Dear Friends,
Not much new to report. Kevin and Sarah had a nice relaxing weekend without the "old folks" around. They talked about a great old-fashioned ice cream parlor they found and said we will have to go with them next time. I'm really looking forward to it after they told me about the Butterfinger ice cream pie.
I did talk to Kevin's case worker last week about getting a second opinion from an ophthalmologist about Kevin's eyes. She completely agreed and is working on getting authorization.
Everett, Sarah and I will be going to Bakersfield this Friday as Kevin's next family conference is then. I'll be able to give a better report on his progress after that.
Love,
Tami
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." Psalm 55:22
We got the report from Kevin's neuro-optometrist, Dr. Suter, yesterday and it wasn't what we were hoping for. The doctor does not hold out much hope for his right eye as the muscle in the optic nerve has atrophied. There is a possibility that with exercise he may gain some peripheral vision in it. The report on the left eye is more promising. The doctor feels that with exercise he should gain more of his eyesight there. Reading glasses have been prescribed for him as well as glasses to wear when he is outdoors to protect the right eye. Sarah asked about the possibility of him driving and that is still another unknown at the moment. It will depend on how much his left eye recovers and whether he gains peripheral vision in the right.
About a week ago God gave me the verse I wrote above, a verse which I have been going back to many times since. I now believe it was to prepare me for this report. I don't know of any parent who wouldn't be upset when they get this kind of news about their child, and trust me, I have shed more than a few tears. But I do know God keeps His promises. I don't know why He has allowed this to happen in Kevin's life but I have to trust Him to bring about His perfect purpose. I also know if I didn't have my trust in the LORD God Almighty I would, at this moment, be shaken to the very core of my being. And, I also believe in a God of miracles. Will He perform one on Kevin's eyesight? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, my hope and faith is secure in the Lord that whatever the future holds He will never allow us to be shaken.
Please continue to pray for Kevin's healing, and if it is God's will, that He will perform a miracle to completely restore Kevin's sight. We are praising and thanking God for the wonderful progress Kevin has made so far.
Love,
Tami
We got the report from Kevin's neuro-optometrist, Dr. Suter, yesterday and it wasn't what we were hoping for. The doctor does not hold out much hope for his right eye as the muscle in the optic nerve has atrophied. There is a possibility that with exercise he may gain some peripheral vision in it. The report on the left eye is more promising. The doctor feels that with exercise he should gain more of his eyesight there. Reading glasses have been prescribed for him as well as glasses to wear when he is outdoors to protect the right eye. Sarah asked about the possibility of him driving and that is still another unknown at the moment. It will depend on how much his left eye recovers and whether he gains peripheral vision in the right.
About a week ago God gave me the verse I wrote above, a verse which I have been going back to many times since. I now believe it was to prepare me for this report. I don't know of any parent who wouldn't be upset when they get this kind of news about their child, and trust me, I have shed more than a few tears. But I do know God keeps His promises. I don't know why He has allowed this to happen in Kevin's life but I have to trust Him to bring about His perfect purpose. I also know if I didn't have my trust in the LORD God Almighty I would, at this moment, be shaken to the very core of my being. And, I also believe in a God of miracles. Will He perform one on Kevin's eyesight? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, my hope and faith is secure in the Lord that whatever the future holds He will never allow us to be shaken.
Please continue to pray for Kevin's healing, and if it is God's will, that He will perform a miracle to completely restore Kevin's sight. We are praising and thanking God for the wonderful progress Kevin has made so far.
Love,
Tami
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Dear Friends,
A quick update to say not a whole lot new to report. Everett and Kevin had a nice father/son weekend. I had found that there was a hotrod and car display going on at the Kern County Museum. They wandered around it Saturday morning until it got too hot to be outdoors. They then went over to Guitar City and Everett bought Kevin an inexpensive acoustical guitar hoping it would spark a cord (sorry for the pun) in him. That evening at the apartment Kevin was able to get it tuned after about 30 minutes and was able to find a couple of cords. Hopefully this will give him something enjoyable to do in the evenings as he tries to remember how to play it. This should also be good cognitive therapy.
They went to church Sunday morning with our friends Wayne and Connie who again graciously had them over for a wonderful lunch. Thanks Wayne and Connie!
Kevin's appointment with the neuro-optometrist is today. We are still praying he will have a favorable report that his eyesight will recover on its own or that there is some kind of treatment to help it.
Please remember Sarah in prayer this weekend as she will be traveling alone to visit Kevin. Pray for her safety and that this will be a special time for her and Kevin.
I also want to thank everyone who sent us suggestions of things to do in Bakersfield. We really appreciate it.
