Thur-Fri, January 1st-2nd, 2004 ~ Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Many thanks to Tracy's friends at
Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. We really enjoyed your video messages! Thank
you for your thoughtfulness and prayers! Tracy does not have therapy Friday at
NRH. Thursday, Mom and Dad took Tracy on a few outings. They visited a rehab
facility in Mt. Vernon, VA and then went to a recreation facility to check out
their pool. Tracy also watched the Miami Hurricanes and the FSU Seminoles play
in the Orange Bowl. Go Canes! Wednesday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at
NRH. She only had PT and OT. We celebrated the new year quietly at home and
watched all of the festivities on TV. Mom fed Tracy some egg nog and she
swallowed all 8 ounces. We hope that everyone had a very safe and happy new
year. Tuesday night Charles and I stayed with Tracy while Mom and Dad went out
to dinner for their 24th wedding anniversary! Trace is doing so well! Her
stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she
started out-patient therapy! Tracy has so many great friends and their support
means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we
continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road
ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support
our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A
big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us
with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Wednesday, December 31st, 2003 ~Happy 2004! Happy Anniversary Mom
and Dad! Happy New Year! Many
thanks to the students from Gonzaga University. We received the video today and
are eager to see your messages! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and prayers! Mom
and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH. She only has two hours of therapy today.
Yesterday Tracy just relaxed at home. Charles and I stayed with Tracy last
night while Mom and Dad went out to dinner for their 24th wedding anniversary!
Monday, Mom, Liz, and Liz' daughter, Mary took Tracy to therapy. Tracy had
speech first and stayed awake the whole time. She had six mouthfuls of peach
yogurt and swallowed it all quickly. Julie also worked with Tracy on breathing
by lifting her arms over her head. During OT, Tori worked on long leg stretches
with Tracy, pushing her knees to her nose. Tori got Tracy in a sitting position
and Tracy sat up all by herself! Tori just stabilized Tracy's pelvis. During
PT, Dave sat Tracy at the edge of the mat and worked on her head control and
trunk stability. Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk
control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Tracy has
so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast
approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come.
However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to
send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking
about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of
Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your
generosity is greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, December 30, 2003 ~Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!
Many thanks to the students from Gonzaga University. We received the video
today and are eager to see your messages! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and
prayers! Today we are just relaxing at home with Tracy after a busy day of
therapy. Mom and Roxanne showered Trace and she's wearing her new outfit from
Amanda! Monday, Mom, Liz, and Liz' daughter, Mary took Tracy to therapy. Tracy
had speech first and stayed awake the whole time. She had six mouthfuls of
peach yogurt and swallowed it all quickly. Julie also worked with Tracy on
breathing by lifting her arms over her head. During OT, Tori worked on long leg
stretches with Tracy, pushing her knees to her nose. Tori got Tracy in a
sitting position and Tracy sat up all by herself! Tori just stabilized Tracy's
pelvis. During PT, Dave sat Tracy at the edge of the mat and worked on her head
control and trunk stability. Tracy has therapy again on Wednesday. We enjoyed a
quiet weekend. Saturday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to see the ice
skaters and look at the shops. Sunday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to noon Mass at
Our Lady of Lourdes. After Mass, Ashley and Donna Brown stopped by to see
Trace. They brought Tracy a cute jumpsuit! Thanks! Emil came by Sunday night
and gave Tracy a much needed massage. He also brought us some lasagna that his
wife Kathryn made and some beautiful flowers! Thank you so much!Trace is doing
so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much
since she started out-patient therapy! Tracy has so many great friends and
their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year
mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very
long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and
support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult
time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for
providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly
appreciated!
Monday, December 29, 2003 ~Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a lovely
Christmas! Tracy has therapy today at NRH. Mom, Liz, and Liz' daughter, Mary
took Tracy to therapy. She has PT, OT, and Speech. Emil came over last night
and gave Tracy a much needed massage. He also brought us some lasagna that his
wife Kathryn made and some beautiful flowers! Thank you so much! We enjoyed a
quiet weekend. Mom and Dad took Tracy to therapy on Friday and she did really
well! She had co-speech and PT. Dave and Julie got Tracy on the mat in the
quiet therapy room. They coached her to keep her head up while being supported
in a sitting position. They also got Tracy on the therapy ball. The first put
her in a prone position on the ball and then put her in a kneeling position.
Tracy did an awesome job switching positions and held her head up really well!
Saturday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to see the ice skaters and
look at the shops. They had a quiet night at home. Charles and I drove his
grandmother, Lorraine back to Va Beach. Sunday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to noon
Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. After Mass, Ashley and Donna Brown stopped by to
see Trace. They brought Tracy a cute jumpsuit! Thanks! Trace is doing so well!
Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she
started out-patient therapy! Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards
and goodies! We celebrated Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and
his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support
means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we
continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road
ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support
our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A
big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us
with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Sat-Sun, December 27-28, 2003 ~Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a lovely
Christmas! We are enjoying a quiet weekend. Mom and Dad took Tracy to therapy
on Friday and she did really well! She had co-speech and PT. Dave and Julie got
Tracy on the mat in the quiet therapy room. They coached her to keep her head
up while being supported in a sitting position. They also got Tracy on the
therapy ball. The first put her in a prone position on the ball and then put
her in a kneeling position. Tracy did an awesome job switching positions and
held her head up really well! Saturday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row
to see the ice skaters and look at the shops. They had a quiet night at home.
Charles and I drove his grandmother, Lorraine back to Va Beach. Sunday, Mom and
Dad took Tracy to noon Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. After Mass, Ashley and
Donna Brown stopped by to see Trace. They brought Tracy a cute jumpsuit!
Thanks! Tracy has therapy tomorrow at NRH. Trace is doing so well! Her
stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she
started out-patient therapy! Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards
and goodies! We celebrated Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and
his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support
means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we
continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road
ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support
our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A
big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us
with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Friday, December 26th, 2003 ~ Merry Christmas! Buon Natale! Merry Christmas! We hope everyone had a
very Merry Christmas! Mom and Dad are taking Tracy to therapy today at NRH. She
only has speech and PT. We'll let you know how that goes. Thursday, we went to
mass at Our Lady of Lourdes down the street and then headed to the seafood
market to buy some lobsters! Yum! Mom, Charles and I made baked-stuffed
lobsters and pasta. We opened presents and relaxed all evening. A big thank you
to everyone! Wednesday night, Tracy had a whole cup of egg nog while watching
our favorite movie, White Christmas! We also enjoyed a Christmas meal prepared
for us by Mrs. Arthur! Thank you! Tracy had a great day of therapy yesterday.
Mom and Dad took her to NRH. She ate some yogurt during speech and swallowed
right away! She ate all of it! Go Trace! During OT, Tori helped Tracy sit up on
the mat by sitting behind her. She stretched Tracy really well and worked on
Tracy's head control. Dave got Trace on the therapy ball and coached Tracy to
keep her head up. He also stretched her legs and arms. Trace is doing so well!
Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she
started out-patient therapy! Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards
and goodies! Our tree is overflowing! Thank you! We are celebrating Christmas
here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has
so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast
approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come.
However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to
send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking
about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of
Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your
generosity is greatly appreciated!
Thursday, December 25th , 2003 ~ Merry Christmas! ~ Buon Natale! Merry Christmas! We hope everyone has a
very Merry Christmas! We went to mass at Our Lady of Lourdes down the street
and then headed to the seafood market to buy some lobsters! Yum! Mom, Charles
and I made baked-stuffed lobsters and pasta. We opened presents this afternoon!
A big thank you to everyone! Wednesday night, Tracy had a whole cup of egg nog
while watching our favorite movie, White Christmas! We also enjoyed a Christmas
meal prepared for us by Mrs. Arthur! Thank you! Tracy had a great day of
therapy yesterday. Mom and Dad took her to NRH. She ate some yogurt during
speech and swallowed right away! She ate all of it! Go Trace! During OT, Tori
helped Tracy sit up on the mat by sitting behind her. She stretched Tracy
really well and worked on Tracy's head control. Dave got Trace on the therapy
ball and coached Tracy to keep her head up. He also stretched her legs and
arms. Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has
improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Tracy does have therapy
tomorrow at NRH. Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards and goodies!
Our tree is overflowing! Thank you! We are celebrating Christmas here in
Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many
great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast
approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come.
However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to
send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to Roxanne for the
beautiful Christmas arrangement. We appreciate everyone thinking about us
during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater
Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity
is greatly appreciated!
Tues-Wed, Dec 23rd-24th, 2003 ~ Merry Christmas! ~ Happy Christmas Eve! Charles and I had a great trip to NYC and we arrived home last night. Mom and Dad are taking Tracy to therapy at NRH this afternoon. We'll let you know how that goes shortly! Yesterday, Tracy rested on and off. Dad stretched and ranged Tracy Tuesday night. She was pretty tired from her full day of therapy on Monday! Monday, Liz went with Mom and Tracy to NRH and Tracy was fitted for a new splint for her left arm. Next week she will receive a new cast for her right arm and a splint for her right wrist. These appliances are having a very positive effect on Tracy's range of motion of her arms. Tracy stayed awake during her whole speech session and swallowed some peach yogurt smoothly very quickly. During PT, Tracy did a great job holding her head up while sitting on the edge of the mat with some help. Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards and goodies! Our tree is overflowing! Thank you! We are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one-year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to Roxanne for the beautiful Christmas arrangement. We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Mon, December 22nd, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Sunday Mom, Dad and Tracy went to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church just a few blocks from our apartment. Emil and his wife Kathryn visited us while Emil gave Tracy another of his wonderful massages. Charles and Tiff are now in New York City until Tuesday and are having a great time. Today, Liz went with Mom and Tracy to NRH and Tracy was fitted for a new splint for her left arm. Next week she will receive a new cast for her right arm and a splint for her right wrist. These appliances are having a very positive effect on Tracy's range of motion of her arms. Tracy stayed awake during her whole speach session and swallowed some peach yogurt smoothy very quickly. During PT Tracy did a great job holding her head up while sitting on the edge of the mat with some help. Please remain patient with us concerning the website updates! :) We are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one-year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to the Clark family for the adorable teddy bear! Tracy loves it! Many thanks to the Hulings for all the goodies! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Sat-Sun, December 20th-21st, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Friday, Mom and Liz took Trace to therapy at NRH.
