Update 12/23/2012 By Michelle

Reports from the hospital are good this week. My mom had been having nerve pain in her legs early in the week. Most of the pain was at night when she was back in her bed. She does not like to be in her bed unless she absolutely has to be (bedtime basically). They got the right dose of medication for her and that has become manageable for her. The biggest news this week is that they have decided her eyes are healing enough to push getting a computer for her to use for communicating. When I was there, this was not really an option. She did not have enough control of her eyes to even begin working on a computer. We tried a time or two with her and she got very tired, very quickly. The eye doctor has been seeing her weekly since she is set to come home in a few weeks. He has been amazed at the healing that has taken place in her eyes. This is a huge blessing. I want to communicate with my mom and know what she wants to say, how she is feeling, what she needs, etc. I cannot wait to hear her voice again. I talk to so many that still are praying for her. I know this is a busy time of year. A concern expressed early on was that she will slowly be forgotten. Everyone I have run into since being home has made sure to tell me that they are still praying for her. After three and a half months, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for that act of service. I know her influence was great on those that know her. It is such a huge gift to her and to us that we not forget her and plead with our Heavenly Father to continue to bless her. The creator of this world has a plan. I know he does and I know he is in control of this situation. I know he loves us and knows each one of us. There was one who came before that felt the pain she has gone through. My mom has a very strong relationship with our Savior. She knows he has a plan. She knows that this life has purpose and that purpose is to gain experiences we could not gain elsewhere. These experiences and trials will be very difficult, for otherwise we would not grow and develop on a spiritual level. This experience of life was never meant to be easy, but it will be worth it. We wanted to get Christmas cards out to everyone that sent her birthday cards, but I would have to take out a small loan for postage! Our family wishes yours a very Merry Christmas. May the love of Christ be felt within your family this holiday season.

Update 12/13/12 By Michelle

We are long over due for an update. My mom is still working hard to regain that which has been lost. She is such a fighter. Progress is very, very slow for her but she is progressing. The main focus in rehabilitation right now is her communication skills. There are some tests that can be done to help classify her injury, but she has to be able to communicate. They are working with strengthening her eyes and are still working with being able to use the switch (a bar that goes under her chin and sets off a buzzer when depressed by her jaw) as her main forms of "speaking". She uses her buzzer for yes and makes a stink eye face for no. She has mouthed several words, but her ability to articulate is not there. The muscles in her face and jaw are still very tight. On a good day, she can open her mouth up enough to get a toothbrush in, barely. We have seen some movement in her hands, legs, torso and feet. It is hard to know if they are controlled moves or more of a muscle spasm or reflex. The doctors are still working to stabilize her blood pressure. She has a good day then two bad days. It is very stressful to try and figure out what is going on on the not so good days. I flew home over the weekend. My family desperately needs a mommy for a few weeks. I will be back the first week of January. My dad is there by himself right now. I wish there were more of me. I am struggling with the balance of needing to be there and here. Right now the plan is my mom will come home on Jan 10th. She will need nursing care 24 hours a day. My dad and I have gotten lots of training on how to care for her, but it will take more than the two of us to accomplish this task. I will be working on a care calendar for visits and repetative needs they will have. I have faith that there is a path prepared for her and us to fullfill her needs. We have not gotten this far to find ourselves alone.

Update 12/2/2012 By Dave and Betty

The picture today is of Carla sunning herself in the garden at Craig and communicating with her husband Richard. She is very happy outside in her chair and in the sun. “Be patient in afflictions, for thou shall have many; but endure them, for lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.” This scripture gives us words to live by. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul testifies that “we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” Most of us at some time in our lives feel the chill winds of adversity. It may seem that there is no end in sight. While adversity may be slow to leave us, we can choose to leave it any time. The Lord’s promise to us is: “Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for… I will ease thy burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs.” He lp us God to be thankful for our adversity and give us the faith to see beyond today’s trial. Today has been a good day for Carla. She was awake, very responsive and in her chair for about 6 hours. She seemed to be very happy and really enjoyed visiting with her family: mom, dad, husband and daughter. She loves being outside in the warm sun. You should see the look on her face when she lets us know that she does NOT want to be put back into her bed! She clearly understands how to communicate that desire! We are excited and thankful for her progress. She also had a good day yesterday, but today was even better. She’s gaining more strength that is a prerequisite for more blessings and miracles. Our hopes are strong and we never ease in our pleas with Divinity to heal our daughter. She’s so special to so many people. We firmly believe that the Lord has countless miracles in store for her and her family. We have the patience to wait for Him. Thank you family and friends for your continuing support and prayers.

Pictures of Carla 12/2/2012

My mom and I playing in the dirt! We made a beautiful topiary plant. I held her hand in mine and helped her scoop, pat and plant. She smiled the whole time. I am so happy to have these moments with her. I told her I will be her hands as long as she needs me to be.

The Christmas lights are so pretty here at the hospital. My mom wants to go out everyday to see them. Sometimes we can only go look out the window, since it gets so cold here at night.

