tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81209487432094292232024-03-05T06:02:45.364-08:00Praying for Hope PeacockSharing Hope's journey, the praises and the prayer requests with you, all for the purpose of seeing God's name lifted high!Lucinda Warnockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02000792401532836095noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-60939719592718024532022-03-12T20:12:00.004-08:002022-03-12T20:23:15.586-08:00March 12, 2022 - Surgery Recovery Update + An Exciting Celebration<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I've been meaning to share an update on Hope's continued recovery at home after the surgery to repair the broken hardware in her back for a while now. So, here is a catch up on how the last three weeks at home have been going for Hope's recovery and current praises and prayer requests for her . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The first week at home (post op week #2) for Hope was pretty tough with a lot of pain, nausea, and spasms. Her muscles were not working well and so her function was pretty limited to simple stand/pivot transfers using the wheelchair to quickly move between bed, bathroom, and the recliner chair in our living room. It was tricky trying to find the right routine for her pain meds, and she was convinced that they weren't doing much good anyways. We augmented the pain management with Hope's essential oils and muscle relaxants to help her. As hard as it was, Hope was delighted to be home! Trevor was away, and so I had my sisters and mom staying with the girls and I to help out . . . what a blessing!<br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The second week at home (post op week #3) for Hope had great improvement in her level of pain, for which we were very thankful! She was only taking Tylenol and the muscle relaxant, as well as her usual essential oils. Her feet started to work better and she started taking some steps and walking with our help short distances, more like her usual. If she pushed to do too much walking though, her legs would collapse, and she would have pretty bad spasms in her calf muscles, so we continued to take it slow. She was not moving like she used to either . . . she was very stiff and her back was making a pretty loud rubbing noise with any movement . . . but, she was moving, and she was thankful for that progression in her recovery! Towards the end of this week, she started having really rough nights with a lot of pain, spasms, and involuntary movements that kept her awake all night. The lack of sleep also made her feel worse. It lasted for 3 nights, so we decided to stop giving the muscle relaxant as it is quite strong and sometimes Hope reacts to medications by having opposite reactions to them. This had happened in the past with another muscle relaxant. We're not sure if the medication was actually causing problems, but she did finally start to sleep again, and so we've held off using the muscle relaxant since, and thankfully, she has done well for pain control without it.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">This past week was her third week at home (post op week #4) and she will be one month from her surgery date in two days! Her improvement continues to be gradual, but she is improving! Her incisions have been healing well. She is starting to do some of her care again more like before surgery. Her walking has continued to improve, although she does still have some dizziness and occasionally weakness where her legs will just give out on her and she will collapse to her knees. For this reason, only Trev and I help her with walking for the most part, with her preferring her daddy's strong arms most of all, of course! She has continued to have the odd night here and there where she just cannot go to sleep and will remain awake for most of the night. So, Hope would love to have you pray for her to be able to sleep better. Her pain management this week has been really good, and she stopped taking Tylenol for the most part.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The one thing Hope hadn't been able to do well is sit up in her wheelchair for any period of time. We had thought of trying to go to church last Sunday, but with the terrible nights of no sleep and pain, that didn't work out. However, when her sister and dad came home from church last Sunday, Gabi shared some special news . . . Gabi decided that she wanted to get baptized at our next baptism service, which is tomorrow!!! Hope definitely wanted to be there to support and celebrate with her sister, and Gabi really wanted Hope to be there, too. So, with no better reason to set a goal for sitting up in the wheelchair, Hope started that very day, last Sunday! She sat up for 30 minutes, and although she was in a fair amount of pain, she pushed through with such an important reward in sight . . . how the love between these two sisters has spurred Hope on in her brain injury recovery many times over the past 10 years. Hope is very motivated to support her awesome little sister in this step of obedience to get baptized!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope sat up for 48 minutes on Monday, 1 hour on Tuesday, 1 hour and 35 minutes on Wednesday, 2 hours on Thursday, and 2 hours again on Friday. It is quite painful for her to sit up . . . causes a burning pain in her lower back. Today, we are having Hope take a break and rest her back as much as possible, so Lord willing, she can make the trip to church and see her sister's baptism and testimony and celebrate with her tomorrow! I have a plan to cover her with some extra pain medications also, to try to make this first outing doable for her. Please pray for the Lord's strength and comfort for Hope as she does this great thing in support of her beloved Gabi sister. And please pray for Gabi as she shares her testimony tomorrow . . . our quiet girl is pretty nervous about speaking in front of people, but she deeply desires to walk in obedience to her Saviour by taking this step of public proclamation of her faith in Jesus Christ and the difference He has made in her life, all to His glory! What a wonderful celebration to mark Hope's first outing since her surgery!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Thank you so much for your precious prayers for Hope, her recovery, and our family through this past month! We have been so blessed, encouraged, and carried by the Lord's loving kindness to us, as He answers your prayers on our behalf. We have also been so blessed by a meal train that our beloved Redemption Calgary North church family have been providing for us this past three weeks . . . wow!!! Hope received a huge basket overflowing with all her favourite treats from her precious small group that have been such a sweet encouragement to her . . . she loves them so much! What an incredible blessing to have such a outpouring of Christ's love over our family through meals, messages, prayers, kind gifts, and shared Scripture verses. We are humbled and so very grateful to the Lord and to each of you!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Thank you, dear ones!!! You are very loved!!! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZKuMqNpDNIgn-D4sI4-rMDc7TBVmRFqO0jvwFiMAWlKVuOe0w2iYyFocmFhYsszp566m_9O5fn_pAtPGG6MeWUUxRBkVRBVviFft8ERk5nYqxFGbVDZiFoVcNeG8MAu34Fb24yu729JQV-6aHiyeC4SLVdIv9J1rRogsAxga3rxZ6EoPA4D4-DKPY=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZKuMqNpDNIgn-D4sI4-rMDc7TBVmRFqO0jvwFiMAWlKVuOe0w2iYyFocmFhYsszp566m_9O5fn_pAtPGG6MeWUUxRBkVRBVviFft8ERk5nYqxFGbVDZiFoVcNeG8MAu34Fb24yu729JQV-6aHiyeC4SLVdIv9J1rRogsAxga3rxZ6EoPA4D4-DKPY=s320" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /> <br /></span></span><p></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-59252201608045360402022-02-21T18:40:00.002-08:002022-02-21T18:51:15.949-08:00February 19, 2022 - Home Sweet Home<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Saturday marked post op day #5 for Hope. . . <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope had a pretty decent sleep Friday night . . . the best one so far. She still did wake up to use the bathroom and to deal with pain and back muscle spasms, but she slept from about 1:30 am to 5:00 pm and again from 5:30 am to 7:00 am. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The waiting game continued Saturday morning. We were told the surgeon was going to come by and see Hope sometime that morning. I never cease to be amazed at how hard waiting is for us . . . well, at least it sure is for me, and for Hope, too! I love verses in the Bible that remind me that the heart that trusts God must wait on Him, and it is good for us to wait! <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Lamentation 3:25-26 <br />"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope has been having weekly phone chats every Saturday morning with a dear friend that she calls Grandma May, for a few years now. One of her reasons for wanting to go home on Friday was to be able to spend her usual time with her beloved Grandma May. Those two are kindred spirits and they visit for one hour, reading stories, sometimes praying or singing songs, always catching up with each other and sharing prayer needs. It is a precious friendship to Hope, and one we are so thankful for, as Grandma May has been an amazing godly example and Christ-like role model to Hope!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Grandma May graciously said she would love to still call and would just work around whatever was going on in the hospital. God was gracious to allow 55 of their usual 60 minute phone call to happen without any interruptions . . . then the surgeon came! After a quick goodbye to her beloved friend, we started our chat with the spinal surgeon. After taking a look at her surgical incision sites, he was happy with how they looked and said that she could probably go home tomorrow. Tomorrow! My heart sank, and I immediately started praying and thinking about how to respond. I didn't have time to respond before Hope piped up with a big sweet questioning grin, ". . . or to-daaayyy?!?"</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The surgeon chuckled and asked if she would like to go home today. After Hope's emphatic yes response, he said, "Well, I guess that would be okay." He said the central line could come out, and he would start writing orders and prescriptions for Hope to go home. After hearing different information about how long you had to stay for observation after a central line removal, I asked the surgeon about it. He said she only needed to lie flat for 30 mins in bed to make sure there was no hematoma or bleeding, and then she could go home! The pressure bandage would need to stay on for another 24 hours, but then that could be removed also.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Our nurse that morning was working a short shift, so she had also been Hope's nurse the evening before. We were able to chat more with her on Saturday, including telling her a bit about Hope's journey since her brain injury, and share a bit about our faith and church. When she told Hope that she was very strong, Hope replied just as I heard her another time earlier this week, "The Lord is the One who gives me strength!" As the nurse changed the dressings on her surgical incisions front and back, Hope started talking about her many scars and how she had wrote a poem about them. Hope asked if she wanted to hear it, and I was able to read it to her . . . Hope knew to tell me right where to find it on her phone. For any English buffs out there, this is an English sonnet . . . <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Physical Scars</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Where did you come from and why are you there?<br />What story do you tell from long ago?<br />A surgeon's handiwork, a child's wound woe,<br />Physical marks of my life-saving care.<br />A second bellybutton that fed me,<br />A zipper for the pump, both in and out,<br />A fused spine, neck to tail-bone; trial of doubt,<br />A neck hooked to machines; save her life plea.<br />Some may see a painful traumatic past<br />Or an ugliness that won't go away.<br />I see beautiful reminders each day,<br />God's grace, comfort, purpose for me will last.<br />Physical scars that still tell my story<br />I choose to see scars all to God's glory.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It took some time to get all the prescriptions for medications at home, including an addition one for muscle spasms. Also, for the central line removal procedure, and finally all the discharge instructions and such. But when it was all done, mom had us packed and ready and waiting. Hope fit in a quick lunch that she was able to eat and enjoy without the central line, "bee in her bonnet," causing her grief! Gabi had to go to work, so she wasn't able to come for the momentous trip home, but dad was downstairs and waiting by the time we finally had everything done and had the green light to leave. Hope had fun as we left the locked unit. As the doors were open and before they automatically closed and locked again, I took this quick picture of her leaving the unit, and she hammed it up for fun, looking like an escapee . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYC9SK7RTTD72gBE9_y2ABC4XMmIBST9xi_tHyH2fsD8uCr8ie9LI-5LksLrrabjBxk5dc64P_CI-fi-qyMk_mfJV8mciAn9hSM-ERCglXAE8QyAckwSzrA0M9wKYU7d_FamvP57D7DtPEjfo5mq8u4rEBhFScI9_X8NJ6INpmb3VlciZLJoztwCNR=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYC9SK7RTTD72gBE9_y2ABC4XMmIBST9xi_tHyH2fsD8uCr8ie9LI-5LksLrrabjBxk5dc64P_CI-fi-qyMk_mfJV8mciAn9hSM-ERCglXAE8QyAckwSzrA0M9wKYU7d_FamvP57D7DtPEjfo5mq8u4rEBhFScI9_X8NJ6INpmb3VlciZLJoztwCNR=s320" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br />Coming out of the hospital, dad caught a picture of the excited hospital "jailbreak duo." If you could hear the sound in the live photo, you would hear a very excited Connor dog barking in the background from inside the van. Once I got him and held him for Trevor to get Hope into the van, he almost clawed his way through me to get to Hope. He missed his girl SO much!!!<br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglvy_cZIDH-LWIsN19nwFpTtKWpNx0EOo0Kim4JqCT6m2sQDsNV8FE2TT98BdNkq_fAafmTGaYAwHTYhKwjM0-33x3QYqY-56_7LJhPg9ViFB3JGHTC1WT49Bnk4QpcG2FPqdYU0XcYeu7YOlv16azQeOteg5D_OhMFGYnValOLWOofl9M78WfzImO=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglvy_cZIDH-LWIsN19nwFpTtKWpNx0EOo0Kim4JqCT6m2sQDsNV8FE2TT98BdNkq_fAafmTGaYAwHTYhKwjM0-33x3QYqY-56_7LJhPg9ViFB3JGHTC1WT49Bnk4QpcG2FPqdYU0XcYeu7YOlv16azQeOteg5D_OhMFGYnValOLWOofl9M78WfzImO=s320" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We arrived home around 3:30 pm, and Hope was tickled to get right into her own bed. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc1DeDPPQdDlhoR2zdnAENdtzR58OMc1Vwbair1vKicB4XCr9aKqbkZZIBKzqBDc4-vWw5sLVVvLs6W4VKAnpOXaAqdtB5JI21KmzBDE4N9KrwQt0VSG7rmhaAhX3a2egVqbqtLYikJDeaJNmBwj7ZDO5k5D0hiK_IxvGIuMlQx2HtRqwjBTxK7-pC=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc1DeDPPQdDlhoR2zdnAENdtzR58OMc1Vwbair1vKicB4XCr9aKqbkZZIBKzqBDc4-vWw5sLVVvLs6W4VKAnpOXaAqdtB5JI21KmzBDE4N9KrwQt0VSG7rmhaAhX3a2egVqbqtLYikJDeaJNmBwj7ZDO5k5D0hiK_IxvGIuMlQx2HtRqwjBTxK7-pC=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Connor has not wanted to be too far from Hope since she got home!<br />We are needing to watch carefully to make sure he doesn't jump on her surgical site on the front in his excitement to get to her!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br />The drive was pretty hard on her, and she has continued to have quite a few back muscle spasms. The muscle relaxant she was given, along with essential oils she has been using for a long time, has helped to cut down on the number, but she is still having them even when lying still, but mostly when doing transfers. Her pain has been tolerable on the Tylenol and occasional Hydromorphone. She is still unable to walk due to her feet just not working for her, so we are doing stand and pivot transfers to/from bed, wheelchair, toilet, and the recliner chair in the living room. She is eating much better now that the central line is out. We got her first shower at home done last night (Sunday night) after her pressure dressing on her neck was able to come off. It was pretty "horrible" in Hope's words. We ended up transferring her onto the shower chair outside of the shower, and then all three of us carried her into the shower. It still hurt, but was better than any other option we could come up with. We were so thankful to have a day at home with Trevor still here to do this rough first shower together. He left very early this am (3:30 am!) to fly to Texas to speak at a GCC conference there. Our prayer was to get Hope home from the hospital before he left, and God was so gracious to allow that . . . thanks also to the Lord using our brave Hope to ask the surgeon for a sooner discharge! : ) <br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope is sleeping much better at night since returning home. Her incisions seem to be doing good. The drain site on her back is still oozing a bit, and so we are watching that to try to keep it as clean and dry as possible. So, from here, now it is a slow and steady recovery, Lord-willing! The surgeon said to expect a 1-3 month recovery. We're hoping that she can get back to some of her normal activities maybe after one month, and then maybe full recovery between 2-3 months. But, one day at time . . . we have learned that long ago in Hope's journey. Celebrate the gift of each day and rejoice in hope for what new mercies the Lord will bring every morning! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Thank you for being so amazing to follow Hope's surgery week, and to lavishly cover Hope and our family in prayers. Thank you for the many messages conveying love and care to our family. . . what a precious encouragement you are to us! Your prayers have been instrumental in God's loving care for us, and we love each and every one of you. We are very tired, and that too, will take some time to get back on track, but we are home and in the perfect place to begin the process of rest and healing! God is so good, so faithful, and so full of grace towards our sweet Hope and her family that loves her so very much! What a gift she is, and we pray that God will continue to do His faithful work in and through her life!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">You are loved, dear ones! Thank you for praying for Hope!<br /> </span></span><br /></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-70287042296203425172022-02-20T01:41:00.003-08:002022-02-20T01:41:34.089-08:00February 18, 2022 - The Unexpected Ending to a Discouraging Day<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Picking up from the last post about yesterday evening, after a long day that started off hopeful and slowly unraveled into discouraging, the story takes a strange and unexpected turn . . . <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">So, I left off with the news that Hope wasn't getting discharged yesterday evening. Our girlie shared with me that she was discouraged and sad, knowing she wasn't going home and having multiple attached lines that she felt desperate to get rid of. She still had the drain in her back incision, the peripheral IV in her left arm, and the "bee in her bonnet" central line in her neck. Each of these were not super painful in and of themselves, but added on top of her surgical pain, and then the back spasms, they were the aggravated insults that pushed her over the edge, so to speak. I think mostly, they represented the culprits that were keeping her from going home.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I mentioned a strange and unexpected turn . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Around 8 pm, after Trevor and Gabi had already left home to bring Hope her extra strength essential oil pain relief blend and her magnesium (both help with muscle relaxation), the nurse came in and said that an order had been put in to remove the drain from Hope's back incision. I was confused, as less than an hour earlier, we were told that there was too much drainage (by a lot!) and that was the reason Hope couldn't go home. The nurse had no explanation, just an order entered by Hope's surgeon from another location. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It's funny how much you talk yourself into things! After hearing that the drain was putting out more than 3 times the amount of fluid that they would want to see, I had started to remember when Hope had her Baclofen pump removed and developed a large hematoma at the site. The fluid started to drain through the incision, which then did not heal and eventually turned into an acute septic infection that nearly killed her and resulted in another long hospital stay. So, I told Hope (and myself) that maybe this is what the Lord was preventing from happening again, and we should trust Him, even when the circumstances were not going the way we desperately had hoped and prayed for. When the nurse suddenly announced that the drain was being pulled, I was almost tempted to start to push back as to whether this was wise without a conversation with the surgeon. However, I didn't . . . God held my tongue! Praise Him! Instead, I started thinking about how easily we can say we are trusting God in a circumstance, but then we try to reason through it, like somehow understanding will bring peace. But, I love Proverbs 3:5-6 that says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." It is trusting in faith that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do that brings peace! Last night, trusting in faith meant holding my tongue and letting something happen that I didn't understand, that made no sense and had no explanation. And, so much better than my own fabricated understanding was the peace that passes understanding and guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:6-7)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Only God can turn off "mama bear mode" in me and instead flood my heart and mind with pure inexplicable peace to trust that He is working! Knowing how many people continue to pray for Hope and our family reminds me to look for God at work, rather than turn to my own understanding and ability to maneuver the circumstances. And, God was definitely at work last night with timing that could only be from a loving Heavenly Father sovereignly working for our good and His good purposes! The nurse went to get the supplies to pull the drain. Trevor arrived in the minutes before she returned, so I asked the nurse if we could both stay for the procedure. She graciously allowed this. The stitch was cut and the drain was pulled, and we had one happy girlie to have had both her parents with her for it all, along with one more irritation gone. The nurse also pulled the peripheral IV in Hope's arm . . . another huge relief for her. The only thing left was that "bee in the bonnet" central line in her neck. There was no order to take it out. The nurse paged a doctor to see if she could get the order, but never heard back. It was late enough now that we were told it would need to wait until the next day.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">After it was all done, around 9 pm, Trev stayed with Hope to eat his late supper and visit with her, while I went down to the vehicle and had a visit with Gabi and our little dog, Connor. I asked Gabi about her day, including what was one highlight of her day. She replied, "This visit with you here, now!" Talk about having your heart filled up to the brim and overflowing! It was so cute to see how much even our Connor dog was missing Hope. While sitting on my lap and looking out the window, Connor saw a man pushing a wheelchair. He started to frantically whine and try to get out to them . . . he thought it was Trevor and Hope! How sweet that he loves his girl in a wheelchair with the best lap ever so very much! I joked with Hope that we could have Gabi stand on the outside of the locked unit doors, while she sat in her wheelchair in the hallway on the inside of the doors, and then I could buzz to get into the unit again so the girls could at least see each other as the doors opened for me to go through. Hope laughed at me and said, "Mom, did you forget? I can't see!" Ha ha! I told her it would have made for a great dramatic Hallmark moment though, hee hee. Leaving Gabi was so hard, and saying goodbye to Trevor for another night apart was so hard. When I came back to Hope's room, she surprised me by being up in her wheelchair . . . something that she hadn't been able to do for very long. After saying goodbye to her daddio, she decided to tough it out and stay up to watch a show with me before bed while I ate my late supper. It was the first and only time that we were able to do one of our pre-discussed fun plans during this week's hospital stay! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">All of these sweet grace moments at the end of a discouraging day were and still are precious to me! They are the evidences of God's tender care, His steadfast love, and His compassionate mercies for His children. To see the way God took us through the roller coaster of circumstances from a hopeful start to a discouraging low to a "lemons into lemonade" ending was so encouraging, and it filled our hearts with hope again. Tomorrow is a new day with new mercies from our Heavenly Father, and we will hope in Him . . . even when there is a "bee in your bonnet" central line still invading your neck and your hospital room is starting to feel more like a jail cell (Hope's description)!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." <br /></span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-20586793070949584592022-02-19T23:41:00.001-08:002022-02-19T23:46:17.159-08:00February 18, 2022 - Post Op Day #4<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today started off pretty great, and we were super hopeful to get to take Hope home today! The day has not gone as we had hoped . . . <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope had a pretty decent night last night. Late last night, she was super thankful to be able to have her first bowel movement since surgery, which definitely took away one discomfort she was dealing with. Then, after she settled back to bed, </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">she slept from about 12:30 am until almost 5 am . . . her longest sleep yet! She also had a couple of naps today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">The doctor came early this morning to check in on Hope. We discussed the possibility of discharge, and it sounded promising. He just wasn't thrilled with the amount of drainage that she continues to have from the drain in her back incision. They would like it to be 50 ml or less in 24 hours; Hope had 165 ml in the last 24 hours. So, it is significantly higher. He didn't say that we couldn't go home though, and there was talk that perhaps it was still possible with just doing more frequent dressing changes.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">The surgeon that visited last night mentioned that Hope's central line could be taken out of her neck. However, he also mentioned needing to check her hemoglobin again, because he said the increase could have been due to her drying out from all the extra fluid that she had in her body. As such, Hope asked if the central line could be left in for the blood work to be drawn. However, no blood work has been ordered since. The nurse on tonight said that Hope shouldn't go home until the next day after the central line is pulled so that it can be observed and make sure there is no complications or problems, being such a large vessel and risk for bleeding. So now, Hope is determined to get this thing out of her neck! It has been bothering her all week, and causes her a lot of discomfort. She won't eat anything that requires chewing because she said it hurts. So, she continues to not eat much of anything. The nurse paged the doctor to get an order to take the central line out earlier this evening, but we have not heard anything back, and so it's looking like it's not going to happen today. Hope is disappointed and frustrated and definitely uncomfortable! She still has a peripheral IV in her arm, as well, that is bugging her a lot.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, after talking with the new evening nurse, earlier this afternoon, we were getting frustrated with what was happening in not hearing back from any doctors and trying to get an answer about going home. She came back a little while ago and said that she still hasn't heard back, but that Hope will not be going home, and it is centered around the excessive drainage coming from her back incision. Hope was devastated and tearful. She misses her sister, Gabi, so very much! And she is just wanting to be going through this recovery in the comforts of her home and with her whole family. The Covid restrictions have presented some extra challenges this week, but Hope and I discussed that God has also shown us His faithfulness through the harder path . . . the fact that I'm with her now is already a huge testament that nothing can stand against us when God is for us! (Romans 8:31) <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">She continues to struggle with pain. We've been trying various things such as med times/schedule tweaks, hot packs, ice packs, light back rubs (where she didn't have surgery, of course). However, it just isn't really working or working for very long. Tonight, the pain has built into awful back spasms, and she has been in tears with them. It is horrible to watch and feel so helpless to take this away from her. This is what happened last time after back surgery also, and the only thing that seemed to help the slightest was essential oils. So, her dad is on his way here now, bringing her the extra strength essential oil pain relief blend that she was using before surgery for the pain from the broken hardware in her back. They said we could try using it, and we're really hoping it will allow her some relief. Please pray with us for God's comfort and for His healing touch over her! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to end this a bit shy of the end of post op day #4, and finish telling the story in my next post. I had this message typed out and ready to post, when things took a strange and unexpected turn!<br /></span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-39551338430020315252022-02-18T01:23:00.001-08:002022-02-18T01:29:45.350-08:00February 17, 2022 - Post Op Day #3<p> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">And now for post op day #3 . . . <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> Wow, 7 hours of sleep in my own bed at home definitely did my body some major good. A shower was a total treat, but some time spent with our precious Gabi girl was the cherry on the top indeed! Gabi, and even our little Connor puppy dog, ended up coming with Trevor last night to swap out with me at the hospital. Sadly, Gabi couldn't come in, but she came to love on her mom. Knowing how tired I was, Trev didn't want me to drive home alone. Gabi had sweetly packed a little snack for me of things she knew I'd love . . . a Reese's peanut butter cereal bar, a yogurt cup, and a slice of de-licious banana chocolate chip cake that a dear friend had made and dropped off for us at home earlier that day! Then, our not-so-little Gabi girl drove her mama home . . . her first time driving in the big city of Calgary, and she did fantastic!!! Connor kept me awake with licks in the face the whole way home . . . he was more than a little excited to see me. Yet still, after pulling into the drive way, Gabi was able to capture a picture of me dozing off in the passenger seat, along with a sleeping Connor, to send to her dad as proof of successful home delivery. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhei1vopvcnRSFea6xW4EXXD9RZevqkV2NRwyDDgGgOs47VPVTOxnjIaGE8wd0A4mtRxEPQydjW4xF8Hzk_50imUHhZndBCLzXcTF8eXAObEdLahC0rtmu0SFTUuSzdEwR-0wHXJOj7qWQ9aPKZXpKMZT77GZJJgFyeLaLULD9u4212Dq693uc4xZ_k=s1544" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhei1vopvcnRSFea6xW4EXXD9RZevqkV2NRwyDDgGgOs47VPVTOxnjIaGE8wd0A4mtRxEPQydjW4xF8Hzk_50imUHhZndBCLzXcTF8eXAObEdLahC0rtmu0SFTUuSzdEwR-0wHXJOj7qWQ9aPKZXpKMZT77GZJJgFyeLaLULD9u4212Dq693uc4xZ_k=s320" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope definitely had an improved night from the one before! She was able to sleep once for 3 hours and another time for 2 1/2 hours! So wonderful . . . praising God for answered prayers!!! She has not had any more episodes of tightness in her chest with shortness of breath. I think this helped her to actually stay asleep, as the night before, the episodes were the worst whenever she would be a minute past falling asleep. She has continued to have nausea though, throughout today. I would say that her pain is more managed, but we are still trying to work on that as she seems to be in pain still with the 0.25 mg dose of Hydromorphone or possibly super sleepy with the 0.5 mg dose. Tonight she chose to try a 0.5 mg dose for the first time . . . she fell asleep almost immediately and has been soundly asleep since. How exhausted her poor little body must be though, so this is very good for her, even though she missed supper. Her supper tray is sitting here cold now. She wanted to take the nausea and pain med before trying to eat . . . that was 2 1/2 hours ago!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope had a pretty good day with her daddio . . . of course, he's the coolest and funnest!!! They watched a movie together. They got to talk with Hope's nurse about our faith. They ate some of the de-licious banana chocolate chip cake that our sweet friend made for us. They saw her surgeon when he came to visit twice, and hear how happy he is with her surgery and recovery so far. After each making guesses for what they thought it would be, they got the news that Hope's dropping hemoglobin had taken a turn from 80 yesterday up to 85 today!!! To Hope's dismay, she lost the guessing competition (her Dad won with a guess of 84!), but to Hope's delight, she didn't need to have a blood transfusion today!!! Praising God big time!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">They also got to see her back incision when the dressing was changed (well, I guess that was more just her dad, because Hope can't really see nor can she see her back!). Thankfully, they sent pictures to mom, because of course, enquiring minds want to know, especially "nurse mamas!" They also got to go on a little outing . . . not so lovely as out of the hospital, but at least out of the room! Hope had x-rays done of her back to check the hardware. It was painful having the x-rays done, especially when the x-ray tech accidentally pushed on Hope's front incision when trying to help Trevor transfer her. She politely and calmly said, "Excuse me, you're pushing on my incision. I had surgery there." Trev told her later that she was very polite in how she shared that. He laughed when she replied, "Yeah well, I was screaming on the inside! It hurt so bad, dad!" Love her sense of humor and how she uses it even when in pain! Earlier in the day, when a nurse was feeling around to find the pulses on her feet, Hope piped up, "Good luck!" Ha ha! Trevor said the x-ray staff were so very nice, and fantastic with Hope. It has been so amazing, yet not surprising based on who our faithful God is, to see how He has met our fears of what the new world of adult health care would be like for Hope with such wonderful people and experiences . . . from terrific compassionate OR staff, to </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">accommodating recovery room nurses pulling me in to be with Hope, to </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">thoughtful doctors popping by to say hi, to </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">kind nurses, to </span></span>super nice and helpful x-ray staff! We are thankful!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope just woke up after a 3 hour sleep! Yeah! I'm going to go try to find a place to heat up her supper, if possible. So, I'll quickly finish this up, but will post later as I'm going to try to add pictures of her x-rays to show you the new hardware . . . it's quite the sight!</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj85YI_nRvJE-KtbJ5eCMYU8Iqs4DoQ-ndRAIVBEv35_l02Nnm0bRbP1wQxfY2oqbmupGZ7w2HDqvNSnLtLAAWNgcIuZu9fj_K6W1AgskNE09GsKSaVQTPbiWBzHZPlvMVOdjQa5voVIapW_4jsyg1LTXoMJ6csIBDCRFC7t3JlRXeG9wHtldAI0DpR=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="640" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj85YI_nRvJE-KtbJ5eCMYU8Iqs4DoQ-ndRAIVBEv35_l02Nnm0bRbP1wQxfY2oqbmupGZ7w2HDqvNSnLtLAAWNgcIuZu9fj_K6W1AgskNE09GsKSaVQTPbiWBzHZPlvMVOdjQa5voVIapW_4jsyg1LTXoMJ6csIBDCRFC7t3JlRXeG9wHtldAI0DpR=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The photo on the right is the BEFORE picture that shows the break in the rod on the right side. This was taken back in Feb 2021 and doesn't show the damage to the second rod yet.<br />The photo on the left is the AFTER picture that shows the two repaired rods, each with a cut away section and then the added on pieces, as well as the extra screws.<br />We have a bionic girl with all that metal!!!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="388" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP-Hw2V-qi7X-Fx9J9VcniU9ElrTYLxnUGwHkpHAOaEZd6VP1r5yxPq-UFZpqVtqO6rID7iM0xAf22e2d4OsroBUAwCRsh_9CTehw8e8_grOmHl7mjcUd4RjIgbJhVV7BJryTVwRzGjTbvO4pjxXutm2ZnscaVpOha16uUXsrgU0o7NZENtFYwg59Q=s320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="194" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This side view blows me away to see how big those screws are!<br />This view also shows the significant kyphosis or forward position of Hope's neck. This will continue to be monitored by her spinal surgeon, and although it causes a lot of pain and makes swallowing more difficult, the surgeon feels the risks outweigh the benefits in this surgery at present. That would only change if the vertebrae start to slip and pinch the spinal cord more significantly. Right now there is pressure on the spinal cord, but it is not pinched.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP-Hw2V-qi7X-Fx9J9VcniU9ElrTYLxnUGwHkpHAOaEZd6VP1r5yxPq-UFZpqVtqO6rID7iM0xAf22e2d4OsroBUAwCRsh_9CTehw8e8_grOmHl7mjcUd4RjIgbJhVV7BJryTVwRzGjTbvO4pjxXutm2ZnscaVpOha16uUXsrgU0o7NZENtFYwg59Q=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope's biggest prayer request is that she would be able to go home tomorrow! She just told me that she is still in pain, but she probably won't take more pain med yet anyways . . . so that's not stopping us. The only hiccup in the home plan is the drain in her back incision. It continues to drain a fair amount, too much to be able to pull it, and she can't go home until it is pulled. She started off with about 150 ml of drainage per 8 hour shift post op day #1, then to 100 ml on day #2, and today at about 60 ml. She needs to be under 30 ml for it to be pulled. So, please pray that she can get there by tomorrow morning. That's our hope, but we will trust the Lord's plan in this all. He has been so very gracious to us every step of the way, and we praise Him!!! I'm looking forward to my night with our sweet girlie, and praying for more sweet rest for her. Thank you, dear ones, for walking Hope's journey with us!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">You are loved!!!<br /></span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-7243433892150754372022-02-17T19:05:00.003-08:002022-02-17T19:11:05.346-08:00February 16, 2022 - Post Op Day #2<p> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Wednesday has been a challenging day for Hope. Here is an update on post op day #2 . . . <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJh2OEaXHma4OdiS7SDmx4tCJm3qwApgXVAkvkXcZy8GeGdLjH9MtyjTbLvn4xgOJQbRAJopMZKfY21ZmngIQfTRwMXUFI0Oiy95aUOteR9XncBcvhC2GRSBBsPsZcNMsXsGj8u_ux8xgw1qP_3kV7TOcBsh9WCS5WcCyc1atdYImWqNnv2nzjh5GX=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJh2OEaXHma4OdiS7SDmx4tCJm3qwApgXVAkvkXcZy8GeGdLjH9MtyjTbLvn4xgOJQbRAJopMZKfY21ZmngIQfTRwMXUFI0Oiy95aUOteR9XncBcvhC2GRSBBsPsZcNMsXsGj8u_ux8xgw1qP_3kV7TOcBsh9WCS5WcCyc1atdYImWqNnv2nzjh5GX=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hope and Mom catching a quick selfie while she was up in her wheelchair.<br />We tried to watch a short show on Netflix, but she didn't last too long before she had to go back to bed due to pain and nausea.<br />Her face is a whole lot less puffy since stopping IV fluids! Yeah!!!</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS7T9DVEhA0IA1ilg8mxajzsQbL9aL6NjmUKkyS1s0QuI3zcevBZJtOaGKiBUqnvrCVwqnQvgpRVD-0UGcwPRzz6oynLpSTiaiNpJuxqJXDZ6tThI881HZDCHSx28ReEoThqpJIaQcAoWHf79aRp3aLDGae7CXNO4YsnYdUJ41WRtj_kw2ieUkQb-X=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS7T9DVEhA0IA1ilg8mxajzsQbL9aL6NjmUKkyS1s0QuI3zcevBZJtOaGKiBUqnvrCVwqnQvgpRVD-0UGcwPRzz6oynLpSTiaiNpJuxqJXDZ6tThI881HZDCHSx28ReEoThqpJIaQcAoWHf79aRp3aLDGae7CXNO4YsnYdUJ41WRtj_kw2ieUkQb-X=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was a picture of her poor puffy face, lips, and neck from yesterday!<br />Her daddy joked with her that he didn't know her surgery included Botox injections!<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">After a really rough night, Hope decided that she was not going to take any more of the IV Hydromorphone through the PCA (patient controlled anagesia) pump. It was a good decision in the resolution of the chest tightness and shortness of breath episodes that were happening all through the previous night. It was a challenging decision in the management of her pain. The only pain med option she had then was Tylenol, and taking Tylenol alone does not quite cover the post op pain after such an extensive surgery. But, Hope was determined that she was not willing to continue to suffer the side effects, and she also was determined to avoid IV medications for two reasons. One reason was to work towards the goal of going home; you need to be able to control pain with oral analgesics. The second reason was she was really struggling with the sensation of infusions through the central line in her neck.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We explained all of Hope's concerns and requests to the day staff, and then waited for the APS (acute pain service) team doctors to come see Hope for an alternate pain med plan. Sadly, they were not able to come until around 5 pm, and so she had gone for 16 hours with only Tylenol to cover her pain. In that time, she had her Foley catheter removed, and so she started getting up to the bathroom also. By the evening, her pain was pretty out of control. In addition, Hope had continued to have nausea all day. She was not eating or drinking near as well as the previous day. And as I had shared in my last post, she had not slept for so long, and was incredibly exhausted. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">However, she did have her first
solid sleep, from 10 am to noon . . . 2 whole hours!!! My heart was so
thankful to the Lord to see this!!! I wanted to share it for you to see also . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEZzd6gQ-92i9LRA0NG4DBxf5grsbVUC48QJkSRNkGcPZcjIake216rCRvpDOg6a5XoY2PtgTw2cmqHW0J-1xJITaRoPoHoA-0e7lfPvmoMNx58-G5iGI__88eY58Fq35fUC6bhZuullqGco-1IYDN1gCpcodxuUOJv_g1VrieRULVQBpZZA5QAvRw=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEZzd6gQ-92i9LRA0NG4DBxf5grsbVUC48QJkSRNkGcPZcjIake216rCRvpDOg6a5XoY2PtgTw2cmqHW0J-1xJITaRoPoHoA-0e7lfPvmoMNx58-G5iGI__88eY58Fq35fUC6bhZuullqGco-1IYDN1gCpcodxuUOJv_g1VrieRULVQBpZZA5QAvRw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">She likes to sit with her legs crossed, so she tried this position lying in bed,<br /> and that's when she fell asleep!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYHJZo2MVxnCyFE66g6Jf-OQqgPvjn7BYV6a8BflrI-v0ZV02NrTpZjFXPbxkdzCI9G6WHPJMKCYScEYJlmlO91APEeHUzqXYvxICkeRNIxitPZ-0k0jR1JTMVxX71Or5DVOTgopazwM7du6gv_bP2WDy8H1d2rj3IF_eMMHUGEqN6PexiEVilB1cV=s640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYHJZo2MVxnCyFE66g6Jf-OQqgPvjn7BYV6a8BflrI-v0ZV02NrTpZjFXPbxkdzCI9G6WHPJMKCYScEYJlmlO91APEeHUzqXYvxICkeRNIxitPZ-0k0jR1JTMVxX71Or5DVOTgopazwM7du6gv_bP2WDy8H1d2rj3IF_eMMHUGEqN6PexiEVilB1cV=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our sleeping beauty!!!<br />When she was up in the bathroom, I took the opportunity to give her a good wash and to braid her hair so it would stop sticking in the central line dressing.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We discussed the pain options with the APS doctors, and the other challenge that faced us was no other pain med options. That may sound weird because there are so many different pain meds out there. But for Hope, some are not recommended due to her brain injury and her previous history of drug sensitivity. Also, the usual anti-inflammatory drugs that are often paired with narcotics and Tylenol for pain control were not an option because the spinal doctors would not allow them . . . they are thought to interfere with the bone healing needed for the kind of surgery Hope had. The Lidocaine infusion had not worked due to lowering her seizure threshold. We were super thankful to have figured this out the day before, because as much as Hope was having a challenging day with many issues, at least she was no longer having increasing myoclonic jerks and gearing up to have seizures!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">After much discussion with the doctors who patiently walked through multiple scenarios with us, I was able to convince Hope that the best option was to stick with the Hydomorphone, but to move to an oral mediation instead of the IV one. Hope was given an order for 0.5-1.0 mg of Hydromorphone orally . . . she agreed to try 0.25 mg, which meant cutting the tiny 1 mg pill into quarters! The one nurse laughed and said he had never in his 20 years of nursing experience given that small of a dose before, and we laughed with him . . . leave it to Hope to create another "I've never seen that before" moment! Ha ha! However, the good news was that those shortness of breath and chest tightness episodes she was having did stop! We were so thankful to our gracious Heavenly Father! And now, we at least had a pain med platform to work with and figure out what was going to best help Hope move forward in her recovery.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The nausea has continued and so we've been trying to give her the Zofran (anti-nausea medication) more regularly to try to get on top of that, too. I'm starting to think that maybe some of Hope's nausea is related to the neurological vertigo that she can get. She asked me to be in a side lying position several times throughout the day, and although it was very comfortable for her surgical pain, she couldn't stay in that position for more than a few minutes due to increased nausea. Basically, she feels more nausea whenever her head is turned to the side.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">In the early morning, Hope was feeling very uncomfortable and thought she needed to try to have a bowel movement. I asked for help to get her up to the bathroom for the first time, but the aide was too nervous to move her. With Hope insisting that it was urgent, I decided to go ahead and try to sit her up and then transfer her using the wheelchair into the bathroom and onto the toilet. Wow, I was amazed at how well she actually was able to stand up and pivot transfer in/out of the wheelchair and toilet, especially with how much pain she was in! So, we asked for the Foley catheter to be removed and the IV to be unhooked since she refused to take the IV pain med anyways. This eliminated at least two of the things bothering Hope, and she was tickled with that! Hope is not moving her feet very well yet, but that should improve with time and continued recovery. She has not been able to have her first bowel movement yet, so that has continued to be uncomfortable for her. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Finally, Hope's drain from her back surgical site continues to drain a lot of bloody drainage . . . a little less bloody than yesterday, but still a lot of drainage. As a result, her hemoglobin is continuing to drop. This morning it was 80. Her doctor said that they will plan to give her another blood transfusion tomorrow if it drops any further, as they don't want her to drop below 80. We're praying that she can avoid another blood transfusion. Even though the central line is bothering her a lot, it is worth leaving it in so that she does not need to have daily pokes for blood work! This could also explain why she is feeling so crummy and light headed all the time. The first time up to the toilet, she almost passed out, but I just stood in front of her and held her while she rested her head on me, and it passed. We just continue to move slowly when I transfer her in/out of bed and on/off the toilet, and subsequent bathroom trips have been better. . . no more almost passing out! She is up to the bathroom a lot . . . 