Can't catch a break!

I must say sometimes I feel like the Gladiator just can't catch a break! Today St. Joe's called with the MRI results...not good considering they said they would call in 5-7 days. Anyway, looks like Luke will be going back in for more surgery soon. They need to add more coils to the aneurysm. I have to call them Monday to schedule, but we want to get it taken care of soon. Anything else we are considering is dependent on this getting done. We are meeting with the eye dr still on Monday...who knows maybe this coiling thing is all to hold off on doing the eyes, because I really feel very strongly that they are going to open on their own.

Other than this, Luke has had a great few days! He has been very responsive with us. His PT also says his left side is doing great. Mike has been doing some estim on it, and it really seems to be working.

Remember....storm the gates this Thursday with prayers of healing and restoration for Luke...tell every prayer warrior you know because no matter now many valleys we have to go thru....there IS a light at the end of this tunnel. Believe!!! For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. Matthew 7:8 NLT

Busy few days...

I must say this has been a busy few days. Monday with met with a Cranio Facial doctor at St. Joe's. He was great. Basically the issue we took him in for is the left side of his face and actually the entire left side of his body does not move at all. We have seen his arm and leg move more lately, but have never seen any movement in his face. There really isn't any surgery he can do to help Luke's face. Anyway, he did tell us there is still time for the nerves to start working again, and referred us to the one therapist in the entire state that can help us with this type of therapy. We have an appointment with her next week. Then today, I had a six hour MRI experience. His appt was at 2, but they told me to get there at 1. Naturally, they were running behind when we got there already, and the machine quit working on the patient in front of us. So we got in at 4, and by the time they reprogrammed his shunt we were leaving at 6:30. Keep in mind, Luke had not had anything to eat since midnight! Poor kid did great though...and they gave him a sucker after he was recovered. I did find out while we are waiting that he has the strongest fingers ever. We were having thumb and finger wars. Another thing he has been doing this week is drawing or I should say more like scribbling on a dry erase board, and then erasing it. He is getting pretty good at it.

We are coming up March 6th, a date I wish would have never happened last year. Anyway, you guys have all helped us SO MUCH throughout this journey by faithfully praying for Luke. There is not a doubt in my mind that it is because of our awesome God and the prayers of all of you that he survived that horrendous week last year when the odds were definetly not in his favor. Next Thursday, March 6th, it will be one year since our lives changed in literally an instant when Luke was hurt, and I am asking if all of you can gather every prayer warrior you know to please say a prayer for continued healing and restoration in Luke. Let us all storm the gates for our precious boy....we have already seen the power in prayer, so let's put it to work again! It is truly AMAZING to see how far God has brought Luke this past year. He is truly a miracle, and the most wonderful thing is that God isn't finished with him yet I BELIEVE the best IS yet to come! Thank you so much for your prayers and support....God hears...remember storm the gates next Thursday! Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1

Eye Appointment

Well we had our appointment with the other eye doctor yesterday. He really feels we need to do the lid lifting surgery on Luke soon. He is worried about him not using his vision and his brain forgetting how to process vision. He showed us before and after pictures on another little boy he did the surgery on. Basically to start with, he would lift Luke's eye lids about halfway up. The bad thing is, he would not be able to close them, so they will always be open. We will just have to put drops in them. We will most likely go ahead with the surgery, but will probably use the original eye dr we saw, only because he is closer. Both doctors are in agreement on the surgery to be done, and the reasons for doing it, so that is good. We meet with the original eye dr a week from Monday, and will most likely schedule it then. Please pray really hard for the eyes to open before the surgery...anything is possible...believe!

Luke had a great day with his Physical Therapist yesterday. He was working with him on sitting him, and then rolling over into what we call a "Lukey-Dog," which is where he is on all fours. He is getting so much stronger at supporting himself sitting up and also when he is on all fours. The PT was very pleased.

I finally figured out how to work my new camera. The pics are of Luke and Tyler. Look in the one of them taken from behind and see how Luke put his arm around Tyler. I thought it was so cute!

This has kind of been a sad few weeks for me, missing the old Lukey. So, it has been my prayer all this week for God to please show me a sign he is still working in Luke (even though I know he is.) Last night I got that sign. Since Luke has been hurt, I have maybe had three dreams total about Luke. Last night I had a dream where Luke was fine, and he said to me in his cute little Lukey voice, "Don't worry Momma, Jesus is making me all better." He was also holding a sign that said, "Jeremiah 29:11," which of course is the verse that says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (NLT) It was so real, I really expected to look over at him this morning and to see him sitting there ready to go...not the case. This week we have an appointment with a facial nerve dr on Monday, and an MRI at St. Joe's on Wednesday...please pray for good visits. As always, please continue to pray for restoration in his brain, eyes to open, speech to come...and most importantly believe!

Getting Better

We seem to be getting past the sickness. Luke still has a cough and junky stuff in his throat, but is doing better. Poor kid has to get sick and have a cough right after getting his tonsils out, as if that wasn't enough. He showed us once again what a trooper he is. Praise God also, that he is doing such a good job coughing and clearing his throat. I was really worried about him getting pneumonia.

