Monday, July 31st, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. NO MORE GRINDING! What a relief for her teeth! The BoTox is really working well. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg for seven hours last night. She wore her resting hand splints for more than eight hours too. Even though Dad fixed them, they still do not fit well. She will get a new set next Wednesday when she goes to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami. Tania and Mom showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. This morning, Cousin Judy surprised us with a visit! Mom, Judy, Tania and Tracy went to the Old Key Lime House in Lantana for lunch. Cousin Judy treated us. It is the cutest restaurant and reminded Mom of Key West with little thatched huts and porch swings! There was a cool breeze coming off of the intracoastal. It was so pleasant that the girls hung out for hours! They finally headed home when Mom got a call from Emily, Tracy's Speech Therapist, who was at the condo waiting for them to do Speech Therapy with Tracy. Mom totally forgot about her appointment... she was having so much fun with cousin Judy! Don't worry, they were able to make it home in no time! During Speech Therapy, Tracy did a good job staying awake and relaxing her job so that Emily could work with her tongue. She let Emily brush her tongue with the Nuk brush and also successfully got her tongue to the roof of her mouth with tactile and verbal stimualtion. Emily used a laryngeal mirror which she chilled in ice water to work with Tracy's tongue. Then she put a little vanilla frosting on the mirror for Tracy to taste. Tracy seemed to enjoy the vanilla frosting, and responded well to it. We plan to try more tastey treats to motivate Tracy to move her tongue. Who knows, maybe Nutella next time! This evening, everyone visited for a while and then it was time for cousin Judy to head back south to Sunny Isles. It was so great to see her and catch up! She brought Tracy some yummy Origins bath gel, scrub and lotion! Lavender Vanilla! Tracy will love it! Thank you! Thank you Liz for sending Tracy the special tongue brushes! Mom really appreciates it, since she has hunted high and low for them in Florida and couldn't find them! Thank you to the Crozier family for the postcard from Anacapri and the San Gennaro prayer card! We really appreciate it! This evening, Dad cooked pork chops and black beans and rice. It was really delicious. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any therapy scheduled. We plan to do Physical Therapy with her on the balcony under the awning and catch up. Wednesday, Tracy has a 1 PM appointment at the University of Miami Spasticity Clinic with Drs. Nedd and Rubin. Thursday, Tracy has a 9 AM appointment with Dr. Lochner in Palm Beach to get her Baclofen pump refilled. Nana and Uncle Johnny made it safely to Aunt Candy's in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Cousin Michelle and Auntie Anna are visiting this evening for dinner. We wish we could be there. Tiffany is having a good summer in Virginia and enjoying her cousin Kathryn Jean's visit. Kathryn Jean will return to Louisiana in another 10 days or so! Where has the summer gone? Tiffany is staying busy with her job at the American Red Cross. Rick's brother and step dad is visiting DC. They have been staying busy touring around and going to baseball games! Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about feeling happy for other's successes. " Extending ourselves to celebrate the happiness of others requires a generosity of spirit that we sometimes find only in the process of doing it. So when your best friend moves to Spain with the person you had a crush on, tend to your broken heart but throw them a going away party too." Lesson of the Day: Generosity of Spirit : Being Happy For Others!

Sunday, July 30th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep last night. NO MORE GRINDING! What a relief for her teeth! The BoTox is really working well. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg for five and a half hours last night. She wore her resting hand splints for eight hours too. Even though Dad fixed them, they still do not fit well. She will get a new set next Wednesday when she goes to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami. Wilmene and Mom bathed Tracy and got her ready for 11:00 AM Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lake Worth. The Mass, said by Fr. Edgar, was very lively and upbeat! Tracy was awake for most of it. She looked really pretty in her cranberry skirt and tropical shirt. Wilmene does a wonderful job dressing Tracy with all of her jewelry and makeup! After Mass, Dad stopped at Starbucks for lattes and scones and then it was off to Boca Raton to visit Nana Lilly. Tracy had not been to Nana's since her accident, and she seemed to be looking all around. It seemed as though she recognized where she was. Tracy, Mom, Nana, Dad and Wilmene visited together on the balcony watching all of the pretty boats go up ns down the intacoastal. It was a beautiful, balmy day with temperatures in the low to mid 90s! This evening, Mom and Dad had dinner on the balcony in Palm Beach while Tracy rested in her bed. Mom is really looking forward to getting settled in a house where Tracy will have her own lounge chair where she can hang out in the middle of everything. At present, she can only sit in her chair or rest in her bed. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any therapy scheduled. We plan to do Physical Therapy with her on the balcony under the awning. Nana and Uncle Johnny leave for New Hampshire next Monday to visit Candy, Jonathon and Michael. We wish we could join them. Tiffany is having a good summer in Virginia and enjoying her cousin Kathryn Jean's visit. Kathryn Jean will return to Louisiana in another 10 days or so! Where has the summer gone? Tiffany is staying busy with her job at the American Red Cross. Rick's brother and step dad is visiting DC. They have been staying busy touring around and going to baseball games! Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about feeling a little crazy when things around us seem out of balance. "The main purpose of the wake-up call that feeling crazy provides is to let us know that something in our lives is out of balance. Confirm for yourself that you are capable of creating a sane and peaceful reality for yourself. Try to remember that most people have felt, at one time or another, that they are losing it. You deserve a life that helps you thrive. Try and take some steps today to help you achieve more balance and a little less crazy." Lesson of the Day: Losing It: You Are Not Crazy!

Saturday, July 29th, 2006: Tracy has another great night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint again on her right leg for five hours. Dad gave her a break from her resting hand splints since they are not fitting well. She will get a new set next Wednesday when she goes to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami. This morning, Mom and Wilmene showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then, Dad, Mom, and Wilmene got Tracy on the mat under the awning on the balcony for Physical Therapy. They positoned Tracy flat on her stomach on the mat so that Dad could stretch her hip. Tracy really looked comfortable on her stomach. She tolerated about 30 minutes. Then they flipped her over on her back and stretched and ranged her extremities. After therapy, Tracy rested in her chair for a few hours with her AFOs and her splints on. PT really wipes her out, especially outside on the balcony. It is really humid too. Mom bought a fan spritzer bottle and filled it with cool water to keep Tracy comfortable. There was also a cool breeze outside today which helps to keep everyone cool. This afternoon, Mom swam her 50 laps (another mile)! She is really addicted to swimming! The pool temperature was 90 degrees! It was really nice. Just like a bath tub! Dad had an appointment and then did some errands around Palm Beach. This evening, Dad and Mom watched Syriana and had broiled wild salmon and bow tie pasta for dinner. Nana and Uncle Johnny leave for New Hampshire next Monday to visit Candy, Jonathon and Michael. We wish we could join them. Tiffany is having a good summer in Virginia and enjoying her cousin Kathryn Jean's visit. She is really busy with her job at the American Red Cross. Kickball season is over and they a brief break until the fall season begins. Tomorrow, we plan to go to 11:00 AM Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lake Worth. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about calling on ancestral spirit guides for guidance in our lives."Ancestral spirit guides can empathize with our fears and our frailties, worry, temptation, and feelings of insecurity. Once you have requested their guidance, they will see to it that you emerge unscathed on the far side of conflicts and are well-equipped to fulfill your potential." Lesson of the Day: Those Who Came Before: Turning To Ancestors For Guidance!

Friday, July 28th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. NO MORE GRINDING! What a relief for her teeth! The BoTox is really working well. (Now Mom is grinding her teeth and needs some BoTox! HA! HA!) Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg for five hours last night. She wore her resting hand splints for eight hours too. Even though Dad fixed them, they still do not fit well. She will get a new set next Wednesday when she goes to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami. Felicia and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then, Mom, Felicia, and Tania got Tracy on her knees over the peanut ball on the mat under the awning on the balcony. Tracy really relaxed in this position and seemed comfortable. She tolerated this position for ONE HOUR! Then Tania and Mom positioned Tracy supine and stretched her extremities. Tracy really enjoys being outside among all of the pretty flowers. This afternoon, everyone relaxed around the condo and caught up on chores. It was too hot to go outside, with temperatures in the low to mid 90s! Whew! Tracy relaxed in her chair with her AFOs and hand splints on. She was pretty worn out after her Physical Therapy. This evening, Tania's brother Jason picked her up to take her to Ft. Lauderdale for the weekend. We already miss her. Tomorrow, Wilmene comes to help us with Tracy! Dad and Mom had dinner and watched Stargate 1 and Stargate Atlantis on the Sci Fi channel. Nana and Uncle Johnny leave for New Hampshire next Monday to visit Candy, Jonathon and Michael. We wish we could join them. Tiffany is having a good summer in Virginia and enjoying her cousin Kathryn Jean's visit. Kathryn Jean will return to Louisiana in another 10 days or so! Where has the summer gone? Tiffany is staying busy with her job at the American Red Cross. Rick's brother and step dad is visiting DC. They have been staying busy touring around and going to baseball games! Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about feeling a little crazy when things around us seem out of balance. "The main purpose of the wake-up call that feeling crazy provides is to let us know that something in our lives is out of balance. Confirm for yourself that you are capable of creating a sane and peaceful reality for yourself. Try to remember that most people have felt, at one time or another, that they are losing it. You deserve a life that helps you thrive. Try and take some steps today to help you achieve more balance and a little less crazy." Lesson of the Day: Losing It: You Are Not Crazy!

Thursday, July 27th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She wore her dynasplint again on her right leg for four and a half hours. Dad gave her a break from her resting hand splints since they are not fitting well. She will get a new set next Wednesday when she goes to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami. This morning, Mom and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Mom swam her 50 laps (another mile)! She is really addicted to swimming! After Tania stretched and ranged Tracy, she let her rest so she would be awake for Speech Therapy at 3:45 PM. During Speech, Marissa spent some time working with Tracy's head control. Tracy did a great job lifting her head and putting it back in the headrest. She really is trying hard! Marissa showed Tracy a very large buddy button or switch which she and Lisa are using for switch training. Tracy seemed to understand the plan and lifted her head several times during the session in an effort to activate it with her cheek. She will continue to practice this in hopes of using a switch again soon. Marissa and Lisa spent some time showing Tracy pictures and asking her YES questions. Tracy did a good job blinking twice for YES! They continue to work with Tracy's facial muscles in an effort to get Tracy to open and close her mouth on command. She is not there yet. Marissa also worked with Tracy tongue with chilled lemon and glycerin swabs. Tracy does respond to these swabs and moves her tongue some. The goal is to get Tracy to lift the anterior tip of her tongue to the roof of her mouth so that she will be able to have more control. We will continue to practice these exercises. Today was Tracy's last Speech Therapy session until next semester, which starts August 30th. This evening, Mom and Tania made hamburgers for dinner. They were delicious! Nana and Uncle Johnny leave for New Hampshire next Monday to visit Candy, Jonathon and Michael. We wish we could join them. Tiffany is having a good summer in Virginia and enjoying her cousin Kathryn Jean's visit. She is really busy with her job at the American Red Cross. Kickball season is over and they a brief break until the fall season begins. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any "official" therapy. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about calling on ancestral spirit guides for guidance in our lives."Ancestral spirit guides can empathize with our fears and our frailties, worry, temptation, and feelings of insecurity. Once you have requested their guidance, they will see to it that you emerge unscathed on the far side of conflicts and are well-equipped to fulfill your potential." Lesson of the Day: Those Who Came Before: Turning To Ancestors For Guidance!

