Happy New Year!!

Well...2007 has been a difficult year for the Gauman Family. I must say I am glad to see it some to an end and have a new start with 2008. On March 6th, we experienced a tragedy unlike any other we’ve faced before (and hope to never face again.) This was the day a large RV gate fell on our son, Luke. After my dad having to do CPR on Luke, a sheriff escort to the hospital not knowing when we arrived if our son would still be alive, a talk about thinking about possible organ donation if he did not pull through, an up and down night (and week after) in the PICU where Luke was given drugs to keep his heart and lungs working, as well as being on a ventilator for two weeks. For reasons unknown to us, God chose not to take Luke home, and we began a journey unlike any other. It’s been a long nine months, full of ups and downs. One thing that I can say is that God has never left our side and has carried us down this difficult road. He has been our comfort and our strength during the darkest time in our lives. It is with a smile on my face that I tell of the many miracles God has worked in Luke’s life. Luke’s initial prognosis was very poor; they initially thought he had severe hypoxia. Later CT scans showed this was not the case (in case you are wondering hypoxia does not just disappear overnight-this was just one of many miracles.) God breathed new life into Luke that day and is gradually restoring our precious son to health. Luke has already overcome many of the obstacles that were before him – many that medical professionals doubted he would ever overcome. He recognizes everything that is going on around him. This week we went to see, "Alvin and the Chipmunks." How amazing is it that he can hold his eye open to watch the movie. He stayed awake the entire movie and loved it! He eats all meals by mouth and has no difficulty breathing or swallowing. His precious personality is still intact as he returns to us more and more each day. He is able to follow commands and loves to "play" with some of his toys with us. He is off of all medications except for Merilax until he gets to moving more. We are so blessed to have the precious miracle of Luke in our lives. I share this story with you so that you will know of God’s mighty power and of His miracles. So many people ask me what my goals are for Luke, you know what I say to them, with God ANYTHING is possible, and I want Luke to be the kid he was before that gate fell on him, why should we put limitations on him, he has more than proven himself able to blow through any limits! When Luke was first hurt my song was, "Tunnel," because I BELIEVE and KNOW there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Lately, I have another song, "There is a Reason," by Caedmon's Call. I know there is a reason we are going thru this, but as the lyrics to the song say, "There is a reason, He makes all things good." Sometimes I just wished this would happen on my time not His. So, I say good bye to 2007, thanks be to God for carrying us through. There is a light at the end of this tunnel because he makes all things good if you Believe, and I BELIEVE that 2008 is going to be GREAT! Thanks for continuing to be here with us throughout this journey, please keep praying for continued restoration for Luke, May God Bless you all in the new year!

Thanks so much for all of the comments...we LOVE to read them! I know some of you have had a hard time leaving them. If you click on the text that shows 0 (or whatever #) comments under my text it will take you where you leave a comment. You can also email us at ourgladiator@aol.com.

Merry Christmas!

This week has been pretty busy getting ready for Christmas. We did start Luke seeing an acpuncturist this week. She is great! Thanks so much to Kelly and Stephanie for recommending her (many months ago.) It did take some convincing on my part, as I can be a bit stubborn at times (I am sure Mike will agree to that.) However, Mike and I both got a test needle, and I promise, it does not hurt. Luke had 7 needles in his head and did not make a peep. We will see what happens. He has PT this week, then the next 2 weeks, it is just us working him at home. We are working on getting him to hold his head up and trying to get him to sit up. His head is getting stronger every day. He is so cute...he is very excited for Santa to come. Every morning I tell him how many more days there are, and he gets a big grin. I can not tell you how thankful and blessed I am that he is here to celebrate with us this year! Every morning when I wake up and see the four stockings hanging from our fireplace, I can't help but whisper a prayer of thanks. This Christmas it is my prayer that everyone reading this will truly remember the reason for the season, give Thanks to God for the many blessings in your life, and also say a special prayer for anyone that will not be celebrating with their loved ones this year, whether they are fighting to protect our freedom or have gone to a better place. One thing we have done for many years is make a "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake, then we always sing Happy Birthday. Thanks so much for continuing to pray for Luke, please pray for continued restoration of his brain. Remember...Jesus is the reason for the season, Have a very Merry Christmas, and God Bless you all.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us…And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 NLT

Visit with Santa

Luke is doing great from his surgery on Monday. You really would never know he had anything done. He was pretty quite in the hospital, but he is back to himself after getting home. He is really starting to want to see everything. He is getting great at using his finger to open his left eye and sometimes his right. I can't imagine how frustrated he has to be at times, but rarely does he show it. What a trooper he is! We are meeting with the doctor the beginning of January to discuss the surgery to open the eyes. We met with the ENT that did Luke's tubes yesterday, and they are both out. He will be getting them put back in in January so we can start going to Oxygen Therapy again. We have taken a much longer break than we would have liked, but did not want to chance it with the aneurysm.

Yesterday, Lynsey and Luke got to sit on Santa's lap. Luke was excited! He kept opening up his eye to look at Santa. When Santa asked if he would like some trucks he smiled and made his cute little sound. We have taken it pretty easy with him this week as far as working him out. I will say, with his flash cards he is able to recognize numbers and letters. I have even written mom, dad, sis, and Luke. He is great at picking out his name. I can also give him simple math problems 2 + 2 and he will pick the right answer most of the times. I really feel in my heart he knows everything he knew before the accident, it is just a matter now of getting his body to work. I know it will take a long time too. It is amazing how much your body loses muscle tone, etc. in such a short amount of time. We do have a physical therapist that started coming to the house last week. I think he is going to be great for Luke. God bless you all and have a great weekend!

Praise God!

The surgery went great! The doctor said he was very pleased with the results. They ended up just having to do the coiling, no stint, so that was great! They didn't end up getting to him until 1:30 this afternoon , which is why this update is so late (a long day considering we had to be there at 6am.) When they came to get him from the pre-op area, they always have someone from transport wheel him there. As soon as we got off of the elevator he knew exactly what was happening and started crying. Then the lady told us, "here is the waiting room," Luke really started crying hard. That was the worst part all day for us, hearing him cry and knowing where he was going! After they took him to the PICU to recover. When we got in there I told him he did so good and to show me an okay...he did it right away! What a trooper he his! Mike is there now staying the night with his wing man. We should be able to bring him home tomorrow. Thank you all so much for your prayers, emails, posts, phone calls, everything....YOU ALL truly made the difference (once again!) in the life of our gladiator and our family today. God Bless you all....and Believe...the best is yet to come!

A Week From Now...

Hello Everyone! First, the Luke story of the week. We are now able to show Luke playing cards or flash cards, and he will pick the correct card I would say over 90% of the time. We have used playing cards and flash cards where he picks the correct color, shape, or object. (I think it helps that I give him an M&M every time gets one right:) Also, when I am carrying to the car or in from the car, he loves to help out by shutting the door with his hand. He is strong!

