in my husband's body in slow motion. I love being given the opportunity to research a medical topic to the wee hours of the morning just to see if I can find something more to give more quality of life to my husband. I love that I have been gifted with a supportive, loving, godly family on both sides. I struggle with bitterness and anger and deep hurt. I get overwhelmed emotionally by the mental toll this life takes. My brain shuts down and all I want to do is sleep or have absolute quiet. That's it. That's the convoluted, messy answer to how I am doing.
On a note about David, he is starting to step with his left leg!!! We are hitting the walking goal harder than anything else right now. We have a walking device at home that has a butterfly-shaped sling that goes in between his legs and attaches to the trunk support so if his legs buckle, there are no mishaps. ? He walks about 20 feet twice 6 days a week and then once or twice at PT. Please pray for David's mind to be stayed on Christ and to initiate healthy activities.

September 2014

9/7/14 (Rachel Hanson) One of the most important things or maybe I should say moments in the world to David is to remember the Lord. He loves unity among Christians in this moment, to show forth the Lord's death until He comes. Last Sunday, he shared John 10:10b ("I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.") and this Sunday, he turned to me and whispered, "Can I pray?" I whispered back, "Go ahead!" He prayed a beautiful prayer thankful for the Lord being broken for us. I'm also sharing a photo of David and Jocelyn. He loves sharing treats with her (ie. spoiling ) and she loves that he shares treats with her!! He loves taking opportunities to win her affection. It's fun to see the connection between the two.

August 2014

8/20/14 (Rachel Hanson) We were able to enjoy a wonderful week at a Christian camp last week. I had lots of help from the Hanson family in making it possible for us. It's so unbelievably wonderful to be surrounded by Christians and awesome ministry for a whole week! It was challenging but still enjoyable and I was able to sneak away by myself a couple times to relax kayaking around the lake. David surprised us by stepping up 2-1/2 steps up to the sauna with my help! He used to love the sauna ...and was so determined to get up in that sauna that he did the unthinkable! Unfortunately there were more than 2 steps...so maybe next year. Please pray for us in the next couple months as to some big decision-making. We had a family/therapist/doctor meeting today. Some big things came up in the meeting. David has made a lot of progress but I think we are of one mind that his therapy needs to stepped up to see if we can speed up his progress. The thinking is to have him spend a few months in an intensive inpatient rehab setting a couple hours away from our home. David is surprisingly willing to do this. We are, Lord willing, planning a trip to California in about a month. Please pray that the Lord would either expedite the process of getting his new, smaller, lighter wheelchair before the trip or provide a chair to rent or something. Pray also about details to be worked out with David's insurance funding. I think it should be ok but the two-year "temporary disability" status is over and needs to be changed to a percentage of permanent disability to determine funding. Pray that there would be an appointment opening in the time frame that we're in CA so David can be seen by the "medical examiner". "For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death." Psalms 48:14
8/29/14 (Rachel Hanson) Just a little update: two of my prayer requests have been answered...we got a trial wheelchair that the wheelchair company is letting us use for free on our trip to CA and the medical examiner doctor was able to shuffle things around and squeeze David in during our stay in CA. I love when God answers specific prayer requests! "LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?" Psalms 144:3 “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31
9/4/14 (Rachel Hanson) We got two pieces of news today that kind of made my heart sink a bit. We went over David's psychometric testing results. They were not good. It doesn't really change what we do, it just spells out what we've been seeing lately, in black and white. I find myself fearing when David stops making progress, the point when we just live with what is. There's a certain comfort in the forward progress, but it becomes my hope ("something better around the corner"), a greed of hea...rt, a discontentment of the circumstances of here and now. The testing was limited and probably not 100% accurate because of the way we had to do it because of David's speech deficits, but there was also a lot of truth in the assessment. David didn't want to know the results at first and wanted me to speak privately with the doctor but later he was overcome with curiosity and had to know. He was very quiet after hearing the results. It's disheartening but I reassured him he's come so far, especially in the last year and he is still progressing. It's just test results, it doesn't have to dictate our lives or change how I see my husband. The second piece of news is that David is not a candidate for the intensive rehab facility. I guess we are doing too good of a job here at home. Since he is doing a good job reintegrating back into the community and still making progress with seeing his therapists a couple times a week, they somehow can't justify the intensive rehab. In a way, it's a relief, but I'll always wonder what he could have done with that opportunity. I have to trust that this is God's will for us and it is good. "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." I Timothy 6:6-12 I am challenged by these verses in my lack of contentment. It's not riches I seek, but a whole husband that leads. But I see evidence of God's work in him to begin to lead and it's beautiful to see!




July 2014

7/1/14 (Rachel Hanson) Maybe I'm a wimp but please pray for me. Last week, I had 5 whole shifts not covered by care givers and another one spent training a new one, which means I still pretty much did everything. My brain is just really overwhelmed right now. I got another message on my phone today that there are another 5 shifts open 5 days in a row. Thankfully I have help in the morning, so I guess I will be taking advantage of that as much as possible but we also have tons of appointments to attend the next few days too so that cuts time from them helping much at home. Also, thankfully, our little daughter is very well-behaved and makes life a lot easier than it could be. David is also less challenging to take care of than 10 months ago when we brought him home. There are lots of blessings. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." David and I quote this a lot. On a positive note, I've noticed a brightening in David over the past few days. His speech is clearer and it seems a little more of the "fog" has lifted. Even a lady at the hospital whom I've never noticed or talked to said today that she noticed David's face was brighter and more aware too. We tried taking him off a medication he's been on for awhile but he didn't do well off of it: severe headaches, irritability, weakness, etc... so he's back on it and we've seen a lot of benefit, so I guess he does need that drug. David is getting better and better at initiating realistic short-term plans like trips and outings without any prompting from me. One thing I'm so thankful for is David's spirit through all of this. A couple nights ago, he looked at me and said, "These are the best days of my life!" and told his psychologist today that he's a very happy man. It makes my heart sing to hear him say these things. I'm so grateful for a man that triumphs over trial with joy and prays so often for us to be satisfied with God's will for us.
7/11/14 (Rachel Hanson) Thank you for praying for me. One of my care givers worked overtime a lot and my brother-in-law helped out too. One of the things that is always pushing at us is progress. Insurance doesn't like to pay for continued therapy if there isn't measurable progress. David's brain injury was very severe and even though we are pushing him constantly, it takes lots of time to rewire and reroute around all the damaged areas. The more I read anecdotal cases of brain injuries like David's, I am amazed at what miracles the Lord has done for us. I need to work on a list of things that have improved over the last month or so to prepare for a meeting between the therapists, doctor and insurance case manager and us. The therapists have better eyes than the doctor because they see more of David but I have the best eyes because I see all the little things at home and at therapy. Here's things I have noticed lately: - He demonstrated righting reaction for the first time in sitting by putting out his right arm to catch himself when he was falling to the right. - He can bring his trunk upright again after flopping to the left when I turn a corner while driving without cuing - He can sit unassisted on the edge of the bed for 1 minute (slouchy still) - He can feed 75% of his meal to himself without assistance - He can drink with supervision - He can shave about 60% of his face - He can help with washing himself in the shower - He can lean forward in his wheelchair with very little assistance - He can balance in standing with me just placing two hands lightly on his pelvis - He can weight shift through his hips while holding onto a bar without sagging - He can check his email and facebook independently, plus do google searches - His working memory seems to be improving some, as he is able to recall and understand the plot and gist of a 2 hour movie I don't know if you know how hard David works every day but I'll give you a sample. Sometimes he has three hours of therapy in one day and then he does over an hour of exercises before 11pm. Most days he doesn't get to sleep before midnight. He works out at the YMCA a couple times a week for almost 2 hours. Everything has to be repeated a thousand times, it seems, to be able to make a functional gain. Tonight we got to enjoy a date together without baby. Sometimes his quick wit catches me off guard because it is so unexpected. We went to a restaurant and when the waiter delivered our food, he said something like, "Enjoy". I said, "You too." David started laughing at me and said, "He didn't get anything." Oh. I'm a dumdum. lol

June 2014

6/19/14 (Rachel Hanson) David and I had the privilege of getting to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary together. It was much different and much better than last year! Last year David couldn't eat anything and was wiped out by just me wheeling him down the street to a coffee shop and little redwood grove and back. This year we got to watch a movie and go out to dinner. God is good. David is getting better at scooping and getting his food to his mouth more independently. He is able to eat just about anything now, which is awesome for him and easier for me! He just had a swallow study that revealed his swallowing has improved so that he's only aspirating on 10% of thin liquids. David's therapists are great. They really try to motivate him by incorporating things into therapy that he enjoys. The speech therapist is using David's favorite game, Rook, to work on speech articulation and multitasking. He has to teach the therapist how to play the game and I have to bite my tongue the whole session to keep from automatically "interpreting" for him. I have gotten almost too good at interpreting his speech so, at home, he can get along with mushing along and slurring words together and I'll get it. David's trunk control is coming along super slow but the PT is starting to make it a priority and we are integrating more at home. He got a few adaptive technology devices to make his computer more accessible. He is getting better at being able to type and open up emails, facebook, google searches, etc... with less help. He has a pair of funky glasses the OT is letting him borrow that have improved his vision so much that he could read the hymn book and read a story to Jocelyn for the first time since his accident!! The OT is also letting David drive in the driving simulator. David loves it!! Needless to say, he has lots of work to do before or if he ever drives again, but he does surprisingly well at braking for stop signs but needs work on staying on the road. We are still in the process of finding something that works for David and I to get a full night of sleep. I will be posting some recent "media" of David's progress.

