So....we finally went to sleep at 1am last night and then she had to be suctioned at 2 am. Once we got back to sleep I slept till 10 am with just a few interruptions:) I don't think I've slept that late for awhile.
Today she had OT and did good. All in all she has been quieter today. That is "how she rolls" but everything was stable. She has continued all the behaviors including the sticking the tongue way out, like she is playing with her tongue, trying it out again. We are watching her to make sure that she is positioned good so she can't fall forward. She has enough strength to move her shoulders forward, but can't come back.
Despite all that was going on today NO storming! It's been a full 4 days now!!!!!
She got a flu shot today, upon our request as flu season is coming. She stuck her tongue way out when she got that shot!
Monday her trach will be changed to the kind of trach she can speak over. We are expecting LOTs of noise!!!!! She didn't really speak before this, more of a baby babble but we are expecting to hear something:) Maybe some screams....she looks like at times that she wants to yell her head off!
If she tolerates this new trach with no problems, then the next step is to cover the trach and just let her breathe through her mouth/nose. If she can handle that, she can come off the trach!! She will have to be consistant and not have any issues before that could happen. That is our prayer! Please pray for Selah and for the trach situation over the weekend. IF and this is a big IF this could happen in the near future, we might just be able to go straight home. That means skip rehab, skip hospital...go home.....we'd love that!!
We've been patient over the past 13 weeks and still are. But we are dreading the thought of going to another place, another RMH, possibly Jon being in Zephryhills, me and the kids being in Jax....and all the ramifications.... We'd rather be here a little longer and then go straight home if that could be possible. I have to say, we kinda have learned to go with the flow this year with all the traveling and unknowns we have faced and we are still going with the flow even if it includes a rehab but we'd love to be at a point we could go home together......PLEASE pray for that to happen, for Selah to be at the point she doesn't need a trach soon...thank you!!!!!!
"Our life maybe a crazy life but it's our life" I'm married to a pastor of a small rural church, who is also the prison chaplain. We have 5 kids, each with their unique story. I love gardening & we all love the outdoors. Our life is not the way we planned it to be, but we are learning to trust God in every area. Come and read about our life as we live it to the fullest!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Day 4 1/2 Fish Oil
Quick update Selah is doing so much since I've come over after supper that I am going to stay....something is going on with her....I think it is good....
She has been sticking her tongue out of her mouth so much and stretching it into a U shape. This is something I've never seen her do like this. I ended up giving her another Popsicle because of her sticking her tongue out so much. She used to do that to show she was thirsty. She wasn't as much into the Popsicle but she did lick it a few times and suck on it. Then she had her "cry face" on so I quit.
When the nurse was doing somethings, like changing her she literally pushed herself forward out of the bed with her shoulders. It's hard to explain but it is new. She was also moving one arm like she was trying to get away. Also her arms/hands are so relaxed except when we were changing her clothes, of course! She seems to be showing more agitation just since supper time....
Why is that important? Because she got her first FULL dose of Fish Oil at 5 pm!!!
Around 9 pm she started falling asleep, then I'd hear her make a big sigh, I'd check and her heart rate would be like 120 for about 5-10 seconds then it would drop down to normal. It seemed to me almost like she was dreaming and being startled in the dream, like she was dreaming of falling or something scary. This probably happened 5 times in a 1.5 hour period.
Just everything is different...different good I think. When Selah was evaluated to see where she was on the coma scale, we were told about Level 4 comas (she's a level 3) and how there is alot of agitation with the patient when they are in stage 4. It is looking to me like that maybe starting.
Please note I am trying not to exaggerate anything, just writing down things as I see them happen. As a mom I notice things that are different quicker than anyone else would. I'm seeing things tonight that I have never seen Selah do since the accident. Little things, but several little things all at once.....we honestly don't know what to think.... I wish her therapist were here. It's a good thing I don't have her phone number or I'd be calling her to come and watch Selah with me LOL
My FB posts tonight.....
