Posts from 2006

September 30, 2006

Dear friends and family,

I am sorry that updates are fewer and farther between as of late; there are many factors that have contributed to the delay. Letting more time pass sense the last update has allowed to look back over the past 2 months and see, once again, we have much to thank God for.

Probably the most exciting and amazing answer to prayer is that Antonia now has a woman who comes to their home 2 times a week to do therapy with her. Her name is Kim and she is the wife of the pastor of one of their sister churches. She is a kind and helpful lady whom the family likes very much. She has graciously volunteered her time and energy to help Antonia with her therapy. In addition to this, Mary, has resumed taking her to the pool 2 days a week for some aqua-therapy. They stopped going during the summer due to the large number of children and high noise level at the pool. Antonia is also still getting speech therapy 2 times a week.

Some of the other areas of improvement include: small improvements in her short term memory, fewer emotional outbursts than usual, better emotional stability, sleeping better, talking clearer, standing more, and better control of her saliva.

We thank God for any and all improvements but continue to pray that He will fully restore her in His perfect timing. For those of you who get to talk to or be with Antonia, you know that God has already done so much. She is very aware of everything that is going on, has lots to say, and loves to laugh and be involved in the lives of her family. However, Please continue to pray for her and for all those caring for her.

The following is from Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (1Kings 18:43) /September 28. I found it to be an encouraging reminder to persevere in prayer, whoever and whatever we are praying for or about.

"Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when His people are earnest in a matter which concerns His glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, and never for a moment gave way to a fear that he should be non-suited in Jehovah's courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but, "Go again". We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel's brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is animated to plead more fervently with her God. She is humbled, but not abashed: her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good to wait FOR as well as UPON the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself, and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation; deadly blows are thus struck at our corruption, and the chambers of imagery are cleansed. The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing. Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, and even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, and you shall rise as as prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man of like passions with us; his power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing importunity, and it shall be with you according to your desire."

Thank you once again for your continued prayers, love and support.

Sincerely,

Gina (on behalf of Dean)


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Dear Friends and Family,

In the past month and a half they have been thankful to see noticeable improvement in Antonia's short term memory. They do believe that the increased medications explained in the last update are probably a contributing factor to this improvement. We give God the glory for any and all improvements, as we know that God often works through the means he has created. They have noticed her remembering more things lately, although she still experiences confusion and frustration. They continue to see Antonia gaining physical strength and have also noticed more movement in her left leg upon command. She has started receiving speech therapy again and they can see small improvements in this area as well.

A week or so ago, they (Dean, Antonia, Mary, Shirley and the children, Azaleah and Isaiah) all traveled a few hours to Lake Chelan for a family camp the church put on. It was filled with, swimming, jet skiing, eating, fellowshipping and few talks. They stayed at the beautiful home of the parents of one of the church members who so graciously open their home to share the beauty and tranquility of the lake with others. They even put Antonia in the water and she enjoyed riding on a sit in tube pulled behind a Sea-Do and swimming in the lake. Although they thought it might be a little like camping, Dean and Antonia and Mary and Shirley were given rooms that would have rivaled any found at a 5-star Hilton.

They continue to press on and do everything they can to help Antonia's improvement. It is difficult in many ways because taking care of her is such a full time job and although other things may be done to aid in her rehabilitation, there is just not enough hours in a day to do it all. Please pray that God would sustain them in their strength, health and their perseverance. Please pray that many opportunities for additional therapy and any means to aid in Antonia's rehabilitation would be made known to them. It seems that there are many programs out there to help people in her situation, but they are not always easily found; you have to "dig" for them. This takes a lot of time and extra time is very limited. Also, please continue to pray for improved short-term memory, peace and joy.

We would like to again thank all of you who continue to inquire about Antonia's progress. Thank you for caring, for asking, for checking the website for updates, and for your support monetarily.
Most importantly, thank you for continuing to pray to our gracious and merciful Father for her complete recovery.