My love and thanks to all,
Tami
A quick update to say not a whole lot new to report. Everett and Kevin had a nice father/son weekend. I had found that there was a hotrod and car display going on at the Kern County Museum. They wandered around it Saturday morning until it got too hot to be outdoors. They then went over to Guitar City and Everett bought Kevin an inexpensive acoustical guitar hoping it would spark a cord (sorry for the pun) in him. That evening at the apartment Kevin was able to get it tuned after about 30 minutes and was able to find a couple of cords. Hopefully this will give him something enjoyable to do in the evenings as he tries to remember how to play it. This should also be good cognitive therapy.
They went to church Sunday morning with our friends Wayne and Connie who again graciously had them over for a wonderful lunch. Thanks Wayne and Connie!
Kevin's appointment with the neuro-optometrist is today. We are still praying he will have a favorable report that his eyesight will recover on its own or that there is some kind of treatment to help it.
Please remember Sarah in prayer this weekend as she will be traveling alone to visit Kevin. Pray for her safety and that this will be a special time for her and Kevin.
I also want to thank everyone who sent us suggestions of things to do in Bakersfield. We really appreciate it.
My love and thanks to all,
Tami
Friday, August 17, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Dear Friends,
We had another good weekend visit with Kevin. However, Bakersfield is a tough town to find something entertaining to do other than wander around the mall. Also, with Kevin's limited eyesight, trying to keep focused on all that is going on around him fatigues his eyesight even more. If anyone knows anything about Bakersfield and has any suggestions for things to do there, please let us know as the mall is getting old real fast.
There is not a whole lot new to report as not much has changed since last week. Kevin is scheduled to have his checkup with the neuro-optometrist next Tuesday, August 21. We are still praying for a favorable report that his eyesight will improve on its own or that there will be something that can be done to help correct it. Kevin has also been experiencing swelling in his feet and legs ever since he became mobile and is having to wear uncomfortable compression stockings. Hopefully this condition will improve soon, too.
Everett will be the only one going to visit Kevin this coming weekend as Sarah and I really need a break. Sarah will be going by herself the weekend of the 25th to give Everett a break. I, along with the input of my doctors, have come to the conclusion that I cannot keep up the pace of weekly visits as it is wreaking havoc on my fibromyalgia and other physical problems. I will try and go approximately every other weekend. We will all go the weekend of the 31st as this will be Kevin's next family conference. Please continue to pray for the health and stamina of Sarah, Keith and Kim, and Everett and myself as we try to keep up with this hectic pace. Working, packing and unpacking every weekend, and trying to do our normal weekend stuff during the week is taking a toll on everyone.
Kevin is having a difficult time wrapping his mind around the idea that he may need to spend several months at the Centre. He wants to come home, which is understandable. He has it in his mind that other than his eyesight, he has no problems so there is no real need for him to be there. This, of course, is the brain injury talking. He feels all the therapy is a stupid and boring waste of time. We have gently tried to tell him the areas he is still having difficulties in but it just doesn't quite register. I dare say, though, that most of us would be having a difficult time adjusting to the life he is having to live. Kevin feels he is a prisoner (and in some respects he is) as he has no freedom to go where he wants to go or do what he wants to do when he wants to do it and he is followed everywhere he goes. Please pray he can adjust to all this. He really enjoys our weekend visits as this is the only time he can spend away from the Centre or the apartments, and he really doesn't care what we do or where we go.
Blessings to all,
Tami
We had another good weekend visit with Kevin. However, Bakersfield is a tough town to find something entertaining to do other than wander around the mall. Also, with Kevin's limited eyesight, trying to keep focused on all that is going on around him fatigues his eyesight even more. If anyone knows anything about Bakersfield and has any suggestions for things to do there, please let us know as the mall is getting old real fast.
There is not a whole lot new to report as not much has changed since last week. Kevin is scheduled to have his checkup with the neuro-optometrist next Tuesday, August 21. We are still praying for a favorable report that his eyesight will improve on its own or that there will be something that can be done to help correct it. Kevin has also been experiencing swelling in his feet and legs ever since he became mobile and is having to wear uncomfortable compression stockings. Hopefully this condition will improve soon, too.
Everett will be the only one going to visit Kevin this coming weekend as Sarah and I really need a break. Sarah will be going by herself the weekend of the 25th to give Everett a break. I, along with the input of my doctors, have come to the conclusion that I cannot keep up the pace of weekly visits as it is wreaking havoc on my fibromyalgia and other physical problems. I will try and go approximately every other weekend. We will all go the weekend of the 31st as this will be Kevin's next family conference. Please continue to pray for the health and stamina of Sarah, Keith and Kim, and Everett and myself as we try to keep up with this hectic pace. Working, packing and unpacking every weekend, and trying to do our normal weekend stuff during the week is taking a toll on everyone.
