Sunday, July 31st, 2005: ~Word for the day: INTERESTING!!!!!! (Not sure why but it kept coming up all day long)~ Tracy slept well last night. Janneth and Mom bathed Tracy and got her ready for 12 noon Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. After Mass, they stopped at the usual Starbuck's for lattes and scones. The sky was pretty overcast and cloudy, but the weather man said no rain in the forecast! INTERESTING! This afternoon, Mom, Dad and Tracy went for a hike on the Capital Crescent Trail. It was the first time they took the jogger in the van to a remote trail. It was time to do some exploring. The only trail they have been on in the jogger is the Mt. Vernon Trail and it was time for something a little more INTERESTING! They started out at Fletcher's Boathouse. It is a very INTERESTING spot where you can rent kayaks, canoes, and bikes. They had several 1910 vintage train tunnels left over from the B&O railroad days. The trail goes as far as Rock Creek Park and Bethesda. There were a lot of INTERESTING people on the trail. Many on rollerblades, bikes, and on foot like us. We hiked about three and a half miles on the trail. It was all up hill on the way out and straight down hill on the way back. Mom was glad that she has a hand brake on Tracy jogger. It came in handy on the return trip. To make therapy more INTERESTING for Tracy, we are showing Tracy pictures of her friends, and would really appreciate some updated pictures from everyone! Please take a digital picture of your family and send it to drdebanz@aol.com. We will post them in a special album on Tracy's web site and show Tracy how many supporters she has out there! You may include a short message to cheer Tracy along in her therapy! (PS. This was Gloria's idea! She is going to make a scrapbook with all of the pictures and greetings that she receives.) Tomorrow, Tracy has her seventh Vital Stim session with Karen. Please continue to pray that she continues to progress in her swallowing. After ten sessions, she will have another Modified Barium Swallow (MBS) to see if she has improved. Then, the plan will be to give her some oral trials along with another round of Vital Stim therapy. INTERESTING! This web site, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guest book). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this web site. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this web site the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany is starting her ninth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She has been summarizing survey data and is in the process of wrapping up her coursework for the summer. We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! We can't wait for Uncle Johnny and Nana to visit us in mid August. We are really looking forward to seeing them. Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guest book. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Have a great week and God bless!

Saturday, July 30th, 2005: ~Word for the day: PERSISTENCE!!!!!! ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep. Dad made it back safely from Pensacola. We sure did miss him and are really glad he's back! Janneth and Mom showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Dad and Janneth stayed with Tracy while Mom, Tiffany and Gloria went to Liz's daughter in-law to be's bridal tea. It was so much fun! We are so happy for Rachelle and Jim! Jim is an F-18 pilot for the US Navy, and currently on deployment. Welcome to our Navy family and God bless! This afternoon, Dad and Janneth stretched and ranged Tracy. Dad noticed an improvement in her range of motion since Dr. Tornatore changed her dosing schedule. Keep praying that we solve this spasticity mystery! Dad was able to get her right knee cast on very easily. We will continue to work with her right hamstring to get it stretched out. PERSISTENCE is what pays off in therapy! This afternoon, Dad sat Tracy up on the edge of the mat for about thirty minutes. She did a good job with head and trunk control! PERSISTENCE! Speaking of PERSISTENCE! We are showing Tracy pictures of her friends, and would really appreciate some updated pictures from everyone! Please take a digital picture of your family and send it to drdebanz@aol.com. We will post them in a special album on Tracy's web site and show Tracy how many supporters she has out there! You may include a short message to cheer Tracy along in her therapy! (PS. This was Gloria's idea!) This evening, Dad sat Tracy up on the edge of the mat for another twenty minutes. (This is not a type-o). Remember the word of the day: PERSISTENCE! She did a good job with head and trunk control. This web site, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guest book). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this web site. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this web site the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany finished her eighth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She has been summarizing survey data and is in the process of wrapping up her coursework for the summer. This evening, she and Rick are celebrating their one year anniversary! They are on a sunset sail on the Chesapeake Bat in Annapolis on a schooner, and then will have dinner at the Chart House. Congratulations Tiffany and Rick! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you Jenny for the cute colored pony tail elastics for Tracy! They are really cute and will keep her cool throughout the heat wave! We can't wait for Uncle Johnny and Nana to visit us in mid August. We are really looking forward to seeing them. Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guest book. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed weekend and may God bless!

Friday, July 29th, 2005: ~Word for the day: Family!!!!!! ~ Tracy slept much better last night. She woke up again at around 3:30 AM, but fell back to sleep right away! We miss Dad so much and will be very happy when he is back in Northern Virginia this evening. It will be great to have our FAMILY back together again. Jenny and Mom bathed Tracy and got her comfortable in her bed. Mom and Tiffany got ready and were out the door bright and early this morning. They went to Rear Admiral Steven Tomaszeski's Retirement ceremony from the Navy. It was at the US Naval Observatory, a perfect backdrop for the ceremony. It is such a beautiful, traditional ceremony to begin with, but was even more awe-inspiring! Liz and the Admiral really are special people who have touched so many lives, especially Tracy's. They will always be a special part of the Navy FAMILY and most importantly, our FAMILY! This afternoon, Mom and Jenny stretched and ranged Tracy. She had a very relaxing day in her bed. When there is only one person staying with Tracy, we have to keep her in the bed. It is safer and more comfortable than putting her on the mat, especially since the Geomat doesn't provide the same alternating pressure and air circulation that her special low air loss mattress does. We sure want to avoid getting another decubitus! No way Jose'! Yesterday evening, Mom checked Tracy's Baclofen pump print out and realized that there was an hour missing on her medication. The pump is programmed to pump different doses at different times. So, Mom contacted Dr. Tornatore and Tiffany and Rick accompanied Mom and Tracy to Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Tornatore was still there at 7:00 PM, when they arrived. He made the adjustments so everything should be working smoothly. We hope Tracy rests well tonight. We are DETERMINED to get some much needed sleep tonight. Mom is walking into walls and tripping over her own feet! A little sleep will definitely do her some good. This web site, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guest book). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this web site. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this web site the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany is finishing her eighth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She has been summarizing survey data and is in the process of wrapping up her coursework for the summer. We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you Jenny for the cute colored pony tail elastics for Tracy! They are really cute and will keep her cool throughout the heat wave! We can't wait for Uncle Johnny and Nana to visit us in mid August. We are really looking forward to seeing them. Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guest book. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed weekend and may God bless!