May 2014

5/16/14 (Rachel Hanson) This has been a big week for making appointments and going to appointments. The name of the game of brain injuries is WAIT, WAIT, and more Waiting! Time to heal, time to get in for important appointments, time to wait for important equipment... You name it, nothing happens immediately. We waited over a month to even get scheduled for a neuro psychology appointment, let alone see the whites of the man's eyes in August. Even more waiting for the endocrinologist...September is first available for him! We are finally getting some adaptive technology for David after waiting almost 3 months since his assessment. Yesterday, David went to a neuro ophthalmologist. She confirmed everyone's suspicions of optic nerve damage. He has no pupillary reflex in both eyes which means he is unable to control his depth of focus. This makes it impossible to see small print or anything far away and difficult to focus on large print. Although, this visit gave us bad news, it provided the opportunity for David and I to get away for a night all by ourselves! It was great! No care giver, no baby, just us! Today we went to David's physiatrist. He signed him up for occupational and speech therapy again. We also discussed a visit with the endocrinologist because of some behavioral and sleep problems that are possibly caused by hormonal imbalances. Unfortunately, there is only ONE very busy dude that does this specialty here! Today was encouraging. David goes to ride horses and a man and his wife about our age work with him on the horse. David gave the guy one of his CDs last time and he made a point to talk to David about it today. He seems like a bright christian who loves the Lord. We rarely get such a bright response so it was so encouraging to talk to someone that seeks the Lord and loves Him. Things to pray for: sooner appointments with the neuro psychologist and endocrinologist, an improvement in sleep and insistEnt, disinhibited behavior, and spiritual encouragement/Christ-ward focus in our hearts.

5/24/14 (Rachel Hanson) We are back at it again...PT, OT, ST and ET (equine therapy) plus WT (wifey therapy). David does better and better at his walking. The left leg muscles are starting to kick in a little, at least his quads help straighten his leg a little. It's encouraging even though it's small steps...but in the right direction. You can see for yourself in the latest video. I've noticed a few new things lately. David is doing better at being able to have a conversation where he can think about what the other person said a little more critically and comment from a previous memory that correlates with what the person said or add depth to the conversation. Tonight he was able to sing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" with his mom pretty much on tune and then surprised us with a real whistle when I asked him if he needed to "wet his whistle" after singing! Sleep is still an ongoing issue. But God is giving me more grace when I'm awakened to my husband sleep talking about his wild dreams at 3 am! Thank you for praying. The Lord has been teaching me about the power of prayer lately. Admission: Sometimes I have secretly scoffed in my heart at those who ask for prayer for, it seems, every tiny little ailment or problem. But God has been teaching me that He delights in hearing our dumb little requests. His Word says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7 and "CONTINUE in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" Colossians 4:2 He delights in having the opportunity to change our hearts and lives. Prayer is the opportunity to give pieces of our life to Him, if not the whole, and see Him work His will. David and I were having a really rough night of sleeping (or lack thereof) a little while ago. I was getting really irritated because he was waking up about every 10 minutes from midnight to 5 am, insistently wanting to speak with me about dreams or plans for tomorrow or food he wanted... He was getting irritated at me because I wasn't wanting to listen to him. We went back and forth, the heat between us escalating until I went out on the couch. He just spoke louder and louder. I went back in and flipped the light on. I'd never seen so much anger in his eyes and he's probably never seen so much in mine! The look stopped me dead in my tracks...this wasn't about us, this was a power coming between us, trying to drive us away from each other and from the Lord. We decided to pray. Both of us had peace and calm and we slept after that. We are so slow to learn, the willingness to help and lovingkindness of God to creatures like us is so high.


April 2014

4/17/14 (Rachel Hanson)It's the small things that surprise me. The little things that come out of no where, normal things and expressions that David used to do that I haven't seen for almost 2 years now. Shoulder shrugs, bobbing his head in sync with music with a big grin on his face, his competitiveness in games... We are busier than ever. David's bachelor pad is on the market. Taxes. YMCA. Horse therapy. Speaking engagements. Physical therapy has commenced again. Care giver problems continue. One evening last week, even though there was a crisis going on involving a care giver, we had family over for dinner and then the men were playing Rook and being silly at the table. It felt normal for once in a long, long time and David was so relaxed and calm that night. It was wonderful despite the bad circumstances going on. I am really happy about David's new physical therapist. It is a man this time and for the first time (I think ever!) David was asking when he would get to go to PT again because he had fun. This PT seems motivated and energetic but compassionate, which is all of what David needs. He got him up in the parallel bars and had him working on standing/walking. Needless to say, David has a lot of work to do before he's actually walking, even in parallel bars, but he's up and he's working on it! We finally got the standing frame and have David standing in it almost every day. David's mom is working with David on singing and being able to translate that into modulating his voice better. He is able to hit about 5 notes. He is able to emphasize words and modulate slightly...definitely better than a few months ago. David wants to work again and I think it would really help him to have some project or job or something that would give him a sense of responsibility and achievement once again. I'm still working on researching that area. It seems that most of the programs in our area are more catered toward people that have been handicapped their whole lives (mostly mentally) and I'm not sure it's an exact fit for David but he seemed excited about any opportunity to have a job so we'll see. Funding may be an issue too...not sure though. We are so thankful for friends that have come by to visit us and for family that is so faithful in helping when we're in need.


March 2014

3/8/14 (Annette Hanson) Such a blessing to hear David pray publicly Wednesday night, for the first time since his accident. We had to listen very carefully, but he was definitely understandable! His prayer included thanking the Lord for "another day of life" and for "every gift He gives." He also prayed that we would always be in the center of the Lord's will. As he was ready to pray, he reached out to hold his brother's hand. (I'm thinking he is used to holding Rachel's hand when they pray together, but she was away that evening) David's physical progress is slow, but he is maintaining a desire to keep exercising. We do keep seeing progress in his brain recovery, with more memories coming back from the time he spent in California before the accident. He was recalling friends and family involved in buying a ring for Rachel and more friends who came to visit him while in rehab. He told me about a group of children who came to visit and sang with a guitar. He was a little confused about where they were from, but it is still encouraging to see him remember "new" things that are from his more recent past. As a mother, it touches my heart each time David says, "Hello Ma'am," takes my hand, kisses it, and tells me he loves me. A year ago, he was unable to do any of these things, and we are so grateful to the Lord, the Master Physician!

3/16/14 (Rachel Hanson) Thanks to Nathan and Ashley and our caregivers, I was able to have a vacation for a week and see some of my family and friends. This was a much needed break. I came back very refreshed despite a cold Jocelyn and I picked up and was ready to go at it again. These breaks give me the emotional energy to go back at it again with a renewed spirit and to be a better wife. David has been free of traditional therapy for a few weeks now. He is riding a horse named "Sterling" once a week and is loving it! He has two "side walkers" that walk on either side of the horse to help support David, as his trunk control still needs help. We try to go to the YMCA 3 times a week, although it's been spotty lately due to various reasons. We've gotten David in the pool twice which he also really enjoys. It is a great experience because his body is deweighted because of the buoyant property of the water so he can relax and practice movements he might not otherwise be able to do in normal situations. He is using a regular wheelchair most of the time at home now and can propel himself around the house using his right leg. David is holding more and more normal conversations with people although his speech still is a little unclear at times. We are getting ready to sell David's "bachelor pad" and I have been updating David on the details as we progress in the process. He has been surprising me by reminding me to do certain things. This is helpful because I have a lot of things I try to keep track of in my brain! David has been asked to do a presentation to a group of Electrical Power Distribution and Diesel Mechanic students at the technical college David attended in about a month. We would appreciate prayer in this matter as it is an opportunity to share David's testimony and faith in Christ as well as educate them in safety in the field. Last Wednesday, we had the opportunity to spend a few hours with an expert rehabilitation engineer that brought some cool "toys" for David to try. From her assessment, it looks like she will be very helpful in providing us with some assistive technology for communication, computer/ipad and cell phone use. We also attended a doctor's appointment last week with David's physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor. He made a referral to get a second opinion on David's eyes/vision. I need to do some research on neurological ophthalmologists in the area and would appreciate prayer for wisdom and direction in this. I would love to see if David's vision could be improved somehow. Although no one has definitely come out and said it, it has been alluded to that cranial nerve damage is the cause for his vision deficits. The doctor is also going to do some botox injections in his hamstrings in a couple weeks. I'm hoping this will help relax those muscles so standing and practicing walking in his "Tram" is possible and easier. Thank you again for your consistent prayers for us.
I share this to show how David's piano playing has progressed. He is now able to use all his fingers on his right hand instead of just one finger and is starting to try some simple chords. This is amazing because he really doesn't practice all that often!



