Monday, December 1st , 2003 ~ Hope everyone had a great weekend and traveled safely home. We had a busy weekend! Friday morning Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went to the Air and Space Museum. Boy was it crowded! We had a great time. Friday afternoon we watched LSU kill Arkansas! Geaux Tigers! :) Saturday, Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went downtown to see the monuments. We walked around the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. It was cold, but Tracy seemed to enjoy it. We then went home to relax and get out of the cold weather. Saturday night we went to Bull Run Park to the Miracle of Lights show! It was awesome. Two miles of lights displayed in the woods. Tracy was awake the whole time and was looking around. Charles and his grandmother left early Saturday morning and Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael left Sunday. Sunday we did some chores around the house. Tracy caught up on some sleep after such a busy holiday. Today she has therapy at NRH. Mom and Liz are going to take her. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Saturday, November 29th, 2003 ~ Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful day! Please pray for Tracy and we are so thankful that she is home and able to celebrate with us. Thank you all for your constant support, prayers and friendship. We can't do this without you! We celebrated Thanksgiving at our apartment in Crystal City. Aunt Candy, Jon, Michael, Charles, Grandmother Walter, Kate and Stacy shared the day with us. We had a lovely Thanksgiving. Friday morning Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went to the Air and Space Museum. Boy was it crowded! We had a great time. Yesterday we watched LSU kill Arkansas! Geaux Tigers! :) Today we are planning on sightseeing. We are going to Arlington National Cemetery and then downtown to see some of the monuments. This evening we are planning on going to see the Holiday Lights at Bullrun Park in Virginia. We'll let you know how that goes! Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael leave on Sunday and Charles and his Grandmother left this morning. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Friday, November 28th, 2003 ~ Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful day! Please pray for Tracy and we are so thankful that she is home and able to celebrate with us. Thank you all for your constant support, prayers and friendship. We can't do this without you! Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving at our apartment in Crystal City. Aunt Candy, Jon, Michael, Charles, Grandmother Walter, Kate and Stacy shared the day with us. We had a lovely Thanksgiving. This morning Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went to the Air and Space Museum. Boy was it crowded! We had a great time. We are watching the LSU Tigers play Arkansas this afternoon. This evening we are planning on going to see the Holiday Lights at Bullrun Park in Virginia. We'll let you know how that goes! Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael leave on Sunday and Charles and his Grandmother leave tomorrow. Wednesday, Mom, Aunt Candy, our friend Liz and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Trace had OT with Melissa at 2pm in the quiet therapy room on the 3rd floor. Melissa had Tracy practice moving her head to the right and the left while laying on the therapy mat. Tracy turned to the right and looked at Aunt Candy and then turned her head to the left to look at Mom. It was her best session yet! Then Melissa rolled Tracy onto her side to stretch her shoulders. Jan and Dave worked with Tracy at 3pm. Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the therapy mat by sitting behind her. Jan then coached Tracy to turn her head to the left in order to hit a switch that would turn on a noise. They then had Tracy look at a picture from a magazine. (one hot guy in a perfume ad!) Afterwards, Dave and Jan put Tracy on an excercise ball in order to stretch her back. They then tried to put her on her tummy while on the excercise ball but it didn't work very well. Tracy does not have therapy on Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, November 27th, 2003 ~ Happy Thanksgiving!Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful day! Please pray for Tracy and we are so thankful that she is home and able to celebrate with us. Thank you all for your constant support, prayers and friendship. We can't do this without you! Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving at our apartment in Crystal City. Aunt Candy, Jon, Michael, Charles and Grandmother Walter are sharing today with us. Also, Tracy's in-patient OT, Kate and her cousin are joining us as well! Aunt Candy, Jon, and Michael arrived yesterday morning from New Hampshire and we are so happy to see them! They haven't seen Tracy since she was in the ICU at National Naval Medical Center. Charles and his Grandmother also arrived yesterday from Virginia Beach. Yesterday, Mom, Aunt Candy, our friend Liz and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Trace had OT with Melissa at 2pm in the quiet therapy room on the 3rd floor. Melissa had Tracy practice moving her head to the right and the left while laying on the therapy mat. Tracy turned to the right and looked at Aunt Candy and then turned her head to the left to look at Mom. It was her best session yet! Then Melissa rolled Tracy onto her side to stretch her shoulders. Jan and Dave worked with Tracy at 3pm. Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the therapy mat by sitting behind her. Jan then coached Tracy to turn her head to the left in order to hit a switch that would turn on a noise. They then had Tracy look at a picture from a magazine. (one hot guy in a perfume ad!) Afterwards, Dave and Jan put Tracy on an excercise ball in order to stretch her back. They then tried to put her on her tummy while on the excercise ball but it didn't work very well. Tracy does not have therapy on Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, November 26th, 2003 ~ Happy Thanksgiving! Tracy relaxed yesterday at home with Mom and Emil stopped by last night to give Tracy her weekly massage. She was so relaxed and slept so well afterwards! Aunt Candy, Jon, and Michael arrived this morning from New Hampshire and we are so happy to see them! They haven't seen Tracy since she was in the ICU at National Naval Medical Center. Charles and his Grandmother also arrived this morning from Virginia Beach. Mom, Aunt Candy, our friend Liz and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Trace had OT with Melissa at 2pm in the quiet therapy room on the 3rd floor. Melissa had Tracy practice moving her head to the right and the left while laying on the therapy mat. Tracy turned to the right and looked at Aunt Candy and then turned her head to the left to look at Mom. It was her best session yet! Then Melissa rolled Tracy onto her side to stretch her shoulders. Jan and Dave worked with Tracy at 3pm. Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the therapy mat by sitting behind her. Jan then coached Tracy to turn her head to the left in order to hit a switch that would turn on a noise. They then had Tracy look at a picture from a magazine. (one hot guy in a perfume ad!) Afterwards, Dave and Jan put Tracy on an exercise ball in order to stretch her back. They then tried to put her on her tummy while on the exercise ball but it didn't work very well. Tonight, Tracy is relaxing with all of her visitors and we are looking forward to having our first Thanksgiving together in a long while. Tracy does not have therapy on Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, November 25th, 2003 ~ Tracy slept well last night and she does not have therapy today. Yesterday, Tracy relaxed in her wheelchair in the living room with Mamaw and Papaw. Mamaw and Papaw left yesterday afternoon for Louisiana and we are sad to see them go. We really had a great visit with them! Mom and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH yesterday. Her therapists decided to have her session in the quiet therapy room up on the third floor. Our old home! Tracy had OT with Melissa at 2pm. Melissa first had Tracy warm up by asking her to do some head exercises. We laid Tracy on the therapy mat and Melissa asked her to turn her head to the right and then to the left. It takes her awhile to do so, but she is getting better at it! Melissa, Mom and I then put Tracy on her tummy (prone). Tracy was bearing her weight through her arms, elbows, and shoulders. While Tracy was prone, Melissa stretched her shoulders and back. Tracy was prone for over 25 minutes and did a great job! During PT and Speech, Dave helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the mat while Julie coached Tracy to work on head control. Tracy held her head up really well. Then Julie held a button next to Tracy's face and asked Tracy to turn her head towards the left. Tracy did and hit the button with her cheek. The button made a noise in order to let Tracy know that her action has a reaction. This exercise wasn't consistent, but Tracy did turn her head to the left, on purpose, in order to hit the button. Julie and Dave also put Tracy on a therapy ball in order to stretch her back and chest muscles. Tracy didn't enjoy that position very much, but her arms were so relaxed! Sunday, Mom, Dad, Charles, Tracy and I went on a walk to Gravelly Point. It was a beautiful day out and Tracy enjoyed the fresh air. Mamaw, Papaw, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to watch the iceskaters and ventured into Starbucks to get some hot chocolate. Sunday night we enjoyed some lasagna that Mamaw and I made. Wednesday, Aunt Candy, Jon, and Michael arrive from New Hampshire and Charles and Grandmother Walter come from Va Beach. We can't wait to see them! Tracy does not have therapy on Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, November 25th, 2003 ~ Trace was wide-awake until 2am last night. She relaxed in her wheelchair in the living room with Mamaw and Papaw. Mamaw and Papaw left this afternoon for Louisiana and we are sad to see them go. We really had a great visit with them! Mom and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Her therapists decided to have her session in the quiet therapy room up on the third floor. Our old home! Tracy had OT with Melissa at 2pm. Melissa first had Tracy warm up by asking her to do some head exercises. We laid Tracy on the therapy mat and Melissa asked her to turn her head to the right and then to the left. It takes her awhile to do so, but she is getting better at it! Melissa, Mom and I then put Tracy on her tummy (prone). Tracy was bearing her weight through her arms, elbows, and shoulders. While Tracy was prone, Melissa stretched her shoulders and back. Tracy was prone for over 25 minutes and did a great job! During PT and Speech, Dave helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the mat while Julie coached Tracy to work on head control. Tracy held her head up really well. Then Julie held a button next to Tracy's face and asked Tracy to turn her head towards the left. Tracy did and hit the button with her cheek. The button made a noise in order to let Tracy know that her action has a reaction. This exercise wasn't consistent, but Tracy did turn her head to the left, on purpose, in order to hit the button. Julie and Dave also put Tracy on a therapy ball in order to stretch her back and chest muscles. Tracy didn't enjoy that position very much, but her arms were so relaxed! Sunday, Mom, Dad, Charles, Tracy and I went on a walk to Gravelly Point. It was a beautiful day out and Tracy enjoyed the fresh air. Mamaw, Papaw, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to watch the iceskaters and ventured into Starbucks to get some hot chocolate. Sunday night we enjoyed some lasagna that Mamaw and I made. Wednesday, Aunt Candy, Jon, and Michael arrive from New Hampshire and Charles and Grandmother Walter come from Va Beach. We can't wait to see them! Tracy does not have therapy on Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Sunday, November 23rd, 2003 ~ Geaux Tigers! Go Canes! Go Eagles! Talk about a great day of football! :) Yesterday we hung around and watched some great football games. Tracy had a great day and enjoyed hanging out with Mamaw and Papaw. Today, Mom, Dad, Charles, Tracy and I went on a walk to Gravelly Point. It was a beautiful day out and Tracy enjoyed the fresh air. Mamaw, Papaw, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to watch the iceskaters and ventured into Starbucks to get some hot chocolate. This evening we enjoyed some lasagna that Mamaw and I made and Tracy has been relaxing. Mamaw and Papaw leave tomorrow and we really don't want them to! Wednesday, Aunt Candy, Jon, and Michael arrive from New Hampshire and Charles and Grandmother Walter come from Va Beach. We can't wait to see them! Friday, Mamaw, Papaw, Mom and I took Tracy to NRH for