Thursday, July 28th, 2005: ~Word for the day: DETERMINATION!!!!!!! ~ Tracy slept well from 8:30 PM to 3:30 AM. 3:30 in the morning must be the witching hour, because one could set their watch to it! Tracy has woken up just about every night this week at the same time: 3:30 AM! She stayed awake until 5:30 AM grinding her teeth. Mom gave her Extra Strength Tylenol and when that didn't seem to touch her, she gave her a Pyridium for bladder spasms. Tracy settled down after that and went back to sleep. Dad returns to Northern Virginia tomorrow evening. We can't wait for him to get back! Jenny and Mom bathed Tracy and got her dressed and out the door by 9:20 AM for a 10:00 AM appointment with Dr. Tornatore, Tracy's neurologist, who manages her Baclofen pump. Dr. Tornatore made some adjustments to her pump settings, increasing the variation in her doses throughout the day. The goal is to build in enough variation to keep the receptors from getting "habituated" to the Baclofen. He kept the total daily dose the same at about 1450 micrograms per day. Tracy had her sixth Vital Stim session today at 11:00 AM with Karen. While Mom ran to get some Starbuck's frappacino for Tracy to smell (she really responds to the smell of coffee, especially Starbucks), Tracy swallowed 6 times at a very low impules (1.5). She had a great session, with a total of 12 swallows in 45 minutes. She is trying so hard, showing us all her DETERMINATION. Karen is very pleased with her progress. We have four more sessions and then we will do another Modified Barium Swallow test to see if she is ready for some oral trials (real stuff)! If she is, the plan is to continue with 10 more sessions of Vital Stim with oral trials. Please keep praying for success in her swallowing program! We all had a break at noon, and then it was time for Tracy's Occupational Therapy session with Jen. First, Jen and Francis, the rehab assistant, transferred Tracy to the mat. Then they got her positioned on the edge of the mat. They found from Amanda's session that if they flex Tracy left hip and knee, her tone decreases, especially in her right hip and knee. Doesn't make sense, but they seem to know what they're talking about! Guess it has to do with Tracy's pattern of spasticity! Everyone has DETERMINATION to find a way to break Tracy's spasticity! If you are in the mood for praying, please pray that Tracy's spasticity improves. It is the root of all of her mobility issues, and then some! This evening, Mom checked Tracy's Baclofen pump print out and realized that there was an hour missing on her medication. The pump is programed to pump different doses at different times. So, Mom contacted Dr. Tornatore and Tiffany and Rick accompanied Mom and Tracy to Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Tornatore was still there at 7:00 PM, when they arrived. He made the adjustments so everything should be working smoothly. We hope Tracy rests well tonight. We are DETERMINED to get some much needed sleep tonight. Mom is walking into walls and tripping over her own feet! A little sleep will definitely do her some good. This web site, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guest book). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this web site. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this web site the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany is almost through her eighth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you Jenny for the cute colored pony tail elastics for Tracy! They are really cute and will keep her cool throughout the heat wave! We can't wait for Uncle Johnny and Nana to visit us in mid August. We are really looking forward to seeing them. Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guest book. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Wednesday, July 27th, 2005: ~Word for the day: Hmmmmmm!!!!!!! ~ Tracy slept better last night. She woke up again at her usual 3:30 AM but went back to sleep once we got her comfortable. There was no teeth grinding this time, thank God! You can only imagine what the sound of teeth snapping in the middle of the night in a quiet apartment sounds like, especially beautiful teeth like Tracy's! Dad is still gone and will be back sometime at the end of the week! We are still trying to get her Baclofen to her optimal dosing. We plan to discuss some minor adjustments this week when we see Dr. Tornatore, Tracy's neurologist, who manages her Baclofen pump. Tracy did not seem to enjoy her massage last evening. It wasn't something Tonia did or didn't do. I think she was just "not in the mood." I guess it's a girl's prerogative! She had a hard time relaxing, but once we got her into her bed, she fell fast asleep. Jacqueline and Amanda assessed Tracy's positioning in her wheel chair this morning at 10:00 AM at Georgetown. Amanda, who is a wheel chair wizard and very experienced with spasticity management, especially in children, worked with Tracy both in and out of her chair. She made some very good observations and will write up her recommendations for wheel chair modifications. There are some modifications that can be made through positioning devices, etc. which can improve Tracy's spastic patterns. Mom is sure learning a lot! There are many things throughout the day that make her go Hmmmmmmmm! Mom is very close to solving Tracy's therapy rationing issues! This one session per week of Occupational and Physical Therapy is another thing that makes Mom go Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Our girl deserves more than one session of PT and OT per week. Mom is growing some big ones these days, if you know what I mean! Hmmmm! This afternoon, Mom and Sasha got Tracy seated on the edge of the mat for about one hour. Tracy did a good job with trunk and head control. Then Mom lowered Tracy back on the mat to increase her right hip flexor stretch. This is the hip which is very tight and the one that Tracy likes to keep flexed. Mom asked Tracy to relax her right leg down on the floor and Tracy did a good job relaxing her right leg down until her right foot rested on the floor. Every evening, Mom has been spending time hanging out with Tracy in her room, while Dad is away in Pensacola. They watched Chasing Lance and the Science of Lance on the Discovery Channel all night from 5 PM to 11 PM! What can I say? Another one of those things that makes Mom go Hmmmmm! Everyone misses Dad and can't wait for him to come home! Tomorrow, Tracy has a 10:00 AM appointment with Dr. Tornatore, an 11:00 AM Vital Stim session, and a 1:00 PM Occupational Therapy session with Jen. We are hoping the cool front comes through and that the temperature will cool down to the mid-eighties from the high nineties! Hmmmmmm! This web site, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guest book). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this web site. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this web site the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany has begun her eighth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you to Tamar and her mom for the delicious chocolates. Thank you to Rick for the adorable dragon fly candle holder for Tracy and the Nevada wine for Mom and Dad! Thank you to Liz for the soothing tea lights! Thank you Tiffany for the cute Margaritaville shirt for Tracy, vanilla candle for Mom, and the Harley Low Country shirt for Dad! We truly appreciate all the wonderful acts of kindness! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guest book. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Tuesday, July 26th, 2005: ~Word for the day: REGROUP!!!!!!! ~ CONGRATULATIONS LANCE! VICTORY # 7! WE KNOW THAT IT TOOK A LOT OF HARD WORK, DETERMINATION, FOCUS, AND EFFORT! NOW IT'S TIME TO REGROUP AND PAVE OUT YOUR NEXT JOURNEY! Tracy was up again last night from 3:30 to 5:30 AM. We are not sure what was bothering her. She was grinding her teeth! Maybe she missed Dad! He left yesterday morning for a conference in Pensacola. He won't be back until late Thursday night. We are still trying to get her Baclofen to her optimal dosing. We plan to discuss some minor adjustments this week when we see Dr. Tornatore, Tracy's neurologist, who manages her Baclofen pump. Jenny made it back from Charlston and had a great time visiting her family. Mom amd Jenny showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. She did not have any "official" therapy today, so we let her rest in her bed. It was a great day to REGROUP! Jenny spent the day giving Tracy a manicure. This afternoon, Mom and Jenny got Tracy on the mat and stretched and ranged her. Tonia is coming to give her a massage this evening. We hope her massage helps her to relax and that she will sleep tonight. Mom does too! Tracy does not have any "official therapy" until Wednesday at 10:00 AM when Jacqueline and Amanda will assess Tracy's positioning in her wheel chair. It is time to REGROUP and reevaluate her wheelchair needs. She is in desperate need of some major modifications. We hope they will be able to make the necessary modifications to improve Tracy's wheel chair seating. Mom is putting forth her best effort to get Tracy's therapy rationing resolved. Our girl deserves more than one session of PT and OT per week. Mom is growing some big ones these days, if you know what I mean! This website, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guestbook). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this website. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this website the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany has begun her eighth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She had the opportunity to experience a VIP tour of the Capitol and some of the exclusive areas on Capitol Hill today. She actually saw Senator John Kerry and Senator Ted Kennedy! She is really having a wonderful experience. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you to Tamar and her mom for the delicious chocolates. Thank you to Rick for the adorable dragon fly candle holder for Tracy and the Nevada wine for Mom and Dad! Thank you to Liz for the soothing tealights! Thank you Tiffany for the cute Margaritaville shirt for Tracy, vanilla candle for Mom, and the Harley Low Country shirt for Dad! We truly appreciate all the wonderful acts of kindness! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Monday, July 25th, 2005: ~Word for the day: EFFORT!!!!!!! ~ Tracy was up most of last night. We are not sure what was bothering her. Dad left this morning for a conference in Pensacola. He won't be back until late Thursday night. We are still trying to get her Baclofen to her optimal dosing. We plan to discuss some minor adjustments next week when we see Dr. Tornatore, Tracy's neurologist who manages her Baclofen pump.Mom amd Janneth bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. She had a 1:30 PM Vital Stim appointment with Karen at Georgetown. Liz came over to accompany Mom, Janneth, and Tracy. She has a full dance card herself this week, but nevertheless is always there for Tracy! She is truly an angel sent from Heaven! Tiffany made it back safely from visiting her good friend Ashley in Charlston, S.C. Jenny is also in Charlston, visiting her daughter Andrea and her son in-law, Cory, who recently celebrated a birthday! (Happy Birthday Cory!) Sasha made it back safely from New York, where she was visiting her family for the weekend. This afternoon, Karen performed the fifth session of Vital Stim therapy, (half way to our goal of ten sessions), a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. Mom did the Beckman facial warm up exercises with Tracy before her speech therapy session. Liz had a great idea to use aromatherapy as a reinforcer during her therapy session. She got a Starbuck's frappacino for Mom and Tracy to share. Mom let Tracy smell the frappacio each time she was about to swallow. We think that between the Beckman exercises, the Starbuck's frappacino, and helping Tracy feel her throat and her lips with her hand, we got increased swallowing responses. Today, Tracy really gets an A for EFFORT for working so hard to participate in her Vital Stim therapy! She began to feel the sensation with the impulse set on 3.5. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, closing her mouth and trying to intitiate a swallow. Every time the impulse got more intense, Tracy initiated a swallow. Today, she had a banner day and deserves the maillot jaune (like Lance!). She MORE THAN DOUBLED last Friday's swallows (SIX Times) with half of them taking place in the first 15 minutes! This was a significant improvement from her last sesison! She has more than left Lance in the dust! Karen was really pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the different levels of the impulse. She covered a range from 3.5 to 5.5. Tracy tolerated about 50 minutes. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another session Thursday at 11:00 AM. Your prayers are working. Please continue to pray for a significant improvement in Tracy's swallowing during these ten sessions. Tracy does not have any "official therapy" until Wednesday at 10:00 AM when Jacqueline and Amanda will assess Tracy's positioning in her wheel chair. She is in desperate need of some major modifications. We hope they will be able to make the necessary modifications to improve Tracy's wheel chair seating. Mom is putting forth her best EFFORT to get Tracy's therapy rationing resolved. Our girl deserves more than one session of PT and OT per week. Mom is growing some big ones these days, if you know what I mean! This website, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guestbook). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this website. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this website the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany has begun her eighth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She had the opportunity to experience a VIP tour of the Capitol and some of the exclusive areas on Capitol Hill today. She actually saw Senator John Kerry and Senator Ted Kennedy! She is really having a wonderful experience. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you to Tamar and her mom for the delicious chocolates. Thank you to Rick for the adorable dragon fly candle holder for Tracy and the Nevada wine for Mom and Dad! Thank you to Liz for the soothing tealights! Thank you Tiffany for the cute Margaritaville shirt for Tracy, vanilla candle for Mom, and the Harley Low Country shirt for Dad! We truly appreciate all the wonderful acts of kindness! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Sunday, July 24th, 2005: ~Word for the day: VICTORY!!!!!!! ~ Tracy slept well again last night from 10 PM to 3 AM. She was up nonstop from 3 AM on! So was Dad! All night long! We are not sure what was bothering her. Mom let Dad sleep in after such a crazy night! We are still trying to get her Baclofen to her optimal dosing. We plan to discuss some minor adjustments next week when we see Dr. Tornatore, Tracy's neurologist who manages her Baclofen pump. Mom amd Janneth showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then, Mom, Dad, Tracy and Janneth went to 12 noon Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on 23rd Street. For once they were early! Tiffany is on her way home from visiting her good friend Ashley in Charlston, S.C. Jenny is also in Charlston, visiting her daughter Andrea and her son in-law, Cory, who recently celebrated a birthday! (Happy Birthday Cory!) Sasha made it back safely from New York, where she was visiting her family for the weekend. After Mass, Dad spent some time stretching Tracy on her exercise mat. He sat her on the edge of the mat for 25 minutes. Then he rolled her over on her tummy (prone) without the wedge. She did a good job relaxing and Dad was able to stretch her hips. She tolerated about 20 minutes. Mom took advantage of this position and stretched her neck, which really is tight. Saturday evening, Tiffany surprised Mom and Dad with tickets to see James Taylor at the Nissan Pavillion. Janneth and Liz stayed with Tracy. They did a great job holding down the fort. Friday morning, Karen performed the fourth session of Vital Stim therapy, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. Today, Tracy began to feel the sensation with the impulse set on 2.0. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, closing her mouth and trying to intitiate a swallow. Every time the impulse got more intense, Tracy initiated a swallow. Today, she had a banner day and deserves the maillot jaune (like Lance!). She swallowed SIX Times (Like the number of times Lance has won Le Tour de France!) This was a significant improvement from her last session. Karen was really pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the different levels of the impulse. She tolerated about 50 minutes. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another session tomorrow Monday at 1:30 PM. Today we saw history in the making with Lance Armstrong winning his SEVENTH VICTORY in Le Tour de France! Why do we admire him? Because he has a tremendous amount of COURAGE and gives so many people, especially those who are cancer survivors HOPE! We applaude him and his Team Discovery Channel for their VICTORY! We are optimistic that Tracy will have many VICTORIES on her Tour to Recovery! Thank you for your continued prayers and please continue to send positive thoughts Tracy's way! This website, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guestbook). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this website. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this website the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Tiffany has finished her seventh week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She had the opportunity to experience a VIP tour of the Capitol and some of the exclusive areas on Capitol Hill today. She actually saw Senator John Kerry and Senator Ted Kennedy! She is really having a wonderful experience. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you to Tamar and her mom for the delicious chocolates. Thank you to Rick for the adorable dragon fly candle holder for Tracy and the Nevada wine for Mom and Dad! Thank you to Liz for the soothing tealights! We truly appreciate all the wonderful acts of kindness! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Saturday, July 23rd, 2005: ~Word for the day: COMMITTED!!!!! ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. We are still trying to get her Baclofen to her optimal dosing. We plan to discuss some minor adjustments next week when we see Dr. Tornatore, Tracy's neurologist who manages her Baclofen pump. Mom amd Dad bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tiffany is visiting her good friend Ashley in Charlston, S.C. Jenny is also in Charlston, visiting her daughter Andrea and her son in-law, Cory, who recently celebrated a birthday! (Happy Birthday Cory!) Sasha is in New York visiting her family for the weekend. We really miss everyone! Dad spent some time stretching Tracy on her exercise mat. She seemed sleepy today, after a very long and busy week. She spent most of the day catching up on her rest. Tiffany surprised Mom and Dad with tickets to see James Taylor this evening at the Nissan Pavillion. Janneth and Liz are planning to stay with Tracy. We are so fortunate that there are so many wonderful friends who are COMMITTED to Tracy's rehabilitation and complete recovery. Friday morning, Karen performed the fourth session of Vital Stim therapy, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. Today, Tracy began to feel the sensation with the impulse set on 2.0. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, closing her mouth and trying to intitiate a swallow. Every time the impulse got more intense, Tracy initiated a swallow. Today, she had a banner day and deserves the maillot jeune (like Lance!). She swallowed SIX Times (Like the number of times Lance has won Le Tour de France!) This was a significant improvement from her last session. Karen was really pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the different levels of the impulse. She tolerated about 50 minutes. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another session tomorrow Monday at 1:30 PM. Mom is COMITTED to getting Vital Stim approved by Tricare as a covered benefit. It is a very expensive swallowing therapy which is approved by the FDA. Mom is exploring the process by which Vital Stim will be added as a covered benefit to Tricare beneficiaries, and therefore be available to more people who need it. Mom is also COMMITTED to getting Tracy's Occupational and Physical Therapies increased to three sessions per week. Tracy is currently receiving only one session of Physical and Occupational Therapy per week due to staffing limitations at Georgetown. Don't worry, Mom is working on a resolution to this issue and will have an alternative soon. Tracy deserves more then one session of PT and OT per week. Until then, Tracy's Dream Team (Mom, Dad, Tiffany, Sasha, Jenny, Liz and Gloria) will substitute. She will not go without, that we can assure you! Speaking of COMMITTED: This website, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guestbook). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this website. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this website the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel are COMMITTED to each other and to the sport of cycling every day in training and in racing. Without their enduring COMMITMENT, winning Le Tour de France or raising more than 50 million dollars by selling LIVESTRONG yellow bracelets would still be an illusion and not a reality. COMMITMENTS are necessary for all of us to achieve our goals, improve, grow and evolve, making the world a better place to live. Tiffany has finished her seventh week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She had the opportunity to experience a VIP tour of the Capitol and some of the exclusive areas on Capitol Hill today. She actually saw Senator John Kerry and Senator Ted Kennedy! She is really having a wonderful experience. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Thank you to Tamar and her mom for the delicious chocolates. Thank you to Rick for the adorable dragon fly candle holder for Tracy and the Nevada wine for Mom and Dad! Thank you to Liz for the soothing tealights! We truly appreciate all the wonderful acts of kindness! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed weekend and may God bless!