Now for the important part...Luke will be going in Monday, December 10th for the coiling of his aneurysm. If you would like to see exactly what will be done, you can see read about it at:

http://www.brainaneurysm.com/aneurysm-treatment.html. I am asking all of you for lots of prayers for Luke that day, we have to be there at 6:00am, and his surgery is at 10:00 am. Please spread the word to everyone you know, add Luke to your church prayer lists this Sunday. Almost nine months ago, we asked all of you to do this for us, and I know MANY of you have not stopped since. We are forever grateful to you for that; your prayers saved Luke's life that horrible day in March and have kept him progressing every since. Together with all of our prayers, we can ensure Luke has a safe and successful surgery on Monday. So Pray without ceasing and remember..."If you BELIEVE, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matt. 21:22. May God Bless all of you this holiday season, as you have blessed us so MUCH this year!

Appointment Today

We met with Dr. McDougall today, and it looks like they will be doing surgery on Luke in the next few weeks. He really feels like we should take care of it now. Basically what they will do is insert a catheter in a blood vessel in Luke's thigh area and run it to his brain, to the spot where the aneurysm is. He then inserts coils in the spot to sort of block it off. He said, depending on the size, he also may use a stint in the blood vessel. As with any surgery, there are risks, but the benefits outweigh the risks. It is a 4 hour procedure, with an overnight hospital stay if everything goes well, at St. Joe's this time. The thing with aneurysms is they are not common in children. Luke's is a traumatic aneurysm, something that happened as a result of his accident. I will post when I know more info on when the surgery will be.

We had a great Thanksgiving. Luke loved his pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and a little of my all time favorite, Mammaw's Coconut Cream Pie:) Luke story of the week is: when we sing, "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," to him, he will point to all of the different parts in the song. He is also getting great at raising his hand and making his OK sign! Thanks for checking the updates, have a great week, and Believe!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

This Thanksgiving we are SO very thankful for the many blessings we have this year. First and foremost is that Luke is alive and with us this year...and progressing! We are thankful that God blessed us with such a beautiful boy, that is tough and precious as they come. Watching him fight gives us the courage to move forward every day. His new thing this week is he is starting to lift up his head when laying on his belly. He is even putting his right arm down and pushing himself up. We are also so VERY thankful to all of you that continue to check these updates on our little guy and continue to pray without ceasing, you will never know how much it means to us! This week my dad went hunting in Kansas. Mike had gone last year to the same place and met 2 of the guys they were hunting with. Well, when these 2 guys (from Louisiana,) heard about what had happened with Luke, they left the place they were staying to go find the nearest church so they could pray for Luke. There are many other stories just like this we have been told...thank you so much! Speaking of praying, please especially pray for Luke on Monday morning. We have an appointment with Dr. McDougall, chief of endovascular neurosurgery at Barrow's, to talk about the aneurysm. Please pray for them to make the right decision regarding this. Finally, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! This Thanksgiving, it is my prayer that everyone reading this will thank God for everything you have in your life right now (even though it may not be everything you want:) We are proof of how your life can change in an instant. So...enjoy the your family and the turkey too...and have an extra piece of pumpkin pie for Luke...that is his favorite and even better if it has homeade whip cream on top. Believe!

Shunt Adjusted

Just a quick update...Luke's shunt was adjusted fine on Thursday. Here is a cute story about Luke. I was talking on the phone Thursday morning and said we had to get Luke's shunt adjusted. I look at Luke and he was touching his shunt. So, after I hung up I asked Luke, "Where is your shunt?" He reached up and touched it! We had never even taught him that. Anyway, we asked Dr. Manwaring's nurse, who did the adjustment, about the aneurysm. She said Dr. Manwaring is getting the images to the vascular doctor, but it is not serious, they should be getting back with us this next week. She said she wasn't even sure they would do anything about it yet. Another thing we asked her about is Luke's left eye. It has been fully dialted since Luke was hurt, in fact they call it a blown pupil. Well we have noticed two different times in the last week that it has constricted. We asked her about it; she said she has never heard of that happening before, especially after it being this long. She said it could only mean that the nerve was maybe just slow in waking up. I am telling you slowly but surely Luke is being healed. It starts small...but a pupil they said would never constrict has done just that. Believe! "There are only two ways to live your life, one is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle." -Albert Einstein

Another Answer

OK...so not five minutes after I posted earlier Dr. Manwaring's office called and said Luke does have a small aneurysm. She has calls into 2 vascular doctors to try to get us an appointment with them. The good news is both are out of Barrow's. I asked her if anything could happen while we are waiting...she said no. Please pray this is correct...thanks for continuing to check these updates.

Frustrated...

Some days I get so very frustrated with the medical community...today is one of those days. Luke had his MRA test done last Friday. We STILL have not heard back from the doctor's office on the results. I called them yesterday and was told Dr. Manwaring would call us back...never did. This morning I called a few times no one answered. Then, his office called and said we have Luke scheduled at PCH on Thursday at 3:00. Trying not to lose my patience I ask the lady, "and what would this appointment be for?" She proceeds to tell me that they need to readjust the shunt because it went up!!! This is after they sent us home on Friday without readjusting because, "it never goes up after an MRA, it can only go down." I am so frustrated at all of the misinformation we are being given. Then to top it all off, I ask the lady if she has the results from Luke's test. She asks me, "what test?" Um....that would be the test that caused the shunt to be off that you are calling me about. Anyway she has no results...the doctor is supposed to call us. I only pray that in this case no news is good news. I also pray that nothing bad will happen as we wait for the shunt to be adjusted...basically there is more pressure on Luke's brain until they adjust it...she told me Thursday was the soonest we can get it...but I really want Dr. Manwaring to call so I know he is aware of this. All is not lost, right after this call I am shopping in Wal-mart, when I hear familiar music coming over the store speakers. It was Luke's song! They were playing, "Tunnel," a Christian song in Wal-Mart. Just a reminder to me...that there is a light at the end of this tunnel no matter how many confused people I have to deal with along the way...we WILL get there! Good news is...we heard back on the ultrasound on his foot, it is just fatty tissue, so not to worry about it. So, please continue to pray for the MRA....and patience as we wait, very frustrated, for answers...the light is coming though...Believe!

Tests

Just a quick update to let you know, Luke will have the MRA done Friday morning. He also has an ultrasound tomorrow on a bump he has on the bottom of his foot. They think it is just a cyst, but want to be sure. Please pray for positive results on both tests. Friday will be a long day. His test is at 10, but they can not be there to reprogram his shunt until 4. I will have to stay all day, then I am taking Lynsey to the Hannah Montana concert Friday night. I will update as soon as we hear results though. Thanks for the prayers...believe!