therapy. At first she was pretty uncomfortable during PT/Speech. Dave helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the mat while Julie coached Tracy to pick her head up. Tracy picked it up and held it up a few times. Dave and Julie then put Tracy on her tummy. Dave stretched Tracy's legs and hips while Julie coached Tracy to pick her head up. Julie placed a sign that our cousin Caroline made in front of Tracy. The sign says "Tracy" on it. Tracy picked up her head, while on her tummy and looked at the sign! During OT, Melissa helped Tracy lift and lower her shoulders while stretching them. She also rolled Tracy on her right side in order to really stretch her. Then, Melissa helped Tracy sit at the edge of the therapy mat and had her lean her elbows onto a table. Melissa had Tracy try to lift her head up and hold it up. Tracy picked up her head and looked right at Papaw! She was awesome! Tracy has therapy on Monday and Wednesday next week, but she has Friday off because of Thanksgiving. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Saturday, November 22nd, 2003 ~ Geaux Tigers!!! We are all getting ready to watch the LSU vs. Ole Miss game! Tracy is excited! Big game for BC too at Va Tech! Go Eagles! Tracy slept well last night and Mom and Mamaw got her cleaned up and dressed this morning. Yesterday, Mamaw, Papaw, Mom and I took Tracy to NRH for therapy. At first she was pretty uncomfortable during PT/Speech. Dave helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the mat while Julie coached Tracy to pick her head up. Tracy picked it up and held it up a few times. Dave and Julie then put Tracy on her tummy. Dave stretched Tracy's legs and hips while Julie coached Tracy to pick her head up. Julie placed a sign that our cousin Caroline made in front of Tracy. The sign says "Tracy" on it. Tracy picked up her head, while on her tummy and looked at the sign! During OT, Melissa helped Tracy lift and lower her shoulders while stretching them. She also rolled Tracy on her right side in order to really stretch her. Then, Melissa helped Tracy sit at the edge of the therapy mat and had her lean her elbows onto a table. Melissa had Tracy try to lift her head up and hold it up. Tracy picked up her head and looked right at Papaw! She was awesome! Tracy has therapy on Monday and Wednesday next week, but she has Friday off because of Thanksgiving. Wednesday, Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael come from New Hampshire and Charles and Grandma Walter come from Va Beach. We can't wait to see them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Friday, November 21st, 2003 ~ Hello everyone! Tracy slept well last night and is happy to see Mamaw and Papaw! They arrived around 11am yesterday morning and we are so happy they are here. Tracy rested on the therapy mat in the living room while Emil massaged her. He worked on her for over 2 hours. Yesterday, Trace and Mom took a nap on the mat after Papaw and Mom stretched Tracy's legs. Wednesday night, Mom held the phone up to Tracy's ear so she could "talk" to Nana Lilly in Florida. We swear Tracy said "Hi Nana". It sounded like she said "Nana" three times! Today, Mamaw, Papaw, Mom and I took Tracy to NRH for therapy. At first she was pretty uncomfortable during PT/Speech. Dave helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the mat while Julie coached Tracy to pick her head up. Tracy picked it up and held it up a few times. Dave and Julie then put Tracy on her tummy. Dave stretched Tracy's legs and hips while Julie coached Tracy to pick her head up. Julie placed a sign that our cousin Caroline made in front of Tracy. The sign says "Tracy" on it. Tracy picked up her head, while on her tummy and looked at the sign! During OT, Melissa helped Tracy lift and lower her shoulders while stretching them. She also rolled Tracy on her right side in order to really stretch her. Then, Melissa helped Tracy sit at the edge of the therapy mat and had her lean her elbows onto a table. Melissa had Tracy try to lift her head up and hold it up. Tracy picked up her head and looked right at Papaw! She was awesome! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, November 20th , 2003 ~ Happy B'day Uncle Johnny! ~ Hello everyone! Tracy slept well last night and is happy to see Mamaw and Papaw! They arrived around 11am this morning and we are so happy they are here. Tracy hung out with us in the living room today, both in her wheelchair and on our therapy mat. Trace and Mom took a nap on the mat after Papaw and Mom stretched Tracy's legs. Mom fed Trace some strawberry yogurt and she had a few ounces. Tonight, Emil is coming to give Tracy another massage. He really helps her relax and she always sleeps well after his visitss. Last night, Mom held the phone up to Tracy's ear so she could "talk" to Nana Lilly in Florida. We swear Tracy said "Hi Nana". It sounded like she said "Nana" three times! Yesterday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to National Naval Medical Center to get botox injections in her arms. (Botox is sometimes used in patients with "high tone" to relax or deaden muscles for a short period of time. It will take a few weeks for the botox to really start taking effect and it will last about three months.) Tracy had about 16 shots! Ouch! She handled it well and hopefully her arms will start to relax again soon. Mom and I took Tracy to NRH yesterday for therapy. During OT, Melissa helped Tracy roll onto her left side. While she was on her side, Melissa coached Tracy to raise and lower her shoulder. She also stretched Tracy's shoulder blade. Melissa then did the same thing to Tracy's other side. Dave and Julie worked with Tracy yesterday during Speech and PT. Jan observed their session with Tracy. They had Tracy sit up in her wheelchair. Dave supported Tracy's head while Julie coached Tracy to turn her head to the right in order to hit a switch. The switch turns a radio on and off. Jan held a mirror in front of Tracy in order to show her where the switch was located. Tracy did a great job! We listend to "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and Kid Rock's song, "Picture." Tracy was quick to turn that off! :) Julie and Dave also got Tracy on her tummy in order to stretch her back and legs. Dave put a 20 lb weight on Tracy's right leg to really stretch it down. Tracy was awesome and was in a "prone" position for almost 20 minutes! Tracy has therapy again tomorrow at NRH. We can't wait to see them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, November 