3/19/14 (Rachel Hanson)A friend of ours was in a bad car accident a few days ago and is a similar condition to David after his accident. My heart is heavy but I am so glad we have a compassionate God who hears our petitions. The Lord showed me these verses recently and they are an encouragement to me especially in this time. It gives hope in the midst of suffering, a reason to carry on: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Romans 8:18-21

February 2014

2/10/14(Rachel Hanson) "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 ABUNDANT life... I remember when David was just a few days into his journey after his accident. He was still in a coma, still on total life support, still showing signs of the most severe kind of brain injury...I prayed that if God would give David life, that he would have a quality life and not be stuck inside a body and brain that didn't work. Not just "life", a few electrical impulses in the brain maintaining a status just above clinical brain death, but abundant life, a life that could be shared with others, a life that could be enjoyed, a testimony of healing. Sometimes it doesn't FEEL abundant. It doesn't feel like we're free to enjoy life like we used to. But we are so grateful for the quality of life the Lord has given David. I think we like to think that abundant life would mean that we are free from the burdens of health problems, financial problems, all that this creation groans under but Jesus has promised us abundant life. How can we find abundance in what seems to be a lack? David and I were reading in Matthew 19 about the young man who had kept all the commandments and had many possessions but he just couldn't let go of his possessions for the poor, to advance the kingdom of God. As I looked up "possessions" in the Bible, it seems to have a connection with the thought of multiplying or reproducing. A Jewish man was known as a wealthy man if he had an abundance of livestock. The Jews sought after material goods as a sign of God's blessing on them. But we, as Christians, should be seeking spiritual blessing, our eyes fixed above, our life wrapped up in the advancement of the kingdom of God for His gain and glory. We have been invited to His banqueting Table, invited to share in His joy, look for "that blessed hope". We have so much in Christ if we just LOOK UP! David is getting "kicked out" of occupational and speech therapies this week. It doesn't seem fair. He has been doing great and making progress. There's so much more to do. It's scary to be let out of therapy for the first time in a year and a half. We're on our own. We have to figure out how to fill David's life. How do we live "normal" again? How do we integrate back into the world? I've been looking into different options to try to keep David's progress going. Some options are working out together at the YMCA, starting equine therapy, starting training with a service dog, getting out to do more door to door in the spring... To say the least, we feel a little unprepared to jump into real life again. David wants to text and email and register for a college class...normal stuff. We're working on it but when is the rest of the world going to accept David back? When can we feel like we're a part of the community again?

January 2014

1/2/14 (Rachel Hanson) David is becoming more confident with talking and is doing more and more verbally. It is still hard to understand him a lot but every day, his pronunciation and volume make little strides. He amazed me last night by "singing" 3 complete songs to me! I put singing in quotations because his singing isn't real melodious yet...it's more of a "joyful noise" I could understand almost every single word in the first song. It was incredible. Just a couple months ago, he was needing lots of prompting to even get "Happy Birthday" out. It thrills my soul to hear him calling out hymns in breaking of bread and then joining in singing. It's so neat to see specific prayers being answered one at a time. It's like watching a caterpillar morph into a butterfly...it's an amazing journey God has put us on. And like the butterfly emerging from the cocoon, it has it's not-so-glorious, painful moments as well. David is completely off gabapentin now. I don't want to be dogmatic about this because I'm not a doctor or anything, but I think he is experiencing withdrawal symptoms. In my small amount of research, it seems that one can have a biotin (B vitamin) deficiency as a result of being on gabapentin for an extended period of time. Since quitting gabapentin, he is experienced extreme itchiness, choking sensation, restless legs and other things that seem to point toward a biotin deficiency. The itchiness is incredibly intolerable and along with choking more on his saliva, it makes it difficult for him to sleep. It makes it difficult for me to sleep too! I am experimenting with adding Brewer's yeast into his diet to supplement with more B vitamins. We are really looking forward to getting rid of the g-tube soon. David is totally eating/drinking by mouth and I'm incorporating more texture into his foods so he's mostly on a mechanical soft diet now. Because of the way the treadmill harness system is set up, he cannot work on walking on the treadmill until it's out!

1/13/14 (Rachel Hanson) David is becoming increasingly more clear with speech. We've noticed a drastic change in the last two weeks. His speech therapist is working with him on longer sentences and is starting to work on cognitive issues that are coming to the surface as his speech improves. Last Friday, David got his g-tube removed! We all (the caregiver, David, Jocelyn and I) had fevers and colds that day...otherwise we would have been much more excited! On Christmas day, Jocelyn had tried to remove it herself but was unsuccessful and caused Daddy some stomach pain instead. So when the doctor took it out skillfully, David commented that he did a much better job than Jocelyn! I guess Jocelyn is fired. Sometimes I get nervous about David having another seizure and setting him back again but then God reminds me He is in control. I've been encouraged by a story of two monks lately: "'I need oil,' said an ancient monk, so he planted an olive sapling. 'Lord,' he prayed, 'it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers.' And the Lord sent gentle showers. 'Lord,' prayed the monk, 'my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray thee.' And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. 'Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues,' cried the monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died. Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. 'I, too, planted a little tree,' he said, 'and see! It thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind rain, or frost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'" --Streams in the Desert David gets to try crawling on the treadmill tomorrow! Pray for contentment for David and I. We have so much, so much to be thankful for, so many riches (material, non-material, and spiritual). Why are our eyes so swift to look down when we have so much??

1/23/14 (Rachel Hanson)David's cognitive progress is coming along by leaps and bounds! It's really amazing to watch. I've probably said this before but it's like watching a caterpillar emerge from its cocoon, transformed into a beautiful butterfly! It's not like everything is perfect or that life isn't hard still but David is doing so much better. His recovery seems to be speeding up, at least in the cognitive realm. For the last few months (at least 6 months), he's been in a stage that's typical frontal lobe damage symptoms. But recently, he's been regaining more control over impulsive, inappropriate behavior/words. We've come up with a sign that works pretty good when his brain is telling him to spit out stuff without a filter. So instead of blurting out something embarrassing, he shows me he's biting his tongue. It may sound silly, but it works. David is also progressing rapidly in "executive functions". In layman's terms, this means: "Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning, a group of skills that helps us to focus on multiple streams of information at the same time, and revise plans as necessary." --- http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/multimedia/videos/inbrief_series/inbrief_executive_function/ David has initiated organizing a Bible Study and wants to start door-to-door evangelism outreach too. (This idea may have to wait until spring...) This is the old David! To be able to put all the things together to do these things, is nothing short of incredible. The speech therapist and neurologist acknowledge, in their mostly godless semantics, that David has "a special inner strength" and has exceeded prognostic expectations. We know his inner strength is from the Lord. "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13 Today was an "off day" where we had no therapy or doctor's appointments so we had a rush-free morning. The speech therapist wants David to start helping me with meal-planning, grocery lists, etc... so I decided to take it to the next level and have him plan his breakfast and direct/help me make it. He used to work at Burger King, so he wanted a croissant-wich, hash browns and coffee. We didn't have croissants so we improvised with refrigerated biscuits. He was able to do about 85% of the "bossing" accurately and helped me cut the biscuit, slather some mayo on, cut cheese, and assemble it. He was very happy with his breakfast this morning and he just glowed because I think it made him feel rather accomplished to be helping me. He was able to read Jocelyn a story last night and was able to choose appropriate ways to soothe her when she was crying. You have no idea what this does to my soul to have my husband starting to begin to be involved actively in our lives again. David's physical recovery has been slower but maybe his brain can only focus on one part of recovery at a time. Yesterday they had about 5 or 6 therapists assisting him in an overhead harness system to take about 50 steps. It was great but he was exhausted! Thank you all for praying continually for us, even after over a year and all your notes/ words of encouragement. We do feel borne up on the everlasting arms sometimes, carrying us up above our struggles, beyond human strength and joy.

