Update 1/3/2013 By Richard

My dad put together an email update about my mom's status and happenings at the hospital. I thought it was important to share. The truth about Carla, On the day before Thanksgiving, the Dr. told us that Carla's spinal cord was severed. I saw the MRI. I saw a lot of swelling and it looked like they where correct. They compared the spinal cord to a cable that has a thousand wires in it. Her spinal cord would have maybe two of those cables still connected. It was my hope that the spinal cord was not totally damaged. There would be a chance for some recovery if the cord was not cut all the way through. Will she recover???? That being said, Carla is making baby steps of improvements. Her eyes are getting more steady by the day, and farther left and right movement. The eye Dr. said she is doing amazing in her recovery. She is moving her mouth more every day. I try to massage her jaw and neck muscles every night. They try to ween her off of the ventilator almost every day. She can trigger the vent to give her a breath 8 to 15 times a minute. There is some hope that she may get off the vent, or maybe part time. There is a device that can be put in to make the diaphragm work to take the breath for her. Will she ever breath again on her own???? She can mouth words and tries to get us to guess what she is saying. She no longer likes to use the buzzbar. She can`t talk, or make any sound. They can make out some sort of recognizable sound when they push on her lungs at the same time the vent breaths and she forms the word "hey" with her mouth. She does laugh at us when we try to read her lips. At least for a while, until she gets frustrated and then upset. I try to keep things as dignified as I can for her. She had a tough time at Christmas. She was having a lot of pain and cold in her legs. She also had spasms all day in her neck and mouth. She had them for three days, and gets them when stressed. She does not like to go to bed because she has a lot of pain in her legs when in bed. The way they took care of her over the holiday was horrible! The alarms from the vent to the nurses station was not hooked up all night two times. Four times total they did not hook it up. She had four vent plugups because she was dehydrated. I had to bag her three times. Twice she turned blue. After three days they rehydrating her..... And more. I have to watch them at all times. As of now we come home on 1/9/2013. I think it is too soon, She has a long way to go and is progressing well. Her blood pressure is all over the place (high and low) I am afraid I will not be able to care for her and keep her moving forward in her rehabilition. I have a ton of things to prepare for her when we get there. I am just trying to set the stories straight.

Update 1/3/2013

In six days, my mom will be flown back to Austin. I don't think she is ready, but it is not up to me. There are many preperations that need to be done before she arrives. Most of the things require someone else to come through on. The house is clean and the room is ready for all the equipment to be delivered. Problem number one-we have no equipment coming yet. Apparently there is a hold up with insurance. Her wheelchair is coming tomorrow directly to the hospital, hopefully. An amazing friend stepped in to help with some electrical requirements at the house. We are working on getting a generator installed incase of power failure. We need to get a cabinet that locks for medications, a shelving system with drawers for medical supplies, the fridge and pantry are almost bare and there is a list of daily supplies that need to be picked up. Her flight has yet to be arranged and we don't have a vehicle to transport her in once she lands. It seems like it will be impossible to be ready for her arrival. I know things will come together. She is so fragile and there is already so much stress. There has been much strength and inspiration already blessed upon us. Please pray that things start to come together. My mom and dad have been through so much, they really need a smooth transition. I will be setting up a care calendar and listing needs as they come up. Visitors will be welcomed, but we will need to work out a schedule. She gets overwhelmed and over stimulated very easily.

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....