5 times in 8 hours with me. She had to wear oxygen for a while because of the low hemoglobin, but it was adding to her nausea as well, and so they let her take it off later in the day.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Our plan for this evening is for Trevor to come and spend the night with her. I have not slept since my 3 hour nap on Tuesday evening, so it was a challenging day for me, as well. I keep falling asleep trying to type this! But God's grace is always sufficient, and I can feel His strengthening and His "second winds . . . or third or fourth or more!" However, I am also so so thankful for Hope's amazing daddy, who is able and willing to step in and take all this on! I have a nursing background, and fall on that knowledge and experience regularly. Trev doesn't, but you wouldn't know by how he handles it all! And he also brings the humor and fun; something Hope just adores in her dad! A dose of "daddy" is probably just what her battered little body needs, especially because she is missing her sister so so much . . . this has probably been one of the hardest things on Hope this hospital stay. She is so close to Gabi, and she can barely even talk about her without getting emotional. No wonder she's so determined to get back home!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Thank you, as always, for being so genuine and compassionate in your love for our Hope and our family! Your prayers are so treasured, and your many messages and notes have been such a sweet encouragement to sustain us through this difficult week! I have been reading my texts to Hope a few at a time, and I cannot emphasize how much it means to her, especially when you send Scripture verses. She (and the rest of us, too) find such refuge, comfort, and strength in God's Word! I will confess that I have 77 unread texts currently on my phone, so we haven't got to them all yet, but every time we can snatch to read a few more is truly precious and sweet balm to our hearts! How incredible is the love of God shown through the love of each of you!!! My heart is full, even as my body aches with tiredness! How good our God is!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Praying for the gift of sweet rest for our sweet Hope, for Trev as he spends the night in the hospital with her, for myself and Gabriella as I get to go home and will desperately want to spend time with Gabi because I have been missing her terribly, and also for each of you! I know many of you are in your own difficult trials or you are hurting for loved ones in difficult trials. May the Lord comfort and sustain you, may He be your place of refuge and strength, and may your hearts be full in wonder of the love of God for us!!!</span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-90699390457091614372022-02-16T05:45:00.001-08:002022-02-16T05:45:27.904-08:00February 16, 2022 - One More Prayer Request<p> <span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just one more quick prayer request to add from last night. . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope is not sleeping. Last night was even worse than the night before. She did not sleep at all last night, and she continues to have these strange episodes where her chest feels tight and she is very short of breath and anxious. Sometimes it happens when she is just resting quietly, and the worst episodes happen when she does happen to fall asleep, but then 2 minutes later will wake suddenly gasping for air. We thought maybe it could be the Lidocaine infusion, but she has been off that for long enough that it shouldn't be the problem. We also thought maybe the Hydromorphone. She had 7 episodes in 30 minutes after the last dose. However, she has refused to have any more Hydromorphone since 1:40 am, and yet she continues to have the shortness of breath episodes, which have been particularly bad in the last hour. I'm definitely concerned about her not sleeping, as this always ends up resulting in seizures. The night nurse was lovely and we just brainstormed a bunch of possible ways to help Hope relax and stay asleep. She also is going to have doctors assess her, but because she is on a trauma unit, the spinal doctors will take longer to be able to make it over to where she is. Now the busyness of day is about to start, and Hope definitely won't sleep. So, praying that we can figure something out today and that she will have a very different night tonight with the very necessary and sweet gift of rest for her body and mind. I'm still planning to talk to the pain team about a different pain med option for her than the Hydromorphone because of her continued nausea and just feeling crummy, as well as the weird dreams/shortness of breath episodes/etc.. Praying that the various doctors will have wisdom as to what is going on. Her bloodwork came back and looks good, other than her hemoglobin which has dropped again. But, it is not low enough for them to worry about giving another blood transfusion at this time. They will just continue to monitor her. <br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you so much for praying for Hope!!! You are so loved!!!<br /></span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-30515529738213132212022-02-16T03:59:00.004-08:002022-02-16T04:26:22.163-08:00February 15, 2022 - Post Op Day #1<p> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Here is an update on Hope's first post op day . . . <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It was a busy day, and as such, it flew by!</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Three sets of doctors stopped by today. The first was one of the surgeons assisting in her surgery yesterday. He reviewed the surgery with us again, and did an assessment on Hope. The second was a transitions team doctor (if I remember right ?!?). He did a more thorough assessment and discussed the management of her overall care. Finally, the acute pain services team (APS) came by twice today to assess and manage her pain control plan. This has proved quite tricky.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope does not like taking the pain medicine, and it takes some convincing or things getting bad enough for her to agree to it. I've been working with her and the doctors/nurses to have a plan for regular pain meds given at staggered time to have the lowest amount of medication for side effects with the best pain control by keeping the blood level more constant. She also still had the lidocaine infusion. However, she is having trouble with shortness of breath and chest tightening episdoes, itchiness, nausea, and myoclonic jerks (sudden involuntary muscle movements in her right arm and leg). The myoclonic jerks were especially concerning because they are usually precursors to her seizures, and they also were quite painful for her with how hard it jerks her body and muscles. The doctors were quite concerned about it as well. In fact, they asked if I would be staying with her to monitor her constantly, which made my heart happy and thankful to have that extra support for me to stay overnight again. The APS doctors decided to stop her Lidocaine infusion as it can cause a lower seizure threshold, meaning it would make her more likely to have seizures. They wanted to possibly add a NSAID, like Ibuprofen, to her oral Tylenol, but surgery was concerned with it being too soon for that with likelihood of bleeding. So, the final plan was to put her on a patient controlled analgesia pump (PCA) with IV hydromorphone, where she can push a button to receive a small dose of pain medicine whenever she needs it. The pump has settings to limit/control safe amounts of pain medication.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Her pain management continues to be moderate . . . not terrible but not great either. She also continues to have nausea, itchiness, and chest heaviness/shortness of breath episodes when resting (she has had 7 episodes in the past 30 minutes while I type this update). We will talk to the APS team about it tomorrow to see if they have any ideas. She has taken medication for nausea, and I do think it's helping as she isn't throwing up and she is eating small amounts of food and drinking lots, but the waves of nausea still come, especially soon after receiving a dose through the PCA.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The APS team also ordered a drug called diazepam for spasticity, if needed. There was a thought of trying to use it or her usual seizure rescue med (Ativan) for the myoclonic jerks which worsened to about every 5-10 seconds between 10 am and 1:30 pm. I sat and held her right hand that was jerking and tried to help with limiting how much it was jarring her body and causing pain. However, the myclonic jerks finally started to move the direction of fewer and fewer after 1:30 pm, and I was so so thankful that she didn't need to take the Ativan or Diazepam, as they come with their own list of side effects for Hope. She has continued to have the odd myoclonic jerk here and there, but much less the rest of the day.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I mentioned that Hope is tolerating some food. Her biggest limiting issue, even more so than the nausea, is that chewing hurts her due to the central line in her neck. So, I'm just encouraging her to eat the softer food options or the ones she doesn't need to chew much or at all, like soup without chunks or cream of wheat cereal. I'll make her some soup from home and bring it, if this continues to be an issue. Tonight though she is very thankful for the central line . . . we just had the lab stop by to poke her for a blood sample, and I was able to ask if the nurse could draw the sample from her central line instead to save her a poke . . . yeah!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope continues to be super puffy, especially in the face, eyes, and neck area. It worsened quite significantly last night until she could barely open her eyes enough to see. I pointed it out to the nurse and showed her a picture of Hope prior to surgery, and she quickly made the call to stop the majority of her IV fluids . . . phew! She is drinking good and her urine output has been bucket-loads all day! They had planned to pull her catheter this morning, but with the myoclonic jerking and the huge urine output, I was concerned that she would need to get up frequently the bathroom, and she is more prone to have seizures when toileting. The nurse agreed that we could wait to remove it until tomorrow morning. The doctors later also said they wanted her to take it easy today and not do a lot of moving and walking. Instead, Hope got up into her wheelchair and tolerated sitting up for about 30 minutes to eat her supper. Hoping she can try more sitting up tomorrow.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Finally, I met with the patient care manager earlier today to discuss our ability to spend more than the usually allowed time with Hope, including overnight. She had already spoken to her boss, and it was approved that I could stay overnight with Hope, as long as I would leave for periods to get sleep. I thanked her very much for their concern for me and respected their heart in doing that, and also expressed how thankful we were that they would hear Hope's concerns and be gracious in regards to making exceptions from their strict Covid rules. However, in talking about Trevor coming to sit with Hope while I would go home to get sleep, the patient care manager said that Trevor could only come for 3 hours. I explained that we lived around 30-40 minutes from the hospital, so that would not allow for very much sleep time or "anything else" time at home. She thought about it for a minute and then decided that he could come for whatever amount of time we needed to manage switching out so Hope always had someone with her. So, Hope's number one fear of being left alone without us to help her (right up there with needle pokes) is no longer a concern! Wow! When our God goes before us, nothing can stand against us . . . not even strict Covid rules!!! So, Trevor and I will continue to figure out each day how best to plan our time, with me staying overnight and being here for doctor rounds in the morning, and then him coming for a bit so I can go home to sleep, shower, eat, and spend time with our sweet Gabi . . . and our little fur baby, Connor, who is missing all his people being home VERY much! Gabi says he keeps going to Hope's bedroom door and whining to go in. When he gets in there, he jumps on the bed to find her, and then stops and looks at Gabi as if to say, "Where is she?" So cute! Here is a picture of him as I was leaving to go back to the hospital tonight . . . thanks to Gabi getting down in front of the door so he could hop up on her and look out the window . . . <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzhaDvg2ndH_N09NOnQEANJWNUjR5QzXI_7WGLjBCW1gPOphQxBmxBqYYKsvx_jWC7Sc9NfqhlbRcJgAonMtJwE92x36ko0VFfeXM9Jt32LzyFrAh_47CXZ0A7X_Qu4Evou5JGSewyS5--ACR8ZtBE7XuoIZosS06KsVBvvMs_SMBbh5KeHZBWZUes=s3264" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzhaDvg2ndH_N09NOnQEANJWNUjR5QzXI_7WGLjBCW1gPOphQxBmxBqYYKsvx_jWC7Sc9NfqhlbRcJgAonMtJwE92x36ko0VFfeXM9Jt32LzyFrAh_47CXZ0A7X_Qu4Evou5JGSewyS5--ACR8ZtBE7XuoIZosS06KsVBvvMs_SMBbh5KeHZBWZUes=s320" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It is hard having our family split up, but it sure makes you appreciate one another more! And although I sure miss my hubby, I am so thankful that we can each spend time with our girlies while we're apart, as each of them need us. Sweet Gabi made her daddy one of her delicious fried egg, ham, and cheese toasted English muffin sandwiches for lunch today, and then she blessed my socks off tonight when I was home to make one for me for supper . . . what a blessing our Gabi girl is to us! Here is a picture of my delicious supper, courtesy of Gabi . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPMrNPzIH4PaIIbFIgc4ikna5JWua7OM-r3_n5g4Q-O3P3V9JMATJ3Mn8-q11-OLLmp16CyQaIb9w2Nanv_gj5A27AelOdYJlw6zWpppd4lkoFdFygVhPsMdtPaefgLAyfxOs00pghMHia2Fcr3oWhkxyI4s3zGh1G8Qd-UUUgNVd8gzCct26s4tE2=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPMrNPzIH4PaIIbFIgc4ikna5JWua7OM-r3_n5g4Q-O3P3V9JMATJ3Mn8-q11-OLLmp16CyQaIb9w2Nanv_gj5A27AelOdYJlw6zWpppd4lkoFdFygVhPsMdtPaefgLAyfxOs00pghMHia2Fcr3oWhkxyI4s3zGh1G8Qd-UUUgNVd8gzCct26s4tE2=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you so much for praying for our Hope and for our family! We love being able to share Hope's journey with you, so that we all might be in awe of the awesome God who is over her life and story, for He deserves all the praise! I loved hearing Hope's response to one of the medical staff who was praising her for being strong and doing well. She replied, "Thanks! It's God who is giving me the strength to do this!" Amen, girlie . . . amen!!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hebrews 12:1-2<br />"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-82709296134539419292022-02-15T12:30:00.007-08:002022-02-15T12:44:43.234-08:00February 14, 2022 - Out of Surgery and Recovery<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for the delay in being able to update you, especially last night after surgery. It has been a very hectic last 18 hours since Hope finished surgery, but here is an update finally . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope finished surgery between 5:30-6:00 pm yesterday evening. We received a phone call from the surgeon on our way back to the hospital. He said that everything went very well with the anterior surgery from the front where they screwed on a cage and did bone grafting to stabilize the area that did not fuse between L5 and S1. The posterior surgery on her back also went well, but the fixes for the hardware in her back were more extensive than he had anticipated. There was a significant amount of metal debris in her back due to all the screws being quite loose. All the screws were replaced except for one that was so lodged into her pelvis, it bent the screw driver trying to remove it! The surgeon said he has never seen that before, so we know she has nice healthy strong bones! He also had to repair BOTH of the rods on either side of her spine. One was clearly broken and the other had an area of bulging that was going to completely break. He also added a couple extra screws for further stability of the area where the rod break happened, and did a bunch of cleaning of the area. They are very hopeful that the L5-S1 junction will fuse and overall, Hope will have much less pain after recovery! <br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We were all expecting her usual long wake up time from anesthesia; however, she was awake in less than 30 minutes! The anesthetist was very happy with how she did during surgery and came out to talk to me about it. While talking with him, the recover room nurse came out to get me and said that Hope was not doing very well, and I needed to come in and be with her. That was the start of a long 3 hours in the recovery room as Hope struggled with excruciating pain that they were having trouble getting on top of. She described it as "horrifying" every time she had to move or was moved. An x-ray was done to confirm the placement of the central line in her neck so they could start a lidocaine infusion for pain. The movement to put an x-ray film underneath her was just awful even with 4 people assisting her. In addition to terrible pain, she had an extremely high heart rate that was quite concerning to them . . . in the 170's. Another issue was her hemoglobin. It has dropped during surgery, and she was given a unit of blood and another blood product called albumin. It came up for a bit, but then dropped again in recovery, so she received another unit of blood while I was there with her. She is super swollen and puffy, especially in the eyes, face, and neck area. She never seems to tolerate IV fluids very well, and hope we can get her off of them soon! She is very thirsty, but needs to start with sips only.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Getting her settled enough to come to the unit took some time, and what a blessing that I could be with her through this very difficult time for her. She had been quite anxious, crying, and asking for me after waking, and so I was very thankful for the staff's compassionate hearts to allow me in with her. During the intense pain, I would whisper some of her favorite Bible passages to her and she would calm right down. God is so good and so faithful, and His Word is truly more precious than gold!!!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">However, when I had called ahead to the unit where she was going after recovery, I was told that she was not allowed to have one of us with her overnight. Upon continuing to explain her unique situation, they agreed to allow me to accompany her for at least a time of assessment to determine if she could manage without me. She was not transferred to the usual spinal surgery unit, but rather to a trauma unit, and they have strict policies on visitation and only allow 3 hour visits during specified visiting hours, and never overnight.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I was told that she would be going to a 2-person room on the unit. When the porter and I arrived with Hope, we were told that she would go to a different bed, which just happened to be a private room, with enough room for even her wheelchair to fit and move around! What an amazing blessing for Hope's unique situation, and definitely an answer to prayer!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Trevor had continued to wait all this time, about 5 hours, in 2 different coffee shops until they closed, and then just sat in the vehicle in the parking lot until 11 pm. By this time, we were told that even though it was breaking the rules, they would allow me to stay overnight, so I was able to let Trev drive home to get some rest and be with Gabi. I felt terrible that Trevor didn't even get to see Hope, and Hope was pretty teary and missing her daddio and sister. I helped her call them and have a chat with them, catching them up on all that had happened and letting her express her love for them in her very croaky voice. She has had a very dry mouth and slightly sore throat from the breathing tube and the medications that they give to dry up all the saliva and mucous. Hope was especially teary when she heard Gabi's voice, and reminded me how thankful we have been for the sweet bond between them!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It took until about 1 am before I was able to get Hope settled enough that she was able to at least have a few minutes of rest here and there. She really didn't sleep through the night much at all, at most 15 minutes at a time. She didn't want to take pain medication, but was still in a lot of pain. I continued to work with her on how to manage her pain and around 3:30 am, I saw her be the most relaxed and managed in her pain that she had been yet, and that's when she started to at least dose off for a few minutes here and there. She really hasn't dropped below 5 out of 10 on the pain scale, but she considers that manageable . . . she's one tough cookie!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Thank you for your continued prayers! There have been so many answered prayers already . . . most important, we have a precious girlie who is alive and stable, AND I am with her, which is a miraculous answer to prayer with all it's taken to be here! I have been told that I need to speak with the patient care manager tomorrow about future nights, as it will need to be approved and is still not likely in their mind. Hope is stressed about it, but we are trusting in the Lord to provide, and whatever He calls her to walk through, He will also equip her with the grace and strength to walk through! (However, Hope is saying that if I go, she goes! Ha ha!) So thankful for the amazing gift of being with her, and knowing how much she relies on us, it just feels extra precious being her mama tonight! <br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-34943563972498175822022-02-14T11:53:00.001-08:002022-02-14T11:58:53.733-08:00February 14, 2022 - Surgery is Underway<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Surgery is officially underway . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Shortly after my post yesterday evening, the anesthesiologist called our family at home! What an incredibly compassionate thing for him to do after reading Hope's case and wanting to offer extra and un-rushed time to talk and answer questions. Hope loved his sense of humor and all the information that he wanted to make sure we knew. His primary message was that he intended to take the best care of our girl, and he wanted us to know that! What a compassionate and merciful God to lay this on his heart, and I shared with him what an early answer to prayer and sweet blessing he had been to Hope and our family through that call! He also had several different plans than our chat with the last anesthesiologist. He told us that he is the lead anesthesiologist for spinal cases, and he has 35 years of experience. One of the differences was that he wanted to be the one to start her IV, and so that meant Hope would not have her dad nor I with her for that fearful experience for her. I was so thankful that Hope and I had already talked about this possibility last Sunday, and now it was time for mom to get out of the way and let God be her place of refuge and strength in dealing with one of her biggest fears. I had told her that as I prayed that she wouldn't have to do it alone, I had been comforted knowing she was never alone, and that God would be an even better support person than her mom if that is what God had for her. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">No one in our family slept much last night. It was quite late by the time we had the final details taken care of, and then you finally get to bed, and simply lay there, not able to fall sleep. Hope was already awake at 4 am when we went in to get her ready to go.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Being unable to sleep, Hope said she had decided to write Gabi a poem to give her this morning. It read . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The bond we share<br />Nobody dare<br />Nothing can tear<br />Us apart.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">She gave her poem to Gabi and then prayed with her this am. It was pretty sweet to watch.