Friday, July 22nd, 2005: ~Word for the day: GOAL!!! ~ Tracy slept well again last night. She tolerated wearing her night resting hand splints all night. The new Baclofen dosing seems to be working well. We plan to discuss some minor adjustments next week when we see Dr. Tornatore, Tracy's neurologist who manages her Baclofen pump. Mom amd Jenny bathed Tracy at 7 AM and got her ready for an early Vital Stim session at 9:00 AM with Karen at Georgetown University Sports Medicine Clinic. Liz came over to accompany us to Georgetown. It was great to see her and we appreciate all that she does for Tracy and us! Karen performed the fourth session of Vital Stim therapy, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. Today, Tracy began to feel the sensation with the impulse set on 2.0. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, closing her mouth and trying to intitiate a swallow. Every time the impulse got more intense, Tracy initiated a swallow. Today, she had a banner day and deserves the maillot jeune (like Lance!). She swallowed SIX Times (Like the number of times Lance has won Le Tour de France!) This was a significant improvement from her last session. Karen was really pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the different levels of the impulse. She tolerated about 50 minutes. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another session tomorrow Monday at 1:30 PM. Note: Goal: Get Vital Stim added as a covered benefit by Tricare, the insurance plan available to military active duty and their family members. Vital Stim is currently not a covered benefit under Tricare Standard, Tracy's insurance plan. This is a very expensive therapy approved by the FDA. Mom is exploring the process by which Vital Stim will be added as a covered benefit to Tricare beneficiaries, and therefore be available to more people who need it. This afternoon, Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed Tracy, hoping that this would help her relax. She had a busy morning that was anything but leisurely. Then, they transferred her to the therapy mat in the Rehab Corner to let her rest. Gloria and her two daughters came over and Mom took them to the pool. We decided to let Tracy rest, she was pretty tired from her busy week. This evening, Tonia came over to give Tracy a well-deserved massage. She was much more relaxed today than she was last Sunday. Mom turned off all the lights, lit a scented candle, and put on some soothing music. Tracy seemed to enjoy her massage. Note: Goal: Increase Tracy's frequency of Physical and Occupational Therapy to two to three times per week. Tracy is currently receiving only one session of Physical and Occupational Therapy per week due to limited staff at Georgetown. Don't worry, Mom is working on a resolution to this issue and will have an alternative soon. Tracy deserves more then one session of PT and OT per week. Until then, Tracy's Dream Team (Mom, Dad, Tiffany, Sasha, Jenny, Liz and Gloria) will substitute. She will not go without, that we can assure you! Last Wednesday, Tracy had an appointment with Dr. Gisolfi at Inova Mt. Vernon Rehab Center at 1 PM. Dr. Gisolfi is a Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist who performed the alcohol blocks on Tracy about a month ago. He checked Tracy's left adductor to see if the alcohol block worked. He put a special needle in her obturator nerve which had a transducer attached. This allowed him to see if she had any activity once he stimulated the nerve. She did not which means that the alcohol block which he performed last month actually worked. He then injected Botox Type A into Tracy's right wrist flexors which will help her relax her wrists. The Botox usually takes about 10 - 14 days to take effect. It lasts about 3 months, while the alcohol block lasts from 6 months to 2 years. This website, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guestbook). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in their own way, from this website. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this website the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel set GOALS every day in training and in racing. Without GOALS, winning Le Tour de France or raising more than 50 million dollars by selling LIVESTRONG yellow bracelets would still be an illusion and not a reality. GOALS are necessary for all of us to grow and evolve, making the world a better place to live. Tiffany has finished her seventh week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She had the opportunity to experience a VIP tour of the Capitol and some of the exclusive areas on Capitol Hill today. She actually saw Senator John Kerry and Senator Ted Kennedy! She is really having a wonderful experience. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We recently reached the two and a half year mark since Tracy's accident and injury, and would really appreciate your emails and prayers. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed weekend and may God bless!

