Geoffrey Janes

Delays

2012-01-29T07:58:00.000-05:00

Garren was scheduled to begin his new swallow therapy - the McNeil Program - last Tuesday. We got a call that same day informing us that they are still waiting to hear from Medicaid. Until they get approval from Medicaid they will not start the therapy. So the next start date is this Tuesday. Please pray with us that Medicaid approves this new therapy.

Speaking of Medicaid and prayer, our overnight nursing is scheduled to end on January 31. We've submitted all the paperwork for an extension, so Lord willing we will hear from Medicaid on that very soon. Otherwise we're going to be pulling some all-nighters.

We continue to pray and wait.

Car Exchange

2012-01-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Nancy had been in an accident with the van. Everyone's fine - just wanted to update you on the situation.

The accident happened on a Wednesday evening. It would be Friday before we could get a copy of the police report, and several more days before the insurance company would even take a look at the damage on the van. From everything we can tell, the other driver was at fault, so we were at the mercy of their insurance agent. Finally, on Wednesday (a week later), a tow truck showed up to take the van to a body shop.

Meanwhile, my good friend David (who helped us with this van) was working behind the scenes on a replacement van. The next thing I know he's talking to me about when I can come pick up the new van! What? Another van that quickly? I can't go into all the details, but I can tell you that no matter what happens, God's hand is in it. Was it frustrating to have to deal with not having a wheelchair van for a couple of weeks? Yes! Garren especially did not enjoy taking his manual chair to school. But God provided another van, and we are back in business.

Thanks for your continued prayers. Garren is continuing to progress, and get stronger every day. The physical therapists who are working with Garren said Monday that once Garren's sense of balance kicks in, he'll be walking in no time.

Next week Garren starts his McNeil program, a 3 week, 5 day a week intensive swallow therapy.

Today we have another evaluation from the home nursing company so that can request another month of overnight nursing from Medicaid. His current overnight nursing ends an the end of January.

Endure vs. Enjoy

2012-01-05T07:38:00.001-05:00

We've settled into somewhat of a routine. We have night nursing (approved through the end of this month) from 11pm until 7am. Since I'm the early riser in our house, I go to bed around 10 so I can be up early enough to have my quiet time in the morning before anyone else gets up. I walk Kelsey to the bus stop at 6:30, then take over when the nurse leaves at 7. Nancy stays up until 11pm when the nurse gets there. She helps Kelsey get up and ready for school, then lays down for another hour or so. It's working.

There are so many things we'd change right now if we could. That's the case for all of us, I'm sure. We all have those things in our lives that could be "better." We'd all love to make little (or big) adjustments and get our lives back to the way we had planned. But that's just not the way it works.

We're tired. So are you I'm sure. Pressing on is wearisome. Finishing a race is hard. It starts out great - you're fresh, you're excited to run well, to finish strong. But at some point you begin to question why you're even out there. I can think of a lot of things I'd rather be doing, like sleeping in on Saturdays...

But we must press on. We do what we have to do to get through. We endure as best we can.

Andrew Murray, in his book "Humility," wrote about the apostle Paul. Paul said "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weakness: for when I am weak then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Murray writes: "Instead of simply enduring it, [Paul] most gladly gloried in it; instead of asking for deliverance, he took pleasure in it."

This is a humbling thought. When I am faced with difficult circumstances, I don't really feel like rejoicing. I don't really want to be happy or joyful about it. I want to get through it, be done with it, and move on. But true joy, true happiness, is not found in quickly finishing the trial! I must, as Paul, learn to be content in every circumstance and situation. But it's more than just being content, I must rejoice, glory in the circumstance in which God has placed me! I must become less so that He can become more. I must accept my weakness, for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Yesterday afternoon I dropped a car off at the shop for repairs. Yesterday evening Nancy called to inform me that she had been in an accident with the van. We are thankful that no one was hurt. It wasn't anything too serious, although the van is out of commission until it can be repaired. We sat in my office last night and looked at each other and said "It's just one thing after another!" And it is. We are not in control. God is. We just have to learn to enjoy, rather than endure, the trials and circumstances He is leading us through.

"Jesus, help us to rejoice, to take pleasure in these trials. As much as I want to be through it, help me to trust You and Your timing in all of this. We continue to pray for Garren to be able to swallow. Help us to be strong in Your strength as we learn to enjoy, rather than endure. Amen."

Spreading Christmas Joy

2011-12-27T08:22:00.002-05:00

It's been busy around here - Christmas Eve services at church, Christmas morning pancake outreach to the community, plus getting all the family Christmas surprises in order. Now that things have settled down a little I have time to update you.

Garren continues to progress with his walking. He is getting stronger, Race To Walk has really been good for him. His muscles are getting bigger, and he is gaining all kinds of weight (all muscle). He's getting used to his new manual wheelchair. The frame is yellow, and the straps and padding are black...perfect for the Steeler fan that he is! He has learned how to pop a weely! Fun times!

Several weeks ago, before Thanksgiving, my uncle went into the hospital for surgery. After the surgery there were many complications, and he nearly didn't make it. Garren, who knows what it's like to spend endless nights in the hospital, realized the possibility that Uncle Hu might end up spending Christmas in the hospital. So Garren came up with an idea all his own.

You can read about it from my Aunt's perspective here: http://goo.gl/9iBS6

We're taking a couple of days off from therapy to spend some time having fun together as a family. Garren will get back to work later this week.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Let's Try This...

2011-12-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

We took Garren for a follow up visit to the EENT this past Tuesday. Using a scope to watch the inside of Garren's throat, he concluded that he doesn't see any change in Garren's swallow since the last time he saw us about 3 months ago. Needless to say, that was discouraging to hear.

He went on to inform us that Garren's current speech therapist recommends that we discontinue therapy for swallowing, because she isn't seeing any improvement either.

I asked about next steps. What else can we do? Who else can we talk to? Is there anything else we can try? It's as though they know (or think they know) in their heads that Garren will not likely swallow again, but they don't have the heart to tell us. So they keep trying.

Several months ago we had discovered an intense swallow therapy called the McNeil program. It's a 3 week, 5 days a week intensive swallowing therapy that has seen good results in many patients. We had searched high and low, and the only location we could find that would even consider seeing Garren was in Atlanta. When we asked the doc about the McNeil program, he said "Sure, that's what we do here." Ever have one of those moments where you want to throw your arms up in the air and say "When were you going to tell us about it?" I didn't say that, as badly as I wanted to...

So he offered to refer us to one of his therapists. Of course we jumped at the opportunity. His scheduler came in a few minutes later and informed us that the next available appointment was January 24. That's 6 weeks! She was kind enough to add us to the waiting list, in case someone cancelled an appointment.

Friday we got a call that an appointment had been cancelled. So we rearranged our schedule and got Garren over there. The speech therapist assessed Garren, and decided that even though Garren's case doesn't show a lot of hope, she would continue to see him and take him through the 3 week program. He starts January 23rd.

So we will try this now. Let's pray for some kind of progress.

Yet I Will Rejoice

2011-12-09T11:16:00.001-05:00

I' finishing up my one year journey through the Bible. I was reading in Habakkuk 3 this week. This verse stood out to me:

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places." (Habakkuk 3:18, 19 ESV)

To really get what he is saying, it helps to go back and read verse 17:

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herds in the stalls."

Habakkuk paints this picture of despair. Nothing is going right. There is famine, the crops are failing, and the livestock has all disappeared. It's a desperate situation. Hope seems to have vanished. People are going to starve. It would be easy in this scenario to start crying out to God "Why God, are you being so mean to us? Why won't you provide the way You used to? Why can't things be the way they used to be? Why can't you make it better?"

I feel that way...a lot lately. Where's God when things seem to be falling apart? Look around - we all have our own little personal problems. Sickness, finances, relationships. Why do bad things seem to happen? We all could whine and complain about so many things that don't seem to be going our way. I sure can think of a lot of things I would change if I could.

But Habakkuk, instead of complaining, proclaims that he will rejoice in the Lord. Even in the midst of trials. Even in the midst of crisis. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. Yet. Even though humanly I have every reason to give up hope and complain, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.

I will take joy - not sadness, not hopelessness, not misery - but joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength.

I pray that you will pause today, in the midst of your crisis, whatever it might be, and simply rejoice in the Lord. Take joy in the God of your salvation.

Heartfelt Prayer

2011-12-02T16:07:00.001-05:00

Last night after dinner we had our family devotions. It’s always a bit of a challenge to get two teenagers and a 7 year old to focus on the same thought for 10 minutes. There’s the age difference, there’s the difference in level of knowledge, and there’s this little thing called attention span. So we made it through, finished our thoughts, and I gave a little challenge.

We always close in prayer together. Sometimes I pray, but I like to give the kids a chance to pray as well. I hadn’t asked Garren in a while, so I said “Garren, will you pray tonight?”

He said “Yes.” He started to bow his head, then he paused, looked back up, and said, “Wait, I need prayer requests. Kara, what’s your prayer request?” She was caught off guard, so he looked at me. “Dad?”
I said “You can pray about your doctors appointments tomorrow. And we have a praise, that your nursing got extended.”
He looked at Kelsey. She said “Pray for Uncle Hu. He’s in the hospital, pray that he feels better.”
Then Garren asked Nancy for a prayer request. She said “Pray for Nanna, she just had surgery today. She’s a little sore.”
Back to Kara. She said “Pray for the boy, Alex, who is in the hospital with the brain injury.”

Garren went back around, trying to remember each of the requests, then he folded his hands, and as he bowed his head he said “I hope I can remember all those.”

Then I heard one of the most heartfelt prayers I’ve ever heard. Garren prayed from his heart, directly to God. He meant every word. He wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed. It wasn’t forced, it wasn’t a copy of what he’d heard before.

“Dear Lord,

I pray for Alex in the hospital.

Help him to get better quickly.

I pray for my doctors appointments tomorrow.

I pray for my swallow test, I hope it goes well.

And Lord I praise you that my nursing got extended.

It’s such a blessing because my mom and dad can get some sleep.

I pray for Nanna and Grandma and Grandpa.

I hope she feels better soon.

I pray for Uncle Hu, and Aunt Sherril.

I pray that he feels better and can move from ICU soon.

And I pray for Aunt Sue.

She has surgery on Friday.

Let the surgery help her so she doesn’t have to deal with it anymore.

In Jesus name,

Amen.”

Nancy and I were blown away. We were so in awe, and completely amazed at how genuine his prayer was. It was refreshing and exciting to be a part of. I look forward to many more.

Another Deadline

2011-12-01T08:54:00.001-05:00

Tonight is our last night of nursing as approved by Medicaid. We have submitted all the paperwork for approval to continue with the overnight help. We are just waiting to hear back from them. Please pray that they come through again.

I started asking questions about Garren's swallowing earlier this week. First I asked his speech therapist. I just wondered, could there be something going on with Garren's throat that we haven't even considered? Could there possibly be some kind of blockage? Scar tissue maybe? Could there be more to this than the neurological issues we've been pointing to?

So Nancy called the ENT. He approved another swallow study and is going to see Garren again next week. The swallow study is so that the doctor will have the very latest data to work with. I know many of you have been praying for Garren to swallow. I also know that God's plan is better than our plan. My prayer now is that somehow, someway, we might discover something that can help Garren move past this.

I'll keep you updated! Thanks for praying.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T10:39:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting at the hospital watching Garren walk on the Locomat machine. He's got three therapists working with him, helping his body learn to walk. Sometimes it seems like this is taking an eternity. But looking back over the past several months we have a lot to be thankful for.

Last week while I was gone in Haiti, Garren did something pretty amazing. He surprised us all! One night, while Nancy was upstairs putting Kelsey to bed, he realized he needed a shower (of course that is an amazing realization for any 14 year old boy!)

So he went into his bathroom and got himself into the shower, washed himself, washed his hair, got dressed, brushed his teeth, and brushed his hair...all by himself. Garren has really begun to become more independent. He continues to surprise us with the things he does. He baked cookies and brought them to me when they picked me up from the airport.

The other night I gave him a surprise. I rented one of his favorite Xbox 360 video games. It's one he's been asking for. I wanted to see if he would play it before I paid the money to buy it. Amazingly, he hasn't stopped playing it since I brought it home! He's pretty good at it too (don't tell him it's good therapy).

We have a lot to be thankful for. And though we know that God isn't finished with Garren, we do want to remember to give Him the glory for all He has done.

I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!

Another Baby Step

2011-11-10T21:29:00.001-05:00

Remember the tarsorrhaphy? The procedure where the eye doctor stitched Garren's left eye partially shut because he wasn't strong enough on that side of his face to shut it himself? Well today the doctor decided that Garren's eye has gotten strong enough to function properly...so he removed the stitches. Another baby step toward recovery. It's so great to see Garren's eyes both open and looking normal.

Just when it feels like things aren't changing, God gives us a little glimpse of hope.

Grateful

2011-11-08T07:56:00.003-05:00

It's easy to get caught up in what isn't changing for Garren. It's so easy to take for granted all the good things that God is doing. Garren is still continuing to progress...slowly but surely. Here are a few things I've noticed recently:

Garren's fine motor function is fine tuning. He is able to pick up a cup and set it back down without spilling it.
Garren is able to high five without missing 5 times before hitting his target. He can usually hit his target the first time.
Garren is getting strong. We wrestled on the floor the other night. That's the first time in 9 months that I have gotten to love on my son that way. He had me working pretty hard!
Garren is able to use his iPad now. He plays games and posts on Facebook regularly. He is able to tap and touch the screen with hardly any trouble at all.

As we continue to pray for Garren's swallowing to come back, I don't ever want to seem ungrateful for all that God has done and continues to do in Garren's healing process.

Not Yet

2011-11-05T08:46:00.001-04:00

I woke up tentatively expectant on Friday morning. Nancy woke up excited, like a kid on Christmas. Prayer is a funny thing. Many of you joined us yesterday in praying, fasting, and crying out to our God for a miracle. "Please God, let Garren swallow!"

I'd love more than anything to be writing about how God did perform a miracle...that Garren suddenly started swallowing, that he not longer needs to spit, that he finally slept through the night with no need for constant observation.

But I can't. Because that didn't happen.

"If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God." - E. Stanley Jones

Prayer is not about me. Prayer is about God. This is not easy to understand, nor is it easy to accept. I want what I want and I want it now. I have plans. I have good ideas. I know what's best for me!

But once again I'm reminded that it's not about me.

I know God put it on my heart to spend a day in focused and intentional prayer for Garren. I am so thankful for the number of people who joined us in that yesterday. I trust that as you "pulled" on your "boathook" that God was able to align your will with His will.

We will continue to pray for Garren's complete healing. We will continue to trust that God's plan is better than our plan - every time. Thank you for being a part of our special day yesterday. Thank you for your continued prayers.

A Call to Pray and Fast

2011-10-31T12:40:00.002-04:00

It's been about two weeks since I posted anything here. I was away last week in Haiti, and the week before was full of preparations for the trip. We had a great trip. Learned new things, saw lives transformed. I am so blessed to be used by God in this new position as Missions Pastor. I love what I am doing!

One thing I am learning more and more is the importance of prayer. I am becoming more and more aware of our need to cry out to God in our time of need. He longs for our total and complete dependence on Him, and Him alone. I look around at great men of God, and I am blown away by their simple faith, their unwavering trust in God. Rather than worry about how something will get done, they simply move forward, knowing it is God's plan, and that God will provide the resources! Just takes steps. Just follow and obey.

This Friday, November 4th, marks 9 months since Garren ate his last Toaster Strudel. 9 months ago this Friday is when Garren went into the hospital. So much has happened, he has come such a long ways. He is getting stronger everyday. He is getting closer and closer to walking again. But his ability to swallow is a big concern for me. Since we cannot see into his throat, it's hard to know if or how much his ability to swallow is improving.

I'd like to ask you to join me this Friday in a day of prayer and fasting for Garren's ability to swallow. I am going to skip dinner on Thursday night, and fast from food for 24 hours. I will spend as much time in prayer as I can during those 24 hours. I am crying out to God for a miracle, for a marked change in Garren's swallow. Will you join me? I look forward to seeing God move in a big way.

Thank you.