Wednesday, July 26th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four and a half hours. She wore her resting hand splints for eight hours too. Even though Dad fixed them, they still do not fit well. She will get a new set next Wednesday when she goes to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami. Felicia and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Laurel left this morning at 6:00 AM with Dad on her way to the Miami Airport for a flight to Virginia to visit her grandparents in West Virginia. We all enjoyed her visit and hope she comes back to visit us again soon, maybe this winter! This morning, Mom, Felicia, and Tania got Tracy on her knees over the peanut ball on the mat under the awning on the balcony. Tracy really relaxed in this position and seemed comfortable. She tolerated this position for almost thirty minutes. Then Tania and Mom positioned Tracy supine and stretched her extremities. Tracy really enjoys being outside among all of the pretty flowers. This morning, Mom swam her usual 50 laps (1 mile) in the pool. She is really hooked on swimming now. It is a much better fitness alternative to running at this time. It is so hot! She will resume her running schedule in the fall when the weather cools down to a comfortable 85 degrees! This evening, Tania made everyone dinner. She made the best marinated ribeyes and red beans and rice. They ate out on the balcony while the sun was setting. It is so beautiful on the balcony. Nana and Uncle Johnny leave for New Hampshire next Monday to visit Candy, Jonathon and Michael. We wish we could join them. Tiffany is having a good summer in Virginia and enjoying her cousin Kathryn Jean's visit. She is really busy with her job at the American Red Cross. Kickball season is over and they a brief break until the fall season begins. Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU at 3:45 PM. This is her last session until next semester, which commences on August 30th. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about showing small gestures to others. "When you are out in the world, remember to be aware of others, lend your hand when one is needed, and give this help without an ulterior motive. Through these small actions, you make this world a better place in which to live." Lesson of the Day: Small Gestures: Common Courtesy!

Tuesday, July 25th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. Dad gave her a break from her dynasplint on her right leg. Tracy wore her resting hand splints for 8 hours last night. Dad fixed them so Tracy can wear them until we get new ones made on August 2nd at the University of Miami Spasticity Clinic. Felicia and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Mom took Laurel for a long walk on the beach. This was Laurel's first time to south Florida and she really seemed to enjoy the beach. It was really, really hot! Even the ocean felt like a bath tub! This morning, Felicia gave Tracy a manicure and a pedicure. She does such a good job! Her toes were the exact same color as her pink flip flops! Pink is definitely one of Tracy's colors! Tracy rested in her chair while everyone got ready to go to FAU for Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa. During Speech, Lisa worked with Tracy's head control. She held different family pictures on Tracy's right and left side for Tracy to look at so that she would work on head turning. Lisa helped Tracy point at the various pictures. She held up the one of the cute guy from Cosmopolitan magazine. Tracy was trying really hard and turned her head to look at the picture with lots of verbal coaching and tactile stimulation. She's getting much better at this but still needs lots of practice. It seems easier for her to turn her head now that the BoTox seems to have relaxed her sternocleidomastoid muscle.This muscle was so strong that it prevented her from being able to turn her head, especially to the right. Next, Marissa and Lisa turned off all of the lights and used different colored flashlights to get Tracy to turn her head to follow them. Tracy seemed to have some difficulty with this exercise. After this, Marissa and Lisa worked on Tracy's oral motor control using chilled flavored lip gloss on her lips. Lisa picked buttercream frosting flavor. She coached Tracy to move her tongue to lick her lips. Tracy was able to move her tongue a little, but is still working on getting it out to lick her lips. Lisa even tried some chilled lemon glycerin swabs. Tracy definitely responded to these! This evening, Mom, Dad, Laurel, Tania and Tracy went to City Place for dinner and shopping. They headed straight to one of their favorite stores: Anthropologie! I wonder if anyone ever buys anything in there? They have the cutest stuff! Dad headed for Tommy Bahama and bought another shirt! He sure does like living in south Florida and wearing his Tommy Bahamas to work! Next, they all hit Barnes and Noble bookstore. They definitely found things to buy there! When they were all shopped out and Dad was really hungry, they sat ourside at Il Bellagio and had dinner. The food brought back memories of Naples. It was delicious! Tracy's nystagmus (eyes twitching and moving rapidly in various directions) seems almost nonexistent. She is more aware of the onset of these episodes, and can fight them off on her own. Keep your fingers crossed that they are gone for good! Nana and Uncle Johnny leave for New Hampshire next Monday to visit Candy, Jonathon and Michael. We wish we could go too! Tiffany is having a good summer in Virginia and enjoying her cousin Kathryn Jean's visit. She is really busy with her job at the American Red Cross. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any "official" therapy. Mom and Tania will get Tracy on the therapy mat for stretching and some Physical Therapy. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about the blessings we share when living with others in our special space. "Our homes are our havens. These places where we come to rest, recharge, and dream in safety and comfort allow us to better face the challenges of the world outside our doors. When sharing a living space with others, an awareness of the thoughts and feelings of everyone involved is essential in creating the peace we all desire." Lesson of the Day: Sharing Space And Energy: Cohabitating Positively!

Monday, July 24th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for about four and a half hours again last night. Dad is fixing Tracy's resting hand splints so she can use them until we get has some new ones made. We plan to do this when we take Tracy to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami, Wednesday, August 2nd. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) and her wrist cock up splints from 4 to 7 hours a day. Her BoTox seems to be taking effect. She has not been grinding her teeth and her arms and hands are much more relaxed. Mom and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Mom gave her a facial while Tania stretched and ranged Tracy. This morning, Mom went to the Lake Worth train station to pick up Laurel, our good friends Marcia's and Bob's daughter who is visiting with us for a few days. She is on her way back from Chile where she stayed with a family as part of an exchange program with her high school. Tracy taught Laurel how to swim and helped out with her swim team in Naples! Now Laurel is going into her senior year of high school! Time sure does fly! This morning, Mom and Tania got her on the therapy mat on the balcony under the awning for Physical Therapy. Mom Tania got Tracy straddled on the peanut ball for 30 minutes. They placed the smaller ball in Tracy's lap and stretched her arms over it. Tracy is so much looser from the BoTox. We are very pleased with the results! After her time on the ball, Mom and Tania stretched and ranged Tracy's extremities. It was really hot and humid! Tracy's nystagmus (eyes twitching and moving rapidly in various directions) seems almost nonexistent. She is more aware of the onset of these episodes, and can fight them off on her own. Keep your fingers crossed that they are gone for good! This afternoon, Mom pruned the flowers on the balcony. She just did less than a month ago! They are really growing fast in the midsummer heat. It is such great therapy for the flowers and Mom! This evening, Melanie came to give Tracy a Cranial Sacral Therapy session. She really responds well to these sessions. After her session, she relaxed and fell asleep! Dad had a massage too. It had been a while since he had one and he was well overdue! Everyone had pizza for dinner and visited! Mom rode her Spin bike for an hour. Tomorrow, Dad has a 7 AM flight out of Ft. Lauderdale to Puerto Rico for the day for a business meeting. Tracy has Speech Therapy at FAU with Marissa and Lisa at 3:45 PM. Then the girls plan to go to City Place for dinner and shopping. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about facing our every day fears with a new response. "You may think that you are the only one with a particular fear, that nobody else could possibly be scared of ordinary things such as water, heights, public speaking, or flying. These types of fears are very common, and you can have great success overcoming them. Remember, it is not the absence of the fear but the courage to take action anyway that determines success. When we learn to face our fears, we learn to observe our thoughts and feelings but not be ruled by them. Instead we choose how to shape the lives we want." Lesson of the Day: Choosing A New Response: Common Fears!

Sunday, July 23rd, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for about four and a half hours last night. She has worn out her resting hand splints! They are broken and we need to get some new ones made. We plan to do this when we take Tracy to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami, Wednesday, August 2nd. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) and her wrist cock up splints from 4 to 7 hours a day. Her BoTox seems to be taking effect. She is grinding her teeth much less and seems more relaxed. This morning, Mom and Wilmene showered Tracy and got her ready for 11:00 AM Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lake Worth. The mass was really nice, and since this was our first time in this church, Mom lit a candle and said a prayer. It turned out that the saint by the candles was St. Theresa the Little Flower which is Tracy's patron saint. Mom was really surprised! I guess she should not have been surprised! It was God being anonymous again. After Mass, Dad stopped at (you guessed it) Starbucks for lattes. This time he got frozen ones! It was pretty hot and humid out! When we returned home, Mom went to the pool to swim her laps. She is up to 50 laps (1 mile)! Dad left for a seminar in Ft Lauderdale on glyconutrients and the brain. He is always learning new things that can help Tracy recover. This afternoon, Mom, Dad, Tracy and Wilmene met the rest of the family at the house they are looking at in Lighthouse Point. It was the first time that Aunt Diane, Tim and Wilmene saw the house. Then Aunt Diane invited everyone over to her house for dinner. Tim cooked a delicious dinner of Italian manicottis, salad, and meat. It was really good. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about meeting our own expectations in our own way. "Just because you are devoted to following a spiritual path, attaining inner peace, or living a specific ideology doesn't mean you should expect to achieve perfection. When you approach your personal evolution mindfully, you can experience intense emotions such as anger without feeling that you have somehow failed. Simply by being aware of what you are experiencing and recognizing that your feelings are temporary, you have begun taking the necessary steps to regaining your internal balance. Accepting that difficult situations will arise from time to time and treating your reaction to them as if they are passing events rather than a part of who you are can help you move past them. Practicing this form of acceptance and paying attention to your reactions in order to learn from them will make it easier for you to return to your center more quickly in the future." Lesson of the Day: Meeting Our Own Expectations: Doing The Best You Can!