Thursday, July 21st, 2005: ~Word for the day: COURAGE!!! ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. She tolerated wearing her cast on her right knee for four hours. The new Baclofen dosing seems to be working well. Mom bathed Tracy by herself and got her ready for the day. She felt as though there was an angel helping her. Jenny got a flat tire and thank goodness she had an angel helping her put on the spare. It was actually her neighbor! Liz came over to accompany us to Georgetown. It was great to see her and we appreciate all that she does for Tracy and us! Tracy had Speech Therapy at Georgetown with Karen and Carrie at 11:00 AM. Karen performed the third session of Vital Stim therapy, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. Today, Tracy began to feel the sensation with the impulse set on 3.0. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, closing her mouth and trying to intitiate a swallow. Every time the impulse got more intense, Tracy tried to swallow. She was able to swallow three to four times during the session, which was a significant improvement from her last session. Karen was pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the different levels of the impulse. She tolerated about an hour, which is also a marked improvement over the previous sessions. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another session tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Tracy had an hour break and then it was time for Occupational Therapy with Jen at 1:00 PM. Jen looked at Tracy's current wrist splints and made some adjustments. Then, she got Tracy straddled on the peanut ball (Tracy's favorite). Tracy did a good job tolerating about 30 minutes on the peanut. She worked on head and trunk control. She still gets a significant amount of increased tone in her neck and trunk. We will reevaluate her Baclofen dosing next week when we see Dr. Tornatore. Achieving a delicate balance between tone and Baclofen exemplifies medicine as an art and a science. This evening, Nichole, Tracy's volunteer and good friend came to visit Tracy. We had plans to hit the Mt. Vernon Trail, however, the weather had other ideas. There seemed to be a line of thunder storms coming through, so we opted to stay inside and visit. We'll try again next week. Note: Tracy is currently receiving only one session of Physical and Occupational Therapy per week due to limited staff at Georgetown. Don't worry, Mom is working on a resolution to this issue and will have an alternative soon. Tracy deserves more then one session of PT and OT per week. Until then, Tracy's Dream Team (Mom, Dad, Tiffany, Sasha, Jenny, Liz and Gloria) will substitute. She will not go without, that we can assure you! Yesterday, Tracy had an appointment with Dr. Gisolfi at Inova Mt. Vernon Rehab Center at 1 PM. Dr. Gisolfi is a Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist who performed the alchol blocks on Tracy about a month ago. He checked Tracy's left adductor to see if the alcohol block worked. He put a special needle in her obturator nerve which had a transducer attached. This allowed him to see if she had any activity once he stimulated the nerve. She did not which means that the alcohol block which he performed last month actually worked. He then injected Botox Type A into Tracy's right wrist flexors which will help her relax her wrists. The Botox usually takes about 10 - 14 days to take effect. It lasts about 3 months, while the alcohol block lasts from 6 months to 2 years. This website, created by Tiffany on February 8th, 2003, and updated daily by Mom, Dad, and Tiffany, has reached so many people, even people who we have yet to meet. One of the latest Guest Book entries is from a spouse of a man who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury January 8th, 2004 (please see Guestbook). It is such a miracle to see the many people who have gained something, each in its own eay, from this website. Many have learned about such therapies as Vital Stim, oral-facial stimulation such as the Beckman exercises (Debra Beckman), etc. What started as a labor of love by Tiffany, Tracy's big sister, has grown to be a collection of resources, both educational, spiritual and emotional. We welcome all and any recommendations and comments to make this website the best it can be to help others who are battling acquired brain injury. There is still so much that is not known about the brain. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrate COURAGE every day in training and in racing. It took a lot of COURAGE for Lance to overcome testicular cancer and to return to win 6 Tour de France races. He is truly an inspiration to those diagnosed with cancer. Tracy grandfather died from lung cancer when she was 8 years old. He demonstrated COURAGE during his many chemotherapies and radiation treatments. Many people demonstrate COURAGE every day in their journey through life. We applaude each and every one of you for your COURAGE! Thank you Auntie Candy for a wonderful visit. Mom really enjoyed sharing the Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago concert with you, as well as a wonderful weekend. One she will always remember! Tiffany is midway through her seventh week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She had the opportunity to experience a VIP tour of the Capital and some of the exclusive areas on Capital Hill today. She actually saw Senator John Kerry and Senator Ted Kennedy! She is really having a wonderful experience. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. This weekend marks the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Wednesday, July 20th, 2005: ~Word for the day: COACHING!!!! ~Tracy slept well again last night. She never woke up during the night which is a first in a long while. Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Jenny and Mom spent some time stretching Tracy and massaging her with coconut scented lotion. Tracy had an appointment with Dr. Gisolfi at Inova Mt. Vernon Rehab Center at 1 PM. Dr. Gisolfi is a Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist who performed the alcohol blocks on Tracy about a month ago. He checked Tracy's left adductor to see if the alcohol block worked. He put a special needle in her obturator nerve which had a transducer attached. This allowed him to see if she had any activity once he stimulated the nerve. She did not which means that the alcohol block which he performed last month actually worked. He then injected Botox Type A into Tracy's right wrist flexors which will help her relax her wrists. The Botox usually takes about 10 - 14 days to take effect. It lasts about 3 months, while the alcohol block lasts from 6 months to 2 years. Tracy did not have any therapy today, however, Mom, Dad and Sasha got Tracy in the swimming pool for about 30 minutes. She loves the water, and did a good job relaxing her right hip and leg. The water is the best therapy for Tracy's spasticity. It was nice and warm too. Then we got Tracy on the lounge chair and let her catch a few rays. Tomorrow, Tracy has Vital Stim therapy at 11 AM and then her weekly Occupational Therapy at 1 PM. She has a break at 12 noon. This past week Tracy had two Vital Stim sessions, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. On Friday, Tracy was able to swallow with the impulse set on 3.5. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, however, she did not initiate another swallow. Karen was pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the low level of the impulse. She tolerated 45 minutes, which is excellent. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another two sessions next week. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel undergo a lot of COACHING throughout their training season. The Team Discovery coach, Chris Carmichael, along with the Carmichael Training System team, spend a lot of time conducting research on Lance and his pro cycling team. Tracy, a competitive athlete at University of Miami, was accustomed to COACHING as part of the woman's crew team. We have found that she really responds well to therapists who approach Tracy in a COACHING manner. It is not easy to find therapists who have had COACHING experience, and who appreciate the COACHING approach to therapy. Thank you Auntie Candy for a wonderful visit. Mom really enjoyed sharing the Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago concert with you, as well as a wonderful weekend. One she will always remember! Tiffany is midway through her seventh week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She had the opportunity to experience a VIP tour of the Capital and some of the exclusive areas on Capital Hill today. She actually saw Senator John Kerry and Senator Ted Kennedy! She is really having a wonderful experience. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. This weekend marks the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Tuesday, July 19th, 2005: ~Word for the day: MODERATION!!! ~Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tracy had Physical Therapy with Jacqueline at Georgetown Sport's Medicine Clinic at 10:30 AM. During Physical Therapy, Jacqueline sat Tracy on the edge of the mat and worked on her trunk and head control. Tracy worked really hard on keeping her head in the middle. She tolerated about 20 minutes. Then, Jacqueline got Tracy supine (on her back) on the mat and stretched her neck and shoulders. This is so important since Tracy tends to hyperextend her neck and round her shoulders. Last, Jacqueline, Mom and Jenny got Tracy prone (on her stomach) on the mat using rolled towels to position. Jacqueline worked on stretching Tracy's right hip. Tracy tends to keep her right hip in flexion (about 24 degrees to be exact). It is really important to get her right hip stretched out. Tracy did a good job lifting her head up and turning it to the right as well as the left. She also weight beared through her elbows and shoulders. Tracy tolerated about 25 minutes in this position. Tracy only has Physical Therapy once a week and Occupational Therapy once a week. She has Speech Therapy twice a week. Although we are not satisfied with this new therapy schedule, we understand the importance of MODERATION at this time. This evening, Mom got Tracy seated on the edge of the mat for more practice with head and neck control. Tracy did a good job keeping her head in the middle and tolerated about 30 minutes. Tomorrow, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Gisolfi, Tracy's physiatrist. He will evaluate the effectiveness of the alcohol blocks to her adductors and also assess whether she would benefit from Botox in her arms, wrists and hands. We'll let you know how that goes. This past week Tracy had two Vital Stim sessions, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. On Friday, Tracy was able to swallow with the impulse set on 3.5. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, however, she did not initiate another swallow. Karen was pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the low level of the impulse. She tolerated 45 minutes, which is excellent. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another two sessions next week. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel were demonstrated MODERATION today during Stage 16 of Le Tour de France. Lance still has the maillot jeune, and today was the last mountain climb as the riders left the Pyrenees and continued on to the final destination in Paris! MODERATION is the key to Lance winning his Lucky Seventh Tour! Thank you Auntie Candy for a wonderful visit. Mom really enjoyed sharing the Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago concert with you, as well as a wonderful weekend. One she will always remember! Tiffany started her seventh week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. This weekend marks the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Monday, July 18th, 2005: ~Word for the day: RECHARGE!! ~Tracy slept well again last night. Everyone was moving slowly this morning, so Mom and Jenny let Tracy sleep in a little later. Tracy seemed happy to see Mom after her short trip to New Hampshire and Maine. Mom was very happy to be back home with her two beautiful girls and handsome husband! (LOL) She was able to RECHARGE her batteries and is ready to get back to work! Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then they transferred her to the therapy mat in the Rehab Corner. Jenny spent some time stretching and ranging her extremities. Mom was trying to resolve several leaks that popped up due to clogged air conditioner convectors. Maintenance took care of the problem in no time. Mom sometimes has to double as the Sup (as in Superintendent!) Tracy was pretty sleepy today and rested for a while on her mat. She was able to RECHARGE her batteries so that she will be in tip-top shape tomorrow. It will be a busy day with Physical Therapy at Georgetown at 10:30 AM, so it is a good thing that Tracy is catching up on her rest today. This past week Tracy had two Vital Stim sessions, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. On Friday, Tracy was able to swallow with the impulse set on 3.5. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, however, she did not initiate another swallow. Karen was pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the low level of the impulse. She tolerated 45 minutes, which is excellent. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another two sessions next week. This evening, Tiffany's friend Tamar and her mom and cousins came by to visit us. It is great to meet Tamar's mom. She is visiting Tamar this week from Louisiana. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel were able to RECHARGE today since it was the second rest day in Le Tour. Rest days are often as important as race days, especially since the third week is when the true athletes separate from the rest. It is critical for Lance and Team Discovery Channel to RECHARGE during a rest day, without deconditioning. It is a very delicate balance to stay in the race while letting your body RECHARGE. Lance still has the maillot jeune, and is well on his way to his seventh Tour de France win. Thank you Auntie Candy for a wonderful visit. Mom really enjoyed sharing the Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago concert with you, as well as a wonderful weekend. One she will always remember! Tiffany started her seventh week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! We are looking forward to getting Tracy into the pool more often during August. The pool closes on Labor Day, so we have to take every opportunity while the weather is still hot! Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. Last weekend marks the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Sunday, July 17th, 2005: ~Word for the day: JOURNEY! ~Tracy had another good night's sleep. Dad and Janneth, a good friend of Jenny who will be helping us on the weekends, bathed Tracy. Dad, Tracy and Janneth went to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church for noon mass and stopped to get Lattes and Scones on the way home at Starbuck's, our usual stop on the way home. Tracy relaxed on her mat until Tania arrived for a well-deserved massage. Emil, Tracy's full time massage therapist, is in Italy and Croatia for a month attending a scultping class and visiting family. Mom had a great time in New England and was able to visit with Jonathon, Michael, Tanya, Candy's friend and Cousin Michelle. She finally made it home at 10 PM and we are very happy to have her back with us. Dad has a renewed appreciation of how hard it is caring for Tracy 24 hrs a day. Mom's JOURNEY has recharged her batteries and Tracy continues on her JOURNEY after 30 months of recovery. This past week Tracy had two Vital Stim sessions, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. On Friday, Tracy was able to swallow with the impulse set on 3.5. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, however, she did not initiate another swallow. Karen was pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the low level of the impulse. She tolerated 45 minutes, which is excellent. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another two sessions next week. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel experienced another unique JOURNEY towards Lance's 7th win. Discovery Channel, Armstrong's new and final team before he retires on July 24, had an extremely successful day today. Lance is still in first place in the General Classification, clocking additional time in front of his closest rivals, and is still wearing the maillot jeune. George Hincapie, Lance's devoted colleague and longest riding partner, won the 15th stage. This is the first time a team member of Lance has won a stage since 1999. Yoroslavis Popovych, the young replacement for Lance next year, also started his JOURNEY by retaking the White Jersey as the best rider 25 or younger. Tracy and Lance continues on their own JOURNEY and will overcome their many challenges. Thank you Katherine Trotter for the beautiful card and prayers. Thank you cousin Theresa for the beautiful card for Tracy. Thank you Sam and Louise Lopinto for the cute LSU tiger and teddy bear. Thank you Cousin Caroline for the adorable lady bug bank! Tracy loves teddy bears and lady bugs (as you all know!). Tiffany is finishing up her sixth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! Tiffany co-anchored the VA News which has been broadcasted all this week. You can view it by clicking to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/vanews/index.htm Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. This weekend marks the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Saturday, July 16th, 2005: ~Word for the day: PERSEVERANCE! ~Tracy had another good night's sleep. Dad and Janneth, a good friend of Jenny who will be helping us on the weekends, bathed Tracy. Dad showed Janneth how to stretch Tracy and they worked with her for over an hour. Tracy spent some time in her chair in the living room watching TV with Tiffany and also took a nap on her exercise mat. Janneth stayed until 5 PM and then Dad, Tiffany and Sasha watched some more TV with Tracy. Dad then spent some time reading to Tracy before she went to sleep. Mom is having a well deserved 3 day visit to New England where she is spending some time with her baby sister, Candy. This is the second time in two and a half years that Mom has been away from Tracy for more than a few hours. Her PERSEVERANCE, along with Tracy's is why we still have Tracy with us and hope that she will have a full recovery. Mom will be back tomorrow evening and Dad will be very happy and relieved that Tracy's nurse (mom) is back on the job. This past week Tracy had two Vital Stim sessions, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. On Friday, Tracy was able to swallow with the impulse set on 3.5. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, however, she did not initiate another swallow. Karen was pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy at the low level of the impulse. She tolerated 45 minutes, which is excellent. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another two sessions next week. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrated PERSEVERANCE today in Stage 14 of Le Tour de France. Discovery Channel, Armstrong's new and final team before he retires on July 24, had a relative easy day today. Lance is still in first place in the General Classification and is still wearing the maillot jeune. Lance had to show PERSEVERANCE to complete the two very hard climbs and respond aggressively to multiple attacks to defend himself from his top contenders today. His team will have to work harder and more efficiently tomorrow when they face the toughest stage in the Pyrenees. Tracy, like Lance, continues to show PERSEVERANCE despite the many challenges she confronts. We are very proud of our girl and her tenacious attitude and strong spirit.