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNy5cOxAiocX3sbbvd8F1GH54eBajei2_tdkMLCmyO_RPedR3CFQjbx1-m6ecgDEdz9Bau2ImQ1-lQaC8w1pfCvhJqIakwje3XXxqSHcII1CbUhR-A4lBYl_YBsxfWsRaiLxUef2vsqmQ5YuiAXNgqsvSvehSrXkrCnFUonnB997reEZNes9tMXgG_=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNy5cOxAiocX3sbbvd8F1GH54eBajei2_tdkMLCmyO_RPedR3CFQjbx1-m6ecgDEdz9Bau2ImQ1-lQaC8w1pfCvhJqIakwje3XXxqSHcII1CbUhR-A4lBYl_YBsxfWsRaiLxUef2vsqmQ5YuiAXNgqsvSvehSrXkrCnFUonnB997reEZNes9tMXgG_=s320" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It took us a while to get through admitting, but the anesthesiologist stopped by to say hi and meet us there. One of the things he told Hope then was that he was going to tell the unit not to have her pre-op bloodwork drawn. Instead, he would draw the blood from one of the other lines that he would start before surgery. She will have a regular IV, an arterial line, and a central line in her neck. Again, God's faithfulness and mercy was evident as Hope was spared one more poke! She was thrilled!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">On the unit, the time went quickly as all the pre-op pieces were being checked off one by one. We had a little time to read a few of your messages to Hope, but the rest will have to wait until later. What an incredible outpouring of love and prayers for our girlie you have lavished on her, and I saw her tear up multiple times during the few we had time to read, especially when you shared a Scripture verse with her! Thank you dear ones, for being Christ's love to our Hope and to our family! Hope loves Scripture and I love how much she treasures the Word of God!!! When the ECG was being done, she was trying to hold still . . . the more she tries to be still, the more her little body lights up with involuntary movements, which then distorts the picture or reading of her cardiogram. I noticed her moving her lips, and I thought she was counting to try to distract herself. She told us afterward that she was reciting Psalm 23 to herself, and then she recited it out loud for the ECG technician, who said it was one of her favorite ones, although she didn't know it as well as Hope. Please pray that our family will be salt and light to all those around us through this! I forgot to ask that last night, but it is always our heart's desire to see each trial count for God's Kingdom!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I was able to pray with her one last time and kiss her beautiful face before they wheeled her away to the OR at 7:45 am. The nurse told us that her surgery would begin at 9:05 am and would go until around 5:15 pm. We are to call the pre-op unit at 5 pm to find out what unit she will be transferred to after surgery. Then, we are to call that unit to find out what the specific rules are for visitation in that area, as it differs unit to unit. Please pray that they will allow both of us to see Hope after surgery! And, please pray that they will allow me to stay with her overnight . . . this is her biggest fear and concern!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We were told that we needed to leave the hospital. It was incredibly hard to leave as we've always been close by when Hope was undergoing surgeries. However, the blessing side of this was that we could come home and spend some time with our sweet Gabi, who was pretty sad and concerned last night and this morning. We were even able to be home before she woke back up again!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">On our drive home, Trevor and I were struggling to not obsess about how it was going for Hope . . . how did the IV start go; was she afraid; how long would she be waiting and awake? About half way home, I received this photo text from a dear friend who also happens to be an OR nurse and was working there today . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCqDbA4FQg5hEbxk0t6jGSn49_9yo43QcVWLptHzLdWAWwWzHvLvSXobK8orP4Innhukse1Upv_jW1QbP51OnEd40p1nk3Hb3l2Ku75OZI4okSHyNer97mQHuziQR1kYsKMSIS2GquTL6Hpu0AQTCDrOx6Pwr7-Jj-xWR85A5TAi6L5jx6BqAn0GMZ=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCqDbA4FQg5hEbxk0t6jGSn49_9yo43QcVWLptHzLdWAWwWzHvLvSXobK8orP4Innhukse1Upv_jW1QbP51OnEd40p1nk3Hb3l2Ku75OZI4okSHyNer97mQHuziQR1kYsKMSIS2GquTL6Hpu0AQTCDrOx6Pwr7-Jj-xWR85A5TAi6L5jx6BqAn0GMZ=s320" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">That smile says it all!!! How I love that Hopey smile!!! And how I love that precious friend who found a way to be with Hope and give us updates all the way through to the start of the surgery!!! But most of all, how I love the God who orchestrated all of that for each of our hearts . . . what a gracious and loving God! Needless to say, there were no dry eyes in the van the rest of the way home . . . as Trev put it, "I was having a little trouble seeing there for a few minutes." God is so good!<br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">So, our friend shared that they had Hope off to sleep around 8:50 am, the rest of her lines were started, and surgery began around 10 am. We heard around 11:10 am from the anesthesiologist that the first part of the surgery (done from the front to fuse the L5 and S1 vertebrae) was close to being done, and everything has gone well so far! He just texted again to say that they had her now turned over and were scrubbing in to start the second part of the surgery on the back to repair the broken rod and add additional screws and supports to her fused spine. So, it seems that things are on schedule or, if anything, ahead of schedule. He had told us before the surgery that there were two additional surgeons scrubbing in to help keep the surgery moving along so one surgeon doesn't get tired and to shorten overall surgery time.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We will be heading back into Calgary to wait closer to the hospital this afternoon, and will send another update when able! Thank you, with all our hearts, for your love, prayers, and messages that the Lord is using to sustain and carry us through this difficult day! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">You are so very loved, dear ones!!!<br /></span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-12702389392491473382022-02-13T17:42:00.002-08:002022-02-13T17:42:49.300-08:00February 13, 2022 - A Valentine's Date with the Surgeon<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Tomorrow is the day! Hope will be having the surgery to repair the broken rod in her back and the two vertebrae that did not fuse. A close friend joked and it stuck . . . Hope has a Valentine's date with the surgeon!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">The surgery was rescheduled at the end of December and the last 6 weeks have been hard for Hope. At first, she didn't want to have the surgery and asked for it to be postponed until, at least, the summer. We prayerfully discussed all the aspects of her condition, and the pros and cons of waiting vs going ahead with it. Trevor and I both have seen her in pain every day that limits how much she is able to do, and as such, her abilities and gains over the last few years in walking and standing have really gone backwards. The sharp pain with movement is tough, but the muscle spasms that run through her shoulder blades, lower back, and down into her legs are the worst for her. We felt it was best for her to go ahead with the surgery, even though we have also prayed for miraculous healing. We know God can, but we also trust Him when He has a different plan.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope did not agree with going ahead with the surgery, and asked to be excused to go to her room and spend time with the Lord. She had her devotions and "just happened" to be reading through Job at the time. She read Job chapter 41 that day, towards the end of the book, where God responds to Job's questions of why his circumstances were so bad. God poignantly reminds Job who we are in relation to who God is. Hope prayed and then wheeled herself outside of her room to talk with us again. She said, "Ok, I prayed about it. God deserves to be trusted. So, I will trust Him. I'll have the surgery." I never cease to be amazed at the way God leads and cares for us so personally as our refuge, strength, and present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), and watching that happen before your eyes in your beloved child is especially precious!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">There have been a lot of unknowns surrounding this surgery . . . including whether it would actually happen this time. The pre-op clinic is very backed up with delayed surgeries starting to be rescheduled, so we only got a phone call from them 3 days ago. All her pre-op bloodwork and consults will happen the morning of surgery now. They will need to get a crossmatch for blood transfusions as there is a higher risk for significant bleeding both due to the length of surgery as well as the location of part of the surgery accessing the front of the spine...they will need to lift and move the major blood vessel that returns blood to the heart (the vena cava) right where it merges from each of the lower limbs.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">The surgery is a long one. . . 10 hours long . . . so, Hope will be the first surgery of the day at 7:30 am tomorrow. We will need to have her there at 5 am to do all the pre-op necessities. This is Hope's 8th surgery, but she hasn't had a surgery for the last 7 years! Also, she is now 19 years old, and has moved into the adult health care system. As such, it is a different hospital and different staff. . . a big change from how well Hope was known at the Alberta Children's Hospital, what we considered a "home away from home" for such a long time. To add to the many stresses of things being different, there is still many Covid restrictions in place that limit our ability to support Hope in the ways she has relied on . . . which also greatly affects this mama's state of heart! We still don't know if they will allow us both to be with her after surgery or if they will allow one of us to stay with her overnight . . . something that is very important to her and feels very necessary to how she and we have walked through these trials in the past.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, in addition to the stresses of a major surgery, the many unknowns have weighed heavy on all our hearts this past few weeks. I will truthfully admit that the thought of tomorrow literally makes my stomach start to turn . . . Hope in pain, Hope alone, complications, waiting....... </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Trials are hard . . . very hard . . . there is no way around it! But, I have been clinging to the truth that as great as our trials are, our God is always greater still! AND, He is to be trusted! The trials God entrusts to us are not just a matter of surviving . . . they are the framework through which He reveals His character in such a way that forever changes us! That is good for us! So then, trials are good for us, and our loving Heavenly Father allows and entrusts them to us for His good purposes, as painful as the trial may be. And only a loving and faithful Heavenly Father both entrusts trials for His good purposes AND is with you through every moment of that trial.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Back to Psalm 46:1-2a, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear . . . " <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">God's grace has already been so evident, and one way I'd love to share is through this story. . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">We were told by the pre-op clinic on Thursday that only one of us would be able to be with her tomorrow morning. This was stressful for all of us. We're used to going through these things together and often Hope's care requires both of us. For example, when having her pre-op bloodwork drawn back in August, the first time around, it took 3 pokes and lots of painful digging around trying to hit the vein to get it done. Hope had a seizure during the last vial of blood being drawn, and then afterwards, she threw up two times...it definitely required both of our sets of hands to help her through all of that. We were praying about the very disappointing news that only one of us could go and were seeking the Lord for wisdom in how to best support Hope and each other that morning. On Friday, I called to get the surgery time, and I asked about who could be with her before surgery again. The woman suggested I call the day surgery unit directly because that is where she would be before surgery. I called and upon sharing again that Trevor and I have a court order for joint legal guardianship of Hope as an adult, they said they will make an exception and allow BOTH of us to be with Hope before surgery tomorrow morning! Tears spilled after I got off the phone and told Trevor . . . nothing could have felt like more of a physical hug from my Heavenly Father than that moment . . . He cares about even my small concerns, and He is able and willing to be my refuge, strength, and present help in times of trouble.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know what tomorrow or the days to follow hold for us. I don't know that further exceptions will be made for Hope's unique concerns/needs as we are hoping and praying. BUT, I do know the God who is over it all . . . and we will trust Him because, as Hope said before, "God deserves to be trusted!"<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">They are expecting Hope to have a 4 day stay in the hospital if all goes well. One week after Hope's surgery, Trevor will be flying to Texas to speak at a conference. So, we are praying that Hope will be able to come home from hospital before Trevor needs to leave.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">We will keep you posted throughout this week on how Hope is doing and any specific prayer requests that come up. Thank you for praying for Hope and our family! Words really don't come close to expressing the gratitude in our hearts for how many people continue to pray for Hope. It is such a tremendous comfort and encouragement to Hope and to Trevor, Gabi, and I! Trev is currently preaching through Romans. Last Sunday was Romans 12:12, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." His sermon outline was that genuine love requires three things: a confident expectation in God (rejoice in hope), a committed endurance for God (patient in tribulation), and a constant engagement with God (constant in prayer). What a timely message for our family! Thank you for your genuine love for us!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'll leave you with a little video snippet of something that warmed my heart today and I plan to watch many times tomorrow while I am apart from our precious girl during the long surgery . . . what a sweet reminder that she is never alone because of the One in whom she has placed her trust!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyaUMySHTi_gJ5BGNb0kVGdnUj6uqk0cf9fngYNhvPSmRFM1NbL8EIpMuhrjSg7H-xuIorFFl55UsFQPYMMJQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Song: Build My Life<br />Author: Passion</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lyric Hope is singing: </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I will build my life upon your love; it is a firm foundation.<br />I will put my trust in You alone, and I will not be shaken."</span><br /></span></p><p></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-82567905545519563242021-09-13T21:33:00.000-07:002021-09-13T21:33:35.872-07:00September 13, 2021 - Change of Plans . . . For Me, Not for God<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hello dear friends and prayer warriors! I was planning to write this post to tell you that Hope was having surgery today to repair the broken hardware in her back, as well as try to fuse the vertebrae that did not fuse from her previous back surgery. We were eager to have the amazing prayer support of each of you as she faced this. However, the Lord had another plan . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I'm so thankful that I can say that, "the Lord had another plan," . . . if it was just my plan interrupted and derailed, then I would be completely frustrated, angry, fearful, anxious, and a whole whack of other emotions! But, when I know the One who is over all things, always powerful and sovereign, and not only that . . . He is lovingly orchestrating all details in life according to what He knows is best . . . that changes everything! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">So, here's me finally getting a chance to sit down and give you the scoop on where things are at with Hope's back. A rod broke in her lower back area, earlier this year in January. A pretty major surgery is needed to repair the area of the break, along with some other hardware updates and fixes, and to also fuse the two large vertebrae at the bottom of her spine (L5 and S1) that did not fuse the first time around. They have been slipping and sliding for the last 7 years, and this has resulted in one of the long titanium rods on either side of her spine to snap. Hope had immediate pain and has continued to have pain with all movement, especially when standing up/sitting down, walking, bumping when driving, or even just sitting up in her wheelchair for a while. The worst pain though, has been the spasms that occur, and she is very thankful for an essential oil blend that she has us rub on the area twice a day to help hold off spasms as long as possible.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The surgery was going to repair the rod, replace a couple loose screws, and add some new/extra screws for better support. This would have been done from her back . . . an area that has had surgery 3 times before. Hope was super cute when she matter-of-factly told the surgeon in her last appointment in August, "Now this will be the fourth time that someone has cut into my back there. So be warned, there is going to be a lot of scar tissue there when you do!" He chuckled as he then asked her to clarify for him what all the other surgeries were . . . she is the girl with the "very long patient history!" In addition to this, the surgeon will also be attempting to fuse the two large vertebrae that didn't fuse after the initial fusion surgery. This will have to be done through an incision in the front lower left abdomen, from where they will push everything over to the side to access the front of the spine. Then, they will insert a cage and squeeze in some material to try to create fusion between the bones. It doesn't always work, but we're hoping and praying that it will work so that she will not have another broken rod down the road. So, she will have incisions front and back, with the surgery lasting 5-7 hours, followed by a 4 day hospital stay, if all goes well. The biggest risk of the surgery will be the need to lift and move the branching area of the ascending vena cava (the blood vessel that carries all the blood from the lower limbs back to the heart) in order to access the place where the vertebrae need to be fused. Damage to this area can result in life-threatening bleeding and the need for a vascular surgeon to repair. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Upon hearing that she would have two incisions, front and back . . . one a "well used" area with previous surgeries, while the other a brand new area with no scars . . . Hope had a funny response to the surgeon. She cheerfully quipped, "Well, I don't have a scar on that side of my stomach yet, so, I can add another one to my list!" The surgeon chuckled again!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hope had a 3 hour appointment at the pre-op assessment clinic a couple weeks ago, including having all the pre-op bloodwork drawn. This was the hardest on her. She has been pretty traumatized from all the pokes she has had over the years. She has improved significantly in her coping skills with needles, but it is still really hard on her, especially because most times they struggle to hit her veins, resulting in lots of digging for the vein. After two pokes and digging each time, they finally got a vein, but they needed so many vials of blood that it took a while and the flow of blood was starting to slow down. The technician started moving the needle in her hand to try to get more blood, and that's when Hope reached her limit. She started saying she didn't feel good and was going to throw up. Instead of passing out, she had a strange catatonic episode, frozen in place and unresponsive yet still conscious. After she came back, she was quite nauseous and did throw up a couple times. Hope's biggest concern has been the fact that her surgery is happening in adult world now, and things are different. The anesthesiologist doesn't use gas before placing the IV, as they did in pediatrics. However, he was very kind to agree to come out of the OR and put in a smaller IV in the waiting area where her parents could be with her for the procedure, and then they would put her to sleep before putting in the bigger needles. She was also concerned whether she would be allowed to have her parents with her, including overnight. This will be up to the individual units and staff, plus depend on Covid restrictions. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">So, fast forward to this past week. . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We were supposed to call the hospital on Friday to get her surgery time. However, on Tuesday, we received a call from her surgeon's clinic that the surgery may be cancelled due to decisions made by government and hospital administrators. On Wednesday, the government made their public announcements that many surgeries were going to be cancelled for pandemic reasons. However, the surgeon's office called us and said to continue to follow all the pre-op orders and call the hospital on Friday, as her surgery hadn't been cancelled yet. On Friday afternoon, I called and she was still on the computer surgery list, but the list from the OR had not come up yet, and so I was to call back. I called back at 2:30 pm, and the girl said that Hope's surgery had been cancelled within the hour. On Saturday afternoon, I received a phone call from the surgeon. He had checked the surgery list on Friday at noon, saw Hope's name still there, and was prepared to do surgery on Monday. He didn't find out it was cancelled until Saturday, and was calling to make sure we were aware, too . . . very kind of him!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">So, back to "our plans changed . . . but God's did not!" Honestly, this was not an easy week for Hope or for us. I asked Hope how she was feeling about it yesterday, and she replied, "Disappointed." The roller coaster of events and emotions was exhausting, and we went through the whole range of emotions I listed at the beginning of this post. On one hand I feel relieved that the surgery is postponed, because it is not fun seeing her walk through these difficult things, the recovery would have been long and hard, and Hope always seems to have complications and issues. I would love for her to never need this surgery! However, on the other hand, Hope is suffering in pain every day . . . both her neck and her back. I will update you on her neck in another post. It is hard watching her suffer in pain every day, and it has impacted her ability to stand and walk, as well as how long she can tolerate sitting up or going places. As a result, her walking ability has really gone downhill. We were thankful to have the opportunity to fix the problem through surgery. But now, the thought of going through all the pre-op steps again, especially bloodwork, as well as the mental and physical preparation for it, scheduling around it . . . it all seems like more than any of us want to think about right now.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">However, as Hope heard the news last Wednesday that her surgery may be cancelled, I heard her share with someone that she trusts God regardless of the outcome as she quoted to them a line from a poem she wrote a few years ago. . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Knowing that my God is always in control<br />Even though the storms around me swirl out of my control</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Another truth we clung to this last week was remembering something that Hope said to us just a few weeks before her brain injury as we were going through a difficult situation. After praying together, she said, "Maybe Jesus will come back tomorrow and then what will it matter!" How right she was then, and how right she still is today! Maybe she'll never need to go through this surgery . . . maybe she will and she will be supplied with all the grace and strength needed by her loving Heavenly Father who is always faithful and to be trusted. Life is hard, but God is always good! As you pray for us to continue to speak truth to our hearts as we trust God over it all, please also pray for the many people whose surgeries are being cancelled. Hope missed her surgery by 5 days . . . we prayed for the people who missed their surgery by 1 day . . . how hard that must have been for them. Hope knows Jesus and has her hope firmly placed in Him and that changes everything for her in weathering suffering and disappointment . . . we prayed for those losing their surgery dates that do not have an assured hope in a loving Saviour who is with them and for them through all things!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We have no idea when Hope's surgery will be rescheduled to. Because there are so many surgeries being cancelled, there will be a lot to be rescheduled and it will take time to get back on track. I'm expecting months. The Lord knows, and that's good enough for us! So, we wait . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Lamentation 3:21-26<br />But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:<br />The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;<br />His mercies never come to an end;<br />They are new every morning;<br />Great is your faithfulness.<br />The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him.<br />The Lord is good to those who wait for him,<br /> to the soul who seeks Him.<br />It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Thank you for praying for our Hope! We are so blessed and encouraged by each and every one of you!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">You are loved!!! </span></span><br /></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-60182610234518864482021-06-18T10:46:00.003-07:002021-06-18T12:55:27.581-07:00June 18, 2021 -- Graduation Day!!!<p> <span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hello dear friends and family!!! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have exciting news . . . Hope is graduating from high school today!!! It is an online ceremony and originally was only available to grads and parents/grandparents. However, we just found out yesterday that the school figured out how to do a live link of the ceremony. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the link . . . </span></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://youtu.be/rvL-jo_VokQ" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/rvL-jo_VokQ</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, this is a super last minute notice, but if you would like to watch the ceremony live at 2 pm MST this Friday afternoon, I will share it as soon as they send the link to me . . . supposed to be around 1 pm MST. Hope was asked to give the tribute to the teachers speech. They are hoping to have a recording of the ceremony that can be accessed later . . . we will share that when it is made available to us. And for sure, Hope pre-recorded her speech, so we already have that and can share that later, as well.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is an exciting day to celebrate an awesome God, who has done mighty things in our sweet girl's life to bring her to this day! I have a celebratory post that I've been working on for a while . . . yes, it will be rather long, almost bookish . . . and it will give an overview of Hope's academic journey leading to her high school graduation. Gotta run . . . lots to do to finish "dolling up" our beautiful graduate . . . promise, pictures to come!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Lotsa love from the Peacock flock!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcELO0EwAM_UrrtYWDTYfWHuVfvyaXNg2J7mOnHfNWo5zgctD0u4jaU4LU4tLIUs9iHL0fvjKbv8UmfY1C7MDaUD0VDeQeury-RDJ5_ArgH6dxwNLZlvFrnQ5iyONC9lgACgRgZzXb9c/s2048/Hope+Grad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcELO0EwAM_UrrtYWDTYfWHuVfvyaXNg2J7mOnHfNWo5zgctD0u4jaU4LU4tLIUs9iHL0fvjKbv8UmfY1C7MDaUD0VDeQeury-RDJ5_ArgH6dxwNLZlvFrnQ5iyONC9lgACgRgZzXb9c/s320/Hope+Grad.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> <br /></span></span><p></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-37273469372795208852021-03-27T23:52:00.006-07:002021-03-28T11:13:27.001-07:00March 27, 2021 -- Half and Half Day<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">We are excited to share with you that today marks a special milestone for Hope's life. . . what she has deemed "Half and Half Day!" Today marks the exact day of half of Hope's life before her brain injury and half of her life after her brain injury . . . 9 years, 3 months, and 11 days living a pretty typical life, and then 9 years, 3 months, and 11 days living a very different life of severe brain injury recovery. Different, painful, uncertain, at times devastating while at times miraculous, filled with both deep sorrows and overwhelming joys . . . as different as the second half of Hope's life has been, one thing has never changed through the many many changes . . . God's character! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">God is faithful, good, sovereign, merciful, gracious, full of steadfast love and comfort, present, near, powerful, compassionate, and so much more! Our circumstances have changed dramatically, but our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever . . . and that has been so evident in Hope's story . . . the story that God has wrote for her.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been praying about what to share with you in celebration of this Half and Half Day, and it only came to mind just this morning. Yet again, God is faithful to provide and to bring glory to Himself through Hope's story . . . I can never express how much this grows our faith and brings meaning, joy, and hope through the pain of the last 9 years, 3 months, and 11 days of different!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">I remember this, about 5 years ago . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am sitting outside of the Bearspaw Christian School in a wheelchair van waiting to pick up Hope and Gabi from school for the day and head home. As I wait, I see a group of girls from junior high come out of the school dressed in their soccer uniforms. Some of the girls I recognize from Hope's class. I remember that Hope had received a soccer ball for her 9th birthday because she was so excited to learn to play. It was her goal to work at it and be ready to try out to play on a soccer team at school when competitive sports start in junior high. We had tried to sign her up on a community soccer team the year before, but the community program for her age played all their games on Sunday mornings. We had discussed it with her, and she had willingly agreed to obey and wait until she was in the next older bracket that played at a different time so she could continue to be an active part of our church body every Sunday. Those opportunities to play soccer never came.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I continued to wait, watching the soccer girls outside of the school, my mind started to imagine what Hope would have looked like in that soccer uniform. Remembering how good of an athlete she had been in other sports, I continued to think that she probably would have been great in soccer too. I imagined how fun it would have been to watch her games and cheer her on. Every thought progressed with a deeper painful cut to my mama's heart of how different Hope's life was now going to be. Every thought progressed with the stinging reality of how much loss Hope had experienced, would continue to experience, and that her family who loved her also experienced alongside her. My thoughts were taking my mind to a murky downward spiraling whirlpool of painful loss and sadness that I could not escape. I closed my eyes to shut out the scene in front of me, and welling tears escaped as I did. "Just don't think about it," I tried to tell myself, "you're torturing yourself! You can't change what's happened. Why, God, why?"<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">My own strength wouldn't have taken me away from the deeply painful place I so quickly had walked myself into. Thankfully, God took me by the hand and my beloved Shepherd led me to green pastures and still waters . . . I couldn't have got there myself, and that's me just being honest. He gently lifted my face from the scene in front of me and the pain of the circumstances of loss, to instead look at Him and see His character. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">You see, I realized at that moment, that I saw two different paths, and I had confused them in my mind. One was the path I had imagined for our precious daughter from the day God graciously gave her to us . . . it was the straight path in my mind . . . a life without brain injury and who God had originally created her to be. The other was the path of reality where Hope suffered a severe brain injury after 9 years, 3 months, and 11 days . . . I saw it going straight and then taking a jutted turn onto a very different painful rocky path. However, I realized that Hope's brain injury wasn't a drastic curve in her life's path . . . in fact, and in light of a sovereign God, that curved path was actually a figment of my imagination! Rather, the straight path, the one that God had created our Hope to be and had ordained long before the gift of her life graced our family, included a severe brain injury at 9 years, 3 months, and 11 days. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">I finally got it! My limited finite view that Hope's brain injury happened and now she was never going to be any of those things I thought or imagined was faulty thinking. This wasn't a different plan; this was always the plan! I just didn't know it before, I still didn't know what was yet ahead, but I knew the One who did . . . her sovereign and good Creator and Story-writer . . . this was her straight path and exactly who God had always created her to be, for her good and for His glory! I just needed to catch up and get in line for a powerful story of God at work. And wow, what an extraordinary path God had ordained for her . . . difficult, for sure! . . . but filled with revelations of God's character, filled with faith building trials, and filled with the wonder of God's power and glory on display in the life of a little girl who firmly believes and trusts in her Creator and Saviour! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">As tomorrow comes, tipping the scales of time to a life with more brain injury than without, I cannot express the peace that still fills my heart knowing Hope is on the straight path that God has always intended for her and who He has always made her to be, and that includes her journey living with a severe brain injury . . . He could still heal her and tip that scale the other way, but even if He doesn't, we will trust Him and praise Him because He is so worthy to be trusted and praised! To know Him is to know this deep in your soul, where no circumstance can rob your peace or dampen your joy!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sVICYif0sI5pc4f5PDiTODQedj2hbTAy_0nRW5rxpu3P4QwvOmqiXkzuorIepp1AaTUXPZJ1rLP1d6QLIIwzgW2ebRz_yxjWqQeug-9rZXGLyy3xw8rtLd4XrANxr2Ijq1_UtqawYj8/s640/Half+and+Half+Day.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="383" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sVICYif0sI5pc4f5PDiTODQedj2hbTAy_0nRW5rxpu3P4QwvOmqiXkzuorIepp1AaTUXPZJ1rLP1d6QLIIwzgW2ebRz_yxjWqQeug-9rZXGLyy3xw8rtLd4XrANxr2Ijq1_UtqawYj8/s320/Half+and+Half+Day.jpg" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a little message from Hope. . .<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">"It feels strange today having half my life being independent, walking, etc. and now half my life being in a wheelchair, not being able to see, etc.. I am thankful for the amazing God who has got me through the past 9 years, 3 months, and 11 days. I am so blessed to be called His! God has brought me this far, and He will continue to be faithful to see me through whatever lies ahead. Of this, I am both certain and thankful!"<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Philippians 3:12-14<br />"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. . . But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope has set her next milestone as
"Double Day," where her life living with brain injury will be double
her life without . . . that should be July 8, 2030. </span></span>Thank you for continuing to love our girl and follow God's story for her. Your prayers and notes of encouragement are such sweet blessings in each of our lives! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">God is faithful and good, always!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: large;">You are loved, dear ones!!!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-84783694845971781482021-02-08T11:40:00.004-08:002021-02-08T12:28:15.239-08:00February 8, 2021 -- A Broken Back<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hello dear ones! It has been way too long since we have shared an update on our sweet Hope. I keep thinking, "Oh, this would be great to share on Hope's blog!" And then the time slips by and I have missed the opportunity. Please forgive me for that! Especially in light of how amazingly faithful, compassionate, and loving you are in your heart for Hope and in keeping updated on what is going on in her life as to how you can continue to both pray for her and praise God with her! Well, I'm sitting down and not missing the opportunity to share this update with you, because it is a big prayer request for our sweet girlie . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope has chronic pain. For the last few years, the primary areas have been her ribs and her neck. They are not sure what causes her rib pain, but she has learned to cope with it, and it does not hugely affect her overall function, other than avoiding too much time sitting up in her wheelchair.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The neck pain is more concerning and affects her function on a daily basis. Hope has a pretty significant kyphosis in her neck that developed after her full spinal and pelvic fusion surgery. The kyphosis means that her neck is not straight; instead, it juts forward right at the place where her spinal fusion begins moving downward. This is also the place at the top of the two titanium metal rods that run alongside each side of her fused spine from neck to pelvis. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope turned 18 years old this past September and has been slowly being transferred into the world of adult medicine, including various new doctors. One of these changes is a new orthopedic surgeon to continue to follow her. We met her new surgeon last January 2020. Hope has really liked him and he was thorough in his assessment, as well as very helpful in explaining the concerning situation with her kyphosis. Hope has neck pain every day. She also has some difficulty with swallowing when sitting up because of how far her neck juts forward. However, she is a trooper and uses position changes to manage the pain and swallowing issues, and has been able to avoid surgery to this point. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The surgeon is concerned that the vertebrae in her neck are putting pressure on her spinal cord and has us on high alert for any progressing symptoms that would indicate the need for immediate surgery to extend the fusion of her vertebrae to include the area of kyphosis in her lower neck. With how much Hope's mobility is already limited by the extensive fusion in her spine and pelvis, Hope is trying to put off this surgery as long as she possibly can. It will make it even harder for her to do things like lean forward to spit into the sink when brushing her teeth, not to mention, it is a very painful surgery and recovery. The surgery is also complicated when having to work around already fused bones and hardware, as well as when moving into the neck area. So, we wait . . . and trust the Lord, who is always worthy of our trust because He is faithful!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, when our girlie says she is having bad pain, we listen! She is very acquainted with pain and a tough cookie, but new pain can be quite overwhelming for her. About a month ago, she started complaining of sharp pain and muscle spasms in her back that left her in tears. We tried muscle relaxants with no relief, and after a week of it not getting any better, I thought I better start looking into help. I wasn't sure where to start with her doctors, so decided to call two of her new adult doctors, the orthopedic surgeon and her rehab brain injury doctor. We couldn't get an appointment with the surgeon until a month later, but the rehab doctor was able to squeeze in a phone appointment a couple days later. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The rehab doctor did an amazing job of asking questions over the phone to try to assess Hope's new pain and what it could be. Hope asked if maybe one of the titanium rods in her back could have broke. He felt it was most likely a muscle issue, but thought it would be a good idea to have some X-rays taken just to be sure that there was no failure of the fusion hardware in Hope's back. He gave us a few things to try in the meantime . . . continue with muscle relaxants and apply heat. He offered Hope stronger pain medication, to which Hope adamantly refused . . . did I mention that she is a tough cookie?!? Instead, we used essential oils which did seem to help a bit with the muscle spasms, but the sharp pain with movement continued to be quite severe.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">About 10 days later, we had a follow up zoom appointment (all these new ways of doing life nowadays, eh!) with the rehab doctor who had very interesting news. An X-ray revealed that there was indeed a broken rod in her back, exactly in the area of her sharp pain, the right side of her lower back. Hope was almost pleased with the news! Her emphatic response was, "I KNEW IT!" I think it felt good to have an answer to the cause of her new pain (unlike the rib pain) and that she had nailed it in her suspicions while we all were focused on a muscle issue.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a picture of the broken rod in her back. This picture was taken with Trevor holding Hope's hands above her head to try to straighten her out as much as possible, so it may not represent her relaxed sitting position. The arrows point to the broken area. . .</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbIy1XbLw1m7eIqK4zwMFTBW7UlfNJ2et8PNiFIHjC2f2TwjdaRILJeBP9QjlsMj3xLK6FVim13Fot8rdWzAWbhWJYZDja8ewPsHy6FGqQICoZUXeZESxDMqWsg4X3AnRZmEJFp9J_Qs/s879/Broken+Rod+Jan+2021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="879" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbIy1XbLw1m7eIqK4zwMFTBW7UlfNJ2et8PNiFIHjC2f2TwjdaRILJeBP9QjlsMj3xLK6FVim13Fot8rdWzAWbhWJYZDja8ewPsHy6FGqQICoZUXeZESxDMqWsg4X3AnRZmEJFp9J_Qs/w390-h331/Broken+Rod+Jan+2021.jpg" width="390" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now, her mom and dad were not quite so pleased with the news. Our hearts sank at the thought of surgery, but even more that this has happened only 6 1/2 years after the fusion surgery. Hope is young and if this continues, how will her body handle multiple repair surgeries? We're also concerned that the other rod is in greater danger of also breaking. And of course, the big question . . . why? Why did a titanium rod break in her back 6 1/2 years into the fusion with no notable fall or injury to have caused it?<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thankfully, we already had called and made the appointment with the orthopedic surgeon a couple weeks earlier! Isn't it precious and so very encouraging to see how God goes before us! That appointment with the surgeon is this coming Friday, February 12th. We are eager to speak with him and hear his thoughts on why this possibly happened, if it will continue to be a lifelong problem for her, and of course, what needs to be done about it and how soon. We have been trying to help Hope manage pain and prevent any further damage by limiting Hope's movement, her time in the wheelchair, and being in the vehicle driving as bumps are very painful.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">We would humbly ask for the comfort and power of prayer on behalf of Hope's newest health issue. We have been so blessed over the years of her journey to see God move mightily through the prayers of His people, and we cannot thank you enough for your faithful compassion to pray for Hope, for her doctors, and most of all, for God's glory to be on display in her life so that more people might come to know Him.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'll end with a little story . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first week the back pain and spasms began, Hope was pretty overwhelmed with the pain. After a Saturday night of Hope being awakened over and over by repeated series of back spasms, I stayed home from attending our church service that morning with Hope. We had listened to the service online at home, but missed the first few worship songs as I was trying to get Hope settled into a position where she wasn't in so much pain and could focus on listening to the service. I felt frustrated and sad that we weren't able to go to church and be with our beloved body of Christ there, but mostly frustrated and sad that I couldn't make the pain go away for my suffering girl. After the service, I started the online service over so we could catch the worship songs that we had missed at the beginning. The final worship song was "It is Well With My Soul." My hurting heart became overwhelmed as I watched our sweet Hope sing . . . with all of her might and sincere heartfelt passion . . . these words . . .</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>When peace like a river attendeth my way<br />When sorrows like sea billows roll<br />Whatever my lot, Thous hast taught me to say<br />It is well, it is well with my soul</i></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come<br />Let this blest assurance control <br />That Christ has regarded my helpless estate<br />And has shed His own blood for my soul</i></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>It is well (it is well)<br />With my soul (with my soul)<br />It is well, it is well with my soul.</i></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Hymn by Horatio G. Spafford </i></span><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was wrecked! In the best kind of way . . . where tears flow freely as everything comes into clear view and peace floods your heart. Hope can sing those words sincerely and passionately with all her might because she admits that she's a sinner, but has repented of her sin, and put her trust in what Jesus accomplished on the cross for her. Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, then died in payment for sin and rose again in victory over sin, so that anyone who believes in Him can be clothed in His righteousness and have eternal life as a child of God.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is well with Hope's soul, and I couldn't hope for anything else more comforting and wonderful than this!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is well with Hope's soul, and that is everything!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Later that evening at our Zoom small group, we studied and discussed the passage Romans 5:1-11. The whole passage was so affirming and encouraging, but the last verse resonated with that precious moment with the Lord earlier that morning as I watched Hope sing . . . <br /></span></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Romans 5:11 - More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.</span></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Again, my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord! Hope has been reconciled to God through her belief and trust in Jesus Christ, and it is well with her soul! Nothing in this broken sinful world with all its failings, disease, and devastating circumstances of suffering can, in the slightest, dampen the joy of that message! Nothing!!!