She had to be at the hospital by 11am and she only had speech and OT. It was a
pretty rough day since they changed her schedule and Trace wasn't feeling very
well. She stayed awake during speech and had an hour break before OT. Tracy had
some yogurt during speech and did some munching movements! Jan and Julie were
so excited to see Trace do that! Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and
coached Tracy to hold her head up. She didn't want to move Trace around too
much since she wasn't feeling well. A big thanks to Liz for accompanying Mom
and Trace to therapy all week long! She is a huge help! Saturday, Tracy rested
and watched Serendipity. Charles and Tiff will be in New York City until
Tuesday. Please remain patient with us concerning the website updates! :) We
are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his
grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means
so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue
to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of
her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way!
Thanks to the Clark family for the adorable teddy bear! Tracy loves it! Many
thanks to the Hulings for all the goodies! We appreciate everyone thinking
about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of
Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your
generosity is greatly appreciated!
Friday, December 19th, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Trace slept on and off last night. Mom and Liz took
Trace to therapy at NRH early this morning. She had to be at the hospital by
11am. She only has speech and occupational therapy today. Thursday, Tracy just
rested at home and Emil came over to give Tracy a much needed massage.
Wednesday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to NRH for therapy. She did such a great job!
Mom did Tracy's makeup before she left and Tracy got many compliments! She
looked so pretty! During OT, Melissa worked with Tracy in the quiet therapy
room. Melissa helped Tracy roll onto her side and then she stretched Tracy's
shoulders. She helped Tracy stretch by pushing her nose to her knee. Then Tracy
had speech with Jan. Jan had Mom demonstrate facial stimulation exercises with
Trace. While Jan was brushing Tracy's teeth, Tracy brought her tongue to the
toothbrush! She hasn't been able to do that before. This is a normal,
coordinated response and Jan was very pleased. Go Trace! Plus, Tracy drank
several ounces of tropical yogurt smoothie. During PT, Dave helped Tracy sit at
the edge of the mat and Tracy turned her head all the way around to show Dave
her makeup. She did this without being told! Dave also put Tracy on the balance
ball and she held her head up really well. He stretched her arms and legs while
she laid on the balance ball. Tracy has so many great friends and their support
means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we
continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road
ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support
our way! Thanks to the Clark family for the adorable teddy bear! Tracy loves
it! Many thanks to the Hulings for all the goodies! We appreciate everyone
thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf
Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week!
Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Thursday, December 18th, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Trace rested well last night and has been chilling
at home with Mom. She needs to rest on her days off from therapy! Yesterday,
Mom and Liz took Tracy to NRH for therapy. She did such a great job! Mom did
Tracy's makeup before she left and Tracy got many compliments! She looked so
pretty! During OT, Melissa worked with Tracy in the quiet therapy room. Melissa
helped Tracy roll onto her side and then she stretched Tracy's shoulders. She
helped Tracy stretch by pushing her nose to her knee. Then Tracy had speech
with Jan. Jan had Mom demonstrate facial stimulation exercises with Trace.
While Jan was brushing Tracy's teeth, Tracy brought her tongue to the
toothbrush! She hasn't been able to do that before. This is a normal,
coordinated response and Jan was very pleased. Go Trace! Plus, Tracy drank
several ounces of tropical yogurt smoothie. During PT, Dave helped Tracy sit at
the edge of the mat and Tracy turned her head all the way around to show Dave
her makeup. She did this without being told! Dave also put Tracy on the balance
ball and she held her head up really well. He stretched her arms and legs while
she laid on the balance ball. Tracy has therapy again on Friday. Tracy has so
many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast
approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come.
