Saturday, July 31st, 2004~ Tracy slept really well Wednesday and Thursday nights. Thursday evening, Tania, Tracy's massage therapist, gave Tracy a massage and she seemed to really relax. This is the third time Tania has worked with Tracy and she really noticed a difference in her tone and ability to relax. Marlena, Tracy's Physical Therapist from NRH inpatient rehab, came to see Tracy on Thursday evening. She stretched Tracy and checked out her ability to relax her muscles. She was pleased with her progress and is looking forward to working with her again. Tracy had a really good Occupational Therapy session on Friday with Becky. Tracy was very relaxed and Becky got Tracy in sidelying and really stretched her trunk. Tracy really likes to have her trunk stretched. She also stretched her shoulders, arms and hands. Each day, Mom has been feeding Tracy yogurt and ice cream. Saturday, Tracy ate about 2 ozs of coffee yogurt. She is really trying to move her tongue to get the food to the back of her mouth and swallow. Next week, Mom and Dad will take Tracy to get her baclofen pump refilled and adjusted if needed. They will also take her to see a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon to discuss getting her feet straightened. They also will take Tracy to see Dr. Buescher, the plastic surgeon at NNMC, to see if Tracy's wound is healing appropriately. If not, Tracy will get her wound debrided in the OR on Monday, August 9th, and Dr. Buescher will put in a wound vac to expedite healing. Nana is still recovering from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She had her last hyperbaric oxygen treatment last Wednesday and has another month of IV antibiotics. Please continue to pray for her!

Wednesday, July 28th, 2004 ~ Tracy slept really well last night, finally! We think she might have her days and nights mixed up! She is definitely running Mom and Dad ragged! Last night, Kate, Tracy's OT from NRH stopped by to work with Tracy. She stretched and ranged her and was so pleased with Tracy's flexibility. Her tone has definitely improved since the insertion of the baclofen pump. It was so great to see Kate again and we hope that she can work with Tracy more often! Yesterday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to see Dr. Gisolfi at Inova Rehab. He checked Tracy's tone in her legs and was very pleased with her progress. Her right leg is not as tight any more and there is a noticable difference in her flexibility. Dr. Gisolfi suggested that Tracy get her knee recasted in order to take advantage of her progress. Mom and Jenny got Tracy ready this morning after doing some exercises with her. Tracy has both OT and PT today at the house. This is her first OT session with Becky. Last night, Mom fed Tracy some yogurt and Tracy ate four spoonfuls! We are so glad that she is tolerating swallowing again! We are so proud of her! Monday, Mom gave Tracy about 4 teaspoons full of coffee yogurt in her mouth. Tracy did a good job moving it back in her mouth and swallowing it. It must have felt strange, because she cried a little and made some faces. It was a little cold. It has been about six months since she has had anything in her mouth. Emil, Tracy's massage therapist, called from Colorado where he is on vacation, to see how Tracy is doing. He has left her in good hands with Tonia, Tracy's back-up massage therapist. She does an awesome job. We are blessed to have such wonderful people surrounding Tracy. Tracy is tolerating 16 ozs of her feeding in her G-tube, three times a day. Her reflux has improved, and she is now on 6 mgs of Zelnorm twice a day, up from her initial 2 mgs twice a day. Nana is still recovering from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and has another month of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Monday, July 26th, 2004~ Viva Le Tour De Lance! ~ Tracy had a rough night. We are not sure what was bothering her, but she was up most of the night. Maybe it is her bed sore that is hurting her. Thank goodness she did not have any therapy today, so she could catch up on her rest. She slept most of the afternoon after Mom and Jenny stretched her, got her bathed, and ready for the day. Emil, Tracy's massage therapist, called from Colorado where he is on vacation, to see how Tracy is doing. He has left her in good hands with Tonia, Tracy's back-up massage therapist. She does an awesome job. We are blessed to have such wonderful people surrounding Tracy. Sasha, Tracy's good friend from University of Miami, came to visit her on Saturday. She caught