Home . . . "Sweet!!"

It's New Year's Eve and all of you are probably getting ready or are already having a party. I stole away for a few minutes to give a little update on how things are going here.

She was dismissed fromm Shepherd Center yesterday at around noon. In one week's time we saw amazing progress with many patients there. People in wheelchairs were up walking, some who could not speak were saying words and even reading! As Dr. Kaelin said goodbye to Shea, he got down on one knee, as Shea was in her wheelchair, and looked her in the eyes. "I'll bet you're dying to get out of here, aren't you, Shea" Her response surprised us a bit. "No, not really anymore. I didn't think I was supposed to be here and couldn't wait to get out, but now I see all these people differently. They're alive in their bodies and are desperately trying to get out. This has changed me." He told her that this experience will definitely change her life. Wheelchairs and disabilities are not foreign to her anymore. Dr. Kaelin encouraged Shea to come back and volunteer once she is well. As we were wheeling Shea out of the Brain Injury Unit, James Shepherd in his red scooter rolled up. He wanted to say goodbye to Shea, and they had their picture taken together. He smiled at Shea and said, "This really is a miracle, Shea -- it's like you stopped in for a cup of coffee and you're already on your way out." How can we ever thank all of you for your many prayers for our little girl?

We got home and breathed a big sigh of relief. Are we really home for good? Luke and Jess kept asking Shea what she needed -- more pillows? blankets? a drink? Somehow we gathered around the kitchen table and decided to listen to the CD of the message our pastor, Chip Ingram, taught the Sunday after the accident. The passage was from Psalm 90. This was the only psalm that Moses wrote. Verses 1-2 "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Chip said, "God is great. We don't know His plan, but we should never forget in the dark what God has taught us in the light." We had a time of family prayer, prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for the Jones family as well. We were in awe -- all five of us -- home at last.

Shea tires easily, so soon she was in her own bed at last. She slept very well and seems to be improving by the minute!

Many of you remember my sister, Jeanne, who stayed in Macon for the month, tirelessly helping us. Her husband, Colonel Larry Burch returned from Iraq yesterday the same day our little "soldier" returned home to us. Welcome home, Larry!! We're so proud of you and thankful to have you back with us. There is much rejoicing in our family.

As we close 2005 we remember all of you who have walked with us and, at times, "carried" us through our dark days, Thank you for bearing our burdens and continuing to pray for complete healing of Shea's body.

Tomorrow is New Yea'r Day, and Shea's grandpa, Jerry Anderson, will be writing the blog. Since the death of our mom, our dad has been known to ask, "Have you ever seen a miracle?" Looking forward to hearing what you have to say, Dad.

Psalm 90: 14-17
"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.
May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us --
Yes, establish the work of our hands."

Happy New Year!!

The Hickoks

Homeward Bound!!

The computers were down here at the hospital until this evening so I finally wrote a pretty lengthy report. Unfortunately, I lost the whole thing when I tried to post it. And so it goes.

Dr. Kaelin came into Shea's room and announced that she will be dismissed from Shepherd Hospital tomorrow morning!!! "Joy comes in the morning"! We are thrilled to finally put hospital life behind us and get home. Shea looks forward to hanging out at home and sleeping in her own bed after six weeks.

We had many meetings today with all the therapists and doctors and got all the necessary supplies -- a wheelchair, walker, etc. We thought we would take Shea to a rehab hospital close to our home where she could spend a few hours a day and maybe three days a week, but after consulting with everyone, we decided to place her in Shepherd's Pathways Rehab. It is an intense rehab -- five days a week from 9-3. You can imagine Shea wasn't happy about that at all. When we were in Macon, Dr. Troup, the neurosurgeon saw that Shea did have spinal fluid at the frontal lobe of her brain. He suspected that she would have dificulty with her executive thinking skills, organizational skills, etc. Dr Dan, her neuropsychologist here, shared her test results with us today and said that Shea soared through the whole test except for this very area. She has been living in a very quiet and controlled setting for six weeks, and their desire is for her to get back to her normal life as soon as possible. At Pathways, they are very agressive and try to get you through their program quickly and thoroughly. Once Steve and I made the decision and explained it to Shea she was fine.

Today as we were eating lunch in the Group Room, a man on a red scooter came in. He rolled right up to us and introduced himself as James Shepherd. He is the reason the Shepherd Center began thirty years ago. He had a surfing accident in Brazil,and his parents had such a difficult time getting rehab care for him that a year after his accident they opened Shepherd Center with just six beds. He shared the details of his accident and encouraged Shea on her journey in rehab. Mr. Shepherd had heard of the miracle in Shea's body and wanted to meet her before she left.It's hard to believe that we're really going home tomorrow. We can't wait! Thanks again and again for all your prayers and comments. We are amazed at God's faithfulness to our family. Sometimes the days here get a little long, and oftentimes Shea will say, "Why don't we read the blog." We laugh and cry and, of course, everything seems much brighter again. Last night Shea looked at herself in a mirror and tried to work her facial muscles. She still can't raise her left eyebrow and has quite a bit of swelling on the left side (Shea told me to tell you this. She said, "Aunt Liz thinks I'm beautiful no matter what I look like, but she has to say those things about me -- she's my aunt"!!) Shea tried to smile and make it even on both sides -- she showed us where her teeth were missing -- "I'm not kidding, I look like a country farmer!" We laughed so hard we cried. It's great to see that she can laugh at her temporary situation. She's comfortable with family but is still apprehensive of other people seeing her. Just before I left to type this I asked Shea to move her muscles on her face as much as she could. She felt tingling in her left cheek and I saw a new flicker. We started to cry, and she said, "I feel like I'm being 'knit together' again. Please thank everyone for praying." It is beautiful to behold a miracle before our very eyes. Thank you thank you thank you.

I Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

With love and gratitude,

Steve and Susan

Hey Y'all From Atlanta

This is Shea’s Aunt Liz and I just spent Tuesday evening with Shea and 11 other family members including Shea’s cousin Sarah and her husband CJ who came from Boston. I hope Shea won’t mind if I give you a snap shot--she’s a “no pictures please” kind of star but inquiring minds want to know. Most of you haven’t been able to be here or see Shea and you want to SEE her for yourself, so I’ll do my best. Shea’s room is quite large but there isn’t much in it save for two beds and a couple pieces of furniture. There is the Christmas tree with the ornaments containing pictures of her salon work mates near her bed. Shea is sitting on her hospital bed in snazzy olive velour jumpsuit, with her colorful fleece blankets and her light up pillow from home. Don’t worry about previous blogs and the scary hair cutting story, Shea has plenty of hair to go around and though the sore on her head is painful, no one would ever know she lost any hair. Shea’s blond hair is shoulder length and has a nice wave at the bottom. Shea has a black Velcro strappy contraption from thigh to ankle on her right leg. The leg contraption bends at the knee. I managed to put my hand on Shea’s knee and rub her right foot at various points during my visit, both of which caused her to wince. Some of us are just drawn to the sore spots. Shea walks with a walker to take the pressure off of her sore left leg.

(Shea, I’m sorry sweet girl, but everyone wants to see your face) and I honestly tell you that if you didn’t know her well, you would only see a lovely young woman. If you know her well, you might notice a little swelling on her left cheek. After she chats with you a while you notice she has a piece of plastic in her mouth that gets in her way a little when she talks. Shea’s eyes are large and luminous and both look perfect, but she is quick to show you a tiny stitch at the corner or her left eye which you would never see if she didn’t point it out (why do we ladies do that?). We marveled today over the matching smile lines on both sides of Shea’s lovely mouth and Grandma Hickok dimple on the left cheek which just reappeared today. Shea’s nose is “perkier” than I remembered and will probably need some surgery to make it look like her old nose. The left side of Shea’s face is still numb but she felt a tear that fell down her cheek yesterday. As the numbness fades there is increased pain so that is an uncomfortable trade off, and her mouth is getting sorer.

There were matching smile lines on lots of faces this evening as Shea recounted as much as she could remember of the “big test” that was administered by the doctor’s today who were trying to find SOME kind of brain damage because that’s their job at Shepherd Center in the brain injury unit. In one test the doctor held up pictures and asked Shea what number from one to four the pictures reminded her of? When Shea told them the number the doctor claimed she was wrong, and that wasn’t the correct number to be reminded of. She asked the doctor what it was supposed to remind her of and he said he couldn’t tell her in case she ever had a brain injury again and had to be retested. Shea said she was thinking, “You’re worried I’m having another accident and that it would be a problem if I can remember the answer to this question????” Shea had us all laughing. Of course I’m not a neuropsychologist, but I think Shea’s mind seems sharp as a tack.
She said the questions seemed so weird but she tried hard not to laugh and to take it seriously because she wanted a good result so she could go home as soon as possible. When Shea goes home (which we pray is as soon as possible), she will come back to Shepherd’s on a daily basis for therapy of all sorts. It is very hard work, but Shea feels and looks like she is getting back into shape fast.

Susan and Steve are such an encouragement to the other patients and their families. They have befriended Paul (a young music lover about Shea’s age with similar injuries) and his parents. Susan walks the halls and visits with everyone she meets. Shea is so kind to each nurse, carefully calling them by name and thanking them for their care. The Hickok’s truly make any place they are better and brighter.

Susan has been sleeping on a mat on the floor beside Shea’s bed (42 nights away from home so far). One of the night nurses got quite a fright to find someone lying on the floor in the middle of the night. Steve has been staying in an apartment provided by Shepherd Center in downtown Atlanta (though tonight he’s going home to Jesse and Luke).

