Monday, February 28th, 2005: Well, another day another antibiotic, so the saying goes! Dr. Chandler received the final report from Tracy's urine culture and found exactly what Mom and Dad suspected. Dad should be a doctor. Oh, that's right, he IS a doctor! We switched Tracy's antibiotic to Zyvox, which is a broader spectrum and more specific to the gram negative bacteria that Tracy has. She should be feeling better momentarily. Dr. Chandler also prescribed Tracy some more of the medicine that she previously had to relieve her bladder spasms. That and a little extra strength Tylenol should do the trick. Tracy did sleep well last night, despite all of this. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy and got her ready for Physical Therapy which she had earlier than scheduled today due to the impending winter storm. The storm turned out to be a big fake out, with only an inch or two in the Arlington area. During PT with Humayun, Mom, Jenny and Humayun put Tracy on her back on the peanut ball AND the big yellow ball. Tracy was feeling a little achey and sweating from her UTI, and this position just made her feel worse. So, we flipped her over on to her stomach on the peanut ball and she seems to tolerate this position much better. Tracy relaxed in this position for about 20 minutes. She tries so hard and is such a fighter! Way to go Tracy! Next, Tracy had Speech Therapy with Karman. Tracy was sitting in her wheel chair, and Karman had her focus on pictures that (you guessed it), begin with the letters B, P, and M. Tracy also looked between two pictures at the one that Karman asked for. She did a good job with this exercise. Practice, Practice, Practice! Tracy did not have Occupational Therapy today as scheduled due to the snow. We will make it up later this week. It was a good thing because she was really pretty tired and needed to rest and recover from her fever and UTI! Tomorrow we have an appointment with Dr. Gisolfi, Tracy's physiatrist at Innova Mt. Vernon Rehab Hospital. She is scheduled to get Botox injections in her wrists and hands. We'll let you know how that goes later. Thank you everyone for the many cards, gifts, flowers and balloons, lotions, CDs, audiobooks, outfits, etc. We appreciate all the wonderful friends and acts of kindness. They mean so much to Tracy and our family! Tiffany is enjoying her visit with family and friends. We decided that she is commuting to Baton Rouge from DC/Virginia. It is great to have her home so often for visits. Tracy really enjoys having Tiffany home too! Mom, Dad, Tiffany and Rick made salmon this evening and watched the season premier of Summerland. Dad is in heaven now that he has a DVR and can record all of his favorite Sci Fi shows: SG-1, Battlestar Gallactica, etc.!

Sunday, February 27th, 2005: And the Oscar goes to....TRACY for her outstanding performance in the documentary SURVIVING LIFE! Tracy had a rough night last night. Lots of sweating and grinding her beautiful teeth! This makes Mom and Dad crazy! All those trips to the orthodontist ... argh! We actually think that Tracy may need a different antibiotic. We will have the final report from her urine culture tomorrow and can adjust her medication accordingly. Mom and Dad bathed Tracy and got her ready for 12 o'clock Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Tiffany and Rick met us there and for once we were all on time! After Mass, we all hit Starbucks for lattes; our usual Sunday routine. When we got home, we put Tracy on her bed of sand for a reposa. She is pretty tired after her big party last night! This afternoon, Emil came over to give Tiffany a massage. Finally! She was way overdue. Then Emil worked on Mom a little. She put the tight in rubber band! Both girls are feeling a lot looser after their massages. Of course, we could not neglect the birthday princess, Traylo! So Emil gave her a massage while she was stretched out on her tummy on the peanut ball. He was able to really stretch her hips and back in this position. Tracy tolerated more than 30 minutes on the ball and was able to weight bear through her knees. Dad and Emil were able to get Tracy into tall kneeling in this position as well. Thank you everyone for the many cards, gifts, flowers and balloons, lotions, CDs, audiobooks, outfits, etc. We appreciate all the wonderful friends and acts of kindness. They mean so much to Tracy and our family! Tiffany is enjoying her visit with family and friends. We decided that she is commuting to Baton Rouge from DC/Virginia. It is great to have her home so often for visits. Tracy really enjoys having Tiffany home too!

Saturday, February 26th, 2005: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. The antibiotics seems to be working. Mom and Dad showered Tracy and got her ready for Speech Therapy this afternoon. Sasha came over and helped us get things ready for Tracy's birthday party this evening. We can't believe she is 23 years old today! Where has the time gone? It is also Jenny's birthday this week (February 24th), Tracy's P.A. (personal angel) so the party is also for her. During Speech Therapy, Karman had Tracy look at pictures that begin with the letters P, B, and M. Tracy was really focusing on the pictures. Then Karman held up two pictures and asked Tracy to look at one of them and Tracy did a good job focusing and finding the correct picture. This was the first time that Sasha was able to observe Tracy's Speech Therapy session. Karman gave Tracy some soft socks, some lotion and some lip balm for her birthday! Everyone seemed to have a really nice time at the birthday party this evening. We all got to meet some new friends, Anastasia (Tas) who is a junior at Georgetown and Jamie, and enjoyed seeing old friends Kieren, Mary-Jeanne' and Jeremy. It was great to see Frank and Bridget (our new friends from church), Gloria and Dave and their beautiful girls Sam and Kat, Emil, Ashley, Sole (Jenny's beautiful daughter), and of course, the birthday girl: Jenny! Rick and Tiffany helped make Margaritas and appetizers! They were such a HUGE help! So yummy! Thank you everyone for the many cards, gifts, flowers and balloons, lotions, CDs, audiobooks, outfits, etc. We appreciate all the wonderful friends and acts of kindness. They mean so much to Tracy and our family! This morning, Dad and Mom changed Tracy's dressing. Her wound is really healing well. It is time for Dr. Buescher to see Tracy again and assess whether it is time to remove the woundvac. It would be GREAT for Tracy to travel without Fernando Jorge (that's the name Mom gave to the woundvac, our fifth member of the Anzalone family! It is starting to resemble one of us, it has been attached for so long!) Say a prayer that this happens sooner than later, so Tracy can get back to outpatient therapy at Mt. Vernon (and Mom won't have that nervous breakdown that she rightfully deserves!). Tiffany made it safely from New Orleans and looks like she is feeling better. Mom keeps popping her Vitamin C and drinking her green tea to ward off evil viruses. She is glad that she and Tracy got a flu shot this year (Don't know how they rated up there with the Senators and Congressmen). Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Friday, February 25th, 2005: Tracy slept well last night. The antibiotics seems to be working. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning. Because of yesterday's snow storm, Tracy has all three therapies today! First, Tracy had Occupational Therapy with Regina. Regina brought her two adorable daughters with her today, Sidney and Taylor. Tracy loved seeing the little ones and got very emotional and tried so hard to talk to them. She got very frustrated and even cried a little. This is a very good sign. During OT, Regina, Mom and Jenny got Tracy on the peanut ball. She was positioned straddled on the peanut with Regina behind her. Tracy tolerated this position for 25 minutes and did a really good job holding her head up and in the middle. After the peanut, Regina got Tracy prone (on her tummy) on the big yellow ball. Tracy was kneeling and bearing weight through her knees and hips while relaxed on the ball. She tolerated this position for over 30 minutes. Regina was able to stretch her neck to the right in this position which had to feel really good. Immediately following OT, Tracy had Physical Therapy with Humayun. We are working on increasing Tracy's stamina so that she can tolerate three consecutive hours of therapy once we get her back to outpatient therapy. Mom, Jenny and Humayun got Tracy on the tilt table and up she went to about 35 degrees. Tracy relaxed in this position and even turned her head to the right on request. Humayun took Tracy up a little higher to about 40 degrees but Tracy was not comfortable at this height. So, back down we went to about 30 degrees where Tracy seemed more comfortable. We think that Tracy