Friday Evening, July 6th

All in all a very good and positive day for everyone. Nancy and I had a good prayer and positive talk today and reenergiged one another and our commitment to Allie and her Full Recovery. It's refreshing to feel so energized and dedicated to giving her all of our time all of the time. We are convinced that being with her all of the time has made a huge difference in her recovery.

The team psycologist brought me some great reference material for brain trauma and I really appreciate the way she has helped me both mentally (I think I made that word up).

Allie really did well today having less and less anger throughout the day. When I got here this morning she was already up and wathcing TV. She was happy to see me and was great for the first 45 minutes and then she got mad and told me to leave. It odd, she tells you to go but in her eyes, voice and actions that she really doesn;t mean it but and you feel bad becasuse you can almost sense her frustration like she knows what she did was wrong but she can not figure out how to stop it ande get you to come back. It's sad!

She had or la4 therapy sessions and is doing well in each of them. She having trouble reading but she is figuring it out. There is a long way to go. Every day new things come up for us to think about, small things like learning how to cross the street or give money in a store or any number of things.

We went for a ride in the car today. I had the top down on the convertable and the day was beautiful but how. My first mistke. Allie is not good in the heat. I wanted to take her to the pet store to look at the puppies but on the way there she got very aggitated and did not want to go in the store and boy was she mad at me. I took her back to the rehab, brought her to room and went out for two hours - it was great!!! Went to the bookstore and sat in silence. Ahhhh silence.

Physically our girl is in great shape and all the rest is coming - Never a Doubt. Allie wanted me to let you know that we are having chocolate ice cream and that it is great.

So have a great night and have some ice cream.

Allie's Dad

Thursday Evening, July 5th

HI Everyone

The day finishes with the return of Chatty Kathy. Somewhere during the course of the afternoon Allie returned to her sweet self - she still has moments when she gets a little mad and sends me out of the room but I leave for 10 minutes and come back and all is well and forgotten.Wahoo!!

I am sitting with her right now and while she is talking nonsense incessently she is being so funny and happy.

This afternoon we went to what they call "Hang Out" at time when all of the patients get together and do arts and crafts. I made Allie a really cool necklace and another woman made her a bracelet - then I went to Publix and bought some mini pasteries, so all is really good.

SO all in all a good day and another prayer answered. She is getting better everyday even when it doesn't seem like it to us. We will never be foresaken now will we. Full Recovery - Never a Doubt. I also met a very cool woman today who is an Recreational Therapist who works for the hospital but runs for the something called the West End Co-op, a marketing company here in Greenville that makes tee-shirts and other marketing products - their number one seller is their cookies. The realy great part is that is run totally by people who have brain injuries - totally, 100%!!! Now that's awesome and you can bet that that is where we will order all of our products from. If you order promotional or need t=shirts check them out at www.westendcoop.com and her name was KIMO.

Peace and Recovery,
Allie's Dad

Thursday, Morning, July 5th

GOD MORNING! How interesting, I started out typing good morning and and that is what came out. How wonderful and what a special way to greet the day.

Well I had my moment of doubt and I feel stronger and more cleansed by it because I allowed it to happen for a moment, I shared it with thousands who care and I was uplifted in prayer and the healing words of you all. Thank you and God Morning.

Allie is in therapy right now and now I am in the rec room. As I enter the day with gratitude in my heart I know that this phase will pass - when? In his time and we are OK. FULL RECOVERY - NEVER A DOUBT. Is she still being abusive - you bet but that's OK - instead of waiting in her room, I wait in the rec room.

Good passage this morning that helped - "Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." Romans 12:12

We are so joyful because we have have so much hope and that is the essence of Full Recovery. Interesting but all one has to do to have gratitude in thier lives is walk around this place for a day or read the newspaper. Right now there is a three year old girl in the ICU that got hit in the head with a branch that fell 30 - 50 feet from a tree while they were visiting the zoo yesterday or the little girl that had both of her feet cut off wile on a ride at the amusement park the other day and these are only a few of the people we need to rally around and pray for.

The more positive energy we put out on others, the more that is returned to us. So thank you all for your positive thoughts and energy - it will be returned to you 100 fold.

Right now Allie just walked by with her therapist. She was holding a bag of laundry and was heading to the laundry room. What a blessing, we have never been able to get her to laundry at home so this really is progress. God is good, maybe next she will make her bed, that would really be a miracle!!!!

In love and blessings,
Allie's Dad

Wednesday Addendum, July 4th

As I was leaving Allie tonight it brought so much sadness to me. I was sitting in her room doing the blog and I thought she was in the bathroom, however, when I finished I went to look for her and she was gone. She NEVER leaves her room alone so when I found her watching TV with another person in the rec room it caught me by suprise. The hard part is just the sadness of seeing her in her pajamas sitting in a hospital rec room and sadly, almost seeming like she belonged there. It made me think that that could possibly be how she spends the rest of her life - in her pajamas, in the rec room with Nancy and I coming to visit. She just does not know when we are there or if we were there today and sshe eems to be OK when and if we are not. As I was leaving I said Goodnight Allie, I'll see you tomorrow and she just said OK (kind of dead panned)and turned back to the TV - that killed me.