Dr. Visit Today

This morning we had our visit with Dr. Manwaring. He is Luke's neurosurgeon. The visit started off strange. His office had called Mike last week and told us not to schedule an MRA to check on the suspected aneurysm. Anyway, to make a long story short, Dr. Manwaring knew nothing about this until we mentioned it to him. So we (nor him) has any idea why we got that call. After looking at Luke's MRI, he ordered an MRA to be done this week (still not sure what day.) Please pray for positive results from that. Other than that, Dr. Manwaring said he was very encouraged by the progress we are seeing with Luke. He went over the MRI and showed us some of the damaged areas, but was way more positive than the visit we had with the neurologist last week. He says there is still some damage showing to the right thalamus area, which is why we are seeing little movement on the left side. He is going to lower the setting on Luke's shunt when they do the MRA, and said hopefully we will see some improvement after that. We didn't get to ask him a lot of questions, he had 2 emergency phone calls while we were there, so the visit was very rushed. He will see us again after the MRA is done to go over the results of that.

On another note, Luke's new trick of the week is he will now wave to people! Slowly but steadily he is coming around...Praise God for everything he is doing both in and thru our son! We are so very blessed! Believe!

Jack Sparrow!

Just wanted to post a picture of Lynsey and Luke on Halloween (see Luke's cute smile,) and Luke dressed as Jack Sparrow to go trick or treating with his cousins. He is enjoying the candy!

Another quick story and I hesitate to write this, because it has only happened once. Yesterday Luke was laying on his mat we have for him. I was sitting near him. All of the sudden I saw him roll from his back onto his right side. It is the most moving I have seen him do. The best thing is he brought his left side over. He has also raised up his left arm a few times the last few days. Please pray for it to continue.

As for our appointments on Monday and the MRA to see about the possible aneurysm, Dr. Manwaring's office called Mike and said he does not want to do the MRA. She did not say why, just that he would go over it with us at our appointment on Monday. Please pray for positive results at this visit. I truly trust Dr. Manwaring's opinion more than anyone else we have met on this journey. I was re-reading some of my earlier posts from March, and saw that he told us then it could be a year before we would know what Luke would really be able to do. Again, please pray for this visit to be positive....believe...the best is yet to come!

Roller Coaster Day

Well today was very much a roller coaster day. I have been doing really good about keeping my faith, but today I just lost it. I guess someone else knew what kind of day it was going to be because this verse was in my inbox this morning: "Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD." Psalm 27:14 NLT I truly believe in my heart of hearts that this is what we have to do...just wait for our prayers to be answered. Today we had our MRI result reading with the neurologist. Can I just tell you how hard it is to hear a doctor say severe brain injury, lots of damage, possible aneurysm...it is HORRIBLE!!!!!! I think the hardest part for me is we have been led to believe by numerous doctors throughout this that most of the damage Luke had was to his brain stem area. It now appears he has various areas of damage throughout his brain. The neurologist would not give us a prognosis on what he will and will not be able to do...saying basically anything is possible. I firmly believe (after a complete melt down) that Luke will be healed! He will be able to walk and talk, catch frogs, ride his bike, everything a little boy should be able to do. The fact of the matter is...no one knows (and I know I have said this before) but God, and he has proven just how awesome he is by the changes we have seen in Luke. One thing we do ask for prayers about is, they did find what could possibly be an aneurysm, although could also be nothing at all. They are ordering an MRA to be done. This will give them a better look at the blood vessels. Please pray it will be nothing.

We also had our follow-up with the eye doctor. He wants to give Luke another month and see the results of the MRA before deciding on the surgery. More than likely he will do a surgery to move Luke's eyes to the center, then wait 3 weeks and do the eye lid surgery. He did encourage us to keep opening and closing his eyes, he feels it is working if Luke is starting to grab for items we show him. I did feel a lot better after our visit with him, as he seemed encouraged by the improvements we are seeing with Luke. Next week we do have a follow-up with Dr. Manwaring, the neurosurgeon, and also an appointment with an orthopedic doctor to get his take on Luke's left side. So, please, please, please pray without ceasing for continued improvement for our little Lukey. I will try my hardest to be patient while God works His plan for Luke...and no matter what ALWAYS to BELIEVE...there is a light at the end of this tunnel! Happy trick or treating!

Another Cute Lukey Story

Well Luke made it thru the MRI fine yesterday. They did have to put him out for it, but he had no problems with that. One thing we did not know, is every time he has an MRI, someone has to be there to reprogram his shunt. We ended up being at PCH for 5 hours total getting the MRI and then waiting for someone to come and reprogram the shunt. We will meet with the neurologist on Monday to get the results.

Here is another cute Luke story. On Monday my aunt Kelli was here with Luke while I was getting a hair cut and running errands. She discovered that if we open up Luke's eyes and show him something to do such as stick out tongue he will do it! There is also a toy he has that if you pull the carrot it pulls out. We open his eyes, show him the toy (doing no talking at all) and he will pull it. Same with his gun, we open his eyes and he will grab it and pull the trigger. Anyway, Mike came home on Monday, Luke and I were outside watering flowers. Well the weather is cooling off and the critters (mice) are in the garage so Mike has been setting traps. He caught a mouse in the trap. So, he picked it up and took it to Luke and opened his eye without saying anything. Luke grabbed for the mouse. He did it so quickly I screamed in a panic because he was so close to grabbing it (those of you that know me well, know how deathly afraid of mice I am.) So this is a great discovery!!! I think it has to mean he can see pretty good!

Monday we meet with the neurologist and eye dr. Please, please pray for positive results at both visits for us! No matter what happens...we believe, look at all the strides the gladiator has made! God is so good!

Tests

Luke had a Barium Swallow Test done today. During this test, they give him different consistencies to swallow to make sure he is not aspirating it into his lungs. I was shocked (and still am!) at the results. We have been giving Luke applesauce, baby food, yogurt consistency food for months. Well the tests today showed he is not capable of these consistencies! He should only have up to a pudding thickness. Now, we had the test done at PCH, and quite frankly I just really think we have bad luck at that place. First of all, the seat they had his sitting in was very awkward. It did not fit him. I was trying to feed him, hold his head, and make sure my arm wasn't in the way for the x-ray. Plus, I could tell the way he was swallowing WAY slower than he does when he is eating at home. I could not believe it. It was almost like he was not going to perform no matter what. I even asked the lady giving the test how this could be the case when he has been eating applesauce and baby food for months; she really did not have an answer for me. I mean before when he aspirated in the hospital he got pneumonia in a matter of hours. It does not make sense to me at all! Things were going so smoothly with Luke's progress, then another bump, before we get to the light at the end of this tunnel, but I KNOW it is coming!

Anyway, Luke has an MRI on Tuesday at...PCH again. Please pray that our bad luck at that place is done, and we will have positive results from the MRI. We will meet with the neurologist and the eye dr on the 29th to go over the results. Please pray for Luke's eyes to open before then. I just feel like he is so close. We tell him to open his eyes, and we can see him trying. Thanks so much for your prayers...believe!