However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to
send your prayers, love and support our way! Thank you Susan in Naples for the
beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in Tracy's room and she loves them! A
big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us
with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Wednesday, December 17th, 2003 ~ 11 Months ~ Tracy slept well last night and she had a quiet
Tuesday at home. Today, Mom and Liz are taking Tracy to therapy at NRH. Tracy's
friends from Key West, Alexis and Thomika, visited with Tracy on Monday. Alexis
and Thomika accompanied Mom and Liz to NRH for Tracy's therapy. Tracy had
Speech at 1pm with Julie and she stayed awake the whole time. Julie fed Tracy
some yogurt and they also worked on head control. Julie had Tracy turn her head
to the right to look at Mom and then to the left to look at Alexis. During OT,
Melissa worked with Tracy in the quiet therapy room. She put Tracy in a prone
position on her tummy and stretched her shoulders. She also had Trace turn her
head while on her tummy. Melissa then helped Tracy sit up and pushed her tummy
to her knee in order to stretch her hamstrings. During PT, Dave worked with
Tracy on rolling to the left and then to the right. He also helped her sit at
the edge of the mat and worked on her head control. Everyone was able to help
during Tracy's therapy. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means
so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue
to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of
her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way!
Thank you Susan in Naples for the beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in
Tracy's room and she loves them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater
Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity
is greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, December 16th, 2003 ~ Today Tracy is relaxing at home. She slept well and
is happy that Mom is back from Florida. Tracy had a great Monday! Roxanne and I
had Tracy cleaned up, dressed and ready to see Mom! Dad, Charles, Tracy and I
had a very nice, quiet weekend. Tracy's friends from Key West, Alexis and
Thomika, are visiting. It is so good to see them! Alexis and Thomika
accompanied Mom and Liz to NRH for Tracy's therapy. Tracy had Speech at 1pm
with Julie and she stayed awake the whole time. Julie fed Tracy some yogurt and
they also worked on head control. Julie had Tracy turn her head to the right to
look at Mom and then to the left to look at Alexis. During OT, Melissa worked
with Tracy in the quiet therapy room. She put Tracy in a prone position on her
tummy and stretched her shoulders. She also had Trace turn her head while on
her tummy. Melissa then helped Tracy sit up and pushed her tummy to her knee in
order to stretch her hamstrings. During PT, Dave worked with Tracy on rolling
to the left and then to the right. He also helped her sit at the edge of the
mat and worked on her head control. Everyone was able to help during Tracy's
therapy. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all
of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how
far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you
for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thank you Susan
in Naples for the beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in Tracy's room and
she loves them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC
for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly
appreciated!
Monday, December 15th, 2003 ~ Mom's Home! Mom came home this morning! Roxanne and I had Tracy
cleaned up, dressed and ready to see Mom! Dad, Charles, Tracy and I had a very
nice, quiet weekend. We sure are glad Mom is home though! Dad leaves tonight
for Norfolk, VA. He will be gone until tomorrow evening. Tracy's friends from
Key West, Alexis and Thomika, came by this morning to see Tracy. It is so good
to see them! Alexis and Thomika accompanied Mom and Liz to NRH for Tracy's
therapy. We'll let you know how that goes soon. Thank you Susan in Naples for
the beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in Tracy's room and she loves
them! Friday, Dad and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Dad hasn't been able to
see Tracy in action for quite some time and boy was he in for a surprise! Tracy
was awesome! She held her head up so well during PT and Speech and she even
turned her head to the left numerous times in order to hit the annoying buzzer
with her cheek! She did it on purpose too! (Sometimes it's hard to tell whether
Tracy's movements are volitional or reflexive.) Julie and Dave got Tracy on the
big red therapy ball again. They first had her on her back in order to stretch
her back, chest and arms. Then we put Tracy prone on the ball. Once her arms
were nice and stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a kneeling position. She is
doing really well with transitioning from position to position. During OT,
Melissa acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's routine. Melissa worked
on Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in various positions.
Trace did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa also sat Tracy up at
the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a table. Melissa
stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head up. On the ride
home from NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while chilling in her
wheelchair. We rode by all of the monuments, some museums and even the White
House! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for
providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly
appreciated!
Sunday, December 14th, 2003 ~ Happy B'day Liz! ~ Dad and Trace hung out last night and watched
Pirates of the Caribbean! We had a very quiet Saturday. Last night it snowed
and we opened the blinds in Trace's room so she could see all the white stuff.
This morning I showered and dressed Tracy. Charles left already and we are
hoping to see Alexis and Thomika soon. They are visiting from Key West and went
to high school with Tracy. Mom left Thursday for Florida and surprised Nana
with an impromptu visit! She is checking into rehab facilities down there so we
can eventually take Tracy for an extended vacation this winter. Mom returns to
DC Monday morning. Friday, Dad and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Dad hasn't
been able to see Tracy in action for quite some time and boy was he in for a
surprise! Tracy was awesome! She held her head up so well during PT and Speech
and she even turned her head to the left numerous times in order to hit the
annoying buzzer with her cheek! She did it on purpose too! (Sometimes it's hard
to tell whether Tracy's movements are volitional or reflexive.) Julie and Dave
got Tracy on the big red therapy ball again. They first had her on her back in
order to stretch her back, chest and arms. Then we put Tracy prone on the ball.
