Friday, June 30th, 2006: Tracy was up from 1:00 AM until 3:30 AM. Mom is beginning to think she has a UTI. She gave her some more Pyridium to help with bladder spasms. She called Dr. Lochner who ordered a urinalysis and a culture and sensitivity. We will let you know how that goes. He also ordered some Levoquin (antibiotic). This seemed to help because her low grade fever subsided this evening and she rested better than I have seen her in quite some time. On a positive note, Tracy seems looser with the Baclofen dosage reduction. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for two and a half hours and her night resting hand splints for thee hours. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Tracy's P.A. and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her stretching and range of motion exercises, they got Tracy in her chair and brought her out on the balcony. Mom finished up pruning the flowers on the balcony. Tracy still seemed under the weather most of the day, so Mom and Tracy's P.A. let her rest in her bed and gave her a break from therapy. The visiting nurse, Anne, from First Call Nursing Services came to get the specimen and brought it to the lab. Dad picked up her anitbiotic on the way home from work. This evening, Melanie came to give Tracy a Cranial Sacral session. Tracy was taking some deep breaths on command and also vocalized some. She really likes her CST sessions. Melanie gave Dad a massage too. It was just what the doctor ordered! Mom swam 50 laps (1 mile) in the pool this evening. She is now back on track. 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 is coming from Louisiana to stay with Tiffany for a month. She will be interning for Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana on the Hill. Tiffany is really looking to spending some time with her. 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 many benefits of growing our own food in a small garden or pot. When we grow our food, we participate more fully in nature's cycles and form a closer bond with Mother Earth. Knowing how to grow your own food allows for a sense of freedom and pride that you can feed and provide for yourself, one of the most basic necessities. Lesson of the Day: Conscious Harvest: Growing Our Own Food!

Thursday, June 29th, 2006: Tracy was up from 2:00 AM to 4:30 AM grinding her teeth. We are not sure what is causing her discomfort. Dad gave Tracy some Extra Strength Tylenol and it seemed to help. It may be the reduction in her night time dose of Baclofen. We will continue to observe and make changes where needed. Tracy is definitely looser with the Baclofen dosage reduction and she seems to be awake more during the day. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for three and a half hours and her night resting hand splints for thee hours. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Tracy's P.A. and Tania showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. She hung out on the balcony under the awning for a while this morning while Mom swam 40 laps. She is almost back to where she was before the Louisiana trip earlier this month. This afternoon, Mom had a hair appointment! Whew, she was long overdue. Then around 3 PM, Mom and Tania left for Boca Raton for Tracy's Speech Therapy session at FAU. During Speech, Tracy was a little sleepy. It was a rainy, balmy day, which made everyone sleepy. Tracy did a good job with head control and the current head rest set up seems to be an improvement. Marissa and Lisa put a frozen cold little basketball in Tracy's hand to hold and this seemed to help with her wakefulness. The little basketball is used with kids as an ice pack for bruises. They also used a frozen hand towel to keep Tracy from falling asleep. All of these cold things seem to help! Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She has been extra busy with all of the flooding in Maryland and surrounding areas. She and Rick are enjoying the summer kickball program on the National Mall. Tiffany is the captain of their team. Cousin Kathryn Jean is coming from Louisiana to stay with Tiffany for a month. She will be interning for Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana on the Hill. Tiffany is really looking to spending some time with her. 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 intimate relationships. One of the most beautiful qualities of an intimate relationship is the give and take of energy that occurs between two people. In the best-case scenario, both people share the talking and listening, and the giving and receiving of support, equally. Lesson of the Day: A Question Of Balance : One-Sided Relationships!

Wednesday, June 28th, 2006: Tracy was up several times during the night. Dad thinks she was experiencing bladder spasms, so we gave her some Pyridium. She seemed to rest better after the medication. She also seems looser with the Baclofen dosage reduction. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for three and a half hours and her night resting hand splints for thee hours. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Tracy's P.A. and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her stretching and range of motion exercises, they got Tracy in her chair and brought her out on the balcony where Mom was pruning the flowers. They had grown so much since the last time they were pruned six weeks ago! It looked like the Secret Garden! Mom got half of the balcony pruned before it was time to go to Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center for OT/PT. Today is Tracy's last therapy session. Mom and Tania will be taking over Tracy's therapy program since Medicare will not pay for any more sessions under their stringent criteria. Mom is OK with this, since she is ready to start exploring the local museums and zoos. This morning, Tracy's P.A. worked with Tracy's oral motor skills and swallowing therapy. Tracy managed to swallow a total of 18 ccs of Nectar consistency Hydrolyte via syringe. She did not cough or aspirate any of the juice. She did a good job swallowing and managing the Hydrolyte. Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy with Lisa and Marissa at FAU at 3:45 PM. This will be her only formal therapy. Mom is looking for another therapeutic horseback riding program that is open for lessons during the summer months. With the mounting heat and humidity in south Florida, there are limited programs that ride during the summer months. We'll keep you posted. Thank you cousin Virginia for the adorable t-shirt that you sent Tracy from the Kentucky Derby. Maybe Tracy will wear it to her therapeutic horseback riding lessons. Thank you Ruth from Vinceremos for the cute key chains with the pictures of Jamie and Freckles, the two horses that Tracy has ridden. We will use them during her Speech Therapy sessions at FAU. Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She stays busy as the captain of her Kickball team. 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 celebrating what is: enjoying your age. Each decade brings a special perspective of our lives and the wisdom we accrue over time through a myriad of wonderful and varied experiences. Lesson of the Day: Appreciating What Is : Enjoying Your Age!

Tuesday, June 27th, 2006: Tracy slept well last night, except for waking briefly at around 2:30 AM. She fell back to sleep after an Extra Strength Tylenol. Tracy wear her dynasplint for about 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. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for Speech Therapy at FAU at 4 PM. Tracy's P.A. braided her hair in little braids and Tracy seemed to snooze through most of the morning. It was another rainy day, with strong winds and torrential downpours. During Speech Therapy, Tracy was a little sleepy but she managed to stay awake. It was hard to tell if Tracy was blinking Yes to the various questions that Marissa asked her. She did pay attention to several things going on around her. She looked at the coffee maker again which was on the table to her left. She did a good job turning her head several times on her own. The new head rest that Dad put back on Tracy's chair really seemed to make a difference in Tracy's head control. Tracy did not have therapeutic horseback riding this evening due to the bad weather. Next Tuesday is July 4th and there will be no therapeutic horseback riding as well. Ruth, Tracy's therapeutic horseback riding therapist is taking 6 weeks off and so Tracy will not have lessons until the Fall. Mom is going to explore other riding programs to see if she can get Tracy in for the summer. Tomorrow, Tracy has OT/PT at Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center in Delray Beach at 3 PM. Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about making small changes in our lives to affect a larger part of who we are. The key to making changes that work is to accept the necessity of change as part of life. As we change, we may find it necessary to fine-tune our relationships, work, and living situations. Our lives are living, breathing entities that reflect our dynamic selves. Lesson of the Day: Steps To Freedom: Change That Isn't Working!