Those of you who have been following this wonderful saga know of Aunt Jeanne and we (John and Liz and the kids) are going to her house at Fort Stewart, Georgia tomorrow to see her and Uncle (Colonel) Larry who returns from Baghdad on Friday. What a wonderful family I married in to when I became an Anderson. Even the in-laws of my in-laws are incredible people (God bless Joy and David). And God has surely blessed us all in myriad ways, not the least or last of which has been in the literal reincarnation of our dear Shea.

Praises to the One who holds all things together,
Liz
(The following is part of what King Hezekiah said in Isaiah 38:15-20 after he recovered from a life threatening illness.) But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.

Somebody Pinch Me . . .

(This is a late report on Christmas Day in Suwanee. For Monday's report see the immediately preceding post.)

Our Christmas celebration in Suwanee yesterday had many of the traditional accoutrements. David Pippenger rustled up an incredible southern breakfast of homemade biscuits with sausage and gravy, the fireplace was glowing and Christmas music played in the background. But our clebration took a decidedly nontraditional turn when a miracle walked in the door around 3 o'clock. Shea always brightens a room but to see her on her feet and smiling on Christmas Day brought a special glow to our celebration. For all of us who have lived through this accident in person or via the blog we know there is no rational explanation for Shea's remarkable recovery. Sitting next to her at dinner Christmas night I couldn't help shaking my head in disbelief and thinking "Somebody pinch me so I know this is for real".

None of us could have asked or prayed for more. So we won't search for rational explanations; we'll just be thankful for all of your prayer and support and that we were able to witness a miracle. Shea is grateful and dumbfounded at this outpouring of support. That is just part of Shea's sweet spirit.

Shea will spend up to a week in Shepherd Center in Atlanta going through a battery of tests to confirm that there are no hidden pockets of brain injury that have gone undetected. Shea seems to find this at turns amusing and annoying and I know she would want us all to pray that she can quickly complete these tests and move to an outpatient program for any further physical therapy.

The black spot that Shea has been seeing in her left eye is now more reddish in color to her, which would seem to corroborate the doctor's view that this may be due to blood in the eye from the impact. With time we hope that these blood specks will be absorbed naturally by the body and Shea's vision returned to normal in that eye. We've asked a lot here so why stop now!

This was a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas for us. As my sister Kathy recently wrote: "Shea's accident helped in many ways to distill for me all that is really of value: family, friends, gratitude, love, health. It really gets pretty basic when the important things are valued. This Christmas will be the least perfect by many standards because we haven't had much time to prepare, but by all that is good, it will be the best." And indeed it was the best!

John Anderson

Less is More

Today was a day we were all looking forward to... but progress has its price.

The progress is that Shea had her trach tube reduced and her feeding tube removed, but only at the cost of quite a bit of discomfort. All family visitations (other than Steve and Susan) were called off as rest seemed to be the most pressing requirement.

Just a note... as we near the end of Shea's hospital stay, updates to the blog may not happen daily as we will only post when situations warrant. Having said that, we welcome your comments, even if there is no new post... as they are still a source of encouragement for Shea and the family.

We love you all.

All I Want for Christmas

Good Morning and Merry Christmas to all our family -- wouldn't you say we're all pretty much family by now?

Shea's time at home was beautiful for us all. She was very tired as we had spent four hours yesterday morning trying to comb out the rats in her hair. She has been lying on the back of her head for over a month, and we figured that the nurses, Steve and I have spent 15-20 hours trying to save her hair. After much pain and tears Shea finally asked me to go ahead and begin cutting. I hated to do it as her hair grows very slowly, but we had no choice. Hair was falling as were my tears, but I carefully cut away. As I got to her scalp I discovered a large bald spot with a 1-inch round sore. Puzzled, I asked the nurse about it. It's called a decubitus, a pressure sore or ulcer, just like a bed sore. Her hair, all matted together in the back, put all the pressure on her head causing hair loss and the sore. Poor girl, neither of us realized it was there, and I had yanked on her head in that area over and over. Shea couldn't understand why she couldn't take the pain anymore. As the last snarl was cut away, I couldn't help but think how symbolic it was -- sometimes we must cut away that which we love, but hinders, to bring true healing.

Monty, a respiratory therapist came to work with Shea. They talked together and Shea shared with him that she just doesn't feel like she belongs here in the brain injury unit. She was a little discouraged about her face and teeth, and he began to speak truth into her life. "Shea, maybe your purpose in being here is to be a blessing to all the patients who aren't clear in their minds like you are." He spent a lot of time encouraging Shea. She thanked him, and he said, "Shea, I'm just being obedient to God right now -- you need encouragement today, and I know you'll bless others during your stay here." Thank you, Monty -- you were an "angel."

John and Liz, Elliot, Laura and Charles finally arrived from Connecticut last night after a long Christmas Eve flight delay. We greeted them at the door, and then could see in their eyes, "Good to see you, but where's Shea?" There's no comparison, I know, but it reminded us of the anticipation the shepherds must have felt as they came to see baby Jesus for the first time. Shea was seated on the couch, and the family gathered around. They gently hugged her, and Aunt Liz knelt on the floor beside her. Through tears she told Shea that she just had to come witness for herself the miracle God had done in our family. Shea slept much of the time she was home, but we still partied softly around her.

On our trip back to the hospital, Steve said to her, "Honey, I'm so sorry this had to happen to you." She responded, "Don't be sorry, Dad. I'm so glad this didn't happen to Luke. This is God's plan for my life." "Did you have a great Christmas Eve?" I asked her. She answered with a smile, "Yes, but 'all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth'"!!!

Shea is sleeping now, and when she awakens we will head home to spend a few hours again enjoying a quiet Christmas with our family. We think of the Jones family as they are spending their first Christmas without Mike. In the midst of our joy, there is always this sadness that hovers in our hearts. I know there are cliche things that we can say -- He's not suffering -- He's in a better place -- but we wish he were here with us, because we loved him. We found a piece of paper by Luke's bed where he had written, possibly beginning lyrics to a song, "God must have really missed you." We do too, and we are remembering Mike's whole family today.

Luke 2:11
"For unto you is born this day . . . a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

May you cherish your families today, as we are.

Merry Christmas,

The Hickoks

Christmas Eve at home.

Yesterday we got the good news from Dr. Kaelin that Shea could come home for a few hours on Christmas Eve!!!! What a gift for our family! In order for us to bring her home, Steve and I had to take a refresher CPR class and also a Trach class. We had to rent a machine to clear her trach if there would be any blockages while we are away from the hospital. So today we came home with the machine, the walker, the wheel chair and best of all our sweet Shea.

We came home to a festive party! Uncle David, wearing his Santa hat, had "O Holy Night" playing on the stereo and tons of food covering the counters. Aunt Joy was upstairs frantically wrapping last-minute gifts and our sweet dog, Cali, greeted us with a light up Christmas collar! Luke, Jess and Jonathan greeted and helped Shea in the house. I haven't seen Luke smile that big for a very long time. His sister came home. Also, a big "thank you" to the Christmas elves who completely decorated our house with all our Christmas decorations. We didn't think we would be home yet, but I guess they did!! We are grateful for all of you.

John and Liz Anderson and their kids just called from the Atlanta airport -- "Don't get too deep into the party before we get there!" John said. So there is much to rejoice about in our family.

We return to the hospital tonight as Shea is not allowed to be away for very many hours. She's okay with it -- we're enjoying the time we do have together. And, by the way, they're also giving us a pass to come home Christmas Day as well!

"Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King -- His love endures forever!"

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone,

Steve and Susan

A Picture Share!

Shea's Christmas Tree

The friends that work with Shea brought her a Christmas tree complete with hand made decorations.

Here is a poem that was on one of the ornaments:

Angel Shea

Who would have known?
What a surprise!
We had an angel right before our eyes
Sweet, graceful, angelic face.
Never to hurt a soul.
Only to embrace.
Sadness has happened to bring us together.
To be there for Shea, our angel forever.

Written by - Jaime Hudson

First Day at Shepherd Center

We're a little behind in updating the blog as we have been busy nonstop for the last two days. Leaving Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit was actually very hard for us. The doctors and nurses became family to us. We knew the names of their kids, the churches they attend,their backgrounds, etc. Each nurse spent twelve hours shifts with Shea, and for the first few weeks they barely left the room. We can't begin to name names as we would forget to thank someone very special. Again, a big "thank you" to all our wonderful nurses in PICU. We had a beautiful farewell that afternoon. The nurses flooded Shea's room, and she received gifts and cards from all of them. We took pictures and received lots of hugs. Soon the paramedics came with the gurney and Shea was wheeled away. I was so happy that they allowed me to ride in the ambulance with her. She slept most of the way, and I visited with Bill and heard interesting stories of his thirty years of experience as a paramedic. Great compassionate guy.

Soon we arrived in Atlanta at Shepherd Center. On the sign out front it says, "A Catastrophic Care Hospital." I swallowed hard at the realization of our daughter's next experiences. I have to admit that it was a little scary as we rolled her upstairs to the double doors where overhead it reads," Acquired Brain Inujury Unit." Lots of wheelchairs, helmets, highly brain damaged people. We arrived in the late afternoon when most of the therapists had already gone home, so we sat quietly in her room for awhile. Dr. Kaelin came in soon after and welcomed us warmly.

Our first night was restful except for a young man a few doors down. He has an extreme head injury and screamed and yelled profanities over and over. That seemed a little creepy to us, especially at night, but I was so thrilled with Shea's response. "Oh mom, that poor man -- he can't help it,can he?" We prayed for that family -- how their hearts must break as they cannot yet reach their son's mind. We rejoiced that, by the grace of God, our daughter is fully here in mind. Shea may be moved to a more secluded room today where it will be quiet at night. Everyone here at Sheperd Center is very accomodating and wants to make our stay here as comfortable as possible.