Huge Praise

2011-10-14T21:14:00.001-04:00

A big thank you to each of you for your prayers. Today is the last day that our primary insurance is going to cover home nursing for Garren. However, we found out today that Medicaid approved 12 hours of home nursing per day through December 1. That is truly a blessing. We don't feel like we get enough rest as it is. I'm glad we don't have to try and figure out how to manage taking turns staying awake all night!

God is good, and we are thankful for this answer to prayer.

Big Step

2011-10-12T11:21:00.000-04:00

Today is a big step. Garren is at school without me, without Nancy. This is the first time since February 4 that we have left Garren with someone other than family for such an extended period of time. The reality is, I think Nancy and I are more nervous than Garren.

His assistant is very nice. She will work well with Garren. As much as he hates school (what 14 year old boy doesn't), I think he's ready for a break from mom and dad.

This afternoon Garren will go for his second workout at Race to Walk. I went with him on Monday, and wow - that place is awesome! They are all very friendly, and very knowledgable, and very upbeat and encouraging. Garren loves it too. Here are some pics of Garren in action.

Race to Walk

2011-10-08T10:42:00.000-04:00

Nancy's been working hard, scouring the internet, talking to therapists and doctors, trying to discover anything that might be out there that could help Garren continue to progress. In the last couple of weeks she came across a new opportunity located in Mooresville: Race to Walk.

Race to Walk is a gym that is devoted to providing a comprehensive, post-acute program for individuals suffering from spinal cord injuries and other related neurological disorders.

"Specializing in exercise-based training, we provide state-of-the-art equipment, strategic training techniques, in a safe, supportive environment. Our ultimate goal is to assist each client towards attaining their own personal goals. We will work together to maximize physical health and well-being in a quest for ultimate functional outcome and an improved quality of life."

We made an appointment for an initial assessment, and took Garren on Thursday. We met several of the trainers, and got a tour of the gym. Then they did an assessment to see what Garren could do, and to get a starting point for his training.

We go back on Monday for his first workout. Garren is really looking forward to this. When you walk in, it looks like a gym (instead of a hospital). The people that work there are trainers, with expertise in therapy, and a strong background in sports and physical training. The guy that assessed Garren played collegiate football. Nancy and I explained that Garren is used to being pushed - hard - on the the field in football practice. The trainer promised us (and Garren) that he would be pushed - hard.

The plan is to take Garren twice a week for a 2 hour workout each time. It's a 1 hour drive each way, so this is a huge time commitment. I think it will be worth it. Also, it is not covered by insurance, so the cost is entirely out of pocket. Again, worth it.

And just a quick update on school. An assistant has been hired. She's very nice, and is willing to work with us to make sure Garren has the best possible school experience. Because of the travel time required to get Garren to Race to Walk, Garren will be attending school on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so he can workout on Tuesday and Thursday.

I attended school with the assistant this past Wednesday to help get her oriented. There's no school on Monday, so Garren will start with his new assistant on Wednesday. That'll be a big day for all of us.

Wait!

2011-10-03T07:09:00.003-04:00

Waiting. I don't like to wait. I don't know many people who do. Waiting is hard to do. We want it now. Everything around us tells us we can have it now, overnight, without any waiting. But life with God doesn't work that way. We are on a journey, and God uses waiting to teach us. It is through waiting that we learn patience. It is through waiting that we learn total dependence on God. Total dependence on God is what He wants from us.

Andrew Murray, in his book "Waiting on God," wrote:

"All the exercises of the spiritual life, our reading and praying, our willing and doing, have their very great value. But they can go no farther than this, that they point the way and prepare us in humility to look to and depend alone upon God Himself, and in patience to wait His good time and mercy."

Waiting is a necessary part of growth. We must learn to wait upon the Lord.

So we wait for Garren to heal. We do everything we know to do, but there comes a point when we have to put it in God's hands, and trust Him, and wait on Him.

Garren does continue to progress. He makes small but forward progress. We are very thankful for that. We found out recently that the insurance company has decided that Garren no longer needs overnight nursing care. We are not so sure about that. Without the ability to swallow, someone has to watch and make sure he doesn't choke on his own saliva while he is sleeping. We are waiting to hear if Medicare will cover nursing care. If not, come mid-October we will be having to figure out how to stay up with Garren.

My fervent prayer has been that Garren would start swallowing. This would just change everything. I have met so many of you who tell me you are still praying daily for Garren. We thank you so much for that. As you continue to pray, pray that Garren will swallow.

Close Call

2011-09-24T21:50:00.002-04:00

Garren loves his bike.

Yesterday, once the rain stopped, we took off on a ride through the neighborhood. Kelsey just learned this week to ride without training wheels, and she was joining us. Me, Kelsey, and Garren headed out for a great time together.

We turned the corner, and headed up the hill toward the community pond. We had to stop and wait for the UPS truck to pass by, then we continued on our way. As we came over the top of the hill, Kelsey sped on ahead of us. I waited for Garren to reach the top, then we started to head down the hill. Gravity began pulling us downthe hill, faster and faster. Garren's hair was flying back, his eyes had a look of excitement. I rode beside him watching the speedometer on my bike.

"Garren, we're up to 9 miles per hour."

Kelsey was almost to the bottom of the hill.

"10...11"

Then I looked over and saw Garren begin to wobble. Then in an instant he overcorrected and flipped the bike. He hit his head hard. Then slid to a stop with the bike on top of him. I jumped off my bike and ran over to him.

"O God, let him be ok!"

He was unresponsive. I got the bike off of him and stretched him out. My first aid training from years ago told me to keep his head and neck immobile. I talked to him. "Garren, Garren, can you hear me?"

I looked up to see Kelsey running toward us. "Kelsey, go home right now. Get Mom and tell her to come the the pond immediately!"

"Ok," she said, and started running home.

"Kelsey, ride your bike home, and tell Mom to come to the pond right away."

"Ok," and off she went.

"Do you guys need any help?" the UPS man was coming toward me.

"Yes. We need an ambulance. He's not responding to me."

I continued talking to Garren. After about a minute he started to wake up.

"Garren, it's ok, don't move."

He started raising his arms above his head, and tried to push me away.

"Garren. It's ok, don't move. I've got you."

As he came to I started asking him questions.

"Do you know what happened? Do you know where you are?"

No.

"You were riding your bike, and you crashed.do you remember riding your bike?"

No.

"Do you know your name?"

"Garren Michael Janes."

"do you know your birthday?"

"February 12, 1997."

"Good, now do you remember what happened?"

No.

I explained what was going on. The medics arrived, then the ambulance.

"Dad, Are you going to go with me?"

"Yes Garren. I'll be with you the whole time."

They strapped him on a backboard, put him on a stretcher, and as they raised the stretcher to roll him away, Garren said "Dad, I've always wanted to do this."

"Do what Garren?"

He lifted his right arm up and gave a thumbs up to everyone. I knew right then that he was going to be fine. As we loaded into the ambulance, he said "Dad, at least I'll remember riding in the ambulance this time."

We got to the hospital, talked to the doctor, and then waited for hours to get a CT Scan and some xrays. While we waited, Garren kept finding more cuts and scrapes. "Cool, that's a good one. Awesome, look at that blood. This is going to make a great story!"

And a great story it is. Garren's xrays all checked out just fine. No broken bones, no side effects. Yes, he was wearing a helmet. By the time we left the hospital he could even remember the moments leading up to the crash.

When we got home, I gave Kelsey a big hug. "Kelsey, I'm so proud of you. You were such big girl, riding home and getting help. Good work!"

She told me her side of the story, and showed me how fast she pedaled to get home.

What a story. And thank you God that it wasn't a disaster.

And Garren still loves his bike.

Let's Ride

2011-09-22T06:56:00.000-04:00

I wasn't expecting it to get here for another week. When FedEx showed up at the door, part of me wanted to ask him to bring it back next week! I reluctantly signed and accepted the package.

I had made a deal with Garren that if he did 50 sit-ups and 15 push-ups that we would order the recumbent tricycle. He had done 27 sit-ups and 15 push-ups just the night before. I knew he would build up to it. And he was so determined! And now the bike was sitting on my front porch. What to do? Hide it until he does the sit-ups? No way! I brought the package into the living room. "Garren - Look at this!" He turned, looked, and I wish you could've seen his eyes! "Awesome! But...I haven't done 50 sit-ups yet."

I know.

"You will" I said. "Let's go ahead and put it together and try it out!"

So like a couple of kids at Christmas we assembled the bike, and took it out for a spin. Amazing! Garren LOVES it. He rides all over the neighborhood. He's free! All he wants to do now is go outside and ride that bike. And the bonus is this - it's great therapy for him. As I watch him pedal around, all I can think about is 7 months ago as he lay in the hospital bed, wondering if he would even live. And now look! God truly is amazing - and we truly are thankful.

Is That the Top?

2011-09-19T08:45:00.002-04:00

About a month ago our family traveled to Colorado. While we were there, I spent as much time as I could hiking and climbing mountains. On one morning, Kelsey, our 6 year old, was up early with me, so I talked her into going on a short hike with me. We set off to climb Lily Mountain. It's about 2 miles up, and 2 miles down. And being a mountain, it's uphill all the way.

We packed our water, some snacks for the trail, and drove to the trailhead. We were off. The weather was absolutely beautiful. The sky was clear and the air was crisp. We began our ascent. As we walked, we talked, looked at flowers, and spotted birds and chipmunks along the way. We were having a great time. About 10 minutes into what would be about a 2 hour hike, Kelsey started asking "Is that the top?" I patiently answered, "No Kelsey. You'll know when we are at the top, because we won't be able to go up any higher." I said "Look ahead, see how there are trees and rocks higher than we are? The top is up there somewhere."

So we walked on, and about 3 minutes later I heard "Is that the top?" I again tried to explain to her that we were nowhere near the top, and that it would be better if we didn't keep asking. "Let's just enjoy the hike." But to a 6 year old, I guess enjoying the hike means asking "Is that the top?" every 50 yards. And she did. We walked and talked, and she continued to ask "Is that the top?"

As Kelsey continued to ask the big question, I couldn't help but think about our life over these last 7 months. God has taken us on quite the journey - an unbelievable hike up what sometimes seems to be a mountain with no top. We question God's work in our lives. We press forward, though the journey is tough. We all have troubles, struggles, hard times - whatever you want to call it. Life is not easy. But we must press forward, we must keep taking steps with the hope that eventually we'll reach the top. As Kelsey continued to ask "Is that the top?" I couldn't help but wonder "How many times have I asked God 'Is this the top? Can we head back down now?'" And how many times must God be looking down at me, patiently, lovingly, saying "Geoffrey, you'll know when we get to the top. For now, let's just enjoy this walk together."

Eventually, Kelsey and I did make it to the top of Lily Mountain. It was worth every step. We had a great time that day. I will not soon forget the lesson I learned. Stop asking God if that's the top. No matter how hard it gets, or how impossible life seems, just enjoy being with your Father, right where He has you right now.

Busy

2011-09-15T21:49:00.002-04:00

A lot has been going on. Between school, therapy, and doctor's appointments for Garren, and my work schedule, things have been non-stop. Garren and I are going to school twice a week now. I sit with him in class and take notes. I help him take tests by writing his answers for him. Nancy and I spend time with him at home helping him with his homework.

The other day I found a three wheeled recumbent bicycle that I thought Garren might be able to ride. So I showed him a picture of it on the internet. He got so excited about it, he wouldn't stop talking about it. He kept asking if we could get it. So I told him when he could do 15 push ups and 50 sit-ups, we would buy it. He said "Let's go!" "Right now?" "Yep!"

So I got him on the mat, and he did 20 sit-ups and 10 push-ups! That was a week ago. Yesterday he was up to 15 push-ups and 27 sit-ups. He is so motivated! And the work out is excellent for him! Along with that, he's started traveling to CMC Main in Charlotte to workout on the Lokomat. It's a million dollar machine that is designed to retrain his muscles to walk again. We are seeing continued progress in him. It's awesome!

Tomorrow it's back to school. The school is working right now to hire an assistant to be with Garren at school. That should happen in the next couple of weeks. Once the assistant is hired it looks like Garren will begin going to school 5 days a week. What a huge step!

In the mean time, I guess I better work on my own homework and note-taking skills!

Swallow Study

2011-09-10T07:48:00.002-04:00

We took Garren on Tuesday to have another swallow study done. This is the test where they xray his throat while he tries to swallow a pudding like substance laced with barium. The speech therapist who has been working with him for that last couple of month wanted to see if anything had changed since the last study.

Last time the study revealed that the epiglotis wasn't working. The epiglotis is what folds down to cover your airway when you swallow. Also, last time, the substance slid to the back of his throat, and sliped right into his airway - no cough, no reaction of any kind.

So this time we weren't really sure what to expect. They got him all set up, put me and Nancy behind the lead wall of safety, and we watched the tv monitor with anticipation. The therapist put the pudding his mouth, and Garren started to swallow. He was able to control it, and push it to the back of his throat. He tried several times, you could see him pushing. But eventually it spilled over into his airway.

There are a series of sphincters that lead from the back of the mouth to the esophagus. When food hits this area, these sphincters work to push the food downward, into the esophagus, and then into the stomach. These sphincters didn't move at all.

The good news is, there was more control and more movement in Garren's mouth as he tried to push the pudding down. What we are seeing is the result of the injury to his brain. It's a neurological issue, and it still has time to heal. We will continue to work with therapy. One of his doctors said "This is not the timet o back off." We are in a crucial phase, and we have to throw everything we can at this. So we will.

His speech therapist has been great. She did some research and has found a couple of programs that we are looking into.

Thanks for continuing to pray. Pray that Garren's connection between his brain and his throat continues to heal. Pray that the connection will rebuild, that his swallow will heal.

"It's School!"

2011-09-05T08:06:00.002-04:00

We made it through the first day of school. It wasn't so bad. In fact, everything went really well. We met the assistant principal in the main office and she took us to Garren's first class - Earth Science. The teacher was great. He was teaching about conversions (cm to mm, and stuff like that). We had a worksheet to practice, which I helped Garren with (he did the work, I just wrote his answers). Then he gave a practice quiz.

The next class was English. Vocab, grammer, The Odyssey - fun! Well, Garren didn't think so, but what are you gonna do? Next was Principles of Business. Garren got a laptop, and the assignment was to read a news related article, and write about it. He went straight to a sports story about college football. After lunch, we went to PE. We observed for about 30 minutes, then headed home.

Everyone was so helpful. The faculty and staff are really doing a great job at helping Garren get back into the swing of things. I asked Garren how he felt about being at school. He said "It's school, I'm not going to like it either way." That's Garren. He hasn't changed a bit!

Garren's going to do great. It's going to be a bit more work for us (nothing new there), helping him with homework and classwork, but I am really looking forward to seeing him get back into the classroom. The school is in the process of interviewing and hiring an assistant to help Garren throughout the day.

Thanks for your continued prayers as we enter yet another phase of recovery.

First Day of School

2011-08-31T08:15:00.004-04:00

We met Garren's homebound teacher yesterday. We are so blessed to have such great people working with us at Piedmont High School. She came to the house and worked with Garren for a little while. Then we talked about our plan and goals for Garren regarding school.

Friday I am taking Garren to school for a visit. We are going to go through and visit his classes, following his schedule. Yes, I'm going back to high school. I'm not sure what to think about that. Last time I was in high school all I wanted to do was get out of there! (I just hope I don't get sent to the principal's office like I used to!)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Garrison. Garrison is one of the many children at our church who has been praying for Garren every day since he went into the hospital in February. The faithfulness of these young kids continues to amaze me. Thanks Garrison!

Continue to pray for the assistant that will be hired to work with Garren at school. A perfect fit will be crucial to the success of Garren's reentry into school. I know God already has that special person picked out. Pray for the wisdom of those at the school who will be interviewing and hiring this person.

And one more thing - don't forget to come out and eat at Jersey Mike's Subs in Monroe on Friday! They will be donating 20% of the proceeds to help cover Garren's medical expenses.

Transitioning

2011-08-29T08:25:00.002-04:00

We met with the staff at Piedmont on Friday morning about Garren returning to school. Here's the plan we came up with. Effective immediately, Garren will be considered "homebound," meaning he will have a homebound teacher who will begin guiding his studies at home. Meanwhile, the school is going to locate an "assistant," someone who will be able to assist Garren throughout the day when he does begin attending classes.