December 2013

12/12/13 (Rachel Hanson) We got our modified van this morning!!! It will be so nice to not have to do hard transfers anymore and David and I will have the freedom to go on dates out by ourselves!!! Thank you so much for your specific prayers for this. It's such a huge blessing!

12/10/13 (Janet Rawlings) "HOME" the word that has taken on a new meaning to David, Rachel and Jocelyn. It has taken on a new sweetness for me, too. I am no longer running up and down the freeways and packing up a suitcase so that I could be a help to David and Rachel. It has taken on a new meaning for David's family, too. To have David, Rachel and Jocelyn be with them for Thanksgiving was, I am sure, a very special day. What joy for us to be packing up to go visit them in their new home as parents and grandparents not caregivers. It has and is an amazing journey to go on. We (Rawlings and Hanson families) have felt borne up on eagles wings. Many of you have told me that Rachel is an amazing woman and that she encourages them in their walk with the Lord as they read her posts. They, quite often, like to tell me that I did a good job raising her, but I want to set the record straight - It has been only the Lord bearing her up and speaking His Words into her heart. We, as parents, give God all the glory. His NAME be praised!!! Very important in this journey have been the prayers of thousands of people. We want to thank you VERY much, because it has made a huge difference. It always brings me to tears when someone will come up to me and tell me they are STILL praying for David and Rachel. It has been 16 months since David's accident. 16 months of the most amazing gospel outreach ever created. Nobody would have thought of it, because it is so painful and nobody would have chosen it. Never the less, God has chosen this way of getting his Good News out to people who would normally not get to hear about the Savior who loves them so much and died for them and is in heaven waiting to fold them in His arms. Amazing things keep happening so that David's CD's keep getting handed out. To make a long story short, last week a car load of young people stopped at our house to buy almonds. In the course of the conversation I told them about David's accident and ended up giving them a CD and they promised to listen to it. These young people were from Oakland, CA going to Oregon. How unlikely is that?! After being with David and Rachel in their new home for 6 weeks I went to say good-bye to David and he got tears in his eyes. Wow! A son-inlaw that actually was going to miss his mother-inlaw!!! What a sweet young man he is. And how he displays the heart of Christ. We can't measure what is being done for eternity in the hearts of men and women on this journey that David and Rachel are taking. The struggles are still sometimes overwhelming for David and Rachel, but if you learn more of who Jesus Christ is through their lives and the scriptures that Rachel posts then the fruit will be displayed in your life, too, and make it worth while for David and Rachel to have gone through this valley. We praise God for allowing David, Rachel and Jocelyn to be at HOME!

12/20/13 (Rachel Hanson) As David continues to progress, he is entering a cognitive stage that is challenging for me, especially. I won't go into a lot of detail because I want to respect him and his privacy. When David was progressing through the first stages of the Rancho Los Amigos cognitive scale, we were thankful he seemed to skip the 4th one, as that stage is associated with anger and combativeness. But I'm wishing he'd skip this stage too! So please pray for us. The neurologist has outlined a plan to take gabapentin out of his medicine list by next weekend. Please pray that this change does not cause a seizure. I've noticed he is more stiff lately but talking more spontaneously and louder. It's a balancing act! David has been practicing different tones and more consonant sounds in speech therapy. If I don't go to therapy with him for a couple days, I'm always impressed by what he's doing in speech the next time I go with him! We are putting our new van to work and have it out 6-8 times a week! These verses have encouraged me: Psalms 66:8-20 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs... We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment. I will go into Your house...I will pay You my vows, Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble...Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me! (Psalms 66:8-20 NKJV)

November 2013

11/1/13 (Rachel Hanson) David had a swallow study this morning and we got great news! The only thing David is aspirating on is thin liquids (like water). This means he can have a full diet of puree to "soft chunky" foods and slightly thickened liquids. This means I have to get busy cooking some nutritional pureed meals for David and not use the g-tube! I find it challenging to be cooking for 3 different consistencies of foods. I eat regular, David eats everything pureed, and Jocelyn eats choosy purees, bottles and nursing! It was kind of funny when the speech therapist doing the swallow study said something about seeing what she had to trial with him, David said, "Leftover candy available!" ha ha....this was in reference to a wife that WAY outdid herself buying candy for potential trick-or-treaters! We are still in limbo about the next step. A lot of the therapists think they can't do anything more here at home. I think they can do a lot at home and think they just need to stop thinking inside the box but that's just me...and then there's the speech therapist who is doing great things (well, God is doing great things through her!) Please continue to pray for us regarding this possible transition to outpatient therapy, inpatient therapy or staying with in home therapy for awhile. There are several options and I really don't know what's best. Pray for me for endurance. Between Jocelyn deciding she doesn't like to sleep through the night anymore and turning David/giving medication, I don't get much good rest. There seems to always be some new equipment to train caregivers on or a new task to train them on or a new caregiver. I get stuck with most of the training because most of them don't get it the first time. Sometimes I feel like I'm on a real-life video game where flying objects come out at me constantly and once I've mastered one level, the objects come at me faster and faster. One of these days, I might just fall of this treadmill... But there's not really the option of starting on Level 1 again on this journey. I would like to learn how to be a devoted wife and mother instead of just a wife and mother bound by duty, but still accomplish the necessary tasks for the day. I was thinking about this...the contrast between Mary and Martha. Martha was burdened with much serving and Mary was sitting a Jesus' feet in worship. Jesus said Mary chose the "good part". How do I prioritize between devotion and duty when duty means the difference between a quality life and neglect?

11/4/13 (Annette Hanson) After several "all-nighters" at David and Rachel's, they finally had a full night's rest. I only needed to re-position him a couple of times, and Jocelyn slept quietly from about 10 PM until about 7:30 AM. It was nice to see the smiles this morning. Thanking the Lord! David has continued to work hard at speaking. He is easily fatigued, but if he isn't too tired, he can sometimes verbalize an entire sentence, one word at a time. His pronunciation is developing, and we need to listen very carefully in order to understand his words. He is very patient with us! Sometimes it takes a combination of speech, signing and spelling before we get the message, but it is worth it....especially when he comes up with humorous statements and his own made-up sign for "more ice cream." I have personally really enjoyed the blessing of spending time with Rachel and Jocelyn. The Lord has been so kind in giving David such a good wife. If you could peek into their everyday life, you would see a young family who shares a lot of joy and love with one another......including the baby. She really lights up and can hardly contain herself when her mommy walks into the room, and her daddy loves to hold her in his lap, with his head bent down to feel her soft little head. She is really a wiggle worm! ....like her daddy was as a baby. Our family, as a whole, has been learning more and more about caring for David. His ability to move independently is very limited, and sometimes there are a few "gaps" in the availability of care-givers. So when we are able to visit David, Joel and the boys have been learning how to transfer and care for him. The rest of us are learning a variety of care-giving activities as well. Even the small members of our family are eager to give him hugs, play thumb war, have stare-downs, and pepper him with questions. They sometimes get the biggest smiles from David...aside from Rachel, of course. Life is very different than it used to be, but God keeps doing good things and showing us His "new mercies." Thank you all for your prayers and encouragements! A verse from Scripture that greatly encouraged me recently is Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know."

11/13/13 (Annette Hanson) David prayed aloud with us the other night. His words came slowly and carefully. We were able to understand about 2/3 of his prayer, and it was a special time together. He works so hard to try to speak, and his clarity is improving. After a short sentence or two, he gets pretty tired and we revert back to spelling, but that's ok. We are all encouraged with his progress. Thank the Lord for a good speech therapist for the past several weeks! It looks like all of David's therapists will be changing starting this week. The in-home therapists have 'dismissed' him, and he will begin out-patient therapy at a local hospital soon. We have all been praying about this, and it seems that the Lord is providing a new 'work program' for David. Rachel has been getting a little more rest at night as Jocelyn has been sleeping better. (most of the time, anyway) It has been so nice to see their smiling faces! A few days ago, we walked into their house (after knocking, of course) and Jocelyn was happily helping her mommy in the kitchen....she was tied, facing forward, with some sort of cloth strap and was just as content as could be...hanging there with her bright little eyes, hands and feet dangling and wiggling away. It was such a sweet picture. Later on Rachel put her in a Johnny-Jump-Up, and she became a wild thing! At another point in the evening, when she started to get fussy, we looked over and there was David looking at her with a big pouty lip. (trying to humor her) It didn't work though. I just share this, because it is good to see the joy of their unique "family life" taking place, and the peace that the Lord is providing. Thank you for your prayers!