Yesterday was filled with Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy. Many tests by the doctors as well. It was hard for Shea to wheel into the lunch area where each patient is brought their tray. The room is very quiet as most of the patients do not speak. Shea will be on a liquid diet for some time as she has so many wires and rubber bands in her mouth. She has a hard time speaking sometimes as the bands are pulling her mouth shut and there are still stitches inside. There is a plastic plate right at the front to leave space for her front teeth. There is still no feeling on the left side of her face, but we are seeing small flickers of movement close to her mouth. It's becoming harder for her to see herself in the mirror as her entire face is very swollen and, to her, somewhat distorted.

Last night, Luke and Jess, Uncle David, Aunt Joy and Jonathan (Shea's cousin) came to see her. She was very apprehensive about seeing anyone but was encouraged by their remarks as they had seen her at her very worst. I think it's comforting for her to have family here at the hospital. Jess handed Shea a Christmas bear to hug and then cuddled up to her himself. Luke sat on one side of her holding her hand, and Jonathan held her other hand. The first week after the accident, Jonathan was here and spent most of his time in Shea's room. He would come up early in the morning, pull up a chair by Shea's bed and rub her hand. They were swollen and ice cold. He always stayed until the nurses asked him to leave. Shea was quite emotional when we told her of her cousin's love for her.

Last night when everyone left the room we handed Shea her cell phone. I told her that her dad and I called many times during the last month just to hear her voice on her voice mail. She looked at all the messages and realized there was a text message from Mike that she had never gotten. It said ". . . no matter what happens, just remember that I'll always be there for you." Many tears followed.

Today was another busy day so we'll try to write more tonight. We are encouraged and blessed, but we know the road ahead is long. Shea keeps expressing her appreciation for all of you who are continuing to pray for her recovery. Again, we are overwhelmed by your continued interest and love.

"O, come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel."

Our love to you,

Steve and Susan

I saw a miracle today...

We will post a more complete message tomorrow... But after spending some time with Shea tonight... I can honestly say that the difference between today and three weeks ago when I saw her last - is nothing short of miraculous.

I read the blog to her and she wanted me to let you all know how much she appreciates you.

David

Goodbye Macon… hello Atlanta

Today Shea was released from ICU!

The PICU Macon hospital staff worked very hard to move her forward so that she can be home as soon as possible. The move from Macon to Atlanta was filled with much emotion. Shea and her family have experienced such deep friendship with those who have been with them in times of darkness.

Macon, thank you for all the TLC that you gave our sweet Shea and her family. We will remember your little town forever.

Our prayer request for Shea is that there will be a smooth transition as she starts rehab at Shepherds. The days are going to become more mentally and physically demanding, so please pray for endurance and strength. This will be Shea’s workplace, so we ask that people wait to visit her. Thank you so much for your prayers regarding pain management… this is an ongoing challenge for the medical staff as they assess her daily.

Shea has requested that you continue to pray about her left eye and that her full sight be restored. We received a second opinion about her eye, the doctor could see blood in the eye and is hopeful that the body will absorb it over time. At this point it is a matter of patience before we have it evaluated again.

Atlanta… our story continues.

We are so glad to be back... we await the blessings that are before us. Thanks to all of you who have been there to pray and walk this journey with us.

We wrap our arms around you.

Joy

"Sing to me Daddy"

This is the last day that Jeanne will be in Macon before the
holidays. Might I say, "Thank you Jeanne for being here for all of
the Hickoks and extended family. You have been here for such a long
time and you have always been there for us."

Our special prayer request of the day is for wisdom of pain
management. Nurses are trying to gradually take her medications down,
but it is a real challenge for them.

Today was a day of challenges for Shea. She rose to meet most of
them. Though sleep was hard to come by, she did what the therapists
and doctors asked of her. If I have learned one thing about being
here, it would be to understand the heart of a real warrior. Shea has
never taken the easy path. She has always asked of herself to do her
very best and even beyond that. I have fondly named her Shea Feather.
Though the tears of pain fall, she remains thankful and considerate
of others and when the pain seems greater than she can bear she rests
in arms of Jesus' name. The last thing that I heard her ask for
before she finally drifted asleep was, "Sing to me daddy about Jesus."

Thanks to all of you who pray in Jesus' name. We love you so much.

Joy

Monday in Macon

Shea's Monday began with brain function therapy. Aunt Joy worked with her on simple math, having her speak the problems, as well as writing them. The math problems became increasingly difficult until the nurses said Shea was way over their heads.

Later, the speech therapist joined them. It was soon obvious Shea had no difficulty with any task given to her. "Recite the months of the year--Good, now recite them to me backwards. Hmmmm...Repeat these numbers after me. . .2,8,10,5,4,2. OK, now repeat, 2,8,10,5,4,2,6. OK, now, 2,8,10,5,4,2,6,5."

Again and again, Shea responded correctly and sent the therapists on their way convinced she was fine -- no brain damage here. Indeed, they jokingly asked her what President was on the five dollar bill. One of her docs could not answer correctly but Shea was right on the money, "President Lincoln," she said. The nurses joked with the doctor, saying it was pretty sad that Shea knew more than her doctors. :-)

Pictures were taken of Shea from the first day and yesterday she was interested in seeing them. Steve showed her each phase, carefully explaining this one was before surgery, this one after surgery, etc. She was surprised to see how swollen and bruised she had been. "I can't believe I was that bad." Then Steve asked her if she would like to see herself now. Shea looked quitely into the mirror and touched the right side of her face first. When her fingers moved across the left side, she remarked that she looked a little "rough," but she did not over-react or cry. She looked at her dad and said, "Look at my nose. Jesus protected my nose."

In the afternoon, several doctors, nurses and hospital personnel visited Shea. Some of her nurses called to ask them to come and see Shea for themselves. Shea got to meet those who took care of her when she first came into the emergency room. It was a treat for them to talk to Shea and express their joy in her recovery. The man who admitted Shea had a hard time believing she was the same person he saw that night. "I can't beieve I'm seeing this!" he said.

Later, Stacey, one of Shea's sweet nurses, brought in a woman named Adrien.
Susan and Steve explained to Shea that this woman had ushered them into the counseling room at the emergency room. Susan and Steve were to wait there for the doctor. Steve invited Adrien to stay and pray with them. It was here that Steve and Susan prayed that God would spare their little girl, but they were willing to accept whatever his will was. They pleaded for Shea's life but acknowleged to God that Shea was his. Adrien said that when Steve prayed, she felt as though God came down into that room and she felt his presence. Never before had she felt such power and was not surprised when she later learned Shea was improving. Tears of joy came down her face while she talked to Shea. It was a fun but emotional afternoon.

About 5pm, Dr Smyth, an optomologist, examined Shea's eyes. She had to use a very bright light and other equipment which were very uncomfortable for Shea's sensitive eyes. Eventually, she did an ultrasound of Shea's left eye. It appears that the good news is that the back of Shea's eye is not damaged. It looks like the lens of the eye has been pushed to the back of the eye. There is apparent debris blocking her vision and it may be the lens is fractured. All of this, however, can be repaired.
Dr Clark came in this morning and explained to Shea that the part of the eye we see with, the vision system, can't be fixed. But, the part of the eye we see through, the part where Shea's eye is damaged--where the vision is magnified, can be fixed. So, isn't that one huge praise! He told her that this is intricate, detailed surgery. So, that is something we can be praying for now--Steve and Susan must find the right specialist in Atlanta to perform this surgery. It is not time sensitive, which is also good news.

About 7pm, Dr Carey arrived to remove the wires from Shea's mouth. These are the wires that held her jaw together. Shea still has many wires and other material in her mouth while she awaits surgery. But, she can now open and close her mouth! She can drink and swallow.

Shea awoke from her sedative rather quickly.
Dr Carey worked with her, opening and closing her jaw and told her how wonderfully she was doing. We think Dr Carey did an absolutely incredible job and Shea agrees.
"You're awesome, Dr. Carey," she told him. "Thank you so much."
Shea told him again how much she appreciated his work and he told her she was very welcome. Susan reminded Shea that this was the doctor who had stood for 13 hours and 15 minutes to repair all the damage. "And," Susan said, "He listened to your CD while he operated."
"Oh, you poor man," Shea joked.

Shea's primary doctor, Dr Clark, was on board to downsize her trach to a 4! This is the smallest and last step before removing it all together. Later, the respiratory therapist capped the trach to allow Shea to totally breathe on her own through her nose and mouth. The plan was to cap it for a few minutes to let her get used to it. But Shea wanted her trach to stay capped. She liked the way it felt and she could hear her voice better. She blew her breath against our hands--boy, did that feel good. She slept through the night like that and is doing great.

Shea awoke about 4 am with terrible pain in her face. The regular pain medication was not working. After additional pain medication was given to her, she fell asleep about 11am. With all of the manipulation of her eyes and jaw yesterday, we were not surprised.

As I write this, Shea is being X-rayed to see if her neck brace can be removed. If that is the case, Shea will be one happy girl. Dr. Troop, the neurosurgeon, explained to Shea yesterday she needed the brace because when she came into the emergency room, her neck was laid over to her left side. We did not know that. Susan and I took a deep breath at the visual of Shea with her neck in such a position.

I know this is long; so much happens in one day around here. Susan told me today--"Don't make it too long. I don't want people to think we think they want to know every little detail of our lives here." But, if nothing else, this is a journal for the family. And I know you wouldn't be reading it if you didn't love Shea and the Hickok's and wanted to know how to effectively pray for them.

I leave for home tomorrow. I will never forget the Thanksgiving and Christmas I spent at the Children's Hospital in Macon, Georgia. I will never forget the doctors and nurses and the people of this great town. I will never forget the miracle I saw here or the impact it made on my own life and countless others. And I will never forget all of you who dilligently and faithfully upheld Shea before our loving Father each day.

