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?
- 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.
- 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!)
- 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.
- 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