has more difficulty at a highed incline because she is not able to get her feet flat on the footboard. Even at this incline, Tracy is getting some vestibular stimulation which helps her adjust to being vertical. Tracy took a short rest and then was ready for Speech Therapy at 5:30 with Karman. Tracy is working so hard at getting her tip of her tongue elevated. She was able to move her tongue over her bottom teeth and even bit it a little. Ouch! This is really a good sign that Tracy is moving her tongue so much! She has definitely improved over the past several weeks. Tracy was also working so hard on the bilabial plosive sounds: "ba, ma, and pa". She mouthed "ba" several times and even made the sound. Now, she has to work on coordinating the movement and the sound. This will come with practice. The magnetic letters that Lisa and Jason brought Tracy really came in handy (especially the b, p, and m at the moment!) Tracy's Birthday is tomorrow! She got some beautiful flowers and balloons from our cousin Rene'! She also got a cute bumble bee bear from her friend Lauren in Miami! Just in time for the "ba" sound: "beautiful bumble bee bear." Our friend Liz brought Tracy a cute pink and black Danskin exercise outfit for therapy. We appreciate all the wonderful friends and acts of kindness. They mean so much to Tracy and our family! Last evening, Dad and Mom changed Tracy's dressing. Her wound is really healing well. It is time for Dr. Attinger to see Tracy again and assess whether it is time to remove the woundvac. It would be GREAT for Tracy to travel without Fernando Jorge (that's the name Mom gave to the woundvac, our fifth member of the Anzalone family! It is starting to resemble one of us, it has been attached for so long!) Say a prayer that this happens sooner than later, so Tracy can get back to outpatient therapy at Mt. Vernon (and Mom won't have that nervous breakdown that she rightfully deserves!). Tiffany made it safely from New Orleans and looks like she is feeling better. Mom keeps popping her Vitamin C and drinking her green tea to ward off evil viruses. She is glad that she and Tracy got a flu shot this year (Don't know how they rated up there with the Senators and Congressmen). Emil is coming over this evening to give Tracy her weekly massage. I know she is looking forward to it. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Thursday, February 24th, 2005: Tracy had a rough night last night! She was grinding her teeth until midnight, at which time Dad gave her some Tylenol with Codeine. Mom bet money that Tracy had another Urinary Tract Infection. Guess what? She was right on the money! Dad wasted no time getting a prescription from Dr. Chandler for antibiotics. She seems to be feeling better already! Thank God for antibiotics. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning. All of her therapy had been postponed until Friday due to SNOW! Yep, we got 4 to 6 inches of the white stuff! Will Spring ever come????? We love it so much here that we are heading to Palm Beach for two weeks for Spring break. It is time and we are way overdue! Tracy's blisters on her feet are almost totally healed. Thank goodness! Tracy did not have Speech Therapy again this evening because Karman still is sick with a cold. We sure hope she feels better soon. We will try again tomorrow and should have all three therapies to make up for missed sessions. Tiffany still has a cold but sounds alot better this evening. We hope she feels better soon. She will be home Friday afternoon and Mom can nurse her back to health. Can you say infirmary! Argh! This evening, Dad and Mom changed Tracy's dressing. Her wound is really healing well. It is time for Dr. Attinger to see Tracy again and assess whether it is time to remove the woundvac. It would be GREAT for Tracy to travel without Fernando Jorge (that's the name Mom gave to the woundvac, our fifth member of the Anzalone family! It is starting to resemble one of us, it has been attached for so long!) Say a prayer that this happens sooner than later, so Tracy can get back to outpatient therapy at Mt. Vernon (and Mom won't have that nervous breakdown that she rightfully deserves!). Our friends Lisa and Jason came over this afternoon to visit Tracy. Lisa came up with a very creative idea to help Tracy to communicate. She brought a cookie sheet and some magnetic alphabet letters so that Tracy can help us to invent a way for her to communicate with us. Lisa is so creative! She had tried this once before with a little boy who was unable to talk when she volunteered with the Make a Wish foundation and it worked! So, we will give it a try and see what happens! We were all looking forward to going to Jenny's house this evening for her Birthday. However, with Tracy feeling under the weather with her UTI and on antibiotics, we decided to stay close to home and let her heal. We need to have her well for her birthday on Saturday! Tiffany is returning to DC tomorrow evening for Tracy's 23rd birthday. We are really looking forward to having her home with us! Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. Mom and Jenny showered Tracy this morning and got her ready for Occupational Therapy. Today, Regina (OT) checked out Tracy's new neoprene splints for her hands and wrists. We had them shipped to us from Silverdale, Washington, very close to Bainbridge Island where we lived in 1990! Wow, how time has passed! They are made of purple neoprene. Regina did some fine tuning with the help of a microwave oven! Can you believe? They are still not quite right and we will continue with the fine adjustments on Friday when Regina returns. After working with her splints, Regina and Mom got Tracy seated on the edge of the mat. She is supporting herself alot better with good trunk support. Tracy is still pretty tight, even with the increase in her Baclofen dose. Not sure what is going on but we will check her again for another UTI (urinary tract infection). Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer that she does not have another one! Tracy's blisters on her feet are healing well. They look 100 percent better than they looked last week. Thank goodness! Tracy did not have Speech Therapy last evening because Karman has a cold. We sure hope she feels better. She should be back on Thursday evening. Nichole, Tracy's volunteer angel, also has a bad cold and was not able to come this evening. Even our very own big sister Tiffany has a cold and sounds terrible. We hope she feels better soon. She will be home Friday afternoon and Mom can nurse her back to health. Can you say infirmary! Argh! Last evening, Dad and Mom changed Tracy's dressing. Her wound is really healing well. We will continue on the same path until we can remove the wound vac and let it close up. Say a prayer that this happens sooner than later, so Tracy can get back to outpatient therapy at Mt. Vernon (and Mom won't have that nervous breakdown that she rightfully deserves!). Tiffany is back in Baton Rouge at LSU. She has a head cold too, and we hope she gets better soon. Keep your fingers crossed that Mom and Tracy doesn't catch it and stays well. We can't wait for Tiffany to return to DC this Friday (the day after tomorrow) for Tracy's 23rd birthday. We are really looking forward to having her home with us! This evening, Dad, Mom and Rick ordered some pizza from an authentic Neopolitan pizzeria. We will let you know how that goes. It is called 2 Amys! (Now that doesn't sound Italian!) Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005: Tracy slept well again last night. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Physical and Occupational Therapy. Today, Regina (OT) and Humayun (PT) are planning on co-treating with Tracy. What a great idea! Regina is fairly new with Tracy and wanted to get the opportunity to work with Humayun. Gloria was visiting too. So, the five of us (Mom, Jenny, Gloria, Regina and Humayun) got Tracy on her tummy on the peanut ball so Tracy could bear weight in her hips and knees. Tracy tolerated this position for a little over 50 minutes, topping yesterday's all-time high of 50 minutes! She really relaxed into this position and even picked her head up several times. Humayun and Regina alternated between Tracy weight-bearing through her knees and hips and her shoulders and arms. It was another great session. Regina will be back Wednesday afternoon. Tracy's blisters on her feet are healing well. They look 100 percent better than they looked last week. Thank goodness! Tracy did not have Speech Therapy this evening because Karman has a cold. We sure hope she feels better. She should be back on Thursday evening. This evening, Dad and Mom changed Tracy's dressing. Her wound is really healing well. We will continue on the same path until we can remove the wound vac and let it close up. Say a prayer that this happens sooner than later, so Tracy can get back to outpatient therapy at Mt. Vernon (and Mom won't have that nervous breakdown that she rightfully deserves!). Tiffany is back in Baton Rouge at LSU. She has a head cold too, and we hope she gets better soon. Keep your fingers crossed that Mom and Tracy doesn't catch it and stays well. We can't wait for Tiffany to return to DC next Friday for Tracy's 23rd birthday. We are really looking forward to having her home with us! Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Monday, February 21st, 2005: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. Dad had the day off, and we let him sleep in. We all took it easy today. The weather has warmed up to a sizzling 40 degrees! Mom and Jenny showered Tracy this morning and shampooed her hair. Tracy had Physical Therapy with Humayun at noon. During PT, Mom, Dad, Jenny and Humayun got Tracy on her tummy on the peanut ball so Tracy sould bear weight in her hips and knees. Tracy tolerated this position for 50 minutes. She really relaxed into this position and even picked her head up several times. Humayun alternated between Tracy weight-bearing through her knees and hips and her shoulders and arms. It was the best session Tracy had. Later in the day, Dad and Mom got Tracy seated on the edge of the mat. She tolerated about 15 minutes, and then began to complain. We think her wound is bothering her. The air had escaped from the mattress and she was sitting right on the therapy mat. It seems as though she felt the pressure. It looks like we have a leak! We'll have to patch it up! After that, Dad and Mom got Tracy in her Hoyer Lift and used it as a swing. Tracy really relaxed in this makeshift swing. We will have to get her a hammock swing like in the picture above. This evening, Tracy listened to one of her books on tape: Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. It is one of Tiff's favorite authors. Dad got a much-needed massage from Emil. Tiffany is visiting Mamaw and Papaw in Independence today. We can't wait for Tiffany to return to DC next Friday for Tracy's 23rd birthday. We are really looking forward to having her home with us! Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Sunday, February 20th, 2005: Tracy had another good night's sleep. It is still very cold and everyone is ready for Spring. Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes church. Rick met us at Mass and we all went to: you guessed it, STARBUCK'S for lattes. Sasha met us there and we sat around and caught up.Tracy did not have any official therapy today. Mom, Dad, Sasha and Rick got Tracy seated on the edge of the mat and she did a good job holding her head up. She tolerated about 20 minutes and then we got her in sidelying and Mom stretched out her trunk and shoulders. Tracy is much looser today. The Baclofen must be doing its magic. She is still grinding her teeth, though. We are not sure what is causing her to grind. Mom baked Perfecta's lasagna, buns and apple pie. It was delicious. Rick, Sasha, Dad and Mom really enjoyed it. After dinner, they moved Tracy to the love seat from her therapy mat and they all watched the movie Ray that Dad bought today. It was really good. Dad is reading the DaVinci Code to Tracy each evening. Tracy really likes to be read to, especially such a good book as this one. Tiffany made it safely back to LSU from Tamar's house. They went to the annual jewelry show in New Orleans today. Dad was a little nervous with Tiff at a jewelry show! She had a good time. Tiffany will be back in DC next Friday for Tracy's 23rd birthday. We are really looking forward to having her home for Tracy's birthday. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Saturday, February 19th, 2005: Tracy slept well again last night. It was really cold this morning, about 27 degrees, but it felt like 17 with the wind chill! Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Speech Therapy with Karman. Tracy is still a little sleepy from her Baclofen increase. During her speech session, Tracy was able to lift the tip of her tongue several times with tactile stimulation. Now we need to get her to lift her tongue more frequently on request and without a stimulus. This will come with more practice. Tracy also puckered her mouth when Karman put some sour apple juice on her tongue. She did a good job swallowing too. Tracy also did a really good job with the closing her lips around a set of plastic lips. She held them in place between her lips for almost two seconds. This is really hard for her to do, and shows progress. Later, Tracy was able to say "ahhhh" upon Dad's request. Dad and Mom stretched and ranged Tracy on the mat. She is noticeably more relaxed today from her increase in Baclofen from 1400 to 1750 micrograms per day. Tracy snoozed on her therapy mat for a couple of hours. This evening, Emil is coming over to give Tracy a massage! Dad is reading the DaVinci Code to Tracy each evening. Tracy really likes to be read to, especially such a good book as this one. Tiffany is visiting her friend Tamar's family in New Orleans this weekend. She'll be back in DC next Friday for Tracy's 23rd birthday. We are really looking forward to having her home for Tracy's birthday. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Friday, February 18th, 2005: Tracy slept well last night. Mom and Jenny showered Tracy this morning and shampooed her hair. She did not have therapy until noon. Mom had a dentist appointment at 11:15 AM. Jenny gave Tracy a manicure and then Dad and Jenny assisted Regina, Tracy's new Occupational Therapist, with her OT session. Regina is from Worcester, Massachusetts, so Mom recognized her Boston accent right away. She is really nice and she and Tracy bonded immediately. She is planning on taking over Tracy's case as OT and will be coming three times a week (Mom is ecstatic!). Regina got Tracy seated on the edge of the mat, and she tolerated about 15 minutes. Tracy is more tired today after her Baclofen dose increase to 1750 micrograms per day. Then, Regina got Tracy in sidelying and stretched her trunk. After stretching Tracy, Regina got Tracy up into a seated position on the edge of the mat. Tracy did a good job balancing herself with Regina and Dad holding her hands. She is getting stronger in her trunk and improving with her head control. After OT, Tracy, Mom and Jenny rested. Everyone was tired from such a busy week and the rest was just what the doctor ordered. Later in the day, Suzanne, Tracy's home health nurse, came to check on Tracy. She was pleased with Tracy's current health status and her lungs were very clear. Dad and Mom changed Tracy's dressing on her bedsore and it is definitely improving every time they change it. We are hoping that Tracy will be back to outpatient therapy by May 1st. Keep your fingers crossed! Yesterday afternoon, Mom, Dad and Jenny took Tracy to the neurologist to get Tracy's baclofen dosage inccreased from 1400 to 1750 micrograms per day. This is the dose that Tracy had been at since last October. It was decreased to 1400 after the morphine incident while Tracy was in the hospital. She has been very tight lately, so everyone agreed that it was time to increase her dosage. Please keep our fingers that this dose will help with Tracy's tone and not make her too sleepy. Tracy had Speech Therapy with Karman last evening and did a really good job with the closing her lips around a set of plastic lips. She held them in place between her lips for almost two seconds. This is really hard for her to do, and shows progress. Next, Karman had Tracy taste three different flavored juices: cranberry, apple,. and lemon. Tracy was able to lift her tongue to the juice that was saturated on a sponge tipped applicator. This is also very difficult for Tracy to do and shows progress. Now we need to get her to lift her tongue more frequently on request and without a stimulus. This will come with more practice. Tracy seemed to enjoy the tastes of the juices and made a face when she tasted the sour apple juice. Dad is reading the DaVinci Code to Tracy each evening. Tracy really likes to be read to, especially such a good book as this one. Tiffany is back at LSU studying hard. We miss her already. We really enjoyed having her with us during the past week and are looking forward to her next visit at the end of February for Tracy's 23rd birthday. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Thursday, February 17th, 2005: Tracy was up from about 2:30 AM last night. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for her Physical Therapy with Humayun. Humayun wanted to get Tracy back on the tilt table, even without her casts. So, we got Tracy positioned on the tilt table and padded her feet with towels and up she went. We originally got her to about 40 degrees, which she tolerated briefly, and then began to complain. Her heart rate increased, and even though Tracy did not appear to be in any kind of pain, we decided to take her down to about 20 degrees. Tracy appeared more comfortable at this level. Next time, we will try using Tracy's air cast to help with stabilizing and straightenting her right leg. All in all, Tracy tolerated about 35 minutes on the tilt table. This afternoon, Mom, Dad and Jenny took Tracy to the neurologist to get Tracy's baclofen dosage inccreased from 1400 to 1750 micrograms per day. This is the dose that Tracy had been at since last October. It was decreased to 1400 after the morphine incident while Tracy was in the hospital. She has been very tight lately, so everyone agreed that it was time to increase her dosage. Please keep our fingers that this dose will help with Tracy's tone and not make her too sleepy. Tracy had Occupational Therapy with Regina this evening. First, Regina spent some time getting to know Tracy. She stretched Tracy's arms and legs and then spent some time with Tracy sitting on the edge of the mat. Tracy did a good job maintaining her head in the middle and also relaxed her arms down by her side. She seemed more relaxed than she was this morning during Physical Therapy. Then Regina got Tracy into sidelying position on the mat and spent some time stretching her trunk and shoulders. We are really looking forward to Tracy getting back to her three sessions of Occupational Therapy per week as ordered by her doctor. Tracy had Speech Therapy with Karman this evening and did a really good job with the closing her lips around a set of plastic lips. She held them in place between her lips for almost two seconds. This is really hard for her to do, and shows progress. Next, Karman had Tracy taste three different flavored juices: cranberry, apple,. and lemon. Tracy was able to lift her tongue to the juice that was saturated on a sponge tipped applicator. This is also very difficult for Tracy to do and shows progress. Now we need to get her to lift her tongue more frequently on request and without a stimulus. This will come with more practice. Tracy seemed to enjoy the tastes of the juices and made a face when she tasted the sour apple juice. Dad is reading the DaVinci Code to Tracy each evening. Tracy really likes to be read to, especially such a good book as this one. Tiffany is back at LSU studying hard. We miss her already. We really enjoyed having her with us during the past week and are looking forward to her next visit at the end of February for Tracy's 23rd birthday. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Wednesday, February 16th, 2005: Tracy is sleeping well these nights. Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for her 9:30 AM appointment at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC) in NW DC. Tracy saw Marisa and Katie, her two Physical Therapists who have been in charge of her serial casting. They examined her feet and decided that Tracy is not currently a candidate for serial casting. We can revisit serial casting as an option later on, once we can get her spasticity and tone under control. So, we are going to take a break from the serial casting and let her feet heal. Once they are completely healed, we will make an appointment to see the orthotist that Marisa recommended. He specializes in making braces. We'll let yuou know how that goes. After Marisa and Katie, Erin, Tracy's Occupational Therapist at CNMC, took a look at Tracy's current hand splints. She padded Tracy's night time splints and made some changes to her wrist straps. Then, Erin measured Tracy for some new neoprene splints. Mom placed the order today and we should have them by next week. This afternoon, Emil. Tracy's massage therapist, gave Tracy a much-needed massage. Tracy really enjoyed it and relaxed alot. Liz came over to see us and we made some new Speech Therapy cards with pictures for words beginning with the letters "p, m, and b." We found some very cool pictures from Mom's Vogue magazine. Then Nichole, Tracy's Brain Injury Services volunteer, came over and spent some time playing around with Tracy's make-up and giving Tracy a make-over. Tracy absolutely LOVED having her makeup done. She has the coolest make-up: MAC, Channel, the Body Shop. SO that's where all of Dad's money has gone! Nichole put some of Tracy's new cologne that Liz gave her for Valentine's Day: HAPPY! After Tracy's makeover, Nichole read Tracy some of her Guest Book emails and they listened to the Dave Matthew's CD Some Devil.This evening, we were visited by a couple from our church: Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Carrie and Roger are actually neighbors who live on the same floor that we do. They brought us a welcome packet and we spent some time getting to know eachother. It is a small world! Tracy had Speech Therapy with Karman last evening and did a really good job with the "mmmmm" and the "ma" sounds. She is also focusing her eyes more and looking at pictures of words that begin with M, B and P. Tracy also mouthed the "pa" sound and still needs to work on the actual voice that goes with it. We will continue to work on this. She is really trying to talk to us. We will be patient and wait as long as it takes. (We hope it won't be twenty years like the girl who was featured recently in the news!) Tracy's Occupational Therapist is away at a family reunion and is snowbound in Oregon. So, Thursday and Friday we will have OT with a new Occuaptional Therapist. We are really looking forward to Tracy getting back to her three sessions of Occupational Therapy per week as ordered by her doctor. Dad is reading the DaVinci Code to Tracy each evening. Tracy really likes to be read to, especially such a good book as this one. Tiffany is back at LSU studying hard. We miss her already. We really enjoyed having her with us during the past week and are looking forward to her next visit at the end of February for Tracy's 23rd birthday. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Tuesday, February 15th, 2005: Tracy is sleeping well these nights. Mom, Dad and Jenny will be sleeping back-pain and hunch back free now that Tracy has 4 inch risers on her bed. Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed (cast-free) bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Physical Therapy with Humayun. Since Tracy now has no casts on her legs/feet, Humayun chose to have Tracy work on head and neck control seated on the edge of the mat. Tracy tolerated 40 minutes sitting with support, working very hard to control her head and neck. She got a little nauseous at the end of the 40 minutes (and heave hoed a little). This is caused by her vestibular system being a little off balance since her morphine episode three weeks ago. Unfortunately, the only way to overcome this is to be exposed to motion and to retrain the brain and vestibular system to adapt to movement. Yesterday afternoon, Mom and Jenny removed Tracy's cast on her right leg. There are several spots on her right foot that are the result of pressure. Tracy also has some blisters between her toes. We will decide tomorrow whether we postpone Tracy's trip to Children's National Medical Center this week. Tracy's left big toe continues to heal. We hope we can get it casted soon but will take it slow to avoid any risk of further skin breakdown. Tracy had Speech Therapy with Karman this evening and did a really good job with the "mmmmm" and the "ma" sounds. She is also focusing her eyes more and looking at pictures of words that begin with M, B and P. Tracy also mouthed the "pa" sound and still needs to work on the actual voice that goes with it. We will continue to work on this. She is really trying to talk to us. We will be patient and wait as long as it takes. (We hope it won't be twenty years like the girl who was featured recently in the news!) Tracy's Occupational Therapist is away for a week and returns Wednesday. Tracy will have OT Thursday and Friday this week. We are really looking forward to Tracy getting back to her three sessions of Occupational Therapy per week as ordered by her doctor. Mom's new friend, Lisa, came by to visit Tracy today. We really enjoyed her visit and creative ideas and hope she comes to see us again real soon. Tiffany made it safely to New Orleans. We miss her already. We really enjoyed having her with us during the past week and are looking forward to her next visit at the end of February for Tracy's 23rd birthday. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Monday, February 14th, 2005: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Tracy is Sweet, and So Are You! Tracy slept well again last night. Mom didn't sleep at all. She seems to have over done it on the Spin bike and has sore knees. Looks like she is heading in the same path as Nana! Hopefully she will not need new knees any time soon. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Physical Therapy with Humayun. Since Tracy only had her right leg in a cast, Humayun opted to get Tracy prone (on her tummy) on the peanut ball. Tracy tolerated this position for at least 40 minutes. She was weight-bearing through her knees and was very comfortable in this position. She also followed Humayun's request and turned her head to the right several times, as well as kept her head midline for at least 20 seconds. This afternoon, Mom and Jenny removed Tracy's cast on her right leg. There are several spots on her right foot that are the result of pressure. Tracy also has some blisters between her toes. We will decide tomorrow whether we postpone Tracy's trip to Children's National Medical Center this week. Tracy's left big toe continues to heal. We hope we can get it casted soon but will take it slow to avoid any risk of skin breakdown. Gloria and her girls Sam and Kat came by to visit us today. We all watched the DVD Holes that Morgan gave Tracy for Christmas. It was really cute. Later this afternoon, Liz and her friend Mary came to see us and brought Tiff, Tracy and Mom some Happy cologne. Tiffany leaves for LSU tomorrow morning. We are sure going to miss her. We really enjoyed having her with us during the past week and are looking forward to her next visit at the end of February for Tracy's 23rd birthday. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Sunday, February 13th, 2005: And the Grammy goes to... TRACY! Tracy had another good night's sleep (as far as Mom knows at least...). Dad gets up alot during the night, letting Mom sleep! Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and headed out to 12 noon Mass. For once, they were not late! Tiffany and Rick met the three of us. Mass was really nice. We are all trying to go each Sunday during Lent. After Mass, the five of us went to Starbucks for lattes. It has become our Sunday ritual! Tracy's big toe continues to heal. We will see how it looks when we go to Children's National Medical Center on Wednesday. We hope we can get it casted soon but will take it slow to avoid any risk of skin breakdown.Dad got Tracy on the edge of the mat in a sitting position and Tracy did a good job with head and trunk control. She also did a good job righting herself. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras break! She is having a good time being at home and we are really enjoying having her here. This evening, Rick and Tiffany stayed with Tracy while Mom and Dad went out to a Valentine's dinner at Outback. Aunt Kathy Sue, Uncle Frank, Uncle Mike and Aunt Cheryl gave Mom and Dad Outback dollars for their 25th anniversary! They had a really nice dinner! Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Saturday, February 12th, 2005: Tracy slept well again last night. Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and Dad spent some time stretching and ranging Tracy's extremities. Tracy's big toe continues to heal. We will see how it looks when we go to Children's National Medical Center on Wednesday. We hope we can get it casted soon but will take it slow to avoid any risk of skin breakdown. (Mom is the only breakdown allowed in this family!) Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing and her wound is really moving along. It looks significantly better each time they do the dressing change, which is every 48 hours. Tracy spent several hours in her chair today and tolerated it well. Dad spent some time with Tracy looking at pictures of family and friends on her laptop computer. Tracy did a good job focusing her eyes and tried hard to keep her head in the middle. She is saying ma and mum more often which Mom loves to hear. We continue to work on the bilabial plosive sounds such as "ba, ma, and pa." Last evening, Karman, Tracy's Speech Therapist, came to work with Trace. Tracy made some more "ma" sounds and did a good job holding her head up in her chair. Then, Nichole, Tracy's volunteer from Brain Injury Services, came by to spend some time with Tracy. They planned to work on Tracy's scrap book, but Tracy was not in the mood. So, Nichole opted to bring Tracy up on the latest fashion trends, showing her pictures from Instyle magazine. She also worked with some Yes and No cards that Liz had made and the sounds "ba, ma and pa". We really appreciate having Nichole visit Tracy. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras break! She is having a good time being at home and we are really enjoying having her here. This evening, Rick took Tiffany to the Marakesh restaurant in DC for Valentine's Day. They looked really nice. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Friday, February 11th, 2005: Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning. Luckily Mom found the owner's manual for Tracy's Clinitron bed of sand and took a few minutes to read it! When in doubt, read the manual! Mom discovered that the infamous bed of sand is not just for the munchkins from Oz, but is made to come with 4 inch risers to elevate it. Granted, Mom and Jenny are only 5 feet apiece, but they are beginning to look like Quasimoto (the Hunckback from Notre Dame). That is especially bad since Mom went to Boston College (ND's rivals!). So, the Clinitron technician is going to come out and elevate the bed on risers! Mom tried to levetate, but the bed didn't move! Tracy's big toe is already healing well. We hope we can get it casted soon but will take it slow to avoid any risk of breakdown. (Mom is the only breakdown allowed in this family!) Tracy's new G-tube is working fine. Her blood and urine tests came back perfect too. This afternoon, our good friends from Key West, Perfecta and Bruce came by to visit Tracy. It was so good to see them and reminesce all the good times we shared. They brought us some yummy lasagna and Tracy some Victoria Secret lotion. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This afternoon, the rehab technical specialist from Midatlantic came to modify Tracy's wheelchair. He made some recommendations to make Tracy's wheelchair fit better. We'll let you know how that goes. This evening, Suzanne, Tracy's home health nurse came by to check on Tracy. She was pleased with how clear Tracy's lungs sounded and her recent lab results. This evening, Karman, Tracy's Speech Therapist, came to work with Trace. Tracy made some more "ma" sounds and did a good job holding her head up in her chair. Then, Nichole, Tracy's volunteer from Brain Injury Services, came by to spend some time with Tracy. They planned to work on Tracy's scrap book, but Tracy was not in the mood. So, Nichole opted to bring Tracy up on the current fashion trends, showing her pictures from Instyle magazine. She also worked with some Yes and No cards that Liz had made and the sounds "ba, ma and pa". We really appreciate having Nichole visit Tracy. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras! She is having a good time being at home and we are really enjoying having her here. Rick and his mom Mary are spending the evening and having dinner with us. We are very glad to have them visit us. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Thursday, February 10th, 2005: Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy and got her ready for her early appointment at National Naval Medical Center to see Dr. Buescher, the Plastic Surgeon. Dr. Buescher was again very pleased with Tracy's healing progress and said "It's just going to take (four letter word) TIME! Well, we knew that, but sometimes I think we are dealing with sundials and hourglasses. The good news is that it is healing very well on its own with the wound vac and does not require the other four letter word: SURGERY! We will continue to be patient and let it heal and close. Dr. Buescher measured the wound and it is one quarter centimeter shallower but the width and length are about the same. Progress! Dr. Buescher also looked at Tracy's sore on her left big toe and felt that we did the right thing leaving the cast off and letting it heal. It should scab over and heal fine. While at NNMC, Dr. Pearl put in a new G tube and we also got a urine culture aqnd complete blood count. We'll see how that goes... This evening, Tracy has Speech Therapy with Karman and she did an AWESOME job! She was saying "ah" and "ma" and trying so hard that she worked up a sweat. She was also trying to stick out her tongue. Karman is trying to get Tracy to lift the tip of her tongue. We will continue to work on this. All in all, Trace had a great speech session. Karman will be back again tomorrow evening. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras! She is having a good time being at home and we are really enjoying having her here.Last evening, Jenny gave Tracy a facial which she really enjoyed. It helps her relax alot. All Dad's girls like to be pampered (just a hint since Valentine's Day is next Monday!). Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Wednesday, February 9th, 2005: Mom and Jenny SHOWERED (yep, showered without casts) Tracy and shampooed her hair. Tracy loves her showers and shampoos. This morning, Tracy has Physical Therapy with Humayun and then her casting appointment at Children's National Medical Center. Since Mom, Emil and Jenny removed her casts as directed yesterday, Humayun decided to pass on the tilt table and opted to sit Tracy on the edge of the mat. Tracy's tone was the HIGHEST we have seen for a long time. She had a difficult time getting her right hip to relax so that she could put her right leg on the floor. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher tomorrow and will check Tracy for another UTI and also check her blood count. She seems very uncomfortable today and is sweating more than usual. After PT, Mom, Tiffany and Jenny took Tracy to Children's for her casting. Marisa and Katie decided to not cast Tracy's left foot because she had a bruise on her right big toe/MP joint. The last thing Tracy needs is another decubitus/pressure sore. They did cast her right foot and made sure to pad it extra so that she does not end up with a pressure sore on that foot. Dad was able to get Tracy completely off her Zelnorm. The last dose she had was on Sunday morning. We are hopeful that she will tolerate being off of it. We plan to reduce her other stomach medications very slowly until she is off all of them. Keep your fingers crossed that she will be able to tolerate being off of them. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing this evening and it is making good progress. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras! She is having a good time being at home. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Tuesday, February 8th, 2005: Whoops! Nicole was visiting us from Brooklyn, J-Lo is from the Bronx! Mom gets them confused all the time. She left this evening on the Chinatown Bus and we miss her already. She is a great friend of Tracy's from UM. She has been a big help during her stay and Tracy seemed to enjoy her company. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Physical Therapy with Humayun. Of course, the event of the week is Tracy's new tilt table! Humayun, Mom, Jenny and Nicole got Tracy settled on the tilt table and up she went, to about 45 degrees in slow, gradual steps. We decided to use the 90 degree scale and KISS (Keep It Simple Silly!) Tracy did a good job, this time she was up for 43 minutes (but who's counting?)! We are all very proud of her. Tracy's congestion has improved, and she has a strong, productive cough. After PT, Emil, Tracy's massage therapist came and helped Mom and Jenny remove Tracy's casts. Her big toes on both feet are bruised. It seems that the padding that Marisa put on her big toe joints slipped off in the cast. Keep your fingers crossed that Tracy does not end up with another pressure sore. ($*$#!) Next, Tracy's Occupational Therapist, Joise, came to do OT with Tracy. She brought Sue, an RN, with her who she was training. Joise had Tracy positioned on the edge of the mat and had her practice head and trunk control. Tracy was wide awake and her tone was a little tight. She still has a tendency to turn her head to the left in a spasm, but tries really hard to overcome it. Joise worked on leaning Tracy to the right and left to put weight through her elbows. Tracy did a good job controling her vestibular system and did not vomit when Joise rocked her gently side to side and forward and back. Liz returns from New Orleans/Gulfport, Mississippi tomorrow. We sure do miss her and can't wait for her to come back. After OT, Emil gave Tracy a well-deserved massage. She really relaxed and enjoyed it alot. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. We were able to send her feeding pump back to Apria and are thankful that we didn't need to use it this time. During Speech Therapy with Karman, Trace did a good job with lip closure. Karman had her close her lips around a plastic whistle shaped like lips. She held them between her lips for several seconds. This is really progress. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing last evening and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. We are thinking that it will be another 6 weeks of healing time. (Isn't that what they all say, 6 more weeks and be patient! Argh!) Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras! She is having a good time being at home. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Monday, February 7th, 2005: Nicole is visiting Tracy from the Bronx and we are really enjoying her visit. She is a great friend of Tracy's from UM. She has been a big help during her stay and Tracy seems to be enjoying her company. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Physical Therapy with Humayun. Of course, the event of the week is Tracy's new tilt table! Humayun, Mom, Jenny and Nicole got Tracy settled on the tilt table and up she went, to about 45 degrees in slow, gradual steps. We decided to use the 90 degree scale and KISS (Keep It Simple Silly!) Tracy did a good job tolerated 45 minutes! We are all very proud of her. She seems to have a little cough, so the vertical position helped her clear her lungs. After PT, Mom, Jenny and Nicole took Tracy to her appointment at the neurologist's office to get her pump refilled. This time, Joy used baclofen only and skipped the morphine (Thank God!) Tracy is still on the lower dose of 1400 micrograms per day. We would like to decrease this dose but we are taking it slow! Tracy is no longer on her Zelnorm for her stomach. Keep your fingers crossed that Tracy does well off of it. We would love to get her off of all her stomach medicines and are going very slowly this time. Tracy was scheduled to have Occupational Therapy this evening but her OT did not show up. We hope everything is OK with her. Liz returns from New Orleans/Gulfport, Mississippi tomorrow. We sure do miss her and can't wait for her to come back. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. We were able to send her feeding pump back to Apria and are thankful that we didn't need to use it this time. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing this evening and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. We are thinking that it will be another 6 weeks of healing time. (Isn't that what they all say, 6 more weeks and be patient! Argh!) Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras! Mamaw sent us a King cake to celebrate Mardi Gras! Mamaw always sent Tracy a King cake for her birthday each year which is February 26th. Rick, his mom Mary, and their good friend Dolores came to visit us Wednesday night. We really enjoyed meeting Dolores and Rick's mom during her visit from Texas and hope to spend more time with them on their next visit to DC. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Sunday, February 6th, 2005: All things considered, Tracy had a great week! There is no one I know who could bounce back from such a critical state with the grace and sophistication of our girl Tracy! Kudos! Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Tiffany and Rick met us at Mass. Tracy hadn't been to Mass since November 11th, the day before her abdominal surgery. It was great to be back in Church. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. We were able to send her feeding pump back to Apria and are thankful that we didn't need to use it this time. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing Saturday morning and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. We are thinking that it will be another 6 weeks of healing time, just like the ground hog! Six more weeks of winter. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras! Mamaw sent us a King cake to celebrate Mardi Gras! Mamaw always sent Tracy a King cake for her birthday each year which is February 26th. Rick, his mom Mary, and their good friend Dolores came to visit us Wednesday night. We really enjoyed meeting Dolores and Rick's mom during her visit from Texas and hope to spend more time with them on their next visit to DC. Tracy's good friend Nicole Renee from NYC made it safely on the China Town bus. It is the best kept secret, only $36 round trip. We are really glad she is here. Sasha came by to say Hi and we all had coffee lattes at Starbucks after Mass. Tracy is perched on the love seat watching the Super Bowl with Mom, Dad, and Nicole. Tiff and Rick are having a Super Bowl Party at Rick's new apartment. We are rooting for the New England Patriots, of course, since Mom is from Winchester, Massachusetts and proud of it! Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Saturday, February 5th, 2005: All things considered, Tracy had a great week! There is no one I know who could bounce back from such a critical state with the grace and sophistication of our girl Tracy! Kudos! Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Speech Therapy. Mom and Dad got Tracy settled on the tilt table, padded her casts and feet, and took her baseline vital signs. This was Dad's first time seeing Tracy on the tilt table. Once we got her positioned, we cranked her up s-l-o-w-l-y so she could acclimate to the altitude. Once we got her to about 40 degrees, Karman tried to get Tracy to make some sounds. She made a few "ah" sounds and worked on taking deep breaths. However, she was grinding her teeth a lot; we're not sure why. We'll keep on practicing. Yesterday evening, Joise, Tracy's Occupational Therapist, came by for her session. Tracy felt much better this evening, and stayed awake and focused most of the session. Joise, Mom and Dad positioned Tracy on the edge of the mat and had her weight bear through her arms and shoulders on her therapy table. Tracy did a good job holding her head up. Then, Joise put little microfiber pillows under Tracy's arms and moved her arms in and out, letting her feel the sensation of movement. Tracy tried to move her arms. We will keep practicing this movement. Joise also had Tracy lean on her right and left elbow on the mat, and practice balancing her head in this position. She also rocked Tracy from side to side and front and back to help acclimate her vestibular system. Tracy did a good job resisting getting nauseous and vomiting. Her eyes compensated for the movement. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. We were able to send her feeding pump back to Apria and are thankful that we didn't need to use it this time. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing Thursday evening and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. We are thinking that it will be another 6 weeks of healing time, just like the ground hog! Six more weeks of winter. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge until February 15th. She is off for Mardi Gras! Mamaw sent us a King cake to celebrate Mardi Gras! Mamaw always sent Tracy a King cake for her birthday each year which is February 26th. Rick, his mom Mary, and their good friend Dolores came to visit us Wednesday night. We really enjoyed meeting Dolores and Rick's mom during her visit from Texas and hope to spend more time with them on their next visit to DC. Tracy's good friend Nicole Renee from NYC is coming Sunday to visit Tracy. We can't wait to see her! Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Friday, February 4th, 2005: All things considered, Tracy had a great week! There is no one I know who could bounce back from such a critical state with the grace and sophistication of our girl Tracy! Kudos! Jenny was a little under the weather, but she came to work anyway! She wore a mask to be sure that she wasn't contagious. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Physical Therapy with Humayun. When he arrived, Mom, Jenny and Humayun transferred Tracy to the tilt table. Once we got her settled, padded her feet, and strapped her in, Humayun took her blood pressure and Mom took her pulse ox. This documents baseline vital signs before we start cranking her up. Humayun elevated the table in four steps, each time letting Tracy acclimate before going any higher. Her final destination this morning was at 70 degrees! However, this is on a scale of 0-180 degtees. On the 90 degree scale, she was up at about 45 - 50 degrees. She tolerated this tilt for 45 minutes and her vital signs remained stable the entire time. While she was at this height, she was very alert and awake and vocalized "Ha" for "Hi" on request. She was also very focused and turned her head to the right on request. We are thinking of doing her speech therapy session Saturday on the tilt table. We'll see how that goes. This evening, Joise, Tracy's Occupational Therapist, came by for her session. Tracy felt much better this evening, and stayed awake and focused most of the session. Joise, Mom and Dad positioned Tracy on the edge of the mat and had her weight bear through her arms and shoulders on her therapy table. Tracy did a good job holding her head up. Then, Joise put little microfiber pillows under Tracy's arms and moved her arms in and out, letting her feel the sensation of movement. Tracy tried to move her arms. We will keep practicing this movement. Joise also had Tracy lean on her right and left elbow on the mat, and practice balancing her head in this position. She also rocked Tracy from side to side and front and back to help acclimate her vestibular system. Tracy did a good job resisting getting nauseous and vomiting. Her eyes compensated for the movement. Next, Suzanne, Tracy's home health nurse came by to do her assessment. She was very pleased with Tracy's progress throughout the week. Tracy's lungs were clear and she was taking deeper breaths. Her color also had improved. Suzanne commented on how much better Tracy's eyes were focusing and tracking. Her tone is so much better, even on the lower dose of baclofen (1400 instead of 1750 micrograms per day)! We will get her pump refilled on Monday afternoon, and will re-evaluate her baclofen dosage at that time. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing Thursday evening and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. We are thinking that it will be another 6 weeks of healing time, just like the ground hog! Six more weeks of winter. Nana and Uncle Johnny enjoyed their visit. We already miss them and can't wait to get down to Florida for a visit. Tiffany is home from Baton Rouge.She is off for Mardi Gras! We are so glad that she is home with us. Rick, his mom Mary, and their good friend Dolores came to visit us Wednesday night. We really enjoyed meeting Dolores and Rick's mom during her visit from Texas and hope to spend more time with them on their next visit to DC. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Thursday, February 3rd, 2005: Tracy is on a roll with sleeping through the night. Hallelujah! We are very thankful that she is breathing better too. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for Physical Therapy with Humayun. When he arrived, Mom, Jenny and Humayun transferred Tracy to the tilt table. Once we got her settled, padded her feet, and strapped her in, Humayun took her blood pressure and Mom took her pulse ox. This documents baseline vital signs before we start cranking her up. Humayun elevated the table in four steps, each time letting Tracy acclimate before going any higher. Her final destination this morning was at 60 degrees! She tolerated this tilt for 35 minutes and her vital signs remained stable the entire time. While she was at 60 degrees, she was very alert and awake and vocalized "Ha" for "Hi" on request. She was also very focused and turned her head to the right on request. We are thinking of doing her speech therapy session Saturday on the tilt table. We'll see how that goes. This evening, Karman, Tracy's Speech Therapist, came by for her session. Tracy felt much better this evening, and stayed awake and focused most of the session. She looked at colors with Karman, and then worked on some vocal sounds such as "Ah." Tracy was really trying. We will practice more on Saturday. Lastly, Karman worked with Tracy to stick out her tongue. Again, Tracy tried really hard but still lacks the motor control and coordination to stick her tongue out. Mom and Dad sure looked funny sitting around sticking their tongues out. They get an A for effort. We'll keep practicing with Tracy. Wednesday evening, Nichole, Tracy's volunteer through Brain Injury Services, came over to spend some time with Tracy. She read some more of the many emails from Tracy's guest book. Tracy relaxed on the therapy mat while Nichole read to her. Her tone is so much better, even on the lower dose of baclofen (1400 instead of 1750 micrograms per day)! We will get her pump refilled on Monday afternoon, and will re-evaluate her baclofen dosage at that time. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing this evening and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. We are thinking that it will be another 6 weeks of healing time, just like the ground hog! Nana and Uncle Johnny enjoyed their visit. We already miss them and can't wait to get down to Florida for a visit. Aunt Candy and the boys sent Tracy an adorable stuffed unicorn for Valentine's Day! It is so soft and cuddley! Tiffany is back in Baton Rouge at LSU. She will be back Friday for about a week. LSU has off for Mardi Gras! We are really looking forward to seeing her! Rick, his mom Mary, and their good friend Dolores came to visit us last night. We really enjoyed meeting Dolores and Rick's mom during her visit from Texas and hope to spend more time with them on their next visit to DC. Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way!

