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.