Selah seems restless tonight. She blew out her breath and I looked over and her heart rate was 120 then it went back down. She also did a little stretch, she is not stiff at all except for her ankles. She had been sleeping. This is different, not 100% sure that it is good but it is different and new. she also had her tongue stuck WAY out of her mouth like she was thirsty and so I tried another Popsicle and she started crying; she is also stretching more tonight, NOT postering, there is a difference. I almost am thinking I need to stay over here just in case.....I don't know if the "just in case" is good or bad.....
I'm trying to stay calm and balanced right now.... a part of me is freaking out GOOD and a small part is worried.....in the past hour she is asleep and she will startle and let out a deep breath and stretch, not posterure and her heart rate will hit about 124 and then drop right down to the 90's. Almost like she is waking up from a dream of falling or something....I don't know
So I don't know what is going on but it is different....I've never felt like I had to stay with her because she might move around too much or get upset before....
I've slept by her bed on nights, that I wasn't sure she'd survive...this is a much better night! We're thinking we are seeing some small but significate changes.....please keep praying for Selah!
She has been sticking her tongue out of her mouth so much and stretching it into a U shape. This is something I've never seen her do like this. I ended up giving her another Popsicle because of her sticking her tongue out so much. She used to do that to show she was thirsty. She wasn't as much into the Popsicle but she did lick it a few times and suck on it. Then she had her "cry face" on so I quit.
When the nurse was doing somethings, like changing her she literally pushed herself forward out of the bed with her shoulders. It's hard to explain but it is new. She was also moving one arm like she was trying to get away. Also her arms/hands are so relaxed except when we were changing her clothes, of course! She seems to be showing more agitation just since supper time....
Why is that important? Because she got her first FULL dose of Fish Oil at 5 pm!!!
Around 9 pm she started falling asleep, then I'd hear her make a big sigh, I'd check and her heart rate would be like 120 for about 5-10 seconds then it would drop down to normal. It seemed to me almost like she was dreaming and being startled in the dream, like she was dreaming of falling or something scary. This probably happened 5 times in a 1.5 hour period.
Just everything is different...different good I think. When Selah was evaluated to see where she was on the coma scale, we were told about Level 4 comas (she's a level 3) and how there is alot of agitation with the patient when they are in stage 4. It is looking to me like that maybe starting.
Please note I am trying not to exaggerate anything, just writing down things as I see them happen. As a mom I notice things that are different quicker than anyone else would. I'm seeing things tonight that I have never seen Selah do since the accident. Little things, but several little things all at once.....we honestly don't know what to think.... I wish her therapist were here. It's a good thing I don't have her phone number or I'd be calling her to come and watch Selah with me LOL
My FB posts tonight.....
Selah seems restless tonight. She blew out her breath and I looked over and her heart rate was 120 then it went back down. She also did a little stretch, she is not stiff at all except for her ankles. She had been sleeping. This is different, not 100% sure that it is good but it is different and new. she also had her tongue stuck WAY out of her mouth like she was thirsty and so I tried another Popsicle and she started crying; she is also stretching more tonight, NOT postering, there is a difference. I almost am thinking I need to stay over here just in case.....I don't know if the "just in case" is good or bad.....
I'm trying to stay calm and balanced right now.... a part of me is freaking out GOOD and a small part is worried.....in the past hour she is asleep and she will startle and let out a deep breath and stretch, not posterure and her heart rate will hit about 124 and then drop right down to the 90's. Almost like she is waking up from a dream of falling or something....I don't know
So I don't know what is going on but it is different....I've never felt like I had to stay with her because she might move around too much or get upset before....
I've slept by her bed on nights, that I wasn't sure she'd survive...this is a much better night! We're thinking we are seeing some small but significate changes.....please keep praying for Selah!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Day 4 Fish Oil study
Today has been up and down for us....
She seemed sleepy this morning when we got here. But she was cooperative in OT. As the therapist was leaving she mentioned that she saw some nystagmus movement of her eyes. I didn't see it and it didn't bother me much right then.... Sam has nystagmus and Sarah does too a little. It's a rapid eye movement side to side and it is associated with vision loss, disturbance or a eye problem.
