hello everyone. had a pretty good week,i worked the last 2 saturday’s good shifts =)school’s good. watched only the comericals for the superbowl didnt watch the game tho. so i hope y’all have a great week. love y’all bunches, jessy dae. and i love reading all of ur messaages =)

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hello everyone one had an awesome week. got a 100% on my math test who-hoo =) went and saw haywire with some friends. it was totally awesome. worked 3 1/2 hours this saturday yay. got all my valentines day shopping done. and thank you for all the messages, i really enjoy reading them. love jessy dae

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hola everyone,had a very un-eventfull week. all snow days so no school wed-friday. i stayed home everyday ecept yesterday and today. today i got my hair touched up =)whoo-hooo. didnt get to work because of road conditions. other wise all is well. love everyone bunches jessy dae

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hello everyone, I had a great week this week. finnished my outline and rought draft on my mental health paper. had a good time at work on saturday. played bingo at the senior center with my mom and her friend cher. i won $10 and i had a really good time hanging with the girls. i kept up playing bingo without any help. it was a blast. i got my lanard, hoodie, keychain, and senior shirt, YAY and thank you for all the messages i really enjoy reading them love y’all bunches jessy dae

 

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well hello and aloha. i had a great christmas and really enjoyed reading all your messages. and a great beginning to a new year. i went ice skating on my brothers birthday…. i made it around the rink once thats good enough for me. me and the family went bowling i bowled a 104 100 and 144. im startin back to school tomorrow (monday) hope y’ll had a great christmas and a happy new year love y’all tons jessy dae

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hello everyone, my christmas party was a blast =) i got 2 gaia gift cards and an awesome peace sign charm, and got to hang out with all my friends and co-workers. my christmas concert was alot of fun. i had a solo on santa baby and i didnt miss a word. i finnished my school year and i dont have to go back till 2012 yay =). im totally exited for christmas and a new year. hope you have a very merry christmas and a great new year.

 

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hello its me again, another good week past. just finished my second rough draft in english over one flew over the cukoo’s nest. had a good time at my grandpa’s birthday. cant wait for my spooky’s christmas party on december 12th. and my chirstmas concert on the 15th of decmber. good night y’all =]

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That I had a really good day at work. Im starting to be able to work longer hours. And that my corditation is getting better. I played guitar hero with my brother and i did qiute well and i didnt get fusterated. im going very well in school, im passing all my glasses. and yes this is jessy typing this yahoo!! =) mommy says good night

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Happy Thanksgiving! Jessy and our family had a great Thanksgiving together. Sitting at Thanksgiving dinner I looked across at Jessy sitting there with a smile from ear to ear…. Thank you God.

Over the weekend Jessy went with her friends to see a movie and have ‘teenager time’. Whew, Dan and I compared that with letting go of the bicycle without training wheels again. Jessy’s wings grew stronger and she had a really good time with her friends. Good Night.

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Jessy underwent many tests over the last week to check for the possibility of an ovarian teratoma, because of her previous diagnosis of Anti-NMDA (N-methyl D-aspartate)receptor encephalitis. The results came back negative and we will check again in approximately 3 months.

Jessy had her first report card and she passed ALL of her classes. Jessy is very proud and so are we! Jessy brought home leaflets from her school with graduation information, order forms for class rings, graduation gowns, invitations etc. Jessy is making plans! Good Night.

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Jessy had a very fun week. Jessy went out trick or treating with her brother Ritchie on Halloween night. After the evening came to an end, Jessy said that she thinks she might be getting a little to old to trick or treat. That was another big step for Jessy in getting to know her self again and where she fits in. Jessy does struggle with that part of her recovery. The traumatic brain specialists advised us that Jessy will mature one year for every month that she been awake since her coma. Jessy really awakened about the end of December 2010 and that puts her right on track.

Jessy had only 3 days of school this past week and she did enjoy the days off. Jessy is getting more comfortable with her schedule at school and her confidence level is rising. Good Night

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Jessy has talked about halloween non-stop this week. Jessy helped out with a haunted house that was put on by the senior class at her school over the weekend. Jessy was an emerald green witch and stirred a ‘boiling pot of witches brew’. It was cute and Jessy loved giving a wonderful sounding witches cackle as spectators walked by.

Jessy worked on Saturday and received many compliments on how well she did. Jessy was very proud of those compliments and made sure to share them with her Dad as soon as we got home. Good Night

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Jessy is excited with the upcoming fall season. Jessy has taken another step forward in her recovery proving that to us on Saturday. Jessy was asked to help out with the senior class to work at the bake sale stand during a volley ball tournament. Jessy also was signed up to work at Spooky’s later that same day. SO Jessy went in and helped out for a while at the bake sale before her shift at Spooky’s. WOW, I totally expected her to be tired out before even starting at Spooky’s, but she took care of business. Jessy started at 11:30am and next thing I knew she swung over to the area where I was sitting to inform me that it was two o’clock and she was ordering some lunch. Jessy was very happy to be back at Spooky’s again. It has been quite a while since she has worked because of g-tube complications. Jessy is feeling a lot better and has a positive outlook. Good Night.

