Thursday, November 30th, 2006: ~ Tracy slept well again last night. Dad has been elevating her feet on a pillow to help stretch her hamstrings and reduce lower extremity swelling. Her heels and right ankle look much better. She continues to wear her multi-podus boots to keep her feet dorsiflexed and reduce the pressure that her bivalved casts were causing. Tracy has an appointment with Mark Selleck, her orthotist, to get her new AFOs. Mom is going to ask him if she should order a smaller size boot, since Tracy's are too big for her. They also make different colors so Tracy can be her stylish self! They would be much cuter in a pretty color. They are lined with sheepskin and look something like the trendy Ugs that everyone is wearing this winter. (Wink, wink)! This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Today, Tracy had a very busy day with all three therapies at NBMC and her last speech session with the Marissa and Lisa at FAU. After Tracy's CPM session, Tania, Felicia and Mom took Tracy to North Broward Medical Center for outpatient therapy. She was awake throughout all of her therapies today, including two sessions of Speech! It looks like the Baclofen dosage reduction is helping with Tracy's wakefulness. Tracy's first session was with Charlene and Val for Occupational Therapy. They were really pleased to see how Dad modified Tracy's finger platforms for her dynasplints! First, they ranged and stretched Tracy's upper extremities and then sat her on the edge of the mat to practice trunk and head control. They placed a full length mirror in front of Tracy so that she could see herself. Mom held up different colored cones for her to look at. She held up college colors such as UM Hurricanes, UF Gators, and FSU Seminoles. Tracy looked at some of the colors that Mom asked her to look at. Next, Tracy had Physical Therapy with Genevieve. It was time to try out the tilt table! (Yippee!) Everyone helped transfer Tracy to the tilt table and then Gen brought Tracy up to 30 degrees. She took Tracy's vital signs and let her acclimate to this height for about 5 minutes. Then she cranked Tracy up to 45 degrees. Tracy did such a good job tolerating this height! Her vital signs remained stable throughout the 15 minutes on the tilt table! Her right knee, hip, and feet looked really good too. Gen plans to continue advancing Tracy on the tilt table over the next several weeks. Next it was time for Speech Therapy with Anita. Tracy was so awake and demonstrated her two eye blinks for Yes and head shakes for No. Anita tried some lemon slush with Tracy but Tracy did not seem to like it. Maybe it was too cold or too sour. She did elicit one good swallow and then hiccuped for about 5 minutes! This is the longest session of hiccups Tracy has had in a very long time. After therapy at NBMC, Tracy had her last session at FAU with Marissa. Lisa had car trouble and was unable to make it in. Tracy was wide awake during her fourth session of the day! She was moving her head to hit the switch and also was making some sounds for Marissa. During her session, Terry, an old family friend and also Aunt Diane's neighbor from many years ago, came to visit Mom in the observation room. She is a Speech therapist at FAU and a teacher at the lab school. Tiffany and Tracy used to play with her daughter Tracy every time we visited Aunt Diane when she lived in Ft. Lauderdale. What a small world! Tomorrow, Tracy has all three therapies again at 10, 11, and 12 noon. At 3 PM, Tracy has an appointment to get her new AFOs at Mark Selleck's office. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to release our expectations in life's events to find joy! "As we endeavor to find personal fulfillment and realize our individual ideals, we naturally form emotional attachments to those outcomes we hope will come to pass. These expectations can serve as a source of stability, allowing us to draft plans based on our visions of the future, but they can also limit our potential for happiness by blinding us to equally satisfying yet unexpected outcomes. Instead of taking pleasure in the surprising circumstances unfolding around us, we mourn for the anticipation left unfulfilled. When we think of letting go of our expectations, we may find ourselves at the mercy of a small inner voice that admonishes us to strive for specific goals, even if they continually elude us. However, the opposite of expectation is not pessimism. We can retain our optimism and free ourselves from the need to focus on specific probabilities by opening our hearts and minds to a wide variety of possible outcomes." Lesson of the Day: Finding Joy In Life's Surprises: Releasing Your Expectations!

Wednesday, November 29th, 2006: ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep. Dad has been elevating her feet on a pillow to help stretch her hamstrings and reduce lower extremity swelling. Her heels and right ankle look much better. She continues to wear her multi-podus boots to keep her feet dorsiflexed and reduce the pressure that her bivalved casts were causing. They are lined with sheepskin and look something like the trendy Ugs that everyone are wearing this winter. (Wink, wink)! This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Today, Tracy does not have any "official" therapy but you can be sure that Felicia and Tania will be working Tracy out. After Tracy's one and a half hour CPM session, Tania and Mom took Tracy to Dr. Alberico to get her Baclofen pump dosage reduced. He lowered it about 20 percent from 617 to 488 mcgs per day. We hope that his reduction will help Tracy to stay awake during therapy. Balcofen does have a sleepy effect on some, and we think that this is happening to Tracy, especially during Speech Therapy. This evening, Tania massaged Tracy's hands, arms, shoulders and neck with lavender scented lotion. She then worked on head/neck control with Tracy in the chair. She needs more practice with neck strengthening. Hopefully, reducing the Baclofen will also help with improving Tracy's head control. This evening, Mom rode her Spin bike for an hour while Tracy got her CPM session. Tomorrow, Tracy has PT, OT, and Speech Therapy at NBMC at 1, 2 and 3 PM. Then, at 4 PM Tracy has her last Speech Therapy session with Marissa and Lisa at FAU. They have done an excellent job with Tracy's Speech program over the past several months and we are very grateful! We will miss them dearly and wish them luck next semester in their externships! They will resume next semester around January 20th after the holidays and winter break. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. (Mom decided to repeat this OM! It is one of her favorites!) It teaches us how to be conscious of the multiple meanings of life events. "Though we humans are self-aware, we nonetheless cannot distance ourselves from the world around us and have a natural tendency to ascribe meaning to all that we experience. The significance we perceive in our experiences is rooted in our observation of patterns as they relate to ourselves. One situation has the power to teach us about life because it exposes us to something unfamiliar. Another touches our emotions deeply by enabling us to see how fortunate we are. Yet our initial impressions of an experience may not wholly reveal the true significance of that occurrence because our full response to an experience is like an onion with many layers that all have disparate meanings. Consider that a sunrise may stun us visually while simultaneously evoking memories of childhood and reminding us that each new day is a rebirth." Lesson of the Day: The Understanding Underneath: Experiences With Multiple Meanings!

Tuesday, November 28th, 2006: ~ Tracy slept well again last night. We are happy that Felicia is feeling better and was back at work today. This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Today, Tracy had a busy therapy schedule at North Broward Medical Center Outpatient Therapy Center. She started with Speech Therapy at 12:15 PM with Anita. Our good friend Debbie, a Speech Therapist who has worked with Tracy on several occasions over the past three years, joined us in the session. Tracy was pretty sleepy and did not participate much in the session. She was out like a light, which further validates the need to decrease her Baclofen dosage. Mom put a call into Dr. Alberico's office to make an appointment to bring Tracy in for a pump adjustment. Tracy was much more awake during Physical Therapy with Genevieve. First, she got her on the mat and then checked her right ankle where Tracy had the beginnings of a pressure sore from the casts. We removed her bivalved casts after her last visit (11/20). Genevieve recommended that we use her multi-podus boots that she had from her inpatient rehab days at NRH. Good thing Mom saves everything! They help to dorsiflex her feet without causing pressure on her heels, toes, ankles, etc. Genevieve was pleased that Tracy's small pressure sore over her right ankle looked like it was healing well. Her heels and big toes also looked 100% better once we removed her casts. After her range of motion, Genevieve sat Tracy up on the edge of the mat to work on trunk and head control. She was surprised at how much better Tracy's trunk stability was since her evaluation one week ago! Tracy still needs to work on her head control. This is one of her PT goals. After PT, Tracy had Occupational Therapy with Charlene. She worked on making a new finger platform for Tracy's dynasplints that she wears on her wrists. She had some trouble getting them to fit well. Of course, Dad, superdoc, and honorary Occupational and Physical Therapist Extrodinaire, was able to put the finger platform on and pad it so that it fits PERFECTLY! He deserves the DAD OF THE YEAR AWARD! But, we already knew that! After Tracy's therapies at NBMC, it was time to head to FAU for Tracy's Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa! Today, Marissa and Lisa conducted an informal inservice for Mom, Tania, and Debbie (Tracy's masters student for next semester). It was a very productive session, and everyone shared their ideas to enhance Tracy's home and next semester sessions. Marissa and Lisa created a checklist which will be very helpful for Tracy's therapy team. Thursday is Tracy's last Speech Therapy session at FAU. They have done an excellent job with Tracy's Speech program over the past several months and we are very grateful! We will miss them dearly and wish them luck next semester in their externships! They will resume next semester around January 20th after the holidays and winter break. Tomorrow, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Alberico at Northridge Medical Center to get her Baclofen dose decreased. We are looking at a reduction of 21% to 488 mcgs per day! Thank you to Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association and Kathy Pittman for sending the DVD of Dad's evening as Alumni of the Year and the beautiful crystal Towle obelisk. Tracy loves her adorable singing/roaring Lion (mascot) and SLU t-shirt you sent her on behalf of the SLU Alumni Association. wore her t-shirt last Wednesday and it looks really cute on her! Thank you Cousin Sophia for the adorable fleece throws you learned how to make in Girl Scouts for Tiffany and Tracy. They are so warm and cuddley! Thank you Cousins Guy and Dawn for the beautiful Tuscan pitcher, glasses and Christmas ornament. The pitcher looks great in our kitchen! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to be conscious of the multiple meanings of life events. "Though we humans are self-aware, we nonetheless cannot distance ourselves from the world around us and have a natural tendency to ascribe meaning to all that we experience. The significance we perceive in our experiences is rooted in our observation of patterns as they relate to ourselves. One situation has the power to teach us about life because it exposes us to something unfamiliar. Another touches our emotions deeply by enabling us to see how fortunate we are. Yet our initial impressions of an experience may not wholly reveal the true significance of that occurrence because our full response to an experience is like an onion with many layers that all have disparate meanings. Consider that a sunrise may stun us visually while simultaneously evoking memories of childhood and reminding us that each new day is a rebirth." Lesson of the Day: The Understanding Underneath: Experiences With Multiple Meanings!