Then her nurse and I were doing somethings and I saw it and it was a violent movement from mid line of the eye to the left side. The nurse took one look at me and I said 'go get the doctor" My legs started shaking. I didn't know if she was having a seizure or what! I even thought maybe it was something good....who knows? The nystagmus that Sam has is where his eye goes across they eye from side to side, not from the mid line to the side. So the doctor was right outside and came in and saw some movement. Then neurology came in and sent in a person to do an EEG. Thankfully she did the eye movement when the machine was on so it caught it on video and they could look at how her brain was firing during the episodes. During the test, she had movement from the mid line of the eye to the left and then later to the right but never all the way across the eye. I also called Dr Sear's assistant and told him what was going on.
We got the results back and there was no sign of seizure activity. So no one knows exactly what it means...it could be good or it could be not good...we don't know. Neurology said it was not an usual occurrence when someone is waking up from a coma. Of course I looked it up. Obviously I know a bit about it from an eye condition side, but one site I found did say it could be from a brain injury occurring later in life. One of my readers, the one who got me in touch with Dr Sears in the first place told me that a child she is very close to had the same reaction coming out of a coma two different times from two different problems.
At this point, I think we are leaning towards it is a good thing, it is a new thing that is for sure....
Something else that is new today is still no storming! She did a bath, OT, Music Therapy, face cleaning (by me that she hates) then all the residents from neurology (I finally told them to stop touching her) then an EEG with all the electrodes and then a hair washing....ALL without storming!!! To me that is a MIRACLE! You have NO idea how we have tip-toed around trying not to upset her and get her into a storm! There is no way she could have handled all that last week!!! Even Monday morning before the Fish Oil was started, she had a storm with a heart rate over 200 because she had therapy and then I cleaned her face. That was one of the worst ones she had had in a couple of weeks but she hasn't had any since then!!!! Monday her arms were stuck in the air like she was saluting and they were shaking. It was horrible! but she hasn't had one since!
After supper I came back over and found her slumped in bed. This is the 2nd time today she has done that and the FIRST times she has ever been in a new postilion since the accident!!! She was upset and breathing hard and her heart rate was 130 but as soon as we repositioned her, it went immediately down to below a 100! I have to admit when I walked in and she was slumped over so bad and yelled for the nurses and they came running! I didn't know what had happened and I wasn't going to take a chance!!! So now for the first time they are going to have to watch her for movement when we aren't here!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then I tried her on a Popsicle and she sucked it, swallowed, licked it and I think even tried to bite at it:) She had about 1/4 of one. She seemed to be getting tired of it and I didn't want to take any chance of her aspirating!!!
She seemed sleepy this morning when we got here. But she was cooperative in OT. As the therapist was leaving she mentioned that she saw some nystagmus movement of her eyes. I didn't see it and it didn't bother me much right then.... Sam has nystagmus and Sarah does too a little. It's a rapid eye movement side to side and it is associated with vision loss, disturbance or a eye problem.
Then her nurse and I were doing somethings and I saw it and it was a violent movement from mid line of the eye to the left side. The nurse took one look at me and I said 'go get the doctor" My legs started shaking. I didn't know if she was having a seizure or what! I even thought maybe it was something good....who knows? The nystagmus that Sam has is where his eye goes across they eye from side to side, not from the mid line to the side. So the doctor was right outside and came in and saw some movement. Then neurology came in and sent in a person to do an EEG. Thankfully she did the eye movement when the machine was on so it caught it on video and they could look at how her brain was firing during the episodes. During the test, she had movement from the mid line of the eye to the left and then later to the right but never all the way across the eye. I also called Dr Sear's assistant and told him what was going on.
We got the results back and there was no sign of seizure activity. So no one knows exactly what it means...it could be good or it could be not good...we don't know. Neurology said it was not an usual occurrence when someone is waking up from a coma. Of course I looked it up. Obviously I know a bit about it from an eye condition side, but one site I found did say it could be from a brain injury occurring later in life. One of my readers, the one who got me in touch with Dr Sears in the first place told me that a child she is very close to had the same reaction coming out of a coma two different times from two different problems.
At this point, I think we are leaning towards it is a good thing, it is a new thing that is for sure....
