Merry Christmas!

Ryan and Rachel

-opening one of many gifts-

Good evening!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! It was such a blessing to spend the day with Rachel and Ryan and to celebrate SO much. We have much to be thankful for.

Rachel had Physical Therapy today, here in Centerville. After PT, they headed back to Nebraska for a family dinner and then off to Kansas City tomorrow for her HBOT seesion. Then tomorrow afternoon they will come back to Centerville for the weekend. She has gotten alot of road time with Ryan in his truck...she has definitely enjoyed the week off that Ryan has taken to spend the holiday with her.

Rachel hasn't used her cane or wheelchair in several days. She continually show progress. I would venture to say we see something different, new, improved...everyday. Rachel's speech is also continuing to improve. She starts singing lessons next week! We have heard that singing lessons is an excellent form of speech therapy. Probably because of the amount of vocal control it takes to sing. This will be a new adventure for her.

Thank you for all the prayers!
RuthAnne

Nebraska!

Rachel and Nancy Baltensperger

Yummy!
Rachel, Emily and Anna

Rachel has been enjoying herself in Johnson with her future in-laws. Anna (Ryan's sister) write:

Note from Anna Baltensperger,

"This is the first weekend to have Rachel at our home since the first of September!!! We are delighted to see her continued progress and for her to be here this weekend! With Allyn & Emily also home, we feel very blessed to spend time together with family.

Yesterday, while the boys occupied themselves with outdoor projects, we girls were busy in the kitchen making "fastnachtchuchli". This is a holiday tradition for the Baltenspergers originating from our Swiss heritage. We spent hours rolling walnut-sized dough balls into paper-thin pastry and then frying the delicacies. (The rolling pin was part of Rachel's Friday therapy!) Though the fastnachtchuchli's take lot longer to make than to consume, the taste is worth it!"

Going To Nebraska

Rachel is excited today. She is on her way to Nebraska to celebrate Christmas with Ryan's family this weekend. She has a HBOT session this morning and then she will head to NE. Ryan and Rachel will come back on Christmas Eve day and be here in Iowa to spend Christmas with us. I am SO thankful Rachel is home and able to have Christmas with all of us. What a blessing!

There has been some wedding talk...but no plans or dates set yet. They will wait till the first of the year to decide when to make this BIG day. They will check dates with the photographer and the church...we will definitely keep you informed as to when, where, and how to RSVP, etc.

I am sure I will have several pictures for you all. Anna, Ryan's sister is really good about taking pictures. And then we'll have pictures from the 25th.

Merry Christmas to you all!
RuthAnne

More Winter

GOOD AFTERNOON!

We apologize if these updates are not timely as the weather has interfered this week.

• It is snowing and snowing!!! Frosting all the ice with white. Winter wonderland if prepared.
  
• We had no electricity from Tuesday to Thursday evening. Some are still without electricity within 5 miles of us! We had fun with kerosene lamps, cooking on our wood cook stove and plenty of hot water with gas hot water heater.
  
• Rachel indeed is home. She begins her third week home today.
• She is focused on continued improvement.
  
• Her body keeps responding to her desire to be 100% recovered.
• In this process of communicating to you how well she is doing, we ponder what words will give a true picture of her progress, her challenges and her limitations at the moment.
• She DESIRES and is THANKFUL for your prayers! So thankful!

HOW TO PRAY?

1. For her speech to return to normal. She does speak clearly, her voice is low with minimu, sounding like she is recovering from a cold. Listening closely to her for understanding her exact words or we break into laughter at what we 'think' she said and then find she was saying nothing of the sort. We are finding that in general, we humans have preconceived ideas about what someone is going to say before they finish their thoughts.
   
2. For her right arm to return to full function. Her left hand's fingers can manage the piano and computer keyboard keys. Her right fingers are bumble-some and frustrating, but functioning individually (improvement as of the last couple days!)
   
3. Walking to be normal. She walks with a cane by herself in the house or to the car. -She does need someone there to steady if she gets off balance or mis-steps. No wheel chair in the house. We only use the wheelchair to go to Kansas City for the HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) twice a week or shopping.
4. For her coughing to completely stop when she drinks. It happens enough that it is frustrating to her.... it makes a mess and if you are in the line of fire when she spews and coughs at the same time...it's embarrassing for her. This frustrates her but she handles it well with laughter. But then she doesn't want others to think that she doesn't care that she does this, but what can she do? Cry? or Laugh? She chooses to laugh! It is easier on all of us and we know that this is something that will disappear soon.
   

WHEELCHAIR, CANE, WALKING WITH HELP?
Last night we had an interesting discussion about walking vs. wheelchair and the response that others give her. Her goal is to walk by herself, of course. Rachel's goal is to walk and do so without a cane or help from others.........well, when walking alone, she looks like the drunken friend or family member, so she should use the cane as the 'sign' to others of weakness....without a cane, well, she is perceived as having a substance abuse problem.

When in a wheelchair she is treated very well. People make concessions for her.

So it is just interesting. She is not opposed to the wheelchair but then must practice walking at home, using the wheelchair in public. This now answers the question for me why people who look like they don't need a wheelchair use one because it is better culturally to use the wheelchair than trying to be strong in standing but looking too weak or unstable to stand and too strong to sit in the wheelchair. So, our thinking is....she can walk into a public place with help. Since she is unsteady on her balance sometimes and sways, the looks she gets are not that of mercy (and previous to this I would have been no different in my thoughts either); but when in the wheelchair, accommodations are made for her. Walking with a cane is getting better, but she still needs one person to assist.

HBOT therapy is going well. Since she has come home her lung capacity measured by the inspirometer has gone from 500 to to 2000 regularly and 3000 when really trying. Our lungs, they say, hold 5,000. Healthy people can get the meter to read 3500-5000. Most people do not use more than 500 which is called shallow breathing. She has pushed the meter up to 3500 once or twice.

Ryan comes here to visit every weekend. He is the best therapy for Rachel!

We appreciate your prayers. We pray you will give thanks for all you are able to do and for all that Rachel has achieved since September 6. She is a walking miracle.

To GOD be the GLORY GREAT things HE hath DONE!

Crystal

Ice Storm

Fun times in Southern Iowa. We have had enough ice to last us the winter. Some people got power yesterday and some didn't get any until today. The storm hit here Monday during the night. It's nice that Dad and Mom (where Rachel lives ;-) have a generator and wood heat! Josh and I stayed with them on the farm Tuesday night instead of staying in our cold apartment.

Rachel is doing well. The ice has been a challenge, one that she has taken on with courage. Walking on all the ice has been interesting, but she has done well with it. Today was Physical Therapy, he worked her hard for the full hour.