Monday, November 27th, 2006: ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. This morning Felicia was out sick with a cold. Tania was able to come in by 8:15 AM! She usually works 11 to 7:30 PM. What an angel! This morning, Mom and Tania showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. Today was spa day, and Tania did Tracy's nails and eyebrows. Tracy loves her spa days. Tania also massaged warm lotion on Tracy's hands and arms for about an hour while she ranged and stretched her upper extremities. After Tracy's 2 -hour sessions on the CPM machine (right and left), it was time to get ready for this evenngs concert in Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Pops performed selections from Rogers and Hammerstein Carousel, the Sound of Music, and some of their other musicals at the Kravis Center in Palm Beach at 8 PM. Mom, Dad, Tiffany and Tracy gave Uncle Johnny the concet tickets for his birthday! Nana and Aunt Diane joined us. Tracy really seemed to enjoy herself and was making lots of sounds along with the musicians. Tracy starts out patient therapy tomorrow at North Broward Medical Center. She will receive all three therapies three times a week for the next four weeks. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. This week, Tracy has her last two Speech Therapy sessions at FAU. They will resume next semester around January 20th after the holidays and winter break. Marissa and Lisa have done such a great job with Tracy. We sure are going to miss them, and wish them both well in their respective externships next semester! Thank you to Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association and Kathy Pittman for sending the DVD of Dad's evening as Alumni of the Year and the beautiful crystal Towle obelisk. Tracy loves her adorable singing/roaring Lion (mascot) and SLU t-shirt you sent her on behalf of the SLU Alumni Association. wore her t-shirt last Wednesday and it looks really cute on her! Thank you Cousin Sophia for the adorable fleece throws you learned how to make in Girl Scouts for Tiffany and Tracy. They are so warm and cuddley! Thank you Cousins Guy and Dawn for the beautiful Tuscan pitcher, glasses and Christmas ornament. The pitcher looks great in our kitchen! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to be open to the universe and go with the flow. "Many people, in heeding the guidance of their souls, find themselves contemplating goals that seem outrageous or unattainable. In the mind's eye, these individuals stand at the edge of a precipice and look out over the abyss at the fruit of their ambition. Some resist the urge to jump, paralyzed by the gap between their current circumstances and the life of their dreams. Others make a leap of faith into the unknown, unsure of what they will encounter but certain that they will gain more in their attempts than they would bowing to self-protective instincts. This leap can be exceedingly difficult for individuals with control issues because the act of embracing uncertainty requires them to trust that surrender will net them the rewards they seek. Yet when you make a leap of faith, believing without a doubt that you will land safely on the other side, you can accomplish almost anything you set out to do." Lesson of the Day: Let Go And Let Flow: Taking A Leap Of Faith!

Sunday, November 26th, 2006: ~ Tracy slept well last night. This morning she vomited her morning meds. She may have a little upset stomach. This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Dad took Tiffany to the airport in West Palm for a noon flight back to DC/VA. We really enjoyed her visit and everyone hated to see her go. She will be back for Christmas which will be here before you know it! This afternoon, Mom, Dad, Tracy and Felicia met Nana, Uncle Johnny, and Aunt Diane at the condo in Palm Beach. Everyone spent some time together at the pool. The air was cool but the water was a toasty 80 degrees. Mom, Dad and Uncle Johnny swam laps. Mom sure does miss swimming laps. She was able to swim about 25 laps (50 lengths). The last time she swam laps was in August before the move (50 laps). Looks like she will have to build back up to the mile swim she was doing back then. Dad and Felicia stretched Tracy on the mat on the balcony just like old times. Tracy did an excellent job with range of motion. She has been very loose these days. Mom plans on calling Dr. Alberico for an appointment to get Tracy's Baclofen dosage decreased again this week. Mom suspects that Tracy does not need the medication anymore and that it is just making Tracy sleepy. We will go slowly with reducing this muscle relaxor to see what will work. Nana made her famous brocciolinis for dinner! They were really delicious. After dinner, Uncle Johnny said Mass out on the balcony. It was a beautiful evening! Tomorrow evening, the family is going to see the Palm Beach Pops perform selections from Rogers and Hammerstein Carousel at the Kravis Center in Palm Beach at 8 PM. Mom, Dad, Tiffany and Tracy gave Uncle Johnny the concet tickets for his birthday! Nana and Aunt Diane will join us. Tracy starts out patient therapy next Tuesday at North Broward Medical Center. She will receive all three therapies three times a week for the next four weeks. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. Thank you to Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association and Kathy Pittman for sending the DVD of Dad's evening as Alumni of the Year and the beautiful crystal Towle obelisk. Tracy loves her adorable singing/roaring Lion (mascot) and SLU t-shirt you sent her on behalf of the SLU Alumni Association. wore her t-shirt last Wednesday and it looks really cute on her! Thank you Cousin Sophia for the adorable fleece throws you made in Girl Scouts for Tiffany and Tracy.They are so warm and cuddley! Thank Cousins Guy and Dawn for the beautiful Tuscan pitcher. It looks great in our kitchen! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. (Mom chose to repeat this one because it is one of her favorites.) It teaches us how to be open to our greatest spiritual teacher: LIFE! "Many of us long to find a spiritual teacher or guru. We may feel unsure of how to practice our spirituality without one, or we may long for someone who has attained a higher level of insight to lead the way for us. Some of us have been looking for years to no avail and feel frustrated and even lost. The good news is that the greatest teacher you could ever want is always with you-that is your life. The people and situations we encounter every day have much to teach us when we are open to receiving their wisdom. Often we don't recognize our teachers because they may not look or act like our idea of a guru, yet they may embody great wisdom. In addition, some people teach us by showing us what we don't want to do. All the situations in our lives, from the insignificant to the major, conspire to teach us exactly what we need to be learning at any given time. Patience, compassion, perseverance, honesty, letting go-all these are covered in the classroom of the teacher that is your life. We can help ourselves to remember this perfect teacher each day with a few simple words. Each morning we might find a moment to say, "I acknowledge and honor the teacher that is my life." Lesson of the Day: Life: Your Perfect Teacher!

Saturday, November 25th. 2006: ~ Happy Birthday Cousin Michelle! ~ Tracy slept well last night. This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day! After her one and a half hour CPM sessions, Tracy joined everyone in the family room to watch the Florida Gators play the FSU Seminoles! It was a pretty exciting game! After the game, Guy, Chip, Eileen, and friends Rhonda and Louis came over to visit us. Rhonda and Louis, Chip and Eileen's friends who live down the street from us, brought us the cutest house warming gift: Cute cocktail and dinner napkins, a Matiposa palm tree cheese spreader, and some Costa Rican coffee! We are really looking forward to making life long friends here in Lighthouse Point! This afternoon, Tania, her cousin Bernice, and her Aunt came over to meet Tracy and visit with us. Bernice brought Tracy a book: Letters to Sam: A Grandfather's Lessons On Love, Loss, And The Gifts Of Life! Tania is going to read it to Tracy! It is a very touching book written by a grandfather to his grandson who suffers from autism. This evening, Mom, Dad, Tiffany and Tracy took Nana out to dinner at the Lighthouse Point Yacht Club. One of our realtors, Ken Kerr, gave us a gift certificate for dinner. The food and ambiance was great and everyone had a really nice evening. When we got home, Mom and Tiffany went into the hot tub! Ahhh! Tomorrow, Tiffany flies back to DC/VA on a 12:05 flight. We already miss her! We look forward to her returning for Christmas! It will be here before you know it! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to create a sense of community in our own neighborhood. "Since the modern Western lifestyle can isolate us from one another, it is often difficult to forge meaningful connections. Self-protection and mistrust prevent us from reaching out to neighbors and peers, and we consequently feel like we don't truly belong anywhere. Yet creating community can be as simple as reaching out within our own neighborhoods. To form the bonds that eventually solidify into long-lasting friendships, we must first be willing to rise above the walls of suspicion and doubt dividing us from the individuals who inhabit our neighborhood, block, or our building. We are taught from childhood to fear those we do not know, but community is as much a part of survival as safety. When we take a proactive approach, we can harmoniously unite our neighbors and build a network of support that contributes to the well-being of all involved." Lesson of the Day: Links That Last: Creating Community!