Monday, June 25th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She seems looser with the Baclofen dosage reduction. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her night resting hand splints for four and a half hours. 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. After her stretching and range of motion exercises, Anne, the director of nursing from First Call assessed Tracy's needs to complete her care plan. When she was finished with her assessment, it was time to leave for Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center in Delray Beach. Tracy had a 3 PM appointment with Lisa and Karina for OT and PT. Tracy was much looser this afternoon during her therapy session. After Karina stretched and ranged Tracy's hand and arms and Lisa stretched and ranged Tracy's feet, ankles and legs, they sat her up on the edge of the mat and worked with head and trunk control. They used a medium size therapy ball and put it in Tracy's lap. This was the first time that Karina was able to stretch Tracy's arms around the ball. Then they worked with lateral and forward and aft rocking to help with Tracy's balance. Tracy did a good job tolerating the different positions. She still needs to improve her head control. After therapy, Mom, Tania and Tracy met Dad, Uncle Johnny, Nana, and the realtor to look at three houses that they saw last weekend. They are still trying to find the house that meets all of Tracy's needs. This is not easy but Mom knows there is the perfect house out there somewhere. It rained really hard throughout most of the afternoon and into the evening.Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy with Lisa and Marissa at FAU at 4 PM. Then she is supposed to have therapeutic horseback riding if the weather cooperates. Thank you cousin Virginia for the adorable t-shirt that you sent Tracy from the Kentucky Derby. Maybe Tracy will wear it to her therapeutic horseback riding lessons. Thank you Ruth from Vinceremos for the cute key chains with the pictures of Jamie and Freckles, the two horses that Tracy has ridden. We will use them during her Speech Therapy sessions at FAU. Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She stays busy as the captain of her Kickball team. She and Rick went to see the Dave Matthews Band in Northern Virginia this evening. Tiffany said that it stormed during the concert. Good thing they had pavillion seats and not lawn tickets! 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. We define ourselves in terms of the roles we adopt, our actions and inactions, our triumphs, and what we think are failures. As a result it is easy to identify so strongly with a decision that has resulted in unexpected negative consequences that we actually become that "wrong" decision. A perceived mistake becomes a valuable learning experience and is, in essence, a gift to learn and grow from. You are not a bad person and you are not your decisions; you are simply human. Lesson of the Day: You Are Who You Are, Not What You Do: Becoming Your Wrong Decisions!

Sunday, June 25th, 2006: Tracy was awake from 2 AM to 5 AM. We are not sure what was keeping her up. It was the strangest thing... she was grinding one minute and laughing hysterically the next. In fact, she laughed off and on for most of the three hours that she was up. Mom spent some time laughing as well. They sounded like dueling laughers all night long. Dad was about to jump off the balcony. Mom was grateful that Tracy was laughing. We'll see how Sunday night goes. Tracy did manager to wear her dynasplint for about four hours and her resting hand splints for five hours last night. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. This morning, Mom and Wilmene gave Tracy a shower and got her ready for Mass at noon. It was a rainy Sunday morning, with strong winds and torrential downpours. Everyone got to Mass a few minutes late, but in time for the Gospel. The sermon was very fitting: the story of Job! When Mass was over, Mom, Dad, Tracy and Wilmene stopped at Starbucks in West Palm Beach for lattes and scones. It was the first scone that they had since they moved to Florida almost four months ago! Next, Dad drove everyone to Lighthouse Point to look at some more houses. Dad and Mom showed Wilmene and Tracy some of the houses that they have been looking at. Then they stopped off at cousins Chip and Eileen's house to say HI. Chip gave Tracy an American flag that was flown over the capital in early June. We will hang it in front of our new house when we find it! It will be just for Tracy! 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. Tomorrow, the nurse from First Call will visit Tracy for an assessment. Then at 2 PM, Mom, Tania and Tracy will leave for Pinecrest for OT/PT at 3 PM. After therapy, Mom, Tania and Tracy will meet the realtor, Uncle Johnny, Nana, Dad and Chip to look at some more houses in Lighthouse Point. We'll let you know how that goes. Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about the precious gift of friendship. Good friends enrich our lives in so many ways. Through a magical combination of similarities and differences, friends offer us the opportunity to know ourselves as we are and help us grow into who we want to be. Lesson of the Day: Gifts We Give Ourselves: Friends!

Saturday, June 24th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint for five hours and her resting hand splints for eight hours. Tracy is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Wilmene, Tracy's P.A., bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then it was time for stretching and range of motion exercises. Tania has the weekend off. Dad spent the morning getting the van serviced and washed and getting some errands done. This afternoon, Mom and Dad had an appointment with the realtor to look at some more houses in Lighthouse Point. They left around 2 PM and spent several hours looking at some really nice houses. Around 5:30 PM, they all met at a really nice Greek restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale for an early dinner. It was the first time that Mom and Dad met Susan, Henrik's wife. Everyone had a great dinner and a really nice time. Tracy spent the afternoon and evening with Wilmene. They watched television together and Tracy seemed to relax in her bed. She had such a busy week, she was due for a laid back day! We are still waiting to see how Tracy tolerates the reduction in her Baclofen dosage. Wilmene said that Tracy had a few episodes of teeth grinding this evening. We hope she has a restful night. Thank you cousin Virginia for the adorable t-shirt that you sent Tracy from the Kentucky Derby. Maybe Tracy will wear it to her therapeutic horseback riding lessons. Thank you Ruth from Vinceremos for the cute key chains with the pictures of Jamie and Freckles, the two horses that Tracy has ridden. We will use them during her Speech Therapy sessions at FAU. Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She stays busy as the captain of her Kickball team. She and Rick went to see the Dave Matthews Band at the Nissan Pavillion in Northern Virginia this evening. Tiffany said that it stormed during the concert. Good thing they had pavillion seats and not lawn tickets! Tomorrow, Mom, Dad, Wilmene, and Tracy plan to go to the noon Mass at St. Edwards Church in Palm Beach. Then they will ride to Lighthouse Point to look at some more houses. They will most likely stop off at Starbucks for lattes on the way to Lighthouse Point. Tomorrow evening, Tania, Jason, Mark, Marissa and Lisa are coming over for dinner. If the weather clears up, they plan to hang out by the pool. Let's hope the sun comes out tomorrow (as the song goes!) 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 is about the power behind us, the many people who support us through our daily trials and tribulations.As we take the time to acknowledge everyone that has every supported us, we can't help but feel grateful. Understanding our place in our human support system helps us see that just as there are people that support us, we are a supporter to many people. By gratefully accepting the expertise and assistance of our supporters, we can consciously and more easily build a life that we love. Lesson of the Day: The Power Behind Us: People That Support Us!