My mom out on the deck soaking up some sunshine! After almost three months of not being able to go outside, she enjoyes every opportunity she can to get out. We are so thankful for the unseasonably warm weather here. My dad and I finally got all of our training done so we can go out unescorted with her. I plan to spend lots more time out on that deck with her in the sunshine!

Update 12/2/2012 By Michelle

Today is Sunday, my mom's favorite day of the week. She slept well last night and even slept in a little later than normal this morning. She is in such a good mood. The weather here is nice, so she is excited about getting out to the garden area. Over the past couple of days, they have tried the vent weaning again. She has not had the success she did that first day. They will keep trying several times a day and always tell her not to worry about it. These things will take time and it does not mean she will not get off the vent. Please keep praying that this miracle will be for her. When my mom was little, her youngest sister thought she was supergirl. She has told my mom several times that her cape is hanging out. Well, she showed her cape to us again today. She started dancing her toes and moved her left leg repeatedly this morning. The nurse was able to see her doing it and we will keep our fingers crossed that she does not have stage fright when her doc comes by tomorrow morning. The movement and breathing will completely change the game plan here, hopefully. They just have to see that she is going to go further than what may appear. I believe....

Update 11/29/2012 By Michelle

We have heard some so many "She will never...", but are keeping up our faith that these are just men that don't always consult with the plan of the master healer. I have witnessed a pure miracle tonight. We asked them to try to wean my mom off her ventilator. We were told it would not happen, her injury is too high. I asked them to try and the techs were very nice about coming in and trying it. They prepared us, told us nothing usually happens for the first several tries. The plan was to give her 60 seconds to just see if she would do anything. They would give her pressure so there was something there for her to pull into her lungs, if she could. Tears filled my eyes and the tech got goosebumps as my mom immediately took her first breath on her own in almost three months. She continued to breath for almost thirteen minutes with just that little bit of pressure; breathes she took on her own. Miraculous is the word I would use to describe this event. Being able to get off the ventilator means my mom can live such a better life. She will be able to enjoy more and do more. She will not have the constant threat of pneumonia and several other life threatening conditions associated with being ventilator dependant. I count my many blessings, naming them one by one...She will continue to leap over those hurdles, no matter how large they are, with the prayers and support of those in her life.

Update 11/25/2012 By Dave

The picture today is of Carla with her sister, mother and niece. It has been almost a week since I sent out the last update. Carla has had her daily ups and downs with smiles, happiness, pain and sa dness over this period. Faith is both a principle of action and of power. It “is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if we have faith we hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” It is an assurance of the Spirit gained through our learning that moves us to act to follow the example of the Savior and prayerfully keep His commandments, even through times of sacrifice and trial. Faith brings us the power of the Lord, which—among other things—is manifested by a hope of good things to come, miracles that confirm our faith, and divine protection in spiritual and temporal matters. Last week the doctors completed their medical examinations and had a family meeting. The medical prognosis is not encouraging. The miracle we need and are praying for is a restoration of her damaged spinal cord. Her progress has been slow and constant. We recognize and acknowledge every ounce of progress and thank the Lord continually. The newest therapy is one to improve communications. A thin red bar is attached to the right front bar on her halo. It goes across her chin so that when she opens her mouth it peeps repeatedly until she closes her mouth. The goal is to help her gain enough control of her eyes and mouth to be able to use a computer to communicate. We appreciate every effort that is made to help her in her communication skills. We sure are grateful for today’s technology. We have NOT lost our faith or hope as we continually seek to know the Lord’s will for Carla. We have dreams and hope for many more miracles as the Lord continues to show His love and tender mercies. His daily blessings give us hope, courage and greater faith. The love, prayers and faith of so many friends lift our spirits. Thanks!

Update 11/21/2012 By Michelle

The picture painted today by the doctors here is definitely a brick wall; red because that is my mom's favorite color. We are having a family fast/ prayer day on Sunday. Please join us in seeking more miracles for my mom and guidance from Him who grants us every breathe we take. When I can get more info out about the meeting today, I will.

Update 11/20/2012 By Michelle

The question is how do I balance the brick wall of realism with the hurdles of hope? Brick walls are much harder to get over. Hurdles seem to be endless at this stage. It seems easier to get over them. Moving on to the next brings hope that the hurdles will get smaller each time. As we are educating ourselves on how to care for my mom, the realism is setting in. What if this really is it? What if she really will never move again on her own? We are beginning to look at lifts for her house so we can safely move her from her bed to her chair. Right now it takes three people to get her moved. She is exhausted after such a task. How will we ever have three people available to move her? This is only one of the long list of things that must get done each day. I know these tasks will get easier with time, but her care is a fulltime job for two to three people. On the other hand, she shows us glimpses of what she can do. We have seen so many miracles already, why would Heavenly Father stop now? My Uncle Art said "The difficult takes time, the impossible takes a little longer." This is for sure an impossible case. Every step she has already taken has been an impossible one. Maybe the answer is we just need to wait a little longer. Today was an average day for my mom. She had her up moments and her down moments. She is exhausted tonight and will hopefully sleep so we can sleep. I will give you a glimpse of what her day is like another time.

