Sunday (day 229)

Good day everyone.

Another chapter has closed and the journey continues with new challenges on the road. The way was cleared for Shawna to finally come home on Friday. The contrast scan showed a post operative fluid build at the incision site. It was not an infection as feared. The fluid will dissapate in time. The smiles were very evident when she rolled into our home to stay. Her smiles even melted the hearts of the contractors who were struggling to complete the bathroom before she would come home. It is a tremendous blessing that we finally have all our children at home again (married ones excepted). Shawna was obviously over-stimulated on friday night as she was wide awake till 3 am. Since then many family routines are coming nicely together again as we roll into another school year. We spent much of the last two days getting small things in order like hanging pictures and rearranging furniture to maintain barrier free access. Shawna meanwhile continues to improve. They have discontinued her blood thinner or fragment as they call it because Shawna is over 7 months from the accident and blood clots are no longer a danger. She was sitting on her bed unassisted for quite a while yesterday. Deb took some video of it. I'll post it tonight. She continues to strengthen her use of certain muscles and assists with her physio. She also has appointments in the coming weeks. The first one is a consult for achillies tendon loosening and casting to get her feet to the proper posture. The second is a repeat procedure of changing the feeding tube from a j-tube to a g-tube. Although the specialist refused initially he was given the history of why the j-tube was used in the first place due to Shawna's extensive surgical proceedures and the doctors at chedoke explained the benefits to Shawnas improvements in quality of life. She could be fed more quickly liberating more excercise time and regularly at normal food intervals. This would improve stomach utilization and proper absorption and make bathroom proceedures more regulated during the day instead of at night. This would on the whole make life more normal for her and better prepare her for the time she can finally eat normally. Tomorrow there is a team meeting with therapists and their assistants and all the care workers and insurance team at our home. All told there will be almost 20 people in attendance as we go over the duties expected of each and the goals we hope to achieve with Shawna. We will be organizing a schedule of work to be done and aside from family involvement it looks to be full days during the week for Shawna with these professionals. We also have a new little visitor for Shawna, a mix golden retriever and poodle. She absolutely loves this visitor and pets it softly. The dog can't stay here due to some family members allergies but Grandma Bethlehem will bring it here almost every day to assist with her therapy. Again we have been so blessed by God and remain looking to him for his faithful guidance as we embark on the next part of this journey. Thankyou for your prayers and support. Al, Deb, Shawna and family