Friday, June 23rd, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. Tracy wore her dynasplint for five hours. She was too tight to wear her resting hand splints. She is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day. Mom and Tania showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for another busy day! Tracy had Speech/Swallowing Therapy with Emily at noon at home. She was awake for the first half hour and then got sleepy for the second. Emily worked on Tracy's oral motor skills, especially focusing on strengthening Tracy's tongue so that she can lift it to the roof of her mouth. This is so important for speech, eating and swallowing. We will continue to work on this. Emily did not try to give Tracy any nectar consistency Hydrolyte (lemon water) because she seemed too sleepy. Tracy had OT/PT at Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center at 2 PM today with Lisa and Karina. They worked on the same goals, balance, sitting and stretching to increase Tracy's range of motion. Lisa, Tracy's PT demonstrated to Mom and Tania how to apply Tracy's dynasplint correctly to her right leg to help stretch her hamstring. Then Karina, Tracy's OT, adjusted Tracy night resting hand splints to a more neutral and functional position. These splints are over two years old and in need of replacement. Mom contacted Mark Selleck, Tracy's orthotist to see if a dynasplint is made for the wrist and hand. He is planning to contact the Empi company to see if one is made. When we returned home, Melanie came to give Tracy a Cranial Sacral Massage. Tracy was well overdue. She relaxed and even dozed off a little, periodically vocalizing, yawning and even sneezing. She really seems to enjoy her Cranial Sacral Therapy sessions with Melanie. It is the one thing that empowers Tracy to be Tracy and does not put unrealistic expectations or pressure on her to perform. We love Melanie! When Tracy's session was over, Melanie worked on Mom. Mom was also well overdue and Melanie was just what the doctor ordered. She told Mom that she needs to spend more time stretching! Thank you cousin Virginia for the adorable t-shirt that you sent Tracy from the Kentucky Derby. Maybe Tracy will wear it to her therapeutic horseback riding lessons. Thank you Ruth from Vinceremos for the cute key chains with the pictures of Jamie and Freckles, the two horses that Tracy has ridden. We will use them during her Speech Therapy sessions at FAU. Tiffany is busy with her job at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She stays busy as the captain of her Kickball team. 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 could not come at a more perfect time for MOM! She feels like she has not had any time for Self this week and that her Life Force has been majorly depleted. It's easy to lose track of our own needs as we give ourselves to the people, pets, and places we love. However, it is essential to their well-being that we take care of ourselves, filling our own wells with water so that we have something to offer when we return home each day. Lesson of the Day: Complementing Energies: Balancing Self With Family Life!

Thursday, June 22nd, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep last night. Tracy wore her dynasplint for five hours and her resting hand splints for eight hours! She 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 her very LONG and busy day! Tracy had an 11:30 AM appointment with Dr. Lochner to get her pump adjusted. We are working on reducing her daily Baclofen dosage as well as the various boluses Tracy gets at 7 AM, 12:30 PM, and 9:30 PM. We are finding that these boluses are knocking Tracy out during the day and interfering with her therapy sessions. We hope Tracy does not get too tight from the reduction of Baclofen. We'll keep you posted. After her appointment, Mom, Tracy and Tania went grocery shopping at Publix in Palm Beach. It took them two and a half hours to do the shopping. It was a long time since we went food shopping since we were away for most of June and were out of everything. We stopped at home just long enough to put away the perishable items and then were off to Speech Therapy at FAU! Marissa and Lisa were ready for Tracy with some more creative ideas. They perked the coffee again and spent some time asking Tracy to look at the coffee on her left. She looked at the coffee with no assistance, only verbal cues! They spent the majority of the session asking Tracy Yes questions to establish a more deliberate eye blink. They also worked with Tracy's head shakes for more reliable No responses. They had her looking left to the coffee and right to the music they played. Dad changed Tracy's head rest and this seemed to work better than the previous one. After Speech Therapy, Mom, Tania and Tracy stopped at the Town Center Mall to pick up some Clinique! It was Bonus Week, so they were doubly excited. They hung out for a while to let the traffic clear on I-95 and then headed home. What a long day! Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech/Swallowing Therapy with Emily at home and then PT/OT at Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center at 2 PM. Melanie is coming to give Tracy a Cranial Sacral Session around 5:30 PM. Mom is going to get one too! Tiffany is busy with her job at Red Cross National Headquarters in DC. She stays busy as the captain of her Kickball team. 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 giving permission to simply be. Remember, there is nothing inherently wrong with spending a day, a week, or even a month simply existing and not having a plan. Just be. It won't be long before you embark upon your next voyage of growth and discovery. Lesson of the Day: Permission To Simply Be: Working Through Transitions!

Wednesday, June 21st, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. Everyone was so tired from such a LONG day that we gave Tracy a break from all of her splinting devices. She is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day! Tracy woke Mom up at around 6 AM LAUGHING! She was really giggling. It was so good to hear her laughing again and to see her beautiful smile. Mom wishes she knew what Tracy was laughing about. She might be having some funny memories! Tania and Mom showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for PT/OT at 3 PM at Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center. Tania is doing a great job as Tracy's assistant and we are all very blessed to have her as our friend and an integral part of Tracy's team! This morning, Tracy hung out in the den with Mom and Tania while they caught up with emails and while Mom updated Tracy's webpage. Then Mom and Tania finished the laundry and it was time to head out to PT/OT at Pinecrest. During PT/OT, Lisa evaluated Tracy's range of motion and commented that she thought that Tracy's tone had increased. She spent a brief period of time stretching and ranging Tracy, and then Karina spent some time stretching and ranging Tracy's upper extremities and hands. She wants Mom to bring in Tracy's resting hand splints so that she can make some adjustments to increase Tracy's functional positioning. Mom will bring them for Tracy's next appointment on Friday at 2 PM. Then Lisa told Mom to bring Tracy's dynasplint on Friday so that she can inservice Mom and Tania on application techiniques. Next, they sat Tracy on the edge of the mat and did some vestibular work with her. They put a small ball in her lap and had her rest her arms on it. This was to simulate therapeutic horseback riding. Tracy was awake and alert and did what she could. Mom thinks she is over going to a clinical setting for rehab and is making plans for students to come to the condo to work with Tracy in OT and PT. She will coordinate getting this in place. After OT/PT, Mom and Tania aborted the original plan to go grocery shopping at Publix and decided to go get pedicures and manicures. Tracy had hers done Monday, so it was Mom and Tania's turn. It was just what the doctor ordered! Tomorrow, Tracy has an 11:30 AM appointment with Dr. Lochner to get her pump adjusted in an effort to reduce her overall Baclofen dosage. Then the plan is to go to Publix to grocery shop. In the afternoon, Tracy has Speech Therapy at 4 PM at FAU with Lisa and Marissa. 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 summer solstice. Today, represents an optimal time to reflect upon the blessings we have received in seasons past and visualize the new bounties we hope to receive in the season just beginning to flourish. Just as the summer solstice is symbolic of agricultural growth, so is it symbolic of personal growth. It is a wonderful time to nurture your potential as you would nurture a tiny seedling and let your creative energy express itself fully. Lesson of the Day: The Sun's Peak: Summer Solstice!