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2005: Tracy is sleeping well these nights. Thank God! We are very thankful that she is breathing better too. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for her appointment at Children's National Medical Center. Marisa, Katherine, and Katie, three physical therapists, casted Tracy this morning. Liz, Jenny and Mom brought Tracy for her appointment. Liz drove the van, and gave Mom a break. Mom didn't mind driving in Naples, Italy, but doesn't like driving in DC. Go figure! The three PTs did a great job casting Tracy while she relaxed on her tummy listening to her favorite Dave Matthew's Band CD: Under the Table Dreaming!" Ironically, she was on top of the table (the casting table) dreaming! Tracy did not have any therapy today and was able to rest when we got back to Crystal City. She seems to be focusing her eyes better and more appropriately. This evening, Nichole, Tracy's volunteer through Brain Injury Services, came over to spend some time with Tracy. She read some more of the many emails from Tracy's guest book. Tracy relaxed on the therapy mat while Nichole read to her. Her tone is so much better, even on the lower dose of baclofen (1400 instead of 1750 micrograms per day)! We will get her pump refilled on Monday afternoon, and will re-evaluate her baclofen dosage at that time. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing Tuesday evening and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. Nana and Uncle Johnny enjoyed their visit. We already miss them and can't wait to get down to Florida for a visit. Aunt Candy and the boys sent Tracy an adorable stuffed unicorn for Valentine's Day! It is so soft and cuddley! Tiffany is back in Baton Rouge at LSU. She will be back Friday for about a week. LSU has off for Mardi Gras! We are really looking forward to seeing her! Mom got a really nice email from an aunt of a beautiful young girl named Ashley who was in a very serious car accident last October. She is in a semi-coma in California. She needs your prayers. Her aunt Lisa created a beautiful website in Ashley's honor. Mom plans to put Ashley's webpage link on Tracy's page (when she figures out how to do it). Until then, please check out Ashley's webpage and send her an email. Her web address is: http://savage.gq.nu/Ashley.htm. Send your prayers her way! We would like to thank the emergency medical techicians who cared for Tracy from Reagan National/Arlington and Alexandria fire departments. They were incredible. We would also like to thank all of the physicians and staff at Inova Alexandria Hospital who cared for Tracy during her stay. They were extremely caring and compassionate professionals. It is very comforting to know that we have such excellent care so close to home!

Tuesday, February 1st, 2005: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night in her high-tech bed made of sand. Mom and Jenny gave Tracy a shower and washed her hair in preparation for her new casts being put on tomorrow. She is not allowed to shower with them because they can not get wet. She really enjoyed her shower and shampoo! Tracy had Physical Therapy with Humayun today. After he did is evaluation, Mom, Jenny and Humayun got Tracy on her new tilt table. Humayun was able to get Tracy to about 45 degrees, and she was able to weight bear through her feet. She tolerated 25 minutes in this position and her vital signs remained stable the entire time. This is really good news, especially since Tracy has not been at a 45 degree angle on a tilt table for over a year! She seemed to feel that she was in a very different position, however, she did not appear to be in any pain or discomfort. We will continue to gradually get her acclimated to a vertical position on the tilt table. This is excellent for all of Tracy's systems: respiratory, circulatory, gastro-intestinal, vestibular, to name a few. Tracy has been tolerating her tube feedings, and is back to her usual 6 cans a day. This evening, during Speech Therapy, Tracy got sick to her stomach. We think that she got dizzy when Karman moved her head in the middle when she was sitting up in her chair. She is still feeling the effects of the morphine, and her vestibular system is very fragile. She was pretty tired during Speech Therapy. We will try again Thursday evening. Gloria and her girls, Kat and Sam, came over to visit us today. Gloria made a pot of Lamb Stew for dinner. It was really delicious! We always have fun when they come to visit. The girls helped Jenny and Mom fold the cloths. They are a big help. Mom and Liz removed Tracy's casts last Tuesday as planned. Her skin looked great! Marisa did a great job padding the casts. We have an appointment to return to Children's National Medical Center Wednesday to get new casts put on. Tracy's wound continues to heal well. Mom and Dad changed Tracy's dressing Tuesday evening and it is making good progress. We have an appointment with Dr. Buescher next week. We'll let you know how that goes. Last evening, Emil, Tracy's massage therapist, came by and gave Mom and Tracy a much-needed massage. We really appreciate Emil's healing touch. Dad and Tiff will have their turn next week. Nana and Uncle Johnny enjoyed their visit. We already miss them and can't wait to get down to Florida for a visit. Aunt Candy and the boys sent Tracy an adorable stuffed unicorn for Valentine's Day! It is so soft and cuddley! Tiffany is back in Baton Rouge at LSU. She will be back Friday for about a week. LSU has off for Mardi Gras! We are really looking forward to seeing her! We would like to thank the emergency medical techicians who cared for Tracy from Reagan National/Arlington and Alexandria fire departments. They were incredible. We would also like to thank all of the physicians and staff at Inova Alexandria Hospital who cared for Tracy during her stay. They were extremely caring and compassionate professionals. It is very comforting to know that we have such excellent care so close to home!