Something else that is new today is still no storming! She did a bath, OT, Music Therapy, face cleaning (by me that she hates) then all the residents from neurology (I finally told them to stop touching her) then an EEG with all the electrodes and then a hair washing....ALL without storming!!! To me that is a MIRACLE! You have NO idea how we have tip-toed around trying not to upset her and get her into a storm! There is no way she could have handled all that last week!!! Even Monday morning before the Fish Oil was started, she had a storm with a heart rate over 200 because she had therapy and then I cleaned her face. That was one of the worst ones she had had in a couple of weeks but she hasn't had any since then!!!! Monday her arms were stuck in the air like she was saluting and they were shaking. It was horrible! but she hasn't had one since!
After supper I came back over and found her slumped in bed. This is the 2nd time today she has done that and the FIRST times she has ever been in a new postilion since the accident!!! She was upset and breathing hard and her heart rate was 130 but as soon as we repositioned her, it went immediately down to below a 100! I have to admit when I walked in and she was slumped over so bad and yelled for the nurses and they came running! I didn't know what had happened and I wasn't going to take a chance!!! So now for the first time they are going to have to watch her for movement when we aren't here!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then I tried her on a Popsicle and she sucked it, swallowed, licked it and I think even tried to bite at it:) She had about 1/4 of one. She seemed to be getting tired of it and I didn't want to take any chance of her aspirating!!!
do you love this picture or what?????????
I'm so glad I came back over, I was feeling bad, worried about what the nystagmus really meant and I had a bad headache but I just felt I needed to check on her again. She rewarded me for coming over!!!!!! She looks just like LaLa!!!!!!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Day 3 Fish oil study!
As I begin to write this blog, I hear a helicopter bringing in yet another serious case to this hospital. It is a common background noise here. I can't help but stop and pray for that person, that family as many have done for us since the children's accident. I've learned many things in the past weeks and one thing is your health/life and your family's health/life is something you don't take for granted!
We are thankful that we have something new to share today! This morning the speech pathologist was working with Selah. She tried lemon ice with her. She licked, then sucked at the spoon then swallowed it! She did it several times!! Then the speech pathologist came back this afternoon and Selah did it some more. We'd had had Selah up and on my lap for about 1.5 hours before so she was a little tired but she did cooperate.
Later the PT came and was able to work with her knees and ankles. She said that Selah was more flexible than she had ever seen since the very first days right after the accident. Within just a few days of the accident, Selah began to tighten up and lose so much mobility. Now she is loosening up. Her arms and hands are close to normal. For weeks she wore splints on her arms/hands...those HATED splints are in the garbage now!!!!!! I hated them, she didn't seem to notice them.....but they are gone:) Selah had been more cooperative with the OT before but resisted the PT before today. We are glad that the PT was able to see the range of motion that the OT has seen and maybe even a tad more.
The GREAT thing is that Selah tolerated all that time up and 3 therapies WITHOUT storming!!! No huge increase in blood pressure or heart rate:)
Next Monday she will have the new tube in her trach that will enable her to breath through her mouth and make noise. If she tolerates it then at some point (hopefully in the near future) it will be "plugged up' to see if she can breath completely through her mouth/nose and handle her secretions...if so she will no longer need a trach:) We are hoping that she will get to that point soon!
I'm trying to keep my account as factual without trying to draw any conclusions.... I don't want to exaggerate but I will tell you that Selah has not stormed since Monday morning.....Monday evening is when she started the fish oil....today she was worked with for hours between us, the ST and PT and the ST for a second time.... not only that but the PT found her to be more flexible than ever before....and yet she never stormed..... Her storms had been much better over the last few weeks but today she didn't even go over 110 heart rate at all during all the therapies and time up! Before she would at least go up when she got upset and she could sometimes bring it down without us having to stop but sometimes she'd had to be put to bed and left alone so she could calm down. At times it would take her 30 minutes or so to calm down to a normal heart rate. We are excited about how well she tolerated things today and of course all that she did!
The sonogram showed the blood clot is still there but it is smaller. She will remain on the medicine for awhile longer. It should dissolve in the near future.
PLEASE keep praying for Selah!!!!!!!
We are thankful that we have something new to share today! This morning the speech pathologist was working with Selah. She tried lemon ice with her. She licked, then sucked at the spoon then swallowed it! She did it several times!! Then the speech pathologist came back this afternoon and Selah did it some more. We'd had had Selah up and on my lap for about 1.5 hours before so she was a little tired but she did cooperate.