Rachel and I spent time this afternoon, when the power came back on, doing some last minute Christmas shopping online. I noticed that Rachel is able to type with her left hand and use a couple fingers with her right hand on the keyboard. I bet typing is still very frustrating since she was very quick at it before.

Tomorrow (Friday) Rachel goes to Kansas City for another HBOT. She missed Monday and Wednesday because of the storms that moved in. So, I'm sure she is ready to have another treatment, so she can finish up her 20 sessions, sooner than later. -they say it takes about 20 times to see a real improvement.

Thanks for understanding the delay in the update.
RuthAnne

A Week Home

Good evening,

I just realized that it was Saturday, time for another update. Ryan is here for the weekend, he got in last night and will stay till Sunday evening. They both really look forward to the weekends together.

Rachel's week was good. She had her HBOT twice on Wednesday and Friday and will go 3 days next week as well. We had our first snow storm on Thursday, so she didn't make it into town for her PT session. It seems to be emotional on Rachel to be home. I know that she really enjoys being home and being in a familiar environment and surrounded by lots of people who deeply care for her. But, being home must be hard because it is a constant reminder of all the things that Rachel can't do, yet. Like walking through the kitchen, but not being able to make a meal for the family like she used to. Rachel said that it was hard to just sit there after a meal is over and not help clean up afterwards.

Rachel's right hand is still improving, she noticed yesterday that she is starting to regain control over her ring finger. Before, she couldn't move it.

Continue to pray for Rachel's spirits, we know that disposition one of the keys to health.

Thank You!
RuthAnne

HBOT

HBOT stands for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

We are excited to be able to use this therapy for Rachel. She will be going 3 days a week to have 2 treatments done each of those three days. If you 'google'. HBOT, you find neat information on how is has helped many people with several different types of problems. Here in the US, it is most commonly used for divers and burn victims. In other countries, they use it for stroke rehab and get great results. The closest place we found to do this is 2 1/2 hours away - northern Kansas City area. Anyway, today is Rachel's second day using this therapy and we are looking forward to seeing results. After her session on Monday, her breathing capacity increased and her speech became even more understandable. The experts say that it takes up to 20 treatments to see super significant changes, so give us a couple weeks and we will all be curious to the results.

Rachel's time home has been good. She gets to shower as often as she wants, choose when she wants to do therapy, and have great food to eat. Madonna's food was decent, but there is nothing that replaces food from home and smelling it cook. Rachel had her first Physical Therapy session with a PT in town, yesterday. It went well. He is really impressed with Rachel's progress in the couple months and has been following the story even before he knew he would be her Physical Therapist here at home. Rachel was proud of her bodies ability to do whatever the PT asked her to do. Her right arm was able to perform well and even was able to give some resistance with it. Yeah! She'll have 'official' PT twice a week. But Rachel is very motivated and does alot on her own at home.

I am thinking that soon Rachel will be able to update her own blog :-) and share with you all her thoughts, prayer requests and achievements.

Let's pray for quick results with this HBOT!

~RuthAnne

HOME!

Ah, the day has arrived. Rachel is home. Everyone is all smiles and enjoying having her in Iowa with us. The trip went well, an uneventful, 4 hour car ride from Lincoln to Centerville.

There were several tears from the staff at Madonna as they told Rachel goodbye. Her smile will be missed in the hallways and gym.

Wednesday, Rachel walked 250 feet without stopping and then another 100+ feet all in one session. Because her activity level has increased, the doctor said she can go off of blood thinner. She is now medication free!!!

Thursday she did her last set of therapies. Mom and I went to lunch with Rachel and 3 of her therapists. It was considered 'therapy' (or maybe just a good reason to hang out together one last time). Emily (Ryan's sister) was there Thursday and Friday to see Rachel off.

Carol -PT, Rachel, Katie -Speech, and Stacy -OT

Friday we packed up her room and were checked out by 10am. Joyous! Rachel walked out the door of Madonna. Go girl. 8 weeks ago, they asked Dad and Mom what our goals for Rachel were upon her dismissal. Dad said he wanted Rachel to be talking and walking by that time. The case worker looked at him in disbelief and kept her comments to herself. Clearly she thought our expectations were too high.

Rachel and RuthAnne -(due in 4 weeks!)

Leaving Madonna!

We got home mid-afternoon. Did some therapy, hung out as a family and Amy and Jonas (Rachel's brother and wife) brought over supper. It has been a long time since we have eaten together as a family. Ryan was able to come last night as well, he is so faithful to be with Rachel. I think they will be counting the hours each week, waiting for the weekends to come around. Rachel will get alot of good speech therapy talking on the phone to Ryan each night. ;-)

Esther-11, Emily -13, MaryAnne -5 and Rachel

Thank you for all your continued prayers! It is amazing to watch them be answered.

~RuthAnne

Going Home!

Yeah! Rachel gets to go home on Friday. She is looking forward to being home with the family and doing more 'normal' type activities as her therapy - day in and day out. She will be doing some Physical Therapy with a therapist in town. We have exercises from Occupational Therapy to do at home. Speech Therapy will be all day, every day ;-) and Recreational Therapy will be game time with the family.

Monday, Rachel made brownies in therapy and is washing the dishes in the above picture.

I called Rachel on Monday night (I came to Lincoln on Tuesday). We talked for 30 minutes and she was completely understandable. We had a great chat. Yesterday, Rachel signed her name with her right hand! Two weeks ago, she had almost no control over her right hand fingers. And she did a grip strength test today. With her right hand she only registered 1 or 2 pounds ten days ago. Today, the little tester registered 25 pounds of grip strength!!! Huge improvement. Today in PT, Rachel walked 250 feet without stopping. On Monday, they thought it would be a week or more before she could go 250 feet without stopping. Two days later, she masters the challenge. She also was able to stand up from her wheelchair with zero assistance.

We are having all the nurses and therapist sign Rachel's quilt that she got from Naomi. They all feel honored that we ask them to sign. Several of them have stopped us in the hall and are saying they are sad to see Rachel leave, that they enjoy her being around.

We will still be doing the updates when Rachel is at home. Thanks for checking in.

~RuthAnne

A Truly Happy Thanksgiving

Rachel had a good Thanksgiving. She spent the day with Ryan's family at the house we are renting. They had turkey, all the food that goes with it and a fun game of Scrabble. Anna, Ryan's sister, sent a couple pictures from the day and a note that I will include at the bottom. Ryan is with Rachel this weekend, Nancy (his mom) will be with Rachel on Monday and Mom and I will be with Rachel from Tuesday - Friday. She comes home on Friday!

This is how Rachel and Ryan do it: No handicap parking, no ramps, and riding in a BIG diesal truck (Ryan's). This was Rachel's first ride in the truck since being in the hospital. I know they both loved the challenge.

Nancy, Rachel, Ryan coming into the house were Thanksgiving was celebrated. David is behind with the wheelchair, 'just in case'.