Once her arms were nice and stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a kneeling
position. She is doing really well with transitioning from position to
position. During OT, Melissa acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's
routine. Melissa worked on Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in
various positions. Trace did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa
also sat Tracy up at the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a
table. Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head
up. On the ride home from NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while
chilling in her wheelchair. We rode by all of the monuments, some museums and
even the White House! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater
Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity
is greatly appreciated!
Saturday, December 13th, 2003 ~ Mom's in Florida ~ Tracy slept well last night and she has been resting
today. She was wiped out from her long week of therapy. Friday, Dad and I took
Tracy to therapy at NRH. Dad hasn't been able to see Tracy in action for quite
some time and boy was he in for a surprise! Tracy was awesome! She held her
head up so well during PT and Speech and she even turned her head to the left
numerous times in order to hit the annoying buzzer with her cheek! She did it
on purpose too! (Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Tracy's movements are
volitional or reflexes.) Julie and Dave got Tracy on the big red therapy ball
again. They first had her on her back in order to stretch her back, chest and
arms. Then we put Tracy prone on the ball. Once her arms were nice and
stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a kneeling position. She is doing really
well with transitioning from position to position. During OT, Melissa
acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's routine. Melissa worked on
Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in various positions. Trace
did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa also sat Tracy up at the
edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a table. Melissa stretched
Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head up. On the ride home from
NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while chilling in her wheelchair. We
rode by all of the monuments, some museums and even the White House! Charles is
visiting again this weekend. He is always a huge help! Mom left Thursday for
Florida and surprised Nana with an impromptu visit! She is checking into rehab
facilities down there so we can eventually take Tracy for an extended vacation
this winter. Mom returns to DC Monday morning. A big thank you to the Oakleaf
Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week!
Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Friday, December 12th, 2003 ~ Mom's in Florida ~ Tracy slept well last night after Emil came over to
give her a much needed massage. Today, Dad and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH.
Dad hasn't been able to see Tracy in action for quite some time and boy was he
in for a surprise! Tracy was awesome! She held her head up so well during PT
and Speech and she even turned her head to the left numerous times in order to
hit the annoying buzzer with her cheek! She did it on purpose too! (Sometimes
it's hard to tell whether Tracy's movements are volitional or reflexes.) Julie
and Dave got Tracy on the big red therapy ball again. They first had her on her
back in order to stretch her back, chest and arms. Then we put Tracy prone on
the ball. Once her arms were nice and stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a
kneeling position. She is doing really well with transitioning from position to
position. During OT, Melissa acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's
routine. Melissa worked on Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in
various positions. Trace did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa
also sat Tracy up at the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a
table. Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head
up. On the ride home from NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while
chilling in her wheelchair. We rode by all of the monuments, some museums and
even the White House! Charles is visiting again this weekend. He is always a
huge help! Mom left Thursday for Florida and surprised Nana with an impromptu
visit! She is checking into rehab facilities down there so we can eventually
take Tracy for an extended vacation this winter. Mom returns to DC Monday
morning. This weekend Tracy's friends from Key West, Thomika and Alexis, are
coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC
for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly
appreciated!
Thursday, December 11th, 2003 ~ Mom's in Florida ~ Surprise Nana! Mom left this morning for a much
needed trip to Boca Raton, Florida to see our family there. She is checking
into rehab facilities down there so we can eventually take Tracy for an
extended vacation this winter. Mom returns to DC Monday morning. Therefore,
Tracy is stuck hanging out with Dad and I. This morning, Roxanne and I showered
and dressed Trace. We have been relaxing at home and tonight Emil is coming
over to massage Trace. Wednesday, Faith and Mom took Tracy to NRH. Thanks Faith
for all of your help! She had her blood drawn for some routine tests and then
had three hours of therapy. Tracy stayed awake for her entire speech session
with Jan. Jan started the session buy stretching Tracy's arms and shoulders to
get her warmed up. Jan then fed Tracy some cranberry juice. Tracy drank down
six mouthfulls! She swallowed all of the juice really quickly! During OT,
Melissa worked with Tracy on the mat in the quiet therapy room on the third
floor. She stretched Tracy by pushing her tummy towards her legs. She almost
had Tracy's nose to her knee! Melissa also helped Trace sit at the edge of the
therapy mat and leaned her arms onto a table. Melissa coached Trace to keep her
head up. During PT, Dave worked on Tracy's trunk and head control. He laid her
on a therapy ball in order to stretch her stomach and back muscles. Dave also
supported Tracy in a sitting position, rocking her from side to side, while
coaching her to keep her head up. Tracy did a great job! Monday, Gloria and I
took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Mom wasn't feeling well so she stayed home to
rest. Thanks Gloria for all of your help! Tracy practically slept through her
entire speech session. The only time she opened her eyes and focused on
anything was when Julie showed her a picture of our dog, Snow. Tracy woke up
for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the therapy
mat and coached her to keep her head up. She leaned Tracy to the left side and
had her bare weight through her arm. Tracy held her head up the whole time!