19th , 2003 ~ Last night, Emil came by to massage Trace. She was so relaxed! He spent about three hours with her and she slept like a baby! Today, Mom and Dad took Tracy to National Naval Medical Center to get botox injections in her arms. (Botox is sometimes used in patients with "high tone" to relax or deaden muscles for a short period of time. It will take a few weeks for the botox to really start taking effect and it will last about three months.) Tracy had about 16 shots! Ouch! She handled it well and hopefully her arms will start to relax again soon. Mom and I took Tracy to NRH today for therapy. During OT, Melissa helped Tracy roll onto her left side. While she was on her side, Melissa coached Tracy to raise and lower her shoulder. She also stretched Tracy's shoulder blade. Melissa then did the same thing to Tracy's other side. Dave and Julie worked with Tracy today during Speech and PT. Jan observed their session with Tracy. They had Tracy sit up in her wheelchair. Dave supported Tracy's head while Julie coached Tracy to turn her head to the right in order to hit a switch. The switch turns a radio on and off. Jan held a mirror in front of Tracy in order to show her where the switch was located. Tracy did a great job! We listend to "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and Kid Rock's song, "Picture." Tracy was quick to turn that off! :) Julie and Dave also got Tracy on her tummy in order to stretch her back and legs. Dave put a 20 lb weight on Tracy's right leg to really stretch it down. Tracy was awesome and was in a "prone" position for almost 20 minutes! Mamaw and Papaw come on tomorrow! We can't wait to see them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, November 18th , 2003 ~Today, Dario came by to trim Tracy's hair. Grazie Dario! Tracy looks bellisima! Tracy has been relaxing in her wheelchair most of the morning and Mom fed Tracy some yogurt. Tomorrow Tracy has an appointment at National Naval Medical Center to get more botox injections in her arms. The botox helps relax the muscles in her arms. After our trip to NNMC we will take Tracy to NRH for therapy. Yesterday, our friend Gloria accompanied Mom and Tracy to NRH. During OT, Tracy was pretty sleepy, but Melissa stretched and ranged Tracy's shoulders and arms anyways. She also supported Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat to work on trunk control. Tracy had Speech and PT together at 3pm. Dave and Julie put Tracy on an exercise ball in order to stretch her back. Dave supported Tracy on the ball while Julie coached Tracy to lift her head up on her own. Mamaw and Papaw come on Thursday! We can't wait to see them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Monday, November 17th , 2003 ~10 Months ~ Tracy had a nice weekend. Yesterday, Mom and Dad took Tracy for a drive. They went west to see some of the horse farms and plantations. They pulled over by a yellow hummer to show Trace. Mom asked Trace if she wanted a Hummer and Tracy nodded "yes". :) Today, our friend Gloria accompanied Mom and Tracy to NRH. During OT, Tracy was pretty sleepy, but Melissa stretched and ranged Tracy's shoulders and arms anyways. She also supported Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat to work on trunk control. Tracy had Speech and PT together at 3pm. Dave and Julie put Tracy on an exercise ball in order to stretch her back. Dave supported Tracy on the ball while Julie coached Tracy to lift her head up on her own. Tracy has therapy again on Wednesday. Charles visited this weekend and Mamaw and Papaw come on Thursday! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Saturday, November 15th, 2003 ~10 Months ~ Tracy has been sleeping well here at our apartment. Today, Mom showered Trace and she watched football while sitting in her wheelchair. Mom and Dad stretched and ranged Tracy on our therapy mat in the living room. Trace watched UM finally win again and tonight LSU plays 'Bama! Geaux Tigers!! Tracy is enjoying a day off from therapy and has been resting on and off in her bedroom. Charles is visiting this weekend and next week Mamaw and Papaw come! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Friday, November 14th, 2003 ~ Tracy slept well and Mom and I took her to therapy at NRH. During PT and Speech, Dave supported Tracy at the edge of the mat while Julie coached Tracy to hold her head up. Tracy held her head up for over a minute with minimum cues! During OT, Melissa had Tracy roll onto her left side. Melissa stretched Tracy’s shoulders and asked Tracy to help her lift and lower her shoulder. Charles is visiting this weekend. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, November 13th, 2003 ~ Tracy has been doing very well. Today, Mom and Roxanne showered Tracy and got her dressed for an outing to National Naval Medical Center. Mom and Dad drove Tracy to NNMC for a doctor's appointment. She was seen by her primary care physician and by a tummy doctor. Everything went well and Tracy has been resting this afternoon. Tonight, Tracy is supposed to have her weekly massage with Emil and tomorrow she has another day of therapy at NRH. Charles is coming tomorrow from VA Beach. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, November 12th, 2003 ~ Happy Belated B'day to Aunt Kathy! ~ Welcome to Tracy's new website! I hope you find www.prayersfortracy.com easy to use and more convenient! Please let me know if you find an error. Thanks! The picture to the left is of Tracy in Jamaica. Her hair is braided and beaded! We have been having internet difficulties and I apologize for the lack of updates over the weekend. Tracy has been doing very well. Today, Mom and I took Tracy to NRH for therapy. She was awake during the car ride and was looking out the window alot. During PT and Speech, they had Tracy work on keeping her head up while sitting on the edge of the mat. Dave holds Tracy up by sitting behind her and Jan coaches Tracy to get her to keep her head up. Tracy held her head up for over 30 seconds. She didn't meet her goal today, because she seemed really uncomfortable. Dave also positioned Tracy on her left side allowing her to bare weight through her elbow. While on her side Dave and Jan coached Tracy to hold her head up. She did! During OT, Connie worked on relaxing Tracy's shoulders and arms, stretching her out. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Also, thanks to Mrs. Jackie Jordan for cooking us a wonderful dinner last night! How sweet of you!