Friday, November 24th, 2006: ~ Tracy has one more day of breathing treatments. She is definitely sleeping better now that she can breathe more deeply. This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Dad had today off, and he went to pick up Nana to spend the day with us! Dad, Mom and Tiffany went for a short walk to show Tiffany the neighborhood. Some of the houses are already decorated for Christmas! Nothing like speeding through the holidays! This afternoon, everyone watched LSU BEAT Arkansas! Geaux Tigers! It was a very exciting game. Cousins Guy and Sophia left to visit their other cousins and spend some time with Cousins Chip and Eileen! We sure do miss them already. Sophia was so much fun and sure has grown up since we last saw her over a year ago! This evening, Aunt Diane came over after work and everyone had turkey leftovers. Why is it that leftovers taste better than the day after Thanksgiving? Later in the evening, Mom, Dad, Tracy and Tiffany watched the extended episode of Grey's Anatomy that they recorded from the previous evening. night. Then they all went in the hot tub! The weather was very balmy and breezy! Tracy starts out patient therapy next Tuesday at North Broward Medical Center. She will receive all three therapies three times a week for the next four weeks. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. Thank you to Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association and Kathy Pittman for sending the DVD of Dad's evening as Alumni of the Year and the beautiful crystal Towle obelisk. Tracy loves her adorable singing/roaring Lion (mascot) and SLU t-shirt you sent her on behalf of the SLU Alumni Association. wore her t-shirt last Wednesday and it looks really cute on her! Thank you Cousin Sophia for the adorable fleece throws you made in Girl Scouts for Tiffany and Tracy.They are so warm and cuddley! Thank Cousins Guy and Dawn for the beautiful Tuscan pitcher. It looks great in our kitchen! Tomorrow, we plan to catch up on chores around the house and watch the FSU Seminoles play the Florida Gators! Tomorrow evening, Tania, her cousin Bernice, and her aunt are planning on coming to visit Tracy. Then Mom, Dad, Tiffany, Tracy and Nana plan to go to dinner at the Lighthouse Point Yacht Club. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to be open to our greatest spiritual teacher: LIFE! "Many of us long to find a spiritual teacher or guru. We may feel unsure of how to practice our spirituality without one, or we may long for someone who has attained a higher level of insight to lead the way for us. Some of us have been looking for years to no avail and feel frustrated and even lost. The good news is that the greatest teacher you could ever want is always with you-that is your life. The people and situations we encounter every day have much to teach us when we are open to receiving their wisdom. Often we don't recognize our teachers because they may not look or act like our idea of a guru, yet they may embody great wisdom. In addition, some people teach us by showing us what we don't want to do. All the situations in our lives, from the insignificant to the major, conspire to teach us exactly what we need to be learning at any given time. Patience, compassion, perseverance, honesty, letting go-all these are covered in the classroom of the teacher that is your life. We can help ourselves to remember this perfect teacher each day with a few simple words. Each morning we might find a moment to say, "I acknowledge and honor the teacher that is my life." Lesson of the Day: Life: Your Perfect Teacher!

Thursday, November 23rd. 2006: ~ Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for! Tracy is breathing so much better. Her breathing treatments are really helping to clear her lumgs. Tracy slept well last night. Dad thinks she has finally turned the corner and her lungs sound much clearer! This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day! Meanwhile, Tiffany and Sophia were busy making name cards for place settings at the dining room table. They made the cutest Thanksgiving Turkey place cards and Sophia printed everyone's names on them. Then Sophia filled these little crystal balls that hold the place cards with colored sand. Tracy let her have some of her pretty colored therapy sand to fill the balls. She picked autumn colors to match the festive Fall napkins. The table looked so pretty with decorations by Sophia (and Tiffany)! Sophia is eight years old and quite the little Martha Stewart! She even made little pilgrims and indians and presented a puppet show for everyone after dinner. It was so cute! She did an amazing job! She selected Mom and Aunt Eileen as volunteers from the audience! Everyone really learned a lot about the first Thanksgiving! Dinner was really good! Tiffany, Dad and Mom did a good job with the cooking! It was Nana's first Cajun Fried Turkey! She loved it! Eileen made the best salad and hot artichoke parmesan dip! Everyone ate until they were stuffed! After dinner, we watched Sophia's puppet show outside on the patio! It was so cute. This evening, everyone sat around the hot tub while Tiffany, Sophia, Guy, Dad and Mom went in! It was pretty chilly out so the hot tub felt really good! Then it was time to watch Boston College (Mom and Tiffany's alma mater) play U Miami Canes (Tracy's alma mater). The Canes won! BC hasn't beat UM in the Orange Bowl since Doug Flutie threw the winning Hail Mary pass that made him famous 22 years ago! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to move beyond judement when meeting people. "It is our natural inclination to judge people, since it happens without our even thinking about it. We take one look and summarize a whole person-overweight, pretty, stylish, sloppy. This habit comes from the mind's need to categorize the world in order to be able to function without becoming overwhelmed. When we judge, we are looking for pertinent information, trying to determine whether the person approaching is a threat, an ally, or someone we don't need to worry about. This way of looking at people makes sense in a dangerous context, but in our daily lives it leads to an overly simplistic reading of the people we meet." Lesson of the Day: Moving Beyond Appearances: Softening Judgement!

Wednesday November 22nd, 2006: ~ Tracy is sleeping better now that she can breathe more deeply. She is still receiving breathing treatments three times a day at home. Mom and Dad are giving Tracy her Xopenex inhalation treatments at home. It is amazing what tricks old dogs can be taught! Apria delivered two H tanks which are about as tall as Mom! They provide a lot more pressure which is helping to optimize Tracy's Xopenez treatments via IPAP! This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Today, Felicia stayed with Tracy while Tiffany and Mom ran errands. Mom and Tiffany stopped off to get a much needed pedicure in the midst of their errands. On the way home, they picked up Nana and took her back to the house. This afternoon, the technician from A Plus came out to fix the washing machine. Thank Goodness! We now can resume the laundry! We sure can generate a lot of dirty clothes! This evening, Aunt Diane came over after work and everyone had Tuscan bean soup, salad and french bread. Guy and Sophia arrived just in time for dinner. Chip and Eileen came over after dinner and everyone had a good visit. It is so good to have everyone together for Thanksgiving. We all missed Dawn, Aunt Candy, Tanya, Jonathon and Michael. Tracy starts out patient therapy next Tuesday at North Broward Medical Center. She will receive all three therapies three times a week for the next four weeks. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. Thank you to Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association and Kathy Pittman for the adorable singing/roaring Lion (mascot) and SLU t-shirt! Tracy loves it! Tomorrow, we are looking forward to everyone coming to our house for Thanksgiving. It will be the first holiday that we are spending in our new home. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to journal as a form of meditation. "Of the countless forms of meditation we can use, journaling offers its own unique benefits. Most meditations help empty the mind of concerns and bring positive ideas from our mental landscape, but journaling helps us anchor that experience in the material world. Not every person is attracted to meditating in seated silence, and journal meditation is a nice alternative as an active meditation. It allows us to trace our journey and see where we have grown and what lessons we may be repeating. By employing a different part of the brain than creative or inspired thought, writing or typing a journal can create a greater sense of connection and union with our physical selves and the world around us." Lesson of the Day: Mapping The Inner Journey: Journaling As Meditation!

Tuesday, November 21st, 2006: ~ Tracy slept well again last night, except for waking up and coughing a little during the night. She still seems a little congested in her upper airways. The breathing treatments are helping to consolidate the congestion. This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her morning CPM session, Tania massaged Tracy's hands, arms and shoulders with warm lotion. This morning, we had a little excitement in the laundry room. When Felicia opened the washer (it is front loading), she was greeted with a flood! Evidently, a gasket was damaged and there was a slow leak that was like the Hoover Dam breaking! Thank goodness cousin Chip put us in touch with a technician who came out within the hour! We hope to have it up and running by Wednesday afternoon! This afternoon, Tracy had Speech Therapy with Lisa and Marissa at FAU at 4 PM. She did the best job ever with staying awake and participating. The reduced Baclofen sure has been making a difference! Tracy lifted her head to hit the switch numerous times throughout the session. She really responded well to turning on the blender by hitting the switch with her cheek. Lisa encouraged Tracy to make margaritas for Tiffany, Mom, Tania, etc. She really tried hard and was successful at hitting the switch! It was the best session ever! She even vocalized several times during the session! This evening, Tiffany arrived safely at Miami International Airport and Dad met her and brought her home. She looks great! We had a great dinner, visit and even tried out the hot tub! It was pretty chilly outside, with temperatures in the 40s! Mom even got in the pool, which was a toasty 56 degrees! It reminded her of summers at the beach in Ogunquit, Maine! Brr! We are so glad that Tiffany is home for the holiday! Cousins Guy and Sophia arrive late Wednesday evening. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to identify our dreams and to actualize them clearly in our daily lives. "Most people don't always fully realize that we all have within us the ability to cocreate our lives with the universe. So many of us are taught to accept what we are given and not even to dream of anything more. But our hopes and dreams are the universe whispering to us, planting an idea of what's possible while directing us toward the best use of our gifts. The universe truly wants to give us our hearts' desires, but we need to be clear about what they are and ask for them. To ask for something does not mean to beg or plead from a place of lack or unworthiness. It's like placing an order-we don't need to beg the salesperson for what we want or prove to them that we deserve to have it. It is their job to give us what we ask for; we only have to tell them what we want. Once we have a clear vision of what we desire, we simply step into the silent realm where all possibilities exist and let our desires be known. Whatever methods we use to become still, it is important that we find the quiet space between our thoughts." Lesson of the Day: Asking For What You Want: Cocreating With The Universe!