Tuesday, June 21st, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right knee to stretch her hamstring for five hours. She wore her resting hand splints for eight hours last night. She is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day! Tania and Tracy's P.A. gave Tracy a bath and got her ready for her busy day! Tania is doing a great job as Tracy's assistant and we are all very blessed to have her as our friend and an integral part of Tracy's team! This morning, Mom and Uncle Johnny went for a short bike ride. It is great therapy and sure helps to work off stress and clear one's head! The first appointment of the day was to get Tracy's Baclofen pump refilled at Dr. Lochner's office in Palm Beach. We will return on Thursday to readjust her pump in order to reduce her overall Baclofen dose. After her doctor's appointment, Tracy had Speech Therapy at FAU with Marissa and Lisa at 4 PM. They changed her appointment time from 2 PM to 4 PM, because she had been sleepy during previous visits. We think this is related to the Baclofen bolus that Tracy gets at 12:30 PM that is making her sleepy at 2 PM. Tracy was much more awake, alert and participating with Marissa and Lisa at 4 PM! Marissa and Lisa were so proactive to change her appointment time later in the day! They are doing a great job working with Tracy. Tracy even laughed during her Speech session! Lisa and Marissa were really pleased to hear Tracy laught. Tracy was blinking twice for Yes appropriately in response to their questions. She is having a little difficulty with head shakes for No. Mom attributes this to the current head rest and will ask Dad to make some adjustments. It does not allow her to move her head laterally very easily. During Speech Therapy, Marissa perked some coffee for Tracy to smell and hear. Tracy seemed tuned into the smells and also tried to turn her head to look at the coffee several times during her session. Then Marissa put some cappucino flavored lip gloss on Tracy's lips and tried to get her to lick her lips. Tracy moved her tongue and tried real hard to lick her lips. We will keep trying! After Speech, Tracy had therapeutic horseback riding with Ruth and Sarah at Vinceremos in Loxahatchee. Tracy did not have Jamie this time, but had a different horse called Freckles, named after his little spots! He was really cute but a little more feisty than Jamie. Tracy rode for 25 minutes on Freckles and could have ridden longer if it wasn't for Freckles! He seemed to have had enough after 25 minutes! Tracy did a really good job holding her head up and looking all around her. We really are pleased with the therapeutic horseback riding and look forward to it every week. We know Tracy does too! 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. 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 summer solstice. Today, represents an optimal time to reflect upon the blessings we have received in seasons past and visualize the new bounties we hope to receive in the season just beginning to flourish. Just as the summer solstice is symbolic of agricultural growth, so is it symbolic of personal growth. It is a wonderful time to nurture your potential as you would nurture a tiny seedling and let your creative energy express itself fully. Lesson of the Day: The Sun's Peak: Summer Solstice!

Monday, June 19th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She seemed happy to be home after all of her travels over the past three weeks. We let Tracy sleep without any of her splinting devices, her last night of rest before she is back on her nightly routine. This morning, Tracy's P.A. and Mom showered and shanpooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then it was time for a manicure and pedicure. Tracy snoozed through most of the morning in her chair. She has an appointment with Dr. Lochner tomorrow at 1:30 PM, and Mom will discuss adjusting Tracy's Baclofen dosage. It seems to be making Tracy sleepy, especially after she receives her boluses scheduled at 7 AM, 12:30 PM, and 9:30 PM. We will discuss it with her doctor and see what he recommends. This afternoon, Mom and Tania caught up with laundry, unpacking, cleaning, etc. to prepare for Tracy's busy week ahead. Tomorrow she has her Baclofen pump refill at 1:30 PM, Speech Therapy at 4 PM, and therapeutic horseback riding at 6:30 PM at Vinceremos. It will be a very busy day! This afternoon, Mom and Tania caught up with laundry, unpacking, cleaning, etc. to prepare for Tracy's busy week ahead. Tomorrow she has her Baclofen pump refill at 1:30 PM, Speech Therapy at 4 PM, and therapeutic horseback riding at 6:30 PM at Vinceremos. Then, we are planning on going to Pahokee to Uncle Johnny's church to visit the Russian Icon and to say the rosary. It will be a very busy day! This everning, Nana and Uncle Johnny came over to visit and spend the evening with us. Dad, Uncle Johnny, and Mom sent in the pool while Mom and Tracy visited with each other by the pool. Dad baked some delicious fish that one of the nice men in the condo caught several weeks ago. We had it frozen! It was amazing! He made some red beans and rice and everyone had a great dinner. We had fun in Louisiana and enjoyed visiting with everyone. We sure do miss everyone in Independence. It is great to be back home! 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 a single individual can initiate worldwide improvement by emitting conscious frequencies of love, beauty, goodness, and wisdom. A group of people focusing their energy on sending out light to the world can set the stage for positive global transformation. Lesson of the Day: Power In Numbers: Sending Our Collective Light To The World!

Sunday, June 18th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep again last night. Mom gave her another night off from her dynasplint. We plan to get back into her routine wearing her dynasplint at night when we return home from vacation. Tracy wore her resting hand splints for eight hours again last night. Aunt Cheryl, cousin Caroline, and Tania stayed with Tracy while Mom and Dad were in New Orleans at Dad's medical school reunion. This morning, Aunt Cheryl and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the long trip home. Mom and Dad arrived about 10 AM, and did the last minute packing. Aunt Kathy Sue made spaghetti and meat balls for lunch. It was really delicious. She and cousin Elizabeth have been at a cheerleading camp in Panama City, Florida for the past several days. We sure did miss them. After lunch, Dad, Uncle Frank and Papaw opened their Father's Day gifts! Then it was time to head to New Orleans to return the van and board the plane. Tracy laughed all the way to the airport in the van. We are not sure what she was laughing at, but it was really amazing to see her beautiful smile light up her face. Tracy did really well on the flight to Miami. We finally made it home to Palm Beach around 10 AM, just in time to the Miami Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks! Go Shaq and Wade! 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 cooperation. Intellectually, we know that together we can create something greater than what one could do alone, but cooperation still seems to be one of the greatest challenges people face. Lesson of the Day: Acting Together: Cooperation

Saturday, June 17th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep again last night. Mom gave her another night off from her dynasplint. We plan to get back into her routine wearing her dynasplint at night when we return home from vacation. Tracy wore her resting hand splints for eight hours again last night. This morning, Mom and Tania bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then, they spent the rest of the morning packing up for their return trip home Sunday. Dad and Uncle Mike barbequed Italian sausage for lunch. It is amazing how delicious everything tastes in Independence. We are sure going to miss all of the good food when we return to Palm Beach. This afternoon, Dad and Mom drove to New Orleans for the Dad's 25th reunion from LSU Medical School. They were really amazed at how much better New Orleans looked since the last time they were there during Christmas. Many of the stores and restaurants were open for business and there were many tourists in the French Quarter. There was a lot of rebuilding going on and fewer blue roofs! The reunion was really nice and it was fun to catch up with old friends. Dad looked surprisingly young compared to his class mates! Mom did too! Many of them asked about Tracy! Mom and Dad spent the night at the Royal Orleans in New Orleans while Aunt Cheryl, cousin Caroline and Tania took care of Tracy. It was their first time away from Tracy together overnight since her accident! It was just what the doctor ordered! 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 friends, those wonderful companions that walk with us through life, help us define and refine who we are and who we choose to be every day. Through tears and difficulties, friends help us find the laughter. When we find those special people who offer us that perfect combination of comfort and stimulus to grow, we are very fortunate. Lesson of the Day: Gifts We Give Ourselves: Friends!