Today he had just a regular check up with his pediatrician. She just wants to check him out every four months. So, the last time she saw him was in October. She was very impressed by everything that his is able to do and how "there" he really is. She told me, "Wow, this kid is really blowing everything they ever said about him out of the water." Not sure what kind of report she saw from when Luke was first hurt, but I was sure glad to hear that. Thanks to all of you for always praying without ceasing for our little guy! He is where he is because of all of you! This Friday we have an appointment with a different eye doctor to get his opinion, please pray for that, along with continued restoration in Luke's brain. His new thing this week, although he really has not been his usual self since the tonsil surgery, is he is getting great at throwing a ball! Mike is happy to see that! A few weeks ago it took him awhile to actually release the ball, now he does it every time and it goes far. God is good!

Flu Bug

We have all been really sick around here with the flu. I got it first, Luke, and now Mike. Please pray that Luke will be able to get rid of it soon! It is so hard for him with already having sore tonsils and then having to cough on top of it. Please pray for quick healing for him from this flu and continued restoration in his brain. Have a great weekend...thanks and continue to believe!

Surgeries went well!

Hello Everyone! Just wanted to post a quick update to let you know that Luke's surgeries went fine today. He was definetly in some pain when I left, so please pray for the medicine to do the trick. Mike is of course staying with his wing man. I am fighting off a cold too so I better be well in the morning. Please pray for continued RESTORATION in Luke's brain. It is nights like tonight that I miss the undie boy I knew and loved so very much. I would give anything and everything to get my little man back to where he was. Thanks so much for the prayers, emails, comments, they get us through...don't stop the prayers! His word says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11: 28. That is exactly what I am going to do now...but not before saying the same prayer I have said for the past 11 plus months..because Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27.

This week with Luke

This week we are working with Luke on trying to sit up, push up when laying on his tummy, practicing reading words, and playing a harmonica. So far, he is doing great at all of the above. He has learned he can play the harmonica by either blowing in or out. A bonus is, the practicing with sucking has made him great with a straw. He is getting much better with that. I have learned in all of my research that often times a "benefit" of a brain injury is kids become great readers. Part of the program with the NACD this time around is to introduce 5 new words a week for Luke to learn. He is doing great with them! Each week he learns to "read" all of them. Before he was hurt, reading was definitely not his strong point. So it is great to see him doing so good with the words.

Next Tuesday, the 12th, he will be admitted to Banner Desert to get his tonsils out and tubes put in. He has always had HUGE tonsils, and some of the people we see feel it will benefit him to get them out. Please pray that day for a smooth surgery and recovery. They do want him to stay overnight just to watch him.

Thanks so much for all of your continued support and prayers. Please pray for continued guidance for Mike and I as we decide what the next step is, and as always pray for continued restoration in Lukey! "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also BELIEVE!"-Anatole France.

Trip to the ER

Well last night we spent four hours in the ER at PCH. Mike went to give Luke water in his G-Tube and noticed it had come out. This is the feeding tube in his stomach, we still use to give him water and extra calories at night. Usually you can just pop it back in, but he could not get it to go. So, after stopping at 2 other ER's and them telling us they could not do it, we went to PCH. We were there for four hours mainly because it took them forever to find one! The doctor finally ended up saying he would just go to his own office and get one. So, he did that, popped the new one in and we were on our way home...at midnight. Luke was SO good throughout all of this!

I also had a phone conference this week with the place that does the Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy in Mexico. The doctor in California looked at Luke's CT scans and MRI's and said he thought Luke could benefit greatly from the therapy. He said we would be very pleased with the results we saw. I know you wonder if he says this to everyone. I have emailed 10 other families who have had this done, with amazing results after. The California dr also does the Oxygen Therapy and was a pioneer in starting it. He said he thought we would see a lot better results faster with the stem cells verses doing the oxygen therapy again. Basically this is how it works, we drive to San Diego. A driver picks us up at our hotel to take us to the clinic in Tijuana (which means I have to start getting a passport for Luke and I, Mike has one.) The cells are given to Luke via an IV. The cells are donated by American women who have delivered healthy babies. They are put through rigorous testing, then spun to get out the purest stem cells. The idea is the stem cells once given to Luke will go to the damaged areas in Luke's brain. The neat thing about stem cells is they are the building block for every cell in the body, so they can turn into nerve cells, brain cells, heart cells, anything. We are really considering doing it...there are basically no risks, other than it not working and us losing a lot of money trying. Mike and I both agree though, if we don't do it, will we always wonder what if. Like I said, I have gathered a ton of cases with great results. Plus the dr in California told us the one thing Luke has going for him he is completely healthy and on no other medicines. Please pray for guidance as we make this decision, if you had asked me a year ago if I would have taken my child to Mexico for treatment, I would have said absolutlely not! The fact of the matter is we are so behind here in the US...there are trials going on, but it is a long way from being approved. If I had kept the cord blood when I had Luke, we would have been able to have it done at Duke University. Anyway, pray for continued restoration in Luke and that we make the right decision on the stem cell therapy. Believe!