NOAH HAS A VAN!!!!!!

The most amazing and wonderful thing happened on Tuesday...Noah was given a van by Chartway Federal Credit Union's We Promise Foundation!!!!! I am still in shock...I keep going out to the driveway to see if it's really real... and just to look at it!!...I cryed...still am, as are our families and friends...TOTALLY overwhelmed...filled with sheer happiness and gratitude!!!  Blessed and loved beyond belief!!! Thank you to Chartway, the We Promise Foundation and all who made this gift happen, we are so incredibly thankful...beyond words, and a with a gratitude that could never adequately be expressed...you have given us back a part of life that was lost to Noah and our family 4 years ago!!  Thank you!!!!!!
 ...  Here's Noah in our driveway with his new van and sign that We Promise made for his "wheels"!:

And here's a picture of Noah IN his van:

Yesterday, Rebecca and I took Noah for a field trip...first to get ice cream and then to WalMart...what a riot we had and Noah was sooooooo happy!!

                        

                 

Yes, a walmart bag draped over him so you would know where he was.  I am trying to journal with pictures, all the places we travel...what an incredible time we are having!!  The van is BEAUTIFUL and traveling with Noah could not be simpler...I can't stop crying!!  but in a good way!!  Many more pictures and details on the blog my sister, Rebecca began...Noah's Wheels... I have started to write a number of times, but am finding it so difficult to relay everything that took place on that most incredible of days in a very reader friendly way, so may tell it when I can think straight again!  It was a day  filled with not only the most wonderful gifts, but with wonderful people, and was an experience that will remain etched forever in my memory as one of the sweetest experiences and days of my life! Noah and our family are very loved and very blessed...wow...I'm speechless....God is soooooooo very good!!!

Our Crazy Thanksgiving

I didn't take pictures, but should have...it was a crazy site!  Hannah and Nic were home from Nashville, and to give them and Nic's family a relaxed day, they spent the bulk of Thanksgiving day with Nic's family in Suffolk...we celebrated our Thanksgiving on Friday.  Hannah invited her best friend and her boyfriend to join us, so there were 8 of us total.  The only room large enough to accomodate our kitchen/used to be dining room table, is the living room.  Now, picture this...the living room is connected to our former dining room which is now Noah's bedroom.  The living room has our couch, my computer desk, Noah's massive stander equipment and my massiver(I know, more massive)elliptical...it is basically an all-purpose room.  We can fit 8 people around this table, but it is tight and ESPECIALLY in this space.  Now...the next hurdle...and the thing we are STILL laughing about...the chairs.  When we bought this unfinished table 22 years ago, we also bought and finished 6 bow back chairs(the set was beautiful!)....3 of which broke and are now gone, and one of the three remaining has very few rungs on the back...in fact  it has one on either side but all the middle are gone.  So, that left us needing 4 more chairs(Noah has his own).  We used my craft room chair, my living room desk chair, a folding metal chair(no, not the kind with a cushion)...and one more needed but none to be found.  I went upstairs and brought down my bedroom set bench(Emma said when I did that, she wanted to crawl under the table). I tried to sit Noah as close to the table as possible, but every time someone would say something funny and we would laugh, so would Noah.  Not a bad thing that he would laugh, but every time Noah laughs, his feet go up in the air.  Emma' job(her and I sat on either side of Noah at the end of the table) became to try and keep Noah's feet from shaking the table....I laugh as I'm writing...over two weeks ago and still such a funny thought!!  But, have to say...I thought it was a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!!  Who says you need lots of space or fancy things to enjoy holidays and make memories with family and friends...highly overrated. ...hope these holi-"days" will find YOU laughing and smiling... Noah is doing GREAT...still my amazing boy!!   Much love to you and yours!!  Lisa

just a note...the week after Thanksgiving, due to our lack of storage space in our house AND garage, I ordered 4 nice folding chairs on ebay...they fit in my front hall closet...now we'll be ready for Christmas...lol!!(I might even take pictures!!)

Happy 16th Birthday, Noah !!!

Noah turned 16 on October 19th!!  He had had a restless night's sleep the night before, so he had to be woken up to get the day going.  The Meyers family came to celebrate  in the afternoon( Noah Meyers is my Noah's best friend and has been his faithful companion twice a week with his mom, Felicia, since his injury...what an amazing young man with just as amazing mom and family:)!!!). I made Noah's favorite, spaghetti and meatballs and he had an ice cream birthday cake, both which he ate quite a bit of!!!  He got a call from his sister, Hannah, and her hubby Nic lots of birthday shout outs on his sister's facebook and a call from Grandma ...it was a day to rejoice and celebrate another year of life...and to look forward to the next year with hope in our hearts for Noah's continued healing in mighty and powerful ways!  Thank you for loving our boy and following us in his/our journey...Noah, you are one loved young man...I love you, baby boy!!!  Love to you all, too!!...Lisa

No More Wisdom Teeth...But Boy are We Much Wiser!