Love,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)

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May 23rd, 2006
Dear friends and family,
Please forgive the tardiness of this update. I am writing from the home of Dean and Antonia and have been here visiting for the past 7 days now. My last visit here was almost one year ago, and I can tell you firsthand that she has definitely improved. I am amazed at how well you can communicate with her in person. One year ago when I was here she was unable to speak at all and only communicated by shaking her head for yes or no and making various facial expressions. Now, she can speak to you and communicate how she is feeling, ask questions, and even sing songs. I am amazed at how she has resumed her motherly training of Azaleah and Isaiah by listening to all they say, watching everything they do and chastising them if they forget to say please or thank you, or if they disobey. And she is a constant example to the kids in trying to always say please and thank you herself when she asks for something or when you do something for her. She is very much aware of all that is going on and gives her input in many situations. Her speech is still very labored and unclear in many ways, but when you can listen and read her lips, you can almost always figure out what she is saying. And, if you can’t, she will then either spell the word or use sign language to communicate. With speech therapy she will learn how to articulate each letter to be more understandable. I believe they are trying to arrange this therapy now that she is showing a marked improvement in this area.
As far as physical improvements, she is now able to do many things like: help with dressing, putting right arm around your shoulder to help with standing and getting in/out of her wheelchair, swimming with right arm and leg, etc. She continues to get stronger due to the daily stretching and strengthening exercises. Her short term memory has shown definite improvement. For example, we took her to see a new doctor on Monday, and on Tuesday we asked her if she remembered his name, and she did. She is also remembering the punch line for new jokes that we tell her. The Neurological chiropractor that has been treating her recommended telling her jokes as that will trigger the area of her brain that needs stimulation. Her current regime of medicines seems to be working quite well and she has fewer outbursts of fear and anger than before.
I mentioned that we took her to a new doctor on Monday in Portland, Oregon. He is a Naturopathic doctor. He increased some of the natural supplements that she was taking and also suggested that she take one of them under her tongue to increase the amount that actually goes into her bloodstream. This supplement is supposed to help build and replenish cells, and he felt that with the increased dosage that we should see an improvement within 3 months if, in fact, it will help at all. They are also giving her large doses of Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil). This works in two ways – reduces the inflammation that comes from oxygen deprivation and provides the building blocks to support new neural growth. This is the same thing that was given to the only survivor of the Sago mine disaster who had suffered heart, kidney and liver failure in addition to brain failure. He returned home less than four months after the mining disaster.
So far, my visit has been very encouraging. It has been so great to sit and talk with my sister, to hear her being a part of her children’s training and to see her so clearly understand all that is going on and all the improvements she has made. However, I do acknowledge that she still has quite a long way to go. She still says quite often things like, “Where are we?”, “I am so confused”, “I am so afraid” and “I am so frustrated”.
She still cannot use her left side at all, and because of the calcification in her right elbow, which prevents her closing it all the way, she cannot do many things like feed herself, brush her teeth, etc. Also, her right arm is very shaky, and this prevents her from doing those things as well. She seems to be okay as long as she is not alone, as long as she sees someone familiar that can answer her questions and reassure her of where she is and what’s going on.
Some of the most urgent prayer needs are:
strength and perseverance for Mary and Dean The girl who has been helping with Antonia’s daily exercises and also with house cleaning is no longer working for them, as of this week. Please pray that God would help them to find the right person or agency to provide that very much needed help God would continue to heal her brain and restore her left side and her short term memory.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you who have continued to pray for and support this family throughout the past year and a half. I am always encouraged by the words of one of Antonia’s favorite hymns:
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain.
In gratitude and love,
Gina (Antonia’s sister)
P.S., check back for recent photos.
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March 15th, 2006

Dear friends and family,

It is hard to believe that a year and 5 months has past since Antonia's accident. We have watched God do many amazing things from raising her up from the coma to eating solid foods to starting to talk and much more. Words cannot express the love and gratitude we have for all of you who have continued to pray for her and for our family throughout this time.

We are still seeking a solution for appropriate and effective medications for Antonia. She still suffers from much confusion, anger, sleeplessness, and disorientation due to her brain injury. There are several different medications that can help with these symptoms but finding a suitable one and administering the correct dosage has proven to be quite a challenge. We continue to try different things and have seen some temporary improvements. Ultimately, we need to find the particular one that she will respond to favorably and continue to do so. Please pray that Father would give her more stable moods, and if it is through the medications that it would happen soon, so Antonia would be more peaceful, content and aware. Please pray that He would sustain us as we seek to care for her needs and teach us daily to trust and wait on Him.

We have seen some small improvements with her short term memory particularly in the realm of jokes. The neurological chiropractor that has been treating her from the beginning has recommended telling her jokes and asking her later if she remembers the punch line and she has. Also, she is remembering other small things that she wouldn't have remembered a few months ago.

We recently purchased a brace for her left leg (as she still does not have use of this side of her body) and with it in place she held onto the side of her bed and stood for several minutes. With help and future therapy, it is our prayer that she will gain greater balance and learn how to pivot her left hip and leg in such a way as to begin to walk with the brace on. Please continue to pray that God will heal the area of her brain that will restore the use of her left side.

