August 28-31

Melinda had a good weekend. Her grandmother (Mema) arrived Friday to stay the weekend with Melinda. On Saturday sister Leann and neice Britany came by to spend the day. They had a great time visiting and being funny. The weekends go by so fast that it is not fair.
Melinda is looking forward to the day she can go home. She has been told she needs to work very hard to get ready and so she is. Monday morn. OT worked on Melinda using her walker to get to the bathroom since we don't think her wheelchair will fit. She is progressing nicely and we think she will be fine there.
We have had concerns about stairs and Melinda's ability to use them since our house has stairs everywhere. PT worked with her this morning on some stairs and Melinda did great on the stairs. This is a huge weight off our minds. She will continue to need help with them but we know she can handle them.
Melinda continues to progress and it is our hope that when she comes home she will continue to do the same and have faith that this will happen.
The prayers and the Lord continue to produce miracles with Melinda and we thank everyone for that.
God Bless.

August 26, 27

Melinda is having a good week. She likes getting in the pool to work on her balance and core strength. I think it helps with her joint movement. She seems to be stepping better while trying to walk. She still needs two people to help her walk but she is getting better at it each day.
Melinda had a fun afternoon this afternoon at therapy. PT and ST got together and combined to work her. They hooked up the wii and put in Guitar Hero and had her sing while standing using her right arm to steady herself and held onto to the microphone with her left. This got Melinda to use her right side and her singing for speech. It went really well and she had fun.
Melinda is looking forward to the weekend. We don't have any plans but she enjoys the rest.
Thank everyone for everything. God Bless.

August 25

Melinda continues to work hard with her therapies and is making progress. She got to do something special today and went out on an outing to Target this morning and looked at clothes. Melinda picked out a tank top and a sweats type jacket. We also did things to work as her therapies. She used her right arm and hand, she tried on clothes, and she walked a little bit behind a cart. Melinda had a good time and as soon as she got back she got in the pool for her aquatic therapy. All in all she enjoyed the day. She walked with PT in the afternoon session and seemed to move her hips and legs a little better after being in the water.
Thank everyone for the prayers and cards. Keep praying and God bless.

August 21 - 23

Melinda had an enjoyable weekend but it wore her out. Melinda had her usual day of therapies on Friday. On Saturday Melinda was given a pass to leave the hospital for a while. That after noon we loaded up and went to Shawnee to see her sister Leann for an early birthday. We visited for a few hours and then went to eat. After we ate we came back to the hospital. The day completely wore Melinda out and was ready to go the sleep as soon as we got back. She slept all evening, all night Saturday and slept most of the day Sunday. She had a restful day so hopefully she will be ready for another week of therapies. Melinda is improving every day but will still need lots of therapy when she gets to come home. She is ready to get out of the hospital come home.

Please remember to keep Melinda, Jon, and their families in your prayers. They are working. God Bless.

August 20

Melinda had a good day today. She is getting better and quicker at getting herself dressed in the mornings. She is starting to use her right hand a little to grab and hold items to help put clothes on like her socks. She is not very strong with it but she is trying. She still needs a little help with holding her legs up over her other knee so she could reach her feet. She also worked at standing at the bathroom sink and working at balancing herself and reaching for items and using her hands and fingers to do things like twist caps off or flip caps to open them.
PT's morning session worked on Melinda's balance also and her trunk strength, then walked a little at walking with the walker. In the afternoon session PT came to the room and Melinda walked with the walker in the hallway. She walked all the way around the nurses station back to her room, took a breather and then did it again. When she remembers to keep her hips under her, lean a little forward, and stand up straight and tall, she looks really good walking and she seems to walk better.
ST is still working on Melinda's short term memory and pronunciation of her words. Her memory is getting better. She is still needing to work on her lung capacity and air intake. Melinda was told Wednsday that they set a tentative release date of two more weeks and she was excited and has not forgot that for sure. She asks about every 30 minutes how many more days she has left till she can go home. She also asks quite often about her school and if they have started and if she will be able to graduate with her class.
Thank you everyone and God bless.