On Thursday, September 22nd, David and I took Noah to CHKD to have all 4 of his wisdom teeth removed. It has taken me a while to write about it, for it was a procedure racked with some difficulty and weeks of healing. Noah has been a champion, I think I needed more healing than he did after the surgery.
  At Noah's last dentist appointment, we were told that Noah had one wisdom tooth growing TOWARD his back teeth, and would have to be removed.  After consulting the recommended oral surgeon, he suggested that we have all four teeth removed so Noah would not have to undergo surgery and anesthesia another time for these teeth.  We agreed with his advice and his office set up an appointment with CHKD to have them all removed.    We arrived at 8am...the surgery finally happened at about 11am...was over by a little after 12pm...and we left the hospital at 2:30pm.  The whole recovery time was a bit upsetting ...Noah was on pain meds, but we could tell he did NOT feel well at all and because of his inability to keep his mouth closed for the required clotting time, his teeth were bleeding a lot. How did we know this, you ask?  No, blood was not coming out of his mouth, but when I suctioned his g-tube for gas bubbles before going home and for the next number of days, there was A LOT of blood in his stomach!!  I wound up intermittently putting rolled up gauze in his mouth for the next few days, and that seemed to help, but I had to vent his g-tube at least every hour for gas and to make sure the bleeding was subsiding and emptying his stomach when things got bad..  Gross...huh?? He ran a fever for about a day, but the bleeding was the most difficult part.
  Well, I'd love to say that it all ended after a few days, but occasional bleeding spells happened for the next week and a half...a loosened blog clot....sneezing that made the bleeding start(he finally got on an  antihistamine which REALLY helped!!)...it was a tough couple weeks.
 It was so hard to watch Noah be so uncomfortable.  He didn't smile or laugh for days after the surgery...it's funny how even with Noah's limited abilities...when he doesn't smile or laugh...you know he isn't feeling well, and the sounds of his laughter and his beautiful smile are very missed!!  I gave him LOTS of juice bars crushed up and containers of ice cream during the first week...he LOVED IT and ate and ate!!  There is one interesting thing that happened the second day after the surgery that let me know that I would put his food on hold for another day.
  The second morning after surgery, I came over to Noah's food pump and was going to start his feeding, when I noticed him looking up at the food with a furrowed brow.  I continued hooking everything up...Noah HAD to have some food(with surgery and the 1st day after, I had not fed him much at all!).  Again, Noah looked up at his food bag and machine, and furrowed his brow.  I stood there and thought...you know, if I had had surgery, I probably would not be hungry for chicken, peas and cranberries(that's whats in his food)...so I turned the pump off.  I fed him bowls of  ice cream twice that day and bowls of crushed juice bars just as many, and he didn't hesitate once to eat every last bite, not another furrowed brow that day...THAT is how I listen and hear what Noah is saying by sometimes just  watching his face!
  We are now a month removed, and all is well in Noah's mouth once again...happiness is once again a part of his countenance...and ice cream and crushed juice bars are still a part of the daily menu:)!!  WHEW!!
Blessings to you all!!!

A Family Milestone

  Well...we survived hurricane Irene without incident.  An incredibly kind family from church lent us a generator for the storm.  Our lights only flickered a bit on the night of her passing, but we never lost power.  The family came to collect the generator the next morning, as one of their family members WAS without power.  There were trees and fences down throughout our neighborhood, our yard was covered with tree limbs, but NOTHING compared to surrounding areas where flooding and damage was much more severe.  We were/are so thankful.
   Life has been pretty low key...well until I got an idea to take a trip.  My dad turned 82 years old on Monday, and I really felt compelled to surprise him in Buffalo for his birthday:)  I found a couple cheap flights on Southwest and with David's ok and my Floridian sister already being in Buffalo and willing to be my chauffeur, I booked my flights and made arrangements to go.  The longest I have ever left Noah has been to substitute teach for a whole day...about 8 hours...A LONG TIME for me!!  Well, I was scheduled to leave at 5am and return at 10pm...17 HOURS!!!!!  Now, I know, you are probably thinking...JUST THE DAY???  Yes, just the day.  Noah's nights are tough...I would not and could not expect David or Emma to do a night with Noah....not yet.  Hey, this was a HUGE milestone for the Addesa family... for me....for Noah!
 My dad was SHOCKED...my mom cried ....and cried...and my dad kept saying all day long, "This was the best day!".  I have not been to Buffalo in almost 6 years, and have only seen my parents once in the last 4 years, last year for Hannah's wedding.  This meant so much to them...it meant the world to me!!  I am so thankful for a husband and daughter who did nothing but encourage me to go...I love them so!  It was alot of work for the two (David had his Monday meeting at the house and Emma skipped a class at TCC)... and Felicia, Noah's best friend's mom who helped get Noah dressed when she came to sit with him on Monday... at the end of the day we were all very tired...but WE DID IT...and it was the most wonderful day!!! Here's a picture of me, my dad and my sister Rebecca,  and one of my mom and dad:

I will say, when I got home, Noah gave me a HUGE smile...something he rarely does for me( I guess because I'm a "fixture")...I can't tell you how happy that made me...a perfect ending to a perfect day...Love you, Dad!!

My Amazing Noah

First, I must apologize for my lack of writing.  I could say it's been crazy, which it has, but it's ALWAYS crazy!  I have no excuse.  Did you ever want to write a thank you note but didn't.  Then...as time goes on, you still want to write, but you feel so embarrassed that you have waited so long that you may have written it, but never send it?  Well, I have...MANY times.  THAT is how I felt about writing the last week or so on this blog.  The more days that would go by, I would feel more and more badly about not writing, but too embarrassed to write.  Well...I AM going to write...but it may be a long one, so you may want to come back when you have some time, or read in segments(oh, it won't be THAT long:)!!)
Well, Noah recovered from his sinus infection without incident.  He has since had a dentist's appointment where an x ray showed that 3 of his 4 wisdom teeth are coming in  and coming in straight.  One tooth, however, is coming in crooked, sideways TOWARDS his back molars.  The dentist thought that would be causing Noah discomfort and asked if we has noticed him in pain.  The only time we can surmise would be a problem for him is at night when trying to fall asleep...at least we're hoping that's the reason for Noah's lack of ability to fall asleep.
 It has been a very tough month or so with Noah when it comes to sleep.  We DO go to bed late, but HOURS after the TV is off and I have gone to sleep, I am awakened every night(yes, EVERY night) by Noah's moaning.  I vent his g tube, sometimes roll him over, check for him being too warm, and go back to sleep...only to be awakened an hour or two later by his moaning, again.  I vent him, again, and go back to sleep.  Sometimes 3...sometimes 4 times a night...some nights I stay up with him until he falls asleep.  David seemed to think that his sleep pattern was messed up...and yes, with no sleep, it was, but there was no answer to what was wrong, or what to do.  I just couldn't understand why it took Noah all night to go to sleep.  He never seemed in pain, and when I would tell him to go to sleep, that I was tired, he would laugh! Then, after a very restless night and most days morning, too,  I would get him up between 12 and 2 yes...late, but considering our nights, I felt I was torturing my baby by forcing him to wake up...a vicious circle of no sleep vs. sleep... and he would fall asleep in his wheelchair during the day.  I have been extremely tired,  I get up between 8-9am  which doesn't sound early, but on average, I get 4-6 hours of broken sleep per night...so both of us have been sleep deprived!!  Since the dental appointment, I have been experimenting with giving Noah some pain medication...and then the next night seeing if he needs it. With the pain meds, Noah has been sleeping better....much better....not perfect, but compared to the last month....MUCH better!!
We have a consultation with an oral surgeon this coming Tuesday to have the tooth pulled, I am hoping it will be done soon and all will go smoothly. It seems that we will probably go to CHKD for the extraction....we will let you know.   I am also hoping  that after the extraction,  Noah will have better sleep!!
On another note, I am excited!!  While working with Noah and his legs the other day, his right leg, the tough toned(rigid) leg, I told Noah that I was NOT going to be moving that leg and would wait until HE moved it.  Well....I kept my hand on his foot and one at his knee...and before I knew it...the knee was bending!!!!  I was not offering any strength except my hand on his knee and foot, but the leg was bending!!!  Slowly and not too far before I offered assistance to REALLY bend the leg to stretch it...but I can't tell you how exciting that was!!!  I shouted to Noah that HE IS NOW TELLING HIS BODY WHAT TO DO, his brain is connecting to his limbs!! Every time I have one of these moments...it is amazing and wonderful!!  There have been groups of people coming over to pray for Noah's healing every Thursday evening...well, let me say, we have AMAZING friends and prayer warriors, and GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!!  The other day, I asked Noah, while laying in bed, to poke his dad while he was standing next to the bed.  Noah's arm with his curled hand, started to move towards David.  It went in the opposite direction for a second, and then kept going back down towards David.  Noah's fingers touched David's arm and we both cheered as Noah smiled that he had poked dad!!  HOW INCREDIBLY COOL IS THAT???!!!  Let me tell you, it was not that long ago that Noah could not move that arm no matter how many times you asked him( not having know how OR ability)...that is his more rigid, tone filled side and hard for ME to move...but HE DID IT!!
Have to get Noah to bed, but now that I have gotten something written and soon sent, I will be back to tell you of the earthquake we felt yesterday and the hurricane that's coming our way...stay tuned:)!!
Much love to you, thanks for taking the time to read...hope you and your families are blessed abundantly...thanks for your love and prayers!!!!!  Lisa