We had requested that I be able to attend classes with Garren initially, to help him with the transition, and to help train the assistant. At first there seemed to be a bit of reluctance, but we've been able to come to a compromise. While Garren is still considered "homebound," he and I will be permitted to "visit" his classes, so he can go ahead and get used to being in the classroom, and start being around his friends again. Once the assistant is located, I will be permitted to attend along with Garren and the assistant until we feel that Garren is transitioning well.

I don't really foresee any major challenges. The staff at Piedmont has been very gracious and welcoming. I am looking forward to seeing Garren transition back into his school.

You can pray for a great fit in the assistant. It's always an adjustment when it comes to finding someone to work with this closely. Pray that Garren is assigned someone with a personality that fits his. Also, pray for us as we figure out the best way to help Garren succeed in school. This is a big step for us all.

Jersey Mike's Subs - Fundraiser for Garren

2011-08-27T08:14:00.005-04:00

I was approached recently by Jersey Mike's Subs in Monroe about doing a spirit night fund raiser for Garren. They want to donate 20% of the proceeds toward Garren's medical expenses.

Why don't you come join us? Friday, Sept 2, from 4-7pm. When you order, tell them you are there to support Garren.

Here's the flyer with all the details.

Back to School

2011-08-24T21:25:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is the first day of school for our kids. I know a lot of you are probably wondering what Garren will be doing about school. Well here's the plan. We will be meeting with several staff members at Piedmont High School on Friday morning to determine the best way to move forward. So while Kara and Kelsey's summer ends today, Garren gets one more day.

We are not sure exactly what will happen. We will be discussing on Friday, and hopefully determine, at least for now, what's best for Garren. This could mean Garren goes to school every day, or that he is home schooled, or some combination. One thing is for sure, whatever we decide to do will likely change as we move forward and Garren continues to progress.

Garren is continuing to do great. His speaking has gotten much clearer. He continues to crack us up with his witty sarcasm. And he does things that take us by surprise. This morning, Garren was sleeping, and Nancy was sitting in the living room. She heard him call out to her, so she went in to see what he needed. When she walked into his room, she found Garren sitting up, with his feet on the floor. He had gotten stuck at the foot of his bed, with his hips wedged between the bed rail and the foot of the bed! She said "What are you doing?" Garren said "I had to pee real bad!" He was somehow going to try to get to the bathroom, by himself! Crazy boy!

And We're Back...

2011-08-22T14:59:00.003-04:00

Well, we're back from our amazing trip to Colorado. We all had a wonderful time. Everything went very smoothly. The plane trip was great, the airline employees were all super helpful, although I think we could all do without the excessive baggage fees! The rental company was super helpful. He was there waiting for us at the airport in Denver with the van and the power chair that we rented. He met us again when we left a week later to pick up the van and the chair. Super friendly and amazing service.

The cabin we stayed in was not designed with a wheelchair in mind, but we made it work. I figured out that we could line up the ramp with the cabin door, so Garren could drive right out of the van into the cabin. Not ideal, but it worked!

Garren had some great fun driving that chair all over Colorado. He learned how to get stuck, and we learned how to get him unstuck.

And the reason we went in the first place - the wedding. My niece Tiffany married the love of her life, Rocky. The wedding was outside, with the Rocky Mountains as the backdrop. I think more couples should ask me to marry them in the Rocky Mountains! The weather was great all week, until 4pm on Friday, the exact time fo the wedding, a thunderstorm rolled in. No big deal though, we just waited for the storm to pass, then went out in the wet field and held the ceremony. It was a great time.

This week we are gearing up for school. We will meet Friday with the school staff to determine the best way to handle school for Garren. Please pray that we are able to come up with the best solution for him.

Cleared for Takeoff

2011-08-11T08:43:00.003-04:00

Sunday we are embarking on an adventure. It would've been a pretty big adventure 6 months ago, when things were "normal." But now, with added challenges, it's even bigger. My niece is getting married in Colorado next Friday. She asked me to perform the ceremony. We've been planning this trip for almost a year.

Garren has been doing great at night, keeping his oxygen levels up on his own, coughing and clearing his lungs and throat on his own. The doctors have all cleared him to fly, and to spend a week at 8500 feet above sea level. We were able to rent a wheelchair, and a wheelchair van in Denver. The van and chair will be at the airport to meet us when we get there. We even have night nursing care for the time we are in Colorado. God is so good!

We arrive on Sunday, and Monday Kara and I will be setting out to climb Long's Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. The peak is at 14,259 feet above sea level. We'll hike to the Boulderfield campground, elevation 13,281 ft, spend the night, then climb to the summit on Tuesday morning.

We are all looking forward to a change of scenery, and some family time away from it all.

Proprioception

2011-08-09T20:02:00.005-04:00

That's the name of Garren's latest challenge. Proprioception is the ability to know where you are in space. It's what allows you to be able to walk without falling over, to write with a pencil without breaking the lead, or to hold a styrofoam cup without crushing it. Without proprioception it's impossible to "walk and chew gum" at the same time.

Garren is strong. He can stand, he can push himself up from sitting with his arms. He can almost beat me at arm wrestling. His strength is returning more and more each day. But he cannot hold himself in a standing position without falling over. He has a hard time grasping objects, especially with his left hand.

The good news is that proprioception is a learned skill. It's something Garren's brain and nervous system can relearn. And he will. Over time. It will just take time.

The last several nights have been really good nights for Garren. He went the entire night without oxygen last night, and only about an hour the two previous nights. His breathing is getting stronger. We are also noticing some (not a lot yet) improvement as a result of the procedure he had done on his vocal cord last week. His voice is stronger. We haven't seen a lot of progress with the swallowing. But again, this will take time.

Pray for Garren's proprioception. That should be fun for all of you with young children who have been faithfully praying for Garren. I can only imagine how they will stumble over that word!

Vocal Cord

2011-08-03T22:58:00.002-04:00

Garren is asleep tonight, he had a long day. We all did. We had to have him at the hospital at 7:30 this morning to check in and get ready for his procedure. We went through all the paperwork, signed our lives away again, met with the doctor, and then they took Garren away around 8:45.

The entire procedure only took about 15-20 minutes. The doctor injected a gel into Garren's left vocal cord. The left cord is the one that is not working. The plan is for the gel to push his left vocal cord toward the middle, so that both cords will come together more naturally. This is what protects our airways when we swallow.

The doctor came out and told us everything went as planned. Garren is not supposed to talk for the next two days...like that's possible! He's doing pretty good with that, but he has so much to say!

So we will see how this changes things for Garren. Hopefully it will help with his swallowing. It's a temporary fix, not meant to be permanent. The gel wears off usually after about 6 months. So we will continue to work with him, helping him with throat and tongue exercises, and praying for continued healing.

New Progress

2011-07-28T15:38:00.003-04:00

We took Garren to Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat today for another opinion on his swallowing and speaking problems. We figure we can't get to many opinions, and the more we ask, the more we learn, and the more help we seem to get.

We met with his doctor, who asked a lot of questions. Then he put a scope through Garren's nose and into his throat so we could see what was going on. We saw everything on a video monitor. Here's what we saw: Garren's right vocal chord is moving the way it is supposed to. Last time we looked at it, the right one had very weak movement. The left chord, however, is still not moving.

This is great news! It's progress! The doctor was very informative, and very helpful. He is going to do a small outpatient procedure on Garren next Wednesday. He's going to inject a "paste" into the left vocal chord to push it out, toward the center. This will temporarily help with swallowing and speaking, as it will help the chords to come together and seal the airway.

The doctor reassured us. He said he's seen cases like this, where one or both of the chords were not moving, or were weak. He's seen them recover fully, though it could take a year or more. Garren's young, and has that going for him as well.

We are thankful to God for more progress, even though is seems to be coming more slowly.

Slow

2011-07-26T08:17:00.002-04:00

I'm back. I was traveling last week, took another team to Haiti - this time we helped run a medical clinic. We had an amazing trip. Each team member was touched in a special way. No one returned the same. We had the privilege of giving people simple medicine that they otherwise would not be able to get. But even more importantly, we had a spiritual impact on many of them as well. Each person saw a doctor or a nurse to get help with their physical needs. And each person was prayed for individually, touching their spiritual needs. We saw several give their lives to Christ for the first time. Always a joy!

Garren is progressing, slowly. We knew the time would come when progress would slow down. The doctors and therapists all warned us. He still progresses, he is still getting stronger, but it is just a slow process. Garren continues to go to therapy 3 times a week. Now that I'm back I can get him into a routine of walking everyday. Thursday we are taking him for a speech and swallow study. We'll see what yet another opinion has to say.

We continue to press on. I recently read a book that talked about the mysterious ways of God. Sometimes we are in a fog, unable to see or understand what is going on around us. Though we can't see the end, much less the steps in front of us, we will continue to press on toward the goal. Praise be to our God and Father who has saved us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Great Night

2011-07-14T08:07:00.003-04:00

Last night Garren had one of the best nights he's had since he got the trach out. His body needs rest, and last night he got good solid sleep. When we spoke to the pulmonologist earlier this week, he told us to just go ahead and put Garren on oxygen for the entire night. This will give his body an extra boost of oxygen, allowing his body to get some good rest. Last night was the second night doing that.

Garren also started seeing his chiropractor this week. She is working on his neck and spine, focusing on those parts of the spine that effect the nerves that control swallowing and breathing.

And finally, Garren has started speech therapy again, this time at the outpatient rehab facility at CMC-Union. Yesterday he did VitalStim for 55 minutes, and did several execises during that time. The speech therapist fed Garren ice chips, and asked him to try to swallow them. About half the time he successfully swallowed the ice! She was very excited about what she saw. She wants to work with him for about a week or two, and then repeat the swallow test.

All of these components, working together, seem to have had a positive effect on Garren. It's nice to see improvement.

As you pray for Garren, here are a couple of things you can pray for specifically. Pray that he will continue to have great nights like last night, so that his body can rest and continue to heal.

In about a month we are planning to travel to Colorado for a wedding. Right now we have night nursing, but it would be ideal if we didn't have to worry about having a nurse when we travel. Pray that we will no longer need nursing when it comes time to travel.

Outpatient Therapy

2011-07-08T07:45:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Garren had his first experience with outpatient therapy. Of course, the only real difference is that we drive him to his therapy now, instead of having them come to our home. It's another step toward recovery.

He met two great therapists. They are so great to work with, and they are so eager to continue with Garren's rehab.

I've ben working with Garren's walking at home. I took him to the pool last Saturday, and helped him walk in the water. He does so well moving his legs underwater. It's so good for him. We went back on Wednesday and did the same thing. One of the lifeguards commented that she could see a difference already in his walking, that he was doing better than the last time! It's amazing to hear comments like those. I also get him walking at home with the walker. Yesterday we walked out the front door, down the front steps, down the driveway, across the street and then all the way back again. About 300 feet. He did really well, though the last 100 feet I could tell he was getting tired. The furthest he had gone before that was about 250 feet.

We're still praying, waiting, and watching to see what happens overnight, while he's asleep. He has some great nights, and then some nights where he struggle a little more. I think it's just another phase that he will grow out of, just like we've seen many times already. We will continue to pray for that.

Night Time Challenges

2011-07-06T07:08:00.002-04:00

So the trach is out. We are still very happy about that. But Garren now faces some new challenges - breathing while he's sleeping. Apparently it's pretty important! He does great when he first goes to sleep. But it seems that when he gets into a really deep sleep, he holds his breath for several minutes at a time - like he has some kind of apnea. Apnea is pretty common with brain injury. We have a nurse that stays with him overnight - and she makes sure he does continue breathing. We just need to figure out the next piece of this big puzzle. What can we do? Who do we talk to? What are the next steps? We'll be figuring that one out over the next several days.

The good news is that Garren continues to get stronger. I helped him walk, with his walker, from his bed, out the door, down the ramp to the end of the driveway. Then we turned around and walked to the front door, up the steps, and into the living room. His steps are getting stronger, his core is getting stronger. It's so amazing to see him progress.

He told us the other day that he has 3 things he needs to work on: swallowing, talking, and walking. A boy with goals - I love it!

Home Again

2011-07-02T08:55:00.002-04:00

It is so nice to wake up at home.

Garren made through the night pretty well. The nurse has to wake him up often to help him clear his throat so he can keep his airway clear. It's just a matter of time. It's a new phase of his recovery. We got rid of the trach, and now we face new and different challenges.

Another great thing about having the trach out is that Garren can go swimming. Several weeks ago Garren was asking about going to the beach. We told him that we would go after his trach came out. So the first thing he said after it came out was "we can go to the beach now!" I'm looking forward to getting him into a pool to work on some therapy. That is going to be so good for him!

We had to take the rug out of the living room. Every time he tried to drive his chair into the living room he would catch the rug, and ended up rearranging the living room every time. It was pretty funny!

Ups and Downs

2011-07-01T08:53:00.003-04:00

*** UPDATE ***

Garren is coming home today - we are thankful for that. We will have a home nurse to help us through the night, for at least a week.

***

Last night was a bit rough for Garren. Well, he sleeps through everything, so it was more rough for Nancy who was with him.

So the trach is gone - that's great. The problem is that he still doesn't swallow consistently or well. So while sleeping, fluids drain down into his lungs. With the trach we had access to clear those fluids throughout the night. Now he has to rely on coughing to clear fluids. While he's awake this is not a problem. But lying down and sleeping makes this more difficult.

We are not sure at this point whether we will be coming home today or not. We have to wait and talk to the doctor. Apparently Garren experienced "respiratory distress" during the night - which basically means he had difficulty breathing.

So the big prayer continues to be - swallowing. I'll update you as I am updated. Thanks for your prayers.

It's Gone!

2011-06-30T15:04:00.002-04:00

We are all rejoicing greatly! Garren's trach has been removed.

"Nananana, hey hey hey, goodbye!"

Garren took hold of that thing and threw it on the ground! He plans to ceremoniously run over it with his wheelchair later today!

Woohoo! What a giant step! Praise God!

Thank you all for your prayers. Obviously this is a big step for Garren. We were scheduled to go home tomorrow, but we have the option to stay over the weekend for observation if we want to. On the one hand, it would be nice to be home. On the other, having so recently removed the trach, it would be nice to be near medical attention should we need it.

Garren still is working on swallowing. His talking is getting better, a lot less spelling. He continues to talk about the tickle in his throat. We continue to pray that his throat gets stronger so he can swallow soon.

Cap Test

2011-06-29T13:36:00.003-04:00

I apologize for the delay in posting. I know many of you are on the edge of your keyboard waiting for another update. Well here goes.

Garren is continuing to run into walls and if you get in the way he will run over you in his power wheelchair. The freedom and independence it ha given him is truly amazing. He is so excited to be able to move freely about on his own. And he's getting really good and rearranging furniture. He just plows right through anything that gets in his way!

Today the pulmonologist placed a cap on Garren's trach. For the last couple of weeks, he's had a one way valve, called a Paci-Muir valve, which allows him to inhale through the trach, but the forces him to exhale through his mouth and nose. Garren has been wearing that during the day, with nothing over the trach at night. The doctor wants to leave the cap on for 24 hours to see how Garren does. basically this will simulate not having a trach, as Garren will be forced to breathe in and out through his nose and mouth. I'm not sure what a successful 24 hours will mean, but I'm guessing it has to get us closer to a trach removal! Woohoo! Continue to pray for Garren's throat and his swallow.

Tickle

2011-06-24T12:42:00.002-04:00

Yesterday our church staff spent the day in prayer and fasting. It was a day of focus and unity. It was a powerful day in ways we will not even know. I spent a good bit of time praying or Garren. At one point, I was sitting in the room with Garren, and he said "Dad, something is tickling my throat." I said "Good!" He looked at me like I was crazy. I said "That means you are starting to get feeling in your throat!" Awesome.

He is also starting to get a little bit of feeling in the lower parts of his right leg. It's coming back, little by little, bit by bit.

Garren is really having fun with his power wheelchair. He calls it his "baby." The feeling of being able to propel himself must be exhilarating.