David/Nancy Baltensperger, Rachel and Ryan, G'ma Fass, Emily and Allyn Weddle

-playing scrabble.

From Anna,

"Rachel never used the wheelchair at the house. Ryan encouraged her to just walk from the truck to the chair inside the living...and did fine! Dad just had the wheelchair behind her in case she did need it or something.

In one of the pictures you'll notice us hovered around a game - Scrabble. I caught Rachel and Ryan laughing gleefully after having racked-up a bunch of points in the word they had placed on the board. (We played in pairs) Infact, Rachel and Ryan creamed the rest of us in that game! Not fair that Ryan had the smartest person on his team!!!! (Rachel provided alot of the spelling/placement ideas on their team, as pictured of her pointing with her finger in one of the pictures.)

Even though it was a "different" thanksgiving (in that we were spending it at a random apartment in Lincoln versus at home on the farm), it was a memorable and encouraging just to know that Rachel has come a long ways and is continuing still at the same speed or perhaps faster!"

Smiles,
Anna Baltensperger

The Double Date

Ryan, Rachel, RuthAnne & Josh We had a great time Saturday night.

Joy

Today marks her 77 days since the stroke and the 50th day at Madonna. I just reviewed the posts from the beginning of her journey and am amazed how Rachel is recovering.

DISCHARGE DATE: NOVEMBER 30

LAUGHTER and JOY

From the beginning, when all looked bleak for Rachel's recovery, we held on to "The Joy of the Lord is your Strength!" These were the first words Rachel heard when she came out of sedation. These words are put to song but what about putting them to life? If you would observe Rachel day in and day out in her room, in therapy or at mealtimes....she is happy and laughing. She is the only patient who smiles and laughs . This makes it so easy for Ryan, the family, the therapists, and the nurses. She is just s delight! Honestly, I have not seen her feel sorry for herself during her time of challenge.
Her tears have been all about WHEN.....WHEN will she be back to normal. When will she be married.

Yesterday we talked about getting married. She wants to be able to walk down the isle and to be able to care or herself first. A noble goal. In light of that, she isn't planning on getting good at the wheel chair or trying to learn to be independent by depending on handicapped facilities. Another noble, thought-out goal of her own. She would rather be assisted or go slow until which time she can do things easily on her own. She wants to mentally work with her body to get it back to full function instead of accommodating its weaknesses. Go girl!

Now for her progress report.

RIGHT ARM

She has much more strength in it......raises it above her head and is eating with it which is amazing! When she grabs something, her fingers now will release when she wants. This is new this week. Before she could grab but not let go....how frustrating!

RIGHT LEG

The shaking in the right leg comes now only when it is very fatigued from therapy. If it starts, she has figured out how to help it stop. She is able to lift her right leg to take normal steps vs. dragging it into the correct position.

WALKING

Yesterday she walked with one therapist and a cane that she barely uses. She is able to walk farther and farther in her 30 minute sessions. She also maneuvered the steps for the 3rd time. Each time she does the steps, she does better than the time before. Her right leg did not shake much during this process.

BATHROOM

She has full function and good control (meaning she can hold it or release it when she goes). Think about how this simple, taken-for-granted function is wonderful when it works and so limiting when it doesn't. PLUS, she doesn't have to spend a lot of mental time trying to coordinate when she drinks liquids, has therapy and will have to go to the bathroom. She is sitting on a regular stool and able to get out of the wheelchair, stand up, turn and sit without assistance....just someone there to 'spot' her in the event of imbalance.

SPEECH

She is speaking much but would like to speak with more volume and definitely wants to sound normal. Currently her voice is low and labored. When her lungs get to full function, this will continue to improve. She talks on the phone to Ryan. The nurses understand her pretty easily although we still must pay close attention when she is talking.

Continue to pray for her knees so they do not lock back when she walks, more strength and pray for planning the date of her wedding.

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I leave you with this verse:

Nehemiah 8:10 And Nehemiah continued, "GO and CELEBRATE with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the JOY of the LORD is YOUR STRENGTH."

HAPPY THANKS GIVING!

Bless you all who hold Rachel in your heart and prayers,

Crystal

Food!

So the big news is that Rachel got upgraded to level 5 foods....which means she can eat and drink anything! She was surprised how easy it was to go from level 3 to 5, but so hard to go from level 1 to 2 and 2 to 3. A couple hours after she was upgraded, she looked at me and said, "That means there isn't anything I can't eat!"

Friday, yesterday, Rachel walked 300 feet in her morning PT session. We are thinking that is twice as far as she had previously walked in the same amount of time. She also did the set of 4 stairs again (it's been a week since last time). The stairs went alot better. Coming down is a bit more challenging than going up.

Today we get to go out for a couple hours. Tonight we are going to go out for supper. Rachel will get to ride in a car and eat 'real' food. We are all excited. It'll be a double date, Rachel and Ryan, and Josh and I.

Yesterday, Rachel attempted to raise her right arm (the weaker one) above her head completely... and this time it went all the way up! Another breakthrough.

Specific prayer requests:

• Rachel walks out of Madonna unassisted
• Right leg stops shaking
• Right thumb, ring and pinky finger gains full function

Have a great weekend!
RuthAnne

6 Weeks in Nebraska

Good afternoon,

6 weeks ago Rachel left the hospital in Iowa City. Rachel couldn't talk or move anything but her head and right arm (barely).

I have only been gone for two days and there has been improvement. So fun. Josh and I left Sunday night and I got here this morning around 10am. It's the little things I notice. Rachel can scoot forward in her chair by herself, which takes a good amount of trunk control. When she stands, most of the time she does 98% of the standing herself. Rachel's right arm is continually improving, just slow. But when I left on Sunday, she could not lock and unlock her wheel chair (a cam action) with her right hand/arm. Today, it looks like it's not a big deal, she does it easily. Rachel also did an arm exercise that she had done two weeks ago and got to see huge improvements with her right arm. What was really neat is that Rachel commented that she could see the big improvement. She doesn't usually get to see the big changes like we do because she lives with herself everyday.

As far as we know, Rachel's release date is November 30th. It was originally today, but they extended it. A good thing. 2 1/2 more weeks of therapy in her favor before leaving. A couple of us got okayed to do transfers with Rachel. Transfers are where someone assists in getting Rachel from the bed to the wheelchair or from the wheelchair to the car. Now we can take Rachel out for a couple hours when she has some free time. Yeah! -Starbucks, here we come :-)

Rachel's right leg is also getting stronger. The shaking is still there, but it seems be getting more manageable. She is walking a bit faster and with less effort.
Oh, and when the nurse turned her back on Rachel, she sat up in bed by herself! She used her left hand on her bed railing to help assist. This is definitely a first!