Monday, November 20th, 2006: ~ Happy Birthday Uncle Johnny! Tracy is sleeping better now that she is breathing better and is getting respiratory treatments three times a day at home. Mom and Dad are giving Tracy her Xopenex inhalation treatments at home. It is amazing what tricks old dogs can be taught!! This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Today, Tracy has Rehab evaluations for Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies at North Broward Medical Center starting at 1 PM. During her evaluations, Mom filled the therapists in on Tracy's injury and past history. (So this is why people write books about this stuff! It seems like Mom and Dad are always having to go back and retell Tracy's story! What an amazing story it is! Most people can't believe it!) Geneveve, Tracy's PT, spent most of the time taking measurements of Tracy's various extremities to document her beginning range of motion. The goal will be to work on stretching her right hip, hamstring and feet/ankles to improve her posture and to get her ready for standing on the tilt table. Charlene, Tracy's OT, spent time ranging Tracy's upper extremities. She took a close look at Tracy's existing splints and will plan on making some new ones soon. Anita, Tracy's Speech Therapist met with Tracy next and we were very fortunate to have our good friend Debbie Rand sit in on our session. She is a Speech Therapist and very knowledgeable. She also knew Tracy before her accident, so she was able to provide much valuable insight to Anita's evaluation. Tracy was awake and listening of the session, even though her eyes were closed some of the time. Tracy will receive all three therapies three times a week for the next four weeks. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to make the most out of the circumstances that we have been handed in our lives! (How perfect!) "There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. The individuals who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, love, success, and prosperity. Such people have, however, been blessed with the ability to take the circumstances they've been handed and make them into something great. Our individual realities are colored by perception-delight and despair come from within rather than without. Situations we regard as fortuitous please us while situations we judge inauspicious cause us no end of grief. Yet if we can look at all we have accomplished without dwelling on our perceived misfortune and make each new circumstance our own, the world as a whole becomes a brighter place. A simple shift in attitude can help us recognize and unearth the hidden potential for personal and outer world fulfillment in every event, every relationship, every duty, and every setback." Lesson of the Day: Making Life Yours: Perception!

Sunday, November 19th, 2006: ~ Tracy started taking deeper breaths around 3 AM, after her third breathing treatment. Dad spent the night at Tracy's bedside! Tracy received every IV antibiotic known and unknown to mankind. She spent the day resting and finally was discharged around 5 PM. We are so happy to be home once again! This morning, Mom got to the hospital around 11 AM. Tracy looked a lot better this morning than she did last night. Dad even looked pretty good for not sleeping a wink last night! Most of today was spent hurry up and waiting until the chest x-ray film was read by the radiologist and the pulmonologist, Dr. Hoffberger, gave Tracy permission to go home. We gave Tracy a break from all of her splinting devices and her CPM today. We figured she deserved a break after the weekend she had! Tomorrow, Tracy has evaluations scheduled from 1 to 4 PM in PT, OT and Speech at North Broward Medical Center. Now that Tracy spent the weekend in the VIP suite, she should know her way around the hospital. They have a nice gourmet coffee shop that serves lattes, so Mom will be just fine! We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to make the most out of the circumstances that we have been handed in our lives! (How perfect!) "There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. The individuals who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, love, success, and prosperity. Such people have, however, been blessed with the ability to take the circumstances they've been handed and make them into something great. Our individual realities are colored by perception-delight and despair come from within rather than without. Situations we regard as fortuitous please us while situations we judge inauspicious cause us no end of grief. Yet if we can look at all we have accomplished without dwelling on our perceived misfortune and make each new circumstance our own, the world as a whole becomes a brighter place. A simple shift in attitude can help us recognize and unearth the hidden potential for personal and outer world fulfillment in every event, every relationship, every duty, and every setback." Lesson of the Day: Making Life Yours: Perception!

Saturday, November 18th, 2006: ~ Tracy did not sleep well last night. She spent the early part of the night coughing. Around 3 AM, Tracy's pulse Ox went down several times to the mid 80s. Tracy responded well to chest physiotherapy that Dad performed during the night, and her pulse Ox ranged in the 90s again. She did not vomit any more, but still seemed congested. This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her dressed for the day. Dad listened to Tracy's lungs and heard some lower lobe congestion. He was not comfortable with the shallow breaths that Tracy was exhibiting. Around 11 AM, Mom, Dad and Felicia took Tracy to the Emergency Room at North Broward Medical Center in Pompano Beach. The nurses and doctors were very responsive and did a series of lab and other diagnostic tests. Around 4 PM, Tracy was admitted to Room 920 for observation. She is receiving respiratory treatments every 4 hours, has an IV and has received IV antibiotics. Her chest x-ray, blood gases, and ultrasounds are all normal at this time. Dad is staying with her through the night. We will keep you posted on her progress. Next Monday, Tracy has evaluations scheduled from 1 to 4 PM in PT, OT and Speech at North Broward Medical Center. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us the role synchronicity plays in our world. (This is one of Mom's favorite Daily Oms!) "The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path, questioning our purpose or our capabilities. Yet we should be moving forward joyously, eager to discover what destiny has in store for us. The universe has plans for us that eclipse anything we have dreamed of thus far. Though we must work diligently to fulfill our potential and to accomplish our individual missions, the universe is aware of both the quests we chose before birth and the goals we have formulated in adulthood. If we accept that it us watching over us and believe that it will facilitate our eventual success, the universe will provide us with the assistance and opportunities that enable us to make significant progress on our journeys of ambition. Nothing happens without a purpose. Whether we attract success or repel it depends on our willingness to stay open to a wide range of possibilities and to embrace concepts like synchronicity. The universe is always ready to care for our needs, but we must not write off its loving attention as mere circumstance or chance. Likewise, we must endeavor to ensure that our egos do not become a barrier that prevents us from recognizing that even perceived mistakes and strife can be profound lessons that smooth the progress of personal evolution. When we understand that we only need to enthusiastically try our best to realize our objectives, the universe will take care of the details, propelling us forward in its unstoppable current. We may not always immediately understand the significance of certain experiences, but our trust will help us choose wisely at each crossroads." Lesson of the Day: Cosmic Support: The Universe's Plan For You!

Friday, November 17th, 2006: ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. She is back to wearing her dynasplint on her right leg (tension set on 2) for 8 hours and seems to tolerate it well. Her bruise over her right knee is looking better. She wore her bilateral dynasplints on her wrists for 8 hours as well (tension set on 3). This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. The skin on her legs continues to peel and the incisions are still healing. Mom decided to leave the top part of Tracy's cast off while she is resting in the bed to help facilitate healing. Tracy has an appointment today Mark Selleck, her orthotist, at 2 PM to get new AFOs made. They should be ready in about a week to ten days. Wearing orthotics in place of the casts will also help to expedite healing and minimize peeling. After her bath, Tracy had a one and a half hour session on the CPM to range her right hamstring and hip. Then it was time for a one hour session on her left leg. She really enjoys the CPM machine; it helps Tracy to relax and we are sure the exercise feels good on her hamstring and hip. We have not noticed any increase in Tracy's spasticity since her Baclofen was lowered to 617 from 833 mcgs per day. We will continue to monitor her spasticity. She is definitely more awake and alert on the decreased dosage. This afternoon, Mom and Tania took Tracy to her appointment with Mark Selleck. He was very surprised to see how straight Tracy's feet are after her tendon relocation surgery. He took impressions of her feet for below the knee nonarticulating ankle and foot orthotics. They should be ready around December 1st. This evening, Tracy was hanging out in her chair in the family room with Mom and Dad. Mom fed Tracy her usual 2 cans of Jevity 1.2 and Promix (protein supplement) via her G-tube. Tracy vomited all of her feeding immediately after Mom gave it to her. We are not sure what made Tracy vomit. Dad suspects that Tracy may be coming down with a virus. She sounds somewhat congested and we will continue to monitor her throughout the night. Next Monday, Tracy has evaluations scheduled from 1 to 4 PM in PT, OT and Speech at North Broward Medical Center. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to make the most out of the circumstances that we have been handed in our lives! (How perfect!) "There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. The individuals who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, love, success, and prosperity. Such people have, however, been blessed with the ability to take the circumstances they've been handed and make them into something great. Our individual realities are colored by perception-delight and despair come from within rather than without. Situations we regard as fortuitous please us while situations we judge inauspicious cause us no end of grief. Yet if we can look at all we have accomplished without dwelling on our perceived misfortune and make each new circumstance our own, the world as a whole becomes a brighter place. A simple shift in attitude can help us recognize and unearth the hidden potential for personal and outer world fulfillment in every event, every relationship, every duty, and every setback." Lesson of the Day: Making Life Yours: Perception!

