G-TUBE G-O-N-E! Removed!

November 17, 2008

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things...Isaiah 25:1



Monday was another great day for Chance! His G-Tube was removed. He is eating well and loving everything. God has been moving and each day is a new miracle!

When I walked in to the hospital room, on November 5th, Tanya was on the phone. So, I asked Chance how his test was (the Barium Swallow); his response was "I passed!" The first night he could have "real" food, he ate some of what Tanya and I were eating. The teri beef tasted WAY better than the chicken and potatoes the hospital brought him for dinner. That same night, we put in the Selena CD and Chance was singing all the songs to me...we had joked for weeks that he was going to sing to me. The first song he sang when he started talking again was his A, B, C's. Here was the song list for the evening...Blue Moon, Dreaming of you, I could fall in love, One more time, and Bidi Bidi Bom Bom! He did try to sing a few more but didn't remember all the lyrics....what he did remember was AMAZING! He also danced with me...well the best he could do from his bed. He was holding up his right arm and moving it back and fourth across his chest, while kicking his right leg to the beat. We were all laughing so hard and no one could erase the huge smile Chance had on his face that night.

For the first few days, he ate ground up food but it didn't take long for him to be able to eat again. He was drinking from a straw and able to manage his fluids well. Usually when patients start eating again they give you this powder thickener for everything, so they won't aspirate. Chance really didn't need it (we didn't know we were supposed to use it) and he did fine without it.

Last week, Tanya called me and said Chance asked if I could bring him a Zip Pac. He ate almost the WHOLE THING! After that, Chance was really fidgety...Mikela asked him what was up. He said he was bored, so I asked what he wanted to do. He said "Do you want to watch the Selena movie?" So I set up the DVD player and Chance, Mikela and I watched the Selena movie. I am sure he has seen it many times and even watched earlier that day but that didn't stop him from singing along (HE LOVES SELENA)! I kept translating the Spanish bits in the movie for Chance. I asked Chance why the non-Mexican (me) was translating Spanish for the part-Mexican (him)! He laughed and said he wants to learn Spanish. So I guess I will start teaching him some Spanish!

On Saturday night, we had some Pepperoni Mushroom Pizza and spicy Buffalo Wings with ranch dressing. During the week he asked for Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Poke, Tony Roma's ribs and Hagen Daz Coffe ice cream! He has a growing list of things he wants to eat now.....and he is not shy about asking.

You can see his teenager personality emerging...he has been able to talk on the phone with family and friends with some pretty witty humor. The other night, he was talking to his dad, Randy, and the rest of the family back on Maui. It is truly a blessing to hear him speak and hold a conversation. His speech is getting better daily. He is even a little sassy at times. While at Kapiolani Hospital seven weeks ago during an extremely tough night Tanya said to me "I just want to hear him say HI MOM again." A few days ago I asked her about that night and how God had answered that prayer. We laughed, cried and rejoiced in God's faithfulness.

He is standing and taking a few steps in PT. One day last week, he stood up by pushing himself off a table top and reached for the green balloon to touch it. He scratched his eyebrow, tried to dig something out of his tooth and in jest pretended he was digging his nose the other day.

Chance is not being released from Rehab Hospital as he is still progressing enough to keep him there (once a patient plateaus in his treatment they are released). Rehab Hospital is the best place for his recovery right now. He is evaluated weekly and granted extensions on his stay depending on his progress. Please pray that he is granted all the extensions that he needs to stay and fully recover before returning home to Maui. I know his family there misses him dearly but they also want him to have the best possible care.

We rejoice with you for all the answered prayers of the saints and the faithfulness of our LORD! Please continue standing with us in prayer for Chance's full recovery. He is on his way for sure. Thanks also for the special care he is given by his nurses, doctors and the staff at Rehab Hospital. A special thank you to Auntie Desiree for loaning us the DVD player and the movies.

All glory to Jesus, Chance's Lord and Savior....on the phone with his dad the other night he asked Chance what his scripture was. Chance's reply "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." --Phil 4:13 Amen and amen...no earthly explanations only answered prayers. Thank your for loving Chance and his family.

To the only wise GOD our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen Jude 1:25

Praise God from whom all blessings flow......