First time in Four Years...to the Doctor because Noah is Sick

I am so incredibly thankful to the Lord that in 4 years time since Noah's injury, the only time we visit the doctor is for annual check ups, routine shots or therapy...well, once the ER to put his g-tube back in.  Noah has been one healthy boy all his life, and even since his injury...THANK YOU LORD for healthy children!!!(Emma told me the other day, that she remembers me always saying that while she was growing up...I didn't even remember...)  Noah had been sneezing and breathing strangely for the last number of days, though, and any sounds he would make would sound REALLY deep.  He had not smiled in many days, and even though I had given him benedryl to help his nose (and that explained why he was sleepy and groggy), he was just NOT himself...very quiet...not a smile, a laugh...sort of motionless.  He had trouble sleeping, and yesterday when I tried to suction his nose, he sneezed green and yellow gunk...ewww.  After talking to my sister, Rebecca,  I decided to call the doctor and get Noah on an antibiotic. The call to the doctor's meant a drive to Deep Creek(about a 25 minute drive from our house).

David was going to help me get Noah to the doctor's, but seeing as he was in a scheduled 5 hour meeting at church and although he was willing to drop all and come home, Emma volunteered to come with me. She used to help me take him to therapy, so she's familiar how it works...I love that girl!!  Noah LOVES it when Emma is the one to pull him into the SUV after sitting him on the seat from his chair...he ALWAYS laughs...but never when I do it...it tickles my heart to see how Emma makes him laugh!!  Well, let me tell you...women rock!!  We got Noah into the SUV without dropping him and even hauled his 105lb wheelchair up into the back of the SUV...whew...I mean wow!!  The nurse at the doctor's office could not believe how tall Noah had grown and could understand why I had been so disappointed that I had to bring Noah in(yes, Dr D is a wonderful doctor and/but would not prescribe an antibiotic without seeing him)...a lot of boy to transport...YES HE IS:)!!  I told her that it makes me want to cry to think of having to take him anywhere.  I am 53 and menopausal so I attribute a lot of my emotional angst to my age and season of life, but it is very hard to get Noah places.  Not meant for sympathy or to complain...just reality.  Noah's lungs were clear...YEAH....but his nostrils swollen.  Nasal sprays and an antibiotic...I am VERY glad we went...now he's on the road to recovery with great peace of mind for me!!

Well...the cool thing about all of this.  We got Noah home, started the antibiotics...got him into bed.  When I finally got Noah situated for sleep, I went and layed down.  Then it began.  Noah started laughing...and laughing...and laughing some more.  I layed there and felt like someone had just turned on the most beautiful music!!!  I was tired and thought...you know, when my children were little, I would have yelled, "BE QUIET AND GO TO SLEEP!!"...tonight this was the most wonderful sound to my ears...I fell asleep to the sound of my happy boy's laughter...now that's something that make's me want to cry..but this time in a good way!!  Wonder if he was seeing angels??!!  Love to you...Lisa
EDIT: Lest I let anyone believe that I don't need or appreciate my husband's incredible help and his muscular braun...my arms and shoulders are very sore tonight...but women still rock!!

No AFOs for a While

We took Noah to his appointment last week for a new pair of AFOs(ankle-foot orthotics). Noah's feet were too full of tone and the therapist could only move his feet to a +5 degree of flexibility, not what she needed to cast his feet for AFOs.  His present braces appear to have been made at a neutral position for his feet, but because of Noah's tone, the therapist said she needs the bend of his feet/ankles to be at a -5 to -10 degrees(so she will not have to struggle with Noah's tone to get a perfect cast) in order to make the cast for his AFOs.  Sooooooo........Noah is going to have to be cast before he's cast...to have his feet put in casts to break up the tone a bit and give his feet more bend before he can be cast for AFOs.  Summer is not a good time to cast, for heat and sweat issues, so we will wait until the cool of the fall before getting casts on his feet. Casting does not hold good memories for me.  Noah's left foot(the strong tone side) was cast once while at Kluge when the thought was it would help to decrease his tone a bit.  Only a few days after casting, when the cast was removed to see how his foot was doing, and then to put another cast on, his foot were covered with sores, places the skin had come off because of Noah's strong foot pressure against the cast.  He had to wear moleskin for a week... and never had another cast on his foot.  The thought does make me a little apprehensive, as sores of any kind on someone like Noah can be harder to care for and can so easily become worse instead of better.    His present AFOs have been so good...perfect fit, no red marks on his feet after wearing for hours, they fit him like a glove(made at my favorite place, KLUGE!!), only his toes hang over the edges when he stands...so he WILL need some new ones...it will just be a while...and a wait. Until then, we will have another opportunity for a botox treatment that will hopefully continue to loosen his tone, I will stretch as much as I can, and I will continue to pray that Noah's strong tone will continue to subside and return to normalcy.  David called about the computer today...another answering machine...we will keep trying!!!!   Thanks for checking in with us, and thanks for your prayers...I am convinced that prayers are what keep Noah improving and what keep David, me and our family doing sooo great..thank you from the depth of my heart!!!.God is sooooooooo good!!!!!   Love to you!!!  Lisa