Thursday, November 16th, 2006: ~ Tracy slept well again last night. She is back to wearing her dynasplint on her right leg (tension set on 2) for 8 hours and seems to tolerate it well. Her bruise over her right knee is looking better. She wore her bilateral dynasplints on her wrists for 8 hours as well (tension set on 3). This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. The skin on her legs continues to peel and the incisions are still healing. Mom decided to leave the top part of Tracy's cast off while she is resting in the bed to help facilitate healing. Tracy has an appointment tomorrow with Mark Selleck, her orthotist, to get new AFOs made. They should be ready in about a week to ten days. Wearing orthotics in place of the casts will also help to expedite healing and minimize peeling. After her shower, Tracy had an abbreviated session on the CPM to range her right hamstring and hip. Domenic, Tracy's Physical Therapy supervisor, came to see Tracy for the last time since she will start outpatient rehab next Monday at North Broward Medical Center. He completed the OASIS discharge report and did some final measurements on Tracy's right leg. He was very pleased with Tracy's progress over the past month under MedTech's care. Tracy's right knee improved from a range of about 30 degrees to 14 degrees! This is excellent progress. She is almost ready to begin standing on the tilt table. We are all looking forward to this in the outpatient setting. This afternoon, Mom and Tania took Tracy to her 2:30 PM appointment with Dr. Alberico at Northridge Medical Center. He reduced Tracy's Baclofen dosage from 833 mcgs to 617 mcgs per day. We hope that this new dosage will allow Tracy to be more alert so that she can participate more in outpatient therapy. This evening, Tracy did not have Speech Therapy at FAU because Marissa and Lisa are attending the American Speech and Hearing Association's annual conference in Miami. Tracy has two more sessions with Marissa and Lisa and then they will break for the semester. Tracy will start back up mid-January with two new students since Marissa and Lisa will begin their externships. They have done an excellent job with Tracy! After dinner, Mom rode her SPIN bike for one hour (she is finally getting back to her routine!) while Tracy rested in bed with the CPM on and Dad watched WVU vs Pittsburgh. Then Mom and Dad watched Grey's Anatomy, one of their favorite shows! This is Tracy's last week of home therapy with Med Tech Services. They have done a great job and we are very grateful for their care. Next Monday, Tracy has evaluations scheduled from 1 to 4 PM in PT, OT and Speech at North Broward Medical Center. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to make the most out of the circumstances that we have been handed in our lives! "There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. The individuals who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, love, success, and prosperity. Such people have, however, been blessed with the ability to take the circumstances they've been handed and make them into something great. Our individual realities are colored by perception-delight and despair come from within rather than without. Situations we regard as fortuitous please us while situations we judge inauspicious cause us no end of grief. Yet if we can look at all we have accomplished without dwelling on our perceived misfortune and make each new circumstance our own, the world as a whole becomes a brighter place. A simple shift in attitude can help us recognize and unearth the hidden potential for personal and outer world fulfillment in every event, every relationship, every duty, and every setback." Lesson of the Day: Making Life Yours: Perception!

Wednesday, November 15th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She wore her splinting devices on her arms and right leg and tolerated them well. This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for 11 AM Speech Therapy with Patrick. Today is her last session with Patrick since Tracy will be starting out patient therapy at North Broward Medical Center on Monday. During Speech, Tracy was pretty sleepy. Patrick gave Tracy some chocolate and then whipped cream flavored frosting to taste and she moved her mouth and tongue a little with additional tactile stimulation. Mom remembered that the facial massager worked well to help keep Tracy awake during sessions back at George Washington University. Patrick tried it on Tracy's cheeks and it seemed to help her move her tongue and mouth. Repetition is the key with Tracy's conditions, apraxia and aphasia. After Speech, Tracy had a short break and then it was time for Physical Therapy with Courtney. It was Tracy's last session with Courtney. Tania and Courtney got Tracy transferred on to the massage table where they stretched and ranged her hips and hamstrings. They spent some time stretching her hip flexors which seemed looser today. Tracy let us know when the stretch was a little too intense with some vocalizations. She is doing much better with using her voice to let us know she needs something. After PT, Mom and Tania took Tracy for a two hour walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful evening, with a balmy breeze and low humidity. After her walk, Mom and Tania put Tracy on the CPM machine for two and a half hours. She really seems to relax and enjoy her CPM sessions. Tomorrow, Tracy has her last Physical Therapy session with Dominic, her PT supervisor, and then she has a 2:30 PM appointment with Dr. Alberico to get her Baclofen pump refilled and adjusted. Friday, Tracy has an appointment with Mark Selleck, Tracy's orthotist, at 2 PM in Boca Raton, to get new AFOs made for her feet and ankles. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us about the mystical powers that the moon brings us, and the reflective powers of moonstones. "Moonstones, gems named for their resemblance to the familiar glowing orb in the night sky, offer us more than mere beauty. Their association with moon goddesses throughout the world may explain why moonstones' qualities seem to reach out to assist all those who find themselves under the moon's light, from travelers and those at sea to lovers and dreamers. Throughout the world, moonstones have been imbued with mystical properties that extend the fabled powers of the moon into daylight hours." Lesson of the Day: Gems For Dreamers: Moonstone!

Tuesday, November 14th, 2006: ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. Tracy wore her dynasplint on her right leg (tension set on 2) for 8 hours and seemed to tolerate it well. Her bruise over her right knee is looking better. She wore her bilateral dynasplints on her wrists for 8 hours as well (tension set on 3). This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. This was the first time that they were able to wash Tracy's legs since she had her surgery 6 weeks ago. Her legs look good, but the skin is very delicate and peeling because they were under casts for so long. This should subside as time goes on. After her shower, Tracy had a session on the CPM to range her right hamstring and hip. She is tolerating two sessions a day at 2 to 3 hours a session. This afternoon, Courtney, Tracy's PT assistant, came to work with Tracy. She and Tania got Tracy on the massage table and ranged her right and left hip flexors. Tracy really feels this stretch. She is tolerating them better. Her left hip flexor still seems pretty tight. We will continue to stretch them daily. After PT, Tracy had Speech Therapy at the Communications Disorder Clinic at FAU with Marissa and Lisa. Tracy was pretty sleepy for the first thirty minutes of the session and then woke up and began to participate for the last 10 minutes! She seems so sleepy at times. Tracy has an appointment this Thursday with Dr. Anthony Alberico at Northridge Hospital to get her Baclofen pump refilled. We will decrease her Baclofen dosage another 17 to 20 percent, from 833 to 600 mcgs per day. Hopefully, the decreased dose will help improve Tracy's alertness. This is Tracy's last week of home therapy with Med Tech Services. They have done a great job and we are very grateful for their care. Next Monday, Tracy has evaluations scheduled from 1 to 4 PM in PT, OT and Speech at North Broward Medical Center. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. Friday, Tracy has an appointment with Mark Selleck, Tracy's orthotist, at 2 PM in Boca Raton, to get new AFOs made for her feet and ankles. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to journal daily so that we can reaffirm our decisions when doubt surfaces in our lives. "A diary can play many roles. It can be a confidant, a vehicle of self expression, a tool that facilitates clarity of thought, or a repository of dreams. A diary can also be a powerful source of comfort during challenging or traumatic periods. When you record those insights and incidents that clearly demonstrate you are on the right track, you can return to your words days, weeks, or months later and find uniquely soothing reassurance. A diary with a specific purpose can be a good tool for keeping track of experiences before the passage of time can skew your perception of events. It reflects the immediacy of your life and thus provides you with a landmark to return to when you begin to doubt yourself. If doubt does arise, simply open your diary to reaffirm your experiences. The confidence, surety, passion, and bravery you felt in a single moment is preserved, giving you a means to recapture those feelings in any place, at any time." Lesson of the Day: Positivity Revisited: Keeping A Diary With Purpose!

Monday, November 13th, 2006: ~ Tracy slept well again last night. Dad gave Tracy another night off from both her wrist and her leg dynasplints because she had a raspberry over her right knee from the splint. She deserves a break from all of her splinting apparati once in a while. This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her CPM session, it was time to get Tracy ready for the hour long ride to Baptist Hospital Medical Arts Complex in Miami for Tracy's 3 PM appointment with Dr. Tidwell. Today was the day that Tracy was to get her bilateral below the knee casts off. When Tania, Mom and Tracy arrived at Dr. Tidwell's office, they learned that the doctor was tied up in surgery and was not going to be able to see Tracy. Lazaro, Dr. Tidwell's ortho tech, bivalved Tracy's cast so that she can take them off for showers, etc. Her legs really look great. She still has some steri strips on her feet and there are areas which still need to heal. All in all, her feet and legs look great. This is Tracy's last week of home therapy with Med Tech Services. They have done a great job and we are very grateful for their care. Next Monday, Tracy has evaluations scheduled from 1 to 4 PM in PT, OT and Speech at North Broward Medical Center. We are looking forward to finally getting Tracy vertical on the tilt table, especially after nearly 4 years being horizontal and confined to a bed or wheel chair. We realize that this is a gradual process and we will continue to be patient. Dr. Tidwell wrote a prescription for Tracy to get new AFOs made now that the old ones do not fit any more. Tracy has an appointment with Mark Selleck, Tracy's orthotist, to get new AFOs made this Friday at 2 PM in Boca Raton. Tomorrow, Tracy has Physical Therapy at 1 PM and then Speech Therapy at 4 PM at FAU with Marissa and Lisa. She only has three more sessions left this semester. It is hard to believe that the holidays are rapidly approaching and soon it will be 2007! Thursday, Tracy has an appointment with Dr. Anthony Alberica, Tracy's neurosurgeon at Northridge Hospital to get her Baclofen pump refilled. We will also decrease Tracy's Baclofen dosage at this time from 833 to 600 mcgs/day. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how empowering positive self talk can be and several techniques one can implement to be more conscious of our own thought processes. "Few people enjoy the company of individuals whose attitudes are persistently negative. Yet many of us tolerate the critical chatter that can originate within our own minds. Since we are so used to the stream of self-limiting, critical consciousness that winds its way through our thoughts, we are often unaware of the impact these musings have on our lives. It is only when we become aware of the power of such thoughts that we can divest ourselves of them and fill the emptiness they leave with loving, peaceful affirmations. Many people, upon paying careful attention to their thinking patterns, are surprised at the negativity they find there. But when we take notice of involuntary thoughts in a nonjudgmental way, we initiate a healing process that will eventually allow us to replace intimidating and upsetting self-talk with positive, empowering thoughts." Lesson of the Day: Curative Attentiveness: Being Aware Of Your Thoughts!

