Isabella... we need to pray

And now an update on Isabella... I spoke with Stephanie tonight extensively and then Jenny for a bit. Jenny is asking that prayers for physical healing be focused on Isabella. I believe that she (Jenny) is acutely aware of the situation now and her heart is grieving through much emotion and confusion...
She got to sit in on a conference call with Matthew and Isabella's doctors. This was very difficult for her because she was hearing the prognosis straight from the doctor rather than through a family filter. The doctor told Jenny that Matthew explains things to her more positively than they really are. Isabella has been labeled as a child with a severe brain injury. Her frontal (critical thinking/right vs. wrong/decision making/personality characteristics) and temporal (short term/long term memory) lobes were damaged. They are not saying that she will not recover 100%, but they are not being very positive about it. We need to pray for a miracle.
Jenny is asking that everyone's prayers go to Isabella, that her brain will be healed, that it will reroute itself like it needs to, that she will have her Isabella back. We know that Jenny will heal completely one day with time; now let's pray the same thing for Isabella.
Honestly, we have been having trouble expressing how to talk about Isabella because everything is so unknown. She is advancing better than they thought she would up to this point, but she is not yet recognizing people or is at least not verbalizing it. She is not stating anyone's name. She is crying when she sees her twin. They have said that her eyes are open but that she is basically still asleep.
This week, Isabella will have another swallowing evaluation. It is scheduled for tomorrow or Thursday. Pray that she will be able to swallow. She is not showing that natural reflex as of right now. Please pray specifically for that. She is uncomfortable because the feeding tube is clogging her up.
Jenny is requesting PLEASE NO VISITORS FOR ISABELLA. ABSOLUTELY NONE. She needs no stimulation. The doctors are not allowing even Aleacia and Sophia to come anymore.
Jenny is going to need a lot of help emotionally through the rest of the ideal. She is not on as much pain medicine, so her mind is more aware of the situation. She is dealing with a lot of guilt and anger and her heart hurts terribly for her sweet Isabella. She wants so badly to be with Isabella, but it is not possible right now. Please pray for continued miracles on Isabella's behalf. Pray for God to wrap His arms around my sister in a tangible way and grant her a peace only He can give, one that is beyond all understanding...

Tuesday, July 21st Update

Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Today was Jenny's first full day of rehab. They worked her very hard of course, including two sessions of occupational therapy (daily stuff) and two sessions of physical therapy. She also had a psych therapy session. She was unsure about that, but was glad that he came after the fact. He was a Christian and shared a Bible verse with her (included above) She is dealing with a lot of anger and guilt which is very natural. He shared with her what she would be experiencing over the next few months. She recognizes that she has a lot to work through and is willing to have help.
As of 8:30 p.m., she was still waiting for the surgeon to come and fix the screw in her mouth.
Also, Melissa came today. They had their pictures taken together in their wheelchairs. They were able to sit outside in the sun for about half and hour and that felt good to her. She got to sign Melissa's cast, 'Whoops, my bad! Love, Jenny.' She was able laugh with her two good friends, Beki and Melissa. Jenny said her ribs really hurt now, but it was way worth it!
Finally, Jenny wants also to communicate that she would be alright with brief visits from close family and friends after 3:00. She mentioned that she still needs much rest, but a quick hello might be a good way for her to focus on something else.
Oh, and she wants you to know that liquid pasta, pureed meatloaf and liquid broccoli are never good decisions...

Mom and her grandbabies

My mom says she wants 20 grandbabies out of the four of us. I think a bathtub full is a good start... You can see the twins here and also Sophia (on the left). Precious!

The best end to this day...

I was driving home from a friend's house this evening. I had called my mom to get the blog update. She was with Jenny at the hospital. Anyway, we did our thing. She hung up the phone and it rang one minute later. I answered. It was my sister. I could tell that she was talking through clenched teeth, but it was her! It felt so good to hear her voice. I heard it a bit before I left Ohio, but it was very different. Tonight, she sounded more like herself. She cried a little bit of course. There was not much left unsaid between us... She moved to rehab today. She will have the wire (actually it is a screw in her jaw that is too large) fixed tomorrow. They will give her anasthetic and either unscrew it a bit or replace it with a smaller screw...
My mom got to spend time with Isabella this afternoon. She took Aleacia and Sophia to see her. I think it was a bit much for Bella. Mom said that she may have been overstimulated. She cried a lot while they were there.
Thank you for all of you who are praying for this family. God continues to show His hand of healing and mercy to each of them. I will post when I know more again...