Chance has a warm welcome from his family who flew in from Maui on Friday, November 7, 2008. He was so happy to see his brothers and sisters again. Chance is doing so well over the past weeks. He passed his Barium Swallowing Test last week. Praise God! Chance still has his feeding tube inserted until he can get stronger. He can now eat regular food but they still need to mash it all up. Thats okay because Chance loves it! He has eggs and bacon for breakfast every morning and sometimes a ham sandwich for lunch. He's been craving for KFC chicken as well as shoyu chicken. There's something about chicken...LOL!
Chance can communicate so much better now. He can even hold a conversation with you too. He has come along way and he's still on the road to recovery. Before you know it, he'll be jumping and leaping and praising GOD. Im still amazed at what the LORD has done for Chance.
I pray for the many others who have had similar experiences that the LORD would heal and restore and comfort in the name of JESUS! I cant help but praise God everyday for this beautiful miracle that has taken place. I thank God for all of the staff at the Rehab who are working hard to see him through. For everyone who have lifted up there prayers for Chance and his family all around the world. May the Lord bless you a hundredfold.

Here is a picture of Chance with his two beautiful and supportive sisters, Lainey and Kayla. They were so happy to see there brother (as you can see). Chance is tentatively scheduled to be released from the rehab on November 18, 2008. If he gets released he will be going to an out-patient rehab clinic in Maui. He will get to spend Thanksgiving with his family in Maui. Chance has changed since the accident. He is not the shy, and quiet boy we all knew before the accident. He is more open and his spirit is so lovely. He doesn't remember what had happened on that day, but he has never complained once about his condition, you can tell that he is filled with the peace of GOD which passes all understanding (Thank you Jesus)!
Even in therapy, he tries really hard especially when his mom, dad, and sisters are right there. Chance is a miracle and a testimony of the awesome love and power of God! TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

There's a song that goes like this.... To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory for the things He has done...with His blood He has saved me, with His power, He has raised me, To God be the glory, for the things He has done.


"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalms 23:1-4

Let the redeemed of the Lord say.....YES I SAID SAY!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say.......

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men..... Ps 107:1-2,8

November 3, 2008

There is a sign above Chance's bed dated 10/17/08 that reads "Communication by hand squeezing only" It struck me the other day (10/30/08) as I was TALKING with Chance that a few weeks ago when he arrived at Rehab Hospital of the Pacific that was his way answering questions. I read the sign to Chance and asked him how he communicates now....his response "T-A-A-A-L-L-L-K." He is answering questions with yes, no and not yet! His speech is still slurred but understandable for he most part. He and I had a good laugh about all that God is doing and has done over his stay at Rehab Hospital.

Chance has a FULL daily schedule. Up at 7:30 to get dressed and get ready for PT, following Physical Therapy (PT) is Speech Therapy (ST), and then Occupational Therapy (OT). In the middle of the day he is ushered in to the shower and then has some times of resting in bed in between all the therapies. He is progressing daily and you can really see his personality shining through it all. In OT the other day they lay Chance on his stomach to work on his neck muscles and lifting his head. He does have a strong neck and can keep his head held up for longer and longer stints. While he was on his stomach we held up shapes, letters and numbers. Chance was able to identify each item and give a VERBAL RESPONSE correctly. He sat up for a while and was asked to follow a green balloon around the room with his eyes and move his head accordingly. HE DID...then he was asked to touch the green balloon...it took a few tries BUT HE DID (see picture above). In PT he is standing up with assistance to put load on to his muscles. His muscles tend to spasm at times and putting weight through his arms and legs helps to reduce the spasms. He has a long day which wraps up at around 4:00pm. A few nights ago, Tanya asked Chance to sing to me....he started singing his A, B, C's then he continued the song by counting to 10! I joke with Chance about being in the "24 Hours Fitness" Hospital....he gets a work out all day long.

In the previous post, it mentioned that Chance remembered his mom and his dad's phone numbers and would repeat them when asked to do so. He also remembered his friend's J.R.'s phone number so his mom could call him to speak to Chance. Last Thursday, Randy asked Chance to recite John 3:16......Chance said "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. "I heard it with my own ears!

This Wednesday the hospital is trying to arrange to have the Barium swallow done at Kuakini Hospital (they need the CT Scan). It is our prayer that everything will go smoothly so Chance will be able to begin eating by mouth. The other night he had a little taste of Shrimp Poke....of course he chewed it right up (ssshhh, don't tell). When the Speech Therapist asked him what he wanted to eat he said "PIZZA!" I promised him as soon as they said it was okay I would bring him some pizza. When you asked him what he ate for the day--he said "Milk" that is what is being fed with through the G-Tube.

Chance has great therapists, nurses and doctors taking care of him at Rehab Hospital of the Pacific.

Pray for:

1. The Barium Swallow test to take place this week so Chance can eat by mouth again


2. Continued progress and healing...a requirement for Rehab Hospital is seeing improvement weekly.


3. For the "marathon" of healing that is taking place and the endurance to carry all of the family though this time.


4. For Chance to continue to improve with his speech
   

Mahalo nui loa for all the prayers, love and support you have all shown Chance. The God of the universe is hearing and responding to your prayers. He is charming all with his laugh and his smile.