Update 11/19/2012 By Michelle

Every doctor that has come in today has shared good news. My mom's blood pressure is a lot more stable than expected with her level of injury. Her iron level has almost doubled. Her red blood cell count continues to go up. Today in most of her therapies they focused on stretching her jaw. It gets so locked up and causes her pain. She opened it wider today than she could yesterday. Every day she takes baby steps in the right direction. Her body is getting stronger. Twice now I have seen her shift her mid section in bed on her own. She was doing this in San Antonio, but stopped all movement when she got a high fever. The best news of all is that it appears there is no brain damage, just the spinal cord injury. This is a huge miracle considering the severity of her accident.

Update 11/18/2012 by Dave

Carla Update… Sunday, November 18, 12 – Today’s picture is of Carla and her 2 sisters. Just look at the happiness in those faces. We are praying to see the happiness in all those faces again. We are beginning to see it in Carla’s face again. Family and friends, thank you for your continuing support, FAITH and prayers. We need to recognize that “wanting to” is the determining factor which leads us to lay hold upon the word of God and be happy. Perseverance in making correct decisions is what leads us to happiness. Happiness comes as a result of our obedience and our courage in always doing the will of God, even in the most difficult circumstances. Yes, we find happiness in the midst of the trial of our faith. The Lord manifests Himself to us through His tender mercies, which we find along the road of happiness. We see with increased clarity His hand in our lives. Carla was in her chair for nearly 6 hours yesterday! That was a first! When asked several times if she wanted to get out of the chair, her answer was "no". But, after 6 hours she was definitely ready for sleep. Later we had guests who brought a gourmet dinner for us to enjoy. We sure did appreciate such a nice dinner. Michelle and I went to the Denver LDS Temple this morning. What a beautiful autumn day to be at the Temple to pray for Carla and other loved ones. Carla was in her chair again today for long hours. She was happy and shared lots of smiles. Her communication skills improve every day. Doctors are exceptionally pleased with how well she is doing. We took her to a craft room where we made polar fleece items as she watched on; items that she can enjoy or give as gifts. At 6:OC this evening Michelle and Richard took her to a movie at the hospital. She was also outside some this morning to enjoy the warm sunshine. There's no therapy classes on Saturdays and Sundays. Richard and Michelle continue to watch educational videos and then take required tests so that they can be qualified as caregivers when the time comes for Carla to go home. It's been a long day, so I must retire early. I'll be driving to the airport early in the morning to pick up our son Roger. It will be his first time to visit with his sister since her accident on Sept. 8th. Again, we say thanks for being our friends and supporters. Your faith and prayers sustain us.