Friday, July 15th, 2005: ~Word for the day: PATIENCE!~Tracy had another good night's sleep. Jenny and Dad showered Tracy and got her ready for her 1:00 PM Speech Therapy with Karen at Georgetown Medical Center. Today was Tracy's second Vital Stim session, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. Tracy was able to swallow with the impulse set on 3.5. As the session continued she gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, however, she did not initiation another swallow. Karen was pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy. She tolerated 45 minutes, which is excellent. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another two sessions next week. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrated PATIENCE today in Stage 13 of Le Tour de France. Discovery Channel, Armstrong's new and final team before he retires on July 24, had a relatively easy day today. Lance is still in first place in the General Classification and is still wearing the maillot jeune. They will have to work harder and more efficiently in the upcoming days in the Pyrenees. Tracy, like Team Discovery, continues to show PATIENCE! Despite the many barriers she confronts, Tracy puts her head down and fights at the right time and when she needs to, she rests! We are very proud of our girl and her tenacious attitude and strong spirit.Thank you Katherine Trotter for the beautiful card and prayers. Thank you cousin Theresa for the beautiful card for Tracy. Thank you Sam and Louise Lopinto for the cute LSU tiger and teddy bear. Thank you Cousin Caroline for the adorable lady bug bank! Tracy loves teddy bears and lady bugs (as you all know!).Tiffany is finishing up her sixth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! Tiffany co-anchored the VA News which has been broadcasted all this week. You can view it by clicking to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/vanews/index.htm

Thursday, July 14th, 2005: ~Word for the day: CHALLENGE!~Tracy had another good night's sleep. Jenny and Mom bathed Tracy and got her ready for her 11:00 AM Speech Therapy with Karen at Georgetown Medical Center. Today was Tracy's first Vital Stim session, a speech therapy modality to help strengthen Tracy's pharyngeal phase of her swallowing. The goal of today's session was to familiarize Tracy with the sensation of Vital Stim. Karen put electrodes on Tracy's neck and then started with a very low electrical impulse. Usually, when a patient feels the impulse they describe it as a "tingling, vibrating, or pulling sensation." Tracy gave us feedback that she was feeling the sensation by opening her eyes wider, looking more alert, and then closing her mouth and swallowing. She would swallow when the electrical impulse reached between 7 and 9. Karen was very pleased with Tracy's response to the therapy. She tolerated 35 minutes which is excellent, especially for the first time. We are going to try ten sessions and then do another MBS (Modified Barium Swallow test). Please pray that Tracy has significant improvement with this therapy. She will have another session tomorrow at 1 PM. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrated CHALLENGE today in Stage 12 of Le Tour de France. Discovery Channel, Armstrong's new and final team before he retires on July 24, confronted their CHALLENGE when one of their team mates, Manuel Beltran, crashed on the first ascent. Luckily, he survived the crash with minor injuries but had to abandon the race, putting the team at a disadvantage with only 8 team members to ride into Paris. Despite all of this, Lance is still in first place in the General Classification and is still wearing the maillot jeune. They will have to work even harder and more efficiently in the upcoming days in the Pyrenees. Tracy, like Team Discovery, meets her CHALLENGES head-on on a daily basis! Despite the many CHALLENGES with which she is confronted, Tracy puts her head down and fights even harder! We are very proud of our girl and her tenacious attitude and strong spirit. Thank you Katherine Trotter for the beautiful card and prayers. Thank you cousin Theresa for the beautiful card for Tracy. Thank you Sam and Louise Lopinto for the cute LSU tiger and teddy bear. Thank you Cousin Caroline for the adorable lady bug bank! Tracy loves teddy bears and lady bugs (as you all know!). Tiffany is finishing up her sixth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! Tiffany co-anchored the VA News which has been broadcasted all this week. You can view it by clicking to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/vanews/index.htm Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. This weekend marks the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed weekend and may God bless!