Selah eating lemon ice!
Later the PT came and was able to work with her knees and ankles. She said that Selah was more flexible than she had ever seen since the very first days right after the accident. Within just a few days of the accident, Selah began to tighten up and lose so much mobility. Now she is loosening up. Her arms and hands are close to normal. For weeks she wore splints on her arms/hands...those HATED splints are in the garbage now!!!!!! I hated them, she didn't seem to notice them.....but they are gone:) Selah had been more cooperative with the OT before but resisted the PT before today. We are glad that the PT was able to see the range of motion that the OT has seen and maybe even a tad more.
The GREAT thing is that Selah tolerated all that time up and 3 therapies WITHOUT storming!!! No huge increase in blood pressure or heart rate:)
Next Monday she will have the new tube in her trach that will enable her to breath through her mouth and make noise. If she tolerates it then at some point (hopefully in the near future) it will be "plugged up' to see if she can breath completely through her mouth/nose and handle her secretions...if so she will no longer need a trach:) We are hoping that she will get to that point soon!
I'm trying to keep my account as factual without trying to draw any conclusions.... I don't want to exaggerate but I will tell you that Selah has not stormed since Monday morning.....Monday evening is when she started the fish oil....today she was worked with for hours between us, the ST and PT and the ST for a second time.... not only that but the PT found her to be more flexible than ever before....and yet she never stormed..... Her storms had been much better over the last few weeks but today she didn't even go over 110 heart rate at all during all the therapies and time up! Before she would at least go up when she got upset and she could sometimes bring it down without us having to stop but sometimes she'd had to be put to bed and left alone so she could calm down. At times it would take her 30 minutes or so to calm down to a normal heart rate. We are excited about how well she tolerated things today and of course all that she did!
The sonogram showed the blood clot is still there but it is smaller. She will remain on the medicine for awhile longer. It should dissolve in the near future.
PLEASE keep praying for Selah!!!!!!!
Thoughts on Election night....
In my blog, I am going to do a daily report on Selah like I did tonight with Day 2....so tomorrow expect Day 3 Fish Oil study....I am doing that for us, so we can document each day and see her progress. I may have to write a little bit more like tonight!! I tend to like to stir things up some.... I used to blog for the heck of it and didn't really think about anyone really responding... now I get a bit worried:)
Tonight on FB I wrote in response to a funny video that a friend shared about how desperate Christians can be about the elections :
"I so agree that too many people think the USA is "God's country" I don't think any country is except for Israel and even with Israel, I do NOT believe we should just blindly support them!!!! Obviously if you read the OT and even the NT, you can see even the nation of Israel, being in disobedience and out of the will of God. I see somethings on here (talking about FB) that really turns my stomach. I do NOT think a US flag should be inside a church..... I love the US BUT this world is so not my home..... But having said that, I do not like anything the Democratic party stands for. Even if I weren't a christian, I would vote Republican (unless it was for Rick Scott LOL) Also I feel the world is on a one way road to the end of the world and no one can turn us back....but possibly a conservative president might slow the pace....."
So I do love American but like all the other countries of this world, all the countries of this world will bend their knee to God one day. In heaven there won't be Americans, Russians, Chinese, Egyptians or any other country....there will be just citizens of heaven..... One day America will be just a memory, along with all the other countries... Sometimes I do think that some folks feel that the USA is somehow this "chosen country" that will last forever. I do believe America has been blessed by God BECAUSE we as a nation honored God for so many years. America does not honor God as a whole nation now.... This nation does not live by biblical values anymore. Yes there are folks in this nation that chose to live for God, many people do but the majority of this country do not serve/honor God by their actions. Every decade you can see the decline of this nation.
I hope I can articulate this next thought of mine....sometimes I see things like recently on FB a Cross painted Red, White and Blue. That really "ickes" me out. Why? The same way I feel when I see just an American flag in a church. (it doesn't bother me IF I see a bunch of countries represented because THEN I feel that it was more of a statement that all countries bow to Him) It seems to imply, to me, that to some, it signifies that the USA is somehow more "spiritual" than other countries or more loved by God. Now, as I said, God has blessed us because as a nation, we used to honor Him as a nation. We can not claim that anymore.