Saturday, July 22nd, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for about four and a half hours last night. She has worn out her resting hand splints! They are broken and we need to get some new ones made. We plan to do this when we take Tracy to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami, Wednesday, August 2nd. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) and her wrist cock up splints from 4 to 7 hours a day. Her BoTox seems to be taking effect. She is grinding her teeth much less and seems more relaxed. After her morning range of motion exercises, Wilmene and Mom bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then they got her on the therapy mat on the balcony under the awning for Physical Therapy. Mom, Dad and Wilmene got Tracy prone (on her tummy) flat on the mat. Dad really stretched her hip while in this position. Tracy tolerated 25 minutes in this position. Tracy's nystagmus (eyes twitching and moving rapidly in various directions) is getting better and better every day. She seems more aware of the onset of these episodes, and can fight them off on her own. We are seeing fewer episodes since Tracy's appointment with Dr. Li. This afternoon, Tracy rested in her bed while Mom and Dad ran some errands around town. Then, Mom and Tracy watched "You've Got Mail" on TBS and hung out. Mom rode her Spin bike for an hour and a half, while Dad went to the grocery store. Mom and Tracy watched "Something's Gotta Give" while Dad caught up on paper work. This evening, Mom and Dad watched Stage 19 of the Tour de France, ate lemon pepper chicken, and relaxed. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about escaping to a "tree house" in the heavens: the balcony of the condo is our tree house. "There is no greater way to escape the troubles of daily life than to ascend into the welcoming embrace of a tree house. Like a bird in its nest, we feel held and safe in the branches, cloaked within a curtain of green leaves. Here we can breathe more freely and think more clearly, our hearts and brains fed by the oxygen released by the leaves. We float above the everyday world of the ground, enjoying a bird's-eye view of all that remains below." Lesson of the Day: A Small Piece of Heaven: Tree House!

Friday, July 21st, 2006: Tracy had another great night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for about four and a half hours last night. She has worn out her resting hand splints! They are broken and we need to get some new ones made. We plan to do this when we take Tracy to the Spasticity Clinic at the University of Miami August 2nd. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) and her wrist cock up splints from 4 to 7 hours a day. After her morning range of motion exercises, Felicia and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. She rested in her chair until it was time for her Cranial Sacral Therapy session at 1:30 PM. Tracy's nystagmus (eyes twitching and moving rapidly in various directions) seemed much better today. She seems more aware of the onset of these episodes, and can fight them off on her own. During her CST session with Melanie, Tracy seemed really relaxed and was making vocalizations. She really seems to enjoy her sessions. Melanie asked Tracy if she likes CST and Tracy blinked twice meaning YES! Tracy was so relaxed that she took a nap after her session. Mom and Tania let Tracy sleep and postponed their original plan to get Tracy on the mat for therapy. TGIF! Mom had a massage too. She was well overdue! This evening, Mom and Dad watched Stage 18 of the Tour de France while Tracy rested. Tania is off for the weekend and went to Ft. Lauderdale to her Mom's house. We miss her already! She is doing a great job with Tracy and is an important part of the family! Tomorrow, Wilmene comes to help with Tracy. There is no official therapy so Mom will plan to get Tracy on the mat for Physical Therapy on the balcony with Dad and Wilmene. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about escaping to a "tree house" in the heavens: the balcony of the condo is our tree house. "There is no greater way to escape the troubles of daily life than to ascend into the welcoming embrace of a tree house. Like a bird in its nest, we feel held and safe in the branches, cloaked within a curtain of green leaves. Here we can breathe more freely and think more clearly, our hearts and brains fed by the oxygen released by the leaves. We float above the everyday world of the ground, enjoying a bird's-eye view of all that remains below." Lesson of the Day: A Small Piece of Heaven: Tree House!

Thursday, July 20th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for about four and a half hours last night. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) and her wrist cock up splints from 4 to 7 hours a day. Felicia and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. She rested in her chair until it was time to leave for FAU. Tracy had Speech Therapy at 3:45 PM with Marissa and Lisa at FAU at 3:45 PM. Marissa and Lisa are doing a great job with Tracy! During Speech, Marissa continued to work with Tracy's Yes response which consists of two eye blinks for YES! She spent some time with Tracy looking at pictures of both family and cute guys from magazines. Tracy did a good job looking at the pictures and responded several times with very distinct eye blinks. Sometimes it is hard to tell whether she is answering Yes, because she tends to close her eyes or blink more than twice at times. We will continue to work on her deliberate eye blinks. Then, Marissa and Lisa worked with Tracy's facial muscles, and Tracy's ability to open and close her mouth/lips on command. Tracy is getting better at this. They used cold flavored lip gloss to entice Tracy to lick her lips, strengthening her tongue. Marissa set her alarm on her cell phone so that it would ring on Tracy's right to get her to turn her head to the right in response to the ring. Tracy seemed to notice the ring. She did a good job staying awake during the session and also giggled several times during her session. Next week is Tracy's last week of Speech Therapy and the college will be taking a short summer break until the Fall semester begins on August 30th. After Speech Therapy, Tracy had an appointment for an eye exam at Rand Eye Institute in Pompano. Tracy's good friend and fellow crew team mate from the University of Miami, Allison's, Dad is the director of the Rand Eye Institute. He had coordinated a team of physicians to examine Tracy. They spent about an hour with Tracy and were pleased with their findings. They concluded that Tracy's eyes looked completely normal after direct and indirect retinoscopy, slit lamp exam, fundoscopic exam and pressure tests. They were not able to examine at this time if Tracy was seeing double or blurred vision. This will be further tested when a more consistent method of communication can be established with Tracy. It was so nice to finally meet all of the wonderful staff at the Rand Eye Insitute who have been praying for Tracy throughout her long rehab journey back to us. Tracy's nystagmus (eyes twitching and moving rapidly in various directions) seemed a little better today. She was still having episodes, but they were fewer that yesterday. We will continue to observe. This afternoon, Mom and Tania got Tracy on the mat under the awning on the balcony. The weather looked a little stormy and there was some rain clouds on the horizon. They got Tracy prone over the peanut ball for about fifteen minutes. She was pulling in her right knee and looked a little tired. Tania and Mom shifted Tracy onto the mat on her stomach, with her upper torso propped on the wedge to allow her to weight bear on her elbows. She tolerated 30 minutes in this position. Then, Mom and Tania rolled Tracy onto her back, and stretched her extremities. They used some Calming Massage Butter with scents of lavender, orange and vanilla to give Tracy a relaxing massage. Then Mom gave Tracy a facial while they listened to Dave Matthews Live at Luther College! They can't wait to see him in concert on August 12th! It will be here before you know it! Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tomorrow, Tracy has Cranial Sacral Therapy with Melanie at 1:30 PM. She does not have any official therapy and can relax and enjoy her massage. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about utilizing the ocean's healing power in our daily meditation. "Like us, the sea is ever-changing. And, like us, the earth's vast oceans appear at a distance to be stable and homogenous. But beneath the mask of solidity that both we and the sea wear, there lies unpredictability, sensitivity, and power. There is much we can learn from the ocean, representative as it is of our inner landscapes. The rough sounds of the sea's waves are spiritually soothing, and its salt can purify our physical selves." Lesson of the Day: Waves Of Healing: Ocean Meditation!

Wednesday, July 19th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for about four and a half hours last night. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) and her wrist cock up splints from 4 to 7 hours a day. Felicia and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tracy did not have any appointments today, so she was able to relax a little this morning and catch up from her busy week so far. Tracy's nystagmus (eyes twitching and moving rapidly in various directions) seemed a little better today. She was still having episodes, but they were fewer that yesterday. We will continue to observe. This afternoon, Mom and Tania got Tracy on the mat under the awning on the balcony. The weather looked a little stormy and there was some rain clouds on the horizon. They got Tracy prone over the peanut ball for about fifteen minutes. She was pulling in her right knee and looked a little tired. Tania and Mom shifted Tracy onto the mat on her stomach, with her upper torso propped on the wedge to allow her to weight bear on her elbows. She tolerated 30 minutes in this position. Then, Mom and Tania rolled Tracy onto her back, and stretched her extremities. They used some Calming Massage Butter with scents of lavender, orange and vanilla to give Tracy a relaxing massage. Then Mom gave Tracy a facial while they listened to Dave Matthews Live at Luther College! They can't wait to see him in concert on August 12th! It will be here before you know it! This evening, Mom got in her swim before the sun set. She swam 35 laps this evening, after yesterday's 50! Then they had Chinese Food and relaxed while they watched Stage 17 of Le Tour de France. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU at 3:45 PM and then Tracy has an appointment to get her eyes examined at the Rand Eye Institute in Pompano. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about meditating using Mala beads, an ancient Hindu tradition. Mom compares this to praying on Rosary Beads. As one unhurriedly travels around the mala, the mind is rooted in its own divine nature and simultaneously fixed in moment. The beads can furthermore serve as a reminder of the importance of your journey toward enlightenment and a means of avoiding outer world distractions. Lesson of the Day: A Mindful Progression: Meditation With Mala Beads!

Tuesday, July 18th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splints for about four and a half hours last night. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) and her wrist cock up splints from 4 to 7 hours a day. Felicia and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Dad and Mom left for Miami at 6 AM for an all day appointment. Tania stretched and ranged Tracy then let her rest a while in her bed prior to leaving for her 3:45 PM Speech Therapy session with Marissa and Lisa at the Communications Disorders Center at FAU. Tracy was having some trouble with her nystagmus today (eyes twitching and moving rapidly in various directions). This was further aggrivated by motion such as rolling while Felicia and Tania were getting Tracy dressed. This could be a result of the Canalith Repositioning Procedure (CRP) that Dr. Li performed yesterday afternoon. He mentioned that sometimes the nystagmus will shift directions in an effort to recalibrate itself. Dad observed Tracy last evening and will email Dr. Li to consult him. This afternoon, Dad and Mom met Tania, Tracy and Felicia at FAU for their 3:45 PM meeting with Lisa, Marissa and Joy, Tracy's supervisor. They went over the specific goals for Tracy's therapy and discussed some creative ideas to incorporate into Tracy's therapy plan of care for the upcoming session. Tracy has three sessions left of this semester and will resume her therapy program at the end of August. Some of the goals that they plan to implement is to work with Tracy to improve her head control to one day work with switches again. They also would like to explore the augmentative devices available to Tracy so that she can have a method of communicating while they are working on vocalization and speech redevelopment. There are several programs in the area, Palm Beach Community College and Nova Southeastern. We will keep you up to date as her therapy plan evolves. This evening, Tania gave Tracy a relaxing massage while she relaxed in her bed. She was pretty wiped out from trying to constantly refocus her eyes and compensate for the nystagmus. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any official therapy so Tania and Mom will work with Tracy's Physical Therapy on the mat and with her oral motor exercises. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about continually questioning things that we encounter in our daily lives in order to keep our minds open and supple. Nearly every revolutionary change in the history of human progress came about because someone questioned some time-honored belief or tradition and in doing so revealed a new truth, a new way of doing things, or a new standard for ethical and moral behavior. Just so, a commitment to staying open and inquisitive in our own individual lives can lead us to new personal revolutions and truths, truths that we will hopefully, for the sake of our growth, remain open to questioning. Lesson of the Day: Keeping Our Minds Supple: Questioning Everything!