Home from Disneyland!

We made it back from Disneyland! Lynsey had a great time dancing, but boy was it packed. We usually go in Jan or Feb when there is no one there and no lines. We waited over an hour to ride the new Nemo ride! We had a great time, but were glad to come home. I added a picture on stage at Disneyland.

We received the new program for Luke, and I think it is going to be great. There is a lot of deep pressure, warm wet compressing that we will be doing on the left side. Also, a lot of activities to stimulate his eyes and vision. I have noticed a difference in his left hand since before we left. It is coming around! Praise God! Another thing I noticed he is tounge. He is bringing it all of the way out of his mouth now! Before he never would get food off of his lips when we were feeding him, but now he will. He is so cute when he does it too. We call it his lizard tongue.

Here is another cute story about Luke. I was walking with him the other day. I got a great deal on a baby jogger stroller that he can fit in off of Craigslist:) We still have not gotten his wheelchair that was ordered in April...whole other story there. Anyway, we were walking, and I had my ipod in one ear. Before Luke got hurt, one of the songs he loved was, "Honkeytonkbadonkadonk." Well that song came on, and I put the ear bud in his ears. He got a huge smile on his face, and made an almost laughing sound. It was so cute! Thanks for checking the updates and for praying without ceasing. Believe!

Quick Update

Just wanted to get a quick update in as Lynsey and I are leaving for Disneyland Wed-Sat. Her dance company is dancing at Disneyland and California Adventure on Friday and Saturday! She is very excited; although also very sad that Luke and Mike are not going. I promised her when Luke gets better we will take him to Disneyland with all of the bells and whistles! He continues to follow new commands. One of his newest tricks is to do what we call his finger trick, he also will squeeze and release your hand on command (pretty hard too.) This weekend I was walking with him and Lynsey was riding his bike. When you back pedal on his bike, it makes a very distinct noise, every time she did it he would cry. Finally I realized what was making him cry-he knew that sound was his bike! He is very attuned to what is going on around him. This weekend one of his friends from preschool, Cadan, came over and read him a book (pic is of them.) He definetly remembered Cadan and playing with him. When I told him he was coming over he got a big smile on his face.

We will finish our second round of oxygen therapy next week. We will most likely take a month off, then start another round. How can we stop it now with the results we are seeing? Another thing Luke is getting stronger at is standing. It used to take Mike, Lynsey, and I to get him to stand. Now it just takes one of us. He gets a big smile every time we have him do it. He also has gotten good at tricking us he is sleeping. We'll say, Luke are you tricking us again you are sleeping, he'll just get a big grin on his face. We are looking at an intense program in California. It is movementdiscoveries.com. If anyone has any experience with this place, we would love to hear it!

Thank you all for continuing to pray without ceasing and give us hope each and every day. There are plenty of folks out there who still don't believe miracles happen. Everyone keeps telling us that everything happens for a reason. Perhaps that reason is to let this all be a reminder how everyone is only guaranteed this moment in time, our lives can truly change in an instant. Our lives today are completely different than they were seven months and 3 days ago, but we are SO blessed to be where we are today! Or perhaps that reason is to prove that God does exist, and is still very much in the miracle business, He is proving that through Luke's miracle. Please continue to pray for eyes to open and the left side to wake up. Believe!!

Now Lyns and I are off to the house of mouse; one more thing Go D-Backs!

Great Day!

First of all, I have to say, Luke has been responding so much these last three days! Today we had a great visit with the President of the NACD, Mr. Doman. If you remember, this is the therapy program from Utah that we have been doing with Luke. Every three months, they come into AZ to evaluate the kids that are on their program. We feel so good about the progress Luke is making after talking to him today. He has worked with over 30,000 kids with brain injuries in his time and told some great stories of remarkable recovery. The best part is he is very approachable, very humble, unlike most of the doctors we have dealt with who think they are King of the World. He said Luke is definitely headed in the right direction. He is going to make us a new program to start doing with Luke. He also advised us to wait before doing any surgeries just yet on his eyes. He has seen them open even after it has been this long. He told us just to open and close them all day until we are sick of doing it, that way we stimulate his vision. We kind of did a little experiment with his vision last week, since we really have no way of telling whether or not Luke can see. Mike had been gone for a week hunting. When he got home, he walked over to Luke, and I opened his eyes. As soon as he saw Mike, he started crying. Mike did not talk, so I believe he can see!

Other than that, we did take Luke to therapy last week, but after the conversation with Mr. Doman today we most likely will not take him back. Like he said, how much good is going to come from 1 hour of PT and OT a week. Besides we did not have the greatest experience. It just breaks my heart to have people working with Luke when their heart really is not in it. We were in each session for an hour. First of all, they just laid Luke on the dirty carpet, no mat or nothing. Then both therapists were looking at their watch every 10 minutes, just like they were waiting for the session to end. So, we are just going to concentrate full force on the Utah program because I strongly feel this (and the oxygen therapy) is the answer to all of our prayers for getting Luke back to the little boy God made him to be!

One more little story to tell. My cousin, Jeff, who is in the Air Force, just returned to the U.S. after serving our country in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, Luke received a package in the mail from him. Inside was the absolute coolest thing, it brought tears to my eyes! Jeff had requested that a flag be flown in Luke's honor while he was in Afghanistan. Luke received the flag that was flown (on July 4th no less!,) folded the special way, and framed with a certificate that says, "These Stars and Stripes were proudly flown on Independence Day, the 4th day of July, 2007, over the new Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in your honor at the request of SrA Jeff Anke. Isn't that so special...thank you so much Jeff! And thanks to all of you for your continued prayers. Believe...there is a light at the end of this tunnel!

Long wait and no clear answers

We had our appointment with the neuro-opthamologist this morning. Here is how it went. I arrived for his appointment at 11:30. The lady called me back and said, "Oh, is he sleeping. We need to do a vision field test on him." I said, "No, his eyes have not opened since his accident, that is why we are here." She proceeds to tell me they have us scheduled for a two hour vision field test, and the appointment with the doctor is at 1:45. Now, I told them very clearly when I made the appointment that his eyes were not open so he would not be able to do the vision test. I had to wait around around downtown Phoenix for 2 hours! Not the way I planned the morning! So, we got into to see the doctor. Basically, we have no new information to report. He wants us to wait another 2 months before deciding to do surgery. He says kids are amazingly resilient (we've already seen that:) I really like the first doctor we saw a lot better. He had much better bedside manner, and is also a pediatric specialist. So, we will see him again in a few weeks, and I guess decide what to do after that. I was a little upset after the appointment, mainly because of the wasted time. So, I get into the car and hear, "Tunnel," right away. Just a reminder to me that I am not in control, He is, I just need to be patient. I really feel in my heart that his eyes will open without surgery. So please continue to pray for his eyes to open and for his left side to come around more.