Update 11/18/2012 By Michelle

This week has been very hard as well as very good. It really has been a rollercoaster ride. My mom hates roller coasters and I am beginning to feel the effects of the ups and downs of such stress. The week started out with my mom getting an MRI, EEG and spinal tap. The MRI and EEG were just being redone to check progress/differences in the last set that was taken. The MRI showed some fluid in the lower ventricle of her brain. They were concerned it could be the beginnings of an infection, so they did the spinal tap to test the fluid for infection. The fluid had not been there during her last MRI. The results came back negative for infection. The doctor thinks there was not as much fluid as maybe they originally thought. He is not worried about it at this point, but the other thing that might be happening is a leak in her spinal cord causing pockets of spinal fluid in and around her brain. We will just keep watching for the signs he talked about and pray hard that this is not the case. Each of these tests pretty much wiped my mom out for the day. I got to escort her to the MRI and she was all smiles on the way down and on the way back up. She just slept most of those three days, but seemed in good spirits. We completed her first full week of therapy. Overall she did really well. She seems to really like her therapists and tries so hard for them. Two weeks ago, she was not able to open her mouth. The muscles were so tight from being in the c-collar for two months as well as not trying to work them. Yesterday and today she opened her mouth when asked to have her teeth brushed. She can only open enough to get a sponge brush in, but such progress. She opens a bit more each time and seems to be gaining more control over her facial muscles. Her expressions have also gotten much more animated. We massage her face throughout the day (which is one of her favorite things) to try and help those muscles wake up and start working again. We did have an "incident" in the gym. She was up her her chair for PT one day and they decided to take her to the gym for the session. They were going to work on measuring her range of motion. They got her transferred to the big table with a wedge under her head so she could remain at the proper 30 degree angle. She winced a few times as they pushed and moved her legs more than they have moved in 9 weeks. This is good though. This means she has feeling in her muscles and body. They got her back up into her chair and I went around to see how she was doing. She was off in a stare that I had not seen before. Her pupils were very small and she would not respond to me for a few seconds. When she did finally respond, her eyes were completely cross. We got her tipped backwards as far as we could in her chair and the PT ran for the blood pressure machine. Her blood pressure was really low and she was still not responding, so they pushed the emergency button and within 15 seconds, she had a dozen doctors and nurses around her. I knew this was what would happen. She is in a good place where they know to watch for these things. I had stepped back sensing she would be attended to. It became too much for me and I had to step out. She was and is okay. They just had not given her her blood pressure medicine that morning to keep her pressures up since it was high enough when they got her into her chair. They will be giving that medicine to her anytime she heads to the gym now. Her body is responding and adjusting really well on it's own when we just tip her up or down in the chair. She loves sitting in her wheelchair. At the beginning of the week, she was doing an hour to an hour and a half at a time. On friday, she was in it for six hours straight. She kept telling us she was not ready to get out of it. On Saturday she was able to stay in it for eight hours. This is amazing progress for her! Yesterday we took her outside to sit in the sun. She smiled and soaked up the rays! After that we took her to the rec room and participated in a craft project. I had not been sure how well she would do in a recreation class since she cannot move her hands or arms. She is such a crafty person and I did not want it to be hard on her to not do the craft herself. They were making fleece scarves and fleece pillows. She picked the fabric by her facial expressions. She turned her nose up and gave a disgusted face at the ones she did not like and raised her eyes really big when we held up the ones she wanted to use. We pushed her right up to the table and she watched my grandma and I cut and tie for her. She did really well. The day ended with a movie in the theater room here. She had a good day. Even a good day is not without the stress and frustration of trying to communicate with us what she needs. She still has pain and is on different pain medicine for different things. The hard part is figuring out what is hurting her and if she needs pain medicine or if she just needs to be readjusted. She still cannot talk. The trach she has is preventing air from coming up her throat. There is a balloon that they fill up around the trach inside her neck. Twice this week, they have deflated that balloon to let air run through her vocal cords. She did not like it the first time. Her body is no longer used to that sensation. The second time she did really well. They are trying to get her to make sounds during this time. She has not made sounds yet, but I can tell she is getting used to the idea again. She has blood test taken every day to check for many things. This week the pulmonologist (a genius in our book) said her red blood cells have doubled since she got here and for the first time it is increasing instead of decreasing. This is a really, really good sign of the miracle of healing that is taking place inside her body. Remember, her body was broken beyond the repair of man's medicine alone. This week will bring more therapy sessions, more firsts for her since the accident and more information. This week we will be getting more information about the overall game plan while she is here at Craig. We will get a better explanation of what they feel her diagnosis is as well as her prognosis. We will get information about what her future might look like. We will start to discover what training and preparations we need to make for her to be able to live at home. This might not be possible. I pray so hard that she will be healed to an extent that we can manage her care at home. She does not want to live anywhere else. For the first time ever, we will celebrate purely the giving of thanks on Thanksgiving instead of the tradition of food. We have so much to be thankful for. Please remember her in your prayers and praises of thanksgiving this holiday season.

Update 11/15/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Thursday, November 15, 12 – The picture today is of Carla riding her Harley. One of the things she loved to do. This is the activity that brought her the greatest joy and now the activity that brought her the most pain. We pray that the future with provide her lots of joy. Life is good, if we live in such a way to make it so. This was a part of an inspirational message I read many years ago. What the message calls “a good life” comes as a result of the way we do things, of the words we choose to say, and even of the kind of thoughts we choose to have. No one needs to feel alone on the road of life, for we are all invited to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him. Happiness is the purpose of the gospel and the purpose of the redeeming Atonement for all men. May we make our lives good by the choices we make! Status today provided by Betty: Carla's therapy classes are going very well. She's learning and using her lower jaw line a lot more. Richard and Michelle really have a way of bringing out the best in her. They bring out lots of smiles with their stories and laughter. I marvel at their spirit of determination, compassion and love. They're taking classes to learn how to be caregivers. They have videos to watch as part of their learning process. I'm mostly the back-up caregiver. I'm there to give them the breaks and time-outs that they need. An MRI two days ago showed some fluid on Carla's brain. A spinal tap was done today. All went well, but no results yet. She did have a problem during a therapy session, but the problem got solved. However, it prevented her from her afternoon "stroll" in her wheelchair. I really enjoyed time with her this evening. She has a strong mind and clearly understands what you are saying. I continually pray for the day when she can talk to us. We continue to need your faith and prayers in her behalf. Thanks!