Wednesday, July 13th, 2005: ~Word for the day: PREVENTION!~Tracy slept well again last night. Jenny and Mom bathed Tracy and got her ready for a 10:00 AM dental appointment with Dr. Alexander at NNMC in Bethesda. She x-rayed Tracy's teeth and Tracy has no cavities! She also examined and cleaned her teeth. You know what they say: "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!" Dr. Alexander (an outstanding pediatric dentist, an LSU graduate and Navy Captain who we got to know in Naples and is now here at Bethesda) and her highly qualified (in TLC especially) staff did an great job! After her dental appointment, Liz, Mom, Dad and Jenny took Tracy to her 11:15 AM GYN appointment. Dr. Fazi Sabi, on the OB/Gyn staff at NNMC, reviewed Tracy's labs and also did a pelvic ultrasound. Everything looked good. She recommended that we get a bone density scan to check out Tracy's bone density since she is not able to weight bear so that we can establish a base line. Since PREVENTION is the word of the day, Dr. Sabi recommended that we give Tracy a bone strengthening medication (such as Fosamax) to help prevent bone loss that is so common with immobility. After 20 years of age, our bodies become more susceptible to bone loss (osteoporosis) if we are unable to weight bear. Dr. Sabi will also confer with Dr. Chandler on her recommendations. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrated PREVENTION today in Stage 11 of Le Tour de France. Discovery Channel, Armstrong's new and final team before he retires on July 24, utilized PREVENTION in yesterday's and today's stages to get over a four minute advantage in the general classification over his top contenders in the race. Armstrong's team showed their strength today while setting the stage for Lance's strong finish. This evening, Mom, Dad, Sasha and Emil got Tracy prone on the peanut for about 35 minutes. She did a really good job with head control and weight bearing on her knees. Dad lifted Tracy up into a tall kneeling position to maximize her weight bearing. Then, we propped Tracy on her elbows so she could bear weight through her shoulders. Tracy really seemed to enjoy this position. Her spine looked very straight in prone. Thank you cousin Theresa for the beautiful card for Tracy. Thank you Gloria for the adorable cocktail napkins! Thank you Sam and Louise Lopinto for the cute LSU tiger and teddy bear. Thank you Cousin Caroline for the adorable lady bug bank! Tracy loves teddy bears and lady bugs (as you all know!). Tiffany is into her sixth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! Tiffany co-anchored the VA News which will be broadcasted on Monday, July 11th. You can view it by going to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/vanews/index.htm Important: Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We are rapidly approaching the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many people in London who were victims of the recent terrorist bombings. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Tuesday, July 12th, 2005: ~Word for the day: INTEGRRRRITY! (Note: this is not a type-o: grrrr!) Tracy slept well again last night. Jenny and Mom showered Tracy and shampooed her hair. Jenny spent this morning training Janneth who is a personal assistant who will be back up for Jenny. It went very well. Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrated TEAM INTEGRRRRITY with their solid performance in Stage 10 in the French Alps. Tracy had her own team today, with Jenny, Janneth, Emil, Liz, Gloria and her two daughters, Sam and Kit Kat! Everyone worked together to get Tracy in the pool, displaying their INTEGRRRRITY! Even Martin, the pool lifeguard, helped with transferring Tracy into the pool. Emil, Tracy's massage therapist, worked on Tracy's muscles while in the water. It is more gentle to stretch the muscles while in a buoyant, zero gravity environment. She really seemed to enjoy the water, and tolerated about 30 minutes. Then we got her on a lounge chair where she got some rays. It was a very productive session and a good day to be in the pool, since the temperature was in the 90's. Tracy rested very well after her pool therapy, especially after Emil gave her a massage. She was very relaxed and wore her purple neoprene wrist splints for 4 hours. Dad checked them every hour or so and they looked good. This evening, Dad spent some time ranging Tracy, and she was very relaxed. Maybe the new Baclofen bolusing regimen is working. Tracy did experience slightly more reflux today than usual. It will take some time for her to adjust to the medication change. Thank you cousin Theresa for the beautiful card for Tracy. Thank you Gloria for the adorable cocktail napkins. Thank you Sam and Louise Lopinto for the cute LSU tiger and teddy bear. Thank you Cousin Caroline for the adorable lady bug bank! Tracy loves teddy bears and lady bugs (as you all know!). Tiffany is into her sixth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. The summer is sure flying by, much to everyone's dismay! Tiffany co-anchored the VA News which will be broadcasted on Monday, July 11th. You can view it by going to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/vanews/index.htm Important: Tracy is nearing 100,000 hits on her website. Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We are rapidly approaching the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many hard working people in London who were victims of the terrorist bombings yesterday. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed week and may God bless!

Saturday, July 9th, 2005: ~Word for the day: REGROUP! Lance and the Team Discovery Channel had a rough day today. That just goes to show you that everyone has a bad day, no matter how strong or how extroadinary. Stage 8 brought out some attacks by Lance's contenders and his dream team was not there to protect Lance. Lance was not intimidated by his attackers. He picked his competition and held his own all alone. Despite a bad day, Lance still was able to hang on to the maillot jeune (yellow jersey) and his first place positon. There will be a lot of REGROUPING going on this evening among the Team Discovery Channel. Likewise, Tracy's Dream Therapy Team will REGROUP and come up with a new and improved plan of care for Tracy on Monday, when we meet with Dr. Chandler at the Family Meeting at Georgetown. Tracy slept well again last night. Mom and Dad showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Dad stretched and ranged Tracy and then they moved her out on her mat in the Rehab Corner. Tracy was pretty tired and rested alot today. Dad ran some errands while Mom stayed with Tracy. She read Tracy some of the highlights in today's newspaper. This evening, Mom and Dad took Tracy for a walk in her jogger on the Mt. Vernon Trail. They walked to Gravelly Point. It was a nice evening with low humidity. Tracy starts outpatient therapy next week after the Family Meeting scheduled on Monday at 12 noon. Monday morning at 8 AM, we have an appointment to see a new neurologist at Georgetown, Dr. Tornatore, who will be managing Tracy's baclofen pump. It will be nice to have all of Tracy's care at Georgetown. Tracy's first therapy appointment is Monday at 10:30 with Jacqueline (PT) and Jen (OT). Then she has the Family Meeting. It will be a very busy day for Tracy. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Tiffany finished her fifth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She co-anchored the VA News which will be broadcasted on Monday, July 11th. You can view it by going to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/vanews/index.htm Important: Tracy is nearing 100,000 hits on her website. Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We are rapidly approaching the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Have a wonderful weekend. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many hard working people in London who were victims of the terrorist bombings yesterday. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed weekend and may God bless!

Friday, July 8th, 2005: ~Word for the day: BELIEVE! Lance and the Team Discovery Channel BELIEVE in themselves. During Stage 7, when all of the sprinters were taking off to rack up the points in the flats, Lance and his Discovery Team believed in their abilities to hang in there and not be intimidated by the sprinters. Lance once again, managed to hold on to the maillot jeune (yellow jersey) and is hanging on to first position. Tracy had her MBS today at Georgetown Medical Center. The speech therapists, Carrie and Karen did an excellent job with Tracy. There were two radiologists, and several x-ray technicians helping with the test. Liz, Dad, Janny, and Mom were also there. Jenny got to put on the big apron and gloves and helped to position Tracy while the therapists fed her various consistencies of barium (ick) and pudding, lemon water, etc. Tracy had to sit in a special procedures chair for the test. She did a good job sitting up in this strange chair. The results showed that she had improved since the last MBS a year and a half ago. She did a good job opening and closing her mouth on command. She also was able to move the nectar consistency drink back with the help of gravity. There was some evidence of mild aspiration over her vocal cords with the nectar consistency drink. She did cough, once the liquid reached her lungs. Even though she was able to expel the small amount of liquid from her lungs, we have to be very careful when feeding Tracy. She was not able to get the honey consistency pudding to the back of her mouth. It was too thick and got stuck in the front of her mouth. The good news is that she did have a good swallow reflex and was able to close her mouth. The plan is to proceed with Vital Stim therapy for 10 sessions and then repeat the MBS to see if there has been any improvement. We have a Family Meeting scheduled on Monday with all of the therapists and Dr. Chandler to discuss Tracy's plan of care. Tracy slept well again last night. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. The plan was to let her rest until it was time to go for her MBS at Georgetown.. Liz came by and we packed up all of her stuff to go to Georgetown for her MBS. Tracy starts outpatient therapy next week after the Family Meeting scheduled on Monday at 12 noon. Monday morning at 8 AM, we have an appointment to see a new neurologist at Georgetown, Dr. Tornatore, who will be managing Tracy's baclofen pump. It will be nice to have all of Tracy's care at Georgetown. Tracy's first therapy appointment is Monday at 10:30 with Jacqueline (PT) and Jen (OT). Then she has the Family Meeting. It will be a very busy day for Tracy. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Nichole, Tracy's volunteer, came by to see Tracy this evening. She read Tracy the latest celebrity gossip from People Magazine. Tracy seems to enjoy her visits. We are very blessed to have Nichole as Tracy' volunteer. Tiffany finished her fifth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She co-anchored the VA News which will be broadcasted on Monday, July 11th. You can view it by going to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/vanews/index.htm. Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We are rapidly approaching the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Have a wonderful weekend. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many hard working people in London who were victims of the terrorist bombings yesterday. May God be with them and their families during this difficult time. Have a safe and blessed weekend and may God bless!

Thursday, July 7th, 2005: ~Word for the day: MODERATION! Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrate MODERATION today as they ride through slick turns on Stage 6 of Le Tour de France. When it is raining, the path is even more treacherous! Today, Lance has obtained his third maillot jeune (yellow jersey) and is holding on to first position. Team Discovery Channel's sense of MODERATION teaches us that each and every day we are presented with another chance to reach our goals. Tracy's goal today was to practice swallowing, something we all do without much thought and take for granted. The other goal for today was to rest up in preparation for her big race tomorrow: her MBS! Tracy slept well again last night. She woke Mom and Dad up around 2:30 AM vocalizing a lot to take off her leg cast and her resting hand splints.Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed Tracy this morning. Then, Jenny fed Tracy about 3 ozs of vanilla pudding that Mom made for her. She also had about 2 ozs of nectar consistency lemon water. She did a really good job swallowing and moving her tongue. Liz came by this afternoon. Tracy was pretty sleepy so they let her rest. The weather was rainy and dreary so it was a good day for sleeping. This evening, Mom and Dad gave Tracy a break and let her rest up for her MBS tomorrow. We are hopeful that she will get her own maillot jeune! Tracy has no formal therapy until next week, when she has her first Speech Therapy session with Karen on Friday, July 8th. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Mom, Liz and Jenny are planning to work on Tracy's swallowing. Her first appointment will be a Modified Barium Swallow test to see if Tracy can swallow different thicknesses of liquids. The Speech Therapist will put some barium (ick!) in different types of liquids that have various consistencies. Then the radiologist will take an x-ray to see how Tracy handles the different mediums. This is a precautionary measure as well to make sure that Tracy is not aspirating, which means that some of the liquid trickles down her vocal cords into her lungs. That could be very dangerous! At this time we will see if Tracy is ready for VitalStim therapy. Tiffany started her fifth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Last week, she got to try her hand at the VA news. She co-anchored the VA News today and really enjoyed her experience. It will be broadcasted on the Dept of Veteran's Affairs station next beginning next Wedgnesday and all next week. What a great experience! She is such a natural. She authored an article for the VAnguard magazine this week. We are very grateful for her many wonderful experiences. Please send Tracy an email in her guestbook. We are rapidly approaching the two and a half anniversary of her accident and injury and would really appreciate your emails during this difficult time. Have a wonderful Friday. Our prayers and thoughts are with the many hard working people in London who were victims of the terrorist bombings today! May God be with them and their families during this difficult time.