Monday, July 17th, 2006: Three and a half years since Tracy's cardiac arrest and subsequent anoxic brain injury! ~ Tracy had another great night's sleep last night. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splints for five hours last night. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) from 5 to 7 hours a day. Mom and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tania stretched and ranged Tracy then let her rest a while in her bed prior to leaving for her 2 PM appointment in Jupiter with Dr. John Li. Dr. Li is a neurologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of positional vertigo. This afternoon, Dad met Tania, Mom, and Tracy at Dr. Li's office in Jupiter. He spent some time going over Tracy's history and then examined her. It seems as though Tracy could have some small calcifications or crystals in her inner ear canals which are causing her to get positional vertigo, also known as BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). When these crystals are displaced into the semicircular canals, they can stimulate the balance nerve inappropriately. When the head is placed in certain positions, a severe spinning sensation is produced. Although the spinning sensation usually lasts about 20 seconds, it is often severe and can produce unsteadiness and nausea which may last several hours.We see this when we are rolling Tracy on the mat which results in abrupt positional changes. Dr. Li decided to try the CRP (Canalith Repositioning Procedure. This procedure involves strapping Tracy into a gyro-type chair (Multi-Axial Positioning Device) designed by Dr. Li and spinning her around. Tracy tolerated this procedure very well. We will monitor her to determine whether this procedure helped. Please say a prayer that this vertigo is resolved, because it really is uncomfortable for Tracy when she experiences it. We think it feels like she is falling when she experiences this sensation. This evening, Mom and Tania cooked spaghetti with scallops and shrimp for dinner while Tracy rested in her bed. She seemed pretty worn out after her long and exciting day! Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy at FAU with Marissa and Lisa at 3:45 PM. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about working hard to achieve our life's purpose. "Our lives are an exercise in facing challenges. We dream the grandest of dreams as youngsters only to discover that we must cultivate copious inner strength and determination in order to meet our goals. Our hard work does not always yield the results we expect. Our intellects, our hearts, and our souls are constantly being tested by the universe. Life will create new challenges for you to face each time you prove yourself capable of overcoming the challenges of the past. What you deem difficult will always differ from that which others deem difficult. The tests you will be given will be as unique as you are. If you focus on doing the best you can and making use of the blessings you have been granted, the outcome of your efforts will be a joyous reflection of your dedication." Lesson of the Day: Effort And Understanding: Having It Easy!