Sunday, November 12th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep last night. This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her CPM session, Mom and Felicia got Tracy into her chair and out on the patio for some sunshine. Nana and Aunt Diane came over and they all visited. Tracy loves being outside. Everyone enjoyed watching the iguanas walking up and down on the dock across the canal. Mom got out her binoculars and kept a close watch on them! There were three or four hanging out enjoying the sunshine. This afternoon, Felicia gave Tracy a pedicure. She stuck with clear nail polish since Tracy is getting her casts off tomorrow at 3 PM at Dr. Tidwell's office in Miami. We are all very excited for her to finally get her casts off. It has been six weeks since she has seen her legs. Her next step will most likely be getting fitted for new AFOs. We'll keep you posted on her progress! This evening, Uncle Johnny came over and said Mass and then everyone had dinner. Dad and Mom made broiled lemon pepper tilapia with fresh veggie stir fry. Cousin Eileen made her delicious garden salad with home made honey mustard dressing. Aunt Diane surprised Cousin Eileen with a carrot cake as a belated birthday surprise! It was a milestone because everyone sat down together at the table to enjoy dinner. Mom even had the Italian inlaid wood chairs repaired that were damaged in the move. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It is perfect timing, especially with the revenge of the iguanas! It teaches us how to respect nature in our daily surroundings. "When we move from our everyday world into the world of nature, we may not even notice at first. We might continue talking loudly into our cell phone or to a friend that is with us. We might walk quickly as if we are on a busy city street, our eyes downcast, our thoughts hectic and hurried. In the best case, if we are sensitive to our environment, we will soon notice that it has changed. We may hear ducks calling, or wind moving through the leaves on a tree. If we notice the shift, we will naturally shift as well. If we don't, we may get all the way through a beautiful park without having lowered our voices. Next time you find yourself in the presence of wildlife-even if it's just a duck pond in the midst of urban hustle-try to move into a receptive state of openness and listening, no matter how much or how little time you have. Allow yourself to be captivated and calmed by the energy of the wildlife that covers this earth. Teaching our children to be respectful of nature and to stop and observe is a gift they can always cherish." We all go through times when we wish we could press a fast-forward button and propel ourselves into the future and out of our current circumstances. Whether the situation we are facing is minor, or major such as the loss of a loved one, it is human nature to want to move away from pain and find comfort as soon as possible. Yet we all know deep down that we need to work through these experiences in a conscious fashion rather than bury our heads in the sand, because these are the times when we access important information about ourselves and life. The learning process may not be easy, but it is full of lessons that bring us wisdom we cannot find any other way.

Saturday, November 11th, 2006: Happy Veteran's Day! ~ Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. Dad gave her a break from both her wrist and her leg dynasplints because she had a raspberry over her right knee from the splint. She deserves a break from all of her splinting apparati once in a while. This morning, Mom and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her CPM session, they got Tracy in her chair and brought her into the family room. Felicia stayed with Tracy while Mom and Dad ran some much needed errands. Dad is working hard to get all of the things Mom has listed for him on the "Honey Do" list. The house is almost finished, just in time for the holidays! This afternoon, Felicia gave Tracy a facial while she rested in her chair. The iguanas came back to feast on Mom's flowers. They sure do like her plants. The branches resemble corn cobs when they are done feasting! This evening, Mom, Dad and Tracy watched LSU beat Alabama while they had dinner in the family room. Dad cooked some pasta fazoli! It sure tasted good with a little sourdough bread and some fresh grated parmesan cheese. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! WE REALLY WISH CANDY, TANYA, JONATHON, AND MICHAEL COULD BE WITH US TOO! MAYBE THEY WILL SURPRISE US FOR CHRISTMAS! Tomorrow, Uncle Johnny and the gang is coming over for dinner to celebrate a belated Happy Birthday for cousin Eileen! Aunt Diane baked a carrot cake and Uncle Johnny will say Mass for everyone. Dad and Mom are making fresh tilapia, fresh stir fry veggies, and sourdough bread. Eileen is making her delicious salad. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to respect nature in our daily surroundings. Lesson of the Day: Moving In Real Time: Fast-Forward Button!

Sunday, November 12th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep last night. This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her CPM session, Mom and Felicia got Tracy into her chair and out on the patio for some sunshine. Nana and Aunt Diane came over and they all visited. Tracy loves being outside. Everyone enjoyed watching the iguanas walking up and down on the dock across the canal. Mom got out her binoculars and kept a close watch on them! There were three or four hanging out enjoying the sunshine.

This afternoon, Felicia gave Tracy a pedicure. She stuck with clear nail polish since Tracy is getting her casts off tomorrow at 3 PM at Dr. Tidwell's office in Miami. We are all very excited for her to finally get her casts off. It has been six weeks since she has seen her legs. Her next step will most likely be getting fitted for new AFOs. We'll keep you posted on her progress!

This evening, Uncle Johnny came over and said Mass and then everyone had dinner. Dad and Mom made broiled lemon pepper tilapia with fresh stir veggie stir fry. Cousin Eileen made her delicious garden salad with home made honey mustard dressing. Aunt Diane surprised Cousin Eileen with a carrot cake as a belated birthday surprise! It was a milestone because everyone sat down together at the table to enjoy dinner. Mom even had the Italian inlaid wood chairs repaired that were damaged in the move. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way!

Take a look at today's daily OM. It is perfect timing, especially with the revenge of the iguanas! It teaches us how to respect nature in our daily surroundings. "When we move from our everyday world into the world of nature, we may not even notice at first. We might continue talking loudly into our cell phone or to a friend that is with us. We might walk quickly as if we are on a busy city street, our eyes downcast, our thoughts hectic and hurried. In the best case, if we are sensitive to our environment, we will soon notice that it has changed. We may hear ducks calling, or wind moving through the leaves on a tree. If we notice the shift, we will naturally shift as well. If we don't, we may get all the way through a beautiful park without having lowered our voices. Next time you find yourself in the presence of wildlife-even if it's just a duck pond in the midst of urban hustle-try to move into a receptive state of openness and listening, no matter how much or how little time you have. Allow yourself to be captivated and calmed by the energy of the wildlife that covers this earth. Teaching our children to be respectful of nature and to stop and observe is a gift they can always cherish."

We all go through times when we wish we could press a fast-forward button and propel ourselves into the future and out of our current circumstances. Whether the situation we are facing is minor, or major such as the loss of a loved one, it is human nature to want to move away from pain and find comfort as soon as possible. Yet we all know deep down that we need to work through these experiences in a conscious fashion rather than bury our heads in the sand, because these are the times when we access important information about ourselves and life. The learning process may not be easy, but it is full of lessons that bring us wisdom we cannot find any other way.

Friday, November 10th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She is wearing her dynasplint on her right leg for more than 8 hours. She is also tolerating 2 and a half hours, right and left leg, twice a day, on the CPM machine. This morning, Mom, Tania and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her CPM session, they got Tracy in her chair and brought her into the family room. Our good friend Betty, visiting from Naples, Italy, left today for Cocoa Beach to visit her sister. Mom drove her to Delray Beach to catch a Greyhound bus. We really enjoyed seeing Betty and catching up on old friends. She brought Tracy another Navy League beanie bear and Mom and Dad some delicious scented toasted almond candles! Thanks Betty! This afternoon, Tracy had Physical Therapy with Domenic, her PT supervisor. He ranged Tracy's hamstrings and hips and was very pleased with her increased range since he last measured her a week ago. She measured initially 22 degrees and then progressed to 16 degrees over the past three weeks. The CPM, therapy and dynamic leg splint is really helping to stretch Tracy's right hamstring. After PT, Mom, Tania and Tracy sat outside and watched the two neighborhood iguanas sunning themselves on the dock. One of the iguanas came up to the patio area and started eating Mom's plants. She tried to scare him away but he was alot more hungry than he was scared of MOM! He hung out on the bush until his tummy was good and full, and then went back down on the dock to get some more sun. This evening, Mom and Dad met with an accessibility consultant and two contractors to discuss home modifications to improve Tracy's accessibility throughout our home. They discussed some exciting options to consider for safety as well as accessibility. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. Mom decided to run it another day, since it is such a good one! It teaches us how to deal with people who don't get their connection with the universe, and thus go through life unconscious of others. " You may be someone who understands the true nature of reality, perceiving deeply that we all emanate from the same source, that we are all essentially one, and that we are here on earth to love one another. To understand this is to be awakened to the true nature of the self, and it is a blessing. Nevertheless, people who just don't get it are seemingly everywhere and, often, in positions of power. It can be frustrating and painful to watch them behave unconsciously. We all encounter individuals of this bent in our families, at work, and in all areas of public life. It is easy to find ourselves feeling intolerant of these people, wishing we could be free of them even though we know that separation from them is an illusion." Lesson of the Day: People Who Don't Get It: People Who Don't Get It!