August 18 & 19

Melinda has had a goo couple of days. On Tuesday ST played some of the songs off of Melinda's cds and they sang to them. They had a great time and laughed a lot. Tuesday afternoon OT came to get Melinda to do something different. She hooked up a wii game to the tv near the nurses station. Melinda played baseball and a little tennis. She could not quite get the timing down but she enjoyed it anyway. PT came by while Melinda was playing and thought that was a good idea. PT asked if she could use it on Wednsday. On Wednsday PT put a twist to the wii game and had Melinda stand to play it using her good arm (left) to play and to use her weak side to steady her and to balance herself. In the afternoon PT came by with a walker. PT stood Melinda behind the walker and with a little assistance Melinda walked. She still has balance problems and she still crosses her right leg in front of ther left but she is moving her legs better and she did a good job of hanging on to the walker with her right hand. We are making progress and it is exciting but she has a lot of hard work remaining to be able to do things on her own. She had two people helping her with the walker but she was doing most of the work.

Prayers are being answered. Please continue to keep Melinda in your prayers.
God bless you all.

August 14 - 17

Melinda has been doing great with her therapies. She is working very hard to recover her mobility and flexability. She continues to make progress. Friday evening Melinda was given the ok for a short pass. She did very well with the transfer from her wheelchair to the vehicle. Once she was in the vehicle and we started driving she said she was feeling car sick. Dr. Smith says that is pretty normal with brain injuries and the new movement in the vehicle. It should get better.
Melinda has a very busy weekend with lots of visitors. She was up in her chair most of both days. Sunday evening she was very tired. She was so tired she wanted to lay down and not finish her dinner. I knew she was tired when she said that because she is always hungry and ready to eat. She layed down and she slept all evening. She was woke up to get a bath and then she was back to bed again. She woke up tired Monday morning and was a little sluggish for her therapies and the therapists noticed she was not her normal self. We made it thru the day and she is going to get plenty of rest this evening and tonight so she will be ready tomorrow morning.
Melinda want to thank everyone for coming to see her. She always enjoys getting visits. She continues to have a good attitude and works very hard. Please continue to pray for Melinda's progress.

God Bless.

August 12 & 13

Melinda is staying busy with all her therapies. She is working very very hard and never complains. All the therapist is seeing Melinda's sassy, ornery side and keeps us all laughing. PT said, Melinda is depending on her left hand to much and forgetting about her right hand." PT is using techniques to get her to balance her body without the use of her right hand. Melinda is frightened and she feels unstable. PT is using a mirror so she can see the correct way to stand and take steps. Melinda's right knee hyper-extends with every step, she is having a hard time walking and is in a lot of pain. I asked, "Does she need a knee brace?" They said, "No. The muscles need to be strengthened a lot more." Melinda is enjoying aquatics(pool) therapy. She was a little frightened when the therapist let her lose her balance in the pool. With a brain injury you have to re-program the brain to learn these things that are automatic to an un-injured brain. OT is working with Melinda's right hand and this has been a very slow process. I know, everything is in baby steps and one day at a time. The neurosurgeon finally contacted Dr. Smith and said, "The neck brace can come off!" YEA!!! Melinda hasn't had any pain in her neck or arms the last couple of days. Dr. Smith also, stopped her heart rate/blood pressure medicine and said, "she should have more energy." Melinda's 4 week evaluation went well. She continues to improve and estimated date of release is 2-3 weeks. When we get home, Melinda will have continued Physical therapy, Occupational therapy and Speech therapy. Please continue to pray for Melinda, Jon and our families. We still have a long road to recovery ahead of us. Thank you for your concern, love and support. God Bless!

August 11

Melinda had another busy day. She is working hard in all her therapies. She's dressing her self better and really trying to use her right hand. In PT, she is working on her hips, balancing and standing by herself. Melinda is doing some alphabetizing and memorizing in Speech therapy. Dr. Smith said, "Melinda's UTI infection is a little resilient to the antibiotic and she will take bactrim another 7-10 days." The doctor said, "I won't be doing a skin test to take her out of isolation, because it will just come back positive, and Melinda won't be able to do aquatics therapy." Everyone is saying that Melinda will really benefit a lot in aquatic therapy. Melinda aspirated on thin liquids and didn't pass her swallowing test. She did upgrade from drinking honey thickness to nectar thickness. ST - Jenny said, "Melinda's throat muscles are still weak because of the neck brace." We will keep talking to the doctor about taking the neck brace off. Melinda enjoyed the pool therapy. She worked on balance and walking.