Another area of progress is that her feeding/peg tube has been removed (actually she removed it herself by pulling it out). It was providentially good timing because she was at the point where she could manage taking everything that is necessary by mouth. We still have to feed her because her right arm (the only one she has use of) still is calcified at the elbow and cannot be bent enough to reach her mouth. Again, we are still considering doing the surgery to possibly have this corrected, but with her unstable moods it could actually set us further back if she did not tolerate all therapy that would need to be done.

Blessings on you all,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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February 15th, 2006

Dear family and friends,

There is not a lot of news to report regarding recent progress Antonia has made, but we continue to thank God for all He has done and to pray that He will restore her completely in His perfect timing.

Antonia’s mood continues to be one of much distress, confusion and fear which is due to the type of brain injury she has. Prior to December she was on an anti-seizure medication called Depicote, which worked well to stabilize her mood, but was causing significant hair loss. Since then the doctor has tried a couple of different medications as an attempt to stabilize her mood, but none of them seemed to be have much of a positive affect. That is until recently when we started testing a new one on a very minimal dose, which appears to be having a positive affect. This medicine issue is very important to have cleared up, as her therapy is not effective when she is in this state of fear, confusion and anger. However, having said that, she does continue to gain strength and they certainly do enjoy many moments of joy and laughter.

Antonia still has significant problems with her short term memory, yet there has been some incremental improvements with it. She does have a fairly good memory of her life before the accident, but next to none in regard to events that have just taken place. In some ways this may be a blessing as she doesn't really have the ability to remember how long she has been in this condition. But, in other ways, it is very distressing to her as she doesn't remember where she is, what she has done, or what happened to her. It is exhausting in many ways for those taking care of her on a regular basis because she asks many of the same questions day after day.

The surgery on her elbow is something they are still praying about doing. But, at this point, until they can stabilize her mood more there is really no sense in doing the surgery, because in order for the surgery to be effective she will have to be ready for serious rehabilitative therapy. In her current state of mind she does not seem able to consistently and positively focus on her therapy. And, once the operation is done, she will HAVE to be able to do her therapy effectively in order for it to benefit her. So, until they can get her moods stabilized a bit more, the surgery is on the back burner.

Please pray that God would restore her short term memory and heal the area of her brain that regulates her moods. These are two big areas of desperately needed prayer. Please also pray for Dean and Mary as they continue to provide the majority of her care. Pray that God will sustain them and keep them from becoming weary and/or discouraged.

Thank you for your continued prayers and concern.

Waiting and trusting in the Lord,

Gina (on behalf of Dean)

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January 11th, 2006 (New Photos Below)

I want to take this time to personally thank you all for everything you have done for Antonia and the family during this past 15 months. All of your prayers, concern, support and gifts have been tremendously used to bless our family, and we know that we would not have been so well upheld apart from them. God has heard the cries of his people, and he has used you all to be a ministry of Christ to us. We appreciate that you would not allow us to stumble or fall, but upheld us in prayer, encouraged us with your thoughtfulness and helped us with your gracious gifts.

The many monetary gifts we have received from you all have been greatly appreciated, as we have been able to provide Antonia with more than most in her condition would have the privilege of experiencing. We have been able to purchase equipment like: a hoyer lift, an inversion table, a bed, mattress, rails, special shoes, pedals and many other little things that contribute to her well being and steady improvements. Probably one the greatest things we have been able to do with your generous gifts is hire a therapist that works with her for at least four hours a day. This has been a blessing that is hard to put a value on. Without daily therapy at this point Antonia would most likely begin to plateau and see only the occasional improvement, but at it is, we are seeing many “little” improvements almost daily. We are seeing her sit longer on the side of the bed without assistance; we are seeing her stand longer with some assistance; we are seeing her speak better—when she takes her time; we are seeing her become more aware of her surroundings and we seeing her swallow better all the time.

For all these things we give abundant thanks to our God who has done this, and we give a hearty thanks to you all who have prayed to our God and supported us in ways that never cease to amaze us.

In reference to some new happenings, it looks like we inclined towards pursuing the surgery on Antonia’s right elbow, we will probably have her feeding tube removed soon, as she is no longer in need of it, we will begin soon to work on her urinary incontinence, which we are beginning to see good signs of improvement with, and we are looking at purchasing a lift that will enable her to practice walking in a protected manner.

For those of you who are interested in how the children are doing, here is a brief on them. Azaleah and Isaiah both are a complete joy and source of light to our home. They love life, play hard and sleep well. They are good with their mom as well. They play with her, snuggle with her and sit on her lap often—these are activities mama delights in and we appreciate seeing. God is good, and in his faithfulness, he is sustaining the children well.






With much thanks,
Dean and family