Thursday, November 9th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for 8 hours last night. She is also tolerating 2 and a half hours, right and left leg, twice a day, on the CPM machine. This morning, Tania and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her CPM session, Glen, a nurse from Med Tech Services, came to draw Tracy's blood. This is a repeat blood test to make sure that all of her enzymes have returned to normal postoperatively. Next, Tracy had Speech Therapy with Patrick at 11:00 AM. During Speech, Tracy did a good job moving her tongue in response to the chocolate frosting that Patrick was giving her on a very cold spoon. She stayed awake most of the session and did a good job with oral motor skills. After Speech, Tracy relaxed in her chair until it was time to go to Speech Therapy at FAU with Marissa and Lisa. By this time, Tracy was pretty sleepy. She tried very hard to stay awake and was more responsive at the end of the session. Lisa was out sick, so Marissa did the session solo! We hope Lisa feels better soon. When they returned, Mom made raviolies with Italian sausage for dinner. Betty and Tania joined us and everyone had a good visit. Tomorrow, Betty leaves for Cocoa Beach to visit family. We sure did enjoy her visit and will miss her! Tracy does not have any "official" therapy but will receive some from Felicia and Tania, you can be sure of that! We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who coiuyntinue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to deal with people who don't get their connection with the universe, and thus go through life unconscious of others. " You may be someone who understands the true nature of reality, perceiving deeply that we all emanate from the same source, that we are all essentially one, and that we are here on earth to love one another. To understand this is to be awakened to the true nature of the self, and it is a blessing. Nevertheless, people who just don't get it are seemingly everywhere and, often, in positions of power. It can be frustrating and painful to watch them behave unconsciously. We all encounter individuals of this bent in our families, at work, and in all areas of public life. It is easy to find ourselves feeling intolerant of these people, wishing we could be free of them even though we know that separation from them is an illusion." Lesson of the Day: People Who Don't Get It: People Who Don't Get It!

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006: Tracy slept well again last night. She wore her dynasplint on her right leg for 8 hours last night. She is also tolerating 2 and a half hours, right and left leg, twice a day, on the CPM machine. This morning, Mom, Tania and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. After her 4 hour CPM session ( 2 hours on each leg), Tania and Felicia got Tracy up in her chair. Tania did some cross fiber massage on Tracy's surgical incisions which seem to be healing well. She massaged cocoa butter on them to minimize scarring. Then Tania did some light massage behind Tracy's right knee to help with hamstring flexibility and stretching. Around 4 PM, Courtney came to do Physical Therapy with Tracy. She spent some time ranging Tracy's hips and hamstrings and was very pleased with her increased range of motion. Then Tania and Courtney transferred Tracy to the massage table and stretched her hip flexors, which are still very tight. Tracy tolerated about 4 minutes of this increased stretch. Each day she is tolerating a little more in this position. This afternoon, Mom and Tania worked on office stuff while Tracy rested in her chair. Betty, our good friend from Napoli, arrived safely. It was fun visiting with her and catching up on old friends in Bella Napoli. Dad arrived around 11:30 PM. He spent the day in Dallas attending a business meeting. He was exhausted after such a long day! Tomorrow, Med Tech Services will come to draw Tracy's blood for a routine postop check and she will have Speech Therapy with Patick at 11:00 AM. Tracy also has Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at 4 PM at FAU in Boca Raton. It has been over a week since Tracy had Speech Therapy at FAU. We are looking forward to Tiffany, Cousins Guy, Dawn and Sophia coming for Thanksgiving. It will be so good to have everyone together for the holidays! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who coiuyntinue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us about eliciting cosmic support in achieving the universe's plan for us. " The path that speeds us toward our dreams can be a challenging and complex one, so it's easy to get bogged down in confusion and insecurities. We often hesitate at the start of that path, questioning our purpose or our capabilities. Yet we should be moving forward joyously, eager to discover what destiny has in store for us. The universe has plans for us that eclipse anything we have dreamed of thus far. Though we must work diligently to fulfill our potential and to accomplish our individual missions, the universe is aware of both the quests we chose before birth and the goals we have formulated in adulthood. If we accept that it us watching over us and believe that it will facilitate our eventual success, the universe will provide us with the assistance and opportunities that enable us to make significant progress on our journeys of ambition." Lesson of the Day: Cosmic Support: The Universe's Plan For You!

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006: Tracy enjoyed another good night's sleep last night. She is up to 7 hours of wear time with her right hamstring dynasplint. She is also tolerating 2 and a half hours, right and left leg, twice a day, on the CPM machine. This morning, Tania and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. Her morning Speech Therapy session with Patrick was canceled because he was ill. So, Tracy got a break from "official" therapy today, but still received some from Tania and Felicia. Mom walked to the local polling site to perform her civic duty by voting. After her 4 hour CPM session ( 2 hours on each leg), Tania and Felicia got Tracy up in her chair. Tania did some cross fiber massage on Tracy's surgical incisions which seem to be healing well. She massaged cocoa butter on them to minimize scarring. Then Tania did some light massage behind Tracy's right knee to help with hamstring flexibility and stretching. Tania and Felicia worked with Tracy's right wrist which seems to be quite tight. They ranged and massaged her hands and wrists. Tracy does not seem to fit well in her right night resting hand splint, and it seems to be causing pressure even with extra padding. Mom will explore other options once Tracy goes to outpatient therapy at Pinecrest. This afternoon, Mom and Tania worked on office stuff while Tracy rested in her chair. She seems pretty sleepy today, however, everyone was pretty sleepy due to overcast weather conditions. It looked like rain for the entire day, although it never did. This evening, Cousin Chip came by and brought Tiffany and Tracy pretty necklaces from Italy. They just returned from a ten day trip to Roma and Umbria. Tomorrow, Tracy has Physical Therapy with Courtney around 3 PM. Mom's good friend Betty is coming for a short visit from Bella Napoli! We can't wait to see her. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us about the energy we obtain from our surroundings: the citiy in which we reside. " The cities we reside in have souls. Our cities consume, create, evolve, and breathe much in the same way Mother Nature does. Each city is unique, defined not only by the individuals who call it home but also by the energy it exudes. Some cities are suffused by an aura of unshakable calm while others seem continually frenetic, even during the early morning hours. Many inspire creativity within us or arouse our curiosity. A city's energy is dependent on many factors, including the geography, the people, the industry, and the culture. Residing in a city full of warehouses and factories feels very different than one living in one populated by artists and museums. Some cities elevate the soul while others seem to squash it, and fate may lead us to either." Lesson of the Day: Living Streets: The Energy Of Cities!

Monday, November 6th, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. She is up to 7 hours of wear time with her right hamstring dynasplint. She is also tolerating 2 and a half hours, twice a day, on the CPM machine. Today, we added her left leg on the CPM machine because Courtney said that it was getting a little stiff. All this is really making a difference in her increased range of motion in both hamstrings and hips. The plan is to get her bilateral below the knee casts off (they are purple of course) next Monday. Tracy will most likely be fitted for new AFOs to wear once the casts are off. She will also have to wear her hip abductor brace when she is up on the tilt table and weight bearing. While she is in her chair, she has the abductor pommel which keeps her hip stable and in abduction. Courtney, Tracy's Physical Therapy Assistant, came by to work with Tracy and to inservice Mom, Tania and Felicia on use of the Hoyer lift. Presently, we are doing two person transfers with Tracy (from chair to bed, etc.). The Hoyer lift is a good back-up for one person transfers but much too cumbersome for day to day transfers. It's always good to have a back-up plan, right? During PT, Courtney, Tania and Felicia got Tracy lying on her back with her legs dangling off the side of the bed to stretch her hip flexors. Tracy tolerated about 3 to 4 minutes of this stretch before she began to grimace. This is such a big stretch for Tracy, one that she has not been able to do for quite some time. Her left hip flexor was actually tighter than her right, which shows that the body learns to compensate for various shortcomings. It also validates that old song, "The hip bone's connected to the knee bone, etc." This afternoon, Mom spent some time organizing Tracy's room. It is finally starting to take shape and is very cozy. When we get the video monitoring system in place, and Tracy is ready (and Dad and Mom are ready), the plan is to move Tracy into her own room. This evening, Dad had a commitment to give a talk to the Retired Pilots Association in Miami after work. Mom finally got to ride her SPIN bike for one hour and catch up on previous episodes of Grey's Anatomay and Six Degrees. It felt so good to have some personal time. Tracy relaxed in her bed on the CPM machine and watched TV with MOM. Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy with Patrick in the morning. She does not have any Speech Therapy at FAU today, since the students are all attending a conference. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us about intuition and inspiration. "Using a pendulum is a simple way to clarify messages from intuition or inspiration. With its minimal construction of a weight, or bob, allowed to swing freely from a piece of cord or chain, it gives us a visual understanding of the subtle energies that influence us. When we ask a question using the pendulum, we may receive answers from our own intuition or from our spirit guides or angels. The process, known as "dowsing" or "divining," is also useful to check our energy centers or even to find lost articles. Whether it is our energy or the whispers of our guides creating the motion, the pendulum helps us better understand the secret language of spirit." Lesson of the Day: Intuition Made Visible: Pendulum Motion!

Sunday, November 5th, 2006: Tracy slept well last night. She is up to 5 hours of wear time with her right hamstring dynasplint. She is also tolerating 2 and a half hours, twice a day, on the CPM machine. All this is really making a difference in her increased range of motion in her right leg and hip. The plan is to get her bilateral below the knee casts off (they are purple of course) next Monday. Tracy will most likely be fitted for new AFOs to wear once the casts are off. She will also have to wear her hip'abductor brace when she is up on the tilt table and weight bearing. While she is in her chair, she has the abductor pommel which keeps her hip stable and in abduction. Mamaw and Papaw left this morning. We all hated to see them go. Dad took them to Miami to catch the plane (American Airlines of course). They had a great visit and really got to relax. We can't wait for them to come back and see us! This afternoon, Mom, Aunt Diane, Nana, Felicia and Tracy relaxed a while in the sun out by the pool. It was still very windy and everything was blowing around. The wind has been so strong lately, with gusts up to 40 mph at times. Mom even found a chair in the pool last Saturday morning, which had been blown by the wind. This evening, Tracy relaxed in her chair while Uncle Johnny, Nana. Aunt Diane, and the gang had dinner. Then it was time for Desperate Houswives and Brothers and Sisters! Everyone made it an early night in preparation for Monday morning. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any "official" therapy but will do the usual, Speech, CPM, etc. at home. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us that everyone fulfills their purpose when the time is right. "If you have fast-tracked to success, you may become deeply frustrated if you discover you can no longer satisfy your desires as quickly as you might like. Yet the delays that disappoint you may be laying the foundation for future accomplishments that you have not yet conceived. Or the universe may have plans for you that differ from the worldly aspirations you have pursued up until this point. What you deem a postponement of progress may actually represent an auspicious opportunity to prepare for what is yet to come. If, however, you feel as though the universe is pushing you forward at too fast a clip, you may be unwittingly resisting your destiny. Your unease regarding the speed of your progress could be a sign that you need to cultivate awareness within yourself and learn to move with the flow of fate rather than against it. The universe puts nothing in your path that you are incapable of handling, so you can rest assured that you are ready to grow into your new situation." Lesson of the Day: Where You Need To Be: Timing Is Everything!