Kevin is having a difficult time wrapping his mind around the idea that he may need to spend several months at the Centre. He wants to come home, which is understandable. He has it in his mind that other than his eyesight, he has no problems so there is no real need for him to be there. This, of course, is the brain injury talking. He feels all the therapy is a stupid and boring waste of time. We have gently tried to tell him the areas he is still having difficulties in but it just doesn't quite register. I dare say, though, that most of us would be having a difficult time adjusting to the life he is having to live. Kevin feels he is a prisoner (and in some respects he is) as he has no freedom to go where he wants to go or do what he wants to do when he wants to do it and he is followed everywhere he goes. Please pray he can adjust to all this. He really enjoys our weekend visits as this is the only time he can spend away from the Centre or the apartments, and he really doesn't care what we do or where we go.
Blessings to all,
Tami
Monday, August 6, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
Dear Friends,
We had a nice weekend visit with Kevin. He has made a good deal of progress in the two weeks he has been at CNS. He is now using a cane which is helping a little with his instability. He has had no aggressive tendencies or foul language since the second day he arrived. Praise the Lord!
We had a good family conference Friday afternoon. Kevin's eye problem is still a major issue. He has not yet had an appointment with the Neuro-optometrist, but we are hopeful that will happen this week. We also expect that his stomach tube will be removed this week as he is eating very well. The doctor was wanting signed approval from the family before it was removed as well. I know Kevin will be glad once it's gone as it has become quite a nuisance for him.
As we expected, he is pretty physically weak after eleven weeks in bed. His physical therapist is working with him on strength and endurance as well as balance. Kevin is also working with speech, cognitive, and education rehabilitation. His memory is fair and he is regaining short-term memory. He can no longer remember his last job as an industrial plumbing apprentice which he had begun in February. He can, however, remember his brother's wedding which took place in March, but he thinks it was over a year ago. It's funny how he can remember bits and pieces but can't quite put the pieces together in the proper time frame. We will have our next family conference at the end of the month where we hope to have an even better report.
Friday evening we took him out to dinner at Johnny Rockets, a '50's style diner, where Kevin really enjoyed his hamburger. After wandering around for awhile we took him back to his apartment and visited with him there.
Saturday morning we picked him up just before lunch time as we had to wait until he had gone grocery shopping and finished his morning chores. We went to a local mall and had lunch at the food court. Kevin was happy to be out and about as he seems to get bored sitting at the apartment every evening. After wandering around the mall a little we went back to our hotel to rest a bit but that didn't last long as Kevin was ready to be out and about. Kevin talked almost non-stop the whole time, repeating himself over and over again as he just doesn't remember what he has already said. It was great to hear him initiate conversation on his own, though. He is frustrated with his memory gaps. He says he will sit at night trying to put everything together in his mind but he still can't get the pieces to fit. He feels like he is in a time warp and not living in a real world.
Kevin said he wished he had a Bible he could read as the one Sarah had brought from home was too small to see. I had put together a folder with quite a few verses I had printed out in large print on the computer which he said he had already read a few times. So, we stopped at a Wal-Mart hoping to find Kevin a large print Bible but one of the clerks said they didn't have any but gave us directions to the local Berean Christian Book Store where we were able to find him a giant print Bible. He was pleased with that. After eating dinner at Red Robin, one of Kevin's favorite places, we took him back to his apartment and visited with him and the family of the other client in his apartment.
Sunday morning we picked him up and headed to the church of some dear friends, Wayne and Connie. Wayne and Connie are the parents of a former pastor of ours. After morning worship service Wayne and Connie graciously invited us to their home for lunch where we enjoyed fried chicken with all the trimmings. After a nice visit we returned Kevin to the apartment and we then headed home.
We will visit Kevin again next weekend and this time Keith and Kim will be able to join us.
I will most likely be updating the blog only once a week unless something of urgency comes to our attention between our visits. I know I have thanked you many times, but thank you once again for your continued prayers. God is wonderfully and graciously answering them.
Love,
Tami
We had a nice weekend visit with Kevin. He has made a good deal of progress in the two weeks he has been at CNS. He is now using a cane which is helping a little with his instability. He has had no aggressive tendencies or foul language since the second day he arrived. Praise the Lord!
We had a good family conference Friday afternoon. Kevin's eye problem is still a major issue. He has not yet had an appointment with the Neuro-optometrist, but we are hopeful that will happen this week. We also expect that his stomach tube will be removed this week as he is eating very well. The doctor was wanting signed approval from the family before it was removed as well. I know Kevin will be glad once it's gone as it has become quite a nuisance for him.