The Botox is Working!

It has been a couple weeks since Botox and there is a noticeable difference in Noah's arms...and even his hands!  The shots were administered in his arms, heels, and even back, but aside from his thumbs...the hands didn't receive botox.  It is much easier to raise Noah's arms...for things like getting him in and out of his chair, dressing him, and putting on his deodorant.  The interesting thing, though, is that in stretching his hands to put his splints on, I have been able to stretch his hands straighter than I can remember...in a very long time!!  When I would put the straps of his splints around his wrists, the strap would go to maybe the sides of his wrist and no further.  NOW, I can get the strap to the top of the right hand(and the right hand has more tone and is bent more  than the other hand.  The therapist once said that Noah's right hand would need surgery to  straighten.) and  can comfortably get it almost to the top of the left hand.  The left hand, surprisingly, has been more relaxed than the right, but doesn't seem to get even quite as straight as the right now...go figure!
  We are scheduled to go get Noah fitted for new AFO's...ankle-foot orthoses(orthosis= brace) next Tuesday. Noah has one pair that were made for him at Kluge in Charlottesville when he was first injured, but his toes hang out over the edge, and our wonderful neighbor fixed them when one of the bolts broke that keep the straps on the brace, so it is definitely time for some new ones.  They can be replaced as often as once a year...so I guess to have lasted 4 years is pretty good:)!!
  I called to check on the computer today...answering machine...maybe wel'll know something next week...I'll let you know when I do!!  What do they say...the best things in life are worth waiting for...I'm believing that saying applies here:)!!  Thanks for checking in with us...Much love!!  Lisabrace)ankle-foot orthoses (orthosis = brace)

Oh what a Day..early June at C...HKD...It was everything I hoped it'd not be...as I remember what a day!!

OK...I just couldn't resist!!  A little levity in writing about a long and trying day!  An appointment opened up for Noah to have his botox with a rehab doctor on Friday...so we were out of the house by 8:30am to get to CHKD by 9:00am(which is a VERY super early hour for our late rising Noah!).  We got there, had Noah in his "room" and waited another almost 1 1/2 hours until they gave him his versed...a medication to relax him.  It's the same med that's given when you have a colonoscopy...you are semi awake, but forget everything after the procedure is over.  We waited another hour with Noah still fully alert until we asked for and received just a little more.  The doctor was afraid of the first versed wearing off, so 10 minutes after receiving the second much smaller dose, she went ahead with the shots.  Noah did fine, not totally relaxed, but very little reaction to the many shots.  The problem came when the procedure was over...Noah was OUT for the next 2 HOURS!!  David and I gave him high powered Mountain Dew in his g-tube....rubbed ice over him...NOTHING woke him up(but my poor baby had goosebumps all over his body).  The nurse told us she needed to get response of intentional looking at her from Noah and awakedness for 15 minutes before she would release him. It wasn't until almost 2:30pm, and a second batch of ice, that we kept him alert for 15 minutes. We got him out of the hospital and to the SUV... David was lifting 155lbs of "jello" into our SUV...his legs got twisted, I untwisted from inside the car and grabbed his shorts to help HAUL him in...we almost lost him to the pavement....he slept all the way home, still asleep as we got him out of the SUV(still a heavy jello boy), and continued sleeping until around 7 that night!!! It is a very difficult thing transporting Noah when he's awake and all conditions are great...extremely difficult, nealy impossible when Noah has surgical procedures.   It was an extremely long and trying day...but we learned an invaluable lesson about versed that day....Noah takes a while to respond to it, but definitely will not give Noah that much EVER again!!  The benefits to his shots will probably not be evident for a few days...I am hopeful that all the effort will have been worth it, and am hoping Noah will get at least a little relief from the tightness in his extremities.  I will say, when Noah was "out",  he was as loose as I have EVER seen him...I thought to myself how wonderful it would be to have his hands and feet like that ALL the time...someday:)!!  Oh what a day....love and blessings to you as we all continue on our journeys:)!!