Saturday, November 8th; Sunday, November 9th; Monday, November 10th, and Tuesday, November 11, 2003 ~ Welcome to Tracy's new website! I hope you find www.prayersfortracy.com easy to use and more convenient! Please let me know if you find an error. Thanks! We have been having Internet difficulties and I apologize for the lack of updates over the weekend. Tracy has been doing very well. Today she has been relaxing in her wheelchair. Mom and Roxanne showered Tracy and dressed her in a new, comfy outfit. Roxanne gave Tracy some adorable socks! Thanks! Tracy had a lovely weekend. Saturday, We watched Miami and VA Tech lose. Yuck! Later in the evening, Mom and Dad took Tracy to watch the Lunar Eclipse out on the water. She really seemed to enjoy it. Sunday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to the Museum of Natural History and they saw the Hope Diamond. Tracy also had therapy with Mom and Dad. She held her head up for over 50 seconds! On Monday, Tracy had therapy at NRH. Our friend Faith accompanied Mom and Tracy to therapy. Tracy held her head up for 55 seconds during PT and Speech. She also turned her head alot more and was really taking in more of her environment. They also had Tracy practice hitting a swiggle switch with her head in order to turn on a radio. She did that a few times. During OT with Connie, Tracy moved her shoulders up and down. She also participated by helping Connie move her shoulders in a circle. Charles visited this weekend and was a big help. We would like to thank the Oakleaf of Washington DC for the yummy meals they have been preparing for us. Your help is greatly appreciated! Also, thanks to Mrs. Jackie Jordan for cooking us a wonderful dinner last night! Please continue to pray for Tracy. Also, make sure you check out all of the links on the menu bar above. I will update the News section frequently and you can find the Guest Book under: Guest Book. Please continue to write Tracy notes! You can also find a log of ALL the updates since February 8th by clicking on Updates on the menu. Thank you for your prayers and patience!