For example, if I were in a church in China and there was a Chinese flag in it, that would make me uncomfortable. If I were in Syria and there was an Syrian flag in the church, that would make me feel that someone was making a political statement. In Ukraine, we visited Russian Orthodox churches. They were beautiful with all kinds of pictures in them. Russian Orthodox Churches are very beautiful and they are very nationalistic. As we were looking at the various paintings, I'd ask the guide who the pictures were of, which saint.... and time after time he would tell me that it was a former leader of Russia. One picture looked like the Madonna and Jesus, however it was a picture of Nicholas and his mother.....do you see where I'm going?
When the goverment and the church is hand in hand, you don't see a vibrant church!
I totally believe in the separation of church and state. Now I believe a pastor should encourage his congregation to vote biblical values, Pro-Life, & pro-marriage, but that is where it should stay. I believe a pastor should teach his congregation the balance of what the bible teaches to take care of the poor, the orphans, the widows BUT the bible also says "if a man doesn't work, he shouldn't eat" The bible as always teaches balance IF it is taken as a whole.
So since I started writing...the election has been called. I'm not happy, I disagree with Obama on just about every platform from social issues, to foreign policy and everything else. I'm a conservative, so even if I was not concerned about the Democrat's platform in a moral sense, I'd be concerned about the platform in every other way! I'm not a Calvinist, I do not believe that everything that happens is "God's Will" I believe in the Free Will of Man~ meaning God allows man free will to chose not jsut their salvation but many things. I believe that there were times in biblical history when God seemed to step into the affairs of men and override their decisions. Other times He seemed to allow the will of man to prevail. There is a balance in there. God certainly knew in his foreknowledge who was going to win the election but I don't believe He used "automatic writing" to cause anyone to vote for Obama... Sometimes God allowed judgement to come on Israel in the OT times because they disobeyed God. He would let other armies come in and rule over them, or bad kings would rise up. Sometimes there are natural consequences to decisions. I believe America has decided for 4 more years of problems. We are a society that is democratic or maybe more of a republic (since we have the house and senate) but we are NOT a Theocracy (where God is the leader of this nation through a priest or a man acting as "God's voice" I think people forget that at times. So we are citizens of this nation have responsibilities!!!
If I were at home, I could reference some of our books as it is not easy to write about theology at midnight with no helps:) I'm sure I'm not explaining myself very well with the tv on and being tired but I just had to write down my thoughts on this.
I guess I think not so much that a candidate is "God's will" for our country as I think it is God's will for Christians to vote in a Bibically moral way and to live in that way also! Maybe if we Christians took the same stand that Christians did for many many years on moral issues and did not stray from those convictions, then maybe this country would turn around.....but if you allow stuff in year after year and you don't fight and stand against the wrong, then the wrong will take over. Our young folks won't know the difference between right and wrong....everything will just be a gray area for them. There is a saying "what parents allow to moderation, their children will allow to excess"
So I am not thrilled with the election or where or country is headed....but this world is not my home, I am only passing through.....God knows the future and He will take care of His own! So I will go to bed now after either annoying you, ticking you off, confusing you, or making you scratch your head trying to figure out what i was saying LOL
Tonight on FB I wrote in response to a funny video that a friend shared about how desperate Christians can be about the elections :
"I so agree that too many people think the USA is "God's country" I don't think any country is except for Israel and even with Israel, I do NOT believe we should just blindly support them!!!! Obviously if you read the OT and even the NT, you can see even the nation of Israel, being in disobedience and out of the will of God. I see somethings on here (talking about FB) that really turns my stomach. I do NOT think a US flag should be inside a church..... I love the US BUT this world is so not my home..... But having said that, I do not like anything the Democratic party stands for. Even if I weren't a christian, I would vote Republican (unless it was for Rick Scott LOL) Also I feel the world is on a one way road to the end of the world and no one can turn us back....but possibly a conservative president might slow the pace....."