Watching a miracle,
RuthAnne

The Quilt

If you click on the picture, it should enlarge it.

Yeah, It's Saturday!

Rachel always looks forward to Saturdays. They work her hard here through the week, and on Saturdays and Sundays, she only has a couple therapies. She is resting today and getting ready for another tough week. Josh and I are here for the weekend and impressed with her continued progress.

On Friday (yesterday) Rachel walked 100 feet with only one person assisting and no rest breaks. Then she walked over to the stairs and climbed up and down 4 stairs. Go girl! Her goal that was set when Rachel got to Madonna was to walk 10 feet with 2 people assisting her. This 100 feet was accomplished at the end of a day at the end of a long week.

Thursday, Speech Therapy, okayed Rachel for level 3 foods and straight water (she's been on level 2 with thickened liquids). Now she can have breads and ground meat. Level 2 was no breads and all soft foods that aren't sticky (like peanut butter).

SOOooo.... this means Rachel's PEG tube came out Thursday afternoon!!! Rachel is one 'happy camper'. She was more than ready to have that tube out of her stomach, it was always getting in the way of her clothes, therapies, and constantly sore. Rachel laughs, because it looks like she has two belly buttons :-)

It sounds like Rachel's treadmill therapist doesn't want to work with Rachel on the treadmill because of the shaking in her leg. So she will be taking the week off from the treadmill.

Rachel specifically is asking for prayer for this shaking that occurs when her ankle is quickly reflexed, mostly in walking. The shaking hinders her walking ability. (and for her knees that wants to lock when she stands or walks).

Check back in a couple hours and I'll be posting a picture.

RuthAnne

Try This:

Okay, news update. Some of you who can't see the pictures or the addresses probably need to go to www.Microsoft.com and download Internet Explorer 7 or go to www.Mozilla.com and download Firefox. Both are free. I personally recommend Firefox, it works MUCH better than Explorer. After that, you should be able to see all the goodies on the side of this blog just fine. And that will probably help those of you who can't leave posts.

-Josh

A Dream

Hello Everyone,

My name is LeAna, I am a good friend of Julia Garrison (Rachel's sister). I recently had a dream that I feel God used to remind me of how important it is to pray for the Garrisons and hope that it reminds you to continue to faithfully lift up Rachel and her family before our Lord!

In my dream, I walked into my kitchen and saw a newspaper lying on the table. I picked it up and started to read, noticing a picture of myself. I started to comment on it when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my older brother, Evin, was sitting at the table.

Evin lives a few hours away, so I was thrilled to see him and excitedly exclaimed, “Evin!!!” as I gave him a big hug. He let out a little moan as if in pain and slowly, with slurred speech, said something like, “You better stick with the neck hug.” I was confused and pulled back quickly to ask what he meant. He motioned slowly and with much effort to show me that he was in a wheelchair with a headrest and supportive boards in front and behind him to help him sit up. He gave a half smile as if to say, “It’s OK,” but upon realizing the condition he was in, I broke down and wept. I wept to see him in that condition, and also at the realization that I had been so caught up in my own little world, looking at myself in the newspaper, that I had not even noticed him there.

I woke up crying, and continued to cry for a few minutes until I fully realized it was just a dream. Even after realizing this, though, I still had a hard time holding back the tears at just the vivid memory of “seeing” him like that, even if only in a dream.

At this point, I felt that God was putting it strongly on my heart to pray for Rachel, the rest of the Garrison family, and Ryan. It occurred to me that in my dream, I knew in the back of my head that Evin was OK - that he was going to recover. And yet, it absolutely broke my heart to see him in such a state.

I speak to Julia on a nearly daily basis, and am updated frequently on Rachel’s physical progress. I often forget that though she survived against all odds, this doesn’t mean that it’s an easy road from here on out. I’m sure that there are days for her when she is terribly discouraged, and days that it hurts Ryan and her family to see her so changed.

So as we continue to praise God for the incredible progress that Rachel has made thus far, let’s not forget to implore Him to give strength, joy, and hope anew each day to the Garrisons and Ryan.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." -2 Corinthians 13:14

LeAna Negron, New Jersey

Mom writes from Lincoln:

Rachel just asked me to put on the blog to pray for
-her walking on the treadmill every Tuesday and Thursday mornings (10:30am CST)
-her legs would be coordinated with God's help vs. pharmaceutical intervention
-that the spasms in her legs will disappear (they show up with exertion and fatigue)

Rachel's right side has good muscle tone.

The therapists say Rachel is one of the hardest working, determined patients they have seen.

We are all pleased with her progress, even though the list of things she can do without assistance is short, but growing!
Therapy is a very long, laborious road for all involved.

Prayers have been answered in abundance! In light of that, let me ask you.... would you consider praying for a touch-from-God miracle?

-Crystal

Isaiah 45:18,19 "I am the Lord," he says, "and there is no other I

I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord speak only what is true and declare only what is right."

Pictures

Rachel and Ryan. Fun to see them standing together. Sometimes Rachel wears tape on her right arm to help with the muscle stimulation.

The treadmill. The harness helps support Rachel's weight so that she can work on her gait pattern.

A Year In 3 Weeks?

Ah, another day in Lincoln, Nebraska. I am sitting in the room with Rachel and Speech Therapy is working with her. Rachel is reading an article out loud to us. Very cool. She is talking more and more. Thursday night, Ryan was not able to spend the night, so he called and talked to her. They talked for an hour on the phone! Rachel said that she thought he understood at least 80% of what she said to him on the phone. Either because he repeated it back to her correctly or responded appropriately. Yesterday, they did a test with Rachel to see how much air was escaping through her nose instead of it coming out of her mouth. The test went well. Little, if any, air comes through her nose. The lady that did her test had never seen Rachel before, but had heard about her. And that 'test lady' said that she thought Rachel had progressed at least a years worth in just a couple weeks. She said that it had been a very long time since she has seen someone progress so quickly, going from not speaking at all to speaking this well.

Your prayers are powerful!!!

Yesterday, Friday, Rachel walked on the treadmill for the first time. It went well considering it was the first attempt. I guess the first attempt usually doesn't go well at all, but I would say that it went well for her first time and being at the end of a very busy day at the end of a long week. Rachel was a bit frustrated with it. Some of the frustration Rachel is having is coming from her right leg. Her right ankle/leg shakes kinda like a spasm when quickly flexed (just like in walking). The medical condition is called 'clonus'. Her next treadmill session is on Tuesday and Rachel is concerned about the shaking. She does not want to use medication to treat it, but allow her body to figure out how to control the muscles appropriately.

So let's pray fervently for Rachel's right leg, so that her walking progresses rapidly. The therapist's say that Rachel has good strength, so strength isn't as much of a concern as the shaking and spasms that interfere with walking.