Shea asked me to please thank you for all your prayers. Before she settled into a good nap, she snuggled up inside her blanket and with her eyes already closing, said, "Aunt Jeanne, tell them I love Jesus. . . soooo much". . . and she drifted off to sleep.

God bless each of you.
Jeanne

Update coming......

Good Morning,

Just a quick note to say that we have been very busy and will write an update to the blog in the next hour or so. Susan and I had dinner at 11pm last night-just to help you understand that there was a lot going on.

For right now, please pray for the extreme pain in Shea's face.

Back very soon with a complete update.
Jeanne

For a Reason

Last night Shea slept well until 4 am. She awakened with the realization that Mike is no longer here. Her Aunt Joy was there with her, and they shared many tears. Shea said, "My face is hurting, but my heart is hurting more."

This morning Shea and Mom had a special time together. They prayed and she lay quietly as the blog was read to her. Silent tears flowed as the Scriptures and your heartfelt prayers poured over her heavy heart. We paused a moment and she asked,
Why am I alive?
There's a special purpose.
What is it?
I don't know, but I can't wait to see.
Shea contemplated these words then later said, "I'm right where God wants me."

Dr. Carey came later to check on Shea's facial progress, and she shared her concern about her left eye. It is blurry and she sees a big black spot. Dr. Carey said it could improve, stay the same or get worse. Shea told the doctor, "God has healed the rest of my body, He can heal my eye if He wants to."

Steve and Luke prayed with Shea and asked God for yet another miracle. As she was drifting off to sleep she said, "Dad, I know Jesus wants me in this bed even though it hurts me . . . I'm ok. . . It's for a reason."

Psalm 27:13-14

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Shea has asked that we specifically pray for her left eyesight and facial nerves to be restored and the soon removal of her trach.

God bless you all.

A Bittersweet Day in Macon

Four weeks ago today we received the dreaded phone call that every parent fears. That morning at the hospital is somewhat of a blur, but we remember the doctors, the corridors, the waiting, the counseling room. The many words and phrases that we never dreamed we would hear -- "There's nothing more we can do," "On a scale of one to ten your daughter is a fifteen," "She is not responding to life support" and many more. As we sat with our sons and family and friends, we cried out to God for a miracle, and only by God's grace were we able to offer our precious Shea back to Him if a miracle was not to be.

Today we looked into the eyes of our daughter and she was "there." No grogginess, no squinting of the eyes -- fully alert. Another miracle! As happy as we were to have our Shea in mind and body, our hearts were saddened as she asked about the wreck. She wanted to know everything, and so we told her that her boyfriend, Mike, had died. We thought that she might have an idea, but she was completely surprised. The tears began and she asked, "What was the last thing I said to him?" and we said, "Knowing you, probably something very sweet." She patted her chest -- "My heart hurts." Our hearts ache for Mike's family as well. Mike was the very first guy from Atlanta who befriended Shea and Luke, "the new kids" from Arizona. We love you, Jones family, and thank you for encouraging us in the midst of your grief. We are praying for you now and especially during the holiday season.

Once again, it's been a good day in Macon. Oh if we could wrap our arms around all you "bloggers" right now, we would. At the end of each day we sit at the computer and cry (and sometimes laugh - we need that too!) as we read scriptures and words of encouragement from all of you. "Praying without ceasing" -- you are true friends. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for bearing this heavy burden with us.

Just tonight one of Shea's nurses came into her room to change her IV. She looked at Shea and said, "You really are an amazing girl." Shea gave her that puzzled look and said through her trach, "I'm not amazing, I've been sleeping for a month -- God's amazing!"

We love you --

Steve and Susan

Saturday Night Conference Call

We will have a conference call tonight at 9:00 pm. What a day it will be when Shea can participate herself! Susan told me that when she told Shea this morning about all the people, many of whom Shea doesn't even know, who have been praying for her and posting on her blog, Shea said "What's a 'blog'?" She's baaaaaack!

John Anderson

Shea can talk!

Hi Everyone,

This is Kathy again. It's about 8:00 a.m., and I just finished my "shift" at the hospital. Now I'm at the Ronald McDonald House because I just had to tell you all that after sleeping pretty much straight through since 10:00 last night, Shea is awake, lucid, and talking.

Yesterday she had a new trach put in, and this one allows her to talk! The first sound I heard was in the middle of the night when she just made little sounds when the nurse would hook up her feeding tube. Then she said to me, "Why am I so tired?" I chuckled a little and told her that it was because she had been awake for several days, and now she's catching up. She seemed satisfied with that and went back to sleep.

At 7:30 Jeanne came in to relieve me. Shea was just waking up, and while Jeanne was getting a warm compress ready to put over Shea's swollen eye, Shea was talking to me. I told her how wonderful it was to hear her voice, to hear her talking to us, and she pointed to her temple and made a painful expression. I asked her if that hurt, and she shook her head and said, "It's hard to think." Yesterday morning she was so frustrated when she couldn't write anything coherent for me, and I said, "Everything's a jumble in your mind right now, isn't it Shea?" She nodded her head, and the tears came. So this is something we should pray about. I assured her that everything will get clearer in her mind as the days go by and that she must be patient.

Jeanne came over to the bed, and Shea asked "Where's my mom?" Jeanne told her that we have to make her go home and get some rest because she's been at the hospital so much. Again Shea cried. She asked, "Why do I cry so much?" and we told her that it's because of all the medicines she's been on but that with time that would pass. It's difficult to know how to answer all of her questions--how thorough to be in explaining things.

Jeanne and I were both getting nervous that she may start asking us about her boyfriend Mike, and we wanted Susan or Steve to be with her when she did, so I called Susan and told her that Shea was asking for her. Those were sweet words for Susan to hear! Please pray about this matter of telling Shea about Mike. Because of the medicines she's been on, the doctors have said that she will not remember the accident or even a couple of days before that. Dr. Carter said that he thinks she needs to be told at the first opportunity.

Let me back up just a bit and tell you that Steve's sister Joy came yesterday from Colorado. Joy was aptly named. She brought real joy to Shea, and she brought relief to Susan. Joy told Susan not to come in to the hospital right away as is her custom. "Just sleep in," Joy told her, and Susan did--for the first time in 4 weeks. One look at her told us that she had had a great night's sleep--she looked great. Joy came at just the right time, and we are all so grateful for her!

They did a CAT scan on the left side of Shea's face yesterday, and it showed no visible nerve damage. That doesn't mean that there is no damage, but it is good news.

NEWS FLASH: Jeanne just called from the hospital. Dr. Carey was just in with Shea, looked at her left eye and asked her to raise her eyebrow and she did!!! I'm crying as I type. This is such good news. Jeanne said that Dr. Carey was so excited by it, and Shea looked at him like she was asking what she had done that was so wonderful!

Jeanne also said that Shea is saying that her face is hurting her a lot. Yesterday Dr. Dunn removed a blood clot from her ear canal, and that may be the source of her pain. Anyway, they are giving her Advil now--no more narcotics.

Today Charley and I take Karen to the Atlanta airport for a 5:00 flight back to Dallas, and then we are heading back to Knoxville. I can't tell you how hard it is to leave Macon right now! Shea is Shea again. No cloudiness or puzzled looks. She's just herself! I told her that we have a lot of stories to tell her, and she said, "About me?" and I said yes. She groaned and said, "Oh no!"

Yes, the stories will come. Stories of God's goodness, of the love of family and friends, of the sweet care the doctors and nursing staff have given. And we wonder what stories Shea will have to tell us. Our sleeping beauty is awake. Praise God!

Kathy Falk

Sleep at Last

I am so happy to report that after almost five days without sleep, Shea was finally able to get some rest last night! Thanks so much for your prayers! She slept about 7 hours--from 8-10pm when Susan was with her, from midnight to 3am when I was there, and then from 4-6am while Kathy was with her. Susan suggested that I get in bed with Shea and sleep next to her. It worked so well because I was there to hold her hand or comfort her whenever she needed me. Kathy had the same experience. After seeing her so agitated and frantic, we thanked the Lord for the peace and rest He gave her.

Shea is still having periods of hallucination where she reaches for things that aren't there, waves and motions to people who aren't there, and has that far-away look in her eyes. Then she has times when she is lucid and able to express her feelings and ask and answer questions by writing. The periods of time when she is lucid are getting longer, and for that we are so grateful.

Continue to pray for the restoration of the nerves on the left side of her face. Dr. Carey, the facial surgeon, was in today and told Steve and Susan that he is pleased with how things are progressing. He sees evidence that the nerves are slowing coming back, but only time will tell and we need to keep praying!

Susan and Steve and Kathy and I have been with Shea around the clock. But today when
Susan and Steve stepped out for a quick lunch, Shea was coughing and some phlegm got lodged in her trach and couldn't breathe. The nurse who was sitting with her called for help and they were able to unlodge it so Shea could get air again. It was quite a traumatic experience for Shea and the staff, but she recovered and was quite happy to see her parents when they arrived!

This evening Dr. Clark put in a smaller trach, and the procedure went well. Dr. Dunn, the ear, nose & throat doctor, wanted to extract the blood clot from her right ear drum, but the light on the machine wouldn't work so he had to postpone it until tomorrow.

Steve's sister, Joy, is coming this evening and we are looking forward to having her here to help out. Jeanne, who has been away for a few days, will be back tomorrow.

As I said last night, it's a privilege to be here and to see Shea, "the miracle girl," make such an amazing recovery. She's come such a long way, but there are many challenges ahead. Thanks again for your prayers.

