MRI/cat update

Glenn and Abe went to Seattle for the day. An animal shelter on the Seattle side accepted both cats. Cali may even have a new home. Angel on the other hand does not do well with change so she is on hold to be observed before being an "adoptable" cat. I honestly don't know if I ever want another animal ever again. It caused a lot of stress and strain and I don't want to go thru that again. I would love to get Abe a therapy dog, a chocolate lab actually, but not if we would ever need to get rid of him or her. I had no idea it would be that much trouble it would to find a new place for the cats. Before we ever get a dog for Abe I would definitely want to make sure that no one in the family is allergic. Glenn and Abe had a blast in Seattle even with an MRI and flu shot for Abe. The MRI showed no change in the subdural hematoma so he does not have to see neurosurgery for 1 year. This is awesome news. They went to Mcdonalds twice in one day too since traffic was horrible. My bleeding and pain has decreased since I have been resting and the fighting has lessen. Abe says "ball" now and is proud of himself. He carries a ball around the house saying "ball, ball, ball". So much for a kid that was supposed to be in a vegetative state if he survived. Thank you God for blessing our family with such a beautiful and smart boy.

Cats

We took the cats to the Kitsap Humane Society and they refused to take them. Apparently they really do REQUIRE an appointment if you are taking them in. This has caused a ton of stress on our family that I honestly can't say that by Christmas we still even be a family. We fought non stop all day. I had my surgery last week and it has not been very fun. I had tons of vomiting post op and now due to all the stress and not resting I have post op bleeding. I have talked to my doctor on the phone but have not been seen yet. I have not really explained to him just how much bleeding there is. I don't want to burden Glenn any more than I already have. If I had known how much of an inconvenience I was I would have never had the surgery. Glenn has had to do my job plus his and care for me too. This surgery has knocked me down more than the gallbladder surgery this past January. My mother is here but she is not familiar with my stove, oven, washer/dryer, where to put stuff ect. She has helped put away clothes with my assistance and feed Abraham or cuddle with him. The sample they took straight from my bladder showed no signs of infection therefore the pocket they removed was the source of the infection. It was sent off to be checked for cancer. I should know the results and get this urinary catheter out next week then I won't be a burden to anyone because I should be able to fully care for Abe. The MOPS ladies have been wonderful, they have brought us dinner which has been a huge blessing. I just ask that Glenn and I have prayer or our marriage won't make it to December. On a more positive note Abraham is doing beautifully in the new house. He is more mobile and able to communicate some of his needs. It also appears his vision has improved. However if there is stress in the home or ends up with parents that are no longer together this progress probably won' t be a strong. Glenn and Abe are on their way to take the cats to a shelter that will take them for a fee on our part. Then Abe has an MRI and neurosurgery. I just pray his VP shunt is working properly because I don't think our family could handle it if he needed a revision. Oh VP shunt revisions are very, very common and almost unheard of not to need them.

32 months

As most of you know another military family was selected for Extreme Home Make Over. We appreciate all the support we had with nomination letters, help with video and video editing. God did answer prays and open a new door for us. We purchased a brand new construction home that is the next best thing to EHMO. We even put in the offer prior to the steps being put in at the front door therefore the builder put in a cement wheelchair ramp that meets ADA code and a wood ramp in the garage. We absolutely love our new home. Abe has made tremendous progress as well. He sits up on knees now, crawls on all four extremities on occasion rather than army crawls. He also sits on his butt but with his knees curled back but he can stay like that for a long time. He signs "want", says "go, go" to Glenn when he sits in his Rifton high low chair. The inside joke to "go, go" is Glenn spins him around so Abe looks him straight in the eye and says "go, go" when he really should be eating. Also when respite had Abe the other night, he saw us leave and he said "go, go" and got very upset since he was staying home. For parents that have children birth to kindergarten check out "readyforkindergarten.org". They offer free parent classes on how to prepare your child for school plus a free notebook with information, tote bag and learning toys for your kid. Not cheesy toys either, nice toys. Not all school districts offer it but I would highly recommend it. I realized I was not counting with Abe enough or showing him colors, shapes, ect. Glenn posted the alphebet strip on the wall and I got a banner with colors at the dollar store, like what a teacher would post in the classroom that he put up in Abe's hallway and room. Yes Abe has his own room now, finally and we don't have to worry about where the sleep safe bed will go, his wheelchair or his Rifton high/low chair (like a high chair but for bigger kids). We are not completely out of the old house but are almost there. We plan to sell it but renting it out would work too since we currently have 2 houses to make payments on now. I have surgery in a week so I really want to be done with my all the cleaning of the old house. We have the main area near the front door left, back patio and front porch including the yard left. The cats are still looking for a new home too and will probably need to be out soon. I registered them with PAWS in July and no information yet. I am not sure how long this will take but we can't sell or rent it if they still live there. I spent some time cleaning the other night and Glenn walked thru with Abe in his arms. I have noticed Abe coughing lately so he might be allergic to cats or it may have been all the vacuuming and dusting or a combination of all of it. Please pray my surgery goes well, we sell our home and Cali and Angel (cats) find a loving home. They know something is up. They both followed me to the front door when I left tonight. That is all for now. I feel so blessed that Abe is doing so well. I think neurosurgery will be impressed. They see him this month and he has changed tremendously since they last saw him 1 year ago.