Rachel is also asking that you pray for her right arm, it is still weak. She is trying to eat with it, but needs alot of assistance to scoop the food onto her spoon. Rachel was right handed before and really wants full function of her right hand.

The doctor doesn't want to remove Rachel's feeding tube that is in her stomach for another week or so. Rachel is not using the tube for anything, so it is just a waiting game. Rachel is able to swallow all her pills.

Thank you for all your support,
RuthAnne

Quick Tip

To those of you you have tried leaving a blog post/comment and it hasn't worked out for you, see if these tips help.
-Click on the the word "comment", it is in green at the bottom of each post.
-Then write your comment in the box to the right and sign your name.
-Below this box are 3 options for posting:
1. Google/Blogger name (only few people have blogger names).
2. Other (you can put your name in and leave the web part blank).
3. Anonymous (make sure you have signed your name to the bottom of your note in the box where your note is).

Hope this helps!

Another Swallow Test

Good afternoon,

I have been gone for two weeks and it is good to be back! Josh and I were in Arizona for business, so this is the first day in 15 days that I have seen Rachel. The longest I have been away from her. She is doing great! All of our prayers and her perseverance is paying off. Rachel is speaking so much. I would estimate that 80% to 90% of what she is saying is understandable. It takes a little bit of hanging out with her to get the hang of how she sounds, but it is easy to pick up. Her voice is airy, so some of the 'th', 'sh', 'st' type sounds are hard. Today she worked on getting the 'd' to sound different from a 'th' or 't' sound.

You can see Rachel trying SO hard to do everything to her best ability. She definitely is not a slacker. On Friday, Rachel will get to walk on a treadmill assisted with a harness. The harness will take off however much weight needed so that Rachel can work on her gait and walk for longer amounts of time without getting worn out. I guess the key is practice, practice...not necessarily strength. Today in Physical Therapy, she walked a least 50 feet and later got in and out of a car. Rachel said that it is weird to be excited or to be told 'good job' in doing things like getting in and out of a car. Or like in Occupational Therapy to be told 'good job' in taking spices out of a cabinet. Doing things that used to be every day type movements to being complimented on doing them. I thought that was interesting that she shared that with me.

Rachel had another Swallow Test today. She got upgraded to the next level. There are 5 levels. She was at the beginner Level 1. And now is at Level 2. Which means she can now have liquids that are nectar consistency, mostly meaning anything that is a bit thicker than water. Drinks would include: shakes, drinkable yogurt, tomato juice, smoothies, etc. Before she could only have liquids that were thick enough to use with a spoon. And her food was upgraded from a complete pureed food diet to a soft food diet. Examples: scrambled eggs, some cereals, soft vegetables, ice cream, pies with only a bottom crust, etc.

Naomi said that the quilt is coming along very nicely and should be done this week! I don't think Rachel knows about it, so we are very excited for her to receive it. I will be taking a picture of it with Rachel when it arrives.

Thanks to everyone supporting us!
RuthAnne

7 Weeks

Good Morning,

This week was a really good week again. Every day there is obvious progress! Therapists and nurses remark about how well she is doing,
Ryan's Grandma Foss visits weekly and is always so surprised at how much more she is doing.

Now for specifics:

SPEECH
This week, in answer to prayer, she is able to speak more clearly.
Her lip, cheek, tongue, neck muscles have relaxed and come more up to speed. When she tries to tell us something, she first tries to say it and then uses her Lightwriter DECtalk tool if we cannot 'get it'.

WALKING
Yesterday, Friday, she was able to walk 40 steps 3 x's = 120 steps in one session. At the end of 40 steps she would sit in the wheelchair for 3 or 4 minutes and then go again. Her right leg was able to lift some enough to take each step. You know, if one leg drags heavy, kinda hard to walk.

SITTING
When situated, Rachel is able to sit by herself; her balance is good.

PERSONAL CARE
No catheter, no trach. no diaper,and no accidents!
100 % dependant on others for her needs - she can brush her own teeth and blow her nose!
Her goal this week is get the stomach feed tube out.

ATTITUDE
She is known as the happiest patient that a lot of the nurses have ever seen. Rachel still has some tears (of course) but she is quick to smile and laugh. At the beginning of the week I asked her if at any time during this event she had wished she had died. This question took courage on my part to ask because of the unknown answer. Rachel adamantly shook her head 'no' and said 'no'.

The Family
Some may wonder if our home is mayhem with me being with Rachel in Nebraska 4 hours away, 4-5 days a week. The honest answers would come from Phil, my dear husband, or Julia, our wonderful 21 year old daughter living at home (who has been a God send to us - she moved home 2 weeks before the accident).

On arriving home each week, I am greeted with smiles, the house is in order, and I am ready for a cup of coffee. Family is a blessing! We just watch and wait each week to see how God is working to heal Rachel and through this touch lives! Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.

Rachel wants you to feel blessed if you are able to eat without a bib!!

WHAT TO PRAY FOR SPECIFICALLY
Her speech and swallow! Wednesday she has a swallow test. If she passes this endoscope through the nostril test, she will get to graduate from pureed food to something appealing to the eye....yeah. Oh for the simple things in life!

With love,

Crystal

P.S. I am not overwhelmed with emails in my inbox.....if you feel compelled to email me, please do! Would love to hear from you whether I know you or not. (email is listed with the addresses on the right)

Today's Update

Today is Wednesday....time for an update.

We are so encourage by everyone's interest and prayers. We are also encouraged by this week's wonderful weather. I spend Tuesdays through Saturday morning with Rachel, usually with one or two of Rachel's sisters or brothers with me. Last week Julia (21) and Emily (13) were here. This week Micah (9) is with me. He brought his roller blades and school books. Being from the country, he enjoys the sidewalks.

After 3 days being away, I continue to see Rachel's strength improve which means her posture, eating, breathing, speaking and moving from bed to wheelchair and back is getting easier, but still with two assisting. Being 5'11", she pretty well towers over most nurses or therapists.

From my point of view, she is making good progress daily. The therapists all remark at how full her schedule is. She is busy. This makes these days go fast. Her day starts at 7:30 with her first therapy at 8:00. Two breaks. Her day then ends at 3:30. Supper is at 6:30.

From Rachel's point of view she continues to wonder 'how long' will she be here OR be like this? My answers vary. Today I said to her that she would be here until........then I stopped and asked her to fill in the blank. She looked at me and started to cry.

Actually, she has cried off and on all day. Then she types to me on this voiced mini keyboard (a wonderful tool) that she hates crying like this. She feels she is a crying time bomb. Rachel said she has never cried like this before. Having read stories of people in physically challenged situations who wished they were dead.........I did muster up the courage to ask her if she had ever wished that. She quickly and assuredly shook her head 'NO!'