So I do love American but like all the other countries of this world, all the countries of this world will bend their knee to God one day. In heaven there won't be Americans, Russians, Chinese, Egyptians or any other country....there will be just citizens of heaven..... One day America will be just a memory, along with all the other countries... Sometimes I do think that some folks feel that the USA is somehow this "chosen country" that will last forever. I do believe America has been blessed by God BECAUSE we as a nation honored God for so many years. America does not honor God as a whole nation now.... This nation does not live by biblical values anymore. Yes there are folks in this nation that chose to live for God, many people do but the majority of this country do not serve/honor God by their actions. Every decade you can see the decline of this nation.
I hope I can articulate this next thought of mine....sometimes I see things like recently on FB a Cross painted Red, White and Blue. That really "ickes" me out. Why? The same way I feel when I see just an American flag in a church. (it doesn't bother me IF I see a bunch of countries represented because THEN I feel that it was more of a statement that all countries bow to Him) It seems to imply, to me, that to some, it signifies that the USA is somehow more "spiritual" than other countries or more loved by God. Now, as I said, God has blessed us because as a nation, we used to honor Him as a nation. We can not claim that anymore.
For example, if I were in a church in China and there was a Chinese flag in it, that would make me uncomfortable. If I were in Syria and there was an Syrian flag in the church, that would make me feel that someone was making a political statement. In Ukraine, we visited Russian Orthodox churches. They were beautiful with all kinds of pictures in them. Russian Orthodox Churches are very beautiful and they are very nationalistic. As we were looking at the various paintings, I'd ask the guide who the pictures were of, which saint.... and time after time he would tell me that it was a former leader of Russia. One picture looked like the Madonna and Jesus, however it was a picture of Nicholas and his mother.....do you see where I'm going?
When the goverment and the church is hand in hand, you don't see a vibrant church!
I totally believe in the separation of church and state. Now I believe a pastor should encourage his congregation to vote biblical values, Pro-Life, & pro-marriage, but that is where it should stay. I believe a pastor should teach his congregation the balance of what the bible teaches to take care of the poor, the orphans, the widows BUT the bible also says "if a man doesn't work, he shouldn't eat" The bible as always teaches balance IF it is taken as a whole.
So since I started writing...the election has been called. I'm not happy, I disagree with Obama on just about every platform from social issues, to foreign policy and everything else. I'm a conservative, so even if I was not concerned about the Democrat's platform in a moral sense, I'd be concerned about the platform in every other way! I'm not a Calvinist, I do not believe that everything that happens is "God's Will" I believe in the Free Will of Man~ meaning God allows man free will to chose not jsut their salvation but many things. I believe that there were times in biblical history when God seemed to step into the affairs of men and override their decisions. Other times He seemed to allow the will of man to prevail. There is a balance in there. God certainly knew in his foreknowledge who was going to win the election but I don't believe He used "automatic writing" to cause anyone to vote for Obama... Sometimes God allowed judgement to come on Israel in the OT times because they disobeyed God. He would let other armies come in and rule over them, or bad kings would rise up. Sometimes there are natural consequences to decisions. I believe America has decided for 4 more years of problems. We are a society that is democratic or maybe more of a republic (since we have the house and senate) but we are NOT a Theocracy (where God is the leader of this nation through a priest or a man acting as "God's voice" I think people forget that at times. So we are citizens of this nation have responsibilities!!!
If I were at home, I could reference some of our books as it is not easy to write about theology at midnight with no helps:) I'm sure I'm not explaining myself very well with the tv on and being tired but I just had to write down my thoughts on this.