Friday, June 16th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. Mom gave her a break from her dynasplint and Tracy wore her resting hand splints for eight hours last night. She is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day! Mom and Tania gave Tracy a bath in Mamaw's big tub. She always loved Mamaw's big tub, especially when she was a little girl. Everyone had Sicialian pizza for lunch from Gina's Italian Cafe. It was delicious as always. It is one of Tracy's favorite and we can't wait until she can have some again. This afternoon, Mom, Tania, Tracy and Mamaw took Tania on a tour of Independence and the surrounding area. They ended up at the Hammond Square Mall to shop for Father's Day and to hit the Bath and Body Shop semi-annual sale. It is one of Tracy's favorite stores and she loves all of the lotions and bath gels. Tania was very fascinated with the drive thru daiquiris at Daiquiris and Cream in Hammond! You've got to love New Orleans! This afternoon, Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Mike came over and brought homemade chicken and dumplings for dinner. All the cousins came over and our good friends Lloyd and Baron. It was a lot of fun to visit with everyone. Tracy really seemed to enjoy having her family all around her. This evening, Uncle Mike went to pick up Dad at the New Orleans Airport. It is so good to have him back safely from Italy. We all missed him alot! Tomorrow, Mom and Dad will go to New Orleans for Dad's 25th reunion from LSU Medical School at Pat O'Brien's in the French Quarter. It will be fun to see everyone! The last time Dad and Mom attended a medical school reunion was in 1991. 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 important role of fathers in ones life. Happy timely for Father's Day! Lesson of the Day: Providing Support: Fathers!

Thursday, June 15th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep again last night. Mom gave her another night off from her dynasplint. She can't put it on without Dad's help! Tracy wore her resting hand splints for eight hours again last night. This norning, Jim came over around 10 AM to give Mom and Tania massages before he worked with Tracy in the pool. It was just what the doctor ordered! Their muscles were tied up in a wad! They feel a lot better now! After their massages, the three of them got Tracy in the pool for therapy. She was much tighter today than she was yesterday. We aren't why, but are planning on addressing her Baclofen dosing when we return to Palm Beach. Tracy has an appointment to get her pump refilled on Tuesday, June 20th at 1:30 PM. We will make some adjustments then. Tracy tolerated about an hour and a half in the pool again today. She rested well after her pool therapy on the mat in the living room when she was finished. This evening, Mom and cousin Kathryn Jean plan to run double the distance they ran last evening. Then everyone plans to get together for dinner and to hang out. It is so nice to be surrounded by such a supportive family! We look forward to Dad's arrival from Rome tomorrow evening. Tiffany flies back to D.C. tomorrow evening and will be back at her job at the Red Cross on Monday. We sure enjoyed seeing her over the past two weeks and already miss her! Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about helping others to heal their pain. Helping others can be a restorative experience that makes your own heart grow stronger. In channeling your pain into compassionate service and watching others successfully recover, you may feel a sense of euphoria that leads to increased feelings of self-worth and optimism. Lesson of the Day: Healing With Hurt: Using Your Pain To Help Others!

Wednesday, June 14th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. Mom gave her a break from her dynasplint and Tracy wore her resting hand splints for eight hours last night. She is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day! This morning, Tania stretched and ranged Tracy and then got her in her swim suit for pool therapy with Jim. This afternoon, Jim came over to work with Tracy in the pool. He is Tracy's massage therapist in Louisiana who has been working with Tracy over the past two years during our visits. Mom, Dad and Tracy got in the pool with Jim and assisted him while he stretched and ranged Tracy. The warm pool water helps Tracy relax while Jim works her muscles through their range of motion. Tracy seemed to relax and work with Jim in the pool. She tolerated almost an hour and a half in the pool and then enjoyed some of the Louisiana sunshine! Later in the day, Mom and Tania worked with Tracy's swallowing. They did her facial exercises with her Z-Vibe oral massager and then gave her some nectar consistency Hydrolyte. She did a good job swallowing. Then Mom gave Tracy several small teaspoonsful of vanilla ice cream. She did a good job moving her tongue and mouth and swallowed several times. We plan to practice this more each day. This evening, Mom and cousin Kathryn Jean went for a run around Independence. It was very hot and humid and it felt good to get out there and sweat. When they returned, our good friend Lloyd and his son Baron came over with gumbo, salad, amd fresh garlic bread. It was so good to be with all of the cousins! Aunt Kathy Sue made blueberry cobbler for dessert! Everyone visited and had a good time. Tracy really seemed to enjoy being right in the middle of things. Tomorrow, Mom and Tania have a massage scheduled with Jim and then they plan to get Tracy in the pool for therapy. Please say some extra prayers that the hearing in Florence will go well. Tiffany, Nick and Christine will serve as witnesses on behalf of Tracy. It will be good to bring some closure to all of this, especially after three and a half years! 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 giving the unconditional gift of kindness. The components of kindness are compassion, respect, and generosity. Put simply, kindness is the conscious act of engaging others in a positive way without asking whether those individuals deserve to be treated kindly. All living beings thrive on kindness. Lesson of the Day: An Unconditional Gift: Kindness!

Tuesday, June 13th, 2006: Tracy had a good night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint for five hours and her resting hand splints for eight hours last night. She is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day! This morning, Mom and Tania woke Tracy up and got her dressed at the crack of dawn and they loaded all the suitcases in the van for their trip to Miami International Airport. Dad and Tiffany's flight for JFK left at 11:30 AM and Mom, Tania, and Tracy's flight left at 12:20 PM. Tracy did so well on the flight! She loves to travel! She was awake the entire trip and sat in the seat between Tania and Mom. She listened to her Ipod Mini; some Anastacia and Dave Matthews Band. Oh, Tiffany surprised Mom with an early birthday present! Tickets for four to see Dave in West Palm on August 12th. We are really looking forward to it. Looks like, Dad, Tracy, Tania and Mom will be going! When we arrived in New Orleans, Jesse from Wheelchair Getaways was there to meet us with an accessible van. They loaded the luggage in the van and headed West on I-10 to Independence! Tania drove while Mom directed from the back seat with Tracy. It is so great to see everyone! Uncle Mike and Aunt Cheryl helped Mom and Tania get everything set up for Tracy. Kathy Sue made jambalaya and white beans! Mamaw and Papaw had everything ready to make Tracy's and our stay comfortable. This evening, everyone got together and had had jambalaya, crayfish bread, spinach bread, homemade ricotta cheese, and lots of other local goodies. It is great to see all of the family. Tracy hung out on the air mattress in the living room surrounded by her cousins! We can't wait for Dad to arrive Friday evening. Tomorrow, Tracy has a massage with Jim, Tracy's massage therapist while visiting in Louisiana. We plan to take her in the pool after her massage. Please say some extra prayers that the hearing in Florence will go well. Tiffany, Nick and Christine will serve as witnesses on behalf of Tracy. It will be good to bring some closure to all of this, especially after three and a half years! 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 taking steps to confront past, present and future fears with poise, courage, and confidence. You will also find that when you are willing to stare your fear in the face, the universe will always offer you some form of aid or support. When you see the heights of accomplishment and personal evolution you can attain when you walk through your fears, your faith in yourself will grow, allowing your next step to be easier. Lesson of the Day: Emerging Courageous: Walking Through Your Fear!