Update 11/13/2012 By Michelle

It seems like time is flying by and while I try to set aside time to give updates, sometimes it does not happen as fast as I would like. Yesterday my mom's nurse said we are always in a hurry to wait around here. That is so true. My mom had an MRI yesterday mid morning. This is her second one since the accident. They want to be able to compare the two and see what progress has been made as far as her brain, brain stem and neck (from the stabilization). They also checked for blood clots. They put my mom out for the test since it was going to take awhile and she would need to be in the MRI tunnel for quite sometime. It took about an hour and a half for the actual testing. We have not heard anything yet, but know that her doctors were looking at it yesterday. In the next week or so, we will have a meeting with everyone working on and with her and will know the results then. They want time to give us a thorough update and also a prognosis. My mom was in really, really good spirits yesterday. She smiled most of the morning, took a good nap in the afternoon and was happy yesterday evening. I told her she is a queen. Every two hours someone comes and rolls her and fluffs her 10 pillows that are supporting her and helping make her comfortable. She did not object to the idea of being a queen. She has pretty full days with classes running from about 9 or 10am until 3pm Mon-Fri. She gets a new class schedule posted to her door daily which makes her smile. She loves organization and planners. Most of the classes will be held in her room until she is strong enough to get to their gym area. Health wise she has been doing okay. She has had a temp through the night last night. Her blood pressure has been a little more unstable the past day and a half. She is on less pain medicine, but still takes a cocktail of meds twice a day. I think between the vitamins and meds there are about 20 different things in those cocktails. We call it her strawberry shake since it is usually pink. It gets put in her g tube. The site on her hip where they removed bone is almost all healed. The incision on her neck is still healing but looks really good. With her beautiful long hair, no one will ever see it. They have put her in a low stimulation environment and posted two pages about what we can and cannot do while in her room. They fear she is becoming overwhelmed too easily. Some of these rules are: only 2 visitors at a time (and not during her classes), have only one quiet thing going on at a time (ie. talking to her or music on, but not both), and let her rest when she shows signs of being overwhelmed. We are trying so very hard to create this atmosphere for her. My dad and I are living in her room, so it is sometimes difficult to get done what we need to get done and adhere to the rules. This will be day four of her getting up into her wheelchair. She seems to love it. We push her to a glass "bridge" that connects the two Craig buildings and get some sun. I told her she is like a cat in a window. She seems to enjoy the feeling of the sun on her face. Getting her up in the chair is quite the thing. It takes about thirty minutes to get her dressed, ventilator changed to a portable, leads taken off her and getting her hoisted over. The getting her from bed to the chair is amazing to watch. They slip a sling under her body and connect it to a bar that is hanging from the ceiling. The bar is on several runners and is remote controlled. It looks like she is flying in a sitting up position. She does not seem to mind it. This process does completely wear her out though. The first several times we have gotten her up, she has only been in her chair for an hour and sleep usually the rest of the day and into the night. I cannot imagine how good and exhausting it feels for her after two months of being in bed. Well, they are here to get her into her chair. I need to go help. I will send another update as I can. Please keep praying for her strength and healing.

Update 11/12/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Monday, November 12, 12 – The picture today is of Carla in her wheel chair on the bridge between the two Craig hospital buildings. Her husband, mother and aunts are accompanying her. She loves the sun! The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord—even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be revealed. Then comes a sense of peace. He who receives all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious. My most profound gratitude is for my Savior—an obedient Son, who did all that His Father asked and atoned for every one of us. May we all be more grateful for all things. It's truly a blessing and a relief to have Carla in her own "suite" at Craig. Richard and daughter Michelle literally live in the suite. One gets the hide-a-bed sofa and the other gets a big air mattress on the floor! They were cold the first night, so Dave and I (Betty) took over an electric mattress pad and two warm blankets. They loved the warmth. The room has a full wall of windows that face east. We've had some really cold temps the past few nights. It's been wonderful having three of my 4 sisters here for a few days. Local Ward members have been so gracious to open their homes and hearts to us and to our guests. My sisters have stayed in a wonderful, large, beautiful home. The R.S. president and one counselor visited us at the hospital today to offer their love and services. My sisters truly love Carla, Richard and their family with so much kindness, warmth and passion. We feel so blessed to have them here to bring so much love and comfort. Dave has really enjoyed being surrounded by so many mature women who serve him so graciously!!! My sisters will leave at 5 A.M. tomorrow to make the long drive back to west TN. We sure will miss them! Carla has been real emotional having them here just for her; and sad to have them say their goodbyes. We offered a special family prayer tonight to bring comfort to her as we surrounded her bed. Carla gets speech, occupational and physical therapy 5 days a week. She had another MRI today. The doctors sedated her for the procedure. We feel real grateful for the medical care that she is receiving. We continually pray for her and her medical team. We clearly understand that faith precedes the miracles. We are continually grateful for your faith and prayers in Carla's behalf. Let us never lose that faith! Goodnight!

Update 11/11/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Sunday, November 11, 12 – Today’s picture is of Betty and three of her four sisters at Craig Hospital. The three came from Tennessee (the Memphis and Nashville areas) to visit Carla. It was an 18-hour drive. They arrived yesterday and will be here through Monday. Carla, Betty and Marty were excited to visit with the Tennessee sisters. Gratitude requires awareness and effort, not only to feel it but also to express it. Frequently we are oblivious to the Lord’s hand. We murmur, complain, resist, and criticize and far too often we are not grateful. The Lord counsels us not to murmur because it is then difficult for the Spirit to work with us. Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. May we live in thanksgiving daily. Carla got more good news from her Craig doctor yesterday. He told her that in the last 48 hours her internal systems were much improved; that they were all working very well. The doctors are reducing the medications that contribute to a healthier and stronger body for Carla. Today was her third day to be in her wheelchair for at least an hour. There’s a closed-in “sky walk” between the East and West hospitals. We stroll her to that area to enjoy some scenery, warm sunshine and new snow. She’s getting stronger every day. Tomorrow will be a real busy day from 9:30 in the morning till at least 3:oc. It’s good that she can be kept busy during the daytime so that she can sleep and rest better through the night. Our combined faith keeps us energized. We take one day at a time. We look for and find blessings every day. It’s good to have visitors who bless our lives and lift us up. All of you are God’s gifts to Carla and to us. Thanks!!!