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Jessy is doing well at school. We received Jessy’s first progress report and Jessy is passing most of her classes. There are some adjustments that need to be made for Jessy to ensure her success. There are two types of diplomas that Jessy could get, one is called a ‘modified diploma’ and the other is a regular diploma. Modified basically means that Jessy has had to have help during all of her classes and she will not be eligible for scholarships. If Jessy recieves a modified diploma she has the option of returning to school next year to get full credit for those same classes if she can pass them on her own. Jessy really wants to finish this year with a regular diploma and be done. Jessy has finished reading ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and can remember most of what she reads or needs just a little prompting. Jessy has also improved greatly at physical coordination. We played mini-golf on Friday and Jessy did great, very competitive. Good Night.

Jessy had a really nice week. Jessy’s g-tube area on her stomach is closed and not leaking at all. Jessy commented today that it has been a relief to not have that problem anymore. Jessy was seen by her surgeons Tuesday at Legacy Emanuel to have the staples from her tummy removed. The surgeons were very impressed with the healing of the g-tube area and felt confident that all will be well.

Jessy enjoyed the festivities of the past home-coming week at school. Jessy painted her face, dyed her hair (temporary), wore crazy clothes and showed awesome school spirit. Jessy even danced with her fellow classmates at the pep rally in front of the whole student population. I have some pictures of Jessy that I tried to post tonight, but for some reason there are technical difficulties. I will get those pictures on here this upcoming week. Good Night.

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Sunday 10-02-2011

The rest of Jessy’s week was relaxed. Jessy has been recovering very well and the incision areas look great. Jessy was not up for doing much until Saturday night. Jessy was very excited about going to the PigBowl in The Dalles. Jessy loved being out there and walking around visiting. Jessy even went out onto the field and talked over the microphone. Jessy said ‘HI’ to everyone, told them that last year she was there in a wheelchair and this year she is walking out onto that field and thanked everyone for coming. Jessy and I met the McCoy Family who are this years recipients of the PigBowl fundraiser, very sweet family. Tomorrow Jessy is going to try and make it to school. Good Night.

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Hello. Jessy’s surgery went well and Jessy is doing great this evening. The surgery took longer than expected because of unforeseen issues that needed repairing. Jessy’s stomach is back to the way it should be and now Jessy just needs to rest for a few days. Jessy and I are spending the night here at Emanuel and looking forward to hopefully heading home tomorrow afternoon. Good Night

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Jessy had a GREAT week. Jessy loved being the birthday girl and relished every minute of her day. We also took Jessy to Portland to meet with another surgeon and Jessy is set to have surgery this Tuesday morning. It is a same day procedure so Jessy gets to come home right afterward. Jessy had a good week at school and now has a stable schedule. Jessy’s first class of the day is English and we are reading “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”. Jessy is about 1/4 of the way through the book and she is retaining the information well. I ask her questions about what she has read and she can usually answer with minimal reminders. Also this upcoming Saturday is the PIGBOWL game here in The Dalles. Jessy has been asked to attend and say ‘HI’ to the crowd in between the first and second quarter. Jessy is looking forward to attending and says that she is a ‘lil’ nervous but it will be fun. Please keep Jessy in your prayers, thank you. Good Night.

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What a week it was for our Jessy. Jessy started Tuesday morning with much enthusiasm and she did her best to stay positive. Jessy tried to attend many classes that day with the rest of her classmates. Jessy was exhausted after her day ended and you could tell she was really thinking it over. By Wednesday morning, Jessy said that she liked being in her ‘old’ room with Ms. Tara and that the day before was too much for her. So we spent the rest of week rearranging Jessy’s schedule and to make it less stressful for her. Jessy’s writing is incredible and she did very well in English. Jessy is going to take a math course online at her own pace there at the school, in Ms. Tara’s room. Jessy was happy to hear that. Last school year Jessy spent her school days in Ms. Tara’s classroom and it is a big step for her to branch out into other classes. Jessy also is in choir, which she has loved participating in since elementary. It is a small group with many of her friends so it should be a lot of fun.

Jessy has not been able to work at Spooky’s for quite a while because of her g-tube. Jessy misses it very much and is looking forward to going back after her next surgery. We are taking Jessy to Portland this Wednesday for another consultation and we should then have a date for the surgery to close her g-tube. Jessy is counting down the days.

This Tuesday is Jessy’s birthday and she is VERY EXCITED. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSY, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Jessy has been busy this week getting ready to start school on Tuesday. Jessy and I will go on Tuesday morning and register her for classes. There will be a few challenging classes in order for Jessy to get the credits she needs to graduate. Jessy says that she is ready for the challenge. I believe that Jessy is going to surprise us all. And now for the rest of the story…… the surgery that Jessy had last Monday did not close the G-tube incision area. There were clips placed on the inside of Jessy’s tummy and it was a 50% chance that it would work. Unfortunately it was not successful. So Jessy will have surgery again to close the g-tube site and that is scheduled towards the end of September but we are working on moving that date up. We are going to place the mickey back into Jessy’s tummy (per doctor request) until she has the surgery in order for her to have some relief from the complications. Good Night.

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Hello…. Jessy’s surgery went smoothly and Jessy is doing great. Jessy woke up after surgery and was ready to go. We had to convince Jessy to rest a bit just to make sure all was well and for the nurses to check her vitals!! Jessy could not get out of there fast enough. The staff at Emanuel did a wonderful job. Good Night.