11/14/13 (Rachel Hanson) "Once you choose HOPE, anything's possible." ---Christopher Reeve I've been thinking a lot on the subject of hope this week in combination with seeking the Lord first above all. Who is our hope in or what is our hope in? I don't know about you but my hope is in the Lord. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Jeremiah 7:17,18 I can't hope in anyone/anything else because nothing else is sure or stable. If my hope is in the Lord, the God of my salvation, the One who says I cannot be plucked from His hand, the One who paid for my eternal life with His blood, how can I be disappointed? If my hope is in my husband's healing, I will be disappointed. Not a whole lot is new with David that Annette didn't cover but if you could pray about these two things: David is a little under the weather with a sore throat today and will be starting outpatient therapy on Monday. I am concerned that he will struggle to have enough energy to do well in outpatient because of the long duration

11/28/13 (Joel Hanson, David's Father) Thanksgiving 2013 As I reflect on this past year there are things that have happened that I can definitely see the hand of God working for blessing. God’s blessings are evident, but not all of these can be seen apart from the eyes of faith in His great promises to us. Last year at this time, we were seeing David progressing far beyond what the doctor’s had envisioned. We were told a few months before that David’s brain was functioning, but that his body was cut off from his brain because of serious damage to the brain stem. David’s brain stem was seriously injured and would be scarred to such an extent that this pathway from the head to the body would be cut-off. We were told the very best we could hope for was that David would live in a vegetative state unable to connect with his own body and with all of us who love him. This was the medical experts told us…… However, God had a different idea and a different plan for David and Rachel. One of the early indications that God had a plan was Jocelyn. Although we didn’t know her name yet, God was at work in Rachel’s womb. David and Rachel had a gift of life from God and the evidence could not be hidden very long as Rachel’s increase in visible size. We also began to see impossible things happening to David. He was not supposed to be able to hear us, breath, gain consciousness, wake up or sleep, or move his hand across midline in brain directed movements….. but he did all these things. Within weeks everything the doctor told us was proven to be a mistaken diagnosis based upon the wisdom of men. A greater wisdom was and is at work. God’s wisdom and compassion was at work to raise up David as a testimony to what God alone can do. Then came another time of testing…. In late January David had a grand mal seizure. It was an awful seizure and it was a hard and difficult time. Much of the recovery that we had seen in David was no longer visible to us. We wept often during this time and intensified our petitions to God to heal David and bring him back to a pathway to recovery. God encouraged us that the He who raises the dead and who heals to sick could restore David, just as he had done five months before. We watched and prayed but the recovery was slow and painful for David and for Rachel and for the families supporting them. Nevertheless, David was progressing and we were learning about the patience of faith in a God who does all things well and who has promised, “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) The months passed and we saw David emerge again from devastating patterns of uncontrolled movements that were identical to the movements witnessed in the minutes following his 55 foot fall. David’s spasticity which at times bound him in a power greater than cords or chains was also alleviated by God who was at work and who also allowed doctors to assist Him. On April 20th another miracle occurred. David and Rachel were granted a gift of life and her name was revealed to us. David and Rachel named her Jocelyn, which means “giver of joy.” God truly is the giver of joy. Sin brought sorrow, sickness and death into this world, but God did not abandon us because of our sin… He sent His only begotten Son into this world to save us. We needed saving because of what sin did to us in the sight of a holy God. God made His Son a sin offering to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and He offers the gift of eternal life to all who believe in Christ. The birth of a child is a common and wonderful blessing given to men and women. The second birth is promised to all who believe in the Son of God and those who believe, God does a miraculous work of rebirth in making those who believe, sons of God. The months passed and September 13th arrived. Rachel, true to her promise brought David to a new rental home near to David’s father, mother, brothers and sisters, brothers and sisters in-law, brothers and sisters in Christ and many friends in Wisconsin and surrounding states. When David emerged from the long trip from California he held his mother’s hand and would not let it go. He made it back by God’s grace. Not only has God preserved him for a year and three months since his fall, but God has given David and Rachel a basis for hope. God has not deserted them. God has a future for them. He has given them a life to hold and cherish (Jocelyn is powerful reminder of this); but there is more. A greater hope for the future is found as a treasure in the Book of books. Here is a promise for such a hope that only God can deliver and it will be acquired by His almighty power. God cannot lie. The truth of God contains this great promise of hope for us in Titus 3:3-7. In these verses we read, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” God, who gives life, promises to give eternal life to all who believe in Christ. On this Thanksgiving Day we have much to remember and even more to reason than ever to praise, thank and worship God who gives us such gifts as these. A blessed Thanksgiving!
Picture: David, Rachel and Jocelyn Hanson on Thanksgiving (November 28th, 2013)

11/29/13 (Rachel Hanson) Thankful doesn't really express what my heart feels. God is so good. My mom's theme song for David is "It is no Secret What God Can do." The chimes of time ring out the news; Another day is through. Someone slipped and fell. Was that someone you? You have longed for added strength, Your courage to renew. Do not be disheartened, For I bring hope to you. It is no secret what God can do. What He's done for others, He'll do for you With arms wide open, He'll pardon you, It is no secret what God can do. David is doing really well. Some of his progress is more personal between the two of us but still progress. He is interacting more and more with Jocelyn which is lovely to see. She is responding more to him too. He likes to hold her, tickle her, say, "hi baby" and even can defend himself from her grabbing his eye balls and picking his nose! Tonight I noticed how much stronger he was in standing. We could even hug in standing without him buckling and me feeling like I was propping him up! So awesome to have a real hug from my hubby!! We are finally getting a wheelchair accessible van! We are so excited! we get to pick out the color and everything. I've been working on this since June so it's great to have it finally come to fruition. Sometimes we forget to praise God for prayers that are answered slowly. David hardly has headaches or pain period much at all. He used to have moderate to severe headaches daily for months. Now, he has a headache about once every 2 weeks. We are decreasing his anti-seizure medication to a lower dose to try to increase his energy level. Fatigue is still an issue but he is tolerating outings much better, as he gets out about 5 times a week for therapy, church, family gatherings, etc... versus once a month, if that, a few months ago. If he keeps doing well with food by mouth, I anticipate him getting rid of his feeding tube soon!! As for me, I'm getting much more rest and free time. This feels like vacation compared to the stress and running I've had the last year. The Lord DOES heal the broken hearted and gives courage and strength to those who have no might. Those that wait on (hope in) the Lord WILL renew their strength.

October 2013

10/11/13 (Rachel Hanson) We finally have a great speech therapist! She is a gift from the Lord. She runs a ministry for autistic children on a ranch and drives an hour one-way to see David 3 times a week. She is getting us hooked up with with some augmentative speech devices but still working on verbal communication. A few days ago, David was able to say 15 words in a row audibly! It's not consistent yet but he's improving in oromotor strength as well. He's improved from being able to scan and select between 2 objects to 12 objects in 3 weeks! I'm trying to get David two real meals a day and supplement with tube feeding but it's hard to get it in with so many doctor's appointments, therapy, outings, family gatherings, etc... PT is coming in 4-5 times a week and OT is coming in 3 times a week. I am continuing to work on standing and squatting as well as reinforcing what the therapists are working on. David's mom is teaching him signing the alphabet (I need to learn too and he's catching on faster than me!) I've got 2 good full-time caregivers now that I can depend on. Two have quit and 2 have gotten sick so at least once a week, I find myself high and dry without a caregiver. David's new doctor and therapists are really pressing for David to go to a state-of-the-art rehab facility. This is a point of prayer. We JUST got home and we've been away for FOURTEEN months! David is making progress, actually faster than at the last facility he was at. In some ways it's a tantalizing opportunity...in some ways it's totally not. We are asking God for wisdom and direction. To go or not to go, that is the question. David just had a birthday yesterday. My mom doesn't delete pictures off her camera for ages. So the other night, I was scanning through her camera and I found a picture of David from last birthday. Then I see proof of God's grace. Here is proof for you to see His goodness to us. I'll post the picture from a year ago when I get a chance.

10/17/13 (Rachel Hanson) Today is one of those days of praise, a day when I'm so proud of my husband, and I am bursting with joy and thankfulness to the Lord! David had an impromptu visit to his primary doctor to address a recent development of tremors in his right hand. He ended up reducing the gabapentin. Lately, I've been asking God for big things. We got big things today. We had two doctor's appointments today and I thought David would be wiped out. Instead, he had lots of energy. We were surrounded by God's people today: the van driver, the first doctor, and the PT. I was about to go shopping and was going to tell David good bye. He wanted to say something. I told him to try to voice it. To my surprise he not only said five words then, he kept going and going, word after word, whatever I asked him to say!! Then when I walked in after shopping, he almost shouted "I love you!" Truly, God is doing great things!