Update 11/9/2012 By Michelle

Today is our second day here at Craig Hospital. It has been a little crazy trying to get settled in. My mom is getting lots of attention from the different teams here. Everyone is doing initial assessments this week and next. We will have a family meeting with all the doctors, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, RNs, etc in a few weeks to get a good idea of what the game plan here will be. We have no idea yet how long she will be here or what we are working towards, besides taking her home. They are repeating all of her initial tests and scans again here. She had a cat scan yesterday and will do an MRI on Monday. There are several other tests being done today (like an iron test and eye exam). She is happy and awake for much longer periods of time now. She smiles when funny things are said and still gets emotional. She seems to be in less pain now. She does have thrush in her mouth and we think that has been some of the cause of pain for her. The heavy duty antibiotics she has been on for the spot on her lungs has killed all the bacteria in her body, so she got thrush. It looks painful for her to swallow and she clamps her jaw shut anytime they try to brush her teeth or stick anything in her mouth. A little more about her day here. She will have three hours of therapy daily. She has speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Most days it will be split into two half an hour sessions. Her schedule is pretty booked, just the way she likes it!! For the most part, she gets to have the same rotation of nurses, techs and therapists. I am glad she will get to work with familiar faces each day. We have meet them all and everyone has been really nice. Mom has shown off her personality to most of them and they already know she is a character with a wonderful sense of humor. This afternoon, she will get to sit in her new wheelchair for the first time. This is an exciting thing for us and her. She has been in a hospital room for almost 9 weeks now. She needs to get up and out. There are daily activities here that I know she will love. On Tuesday, they did mani's and pedi's. We missed that, but look forward to some of the other things they do for their patients. We are also ready to meet some of the other families and patients here. My mom also got a huge smile on her face when they told her they have a computer that she can use to communicate with. It reads eye movements. We are working with getting her eyes strong enough to be able to use that machine in the next few weeks. I cannot wait to give that skill back to her. It has been so tough trying to decipher the grins and frowns, the tears and the eye rolls. I want her to be able to tell us what she needs so we can help her as much as she needs. My dad and I were in the apartment building owned by Craig while my mom was in the ICU, but they have others that need that room. We are now living in my mom's room with her. There is a very small loft area with a mini fridge, sleeper sofa, small table and chairs, and a microwave. Thanks to my aunt and uncle we also now have dishes, silverware, a toast-r-oven, food, storage drawers and many other little things to make this loft more home like. They also bought a cute table cloth for the table. We are feeling way more organized here and settled in. I am so excited that I no longer have to carry a fifty pound pack around with essentials. I have a home away from home now.Upd

Update 11/9/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Friday, November 9,12 – “GOOD NEWS TODAY”… for Carla! The picture today is of Carla in her new room at Craig and in a wheel chair. This is her first time out of the bed in 8 weeks. Look at the picture and you can see the joy in her face at this accomplishment. A total of 8 of us were there to cheer her as she got to sit in her wheel chair for the first time. It was an exciting event to be a part of. Thank you friends and family for your continuing support and prayers. Heavenly Father desires that we find true, lasting happiness. Our happiness is the design of all the blessings He gives us—gospel teachings, commandments, family relationships, and even the opportunity to experience adversity. His plan for our salvation is often called “the great plan of happiness”. He sent His Beloved Son to carry out the Atonement so we can be happy in this life and receive a fullness of joy in the eternities. As we seek to be happy, we should remember that the only way to real happiness is to live the gospel. We will find peaceful, eternal happiness as we strive to keep the commandments, pray for strength, repent of our sins, participate in wholesome activities, and give meaningful service. Michelle gives today’s status of Carla in lots of detail… Today is our second day here at Craig Hospital. It has been a little crazy trying to get settled in. My mom is getting lots of attention from the different teams here. Everyone is doing initial assessments this week and next. We will have a family meeting with all the doctors, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, RNs, etc in a few weeks to get a good idea of what the game plan will be. We have no idea yet how long she will be here or what we are working towards, besides taking her home. They are repeating all of her initial tests and scans again here. She had a cat scan yesterday and will do an MRI on Monday. There are several other tests being done today (like an iron test and eye exam). She is happy and awake for much longer periods of time now. She smiles when funny things are said and still gets emotional. She seems to be in less pain now. She does have thrush in her mouth and we think that has been some of the cause of pain for her. The heavy duty antibiotics she has been on for the spot on her lungs has killed all the bacteria in her body, so she got thrush. It looks painful for her to swallow and she clamps her jaw shut anytime they try to brush her teeth or stick anything in her mouth. A little more about her day here. She will have three hours of therapy daily. She has speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Most days it will be split into two half hour sessions. Her schedule is pretty booked, just the way she likes it!! For the most part, she gets to have the same rotation of nurses, techs and therapists. I am glad she will get to work with familiar faces each day. We have met them all and everyone has been really nice. Mom has shown off her personality to most of them and they already know she is a character with a wonderful sense of humor. This afternoon she will get to sit in her new wheelchair for the first time. This is an exciting thing for her and for us.. She has been in a hospital room for almost 9 weeks now. She needs to get up and out. There are daily activities here that I know she will love. On Tuesday, they did mani's and pedi's. We missed that, but look forward to some of the other things they do for their patients. We are also ready to meet some of the other families and patients here. My mom also got a huge smile on her face when they told her they have a computer that she can use to communicate with. It reads eye movements. We are working with getting her eyes strong enough to be able to use that machine in the next few weeks. I cannot wait to give that skill back to her. It has been so tough trying to decipher the grins and frowns, the tears and the eye rolls. I want her to be able to tell us what she needs so we can help her as much as she needs. My dad and I were in the apartment building owned by Craig while my mom was in the ICU, but they have others that need that room. We are now living in my mom's room with her. There is a very small loft area with a mini fridge, sleeper sofa, small table and chairs, and a microwave. Thanks to my aunt and uncle we also now have dishes, silverware, a toast-r-oven, food, storage drawers and many other little things to make this loft more home like. They also bought a cute table cloth for the table. We are feeling much more organized here and settled in. I am so excited that I no longer have to carry a 50# pack around with essentials. I now have a home away from home.

