They say, "It's About the Journey...."

How wonderful would it have been if Abi, would have only had minor injuries and then been released?!? She would have had a very quick recovery and it would have been awesome.  No frenzied prayers being sent up, no Camp Trauma Dragon in the waiting room, no bonding with friends new and old, no experiencing of the out pouring of love we received. We would not have experienced deep humbling fear, peace, love, joy. And we would not have been able to go on this journey.  A Long Journey for all of us, but mostly for lil' Abi.

 It is about the journey not the "getting there". 

We all learned things about ourselves. I won't speak for anyone else. But there were things that I learned along the way. Things I am still learning because of this accident. Faith and hope are real! I knew that, but sometimes you need a reminder. Sometimes we take life for granted and we live in the camp That-will-never-happen-to-my-family. Life can be so fragile, here one minute gone the next.

Something else I already knew but was really reminded of, We have a grand Designer! So many systems in the human body! And yet they all work together, wonderfully made. I was always amazed at the never ending tubes and needles, the monitors, the ventilator. The technology and the information we have to heal a human body, and yet we know so little about the brain. It amazes me that with all of the experts at hand, God still had this in hand and was working for His glory. Nothing was left to chance.

Remember the time they told us that Abi would be in a coma and not wake up for at least 4 weeks. Well they were wrong and she was awake on day 6. She was all hopped up on morphine and amnesia drugs but she was awake.  Then she got that horrible abdominal infection, she lost 30 lbs through out her hospital stay. But she is still here! She keeps on going. She is getting stronger too. Sure she might still run funny (don't tell her I said that) but she is running! She is motivated to eat, to get her butt back as well. Slowly she is gaining her weight back. It is amazing to me that she has not had any major setbacks or problems since she left the hospital. That is not Chance!

Before

 (taken July 18th)

 She has not caught a cold or the flu. And this is cold and flu season, and just try to keep Abi home! Not happening.  It is true that she gets really cold and has a hard time getting warmed up, but once she gets that butt back she won't have that problem any more.

Did any one notice that Abi's volume was affected? I thought that after being quiet for so many days she would have learned something about volume control. But I was wrong. I think they bumped up the volume in one of her surgeries or something.

On a more serious note. It is super hard to let Abi go off and be "Abi Before the Accident". I get upset and want to make her stay home. I don't want to see her do things that are dangerous, like walking across an icy sidewalk. Staying out late hanging out with her friends. Working. All those things are scary. We have had to learn again to let go! I witnessed a very fragile Abi. I don't think sometimes that she comprehends where she was at, and what happened to her. And yet I know she was the one that went through it. I don't know if she comprehends the severity of those first 12 days. She doesn't remember them. She has seen the pictures so she must know something. But we clearly had a more real, frightening experience those first days. She was asleep for most of it, For that I am very thankful!

As with any tragic event there have been so many lessons to learn, I just hope they stick! I don't imagine they will fade anytime soon. We have all been changed through this event. We have all had our eyes opened. Opened to our God, our mortality, our blessings, our strengths, our weaknesses, our hope!

After 

(Taken October 31st)

Halloween Alice in Wonderland

TWO MONTH UPDATE

Sorry that we haven't been keeping this updated every week or so, but we tried to get Abi to log on and post her own comments. She says she just doesn't know what to say. Now, if you know Abi, I know you find that hard to believe, as do we. I think she is just still overwelmed at the out pouring of Love and prayers that have gone out to her. Stacey has told me that she has started to read the comments here and on her e-mail account, and just starts to cry. So, lets just say that she is so very gratefull for all the prayers and thoughts of her over the past 4 months +.  Now for an Update.

November 16 she had an appointment with her back Doctor. He released her to go back to work, with a 25 lb lifting limit, the back brace is off, which she had only been using sparingly anyway. Now if I can just get her to take it out of my car and display it with all her plush animals or something. She is allowed to drive, again, she had been already. She also saw the pelvis Doctor and he said she  was doing great. She has a little lump in her stomach and needs to set up an appointment with the surgeon to see if it just a little hernia or what. Needless to say she didn't walk out of the office, she just kind of floated. When we left I was instructed to drive directly to JB's. When she walked through the door she started flashing her work release and said "let's get me on the Schedule". She started back to work on Saturday and Sunday and then again on Thanksgiving Day. Now, I have never in my $# year of life seen anyone that happy to be back to work. We have been able to spend a lot of time together at JB's and the customers have just enveloped her with their love and amazement of her healing. Oh, here release was just one day shy of 4 months from the date of her accident. Now, if you read the start of this Blog you will see that she was suppost to be in ICU for probably 6 weeks in and induced comma and would be in the hospital for 6 months. Truth was: out of ICU (both MICU and intermediat in a little over a week and out of the hospital in 35 days. Now, if that is not the power of God and prayer, I don't know what is. She is back to talking 90.5 miles per hour, holding two conversations at one time and texting. All I can say is "SHE'S BACK!!!" and Praise the Lord. When she forgets something, she says "remember I have a brain injury". Most everyone just tells her that it won't work, she was that way before her accident. I will get Stacey to post again as soon as she can, as Abi has been able to spend a lot of time with her and the kids and I'm sure she has some jucie tid bits that you would all love to hear.

As I end this, I sit here with big tears in my eyes sending a special pray out to each and everyone of you for the support you have been for Abi and all of her family and friends. It has indeed been a very humbleing experience for me and I'm sure all of you. How prescious life is and how soon things can change. We serve a living God and he is there for us when we ask. If you don't know the Lord Jesus as your personal saviour, he stands at the door and knocks, all you have to do is open the door and ask him into your life. If your not sure how to do this, feel free to call me, Charlette, Stacey or a born again believing church close to you. Don't ever think that you have to clean up some things in your life before you can come to Jesus. You come and he will clean you up. I did some twenty four years ago, and my life has never been the same God loves us all and wants us to end up in Heaven with him. Thank You again my brothers and sisters for the strength you have given Abi, her mother, brothers and sister and myself. God be with you all always.

In His Steps, Dave