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DING DONG THE TUBE IS GONE, THE OLD PEG TUBE IS GONE!!!

The PEG Tube was removed last week!  She is now eating and drinking through her mouth only.  Even taking fish oil capsules, and you know how big those things are!

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The Loft Benefit was fantastic. $2500 was raised that night and the gospel message was shared with many! We want to thank the Steve and Liz Rinehart, the staff at The Loft, the best blues in town from a variety of bands and most of all the people who we knew and did not know that showed up and blessed our family with your fellowship and offerings. Part of the money went to pay for Rachael's Hyperbaric treatments and the other part will go to a much needed portable Hoyer lift. The Protable Hoyer will allow us to lift Rachael out of her chair when we are away from home for extended periods. Being that she is not at all ambulatory yet, we have to lift her out of her chair and bed. We are going to the 2012 Southeast Calvary Chapel Pastors Conference in Merritt Island. AS A FAMILY!! It will be the first time we have been able to all go together for more than a few hours and with the portable Hoyer, we are able to do it!
Thank you to the Loft, the musicians and the people that helped to make this a great success.
Daniel is home! It is great to have another guy around the house. Even the dog and cat are girls. Not that there is anything wrong with that. He is here for a month + then driving back to California.

The Lord blessed us greatly by allowing the Medicaid Waiver to come through. It allows money for assistance with Rachael, respite time for us as a family and a break for Nancy. She is amazing and has poured herself out for Rachael and the family for the past year. We are told to focus on things honorable and true. She is a living example. She finally gets a bit of a break. It has been a long year for my most excellent wife. God Bless you folks at APD for getting this through! Thank you Melissa! Thank you very much Geri! and Shelia!

Team Rachael as Rachael's Aunt Mary calls us all is expanding. John, a CNA at Heartland that was mentioned many blogs ago for his focus and attentiveness that was used to helped bring Rachael out of her coma, is a regular visitor now. The Gang from Shekinah Glory Home Care rock and are great sisters in Christ.

So how is Rachael doing??? Well, here is the rundown:

• Speaking sentences


• Learning to tap buttons on the iPad to make words


• Praying at dinner for us.


• Singing during Koinonia and worship in church


• Chewing


• Sipping through a straw


• Joking around alot!


• She is gaining more control of her right leg and right arm.


• She is gaining some movement to her left extremities.


• She is eating very well.

When I say she is speaking sentences, singing etc., you must understand that it takes many tries for her to allow us to understand what she is saying.  She is patient with us.  We see an upward trend with her speaking.   Her movements are slow, stiff and deliberate.  She still suffers pain quite regularly and we have been battling a large bed sore for weeks now.  With the equipment we had, it was difficult to keep it from happening.  We now have some new gear and hope that it will heal soon.

Rachael is verrry alert, quick to reply, and quick to thank us.  The first sentence she said was "Thank you very much."

I need to get to bed but wanted to get this out to you so you know what is going on and to thank all involved in the Loft Benefit.

May the Lord make His face to shine upon you!