Karen Grassmick

Day 5 without sleep

This is Karen, Susan's sister, reporting. I arrived yesterday afternoon, and how wonderful to finally see Shea! With so much of the facial swelling gone down, she looked much more like our sweet Shea--just beautiful!

For Susan, this has been one of the hardest days so far as Shea continues to go through the difficult process of drug withdrawal. She has gone four days and nights without sleep, and now we are in day five. It's heart wrenching to see Shea so frustrated, frantic, and agitated, knowing that she is so tired but can't sleep. Shea is trying to communicate by writing, and sometimes it is very clear while other times she starts sentences like "I want you to ..." and then isn't able to finish. At other times she writes letters on top of each other. She is partly lucid and partly like in a dream. All of this is a normal pattern for someone coming off drugs, but it is still so hard because we feel so helpless.

This morning Shea had light therapy to help with depression and to get her body clock back on track after being in a sleep state for so long and then being awake the past four days. We are praying that this therapy will be effective.

The ear, nose & throat doctor came by today and reported that Shea has a blood clot on her right ear drum. They will sedate her for five minutes tomorrow to extract it. Then, while she is still sedated, they are going to put in a smaller trach that will allow her to talk.

Prayer Request:
Please pray for the restoration of the nerves in the left side of Shea's face. The doctors don't know if she sustained nerve damage at the time of the accident, so they are planning to do a cat scan to determine if the nerve damage is temporary or permanent.

It is a privilege to be here in Macon. A special moment for me last night was when Shea reached up and put both arms around me and hugged me. Kathy and I are taking shifts today and through the night so Steve and Susan can get some much-needed sleep. Steve especially needs extra rest as he is fighting the flu.

We can't thank you enough for your prayers. Steve and Susan both expressed how they have felt "lifted up" during this very emotional and difficult time.

Some of you have asked about Shea's CD, and we will be getting you information about this very soon.

Karen Grassmick

24 Days in ICU

Just a short note this evening before we head back to the hosital.

Shea was a little better last night. She was calmer and one person could more easily take care of her. However, she had little sleep again today. She walked a little with the help of the Physical Therapists and by the end of the day was being helped to the bathroom by the nurses. She strongly resists any help. She is definitely an "I can do it myself" kind of girl. She may not realize it but that attitude and your many prayers are responsible for her incredible progress.

A few hours before morning, I noticed Shea exploring her face with her hands. They slowly moved across all of the areas that had been operated on. She then moved her finger inside her mouth and I can only imagine what she was thinking as her finger traced the wires and foreign material used to repair her mouth and gums. She repeated this several times. When morning came, the crying began.

Many times during the day we reassure Shea that all of this tubing, the neck brace, the trach, the knee brace and even the wires will all be gone--they are temporary! We have been told to continually remind her because she drifts in and out and does not necessarily remember what we have told her. I do think she is remembering more and more.

Shea's nurse today was a sweet Christian woman, Chris Slager. She worked so hard with Shea and was so successful in communicating with her. I kept watching Chris today and wished my daughter, Lauren, who is studying to be a nurse, could watch Chris in action. She radiates the joy of Jesus and treats her patients like her own children. Excellent, excellent care. We just can't say enough about the fabulous, loving care given to our Shea.

Shea had difficulty writing this morning but then grabbed the board with great determination and spelled different words throughout the day. At first her writing was scribbly and maybe we could make out a letter, perhaps a word or two. But suddenly, she would write complete sentences and even draw a heart instead of writing the word love. Shea still has times like this afternoon when she cannot write at all and is extremely restless.

We suspected she was very thirsty today because she held her hand as though she had a glass and tipped it toward her mouth. Sure enough, today she wrote, "I am soooooo thirsty." And under that she drew a smiley face. Dr Clark just shook his head in amazement. "You understand," he told Susan, "We just don't see this. It normally takes a long, long time for these developments." Guess he never met the likes of our Shea and the God she loves.

One of her doctors reviewed her chart and shook his head when he saw all the narcotics Shea has received in the last 3 1/2 weeks. He told us it would take quite a while to get this all out of her system. So that is our prayer request tonight; Please pray for rest for Shea--rest and sleep. And let's all pray that God would rid her body of this withdrawal earlier that is expected.

Susan and Steve are getting to sleep through the night as Kathy and Karen have now arrived. The sisters are pulling night duty so Susan and Steve can be awake and alert when Shea is and also be at the hospital when the different therapists and doctors make their rounds.

Off for a nap before I pull the 11:00 pm to 3:00 am with Karen!
Thank you all for your faithfulness in dilligently praying for Shea, her doctors and nurses and for us.
Our family can never thank you enough.
Jeanne Burch

An Amazing Day in Macon

Shea slept very little through the night. She worked all night at trying to sit up or get out of bed. She might have had a few 5 minute times of sleep, but not many. Surely, she would sleep in the morning.

Susan arrived at 8:00 this morning and it didn't take long for out day to be underway. First, Allison, her speech therapist arrived and worked with Shea on pointing to numbers and letters and a "Yes" and "No" sheet to answer questions. We have worked with Shea in the past with a pen and a marker but she didn't seem to be able to hold it properly or quite understand what to do. Well, today, as tired as she was, she pointed to all the right letters and numbers, pointed to her eyes, mouth, nose and ears and her mom on command. She answered correctly the Yes and No questions, such as, "Do you have a sister?, Do you have one brother?, Do you have two brothers?"

While the nurses gave Shea a bath, Susan and I went for breakfast. When we returned, Aimie told us that she walked by Shea's room and saw her propped up on one arm and motioning Aimie to come to her with the other hand. She tried to tell Aimie something over and over. Aimie gave her the board and thought she could make out an 'h' in Shea's writing. Aimie gave her the alphabet board and Shea pointed to an H, an O, and a T. She repeated the pointing to the same letters. Aimie asked her, "Are you hot, Shea?" Shea nodded her head. So, the communiation is improving.


A little later in the morning, the nurses moved her to a special wheel chair.
It lays flat like a bed so they can easily move her. Once in place, the nurses strap her in and then lower the chair to a sitting position. To the cheers of all the nurses standing inside and outside her room. Shea was wheeled down the hall weakly waving back to them. We took her to the sunroom to let her get some sunshine and see the blue sky. It was wonderful to see her sitting and in a new environment. One would think that this would do wonders for Shea and that is what we hoped. She cried through most of the experience but we were not upset; the drugs withdrawal has now become ICU Psychosis. This results from the many drugs she has been on for over three weeks and from being in a confined area.

This afternoon I arrived back to the hospital from a nap and wondered where everyone was. There were 7 nurses in Shea's room, and with their help, Shea was standing at last. The rest of the nurses were cheering and clapping outside her room and soon she began walking, with their assistance, to the door of her room. She had the motions down-- right, left, right. Very tired by the time she got to the door, the nurses moved a chair behind her and she sat down. But not for long. She pushed herself up and they helped her walk back to the bed. We were all exhausted. Surely Shea would sleep now. She struggled to get up again and has been so agitated that the doctor has prescribed Theraquil, a drug that is non-addicitve and helps with ICU Psychosis. He said that it doesn't really kick in for a couple of days and we can expect a couple more intense days like today. We feel like she is going at a pace that is almost humanly impossible. Non-stop struggling and activity with no sleep for nearly three days.

Even though she is in this state, she amazes us with her ability to do what we ask. Susan showed her a blown-up picture of Shea and her friends, Kelly and Amy from Scotsdale, AZ. "Shea, can you point to Kelly?" Susan asked her. Shea pointed to herself in the middle of the picture. She mouthed the word, "ME." Then on command she pointed to Kelly and then to Amy as if to say, "What's so hard about that?"

There have been times when we have needed at least 3 people to keep Shea in bed. Please pray that this period of struggling and sleeplessness soon ends.

We can certainly praise God as we have seen Shea moved to a chair and then walk. We can pray for her continued strength so she can soon do these things on her own. She so desperately wants to. She is fighting hard--and that's an understatement!

Susan's sisters, Kathleen and Karen arrive tomorrow. Karen is flying in from Dallas and Kathleen is returning with her husband Charley to help us out during this difficult period. Please pray for their safe travels.

Once again, we had excellent care today. Tracey and Aimie are probably home exhuasted right now. They had a long 12-hour day working with Shea. I have to say that when I arrived at the hospital today and saw Shea standing and all the nurses cheering, I thought to myself that if the nurses were not in uniform you might have a hard time telling which one was her mother. That is how invested they are in our Sweet Shea.

Jeanne Burch

Thanks for the encouragement

Just a note to all of you... Susan says that when she goes home from the hospital she reads the blog and is strengthened and encouraged.

Good job, all of you.

She's getting stronger!

It was another busy day here in Macon! Shea has been awake and moving since yesterday. After a constant vigil during the day, Susan and Steve took turns last night staying with her. They went up to say good-night, but she was so restless they ended up spending the night with her.

Tonight Steve takes the 10:00 pm - 3:00 am sift and I'll be there from 3:00 am until Susan arrives about 8:00 am. We felt she needed a good night's sleep after yesterday and last night!

Shea was removed from the morphine drip today. Tomorrow the Versed will also be stopped. She is receiving Methadone, a synthetic drug like morphine. She receives it every 6 hours. Tomorrow they plan to cut it to 3 times a day and every other day thereafter; they will continue to cut back on the oral medications (the drugs now given through the feeding tube instead of the IV drip).

The Respiratory Therapist is coming three times a day. The biggest problem Shea is having with her lungs is her inability to cough effectively so the bottom of her lungs are somewhat collapsed. Her oxygen level is in the upper 90's, Dr. dela Cruz reminded us--she just has to get the mucous out of her lungs. The therapist used a vibrator-like machine on Shea's chest for about 5 minutes. It is quite powerful and Shea didn't like it! Nevertheless, we trust it will be successful in breaking up the secretions and that the X-rays tomorrow look much better.