On a more positive note, he starts Physical and Occupation therapy tomorrow (an hour of each.) Please pray that he will respond well to this. I am still filing appeals with the insurance company to pay for it, at the place we are going....hopefully they will say yes. Thanks so much for your continued prayers....Believe...as Luke's song says...there is a light at the end of this tunnel....sometimes I just wish the road to that tunnel wasn't so long and bumpy!

Sweet Soul

Luke continues to respond to basic commands. Our favorite new one is he will pull a trigger on a toy gun. For those of you that don't know, Luke loves to go hunting with Mike so he gets a big smile every time he does it. He will also move his leg and arm when asked (still praying for that left side to come around...and it is very slowly.) This morning I told him if he wanted to be a Power Ranger for Halloween to touch his nose or if he wanted to be Jack Sparrow to touch his knee. He touched his knee so I said, Mommy is going to get Jack Sparrow then, and he got a big smile on his face. I have noticed he seems to respond better to other people besides Mike or I...guess that is typical for most kids though. I am praying we can start physical and occupational therapy this week. I think this is really going to jump start him. I have been writing letters to insurance companies requesting exceptions for benefit payment, so hopefully I will hear back Monday. We did start speech therapy last week. Thank you so much Cheryl for picking up Luke and for making the drive to our house!

Just a little story to share. One of the Sonjas ( the great duo that comes to see Luke occasionally) told me that her chiropractor, who saw Luke for his first chiropractor visit, told her what a sweet soul Luke has. I have to tell you, he really is blessed with such a sweet soul. I can not even begin to imagine how frustrating it has got to be to him to be where he is now, when inside he knows everything he used to be able to do. His crying spells have gone down so much. Although Mike had been gone hunting for a few days, and every time he heard dad or Mike he would cry. He is doing so good, being such a trooper, fighting so hard, and I am so very thankful for the patience and endurance he has been blessed with to fight. I think the name Gladiator fits now more than ever!

This week a big prayer request is that our visit with the Neuro-Opthamologist goes well. It is so hard when you have one doctor telling you to do surgery (to get his eyes to open) and one telling you not to. Please pray he will have the answer to our prayers on Luke's eyes, and please pray it will be positive! He also goes for his periodic pediatric check up on Friday. So hopefully, the next update will have positive news on the eyes and news that he has started all therapies (and the insurance will pay for them.) Thanks so much for checking, God has been so good is answering our prayers....Believe!

It's the Start of Something New...

You know I have watched "High School Musical" way too many times when I am using a song from it for a title, but I really do think it is the start of something new for Luke! I think everything we have been doing is now starting to come together. When we met with the neurologist last week, she said an important thing that needs to happen is for Luke to start following commands. Basically, the brain stem (where the bulk of injury to Luke's brain was) is the pathway through which all signals from the upper brain go out to different body parts causing the action. So, we really need to see that these signals are able to get out to the body and cause the action. Now, he had been following just a few commands such as finding his nose. This week I have really been working with him a lot. He will now stick out his tongue (although it doesn't come out too far,) wiggle his toes, press the buttons on a play piano, and bring an object up and down. The cutest thing about it is he gets his cute smile on his face each time he does something we ask. Sometimes he will cry too because I get a little overly excited and probably scare him. I am sure there are many other commands he would follow, we just haven't asked him the right ones yet. I thought of the toes and tongue this afternoon, and sure enough when I asked he did it. I really think we are on the brink of something big happening soon. There's a light at the end of this tunnel I know....Believe!!!

New Neurologist

Yesterday we had our appointment with the new neurologist. Mike and I both really liked her. She suggested a neuro-ophthalmologist we can take Luke to in Phx. She said she would not recommend surgery just yet, as there is still time for that nerve to come around. She also suggested we get him in some other therapies soon, so we are hoping to start that next week. She is going to do another MRI and follow-up with us the end of October. She seemed surprised that they had not done another one on Luke since April, and more surprised that no one has ever sat us down to over one of Luke's MRI's with us. She wants us to have all of the MRI's they have done at the next visit so she can sit down with us and compare them all and see what is happening with his brain. She was very nice. She asked us when Luke woke up, and we told her we weren't really sure what was considered waking up since we have been waiting for his eyes to open. She said if he is responding emotionally then he is awake. So, I am going with his waking up date of June 25th...that was the time he cried for the first time, and I know it was an emotional response to the stories I was reading him. I think we are definitely on the right track now that we have a neurologist that cares on our side.

Gladiator Update

Here are some updates on Luke: We are able to wean him off of the anti seizure medicine. He will officially be done on the 14th:) He has an appointment with the new neurologist on Monday...please pray she is not a Dr. Doom. I have heard good things about her from a few different people, so I am excited. For Speech we are working with Luke on drinking from a cup, sucking , drinking with a straw, and blowing. He is doing good so far with the cup. I tried getting him to suck last night with some fun dips candy, but the little stinker bit off a piece of the hard candy instead. I let him chew it while watching him carefully, just to see what he would do, and he chewed it very quickly and swallowed with no problems. When I think that he is doing all of this with his eyes closed, it makes me that much prouder. When someone is standing next to him and he knows they are there, he will reach his arm up and try to find them. His sounds are getting louder, and he is responding more with smiles...it is a super cute half smile (since his left side nerves are still paralyzed.) He also has a lot better control of his head. I was driving the other day, and his head was starting to lean. I said, "Luke, move your head back to your spiderman pillow." He did it...three different times!!! We took him back to neuro link after a 5 week break, and he was very impressed with where Luke was at since the last time he had seen him. That was very encouraging, and he really thinks the left side is coming around. Just a side story...I have only taken Luke into a store 3 times now, because usually I just run errands when someone has him. Anyway, yesterday on the way to oxygen therapy I realized I had left my book at home. I stopped at Walgreens to get some magazines to read, otherwise it is very boring. Anyway, this lady comes up to me (out of no where) and the only thing she says is, "Your son will be healed." It kind of caught me off guard so I just kind of looked at her, so she said, "No really, your son is going to be healed." I said, "Thank you, I believe that too." And she smiled and walked away. She never even asked me what was wrong with him or anything or if he was my son for that matter. The ironic thing is when most people look at him when he is in the jogging stroller, they just think he is sleeping, not that something is wrong with him. Anyway...I have said it before I will say it lots more times I am sure...but this lady reminded me....Believe...thanks so much for the prayers!!!

Six Months...Journey to a Miracle!!