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Sunday 08-28-2011

Jessy has had one busy week. This week was spent at the Wasco County Fair, every day from sun up to sun down. Jessy handled things very well and was happy to be there. Brother Ritchie had raised a wether lamb for 4H and Jessy helped out as much as she could. Jessy was very supportive of Ritchie and offered him many hugs today as his lamb was auctioned off. Dan and I were very happy to have Jessy walking around with us this summer at fair versus last summer when Jessy had to be pushed around the fair in a wheel chair. Go Jessy. Jessy rode as many rides as she could until she couldnt ride any more. Dan and I did not think that was possible!!

As far as Jessy’s G-tube situation: there is relief for Jessy next Monday, August 29th. We will be taking Jessy to Portland on Sunday night and spending the night there in the city because Jessy has to be at Legacy Emanuel at 0600 Monday morning for Surgery. Jessy is counting down the days. Good Night.

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Hello. Jessy will not be having surgery tomorrow morning. We are going to be taking Jessy back to Legacy Emanuel to follow up on Jessy’s G-tube care. There is one other procedure that can be done for Jessy that is not as invasive as surgery but needs to be done there at Legacy. Good Night.

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Jessy’s week was good. Jessy had a lot of difficulty with the healing of her g-tube area this last week, so enough is enough. Jessy has tried so hard to deal with the inconvenience of that g-tube area but her patience is wearing thin. Jessy will most likely be scheduled for surgery this upcoming Wednesday to repair that area of her stomach.

Jessy loves to attend plays so this weekend Jessy and I went to see “Sweeney Todd- The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”. WOW, what a play that was! Jessy loved that movie before she became ill, and loves it just as much now. Jessy LOVED seeing that play, she was very attentive. Afterwards it was like a reunion for Jessy because she knew most of the actors and actresses from school and work. Jessy was very happy to visit with them again. We all went with Jessy also to the Dufur Threshing Bee to take in the sights and sounds. Jessy loved walking around and checking out all the exhibits. I will check back in on this upcoming Wednesday to give an update on Jessy’s surgery status. Good Night.

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Jessy has had a much better week. Jessy is back on solid food, we just have to be careful on how much and what types of food that we prepare for Jessy. Jessy returns to Dr. Moon in two more weeks for a follow up. If the G-Tube site is not closed by then, surgery will be scheduled. We went on an overnight trip to Portland over the weekend to a get together held by Dans employer. Jessy was so excited to go. Jessy loved every minute of every activity that we did in Portland. Jessy talked about many memories that occured before she got sick and it was a lot of fun to hear her stories. We took Jessy to the Ronald McDonald house at Legacy to visit our friend Maria. Jessy has not had a chance to meet Maria until then and they hit it off well. Jessy used to attend a Swedish Camp in Northern Minnesota during the summers and Maria attended a French Camp there also so they had many stories to share. Jessy thought that was pretty cool. They also have a scrap booking table at the Ronald McDonald House and Jessy took a liking to that. Jessy is already making plans of where she can set up a scrap booking area. After visiting the RMH we walked over to visit the staff where Jessy stayed at Legacy Emanuel. It was a very nice to see many of Jessy’s nurses and cna’s. Jessy received many hugs and enjoyed to visit. Jessy does not remember any of the time that she was hospitalized. The upcoming weeks are going to be busy for Jessy, every weekend she has plans made and is ready to seize the days. Good Night.

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Hello everyone, our apologies for not updating last Sunday. We were without internet for a bit due to our relocation. We have not moved very far, just across the street. Jessy is settling into her new room and decorating it her way. The move was hard for Jessy at first, she did not like the change. Last Monday Jessy had her g-tube (feeding tube) removed from her stomach for good. Jessy is very happy to have that gone. The g-tube site is not closing very well on its on, so tomorrow we will follow up with the doctor. A few days ago, Mr. Walworth, who was Jessy’s former choir teacher came by for a visit. Jessy loved seeing him. Mr. Walworth brought with him some sheet music to share with Jessy and they sang a few songs together. It was precious. Jessy did very well and was able to keep up. Jessy loves to sing. Good Night.

 

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Hello everyone.  This week has been boring for Jessy but we have tried to keep her busy.  There has been a little more work needed on our new house than we thought, so hopefully this upcoming weekend we will be finished.  Jessy is always eager to help out and does a pretty good job.  Jessy has discovered playing the game “Wheel of Fortune” on the pc and that has been a great learning tool for her.  Overall she does well and will get better with time.  We have been gradually decreasing her meds and the good news is that today was the last day for her to recieve seizure medicine.  GO JESSY!  Jessy has a few others, but she is able to take those by mouth which means that g-tube in her tummy will be coming out very soon.  Jessy is looking very forward to that!  Wow, what a day that will be. Looking back on the day that g-tube was surgically placed was a very hard reality for Dan and I, and now what a blessing to know that soon the g-tube will be gone.  Jessy still requires assistance with many things, but nothing in comparison to last July.  Jessy did work Saturday for a couple of hours at Spooky’s.  It was very busy due to activities in The Dalles and she was ready to cut out a bit early. Jessy told me on the way out that she is very happy working at Spooky’s and has made some new friends.  Also during the last week of school, Jessy was given an 8th grade story to read.  Jessy read the story very well and was given a test asking her questions about that story.  Jessy answered 85% of the answers correctly!!  That was awesome!  Good Night.