Monday, June 12th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She wore her dynasplint for five hours last night. She is doing a really good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day! This morning, Tracy's P.A., Mom and Tania got Tracy showered, shampooed and ready for the day. At 10:00 AM, Melanie came to give Tracy a Cranial Sacral Therapy session. We put Tracy on the massage table for the first time for CST since March when she attended the Upledger Institute Intensive Program. Tracy did well on the table and had a good session. Then Melanie gave Tracy a massage to get her ready for the long trip to Florence tomorrow. This afternoon, Mom, Tiffany, Tania and Tracy headed to Speech Therapy at FAU. Tracy was pretty relaxed from her CST session, even though the intent was to invigorate Tracy. We will change Tracy's massage day to Fridays so that it won't interfere with her Speech Therapy. During Speech, Tracy was zonked out. She did not wake up, even with all of the stimulation that Marissa and Lisa tried; cold cloths, eucalyptis aromatherapy, stretching exercises, etc. We all decided that it is time to decrease Tracy's Baclofen boluses. They seem to be too much for her, and put her to sleep. Mom will make this recommendation to Dr. Lochner next week when we get her pump refilled. After Speech, we stopped at Old Navy to get some last minute things for the trip. Then we returned home in time for Emily, Tracy's Speech Therapist, to work with Tracy on her oral motor skills. Tracy did a good job swallowing the nectar consistency Hydrolyte that Emily gave her. She was much more awake for this Speech Therapy session. This evening, Nana, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Diane, Tim, Chip and Eileen, came over for pizza to see Tiffany and wish everyone Bon Voyage! It is so nice to have family around! Tomorrow, we leave for our trips to Louisiana and Italy. We will keep you posted on our travels. 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 the sun is always shining above the clouds and how must be patient and have faith through our stormy times. Lesson of the Day: Above The Clouds: The Sun Is Always Shining!

Sunday, June 11th, 2006: Tracy slept well in the hotel bed after the long day and all of the excitement of the wedding. She got another break from all of her splinting devices last night. She slept like a baby. This morning, Mom and Tania gave Tracy a bath and got her ready for the LONG ride home (202 miles). She wore her AFOs for almost 7 hours during the car ride home. Everyone packed up and we headed for Camille's for brunch and one more cafe con leche! It was still storming and many of the roads were flooded. After lunch, we tried to stop at the Kinos sandal shop but they were closed! Kinos are a Key West legend! We will just have to go back to Key West for another long weekend again sometime soon. Everyone but Dad snoozed on the car ride home. Good thing because he was driving. We arrived home around 7:15 PM and spent the rest of the evening unpacking, washing clothes, and getting ready to put it all back in the suitcase. Tomorrow is a busy day. Tracy has a Cranial Sacral Therapy session at 10:00 AM with Melanie, Speech Therapy at 2 PM at FAU with Marissa and Lisa, and then Emily will visit to work on Tracy's swallowing at 5:30 PM. Nana, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Diane, Tim, Chip and Eileen are coming over to have pizza and see everyone before we leave tomorrow for Louisiana and Florence, Italy. They haven't seen Tiffany for several months, so it will be good to visit with everyone. 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 able to successfully integrate our various selves. This can be as simple as accepting and embracing each one, our adult side, our child side, the creative side, and the serious side. Successfully integrating all of our selves helps us to achieve our Life's Purpose. Lesson of the Day: Integrating Our Many Selves: The Sum Of All Parts!

Saturday, June 10th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep. We gave her a break again from her dynasplint and resting hand splints again last night. That's what being on vacation is all about! She is doing a good job tolerating her AFOs for 5 to 8 hours a day! This morning, Dad got us all cafe con leche and Cuban toast for breakfast (for the second day) from Riviera Sandwich Shop on Flagler. It was one of the old places we used to frequent on a daily basis when we lived in Key West. The weather was really storming, with local flooding and strong winds. A typical tropical depression! The weather channel did not bode well for an outside wedding celebration on the beach at sunset. Amanda called to let us know that they were moving the wedding inside to the Doubletree Hotel in self-defense. Tiffany and the bridal party spent most of the day getting ready for the wedding. Mom, Dad, Tracy, and Tania spent the day sight seeing and trying to find Tracy's friend Angie. They checked out all of the local places she used to work with no success. Mom called Angie's cell phone but the number was disconnected. Oh well, maybe next visit we will be more lucky! Dad, Mom, Tracy and Tania had lunch at the Half Shell Raw Bar, one of Dad's favorite restaurants and they walked down Duval Street again! It was fun to see all of the old places they used to go to. Many of the restaurants and stores had changed, and there were lots of renovations in progress, results of Hurricane Wilma. This afternoon, everyone got ready for the wedding and it was off to the hotel for the celebrations. It was a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception done with a blend of Hawaiian and Key West flavor. (The bride and groom are currently living in Hawaii where Justin is in the Army Special Forces at Schofield Barracks.) The groom and groomsmen wore baby blue Tommy Bahama shirts and the bridesmaids wore baby blue dresses. Amanda looked beautiful in a simple white strapless gown with a baby blue sash. It was great to see old friends and catch up on more than six years of life. Tracy and Tiffany looked so pretty and everyone commented on how wonderful Tracy looked and how she had progressed since the last time they saw her two years ago. Tomorrow, we will pack up and head home to Palm Beach. Tiffany is coming back with us to spend a couple of days before we all leave again on Tuesday for Independence, Louisiana and Florence, Italy. Tiffany and Dad will travel to Florence, Italy to attend Tracy's court hearing from the accident over three and a half years ago. Nick, Tiffany and Christine will serve as witnesses for the hearing. Please pray that everyone has a safe and productive trip. 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 the sun is always shining above the clouds and how must be patient and have faith through our stormy times. Lesson of the Day: Above The Clouds: The Sun Is Always Shining!

Friday, June 9th, 2006: Tracy slept well in the hotel bed after the long car trip to Key West. We gave her a well-deserved break from all of her splinting devices last night. She slept like a baby. This morning, Mom and Tania gave Tracy a bath and got her ready for Amanda's bridal shower. Mom, Tania and Tracy got to Southernmost Hotel for Amanda's bridal shower. They met Tiffany and Rick at the hotel, as well as all of their friends at the shower. It was so good to see everyone and to catch up. Then everyone went in the pool reserved just for the bridal party and friends. It is such a beautiful location. This evening, Mom, Dad, Tania and Tracy went down to Mallory Square to watch the famous Key West sunset. It had been about 8 years since we had all witnessed this fun event together. There were cats jumping through hoops of fire, a man walking a tight rope and a bagpiper, to name a few. Then we had dinner at an outside Bistro where we could take in all the sights and sounds of Key West. We sure do miss living here and are grateful that we had a chance to experience life in this beautiful paradise for four years! Tomorrow is Amanda's wedding and the weather man is forecasting a Tropical Storm! Alberto! Please pray that this by passes Key West so Amanda and Justin can get married on the beach at the Southernmost House as planned.Take a look at today's daily OM. It talks about the many signs that the universe shows us each day. These signs are God's way of being anonymous. Lesson of the Day: Universal Messages : Signs!