Today Garren tried out a new machine, called a Locomat. It's like a big treadmill, with robotic attachments around his legs and a harness that hold him up. The robotic attachments move his legs as if he is walking. The idea is to retrain the muscles how they are supposed to move when you walk. He walked in it for about 8 minutes, and it really wiped him out. It's quite the contraption!

We are scheduled to go home next Friday. We continue to be amazed at what God has done and is doing in and through Garren.

Epiglottis

2011-06-22T09:15:00.002-04:00

Today they did the fees test on Garren. They put a little camera through his nose so that they could take a look at his swallow, and determine exactly what's going with his throat. Here is what they found:

The epiglottis (the little flap that covers your airway when you swallow) is not moving at all
The left vocal chord is not moving at all
The right vocal chord is weak, but it does move some

Garren cannot swallow unless the epiglottis can move. Garren cannot remove his trach or eat until he can swallow. We are being told at this point that there is nothing we can do but wait and see if it starts moving. Obviously, this is a big disappointment for Garren. Garren told Nancy yesterday that he can deal with being in a wheelchair, but that not being able to eat is nearly unbearable.

God has brought Garren so far, and though it seems slow, we have continued to see amazing progress. Pray that God will touch Garren's throat, that the epiglottis will begin moving, that Garren will regain the ability to swallow...soon.

New Ride

2011-06-21T21:40:00.002-04:00

Today I was able to get up to the hospital to spend a few hours with Garren. It's the first time in a week that I had been there, and it was great to see some of the progress he has made.

Remember several months back, when they fitted him with a wheelchair and placed the order? By the time that one was ready he had already progressed beyond it, and now needs something completely different. Who knew there were so many kinds of wheelchairs? So they re-fitted him today for two different kinds. One is motorized. They gave him a loaner today as well. He can maneuver quite well. So far he has run over Nancy's foot once, and he has bumped into a couple of walls. He wants to get some kind of sound effect (vroom, vroom!) for when he turns it on.

We are continuing to wade through the foggy waters of speech therapy and swallowing. They have done vital stem twice. No one is sure if it is effective for Garren or not. Tomorrow they are going to do a fees test - apparently that means they put some kind of scope through his nose, so they can watch his vocal chords while he tries to swallow. Hopefully this will give them some kind of answer?? Who knows. I will continue to pray that Garren's throat and vocal chords heal.

We met another family today whose 6 year old daughter is in PICU with a ruptured AVM. Their story sounds similar to ours, the injury seems to be in a similar location. They are 11 days into their journey. They are asking all the same questions we were asking back then. I pray we can be used as a positive influence for them. Please pray for this family.

Back from Haiti

2011-06-20T22:09:00.002-04:00

Just got back from my first of many trips to Haiti. Earlier this year, Pastor Rob challenged Southbrook Church to IMPACT the world by going to Haiti. Pastor Rob traveled to Haiti to meet Pastor Rene, who is a true man of God, with an amazing ministry in Haiti.

Pastor Rene grew up in Haiti. As a young boy he was being groomed and trained to become a voodoo priest. When he was just a small child, a missionary gave him a piece of candy, and began sponsoring him at $15 a month. The sponsorship covered the cost of food, clothing, and school.

When Pastor Rene was a teenager, his mother became a believer. She led him to Christ, and stopped him from becoming a voodoo priest. Since the Pastor Rene has become a major player in growing God's Kingdom in Haiti.

After completing schooling in the US, he returned to Haiti with the goal of starting 100 new churches. Today, 24 years after returning to Haiti, he has helped start 34 churches.

God is moving in a mighty way. The government is asking for Pastor Rene's help in getting Bible studies started in government buildings every day of the week. An orphanage is being built that will house 100 Haitian children. It is slated to open later this year. A new community is being planned and developed that will house families, provide farmland, a church, a school for the children, along with a Bible school for training new leaders.

Our team focused on Delmas 31 Church. This was the first of the 34 churches. Pastor Rene calls this the "mother church," because it was the first, and many of the leaders have been and are being trained out of there. As I write this, our team is helping to demolish the old building, which they have outgrown. This week they will lay the foundation for a much bigger building, which will hold up to 2500 people at a time. Once the main building is completed, a school will be built. The new school building will have classes for children, technical classes for teaching trade, and Bible classes for training church leaders. The estimated cost for the entire project is around $300,000.

I am looking forward to returning to Haiti next month. I'll be taking a team of people to help with a medical clinic. I look forward to continuing to work with Pastor Rene to reach the people of Haiti, to leave the mark of Jesus Christ, as we IMPACT the world.

Hello from Haiti

2011-06-19T20:09:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update from Haiti. The team is having a great time. We are learning a lot about the culture. And we are learning a lot about the heat! After 3 episodes of heat exhaustion, I think we have all learned that we Ned to drink a lot of water, and take a lot of breaks.

The internet is sketchy, so I haven't been able to update the blog. Right now everything seems to be working.

I am sitting by a fire in the back yard, watching corn roast. In a minute we're going to eat it.

So far this week, we have moved rock, moved roofing tin, spent some time swimming in the Carribbean Sea! I am heading home tomorrow, but the rest of the team will be here till Friday. They will be helping lay the foundation for the new Delmas 31 church. I have so much more to say about that, but will have to wait to fill you in.

I am looking forward to bringing the next 3 teams back down here. Get ready Southbrook! God has big plans for us here!

Catchin Up

2011-06-14T06:58:00.003-04:00

I slept at the hospital last night. It's hard to sleep here. They moved Garren to a different room a couple of days ago, and now we are not right behind the nurses' station. It's quieter now, but we also see less of the nursing staff. Which means when Garren's oxygen alarm beeps in the middle of the night, we end up being the ones to get up and take care of Garren, since the nurses can't hear it. I think I got up 4 times last night.

Garren is doing amazing. He sleeps very well. He doesn't even hear the alarm, or anything else. His therapies are going great! He has walked up to 150 feet at one time using the walker and some help with balance. His hips and core are getting stronger. His steps are getting straighter. His left shoulder is weaker, and he tends to drop it forward when he is concentrating on something else. They are working on strengthening that shoulder, and we can already see a difference.

Yesterday Garren was able to get himself from his bed into his wheelchair with very little assistance. He sat up, scooted over to the edge of the bed, reached over for the arm of the chair, and slid off the bed into the chair. Simply amazing.

Tomorrow at 8:30am Garren goes for another swallow test. Things are looking very positive. If he passes the test, they will begin vital stim. Garren is very excited about the test!

Yesterday we spend 3 hours with a team of people form Union County Schools. They were working on his IEP - which is basically the plan to make sure Garren has what he needs to go back to school in the fall. All the tests and evaluations that Garren went through a month or so ago were presented in the meeting. It was like reading a history book. They described what Garren was like a month ago, but it certainly isn't what he is like now. Everyone understands that when school starts in August, Garren's needs will have completely changed.

Garren is communicating much more with his voice now. We use the alphabet card much less than before. He's still full of wise cracks. It's fun to be able to have a conversation, though slow at times.

Well, I leave for Haiti in the morning. It's always hard to be away from the family, but being away now will be even harder. I won't see Garren for 5 days, so the changes will be amazing. Thanks for continuing to pray for Garren, and for our family.

Goals

2011-06-09T14:11:00.001-04:00

It's been a busy week. Garren is getting into the swing of things here at in-patient rehab. He is working hard. The therapists love working with him. They will say, "Are you ready to work some more?" and he always says "Yes!" They're not used to having such a willing victim!

Garren has a couple of very specific goals. These are nothing new, it's the same as we've had for some time. But now that he is here, the entire team is focused on helping him meet those goals.

Goal #1 - Swallow and get rid of the trach. Wren has been so great, and wants so badly to see Garren meet this goal. Of course, there are a lot of details and medical words for what Garren is currently doing and what he needs to do. I mostly just nod and smile. We had a visit from the ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) doctor last night. He put a scope through Garren's nose to see what exactly is going on in his throat. The palette is working. That's a good thing. We're told his vocal chords aren't working properly. The right side is weak, though it is moving. The left side is "paralyzed" mid way. This means that his airway does not close the way it should when he tries to swallow. There are things that can be one to help. So Garren will be working hard on these over the next couple of weeks.

Goal #2 - Walk with a walker and minimal assistance. Garren is getting stronger overtime. He can walk, with a walker and help from someone, about 100 feet. He is working on strengthening his hips, so that he can strengthen his steps. It's amazing how interconnected every part of our bodies are, and how one little thing can affect so any other things (there's a sermon in there somewhere).

The plan as of now is to keep Garren until June 24. The care team reevaluates every Thursday, so that could change. But for now they have big plans for him.

As you continue to pray for Garren, please pray for Nancy over the next week. I am going to be heading to Haiti with a team from Southbrook. I'll be gone for 5 days. This leaves Nancy with a lot of responsibility.

Let's Fill The Walls (Guest Blog from Nancy)

2011-06-06T14:51:00.003-04:00

As you know, Garren is back at Levine Children's Hospital for some awesome and intense in-house rehab. We are so excited to see what the therapists have in store for Garren and how he will respond. We thank the Lord each day for each little improvement. Somehow we ended up in the exact same room as he was in before with one big difference. It is very bare and boring. When we were in this room before we had the walls covered with the posters and cards you all had sent Garren while in ICU. Many of you have asked what can we do. Well here is an easy but important request. Let's fill Garren's walls again with color and words of encouragement. Get your kids to draw pictures (you can too of course), make a card, buy a card, whatever you like to do. You can drop it off at our house or mail it to Garren at:

Garren Janes
Room 4008
CMC-Levine Children's Hospital
1000 Blythe Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28203

Thanks so much for caring!!
Nancy

Back in Rehab

2011-06-03T20:59:00.002-04:00

We arrived at the hospital Thursday at 10am. After checking in, we headed up to the fourth floor. We found out Garren would be staying in the same room he was in before! So we walked into his room, set our things down, looked at each other and said "now what?" a few people dropped in to say hi, glad to see us back. Everyone is totally amazed at Garren. He's a completely different person than what they saw 2 months ago.

Then we waited. We found out through different conversations that they didn't know Garren was going to be there. They weren't expecting him, so they didn't have any rehab scheduled for him. Wren (speech) was able to spend some time with him. Nancy ended up spending the afternoon filling the nurses in on Garren's progress.

Friday was different. Garren was on the schedule, and it was a full schedule. Wren is excited with what she is seeing. She started doing some things with Garren to help him start swallowing. She also has other exercises to help strengthen throat and mouth muscles. Tara (OT) and Ann (PT) started working with Garren as well. They have some great ideas and some big plans. It's going to be a great stay.

Garren got a pass to leave the hospital tomorrow so he can go to a friends birthday party. He is looking forward to that.

Garren is doing great. He is enjoying his time here so far.

Here We Go!

2011-06-01T21:48:00.002-04:00

Wow. After a day of phone calls back and forth to the hospital and the insurance company, we are finally approved to readmit Garren. We report to Levine's at 10am tomorrow.

Apparently the hospital was trying to fax something to the insurance company, and the insurance company either couldn't receive it, or couldn't read it when they did receive it. A fax machine was standing between Garren and rehab...hmmm.

We are all very much looking forward to what happens next.

Come On Down!

2011-06-01T10:50:00.003-04:00

Today we are waiting for the phone to ring. Yesterday the hospital called to let us know they were discharing a patient, and once the room was available they would admit Garren. We've been back and forth with the insurance company and the hospital this morning, trying to get everyone to fill out their paperwork and get this thing official. We're just waiting for them to call and tell us to "Come on down!!"

We're all very excited about readmitting Garren to inpatient rehab. He is a little nervous, because he's really not sure what to expect. I told him to think "football camp." They'll push him to the limit, 3-4 hours each day. I can't wait to see what happens when he get there.

The golf outing is on Friday, you can still sign up today!

Then on Sunday come on out to Just Chillin' - a frozen yogurt place located near Sun Valley High School. They are going to donate 50% of the proceeds from that day to Garren's expenses. Come on out and enjoy a cold treat!

Golf Outing

2011-05-31T08:49:00.002-04:00

Don't miss out! This Friday is the Greens for Garren golf outing. A lot of work has gone into this, and I know it's going to be a lot of fun. There's still time to sign up if you want to play.

The event will be held on Friday, June 3rd at Charlotte Golf Links at 2:00 pm.

The price of admission is $85.00 which includes greens fees, cart fees, dinner, snacks, drinks and player gift bag including a Greens 4 Garren T-shirt!

For details click here: http://greens4garren.wikispaces.com/

Fishing

2011-05-29T06:42:00.006-04:00

We decided to have a family day together yesterday. It was so nice outside, I thought a trip to the park would be in order. I gave Garren the option: Francis Beatty Park in Mathews, or the Whitewater Center where we could go and watch the whitewater rafters. He chose Beatty. Then he made motions like he was fishing. We laughed and I dismissed the idea.

I had some chores to work on around the house, and about an hour later when I came back inside Nancy told me Garren wanted to ask me something. He said "Can I please go fishing?"

Now, fishing is not one of my favorite things to do. The lines get tangled, the hooks are sharp, the worms are slimy, and then when you actually catch a fish...blech...who wants to grab that thing? So I told him "Yes." Then I called my dad for assistance.

We loaded up and headed to the park. When we got there we found a nice little spot in the shade and spent the afternoon watching as the fish continuously removed the worms from our hooks. Kelsey caught one little fish, but other than that we had lots of nibbles.

It was nice to be out, to relax, to enjoy the weather, and enjoy each other.

Normal

2011-05-27T09:08:00.004-04:00

Every morning when we wake up and come downstairs, the overnight nurse fills us in on how Garren did overnight. Yesterday morning she told us that Garren did something new...he talked in his sleep. She said it looked like he was having a dream. He said "Mom" then reached up his arms in the air like he was giving a hug.

I thought about this, and wondered if he can run and jump and play in his dreams. Later, after Garren woke up, Nancy told him what the nurse had said. She asked him if he had had a dream. He said "Yes." She asked him what he was dreaming about. He said "I dreamed I was normal."

We finally got an appointment with the speech therapist who is able to do vital stim. It was an interesting visit for sure. She evaluated Garren, asking him to try different things. Finally she determined that he is not a candidate for vital stim. Vital stim, according to her, will not make someone swallow who is not already swallowing. It will help make a weak swallow stronger.

Frustrating, disappointing, confusing - that describes this whole swallowing thing for us. We get conflicting information from doctors, therapists, and well meaning nurses. There seem to be so many opinions and ideas about how to handle this with Garren. We are not going to give up though. We will continue to search for and get Garren the best help we can get. And hopefully in the mean time we'll get some clear direction from someone.

Discouraged

2011-05-25T12:21:00.005-04:00

We've entered a new phase with Garren. Reality is become more real. The long journey ahead is becoming harder to deal with. I share this with you, not so you will have pity and feel sorry for Garren, but so that you will continue to pray for and encourage him to stay strong, to keep fighting.

Earlier this week Garren told us he doesn't like therapy. I can understand why. It's hard work. I told him he needs to look at it like football practice. Even though the coaches are hard on him, they are pushing him to help him get better. He said he feels like sometimes we expect him to do things he can't do. I explained again, that yes, it may feel like that. But we are pushing him to help him get stronger. This is the first time I have seen this kind of discouragement in Garren. It's hard.

Yesterday, someone graciously offered tickets to the Coca-Cola 600 after reading this blog, and hearing Garren's story. What a generous offer! But the more Nancy and I discussed it, we're just not sure it would be a great idea. We would be in the heat of the sun for a good 4 hours, then another four hours of dark after the sun sets. I explained this to Garren, that he would probably be uncomfortable most of the time. See, this is the harshness of his reality. He is so gracious and understanding. He said "Keep the tickets and take Kara." Then he broke down. Nancy and I did to. I put my arms around him and we hugged. These are the times I want to scream. I want to go somewhere and yell. I feel an anger deep within. I just want to make it all better! Now. I told him again: "We cannot give up, we have to fight through this. God brought this into our lives, and He has a greater purpose for it. It's hard on all of us, but we realize it's hardest on you, because it happened to you. Just don't give up."