10/25/13 (Rachel Hanson) I can't say enough how great it is to have David communicating verbally! I don't know how to explain the difference of how it feels in my heart to have my husband TALK to me instead of laboriously spelling things out. I can actually look him in the eyes when we talk instead of staring at his thumb!! It's like we've been sending telegrams to each other for over a year. We had the privilege of talking to my sister on the phone last night TOGETHER. Instead of going to another inpatient facility almost 2 hours away again, we may have the option of staying home and doing outpatient 10 minutes away. When I toured the OP facility, the OT I talked to said, "I know who you are!" I was a little puzzled how she knew me but her son is taught by David's dad and has been following our story! We are still praying about God's leading in this area. Since David is making such great gains at home, we'd like to stay home. I'm able to give him 2 pureed meals a day. He's loving the wholesome home-cooked meals and I'm loving cooking for us again! We're hoping to wean him off the g-tube before the next visit to his "stomach doctor" in 3 months.

September 2013

9/16/13 (Rachel Hanson) We are home!
I was expecting lots of work and I've got it. David has done exceptionally well with the transfer to home and we are so thankful for your prayers in this huge transition. I am very busy taking phone calls, taking care of baby, and all David's needs. When we arrived boxes of supplies were still unpacked and we quickly found out that there were several things missing or not functioning...but nonetheless, David has survived the first few days at home without falling deathly ill. I haven't got a lot of sleep the last few nights and don't expect to get much sleep for awhile. I am either giving medication or a tube feeding to David 11 times a day, then turning him every couple hours at night to prevent sores. We have caregivers coming in so they help lift the burden of care somewhat but I've had to train them all to some extent. Some are painfully slow and don't have a clue about caregiving such a dependent person and others intuitively know how things should be done and are very helpful. It's an interesting experience meeting these caregivers. They have such different personalities from one another but all have an interest in caring for my husband's needs. I've had lots of family support as well, which I wouldn't have been able to make it through the last few days without it. Even though it's hard and I'm overwhelmed, it's all worth it to wake up to my husband's smiling face and him spelling out "Good morning sweetheart!"
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. because his compassions fail not." Lamentations 3:22

9/19/13 (Annette Hanson) For four days this week, I had the privilege of spending time with David, Rachel, and Jocelyn. The "settling into home" is a joy and challenge. Rachel cares for David with great love and tenderness, and "Grandma" got to become acquainted more with her sweet little granddaughter. David was spelling out things like crazy....things like, "I looooove Rachel" and "We need to pray without ceasing" and "We need to think about John 11:26." To explain a little, this passage of Scripture has been heavy on his mind; so much that it was keeping him up at night until we figured out why it was so important to him. He was thinking a lot about when Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." David was focused on the next verse which says, "and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die." After a lot of questioning and spelling, David was able to express how he is looking forward to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take all who believe in Him up into the clouds to meet Him in the air and be with Him forever. "Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die." And all who know the Lord can say, "Amen, David!"
(Rachel Hanson) David is a lot more alert these days and hasn't really had hardly any significant headaches for 3 days. He was asking for Vicodin on Monday night and I decided to try some of my PT skills on him, and it seems like it worked! Yesterday, I was able to stand him upright by myself 4 times and then I helped him do 5 squats. I was really surprised at his strength! He saw the physiatrist Tuesday and I was very pleased with him and he seems hopeful for more recovery for David. It's nice to have a doctor that hopes with us. So that's the good news. The bad news is we're struggling with caregivers. The good ones provide reprieve for me but the bad ones cause chaos and stress. Last night, one lost control of David while transferring him from bed to wheelchair. I was alarmed to find David on his knees on the floor and the caregiver struggling to try to heave him into the chair by herself. Needless to say, I did the rest of the transfers and some of the shower for the night, meanwhile juggling Jocelyn's needs. The lady basically fired herself. Then after 20 minutes of waiting this morning for a new caregiver, she finally showed up after I'd already done half the morning routine. I called the company to try to get real trained staff and they informed me that, not only was my nightmare resigning, but one of my best caregivers is leaving too. Pray with me that we would get some good caregivers and pray for the one that resigned. She seemed touched by the gospel.

August 2013

8/6/13 (Rachel Hanson) Good news...the EEG came back perfectly normal; no seizure activity and no slowing. So the rehab doc came in last week and lowered his Keppra a little (anti-convulsant). The primary speech therapist is gone on vacation for a couple weeks and the secondary speech therapist seems more willing to try David on a few more foods and push his endurance a little. He did great eating some mashed potatoes, thickened juice and pudding. Saturday, David was able to do 300 (sets of 50) rounds on the bike by himself...and yes, I did 300 squats. I think Jocelyn wants to do squats too because yesterday's I was supporting her in a standing position on my lap and she was doing squats in time with the activities director! She thought she was so funny and had this big grin on her face! A few days ago, I said something about home and said "Where's home?". I told him where Jocelyn and I were living and kind of recapped where he'd been the last year and how it was such a miracle that he was alive and not a vegetable. His response was perfect, "I'm definitely not a vegetable!" I asked him if he was a vegetable, what would he be? He said, "Carrot", naturally. Yesterday, he wasn't real energetic and only did one set on the bike and was tired so we decided to do something else. He told me, "Sing a song." O, boy. He wanted me to sing the alphabet song. I was thinking the one I learned in kindergarten but couldn't start it. The nurse came to my rescue and sang it with me. I noticed David closed his eyes in a look of embarrassment...or disgust...not sure which, but we had just made fools of ourselves singing the wrong alphabet song. Then he wanted me to sing another song I didn't know: "Mr. Noah". Thanks to YouTube, I found a cute little Indian girl singing "Mr. Noah" with hand signals and everything! Me being the therapist that I am, couldn't resist making it a therapeutic moment, and made David do as much of the hand signals as he could. Poor David had to endure some pretty horrible singing in comparison to his mother's lovely voice that he grew up with.

8/12/13 (Rachel Hanson)David said three words today. They weren't earth-shattering in themselves but when he told the activities director, "No I'm not" watching the Spanish-speaking show in clear English out of his mouth, she about fainted when she realized, hey, he just spoke to me! Pray that these will be the first of many words spoken

8/25/13 (Rachel Hanson) David is moving HOME! I almost hold my breath to even think these words, fearing something horrible is going to happen to prevent it. But I trust it is in the Lord's will for David to come home because the Lord has practically parted the Red Sea to make it possible. The case manager has been incredible. That is a huge blessing because I've heard lots of horror stories of battling with insurance companies. David still has good days and bad days. He struggles with fatigue constantly but is using lots of energy to communicate a lot to me during the day and participate in therapies. He isn't repeating things as much and I'm noticing that he's thinking (or at least communicating) more like himself. We can actually have half way decent "conversations" now. They generally get interrupted a lot because of the slowness of the process. But I'm so thrilled to be able to get a few thoughts from my husband on things. David surprises me sometimes with the things he remembers and then puts together for a thought. We were talking about how I would need to be gone for a few days to prepare for him coming home and he spelled out "8 more days for you, right? I was shocked. I asked him, "How did you know how many days it is til I leave?" His reply:"Guessed" "Well, that's a pretty good guess!! Do you even know what day it is??" He pointed his finger for no. I told him he amazes me with how smart he is. He smirked. Please pray for us regarding the move home. It has taken months to orchestrate everything and on days like today, it all hits me all at once and I feel pretty inadequate and overwhelmed. I'm excited and scared all in the same moment. David still has a very long road of recovery ahead of him. This is where the real hard work starts.