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope trusts God completely, and in this circumstance, that has not changed. Could there be anything more precious than seeing your child trust unwaveringly in our faithful God?!? It challenges me to leave my "mama's heart" worries at the feet of Jesus and trust Him too . . . even when watching her suffer and face uncertainty, even when seeing her face grimace in pain every time she needs to stand, even when facing a "broken back" surgery again . . . </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for praying, dear ones! You are so very loved!!!<br /></span></span></p>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-28920608105506386082020-04-13T00:11:00.003-07:002020-04-13T00:18:55.391-07:00April 12, 2020 -- Alive in Christ!!!<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy Easter everyone! The Peacock family hopes that you had a wonderful day celebrating and worshiping our awesome Saviour who alone is worthy of all praise! We love you and we are thankful for the many who continue to follow Hope's story and how God is working in and through her life. He is a good and faithful God, always . . . even in the midst of crazy times such as these . . . global pandemic! He is in control, He is building His Kingdom, and He is working for our best, so that we might become more like Him! What a precious Saviour!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have a story that I wanted to share with you today. I had wanted to share this little story this past December on Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day . . . but I didn't make that happen. However, I remembered it this week, and to be honest, I think Easter is the perfect time to share it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First of all, some of you might ask what is Hope's Celebration of Life Day? This is what our family nicknamed the anniversary of Hope's brain injury. This past December 14th, 2019 marked 8 years since the day of her brain injury, and we have chosen to use that potentially dark day of memories to celebrate God's faithfulness . . . we almost lost Hope that day, but He graciously granted her life, a different life, but the the life that He always had planned for her out of His love and ability to work all things "for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." Romans 8:28-29</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was the morning of Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day. We were away with family for the weekend. I went into the room where Hope was sleeping to help her take her morning medications and to wish her a "Happy Celebration of Life Day!" We had special plans for the day. I had made some rootbeer cupcakes to celebrate her special day as well as her auntie's upcoming birthday . . . a birthday her sweet auntie had spent in the Stollery Hospital in Edmonton while Hope was there being kept alive on ECMO, a heart and lung bypass machine. Her daddy had planned a special horse sleigh ride with the whole family, that would take us to a cabin in the woods for apple cider and cookies, and then back again. Hope loves horses, both before and after her brain injury. In general, she loves animals, but she will happily tell you that horses are her favorite farm animal by far! As I kissed her sweet forehead and said the words, "Happy Celebration of Life Day, Hopey," she thanked me with a huge grin, the kind of grin that melts your heart and causes you to wonder at the bond of deep love that God gives you for your little ones (even little ones that aren't so little anymore!) and how that is just a mere speck of the perfect, sacrificial, and unconditional love of God for His children. I asked her what she was doing, and she told me that she had been laying there thinking. Hope loves to have quiet "thinking time," as she calls it, often spent creating elaborate story lines and developing interesting characters for her stories . . . but sometimes to just reflect, and today, she was reflecting and talking to her Saviour. When I asked her what she was thinking about, she spoke these sweet words . . . </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Mom, I was just thinking about how this is my Celebration of Life Day, and I was thanking the Lord for keeping me alive on this day, 8 years ago. But, most of all, mom, I was thanking the Lord for making me alive in Him!"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. . . words that still echo in my heart . . . words that are why her dad and I call the greatest miracle of healing in Hope's life, the miracle that restored her ability to know and love her Creator and her Saviour! Hope knows that she is a sinner in need of a Saviour, and she has put her trust fully in the gospel of Jesus Christ. She believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and in His loving sacrifice being the only way for those who believe and put their trust in Him alone, to be reconciled to God and to have forgiveness of sins, the righteousness of Jesus placed on us resulting in our redemption and being called children of God. She has placed her hope firmly in the eternal future that she will receive some day with Jesus in glory . . . the future that she hopes in so assuredly that she does not care if her eyes ever see again in this life because she adamantly professes that "I would love for the first thing I see again to be the face of Jesus!" </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I pray this story and the testimony of God working in Hope's heart will encourage you this Easter to worship and adore the One who is worthy of all praise and honour and glory, Jesus Christ . . . the only One who is able to make you truly ALIVE! If you don't have this hope, I pray that you will read the Bible and talk to someone who can share the awesome news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with you. We would love to share how you can find hope through Jesus, how He alone can help you solve your sin problem and make you alive in Christ, and how you can have true peace in the midst of all the craziness in this broken world, even in the midst of a global pandemic!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We always end our blog posts with, "you are loved," because we truly love each and every one of you . . . even those we've never met! God has so blessed and encouraged our family through the continued support, love, concern, and prayers of so many people, even 8 years later and still going! So, we want to remind you that you are loved, because we love you! Yet so much more important, we want to remind you that you are loved, because Jesus died and rose again so that He could make you truly alive in Him! We pray that you have placed your belief and trust fully in Jesus Christ alone!!! He is risen! He is risen indeed!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You are so loved, dear ones!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P.S. I will include a few photos from Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day. The snow pics may not seem to fit Easter for many of you . . . however, if you could see into our backyard, the snow would fit perfectly! Yes, it snowed for the third day in a row here today, and we have about 2-3 foot snow drifts in our back yard. We, Canucks, are a hardy bunch indeed, or gluttons for punishment as my hubby says! Hee hee!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhEC5-eF_4I8chKpGBZ7PrrT6MVw7yXr2Bv-LopzGDYR9bqbN5D69sI_DGYOkwXYEXc3G78RgcGLenNBypohV1b5gZfSa_GJadRBGJRujvXYs2-qimWswPJaaIFlvw0ic7Yk1WCc8oQA/s1600/Horses+Sleigh+Ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhEC5-eF_4I8chKpGBZ7PrrT6MVw7yXr2Bv-LopzGDYR9bqbN5D69sI_DGYOkwXYEXc3G78RgcGLenNBypohV1b5gZfSa_GJadRBGJRujvXYs2-qimWswPJaaIFlvw0ic7Yk1WCc8oQA/s320/Horses+Sleigh+Ride.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A sleigh ride pulled by beautiful horses wearing Christmas sleigh bells and bows!</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStd0gokwqwTxq75gGxYXSMMBitUaJQwc6oLXOVzPSInlPYnl3YMqsgttH7frINrjfHJqNxOA8jPauU1lu0b7RQI2bshez6OaQeauOaIwVfIP4UAIYWLesE-PJEzeH79ni52otZL8KDFM/s1600/Horse+Sleigh+Ride+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStd0gokwqwTxq75gGxYXSMMBitUaJQwc6oLXOVzPSInlPYnl3YMqsgttH7frINrjfHJqNxOA8jPauU1lu0b7RQI2bshez6OaQeauOaIwVfIP4UAIYWLesE-PJEzeH79ni52otZL8KDFM/s320/Horse+Sleigh+Ride+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Peacock flock bundled and staying nice and cozy warm under blankets.<br />We had one excited Hopey Girl!!!</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkdRH5Q_ZOxKq_yNUdZfQYRl_KJgOU2wBtzd_Mdehtbu1wWa6nhTjPXtkQfssD7B2RYNlT67QMRkX4uZEhEaiMRtZG8GoKzCPk9et2FifP2SJXv767SOkq0xyS4qeOympSs1IExgpYj8/s1600/Horse+Sleigh+Ride+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkdRH5Q_ZOxKq_yNUdZfQYRl_KJgOU2wBtzd_Mdehtbu1wWa6nhTjPXtkQfssD7B2RYNlT67QMRkX4uZEhEaiMRtZG8GoKzCPk9et2FifP2SJXv767SOkq0xyS4qeOympSs1IExgpYj8/s320/Horse+Sleigh+Ride+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hope at the cabin in the woods, warming up with some hot apple cider!</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABv0S1i8dXfyNcNPrxp5CeBdJJYXOSvQJl1stD9wKCj0x2KkTK8kaZF0qy3YJs6DRQMzODQhJpDMDBtcvBLQh6c2MNgIo2iv_du3LaWfgU1KnJ9IhV7I7yyVai87p7IJTUw3qfL1uWbM/s1600/Rootbeer+Cupcakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABv0S1i8dXfyNcNPrxp5CeBdJJYXOSvQJl1stD9wKCj0x2KkTK8kaZF0qy3YJs6DRQMzODQhJpDMDBtcvBLQh6c2MNgIo2iv_du3LaWfgU1KnJ9IhV7I7yyVai87p7IJTUw3qfL1uWbM/s320/Rootbeer+Cupcakes.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Celebrating with dear family<br /> along with games and rootbeer cupcakes makes for a sweet ending to <br />Hope's 7th Celebration of Life Day!!!<br />GOD IS GOOD!!!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-87312775997620924452020-02-27T00:22:00.002-08:002020-02-27T00:23:00.701-08:00January 10, 2020 -- Seizure Saga Update<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! We hope and pray that you all had a very blessed season of celebrating the true hope . . . our hope in Jesus Christ. What an amazing Saviour that so humbly came in the form of a baby to provide salvation for all who would put their trust and faith in Him! In the Bible, I read through the book of Matthew during the month of December and Trevor preached a Christmas series from a passage in Matthew. From that time studying the life of Jesus, it never ceases to amaze me the love of our Saviour that came to serve rather than be served! Praise Him for He alone is worthy!</span></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can't remember how long it's been since I last updated you on Hope's seizures . . . the seizure saga has been her primary health issue for the last few years. This past year she has had some of the worst seizures and seizure seasons since the very beginning. From March through June, she had a day of seizures every other week. These seizures had morphed into a very scary kind where she often would stop breathing or at the very least find it difficult to breathe during and after the seizures. During the summer, she had a bit of reprieve from seizures, which has always seemed to be the case, and then started with monthly seizures again the first week of return to school.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We made some changes to her seizure medications back in May with the new neurologist that she has now. It seemed to be heading in a good trajectory until mid November . . . she had the worst night of seizures that we've ever seen and necessitated steps we have never taken in all 8 years post brain injury (for her seizures at least) . . . a trip to emergency at the Alberta Children's Hospital. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The day began with her not feeling well and her speech slowly worsening . . . it becomes increasingly difficult for her to speak often when she is going to have seizures . . . her speech will sound slurred and stuttered like someone who has had a stroke. She was also having lots of myoclonic or involuntary jerking activity, especially in her eyes. Her first seizure wasn't too crazy other than it was longer than usual and involved old seizure symptoms that we hadn't seen for a long time . . . years. However, less than 10 minutes later, she had a huge seizure of 6 1/2 minutes where she was unable to breathe, and although we protected her airway the best we could, her lips turned blue. The longest/worst seizure she has had like this in the past was 5 minutes or less. Even more concerning was how she did not recover as usual after the seizure. For at least 30 minutes after the seizure, she was talking gibberish and then would suddenly say a phrase clear as a bell but would simply keep repeating it. She was making movements that were repetitive and didn't make sense, and she seemed to be disconnected from reality/us as she was unable to hear us and was not responding appropriately or per her usual. She also was using a funny voice and tone that we hadn't heard for about 6+ years. To add greatly to the stacking concerns, the right side of her face was not working, again much like a stroke symptom. It was all very bizarre and concerning. I wondered if she had suffered further brain damage or was having mini strokes. We also checked her seizure rescue medication stash and realized that all 3 bottles were expired . . . very expired by 2-3 years as she hadn't needed it for so long, we hadn't bothered to get a new prescription for it. She was convinced that the rescue medication made her sick and had been refusing it, as well as her seizures for the last couple of years did not fit the doctor's parameters required for her to take it. For all these reasons, we decided it best to take her in to the hospital, so at the very least, she could get a proper dose of rescue medication if needed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We began getting ready to go to the hospital and before we left, Hope had another 2 seizures just minutes apart from each other. Again, they were much more severe in affecting her breathing and she became very nauseous. God was so gracious to keep her from having any seizures on the way to the hospital, although I sat in the back of the van with Hope and was prepared to deal with any if she had one. Trev dropped Hope and I at the front door of emergency to go park the van and while we waited for him inside, I could tell from her strange involuntary movements that she was going to have another seizure imminently. Again, God's grace was so evident to us as Trevor walked through the door, I told him I thought she was going to have another one, and then she immediately went into another seizure. We were in a very long triage line. The sweet young mother of a little boy with a very scraped up face asked if she could get a nurse for us . . . how kind of her! The nurse came and immediately began pushing Hope back into the emergency area as I protected her airway the best I could and dad timed the seizure. Another seizure began within minutes of being transferred onto the emergency table and with all the wires and monitor connected to her so they could see some of what was happening during her seizure . . . what a blessing to finally have this information documented! Her heart rate increases significantly (which Hope has always told me she feels!) and her oxygen saturation levels dropped to the 60's (which we have always believed that she wasn't breathing). It was another long seizure of over 6 minutes, and they were concerned enough that they bagged her (gave her oxygen and breaths with a mask over her face) and used a technique called a sternal rub (rubbing your knuckles firmly on the sternum or front chest bone to try to stimulate breathing again). Hope did not resume breathing until the seizure stopped. Once again after the seizure, Hope did not recover as she usually does and was not responding appropriately. She was talking in a funny voice, repeating the same phrase, and talking gibberish . . . all for around 30 minutes. She didn't even flinch when the nurse told her that she was starting an IV, even though she smiled at the nurse and said, "Okay!" and watched the IV go in . . . which if you know Hope, then you know that needles are one of her biggest fears and usually involve a lot of tears and support!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">They had an IV rescue med drawn up and ready to give to Hope as soon as the IV was started, but it was not given. So, more surprising than the terrible seizures out of the blue was the fact that she didn't have any more seizures that night! They just stopped as suddenly as they had come. However, no one expected this and so they wanted to keep her overnight, also so that she could be seen by her neurologist and a plan for her seizure medication could be made before returning home. She continued to have difficult speech, felt extremely unwell and nauseous (throwing up multiple times), and she was very agitated and stressed. She did not fall asleep until around 3 am. Sleep is usually the only thing that stops her seizures. So, the fact that she didn't have any more seizures, with all her worst seizure triggers present, was just as puzzling as the terrible seizures to begin with. She only slept for 1 1/2 hours that night and then continued to feel unwell and have lots of myoclonic or involuntary muscle jerks/movements throughout her body. At least her speech was more normal again. We saw a couple teams of neurologists that night, the next morning, and then her own neurologist came in to see her around noon. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We made a plan to adjust her seizure medications slightly, which included decreasing the Trileptal due to all the involuntary myoclonic activity. Rather, they added back in a very low dose of Keppra to try to give a bit more seizure coverage due to lowering the other. </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
nurse called me a week later and lowered her Trileptal a little bit more and increased the Keppra a little bit more, saying it was their last
attempt/adjustment with these medications. If this was unsuccessful, then we would try a
different seizure medication that Hope has never had before. </span></span>They didn't sound hopeful that this would stop seizures, nor were we hopeful this would be successful, as the dose of Trileptal is lower than what she used to take prior to her back fusion surgery (6 years ago, when she was about 50 lbs lighter). The dose of Keppra is also very low (1/3 of what her dose was back in September). The hope is that the very low doses of two medications could possibly balance less side effects with seizure control (even though both doses are considered below therapeutic level for Hope's size/age). Hope has been on both of these meds at the same time, but at much higher doses, yet still having seizures. The question was whether the side effects resulting from these higher doses could actually be causing seizures, and we were so thankful that they were willing to consider Hope's unique reactions to medications in considering solutions. We also went home with a new prescription for her rescue med with new instructions to repeat doses of it, if needed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, almost 7 weeks have gone by, and Hope is still on the two low doses of Trileptal and Keppra. She has had another day of seizures in December, however, it was only two seizures and they were not nearly as severe as the ones back in November. They did not stop her breathing, just made it a little more difficult to breath during. They were much shorter, all under 2 minutes, and she recovered as per her usual after each one. We are thankful! I will call the neurology nurse again this month and give an update and see if we will just continue as is, or if the move to the new medication is recommended. Time will tell, as Hope's pattern over the past few years has been that her seizures worsen from the early part of the year (Jan-March) until around June or summer when they tend to lessen again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for all the prayers that you continue to pray for our sweet girlie and her ongoing saga with seizures! November was super scary for us (even Hope's neurologist told us how surprised he was to see Hope's name on the emerg list for such serious seizures!), but it was also a sweet reminder of the many graces of our good and faithful God! Some I've already mentioned, but another one was that my dad was visiting that night and had arrived just an hour before Hope's seizures started. He was able to hang out with Gabi overnight at home, go grab some supper for them, and keep her company while both Trev and I stayed with Hope at the hospital all night long. Another grace . . . we were scheduled to go on vacation the day after the hospital stay . . . we were delayed by one day with the set back, but otherwise were able to get away as a family and have a much needed time of rest and fun together right after that exhausting ordeal. We were staying at an accessible lodge in Kannanaskis that has hugely discounted prices for families with disabilities, but it is also in the middle of the mountains with no cell service or wifi. We were isolated and far from medical services, and God was so gracious to allow Hope's scary time of seizures to happen before we had left. God is good always, even when our circumstances are scary and uncertain, difficult and painful . . . He is always good and His grace is always evident . . . of that I am certain!!! And in a world of uncertainties, the unchanging character of our God and our hope in Jesus Christ are most precious of all!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You are so loved, dear ones!!! </span></span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-57685395589599438932020-01-08T15:49:00.000-08:002020-01-08T15:58:21.205-08:00January 8, 2020 -- Hope Proclaims re: Disability Awareness<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hi everyone! This is Hope, and I wanted to share with you that I started a YouTube channel to be able to share some of the things that are important to me. Last semester, I made a video called, "Disabilities 101," and as part of an action plan for my Social Studies class, I would like to share it with you. It took my mom and I two months to make this video with a LOT of takes and retakes as I really struggle to remember and speak my lines in front of a camera. You get to see the final "polished" product . . . well, as polished as my mom is able to do, according to her! You would probably laugh with us to hear about some of the video bloopers, such as when my standing pole fell over on me when I was trying to do a transfer . . . don't worry, no one was seriously injured in the making of this video . . . well, unless you count the wall . . . it has a nasty gouge in it now! I did choose to leave in some of the bloopers of our cute little doggie, named Connor, just because who doesn't want to see a cute little fur ball! I'll tell you more about him later in another post.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, back to my Disabilities 101 video. My life changed drastically about 8 years ago and has never been the same since. I've had to learn so many new things and different ways of doing things as a severely disabled person. And, the people around me have also needed to learn how best to help me, to engage with me, and to love me through a lot of really hard circumstances. I'm so thankful for the people that God placed in my life to walk through this journey together and learn from each other . . . nurses, doctors, therapists, friends, teachers, educational assistants, church family, my dear family, prayer warriors like you, and even strangers at times, but most of all my Saviour who has been with me through it all! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think that people with disabilities are often lonely, isolated, and excluded for a variety of reasons that are often just practical because we can't do what many typical people do. I think sometimes people don't talk to or hang out with disabled people because they don't know how to. I can't imagine going through what I have gone through without Jesus and the many people who have loved and supported me through it. I realize that not everyone has that and that is heartbreaking. So, I wanted to make a video that helps people learn a bit more about what disabilities are, what a day with disabilities might look like, and how you can engage with disabled people more effectively and meaningfully. Have you heard the song, "Dream Small" by Josh Wilson? It's one of my favorites and it has a line in the second verse that says, "dancing on a Friday with a friend with special needs, these simple moments change the world."