Friday, November 7th, 2003 ~ Liz and Mom took Tracy to NRH for her Outpatient therapy today and she had another great day!   Dave, her PT and Julie, her Speech therapist, are working together with Tracy to reintegrate her neuro-developmental pathways.  This approach is known as Neuro-Developmental Training.  During her session, Tracy held her head up for 53 seconds today, achieving an all-time record!  She is getting better at focusing her eyes on various pictures, people and stimuli such as a flashlight.  She is also getting better at relaxing while sitting at the edge of the mat.  Thank you again to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for another wonderful home-cooked meal.  Thank you for writing to Tracy and we really appreciate all the cards she continues to receive. She is so strong and is fighting her way back to us. Thank you for continuing to support her and for constantly praying for her.

Thursday, November 6th, 2003 ~Tracy had a very busy day today full of visitors! This morning, Mom and Roxanne got Trace in the shower and braided her hair. She slept a bit this morning until Gloria and Betty stopped by for lunch. Then Tracy, Mom, and I watched Finding Nemo! So cute! Trace seemed to like it alot! This evening, Mom and Dad stretched and ranged Tracy's legs and arms. Also, Emil stopped by and gave Tracy her weekly massage. She really relaxes for him. Katie, Tracy's in-patient OT, came by this evening to visit and stayed for dinner. It was so great to see everyone! Tracy has another full day of therapy at NRH tomorrow. Thank you for writing to Tracy and we really appreciate all the cards she continues to receive. She is so strong and is fighting her way back to us. Thank you for continuing to support her and for constantly praying for her.