8/30/13 (R. H.) David is amazing me by the new things he's doing. He's really starting to be able to express sentiments and caring things that I haven't heard since before the accident. Yesterday, he wanted to make sure our home had a fridge, stove, washer and dryer and then he asked if I needed anything. He's been telling me "Good job" whenever I do things for him like clipping his toe nails. Today he spelled out, "marriage is a wonderful thing" and "I'm a very privileged man". He's also crying when he's sad (which is normal) like today. He's keeping track of when I'm going to be gone to set up the house for him coming home and said it would be a "sad day." Today, he stood up in a walker for the first time and was actually able to help push himself up straight with BOTH arms! He also said a few words on command with his voice today. He is improving in his ability to use a keyboard for typing too. I keep praying that the Lord would make David WHOLE and that he would be like Shadrach, Meshak and Abednego in the fire, coming out with not even the smell of "smoke" in his hair. "Because he has set his love on me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." Psalms 91:14-16

July 2013

7/4/13 (Rachel Hanson) David has had a great week. Ritalin is getting titrated out of the medication regime, and, ironically, he's becoming more alert and I haven't noticed any possible absence seizures lately. He got his beautiful new AFO's and he's pedaling the bike all by himself over 100 revolutions now! David says it's the Lord that's making him feel better. :) he prayed for endurance for both of us tonight. So needed! He was in the parallel bars today propped up by 2 therapists and a CNA working on standing, weight shifting and stepping, grinning! :) He waved and signed "I love you" to Jocelyn. Today David had a consult with a neurologist. It was 100x better than the visit to the ENT on Friday. He was treated with respect and had lots of innovative ideas for helping David become more alert and control possible seizure activity. He gave him a "magic" nasal spray at the end of the visit that took his headache down from a 6/10 to a 1/10! It was incredible! David asked for prayer to be a witness Monday night. The next morning the OT asked him what his favorite scripture was in her session with him. He spelled out "Rom623" : For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. David is relentless in sharing the Good News - he'll find a way regardless of aphasia! The PT is talking car transfer training with me next week to prep for a trip to the redwoods in the car for us! :-D

7/10/13 (Rachel Hanson) I wish I could say things were still moving forward. Some days it just feels like I'm trying to run through a field full of molasses. Everything seems to happen in slow motion. The neurologist David saw last Wednesday prescribed a drug called Nemenda to help David wake up more. It's primary use is for Alzheimer's patients to improve memory. The last few days (since he started the drug) have been horrible. David has been really lethargic, unmotivated and has been confabulating strange things. He's also had more staring spells. It seems David can't tolerate more than one neurostimulant. I told the nurse I wanted him off of it immediately. I want my husband back! The OT and PT are ramping up my training so I'm doing more transfers with David. Today we got to do it in/out of the car. It convinced me even more that a Honda Civic is not the ideal car for us!! I'll be working with David as much as I can with a regular manual wheelchair to improve his mobility and trunk/head control.

7/13/13 (Rachel Hanson) This is the third day David has been off the new medications. He was a new person yesterday afternoon! Obviously, still has severe handicaps but at least was awake the whole afternoon and was making sense again. He communicated to me that he wanted to know how he got here and how he was leaving (transportation). I challenged him on the bike and told him I would do as many squats as he did revolutions on the bike. I clearly underestimated my husband's competitiveness!! He did 3 sets of 40 and then one set of 56. Needless to say, he was smirking and I was panting and my legs are sore this morning! :-P The PT and OT are determined to make our goal of crossing Point Reyes off our bucket list a reality in the near future. :-)

7/19/13 (Rachel Hanson) David continues to do better, especially cognitively, after stopping the new medications. He is initiating conversation more and more by waving his hand at me with the number of fingers up (representing the number of words he wants to say). Today was the first day he asked me to tell him about something without me pestering him with questions. He asked me to tell him about my dream house. It was so refreshing to dream about something without thinking about head injuries and life-sucking disabilities. My parents visited a couple days ago. David just loves visiting with my dad and it made him smile a lot. :) he also likes to tease my mom about things like asking her if she would go hang gliding...when he knows full well she wouldn't be caught dead in a hang glider!! David is finally getting the prolonged EEG that I've been asking for today. I've been thinking about the goodness of the Lord through this whole deal. There is so many instances where His care is evident. When I hear about what other patients have gone through, I find out how much God has protected us and helped smooth our pathway. One doctor said it would take til November to get an EEG and we got it in July. Another doctor said David wouldn't live and here he is! Another doctor said it would take 6 months for something else and it's only been 1 month. Everything has been paid for without hardly a struggle, which is not typical. David asks for prayer for patience. But when I asked him what he would write if he were to write his own update, he communicated, "God is healing me."

7/22/13 (Janet Rawlings) Rachel wanted me to post this time. I have been with David a lot since Aug. of last year and have been intimately involved with my heart in every stage. So it is cause for rejoicing when David accomplishes the smallest things. I love to tell of his accomplishment to any one who will listen!!! July 4th I was with him and the speech therapist was helping David feed himself ice cream. After his bite of ice cream the therapist left the spoon in his hand and turned to me to talk to me......well David wasn't going to let that opportunity pass so he dove into the ice cream bowl with the spoon!!! Way to go David!! This last week I decided to play Rook with David. Keith (my husband) had made him a 2 ft. long card holder out of a stick of wood. David had never played without help before, but with the card holder I thought he could manage IF he could play without his cards being put in order - thumbs up. He surprised me by lifting his whole right arm up so he could lift a card out of the holder and actually laid it on the table several times. Did not having his cards in order hamper him - of course not - he beat me both times!!!! Rachel has posted that David teased me about going hang gliding. I sure did enjoy the bright smile that lasted on his face for quite some time. Some time ago Keith and I were visiting David and we asked him if he had a favorite hymn and could he show us the number of it and we would sing it to him. He surprised us by using his left fingers as well as his right fingers to show us the number 499. I have posted three pictures. The one with David's arm around Rachel is one of my favorites. I took it just before Jocelyn was born.They are working on a facebook post. Rachel is doing her squats after David has done his rounds. Of course I had to include a resent picture of Jocelyn. Rachel and I stayed at a motel close by so that we could be at David"s facility early the next morning so Rachel could go with David to an appointment. Jocelyn and I followed in the car. We did some photo shoots the night before in the motel. I just want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your care and prayers. We certainly need every one.The care of David weighs heavily on Rachel's shoulders. Don't forget to pray for Jocelyn, too. She feels the strain, too. She doesn't get to take her morning and afternoon nap in her own little crib, except on Rachel's day off. And she is sick and tired of her car seat already!!! We Thank God for every little progress David makes and count them as miracles!!! The gospel continues to go out by speaking, our lives lived in front of an audience at the facility, and the c.d.'s David made a few years ago. Pray for the people that see and hear the gospel. "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel." Phil. 1:12 "The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." Ps. 126:3


7/24/13 (Rachel Hanson) One thing that impresses me continually is that this brain injury has destroyed a lot of things that David used to do and be, but it cannot destroy his soul or his faith in the Lord Jesus. When all else is fuzzy, he still has a relationship with Christ and hope of eternity with Him. Last night was a good example. It had been a discouraging day for me just because I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted and my perspective was tweaked. David was confused and tired. But we ended up "talking" for a long time after he went to bed and we read the last chapter of Matthew together. I like to ask him if he has any comments on the chapter to encourage him to lead our family. He usually just spells out "good stuff" and that's it, but last night he spelled out, "we serve a risen Saviour". Today we had a fantastic opportunity to share God's word with two therapists. The speech therapist and occupational therapist were using his letter board and wanted to have him spell out the reference to one of his favorite Bible verses. He spelled "John 14:6". The speech therapist got her iphone out and read the verse in about 5 translations and then decided to read more of the chapter! When I asked David what he thought the purpose of all this was, he spelled out, "teaches us patience." THAT it does! I've been working on a lot of transfers with David, car transfers, bed transfers, chair transfers... He's heavy, I'm weak, the end. David is often confused. He asked for prayer to be less confused. He repeats ideas or questions often but he will usually stop if it's starting to drive me crazy! We're having him sit in a regular wheelchair more instead of a tilt-in-space to facilitate head and trunk control. He is very weak and slumps without constant cuing. I asked him if he gets tired of me always poking and prodding, nagging him to keep his head up, do this, do that. He graciously said no. I told him he was a saint because if I were him, I'd be really annoyed! Pray for Jocelyn and I. Our drives are very long - sometimes over 2 hours one way. Jocelyn is a great kid though and really doesn't cry that much for all she goes through on a daily basis. There are unending decisions and business things to attend to which wear me out.

7/29/13 (Rachel Hanson)David is initiating and entering into conversation more and more. It's hard though, because his comments are delayed because we have to spell everything out. When I asked him what he did this morning, he spelled out, "shared the gospel with a lady." He's had on his heart to share the gospel with one of his CNA's since yesterday and asked her first thing this morning, "What do you think of Jesus Christ?" He also asked the PT the same question this morning and she thanked him for such a nice conversation this morning. yesterday he was asking everyone what their first memory was. Yesterday, I put him on the bike. I thought he was ready to go but he held up his fingers wanting to tell me something first..."you have to do leg squats!" Oh dear, what did I start? I can't count on him forgetting something from a week ago, I guess! Looks like we're starting the process of getting a modified vehicle next week. should make it easier to take David on outings with something other than a Honda Civic!

June 2013

6/2/13 (Rachel Hanson) I guess Jocelyn and I have come across pretty bedraggled lately because the nurse pulled me out in the hallway and urged me to stay home for a couple days. It didn't take a whole lot of convincing...I'm too spent and Jocelyn cries and eats all day so I'm not sure we're much of a motivating factor to David right now. I feel like all we do is keep him from resting properly, worry him, and distract him during therapy. David is doing good. Thank you for praying about his headaches. They seem to be much better lately. He is more alert and is doing better with his head control. We listened to an encouraging message today by Joe Reese: "5 elements to keep on going" on 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Both of us needed this message badly. We're both needing a stiff dose of motivation. Sometimes in comes in the form of fabulous friends who are giving me a couple days off. :) David has an EEG scheduled on Tuesday. Im hoping for this to clear the way for decreasing some seizure meds.