Sunday, July 16th, 2006: Tracy slept well last night. Around midnight, Tracy was lying awake in her bed when she broke out into hysterics! She was laughing so hard that she was almost crying. This lasted for almost an hour! She woke up Mom and Dad, she was laughing so hard. It was definitely music to Mom and Dad's ears. Tracy had another good night's sleep. She wore her dynasplint for five hours. We gave her a break from her resting hand splints last night. This morning, Mom and Wilmene got Tracy bathed and ready for 12 noon Mass at St Paul the Apostle Church in Lighthouse Point. After Mass, they all stopped at Starbucks for lattes and then drove to Boca Raton to pick up Nana Lilly. She spent the day with us in Palm Beach. Later, Uncle Johnny came and everyone went for a swim in the pool. Mom's lap count remains consistent at 50 and holding. This evening, Mom, Dad and Tania got Tracy prone on the mat on the balcony to stretch her hip and back. She tolerated 20 minutes in this position. Later this evening, Mom made turkey cutlets and jambalaya for dinner. Everyone enjoyed it. Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tomorrow, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Li, a neurologist in Jupiter, to assess Tracy's vertigo. Please say a prayer that this vertigo is resolved, because it really is uncomfortable for Tracy when she experiences it. We think it feels like she is falling when she experiences this sensation. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM (It's one of Mom's favorites! It talks about being mindful of the moment. Focusing on life's little joys and relishing everything you do will help you learn to focus wholeheartedly on the task at hand. Living in the moment means immersing yourself fully in every experience, whether positive or negative. As you learn to embrace the present in an all-encompassing way, you will come to realize that life's magnificence is a product of its moments. Lesson of the Day: Fully Present In Time: Living For The Moment! Friday, July 14th, 2006: During Tracy's appointment with Dr. Rubin, Tracy received almost 900 units of BoTox. This is the most she has ever received in one session. She got injections in her biceps, her wrist and finger flexibles, lumbicles, thumbs, neck, jaw, and parotid glands. This is also the first time Tracy has gotten BoTox injections in her neck, parotids, and jaw. We are hoping that the BoTox will help Tracy with her head control. Her SternoCleidoMastoid is so tight on her left side that she tends to pull her head down and to the left. This makes it hard for her to hold her head up. We hope that the BoTox will help relax this very powerful muscle and help her hold her head up and not pull it forward. Tracy received some BoTox in her jaw (massiters) which hopefully will help to reduce her teeth grinding. We are afraid that her enamel on her teeth is getting worn down and can cause discomfort. It usually takes anywhere from 10 days to two weeks for the BoTox to take effect. We will return to Miami for Spasticity Clinic in three weeks for reevaluation and consultation with the OT and PT. Thursday, July 13th, 2006: This afternoon, Tracy had Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU this afternoon at 4 PM. She was awake but had some difficulty keeping her head up. Marissa worked with Tracy to help her keep her head in the head rest. She spent some time working with Tracy to turn her head to the right. The goal is for Tracy to strengthen her head control so that she is strong enough to use a switch for communication in the future. Marissa held up a sign with the word YES printed on it with a bright green smiley face. She tried to get Tracy to look at the sign as an alternative to two eye blinks for YES. Tracy did not seem very interested in looking at the YES sign. She seemed to be a little frustrated. Marissa had Tracy look at some of the usual family pictures, Mom, Dad and Tiffany. Then she held up the cute guy photos of Dr. McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy (Patrick Dempsey). Tracy was peeking through half opened eyes. We will continue to work on this. Tuesday, July 11th, 2006: This afternoon, Mom and Tania took Tracy to Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU. Because Tracy was awake and wide-eyed, Lisa began the session working on looking at pictures of hot guys! They held up pictures of Nick Lachey, Dr. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) and some model-types from Cosmopolitan! Tracy checked them out, but did not seemed too fazed by the hotties! Then, Lisa worked with Tracy on vocalization. She coached Tracy to say "mmmm". Tracy mimicked "mmmm" several times. The next part of the session, Lisa and Marissa worked hard to keep Tracy awake by applying cold therapy, utilizing frozen towels, flavored lip gloss, and a chilled basketball (used to take the ouch out of kids' bruises). Tracy stayed awake long enough to blink twice several times in response to questions about several pictures of Snow (Tracy's dog), Tiffany (Tracy's sister) and Nana Lilly (Tracy's grandmother). Marissa and Lisa talked about Key West, where Tracy lived in middle and high school, and where they visited last weekend. They gave Tracy a pretty shell choker that they bought her in Key West. It is so pretty. A million Thank Yous! Monday, July 10th, 2006: This afternoon, Tania and Mom got Tracy on the mat on the balcony under the awning for some intensive range of motion exercises. Tracy's tone is much better since Dr. Lochner reduced her Baclofen. Mom and Tania helped Tracy hug her knees with her arms so she could bring her knees to her chest in a stretch. Tracy turned her head to the right and left on command and then Mom helped her look at her knees. After her stretching session, Mom and Tania got Tracy on the peanut ball in a straddle position. She was able to get her legs around the ball and also put her feet down on the mat. Then, Mom got the smaller ball and stretched Tracy's arms around the ball. She was very relaxed and it was very easy to get her arms around the ball. Tracy did a good job sitting on the peanut ball with her arms stretched around the smaller ball for thirty minutes. She was able to hold her head up for 3 to 5 seconds and was really trying to hold her head up. She even picked up her head on her own several times! Sunday, June 25th, 2006: This evening, Marissa and Lisa, Tracy's new friends and masters students working with Tracy at the Communications Disorders Center at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, came over to have dinner with us and to visit with Tracy. They brought her some beautiful flowers. Tania, Jason (Tania's brother) and Mark (Jason's friend) also joined us. It was a lot of fun. Dad whipped up his famous New Orleans jambalaya and Mom made a salad. It stopped raining just in time for everyone to eat on the balcony. Jason brought his keyboard and sang to Tracy. She was really attentive to him and seemed to really enjoy the concert. There were even fireworks off in the distance. It was a great night and everyone seemed to have a good time. Tuesday, June 20th, 2006: Mom, Dad, Tania and Tracy left Vinceremos around 7:15 PM and headed for Father, Brother, Uncle John's Church in Pahokee. We were going to meet Fr. John, a couple from Melbourne named Fran and Peter Behrens, and some of the parishioners from St. Mary's to pray the Rosary to the Blessed Mother (Russian Icon) in the little church. Fran is a healer who had a dream about Tracy and claims that God directed her to pray the rosary in front of the Icon at St. Mary's Church in Pahokee. Mom woke up with the same idea and when she told Uncle Johnny, he told her about Fran. It is clear to Mom that Tracy wants everyone to pray the Rosary! Mom does not think any of this is a coincidence, but rather messages from God. So, she is asking everyone to PRAY the rosary on behalf of Tracy.Wednesday, June 14th, 2006: Dad, Tiffany, Nick and Christine made if safely to Rome around 1:30 AM (EDT) and 7:30 AM (Wednesday) Rome time. Before they boarded the train for Florence from Rome, they had the cab driver take them to Vatican City! They must be blessed because they got there just in time for the Pope to come out for his Wednesday auience and give his blessing! ~ Tracy, Mom and Tania made it safely to Independence, LA! Thursday, June 8th, 2006: During Speech Therapy, Tracy was very alert and awake. She did a good job responding to questions that Marissa and Lisa asked her about family pictures by blinking twice for Yes and shaking her head No. She also had some good swallows and picked her head up on command.several times during the session. Lisa held up a picture of the FAU mascot, a MEAN looking owl! Tracy really looked at it. She must be thinking the the UM Ibis, Sebastian, is a lot meaner that that OWL! (Go Canes!) Seriously, Tracy seems to really like working with the students and we are looking forward to great things for Tracy with the FAU program. Tuesday, May 30th, 2006: Lisa, Tracy's PT at Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center in Delray, assessed Tracy's nystagmus (eye movement in a specific direction), to see if she had a disorder of her inner ear caused by lodged crystals. It is known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo . Lisa performed some positional changes with Tracy lying on her back on the mat. She will continue to observe Tracy during her therapy sessions to see if she has signs of BPV. If Tracy is thought to have BPPV, there is an easy remedy that can be performed by changing Tracy's position in a special chair. We'll keep you posted on this... This evening, Tracy had her third therapeutic horseback riding lesson at Vinceremos in Loxahatchee! Tracy did such a good job holding her head up and rode for almost thirty minutes. She was able to hold her head up a lot better with the foam pillow that Ruth made for her. This provides a stable platform for Tracy to prop her elbows on, thus helping her with trunk and head control. Jamie, Tracy's horse, even walked around the ring several times, worked around various pastel colored cones, and even walked over poles. Tracy could feel the horse stepping, turning, and walking up and down the small hills, and did a good job balancing with Dad and Ruth's help. We are so excited that Tracy is able to continue with therapeutic horseback riding and see marked improvements each week! Thank you Vicente and Sylvester for your assistance with Tracy's hippotherapy! Wednesday, May 24th, 2006: Dad made a brilliant observation that could explain why Tracy has been so sleepy during the day! (He is so smart, one of the reasons why Mom married him! The other is his good looks!) He was reviewing Tracy's Baclofen pump print-outs and realized that the internal clock had been reset 12 hours off from the actual time. This happened when Tracy got her pump refilled here in Palm Beach. The computer that is used to set Tracy's Baclofen pump had the wrong time. Since Tracy gets different Baclofen doses throughout the day and night, this created a significant problem for Tracy. Bottom line, Tracy was receiving her night doses during the day and vice versa. This might also explain her teeth grinding and coughing during the night! Mom has an appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Lochner in Palm Beach to correct Tracy's pump settings. We'll keep you posted... Tuesday, May 24th, 2006: This evening, Mom and Dad brought Tracy to Vinceremos in Loxahatchee for her therapeutic horse back riding lesson. Tracy was very awake and alert at this time. Vincent and Jose helped Dad and Ruth get Tracy up on the horse. Then Ruth positioned Tracy with two boppy pillows so that she had a platform to push herself up with her elbows. Mom is going to find some bigger boppy pillows that fit Tracy so that she will have more stability. Tracy was able to tolerate much longer on Jamie this time. She was really working hard to get her head up and laughed a little and vocalized. Dad led Jamie around the field and Ruth pointed out lots of attractions such as Chico, a miniature donkey with an afro! He was so cute! Tracy tried to hold up her head and look at Chico. Ruth noted that Tracy was tracking with her eyes and really trying to look at all the attractions. She did a great job and worked real hard to hold up her head. We plan to return next Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Thank you Vincent and Jose for meeting us out at Vinceremos and helping with Tracy!Tuesday, May 9th, 2006: This evening, Mom and Tracy's P.A. went to Loxahatchee for Tracy's first therapeutic horseback riding lesson. Dad and Emily, Tracy's Speech Therapist, met us at the center. Vincente, Orlando and two other friends came out from St. Mary's Church in Pahokee to help get Tracy on the horse. Tracy did a great job balancing herself on the horse with assistance, and actually lifted her head up twice to look at Jamie, the horse. Tracy was able to get both of her legs relaxed and positioned symmetrically on either side of the horse! It was a huge improvement since last Fall when she was unable to stretch her legs around the barrel at Lift Me Up! This demonstrates how persistence, hard work, and dedication pays off! Thanks to Duncan, Jen, Melissa, Jenn, Katie, Marlena, Nikki, Emily, Linda, Wilmene and all of Tracy's assistants and therapists who worked and continue to work so diligently with Tracy! It is truly paying off! We plan to return to Vinceremos on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM! After her lesson, Emily spent some time in the barn letting Tracy experience all the sights, smells, sounds and textures around her. She let Tracy feel and smell some of Jamie's dinner! Ruth held Tracy had and helped her pat Jamie's soft mane! Tracy really seemed to take it all in! Dad is staying busy and enjoying his new job with American Airlines and loves playing doctor again. Tiffany is learning a lot as Communications and Marketing Associate for Response, Preparedness and International Services at the American Red Cross NHQ. WE MISS HER! Mom is enjoying her job too as Tracy's lead therapist during our interim stay in Palm Beach. Once we get to Miami, she will organize a team of therapist similar to the team Tracy had in Virginia.Tracy has been making more sounds each day and really trying to talk to us. She has also been laughing more frequently. Although it seems sporadic, Tracy appears to be laughing when she is relaxed and day dreaming in her bed. This happens more frequently when she is waking up in the morning or falling asleep at night.Saturday, April 22nd at 9:00 AM: Mom, Dad, Wilmene and Tracy got in the van and headed to the Vinceremos Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center in Loxahatchee. Today was the day that Tracy was to be evaluated for readiness for the riding program. We met Ruth, the program director who brought out a very large plastic barrel on rollers, complete with a saddle and a bridle! It was a make-shift horse! Dad, Wilmene and Mom positioned Tracy on the "horse" and Tracy did a good job getting her legs around the barrel and relaxing them down around the "horse". It was a huge improvement since last Fall when Tracy could not get her legs around the barrel at Lift Me Up! Her pelvis seemed pretty stable, the challenge now is whether Tracy can demonstrate the head control to stay up on the horse. Ruth decided that she would brain storm over the next two weeks and Tracy would return on Saturday, May 6th to try out the horse for real.April 7th, 2006: Tracy had a doctor's appointment with Dr. Lochner in Palm Beach to get her Baclofen pump refilled. Dad and Dr. Lochner discussed the plan to lower Tracy's Baclofen dosage. They decided to lower her continuous dosage by 10 percent, leaving the complex boluses at the same dosage. We hope this adjustment will help reduce Tracy's sleepiness during the day so she will be more awake to do therapy. Dr. Lochner was very pleased with Tracy and said that every time he sees her she looks so much better! Dad is now Captain Fanancy L. Anzalone, Ret. He retired on Friday, March 3rd during a beautiful ceremony at the United States Navy Memorial in DC. Thank you everyone who participated in the ceremony! We greatly appreciate all of our friends and family who traveled far and wide to celebrate Dad's 29 years in the Navy! Dad started his 2nd career as the Miami Medical Director for American Airlines and has his new office at the Miami International Airport. Upledger Institute: March 13 to March 17th, 10 AM to 5 PM: Tracy completed the Intensive Program at the Upledger Institute in Palm Beach Gardens. John Upledger, DO specializes in Cranio Sacral Therapy. For more information, please refer to the previous link. February 21st, 2006: During the consult with Dr. Sonies, a Speech Therapist and researcher from the National Institutes of Health, some very pertinent recommendations were made for Mom and Linda to incorporate in feeding Tracy. She is going to provide Mom and Linda with a feeding protocol to follow which will allow some variety in the types of food that Tracy can eat. She recommended only feeding Tracy 1 cc at a time, using a syringe, with a total of 10 ccs per day of a given food. The goal is to retrain Tracy's oral motor function, and not to focus on the quantity of intake. Mom and Linda will start this protocol right away. Next, Tracy had an appointment with Dr. Pagan at Georgetown University Hospital to get BoTox injections to her lower extremities. He injected 600 units of BoTox into Tracy's right hamstrings, gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior. He also injected her plantar surface of her feet to help with dorsiflexion. On her left side, he injected everything but her hamstrings. The plan is to continue with serial casting in south Florida and to work towards AFOs so that Tracy can stand with the help of a tilt table. Dad brought a very special gift to Tracy from his hometown parish pastor, Fr. McDuffy: rosaries personally given to him when he had a private audience at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II. These rosaries are very special because they are considered a secondary relic, something that the prospective saint has personally touched. Thank you cousin Frank Arthur for the beautiful St. Theresa medal. She is Tracy's patron saint. Pope Benedict XVI has approved an expedited process for Beatification and ultimate Sanctification of Pope John Paul II. Please pray to Pope John Paul II specifically requesting that he make Tracy one of the two miracles needed for his Sainthood! Here is his prayer: "Prayer for John Paul II's Intercession". We found Tracy's old files and want to share her last AP English Essay and a paper for her Biology Class from Gulf Breeze High School. This will give you some insight into how special she is and why she will come back to us. Here they are: BLESSED and Euthanasia: Filling God's Shoes.

Saturday, July 15th, 2006: Three and a half years since Tracy was hit by the car in Florence, Italy! ~ Tracy slept well last night. We are not sure if she was so exhausted from her 48 shots or the ride to and from Miami. We are not sure how Dad does that ride every day of the week! Argh! We gave Tracy a much deserved break from all of her splinting devices last night. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) from 5 to 7 hours a day. Mom and Wilmene showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tania has the day off. Today, Tracy does not have any official therapy and is able to relax for a change. Mom and Dad took a ride to Lighthouse Point and Boca Raton run some errands. They were gone for several hours. While they were gone, Felicia stretched and ranged Tracy. She was a little sleepy, so Wilmene let her rest some in her bed. This afternoon, when Mom and Dad returned, they started to get things ready for the "surprise" party that evening for Tania's Mom's (Evelyn's) birthday. She is visiting this week with her husband Sam from NYC. Everyone had a great time and she was really surprised. It was a beautiful evening on the balcony, and Aunt Diane's friend Tim brought his Karioke machine and sang some Frank Sinatra tunes. Tania's brother Jason sang some Stevie Wonder and James Taylor tunes. They both sounded great. Mom, Tania, and Katherine got up and sang backup for Jason to the songs "Love Shack" and "Landslide". It was a lot of fun! Mom and Tania continue to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Next Monday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Li, a neurologist in Jupiter, to assess Tracy's vertigo. Please say a prayer that this vertigo is resolved, because it really is uncomfortable for Tracy when she experiences it. We think it feels like she is falling when she experiences this sensation. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM (It's one of Mom's favorites! It talks about being mindful of the moment. Focusing on life's little joys and relishing everything you do will help you learn to focus wholeheartedly on the task at hand. Living in the moment means immersing yourself fully in every experience, whether positive or negative. As you learn to embrace the present in an all-encompassing way, you will come to realize that life's magnificence is a product of its moments. Lesson of the Day: Fully Present In Time: Living For The Moment!