Botox will have to wait....

Happy 22nd birthday, Hannah...you are dearly loved!!!  Just had to put that in here:)!!

Noah was scheduled to have botox shots yesterday morning at 8am. Shots are administered into Noah;s wrists, hands, arms and heels to help relieve tightness in these areas affected heavily with tone.   At 3am I was awakened to Noah's moans.  I vented his stomach via his g-tube and went back to sleep. I was awakened at 5am to the sound of Noah throwing up.  His stomach was empty...before botox, there is no feeding after 12 midnight, but his stomach was full of gas...I vented his stomach,  and decided to sleep in the lazy boy next to his bed...staying close until I was sure he was sleeping.  He fell asleep around 5:45am... then a little after 6, David woke me up to get ready to go to the hospital. I told David of Noah getting sick and after talking to the doctor, he cancelled the appointment...would have to reschedule. The botox procedure involves anesthesia, so any sickness...known or unknown could make administering it risky.   I must admit...this was a HUGE disappointment, as we had waited a long time to get this appointment, this would be the last appointment with Dr Thorogood before her departure, but most importantly, because the botox would help alleviate at least some of the tightness in Noah's hands and arms, something he and we so desperately need. Not exactly sure why Noah gets sick, this is the second time in the last couple weeks...normally it's once in 6 months...almost went a year once, so it's rare.  The only thing I can surmise is that he gets too warm(although he sleeps with just a sheet and tee shirt lately since it has gotten warm) and doesn't know how to cool down...can't express himself or uncover himself...I think he gets kind of upset and swallows lots of air.  Noah rarely burps and not being able to burp all the air he has swallowed...well...it all makes for one really upset stomach.  Both nights, I took his shirt off and turned on a small fan, and he was fast asleep.  Last night he was again awake until 5am...I slept on the chair again, but he didn't get sick...so tonight, no shirt the fan on...and hopefully he and I will both sleep.

The biggest challenges I seem to have  in caring for Noah are being able to know "what's up" with my boy...the signs are not always so easy to read, and with no voice to tell me or ability to move his hands to show me...often times,  trial and error are all I have.  So I err, but I keep on trying...

No word on the computer...stay tuned:)....

God is faithful...I don't always have what I want, but I always have what I need...and I am so thankful!!!  Abundant blessings to you:)!!!  Lisa

The Girls are Back in Town

I started writing on Friday, but realized that Hannah's arrival home for the weekend was a surprise to her best friend whose graduation she would be attending, so I held off writing, and now it's Monday.  Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote, it has been a whirlwind week or two at our house!
 Emma arrived home from Brazil on April 29th...and we are thrilled to have her back!! Life has definitely changed with her return, and especially for Noah.  Noah has noticeably been laughing a whole lot more since she's been back...and with Hannah's return home last Friday morning, the laughter went to another level!!  Let me just say...I did not plan on having either of my girls home for Mother's Day, and instead...last minute...last week...had ALL of my children with me on "the day"...it was SO SWEET!!! To have the house filled with laughter all weekend was HEAVEN!!
  Hannah and Emma would roughhouse with each other, and Noah laughed hysterically...that was also SO SWEET!! But the coolest and funniest thing happened late on Saturday night.  Hannah had gone to bed, and I was trying to get Noah to sleep, so I turned off the lights in his room and the tv.  I was telling Emma about my swollen ankles, and she said she wanted to give me a foot massage...well massage away!!  So, we both sat on the couch and quietly talked while Noah was in the adjoining room(living/dining room).  At one point Emma and I said a couple things to each other which were personal, but pretty funny...and all of a sudden, Noah, who up to that point was so quiet, began laughing hysterically...and laughed...and laughed...and everytime we would repeat what we had said, he would laugh again.  Let me say, this was something that our crazy Noah, 4 years ago, would have found funny...and Emma looked at me and was happily surprised that Noah KNEW what we were talking about.  Sometimes, I think that because of his silence, you're not always sure what he understands...what he's thinking.  He watches tv shows and because he has watched a particular show's episode several times he will begin laughing even before the funny part comes as he KNOWS it's coming.  What was cool about this time, was it was something unsolicited, non repetitive, not spoken before, not expected...Noah was intently listening to our conversation and was totally engaged and aware of our every word...and laughed like crazy at our funny conversation...it was just another sweet moment of my wonderful Mother's Day weekend!!  Blessings!!