Sunday Evening, 9 days later

Jenny had a better night last night. She rested better and was having a better day today until one of the wires inside her mouth popped. It is in between her teeth and tongue in the back left corner of her mouth. It was cutting into her tongue, so she was waiting for the oral surgeon to come and evaluate that situation. I spoke to my dad a few minutes ago and as far as he knew, the surgeon had not been in.
She is expected to move to rehab in the next few days.
Isabella was able to take a nap with her daddy today, "wrapping" her arms around him. She tried to mouth a few words, but nothing came out. She did grab at the nurse with her right arm. This is great news because she has not yet shown much control/strength on the right side of her body. She pointed correctly to a few pictures the therapist provided. They readjusted her feeding tube today and Matthew expected that they would soon be in to test her swallowing once again.
Thank you for tuning in. I will be sure to keep you posted when anything new arises. 9 days later, time is still passing. Healing is coming, slowly but surely. Thank you for praying. God bless you all.

It has been just over a week since my sister's accident. I am still astounded at God's power in protecting them all and sparing their lives. I understand that although I am, as everyone else I am sure also is, still reconciling God's purpose. One thing I do know is this: there is one. Our praise team at church did a concert a few months ago. They sang a song entitled, "We will Remember." I wrote about it to my Bible Study girls in April. Truly, from the first time I heard it, it moved me. It is so perfect for the events in the last week, and I would be amiss if I didn't share with it you....

I sang it through tears in my car ride to Ohio when I didn't know the outcome of four precious lives. I sang it through my head as I watched my sister struggle in pain, questioning. I have been singing it all week. Simply put, it is about deliberately stopping, remembering, and praising God for all He has done and provided in our lives. In this instance, God provided a hand of protection, sustaining four dear lives in a time when despair seemed looming. I have included the lyrics below. I for one will choose to stop, remember, and praise Him for the works of His hands. It was His hands that preserved life last Thursday, June 9th...

We will remember. We will remember.
We will remember the works of His hand.
We will stop and give Him praise, for great is His faithfulness!
He's our creator, our life sustainer, our deliverer,
our comfort, our joy. Throughout the ages,
He's been our shelter, our peace in the midst of the storm.
With signs and wonders He's shown His power.
With precious blood He showed us His grace.
He's been our helper, our liberator, the giver of life with no end!
When we walk through life's darkest valleys we will look back
at all He has done and we will shout 'Our God is good'
and 'He is the faithful one!'

He created us, loved us enough to do so. He sustains us, even when we feel like we aren't worth it. He delivers us from all things imaginable. He comforts us. He hides us in the cleft of His shoulder and keeps us near His heart when we are passing through a shadow. He sees every single tear and catches them in His bottle. He desires to hold us closely. He is our source of joy, filling us past our brims… When the sea gets rocky, He is there just like He was for the disciples. He is in the boat with us! And the most unbelievable bit of it all is that He reveals to us His grace spilled on a cross by choice. He went silently, in humility, empty, to be a perfect sacrifice for us, something we could never do ourselves. He helps us, yes, even liberates us. He is the great emancipator and brings freedom to our lives. He is willing! He gives life unending! And finally, when we are so awash with life, with circumstance, with feeling, with question, with uncertainty, with harshness, He is beside us. In fact, He tells us in Psalm that He is not only beside us, He is before us and behind us and above us. When we are discouraged, He is still there. When we are overwhelmed, He is there. When we are unsure, He is there! And when we emerge from the deluge, we will shout 'My God is a faithful God and He is good!'

I am ashamed to admit there have been many periods in my life when I have been ungrateful, unappreciative, just plain ignorant of what exactly God has done for me. I am choosing, in these moments, to stop, remember, and praise Him for being all of those things to my sister and her family.

I wanted to take you to this place with this song today. It has meant a lot to me and I needed to share. I don't know many details about what you may be going through, but I do know one thing. God is a constant, an absolute. He wants us as children. He esteems us, pursues us, and delightes in us. Let's be honest. Sometimes taking a step, moving one foot in front of the other is all we can do. Other times we find ourselves running to Him. Either way, get those feet moving! And while we are at it, let us not forget to fall on our faces before Him and thank Him, remembering the works of His hands in our lives.

I will be praying this week that we will each stop, be still, and see, really see, how He is moving, even in the midst of this moment right now, even when we might not be able to sense Him clearly. His grace is sufficient for every need we could ever encounter. He has enough reserve for all. On behalf of the Laird family, I am choosing to remember. Join me.

Update on the CT scan and x-ray

The results from Jenny's tests came in. She does have fluid in her lungs, but since she is not running a fever and her white blood cell count is up, they are not concerned. As time passes and she is able to begin to be more "up," her lungs should return to normal. She does, however, have more broken ribs on the right side of her body (this would explain the bumps they found yesterday). They separated from her sternum. She has also started drinking ensure, so that will give her some calories.
I will write more when I hear an update on Isabella's day.