Friday, July 14th, 2006: Tracy had a really good night's sleep last night and was awake for only an hour. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splints for 4 hours. She has been doing a good job wearing her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses) from 5 to 7 hours a day. Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tania has the day off. Today, Tracy has a 12:45 PM appointment at the University of Miami Neurology Clinic with Dr. Rubin to get BoTox. She has not had any BoTox since February 21st. While we were waiting to see Dr. Rubin, Tracy's good friend Allison came by to see Tracy. Tracy turned her head and looked at Allison while she was talking to her. Allison had not seen Tracy for several years Allison was on the crew team with Tracy at UM and recently graduated from UM Medical School as a doctor. We are all very proud of her. She is presently an intern at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. During Tracy's appointment with Dr. Rubin, Tracy received almost 900 units of BoTox. This is the most she has ever received in one session. She got injections in her biceps, her wrist and finger flexibles, lumbicles, thumbs, neck, jaw, and parotid glands. This is also the first time Tracy has gotten BoTox injections in her neck, parotids, and jaw. We are hoping that the BoTox will help Tracy with her head control. Her SternoCleidoMastoid is so tight on her left side that she tends to pull her head down and to the left. This makes it hard for her to hold her head up. We hope that the BoTox will help relax this very powerful muscle and help her hold her head up and not pull it forward. Tracy received some BoTox in her jaw (massiters) which hopefully will help to reduce her teeth grinding. We are afraid that her enamel on her teeth is getting worn down and can cause discomfort. It usually takes anywhere from 10 days to two weeks for the BoTox to take effect. We will return to Miami for Spasticity Clinic in three weeks for reevaluation and consultation with the OT and PT. This afternoon, when we returned from Miami, Tracy had a Cranial Sacral Therapy session with Melanie. She relaxed and really enjoyed her massage. Dad was next in line for a massage. He was well overdue and really needed it. Mom and Tania continued to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Next Monday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Li, a neurologist in Jupiter, to assess Tracy's vertigo. Please say a prayer that this vertigo is resolved, because it really is uncomfortable for Tracy when she experiences it. We think it feels like she is falling when she experiences this sensation. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM (It's one of Mom's favorites! It talks about being mindful of the moment. Focusing on life's little joys and relishing everything you do will help you learn to focus wholeheartedly on the task at hand. Living in the moment means immersing yourself fully in every experience, whether positive or negative. As you learn to embrace the present in an all-encompassing way, you will come to realize that life's magnificence is a product of its moments. Lesson of the Day: Fully Present In Time: Living For The Moment!

Thursday, July 13th, 2006: Tracy was awake from 4 AM to 7 AM. Dad spent the night at Tiffany's in NOVA and Mom and Tania held down the fort. Mom gave Tracy a break from all splints last night with hopes that she would enjoy a good night's sleep. The weather was really stormy with the wind blowing all night long; the results of a tropical wave. Tracy's doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day.Dad arrived safely this morning from his trip to DC. He enjoyed his visit with Tiffany and the gang. They all had a good dinner at the Chart House in Old Town, Alexandria. Felicia, Tracy's P.A. and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tracy had an appointment with Dr. Lochner at 10:15 AM to get her Baclofen pump refilled. She is doing well with the lower dose of Baclofen so Dr. Lochner decided to keep her dosages at the same rate with the total dose at 1167 micrograms per day. This afternoon, Tracy had Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU this afternoon at 4 PM. She was awake but had some difficulty keeping her head up. Marissa worked with Tracy to help her keep her head in the head rest. She spent some time working with Tracy to turn her head to the right. The goal is for Tracy to strengthen her head control so that she is strong enough to use a switch for communication in the future. Marissa held up a sign with the word YES printed on it with a bright green smiley face. She tried to get Tracy to look at the sign as an alternative to two eye blinks for YES. Tracy did not seem very interested in looking at the YES sign. She seemed to be a little frustrated. Marissa had Tracy look at some of the usual family pictures, Mom, Dad and Tiffany. Then she held up the cute guy photos of Dr. McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy (Patrick Dempsey). Tracy was peeking through half opened eyes. We will continue to work on this. Mom and Tania continued to spend some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tomorrow, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Rubin at Jackson Memorial Hospital to get BoTox injections. She is well overdue for BoTox, her last injections were February 21st at Georgetown with Dr. Pagan. We are looking forward to seeing some results in Tracy's range of motion, especially in her hands and wrists. Next Monday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Li, a neurologist in Jupiter, to assess Tracy's vertigo. Please say a prayer that this vertigo is resolved, because it really is uncomfortable for Tracy when she experiences it. We think it feels like she is falling when she experiences this sensation. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about allowing others to BE. It is hard sometimes to allow others to be who they are, especially if we feel we know what's best for them and we see them making choices we wouldn't make. However, if we are to be respectful and truly loving, we have to let people go, trusting that they will find their own way in their own time and understanding that it is their life to live. Just reminding yourself that the only life you have to live is your own is the first step to letting go. Lesson of the Day: Allowing Others To Be: Controlling Behavior!

Wednesday July 12th, 2006: Tracy had the best night's sleep last night. Mom and Dad slept well too. Finally! Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splint for four hours. Tracy's doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Dad flew to New York for a meeting with American Airlines. He made a pit stop in DC for business and is spending this evening with Tiffany, Rick, Kathryn Jean, Vanessa, Sasha and Emil. They plan to have dinner at the Chart House in Old Town Alexandria! Felicia, Tracy's P.A. and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tracy has a quiet day today. Felicia spent some time clipping Tracy's fingernails. We file them every week, but they just keep on growing and growing. Mom wishes her nails would grow that fast! The good news is that it shows Tracy is in excellent nutritional health.. This morning, Tracy snoozed off and on in her chair, after her manicure. Mom went to the pool to swim her 50 laps! She figured out a way to say the rosary while she swims: one Hail Mary per length of the pool. Based on this equation, she should be able to say two rosaries! She must be miscounting somewhere! Before too long, she should have a Novena in the works! This afternoon, Mom and Tania went grocery shopping at Publix in Palm Beach for essentials. Tracy stayed with Felicia and rested. This evening, Mom and Tania spent some time getting organized. They are working on getting all of Tracy's therapy, daily routines, and supply inventories standardized. Mom is in heaven! She loves getting things organized! This will be especially timely in preparation for a move to a house whenever that happens! Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Lochner to get her Baclofen pump refilled this Thursday before her Speech Therapy session at FAU. This Friday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Rubin at Jackson Memorial Hospital to get BoTox injections. She is well overdue for BoTox, her last injections were February 21st at Georgetown with Dr. Pagan. We are looking forward to seeing some results in Tracy's range of motion, especially in her hands and wrists. Next Monday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Li, a neurologist in Jupiter, to assess Tracy's vertigo. Please say a prayer that this vertigo is resolved, because it really is uncomfortable for Tracy when she experiences it. We think it feels like she is falling when she experiences this sensation. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany and Rick, Sasha, Kathryn Jean, Vanessa and Emil are having dinner with Dad at the Chart House in Old Town Alexandria this evening. Mom, Tania and Tracy wish they were there to spend the evening with them! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about meeting our own expectations. Just because you are devoted to following a spiritual path, attaining inner peace, or living a specific ideology doesn't mean you should expect to achieve perfection. When you approach your personal evolution mindfully, you can experience intense emotions such as anger without feeling that you have somehow failed. Simply by being aware of what you are experiencing and recognizing that your feelings are temporary, you have begun taking the necessary steps to regaining your internal balance. Accepting that difficult situations will arise from time to time and treating your reaction to them as if they are passing events rather than a part of who you are can help you move past them. Practicing this form of acceptance and paying attention to your reactions in order to learn from them will make it easier for you to return to your center more quickly in the future. Lesson of the Day: Meeting Our Own Expectations: Doing The Best You Can!

Tuesday, July 11th, 2006: Tracy slept well all last night. Mom and Dad slept well too. Finally! Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four and a half hours and her resting hand splints for 8 hours last night. Tracy's doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Felicia, Tracy's P.A. and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tracy has Speech Therapy today at 3:45 PM at FAU's Communications Disorder Clinic. This morning, Tracy snoozed in her chair, resting up for Speech Therapy this afternoon. Mom and Uncle Johnny went for a short bike ride to Point Manalapan and Hypoluxo Island. They managed to dodge the rain showers along the way! This afternoon, Mom and Tania took Tracy to Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU. Because Tracy was awake and wide-eyed, Lisa began the session working on looking at pictures of hot guys! They held up pictures of Nick Lachey, Dr. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) and some model-types from Cosmopolitan! Tracy checked them out, but did not seemed too fazed by the hotties! Then, Lisa worked with Tracy on vocalization. She coached Tracy to say "mmmm". Tracy mimicked "mmmm" several times. The next part of the session, Lisa and Marissa worked hard to keep Tracy awake by applying cold therapy, utilizing frozen towels, flavored lip gloss, and a chilled basketball (used to take the ouch out of kids' bruises). Tracy stayed awake long enough to blink twice several times in response to questions about several pictures of Snow (Tracy's dog), Tiffany (Tracy's sister) and Nana Lilly (Tracy's grandmother). Marissa and Lisa talked about Key West, where Tracy lived in middle and high school, and where they visited last weekend. They gave Tracy a pretty shell choker that they bought her in Key West. It is so pretty. A million Thank Yous! This evening, we took the long way home from Boca and FAU for some sightseeing. It was raining! The usual summer afternoon weather pattern. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any "official" therapy so Mom and Tania will work with Tracy on the mat, a repeat of Monday's schedule. Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Lochner to get her Baclofen pump refilled this Thursday before her Speech Therapy session at FAU. This Friday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Rubin at Jackson Memorial Hospital to get BoTox injections. She is well overdue for BoTox, her last injections were February 21st at Georgetown with Dr. Pagan. We are looking forward to seeing some results in Tracy's range of motion, especially in her hands and wrists. Next Monday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Li, a neurologist in Jupiter, to assess Tracy's vertigo. Please say a prayer that this vertigo is resolved, because it really is uncomfortable for Tracy when she experiences it. We think it feels like she is falling when she experiences this sensation. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany and Rick made it safely to NOVA from Texas where they were visiting Rick's family in Alice. Cousin Kathryn Jean is enjoying her stay in NOVA and started her internship at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana this week. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about achieving body balance between the masculine and feminine sides of the body. Intuition, feelings, openness, and unselfishness govern the feminine side of our natures. The masculine side is characterized by logic, facts, systems, and self-interest.
Maintaining harmony between the left side and the right side, the feminine and masculine, is a key to wholeness. We can foster awareness of our own relative state of balance by tuning in to our bodies. Just noticing an imbalance is the beginning of healing it. Some imbalances may be long-standing, and it may take time to bring your system into equilibrium. Remember to be gentle with yourself and listen to your body. Over time, doing this can guide you to a dynamic state of inner and outer balance.

