Still Here

Wow its been a while since I remembered to get on here and update everyone on Sam's progress.  Sam is still busy with her therapy. She continues with Neuroworx three days a week and one day in Nephi for hand therapy. Sam is taking a full load from USU online and is loving it. We are currently trying to get her a baclofen pump for her spasms. My insurance is making us jump through a bunch of hoops but in the end I feel it will happen.  This pump goes under the skin and a catheter goes into the epidural space in the spinal cord. It can be programmed to administer different doses of baclofen at different times. The pump is filled when necessary by a needle through the skin. Sam gets frustrated with her spasms and this will be a life changer we hope. Sam just turned 20! These kids are getting old! Glad I'm staying the same. Easter was great. We were out in the desert again. Family time is always a good time. We are still hanging on and continue to appreciate all the prayers that come our way. Thanks for visiting us and keeping us in your thoughts. Love to all.

ITS BEEN TWO YEARS ALREADY!

Wow! Where did it go. The memory of Sam's accident is still so fresh in my mind, and probably always will be that way.  I can't believe the way the human body can repair itself when given the right circumstances. Two years ago yesterday I was watching my Sam lay in the hospital with a traction device bolted to her head to keep her neck straight until the surgeon could attempt to repair her neck. Now I am amazed she can get in and out of our car with little help from us. Her progress to me is awesome. I remember the morning after her neck was repaired the MD came in to check on her and he was amazed she could lift her arms and extend them. He didn't hold out much hope for her. It was great when she could finally scratch her own nose again. When we were up at the U, she would purposely wake me up through the night just to get a laugh. I remember the day the MD up at the U told therapy don't order her an electric wheelchair, she won't need it. Or the time she told me, watch what my foot dad, and she wiggled her toes for the first time. She still needs to work on her singing! Really work on her singing!  Now she continues to go to therapy, work on her college degree, attends various concerts with friends and sisters, and sometimes gives talks around Salt Lake area schools. She continues to progress little by little and we will take all that we can get. We have grown as individuals and as a family through this experience. Our family and Sam could not have gone through these two years without the prayers and support of such an awesome community.  Thank you for keeping us going when the path has gotten rocky. Thank you to the therapist and doctors who have shared there time and expertise in Sam's care. Thank you to those who leave little things that constantly remind Sam that those who know her, have not given up on her. Thanks to her friends that drop by and spend time with her. We are so grateful for what we have and ask that you remember everyone who needs support or prayers because of illness, accident, or tragedy.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! Now, bring on the next two years and lets see what Sam can accomplish!! 

Summer Time

Hello everyone! All is well on Sam's journey to recovery.  Sam is back walking with the aid of the Locomat at Neuroworx.  Sam's attitude has been awesome and she feels really good about the progress she is making. We are using the car for most of Sam's transportation now. It only took a few times for Sam to be able to get in and out of the car without great difficulty. Oh! Neuroworx just celebrated their 10th anniversary. Congrats to Dr. Hull and Jan Black for having a vision that helps so many people. Sam did well doing online college courses during spring semester and she is looking forward to continuing her education in the fall. Sam has also been to a few high schools in the Salt Lake area as a member of a motivational speaking team set up by one of the patients at Neuroworx. Sam's big toe nail for some reason stopped growing so her doctor pulled it off. He will recheck its progress in a month. All in all, Sam's physical and mental health is doing great. She is looking forward to her new nephew's visit in August. Other than that the rest of us are still holding on and watching what this ride we call life throws at us in the future. We give continual thanks for all the friends and family that keep us going. Love you all!

Spring Time

Hi all! Things are going good with Sam. Neuroworx started walking her again. Her hip had been hurting after some of the therapy so we had it scanned and nothing was found to be out of order. The therapist did deep tissue stretches and now she doesn't have pain anymore. Her attitude has been wonderful lately and she told Jill that she can feel more in her feet and legs. Jan the lead therapist was happy with the way her ankles were working while walking her and is now wanting to focus on her knees. Sam has been doing some online college from USU. She thinks she wants to be a forensic analyst. Sam is also doing some speaking at high schools in the Salt Lake area with other patients from Neuroworx. We went out to Leamington canyon for Easter and had a great time with family. Sam had one of her arms sunburned. I guess we will do better at turning her when out and about. Continued thanks to all of Sam's friends for keeping her in the loop.  We thank all our friends who continue to support us and pray for our Sam. Love you.