Thursday, June 8th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep. She wore her dynasplint for five hours last night and her resting hand splints for eight hours. She is wearing her AFOs anywhere from five to eight hours a day! They seem to be helping to keep Tracy's feet in alignment. Mom took Dad to the train station to ride the TRIrail to work at the Miami Airport at 5:45 AM this morning. When she returned, she finished packing for the LONG weekend in Key West. Tracy's P.A., Tania and Mom showered Tracy after her morning range of motion and got her ready for the day. Mom got in her lap swimming while Tania and Tracy's P.A. finished up last minute preparations for the car trip. Then they all packed the van and headed out for Speech Therapy at FAU with Matissa and Lisa. But first, they needed to make a pit stop at Old Navy for a few beach items for their trip. Mom gave Tracy a choice between a cute turquoise or an olive peasant blouse. Our girls picked the turquoise one! Go figure! 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. Mom, Tania, and Tracy picked up Dad at the Miami Airport and they headed south (and then west) to Key West. They made good time and arrived In Key West around 11 PM. It was great to see all of the familiar old and new sights along the way! It brought back many good memories from when we lived in Key West from 1994 to 1998. It is such a beautiful quaint place and we miss living there! We plan to make it our second home. We are so excited to see Tiffany and Rick in Key West for Tiffany's best friend Amanda's wedding. (Tiffany is a bridesmaid!) Next week, we are going to Louisiana to visit Mamaw and Papaw. It is also Dad's 25th reunion from LSU Medical School. We are really looking forward to our trips. 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 acting together in a cooperative manner to attain a common goal. We see this everyday when we work with Tracy to achieve her goals. Lesson of the Day: Acting Together: Cooperation!

Wednesday, June 7th, 2006: Tracy SLEPT again last night. She wore her dynasplint for five hours last night and her resting hand splints for eight hours. She is wearing her AFOs anywhere from five to eight hours a day! They seem to be helping to keep Tracy's feet in alignment. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tania is shadowing to learn the routine. This morning, we packed for Key West. We leave Thursday afternoon to attend Tiffany's best friend Amanda's wedding at the Southernmost House in Key West. Tiffany is a bridesmaid in the wedding and we are all very excited to be included. It will be the first time since Tracy's accident that we are all returning to Key West. As you remember, we used to live in Key West from 1994 to 1998! We miss it so much! This afternoon, Mom, Tania, Tracy's P.A, and Tracy headed to Pinecrest Outpatient Rehab Center for OT/PT at 3 PM. When we arrived, Mom discovered that Tracy's appointment had been canceled and rescheduled for the week we return from Louisiana. While we were there, Lisa, Tracy's PT, took the opportunity to get an accurate weight on Tracy. It had been several years since we have been able to weigh her. So, we found out that our girl is the perfect weight for her height. Mom was really glad that Tracy's weight had stabilized and that she is in good nutritional health. This evening, we finished packing all of our stuff in preparation for our trip to Key West. We leave tomorrow evening after Speech Therapy at FAU. The plan is to pick up Dad at Miami International Airport and continue southwest to the Florida Keys! We are so excited to see Tiffany and Rick in Key West for Tiffany's best friend Amanda's wedding. (Tiffany is a bridesmaid!) Next week, we are going to Louisiana to visit Mamaw and Papaw. It is also Dad's 25th reunion from LSU Medical School. We are really looking forward to our trips. 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 finding health through balance, the beauty of moderation. The benefits of moderation are said to be a healthy body, a clear mind, increased vigor, and a welling up of positive emotions. Lesson of the Day: Health Through Balance: Everything In Moderation!

Tuesday, June 6th, 2006: Tracy SLEPT well last night. She had a much needed break from her night resting hand splints and her dynasplint. She is wearing her AFOs for a total of eight hours a day! They seem to be helping to keep Tracy's feet in alignment. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tania is shadowing to learn the routine. At 10:30 AM, Mom and Uncle Johnny went for a bike ride to the north side of Palm Beach island. While they were gone, Tracy's P.A. and Tania sat out on the balcony under the awning with Tracy. It was a hot and humid day, with lots of sunshine. This afternoon, Mom and Tania worked with Tracy on her Speech Therapy. Mom demonstrated the Beckman facial exercises for Tania and gave her some educational material to read that explains how to perform them. Then Mom used the facial massager and Z-vibe on Tracy's lips and around her mouth, providing oral stimulation. She used some of Tracy's flavored lip gloss (creme brulee) and encouraged Tracy to lick her lips. She tried really hard to lick her lips and was able to get her tongue to her bottom teeth. We will continue to work on this. Around 5 PM, it was time to get Tracy into the van and head to Loxahatchee to Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center. Jamie, Tracy's horse, was getting a bath when they arrived. Dad met us there, as did Vincente and Baltazar, volunteers from Pahokee. When we first got Tracy on Jamie, she was pretty tight. She began to relax her legs after a few minutes, and Ruth placed the horseshoe shaped foam pillow that she and Sarah made around Tracy's waist. Then Ruth propped Tracy's elbows on the pillow to help her with trunk control so she could hold up her head. Tracy held her head up all the way around the ring. It was her best session yet. Sarah led her around the ring twice clockwise and then twice counter clockwise. They went around the different colored cones, and Tracy was tracking with her eyes, trying to find the colored cones. She tolerated about thirty minutes on the horse, her best session yet! Tomorrow, Tracy has Occupational and Physical Therapy (cotreat) with Lisa and Karina at 3 PM at Pinecrest. We will also spend the morning packing for our Key West trip this weekend (Thursday to Sunday). We are going to meet Tiffany and Rick in Key West for Tiffany's best friend Amanda's wedding. (Tiffany is a bridesmaid!) Next week, we are going to Louisiana to visit Mamaw and Papaw. It is also Dad's 25th reunion from LSU Medical School. We are really looking forward to our trip. 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 magic that nature brings us every day right in our own back yard. Today, Tracy saw beautiful horses, Chico the minature donkey, Chester the golden lab, and many pretty birds indigenous to the Loxahatchee area. Lesson of the Day: Wildlife Around: Finding Nature In Your Neighborhood!

Monday, June 5th, 2006: Tracy was up most of the night grinding her teeth. We are not sure what is causing her discomfort. It seems to be relieved by Tylenol. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for three hours. We gave her a break from her resting hand splints. She is wearing her AFOs for a total of eight hours a day! They seem to be helping to keep Tracy's feet in alignment. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Tania is shadowing to learn the routine. At 10:30 AM, Melanie came to give Tracy a Cranial Sacral Therapy session. Tania, a massage therapist, worked on Tracy's right hamstring while Melanie was working with Tracy. Both therapists collaborated and shared alot during the session. There was a synergy taking place among all three that was very empowering, especially for Tracy. She vocalized alot during the session and really seems to like her massages. While Mom was having her CST session, Tania and Tracy's P.A. stretched and ranged Tracy on the mat under the awning. This afternoon, Tracy had Speech Therapy at 2 PM at FAU. Marissa and Lisa were well prepared with all of the sensory and oral motor stimulation tools. They worked so hard to wake Tracy up but she was out like a light. Maybe her CST session relaxed her too much. Tracy did respond several times to oral stimulation using the Z-vibe and the facial massagers, even though she was sleepy. She had several good swallows when Marissa used the cold lemon and glyerin swabs and cold toothetes. They played several Bob Marley and Dave Matthews songs too. The students did a great job trying different things to wake Tracy up. She was most likely very sleepy from her restless night. Tracy has her next Speech Therapy session at FAU on Thursday at 4 PM. We hope she is more awake at 4 PM! When we returned from FAU, everyone rested and then it was time to get ready for Father, Brother, Uncle Johnny's Surprise Party that Aunt Diane and Tim planned at Aunt Diane's. Everyone did such a good job to keep it a secret! He was so surprised! Tim coordinated all of the entertainment! There was Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Liza Minelli, and Pavarotti! All excellent impersonators! Everyone had a good time. Tracy seemed to enjoy the music too. Tomorrow, Tracy has therapeutic horseback riding at 6:30 PM at Vinceremos. This will be her fourth lesson. We are all looking forward to it! 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 during moments in our life when darkness seems to choke us, the sun is shining somewhere close by. We need to have patience and wait through the painful times, knowing that sunnier days are ahead. Lesson of the Day: Above The Clouds: The Sun Is Always Shining!