Saturday, November 4th, 2006: Tracy slept well until around 3 AM when she woke up and started coughing and gagging. It looked like she was going to be sick to her stomach. We are not sure why she seemed nauseous, but Dad was proactive and emptied her stomach through her G-tube. It seemed to help with her nausea and Tracy went back to sleep. She rested well for the remainder of the night. This morning, everyone was getting ready for the party this evening. Dad's coworkers were coming over to watch the LSU game and to enjoy grilled Italian sausage, jambalaya, cajun corn and new potatoes, and assorted cheeses and appetizers. Mamaw made her famous banana pudding, hot parmesan and artichoke dip, and pick a pepper dip. It was a fun group, about 25 or so, and everyone had a good time. LSU even won! One of Dad's colleagues, Joe, a clinical psychologist, brought his dog Taj who is a rescue/therapy dog. He was so cute and well behaved. Tracy really enjoyed meeting him! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! Tomorrow, Mamaw and Papaw return to Louisiana on a 2 PM flight from Miami. We hate to see them go. We really enjoyed their visit and we think they had a good time too! We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to apply gentleness to alleviate resistance to forward momentum in our daily lives. " Throughout life we must cope with blockages that impede our forward momentum. Whether these obstacles are of a personal, professional, or societal nature, our first instinct may be to push against the obstruction. But the simplest way to alleviate resistance is to approach it gently, with a soft manner and kind intentions. Struggle and strife can find no foothold when confronted with mildness because conflict can only exist when fed by two opposing forces. So many areas of our lives can benefit from the application of gentleness. The beauty of gentleness lies in its multifaceted nature. It is part love, part compassion, part patience, part understanding, and part respect for others. When we move through life gently as a matter of course, we naturally attract these wonderful elements into our lives." Lesson of the Day: A Softer Touch: Apply Gentleness To Everything!

Friday, November 3rd, 2006: Tracy slept well last night. This morning, Tania and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. She is wearing her right dynamic splint for 4 and a half hours during the night. The goal is to increase her wearing time to at least 7 hours per night. The longer the duration, the better the stretch for Tracy's right hamstring. This morning, Tracy spent some time with Mamaw and Papaw before Speech Therapy with Patrick at 10:30 AM. During Speech, Patrick gave Tracy an A+ for participation today. She was moving her tongue in response to the chocolate and whipped cream flavored frosting that Patrick fed Tracy with a spoon. The goal is to get Tracy to move her tongue to the roof of her mouth so that she can swallow better and also be able to eventually talk. He is also working on puckering. After Speech, Felicia gave Tracy a pedicure and manicure. She chose blue nail polish! Whew! It is bright! Then Tracy had a break until Dominic, Tracy's Physical Therapy supervisor, came to reassess her at 2:00 PM. He was very pleased with Tracy's increased range of motion, especially in her right hamstring. She has progressed from almost 30 degrees initially postoperatively to close to 17 degrees now. Mom will contact Pinecrest Outpatinet Rehab Center to make an appointment to get Tracy evaluated for outpatient therapy. The plan is for her to be transitioned into outpatient therapy over the next few weeks. She was awake most of the day in her chair. The Baclofen decrease has really made a difference in her alertness with little change in her spasticity. The plan is to continue tapering her Baclofen until we reach the lowest possible dosage that Tracy can tolerate. This evening, Uncle Johnny, Nana and Aunt Diane came over to have dinner with Mamaw and Papaw and the rest of the Anzalone family. Everyone had a good time catching up and relaxing. Tomorrow, Tracy does not have any "official" therapy but we all know that does not mean she will have a break. Dad and Felicia will work with her and she will spend some time on the CPM machine. She has progressed to 2 and a half hours, twice a day. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us that we are never give more than we can handle at one time. What good timing, when life seems so overwhelming and chaotic at times. "When we are "in the thick of it," overwhelmed by too many things that need our attention, it's important to remember that we are never given more than we can handle. When life's challenges make us question this, our best coping mechanism is to follow the reliable and well-known course to our calm center and anchor ourselves there. It is for these times that we have been practicing regularly, so that our mind, body, and spirit will know how to find the peace within. Even in the midst of seeming chaos, a deep breath can help us turn within to find the space to work from, the calm at the center of the storm." Lesson of the Day: Working From Center: In The Thick Of It!

Thursday, November 2nd, 2006: Tracy had another good night's sleep last night. This morning, Mom and Felicia showered Tracy and got her ready for the day. She still has her bilateral below the knee casts on, so she is getting a mini shower. She gets her casts off Monday, November 13th! This morning, Tracy visited with Mamaw and Papaw. It was a stormy day, raining nonstop for hours! Tracy spent an hour and a half on the CPM to range her right hip and knee. Her incisions are healing well. This afternoon, Mom, Tania, and Mamaw took Tracy to her 2 PM appointment with Dr. Alberico, the neuro-orthopedic surgeon who is managing her Baclofen pump. He decreased her Baclofen dosage by 17%, from 1002 to 833 micrograms per day. We hope this adjustment will help improve Tracy's alertness so that she can be more awake for therapy. We'll keep you posted. Tracy missed her Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU today, because the doctor was tied up in surgery and we did not leave his office until almost 4 PM. The weather was so bad that we decided to postpone Mamaw's hair appointment until tomorrow. Tomorrow, Tracy has Speech Therapy around 10:30 AM and will be re-evaluated by Dominic, her Physical Therapy coordinator around 2 PM. Mom will contact Pinecrest Outpatinet Rehab Center to make an appointment to get Tracy evaluated for outpatient therapy. The plan is for her to be transitioned into outpatient therapy over the next few weeks. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to be sensitive to the impact that we have on others throughout our daily encounters. "As the pace and fullness of modern life serve to isolate us from one another, the contact we do share becomes vastly more significant. We unconsciously absorb each other's energy, adopting the temperament of those with whom we share close quarters, and find ourselves changed after the briefest encounters. Everything we do or say has the potential to affect not only the individuals we live, work, and play with but also those we've just met. Though we may never know the impact we have had or the scope of our influence, accepting and understanding that our attitudes and choices will affect others can help us remember to conduct ourselves with grace at all times. When we seek always to be friendly, helpful, and responsive, we effortlessly create an atmosphere around ourselves that is both uplifting and inspiring." Lesson of the Day: Spreading Your Light: How You Affect Others Daily!

Wednesday, November 1st, 2006: Tracy slept well last night. This morning, Tania and Felicia bathed Tracy and got her ready for the day. This morning, Cindy, the nurse from Med Tech Home Health came by to check on Tracy. She was very pleased with Tracy's surgery incisions and how well they are healing. Then it was time for Speech Therapy with Patrick. He continued to work on Tracy's oral motor control. He tried several different flavors of frosting: chocolate and lemon. Even though Tracy was pretty sleepy, she moved her tongue several times and seemed to enjoy the frosting. Who wouldn't like a spoonful of frosting? Tracy had a little break and then it was time for Physical Therapy with Courtney. Because Tracy was so sleepy, Courtnry ranged Tracy in her chair. Mom thinks Tracy's Baclofen dosage needs to be decreased. She put a call into Dr. Alberico to discuss this with him. After PT, Tania fed Tracy her tube feeding which she vomited right back up! It may have been vestibular related from increased head movement during her Physical Therapy session. Mom decided to give Tracy the a break from her CPM and let her rest for the remainder of the day. We are all enjoying Mamaw's visit! Papaw arrived safely this evening and everyone had barbecued ribs from Bone Fish Macs. They were delicious. Tomorrow, we plan to take Mamaw to Town Center to get her hair done and then Tracy has 4 PM Speech Therapy with Marissa and Lisa at FAU. We'll let you know how that goes. We are all very hopeful that 2006 will bring great improvements and many miracles to Tracy and our family. Many thanks to all of you who continue to pray for Tracy's recovery! Please keep those prayers and powerful wishes coming Tracy's way! Take a look at today's daily OM. It teaches us how to be fully present in the moment. "When we are fully present, we offer our whole selves to whatever it is that we are doing. Our attention, our integrity, and our energy are all focused in the moment and on the task at hand. This is a powerful experience, and when we are in this state, we feel completely alive and invigorated. This kind of aliveness comes easily when we are absorbed in work or play that we love, but it is available to us in every moment, and we can learn to summon it regardless of what we are doing. Even tasks or jobs we don't enjoy can become infused with the light of being present. The more present we are, the more meaningful our entire lives become." Lesson of the Day: Summoning Your Aliveness: Being Fully Present!