We will continue to fight. We will prevail. We will do anything and everything in our power to get Garren the best help we can find.

Right now we are waiting on two very important phone calls. One from the speech therapist who will hopefully be able to administer the vital-stim that Garren so desperately needs to be able to learn to swallow again. The other is for a bed in rehab to open up. We did find out that there will be no beds available this week. So we will wait another week.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

Miracle Miles 5K for Garren Janes

2011-05-21T15:49:00.006-04:00

The weather today was absolutely perfect. Not a cloud in the sky. We showed up at Porter Ridge High School to see about 200 people gathered around getting ready to run and walk the Miracle Miles 5K for Garren.

We all stood at the start line, and got ready to go. Garren took the bullhorn, and pressed the siren button to start the race, and off we went. I was toward the front when we started. I looked back over my shoulder as we rounded the first corner. It was an awesome sight to see so many people running and walking. There were people there that we don't even know - people who have been following Garren's story.

One of the highlights for Garren was meeting Dwight Stone. Dwight is a former Pittsburgh Steelers player. After the run he came over and met Garren, talked to him for a while, and left Garren with a whole bag of Steelers goodies.

Thank you so very much to each and every one of you who came out to support Garren today. It truly is amazing to see God's love poured out in so many special ways through you all. A special thanks to Stacy and Mary, and all those who helped them to pull the run off. It was a lot of fun!

Arteriogram

2011-05-20T12:00:00.002-04:00

Garren's arteriogram went very well. We arrived at the hospital at 6:15am and admitted him to radiology. They took us back and we got him ready for the procedure. The anesthesiologist talked to us, and then the doctor who was doing the procedure talked to us as well. They explained the whole procedure. Garren would be put to sleep to ensure that he would not move. The doctor would then insert a very small catheter into the top of Garren's right leg, right into the artery. The catheter would then travel through the artery all the way up to the base of his brain. A dye would be injected. While all of this is happening, the doctors watch on a live x-ray of Garren's head to see where the dye travels. This gives them a clear picture of the blood flow in Garren's head.

The procedure went as planned, and the doctor reported back to us that there was nothing of concern. Everything looks really good for Garren. Praise the Lord! That is great news!

They had to keep Garren in the hospital for observation until 5pm. He wasn't allowed to get out of bed until we were ready to leave. But two movies and a few sitcoms later, we made it home at last.

This morning Amy Cowman from WCNC TV came to interview us. She is doing a story on Garren. I am looking forward to seeing it on TV. It will air tonight at either 4, 5 or 6pm, and then again in the morning sometime in the 6 o'clock and 7 o'clock hours. If you are not able to catch the story live, I will have a link on this blog so you can catch it later.

I hope you are planning to come out and run or walk with us tomorrow morning. If you haven't registered yet, you can get to Porter Ridge High School at 7am and register. The run starts at 8.

If you're not a runner, maybe you'd rather go golfing? Greens 4 Garren will be held on June 3 at Charlotte Golf Links at 2pm. There are still plenty of spots, but sign up soon!

Bronchoscopy

2011-05-18T16:10:00.003-04:00

We got to the hospital in plenty of time for Garren's bronchoscopy this morning. We checked in, filled out paperwork, and waited. Dr. Huffard came to talk to us about Garren and the procedure. He said that after reviewing the notes from Garren's swallow test that he didn't really think taking the trach out at this time would be a very good idea. If Garren isn't swallowing, then not having access to his airway would not be a good option.

We discussed the options, and decided to wait. We didn't even do the bronchoscopy. Dr. Huffard did prescribe a "Passy-Muir" valve, also called a "speaking" valve. This is a small valve that attaches to Garren's trach, allowing him to breathe in through the trach, and out through the mouth. This will help him as he begins to learn how to swallow again.

We also asked Dr. Huffard about Garren's swallowing. There is a rehab technique called "vital-stim" which is used to help people with swallowing. You have to be specially trained and certified to do this, so it is rather difficult to find a speech therapist that uses this technique. From everyone we've talked to, It sounds like Garren would really benefit from vital-stim. Dr. Huffard is going to help get us connected with someone who can help Garren with this.

Here's what I explained to the doctor: Anytime anyone has "taught" or "shown" Garren how to do something, he seems to pick it up very quickly. It's as though he literally has to be reminded how to do things. Once he he reminded, things seem to progress. I want someone who can show Garren how to swallow, to wake up those muscles, to remind him how it works, so his brain can take back over that function. So Lord willing, we will find that person who will take agressive and proactive steps to get Garren's swallow going again.

This afternoon Garren was in the garage (which has become his therapy gym). The OT and PT were there, and I was helping out. As he was doing some exercises, he become visibly upset. We stopped so we could figure out what was wrong. "Does anything hurt?" No. "Do you feel sick?" No. In the street we could hear a couple of his buddies laughing and having a good time. Garren spelled out for us "I want to play." I haven't hurt for him this much in a while. We've been doing our thing, we've been working hard, and he's been progressing so well and so quickly. I hugged him, I told him that he's doing great, and I fought back the tears.

Tomorrow we go in super early for Garren's arteriogram. It will be interesting to see the results of this test. Thanks for your prayers, I'll keep you posted.

Come Run With Us!

2011-05-16T21:32:00.003-04:00

Don't forget to come out and join us this Saturday for the Miracle Miles 5K run for Garren. We're going to have a fun morning, walking or running 5K out at Porter Ridge High School. I hope you will join us!

You can click here to register ahead of time. You don't have to register ahead of time, but it would be helpful for the event coordinators to know who to expect. You don't even have to run, or walk. Just come out and join the fun!

It all starts at 8am. I hope to see you there!

Thankful

2011-05-14T08:54:00.002-04:00

Last fall Garren pulled a hamstring. It was the last football game of the season, so he didn't miss any games. But basketball tryouts were the following week. Garren could barely walk, let alone try out for basketball. He was so frustrated, sitting on the couch while all his buddies were out in the driveway playing basketball.

When this happened to Garren, that was one of the thoughts that kept coming back to Nancy and me. Garren couldn't stand being off his feet for a couple of weeks, how's he going to deal with this?

I took Kara to get her driver's license this week. It's great on the one hand, having another driver in the house. It's quite scary on the other hand. The number one cause of teen deaths in North Carolina is car crashes. It's a risk, letting someone so young and inexperienced out on the roads. So my radar is up, and of course I tend to notice the news stories about teen drivers in car crashes now. As we were taking Garren to the doctor this past week, I was telling Nancy about one such tragic story - a little 4th grade girl in the hospital, a 17 year old young man killed, and a young driver who has to live with that guilt. When I finished telling the story, Garren started spelling out a message to Nancy:

"I should be thankful that didn't happen to me."

I was driving, I could hardly hold back the tears. My son - who just last fall couldn't stand sitting on the couch with a pulled hamstring - is sitting in a wheelchair having to relearn how to do everything. And he just told us how thankful he is that he wasn't in a tragic car crash...

Philippians 2:14 says "Do all things without grumbling or complaining." I can honestly say that Garren is a living testimony of this verse. He never complains. He doesn't give up. He pushes hard. He is so strong! I complain, all the time. Garren just does what needs to be done. He gets frustrated when we have trouble communicating. He gets annoyed with some of the nurses sometimes. He jokes about eating all the time. But he never complains.

Kind of puts a different perspective on things, doesn't it?

Swallow Testing

2011-05-13T14:13:00.003-04:00

***I’ve been wanting to post this update since yesterday afternoon. However, the Blogger site has been having some kind of problems...sorry for the delay.***

Yesterday we took Garren back tot he eye doctor for another follow up visit. Praise the Lord - the doctor is very pleased. Garren's eye is healing well.

Thank you for your prayers as Garren went in to have his swallow test yesterday. Unfortunately, he has not progressed with the swallowing as we had hoped. They put an x-ray machine up to his throat, and I gave him a small bite of pudding. It was kind-of cool to watch the x-ray. We could see the pudding in his mouth, and then we watched as it when down into his throat. The pudding very clearly went into Garren’s airway. He didn’t react, he didn’t cough, he didn’t gag.

The result doesn’t really tell us anything, except that right now Garren is not swallowing properly. Time will tell if this function will return. I am convinced that part of the issue for Garren is that he has no feeling in his throat. He cannot feel the food in the back of his throat, so he doesn’t react when it goes into his airway. He has told us that most of his face is numb, and most of his right side is numb as well. Feeling can return, but it takes time.

In the mean time, we are going to search high and low for the best speech and swallow therapy we can find, and we will do everything we can to get Garren progressing in that area.

Kara and Kelsey went on Wednesday for their MRIs. That was an interesting experience. Kelsey went first, after some coaxing. She was all for it until she saw the big machine. Then she finally agreed to get in and give it a try. She’s 6. She can’t sit still at the dinner table. For an MRI you have to remain perfectly still for about 30 minutes. She laid down and didn't move for the entire time (all without sedation!) She did great...at least until they decided to inject her with some fluid for another type of imaging. She wasn’t expecting needles! Kara went next, and she did great as well. She wasn’t to excited about the needle either, but she took it well.

We got a call from the doctor later that afternoon. Both girls are clear. The MRIs came back with no issues. We are thankful to God for that.

Upcoming Tests and Procedures

2011-05-11T06:58:00.002-04:00

It is crazy how busy things are. Nancy and I are constantly doing something. Now that Garren is fully aware, and communicating, one of us is nearly always with him. He has so much to say! He is so patient. He never complains. He looks forward to getting better. He asks questions about upcoming tests and procedures. He corrects our math when we are trying to help him with school work.

In the next couple of weeks there are a lot of exciting appointments coming up for Garren:

Thursday - swallow test, to see how well he is swallowing, and to help determine if the trach is ready to come out.
Next Wednesday - Bronchoscopy, to check his airway and decide if it's time to take the trach out - Garren is really excited about that day!
Next Thursday - Arteriogram, the neuro-surgeon is going to examine Garren's brain to make sure there is nothing left of the AVM. If he finds anything they will determine the best way to remove it.

Today Kara and Kelsey are going to get MRI's. Are AVM's hereditary? It depends who you ask. There is no solid evidence that they are or are not. Our primary care physician highly recommended that we have the girls checked, just for peace of mind.

And one more thing! It is very likely that Garren will be readmitted into inpatient rehab in about 2 weeks. The doctors and therapist are very impressed with the progress they are seeing in Garren. They really think that Garren would benefit greatly from some intense inhouse therapy. We are all very excited about this one. Pray that it all works out, that insurance and paperwork all gets worked out.

Semi-Formal Dance

2011-05-08T18:03:00.008-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Garren said he would go to the 8th grade semi-formal dance if he could walk. Though Garren is working hard, and is able to walk with a walker and a lot of support, he decided to go to the dance anyway. And I am so glad he did! It was so good - for him, and for all of his friends who were there.

We started the evening out meeting with a group downtown Monroe for a pre-dinner photo shoot. They posed, smiled, laughed - and we the parents took all kinds of pictures. They all looked so good, dressed up so nicely.

Then we went to Takara Japanese Steakhouse for dinner. Now you must understand - we gave Garren the option of not going. But he insisted. He wanted to be there with his friends. Even though he couldn't eat anything, he wanted to hang out with everyone. It was fun, and he enjoyed being there.

After dinner we headed to the dance. Nancy and I weren't sure what to expect. We weren't sure how Garren would do with the number of students that would be there. We walked in, and as we were headed toward the door, word began to spread: "Garren's here!" People started to crowd around the door, everyone trying to come out at once, everyone trying to get a view of Garren.

"Everybody back up, he's coming in."

As we walked in the door, everyone started clapping. It brought tears to my eyes. I looked up and saw a couple of other adults with tears in their eyes as well. Once inside, several friends would crowd around, say hi to Garren, then take off. This happened several times with several groups. Then we were alone, just me and Nancy and Garren. I asked Garren where he wanted to go, so we ended up sitting next to the dance floor. Several more friends would stop by to say hi, then we would be left alone again. After about 20 minutes, I asked Garren what he wanted to do. He shrugged. I said "If you want to go somewhere, or do something, just tell me."

A few minutes later, he pulled out his alphabet sheet, and started spelling. "You can stay here, and Katherine can push me around." (Katherine was Garren's date.) Ok. I asked just to be sure, "You want Katherine to push you around?" "Yes." I asked Katherine - and she smiled, big. Of course! Off they went. Next thing I knew, Garren was on the dance floor, surrounded by friends. They were all laughing, talking, dancing, and having a good time. (Who wants to hang out with their dad at the 8th grade dance anyway?)

We ended up staying to the end, and Garren loved every minute of it. It was so good for him to get away from Mom, Dad, nurses and doctors for a little while. His friends were great! They loved on him, and welcomed him into their conversations without hesitation. All in all, it was an amazing night.

How Fast?

2011-05-05T20:35:00.002-04:00

I could get used to days like this. We made it to the pulmonologist (lung doctor). He came in, took one look at Garren and said "So, does he still need that trach?" Nancy and I looked at him and I said "Well, that's what we're hoping you can tell us!"

So we talked for a few minutes, talked about Garren's progress and what he's been doing. After some discussion the doctor looked at me and said "How fast do you want to make this happen?" I was thinking "Are you kidding? How fast? How about yesterday?" I said "As fast as we can!" He left and came back with a smaller size trach. He explained that he would change Garren's trach to the smaller size, and in about two weeks we go back for a bronchoscopy, at which time he will probably remove the trach altogether! If Garren could have, I think he would have danced out of the office! We are all very excited about this.

All these weeks of hearing everyone's opinions and speculations. One visit with the one guy who really knows what he's talking about is all we needed. We are soo excited!

Water Guns and Ice Cream

2011-05-04T21:11:00.004-04:00

Garren is cracking us up! He is so positive, and so funny! Yesterday I brought home a little squirt gun (I won it at our staff outing - my team rocked the scavenger hunt!) I didn't know if Garren would be able to squeeze the little trigger, but I tried anyway. I filled it with water and gave it to him. He immediately started squirting us. He especially enjoyed squirting Kara and Kelsey!

I needed to go to Best Buy, so I asked Garren if he wanted to go. He said sure. So we loaded up the family and headed out. After Best Buy, Kara needed to go to Target, so we headed there next. As we were walking through the store, Garren started pointing the way, telling us where to turn. He eventually led us to the freezer case. His favorite treat from Target are Dibs (little bite sized chocolate covered ice-cream bits). We all stood and had a great laugh together. All Garren can think about is eating real food. Tonight a commercial for Longhorn came on TV, and Garren said "Mmmmmmmm."

When we left the hospital, we left with lots of unanswered questions. The more we deal with the "pros" the more we realize - they are not used to dealing with people who get well, or at least who progress as quickly as Garren does. His trach has always been something that Nancy and I knew would be temporary. But we haven't been able to get any direction on how or when it would come out. Even today in conversation with the speech therapist, we hear talk as though it could be permanent. (Of course, we know it's not, it's just that we can't seem to get everyone else to understand this with us). So by the hand of God, we were able to get an appointment squeezed in tomorrow with the pulmonologist (lung doctor). After having heard how much Garren has progressed since he left the hospital, he wants to see Garren and start working on a plan for removing the trach.

The big prayer right now is that we will finally get some answers, and that Garren's trach will be removed soon. Garren told me today that he can't wait to get rid of it.

Sit Ups

2011-05-02T06:54:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Nancy walked into Garren's room, where he was laying in bed. Garren said "Mom, watch!" She looked to see what Garren was talking about. I was on the back porch with Kara, Kelsey was in the yard. Nancy started yelling "Geoffrey, Kara, Kelsey! Come in here right away! Garren has something to show you!"

So we worked our way into Garren's room. We gathered around his bed. "Garren, show everybody what you just showed me." Garren got a little smile on his face, and sat himself up in bed! We all laughed and celebrated together! So awesome!

Garren is getting stronger everyday. He is getting taking more coordinated steps with the walker. I hold him and keep him steady. He really focuses on taking steps. Each time we do it is stronger.

Yesterday afternoon Garren started trying to tell us something. I got the iPad out and we started spelling words. "Die." Die? What are you talking about? "I would die." You would die? Why? "...for a pb and j..." You would die for a pb and j sandwich? "YES!"