Update 11/8/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Thursday, November 8, 12 – The picture today is of Craig Rehabilitation Hospital. This is Carla’s new home while in this process. She is on the 2nd floor in a private room that’s called a suite. It has two sections, one for her bed and another for her family to live in. There’s a queen sofa bed, a 42” TV and WIFI, so cool! Richard and Michelle spend most of their days and nights with Carla in her room. Betty and I fill in each day for as long as we are needed. If we have faith in God and are committed to the fundamentals of keeping His commandments and putting Him first in our lives, we do not need to plan every single event—even every important event—and we should not feel rejected or depressed if some things—even some very important things—do not happen at the time we had planned or hoped or prayed for. We must commit ourselves to put the Lord first in our lives and keep His commandments. Then our feet are on the pathway to joy in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Doing our best on what is fundamental and personal and then trust in the Lord and His timing will bring us joy in this life and in the life to come. We are excited to see Carla’s improvement just by her being in her own room at Craig Hospital. She had her first therapy session today and did really well. She had a CAT scan today and is scheduled for an MRI on Monday. Tests and therapy will be done daily till Craig’s medical team has their own evaluation and prognosis. We feel really good about their plans for Carla. They are treating Carla with tremendous care with positive attitudes about her recovery. Now we are starting a new chapter on Carla’s journey to recovery. Thank you all so much for the continued support and love during this difficult time for our family. We are so grateful for the network of friends and loved ones. Marty stayed with us in our RV for a few days while she was visiting and will be driving home on Saturday. Hopefully the winter storm will not cause her any travel delays. The weather is still really nice with warmth and autumn colors but the storm comes tomorrow. We have bundles of leaves to rake and weeds to get rid of. I (Betty) need outdoor therapy on a regular basis, so I do yard work. It’s crazy, but I love it! We have food for the squirrels and friendly bunny rabbits.

Update 11/7/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Wednesday, November 7, 12 – The picture today is of Carla’s two sisters and two daughters that visited her on her birthday. As you can see they are having a good time. Carla appreciated their visit. The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means trust—trust in God’s will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in His timetable. The issue for us is trusting God enough to also trust His timing. If we can truly believe He has our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as He thinks best? The same is true with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord’s timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes. Indeed, we cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s timing. An exciting day! Carla FINALLY got moved out of ICU after 3 long weeks and back to Craig Hospital this afternoon. She gets to start her road to recovery at Craig. Her room is VERY nice. It’s more like two rooms in one so at least two family members can sleep there. It includes kitchen, lots of open shelving, large TV and lots of windows. Her room is adorned with nearly 150 birthday and get-well cards plus drawings from grand children. The family is very excited about this progress! Her condition will be completely re-evaluated by the Craig medical team as they begin rehabilitation. Dave and I had a great weekend “at home”. We did not get to leave Lehi till 4:30 in the afternoon yesterday, so it was a real late night. The weather has been so perfect for travel. Thanks again for your love and prayers that sustain us emotionally and spiritually.