Sunday, June 4th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She is still waking in the morning grinding her teeth, usually after Dad gives Tracy the morning meds. We are experimenting with shifting some of her meds to see if this makes a difference.Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg for four and a half hours and her resting hand splints for eight hours last night. She is wearing her AFOs for a total of eight hours a day! They seem to be helping to keep Tracy's feet in alignment. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Dad left for the airport to pick up our good friend and Tracy's new P.A. Tania. She moved from Northern Virginia to come stay with us and help us take care of Tracy. We are so excited to have her as part of Tracy's team. This afternoon, Mom, Dad, Tania, Mom and Tracy headed down to Boca Raton to pick up Uncle Johnny. Then they headed to Lighthouse Point to meet with Hendrik, our realtor to look a some more houses. It is a little tricky to find the right house that meets all of our needs. We are conifdent that the right house is out there. Together, we will find it! Tomorrow, Tracy has a Cranial Sacral Therapy session with Melanie at 10:30 AM and Speech Therapy at 2 PM At FAU in Boca Raton. We are excited to have Marissa and Lisa as part of Tracy's therapy team and we look forward to good things from them and Tracy. Tiffany is enjoying her job with the American Red Cross at their National Headquarters in DC. She is coming to Key West in a few days to be a bridesmaid in her best friend, Amanda's, wedding. (Sound like a movie?) We are all going to meet her in Key West Thursday evening and go to the wedding. 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 open to signs that the universe sends us. It is important to rely on our intuition when interpreting signs that come our way. Lesson of the Day: Universal Messages : Signs!

Saturday, June 3rd, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She is still waking in the morning grinding her teeth, usually after Dad gives Tracy the morning meds. We are experimenting with shifting some of her meds to see if this makes a difference.Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg for five hours and her resting hand splints for eight hours last night. She is wearing her AFOs for a total of eight hours a day! They seem to be helping to keep Tracy's feet in alignment. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Dad left to run some errands while Mom and Tracy's P.A. stretched and ranged Tracy's extremities. Then they put Tracy in her chair and brought her out on the balcony under the awning. It was a beautiful sunny day. This afternoon, Mom went down to the pool to swim. She is up to 50 laps (100 lengths) which is about a mile! Not bad for someone who hasn't swam seriously since she was 10! This evening, Mom rode her Spin bike on the balcony while Dad caught up on some work on the computer. Then Mom and Dad had Sushi on the balcony while Tracy rested in her bed and watched the French Open. Tomorrow, our good friend Tania arrives to join our family and health care team as Tracy's P.A. She is going to live with us for awhile here in Palm Beach. Tracy's P.A. will help in training her as a member of Tracy's team. We are looking forward to her arrival and so excited to have her here. 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 open to signs that the universe sends us. It is important to rely on our intuition when interpreting signs that come our way. Lesson of the Day: Universal Messages : Signs!

Friday, June 2nd, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep last night. She is still waking in the morning grinding her teeth, usually after Dad gives Tracy the morning meds. We are experimenting with shifting some of her meds to see if this makes a difference. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg for five hours last night. She was too tight to wear her resting hand splints last night. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. showered and shampooed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Then Mom and Tracy's P.A. transferred Tracy to the therapy mat out on the balcony under the awning for her Cranial Sacral Therapy session at 11:00 AM with Melanie. Mom and Uncle Johnny went for a run while Tracy's P.A. stretched Tracy on the mat. During Tracy's CST session, Melanie noticed that Tracy was making lots of sounds and expressing more emotions than previous sessions. She seemed somewhat angry and frustrated and Melanie said that she Tracy was trying to talk. She tries so hard... please say a prayer that Tracy will be talking to us soon! This afternoon, Tracy's P.A. gave Tracy a manicure while Mom got ready to meet Dad, and Cousins Chip and Eileen in Lighthouse Point to attend the Lincoln Day Gala. It is the Broward County Republican Party annual honors event at the Sheraton Design Center of the Americas in Ft. Lauderdale. They attended this event in honor of Chip, who is a commisioner of Lighthouse Point. They got to meet the guest speaker, the President's Chief Political Advisor, Karl Rove. They also got to meet Attorney General and upcoming Republican candidate for Governor, Charlie Crist and Congressman E. Clay Shaw. Chip was honored as the Republican of the Year last year at this gala event. Everyone had a great time. Tomorrow and Sunday, Roulain, Tracy's weekend P.A. is coming to work with Tracy. Sunday, Mom and Dad are very excited that Tania, our dear friend and Tracy's massage therapist from NOVA is moving down to work with Tracy as her rehab specialist/personal assistant. We are all looking forward to Tania joining our family and Tracy's health care team! 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 importance of teaching balance to our children, and the negative effects that we promote from "spoiling" children, thus unconsciously interfering with their evolutionary development. Teaching children to become independent and self-reliant provides them the tools to become stewards of their own happiness. Lesson of the Day: Teaching Balance : The Negative Effects Of Spoiling Children!

Thursday, June 1st, 2006: Tracy SLEPT again all last night! Dad and Mom slept too. WooHoo! Two full night's sleep in a row! We are so glad Tracy is feeling better. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg and her resting hand splints for five hours last night. The new straps seem to be just what the doctor ordered. This morning, Mom and Tracy's P.A. bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. She had the morning off and then a 4 PM appointment at Florida Atlantic University Communication Disorders Clinic in Boca Raton. During the meeting, Dad, Mom, Nancy, the clinic director, Joy, Speech Therapist and supervisor, and students in the Master's Program, Marissa and Lisa, all discussed Tracy's injury, past speech therapy experiences, and some interesting approaches to Tracy's upcoming sessions. Tracy will be attending the clinic for therapy on Mondays at 2 PM and Thursdays at 4 PM. We are looking forward to getting Tracy back into a college environment where she will be attending speech therapy sessions among her peers, Marissa and Lisa! This evening, Tracy rested while Mom rode her Spin bike for one hour and Dad relaxed and caught up on email. Tomorrow, Tracy has a Cranial Sacral Session with Melanie at 11:00 AM and the rest of the day off! We are looking forward to the weekend. 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. Each one of us has a spiritual origin and connection to a bigger power. We are spiritual beings here on earth living a human experience, according to our divine purpose. We are here to learn, teach, to love and be loved. Remember: Honor yourself! Lesson of the Day: Remembering Who We Are : Brave Spirits!