Enough Sadness.
Full Recovery - Never a Doubt (but sometimes a thought)
Allie's Dad

Wednesday Evening, July 4th

Hi Everyone
Just a quick 4th of July note. Had a failry good day. Allie is being brutal with her words and it is very difficult to be around her at this time but we just stay calm and continue to love her - however right now it can be hard and we have had to take some breaks here and there. We are now sleeping back at the Ronald McDonald House - thank God as being in the room for two weeks and together 27 hours a day can make you crack.

Through out all of this new phase we just continue to love and encourage her. Nancy is taking a break and going home for a few days while i stay here with her. A much needed rest.

We took Allie out in town today and took her to the Mellow Mushroom, a favorite pizza place of ours and all went fairly well. Salad and pizza - what could be bad?

Today was a rediscovery of emotions and the feelings of extraordinary love. Our friends and patients and towns people rallied around during the 4th of July celebration at a booth we had up during the street fair to find out how Allie was doing and to give well wishes, love and support. I can not believe how much people (especially in our small town) will rally for one another and help a neighbor in need. These people spent their entire day working a booth for Allie and then thanked us for allowing them to have the experience - how can you not cry. Thanks everyone, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today we have so much to celebrate.

Allie's Dad

Tuesday Evening, July 3rd

Hi Guys

Good to be back. Sorry I missed last night but all is well today and when I got here this evening it seemed that ALlie was better than ever. A few of her friends were here and they were just chatting. She looked up and me and smiled, the last thing I expected to see.

Allie is currently in a phase of recovery where she can be very mean and she has been focusing that on Nancy for the last few days, who bless her heart has been a true hero in this ordeal. It' salway the mother they seem to attack and I can understand how frustrating that can be for Nancy. Let's all send her a big smile and a hug.

The Allie I see tonight after being away for two whole days, the longest so far is one who has grown immensly. She seemed relaxed and comfortable. She was dressed in sweats with her grey PACE sweatshirt on and looked like your normal teenager who is just hanging out with some friends. Her hair is growing in nicely and she looks great. Her therapists all say she is continuing to improve and her night nurse JUDY (a doll) smiled at me when I came on the floor, looked at me and said she is doing great.

We know this phase will pass I just hope and pray that it will be quick.

We will take Allie out again tomorrow and it was suggested by the doctor that we take her home for a few hours, while this may sound great it poses some serious issues for us that we may not yet be able to handle, such as, what is we can not get her to come back? She is strong and willful and it could get upsetting for everyone so I think we will wait on that for now.

I would like to thank my good friends Michele and Marla (The FLYLADY) for all of their help and advise in getting Full Recovery fully off the ground and all of our good friends in Brevard who will be representing Full Recovery with a booth at the Annual 4th of July Celebration, Allyson and all of Allie's friends and our friends and patients. Your love truly is whats good in the world.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Love and recovery,

Allie's Dad

Monday Morning, July 2nd

Sorry I missed the blog last night - computer trouble, but here we are this morning with a recap.

Yesterday was Allie's big day out. We were supposed to go out in the morning but she was not up for it - we had to give her a sedative the night before in order for us to take the staples out of her head. When her friend Kristen showed up around 1:30, Allie decided it was time to go go we loaded into the car and went for our first outing to downtown Greenville, SC. We walked on Main Street for a while and then went over to the river. Allie still has a very hard time with short term memory so was confused as to where we were going and what we were doing. After a while she got hot and was ready to go back. That was cool, we made it out for around 2 hours. When ever she gets hot or uncomfortable she likes to fall back to the security of her room - don't we all.

Her friend Kristen is a doll as are all of her friends. I showed Allie a bunch of pictures I had on my computer and it was great to see them begin to jog her memory. It started when she saw a picture of our 4 dogs and she could name all of them, then she saw other pictures of cousins and while she could not come up with their names, she immediately knew she was related to them, she did know my sister Roni and when she saw my brother Kenny she knew I was related to him. Positive momentum - never a doubt.

Allie can get a little snippy from time to time and we are trying to figure out how much is healing process and how much is teenage??????????? Either way you just tell her you love her, walk away for a moment, collect your thoughts, come back and all is well again.

It's quite incredible, I go back and walk through the ICU aiting room every other day and it is a never ending cycle of people in the most unbearable amount of pain, each family in their own little corner hovering together for strength and I feel so much empathy for them. At this time in Allie's recovery I do not feel that kind of pain anymore but I like to remember it. Unless it has been you child, friend or family member it's hard to imaine how numb these people are and how much love and direction they need, that is one of the reasons I keep my head shaved as a reminder of how precious life is and how much we can all help others, wheter if it's a smile or doing volunteer work or just giving someone a hug.

I know how blessed my family is with Allie's recovery - she was not supposed to make it but God has a higher purpose for her and I believe for everyone who has kept up with this blog as each of us are touched by it - some in a good way some maybe not in so good a way but either way it has a life changing effect.

To those of you that have supported us during this time - thank you.

Have a Great Day
Check out this website - it has an Article on Allie's Graduation - go to: www.mtnvoice.com and click on Feature Article 1

Allie's Dad