Melinda wants to say a few words.....Thank you for all the prayers for me, without your prayers I would not be here today. Thank you for the letters, cards, visits and all the love and support I have received. This helped me stay strong. I love you all and I can't wait to go home. Hope to see you all soon! Love, Melinda Rae

August 10

Melinda had a good day. Melinda is doing better at dressing her self. PT did exercises with her hips and said, her hip extensions are good. Melinda walked with the shopping cart, stood up against the wall and is learning how to step sideways. Melinda had fun playing Go Fish with the Speech therapist. She is scheduled to have another swallow test tomorrow. Dr. Smith came in and moved Melinda's neck around. He asked, "Does your neck hurt at all?" She said, "No. Your just tickling me!" Dr. Smith is making another call to the neurosurgeon to get the results of the Ct scan. Melinda's nasal swab came back negative and she will start aquatics therapy tomorrow. This also means that Melinda's staph infection isn't active and she won't be labeled an isolation precaution. No more protective gowns or latex gloves for anyone entering her room. Yea! Melinda had an awesome day and I am so proud of her!! We are eternally grateful for all the prayers and support.

Fri. and Weekend

Melinda is doing well. She is working very hard and continues to progress every day. On Friday, PT and OT worked together to help strengthen her arm and hand muscles. The therapist said, "If the muscles tighten up, she won't have any function in her right arm." Melinda's eating and swallowing is going well. The Speech therapist said, "Melinda will have another swallow test next week." If she passes, she will be able to eat and drink anything she wants. She said, "I want a McDonald's hamburger and Chinese food!" Melinda is in good spirits. She is enjoying all her visits, phone calls and get well cards. I know seeing and hearing familiar faces and voices has helped her recovery. Before, she would just look at you with a blank stare and now I am seeing a HUGE difference in her facial expressions. Melinda is funny and making everybody laugh till we are all in tears. Melinda and Jon have come a long way since April 24th and we owe it all to our Heavenly Father! Please keep praying as they endure the many hours of therapy. Thank you and God Bless!! If you would like to visit Melinda, the hours are M-F 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Sat & Sun 12:00 - 8:00 pm.

August 6

Melinda slept well through the night. OT - Jenna gave her an A for effort for trying to use both hands to put her socks on. Melinda has a lot of work to do on her right hand and arm, but she is starting to move it on her own. Dr. Smith said, "Hemoglobin is fine, but Melinda has an urinary tract infection(UTI)." This will get cleared up with an antibiotic. Still waiting on a call back from the neuro doctor about the neck brace. PT - Teresita and Elizabeth took Melinda down to the gym. She worked with the shopping cart. Her stepping, shifting her hips and posture all have improved from yesterday. As we were walking down the hall, we talked about going to the mall to do some serious shopping. Melinda smiled and said Yes!! ST - Jenny worked with Melinda on addition, sequencing and memory. Jenny said, "Melinda is doing well, her process is slower, but will get better." Melinda's 3rd week evaluation states she is progressing well. Melinda is improving and doing so MUCH better! We know it is all the prayers we have received. They are very much appreciated. Thank you and God Bless!