Wednesday, July 6th, 2005: ~Word for the day: DETERMINATION! Lance and the Team Discovery Channel demonstrate DETERMINATION every day as they train in all types of weather day in and day out. In fact, it is this DETERMINATION that got Lance through painful and nauseating chemotherapy treatments in his quest to overcome testicular cancer. Lance has obtained his second maillot jeune (yellow jersey) and is holding on to first position. Team Discovery Channel's DETERMINATION showed that through hard work and consistency, one can exceed their wildest dreams. Tracy slept well again last night. She has been very relaxed and Dad has been able to put on her resting hand splints. She has tolerated them for a minimum of 8 hours a night. Mom and Jenny bathed Tracy this morning. Then, Jenny really stretched and ranged Tracy's extremities, especially her right hip. Her range has improved a lot since the alcohol blocks were administered several weeks ago. We let Tracy rest a while in her bed before moving her to her exercise mat. Liz came by this afternoon. Mom and Liz moved Tracy to her chair and then Jenny fed Tracy 5 to 6 ozs of banana pudding and nectar consistency lemon water (hydrolyte). Tracy did a great job swallowing. Jenny did a great job feeding Tracy. We are getting her ready for her MBS test on Friday. After her pudding, Jenny and Liz transferred Tracy to the mat. Liz put Tracy's purple neoprene splints on her hands. Tracy tolerated them for a minimum of two hours. Then Emil came by to give Tracy a massage. Tracy did a good job working with Emil and relaxing her muscles. After her massage, Mom sat Tracy on the edge of the mat for 30 minutes. Tracy did a good job with head and trunk control. This evening, Dad and Mom got Tracy prone on the wedge on the mat. Tracy tolerated about 20 minutes in this position. She was able to weight-bear through her shoulders and elbows. Dad worked with her right hip. Tracy did a good job lifting her head in this position. Then Mom and Dad got Tracy prone on the mat without the wedge. They stretched both arms over her head. Tracy really seemed to enjoy this stretch. Tracy has no formal therapy until next week, when she has her first Speech Therapy session with Karen on Friday, July 8th. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Mom, Liz and Jenny are planning to work on Tracy's swallowing. Her first appointment will be a Modified Barium Swallow test to see if Tracy can swallow different thicknesses of liquids. The Speech Therapist will put some barium (ick!) in different types of liquids that have various consistencies. Then the radiologist will take an x-ray to see how Tracy handles the different mediums. This is a precautionary measure as well to make sure that Tracy is not aspirating, which means that some of the liquid trickles down her vocal cords into her lungs. That could be very dangerous! At this time we will see if Tracy is ready for VitalStim therapy. Tiffany started her fifth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Last week, she got to try her hand at the VA news. She's going back for another try this Thursday. She is such a natural. She authored an article for the VAnguard magazine today. She sure is learning alot! Thank you Betty Reese for the cute panda bear from China. Mom really loves her butterfly rhinestone belt! It fits perfectly. Thank you Nichole for the beautiful Healing Angel statue and for the delicious salt water taffy. Thank you Joy McCabe for the beautiful card and all of the rosaries and masses. Have a safe and productive week. God bless~

Tuesday, July 5th, 2005: ~Word for the day: TEAMWORK! Lance and the Team Discovery Channel exhibited TEAMWORK today with their awesome team trial performance in Stage 4. Lance has obtained his first yellow jersey and is now in first position. Their teamwork showed that Lance could not do it alone and that it truly does take a team to get the job done. Tracy slept well again last night. She is still waking up between 3 and 5 AM but goes back to sleep after Dad gives her some Extra Strength Tylenol. Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed Tracy this morning. Tracy really seemed to enjoy her shower today. Then Mom and Jenny really stretched and ranged Tracy's extremities, especially her right hip. Her range has improved a lot since the alcohol blocks were administered several weeks ago. We got the results from Tracy's urine test and it was all NORMAL! However, her right hip x-ray showed some slight calcification. This is known as Heterotrophic Ossification (HO) and results from not being able to move a joint. It is very slight, and as long as we continue to range her hip, we should be able to prevent any more from occurring. It most likely occurred as a result of her month of bed rest from her wound repair. Jenny fed Tracy about 4 ozs of Tiffany's banana pudding (minus the vanilla wafers and bananas). She did a really good job swallowing. Jenny also fed her about 2 ozs of nectar consistency lemon water.We are working real hard on Tracy's swallowing so she will pass the MBS this Thursday. (More about this below.) Jenny and Mom work well together as a team in their quest for Tracy's full recovery. In fact, everyone working together is what is helping Tracy to get better each and every day. This afternoon, Tracy rested while Mom, Gloria and the girls went to the pool for about an hour. It was really hot and humid, and the girls enjoyed swimming. Mom decided that Tracy needed the rest and opted not to put her in the pool today. Mom wants Tracy ready and in tip top form for her MBS this Thursday. This evening, Dad spent some time stretching Tracy's hip and legs and then they got her prone on the wedge. Tracy is able to get a great stretch in her right hip on her tummy. We try to do this stretch as much as she can tolerate. Tracy has no formal therapy until next week, when she has her first Speech Therapy session with Karen on Friday, July 8th. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Mom, Liz and Jenny are planning to work on Tracy's swallowing. Her first appointment will be a Modified Barium Swallow test to see if Tracy can swallow different thicknesses of liquids. The Speech Therapist will put some barium (ick!) in different types of liquids that have various consistencies. Then the radiologist will take an x-ray to see how Tracy handles the different mediums. This is a precautionary measure as well to make sure that Tracy is not aspirating, which means that some of the liquid trickles down her vocal cords into her lungs. That could be very dangerous! At this time we will see if Tracy is ready for VitalStim therapy. Tiffany started her fifth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Last week, she got to try her hand at the VA news. She's going back for another try this Thursday. She is such a natural. She authored an article for the VAnguard magazine today. She sure is learning alot! Thank you Betty Reese for the cute panda bear from China. Mom really loves her butterfly rhinestone belt! It fits perfectly. Thank you Nichole for the beautiful Healing Angel statue and for the delicious salt water taffy. Thank you Joy McCabe for the beautiful card and all of the rosaries and masses. Have a safe and productive week. God bless~

Monday, July 4th, 2005: Happy Fourth of July!~Happy Birthday Cousin Rene' and Betty from Naples!!~Word for the day: TENACITY!!! This is one of Mom's favorite words and describes Tracy's attitude throughout her long journey back to recovery. Tracy slept well again last night. Dad thinks the new Baclofen dosing schedule is making a difference. We got the results from Tracy's urine test and it was all NORMAL! However, her right hip x-ray showed some slight calcification. This is known as Heterotrophic Ossification (HO) and results from not being able to move a joint. It is very slight, and as long as we continue to range her hip, we should be able to prevent any more from occurring. It most likely occurred as a result of her month of bed rest from her wound repair. Mom let Dad sleep in and got up early and watched Stage 3 of Le Tour de France! Wow! Mom wishes she was there to watch it, especially since it is Lance's last tour. Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. The weather has been really nice and sunny with low humidity. Mom and Jenny fed Tracy about 4 ozs of Tiffany's banana pudding (minus the vanilla wafers and bananas). She did a really good job swallowing. Jenny also fed her about 2 ozs of nectar consistency lemon water and a little peach yogurt smoothie. We are working real hard on Tracy's swallowing so she will pass the MBS this Thursday. (More about this below.) This afternoon, we all went to the pool. The water was really warm. We got Tracy in the pool and she really seemed to relax and enjoy it. The pool looked like a scene from Melrose Place. There were so many college kids and twenty-somethings! It was fun. Tiffany, Rick, Sasha, and Rick's friend Sam went to the pool too. Everyone had a nice time.This evening, we all walked to the Mt. Vernon Trail to watch the fireworks. It was a perfect night with not a cloud in the sky. The firework show was spectacular. Not quite like Naples, but there is no place like Naples for fireworks. Tracy seemed comfortable in her chair. It was great not having to drive in all of the traffic. From our vantage point we could see the planes taking off and landing too. Tracy has no formal therapy until next week, when she has her first Speech Therapy session with Karen on Friday, July 8th. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Mom, Liz and Jenny are planning to work on Tracy's swallowing. Her first appointment will be a Modified Barium Swallow test to see if Tracy can swallow different thicknesses of liquids. The Speech Therapist will put some barium (ick!) in different types of liquids that have various consistencies. Then the radiologist will take an x-ray to see how Tracy handles the different mediums. This is a precautionary measure as well to make sure that Tracy is not aspirating, which means that some of the liquid trickles down her vocal cords into her lungs. That could be very dangerous! At this time we will see if Tracy is ready for VitalStim therapy. Tiffany finished her fourth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Last week, she got to try her hand at the VA news. She tried out reading the teleprompter and being a news co-anchor. She is such a natural. Wednesday she attended a Congressional breakfast and learned a lot about Social Security and PELL Grants. She is really learning a lot. She is still working on several articles which will be mailed out to all enrolled veterans. The DVA is keeping her very busy. Thank you Betty Reese for the cute panda bear from China. Mom really loves her butterfly rhinestone belt! It fits perfectly. Thank you Nichole for the beautiful Healing Angel statue and for the delicious salt water taffy. Thank you Joy McCabe for the beautiful card and all of the rosaries and masses. Have a safe and productive week. God bless~