Melissa then sat Tracy upright and proceeded to lean her to the right side.
Tracy continued to hold her head up. She also followed commands really well.
Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and lean her elbows onto a table. Even in this
position, Tracy held her head up well. During PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the
edge of the therapy mat. He then rocked her back and forth, putting her in
different positions to stretch her back. Dave also observed Tracy's head
control. She held her head up for over TWO MINUTES!!! Then, Gloria, Dave and I
got Tracy onto her side and lifted her onto a therapy ball, tummy down. Tracy
handled the position well and allowed Dave to stretch her arms, hands and back.
What a trooper! This weekend Tracy's friends from Key West, Thomika and Alexis,
are coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington,
DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly
appreciated!
Wednesday, December 10th, 2003 ~ Yesterday Tracy just relaxed at home after a busy
Monday. Today, Faith and Mom are taking Tracy to NRH. She has to get her blood
drawn and then she has three hours of therapy. We'll let you know how that
goes! Monday, Gloria and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Mom wasn't feeling
well so she stayed home to rest. Thanks Gloria for all of your help! Tracy
practically slept through her entire speech session. The only time she opened
her eyes and focused on anything was when Julie showed her a picture of our
dog, Snow. Tracy woke up for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa helped Tracy sit
up at the edge of the therapy mat and coached her to keep her head up. She
leaned Tracy to the left side and had her bare weight through her arm. Tracy
held her head up the whole time! Melissa then sat Tracy upright and proceeded
to lean her to the right side. Tracy continued to hold her head up. She also
followed commands really well. Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and lean her
elbows onto a table. Even in this position, Tracy held her head up well. During
PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat. He then rocked her back
and forth, putting her in different positions to stretch her back. Dave also
observed Tracy's head control. She held her head up for over TWO MINUTES!!!
Then, Gloria, Dave and I got Tracy onto her side and lifted her onto a therapy
ball, tummy down. Tracy handled the position well and allowed Dave to stretch
her arms, hands and back. What a trooper! This weekend Tracy's friends from Key
West, Thomika and Alexis, are coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf
Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week!
Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, December 9th , 2003 ~ Today we are just relaxing at home after a busy
Monday. Roxanne and Mom showered and dressed Tracy this morning. Tracy has
therapy again tomorrow at NRH. Monday, Gloria and I took Tracy to therapy at
NRH. Mom is not feeling well so she stayed home to rest. Thanks Gloria for all
of your help! Tracy practically slept through her entire speech session. The
only time she opened her eyes and focused on anything was when Julie showed her
a picture of our dog, Snow. Tracy woke up for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa
helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the therapy mat and coached her to keep her
head up. She leaned Tracy to the left side and had her bare weight through her
arm. Tracy held her head up the whole time! Melissa then sat Tracy upright and
proceeded to lean her to the right side. Tracy continued to hold her head up.
She also followed commands really well. Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and
lean her elbows onto a table. Even in this position, Tracy held her head up
well. During PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat. He then
rocked her back and forth, putting her in different positions to stretch her
back. Dave also observed Tracy's head control. She held her head up for over
TWO MINUTES!!! Then, Gloria, Dave and I got Tracy onto her side and lifted her
onto a therapy ball, tummy down. Tracy handled the position well and allowed
Dave to stretch her arms, hands and back. What a trooper! Emil came over Sunday
night and massaged Trace before bedtime. We had a great weekend with Jenny
Rogers and her Dad! It was so great to see them! Thanks for the hot buttered
rum, the candle, and your company! This weekend Tracy's friends from Key West,
Thomika and Alexis, are coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of
Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your
generosity is greatly appreciated!
Monday, December 8th , 2003 ~ Today, Gloria and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH.
Mom is one sick Mama! She is trying to beat off the funk she caught by getting
lots of rest and drinking lots of orange Gatorade! (i swear it works!) Tracy
practically slept through her entire speech session. However, the only time she
opened her eyes and focused on anything was when Julie showed her a picture of
our dog, Snow. Tracy woke up for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa helped Tracy
sit up at the edge of the therapy mat and coached her to keep her head up. She
leaned Tracy to the left side and had her bare weight through her arm. Tracy
held her head up the whole time! Melissa then sat Tracy upright and proceeded
to lean her to the right side. Tracy continued to hold her head up. She also
followed commands really well. Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and lean her
elbows onto a table. Even in this position, Tracy held her head up well. During
PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat. He then rocked her back
and forth, putting her in different positions to stretch her back. Dave also
observed Tracy's head control. She held her head up for over TWO MINUTES!!!
