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Delight in the Lord and give Him thanks.

On Tuesday Stephanie had her first appointment with Dr. Garcia, her new rehab doctor (the previous doctor left the Valley to take a directorship position in Mississippi). She (Dr. Garcia) was very thorough and all went well. She tested her leg strength and balance and asked questions about her TBI (traumatic brain injury). Her leg strength is good and, as we well know, Stephanie has made remarkable progress. Though Dr. Garcia recommended that we discontinue physical therapy until Stephanie's back brace comes off later this year, she strongly suggested that Stephanie continue to be active and stay in shape. Questions about her cognitive wellness (that is, her brain after the TBI) got pretty down and dirty -- Dr. Garcia really laid it on the line. She wasn't ugly or unprofessional about it, she just said it the way it is and got down to business. With a whole-body approach to rehabilitation, she feels it is very important that we heal Stephanie's whole body and help her to become the person she wants and deserves to be.

Since Stephanie did suffer a traumatic brain injury and is showing signs of mild to moderate brain damage and wants to return to school and work, Dr. Garcia referred her to a speech therapist. No, there is nothing wrong with her talking, per se, but speech therapists work on the behind-the-scenes stuff that forms the words you say; what you remember and how quickly you respond, and a few other things that go on in your head. With a call to our insurance case manager from Dr. Garcia herself, the rehab facility at VBMC, and Heather all on the same day, the insurance company gave an immediate approval for an evaluation (they normally do not approve speech therapy referrals).

We visited with the speech therapist, Mrs. Wilson, yesterday. She has 12 years' experience with mild to moderate brain injury patients and, after reviewing her file and meeting Stephanie, is excited to be working with her. Mrs. Wilson, Stephanie and Heather met, talked, and Stephanie was tested on a variety of tasks for evaluation. Preliminary results show that, yes, Stephanie has (1) difficulties with her short term memory, as we suspected, as well as (2) attention and concentration, (3) processing verbal information, (4) rate of thinking and responding, (5) organization of thoughts, (6) problem solving, (7) abstract thinking, and (8) reasoning. Though this seems like a lot, we are very blessed that she does not experience headaches, confusion, aggression or problems with impulse control, which are additional characteristics of TBI patients.

Our insurance company normally does not approve of speech therapy treatment after the evaluation. But Dr. Garcia and Mrs. Wilson both see a need and vowed to fight for Stephanie. In the mean while, we prayed. Again, we are blessed with a wonderful medical team and a superb insurance case manager!! We got approval this morning for continued speech therapy treatment! Our next appointment with Mrs. Wilson is Monday.

Mrs. Wilson and Dr. Garcia have recommended that Stephanie delay returning to school until the fall. This will give her an opportunity to learn techniques to compensate for her new cognitive obstacles. Without therapy or some way to overcome the limitations of her brain injury, it is highly possible that she would not succeed in school and would not achieve her career goals (to be a physical therapy assistant). However, it is likely that once she has completed 4-6 weeks of speech therapy, she will be able to make grades as good as or better than her previous academic attempts. Though Stephanie is disappointed at the additional delay, we all agree that this is a good idea. This will help prepare her for success - instead of failure.

Physically, all is well. At the end of this month we will again visit with the neurosurgeon and the trauma surgeon for x-rays and follow-ups on her spine and hip. Her restrictions remain intact: no lifting more than 10 pounds, no sitting up beyond 30 degrees without her brace, no twisting, jumping, or bouncing. Her use of pain killers is rare, thank God.

Please continue to be in prayer for our family. Bill has begun his seasonal work at the family farm, which is not as steady or as profitable as bus driving, and has been reassigned to the airport fire station, which sees relatively no action. Heather has applied for teaching positions at 6 area school districts and for 2 positions at VBMC and continues to work to build her Creative Memories clientele. If she is unable to secure a job, she will return to substitute teaching in August. She is also having some health concerns and we hope that they can be resolved soon - but we anticipate a major procedure and rehab is on the horizon. Stephanie is applying for part time positions around town in hopes of saving for school and helping with household and medical bills, but her primary focus remains healing of mind, body and spirit. Robert has left to spend his summer in Houston, which is always difficult for us, but especially so this summer. Megan is having the hardest time with it and asks daily if it is time to go to the airport to pick him up. Please pray for her as she tries so hard to understand the events of the last 5 1/2 months in her 4 year old mind.

Please pray, also, for those who were involved in our journey, whether by default or choice: Witnesses and bystanders; EMT technicians, fire fighters, and police officers; truck drivers, tow-truck personnel and pilots; physicians, technicians, nurses, therapists and social workers; billing clerks, case managers, and insurance adjustors; judges and court personnel; family of patients in neighboring rooms; Bible study and prayer groups; church personnel and congregations; rental car and airline agents; friends, family and acquaintances; named and nameless contributors; and readers of our updates. It has been a long journey, but we are only half-way there. Thank you, all of you, for everything you have done and continue to do. We thank the Lord regularly for you.

Bill & Heather Adair