Shea attempted to sit up several times today. All of the struggling and moving around may be difficult to manage, but it does help her regain her strength. I could tell that she was stronger today than she was late yesterday afternoon. Even so, by the time the Physical Therapist arrived later this afternoon, Shea fainted when they attempted to sit her up. Bless her heart, she has been going strong for hours and hours!

After his rounds today, Dr dela Cruz returned to Shea's room and assured me that all was going well. ( Susan has always liked him. "He's such an encourager.") He told me that he had been with Shea from the beginning and he was very pleased with her progress. All the while he talked to me, he looked at Shea--almost as though he was remembering those scary and difficult first days. When he finished talking, he asked me, "May I kiss her on the forehead?" He kissed her gently on her forehead and then turned and walked out of her room. It is pretty remarkable to see the extraordinary compassion and love the doctors and nurses here exhibit towards their patients.

Prayer Requests:

(1) Please pray that Shea might finally fall into a restful sleep tonight.

(2) Please pray for Shea's emotional well-being. She cannot yet speak and is so frustrated. We are in turn frustrated because we don't know why she is crying or what we can do to help her. She continually mouths words to us, but we aren't sure what she is trying to tell us. Please pray that she will have peace of mind and trust us as we reassure her. There are times when she is obviously in a drug-like state. She may look startled and grab things in the air that are not there. But then there are times that she is Shea and recognizes us. She goes in and out of this state. She is clearly struggling physically and emotionally.

This period of drug withdrawal can last days or even weeks, the nurse told us. Susan looked at her and said, "Weeks?. . .Weeks?! Oh, we have lots of people praying....it'll be days." Got to love that Susan. She is confident in her family and friends' prayers for Shea. Indeed, Steve told me this morning after a very long night, "I could feel that people were praying for me."

(3) So, please continue to remember Susan and Steve. They are doing great, but this is exhausting physically and emotionally.

Many, many thanks,
Jeanne Burch

Another Good Day in Macon

I arrived back in Macon from Ft. Stewart this afternoon. It is amazing to see the
difference 24 hours makes in Shea's progress. Shea's face and hands were
noticeably less swollen. Molly, one of Shea's nurses, said Shea is beginning to
look like her pictures. That was so good to hear.

This morning the ventilator was again removed from Shea. She has been off it all
day long and is doing fine. She does have the C-PAP machine giving her humidified
oxygen.

Susan and Steve were very busy today helping Shea stay in bed! It is a constant
battle as she is weaned off of morphine to be able to be still. She closes her
eyes for a few minutes and then she is again thrashing around in her bed trying to
scooch down, fling her legs out of bed, flail her arms to one side and then the
other. Susan and Steve help lift her back up on the bed and then it begins again.
They said they have done this all day long and are truly exhausted.

The Physical Therapist visited Shea this afternoon and with the help of another
nurse and Susan and Steve they were able to get Shea in a sitting position on the
edge of her bed. They held her in that position while the Physical Therapist
worked with her. When asked to make the number two with her foot, Shea readily
moved her foot to do so. She also made a circle, the numer One and other motions
to satisfy and encourage the therapist.

The left side of Shea's face is still in a paralysis state. The majority of the
surgery occurred on the left side. When asked to raise her right eyebrow, she does
so. When asked to raise her left eyebrow she doesn't seem to be able to. She has
not yet opened her left eye and the left side of her mouth, her left cheek and her
left nostril do not respond as the right side does.

We have talked at length about the perception that some have of Shea's progress.
It is indeed a miracle that she's alive and when we see little, sometimes tiny
changes, we get very excited. However, Susan and Steve want you all to know that
she is still in ICU and still facing monumental challenges.

Some who have recently seen her have been surprised. They felt that the blog
made them feel like Shea was sitting up in bed and talking to us. One indiviudal
was surprised that she was still in ICU. It is rather a fine line to report with
enthusiasm and a positive spirit her progress and yet let you know that she still
has a long, long way to go.

I hope this helps you to understand that although we are so encouraged and
praising God for every bit of good news, we, who are here and see her every day,
know she has so much ahead and there are some things we do not yet know.

I am headed back to the hospital but there are three things Steve and Susan would
like you to pray for.

(1) Strength and health in the coming days for Susan and Steve. This is hard,
physical work.

(2) Rejuvenation of facial nerves on the left side of Shea's face.

(3) Peace in Shea's body so she can sleep tonight. She has had little sleep
today.

Thank you,
Jeanne Burch
PS My son-in-law was released from the hospital and is home doing fine. He is on
medication and responding well. Thank you for remembering them during this time.
PPS Some of you have asked for the address of the Ronald McDonald House where the Hickok family is staying. It is 1160 Forsyth Street, Macon, GA 31201

A Few More Notes

Dear Friends and Family,

When I visited this afternoon, Shea was getting her hair washed. Nurse Laura was painstakingly brushing out her hair strand by strand, getting out every snarl. Shea winced every now and then when Laura was working with a particularly stubborn tangle. I told Laura and Susan that Shea was probably thinking that she could teach us all a thing or two about taking care of her hair!

The swelling in Shea's right hand is down. Susan said today, "Her hands finally look like Shea's hands." There was some concern that the swelling could indicate a blood clot, so it was good to see this improvement.

We have watched her temperature come down the last couple of days. It hovered between 38 and 39C today.

This is my last report. We leave tomorrow morning to go back to Knoxville. Jeanne will be back tomorrow afternoon. It is difficult to leave the Hickoks, but it is good to have seen for ourselves our precious Shea and to have seen firsthand the wonderful care she is getting. It has been a privilege to report on what God is doing here in Macon.

Though Shea has not uttered a word to us while we have been here, she has ministered to us. We have seen God's hand at work and witnessed His healing in her body. Even as she sleeps, God is using her music to encourage hearts. Can't you just see her eyes when we tell her one day soon all that God has been doing?

Love and gratitude to you all,

Kathy Falk

Prayer Requests

Dearest Family and Friends,

How good it is to read your comments each day and your love messages to Shea and the family! We are all taking a corner of Shea's mat, as it were, and like the men in Mark 2 who lowered their friend through the roof, we are taking our Shea to Jesus. Judging from what we are hearing, every hour someone somewhere is praying for her.

Since we know that you are checking the blog so that you can pray specifically for Shea, we'd like to enumerate some requests. Steve asked me last night to ask you to pray about the following three things:

1. Weaning Shea from the ventilator. Gradually the ventilator will be dialed down, and she will be doing more and more of the work of breathing. Pray that her body adjusts to this weaning.

2. Weaning Shea from her medications. She has, of course, been on some heavy sedatives and pain killers. Weaning her from these must be done carefully with the least discomfort to her. Please pray that she will have no long-term dependence on these drugs.

3. The possibility of brain injury. There are so many unknowns with Shea right now. Until she is totally conscious, the full extent of her injuries will not be known. Naturally, the family is concerned about this, so we would request prayer that God would continue the healing He has so wonderfully begun and that He would give a renewed sense of the nearness of God to the family.

It's important for everyone to know that we are all thrilled with Shea's progress, but we know that may be a long road ahead. Susan and Steve will need endurance for all that will be required of them. At this point they don't know what the future holds, but they keep reminding themselves to rest in the One Who is already there.

In addition to these requests for Shea, it's important too that we continue to lift up Susan, Steve, Luke and Jesse in prayer. As was reported yesterday, Steve is sick with the flu. As the head of his family, his responsibilies are enormous and can lay heavy on his heart. Susan and the boys are fighting off colds. Last night Susan looked so weary after she came back from the hospital that I did what any big sister would do: I sent her to bed! She didn't resist. (She's always been such a good little sister!) The physical as well as the spiritual and emotional weariness are a natural part of a crisis like this, and we need to remember to pray faithfully.

I am at the Ronald McDonald House where we have access to the computer. Susan hasn't left Shea's side because Shea is so restless, drifting in and out of consciousness. Susan told me that nurse Laura encouraged her to continue to tell Shea what has happened to her each time she wakes up and seems to want to communicate. Then Shea will go back to sleep and wake up again and again. Each time Susan is to tell her the same thing. Eventually it will sink in and Shea will remember. When I asked Susan how she would know that Shea is remembering, she said that Laura assured her that Shea's body language will say, "Okay, I know." She will react in an almost angry manner, probably more frustrated than angry. Laura said to Susan, "You will know."

Susan just called again and said that Shea is quite emotional today, crying every time Susan talks with her. By crying, we don't mean sobbing, but there are tears in her eyes, and you can tell from her nose and mouth that she is struggling with deep emotion. Susan said that Grandpa Anderson is by Shea's side. She reached up and put her arms weakly around his neck. He leaned over, returning her hug, and put his face next to her cheek. He whispered to her, "You're alright, Shea. It's going to take some time, but you are going to sing again." Shea cried and cried. This is so sad for Susan to watch, but in a way it is good because, she said, "That's Shea." She's responding in love and gratitude to her dear Grandpa.

Thank you, dear ones, for loving Shea enough to carry her to Jesus.

Kathy Falk

P.S. Jeanne just called. She is enroute to Augusta, Georgia, and received word from her daughter Meredith that Jason is being released from the hospital. They have determined that he is not suffering from the same heart condition his father had. He's being put under the care of a physician at home where he will be monitored. Thank you all for praying for this family.

Broncheoscopy Performed

This is Kathy Falk again.