Six months ago tonight our journey to a miracle started. Along the road we have seen so many miracles so far. From Luke surviving those first 3-4 days when all of the odds were against him, to where he is today. God is great!!! Never doubt the power of prayer...Luke is here today, 6 months later because of you all...the best part is...he is improving. We are truly humbled by everyone that has been touched by our gladiator. I was going to put my thanks here to everyone today, but I know I will leave someone out. So, THANK YOU ALL so very, very much for the prayers, meals, cards, referrals, babysitting, carpooling for Lynsey, words of wisdom, house calls, EVERYTHING you have done...we appreciate it SO, SO very much! Know that you are all part of this miracle we are seeing unfold before our eyes. Thank you so much for the extra prayers going up for Luke today. I have gotten emails from people I do not even know that are praying...thank you also for spreading the word because, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22 God Bless you all...I have included some of my favorite pictures of Lukey. Believe:)

Almost 6 Months...

This weekend Luke was able to go on his first overnight trip. Mike went hunting on Saturday, so I took Luke and Lynsey up to my parent's house in Payson. You could tell he knew we were there and it was nice to be able to take him away and see him do fine.
I have been in contact with a neuro-opthamologist in California. I emailed him what the Opthamologist here told us about Luke's eyes. This guy really feels we should use surgery as a last resort for Luke. He thinks therapy would be a lot better option. I will be faxing Luke's records this week for him to look over. I have also made an appt. with the other neurologist that someone posted here (thank you whoever you are:) That appt is Sept 10th.
This Thursday, September 6th, will be six months since Luke got hurt. I know everyone has been praying for Luke since then, but I am going to ask if you can please say a special prayer for Luke this Thursday. First and foremost, please pray that he will be healed, that he will open his eyes soon, that he will continue making progress, and that the doctors treating him will be positive. It really is hard to believe it has been six months since that horrible day. The time has gone by so very quickly, but more than anything in this world I want my little boy back. I want him to be able to ride his bike, dig in the dirt, go hunting with Mike, chase Lynsey throughout the house, lay on the couch in the morning with his blankie watching Sponge Bob, and I could go on and on about everything I miss Luke doing. Yes, I am VERY thankful that God has gotten us this far with Luke, and sometimes I don't feel right asking for more, but the thing is, I KNOW that God is the only one that can heal Luke and make him whole again. I believe in my heart of hearts that this will happen or should I say IS happening...the small steps we see Luke make everyday are just more proof to me that God is answering our prayers, in His time, I will get my Lukey back. Thanks so much for your prayers and continued support..remember this Thursday, let's flood the pearly gates for Luke, please spread the word for prayers to anyone you know. Believe!! What is impossible for people is possible with God. Luke 18:27

Eye appointment

Luke had his opthamologist visit this morning. I must say...the doctor was great and hopeful. There was bad news and good news (most was good.) The good news is we now know why Luke's eyes have not opened. The bad news is his third cranial nerve is either damaged or paralyzed. The other good news is there is still hope that the nerve could wake up. He wants to give it another month then see Luke again. If the nerve does not wake up, then there are 2 surgeries that can be done to help Luke open his eyes and see. Basically, the third cranial nerve is responsible for opening eyes, constricting pupil, and also movement within the eye, none of which Luke has. There are no exercises that can be done to get it to function, it is just a wait and see game. The oxygen therapy can help damaged nerves though. God has been good so far, and it seems most of our miracles have come just in the nick of time, so his next appt is 9/26, so maybe on 9/24 he will open his eyes (or sooner:)
As for the EEG results, the frustration continues with the neurologist. He called back last night after 9 when I had turned off my cell phone. He left a message that the EEG was still slow (didn't say whether or not it had improved over the previous one,) and there was POSSIBLE seizure activity. Then went on to say if he is on anit-seizure medicine leave him on it, but if he is not no need to start him on it???? So basically, he didn't even bother to look up Luke's chart or history to know he is on anti-seizure meds. I did leave a message today hoping to get some more info, but was told he is getting ready to take another vacation Thursday. The good news I got is he is retiring, so we are hoping to get Luke into the guy who is taking his place. If anyone in AZ knows of a great neurologist, I would love to hear it. I just think it is so amazing as soon as we tell anyone Luke's neurosurgeon is Dr. Manwaring everyone says he is in great hands ..why can't there be more doctors out there like him? So please continue prayers...believe...and one of these days Luke's eyes will open:)

Slow and Steady...

Well we started the oxygen therapy again this week...I even went in with Luke twice this week (my first time ever.) The pressure on the ears wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...or maybe I had just built myself up for more.
We had our first follow-up interview with the NACD since we have started their program. They were very happy with the progress we have seen with Luke, especially in regards to eating. We are now able to give him just about anything to eat, and he can swallow it fine. To realize how truly amazing this is, I have say, when we were at the Copa, some of the doctors told us Luke may not have a cough or gag reflex to be able to eat. Praise God because he is eating great!!! In fact, we have cut him down to only using his feeding pump at night to catch him up on calories. I am hoping when he goes back to see the pediatrician in Sept. she will tell us we can get rid of it completely. The NACD is going to give us a updated speech routine for Luke to get him to work on closing his mouth and drinking from a straw...this will also be the first step to getting him to speaking again. Another thing with his feeding, if I put a cracker or even the spoon with food on it in his hand, he will bring it up to his mouth. Sometimes he may not get it right in his mouth, but he tries very hard:)
This week I have a few prayer requests:
*Pray for the EEG results we get back this week to show improvement. The insurance company has denied paying for the oxygen therapy because they say it is experimental. I am going to appeal it, but I think if we have results that show improvement, it will help us that much more.
*We are taking Luke to the eye doctor this Wednesday, pray for positive results here also.
*Pray for continued improvement in Luke. I really feel like one day everything we are doing with him is just all going to come together. The lady at the NACD told me what we are seeing is great, it shows his brain is starting to recognize where his body is...slow and steady wins the race right!!!
Thanks for your continued prayers...If you BELIEVE, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matt 21:22.

Quick Clarification

Just to clarify, Luke is not awake yet. I guess I confused some in my last post. He does have definite sleep and wake cycles, so when I wrote that, I just meant he was waking up for the morning. I think he would be considered mildy conscious now because he is definetly aware of everything that is going on around him. We just need to get those eyes open. We have another appointment next week with an eye doctor, and I have been talking with a neuro-opthamologist in LA that thinks he can help. We probably will not have EEG results until next week, the neurologist left on vacation this week. Also, the picture I posted makes Luke bigger than he is, not quite that big, just a little more than he was before the accident:) Thanks for the continued thoughts and support! Believe!

A Haircut and Hugs from Sis!

I just had to post this picture here because it is so cute! Last night Mike gave Luke a hair cut. He has his EEG tomorrow, and they stick 30 wires to his head with gel, so he would have had one tangled mess. Since Luke's hair grows so fast, he decided to go with a buzz cut. We were worried his shunt tube would be very noticeable, but it is not too bad. He looks so much like the Lukey we have missed for so long, because his hair has been long since the accident and he always had it in a buzz cut. Then, last night Lynsey decided she was going to sleep in Luke's bed with him, so I took this cute picture. They are still in there peacefully asleep as I write this now. Many of you have asked me how she is doing. She is doing great! She truly does have the faith of a child, and tells Luke everyday, "Don't worry buddy, Jesus is going to make you all better." The other night Luke woke up crying at 4:00 in the morning. We don't know if he had a bad dream or what. I climbed in bed with him to try to calm him down, and about 10 minutes later here comes Lynsey to lay by him and talk to him too. She does not like to get woken up either! She is getting ready to start dance again this week, and was just voted the new Secretary at Desert Mountain Elementary so she is very excited.