A Day of Remembrance and Thankfulness

Today is the four year anniversary of the day Noah was struck by lightning.  It is a day that in many ways, I can remember as if it were yesterday.  The skies have been dark and there has been some rain today, but right now, at 6pm, the skies are bright and sunny.  The girls have remarked that every year , on this day, there is always rain.
 It is hard to believe that it has been FOUR YEARS!!   Wow...how time DOES fly!!  It has been four years filled with the same things your lives have been filled with...sadness, happiness, craziness, adjustments, laughter, and tears...but some things have been constants...faith, hope and love!!!  We serve an amazing God, have an amazing son, and  amazing families both biological AND spiritual!! Although life is sometimes a challenge, it is always filled  with the knowledge that we are such an incredibly blessed family!!!
We celebrate Noah's life today...thankful to our amazing God, that He's given us another year to love and enjoy our baby(ok...my words, not David's)...our son(that's what David would say:)!!)  We love you....

Thinking on Paper

Since I began writing Noah's updates, many moons ago, I told David that the one thing I DON'T want to do is to speak before something happens.  What I mean by that is that sometimes it "appears" that Noah is progressing in an area, and then the very thing that I mentioned, I don't see again after I've written about it.  I just get soooo excited over seeing something that I haven't seen before, that I have to blurt it out...only to feel bad that, for whatever reason, it was a one time or many time thing, but not a lasting thing. Maybe someone could explain it to me...or maybe there is no explanation....hmmm.    The last couple weeks though, I have been seeing some really cool things, and I am hoping they last and continue.They are things that have been continuing to happen more than once...and appear to be consistent from day to day.  I'd like to say I want to blurt them out(and I will), but with cautious optimism and with thought of having you pray that God will increase and continue....something IS connecting in Noah's brain...and I want to  share for prayer and as encouragement.
Noah has strong tone.  Tone, as I understand it, is something we all have.  It is the thing that keeps us from being limp or stiff, our brain keeps our tone from being too strong or too weak...our tone is just right to enable us to do what we do...walk, touch, move our hands and feet.  Noah's brain is not sending the right signals to his hands and feet, so they are stiff...super stiff in some areas and more on his right side.  Bending Noah's legs has been at times a struggle.  I am pretty strong(I can lift Noah...off the ground:)!!)...but at times trying to bend Noah's right leg can exhaust me.  The very cool thing is that lately, in a moment of exhaustion, I stood there and said to Noah,"I am too tired and refuse to bend your leg.  I am going to wait until you relax and allow your leg to be bent!"  Oh ye of little faith...I can't say that I actually believed that he would relax, only that my words would give me a moment or two to collect my wits and my strength and try again.   Within moments, I felt his leg relax and with ease, I bent his leg.  In the past, no matter my words of encouragement or request...the tone would not relent...there was no change of stiffness.  Now, whether in his bed, or in his chair, after my request, he has relaxed his leg and allowed it to be bent.  The same thing has happened with his left arm, as well...and not just once, many times.  There are numerous incidents and moments that have reinforced to me the belief that Noah's brain is starting to respond...be it in small ways, but respond...and to me, as always, HUGE!!  It is so cool watching his face as I get excited and encourage him with my praise, he has a look like he knows he has done something wonderful and smiles...oh how I love it:)!!
I hang on to the words spoken by one of his therapists a couple years ago.  She said that the tone in Noah's body would have to decrease to allow the muscles to become the stronger "voice" and begin working.  The tone is still strong, but I think there is some "voice" or signal that is starting to connect in Noah's brain to tell his muscles to relax...not all the time, but when he thinks about it ...like when I ask...hmmm...the mystery continues...but I have not been so excited or encouraged in a long time...thank you for praying...pray that it continues, and that Noah's brain will continue to heal.
I hope your week is joyfilled with opportunities to speak words of kindness  and Love...and give smiles to those who need them(not just those that deserve them:)!!).  We love you very much!!  Lisa

Noah's getting it!!

Last week I was talking about how I'm beginning to ask Noah to look at things.  Every morning before we do anything else, I give him a "quiz" by asking him to look at a number of things.  I continue to ask him to look at the same things, but in different order.  Today was funny but thrilling for me!  I asked him to look at his tv.  He kind of rolled his eyes, at which point I reminded him that we needed to finish this  before going on to anything.  He then quickly glanced at the tv, then right back at me.  I was thrilled because he didn't look at his puppy calendar first and his tv is NOT an easy thing to look at...it's across the room at an angle, so it was very purposeful!!!  I then asked him to look at the window...THEN he looked at the puppy calendar, then back at me. OK...a little disappointing, but I reminded him that he KNOWS where the window is...and to please look at the window...his window is on the side of his bed opposite the one I was standing on.  He then turned his head and looked at the window...almost like, "I know where it IS....ok...I'll look at it." I sometimes wonder who's testing who...
I am going to try to sometimes write about the little things, as Noah's life is FILLED with little things, but to me, they are big...  Just before writing this, today, I gave Noah a Dove chocolate(ok...I gave myself one, too:)).  With every piece of food I give Noah, I make certain that when I put the food in his mouth, I put the food over to the left side.  It is really habit and I think somewhere long ago, it seemed that he ate things better on that side. Noah's tongue has not been able to move food around, so if it lands on the tongue, swallowing "as is" is almost certain....until today!! I put a piece of the Dove in his mouth, and missed the left side, and saw his tongue MOVE IT to the left side, before he closed his mouth!!!  I was sooo thrilled...ability for mobility of his food is happening...so small, but so huge...and just another little step to healing!!  Much love to you, today...blessings...hope your day is wonderfilled!!