I guess I think not so much that a candidate is "God's will" for our country as I think it is God's will for Christians to vote in a Bibically moral way and to live in that way also! Maybe if we Christians took the same stand that Christians did for many many years on moral issues and did not stray from those convictions, then maybe this country would turn around.....but if you allow stuff in year after year and you don't fight and stand against the wrong, then the wrong will take over. Our young folks won't know the difference between right and wrong....everything will just be a gray area for them. There is a saying "what parents allow to moderation, their children will allow to excess"
So I am not thrilled with the election or where or country is headed....but this world is not my home, I am only passing through.....God knows the future and He will take care of His own! So I will go to bed now after either annoying you, ticking you off, confusing you, or making you scratch your head trying to figure out what i was saying LOL
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Day 2 Fish oil study
Selah has had 3 dosages of fish oil now! She hasn't had any negative reactions. Today was Jon's day over there and I did 7 loads of laundry here :) I kept calling Jon to see what was going on and he was laughing and told me that she hadn't climbed out of bed yet...I can't help it I am expecting some good stuff:)
She did great with therapy. The therapist touched her tongue with ice and she did something new. She stuck her tongue out of her mouth and licked it a few times. She has licked the lemon flavored swabs before but more when they were in her mouth or on her lips, this was more deliberate! The student nurse was amazed at how she was responding and showing emotions ( negative ones) when the therapist was working with her. Selah seems to understand the we understand her grimaces and are meeting her needs and for the most part she is getting upset without her heart rate and blood pressure going so high. She has only had a very few storms lately.
She had a sonogram today on her leg. She had gotten a terrible blood clot in her left leg right after the accident. She has been taking shots of blood thinners in her stomach since. We should get the results tomorrow. We are anticipating that it will be gone, as her leg looks normal.
Tonight we are sitting and watching the election results come in, it's unbelievable that we are still here in NY. If you would have told me, the day we left home, that I would have had to call for an absentee voting form and vote by mail in this election, I would have never believed it! It will be interesting....
Thank you all for praying for Selah! We are expecting good results!
She did great with therapy. The therapist touched her tongue with ice and she did something new. She stuck her tongue out of her mouth and licked it a few times. She has licked the lemon flavored swabs before but more when they were in her mouth or on her lips, this was more deliberate! The student nurse was amazed at how she was responding and showing emotions ( negative ones) when the therapist was working with her. Selah seems to understand the we understand her grimaces and are meeting her needs and for the most part she is getting upset without her heart rate and blood pressure going so high. She has only had a very few storms lately.
She had a sonogram today on her leg. She had gotten a terrible blood clot in her left leg right after the accident. She has been taking shots of blood thinners in her stomach since. We should get the results tomorrow. We are anticipating that it will be gone, as her leg looks normal.
Tonight we are sitting and watching the election results come in, it's unbelievable that we are still here in NY. If you would have told me, the day we left home, that I would have had to call for an absentee voting form and vote by mail in this election, I would have never believed it! It will be interesting....
Thank you all for praying for Selah! We are expecting good results!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Fish Oil has started!!!!!!
Here is the picture of Selah getting her first dose of fish oil just a few minutes ago! Yes that is a big syringe and yet it is only a half dose! She will have a dose in the morning and in the late afternoon every day. On Thursday, she will start the full doses, that will be two syringes at a time! I'm very thankful for a gtube! I can not imagine getting a child to take that much fish oil by mouth! They have found it is better for a person's system to take lower dosages first, just to make sure it's not too much an overload for their system!
She has had a great day today. She did OT and Speech today. They worked with her on the therapy ball. She was very alert through the day and watched her DVDs. Jon changed her trach and she handled it well.
So.....we wait and pray that this will be the medical answer for her and hopefully it will mean a change to how near drownings are treated! Maybe this will change Selah's situation and many others also! Please pray for Selah!!!
We are thankful for the God given wisdom that led a doctor (Dr Barry Sears) to try this to help people. We are thankful for the doctors and staff at Strong's Hospital who help facilitate this study so quickly, especially Dr Asselin
So tonight I sit by my daughter's bed, another night, with hope in my heart! There have been many nights I've sit here and hung on to God as my heart was breaking.... I'm so thankful that God was with me through all those days and nights.....and He is still with us, no matter what happens in this study!
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My FB post
Just keep thinking that SIX months ago today, we walked out of the orphange with the girls. Obviously I did not have any idea of what was ahead for us! I didn't know that 6 months later we'd be In NY and Selah would be in a coma after a drowning...nor that she'd be getting a new treatment to see if it would help her...I had no idea what was ahead for us but God knew and He prepared us and has walked with us....
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*I have to say THANK YOU to one of my sweet readers who sent me for a massage today! I can actually move my neck, almost normally in one direction! It was wonderful!!!!!! Thank you Jennifer:)
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