Sunday, July 3rd, 2005: Happy Birthday Cousin GUY!~Word for the day: HOPE!!! Tracy slept well last night. We got the results from Tracy's urine test and it was all NORMAL! However, her right hip x-ray showed some slight calcification. This is known as Heterotrophic Ossification (HO) and results from not being able to move a joint. It is very slight, and as long as we continue to range her hip, we should be able to prevent any more from occurring. It most likely occurred as a result of her month of bed rest from her wound repair. Mom and Dad got up early and watched Stage 2 of Le Tour de France! Wow! Mom wishes she was there to watch it. Mom and Dad bathed Tracy and got her ready for 12 Noon Mass. Tracy seemed comfortable in her chair in the first pew. As usual, we were late. They were singing the GLORIA when we arrived. Every Mass, they mention Tracy's name during the prayers of the faithful. Today she seemed to recognize her name. After Mass, Mom ran in and got the traditional Starbuck's lattes. Then it was the pedal to the metal and home they went. This evening we are doing a Mexican theme cookout with 7 layer dip, fajitas, enchalada casserole, green salad, and watermelon for dessert. Tiffany, Rick and his friend Sam, are doing the cooking. It sure smells good. Emil, his wife Kathryn, Ashley, and Sasha are all here. We miss everyone and sure wish you could all be here to celebrate the Fourth of July with us! Tracy has no formal therapy until next week, when she has her first Speech Therapy session with Karen on Friday, July 8th. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Mom, Liz and Jenny are planning to work on Tracy's swallowing. Her first appointment will be a Modified Barium Swallow test to see if Tracy can swallow different thicknesses of liquids. The Speech Therapist will put some barium (ick!) in different types of liquids that have various consistencies. Then the radiologist will take an x-ray to see how Tracy handles the different mediums. This is a precautionary measure as well to make sure that Tracy is not aspirating, which means that some of the liquid trickles down her vocal cords into her lungs. That could be very dangerous! At this time we will see if Tracy is ready for VitalStim therapy. Tiffany finished her fourth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Yesterday, she got to try her hand at the VA news. She tried out reading the teleprompter and being a news co-anchor. She is such a natural. Wednesday she attended a Congressional breakfast and learned a lot about Social Security and PELL Grants. She is really learning a lot. She is still working on several articles which will be mailed out to all enrolled veterans. The DVA is keeping her very busy. Thank you Betty Reese for the cute panda bear from China. Mom really loves her butterfly rhinestone belt! It fits perfectly. Thank you Nichole for the beautiful Healing Angel statue and for the delicious salt water taffy. Thank you Joy McCabe for the beautiful card and all of the rosaries and masses. Have a great weekend and God bless! Have a safe Fourth of July! Please remember our troops and the freedom that they fight so hard for us to enjoy! God Bless America!

Saturday, July 2nd, 2005: Word for the day: PERSEVERE!! Tracy slept well last night. We got the results from Tracy's urine test and it was all NORMAL! However, her right hip x-ray showed some slight calcification. This is known as Heterotrophic Ossification (HO) and results from not being able to move a joint. It is very slight, and as long as we continue to range her hip, we should be able to prevent any more from occurring. It most likely occurred as a result of her month of bed rest from her wound repair. Dad walked to one of our favorite places: STARBUCK'S and brought us back lattes and scones! It was great! We had Venus and Lindsay on watching the Women's Finals at Wimbledon~ it really was Breakfast at Wimbledon! Of course, we were also watch OLN and the opening time trial of the Tour de France! 11.8 miles of sheer excitement. Lance came in second by TWO seconds! He caught up and blew by Jan Ullrich! Psyched him out! Too cool! Both these sports events demonstrate the meaning of the word of the day: PERSEVERE! Tracy showed us her meaning of PERSEVERE today during her one hour sitting on the edge of the mat! The longest time ever that she has sat up with assistance on the edge of the mat. Mom and Dad bathed Tracy this morning and got her ready for the day. Dad and Sasha transferred Tracy to the mat and Sasha and Tracy hung out for most of the day watching the Live 8 concert on MTV! Tracy really listened when Dave Matthews came on the stage in Philadelphia. They played one of the songs off their new album: Dream Girl! Tracy has no formal therapy until next week, when she has her first Speech Therapy session with Karen on Friday, July 8th. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Mom, Liz and Jenny are planning to work on Tracy's swallowing. Her first appointment will be a Modified Barium Swallow test to see if Tracy can swallow different thicknesses of liquids. The Speech Therapist will put some barium (ick!) in different types of liquids that have various consistencies. Then the radiologist will take an x-ray to see how Tracy handles the different mediums. This is a precautionary measure as well to make sure that Tracy is not aspirating, which means that some of the liquid trickles down her vocal cords into her lungs. That could be very dangerous! At this time we will see if Tracy is ready for VitalStim therapy. Tiffany finished her fourth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Yesterday, she got to try her hand at the VA news. She tried out reading the teleprompter and being a news co-anchor. She is such a natural. Wednesday she attended a Congressional breakfast and learned a lot about Social Security and PELL Grants. She is really learning a lot. She is still working on several articles which will be mailed out to all enrolled veterans. The DVA is keeping her very busy. Thank you Betty Reese for the cute panda bear from China. Mom really loves her butterfly rhinestone belt! It fits perfectly. Thank you Nichole for the beautiful Healing Angel statue and for the delicious salt water taffy. Thank you Joy McCabe for the beautiful card and all of the rosaries and masses. Have a great weekend and God bless! Have a safe Fourth of July!

Friday, July 1st, 2005: Go Lance Armstrong! Win the Big # 7 Tour De France Victory!~ Word for the day: BELIEVE! Tracy was up again from 6 to 7 AM, grinding her teeth. We got the results from Tracy's urine test and it was all NORMAL! However, her right hip x-ray showed some slight calcification. This is known as Heterotrophic Ossification (HO) and results from not being able to move a joint. It is very slight, and as long as we continue to range her hip, we should be able to prevent any more from occurring. It most likely occurred as a result of her month of bed rest from her wound repair. Mom and Sasha got up early again this morning and went running at 6:15 on the Mt. Vernon Trail. It felt so good to start the day on the right foot on the trail. This was always the time that Mom got up in Naples when she taught the 6:15 AM Spin Class at the Fit Zone. She really loves working out early and getting a jump start on the day! Mom and Jenny showered and shampooed Tracy this morning and got her ready for the day. Tracy did not have any therapy since yesterday was her last day. Mom and Jenny stretched and ranged Tracy on the mat and massaged her with lotion. Mom and Jenny put her right knee cast on, and she tolerated about an hour and a half. She tolerated her purple neoprene hand splints for about two hours. Later this afternoon, Mom and Dad got Tracy straddled on the peanut. Her adductors seem more relaxed since the phenol blocks. Tracy tolerated about 20 minutes. Then Mom and Dad got Tracy on the love seat and she relaxed for a couple of hours. Our good friends Lloyd and Baron came to visit us from Independence, Louisiana. It was great to visit with them. Baron is now nine years old and very mature. We all had pizza and enjoyed sitting out on the balcony. Tracy has no formal therapy until next week, when she has her first Speech Therapy session with Karen on Friday, July 8th. We are going to take advantage of this little break and have some FUN! We plan to take Tracy on the Mt. Vernon trail in her jogger and take her in the pool, go shopping, sight seeing, to the museums, etc. Mom, Liz and Jenny are planning to work on Tracy's swallowing. Her first appointment will be a Modified Barium Swallow test to see if Tracy can swallow different thicknesses of liquids. The Speech Therapist will put some barium (ick!) in different types of liquids that have various consistencies. Then the radiologist will take an x-ray to see how Tracy handles the different mediums. This is a precautionary measure as well to make sure that Tracy is not aspirating, which means that some of the liquid trickles down her vocal cords into her lungs. That could be very dangerous! At this time we will see if Tracy is ready for VitalStim therapy. RECAP: Thursday, Tracy was seen by her Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Buescher at NNMC. She was so pleased with Tracy's healed wound. We have been discharged from her care unless something comes up that we need! This has been a long road, 15 months! She has done a great job and we are glad to finally be at the end of this speed bump. Amen! While at NNMC, we got Tracy's hips and chest x-rayed to rule out any heterotrophic ossification (HO) and any lung problems since she has been coughing more lately. No results on these films yet. We'll let you know how they turned out. Tiffany finished her fourth week of her internship at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Yesterday, she got to try her hand at the VA news. She tried out reading the teleprompter and being a news co-anchor. She is such a natural. Wednesday she attended a Congressional breakfast and learned a lot about Social Security and PELL Grants. She is really learning a lot. She is still working on several articles which will be mailed out to all enrolled veterans. The DVA is keeping her very busy. Thank you Betty Reese for the cute panda bear from China. Mom really loves her butterfly rhinestone belt! It fits perfectly. Thank you Nichole for the beautiful Healing Angel statue and for the delicious salt water taffy. Thank you Joy McCabe for the beautiful card and all of the rosaries and masses. Have a great weekend and God bless! Have a safe Fourth of July!