We have also found Luke a new chiropractor to see. We met with him on Thursday, and he is great! Thanks to Sonja and Sonya for the referral. Thanks to all of you for telling Luke's story, because you never know when someone you might tell, will tell someone else, who might know someone that can help Luke. Anyway, Dr. Kan, at Hope Family Wellness Center, had some great suggestions for us for Luke's diet as well. We are now only putting him on the feeding pump at night to catch him up on calories. During the day, I am making him smoothies and vegetable purees in the blender and food processor. I think this extra nutrition is going to be key to him. Those of you that have seen him lately, have noticed he has put on a few pounds (for a kid that was always in size slims.) Dr. Kan also did some tests on Luke and his body is pretty out of whack. He is going to work with him three times a week for four weeks, then check for results. He is an awesome chiropractor and very close to us so that is great! I will drop Lynsey off at school then take Luke to see him for his adjustment which only takes about 5-10 minutes.

That's it for now...Luke is awake. Please pray for postitive EEG results this week and more progress from the gladiator. The prayers are working...Believe!

Finally...some new pics!

We continue to see little improvements. On Luke's left hand, his pointer and thumb finger are no longer tight...I think it is just a matter of time until his entire hand loosens up. He is responding good to the therapy program. One part of the program is to have him move his arms like he is swimming. He will move his arm back up on the mat about 70% of the time which is great! As for the speech part (swallowing,) he has completely mastered that. He is eating so good now! I was able to cut up cantaloupe into small pieces and also give him some macaroni and cheese the other day (Kraft, not the baby food kind.) He is moving his body a lot. On Monday we have an EEG scheduled at PCH. We are hoping for no seizure activity so we can get him off of the anti-seizure medicine. The folks that designed the new program really do not like him being on that. They will wean him off as long as he is still showing no seizure activity. We also start another round of oxygen therapy again on Monday. Then on Tuesday we have a phone conference with the NACD to see what they say about how Luke is responding to the program. Please pray for positive results with the EEG on Monday!

Also many of you have requested more pictures. One is Luke with his cousin Tyler, and the other...Well on Friday we had a special surprise. Kelly from our church brought us dinner. She called before to tell us her husband was one of the fire fighters that responded the night Luke got hurt. She asked if he could come by also. So, we got to meet two of the GREAT men that played such a HUGE part in helping Luke out that night. I think it is so cool that someone from our church responded and was able to pray for Luke right away (although he did not know at the time we went to Rockpoint.) Anyway, we are so incredibly thankful for all of the firefighters from Rural Metro as well as the crews from the MCSO, Southwest Ambulance, and Air-e-vac that helped Luke that night.

Thanks so much for continuing to check on Luke and keeping him in your prayers...it means more to us than you could ever know! Baby steps...but the gladiator is getting there...one day at a time. Believe!

Update on the Gladiator

I just returned home from attending the Creative Memories convention in Minnesota. Thanks to Mike and also my mom for persuading me that I needed to go. I had a great time, and Luke did fine while I was gone. Thanks to everyone that helped out with him.

Here are a few updates of things that have happened since the last post. On Saturday we had two wonderful women come over and do some energy work on Luke. They were here for about two hours and really felt that Luke had a pinched nerve in his back. They referred us to a chiropractor. Mike took Luke in on Tuesday to see him. Luke did indeed have two vertebrae out of place, so he fixed that. His left side seems a little looser now. These women were amazing! Thank you so much Sonya and Sonja! Thanks also to Dawnie and Justin for telling Sonja about Luke. She really felt she could help Luke, and she already has.

Sometimes I think Mike and I miss the little improvements in Luke because we see him all the time. I know I think has he done that before? Today when I got back his body is moving a lot. I even thought he was going to fall off the couch at one time he was moving around so much. He is also making louder sounds.

Thank you so much for continuing to check on the gladiator...we appreciate it so much...the prayers are surely working...believe!

New Program

Well we started Luke on his new program on Monday. I must say...this is exactly what he needs. It is very intense, and the first day he did not like it at all, crying very loud. Yesterday my aunt Kelli came over to help me, and he did so good! I think Kelli missed her calling as a therapist...she was really good with him. We got Luke to respond when we put a Baby Bottle Pop (sucker) in his hand, he will bring it up to his mouth. He will also respond about 80% of the time when we ask him where his nose is. You can tell he is using every ounce of strength and energy he has to do anything we ask him to do, but he is trying so that is very encouraging. He is also responding by making more and more sounds. I really think this program is the answer to our prayers. I know I have said it before that I believe Luke is going to recover from this. I know there are people that think I am nuts for having so much hope. I found a saying the other day that says, "Sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes God calms His child." I really believe that is what is happening here, the storm is still raging, yet I am calm because I really feel God telling me it is all going to be okay. Besides, I look at how far he has come in just the last month alone. My next goal is to get his feeding tube taken out! Last night he ate an entire jar of chicken noodle soup baby food which is chunkier, and this morning I gave him homeade oatmeal for breakfast. He ate both without a problem.

I have had a few people email and call me about the news yesterday with the electrodes to stimulate the brain in people with brain injuries. It is very ironic because the last visit we had with the neurologist, I asked him, why can't they just jump start his brain to wake him up. If only it were that easy...but maybe it is. From what I have read on the study and procedure, I think Luke is the perfect candidate for it. I emailed the doctor overseeing the research this morning about Luke, so pray he will answer. I know a lot of times they aren't so willing to try these things on children. If there is one thing I have learned from all of this...never say never. Luke has beat the odds every single time so far...I believe the best is YET to come!

Feeling Very Blessed

Well we received the DVD of Luke's new program yesterday and watched it last night. I must say it is going to be very intense. Most of the things are done 4 times a day, some 8 times a day, and some 20 times a day. The program includes deep pressure, moving Luke in various positions, eye opening and closing, spinning, and chewing. Luke is not going to get very much down time now during the day. He is going to be a pretty busy little guy. I am very excited and know this is just what Luke needs to get back going. I will report more next week on how it all is going.

I would be remiss not to comment on the horrible tragedy that happened in Phoenix yesterday when two news helicopters crashed, it really makes me realize how very blessed I am. I have watched channel 3 for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school I wanted to be a news reporter just like them. Yesterday 4 men lost their lives in a horrific accident. It is just another reminder to me of how precious life truly is...lives can be forever changed in a matter of seconds. One second your loved one is here and the very next second they are gone. If you have never experienced a tragedy like this first hand, thank God right now. We experienced this over four years ago when my brother in law, Jake, passed away unexpectedly. Some days I wonder how much one family has to go thru. There is a saying that says something like that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I feel truly blessed today to have Luke here with us making progress. I pray for these families as they have to deal with the loss of their loved ones.