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I really hope you enjoy my video and can take something helpful away from it so that God can use you to be a light and blessing to someone who lives with disabilities. They need to know that Jesus loves them and you can be the one to show them His love and that they are special and loved just the way they are! And through that, you can change the world and how great would that be!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Signing off for now, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Link to YouTube Video:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">(you will need to copy and paste this link to get there) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyJbffflsAI </span></span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-13618634195110219622019-02-01T17:25:00.003-08:002019-02-01T17:53:17.640-08:00February 1, 2019 -- Despised, Yet Loved<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope needed to write a blog post for her English class in response to a worldview or issue presented in a movie. We thought it might be fun for her to actually share her blog post with you, on her blog! I would so love for her to take over the blog some day, so this is great practice for her toward that end, and we hope you enjoy a little peek into the heart of our sweet girlie!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Despised, Yet Loved</b></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">by Hope Peacock</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's been a little over a year since the movie, "The Greatest Showman" came to theatres. I loved the music and had almost every song memorized, word for word, within a few weeks. My mom, sister, and I even watched it a second time in the theatre, which we never do . . . it was that good! So, why was I so drawn to this movie? Was it the popular actors or the fantastic acting? Was it the fabulous singing voices or the captivating foot-stomping music? Or was it the stirring message behind the heart-warming story that made "The Greatest Showman" the greatest show?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The answer to all three questions is an exuberant, "YES!" </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, when I weighed what was most meaningful to me, what struck me and stuck with me, it was its message about love and connection . . . you may be despised by the world because you are different, but <b>you are loved</b>! Isn't that what we all want more than anything, to be loved and valued? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">world says to pursue all kinds of ways to feel loved and valued by others . . . money, happiness, power, beauty, multiple lovers, popularity, fame, self-pursuit, whatever would make you feel good about yourself . . . anything goes! I don't see a lot of happy people around me, rather people caught in a endless rat race of self-love and loneliness.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Bible says that we are loved and valued by the Creator and Giver of life, not because we look a certain way, act a certain way, possess a certain quality, or even because we do great things, simply because God created us in His image and He loves and values us as unique and special to Him.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Psalm 139:13-14 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mothers womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We're so loved by God, that He sent His son, Jesus . . . </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The movie's message that you can be loved and valued for your differences feels so good, but it is only about a connection with people. Human love is imperfect and does not completely satisfy, as circumstances and relationships in our lives often remind us. So much more fulfilling and necessary is the fact that you can be loved and valued by Jesus; He is the only key out of the rat race! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am disabled in so many ways! My hands don't work, my legs don't work, and my eyes don't work. I can't feed myself or dress myself. It's hard for me to think of words without help. I depend on people to help me to get through life on a day to day basis. I use a wheelchair and I look different, a different that no one else would look at and say, "That girl has a great life! I wish I could be like her!" I can't say I blame them for not wanting to be like me; my life is hard, but I can say that I still have a reason for living that gives me joy, purpose, and hope! My body fails me, but something that never fails me, is Jesus' love for me. I know my need for a Saviour; I've repented of my sins and put my trust in Jesus alone. Now, I know Jesus and a love that is unconditional and without end. I am loved and valued simply because He loved me first!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">God has placed a lot of people in my life, both near and far, that love me and pray for me, and I am so blessed and thankful for them! They know how different I am, and yet, they love and value me enough to still read this blog seven years after my brain injury! All I can say is, "Wow! And thank you!" However much these people love me, it will never surpass the love that Jesus has shown me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, if you're looking for love and connection, if you feel different, alone, and despised by the world around you, I hope you know the greatest news ever . . . that no matter what,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>You are </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> loved by Jesus</b>!</span></span></span> </span></span></span></div>
Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-44396515391224044402018-11-28T22:55:00.000-08:002018-11-28T22:55:04.941-08:00November 27, 2018 -- Hope Is On Joni & Friends Radio Program Tomorrow!<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hello dear friends! It has been way too long since I've had a chance to post an update. I started an update post on Hope's school, hmm . . . yikes, it was 5 months ago now! Ha ha! And Hope has a few things that she wants me to post as well. It has been a difficult fall for us, and many things have fallen to the wayside as a result. However, for now, I'm gonna just keep this short and let you know something kinda cool!</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For anyone who has the ability to listen to the Joni & Friends Radio Program, tune in tomorrow, Thursday, November 29th! Joni taped a segment for the program about our sweet Hope! If you miss the program on the radio, I think you can also access the recording on the Joni & Friends website for three days before it rolls over into the archives. Here is the website . . . </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/" target="_blank">https://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am hoping to get some more updates posted. Until then, dear ones, know that you are loved and we are so very thankful for each and every one of you!!! </span></span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-81224935301368452612018-04-19T23:24:00.002-07:002018-04-19T23:25:06.792-07:00April 19, 2018 -- How Did Hope's New Neurologist Appointment Go?<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you so much everyone for your faithful prayers for our Hopey girl as we took her to a new neurologist appointment yesterday. Here's an update on how it went . . . </span></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When the neurologist walked in the room, we knew immediately that we actually had seen her before. She remembered and knew Hope as well. We think that she probably was one of the many doctors that saw or collaborated with other doctors for Hope during her initial 5 month hospital stay. It is always sweet to see another familiar face that knows at least a bit about Hope's long history and even marvels at how far she has come, which is exactly what this doctor did!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, I will start with the GOOD NEWS! Our appointment went awesome! She was great in listening to Hope's past 2+ years history of seizures and the general patterns that we've seen, as well as the recent trends we've noticed. She talked with Hope about her headaches and some of the "feeling unwell" symptoms that she has been having more of recently, as well. Hope was relaxed and open and did a lot of the talking for herself on symptoms, which is wonderful to see!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The neurologist decided to leave Hope's current seizure medication dose alone, since although Hope has had more seizures these last two months, the seizures themselves have been shorter and less severe. She agreed with us that Hope seems stable, although the goal is always NO seizures. She also agreed with us and the research that we have done that says her current med, Keppra, does not have any better efficacy (or seizure control) with higher doses than the already quite high dose that she is on. She affirmed our concern that the risk of increasing her dose further was no better seizure control with likely worsening side effects. This was music to our ears to hear her say this!!! Hope's previous neurologist had a philosophy of just keep increasing the seizure medication until side effects are not manageable.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The new neurologist also came up with a GREAT suggestion, that we have considered but have not had addressed by a doctor before. She felt that Hope's headaches and "unwell symptoms" had a lot of similarity to migraines and could in fact be migraines. She also suggested that the best way to treat migraines is to take high doses of a B vitamin called Riboflavin daily, especially during the winter when migraines tend to be worse. She said it won't hurt her and could possibly be a help for the headaches! This was a fantastic suggestion and made us so excited to have a non-chemical option to try to treat some of the nagging pain and unwell symptoms that Hope regularly deals with! The vitamin is a little difficult to find, but Hope's daddio found it this evening and Hope will start it tomorrow morning. It would usually take 2-3 months for a good effect from it, but it certainly doesn't hurt to start it and see what happens!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So lots of good news! Simple! Treatment with a harmless vitamin! Hope relaxed! Familiar doctor! No increase in Hope's seizure med! Doctor on the same page as us! God blessed us incredibly and we wanted to share these praises with you so you would be encouraged as to the power of your prayers and the faithfulness of our mighty and merciful God!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So one last thing to share . . . it is the BAD NEWS . . . or as believers, what we know is just more opportunity to be in prayer and seeking our faithful Father through . . . </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This wonderful encouraging new neurologist is leaving to another part of the hospital and will be unable to continue to see patients in clinic. So, this was our first and last time seeing her. Very sad about this! Hope still does not have a new neurologist. In 6 months, they want Hope to come back again and are hoping to have a plan for a neurologist that will follow her long term at that time, although long term will only be until she is 18 years old, and that is quickly approaching . . . yikes! How could that be!?!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please continue to be in prayer for a good situation and neurologist that will be able/willing to take Hope's care on. We trust that God will provide as He knows best, and we continue to pray for Hope's healing! Thank you dear ones for partnering with us in prayer and for loving our sweet girlie!!! You are part of the story that God is writing for Hope and you are so loved!!!</span></span><br />
Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-51582978353077121742018-04-17T16:47:00.001-07:002018-04-17T16:55:39.184-07:00April 17, 2018 -- Update on Seizures and New Neurologist<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hello dear ones! I'd love to share a quick update on Hope's seizures as well as a prayer request for an appointment tomorrow to meet Hope's new neurologist . . . </span></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope is still having seizures. As usual, her patterns continue to change and keep us on our toes. I will start with an overview or sum up of her seizure pattern for the last 2+ years since her seizures have resurfaced in October 2015. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jan to June -- Seizures start to pick up and worsen in both frequency and severity. By last June 2017, Hope was having seizure days every other Saturday . . . yes, our girlie is a strange one! </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She would typically have 3 seizures a day, and rather than starting in the evening as usual, they could start as early as 7:30 am, with less warning or pre-symptoms. We usually give a rescue dose of Ativan after 3 seizures, as her seizures tend to worsen each time. However, the Ativan has started to make Hope quite sick. She will become very nauseous and vomit. And even after she falls asleep and the seizures stop, she was having the nausea and unwell feeling continue for about 2 days following. Three to four sick days every two weeks was definitely impacting her school attendance and church attendance because it was always on a weekend. The other concern was that Hope's abilities and progress also seem to go backwards during these months of increased seizures, which always scares us that more brain damage could potentially occur. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">July and August -- Seizures start to settle and she would start feeling better. Usually just 1-2 seizures on one day of the month. Easier to work around them with no school and a lighter ministry/family schedule and more flexibility during the summer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sept to Dec -- Routine would start back up (school, ministry, family life) and Hope's seizures would just hold at the typical 1-3 seizures on 1 day each month. Interestingly, just as I shared in the previous post about her walking, it is during these months that we would see great progress and steps forward in Hope's brain injury recovery and even her academic performance and growth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jan -- Hit repeat and start at the top again!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After 2+ years of following this trend, we are definitely intrigued by what is going on with our girlie and her seizures. Also changing are the seizures themselves! Hope's typical seizure 3 years ago (which she would maybe have one day of 1-3 seizures per year!), was a myoclonic seizure that would be a day of involuntary myoclonic "jerks" of her right arm increasing in frequency and intensity until she would have 1-3 seizures. When Hope's seizures started to resurface in Oct 2015, Hope started having a number of very different types of seizures, and seizures that looked very different and had a variety of symptoms both before, during, and after her seizures.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hope started seeing a new neurologist who was a specialist in pediatric epilepsy and the hope was that he would start from the beginning in thorough assessment and testing to attempt to capture and diagnose her seizures so they could more effectively treat them. We saw him for a little over 1 year (Mar 2016 to June 2017) during which time Hope had a week long hospital stay in May 2016 under constant EEG monitoring, trying to capture seizures on both EEG monitoring and video. This was unsuccessful for the most part . . . even with drastically lowered seizure medication doses for that whole time and sleep deprivation, Hope only had one seizure in the hospital that was captured on EEG, but was not captured on video. Sadly, our poor girlie was in the bathroom at the time of the seizure and was brushing her teeth when it started, which also interfered with the quality of the EEG being able to diagnose if it was a focal seizure, originating from one place in her brain or involving the whole brain. (Her seizures symptoms would speak to focal seizures, but without EEG back up, they have yet to be officially diagnosed or understood.) During that week, the EEG did capture one 8 min sub-clinical seizure (meaning one that showed on EEG, but Hope herself did not have any notable symptoms visible to us). This was concerning to us, not knowing how often this might be happening. One thing that came out of this hospital stay was that the neurologist that was covering Hope (another new one we had not met before) agreed that it did not make sense to send Hope back home on such high doses of the seizure medication she was on, so she significantly lowered her seizure med dose. As usual, Hope seemed unaffected by the change in medication and continued in the pattern I shared above.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In June of 2016, the pediatric epilepsy neurologist decided to stop Hope's old seizure medication (she'd been on that one since Dec 2012), and instead start a new seizure medication . . . well, a new one since her initial hospital stay where she had tried it early on and done very poorly with it, so they moved on to other medication options. Hope seemed to tolerate the new seizure medication okay after about a month of rocking the boat, but the seizures did not stop. She continued following the pattern I shared above. If anything, her seizures actually became worse in our minds, although the frequency did not increase, the severity and duration of the seizures changed significantly. Hope began having seizures that severely impair her ability to breathe . . . some actually stop her ability to breathe. They were lasting 3-5 mins, instead of about 1 1/2 mins. And they left her breathing/coughing muscles very weakened after a seizure so the affected breathing lasted much longer than just the duration of the seizure! They were very scary for us, and especially for Hope, who by this time now had an amazing memory and was usually completely aware during the seizure, although unable to speak and even sometimes hear during and often after the seizure as well. I already shared that the Ativan rescue med stopped working as well, or had very unpleasant side effects that lasted a long time. It all felt worse even though the yearly pattern itself and the number of seizures didn't change. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In June of 2017, the pediatric epilepsy neurologist let us know that he was leaving and they would call with a new neurologist to see and start following Hope. </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At this last appointment, the neurologist gave us permission to increase her seizure med to the max dose, and we did that slowly last fall. Nothing changed with the seizures. Hope had her last severe "breathing affected/stopped" seizures in December. Jan 2018 she had her first seizure free month in a very long time, which we were so excited about and wondered if the pattern would finally be broken. Then she returned to the pattern with increasing seizures in Feb and from then on. We are very thankful that over the last 3 months, Hope has not had any seizures where her breathing was completely stopped! She has had more days where she has not felt well and felt like she was going to have a seizure, but the seizures she has had, have been less in severity and duration. However, she is having way less pre-symptoms. . . sometimes even none at all . . . which makes it a bit more scary if she has another breathing-affected one out of the blue. Also, she has started having them in public places or around people, which in the past, this was also rare. So some good changes and some bad, but in general, she tends to continue to follow her yearly pattern overall.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And now</span></span> . . . that appointment with the new neurologist is finally happening tomorrow, April 18, 2018! To be honest, we are unsure of what to expect or even hope for. So I was burdened to get a post up today and seek your prayer on Hope's behalf! Of course, we continue to ask that Hope's seizures would just go away and she would be healed of them. We would be thankful for them to decrease or go back to the simple myoclonic "jerk" ones that don't affect her breathing! We would even be thankful if she just had way less of the breathing affect seizures. Ultimately, we entrust our beautiful girlie into God's hands. He knows it all, every detail of her brain and what is happening. He also knows what the best treatment is, and He knows His future plans for her seizures and health. We're thankful that regardless of how our experience with the new neurologist goes tomorrow, our God is over not just Hope and her body, but He is also over this doctor and we want to pray for him as well . . . for wisdom in diagnosing and treating our puzzle girl, but also for another soul that will cross paths with Hope's story! May God do a work both in and through this new neurologist, as well as continue His work in each of us!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We cannot put into words adequately how much your continued prayers and notes of encouragement mean to our family! We love each one of you, some that we have never even met, so very much! And we praise and thank the Lord for the blessing that each one of you has been to our family, from near and far! Thank you for continuing to pray for our Hopey girl!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You are loved!!!</span></span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-56255922721265332142018-03-08T12:03:00.002-08:002018-03-08T13:49:16.878-08:00February 20, 2018 -- Hope's Journey to Walk<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, this was a post that I have been wanting and meaning to share for a long time. As such, a lot has happened over the long while since I first started out to write this post, including some significant ups and down. I even noticed that I referred to it in my last post back in Dec 2016! Well, you have waited long, and God is so worthy of all praise, so here is an update on Hope's walking progress. . . </span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you ask Hope what her biggest prayer request is for healing . . . even above her desire to see again . . . she would tell you she deeply desires to walk again! Our girlie has been a "goer" for as long as I can remember. I wondered after her brain injury how she would handle being so limited in her movement. It was hard for me as her mom to have the wisdom to walk her through such extreme loss . . . our gracious God definitely went before us in this regard! For sure there are times where Hope will break down and cry, not just a little, but a lot. . . sobbing really . . . because she clearly remembers the abilities she once had. At 9 years old, she was already giving her dad a "run for his money" when it came to a foot race. So even though I think that the healing of Hope's vision would drastically improve her quality of life and most increase her abilities and independence, she just wants to walk! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So because this has taken me so long to write about, and I don't want you to miss the journey she has been on over the past 1 1/2 years (yes, it's really been that long since I've wanted to write all this!), I will start from the beginning . . . all the way back to Sept 2016 . . . wait a minute, make that June 2016. However, I will make it as brief as I can, and just hit the highlights through Hope's journey to walk, so you can see the great God over it all, who knows her heart's desire, cares intimately for her, and has a plan that He has purposed for her in His goodness and faithfulness, whether she walks independently again or not!