We have so much to celebrate. We also have tons of questions. How do we know when the trach can come out? We are trying to navigate our way through the maze of doctors and figure out exactly who we should be asking, and what should we be asking? It seems as if they want to do things to Garren, but they give us no future plans, no "exit" plan. It would be nice to know what the long term goals are. And how to work toward them.

In the mean time, we will just continue to work with what we do know. Garren wants to be walking in time for his semi-formal dance this Saturday. That is something we can work with. I guess I better go get Garren up so we can start working out.

Cruel

2011-04-30T17:20:00.002-04:00

Garren said he would go to his 8th grade semi-formal dance "if he can walk." We talked to his therapists on Monday. They both said "We better get busy!" They started pushing Garren, doing exercises and workouts to help him strengthen his core and start coordinating his legs. We ordered a walker, which came in yesterday.

My goal with Garren is to get him up using his walker two times each day. Yesterday morning his therapists helped fit the walker to him. They stood him up and had him start working on some steps. We walked about 5 or 6 steps. Right now Garren tends to lean forward, and his hips shift to the right. I am constantly reminding him to "pull in your butt" and "pull your hips to the left." When he does, he stands nice a tall. Using the walker he can almost stand on his own, keeping his balance for a few seconds at a time. This activity tires him out quickly!

We worked on it again yesterday evening, then this morning. Every time we do it, I see improvement. He gets stronger every time. Yesterday, with each step, his feet would cross over the other one. This has to do with which muscles are stronger, and where his leg gets pulled. This afternoon I noticed that he is much better at taking straighter steps. He is so determined, wants so bad to do this. After our work out this afternoon I said "Garren, you wear me out!" He lifted his finger, pointed at me, then at himself, basically saying that I was wearing him out!

Garren's speech therapists has been great so far. She gave us some things to work on with Garren. He wants so badly to eat! Someone brought us dinner last night - baked ziti...yum! He told us he could smell it. A little later in the evening he asked us to save some until he could eat it. I told him we would get him all the baked ziti he can eat when he is able!

It's amazing how many things we do center around food. You don't even really think about it. Trying to plan things while being sensitive to Garren's inability to eat has to be very intentional. This morning I was in his room with him, and I was flipping around the channels trying to find something to watch. We came across a cooking show. I stopped, and Garren started telling me something. We grabbed the alphabet sheet, and he spelled out "that's cruel." Oops, sorry Garren.

Fun Night

2011-04-28T06:43:00.004-04:00

We had a great time at the skate night last night. There were a lot of people. It was awesome to see everyone having a great time, all there thinking about and remembering Garren. At one point during the evening, everyone gathered on the rink, joined hands, and formed a giant prayer circle. I thanked everyone for coming, and then prayed for Garren. It is so amazing that so many people are so committed to praying for Garren.

Yesterday while we had Garren on the mat, we had him sitting up, with his feet on the floor. We had him lean back, with his hands to his sides, slightly behind him. Garren sat up, held himself up, for nearly a whole minute. He is getting stronger everyday. I can't wait to sit him up again today and see how he does.

The OT tried something new with Garren yesterday as well. He blew up a balloon, and played balloon volleyball with Garren. Garren was able to keep his eye on the balloon, and raise his hands and hit it when it came his way.

We also met a new speech therapist. She evaluated Garren and went over a lot of information with us. She used big words to describe what is going on with Garren. We're looking forward to seeing how this works out. Last night, Garren spelled to Nancy: "I want to swallow, so I can eat real food."

Tonight's the Night

2011-04-27T07:34:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe, but it's finally time for the Kate's Skate night benefit for Garren It all starts tonight at 6pm. It seems like ages ago when we were first approached with this idea. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun. I hope to see you there tonight.

Also, in just a few weeks, on May 21, is the Miracle Miles 5K, a run/walk being held as a fundraiser for Garren. It will at Porter Ridge High School, and it starts at 8am. If you are planning on participating, please go ahead and register by clicking here. This will help our wonderful event planners prepare for the day. It's going to be a lot of fun as well.

Yesterday we took Garren for a follow up visit with his neuro-surgeon. Dr. Dyer was extremely pleased to see how much Garren is moving. He kept calling Garren his "superstar patient." It was awesome for Garren to finally meet one of the men responsible for saving Garren's life. Dr. Dyer is having us schedule an appointment in the next couple of weeks for an arteriogram. It should be an outpatient procedure. They will insert a catheter into the large artery in his groin area, which will then extend through the artery into the base of his brain. The purpose is to take a look and see if there is anything left from the AVM that may need to be dealt with in the future. The initial surgery was an emergency surgery with the goal being to save Garren's life. The doc did what he could to get as much out as he could, but without a closer look, it's hard to know if anything is still there.

If there is anything that needs to be dealt with, there are non-invasive procedures, such as radiation, that can be used at some point in the future.

Garren continues to improve. A little be every day. For the most part his spirits remain high. Swallowing and talking continue to be his greatest frustrations. Garren will not be at the skate night. It was his choice. I asked him why he doesn't want to go. He said "To many people." I don't blame him.

Garren's semi-formal dance at Piedmont Middle is just over a week away. I asked him if he wants to go to that. He said yes - "if I can walk." Garren - we would love nothing more than to see you walk into the dance. But we will once again submit to God's plan and God's timing.

"Free To Live" Tour

2011-04-26T13:34:00.005-04:00

I want to invite you to join us for a free concert. Desperation Band will be performing live at Southbrook Weddington on Friday, May13, at 7pm.

Free To Live Tour Promo from Desperation Band on Vimeo.

This is a night of worship, speaking, a call to action and an opportunity for you to become part of the family and movement to protect victims of the awful sex trade industry. More than ever, the attention to this mass atrocity is bringing pressure to the criminals who participate in this and more importantly young girls and boys are being rescued from this life of lost hope and complete hell. This is a free-ticketed event, and at no cost to you.

You can learn more about the Free To Live Tour here.

He is Risen!

2011-04-24T19:06:00.002-04:00

What an amazing day! Easter Sunday - the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was truly an amazing day.

I started out the morning with our amazing volunteers at Southbrook Monroe. We started at 8:00 am with FUSE - a 10 minute time of celebration and encouragement. It's so much fun to hang out with people who love our church, and who love making Sundays special. And they made Easter Sunday extra special. From the parking lot to the coffee and special baked goods, the entire experience was exceptional. I am so thankful to serve and worship with such great people.

We tried something different this year. We had two services. I was privileged to preach live at both. We had as many people in the 9am service as we typically have at the 11am service. The 11am service was packed today. So many guests, and so many people joining to celebrate our risen Lord. We had 5 people give their lives to Jesus today at Monroe. So awesome!

I tossed a little stuffed rabbit at Garren today, and he reacted, raising both arms and pulling them in to catch it! It was so crazy and unexpected.

I'm looking forward to another week of great progress from Garren. He is getting better at typing out messages, still slow, but getting better. Today he told us he wants to watch the Superbowl. We have it on DVD. We were going to watch it today, but we all fell asleep this afternoon, and then we forgot. We'll get that soon.

Have a great!

Swallow

2011-04-23T20:49:00.003-04:00

The last couple of days have been super busy. I haven't really had time to update the blog much. That doesn't mean that Garren isn't improving.

Today Garren's therapy mat came. It's an adjustable height, padded table that Garren can sit and lay on for his physical and occupational therapy. We are very excited about this. It will be very useful, and make it much easier to work with Garren. We even tried it out today, Garren did a good, hard workout.

This afternoon Nancy was headed out to the store. She asked Garren if he wanted anything from the store. Garren started to say something, but we couldn't understand. So we started spelling, one letter at a time. Garren spelled "swallow." We all cracked up - even Garren. I asked Garren yesterday what the most frustrating thing was for him right now. He spelled "voice." He told Nancy that swallowing is the hardest thing to do. It has to be so frustrating for him, to want to do something so badly, yet not be able to get his body to do it.

Tonight we were sitting around the table, dyeing Easter eggs. We looked over and saw Garren pick up a towel that was in his lap with his right hand. He then proceeded to lift the towel and wipe his mouth. For him to lift his arm so high in such a controlled way, with something in his hand, was awesome to watch!

Tomorrow is a big day. I am looking forward to an amazing day at church. I am looking forward to preaching at Southbrook Monroe campus. I am looking forward to celebrating the day that our Lord and Savior overcame death. It's going to be a great day!

Miracle Miles 5K for Garren Janes

2011-04-22T18:01:00.002-04:00

Here's the info on the 5K benefit run for Garren. It's coming up, so if you haven't registered yet, you better register soon! It's going to be a fun day of running and walking. See you there!

New Toy

2011-04-21T22:04:00.002-04:00

As promised, we finally found the iPad 2 in stock and got it for Garren to use. Of course, he was ever so excited to see it. We have to help him, he's still got a lot of 'fine tuning' to do with his hand and arm movement. Nancy or I can sit with him and help him move his arm where he wants, and he can point with his finger and touch the keys. The keyboard on the touch screen responds so much better than a normal keyboard. The other nice thing is that if he holds the key to long, it doesn't produce a whole string of letters, like on a typical computer keyboard.

I've been working with Garren this week on some mouth exercises. Tomorrow we are getting a visit from Wren, the speech therapist that worked with Garren in the hospital. We are so excited to see her again. I can't wait for her to see how much Garren has improved since we were there just two weeks ago!

The PT and OT continue to work together with Garren on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They are so good with him. He puts forth so much effort. As I've probably already said over and over - he's such a hard and determined worker! We are so proud of him.

We went back to the eye doctor today for a follow up visit. The doctor said it looks great - that the eye was definitely less irritated. He also said that we would probably keep the eye stitched for a couple of months. No big deal. We want to protect that eye. We have started to notice the left side of Garren's face is starting to wake of a little more. His right arm and leg are also catching up to the left side. Slowly but surely, we continue to see new improvements.

Typing

2011-04-19T20:39:00.003-04:00

Garren continues to amaze us. Yesterday we had someone stop by the house with some switches. These are buttons that can be pushed to make something happen. For example, one hooks up to a little power strip. A lamp can be plugged into the strip. The switch is a simple clicking mechanism that Garren can push to turn a lamp on and off, or a fan, or a radio, whatever we want to plug in.

Another device she left with us connects to the computer via the USB port. Using the onscreen keyboard, this switch can be used to select letters from the keyboard, so Garren can type messages. So today I set it up for Garren to try it out. But that guy decided to forego the switch altogether! He went straight for the keyboard. It takes a while. It gives a whole new meaning to the term "hunt and peck." But Garren slowly but surely typed out a couple of words. His first word? "Steelers."

It is very slow and laborious at this point. But it is excellent therapy. He is continuing to train his muscles and fine tune his abilities. I did some research and found the iPad has some pretty cool apps that can help people like Garren communicate. I had already told Garren several weeks back that as soon as he could use it, I would buy him an iPad 2. Well, now it's time to come clean on my promise. So I went out to buy one today - and they are completely out of stock....everywhere! I guess we'll have to place our order and wait the 2-3 weeks for it to get here. In the mean time we have a laptop that Garren will continue to use. Watch out people - he may be updating his status on Facebook sometime soon!

I worked with Garren some this afternoon on swallowing, and strengthening his tongue. He did get some swallows in. That's a praise. I pray that he continues to get that swallow stronger! He told Nancy today that he's ready for some Five Guys!

Change

2011-04-18T07:34:00.004-04:00

I am so blessed to be a part of a church that acts like the body of Christ. It has been so encouraging over the last several months to be given the flexibility to take care of Garren, without having to worry about whether or not I would have a job to come back to. Thank you Southbrook Church.

At the same time, there are pastoral duties that have been neglected. As the campus pastor for our Monroe campus, there are many needs that have been left on hold. There are people who need to be ministered to, both in our congregation and in the surrounding community. Due to my limited availability, this has been a challenge.

About a month ago, our lead pastor, Rob Singleton, approached me with an idea. You see, we have recently been pushing in our weekend services to get more people involved in missions. We have a trip to Peru, and several to Haiti this year. Pastor Rob asked me if I would possibly be interested in taking on the role of Outreach Pastor, primarily so I could coordinate these trips.

I grew up on the mission field. I am passionate about missions. I love seeing lives changed on these trips. The people we go to minister to are impacted. But at the same time, the people we send are impacted in a huge way. I love to see that happen. So for me to be given the opportunity to help facilitate that kind of life change is a no-brainer.

As Pastor Rob was trying to use his sales tactics to sell me on the idea, I had to cut him short. "Rob, I've often dreamed about being in a position like that - you don't have to convince me - where do I sign?" God has an amazing way of bringing His plan together, doesn't He?

Due to the shift in my position, it became even more necessary that we fill the campus pastor role at Monroe. After much prayer and several discussions, we have asked one of our incredible lay-leaders, Jonathan Bareham, to step into the campus pastor role at Monroe as a volunteer. Jonathan and Judith have been working in many ministries and capacities and will be shifting from all of those roles to focus on this new role. They are currently life group leaders, marriage mentors, cafe workers, lead the weekly prayer team, teach the marriage classes, FIT members... and I think I'm forgetting a few other roles. Needless to say, he is more than qualified and excited about the opportunity!

I have known Jonathan and Judith for several years, and I truly respect them, and I love their heart for ministry. I am looking forward to working side by side with them in Monroe.

I want you to know, Southbrook Monroe, that Nancy and I are not going anywhere. I will continue to office in Monroe. We will continue to be a part of the Monroe campus. That is our church home. You will see Jonathan and myself working together to help Monroe go to the next level. Though my role and priorities have changed, my love for Monroe has not.

Change is hard sometimes. There are adjustments, there are discomforts, there are new things and new ways of doing things. But change can be a good thing! I believe that God is continuing to use Garren's situation to accomplish His will, not only in my life, but in the life of our church and community. I am truly excited about these changes.

Please pray - for Jonathan and Judith as they dive into this new role. I know God is going to use them in a powerful way - and for Nancy and myself. Though this new role will allow me a lot of flexibility, it is also a very demanding role that deserves a lot of care and attention. I am looking forward to what God has for us in the coming months and years.

Baby Steps

2011-04-16T18:52:00.002-04:00

Today was shower day. We got Garren up, and sat him up on the side of the bed. He can help sit up now. Still working on balance and control, but his strength is developing more everyday. Yesterday the therapist had started working on raising legs while standing. I helped Garren stand to his feet, and instead of sitting him in his chair, I decided to have him walk to the bathroom. It's about 8-10 steps. I put his arm around my shoulder, and he took one step, then another. We walked all the way to the shower! It was a slow walk, it was very labored, but we made it all the way. Talk about baby steps!

This afternoon we were watching TV. A commercial came on about the Triple Crown, so his nurse asked me if I knew when the Kentucky Derby was. I had no idea. About an hour later, Garren started trying to tell us something. I grabbed the white board and started writing letters. We came up with "May Four." I asked Garren, "What is May Four?" Again, we started spelling "K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y." Kentucky? May Four? A friend was over and she said "I think I just saw a commercial that said Kentucky Derby. I asked Garren - sure enough - he just wanted his nurse to know that the Kentucky Derby was on May 4th!

Garren's eye is doing great. Thanks for your prayers. He never got the black eye, and you can hardly tell he had anything done to it. He is feeling no pain from the procedure.

My prayer now is that Garren will continue to develop his speaking ability, and that he will get stronger enough to start swallowing regularly. I know he is looking forward to tasting food again soon!

Tomorrow is church, and Garren is looking forward to seeing everyone there again this week.

Question

2011-04-15T20:44:00.002-04:00

I tried to update the blog a few minutes ago, but due to some technical difficulties I was not able. I'm glad I waited - the coolest thing just happened.

We were sitting in the living room (Garren on the couch) and he started trying to say something. So we gathered around. You really have to concentrate on what he is saying. We could not figure it out. So I grabbed a white board and we asked Garren to spell the words. We got through one letter at a time, asking, guessing, Garren nodding or shaking his head. W - H - A - T. "What." First word down. Next word. Garren said it. After several guesses we ended up with "What is." Garren started spelling the next word. "T - O" Nancy said "Today?" YES!

"What is today?"

Wow - Today is Friday April 15, 2011. It never crossed my mind that Garren might want to know what day it was.