Wednesday, November 5th, 2003 ~ Tracy had a great day in outpatient therapy today!  She held her head up for over 40 seconds several times and was able to lift her head up by herself five times while sitting on the edge of the mat.  Tracy also inhaled while lifting her head and then exhaled while lowering her head to strengthen her diaphragm in preparation for talking.  Dave, Tracy's PT, had her grunting like Serena Williams as she exhaled!  She did all of this with minimal verbal cues.  She is also working on staying alert during her therapy.  She is following directions very well and continues to work really hard.    Thank you again to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, D.C. for another wonderful dinner!  We truly appreciate all of your kindness and support during this time in our lives!  Thank you for writing to Tracy and we really appreciate all the cards she continues to receive. She is so strong and is fighting her way back to us. Thank you for continuing to support her and for constantly praying for her.

 

Tuesday, November 4th, 2003 ~Tracy has been extremely sleepy today and hasn't been feeling that well. She had a shower this morning and then sat up in her wheelchair for most of the day. Mom and Tracy sat outside on the balcony for a few hours and enjoyed the beautiful hot   weather.  Tracy took a catnap in the sun. She also had a few ounces of coffee yogurt this afternoon. Tomorrow, our friend Betty from Napoli will be joining us on our trip to NRH. Thank you to Liz and Gloria for the wonderful treats and for the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, D.C. for the delicious dinner!  We truly appreciate all of your kindness and support during this time in our lives!  Thank you for writing to Tracy and we really appreciate all the cards she continues to receive. She is so strong and is fighting her way back to us. Thank you for continuing to support her and for constantly praying for

her.

 

Monday, November 3rd, 2003 ~Our friends Liz and Gloria came to therapy with Tracy and me today.  They are such a big help!  We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends.  Tracy had her blood drawn today for routine follow-up and everything looks good.  She had Ken, a new Occupational Therapist, and they did some arm and shoulder stretches and played a little Uno.  Ken was working on Tracy's head control and also on her focusing and tracking the Uno cards.  Then Dave, Tracy's PT and Julie, her ST, worked together with Tracy on her trunk and head control.  Tracy was able to hold her head up for as long as 20 seconds with little help.  She is working really hard and getting a little stronger  each day.  Dave and Julie had Tracy roll on the mat, initiating upper and lower trunk control.  Thank you to Liz and Gloria for the wonderful treats and for the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, D.C. for the delicious dinner!  We truly appreciate all of your kindness and support during this time in our lives!  

 

Sunday, November 2, 2003 ~Wow! What a terrible game!  The Miami Hurricanes got trampled by the Virginia TechHokies!  I am sure we will get an earful from Dave, Tracy's PT on Monday!  Tracy had another great day today!  After a shower, Dad and Mom took Tracy back out on the Mt. Vernon Bike Trail and they hiked to Gravelly Point park to watch the planes take off and land and to check out the boats on the Potomac.  It was a beautiful day, and Tracy really enjoyed being outside and catching some rays.  This evening, Tracy had her best session on the mat.  She sat on the edge of the mat with help and picked up her head.

 

Friday, October 31st, 2003 and Saturday, November 1st, 2003 ~ Tracy had a gret day at outpatient therapy Friday. During OT, Tracy received a surprise visit from Taylor, the therapy dog and her longtime buddy. Since it was Halloween, Taylor was dressed up as a pirate. Tracy was very happy to see him. Tracy continues to work very hard during her therapy sessions. Dave her PT (a Hokie), and Julie her ST, are working together to utilize the NDT approach. This is a neuro- developmental training approach which aims to reintegrate Tracy's neuromotor pathways through various combined movements. Saturday, Dad and Mom took Tracy for a walk around Crystal City to enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. They found the bicycle path that goes all the way to Mt Vernon. This afternoon, Tracy ate 3 ozs of coffee yogurt. She is getting better at eating from a spoon. This evening, they are planning on watching the U of Miami Hurricanes vs. Virginia Tech Hokies. Cousins Dawn, Guy and Sophia sent Tracy some adorable Fall cards that Dawn's bible study class made. Thank you! Aunt Diane left Friday for Boca Raton. We REALLY miss her!