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Sunday 7-3-11

It was a fun week for Jessy. Jessy helped out at vacation bible school every night. At first it was a bit overwhelming and Jessy was very quiet but as the week went on she opened up and was more interactive and comfortable. Jessy made some new friends and loved being with the kids. Jessy could not get over how fast the week went by and was bummed out that VBS had ended. Saturday came and Jessy was ready to head to Spooky’s for her shift. Jessy had a good day at work, a 2-3 hour shift is still perfect for her. Good Night.

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Sunday 06-19-2011

The past week was a little rough for Jessy due to a change in medication, but we are working with her doctors on this. Towards the end of the week Jessy started to feel better. Jessy has become very aware of this years graduating class and is dealing with emotions that come along with the fact that she is not going to graduate yet. BUT the good news is that Jessy will graduate next summer, class of 2012. With a normal high school diploma, and will be eligle for scholarships. Jessy was very happy to hear that on Friday and her spirits were totally lifted. AND WHAT A GRADUATION PARTY THAT WILL BE!! Last night we had a bonfire in the back yard. Jessy and Ritchie were able to make smores and light off some sparklers. Jessy was so excited to take part and thought that was very fun. Jessy could not believe the colors of the sparklers and would yell out “LOOK! IT’S GREEN! NO WAIT…. IT’S BLUE… THIS IS AWESOME”! She loved every minute of the evening by the fire, was very careful, and watched over brother Ritchie to make sure he was safe. Good Night.

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Sunday 05-29-2011

Jessy had a much better week. Jessy did try out some spanish classes and she said that she enjoyed being there. Jessy has been attending school for 4 hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Jessy is very prideful about those days and looks forward to staying that long. Jessy is trying hard to be independant. Jessy likes to have us set her alarm clock on school nights and is great about getting up in the morning to turn it off and then as any typical teenager would do—- get right back into bed. Jessy is doing much better with sleeping at night too. Jessy did work on Saturday at Spooky’s. Jessy’s shift was great, she did awesome. It was the best shift that Jessy has had so far. Jessy told me as we were driving home from Spooky’s that she felt good about how her day went and how happy she was. Jessy and I spent some time on Facebook today. Jessy is remembering a lot of family and friends and is surprised to see where they all are, what they look like and what they are doing now. Jessy loves to look at her Uncle Johns page and check out the picture of him riding his mini-bike, she laughs and giggles. Good Night.

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Sunday 05-08-2011

Happy Easter to all. The weather warmed up this past week and we were able to get Jessy outside for more activities such as walking and shooting hoops. Jessy also had another good week at school and continues to amaze us everyday. Just a month ago when Jessy would count to 30 it was very difficult for her, but as of this week she only missed a couple of numbers on the way to 30. What an improvement. On Friday Melissa, who is one of Jessy’s past caregivers, came up to spend the day with Jessy. Jessy was so surprised and had a great day with Melissa, even teased her a little bit. Later that afternoon we went to town and Jessy spotted one of her past teachers, Ms. Froemming from TDWHS and Jessy ran up to her and said HELLO, asked her how she was, and then reminded Ms. Froemming about who she used to be in class with, was very accurate with her classmates names and the name of the class Ms. Froemming taught.

Saturday morning came and Jessy was excited to go back to work at Spooky’s again. Jessy worked 2 and 1/2 hours and was very successful that day, best shift so far. Then after work it was all about going home to color Easter eggs. That was truly one of those moments we have shared with you all about: it was like her first time to color eggs, it was magical for Jessy. Jessy then woke up Easter morning and was happy to see that Easter basket that the Easter bunny had left for her. After surveying the goodies she hurried to Ritchies room and woke him up to share the excitement and go find the hidden Easter eggs. After all the eggs were found we sat down as a family and watched a live streaming of the Easter service from our past church, Cross Timbers in Texas. During the service you could see tears from Jessy’s eyes, it was abvious that she was moved by the message and the memories she was having. Jessy told us how she used to love working with the younger children in Sunday school and loved to listen to the loud music. Then we spent the day together and went bowling, Jessy said ‘it was just like old times’. Good Night

We have made another decrease in one of Jessy’s seizure medications, and so far so good. Jessy is more aware and a little more sensitive to over stimulation though. Jessy did work on Saturday for a bit, and was tired out after an hour. In her defense it was crazy busy and I’d be tired out too. Looking back at things though, isn’t it great to be writing about her trying to work at Spooky’s on a Saturday afternoon compared to what we used to write about a year ago? Amen to that. We have totally finished off one of Jessy’s seizure meds and have two more to go. It will take a while, but the results have been amazing so far. Jessy does tire out quickly but I think it is because she is more awake with the medication decrease and it is a lot to take in. Over all Jessy is trying very hard every day to get accustomed to the new world that she is living in. Good Night.