Lesson of the Day: Body Balance: Masculine and Feminine Sides of the Body!

Monday, July 10th, 2006: Tracy was awake from 3 to 5:30 AM. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four and a half hours and Dad gave her a break from her resting hand splints. Tracy's doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tracy did not have any "official" therapy today, so Mom and Tania came up with a plan. First, Tracy had a Spa Day! Mom gave her a facial and then Tania did her eyebrows. Tracy is very patient and loves her Spa Days. This afternoon, Mom swam her 50 laps (1 mile) while the sun was shining. The summer weather pattern is thunder showers, mostly in the afternoon and early evenings. After Mom's swim, she and Tania worked with Tracy's oral motor skills. Mom put the facial massager in Tracy's right hand and had her massage her lips and cheeks with it. Then Mom and Tania gave Tracy some Ben and Jerry's coffee ice cream. She moved her tongue and swallowed. She seemed to like it. Mom just gave her a few teaspoons to get her used to it. This afternoon, Tania and Mom got Tracy on the mat on the balcony under the awning for some intensive range of motion exercises. Tracy's tone is much better since Dr. Lochner reduced her Baclofen. Mom and Tania helped Tracy hug her knees with her arms so she could bring her knees to her chest in a stretch. Tracy turned her head to the right and left on command and then Mom helped her look at her knees. After her stretching session, Mom and Tania got Tracy on the peanut ball in a straddle position. She was able to get her legs around the ball and also put her feet down on the mat. Then, Mom got the smaller ball and stretched Tracy's arms around the ball. She was very relaxed and it was very easy to get her arms around the ball. Tracy did a good job sitting on the peanut ball with her arms stretched around the smaller ball for thirty minutes. She was able to hold her head up for 3 to 5 seconds and was really trying to hold her head up. She even picked up her head on her own several times! After Tracy's therapy, Mom and Tania took Tracy for a walk in her jogger. They headed to Lake Worth public beach. Tracy really likes her walks and relaxed a lot in the jogger. We got rained on a little on the return trip, but it felt good. Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy at FAU with Marissa and Lisa at 4 PM. Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Lochner to get her Baclofen pump refilled this Thursday before her Speech Therapy session at FAU. This Friday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Rubin at Jackson Memorial Hospital to get BoTox injections. She is well overdue for BoTox, her last injections were February 21st at Georgetown with Dr. Pagan. We are looking forward to seeing some results in Tracy's range of motion, especially in her hands and wrists. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany and Rick are on their way back to NOVA from Texas where they were visiting Rick's family in Alice. Cousin Kathryn Jean is enjoying her stay in NOVA and starts her internship at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana Monday. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about creating a network of support and knowing when to delegate. When you seek out and accept help, you give yourself the dual gifts of time and energy. Finding the courage to admit that you need assistance and to ask for it, however, can be difficult. Before you can comfortably do so, you may have to recognize that no one is capable of doing everything themselves and that delegation does not mean giving up control. As you create a support network, you'll discover that each task you delegate to another reduces the pressure you're under and frees you to devote more of your attention to that which is truly important to you. Lesson of the Day: Network Of Support: Delegating!

Sunday, July 9th, 2006: Tracy slept pretty well last night aside from an hour when she was awake from 4 to 5 AM. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four and a half hours and her resting hand splints for 8 hours. Tracy's doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Wilmene showered Tracy and got her ready for 12 noon Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Lighthouse Point. Tania had the day off and spent it with family in Cape Coral. Her mom and step dad are visiting from NYC this week. Mass was nice and it was fun to see what the Lighthouse Point community is like on a Sunday at 12 noon Mass. After Mass, Mom, Dad, Wilmene and Tracy headed to Starbucks on Hillsboro and Federal for lattes and scones. They were all out of scones but the lattes were really good! When we returned home to Palm Beach, it was time to catch up on some paperwork and the usual chores. Tracy rested for a while and then it was time to watch Italy vs France for the World Cup! How exciting it was to see Italy beat France in overtime. We are certain that all of our Italian friends must be celebrating tonight. Once the soccer game was over, Mom watched Stage 8 of the Tour de France for the second time today! It is just not as exciting this year without Lance leading Team Discovery. To make matters worse, the other GC leaders and top contenders for the maillot jeune (yellow jersey) are out of the race on doping allegations (Iban Basso, Juan Ulrich, etc.) So sad! Too bad! This afternoon, Mom rode her Spin bike on the balcony for an hour. It was hot and humid up there with a slight breeze. The sun had gone in behind the clouds! Thank goodness! This evening, Mom, Dad, and Tracy joined Nana and Uncle Johnny at Red Lobster for dinner. Cousin Guy had given everyone gift cards for last Christmas and so they had dinner on him! It was really good! Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any official therapy so Mom and Tania will do their own on the mat on the balcony under the awning. We hope the weather cooperates. Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Lochner to get her Baclofen pump refilled this Thursday before her Speech Therapy session at FAU. This Friday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Rubin at Jackson Memorial Hospital to get BoTox injections. She is well overdue for BoTox, her last injections were February 21st at Georgetown with Dr. Pagan. We are looking forward to seeing some results in Tracy's range of motion, especially in her hands and wrists. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany and Rick are visiting Rick's family in Corpus Christi, Texas. They return to NOVA Monday evening. Cousin Kathryn Jean is enjoying her stay in NOVA and starts her internship at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana Monday. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about achieving personal harmony through Balance. With its many nuances, balance can be a difficult concept to integrate into your life. Living a balanced existence, however, can help you attain a greater sense of happiness, health, and fulfillment. Lesson of the Day: Personal Harmony: Balance!

Saturday, July 8th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep waking up around 4 AM for about an hour. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four and a half hours and her resting hand splints for 8 hours. Tracy's doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Wilmene bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tania had the day off and spent it with family in Cape Coral. Her mom and step dad are visiting from NYC this week. This morning, Wilmene gave Tracy a pedicure and manicure. She does such a good job pampering Tracy. Then she spent some time stretching and ranging Tracy's extremities. Around 2 PM, Mom, Dad, Wilmene and Tracy went for a ride to Ocean Ridge to visit a friend named Stephen who had suffered a similar anoxic injury as Tracy, also in 2003! Everyone had a good visit and spent the afternoon catching up and comparing notes. This evening, Mom and Dad watched Stage 7 of the Tour de France and relaxed. It had been a long time since they chilled out on a Saturday night. Tracy rested in her bed watching television too. She seemed pretty tired after her busy day. Tomorrow, Mom, Dad, Wilmene and Tracy are planning to go to Mass in Lighthouse Point at St Paul the Apostle Church. It may be our parish when we move to Lighthouse Point. We are exploring everything in the area before we move to Lighthouse Point. Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Lochner to get her Baclofen pump refilled this Thursday before her Speech Therapy session at FAU. This Friday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Rubin at Jackson Memorial Hospital to get BoTox injections. She is well overdue for BoTox, her last injections were February 21st at Georgetown with Dr. Pagan. We are looking forward to seeing some results in Tracy's range of motion, especially in her hands and wrists. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany and Rick are visiting Rick's family in Corpus Christi, Texas. They return to NOVA Monday evening. Cousin Kathryn Jean is enjoying her stay in NOVA and starts her internship at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana Monday. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about achieving personal harmony through Balance. With its many nuances, balance can be a difficult concept to integrate into your life. Living a balanced existence, however, can help you attain a greater sense of happiness, health, and fulfillment. Lesson of the Day: Personal Harmony: Balance!

Friday, July 7th, 2006: Tracy slept pretty well last night other than being up from 2 AM to 5 AM. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four hours and Dad gave her a break from her resting hand splints. Tracy's doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Tania and Tracy's P.A. showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. She hung out with the girls and watched TV for a while. Mom went to the pool to swim her laps before the afternoon rain storms arrived. She is back up to 50 laps (1 mile)! The next thing is to perfect her flip turns. There are sure a lot of turns in the pool. Tracy stayed awake all day today. This afternoon, Mom went for a walk on the beach with Uncle Johnny that turned into a sprint when the thunderstorm/squall line hit. The wind picked up with lots of thunder and lightning overhead. Sand was blowing horizontally and it was impossible to see a hand in front of you. They ran as fast as they could to the nearest condo to seek shelter until the storm blew over. It was a definite wake up call! While Mom and Uncle Johnny were gone on their adventure, Mom's P.A. and Tania got Tracy on her knees over the peanut ball to bear weight through her hips. She tolerated 45 minutes in this position. After the ball, Tania stretched and ranged Tracy for a second time today, and then performed her facial exercises and massaged Tracy's feet. Tania is really doing a great job working with Tracy. She is already part of the family! We are so blessed to have her as part of Tracy's team. This evening, Tracy hung out on the mat for a while with the girls and watched Grease on TV. Then it was time for Tania to head to her weekend home in Ft. Lauderdale. Her brother Jason came to pick her up around 7 PM. They are both excited because Evelyn, their Mom is coming form NYC to visit for 10 days. Mom, Dad and Tracy can't wait to meet her. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any official therapy. We plan to get her on the mat for some stretching and weight bearing on the balcony, weather permitting. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany and Rick are visiting Rick's family in Corpus Christi, Texas. They arrived safely late last night after a long layover in Dallas due to bad weather. Cousin Kathryn Jean arrived safely in DC last Monday and will start her first week interning at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana this summer. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about Being with uncertainty. Your soul longs to fulfill its purpose-a purpose you agreed to in the timelessness in which you existed before your birth. Because of this, neither you nor the universe will set any circumstance before you that you are not capable of handling. Fear of the future can paralyze you, preventing you from living in the moment and from working toward your goals in a mindful manner. The key to conquering this fear lies in awareness. Lesson of the Day: Being With Uncertainty: Fear Of The Future!

