July 11-15 2020

Today is four months. Four months since the car crash. It's hard to believe. Even less believable because it seems so far away, and just yesterday at the same time. I'm not sure how that works.

This past weekend was eventful. We all went to the birthday party of our oldest grandson. Super fun! He's a one-man-show. If you take the energy of the entire circus and smash it all into one small human-you've got HIM. Daring feats, acrobatics, animals, juggling, clowns, *IT ALL*. Plus, he travels. On his balance bike. And now, on Aunt Shannon's super cool lap that is attached to an awesome wheelchair with a motor. So TRAVELING CIRCUS. And if that's not enough, he has two twin brother side kicks, and they try to steal the show. So there is nothing boring going on at that house.

After that- **I** went on an adventure! Rachael (the great) and Lancer decided to kick me out of the house. It was THE BEST! Lancer and I checked into a local hotel where I proceeded to take a nap. Then we went OUT TO dinner!! {squeals} It was perfect weather to eat outside and watch the sunset. Then back to the hotel to watch a movie, and THEN...Lancer went home. And I spent all of Saturday night and into Sunday evening alone in a hotel room. I got to sleep, read, sleep, mostly sleep. We all met up at a friends house for dessert Sunday evening and I headed back to my hotel for another restful night, and a late check out. Heaven.

So. My family loves me. Of course I had no problems at all leaving for the weekend because Rachael, Lancer, et al had everything under control.

Meanwhile--- back at home:

Things you didn’t know you didn’t know. What are yours? Obviously you don’t know what they are or you’d know them. Then they wouldn’t be things you didn’t know you didn’t know. I have had SO MANY, ‘huh.....I had no idea’ moments in the last four months.

Recent things I didn’t know I didn’t know:

1. Motion sickness patches stop you from sweating {side note- my phone just autocorrected sweating to swearing. Wouldn’t that be something- a patch that stops you from swearing.....}

This is BIG FAT NEWS!!! Here is why!!! Remember how I’ve been asking for prayers to help Shannon overcome her body temperature regulation issues?? Well, a huge part of that was problems with her sweating. She gets cold but can’t shiver because of her spinal cord injury. So she heats up. When you heat up- you sweat. Then you are wet and it makes you cold....and the cycle continues..

2. People with spinal cord injuries don’t sweat below their injury level. (Weird..right?)

So all of your body’s sweat has to happen ABOVE your injury level. Now that might not seem like a problem if you have a low level injury, like a low thoracic or a lumbar level injury (thoracic means upper to middle part of your back- lumbar means your lower back to right above your tailbone... for those of you who didn't know you didn't know that.) Your back sweats, arm pits, maybe your chest or stomach too.  If your injury level is high like Shannon’s- between your shoulder blades, you only sweat from your shoulder blades and up, pits, and down your arms. Yuck.

BUT at her appointment last week, Shannon’s Dr. nonchalantly said ‘oh you are having problems with sweating? Well we can have you use a motion sickness patch.’ How on earth have we never mentioned this to anyone who KNEW THIS SECRET CURE is beyond me. But now we know. And it’s a game changer.

Actually- it’s a stop changing-er. Because the record for number of shirts changed in a 24 hour period here is 11. Eleven shirts including the ones that are slept in. In. 24. Hours. Shannon is so much more comfortable now and it’s made her whole mood even more upbeat than it has been, which is pretty upbeat!

So when I got home from my weekend away, Shannon had the best news ever for me! She stopped sweating! And now life is so much easier for her. And so much happier.

As a side note: She also went two full days without wearing her binder (corset) that helps raise her blood pressure. She was so happy for those two days. Now she's back in the cinch.

And...she filled out the application for her service dog!!!

AND---- this:

See the fantastic lady? The one on the right? (they are both fantastic, so I had to let you know who I was referring to) Rachael had been the biggest blessing to us these past four months. I honestly do not know what I would have done without her. She has stayed at our home with her girls almost exclusively. Her fantastic boss has been super patient with her sometimes crazy requests to rearrange her meeting schedules so she can help with Shannon. Her girls have been such troopers living here for such a long time DURING A PANDEMIC with not a lot of fun going on. Together we have worked on the house, made preparations for Shannon to come home, done training at the hospital, been Shannon's nurses, caregivers, etc. We have laughed and cried together, struggled to figure out this crazy, every-changing scenario. She has been irreplaceable.

Having your kids grow up to be your friends is such a wonderful thing- and if Rachael wasn't my daughter, I would still pick her to be one of my very best friends. She has a gift of being able to keep her head on straight and help put humor into almost everything. We have had so much fun doing the most difficult things- and have gained quite a list of inside jokes in the meantime.

Rachael left on Tuesday night so she can spend some time at home before she whisks her girls off to see family on the west coast for several weeks. I've been dreading this for a couple of weeks now. But last night when we were saying goodbye, I had the overwhelming feeling that it was going to be okay. Together, we worked out a plan that is completely doable with THE THREE DUDES and ME. (Sounds like a movie, it might feel like one too) Honestly, though, I know that we will be fine. It might not be as much fun, and there may be less accents involved in our conversations, but Shannon will be fine, and we will be fine. Happily, there is also a plan in place for Rachael to come back a weekend a month to come visit and help. If I had one wish for all of you, it would be to have a Rachael in your life.

So NOW: The DUDES

• Lancer is on 3am
• Jake and Scott are on alternating 6am
• Scott does legs, transfers, and bedroom make-up (ladies-- this guy knows how to make a bed INCLUDING sheets properly placed AND knows how to fold laundry...and put it away...he mates socks. Sorry, he's taken- and Shannon has phenomenally strong arms now, so if you try to steal him, she WILL hurt you.) He also spends most of the day with Shannon and will be helping get her to out patient therapies. (before he goes to his night job)
• Jake does dishes, trash, room straightening, transfers, heavy lifting, and general help where needed.
• Lancer does- working DUDE...provide home, sanity, and all the things we need (and kisses ;)

Me? Well...I have the easy part.

• I just do all the rest while trying to pretend I'm sane.

Next week outpatient therapy starts, so that's new too.

Tonight (7/15) we are doing THIS:

Psych 2: The Movie. What else would we be doing??

So new week, lots of changes. We've survived a lot recently, so I am positive we probably maybe will survive all the new new too.

We are so grateful for the prayers. Please pray for Shannon's blood pressure to become more stable, and for her spinal cord to heal, as well as the outpatient therapist to be a good match for Shannon so she can be successful. Thank you for your continued support. 

"Shhshhhhsshhh....do you hear that? It's the winds of change....." Randall 
Disney's Monster's Inc