I do wonder what all she thinks about. Her overall attitude is very cheerful -laughing a lot. But as each day melts into the next, she indicates she is just wondering how long. She is especially sensitive when people mention the day's date or the time of year.

Today she blew her nose by herself for the first time! And in Physical Therapy, she walked 50 steps, that is with 2 people at her side. Rachel's right foot has a difficult time moving forward, so someone helps that leg along. She can bare her weight on each leg as the other one moves forward.

The verse for this week for me is I Corinthians 2:9: "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the mind imagined what God has in store for those who love Him."

Thanks for your prayers, thoughts, & generosity!

Crystal

Count It All Joy

Good Morning Friends,

Another day at Madonna and so glad to be here. The staff, nurses, therapists and Doctor Zeng are great....easy to get along with and cheerful to boot. Plus our prayer was answered for a house to open up for us to stay here at Madonna, within walking distance.

So...............How is Rachel? Good question. I ponder how to answer. When people come to visit her for the first time, they tear up even though they trying to be brave, Then they tell her how wonderful she looks.

Comparing her progress from the night of September 6th (the ER and surgery) to now....Rachel is doing great.

Comparing Rachel now to how she was September 5th, just 3 days before her wedding -well, she is challenged to the max in every aspect. She remains cheerful. The nurses all remark at how easy she laughs and smiles. It's true. And she does continue to add to her bottle of tears that God says we have.
"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." - Psalm 56:8

But, all in all, we have much to be thankful for.........her vision, hearing, thinking, memory, touch sensations are great.

She has movement and feeling in all four limbs, her heart ticks right along with blood pressure and rate being great. Digestive system is working and there is obvious progress in all four limbs. Oh yes, and her bladder is working great...no more, well, catheter or diapers.............I mean hey, life here is reduced to simple body function focus! Every lil' improvement in every lil' area gets praise!

On the flip side, she cannot do almost anything for herself. Watching her day by day, I realize more intensely how each day we are given is a gift. The fact that you or I can walk to use the computer, sit in the chair and get up again without assistance or fear of falling.....with that we can rejoice!

Rachel's progress this week is~~much more agility in her right arm!! Go girl! She stands and sits down with two there to assist her and that is getting much easier as each time she is able to give herself some 'oomf' to help get up and she doesn't just plop down......she is gaining control.

With each eating session (she says eating is just another therapy session) she uses her right hand as well as her left. She is still eating pureed foods and drinking honey consistency liquids. Have you ever heard of thickened water.....her choices are pudding, honey or nectar consistency, but hey, it is wet. They even offered thickened pop or juices. I have to tell you that the facial expressions of the therapists or nurses are not so convincing that thick liquid is so wonderful.........and Rachel? she is a good sport about it.

Her goal and desire is to have her stomach feeding tube out by the end of October. With this in mind she is very motivated to practice swallowing and I am motivated to massage those muscles that are important in swallowing. Lemon juice triggers swallowing too! Actually, that is what the speech therapist does....swabs the back and sides of her tongue and the roof of her mouth with tart lemon which stimulates her swallow reflex.

For those of you who have been praying, we covet your prayers for Rachel's swallowing, so that it continues to improve beyond expectation -then she can 'get on with other things' ... I just cannot imagine her predicament.

Continue to pray for Rachel's mind that she would be filled with continued courage, determination, and energy.

About every day we hear of some great story of those who have passed through Madonna and have walked out with no signs of having ever been in a helpless state. This is our prayer and vision for Rachel!

We are blessed to have this website that keeps all of you who pray informed so you can continue your prayers.

Today she has 2 therapies and 3 meals.....the rest of the time we will spend outside enjoying the sunshine today. Everyone else in town will be at the Cornhuskers game!!

With a grateful heart,

Crystal Garrison

Progress Report

Greetings Everyone,

Progress! Lots of progress to report, she's been moving fast here in the past several days. I'm going to report in a 'bullet list' format:

- She can step! She can actually walk 10 steps while holding onto something for stability, and with some assistance with helping her right leg move forward.

- Her facial muscles are getting stronger. Previously, all she could do was smile, but now, she has more control over her expressions, lips, chewing, etc.

- She is working on learning how to brush her own teeth.

- She is working with the physical therapist on sitting upright for 1-2 minutes without any assistance.

- She has been feeding herself with her left hand. Her right hand is still lagging a little, but she can eat with no assistance with her left. Rachel is eating all three meals a day.

- Speaking of eating, right now she is eating 'pureed' food (which is food that has been through a blender), but they are considering upgrading her to a diet of more challenging texture. They will be doing the endoscope (video down her nose) in the next day or two and assess whether her diet can be upgraded.

- Even though she has been given an electronic tool (keyboard) to help with communication, she is required attempt the word or phrase verbally before using that tool so as to encourage vocal strengthening and development. When RuthAnne is around, Rachel will sign letters to her to form words.

- THIS IS THE KICKER - As of right now, Rachel has accomplished many of the goals that were originally set for her for November 14th.

Whew, that's a heckuva list. The bottom line: Rachel has been working her tail off...and it's showing. We're quite grateful that she is progressing so quickly, and only encourages more prayer, even as we see prayers answered.

Today, the family was able to move into a 2 bedroom unit close to the Madonna facility. It has been offered for use of Rachel's friends/family for the duration of her stay at a very discounted price.

I always like to keep these posts 'down to earth', but answered prayer is answered prayer, and at this point, she has more ability than some of the Doctors thought she might EVER regain.

All The Best,

- Josh

"Trading Spaces"

This is what happens when you leave Rachel with Ryan, Josh and RuthAnne. We do things without asking the nurses :-)

The 'Inner Game'

Greetings Everyone,

This Sunday brought about quite a surprise. RuthAnne and I are in Lincoln with Rachel right now, but spent the night with David & Rachel Akridge (who have been extremely hospitable by opening their home up to us).

We were walking into the entrance of Madonna this morning, and no sooner had we stepped into the front door than Rachel comes flying by in her wheelchair, right in front of us! Evidently, Rachel and Ryan were out walking before we got there, and decided to ambush us as we walked in. We all had a good laugh.

Rachel is still progressing. Yesterday, she only did about 30 minutes of physical therapy, so it was a bit of a "recovery day" for her. She did spend much of the day laughing and goofing around with all of us, which was nice.

She stood quite a bit, and has been devoting much time to practicing her transition from sitting to standing. She still needs much assistance to do that, but is getting stronger.

She is also sleeping better. Previously, she was waking up multiple time per night, needing to use the bathroom or other needs. For the last 2 nights, she has only woken up once.

The biggest challenge to her speech at this point is her ability to move and manipulate her tongue and mouth. We said the alphabet yesterday, and while she can make noises and sounds, she is making the sound from her mouth and nose, so that it is a very 'nasal-ish' sound. In other words, she's not talking exclusively through her mouth.

