Update #43

From Lisa, Nick’s mom:

On Friday, Sept. 14th Nicholas went to school with Shelby, the Child Life Specialist at Children's. Shelby helps both the returning student and the other students feel more comfortable with the reentry into school. She recapped everything for them and then did questions and answers.

Nicholas did great; he would call on the kids by name and then answered their question. He was able to show them he was still Nick - he just talks differently and is in a wheelchair.

The following Monday he started 8th grade. He goes from 8:00 - 11am and is taking Language Arts and Algebra. He came into the middle of a novel and a review of the past month in math, but that didn't stop him from raising his hand to answer questions (some were right, some wrong). I guess I shouldn't be surprised but I was! He continues to pleasantly surprise us. He will be adding more classes as the weeks go by.

While I enjoy going through 8th grade again and faking my way through Algebra, this week the school is interviewing for his aide. This will be great for him, since he really doesn't enjoy having mom around!

The next couple of weeks will be filled with testing from the medical and school end of things. It would be nice if they could share their results with one another but that's not how the system works.

The East County Posse continues to make changes to the house. They have widened his doorway, and gutted the bathroom. They will also be pouring 3 concrete ramps. We are so excited for these changes. They will give him the independence he craves.

Update #42

From Nick’s dad, Dwight:

Miracles: What are they? Webster says this: A highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.

I say that a miracle could be as small as a slice of bread with peanut butter falling off the counter landing peanut butter up. Or as ginormus as some one’s life being blatantly spared when there was virtually no chance. We have all witnessed the latter with my son Nicholas.

We went from saying “Goodbye” to him; to now laughing with him and witnessing his miraculous recovery -I feel truly blessed to be part of it. Why God has chosen our family for this testimony I don’t exactly know, but I’m beginning to say, “Why NOT?”

You see, I personally struggle with feeling worthy of God’s love, but what I’ve seen in our church and family and from people we don’t even know, I can now say I feel “completely soaked” with God’s love. “Thank you all” to everyone for the love, prayers, and financial support. Thank you for being the messengers of God’s love to me and my family.

Words will never do justice to the gratitude we feel. Although the struggles are not over, I am surely convinced that God continues to have great plans for me and my family through this. I truly feel blessed to be a witness to such an amazing miracle.

Nick has been home a week now. As you can imagine we are happy to have him home. The adjustment process is settling in and just the depth of what he has been through. As Nick’s Dad, we enjoyed many outdoor activities together. I’m finding it very hard to grieve the loss of that part of my relationship with my son. I’m not saying I can never enjoy some of those things again, because I don’t know that, it’s just different now. What truly does make it easier is his spirit. He has been blessed with a lightheartedness and humor that is so amazing to me. It really helps me when I start to feel overwhelmed by seeing him struggle physically; as much as I deeply love our “new Nick,” I so miss the “old” one.

Some of his adjustments at home are things you would normally take for granted. Like being able to get up to get a drink or pick something up off the floor that you have dropped, or fix yourself something to eat. The adjustments we pray will be less and less as Nick gets stronger, but for now we all help him with his daily needs.

The East County Posse is remodeling the bathroom to be more accessible. They are widening some doorways and building ramps for easier access in and out of the house. What a blessing this group has been to us. Thanks so much to them!

Nick continues to get stronger, but it is very slow going. He can’t wait to get back to school. He starts today. He’ll be going for about 3 hours a day to start with and hopes to get to a full day A.S.A.P., although his Mom and I don’t see how that will work with all of his therapies.

Lisa and I are continuing to research what “other” therapies are out there for Nick that are “outside the box of medical protocol.” We are learning a lot. We will be getting a consultation at a renowned stroke clinic in Mission Viejo some time in the next couple weeks. We’ll keep you posted. The problem we’ll have with “alternative” therapies is that insurance will not cover them, so we are looking into fund raising strategies. A great friend from church, whose wife and him have been a great help to us with organizing meals and help at the house, is working on a golf tournament in January. Thanks so much Bob!

I apologize for being somewhat silent through all this turmoil of events, I just don’t articulate my thoughts and feelings very well. It takes a while to sort things out, especially when you are in survival mode. I do just want to reiterate my deepest thanks to everyone for all the help with gas cards, grocery cards, money, dinners, prayers, childcare and visitations. We would have sunk without them.

In closing, as we get into this part of Nick’s recovery we continue to ask for prayers of strength and wisdom. And as we let God help us to figure out our “New” life, and make choices to help further Nick’s recovery.

In the God we Trust,

Dwight

Update #41

From Dwight, Nick’s Dad:

Over the past three weeks, Nick has gone from standing on his own 10 seconds to 1½ minutes! He’s walked about 30 feet with a walker and very little assistance. Other than that not a lot more to update on his progress.

Nick came home last week and he’s doing a great job of getting used to getting around the house.

The Wednesday before he came home, our church’s middle school group came to visit Nick in the hospital – yes, the whole group! They sang songs, played silly games, and ate cupcakes. Nick loved it! You can see photos of that below.

We also have photos of him coming home below. We thought it only appropriate to bring him home in the same car he came home in when he was born. He was very excited to come home in the “Red Car.”

It’s great to have him home in spite of the adjustments…

Update #40

From Lisa:

Nick went to church for the first time last Sunday, August 26th. While he was happy, he was also trying to figure out where he fits in now. Nicholas has always been one of those kids who is out playing football, games and rough housing. Now he has to learn how to reach out and have fun from his wheelchair and others need to learn how to reach out to him. It will take time but I'm sure he will do it. He has a great sense of humor and a tender heart going for him.

Nick was also sick on Sunday. He was vomiting throughout the day. This has been going on for a few weeks - ever since his g-tube was taken out. His blood pressure has also been bouncing about so his Dr. decided to run some different tests during the week. He had an upper GI, renal sonogram, echo gram and an o2 sensor for a couple nights. We received the results of those tests and his MRA (like an MRI but with dye injected to show the blood flow through the arteries) and all of the tests came back negative.

Also God healed the dissected artery COMPLETELY! He has 100% blood flow through that artery again! He will be taken off lovinox (a blood thinner) and put on aspirin. So while all of that is wonderful news, we will be leaving the hospital this Friday, Sept. 7th with no answers as to why Nicholas had a stroke. This is very hard for me. I want answers. The doctors at Children's have been wonderful. They listen patiently as we ask "what about this" questions, but there just aren't any concrete answers. My oldest son says God is trying to break me of something. I know he is right. There is this fine balance of doing everything you can for your child and trusting God with what you can't control. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

We had a great meeting with the Rehab Team at Children's and with Nick's principal and school speech therapist. Dwight and I left there feeling so blessed to have so many people supporting our son and helping us to take this step by step. Nick will have at least 1 week between discharge from the hospital and starting back to his school (yes the school he was attending before the stroke). This is an amazing undertaking for the school! They could turn him away and have him go to a school "more suited" for him, but they have taken the attitude that they can be a very important part in his rehabilitation. They are getting him an aid, a lap top, possibly an occupational therapist at school, adjusting his schedule, and whatever else he might need - just for Nicholas. I will also be attending with Nick (more of a fly on the wall) to help with his transition.

Our family continues to be amazed at the kindness of so many people. Thank you!! My eyes and heart well with joy and tears and I keep standing in awe at what God has done and continues to do.

Lisa