6/6/13 (Rachel Hanson) We got two days at home to rejuvenate. Yay! :) David had his EEG and it was clear of any abnormal spikes or seizure activity :) but...the staff and I have noticed periods when he spaces out for about 10 seconds. I want a longer EEG. Today was good. Jocelyn behaved beautifully and just sat and watched me help the PT assist David in standing without the standing frame. Speech and swallowing are status quo. I'm hoping to get a vehicle that David can get into soon. I'm pretty excited to have a bigger vehicle and can't wait to be able to take David places. :) David has a neuro optometry visit on Monday which will hopefully give us some better insight into his vision problems and hopefully solutions too!


6/11/13 (Rachel Hanson) David got to have ice cream a couple days ago "legally" for the first time in probably 6 or 7 months. I keep trying to tell them that he'll chow down almost anything if it tastes good! Maybe it will take him 10x longer than the rest of us but he won't choke on good food!! I've realized that over the last couple months, David is communicating A LOT more and making a lot more decisions...not verbally but through our little spelling/thumbs up system. Through this, I've noticed he does have periods of confusion. Sometimes he'll spell out stuff that just doesn't make sense with the question I asked or he'll perseverate on one idea for several days. Usually, if I keep questioning him, he can work through it and start answering appropriately again. We've been doing stuff on the iPad but he fatigues really quickly. It seems to take a lot of brain energy to do the most simple things. Yesterday, the neuro optometrist saw David. It was interesting how she could just peer into his eyes with her little instruments and figure things out. He does have some vision problems but they cannot be corrected by glasses or prisms. But he is supposed to work on focusing his eyes straight on objects because he sees much better that way. His peripheral vision was normal. Sunday is our first anniversary. We get to go out on a date BY OURSELVES (no child, no therapists, NO ONE but us!!!!) for the first time in over 10 months!!! We're pretty excited! :D

6/15/13 (Annette Hanson) What a delight this morning to walk in to David's room, say "hi" to him, and have him spontaneously say "hi" back!! Then he also said "hi" to his dad! :) Such a simple thing, but we haven't heard him verbalize much for quite awhile. We have to snatch the alert moments that we can with David, because he sleeps a lot more here than he did in the previous facility. Yesterday we were able to spend a little time outside, and a doe came walking right through the back area along the creek. We tried so hard to help David see her, but aren't sure he could focus through the trees. Changes in his abilities are slow, but there seems to be potential for him to keep improving...for instance, he is now able to move his left arm up several inches. This is something he was not able to do before, so we are encouraged that he can keep making gains. Tomorrow is a day of "firsts" for David. It will be his first Fathers Day, and it will be David and Rachel's first anniversary, and David has a secret plan up his sleeve....a surprise for Rachel. :) And Joel and I get to have the fun of spending some time with Jocelyn while Mom and Dad go on a date!!! The other morning, after some Bible reading, David spelled out "good stuff - great stuff- read more." So Joel reads more...until David drops off to sleep. :) Oh.... another neat thing that happened.... He had to spend some time on his belly the other day, and as he was lying there, he started to hum. He hummed several times...another indication of "potential!" We were all quite excited and hummed along with him: "Amazing Grace." Truly God's grace is amazing and He gives as much as we need for each day.

6/17/13 (Annette Hanson) I don't know if I will "beat" Rachel in posting an update, but I want to share some things that I think she will be too modest to share.... Yesterday was a very nice "Fathers Day/Anniversary" in several ways. We were all able to meet with a very special group of believers in the morning to remember our Savior, then had a "potluck" lunch at the care facility where David is. Rachel wore a lovely white dress....which Jocelyn promptly changed the color of, so Rachel ended up in David's T-shirt and shorts....still looking pretty! ;) Grandma (me) got to snuggle down on the couch with little Jocelyn, and we spent a very exciting time napping through the afternoon while Mommy and Daddy went on their date. They seemed pretty happy when they returned. After awhile we gathered in David's room to remember the Lord again, this time with David. He really loves to have this time of focus on Jesus' love and forgiveness for us....healing for our souls! When Joel asked David if he would like to share a thought, he spelled out 'God is good.' Then Joel asked him if he had anything to add to that, so he spelled out 'Rachel is beautiful.' :) We thank the Lord for these special times.

6/18/13 (Rachel Hanson) Our anniversary was beautiful. It wasn't a fairy tale, happily-ever-after anniversary. Instead of wearing a nostalgic white dress and smelling like "Hawaiian Kiss", I was wearing my husband's T-shirt and gym shorts and smelled like recycled milk. Instead of sitting in a dimly lit restaurant with candles and roses eating steak and whispering sweet nothing's to each other, I struggled down the sidewalk in my recovering post-pregnancy body, pushing my 150 pound husband in his wheelchair to a loud coffee shop where I drank a coffee and David's brain went in circles from overstimulation. But...we got to be together by ourselves. We enjoyed the refreshing smell of redwoods. We silently celebrated life. My dear husband whispered to me that I was beautiful and he encouraged and led me in faith in our Healer. I cried. He specially requested a dozen yellow roses, some sweet white wine and a "date in the woods". What I've learned about marriage in my first year: you only need the most simple, primal things to have a satisfying marriage and still be madly in love and we have it. Christ is our center, unconditional love and respect is our motto and the rest doesn't matter. We don't have a lot but we have the best things.

6/23/13 (Rachel Hanson) We are so blessed by an amazing biological family and church family. We wouldn't be able to run this race without them! My mom has been tireless in coming almost every week to relieve me for a day or two with David so I can work on the home front. David's parents have come all the way from WI many times. My sister will help morning, night, and sometimes even in the middle of the night! My aunts have been there for me and my brothers and dad do things behind the scenes. David's siblings also visit and support behind the scenes. Then there are friends that fill in when needed. I cannot thank you all enough for these things.
David is starting to have another spurt of slow progress. When I came in yesterday, he was standing in the parallel bars for the first time in 6 months with some help from his PT and OT. When he isn't having a headache and on Vicodin, he is pretty alert and participates well in activities I do with him in the afternoon. He still quite frequently gets moderate to severe headaches. I've been working with him on the ipad getting his fine motor skills improved in his right hand. I still have to support his arm but he's getting faster at touching the screen in the right spots. His handwriting continues to improve. I had him sign his name on a going away card for another patient there and I was amazed at how well he did! I was just supporting his forearm but he did all the movements to make the letters himself and it looked pretty close to his old signature. I have to add though, that his endurance for writing is really low. It takes tons of energy just to write his first name. I was also able to do some cycling with him twice this week. He was able to do 5 revolutions on his own. I'm hoping that once he get his AFO's, they will help support his ankles when he bikes, stands, etc...
David is experiencing some emotions as he starts to address the trauma he's been through in his mind. Pray for him as he struggles through some deep waters.
It's easy to become downcast and discouraged. As I was reading in the Psalms this morning, I noticed how many times it says "lift up"...lift up your eyes, lift up your soul, etc... "He is not here, for he is risen!" Matthew 28:6 He is not wallowing in the dust of despair. He is exalted. "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God." Psalms 42:11
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace." --Helen H. Lemmel
6/26/13 (Rachel Hanson) Today was a day that filled me with hope again for more normalcy of a family life someday. Monday was a bad day. David was confused, tired and had big problems with his memory. Today, he was so much better that you would think he was a different person! The doctors are going to try slowly weaning him off Ritalin and see what happens. My mom helped me today so I was able to spend some time helping the PT with David standing at the edge of the mat and doing mini squats. He got to have vanilla ice cream today. He's mouthing a lot more words more precisely. This afternoon was lovely. We got outside for a little bit then came inside and I helped David on the bike. He was able to do 20 revolutions on his own today. :) the PT made the comment that he's getting pretty close to taking a few steps!! He got his fancy new AFO's today. David and I got a little alone time. I asked him where he wanted to read. He said Matthew 6...exactly where my mom had left off yesterday (he remembered!). I asked him if he had any comments or thoughts and he spelled out "good - I need to apply it (to my life)". We prayed together. The way we pray together is kind of unorthodox - he closes his eyes and silently prays. I wait til he opens his eyes - then I know he's done. Then he spells out a few things he prayed for, for my benefit (because I'm curious and I miss hearing him talk to God). He prayed for me and my spiritual growth and Jocelyn. We are so blessed with a sweet husband/daddy!
"Our Father which art in heaven...thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." Matthew 6:9,13