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I guess I need to first back up to January 2015 . . . about 5 months after Hope's back fusion surgery and in her Grade 7 school year. We had looked into a power wheelchair for her at the time, and that had initiated a couple visits by a Physical Therapist (PT) from Renfrew in Calgary, to assess her for safety in a power wheelchair at her school. These appointments went okay, but we decided to go with a manual wheelchair instead for the time being. However, upon those visits the PT was concerned about transfers and wanted to come back and visit again. Hope was still having a lot of pain and issues in the slow healing process after the back fusion surgery. These return visits didn't happen for a few reasons, however the next fall (Oct 2015), when Hope was into her Grade 8 school year, suddenly a new PT from Renfrew started coming to the school to follow up with Hope on this concern. By this time, Hope had healed significantly from the back fusion surgery, being over a year post-op, and so the PT looked into a few other areas such as self-propelling her new manual wheelchair (building her bilateral arm strength and coordination) and walking! She only came a handful of times that year, but this was the first physical therapy visits that Hope had received since her time in the Gordon Townsend Rehab School . . . since she left there in Feb 2013! So you can imagine how excited we were for this PT's expertise and help, especially at a time that God knew was a better fit for our girl who was finally healing from so many huge complications and surgeries! This PT actually got Hope onto a treadmill one time at the school and was impressed enough that she considered the possibility that Hope may have some potential to possibly walk. I also believe that she was impressed and deeply touched by the fact that Hope had a dear friend (Mr. Anderson . . . a staff member of the school and and attendee of our church), along with her precious Educational Assistant (EA), Mrs. Kornelson, that were walking with Hope at school, one day a week. They had seen and reported some progress to the PT in their self-made program that year, and I think this, coupled with Hope's expression of her passionate desire to walk, caught the attention and the heart of this sweet PT and her wheels had started to turn as to how to help Hope advance in this desire. Here is a video of Hope walking with her buddy, Mr. Anderson, and her best friend, Mrs. Kornelson . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WPl-PsInxQ&feature=youtu.be</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> June 2016 marked the end of Hope's Grade 8 school year, and in the final team meeting at the school, this PT referred Hope to a walking or gait clinic at the Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH) in Calgary. We didn't see that PT again, and we know that God lovingly and sovereignly orchestrated those "un-solicited" PT visits . . . and trust me, we had begged for PT options through multiple avenues and multiple times over the years since leaving the Gordon Townsend School. And yet, this PT just showed up that year. I love God's perfect timing and His continual reminder that He is over everything, to the smallest detail. We can't see the big picture, but He can, and He is a master weaver of a masterful and beautiful plan. . . weaving so many threads of people's lives to accomplish so much more than merely giving us what we want . . . far from it . . . that would be tragic to merely get what we want, wouldn't it?!?! What we want could be the worst thing for us! Rather He does what He knows is best for us, in His perfect timing and knowledge of His plan, and it is all for His glory and renown, so that we can become better worshippers of a God who is so worthy and point others to Him and His majesty!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">September 2016 was an exciting month for us! We needed a doctor to sign off on the walking/gait clinic at the hospital, and at our regular appointment in June, Hope's physiatrist (doctor of physical medicine and rehabilitation) had agreed to do this. We were expecting a call from the gait clinic in September, however, instead we found out that Hope was not seen as a candidate for the gait clinic, but they were going to refer her to the Student Led PT Program at the children's hospital. This program allows PT students to get experience assessing and treating pediatric clients with a licensed PT supervising them. What is the saying . . . "beggars can't be choosers!" . . . and so we were thrilled to have "something in the line of PT" for Hope. Would they see what we had seen or maybe hoped for, for so long . . . potential worth pursuing?!?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The long awaited appointment was towards the end of September. Hope was so excited! This felt like a huge win in and of itself, as back in the Gordon Townsend days of therapy, Hope herself, was half the battle of progress due to her resistance and struggle in working with therapists. We were so excited for her and we were eager in anticipation of what God might desire to do through this opportunity! Hope did fantastic with the male student PT, named Mike, and she loved the supervising PT, named Shauna. She went for a walk around the room and into the hallways and back, using her Rifton walker. She also showed them how she is able to walk up and down a few stairs. They were impressed and scheduled to see her again in a couple weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Following the appointment, Hope had some pretty severe muscle cramping in her legs for several days. However, by the time we went back to the PT, the cramping had resolved itself. Hope saw the PT student one more time before he finished his program. Following that, the very kind supervising PT, Shauna, began to see Hope regularly. Her main objective was to find a walker that was a better fit for Hope than the Rifton, but each time that Hope came in to see Shauna (usually weekly appointments), she was almost DOUBLING the length of time she was able to walk and her coordination and balance were improving as well. Shauna started trying some new things, such as walking on a treadmill. It was hard on Hope, and there was some real pain and fear to overcome, but again, each appointment she was showing significant improvement. Where it was a struggle to go just 60 seconds the first time, she was up to 10 mins within two visits!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are two videos of Hope's first time on the treadmill. You can tell how hard it was and the pain she was in, but you can also see the excitement on her face at the very beginning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last video is hard to watch and remember the pain she went through early on. She was using a special walking device that is called a Litegait. It had a secure full torso suspended (or hanging) harness system. It gave Hope the confidence to focus on walking and she loved it! However, this Litegait is a $5000 piece of equipment and not covered by any government funding for home use. So Shauna continued to see Hope and assess her for a walking system that could be used at home and would be mostly covered by government funding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">By December 2016, Hope's walking ability had significantly progressed! Not only her ability, but her endurance as well, had significantly improved. . . she was up to walking for almost a full hour and we had to tell her it was time to stop because her appointment was over! She loved to clarify that she could have gone longer! </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She would still have some pain, but nothing like at the beginning. </span>Here is a video of her walking in the hospital hallway in a Crocodile walker in December 2016. . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WENG4rt9JsM&feature=em-subs_digest</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As with most of Hope's brain injury recovery, her journey to walk did face some bumps in the road. Her seizures had improved the summer of 2016 and throughout that fall, but in January 2017, Hope's seizures became more significant again and continued to remain that way through the end of her Grade 9 school year, through June. With the more frequent seizures, her walking abilities not only stopped progressing, but really seemed like they were going backwards. She didn't have the same endurance, coordination, or balance . . . or desire to work hard, as she struggled with the worsening seizures, and the frequent changes in her seizure medication/treatment attempts that came with their own set of side effects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shauna continued to work with Hope through that time, every 1-2 weeks. This was an incredible answer to prayer, as not only did Shauna keep up on Hope's journey to walk, but she also worked with her on transfers, standing, sit to stand, squatting, and even helped us trouble shoot several other complications that arose on the journey. One of these was her right foot that suddenly started to turn out to the side. It put a tremendous amount of stress on her hip joint where the leg was twisting from. Shauna brainstormed lots of options to try to help Hope's leg straighten. None of us are quite sure how, but eventually Hope's hip did quit twisting out to the right, but then it continued from the knee down and caused even more pain and strain on her knee joint. Her shins would also ache from the strain on them. She was determined to keep walking and we worked with her on trying to intentionally keep thinking about straightening that foot with each and every step. It was extremely labor-intensive and exhausting. Again, we're not sure when it changed . . . it was a really slow and gradual change, but eventually the pain went away and although she still has a tendency to slightly rotate to the right, it is much improved and doesn't result in the same level of pain. Praising God for His grace! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hope has continued to have seizures, but they have lessened a bit beginning the summer of 2017. With that, her progress has started to pick up again. I started working with her this past summer on taking steps without holding on to anything . . . including ME! In the past, this was an absolute "no way" for Hope! Not only would she lose her balance and confidence, but the fear would be so intense that she would immediately just fall in any direction! We knew that her vision impairment was one of the biggest elements of her fear . . . she couldn't see and that made it incredibly hard to find her balance as well as to take a step in faith when you couldn't see what you might grab on to if you started to feel off balance. Try walking with your eyes closed some time . . . you'll see how it affects your balance! When Hope is afraid, her muscles do the opposite of what she wants and often revert to some of her past involuntary muscle movements, such as the right leg that lifts up, and leaves her like a one-legged flamingo . . . soon to be followed by a fall! Knowing that half of her battle was her vision helped us to know how to encourage and help her to work towards taking a step of faith . . . quite literally!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We started with having Hope stand and then practice continuing to stand and keep her balance as we took our hands away. We figured that if she had learned to balance when sitting, it made sense that she could learn to balance while standing. It helped to have someone behind her and someone in front of her for extra encouragement and security that she wasn't going to fall. To begin with, Hope would fall to the front, back, or side after a couple seconds. Each time we practiced, we timed her and we tried to encourage her to take a wide stance and then try to go for a few seconds longer than the last time. For a kid that LOVES to set records, we should have known that would have been gold. It didn't take long before Hope could stand for long periods of time without holding onto anything and keep her balance. This was a huge step forward in her journey to walk, as it increased her balance AND it increased her confidence! I still remember when Hope showed the PT, Shauna, for the first time how long she could stand on her own . . . she went for over 5 minutes and then our new joke became that we would have to start pushing her over now, cause she would just go on and on and on! A joke that received a VERY large grin from our excited girlie of yet another milestone achieved!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then came taking steps without holding onto someone. This is still a work in progress, but Hope loves to set records and her current record is 12 steps!!! This may not sound like much, but it is incredible when you think back to where Hope came from. We came across some old videos of Hope walking. They made us smile . . . first of all, because we laughed at ourselves and the "blind" hope that we ran on back then, that our Hope would walk again some day! When you see these old videos, you will laugh alongside us and wonder what it was that we saw that made us think she would do it . . . maybe just the grace of God to keep us filled with hope, taking one day at a time, loving our determined little girl, and trusting in His ability to do the impossible!!! We also smile because we are reminded that our God is able to do just that . . . the impossible! Take a look and smile with us . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SohOZHKk2U</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hope's PT, Shauna, has become one of Hope's favorite people, and continues to be such an incredible blessing to Hope! She is a fantastic cheerleader as well as creative and skilled PT! We don't see her as often anymore, but whenever we encounter a new pain, or need some new ideas, or help with a specific goal, Shauna is willing to see Hope and help us with the next step in her journey. Shauna has been a true answer to prayer! Probably an answer to prayers that many of you have specifically prayed for our girlie!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Present day!!! Hope just received a new Crocodile walker of her own a few days ago! She immediately spent more than a half hour standing in it. It is more lightweight and compact to make it easier to use. Our hope is that she will be able to use it somewhat at home, although it is hard to have enough room to maneuver around freely. Now that we have it, we'll need to start working with it and see what we can figure out. It might also be helpful to find a place that she can take the walker and practice longer distance walking minus the obstacle course at home! </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unlike
the old Rifton walker, Hope could fall over in this walker and she
needs to lift the walker to turn corners, so she must have a certain
amount of balance to use it safely. We will be supervising her until
she shows the ability to be independent with the walker. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few other new milestones have come along with the strides in walking, and I'd love to just tack those on here quick for you to marvel at God's goodness, and to share in the joy we all feel as Hope gains little steps of independence, which are HUGE!!! Shauna, PT shared with us that she was in a conversation with the fella that owns the company we purchase Hope's medical equipment from. They were discussing what equipment would be a good fit for Hope based on what Shauna saw Hope capable of. He asked about her ability to stand up out of her wheelchair, to which Shauna replied that she did not believe that Hope would be able to do that. The very next appointment with Shauna, what do you think Hope was excited to share with her wonderful PT friend! Yep, I'm pretty sure you guessed it . . . she had stood out of her wheelchair all by herself! It was actually quite the story. We had just got home from church and Hope was parked in the entry way where her wheelchair sits when the wheels are wet and covered in snow. We then will walk with her into the house to her bed or her recliner chair while the wheelchair dries. Trevor and Gabi were outside shoveling snow. I was putting something away in our bedroom, when I heard Hope call for me. Thinking she was just wanting me to come walk her somewhere, I called back to let her know I was busy but would be there in a minute. I heard her call for her dad and sister, and then again for me in a sort of stressed voice. I started to panic, dropped what I had, and came running, thinking that she was having a seizure. Then I really started to panic as I rounded the corner to find her standing by herself in front of her wheelchair . . . a little amazed at herself that she had done it! To say she was thrilled would be an understatement . . . and telling Shauna at her next appointment was precious as Shauna relayed her conversation with the equipment fella just a few days earlier, as well as her lack of surprise that Hope's prayers had been answered yet again! Hope did have a couple falls continuing to practice standing out of a chair on her own, and she is a bit more cautious now as a result, but the ability is there. And with the addition of a standing pole that is next to her bed, and switching to a half rail on her bed, she can now transfer herself from her wheelchair to her bed, ALL BY HERSELF!!! She doesn't even need someone there supervising anymore! Hope can also sit herself up at the edge of her bed, and she can stand herself up and keep her balance, then sit back down again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She is still working on transferring herself from sitting at her bedside into her wheelchair without assistance, but we are going to keep working at it. She is also eager to start trying to stand up from her bedside using her walker and then try to walk to the bathroom or living room using the walker. Some new goals to work at and see what God has for her!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few videos of Hope doing some of these new milestones for you to see, enjoy, and praise God for His work in her life . . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F2ZdhmNQPQ</span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, you made it to the end . . . and you must truly love our girl and our family to get all the way to the end of yet another long and detailed update from me! I hope though, that sharing some of the details of the journey have created an awe in your heart and mind for the God over Hope's journey to walk! Our girl has worked hard and endured much pain and frustration, and we have had amazing people surrounding her and supporting/helping her, but that's not the ultimate reason that this girl is still making progress over 6 years post brain injury . . . we know that full well! God has a plan for our Hope, it is a good plan, it is a plan that brings Him glory and accomplishes His purposes . . . His Kingdom purposes . . . what matters for eternity! We don't know if that plan includes walking independently again . . . or as Hope would say, RUNNING, cause if she ever walks again, running would be the next logical goal! We know that ABOVE the hope to walk again, Hope and her family desire to see souls come to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ . . . nothing would give us greater joy! So please continue to pray for the precious souls that interact with Hope's journey, especially her journey to walk! We were told a long time ago, that Hope would never walk, and that may be or it may not be . . . we love that we can trust the writing of her story to such a faithful and powerful God, who will work all things to His glory and for His good purposes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you for praying for Hope, including her ongoing desire and journey to walk! You are so very loved, dear ones!!!</span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-23900216333833474972017-12-09T23:36:00.003-08:002017-12-09T23:36:41.641-08:00November 2017 -- A New Look!!!<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You have probably already noticed that Hope's blog has a new look! The old template was deleted and we needed to choose a new one. . . </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I just chose one that looked cute, reminded me of Hope with her favorite colours, and held all the information in as similar a look as I could find to the format of the old blog template. However, a dear friend sent me this text after I asked her opinion of the new blog template I had chose. . . I had to share it with you because it touched my heart and blessed me deeply to think of how God works far beyond what we could imagine . . .</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"There is something about the dandelions that is a pretty cool picture of what you are praying will be accomplished with the blog. Each time you post on the blog, it is another chapter in Hope's life. Each chapter is like the dandelion. . . an old chapter closes and a new chapter begins like the dandelion seed that is sent off and we don't know where it will be sown. The words you write are sown in many hearts and lives, many that you might not ever know about. But God does, and He will continue to use those words that are written and planted, for His glory!"</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have an amazing God! That He would choose to use us for His glory and purposes never ceases to amaze and humble me! And as a mom who watches our precious daughter face difficult challenges daily, I can't tell you how much it means to me . . . to be reminded that He has . . .</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a purpose in all the pain,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a way to bring glory to Him through all the suffering,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a plan to trust in all the uncertainties,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a joy in the midst of the trials, and</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a hope that is secure in Jesus Christ!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What more could I hope and pray for our sweet Hope, than that her life would be for God's glory! I will be thinking of those dandelion seeds the next time I'm sad watching her suffer and trying to make sense of it in my heart and mind . . . the next time I struggle to know how to share on her blog knowing I have nothing great to say in my own wisdom or experience . . . God is carrying those dandelion seeds away far beyond my sight or understanding . . . and God is using her story for His good purposes, by His far reaching, life transforming power, and to His worthy praise and glory!!! How can we not just be grateful willing vessels for a God that faithful and good!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you, dear friend, for the picture of the dandelion and its seeds that fixes my gaze on the One who is worthy!!! The Lord knew I needed that! We are loved by a great God!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ephesians 3:20-21</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." </span></span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948743209429223.post-21935126048962975432017-11-20T01:14:00.001-08:002017-11-20T01:14:38.679-08:00March 15, 2014 -- Hopeism<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The other day, while driving the girls to school one morning, this conversation occurred. . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">Hope: "Mom, what do you think I'll be when I grow up?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">Mom: "I don't know honey, but I sure can't wait to see what God has planned for your life!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">Hope: "I sure hope that He wants me to be an author and an illustrator!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">Mom: "That would be fan-tas-tic!!!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;">I still remember clearly asking Hope at 4 years old what she wanted to be when she grew up. . . she responded quickly and simply with this, "Whatever God wants me to be!" We are so very thankful that from such a young age, God has impressed on Hope's heart that her life belongs to Him and she trusts Him explicitly with her future! How He has prepared her for the circumstances that have come into her life robbing her of so many abilities. . . yet, nothing can take away our ability to rest in the hope that our Saviour gives!</span>Praying For Hope Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18191867579886437749noreply@blogger.com0