Today was another great day for Garren. Nancy and I had him standing up this morning, so I asked him to lift his leg. He was able to lift both legs (one at a time). The PT and OT came this afternoon and had him working on taking a couple of steps. He is getting so strong.

Our nursing coverage dropped to 20 hours a day starting today. We will drop back each week until we eventually end up with 12 hours a day. It's nice to have some alone time with Garren. In fact, I spent the morning with Garren, just me and him. Nancy went to Piedmont Middle for a meeting with a whole team of people who are setting up an Individual Education Plan for Garren. Our goal is to make sure Garren graduates from the 8th grade and is ready for high school in the fall. We are very excited that Garren will not be getting behind in school. Thanks Piedmont for all you are doing!

Tough Man

2011-04-14T17:36:00.004-04:00

Garren's procedure went really well. That kid is tough! Nancy and I got to sit with him through the whole procedure, and I was completely amazed at his level of toughness. He barely flinched the entire time. I think I would have been crying for my mommy!

He has two stitches holding his left eye closed. We go back for a follow up appointment next week. He will probably get a bit of a black eye, so we are trying to come up with a good story (you should see the other guy!)

This morning the speech therapist was here. She was working with Garren, helping him make some sounds. He is able to take a deep breath and make noise when he exhales. It's pretty cool. He can move his mouth enough now to start mouthing words. He said "Mom" yesterday.

So the speech therapist told Garren that she was going to ask him some yes/no questions, and that instead of shaking his head, to say "yes" or "no." So she asked Garren "Are you a boy?" Garren took a deep breath, then slowly said "Nooooo." The therapist stopped, looked at Garren, and couldn't seem to figure out what was going on. So she said "Are you a girl?" "Another long deep breath - "Noooooo." Again, confused, the therapist wasn't quite sure what to do. Finally it clicked. "Garren, are you a man?" "Yeeesss."

I was cracking up. I knew as soon as she asked him if he was a boy that he wasn't going to agree with her. He is a man. A very strong, tough man. And I am ever so proud of him.

Greens 4 Garren

2011-04-14T07:25:00.005-04:00

Here are the details on the Golf Tournament fundraiser...

Have You Arrived?

2011-04-13T07:07:00.003-04:00

"Not that I have already reached [the goal] or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus." - Philippians:3-12-14

As a Christ follower, we often try so hard to to the right things. Be like Christ, follow His example. Paul often compares the life of the Christ follower to a race. Keep your eye on the goal, run to win, finish strong. We want to do the right thing, but we often fail.

I've seen people who seem to think they've "arrived." They act like they have everything together, that they have somehow reached perfection. I've also met people who have a very real view of themselves. Much like Paul, they call themselves the chief of sinners.

Paul is one of my Bible heroes. He was a committed Christ follower, who endured more than most of us will ever come close to facing. He was persecuted, beaten, left for dead, yet he continued on in his faith. In fact, his faith got stronger each step of the way. But Paul was so humble. He was very careful to make sure his reader understood that he had not "arrived." He made every effort to take hold of the goal, but he certainly had not yet reached it.

I am convinced that the more you strive for the goal - the closer you get to Jesus Christ - the more you realize how far you have to go. A comfortable, easy going Christian may think they have reached the goal, or are very close. But a Christ follower who is all in, who has laid everything on the line and is truly striving to be like Christ - no matter what the cost - will realize that he (or she) is farther from the goal than ever.

Have you "arrived?" If you have then you better stop right now and reconsider. We are despicable sinners in God's sight. Only by the grace of God do we even stand a chance. We must forget what is behind and reach forward to what is ahead. Pursue as your goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Yesterday we took Garren to an eye specialist. The issue has been his left eye. Because he is not able to close it completely, it tends to stay red and irritated. We have been trying to manage the redness using ointments, antibiotics, and and eye patch to keep it closed as much as possible. The eye doctor highly recommended a tarsorrhaphy, which involves suturing the two eyelids together in order to protect the surface of the eye from drying. It is an outpatient procedure. This is the second eye doctor to recommend this procedure. We were a little reluctant at first, but both doctors are confident that this is what is best for Garren. He said that the stitch could be in for up to 90 days. Without the procedure, blood vessels will begin to grow over his cornea as a way of protecting the eye from dryness. The problem is that this will cause impaired vision.

So we go Thursday afternoon to have the procedure done. He will receive a local anesthetic (just like what you get when you get a filling at the dentist), and the doctor will put one stitch in to hold the eyelids closed.

Pray for Garren as he (obviously) is a little nervous about the procedure. Pray also that the left side of his face will continue to strengthen so he can overcome this eye issue.

Monday April 11, 2011

2011-04-11T22:50:00.003-04:00

Today we loaded up for a trip to visit the eye doctor. Now that we're at home the doctors don't come to us anymore. Nancy and I are getting pretty good at transporting Garren in the van, maneuvering through doors and elevators.

The last time the eye doctor saw Garren, about 3 weeks ago, we wasn't moving a whole lot yet. When he saw Garren today, sitting up, moving his head all around, he was amazed. "Today I've seen a miracle!" Yes doctor, you have.

He was also happy with Garren's eye. He referred us to a corneal specialist just to make sure all is well. We go there tomorrow.

Garren continues to make progress daily. When we put the footrests on his chair, he lifts his legs for us. His head movement is very strong. Today we met with all three therapy disciplines. When they aren't working with Garren, Nancy and I are. Garren doesn't want to stop. The therapist will ask him if he wants to take a break, Garren rarely says yes. He shakes his head, and we move on to the next exercise.

Garren is so determined. It is so awesome to see him so focused and intent on working out. We are so very proud of him and his positive, can do attitude.

Joy!

2011-04-10T13:37:00.004-04:00

What an amazing day. Today at church I was overcome with feelings of joy and celebration.

Garren has started nodding and shaking his head in the last couple of days. Looking up and down is a thing of the past. His head control gets stronger every day. Last night I told him that I was going to church, and that Mom would be staying home with him. He shook his head "No!" I said "You want Mom to go to church, and you stay here with the nurse?" Again, he shook his head "No!" I started to tear up as I said "You want to go to church?" He nodded emphatically "YES!"

We couldn't wait to get him up and dressed this morning. What a joy it was to be at church as a family. He was very excited to be there, and to see everyone again.

Then, to top off my morning, I had the honor and the privilege of dedicating little Elijah Webb in the service. Seth and Amanda are a special couple. I have watched them grow spiritually for nearly three years now. I've been on two missions trips with them. Elijah was born just a few days after Garren went into the hospital. I got to go visit Seth and Amanda and baby Elijah the day after he was born. I was overjoyed when I found out that they wanted me to dedicate little Elijah today.

Such a day of celebration in so many ways. All praise and glory to God!

If Only

2011-04-08T08:37:00.000-04:00

“For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else.” - Galatians 6:3-4

We waste so much time comparing ourselves to others. “Am I as good as her?” “Is he better than me?” We think that if we can prove we are better, that we have somehow accomplished something. Competition is a good thing. Iron sharpens iron. There’s nothing wrong with striving to be the best we can be.

Galatians 6 says that if I consider myself to be something, when in reality I am nothing, I deceive myself. If I am comparing my own efforts and accomplishments to those around me, I may feel successful. But I shouldn’t compare my work to others. “Each person should examine his own work.” My reason for boasting should be in myself alone, not in respect to someone else.

Here’s the deal. God created each of us with unique giftings. He has given each of us a unique purpose, a unique job to do while on this earth. It’s easy to look around at the great things some men and women of God have accomplished, and then to compare our own lives to theirs. That’s wrong. God didn’t make you to be them, he made you to be you.

In the movie “Nowhere Boy,” which portrays the story of John Lennon's adolescent years, there is a scene in which John is comparing himself to Elvis Presley. He says “If only God had made me Elvis.” His mom looks him in the eyes and says “But he didn’t, he was saving you for John Lennon.”

The truth in that statement goes for each of us. “If only God had made me Billy Graham!” But he didn’t, he was saving you for you.

Don’t waste time comparing yourself to others. Be who God made you to be. Then boast in what God has allowed you to accomplish through His power. God was saving you for you.

Convicted

2011-04-07T20:22:00.005-04:00

Today God spoke to me. In a very convicting way. It felt a little like a punch in the gut.

It's been a chaotic couple of days. We've had all kinds of health care people in and out of the house, helping us get Garren settled. They are all very good at what they do, but when things don't go according to my plan, I tend to get a little agitated. I felt like a dog backed into a corner. I felt threatened. This is my house after all, we'll do this my way. You're on my turf now. Like a dog backed into a corner, I began to lash out. I didn't yell and scream, but I didn't have the greatest attitude either. But hey, it's my house, right?

Today our new physical therapist came by to meet Garren, and to go over some things with us. I was tired of dealing with new people walking in my house and taking over. I said some things to her in a way that really wasn't very kind. She was very kind, and I was cordial by the time I had to leave.

Then this evening I got an email from her:

"Several of us at work, including myself attend Southbrook Weddington. We know of you and have heard you speak at our services. We have followed your blog and prayed for you, Garren and your family."

That was the punch in the gut. Not from the P.T. that wrote it (She was not in anyway criticizing me or trying to make me feel bad. I am thankful for the email). I was immediately convicted by the Holy Spirit. I have been representing myself and my family on this blog as people of God. I talk about how I want to be God honoring in everything I say and do. And then I turned around and my actions were anything but God honoring.

Why am I sharing this? It's a stark reminder to us all - we never know who's watching us. We never have the right to forget that as followers of Christ, we represent not just ourselves, not just our church, but God Almighty.

Thank you P.T. for your desire to work with Garren. I am honored to have you working with him and us.

Garren took a couple more baby steps today. I worked on some therapy with him on my own this morning. I was doing some exercises to stimulate his face and mouth muscles. I talked about his smile a couple of days ago. So today I asked him to pucker up, like a kiss. He thought for a minute, and then he did! I about fell over, not sure if I should laugh or cry. Later when Nancy was there I had him do it again. She leaned over and accepted a kiss from her son, the first in over two months.

Another one of Garren's exercises is to try and push a small piece of ice out of his mouth with tongue. Tonight I put the ice in his mouth, and almost immediately he pushed it out. We did it a couple more times.

Garren is really working on his swallowing as well. Nancy and I have both seen him swallow a couple of times. Nothing consistent yet, but he's learning.

Tonight looks like it should be a restful night for all. Things have settled down. I pray that Garren is able to get some good sleep tonight. I can't wait to see what he does tomorrow!

Home

2011-04-06T22:11:00.002-04:00

We made it. It has been a long, exhausting day. It is also great to be home. The hospital seems like a distant dream. Garren loves his room.

Yesterday the insurance company just had to have one last piece of paper, something showing that Garren really needed a hospital bed at home. Normally the bed is delivered the day before the patient goes home. Not us. Our bed was delivered and setup about 30 minutes before we got home! So funny...

We were met at home by to of the home health nurses. They helped us organize and get settled. They got to know us and Garren. It was all pretty overwhelming. We will be working on getting some shelves and cabinets installed over the next several days. We wanted to wait until we understood what we would need to store, and where, before we built anything. Now we are ready.

Garren spent most of the afternoon in bed. He was worn out from the drive. A few of his neighborhood buddies stopped by. He was so excited to see some familiar faces. But he gets tired fast so their visit had to be short.

I'm exhausted. It's so nice to know that when I get up tomorrow there will be no long drive to the hospital. We have some more organizing to do around the house, and I plan to go in to the office and get some work done as well.

Thank you all - so much - for your part in helping Garren's homecoming be as smooth as possible. The room is great. And it is finally being used.

Tuesday April 5, 2011

2011-04-05T21:05:00.004-04:00

Day 59. I had another patient family ask me today how long we had been here. 9 weeks. I've been thinking back to when this all started. It is amazing to see Garren now, when we think about how he lay completely motionless for nearly 3 weeks. Then the long slow steps of progress until now. We look forward to many more steps, many more days of progress in the coming days and weeks.

The walls in the hospital room are bare. We've taken down all the cards in preparation for leaving. It looks strange, but it feels great.

Garren's cough is getting stronger everyday. His eye is getting stronger as well. It won't be long until he is able to close his left eye on his own. It looks great, the redness is gone. We patch it at night to keep it from drying out.

Garren smiles, and laughs. It's more of a chuckle - without noise - but you can tell he thinks something is funny. You can also tell when he gets upset or sad. It's great to see his personality coming out. I was joking around about Tigger (our cat) and his thought that was funny.

Today Garren started something else new. When we transfer him from the bed to the chair, or back to bed, we pretty much have to lift his entire body weight. Today he started helping. When we start to lift him, his feet are on the ground. He now straightens his legs and helps push himself up into a standing position. It is so amazing!

Many of you have asked me to keep the updates coming after we get home - and I will. You all are very important to us, and we want you to continue to be a part of our story.

Monday April 4, 9:00pm

2011-04-04T21:01:00.002-04:00

Getting ready to go home is a lot of work. We've been meeting with medical suppliers, home nurses, therapists and more to make sure we have everything in place for the transition. Everything is coming together. The kids in the neighborhood were asking to see Garren's room today. They are as excited as we are for Garren to come home.

This morning, I asked Garren to smile again. His lip curled up just a little on the right side. So cool. So I asked him to smile for Wren, which he did. Then I had Tara and Emily together, I asked Garren to smile. When he did, those two girls teared up. Garren's smile brought the girls to tears. I was talking to Tara today about some of the things we will be doing with Garren at home. We had him sitting up on the mat, upright, leaning back against a foam wedge. He was doing a great job holding his head steady. Everyone who walked in the room said "Wow, Garren, you look great sitting up!" I thought back to 5 weeks ago, when we first moved to the rehab floor. Garren has come a long ways. The thought of him sitting, moving his head, smiling, communicating with his eyes, was far from our minds.

Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers. We;ve got a lot of adjustments to make over the next few days.

Sunday April 3, 2011 7:00pm

2011-04-03T18:38:00.004-04:00

3 more days until we go home. There are a lot of things we won't miss about being in the hospital. If you've spent any time in a hospital, you know to well what I mean. I won't miss being separated from my family every night. I won't miss driving 40 minutes each way. I won't miss the plastic couch we sleep on. I won't miss the cafeteria food. I won't miss the hissing sound of air coming from who knows where. And the list goes on.

What a great day in church today! Pastor Rob talked about one of the most dreaded topics for pastors...money. It always feels a little uncomfortable to ask people to give money. But the bottom line is if we don't give to the church, the church won't be able to function. Today we took our annual Impact offering. This offering will go toward some special things we want to accomplish as a church this year.

Garren is getting stronger everyday. His cough continues to get stronger. His left eye is beginning to show some strength. Though progress is slow, there is definitely progress. I told you about his attempt at smiling. Well, today we got a laugh from Garren. Kelsey had drawn a picture of me. We showed it to Garren and Kelsey asked him if he thought it looked like me. He looked at it for a minute, then looked up (yes). I said "Seriously Garren? That looks nothing like me!" His shoulders started to shake, his eyes brightened, and the corner of his lip turned up just a little bit. He was laughing at me! It was awesome.

As you pray for Garren, continue to pray for strength to return to his left eye, for the swallowing, and for the cough to keep getting stronger. Also, this will be a pretty big week for us as we transition back to home.

Saturday April 2, 2011 9:30pm

2011-04-02T21:31:00.002-04:00

Four more days till we come home. The room at home passed inspection, and Steve finished up the last bit of painting today. It is officially ready for move in. We have started receiving some of the medical equipment that we will be using at home. The hospital bed will be delivered to the house on Tuesday.

We found out yesterday that we will have around the clock nursing care when we go home. What a blessing! It will be great to be home, to be a family - together again. And it will be great to have professional help at Garren's side 24/7.

Nancy got to see Garren smile this evening. So awesome. We both have seen Garren begin moving his right foot. Remember, his right side is the weaker side, and it is great to begin to see some movement there. We see him getting stronger every day. His cough continues to strengthen bit by bit. A big change for Garren - he can turn his head side to side, at will. He can't hold it up on his own. But he can turn completely from left to right, and back again. He can look around the room, look to see who is coming in the door, look at whoever is talking. Very cool.