Thursday, July 6th, 2006: Tracy had another great night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splints for four hours.Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Tania and Tracy's P.A. bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. She sat in her chair for a while in the den and watched TV with everyone. I think they were watching Dr. Phil! Tracy was awake all day today. This afternoon, Tracy had Speech Therapy at FAU with Marissa and Lisa. She had a very good session, staying awake and vocalizing several times. During the session, Lisa worked with Tracy's oral motor skills. She had Tracy open and close her mouth on command. Tracy did a good job with this exercise, although it is still inconsistent. Lisa coached Tracy to put her lips together and say "MMMMM". Tracy was trying really hard to do this, and is so close. Lisa had a big, bright, soft flower on which she tried to get Tracy to focus. Tracy did not really seem interested in looking at the flower. Mom and Tania suggested that they get a picture of a cute guy to show Tracy. We are sure that she will focus on that! This evenng, Tania and Mom took Tracy for a walk in her jogger. They walked about three miles roundtrip to Ibis Isles. The weather started looking bad, with lots of thunderstorms moving in from the south. It started to sprinkle a little on their return. The rain felt good as they sprinted back to the condo! Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any official therapy. We plan to get her on the mat for some stretching and weight bearing on the balcony, weather permitting. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany and Rick are visiting Rick's family in Corpus Christi, Texas. They arrived safely late last night after a long layover in Dallas due to bad weather. Cousin Kathryn Jean arrived safely in DC last Monday and completed her first week interning at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana this summer. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about Being with uncertainty. Your soul longs to fulfill its purpose-a purpose you agreed to in the timelessness in which you existed before your birth. Because of this, neither you nor the universe will set any circumstance before you that you are not capable of handling. Fear of the future can paralyze you, preventing you from living in the moment and from working toward your goals in a mindful manner. The key to conquering this fear lies in awareness. Lesson of the Day: Being With Uncertainty: Fear Of The Future!

Wednesday, July 5th, 2006: Tracy slept better last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four hours and her resting hand splints for eight hours last night. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Tania and Tracy's P.A. showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. She sat in her chair for a while and then Mom had to take Tania to get her Florida Driver's License at the DMV in Lantana. Tracy's P.A. stayed with Tracy while she rested in her bed. She was pretty sleepy today and took some time to catch up on her sleep. When Mom and Tania returned, they got her on the therapy mat on the balcony under the awning. It was a beautriful, warm, muggy day with a nice cool breeze. They got Tracy on the mat on her knees over the peanut ball. It had been several weeks since Tracy was weight bearing on her knees. This is such a good way for Tracy to weight bear through her hips. Tracy tolerated 40 minutes in this position. Then Mom and Tania positioned her supine (on her back) on the mat and Tania stretched and ranged her extremities. Tracy really seemed to relax and enjoy being out in the sunshine. This evenng, Dad stayed with Tracy while Mom and Tania took a swim in the pool. The water was a perfect temperature. Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy at 3:45 PM at FAU with Marissa and Lisa. Mom and Tania plan to get Tracy on the mat again around 10:30 AM before they leave for Speech Therapy. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She and Rick have been enjoying playing kickball every Tuesday on the National Mall. Cousin Kathryn Jean arrived safely in DC. She is interning at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana this summer. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about Bowing as a form of greeting or prayer. Bowing is a universal gesture of respect and reverence. In many cultures, it is the predominant form of social greeting, and most religions incorporate it into their rituals of worship. Bowing can also be a turning in toward our own divinity when we bow our heads in prayer, contemplation, or meditation. Lesson of the Day: Greeting The Divine: Bowing!

Tuesday, July 4th, 2006: Happy Fourth of July! Tracy was up again around 2:30 AM last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splints for four hours last night. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. While they were getting Tracy ready, they listened to the Earth, Wind, and Fire and Chicago Live at the Greek DVD concert. Tracy sure does love music. I am not so sure she loves listening to Mom and Tania singing to the songs! She made some pretty funny faces at them while they were singing! Tracy seemed a little sleepy and we let her rest in her bed for awhile this morning. Then, Mom and Uncle Johnny went for a two hour bike ride to the North end of the island. It was really hot and muggy. When they returned, everyone had arrived for the 4th of July barbecue. Tim, Aunt Diane's friend, had prepared all the food and entertainment. His friend, CB, who does Elvis impersonations, brought his sound system and Karioke machine. Tim sang Frank Sinatra and CB sang Elvis! It was a lot of fun. Marissa and Lisa, Tracy's Speech Therapy master's students, joined us for the party. Katherine, Mom's good friend from Naples who lives in Boca Raton now also came along with other friends. We were able to get Tracy into the pool with everyone and she seemed to relax and enjoy it. The weather held out and was really nice. Everyone had a great time! Everyone had a ring side seat on the balcony where they watched the fireworks. They were really pretty and continued for 33 minutes. We could see fireworks from all of the surrounding communities. It was so pretty with the reflections on the water! We even saw a falling star! It reminded Mom and Dad of the fireworkson the bay of Naples! Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any formal therapy or appointments. Tania and Tracy P.A. are planning to get Tracy on the mat out on the balcony for stretching exercises and therapy. Mom has an appointment in the afternoon in Lighthouse Point. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She has been real busy working with the recent flood victims in Maryland and surrounding areas. She and Rick have been enjoying playing kickball every Tuesday on the National Mall. Cousin Kathryn Jean arrived safely in DC. She is interning at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana this summer. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about when fate brings old friends back into our lives, there is always a reason. They may act as messengers, reminding us of a part of ourselves we have forgotten to nurture. They might appear to give us a chance to react in a new way to an old situation. They may even bring up unresolved issues so that we may complete them, giving us the chance to move forward on our life path. Wherever you fall in the circle of connection and reconnection, be sure to look beyond the surprise of the moment to enjoy the deeper gift that this revelation brings. Lesson of the Day: Back In Play: Reconnecting With Friends!

Monday, July 3rd, 2006: Tracy was up from 2:30 AM to 5:30 AM. last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splints for three and a half hours last night. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her stretching and range of motion exercises, Tracy rested well in the bed. Then Melanie came over to give Tracy a Cranial Sacral Therapy session. Tracy really loves her sessions with Melanie. She relaxed right away and had some good vocalizations. She showed a lot of emotion and even cried a little. Melanie asked Tracy a few questions and she responded appropriately with head shakes for No and also nodded several times for Yes. We decided to not have her session in the pool today, since she was on antibiotics. Dad received the lab results from Tracy's tests and everything was normal. That's good news! It looks like she doesn't have a UTI after all. This afternoon, Mom and Tania took Tracy in the van to Lighthouse Point to look at another house. They met Uncle Johnny, Nana and Chip there. The house hunting is going well. We are all learning patience. This evening, Emily came over to work with Tracy's oral motor skills. Tracy was very alert and awake during her session, moving her tongue with tactile stimulation. She even got her tongue up to the roof of her mouth several times. Emily is going to explore some tastey thickened drinks for Tracy to try. After Speech Therapy, Mom, Dad, Uncle Johnny, Nana, Tania and Tracy went to the Living Room at the Four Seasons for a light dinner. It is such a nice place to go for dinner because we can walk across the street to the restaurant. Everyone had a good time. During our meal, Tracy laughed several times. She has been laughing alot! Tomorrow we are having a little cookout to celebrate Independence Day! We hope the weather continues to be nice. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She has been real busy working with the recent flood victims in Maryland and surrounding areas. She and Rick have been enjoying playing kickball every Tuesday on the National Mall. Cousin Kathryn Jean arrived safely in DC. She is interning at the Capital with Senator Landrieu from Louisiana this summer. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about breaking negative family cycles that perpetuate over generations. Many people are on the earth at this time to break family cycles, for all of you are true pioneers. In breaking negative family cycles, you will discover that your ability to express your feelings and needs grows exponentially and that you will embark upon a journey toward greater well-being that can positively impact generations to come. Lesson of the Day: Evolving Generations: Breaking Family Cycles!

Sunday, July 2nd, 2006: Tracy was up most of the night grinding her teeth. She really seemed to be having a lot of discomfort. Dad gave her two Extra Strength Tylenol which seemed to give her some relief, however she still continued grinding. Around 5 AM, Dad gave Tracy two Pyridium tablets to help relieve her bladder spasms. She finally fell asleep around 7:30 AM. slept. When Wilmene came at 9 AM we decided to let Tracy sleep a little longer. Around 9:30 AM, Mom and Wilmene gave Tracy a bath and got her ready for 12 noon Mass. It was storming again with heavy winds and rain. We arrived at St. Edwards Church a little late (we made it before the priest finished reading the Gospel. Good thing it was a very long reading!). After Mass, Mom, Dad, Tracy and Wilmene stopped off at Starbucks in West Palm Beach to get scones and lattes. When we returned home, Nana and Aunt Diane were there. It was not a day for the pool so everyone hung out on the balcony and also in the den watching the Tour de France. It is not as exciting without Lance Armstrong competing for the maillot jeune. Mom is rooting for George Hincapie! Go Discovery Team. This evening, Mom gave Tracy a facial on the balcony while Diane's friend Tim trimmed Tracy's hair. It looks really pretty! Dad made his specialty: blackened tilapia and salmon with black beans and yellow rice, corn on the cob and sweet potatoes. It was really good. Tomorrow, Tracy has Cranial Sacral Therapy with Melanie at 9:30. If she is feeling better and the weather cooperates, we are thinking about doing the session in the pool. We'll let you know how that goes. Tomorrow evening, Emily, Tracy's Speech Therapist, is coming to work on swallowing with Tracy. We are looking forward to seeing her. Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She has been real busy working with the recent flood victims in Maryland and surrounding areas. She and Rick have been enjoying playing kickball every Tuesday on the National Mall. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about how looking at yourself through your perception of others can be a humbling and eye-opening experience. You can also cultivate in you the traits and behaviors that you do like. Be loving and respectful to all people, and you will attract individuals that will love and respect you back. Nurture compassion and empathy and let the goodness you see in others be your mirror.Lesson of the Day: Reflections of Self: We Are All Mirrors Of Each Other!

Saturday, July 1st, 2006: Tracy slept through the night for the first time in a long time. Hopefully the antibiotic is working. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her night resting hand splints for four hours. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Wilmene showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her stretching and range of motion exercises, Tracy rested well in the bed. Mom and Dad went to Delray Beach to have brunch together. It had been a while since they did lunch together. It was a hot and humid day with isolated showers. They sat outside along the intracoastal waterway and watched the boats go by. It was a lot of fun! When they returned, they got Tracy in her chair and headed to Lighthouse Point to do some more house hunting. There saw several that they liked. When they returned to Palm Beach, Mom and Dad had a quiet dinner on the balcony. Tracy was pretty sleepy, so they let her relax in her bed. Hopefully, she will have a restful night. Mom and Tania are busy looking for alternative therapy programs such as the Dolphin Care Program in Islamorada and exciting field trips to take Tracy on until therapeutic horseback riding resumes in the fall. The theme of the outings is FUN! Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She has been real busy working with the recent flood victims in Maryland and surrounding areas. She and Rick have been enjoying playing kickball every Tuesday on the National Mall. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about how looking at yourself through your perception of others can be a humbling and eye-opening experience. You can also cultivate in you the traits and behaviors that you do like. Be loving and respectful to all people, and you will attract individuals that will love and respect you back. Nurture compassion and empathy and let the goodness you see in others be your mirror. Lesson of the Day: Reflections of Self: We Are All Mirrors Of Each Other!