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Sunday 04-10-2011

Hello to everyone!! This last week has been so incredible. Jessy is making big leaps in her recovery. I am so excited to tell you what has happened this past week. It was spring break here for the kids and we did a few activities locally and kept it mellow. And here is the coolest part……. Tuesday we had lunch at Spooky’s in The Dalles. While there Jessy asked Ms. JoAna (the owner) if she could come back to work!!!!! OMG!!! JoAna and I were blown away, and of course Ms. JoAna said “YOU BET HONEY, WHENEVER YOURE READY”. Jessy said that she could start that day, but Ms. JoAna recommended to start on the upcoming Saturday. Everyday after that until Saturday Jessy was so excited and talked about going back to work A LOT! Well Saturday FINALLY came, Jessy said that it felt like ‘forever’ to get here, and off we went to take Jessy to work at Spooky’s. Jessy started at 11:30am and made it until about 2:30pm! We were there with Jessy to make sure all would be well and she handled things like a pro. You should have seen her, it was INCREDIBLE. Everything came back to her like she had never left, she knew where things went, how things went and even had the opportunity to shadow at the register. Jessy was soooooo happy with herself, it was amazing to witness, Jessy amazed us all! The Oregon State Patrol was also having a fund raiser at Spooky’s yesterday for Special Olympics and had some officers there assisting in the restaurant. The coolest part of that was some of those officers also participated in the Pig Bowl that was held for Jessy last September and they could not believe their eyes when they saw Jessy there working! What a great get together that was!! After Jessy was done working, she was ready for a break and then asked if we were going to go bowling!! You bet. Last night was the best night of sleep Jessy has had in almost 2 years. I think she felt a huge sense of accomplishment and was very happy with herself. Life is good, Good Night.

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Cyndy is not feeling well this evening so you get the 2nd team updater. Jessy has had a good week and memories are increasing. Jessy has had a hardtime with getting stuck on words or ideas that she has, and she will repeat them until she gets angry or upset, she is also getting angry very easy we think this is due to the final reduction of one of her medications, and this should correct itself soon. We had a great weekend we took a trip and Jessy said as we were driving that she wanted to read a book and she pulled one out of her purse and started to read it, this is important because she has always been a bookworm and loved to read. Saturday night we played rock & bowl at 20th Century Lanes in Portland we were a little concerned about how Jessy would handle the loud music and the lights, but as usual Jessy handled it GREAT as a matter of fact she showed us some of her fancy dance moves on the approach. We hope all of you have a GREAT week.

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Jessy is sittin’ here with me tonight and wants to tell you all that she had her hair cut and her nails done. Jessy says that her week was really good. Jessy went on a field trip with brother Ritchie’s class to the Discovery Center here in The Dalles. They spent the whole day out. Jessy said that it helped refresh her memory of the Gorge area. They also played at a park in The Dalles that Jessy had not been too in quite a while and Jessy said that was a lot of fun. This last week has been great for Jessy and her independence, she is taking major leaps. Jessy says that she has liked her longer days at school so far and is ready to learn some more. I am serious, SHE REALLY SAID THAT! Jessy is sitting here giggling. Jessy talks more about “before” she became sick and “after”, she is putting things together. Jessy likes to look at this webpage, at the pictures and messages. Jessy says “Good Night”.

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Sunday 03-06-2011

Jessy keeps amazing us everyday with her progress. Jessy had a good week and had a great attitude everyday. Starting March 1st, we are going to extend Jessy’s school days. 3 hours to start, Monday thru Friday. We think she can handle it. Jessy tried to stay awake to help out with the update, but wanted to go to sleep in her bed. I apologize for cutting this update short, but it has been a long day. Good Night.

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Many good things happened for Jessy this past week. Jessy has mastered tying her shoes! Jessy is so proud of herself and feels even more independent. Jessy also wrote her first name in cursive, just like she used to. That was very interesting because she took a piece of paper and said “look Mom” and slowly but very accurately wrote her name. Wow.

Jessy also had a dental appointment. With Jessy’s past seizures and storms we were very worried about damage to her teeth. Well, Jessy was very cooperative, handled the x-rays like a pro, and the exam went great. Jessy does not have any cracked teeth or damage, and not any cavities. That was quite a relief. It was impossible to brush Jessy’s teeth for a long time so thank goodness for Chlorhexidine.

Jessy is very excited for Valentines tomorrow. Jessy already exchanged a couple Valentines cards and she was so cute about it. Happy Valentines to everyone. Good Night.

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Sunday 02-06-2011

Jessy continues to improve and everyday is always exciting. This week Jessy did even better at school than the week before. Jessy did read a simple childrens story from front to back that was about 20 pages long and approx 15 words per page. Jessy tried very hard and missed only a few words per page. It was so awesome to hear her read that book, incredible. Tonight Jessy and I read her messages here in her webpage and she was tickled to hear them. Jessy said “are those all for me?” That was cute. Jessy was very curious also as to who had sent the messages. Jessy asks many questions now about EVERYTHING and those questions are wonderful to hear. Jessy still requires constant supervision and needs help with many things, but when we look back to when she first came home all we see now is sunshine. Good Night.

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Sunday 01-09-2011

Happy New Year!!! With the progress that Jessy has made so far, this upcoming year should be awesome. Jessy is excited to return to school tomorrow. Jessy has made a lot of progress within the last month and you can tell just by looking at her face that her personality is shining through. Jessy’s memory is getting so much better and that helps her days to run much smoother. It has been a wonderful holiday season. Good Night.

Sunday 12-26-2010

Jessy just keeps getting better and better. Everyday is exciting and full of surprises. Jessy has been very coherent and has been describing memories very clearly. Jessy still has moments that she will want something, and when you give it to her she says that she did not ask for that. Her short term memory has not been very well but she surprised us yesterday with the memory of getting an air-brushed tattoo during this last summer. We asked her where she got it and she knew it was a green peace sign and that it was on her arm. She could not remember having it done at the Wasco County Fair, but she was trying very hard to remember that.