Even though Rachel done a fantastic job in keeping her spirits high, there are times when she has doubts about herself, and in moving back towards a full recovery. Even though she is progressing fast, she wants to progress faster. She is very aware of her status, and she wants to get back to normal ASAP. However, this is a process, so having the patience and fortitude to work through the process will be a challenge as we move forward.

ONE IMPORTANT CHANGE TO NOTE: At this point, Rachel will be working hard, day in and day out. Meaning, she will be participating in much of a routine, so we will be updating this blog twice per week now, on Wednesday's and Saturday's. That way, we will have more new information each time the blog is updated (so we actually have something to talk about). We have a balance to strike, between giving every little detail and giving very general information.

We recognize that there are all types of people reading this information, and we are very grateful for everyone that makes the effort to read this blog. We feel that updating twice per week will be frequent enough to give a good update with measurable progress, but also not providing so much info that it turns into 'overkill'.

Thanks for all your support,

- Josh


P.S. - For those of you that sent your names in, thank you. If haven't done so yet, then go make it happen. If you don't know what I'm talking about, refer to the previous post.

A Request and Gift!!

Rachel did this stepping maching for 20 minutes yesterday! The lady to the left is her Physical Therapist and the gentleman on her right is a volunteer and I am standing behind her.

Friends,

A friend of Rachel's, Naomi, is making a quilt for her. Naomi needs our help. What Naomi is doing is putting together a quilt for Rachel with the names of people who have been/are praying for her. If you have been praying for her, please send your name (as you want it to be written on the quilt, ie. Bill and Sandy Smith or the Smith Family, etc.) and state or country -it will be cool for her to see where everyone is from. Send it to me at ruthannefuson@gmail.com

I don't think Rachel has grasped how many of us are praying for her :-)

You may know people who are praying but they don't have access to the blog/internet. If you would be so kind as to include those individuals as well when you send your name, that would be great.

Thank you!

RuthAnne and Naomi


P.S. Yes, we will be taking a picture when it is finished so you can see the finished project. :-)

More Notes From Mom.

Today marks the 8th day at Madonna Rehab.

Yesterday afternoon, RuthAnne and I took Rachel outside to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. While talking, I told her of a story that I heard of a 14 year old girl who had been in an accident and could not walk and was told she would never be able to walk. After many people praying for her, one day this girl got up and walked totally healed. Even though Rachel can’t talk, she responded. She burst into tears. Now maybe one would think that telling her this story wouldn’t help her. Valid point. Except that the whole theme of being at Madonna is to set goals and achieve them. The combination of the prayers of the network of saints, the efforts of the rehab staff and therapists, and the diligence and belief of the patient all play a part in seeing Rachel meet her goal. From the beginning, every verbal prayer I have heard prayed for Rachel has been one of total healing~~~so, I told her this story.

To keep her from crying more, facing her I looked up and joked that Ryan was coming. She stopped crying and then I had to tell her that I was joking. She was laughing at my behavior technique. Then, to my surprise, I looked up and there was Ryan approaching her from behind and so I told Rachel, “Ryan IS coming.” Of course, she rolled her eyes........then he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead......his arrival was timely! (And surprised me!)

Today is another day and goodness....people here keep things moving.

Here is a list of today’s Joys:

Rachel was able to use the NuStep TRS4000 for 20 minutes....it is a stepping machine that she can use in the sitting position, which works her legs. Now keep in mind that she has a therapist and volunteer at her side to stable her and to keep her legs positioned on the peddles. She liked this machine!

--Optometrist evaluation-went very well. Rachel was able to differentiate a very small drawn stick object on a board 15 feet away. Her close up and distance focus is good. They will work on fine tuning her focus, it's almost perfect.

--She was able to stand with assistance today for 10 minutes (intervals of 1-2 min apiece) while standing with help she was able to reach up almost shoulder level with her left hand. Her right hand/arm needs prayers!

--She is able to sign the alphabet with her left hand! She struggles with some of the letters, but RuthAnne is able to decipher almost everything. Prayers are being answered for Rachel!

--Rachel's voice is getting stronger. She can say the sounds 'M', 'L' and 'W' with vowels attached to them. At the end of today's second session, she could say, "My name" in one breath. Tomorrow morning, the Speech Therapist will be giving her breakfast. Her first meal!!

Do we even begin to know and discover the possibilities of prayers? So, don’t just stand there, pray something! Not just for Rachel’s struggles, but for your struggles too....may you see the possibilities that prayer has in changing your life struggle into a prayer answered!!

I John 5:14, 15 says so plainly:
“And this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: and if we know that He hears us,whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of Him.”

Thanks for checking in on Rachel’s progress and for your comments! ~ Crystal ~

A Note From Mom

Today marks one week here at Madonna Rehab. It has been a really good week too.

The verse: ‘The Joy of the Lord is our Strength’ has been our theme since the onset of Rachel’s journey.
These 8 words have kept us all going forward, seeing God orchestrate every detail these 5 weeks!

Being at Madonna has continued to comfort us with the joy each therapist, nurse, doctor and worker exude with their team effort to heal Rachel.

Now, RuthAnne and I (Rachel’s mom) arrived yesterday morning. I hadn’t seen her since Friday and RuthAnne hadn’t seen her since last Tuesday. We are staying with David and Rachel Akridge (Rachel and I know and worked with this couple from Summit Ministries in Colorado) here in Lincoln, they have graciously opened their home to us until a house with Madonna opens up. RuthAnne and I are amazed at the improvements she has made. God continues to answer our prayers of healing for Rachel.

Since being in the hospital in Iowa City, Rachel wasn’t able to wear her engagement ring. Last night
Ryan put it back on her finger. This morning we asked her if she liked the ring back on...her look
was priceless. Ryan’s love for Rachel has a huge healing affect.

We want you to know that Rachel enjoys the cards and your posts on the web; so please keep posting your words of encouragement and prayers for her OR some story that you remember of her. You know, we will tell her what you wrote (which is fun) AND she will be reading this chronicle of her days since the ‘event’ as soon as she has access to the computer....

Here is a list of today’s Joys:

Rachel’s vision is really good as she did the Brock String therapy today....the therapist is happy about this and Rachel is even happier.
The PICC line for blood draws was removed~~one less thing attached to her body.
The TRACH removed!!! This is huge to her as this was a great source of irritation for her...now all she has left to get rid of is her stomach feed tube. That should be out as soon as her tongue can handle the food in her mouth AND she can eat enough to keep her energy.
She was able to stand for one minute with 2 people steadying her from wilting which was much better than yesterday.
The speech therapist just stopped by and said that Rachel can say ‘Yah’ and “No’ clearly so she wants her to say that instead of head nodding. She is pleased with Rachel’s improvements daily.
Rachel stays busy all day with therapy and some rests.........this helps to keep the days interesting and productive for her. One week ago she could only handle being up in the wheel chair one hour. Now she is fine with 7 hours!!!!