An x-ray indicated that the pneumonia is in the lower parts of both of Shea's lungs. Because Shea's jaw is wired shut, she cannot cough up the mucus from her lungs, and the secretions with bacteria from her mouth are aspirated into her lungs. Dr. dela Cruz ordered a broncheoscopy 1) to remove mucus from Shea's lungs and 2) to obtain a specimen so that they know what bacteria is present and prescribe the right antibiotic.

Shea is being suctioned several times a day through her trachea tube, and this removes the mucus from her trachea, but it doesn't suction out the mucus which is deep in her lungs. In a broncheoscopy, a flexible fiber optic tube with a camera on the end is inserted through her trachea tube down through her trachea and into the lungs. This allows the doctor to see exactly where the mucus is and remove it. Because Shea cannot cough up the mucus deep in her lungs, that mucus can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

She came through the procedure very well. Grandpa Anderson and I were invited to observe it along with Susan [Steve is fighting off the flu, so stayed away from the hospital today.] It was good to see that Shea was entirely sedated so that it was not difficult for her. We watched as the scope traveled through her lungs and listened as the doctor described what he was seeing. There was not a great deal of mucus removed, but in 48 hours the culture will be ready, and the team will know just what they are dealing with.

Today has been a good day for Shea in that she has been sedated and is resting comfortably. The highlight of the day for me was to have her open her right eye, look at me, and then reach out both her arms to hug me. She did this twice, and each time I whispered to her how well she is doing and how she needs to just rest and trust that she is okay. It's hard to explain how absolutely wonderful it feels to have her initiate a hug!

Grandpa Anderson spent a fair amount of time with her. I wish you could see the look of love and tenderness he exudes at Shea's bedside. She responds with tears to Grandpa, so the feeling is mutual!

Amy, you asked the question why Shea isn't given a board to write her questions. A good question. She is not conscious enough yet to write. The picture board may even be ineffective at this point in her recovery. She is still in quite a fog from the sedation she is receiving.

There is more to say, but I will write more tomorrow morning. It is late, and we need to leave the Ronald McDonald House.

Before I leave, I want you all to know that Jeanne is leaving tomorrow morning because she received word today that her daughter Meredith's husband Jason is being taken by ambulance to the Eisenhower Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, because of a suspected heart problem. Details are sketchy at this point, but we will keep you posted. Jason is only 28 years old, but this is particularly worrisome because his father died of a heart condition when Jason was only ten years old. Please pray for Jason and for Jeanne as she travels.

We just learned that Karen Grassmick, Susan's sister from Dallas, will be coming here on Monday. We will be staying here until she arrives.

Susan is with Shea now because nurse Laura called just as Susan was finishing supper to say that Shea wants her mother. Sweet words to any mother!

Thank to you all for praying for our sweet Shea.

Kathy Falk

Lung Procedure

Just got a short text message from Susan. All it says is "lungs full, need procedure".

Please pray.

An Active Morning

Dear Family and Friends,

This is Kathy Falk, Susan's sister from Knoxville. My husband, Charley, and I arrived yesterday along with my father, Jerry Anderson.

Grandpa Anderson was the first to join Steve at Shea's bedside this morning. He said that Shea was showing signs of recognition of him almost immediately, and she was much more active than yesterday. Steve told me that he could tell from Shea's nose and mouth, together with her tears, that seeing her grandpa made her cry.

Charley and I arrived a little later and took Grandpa's place. We had already heard from Steve how improved her coloring was this morning. The nurses said that this was due to the blood transfusion. Her cheeks were pink, and she just generally had a healthy glow to her skin. Aside from the swelling from surgery, you would never know that Shea had sustained such serious injuries. Her face, arms and legs are without scratches or cuts, except for a couple of small cuts around her eye where access was gained to repair her bones. Her lips are pink, and she looks just beautiful.

Shea continued to respond to her dad and to us. She opened her right eye often and clearly tried to talk to us. She reached out to Steve with both arms, and turned and did the same to me. Steve talked quietly in her ear assuring her that her inability to talk is only temporary. I wondered if she might be questioning why all her relatives were coming to visit her, so I assured her that we were coming to see for ourselves how well she was doing. She seemed eager to talk, her lips moving and her eye looking right at us. (Her left eye is swollen shut from Friday's surgery.)

Concerned that too much stimulation was not good for her, we backed off. Steve told us that he had been advised to be careful that Shea not be overwhelmed with too many voices or faces as this could be confusing to her just now.

These are uncharted waters for Susan and Steve. They don't know what Shea is thinking, and they want to anticipate her questions and allay her fears. On the other hand, they don't want to answer questions that she isn't asking, not knowing emotionally what she is ready to hear. Continue to pray for wisdom and discretion for them.

Doctor De LaCruz reported cutting down on IV medication and increasing oral medication through Shea's stomach tube(G-tube).

After Shea's more active morning, her sedation medication was increased to encourage her to rest, but overall they are cutting back on her sedation to encourage spontaneous breathing.

Today's X-rays showed that the pneumonia is responding to the antibiotics, and that is good news, but her temperature remains at a little over 39 C. (Approximately 103 F.) All her bodily fluids are being cultured to help them ascertain the nature of the infection.

Shea's right arm is swollen, though the swelling is less today. Earlier in the week they X-rayed her arm and determined that there are no fractures. They are keeping an eye on it but don't seem to be too concerned.

After witnessing Shea's desire to talk today, the nurse suggested that a picture board be introduced to her soon. She would be able to point to pictures which would communicate her questions or desires.

Luke got his first hug from his sister today! He assured her that he is okay and that she is okay too. We have all questioned if she remembers seeing him on his birthday and if she has been wondering if he is okay. Susan said that Shea became very emotional at seeing her brother. What a sweet reunion.

Jesse and Evan are working on their schoolwork together, a good arrangement for both of them. When they finish, they will go to play basketball and work off their pent-up energy.

It is so good to be here to witness first-hand our Shea's progress. We continue to hear wonderful stories of God's grace to her and her family. These stories should all be written down so that one day she will see for herself God's hand on her life.

A happy birthday to both Liz Anderson and Steve Eimers today! Enjoy your celebrations!

Kathy Falk

1000 Messages

My original purpose in setting up this blog was to provide family members with an update between conference calls.

Within one day it was obvious that its scope would reach far outside our family.

As I write this today, there are over 1000 messages and postings on this blog.

I know I speak for all of the families involved when I say that the outpouring of support and prayers for our Shea has not only been heartwarming and encouraging, it has been life giving.

It is unfortunate, that in these types of circumstances, we find that mere words are too insignificant of a tool to convey our appreciation for you. Those of you who take time every day to check this site and offer your prayers on Shea's behalf will never fully grasp the level of encouragement you have provided.

We find ourselves wishing that we could all be together in one room where our heartfelt gratitude and love could be felt through hugs and observed through tears of thankfulness.

Well, that meeting may never take place, but the tears of thankfulness are taking place every day.

Not in a big room filled with people,
... but in a small hospital room filled with equipment.


Thank you.

David Pippenger

A little set-back

Good Morning, Everyone. We had trouble with the BLOG last night. Apparently the sites were down and I was unable to finish the report. Since that time, Steve has called me this morning with more news on Shea.

** Shea has contracted pneumonia but this is not a big surprise to the doctors. They cultured her last week thinking this may happen. She has been placed back on the ventilator they removed from her yesterday to further open her lungs. She has been given a differnt antibiotic. This will set her back 3-4 days, Steve said, but he believes that this will give Shea more time to heal.

** Shea is receiving a blood transfusion this morning. We knew yesterday that her hemoglobin was still low and that they planned to transfuse.

** Steve said her arms, legs and face looked great. The swelling has come down even further.

** The Physical Therapist, Cindy Hesler, arrived yesterday afternoon to exercise Shea's fingers, hands, arms and legs. She will work daily with Shea to get her moving and ready to go to Shepherd's Hospital "and so she can go home to you soon," she said to Susan.

I was unable to tell you yesterday that I turned on the CD player so Shea could listen to music while her mother held her. The song, Blessed Be Your Name, played. Susan started to softly sing and Shea just relaxed in her arms.

When I arrived this morning Susan said she could not sleep last night. That same song ran through her head over and over again,. If she drifted off to sleep, she would awaken again and again to the words of this song--


Blessed be your name.
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name.

Every blessing you pour out
I'll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in , Lord,
Still I will say,

Blessed be the name of the Lord;
Blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord;
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away;
You give and take away.
But my heart can choose to say;
Blessed be your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord;
Blessed be your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord;
Blessed be your glorious name.

With this song ringing in our ears, we again lift Shea up in prayer today. Susan so often says, "I hate to keep asking people to pray--but, we can't stop!"

Thank you for your many encouraging posts. Late at night, while Susan and Steve are unwinding from their longs days here, they read your posts and are touched and uplifted by your comforting words.

Thank you all so very much--
Jeanne Burch

"Joy Comes in the Morning!"

Dear Friends and Family,

This is Jeanne reporting again. I just want to say upfront, I have never liked rollercoasters. But, boy, if you come to Macon, get ready for the ride of your life!

Yesterday was a difficult day for all of us. The news was indeed sobering. At a late night visit to see Shea, Molly, her nurse, told us she asked Shea is she was hurting--if so, nod your head. Shea nodded her head! She had never done that before and we were able to go to bed and rest on that bit of good news.

I picked up Susan this morning at the Ronald McDonald House. Steve had left early for the hospital. It was raining so I gave Susan a ride and we fully expected a day similar to yesterday. Little did we know.

