Friday

I am sitting here with my sisters Jenny and Jessica. It was so good to see and hug my sister today after being away for three weeks. She looks just as good as I thought she would. I will get a picture posted soon for all of you...
Isabella is working hard at therapy every day. She has an expected release date of September 2nd, but depending on her progress, she may come home earlier. She would still follow up with intense outpatient therapy. School for at least the beginning of the year is still very much up in the air. She will have issues upon returning, for example being restricted in physical activity in order to keep her brain safe.
She goes to physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, school, speech therapy, music therapy, and massage therapy (every day!). She does at least 6 hours of therapy total each day. She struggles with identifying objects and people, short term memory, recall and understanding her situation. My dad was able to spend the day with her today and travel to her therapy sessions with her. At the end of the afternoon, they had a time when the kids could ask any questions they wanted. Isabella asked "What state are we in?" You can see that there are many pieces that still need to come together. She has not yet realized that she was in an accident or why she is in the hospital. She hasn't asked. That realization will be a natural progression in her healing down the line. On a positive note, she is reading and doing math problems. She can look at pictures of her second grade classmates and can identify first and last names, yet she can't recall what she had for breakfast without prompting.
We are learning that the brain is an intricate organ. Depending on point of injury, there are parts/functions that can be affected while others are not hindered in the slightest. The doctors are positive because of her age and the fact that her brain is still growing that her brain will be able to affectively reroute itself and completely recover what was lost.
She knows all of us and our names. She is just still seeming confused and hazy. She is, however, leaps and bounds beyond where the doctors expected her to be at this point. Give glory to God.
She has been upgraded to a regular diet! She can eat it all and she is. She is all grins and giggles. I have a picture of her smile to post. I am not at home right now, so I will do so when I have access to a scanner. Thank you all for being so faithful. Intercede. My sister says hello and thanks you with tears.