You probably wonder of Rachel’s emotional side.
Does she cry?
Is she frustrated?
Does she wonder ‘why?’
Yes, she does cry....perhaps every day at some point.
Why does she cry? Because she is frustrated, but not because she wants to give up.
She is frustrated with her fine motor skills not working as well as not being able to care for her body....how humbling...
We take these simple pleasures in life for granted UNTIL they are taken from us.
Yes, she does wonder why this happened.

How do we communicate if she cannot speak except to say ‘yah’ and ‘no’? Well, she has a board that
has the alphabet and with her left hand she can quickly spell out what she is thinking and the questions she has......the hitch in this method is with the interpreter (us) trying to remember and follow the sequence of letters.........sometimes she can spell faster than what we can remember and then......she ROLLS her eyes =) We are getting better at remembering.

Continue to pray for Rachel’s miraculous healing. According to I John 5:14, 15 ..... “And this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: and if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of Him.”

“Prayer is faith passing into act." Richard Cecil

Thanks everyone for being there. The Christian family is beyond compare!

With heartfelt love,
Crystal Garrison

One Week At Madonna

Good evening,

Rachel had another good day here at Madonna. Mom and I got here this morning and hung out with her all day through her different therapies. Nancy (Ryan's mom) has been here this weekend during the day and Ryan comes in the evening.

It was great to see the improvements that Rachel has made in one week. I left her Tuesday night in Iowa City and she has been here since Wednesday. She is getting physically stronger every day, even the therapists can tell a difference from one day to the next.

Today, the Speech Therapist gave her a banana to eat and she did very well with it, I'm not sure if it was cut up or mashed, but Rachel loved it.

The doctors/therapist all meet in the morning for their weekly meeting to discuss Rachel's progress and will determine further goals/plans. We are curious to see what they say. The Pulmonary Doctor will see Rachel tomorrow and make the final say if she can have the trach out. She hasn't used her trach for a week, so we see no need for her to keep it. We thought he was going to stop by on Monday, but he got postponed for some reason.

Your prayers have a noticeable impact!
~RuthAnne

Fun With Numbers

Greetings Everyone,

Today, we wanted to actually spell out specifics of where Rachel is at, and where she is going.

Where She Is At

Right now, Rachel is cognitively all there. She can understand anything we throw at her, whether it's old memories, math problems, or other 'mind benders'. There is no question that her mind is very sharp, and so far, we cannot detect any difference mentally from where she was before this all happened up until now.

Physically, she has a challenging road ahead of her. She can make sounds, but she's not currently speaking. She can move her arms a little bit, but not enough to really manipulate anything. She can read just fine, but she can't hold a book. At this point, she can't pick up objects, or even 'high five' us. She can eat soft foods, but she's not moving her body much below her neck. She can move things a little bit, but not much. The hope is that where there is little movement, more can be built.

Where She Is Going

By November 14th, the medical staff wants her to be able to accomplish the following:

1. Be able to provide assistance in getting in and out of a wheelchair.
2. Be able to regain 25% of her physical ability, which includes standing up without anyone to balance her, sitting up on her own, etc.
3. Be 50% understandable in her speech.
4. Only require 25% help in feeding of semi-solid foods.

This will be her first benchmark, and hopefully she far exceeds it. However, much prayer, sweat, and work will be required to reach it. No doubt, she has had an amazing journey in the past month, and the chips have fallen enough for us to all get a baseline of ability, of where she is actually 'starting from'.

From this point going forward, "work" is the name of the game. She will be doing plenty of it, so if you want to mail an encouraging card, gift packs, or random objects of affection, you can do so at her new address. She has her own room, and the staff has given her the freedom to decorate it any way she chooses.

So to sum, if you are looking for some very specific things to pray for:

1. The ability to move her tongue, and verbal communication.
2. The ability to move and control her arms.
3. The ability to move and control her hands, fingers.
4. The ability to move and control her legs.
5. Faith.

Thanks for your care,

- Josh

Consider This...

Greetings Everyone,

It appears that the staff at the Madonna Rehab Hospital have no problem working Rachel to the max. Since she has arrived, they have made it clear that the only reason that she is there is to build her strength and health back up to a level where she can function independently. They have a very strong philosophy of 'do it yourself', which is quite different from a traditional hospital.

Here are the highlights so far:

1. She starts work at about 9:00 AM. She bathes, helps get herself dressed, and prepares for the rigors ahead.
2. She had an endoscope put down her nose yesterday, so the doctors could see her swallowing muscles function. They even burned the video to DVD for us. We're going to put it on UTube. Not really. The results were good, she can swallow decently, and she will begin with a soft-food diet today.
3. They stand her up on her own feet several times a day, and take her to the gym several times a day as well. It has been made clear that hard work will be needed in order for her to regain her strength, and so far, she has had a great attitude about that work. They are constantly putting forth challenges in front of her that are a bit more difficult than the previous task.
4. She is beginning to point to letters to communicate however, on Monday, she will have the Trach removed (yeah!). At that point, they will begin working with her in getting her 'speech muscles' (tongue, throat, etc) back up to par.

They weighed her upon entry to the facility, and surprisingly, she hasn't lost much weight. This is a good thing, as she has basically been immobile for the past month.

Phil and Crystal are the two that have spent the most time with her the last few days, and in the very limited amount of time that they have been at Madonna, they have seen a pretty dramatic improvement.

They have a tentative release date of November 14th, however, that will be evaluated and re-evaluated each week that she is there. They can hold her for much longer than that, depending upon her progress. Meaning, if she keeps progressing, they will keep her there longer.

RuthAnne and Crystal will be spending the week with her starting this Tuesday.

ONE QUICK THING TO CONSIDER: It has now been a month since this whole ordeal began.

30 days ago today, it was questionable whether or not Rachel would live.
28 days ago, we were told Rachel would probably be a vegetable.
27 days ago, we were told Rachel would probably be on a ventilator (breathing machine) for the next 6 months.
21 days ago, they concluded that Rachel's 'swallow muscles' were so weak that she might never be able to eat on her own again.
14 days ago, we were told that Rachel would probably be stuck in the hospital in Iowa City for 2 - 3 months of pre-therapy, just getting ready for true rehabilitation.
6 days ago Rachel was still waiting to get out of the ICU.
4 days ago we didn't know if Rachel would even be accepted to Madonna for rehab.
3 days ago, Rachel arrived at Madonna for full rehabilitation.

And now, here we are...

Pretty amazing to consider, eh? We think so. If you ever wonder if your prayers are being heard, just look at the time-line listed above. Thank you for all your support.

- Josh