Then, Gloria, Dave and I got Tracy onto her side and lifted her onto a therapy
ball, tummy down. Tracy handled the position well and allowed Dave to stretch
her arms, hands and back. What a trooper! Tomorrow we have to take Tracy to NRH
for some blood work, but she does not have therapy. Emil came over Sunday night
and massaged Trace before bedtime. Friday's therapy session was THE BEST ONE
YET! Friday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy. First she had Speech and PT.
Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the mat in the quiet therapy room. He used
a bolster along her spine to help her keep her head up. She held her head up so
well and for such a long time by herself! She followed commands, was attentive
and kept her eyes open. Melissa, the speech therapist, had pictures of Russell
Crowe and Tom Cruise. She showed them to Trace, but Tracy would not look at
Russell. She is all about Tom though! :) She also looked at pictures of trendy
clothes. Tracy had OT at 3pm and Melissa, Tracy's OT, put Trace in a prone
position. Melissa stretched Tracy's back and shoulder muscles while Tracy was
on her tummy. Friday night Charles and I surprised Mom, Dad, and Tracy with a
Christmas tree (a fake one unfortunately), beautiful ornaments, decorations,
etc. :) So we had a nice Friday evening full of holiday music and decorating!
Plus Mother Nature added her own charm...SNOW! Saturday, Tracy hung out with
her friend Jenny Rogers. Jenny and her Dad flew in from Seattle for the
weekend. Mr. Rogers and Charles made us a delicious dinner. We watched Navy
beat Army and LSU kick Georgia's butt. Saturday, Father Lou Brown stopped by
with some yummy Krispy Kreme and our friend Ashley paid us a visit as well. A
big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us
with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Saturday, December 6th , 2003 ~ GEAUX TIGERS!! Last night Charles and I surprised Mom, Dad, and
Tracy with a Christmas tree (a fake one unfortunately), beautiful ornaments,
decorations, etc. :) So we had a nice evening full of holiday music and
decorating! Plus Mother Nature added her own charm...SNOW! Today Tracy has been
hanging out with her friend Jenny Rogers. Jenny and her Dad flew in last night
from Seattle. Charles is also visiting this weekend. We have had lots of
visitors today. Father Lou Brown stopped by with some yummy Krispy Kreme and
our friend Ashley paid us a visit as well. We have been watching a lot of
football. Go Navy! Beat Army! Plus, tonight is the big LSU vs. Georgia game!
Geaux Tigers! Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH on Friday. Her
therapists said she did remarkably and that she had THE BEST SESSION YET! I'll
tell you more about that later! Thursday night, Emil came over to massage
Trace. She always enjoys that and sleeps so well afterwards. A big thank you to
the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three
times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Friday, December 5th , 2003 ~ Tracy has thereapy today at NRH and Mom and Liz are
going to bring her. Last night, Emil came over to massage Trace. She always
enjoys that and sleeps so well afterwards. Wednesday, Mom and Liz took Trace to
therapy. She had speech at 1pm, PT at 2pm and OT at 3pm. Yesterday was the
first time she had speech and PT separately in awhile. Jan, Tracy's speech
therapist, did face exercises with Tracy, stretching her lips and cheeks. Jan
also tried to feed Trace some yogurt, but she was pretty sleepy. Mom then tried
to show Jan how she feeds Trace when we are at home, but Tracy shook her head,
letting us know that she didn't want any more yogurt. During PT, Dave put Tracy
on the balance ball again in order to stretch her back and arms. Dave said the
botox in Tracy's arms is definitely working and that her arms are much better.
Then, Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the mat and he had her lean to the
right and then to the left. He coached her to keep her head up while doing
this. Melissa, Tracy's OT, had Tracy in a prone position and stretched her back
and shoulder muscles. She also put Tracy on her left side in order to really
stretch her shoulder muscles. Melissa also laid Tracy on her back and then
pushed her back down, attempting to push Tracy's nose to her knee. She had her
in many positions and stretched her really well. This weekend Tracy's friend
from the GU in Florence program, Jenny Rogers, and her father are flying in
from Seattle just to see Trace! We can't wait to see them. A big thank you to
the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three
times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Thursday, December 4th , 2003 ~ Today Roxanne and Mom showered and dressed Trace.
She has been relaxing in her wheelchair watching some TV. Tonight Emil is
coming over to massage Trace. She always enjoys that and sleeps so well
afterwards. Yesterday, Mom and Liz took Trace to therapy. She had speech at
1pm, PT at 2pm and OT at 3pm. Yesterday was the first time she had speech and
PT separately in awhile. Jan, Tracy's speech therapist, did face exercises with
Tracy, stretching her lips and cheeks. Jan also tried to feed Trace some
yogurt, but she was pretty sleepy. Mom then tried to show Jan how she feeds
Trace when we are at home, but Tracy shook her head, letting us know that she
didn't want any more yogurt. During PT, Dave put Tracy on the ballance ball
again in order to stretch her back and arms. Dave said the botox in Tracy's
arms is definitely working and that her arms are much better. Then, Dave helped
Tracy sit at the edge of the mat and he had her lean to the right and then to
the left. He coached her to keep her head up while doing this. Melissa, Tracy's
OT, had Tracy in a prone position and stretched her back and shoulder muscles.