I apologize to everyone for not keeping up on Sam's blog.  Here is her latest update.  Sam has been doing awesome. She is really into her therapy these days. Not to say she hasn't always been but she told us she is starting to feel her legs more and has a renewed drive to push along.  Sam asked us if she walks will we bring her to a Yankees game.  We told her we would take her where ever she would like to go.  Sam's favorite team is the Yankees and Jeter is retiring after this season. So its really concerning to her.  Other patients at Neuroworx are having great success.  One young man that was hurt paragliding is now walking with the aid of crutches.  Its awesome to see their excitement when they start to recover.  Neuroworx is a great place and has been very kind to our Sam and all of their patients for that matter. Neuroworx is building a bigger place to serve more people.  They are hoping to break ground this spring.  Any donations would be greatly appreciated. Look up their blog or stop in and see what great things happen there.  They don't turn anyone away that needs spinal cord therapy. Sam is speaking at standards night in Nephi this Sunday night.  She does a great job telling her story. She has really grown as a person through this trial.  She can be inspirational when she wants to be.  Sam's pivot seat for the car is getting installed today!  It should allow Sam to transfer herself into the seat and hit a button that retracts the seat into the car. This will give Sam more freedom to go with friends if she wants and will save our backs while trying to transfer Sam in and out of our vehicles. Sam is also taking some online classes and is doing very well with those.  She continues to have the late night support of her friends and we appreciate that.  Its nice to see her happy and focused on what she is doing.  Thanks so much to all who check up on her from time to time.  Thanks for all the continued prayers. 

More Trials?

Can you believe how fast the holidays went by.  Another year to look forward to. Sam's baclofen trial went great. Baclofen is a medication used for decreasing muscle spasms. Most people take it orally and the body distributes it to all muscles in the body. The problem is it needed to be more spinal cord specific. A group of researchers developed a trial of the drug that is put into the body like an epidural.  So a couple of days ago I took Sam up to the U of U for the trial.  Sam's only apprehension was the needles they used. She had an IV placed, a flu shot, and the epidural that requires the use of a couple of needles. After the medication was injected she was assessed every two hours to see if her spasms, especially in her legs had been reduced. The assessment prior to the trial was hilarious. The doctor and physical therapist came in and neither could bend Sam's legs first thing in the morning. Both proclaimed Sam as the person with the worst spasms they have ever seen. Sam uses the spasms she gets to assist her in moving in some cases. The majority of spinal cord patients have some level of spasticity.  We stayed in a room for about seven hours.  It took almost two hours for her legs to go flaccid.  So what this tells the doctors is the baclofen would be a benefit to her. A company has developed a pump that doses small amounts of the medication into the spinal cord to help reduce or eliminate the spasms.  They instructed us to go home and think about having the pump surgically implanted.  We are going to let Sam think about it for a few days and talk with her main physical therapist about her thoughts on its use.  When Sam's legs were spasm free the doctor asked her how they felt. She said "weird". She was so used to feeling the spasms the feeling was foreign to her. Her regrets of that day were, the IV placement hurt her little arm, and the doctor doing the epidural was not a hotty. Go figure. Sam snap chatted her friends and did homework the whole time.  The epidural wore off sometime the next day.  We are still waiting for the power car seat to help Sam get in and out of the car but it looks like it will be soon.  A couple of people at Neuroworx are starting to walk again.  It is so enjoyable watching someone getting a chance to walk again. It is taking longer than Sam or we want but, she is progressing toward recovery.  We continue to appreciate everyone who visits Sam.  It truly is part of her psychological health. Please know how much we appreciate the concern everyone shows us for Sam.  Thanks for taking care of us in our time of need. Its going to happen!! Pray, Pray, Pray.  Love You Guys.

Sorry its been so long since our last post.  Sam continues to be busy with therapy four days a week. She is doing so well when transferring from her wheelchair.  Vocational Rehab is going to do a couple things for Sam.  They are going to install an electric rotating chair in a newer car we just purchased.  They will also help Sam go to college.  We are going to start her with a couple of online courses at first.  Sam's hip had been hurting her so we had xrays and a CT scan done and all was well.  The therapists have really been working the hip and she is about ready to start walking on Lokomat again.  Sam will do the Baclofen trial for her spasms after the holidays.  This will also help the therapist know in what direction would be best to take Sam in her recovery.  We appreciate all of her friends that continue to come and visit Sam.  It makes her day and she likes to keep up with what her friends are doing at college. We had 48 people for Thanksgiving!  If you know Sam she was gracious when so many came to visit but was ready to be alone as soon as she could. Her Uncle Tom and his family drove up from Louisiana and spent Thanksgiving week with us.  We had a great visit and my brother told me how much he enjoyed visiting with Sam.  It was hard to see them leave. So many people in Louisiana are doing prayer list for Sam and everyone else we tell them needs help.  What great friends and family we have!  Please continue to keep all those like Sam or anyone who is suffering in your prayers and thoughts.  Prayer works.