Update 10/29/2012

Carla Update… Monday, October 29, 12 – The picture today is of Craig Hospital. Carla’s room is on the 2nd floor looking out a window. We are praying that she will be able to return here later this week after the neck stabilization surgery. We are here on earth for a divine purpose. We are here to be tried, to prove ourselves so that we can receive the additional blessings God has for us. The tempering effect of patience is required. The Lord is intent on our personal growth and development. That progress is accelerated when we willingly allow Him to lead us through every growth experience we encounter, whether initially it be to our individual liking or not. When we trust in the Lord, when we are willing to let our hearts and our minds be centered in His will, when we ask to be led by the Spirit to do His will, we are assured of the greatest happiness. May we trust in the Lord and thank Him in all things. Report of Carla’s status today comes form Betty. Carla was quite restless this morning with spasms mostly in her lower jaw (so far as we can tell). But, she has done a lot of sleeping during the rest of the day. Richard met with Dr. Vollmer, Neurosurgeon, in the afternoon. Her “soft” halo will be “installed” tomorrow morning in preparation for surgery on Wednesday morning. Her blood pressure, body temp, etc. is stabilized, so she’s ready for surgery (finally!). We have a beautiful story to share with you. Last Saturday over 50 LDS Ward friends showed up at Carla’s and Richard’s home in SW Austin. They have four acres with fruit trees, garden boxes, chickens and a miniature donkey. Their compassionate friends worked together to clean, mow and groom whatever they could find to do. That’s the gospel of Christ in action. How grateful we are friends who are so willing to serve. Dave and I were at our trailer most of the day. While the sun was shining, we cleaned windows inside and out and did some yard work (weeding and leaf raking). I don’t have to tell many of you that I enjoyed working outside!

Update 10/28/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Sunday, October 28, 2012 – The picture today is of Carla in the ICU of Swedish Hospital. This picture just breaks our hearts. She is still in a lot of pain and is fighting the most recent bout of pneumonia. The doctors have her on a regiment of pain medication and antibiotics and we are all praying for a complete restoration. This restoration begins with surgery to stabilize her neck and then continues with a rehabilitation program at Craig. We are grateful and appreciative of all the support and prayers by family and friends. Thank you!! Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, and they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything we do. The Lord declares the fundamental truth, “They are, that they might have joy.” That is a conditional statement: “they might have joy.” It is not conditional for the Lord. His intent is that each of us finds joy. It will not be conditional for you as you obey the commandments, have faith in the Master, and do the things that are necessary to have joy here on earth. Carla’s day today is about what it was yesterday. She rests a lot and when she is awake, more than not she experiences pain. Some pain is physical and some is emotional. We can take care of the physical pain with medications’ but we are not always sure how to help with the emotional pain. We can only continue to be with her as she goes through this restoration and rehabilitation process. It surely breaks our hearts to see her in this condition. We continue to pray for her complete recovery. Carla’s birthday is coming soon. On November 3rd she will be 53. Send her a birthday card, if you would like to. She would love that. Send it to Carla Bischoff at The Craig Rehab Hospital; address is 3426 S. Emerson Street, Englewood, CO 80113. Her room number is 224B. It’s a beautiful facility and she has a really nice room with windows waiting for her when she moves out of the ICU at the Swedish Medical Center. We (Dave and Betty) went to a local Ward Bldg. for Sacrament Mtg. this morning. We had the opportunity to meet and visit with the Bishop, Relief Society President and one of their two Compassionate Service Leaders. They seem real eager to help us in any way they can. We have their phone numbers, etc. The Ward Bldg. is only 1.5 miles from the hospital. We were real happy to be there and felt right at home.

Update 10/27/2012 By Dave

Carla Update… Saturday, October 27, 2012 – Today’s picture is of the Swedish Medical Center here in Englewood, CO. Carla has been here in the ICU since Wednesday the 17th, ten full days. She arrived at Craig, which is connected to the Swedish Medical Center, on Tuesday the 16th, and had a setback that moved her to the ICU at Swedish. Her body temperature has been normal for over 24 hours so the doctors are optimistic that they can perform the neck stabilization surgery early next week. No rehabilitation can be started until the surgery is completed. Be patient in afflictions, for thou shall have many, but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days. When suffering upon the cross at Calvary, Jesus felt the loneliness of agency when He pled to His Father in Heaven, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” His Father left his Son, the Savior of the world, alone to experience of His own free will and choice, an act of agency. This act allowed Him to complete His mission of the Atonement. As a result of the Savior’s Atonement, if we are obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, we shall be saved at the last day. Betty today provides Carla’s status update. It’s been a reasonably good day for Carla. She had gigantic smiles for us when we arrived late morning. Dave and I had some good laughs with her. I brushed her hair, trimmed it for her and put it back in a real loose braid. She has such beautiful, healthy curly hair. I gave her another manicure and some good arm massages. We had our prayer time together and then I read scriptures to her. We’re reading in III Nephi, which is some of my favorite scriptures. I love the account of what happened worldwide at the time of Christ’ crucifixion which had been foretold for centuries. And I especially love His visit to the Nephites in the Americas after His resurrection where he shares His ministry. We’ll get to read more tomorrow. Dave and I will be here with Carla each day from late morning till 9 P.M. Richard will stay all night and most of the morning. He likes to be here when the doctors make their morning rounds. Matt flew home early this morning. We anticipate that Michelle will arrive next Thursday morning. She’s driving Carla’s car from her home near Houston that will take at least 18 hours. Our beautiful autumn weather ended this week with snow and cold temps, but will start warming up again tomorrow. I developed a bad head cold and could not be at the hospital for two days. All is well now. We love all of our prayer friends. You’re the best!