She also put Tracy on her left side in order to really stretch her shoulder
muscles. Melissa also laid Tracy on her back and then pushed her back down,
attempting to push Tracy's nose to her knee. She had her in many positions and
stretchd her really well. Tracy has therapy again at NRH on Friday. This
weekend Tracy's friend from the GU in Florence program, Jenny Rogers, and her
father are flying in from Seattle just to see Trace! We can't wait to see them.
We really miss Aunt Candy and the boys and are so happy they were able to visit
us over the Thanksgiving Holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of
Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your
generosity is greatly appreciated!
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003 ~ Today, Mom and Liz are going to take Trace to
therapy. She has speech at 1pm, OT at 2pm and PT at 3pm. We'll let you know how
that goes! Today is the first time she will have speech and PT separately in
awhile. Monday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Tracy did really well
during OT. She was in the quiet therapy room again on the third floor. While
Tracy was laying on the mat, Melissa, Tracy's OT, coached Tracy to turn her
head from the left to the right. Then Melissa positioned Tracy so she could
stretch her back and hamstrings by pushing Tracy's tummy to her knees. She
really stretchd her well! Tracy did a great job of keeping her head up while
Melissa did this. During PT/Speech, Dave and Julie put Tracy on the therapy
ball on her back in order to stretch her legs and arms down. They said that
Tracy was breathing evenly and was extremely relaxed. Then, Dave supported
Tracy in an upright position on the mat while Julie coached Tracy to turn her
head in order to turn on a switch. Tracy purposefully turned her head and hit
the switch which turned on a high-pitch noise. She kept her head up the
majority of the time and it was by far her best session yet. This weekend
Tracy's friend from the GU in Florence program, Jenny Rogers, and her father
are flying in from Seattle just to see Trace! We can't wait to see them. We
really miss Aunt Candy and the boys and are so happy they were able to visit us
over the Thanksgiving Holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater
Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity
is greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2003 ~ Yesterday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Tracy did really well during OT. She was in the quiet therapy room again on the third floor. While Tracy was laying on the mat, Melissa, Tracy's OT, coached Tracy to turn her head from the left to the right. Then Melissa positioned Tracy so she could stretch her back and hamstrings by pushing Tracy's tummy to her knees. She really stretchd her well! Tracy did a great job of keeping her head up while Melissa did this. During PT/Speech, Dave and Julie put Tracy on the therapy ball on her back in order to stretch her legs and arms down. They said that Tracy was breathing evenly and was extremely relaxed. Then, Dave supported Tracy in an upright position on the mat while Julie coached Tracy to turn her head in order to turn on a switch. Tracy purposefully turned her head and hit the switch which turned on a high-pitch noise. She kept her head up the majority of the time and it was by far her best session yet. Tracy has therapy again on Wednesday. Today we are just relaxing at home and letting Tracy rest. Hope everyone had a great weekend and traveled safely home. We had a busy weekend! Friday morning Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went to the Air and Space Museum. Boy was it crowded! We had a great time. Friday afternoon we watched LSU kill Arkansas! Geaux Tigers! :) Saturday, Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went downtown to see the monuments. We walked around the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. It was cold, but Tracy seemed to enjoy it. We then went home to relax and get out of the cold weather. We watched FSU beat UF. The one time we want UF to win (b/c it would've helped LSU) they can't pull through! Saturday night we went to Bull Run Park to the Miracle of Lights show! It was awesome. Two miles of lights displayed in the woods. Tracy was awake the whole time and was looking around. Charles and his grandmother left early Saturday morning and Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael left Sunday. Sunday we did some chores around the house. Tracy caught up on some sleep after such a busy holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Monday, December 1st, 2003 ~ Hope
everyone had a great weekend and traveled safely home. We had a busy weekend!
Friday morning Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went to the Air and
Space Museum. Boy was it crowded! We had a great time. Friday afternoon we
watched LSU kill Arkansas! Geaux Tigers! :) Saturday, Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy,
Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went downtown to see the monuments. We walked around the
Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. It was cold, but Tracy seemed to
enjoy it. We then went home to relax and get out of the cold weather. Saturday
night we went to Bull Run Park to the Miracle of Lights show! It was awesome.
Two miles of lights displayed in the woods. Tracy was awake the whole time and
was looking around. Charles and his grandmother left early Saturday morning and
Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael left Sunday. Sunday we did some chores around the
house. Tracy caught up on some sleep after such a busy holiday. Today she has
therapy at NRH. Mom and Liz are going to take her. A big thank you to the
Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times
a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!