(day 320)

Good morning all. Things are still progressing slowly.....but its still progress! We had a team meeting with all the therapists and care givers to go over the past 3 months of Shawnas care and to determine the new goals. The main jist of the conversation was that Shawna has progressed considerably with respect to amount of time she can focus before zoning out. She's gone from 1 hour to 3 hrs with a couple cat naps. Her communication is improving and her comprehension is very evident. The therapists main concern is that the sessions not overlap so she can rest and have all phsio activities occur only after the language and fine motor skills. The phsio sessions completely drain her for hours. The muscle tone in her left side is beginning to complicate the therapy. Shawna has been for a CT scan to see if there are any brain pressures contributing to this. She also had some bloodwork done to check for infections. The next thing will be for her doctor to determine if drugs are required to control the tone until Shawnas brain can adjust and be able to turn off the muscles that she can now turn on. Shawna has been out to a couple of functions and enjoys it tremendously with lots of vocalization to show her appreciation. Vocalization seems to be improving a lot especially when combined with laughter and spontanaity. When she tries to talk though it stops when she concentrates. We look forward to spending a lot of time together with family and friends during the upcoming holidays. Our contractor has been busy with the addition. The walls are up and the front of our house has been stripped to the bones to make good to the new roofline (quite a sight). We continue to realize our dependance on our Father for his goodness and guidance as we continue on the path He has chosen for us. Thanks for your prayers and support. Al, Deb, Shawna, and family