August 5

Melinda woke up with a headache and was really tired. She had difficulty getting through her morning therapies. PT Teresita said, "Melinda seems tired and looks pale this morning ." They checked her heart rate and it showed to be a little high. The therapist decided to change their schedule to start later in the afternoon to give Melinda a downtime nap. She woke up rested, had lunch and was ready to get back to work. We met Amy from recreational therapy today, and she will be doing some fun things with Melinda twice a week. Melinda pushed a shopping cart in PT. The therapist, Teresita and Dora only helped shift her hips and help the right leg step, if needed. As I was watched Melinda walk down the hall, her eyes bright and she was smiling from ear to ear. I am so proud of her! The struggles that she endures every day, and never complains. A mother's love of a child is like no other. It's hard watching your child struggle with every thing. How easy it would be if we could kiss the pain away and make everything okay. I know God feels our pain and knows what we are going through. I have comfort, knowing my faith in God is strong and with each day the pain is less and the day is brighter. Continue to pray for Melinda and Jon to give them strength to endure the many hours of therapy. Thank you for your prayers and all the love and support! God Bless!!

August 4

Melinda worked hard in therapy, by the end of the day she was very exhausted and ready for bed. Melinda's speech therapist, Jenny tested her with some crackers and pudding. She passed with flying colors. Her meals have been upgraded starting tomorrow. Melinda will have another swallow test next week to see if she can drink thin liquids. Talking to PT Teresita, Melinda would benefit aquatics (water)therapy. Since she had a staph infection that was cleared up with antibiotics months ago, she is still labeled isolation precaution. The doctor ordered a nose swab and urine culture to see if the staph infection is still active. In PT, Melinda is working her hips back and forth and is in a lot of pain with her right pelvis(fracture) but keeps going. The music therapist Suzy is working with Melinda to show excitement in her words, to use different pitches in her voice. Melinda is always smiling, polite and pleasant to every one around her. The nurse gave her a shot in her tummy and she said, "Thank you, but it really hurt". "That's Melinda!" When she looks in the mirror, she sees a big difference in her looks. I said, "I see my smiling, caring, big heart, ornery, loving beautiful daughter." I told her to stay strong, don't lose faith in God and lean on him for strength. Melinda and Jon are both working hard to get well so they can come home. Please continue to pray, pray, pray!!! Amen!!

August 3

Melinda had a great day and is doing well. We are waking up at 7:30 to get dressed and eat breakfast. Melinda is not a morning person. She is getting plenty of sleep, but still tires easily. PT is really working hard to get Melinda's back and trunk stronger. The walker(rjo) was able to help her walk, but she wasn't using her hips to stand tall. She was using her upper body to hold her self up. Melinda tried the parallel bars and did great. She is having to work harder to walk and has to use her legs to support her body. PT is showing her how to shift her hips from side to side, so each leg will support her body to take steps. She walked 20 steps by her self. Yea! The therapist(2) helped her shift her hips and move her right leg. PT said, "We are going to teach Melinda how to dance." Speech started Melinda on a memory book. All the therapist write what they did in their session with her on each day. Melinda will be reading this book over and over to help retain memory. She remembers only in the moment. ST said, "She will test Melinda on eating a cracker." If she does well chewing and swallowing, she will change the texture of her food. Yea! Melinda will be a step closer to eating regular foods and water. Dr. Smith said, "We should hear something about her back/neck tomorrow." The neuro doctor might want an MRI if he isn't satisfied with the CT scan. Yes! God is truly answering our prayers. Melinda is God's miracle, not once but twice. Continue to pray for Melinda to give her the strength to keep fighting this battle. Thank you for all your support, thoughts and prayers.

Fri. and Weekend

Melinda is getting stronger everyday. ST - Jenny ordered Melinda to receive 3 meals a day. She is enjoying eating again, even if it is pureed. Melinda said, "Aunt Stacey I will give you a hug, if she give me a piece of cake." We all had a good laugh! Melinda is funny and has a great sense of humor. In PT, she walked with the walker(rjo) and beat her record of 124 steps. She walked 150 steps and wanted to quit because we thought she was in pain. We got her sat back down in her wheelchair and PT - Teresita asked, "What is the worst thing about walking?" She said, "The shorts, you give me wed-gees!" Again we all laughed!! Dr. Smith is waiting for the neurosurgeon to call back with the results of the Ct scan of her back. The pulmonary doctor ordered her breathing treatments to 4 times a day, instead of 6. Melinda said, "she will be coming home in 1 month!" "I have faith, that through God, anything is possible!" Please continue to pray for Melinda and Jon. Thank you and God Bless!!