It was a good week at school too. Jessy asked me tonight if she has school tomorrow. THAT WAS AWESOME! Jessy is asking more and more questions such as what day it is and what time it is. Jessy does not understand how to read a clock yet, but if you ask her what time it is she makes a good guess at it. Jessy is understanding morning, noon and night better too.

Dan, Jessy and I were standing in the kitchen conversing and Dan asked Jessy if she knew why we celebrated Christmas. Jessy paused and thought for a while. Then she leaned over and kissed her Dad on the cheek and said “Thats Why”. Good Night.

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ANOTHER GREAT WEEK FOR JESSY. (That makes me so happy to write that) Jessy attended school for 3 days only this week, the kids had Thursday and Friday off. The days that she did attend went well, and her primary teacher is amazed with Jessy’s progress every day. Jessy’s memory is getting better. A few days ago Jessy was looking through our dvd’s and pointing out her favorites- Coneheads, Billy Madison, Harry Potter, Twilight… so I asked her “of all those movies, which one is your favorite?” Jessy looked at them for quite a while and then pulled out Fried Green Tomatoes. That was amazing because that was her favorite and in between watching all the others, she would always watch that one. Towanda! Ya know, thats Jessy. Our warrior.

Jessy has also spent more time with her brother Ritchie, and that has been precious. Ritchie set up ‘Sims’ on the pc and encourages Jessy to sit with him and they play. Jessy used to play Sims a lot, and she gets very excited to watch and try again. Jessy likes to go into Ritchie’s room and check stuff out too. Ritchie has a guinea pig named ‘Crystal’ and that has been great for Jessy to hold and pet her. Jessy loves that critter.

Jessy has been awake more and more during the days. Her sleeping at night varies, between a little and a little more. Therapist Ms. Carol stopped in and Jessy was napping at that time. Ms. Carol noticed that and said that she would be glad to come back later. Right at that moment Jessy popped up, said “HI” and was ready to roll. That was a first. Jessy was very cooperative. Ms. Carol brought a magnetic house with misc pictures of furniture, pets, people etc….. that also were magnetic that Jessy could place any which way she wanted. Jessy LOVES playing with that. One last note before I close this up for the night– Thank you to everyone for the continued support and prayers. Good Night.

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Happy Halloween to everyone. Jessy has enjoyed the Halloween festivities of this past week. Jessy did well at school this week and we tried to have Jessy attend during the afternoon one day to change things up a bit. It is hard to get Jessy going sometimes, but we eventually do get her to school. Jessy would see her Halloween costume hanging in her room and everyday would comment on it. Some days she would ask what that costume was for and somedays she knew exactly why her costume was there. There was trick-or-treating in The Dalles on Friday afternoon and Jessy was excited to go. Jessy was able to trick-or-treat about half way down 2nd street and that was enough. Jessy was amazed at the process of asking for candy and GETTING IT! There are so many things that Jessy is learning to do all over again. Then came today and when I told Jessy that we needed to get ready for a Halloween party and trick or treat again, she was very interested. Jessy tired out quickly tonight, but was spoiled by neighbors so her candy bag was pretty full and she was very happy. Good Night.

 

Hello everyone, this last week has been good. We met with a traumatic brain injury specialist by the name of Penny and discussed Jessy and her progress. Penny confirmed that Jessy is making great progress and everything that Jessy is doing is normal. Penny was very impressed with the progress that Jessy has made so far and predicted great things for the future. That was so nice to hear. Jessy has episodes were she does not recognize us and/or sometimes periods of anger. Those episodes are probably “storms”. Nothing in comparison to the “storms” that Jessy used to suffer with, but mild ones. They usually last about 10 minutes and then Jessy ‘pops’ back into our world and is back to herself. To Dan and I that totally made sense. Penny recommended that we keep doing what we are doing and stick to a schedule as much as possible. Jessy is very excited for Halloween and has already picked out her costume. Jessy is going to be a vampire-witch. Jessy will say that she is a vampire, so I call her ‘vampire witchy poo’ and she gets such a giggle out of that. Jessy’s sense of humor has been awesome. She loves to tickle us, make funny faces, and be silly. Saturday Jessy stayed awake almost all day and made it through brother Ritchies football game. Jessy rested a lot today, she was tuckered out from yesterday. This week Jessy was more aware of time and what day it was. I think she understood more of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Good Night.

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More great days for Jessy. The week started off with Jessy sitting down and watching “Ice Age” with us for 30 minutes straight. Jessy stayed focused and laughed and laughed and laughed. Every day at school was positive too. Jessy has really come along way with cooperating for the time that she is at school. Friday was a big day, we took Jessy to Portland and stopped in at Legacy Emanuel to visit. Everyone was blown away when they saw Jessy walk in, without a wheelchair, all on her own. That was so awesome and Jessy loved all the hugs. I do not think Jessy remembered being hospitalized there (which is great so maybe all the pain will be forgotten). Then after leaving the hospital we went and had lunch. Our waitress’ name happened to be Jessy Lyons too, is that weird or what? Ritchie had on a PigBowl shirt with Jessys name on it and our waitress said “that’s my name!” Jessy got a giggle out of that. THEN we took Jessy to Clackamas Mall. Oh my goodness, she was so overwhelmed when we walked in. Jessy walked all the way to the end and back, upstairs then downstairs. All through the mall, Jessy kept saying “it’s Christmas!” Jessy was excited to go into the shops especially Hot Topic. She was funny about that one, all the rest of the shops we had to introduce her to, but Hot Topic she walked into like old news. Jessy made it through that whole day with being overstimulated, she never shut down. We thought for sure that she would fall asleep on the way home, but no she did not. Jessy is still not sleeping through the night, and with all that excitement she did not sleep hardly at all that night. We ask Jessy everyday about Friday to see if she remembers all that she did that day, but so far she does not. But you never know, maybe tomorrow. Tonight we went to Spooky’s for Grandma Jo’s birthday. While we were there, one of Jessys’ classmates came over to say ‘hi’. Jessy asked her if she was going to college. That surprised Dan and I because that means Jessy understands more than what we think. Then she told her friend to ‘drive safe’, which was sweet but we all gave her a hard time about being a crazy driver herself and she laughed right along with us. Jessy was pretending to hold onto a steering wheel and was making car crashing noises. Her sense of humor is great. Good Night.