As we expected, he is pretty physically weak after eleven weeks in bed. His physical therapist is working with him on strength and endurance as well as balance. Kevin is also working with speech, cognitive, and education rehabilitation. His memory is fair and he is regaining short-term memory. He can no longer remember his last job as an industrial plumbing apprentice which he had begun in February. He can, however, remember his brother's wedding which took place in March, but he thinks it was over a year ago. It's funny how he can remember bits and pieces but can't quite put the pieces together in the proper time frame. We will have our next family conference at the end of the month where we hope to have an even better report.
Friday evening we took him out to dinner at Johnny Rockets, a '50's style diner, where Kevin really enjoyed his hamburger. After wandering around for awhile we took him back to his apartment and visited with him there.
Saturday morning we picked him up just before lunch time as we had to wait until he had gone grocery shopping and finished his morning chores. We went to a local mall and had lunch at the food court. Kevin was happy to be out and about as he seems to get bored sitting at the apartment every evening. After wandering around the mall a little we went back to our hotel to rest a bit but that didn't last long as Kevin was ready to be out and about. Kevin talked almost non-stop the whole time, repeating himself over and over again as he just doesn't remember what he has already said. It was great to hear him initiate conversation on his own, though. He is frustrated with his memory gaps. He says he will sit at night trying to put everything together in his mind but he still can't get the pieces to fit. He feels like he is in a time warp and not living in a real world.
Kevin said he wished he had a Bible he could read as the one Sarah had brought from home was too small to see. I had put together a folder with quite a few verses I had printed out in large print on the computer which he said he had already read a few times. So, we stopped at a Wal-Mart hoping to find Kevin a large print Bible but one of the clerks said they didn't have any but gave us directions to the local Berean Christian Book Store where we were able to find him a giant print Bible. He was pleased with that. After eating dinner at Red Robin, one of Kevin's favorite places, we took him back to his apartment and visited with him and the family of the other client in his apartment.
Sunday morning we picked him up and headed to the church of some dear friends, Wayne and Connie. Wayne and Connie are the parents of a former pastor of ours. After morning worship service Wayne and Connie graciously invited us to their home for lunch where we enjoyed fried chicken with all the trimmings. After a nice visit we returned Kevin to the apartment and we then headed home.
We will visit Kevin again next weekend and this time Keith and Kim will be able to join us.
I will most likely be updating the blog only once a week unless something of urgency comes to our attention between our visits. I know I have thanked you many times, but thank you once again for your continued prayers. God is wonderfully and graciously answering them.
Love,
Tami
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Dear Friends,
Just a quick note as I have much to do before we leave tomorrow morning for Bakersfield. We have our first family conference at CNS (Centre for Neuro Skills) tomorrow afternoon. We are hoping at that meeting to have a lot of our questions answered after their two week evaluation of Kevin. We hope to better understand his condition, what they can do to help, can his eyesight be corrected, how long we might expect him to have to stay at CNS, etc., etc., etc.
It has been difficult not being able to see Kevin for a week but we have talked to him several times. He seems to be doing pretty well. They took him grocery shopping last Saturday and took him to church on Sunday. [Note to Wayne & Connie: If all goes well we hope to be at church with you all this Sunday.] We talked to Kevin one evening and they were supposed to be going to the movies but he had an upset stomach and I'm not sure if he did go. He still has the feeding tube, which I still hope they will be able to remove soon.
Please keep us in your prayers as we will be spending so much time on the road in the future. Pray for all those who are working with Kevin to have special insight on how to care for him and that we can be a good witness to all those we have contact with. And, of course, keep praying for a great healing for Kevin.
God Bless You All,
Tami
Just a quick note as I have much to do before we leave tomorrow morning for Bakersfield. We have our first family conference at CNS (Centre for Neuro Skills) tomorrow afternoon. We are hoping at that meeting to have a lot of our questions answered after their two week evaluation of Kevin. We hope to better understand his condition, what they can do to help, can his eyesight be corrected, how long we might expect him to have to stay at CNS, etc., etc., etc.
It has been difficult not being able to see Kevin for a week but we have talked to him several times. He seems to be doing pretty well. They took him grocery shopping last Saturday and took him to church on Sunday. [Note to Wayne & Connie: If all goes well we hope to be at church with you all this Sunday.] We talked to Kevin one evening and they were supposed to be going to the movies but he had an upset stomach and I'm not sure if he did go. He still has the feeding tube, which I still hope they will be able to remove soon.
Please keep us in your prayers as we will be spending so much time on the road in the future. Pray for all those who are working with Kevin to have special insight on how to care for him and that we can be a good witness to all those we have contact with. And, of course, keep praying for a great healing for Kevin.
God Bless You All,
Tami
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