Tuesday, September 28, 2010

He is a go...

our doc said he was not concerned with the stitches area and so Sam is a go for football.

Mom on the other hand is still a wreck about it... will I ever be okay with this football thing!? Sometimes I really wonder... sigh

So tonight is his first practice that he won't be red shirted (which means he can be tackled now)

BUT I told him if he so much as even sees stars...

If it really hurts or he gets a headache...

If there is ANYTHING out of the norm...

he is to get off the field and check in with a coach.

I am going to have so many gray hairs and Albert will be needing an overdose on the apple cider vinegar...

sigh... I know all will be fine and Sam is in God's hands. It will be well...

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Patience is a virtue...

or so I am told-- but the hard part is getting a teen to learn and realize it!

Sam is so irritated by not getting to play football until we see the doctor that I made an appointment with our regular doctor for Monday to see if he is good to go yet. He is 'chompin' at the bit to get out there and it is driving me crazy--I know it isn't a far drive either!  We won't be seeing the neurologist until mid Oct. and he is not willing to wait that long.

We will be starting our annual trips to the TBI meetings soon too (one more thing added to our weekly roster of running). I think we will be only going to the Dauphin meetings this year unless we have a reason for the Brandon ones -- like being in Brandon on the day of it. It is just too much running and driving for me. I am so tired these days that I find my level of patience is wearing to onion skin thinness... ahhh the life of a mom! ☺

I am trying a few new 'tricks of the trade [motherhood]' with Sam and his memory for things and for his sleeping health. We are propping up his bed with cinder blocks to help him with the sleep issues (still nothing new on that front) and for keeping his room cleaner (dust, dirty laundry etc) I am going to give him an extra 15min. on the phone each night as an incentive. Yes we limit our kids time on the phone, and the computer, wii, etc. -- meanies I know but in a house with 4 kids.. you figure it out.  So hopefully one or BOTH new 'ideas' will work!  (cross your fingers!)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Letter to Sam

My dear Samuel...

 I sit here in the room that is just down the hall from where you first stayed in 2 years ago. The sounds are the same, the sights are the same, and even the smell is the same.  You can feel it too because the look on your face is the same as it was when we were here before. You have a blank faraway look in your eyes; you are extremely quiet and withdrawn. You don’t eat much, talk much, smile much or laugh at all. It hurts my heart to see you like this again.

 There is a difference though this time in that we KNOW that things will not be different when we go home! The hard work of the trip home is done, trying to explain to people what happened is not something we need to do this time. This time we go home and after a few days or rest (and a few weeks possibly of rest from actual contact on the football field) our life will return to our normal routine. Your hair will grow to cover the scar and it will be like we were never here.

Once again there have been a number of people – friends and family- that have been praying for you. Their prayers have reached God’s ear and you are doing so well medically and physically. I hope that with this journey we have taken you will always remember that God can and DOES perform miracles today! 

We sit and wait for the doctor to come in and tell us we can leave the hospital today! Only a day after your surgery! Hallelujah!  We will leave here and head to the Ronald McDonald House for the night so that we can have a good night sleep before we start out on our drive home. It will also be a bit of a buffer zone before we get 3 hours from the Children’s Hospital – something to make me feel better ☺.

I hope you also know Sam, that you are my hero. You are such an amazing kid. I don’t know of too many kids that would have handled this whole ‘adventure’ as well as you. I hope you never forget the amazing miracles you have experienced in these last few years and I pray that you will not be scared to share those stories with others as a testimony for God and how He is here with us!

One last thing, Sam is my verse that kept me going through all of this adventure with you:

 "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" Philippians 4:13

♥mom    oxo