Garren is more and more aware of his surroundings every day. He knows he's in the hospital. He knows why. But he doesn't remember anything about the headache at school that day. We're not sure at this point what his last memory is. Time will tell.

We continue to pray for Garren's strength to return. He is working hard. He is so determined.

Friday, April 1, 2011 4:00pm

2011-04-01T15:32:00.007-04:00

Day 56. It's hard to believe Garren went into the hospital 8 weeks ago. So much has happened, and it all seems like it started so long ago.

When I got up this morning and started talking to Garren, I was asking him a few questions. As I was joking around with him, I looked him in the eyes and said "Are you awesome?" Of course, he looked up, indicating yes. And I am positive I saw the left side of his mouth curl upwards, the beginnings of a smile! O yeah!

Wren continued to work on Garren's swallow, and a little with his voice. With his trach capped, we were able to help Garren engage his vocal chords. He made a couple of sounds today. Wren said that once he catches on, the talking will follow. It still takes a lot of work and a lot of concentration to try and breathe out and make noise at the same time.

Tara worked on Garren's left shoulder. She put his arm in a little contraption that helps overcome some of the gravity. Then she attached a sucker to his hand. The goal was to move the arm inward and up, to get the sucker into the mouth. Garren was working hard, moving his shoulder more than ever before.

Union County Weekly wrote an article about Garren today. Check it out here.

As we wrap up another week I want to let you know about a couple of fundraiser events that have been setup for Garren:

Skate Night

On Wednesday April 27, from 6-9pm, Kate's skate is hosting a skate night and silent auction. Admission is $4. All proceeds will go to benefit Garren's medical care. Click here for more details.

Miracle Miles 5K

Get your running shoes ready! On Saturday May 21 there will be a 5K and fun run at Porter Ridge High School. To register, or for more information, click here.

Thursday, March 31, 2011 4:00pm

2011-03-31T15:26:00.003-04:00

Another good day for Garren. He played football trivia again. This time they added defensive players, making it a little harder. But Garren once again blew them away with his football knowledge. It is so awesome to be able to communicate, though it can be frustrating trying to guess which yes/no question to ask next.

Garren is getting better and better at holding his head up. Today with Wren he held it up for 11 seconds. His muscles are getting stronger each day. His cough is improving as well. Swallowing is so important. He is getting close, and Wren works with him every day. So close.

Garren has been impressing the school teacher as well with his knowledge of vocabulary. Today she would tell him a word, then hold up two cards with two other words. One of the cards had the opposite word of then one she had just said. Garren was asked to look at the opposite. He did this very well. In fact there were a couple of words that I didn't even know, and Garren got them right! Cool stuff!

We are continuing to see slow but steady progress from Garren. He is intent. I ask him before we start therapy if he is ready to get to work. His eyes go up every single time. During therapy he tries, really hard. We can see the effort he is putting into it. He's determined.

Here are some very specific things to pray for - Garren's left side is the stronger side. The right side is not responding nearly as much. Pray that the right side of Garren's body will wake up. Pray that he will gain control of his right side. The same goes for the left side of his face. This is why he is having trouble blinking his left eye.

Also, continue to pray for Garren's ability to swallow. As he gains more head and shoulder control, the swallowing should become easier. Pray that he will learn to swallow soon.

And then, pray for Garren - for peace, for comfort, for understanding. Last thing he remembers he was playing around in P.E. class at school. Now he has trouble moving. Garren has become much more aware in the last several days. This has to be a frustrating reality to wake up to. Pray for his peace and comfort.

P.S. Don't forget to vote for Mike's grandson in the Cutest Baby contest! He went from #38 on Wednesday to #16 today. It won't take much to push him up to #1! Click here to vote!

Football Trivia

2011-03-30T12:25:00.005-04:00

We have some amazing therapists working with Garren here in rehab. They are so concerned, and so interested in helping Garren get better. And they do it in a fun and creative way.

Mike is the Pediatric Rehabilitation Technician - he helps the therapists wherever and whenever they need him. He makes wheelchair adjustments, maintains equipment, posts schedules each day...and he's super cool (even though he's a Green Bay fan). Let me tell you what he did today:

Knowing that Garren is a huge Steeler's fan, Mike made a little football field, complete with yard lines, goal posts, X's, O's, and even a football. Then he had some little signs made, in three groups: players' names, players' numbers, and players' positions. Looking up for yes, and down for no, Garren was asked to answer questions about each player. For every question he got right, the ball would advance 10 yards. For each incorrect answer, he would lose 10 yards.

"Garren, are you ready to play?" Eyes up without delay.

Mike held up a player's name, then going through each number he asked Garren if that was that player's number. Garren got every one right, except the last one. Same with the positions. It was amazing to see how engaged Garren was. When the answer was obviously "no" Garren's whole head would lean forward. Sometimes we could even see his lips mouthing the word "No". Garren nailed every question, like I said, except one. The doctor, other therapists, a nurse, were all standing around cheering him on. I think they were a little surprised at how much Garren knows about the Steelers. Mike promised to make it harder tomorrow. Good luck with that Mike!

I also found out today that Mike is a proud Granddad! He told me his grandson is in a "Cutest Kid" contest. He sent me the link so I could vote. He said feel free to share it with anyone I could. So - will you help Mike's grandson win "Cutest Kid?" Click here - you can vote once a day through Friday!

"I Don't Want to Go."

2011-03-29T09:18:00.001-04:00

As I was reading in Numbers the other day I came across a couple of verses that I don’t ever remember noticing before. Moses, through God’s direction, had just finished instructing the Israelites on how to set up and tear down the tabernacle. They were ready to travel on. As they were about to leave, Moses had a conversation with his father-in-law’s son, Hobab. Apparently, Hobab was preparing to head back to his own home.

“Moses said to Hobab, son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite: “We’re setting out for the place the Lord promised: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

But he replied to him. “I don’t want to go. Instead, I will go to my own land and my relatives.”

“Please don’t leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. If you come with us, whatever good the Lord does for us we will do for you.” - Numbers 10:29-32

It’s not clear from this passage what Hobab decided to do. I imagine he had his mind made up, that he went back to his family, to what was familiar and comfortable. Have you ever known anyone like that? Haven’t you ever looked at someone who had great skills, who had a lot to offer to the kingdom of God, but they just weren’t interested in using their gifting for God? Maybe they weren’t even saved. Maybe they were saved, but they just weren’t all in.

Churches are full of Hobab’s. Each week the pastor gets up and offers a challenge, a challenge to go deeper, to do more, to sacrifice greatly, but they just walk out the door, unmoved. “I don’t want to go, Instead, I will go to my own land and my relatives.” It’s too bad.

The journey is not easy. But the reward is great. When Nancy and I chose many years ago to follow, whatever the cost, to be a part of God’s great adventure, we had no idea what life would bring our way. But even now, when it would be easier to go home, I wouldn’t trade it for anything - because I know that God is in control, that He is using us right where we are. Traveling through the wilderness, unsure of what the day will bring, is hard. It wears on you. It’s tiring. But the reward is so great.

Moses promised Hobab that he would receive the same blessings that had been promised to all of Israel. He would be a part of the team, a part of the family. Hobab had valuable gifts, he had something to offer. He knew his way around the wilderness, he knew the good places to camp. Moses saw something in Hobab. But Hobab chose the easy, comfortable path. He went home.

What about you? You’ve been invited to join in the greatest adventure of all time. “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” You’ve been invited to join the team, to offer your gifts (we all have something to offer). God wants to use you to accomplish his mission. How have you responded? You are either on the team, doing your part, or you are in the stands, watching the time, looking for your chance to go back home. Have you said - verbally or by you actions - “I don’t want to go?”

“If you come with us, whatever good the Lord does for us we will do for you.” Don’t go home, don’t be left out of this amazing adventure.

Monday March 28, 2011 7:30pm

2011-03-28T19:16:00.002-04:00

This morning Garren started out with physical therapy. Emily had him stand. Using a harness to help raise him into a standing position, feet on the floor, Emily stood behind him and helped him work on head control. Garren's neck muscles are getting a little bit stronger each day.

Wren (speech therapy) joined us and worked with Garren's mouth and tongue movement while he was upright. His trach was capped for a part of the time as well. Wren put a piece of ice in his mouth, and we told him to spit it out. We could see his tongue moving. His shoulders and neck would tense up as he tried so hard to push the ice out of his mouth. He didn't quite get it out, but he sure worked hard.

Garren went to school today. There's a teacher in the hospital who works with the kids to keep them going in their studies. Today was her first time working with Garren. She would show him two words, then take the words away. When she held them back up she would say one of the words, and ask Garren to look at the word she had said. He did great with this.

This afternoon, Tara (occupational) used something called e-stim. E-stim is a type of electro therapy. She put two sensors on Garren's bicep. When she turned it on, it would cause his muscle to contract, causing his arm to move (just like if you contract your bicep, your arm will move). By the way, she made me try it first. It doesn't hurt, it feels like a vibration on your arm. It was awesome to see Garren watching and participating. You can see his muscles flex as he tries to move his arms.

We're off to a great start to this week. Garren's eye continues to stay clear. And his cough is getting stronger. Thanks for continuing to pray specifically for these two things.

Sunday March 27, 2011 6:30pm

2011-03-27T18:13:00.003-04:00

We're in week 3 of our Impact series at Southbrook. Today's message, "Mark the World," was powerful. Pastor Rob preached from Haiti via video. He was there with a team about a month ago. Wow. As I watch the images and hear about the needs, all I want to do is go. I love missions. Seeing people go on missions trips is exciting for me. I once told Pastor Rob that I think every church member should be expected to go oversees. It truly is a life changing experience.

I grew up overseas. I take every opportunity I get to travel overseas on missions trips. It's amazing how God can work in your life when you get out of the norm, out of your comfort zone. Missions trips are powerful.

At the end of the service today I asked those who were being prompted by God to go on a missions trip sometime this year to stand. We had 24 people at the Monroe Campus stand and come forward to commit to going on a trip this year. That is exciting! I love missions!

Garren is doing well today. The cap trials are continuing. Instead of 4 hours straight, today we did 2 hours in the morning, then 2 hours in the afternoon. He tolerates it very well. The problem is that he doesn't cough enough to clear his airway, making it difficult to breathe. I will say that his cough does seem to be getting a little bit stronger, but he still has a ways to go.

His eye looks really good today. Clear with no red. He still needs to get the strength to close it on his own, or it will become irritated again.

Thanks for your prayers. Tomorrow begins another week of hard work. Pray for strength and endurance.

Saturday March 26, 2011 9:00pm

2011-03-26T20:30:00.006-04:00

Garren's room is nearing completion. We are putting the finishing touches on it. Today Steve worked some more on the design, painting black and yellow stripes around the room. Mike got the fixtures in the bathroom installed. It's looking great.

We were blessed to have a few students from Matthews United Methodist Church at our house today. They were participating in Operation Serve. About 177 students went out and served in the community. They were going to do some yard work, but the rain moved them inside. They helped move a new refrigerator in and the old one out. They hauled some things into the attic, moved some furniture around, and helped with some cleaning up. They were hard workers - thanks guys!

Garren is having a good weekend so far. Yesterday he was worn out, so it's nice to have a couple of days to wind down and prepare for another tough week.

Trust

2011-03-25T15:33:00.003-04:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own understanding;

think about Him in all your ways,

and He will guide you on the right paths."

- Proverbs 3:5-6

I've read this verse hundreds of times. I even memorized it as a child. It's amazing how the Bible comes alive as we live out our lives. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. The only way we can continue on this journey is because we trust in the Lord. Trust is hard. Do not rely on your own understanding. It seems that the opposite of trusting in the Lord is relying on myself. We look to the doctors and medical staff for understanding. But really, they're at the mercy of the Creator. They only know what they observe. They cannot predict the outcome with any certainty. We must trust...in the Lord...with all our heart.

Think about Him in all your ways. In everything we do, everywhere we go, think about Jesus. Think about what He's done for us. Think about how faithful He's been to us. Think about how much He loves us. And He will guide you on the right paths. We often wonder what is God's will for our lives? His will is that we rely on Him, follow Him, trust Him...each step of the way. We cannot see beyond the next step, and we don't need to. We simply need to trust. Trust in the Lord. With all your heart.

Garren was a little worn out today. He's worked hard all week. We saw some more tongue movement. We worked some more on head control...building the neck muscles so he can hold his head up. We worked on arm and shoulder movement as well.

Garren made it through 3 hours of his 4 hour cap trial yesterday. The issue he has is coughing, clearing the secretions out of his lungs, and swallowing When he learns to cough, he will do much better with the trach being capped. Today he is working on 4 hours being capped again. So far so good.

Garren's left eye continues to stay a little bit irritated. Once he starts closing and blinking his left eye on his own this should clear up.

Continue to pray for his eye, that he will start blinking on the left side, and that he will get stronger at coughing and swallowing.

Thursday, March 24, 2011 6:00pm

2011-03-24T17:47:00.003-04:00

Garren's had another great day. He continues to show small improvements each day. Praise God.

As I write this, Garren is in the middle of his second "cap trial." What that means is that his trach is capped, forcing him to breathe through his nose and mouth. Yesterday he did two hours, with no problem. Today we are going for 4 hours. So far so good. The plan is to extend the trial period a little bit each day, until they determine he doesn't need the trach anymore.

Garren also needs to learn to cough consistently, and he needs to start swallowing. When he can do that, he will be on his way to removing the trach.

Garren continues to show consistent communication with his eyes. Nancy and the therapists played 20 questions with him. At first he didn't want to play. Apparently its a dumb game and he didn't see the point (all of this was communicated through a series of yes/no questions...crazy). He finally agreed to play along, and they did it! One of the therapists left the room. Nancy and the other therapist asked Garren what thing he wanted to think about (again, yes/no questions). He went with a Gator (he was wearing a Florida Gator shirt). When the other therapist came back into the room, she asked him a series of questions (20 questions) and he answered yes or no, until she figured out he was thinking about a Florida Gator!

Later, Nancy wrote simple math problems, then held two possible answers up for him to choose. He chose the correct answer every time.

In speech therapy this morning, Wren got Garren to stick his tongue out just past his teeth. Another huge accomplishment! We are so excited to see Garren making this kind of progress. It's encouraging to see where he is compared to even 1 week ago.

A huge answer to prayer - we got the DVD with the security camera footage of Garren's incident at the school. It shows us exactly what happened, and how long it took. From the time he first complained of the headache until the time he left the school was about 30 minutes. It was pretty tough to watch, knowing the pain Garren must have been feeling, and knowing what was about to come.

We look forward to another great day tomorrow. Pray that Garren's left eye will gain strength so he can start closing it on his own. Pray that he learns to cough consistently, and to swallow.

The Garren Tree

2011-03-23T15:36:00.003-04:00

I received the following email from our good friend's Bob and Barb. Thank you!

This weekend I was working outside in our “woods”, cleaning up the branches of all sizes that haven fallen from the trees. While there I saw one particular tree that captured my attention. It was obvious that it had been knocked over by a storm…..a very powerful storm. If we had seen that tree shortly after it was uprooted we probably would have felt little hope for it and figured it had succumbed to power of the storm.

But it had not! Even though the tree trunk was at about a 35 degree angle and some of the roots were exposed, that tree had a lot of life! The limbs have grown up straight and strong, reaching to the sky as if in praise to its Creator. The roots had dug in deep and strong. The tree is unmovable.

In the next few weeks, life will bloom once again from that once-battered-and-storm-stricken tree. Green leaves will grace the branches. A soft rustling sound will be heard when the wind blows through the leaves. And its beauty will reflect the One who designed it and be enjoyed by those who take the time to notice.

As I looked at that tree I couldn’t help but think of Garren.

I called Bob over and showed him the tree. And we stopped and prayed for Garren. We thanked God that Garren was not overcome by the “storm”. That his roots are deep. And we prayed that he would grow strong and straight, full of life like the branches on the tree reaching heavenward. And as the “green leaves” of strength, life, and beauty grow may his Creator be glorified.

Whenever we see the “Garren tree” we’ll be reminded of all that God’s done and all that He is able to do. And we’ll thank Him. And we’ll pray once again for Garren.

Love you guys and praying for you!