Tracy up on all of the local gossip. Tracy enjoyed spending the day with her and is looking forward to her next visit. This evening was the second time we got Tracy on the CPM machine (continuous passive motion) to range her hips and knees for an hour at a time. Every little bit of ranging helps Tracy's muscles to stay in tip top shape.Tracy is tolerating 16 ozs of her feeding in her G-tube, three times a day. Her reflux has improved, and she is now on 6 mgs of Zelnorm twice a day, up from her initial 2 mgs twice a day. This evening, Mom gave Tracy about 4 teaspoons full of coffee yogurt in her mouth. Tracy did a good job moving it back in her mouth and swallowing it. It must have felt strange, because she cried a little and made some faces. It was a little cold. It has been about six months since she has had anything in her mouth. We will try again tomorrow. Tracy has a doctor's appointment Tuesday with Dr. Gisolfi, her physical medicine and rehab physician at Inova Mt. Vernon Rehab Center. He will check to see how her knee is improving with her new cast and if it is time to begin casting her feet yet. Nana is still recovering from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and has another month of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Sunday, July 25th, 2004~Vive La Tour De Lance!~What an awesome Tour! Lance won his sixth tour, and everyone said he couldn't do it! It was because of all these naysayers that he was motivated to prove that he could do it! This eight year survivor of testicular cancer had what it takes to win 6 Tours and he isn't finished yet. When he was on his death bed, after 4 cycles of chemotherapy, with no hair and no eyebrows, the managers of his team at the time, Cofidis, cancelled his contract! But did he quit, no way! It fueled his fire to go one! Why do we admire him? Because he will not let anything get in his way to making every second count! Tracy has her own journey back to health! She had a great massage on Saturday. Tonia, Emil's friend and massage therapist, came over to give Tracy a massage. Sasha, Tracy's good friend from University of Miami, came to visit her on Saturday. She caught Tracy up on all of the local gossip. Tracy enjoyed spending the day with her and is looking forward to her next visit. Saturday, Mom, Dad, and Sasha got Tracy prone (tummy) on the mat for twenty minutes. She did a great job in this position and Dad was able to stretch Tracy's hips and legs while Tracy put weight through her shoulders and arms. Sunday, Dad and Mom showered Tracy and got her back on the CPM machine (continuous passive motion) to range her hips and knees for an hour at a time. Tracy is tolerating 16 ozs of her feeding in her G-tube, three times a day. Her reflux has improved, and she is now on 6 mgs of Zelnorm twice a day, up from her initial 2 mgs twice a day. Nana is still recovering from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Friday, July 23rd, 2004~Vive Le Tour De France~Tracy has been sleeping better at night since she is eating during the day. She is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is still getting fed through her G-tube but she is now getting 16 ozs (2 cans) at a time. This way, we only have to feed her three times a day, just like we eat. The next step will be to get her back to oral feedings like yogurt and ice cream. Today, Jenny and Mom got Tracy bathed and ready for the day after an hour of stretching. Gloria came to visit and was a HUGE help! We are so blessed to have such angels as Liz, Gloria, and our family, especially Uncle Johnny and Aunt Diane who call at least once a day! We appreciate their calls and great support! Tiffany is spending the night at the Dave Matthews Band concert in Virginia Beach. We really do miss her! Dad and Mom took Tracy to National Naval Medical Center today to get her sore on her bottom checked. Dr. Buescher, the plastic surgeon, debrided quite a bit and recommended that Tracy have surgery to debride her wound under local anesthesia and to put in a wound vac. This is a special wound drainage system which will help to speed up the recovery time. If Tracy does have surgery, it will be on Mom's birthday, August 9th. This afternoon, Robin came to do Physical Therapy with Tracy. Tracy was placed prone (tummy) for twenty minutes and tolerated this well. She was able to lift her head several times in this position, while Dad stretched her hip and right leg. Mom has now read both of Lance Armstrong's biographies: It's Not About The Bike and Every Second Counts. She has watched each stage at least four times! Yes, can we say that she is obsessed with Lance? Seriously, he is an almost 8 year survivor of testicular cancer and has his sights on his 6th win of the Tour de France. Why do we admire him? Because he will not let anything get in his way to getting the most out of life! His life! Tuesday, Tiffany and Mom took Tracy to see Joy, the Physician Assistant at Dr. Howe's office to adjust Tracy's Baclofen dose. She increased her dose from 850 to 950 micrograms per day! Maybe we should have a contest to see who can guess her optimal dosage. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Thursday, July 22nd, 2004~Vive La Tour De France~Well, Lance Armstrong had another great show of strength and strategy at Stage 17 in the Alps today. Mom has now read both of Lance Armstrong's biographies: It's Not About The Bike and Every Second Counts. She has watched each stage at least four times! Yes, can we say that she is obsessed with Lance? Seriously, he is an almost 8 year survivor of testicular cancer and has his sights on his 6th win of the Tour de France. Why do we admire him? Because he will not let anything get in his way to getting the most out of life! His life! This morning, Jenny and Mom showered Tracy and got her ready for her day. Each morning, Mom and Jenny spend about an hour massaging and ranging Tracy's muscles to keep them in tip top shape. Later in the day, Tiffany and Mom took Tracy to see Joy, the Physician Assistant at Dr. Howe's office to adjust Tracy's Baclofen dose. She increased her dose from 850 to 950 micrograms per day! Maybe we should have a contest to see who can guess her optimal dosage. This afternoon, Robin, Tracy's Physical Therapist, practiced rolling with Tracy. She still has a ways to go but is getting back into the swing of things. She also ranged Tracy and commented that her feet and legs are looking much more relaxed. It seems that the Baclofen, the Botox, and the new knee cast is helping alot! We are patientlly waiting for Dr. Gisolfi to serial cast her feet and stand her up on a tilt table so she can put weight through her bones in her feet, legs and hips. Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is still getting fed through her G-tube but she is now getting 16 ozs (2 cans) at a time. This way, we only have to feed her three times a day, just like we eat. The next step will be to get her back to oral feedings like yogurt and ice cream. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Wednesday, July 21st, 2004~ Vive La Tour De France~Well, Lance Armstrong is showing his true abilities in Stage 16 at the dreaded L'Alpe d'Huez! Mom has now read both of Lance Armstrong's biographies: It's Not About The Bike and Every Second Counts. She has watched each stage at least four times! Yes, can we say that she is obsessed with Lance? Seriously, he is an almost 8 year survivor of testicular cancer and has his sights on his 6th win of the Tour de France. Why do we admire him? Because he will not let anything get in his way to getting the most out of life! His life! Monday, Tracy had speech therapy with Doodah. We are collectively trying to find a time when Tracy is alert and awake for speech. Tuesday, Doodah came early at 10:00 AM and that seemed to be a good time for Tracy. We sat her on the edge of the mat, and Doodah had her work on tracking. Tracy did a much better job at trying to track a bright green bath scrunchy. We need to find more interesting things for Tracy to look at: maybe a centerfold of Brad Pitt or Lance Armstrong! Tracy has apraxia, which is a short circuit between the message that the brain sends to open and close her mouth and actually being able to motorically execute the movement. So, she is trying to retrain her brain and muscles to follow this command. Tracy held a tongue depressor between her teeth five times for a record five seconds. To make this a little more difficult to balance, there are five pennies taped at both ends of the tongue depressor. Monday evening, Emil gave Tracy one of his signature massages. Wednesday, Robin, Mom, Jenny, and Tiffany got Tracy prone (tummy down) for twenty minutes. She did a great job and made some decent attempts to lift her head in this position. Tracy is doing better to straighten her left leg while prone. Tracy's right knee is looking more relaxed since her new cast. We are patiently waiting for Dr. Gisolfi to serial cast her feet and stand her up on a tilt table so she can put weight through her bones in her feet, legs and hips. Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is still getting fed through her G-tube but she is now getting 16 ozs (2 cans) at a time. This way, we only have to feed her three times a day, just like we eat. The next step will be to get her back to oral feedings like yogurt and ice cream. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Sunday, July 18th, 2004~ Viva Lance Armstrong~We survived another set of anniversaries for Tracy: 18 months since her accident (7/15), surgery, and subsequent brain injury (7/17). Tracy had a good Physical Therapy session on Friday. Robin stretched Tracy on the mat and then helped Tracy to get back to rolling. The baclofen must be working and we seem to be getting closer to Tracy's optimal dosage. She is very flexible at the current dose of 850 micrograms per day. Tracy was sleepy during Speech Therapy Friday. Doodah used a new E-stim machine that Mom ordered called Forever Spring to keep Tracy's facial muscles in shape. Her muscles responded well. Mom is supposed to practice with it twice a day. Now all we need is to find a way to make the day 30 hours long to get in all of the assignments. Tracy has apraxia, which is a short circuit between the message that the brain sends to open and close her mouth and actually being able to motorically execute the movement. So, she is trying to retrain her brain and muscles to follow this command. Tracy's right knee is looking more relaxed since her new cast. We are patiently waiting for Dr. Gisolfi to serial cast her feet and stand her up on a tilt table so she can put weight through her bones in her feet, legs and hips. Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is still getting fed through her G-tube but she is getting about 12 to 16 ozs at a time. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Thursday, July 15th, 2004~ Vive La Tour De France~ Tracy had a good night's sleep last night. Jenny and Mom got Tracy bathed, stretched and ready for the day. Tracy has Physical Therapy today with Robin at home. She does not have Speech Therapy today. Tracy wore her new cast again last night and it seems to fit her well. The new angle is about a 20 degree improvement from the last cast that Marlena made her last September. Little by little her knee will get straighter. Serial casting involves gradually changing the angle of the cast until the desired effect is obtained. It is a very slow process. We are patiently waiting for Dr. Gisolfi to serial cast her feet and stand her up on a tilt table so she can put weight through her bones in her feet, legs and hips. Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is still getting fed through her G-tube but she is getting about 12 to 16 ozs at a time. We are keeping up with Lance Armstrong's progress in the Tour de France. As an eight year cancer survivor who has won five consecutive Tours, he is truly an inspiration to all who have had to fight their way back to the living. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Wednesday, July 14th, 2004~Viva Le Tour De France~Tracy had a rough night Monday. Mom, Liz and Tiffany took Tracy to see Joy, the Physician Assistant at Dr. Howe's office, Monday to increase her Baclofen. She is now at 850 micrograms per day. While there, Joy aspirated some of the fluid from her catheter to make sure that it was in place and functioning. When she bolused back the medication that she took out, Tracy did not get enough of the baclofen to make up for the deficit. Long story short, she had a period of time during the night when she was without baclofen. She got very uncomfortable and tight and we had to give her valium to help her relax. She is back to herself now. Tuesday, Dad and Mom took Tracy to see Dr. Gisolfi at Inova Rehab Center and they made her a new cast for her right knee. It is about 20 degrees less than the old one that Marlena made her last September, so she is gaining more range on her right leg. Trace is scheduled to have Physical Therapy and Speech at home today. We'll let you know how tha goes. Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is still getting fed through her G-tube but she is getting about 12 to 16 ozs at a time. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement (May 24th). She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Monday, July 12th, 2004~ Viva Le Tour de France~ Tracy slept well last night after attending the Dave Matthews Band concert in Bristow, VA. The Dave Matthews Band put on an amazing show and were very happy to be home in Virginia! The show was incredible, but Tracy seemed frustrated that she couldn't sing and dance along. Some day hopefully she will be able to dance and sing to DMB again! We were just so happy that she was able to attend the concert. Mom and Dad took Tracy and had wheelchair accessible seats. My friend Ashley and I went to the concert as well. We were able to sit with Mom, Dad, and Tracy. It was great to experience the concert with Trace. Mom and Dad left with Tracy half way through the show so she wouldn't be in her chair for too long. They made it home safely and got Tracy settled in bed. Today, Mom and Jenny got Tracy ready for another doctor's appointment. Mom, Liz, and I took Tracy to her doctor's appointment in Alexandria. They increased Tracy's dose of baclofen. Emil is supposed to come tonight to give Tracy another massage. She really benefits from massage and enjoys them so much! Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is tolerating 16 ozs at a time. Nana is doing alot better after her total knee replacement. She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Saturday, July 10th, 2004~ Viva Le Tour De France~ Tracy had a good night's sleep Friday night! It must be because Emil gave her a massage Friday evening. This morning, we all watched the 7th stage of the Tour De France. We have been keeping up with Lance Armstrong's Team US Postal Service. This afternoon, Tiffany had to work and Charles, Dad, Mom and Tracy took a quick tour of the World War II Memorial. It is really something to see. When we got home, we got Tracy prone (on her tummy) on the mat for twenty minutes. She is able to put weight through her arms and shoulders in this position and get a good stretch through her hips, back and legs. We are planning on taking Tracy to see the Dave Matthews concert tomorrow. We will figure out a creative way to keep the pressure off her wound. I am sure Dad will come up with a creative solution. He is pretty good at thinking out of the box! Keep your fingers crossed! Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is tolerating 16 ozs at a time. No more night-time feedings. Doodah, Tracy's speech therapist is attending her 40th high school reunion. She will be back next week. Nana is doing alot better after her total knee replacement. She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Friday, July 9th, 2004~Viva La Tour De France!~ Tracy had a busy day on Thursday. Mom and Tiffany took Tracy to see Dr. Buescher, Plastic Surgeon at National Naval Medical Center. She debrided Tracy's wound and was pleased with her progress. It is definitely healing and getting smaller. Presently, Tracy is on bedrest and not allowed to sit in her chair for extended lengths of time, since this puts pressure on her wound. We are planning on taking Tracy to see the Dave Matthews concert this Sunday. We will figure out a creative way to keep the pressure off her wound. I am sure Dad will come up with a creative solution. He is pretty good at thinking out of the box! Keep your fingers crossed! Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is tolerating 16 ozs at a time. No more night-time feedings. Doodah, Tracy's speech therapist is attending her 40th high school reunion. She will be back next week. This afternoon, Tracy had PT at home with Robin. She is really relaxed and has been asleep most of the day. Emil is giving her a massage this evening. Hopefully, this will help her sleep alot better tonight since she was up most of last night. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement. She is getting around without any help now and is looking forward to getting her left knee replaced. She is still going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Wednesday, July 7th, 2004~ Viva La Tour De France! ~ Tracy had another great massage Monday evening. Emil is such a great massage therapist. He has been working with Tracy for one year! Tracy had a quiet Tuesday. She did not have therapy but Mom and Tiffany took her to see Dr. Gisolfi and Jill, Tracy's physical therapist at Inova Rehab Center in Alexandria. They evaluated Tracy to see if her knee is ready to be serial casted. They decided to wait another week, so the plan is to serial cast her right knee next Tuesday. We are letting the botox have another week to take effect. This is a long, slow process so we have to remain patient. Grr! Thursday, Mom and Tiffany will take Tracy to Dr. Buescher, Plastic Surgeon at National Naval Medical Center. She will check Tracy's wound and make sure that it is on the right track to healing. If needed, she will debride it. Ouch! Hopefully, we will get the green light to take Tracy to the Dave Matthews concert this Sunday. Presently, Tracy is on bedrest and not allowed to sit in her chair since this puts pressure on her wound. Keep your fingers crossed! Tracy is now completely back on bolus feedings and off the pump! This is progress. She is tolerating 12 ozs at a time. N more night-time feedings. Doodah, Tracy's speech therapist is attending her 40th high school reunion. She will be back next week. Hopefully, Tracy will have PT sometime this week. We are having a hard time coordinating therapy with all of Tracy's doctors' appointments. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement. She is going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Monday, July 5th, 2004~Tracy had a busy July 4th weekend full of visitors. Thursday evening Cousins Gene, Terri, and Brittany stopped by. Brittany brought Tracy some adorable Houston Texans pj's and some Texas A&M shorts. Tracy loves them and wore the pj's on the 4th, since they are fittingly colored, red, white, and blue. Friday, Tracy relaxed at home. Friday evening, Charles, Tiffany's boyfriend, and their friend and fellow Marine, Justin arrived. They visited for the 4th of July weekend and are leaving this afternoon. Dad was in Pensacola Wed-Fri evening. He made it home safely and in time to take Mom to the Jimmy Buffett concert Saturday night. Saturday, Tracy had a speech therapy evaluation session with "Dodah" (she received that nickname in college after going around singing "Zippidee doodah"). "Dodah" interviewed Mom and Dad in order to understand Tracy's needs. Saturday evening, Emil came over and massaged Tracy. He worked with her for three hours and felt like the massage really helped her. Tracy slept well Saturday night, thankfully, since she had a busy Sunday. Sunday, Tracy had speech therapy with "Dodah." Trace was pretty sleepy though. "Dodah" coached Tracy to make sounds and did some oral stimulation exercises with her. Sunday afternoon, Mom, Dad, Tracy, Tiffany, Charles and Justin went to the Tomaszeski's for a 4th of July BBQ. They had an air mattress set up for Tracy so she wouldn't have to sit in her wheelchair the entire time. She still can't be in her chair that long since the sore isn't completely healed. It was great for Tracy to get out and see where Liz lives. We all had such a great time! Today, Tracy has speech with "Dodah" again. We'll let you know how that goes! Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement. She is going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!

Friday, July 2nd, 2004 ~ Tracy had another busy day Thursday. She had a doctor's appointment at Dr. Howe's office in Alexandria. Joy, Dr. Howe's Physician Assistant refilled Tracy's pump with Baclofen and also increased her daily dosage from 625 micrograms to 750 micrograms. Tracy has been awake for almost two days! We think it is because her Amantadine was increased on Tuesday to 100 mgs twice a day (this is the normal dose) and also because her Zelnorm (stomach medicine) was increased to 3 mgs twice a day. Both of these drugs will increase Tracy's tone and also keep her awake. We are waiting to see the results of the Botox injections in Tracy's right hamstring. She received 200 units of Botox in her right hamstring on Tuesday. She is supposed to get her right knee serial casted sometime next week at Inova Mt. Vernon Rehab Center. The goal is to get her right knee straighter and then begin serial casting on her feet. Thursday, Robin, Tracy's new Physical Therapist, came to perform an evaluation on Tracy. She will begin home PT three days per week next week. Saturday, Tracy's new Speech Therapist will come to complete a speech evaluation on Tracy. She will start home Speech Therapy next week too! We are also working on getting Tracy back to G-tube feedings during the day. She has been on continual night feedings since her hospitalization. The goal is to get her back to the 6 cans per day bolus feedings that she was on prior to her Baclofen procedure. She is doing a good job tolerating 3 cans per day. Today, we will try four cans! The plastic surgeon, Dr. Buescher, wants Tracy to avoid putting any pressure on her bottom and continue to stay on bedrest. Tracy will have a massage Saturday evening with Emil. She loves her massages. Nana is still recuperating from total knee replacement. She is going to hyperbaric oxygen therapy 6 days per week to improve healing and is undergoing 6 weeks of IV antibiotics to help with her recuperation. Please say some prayers for her!