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It has been another amazing week! Tuesday, when Jessy started her day, you could look into her eyes and see that she was different. That was the first day that when we asked Jessy how her day was at school, she could recall attending. GO JESSY! Everyday (since Tuesday) we ask Jessy how her day has been and Jessy will tell us. Dan and I are so tickled with that progress. That Tuesday morning was the first morning that Jessy grabbed her backpack, on her own, when we were heading out the door to go to school. So we loaded up in the van and drove to Dufur school. When we got there, I got out of the driver side and went over to help Jessy get out of the passenger side. Jessy looked at me like I was crazy. I asked Jessy what was wrong. Jessy told me “I dont got to school here”. So I asked Jessy “where do you go to school?” and she pointed towards The Dalles saying “down there”. I said “Where’s that?” and Jessy told me “I go to The Dalles school”. I was blown away, and wanted to dance around that parking lot. I tried to explain to Jessy what was going on and why we were there at Dufur School, and she still would not budge from that van. I could not get her out of the van, or back into the van. Coincidently, Mr. Wyatt, the Dufur School principal came out to the parking lot and advised me that there were 2 bears spotted in town and the school was going into lock down. Well, this is were I asked God to help me convey this information to Jessy and please let her understand. I told Jessy that I was scared of bears, unless they’re named POOH and we REALLY NEED TO GET INTO THAT SCHOOL. Jessy giggled, hugged me and said “OK”. Jessy stepped out of that van, walked into school and even turned down the right hallway to get into her class. The rest of the school week was nice and Jessy had great days there. Jessy has been better with understanding how time works also. Jessy used to wake up from her naps and would start her day all over thinking it was morning again. This week Jessy has napped less and when she woke up from her naps, Jessy would carry on from where she left off. Jessy has been more cooperative and I think she is understanding more of what is going on around her. We have heard a lot more laughter and giggles from Jessy this past week. I took part in a tv show this past week for channel 7 and spoke about Jessy, it is supposed to air October 11th, at 7pm. There is a link at columbiagorge.com to watch it live if you want too. Good Night.

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Jessy had a rough week up until Saturday night. Jessy made it to school everyday but Monday, and those days that she was at school– Jessy did super. Jessy is learning more and more everyday and so are all of us. Next week Jessy will have school only and there will not be any therapy sessions. We feel that will help Jessy to handle her days better. Saturday night was the PIGBOWL, and that was INCREDIBLE!! We had a police escort out onto the football field and Jessy was sitting in the front seat of a jeep with the top off and windows down and WAS LOVING IT! As we drove by the stands it was so exciting with all the clapping and shouts of encouragement. Jessy was waving to everyone and was whoopin’ it up LOUDLY!! Jessy was having so much fun and was just loving every minute of it. We all stood out there on that field with Jessy as a life-flight helicopter brought in the game ball (that was just too cool!) and all the officers playing football from Oregon and Washington were introduced. Jessy did very well and we kept noise reduction headphones on her which helped to keep her from being over stimulated. After the introductions we went up into the stands area and Jessy had to return to her wheelchair, she was exhausted. Brother Ritchie proudly wore Jessy’s football Jersey while he was on the sideline. What a great night. Thank you to EVERYONE involved with the PIGBOWL. The happiness expressed on Jessy’s face was priceless. Good Night.

 

Hello everyone, another great week! Everyday is just amazing, and everyday we are so thankful to God for the progress that Jessy is making. At school Jessy went into the music room and told us that she used to play trumpet(that was so awesome). So Mr. Hodges, the music teacher, grabbed a trumpet and had Jessy give it a shot. She did great, strong note and it was beautiful to hear. Jessy was very happy with herself and was smiling ear to ear. Then we went to home economics and that was her first interaction with fellow classmates. It was awkward for Jessy and we could tell she felt uncomfortable so we moved on to another activity. Wednesday was pizza day at school and that was the first day that Jessy expressed interest in lunch. Jessy grabbed a tray, went for a slice a pizza and a carton of milk. Jessy knew what she was doing. On Friday, Jessy met her calorie count FROM REAL FOOD only! Jessy did not have any liquid food through her g-tube—that was SO GREAT! That was the first day since July 2009. It has been a lot of fun too when we are in town and Jessy notices a ‘Pig Bowl’ poster with her picture on it. Jessy points at her picture, giggles and says “that’s me! that’s me!” It is too cute and never gets old. We are looking forward to going to the Pig Bowl this upcoming Saturday. Jessy will love all the excitement. Good Night.

WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK!! Jessy started school on Tuesday and continued everyday through Friday. It was so different for Jessy to get out of the house and head to school but she handled it very well. Our goal was to be there by ten in the morning, but found that with our daily routines with Jessy that we could have Jessy there in good spirits closer to 11am. Jessy would participate for 15-20 minutes on average, then she would say “I’m done” and rest for a bit. Then we would take Jessy on a walk around the school, check out other classes, then go to the gym for p.e. and play basketball. Everyday was better than the previous and by Friday Jessy acted like she was understanding her morning routine. When we were walking into school on Friday, Jessy looked around and said to me “I’ve been here before, I remember this, I WENT TO SCHOOL HERE”. I asked her if she meant this last week and she said “no, a couple of years ago”. Which is true, she attended there 9th grade. That just blows me away when she comes through with memories like that. Jessy has brief moments of being ‘here’ mentally with us and those are happening more and more. I just want to wrap my arms around her when she is like that and hold on so tight to keep her here with us permanently. Jessy still thinks that she is 17, so ok, we’ll work on that later. Jessy’s 19th birthday is tomorrow, and we celebrated a bit early today. We took Jessy bowling and of course she loved it. Jessy’s Uncle John and Aunt Sarah surprised us by coming from Minnesota to join in on the festivities. John and Sarah had came out when Jessy was first hospitalized in California so they were quite surprised when they saw Jessy WALKING INTO the bowling center today. Good Night.

 

It has been a much better week. Jessy was not up for bowling last Monday, so we are going to try again tomorrow. Jessy had an appointment with her neurologist on Wednesday and since that appointment we have been trying a few different ways of encouraging positive behavior. It has been working out well too. One thing we are doing differently is if she is sleeping, let her sleep because she needs it. Most of the time if Jessy is just bored we can ask her if she wants to go shoot hoops or take a walk and she will stand right up and be ready to go. Other times Jessy is sleeping so hard that you cannot wake her up, and that is the sleep cycle that we do not want to disturb. Makes therapy a little challenging, but too bad. 🙂 lol. Jessy is all set to start school this Tuesday. Jessy is going to attend for 1 hour a day. Great shift for a teenager, 10:00-11:00am. She might be able to join in the home-economics class and do a lil’ cooking. Jessy will love that. We are all so excited for her to go. Jessy being around friends and people her own age will be great therapy. We joke about Jessy getting sick of hanging out with us older peeps. When Jessy visits with her friends she acts more like a teenager, that is pretty neat to see. Good Night.

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Jessy took a ‘vacation’ this week and did not want to do anything or cooperate at all in daily activities. I’d like to say that we did a lot of cool things, but Jessy has just been relaxing and recovering from last week. Yesterday we had to coax Jessy out of the house with the promise of a Happy Meal in order to go watch brother Ritchie’s football game. It was such a beautiful day and we knew that once we could get Jessy out there, that some fresh air would be good for her. Jessy seemed to enjoy the game and would clap and cheer for Ritchie and his team-mates. Jessy loves jammin’ out on rock-n-roll or top 40 and will dance like crazy when a good song comes on. While in the van yesterday, Ozzy started singing ‘Crazy Train’ and Jessy was boppin’ her head. Dan asked Jessy “Jessy, who sings this song?” Jessy quickly answered “Ozzy Osbourne.” That was so neat to hear Jessy answer that question, her memories surprise us all the time. We asked Jessy later on the same question and Jessy did not know what we were talking about. Jessy’s conscious level still varies so she still has little ups and downs. Jessy has a very hard time with memory. An example of that would be daily activities and if and when she has done them. Jessy’s doctor appointment with her primary doctor went very well last week, and this week Jessy has an appointment with her neurologist. There is some discussion of taking Jessy back to Portland for a visit to follow up with doctors there. I will know more about that when we see her neurologist here Tuesday. Tomorrow if Jessy is up to it, we are going to go bowling. Jessy talks about bowling often, so I am sure she will want to go. Also here is some AWESOME NEWS….. last week we were notified that Jessy has been chosen to be the recipient of a fundraiser called the ‘PIGBOWL’. It is a football game played here in The Dalles by police officers from Oregon and Washington on September 25th at Wahtonka Football Field. It is quite an event. The link if y’all want to check it out is ‘pigbowl.net’. That is so awesome, what a surprise and blessing. Good Night.

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It has been a good week. Usually Jessy tires us out by the end of the week, but not this week. Jessy came out to the fair with us everyday. Jessy handled everything quite well except for the rodeo last night which was too much for her. Jessy handled about 10 minutes of the rodeo and then she shut down. After we relocated to a quiet place, Jessy relaxed, looked up and said “That was SO FUN”. Jessy saw many friends at the fair and was excited to see them. We had Jessy with us only a couple hours a day and that was perfect for her. Jessy was always happy to get ready to go to the fair when we’d ask her if she wanted to. Everyday when we’d arrive at the fairgrounds Jessy would ask for a cheeseburger. After discovering that McDonalds is not there she just could not believe how that could be. Jessy has a busy week ahead with many therapy sessions and follow up appointments with her doctors. At the end of this month, some of Jessy’s services are going to be discontinued. Jessy’s full time nurse and some caregivers will not be returning in September. Dan and I are concerned, but we know that Jessy has come a long way and we’ll make it. Good Night.

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Sunday 8-16-2010