Quick Update

Just a short update since it has been a week since I last updated. We are still waiting for the program from the NACD to arrive. I am hoping it will be here either today or tomorrow. Mike and I are both very anxious to get started on this. We could not have asked for better timing, as Luke has his last oxygen treatment tomorrow, then he will get a three week break. So during this three week time we can really hit him hard with the new program.

We continue to see little changes in Luke. He is starting to lift his left leg more. He is also making different sounds. Sometimes he just has the cutest whining sound...he sounds so pathetic. He is also eating great; I can tell he has missed having real food all this time. I am now giving him a jar of baby food or applesauce in the morning and at night. He can eat it with no problems at all now. He is also swallowing liquid consistency very good now. He especially loves the Hawaiian Shaved Ices that Lynsey and his cousin Kaylee save for him:) I am starting to give him stuff he has to chew, but will also dissolve, so hopefully we can get him eating thicker and chunkier things. I think once we do this, hopefully we will be able to start cutting back on his tube feedings with the hope of getting rid of that all together.

That's about it for now...hopefully in a few days I can give you an update on his new program. Thanks for checking...keep the prayers coming...Believe!

Very Excited!

Today we had our telephone interview with the President of the NACD (National Academy of Child Development,) and I am very excited after speaking with Mr. Doman! We sent him a video we had recorded earlier this week of the things Luke is doing: his sounds, his range of motion, him eating, etc. Then today on the phone interview he asked more questions about Luke. From what he saw on the video and what we told him, he feels a whole lot of what was in Luke's brain before the accident is still there. That just means there is a lot of function to recover. He said it is basically like if your foot is asleep it will not work; Luke's whole body is asleep so we need to retrain the brain where the body is, so it can function. What he is going to do is design a program for us to do with Luke at home. He will send us a DVD of the program, then we do it. His exact words were we are going to sock it to him almost to the point of exhaustion, so the program will be very intense. There will be a lot of stimulation to every body part. He said the more often you input to the brain what it needs to do, the more likely you are going to get the brain to do it. When I told him about Luke's eyes not opening and not responding to light, he said that is even part of the program to retrain the brain how the eyes work. After talking to him, I am very excited about the program and the thinking behind their program. He also said communication with them is very important so they can tweak the program if he is responding too much or not enough with what we are doing.

If you want to read more about the NACD, you can go to http://www.nacd.org/, at the very bottom in the fine print if you click on testimonials, there is one that says Coma/Head Injury. This kid started the program 2 years after his injury and had results. Most doctors tell you with brain injuries any recovery you are going to get is going to be in the first 2 years post-accident, but this kid blew that theory away!

Thank you so much for continued prayer....THEY ARE WORKING!!....BELIEVE....the best is yet to come:)

19 Weeks...

Nineteen weeks ago today, Luke had his accident, and for the most part I have good days, but today is a bad day. Some days I just wish I could wake up and have this all be a bad dream. It has been 133 days since I heard Luke say Momma in his sweet voice, 133 days since undie boy has been running the halls of our house, 133 days of not seeing Luke's skateboard, trucks, and shoes laying around, 133 days of Lynsey not getting to hear Luke say, "Sis, Sis," 133 days of not seeing Luke's supercute smile that can light up any room (and will again someday soon.) It is so very hard, yet I know God has a plan in all of it. I just wonder how long do we have to go thru this valley before we get to stand on the Mountain of God? We should be going on a summer vacation, I should be taking Luke shopping for school stuff, he should be starting second grade in less than two weeks, he should be able to do something about these rabbits eating our new landscaping! When is this going to happen? Yet, in all of this, I know I am so blessed that he is here and responding a little more each day. I know there is a light at the end of this tunnel...I just want it NOW! Yet, I know when He is ready it will come. Please continue prayers for continued healing and waking up. Please pray for positive results from the NACD program and for a positive eye visit this Friday. Thanks so much for checking the updates, it helps me get thru the bad days, knowing somewhere, somehow, someone is being touched by our Gladiator...Believe! I tell Luke everyday so many people are praying for him, and I also tell him he also needs to pray to Jesus and remind him that Jesus is always in his heart making him better.

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

Update July 13th

Praise God because I KNOW he is working in Luke!! This week we continue to notice little improvements once again, here is what we have noticed:
*He is "alert" more and making more sounds every day. Keep in mind though we still need prayers that his eyes will open. There are times now where he will go for an hour or two just responding and making sounds to what we are saying to him. He sounds so cute!! Mike and I swear yesterday we even heard him say, "Yeah," but have not gotten to that again. We just keep on talking to him, hoping to get a word again. I think he is probably sick of our voices.
*His left arm had been really tight, but is loosening up a lot. The therapist today was amazed at the improvement over last week.
*He had two more crying spells this week.
*He is holding up his head and legs a lot better (his left leg is also getting a lot better.)

The most exciting thing for me is it really seems like the left side of his body is starting to come along! Next week we will take Luke to an eye doctor to get his opinion on Luke's eyes...please pray for positive news! We also will be making a video this weekend of what he is doing to send to the NACD, and have our phone interview with them this week.

Thanks so much for the continued prayers!

Update July 8th

God continues to be so good to us! Luke continues to do tiny things different every day. He is still making crying sounds, but now is also trying so hard to talk. He will especially get going when we talk to him about hunting, fishing, or camping or about going to Disneyland and also when I read him letters from kids in his first grade class. I think so far everyone that has been over to see him lately has been able to hear him, so that is very exciting. He is showing increased movement and is getting to where he can hold his head up longer and longer. I have also noticed when I am doing his speech therapy with him his swallowing sounds are not near as loud as they used to be.We have 15 more sessions left on the oxygen therapy, then he will get a 2-3 week break. They tell us if you continue without the break your body can start becoming immune to the effects of it. We will take the break then continue to do as many sessions of 40 "dives" as we need to, as long as we are seeing improvement. We also will be starting the program from the NACD in Utah in a few weeks. We have also started a new thing with Luke called Neuro-Link. The doctor is in the same building as the oxygen therapy and Luke goes to him once a week. Basically what the premise is behind this is to relink the brain with every body part. Now, prior to this accident, I wasn't really too keen on the "alternative medicines," but that has totally changed. All of the improvement we have seen has been since we started the oxygen, and now this increased movement came after his first neuro-link session. The doctor there said it is great that Luke is now reaching his hand across his body. Thank you Dawni for referring us to him...we know we will continue to see more great things from this!Thanks so much for continuing to check the updates...praise God for all of the AWESOME things he is doing both in and thru Luke. Believe...Prayer works!"I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God." Psalm 38:15