Susan has been saying all day, "It is dark, dreary and rainy outside, but it's a big sunshiny day in Shea's room!" When we arrived in Shea's room, Steve was excited to tell us that she had squeezed his hand, nodded her head, and showed two fingers and a thumbs-up when requested to do so. Shea really never went into a deep sleep today at all. She only opened her right eye (the eye not operated on) but it was bright and blue and following the people in the room and the sound of the person speaking to her. She was definitely tracking. She continued to follow comands to squeeze our hand and she gave us a firm squeeze with all of her fingers. We did not have to wonder if it was a reflex response or if we were dreaming.

After lunch, Susan and I returned to the room to find them removing the respirator from Shea. Oh, happy day! Shea is breathing on her own but receiving 40% humidified oxygen through the trach-collar. It loosely sits at the opening of the tracheostomy. About two hours ago they put her on a C-PAP, Continuoys Positive Airway Pressure. This maintains oxygenated levels in her arterial blood. As this positive air pressure keeps her lungs open, Shea will rest more comfortably throughout the night.

But on with the good news! With the respirator gone, Susan was able to lower the side rail of Shea's bed and get very close to her face and somewhat hold her. At one point Shea hugged her so hard, Susan almost gasped. And the highlight of the day was when Shea mouthed to Susan,"Mama, Mama." Her nurse Chris and I almost lost it. Susan kept saying, "I don't know why I'm not crying--I'm just so happy!" Shea connected with us all day long. She has had a big day.

We missed the doctor today when he came to Shea's room. The nurse said she would call us at lunch but Dr. Delacrz had an emergency so she wrote everything down for us and she was able to sit down briefly and update me with the following informtion.

**They are advancing the feeds through the feeding tube and coming down on the IV nutrition.
**Extra Albumin, protein plasma, and the Lasix has dramatically reduced the swelling and the urine output is evidence of that.
**The doctors have noted her spontaneous eye movement, signals with hands and moves her mouth in an effort to talk.
**Beginning on Wednesday they will decrease her IV sedation, Versed, and pain medication, Morphine. I asked Chris why Shea was so alert today if they had not already begun the weaning process. She said that Shea's body is becoming tolerant of the medications. With the respirator gone, there is no reason to increase these. And we want her to be alert and not prolong this awakening process. Chris did not know at what speed Shea woud be weaned from these two medications.
**The antibiotic, Bactrim, has been replaced with Levaquin as a more effective antibiotic for Shea right now. Chris explained that with more detailed information from the culture they were able to fine tune the antibiotic. (Shea's temperature was 103.8 at one point today and we got it down to 102.5 by late afternoon. Susan enjoyed taking cool wash cloths to wipe Shea's body and we could see the numbers dropping.)

I'll just end by sharing another special moment. This afternoon Shea lifted her arms toward her mom and stroked Susan's hair. Susan put her hands over Shea's and said "God has given us our Shea back."

It's been a great day in Macon.

Update and Report from visit with Dr Carey

Dr Narsinghani and the nurses reported this morning that the Lasix had succeeded in a greater output of urine. Pain was under control with the phenobarbitol and morphine. Shea's temperature was 39.3 C last night and Dr. Narsinghani said they have found the source of the infection. The bacteria colonized from the sputum culture meaning that there is an infection. Her anti-biotic was changed to Bactrim. Now that they know what they are treating, they can be more focused and aggressive with treatment. The hemoglobin was 9 yesterday and dropped to 7 today. If it goes any lower, he said, they would give her more blood. He ordered her feedings through the stomach tube to be increased. Shea's chest X-ray this morning revealed a little fluid in her lungs but they assured us that it would be readily absorbed.

Dr. Carey arrived about 2:30 this afternoon. He was very pleased with how Shea is responding.

Steve asked him about any nerve damage regarding her left eye. Although Dr. Carey worked around the nerves, he assured us that he was able to stay away from the nerves. Steve also asked about her eyesight in the left eye. Dr Carey was unable to know the status of her eyesight before surgery so he could not say for sure. This is one of those areas we will know better when Shea awakens.

Shea's septum had many fragmented bones almost resembling cornflakes. She has splints up her nose supporting the septum. These splints will remain in place for
1 1/2 to 2 weeks. It is possible that Shea may need to have a bone graft from her hip to fix this. For the time being, Dr. Carey just wants to keep an eye on it.

Shea's jaw, when relaxed, aligned quite well, but when she awakens and moves that area we will have a true appreciation of the success of the jaw surgery. Her jaw will be wired for a minimum of 2 weeks. The wires on her teeth will remain. Rubber bands will be used on the top and bottom teeth to further support the jaw area.

Dr. Carey explained that the dental surgery will be a long, long process. First of all, Shea's mouth needs to heal for 4-6 months. He added, "Perhaps a year." The main concern is to have adequate blood supply to that area. After they are satisfied that she has healed, Shea will undergo an operation for a bone graft. It takes 4-6 months for that to heal. After that surgery, he builds a root structure and that takes about 3 months. So, it will be at least a year before Shea can have teeth implants.

Susan and Steve would like you to continue to pray for Shea's healing. Also, in the next few days the nurses will decrease the medication so that Shea slowly emerges from her almost coma-like state. When she awakes, Shea will most likely be totally unaware of what has happend to her; that she was even in an accident. At this time she will realize that her jaws are wired, she has a tracheostomy, is in an unfamiliar place with many unfamiliar people and that she is in a great deal of pain. Eventually she will be told about the length of time for healing and her dental work and that she has rehab ahead of her in another hospital. At the appropriate time, Susan and Steve will inform her of the accident and about Mike. We are so grateful for your outpouring of support and your many prayers on Shea's behalf. Please pray now for Shea's emotional health and healing.

Thank you,
Jeanne Burch

Update on Steve's mother's surgery

DeDe reported to us this evening that the surgery went well. The doctor was happy with the repair of her wrist and says she will have full mobility. Please continue to uphold her in prayer as the healing begins.

Saturday Evening Update

This is Jeanne reporting after a very special day at Children's Hospital with Shea.

Happy to report that after another X-ray, the surgeon removed her last chest tube. ALso, her right hand is less swollen. They are still keeping a watch on it but seem less conerned right now. Shea was a bit more swollen tonight but the nurse thought she was doing better than she expected. There is some bruising on her left cheek but,again, not too bad. They continue to place ice packs completely over her face and an eye gel mask over her eyes to reduce the swelling. And it's working!

Susan and Steve have not spoken to Dr. Carey yet. When they go to check on Shea in a few minutes, they may see him and have something to report later. If not, we will post something as soon as we meet with him.

It was difficult to see Michael leave this morning. Like John and David, he quickly won the admiration and respect of the doctors and nurses. But then, like Susan, he knew them all by name in 24 hours!

The morning rounds are not the same without you, Big Brother. We all miss you!

As Nurse Laura Callaway said: "Shea is the perfect example of why to never give up on anyone."

So we continue to pray for God's healing throughout Shea's body and especially her face.

Jeanne Burch

Further Surgery Update

Michael is on his way back to Chicago so I am providing this update based on a call from Jeanne.

The surgery lasted a little over 13 hours and concluded around 5:40 this morning. The surgery went well except that, as Michael reported, the left eye area was more difficult to reconstruct than the doctors had expected.

Shea is experiencing some complications from the surgery that I am sure Susan and Steve would like us all to pray about. Shea's right arm is more swollen than the left and this seems to be a cause for some concern. The doctors have ordered an ultrasound and will be looking for restricted blood flow and the possibility of small bone fractures in the arm that might explain the more prominent swelling in that arm. We will post the ultrasound results as soon as we know them.

Shea's fever has not been high. It was up just over 102 after the surgery and has fallen to around 100. Nevertheless, Shea has some respiratory and yeast infections that the doctors are addressing and her urine output is sluggish. So these are also areas of concern. Respiratory function continues to be strong and her heart rate has come down from around 136 to the low 120's following surgery.

Given the extensive surgery she had last night, Shea is epxeriencing considerable swelling of her face. They have an ice gel mask over her eyes and ice packs on the rest of her face. She is receiving pain medication every 6 hours.

We're expecting Shea to have another chest X-ray soon. If everything looks good, the doctors may remove her last remaining chest tube.

So we are thankful that Shea was strong enough to endure such a lengthy surgery and at this point we assume that the surgeons were able to do everything they wanted to do with the exception of the bone graft as Michael reported. We thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

John Anderson

Shea is out of surgery. All is well!

It’s 6:30 AM, Saturday.

Just talked to Susan. She and Steve just finished their consultation with Dr. Carey. The 13-hour surgery is complete. Thank God for that!

He said the surgery went as planned. The lower jaw is repaired.

He said the left sinus bone was crushed and the repair was therefore more extensive than he had anticipated. He would have done a graft (using bone from the hip) but because of her fever, he didn’t want to proceed at this time. The sinus bone might repair itself over time or it may require further surgery.

Dr. Carey said that when things got difficult in the OR, they played her CD again!

Shea is back in her room now and we’re waiting for them to let us see her. They’ve told us to expect significant swelling in the face.

We’ll keep you posted as we get more information. But for now we can give thanks that Shea made it though this extensive, major surgery and that she can now continue the healing process.

I just love the idea of Shea singing to Dr. Carey as he worked all through the night. We’re so grateful for this man and his staff.

The miracles keep coming!

Susan and Steve are going to see Shea and then go to bed. Pray that they get a good rest now, now that they know that Shea is safe!

I’m leaving for Chicago mid-morning. Our sister Jeanne is staying on. She’s been amazing; she’s been here since the day of Shea’s accident and can probably stay until mid-month if necessary.

On Tuesday, our father, Gerald Anderson, Shea’s beloved grandfather, will arrive, along with sister Kathleen and her husband, Charley from Knoxville. Their son Evan will be with them as well.

These verses from Psalm 121 as Susan and Steve sleep now; as Shea continues to heal:

I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; and he who keeps watch over you will not sleep.
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

--Michael Anderson