Pictures of Noah

I decided to try and take some pictures of Noah...someone at church told me last week that we needed to update his photo at church.  Well...maybe if it were Hannah or Emma taking a picture, he might have cooperated, but when I ask him to smile...this is what I get:

 Keep my camera on him while he's watching SpongeBob Squarepants, and this is what I get:

It seems to take a lot to get him to laugh at me or for me, but TV, the girls and David he's a laughing machine...but I will say, no matter how or with who it happens, it's music!!

Noah's first office visit with Lynne

Today, David and I took Noah for his appointment with his rehab doctor. There was no "real" reason for our visit, but these are required to update prescriptions and the like. It was a cold rainy day here, and Noah had goosebumps on his arms. He got weighed(gained 2lbs...157) and is scheduled to have a botox treatment at the end of May to help loosen the tightness of his arms and hands. We bit the bullet and asked to get a permit for closer parking for Noah...on days like today, even though we temporarily parked our car in a disabled spot, I had to move our car during the appointment. We learned some VERY sad news today, though. Noah's rehab doctor, Dr. Thorogood, will be moving out of state in the next number of months. We saw her assistant, Lynne, today, and she told us of the doctor's departure. Dr. Thorogood has held a very special place in my heart, especially, from the beginning of Noah's injury. She listened to me, questioned what I questioned, changed things that I wanted changed and couldn't get changed with any other doctor and aligned with our hope for Noah...the thought of seeing another doctor would never occur to me. She will administer Noah's botox in May, but that will be the last time we see her. We love her assistant, but she is not a full fledged doctor, so we would have appointments with her, but also be required to have some appointments with the rehab doctor. Please pray that there will be a great doctor to come and take her place...we were told there is no one at this point...our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, more than we could ask, think, or hope for...we shall see.

The start of Noah's Blog

Hi, everyone! The idea to start a blog for Noah has been one that I have thought about for a while. I want to personally thank Kelly Palmer for her labor of love to our family by posting Noah's updates on our church website for almost the last 4 years! I have so appreciated all the time and effort that went into seeing that people were informed about Noah's progress, in addition to all of her other responsibilities at church. I am hopeful that this will be a bit easier for her as well as for me to to let you all know about Noah's progress...I will try to write whenever something happens or I have a thought...and not have it slip away before I write something many days later(hey...a couple hours later can be risky sometimes). I'm not sure about my style, but I am who I am...hope you will come back and join me when you can!

The history of Noah's injury is on our church's website: http://harvestva.org/blog.asp

It encompasses almost 4 years of updates, so it is rather lengthy...but to those who don't know Noah or our family, they may prove very helpful.

I am trying very hard to prepare Noah for his eye gazing computer by asking him to look at various things. I have asked him to look at the calendar next to his bed for a long time and he is now very quick to look when I ask him. I asked him to look at his tv the other day. He looked at the calendar. Well, at least he's remembering that the calendar was the thing I have been asking him to look at for a while... expanding our data base will be a little more work than I had thought...but we will get there. Repetition is key for Noah...and I am seeing that it really DOES work. I am remembering that it wasn't that long ago that Noah would not look at ANYTHING besides people when I asked him to look at things ...have to believe that his ability to connect is healing, as evidenced by his looking around at ANYTHING when I ask him to look at things, now...he is at least TRYING...God is good and my boy is too!!

Noah has been LAUGHING UP A STORM early in the mornings, lately. Not just a little laugh. No, the kind of laughter that is so hard that he has to catch his breath and one laugh goes on for multiple seconds. It just leaves me wondering what in heaven's name he could be laughing about. Later in the day after the biggest episode, I reminded Noah that when he starts talking or can tell me on his computer, I want him to remember this day and let me know what he was laughing about...he started laughing hard , again....toooooo funny!!

Thanks for checking in with us, the Lord bless you this week with favor and opportunity!!