Lauren Shea Hickok

Final Surgery!

2008-12-14T22:22:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note with an update on Shea -- she is having her last and, hopefully, final surgery tomorrow at 12:30 pm. Dr. McKay will be performing a rhinoplasty, repairing Shea's collapsed nose with cartilage from her ear. He will also do more repair work on her lower jaw and a number of scar grafts. If all goes as expected the surgery should last about 3 1/2 hours.

We are asking you once again to lift our girl up to Jesus in prayer. Please pray for the doctor's wisdom and steady hands, for everything to go smoothly and better than we could even expect.

We love you all and will update you again soon.

The Hickoks

Home Stretch!

2008-09-24T20:11:00.004-05:00

We're excited to tell all of you that Shea is on the home stretch . . . at least we think! You never know, but we're excited to see a glimpse of the end.

Shea has a surgery tomorrow morning at 8:30. This time they will implant the posts into the bone that she has grown over the last number of months. They will also graft more bone and do skin grafts as well. Hopefully, if all goes well, this operation will last about three to four hours.

Last week we met with Dr. McKay, one of Shea's plastic surgeons, and instead of waiting six months after tomorrow's surgery, he is confident that in eight weeks they should be able to procede with the final surgery -- a rhinoplasty, fixing Shea's collapsed nose, reconstructing deteriorated bone in her jaw and repairing a number of scars. It's hard not to get too excited because we're always fearful of a setback, but we're praying that all will go well. In November, it will be three years since the accident, and although Shea has been unbelievably patient, she's ready to move on with her life.

This morning I heard an explanation of Proverbs 14:10, and it reminded me of Shea and all that she has suffered. "Each heart knows its own bitterness and no one else can share its joy." Sometimes she meets others who have endured similar sufferings -- car accidents, diseases, loss of teeth, anxiety, etc. As they share their experiences, no one has the same story -- each suffers differently, and even though we have walked this road with our girl from the very beginning, we will never really know the deepness of her suffering. It has changed Shea profoundly. She understands the preciousness of life, and desires to know her purpose. "No one else can share its joy." The uphill climb is extremely overwhelming at times, but this downward (yet bumpy!) ride is a joy that is truly hers.

A friend of ours who has been by her husband's side as he endures the final stages of cancer, shared a great quote with us -- we don't know who wrote it, but it was just what Shea needed the other day. "It is not what I would choose, but it is what I will use to bring honor and glory to Jesus." We are grateful that beauty grows from despair no matter how hard it is to see -- we have to look with squinty eyes sometimes, but it's there.

Thanks for enduring with us, for standing in the wings and cheering Shea on to the home stretch!

We love you --

The Hickoks

"A New Kind of Normal"

2008-06-05T21:24:00.003-05:00

It has been a long time since we posted. I guess it's because things don't seem out of the ordinary for us anymore. Shea doesn't wear her teeth around home more than she does, and we don't really notice anymore. She keeps her Super Glue and Fixodent close by in case there's a mishap, but there isn't a big reaction from any of us anymore when the teeth are dropped, broken or falling out! Shea has a number of doctors' appointments, but it's just what she's gotten used to, so to us it's like the title of a book by Carol Kent -- "A New Kind of Normal."

The appliance that was surgically implanted in Shea's hard palate was intended to grow bone vertically and horizontally so that there would be bone in which to implant her three front teeth. As some of you may remember, she had a surgery where they grafted bone from her hip, and it was unsuccessful. At another surgery they grafted bone from her skull, and it was also unsuccessful. This was Dr. Nunn's and Dr. Mill's last resort and was a surgery neither of them had ever performed before. After looking at the x-rays, it looks like Shea has grown some good hard bone! We are thrilled and grateful that it appears this surgery was successful.

This Saturday, June 7th at 9 am Shea will have another surgery where this appliance will be removed. We're praying that it will be a quick and uneventful procedure, but there is the chance that her bone has grown around the appliance which could make it difficult for them to remove. Thankfully, Shea will have anesthesia for this operation. Please pray for a quick removal of this appliance and for a great recovery. Shea has had a number of long and major surgeries, and so it's exciting for us to see the end of the road that slants somewhat downhill -- easier and much closer to the finish line! If all goes as planned, Shea's final surgery should be in November sometime!

Thank you for your love and faithful prayers.

The Hickoks

God Bless You

2008-02-12T21:41:00.002-05:00

Shea is settled, so I'm finally taking a few minutes to update everyone. What a day.

Dr. Mills wanted Shea to take a strong sedative last night, and strong it was! When we put her to bed (yes, she's twenty-one, I know, but this pill was debilitating!) we prayed for her doctors -- that they would have peace in their homes, no distractions and amazing sleep.

This morning Dr. Mills called and said, "Guess what? Last night I dreamed Shea's entire surgery from start to finish -- it's as if I've already done it!" He was excited and ready to get started.

We didn't mention in the previous post that Shea decided to forego anesthesia for this surgery. In her past surgeries she has struggled for months afterwards -- anxiety, irritability, etc. so she felt that if she had medication and plenty of numbing she would be fine. Well, it was a rough one, and I doubt she would ever brave it again. We were able to watch the entire surgery on a huge screen -- we actually only peeked once in awhile, because it was too difficult to watch, but we could hear her crying at times and that about did us in.

When the surgery was over Dr. Mills and Dr. Nunn said that the surgery went much better than they expected. Shea's bone was thicker and harder than they realized, and they are very hopeful that the procedure was very successful. Dr. Mills looked at Dr. Nunn and said, "You know, there were a lot of friends and family praying for Shea today."

As Shea was recovering, Dr. Mills came in and told her that a lady had just come in who had an accident this morning and had knocked out her teeth. He asked Shea if she would go to that lady's room to encourage her. When Dr. Mills left the room, Shea looked at me with tears in her eyes and I said, "No, you don't have to go talk to that lady -- sometimes it's okay to just take care of yourself." She seemed relieved. Awhile later Dr. Mills came back and once again urged Shea to come with him to this lady's room. Shea was so emotional from all the medicine that it was hard for her to keep from crying, but Dr. Mills seemed to know how far he could push her, and he did! We all followed as Shea went to the woman's room. We peeked in and saw that her face was all swollen and bloody -- a number of cuts too. She had been crying. Shea walked up to her and began talking softly. I couldn't hear everything that was said, but I saw the two embrace, I heard Shea say, "Jesus loves you and He'll take care of you." -- "You're going to be all right." Shea began to stroke the woman's long hair, and they both cried. At the end, Shea (with her bloody swollen lips) kissed her on the forehead and said, "God bless you," We could hardly compose ourselves, and Dr. Mills just smiled and nodded.

Thank you again for your notes, calls and especially your fervent prayers.

We love you --

The Hickoks

God in My Healing

2008-02-11T20:09:00.000-05:00

We haven't posted for a number of months, but things have been relatively quiet. Shea has continued to see her doctors and tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1:30 she will have her next surgery.

Dr. Nunn, Shea's plastic surgeon and Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, will perform the surgery together.

The goal of this surgery is to implant a device that will grow bone because grafting bone from her hip and skull in previous surgeries shrunk away and was unsuccessful. Shea needs to have five front teeth implants, but at this point there is no bone in which to implant the teeth.

This procedure is similar to Vertical Angular Distraction, but the plan they have is much more involved and to their knowledge has never been done before. They will implant a device in Shea's mouth under her nose and cut her maxillary bone vertically on either side and horizontally as well. Then they will place several screws in each side of the divided bone. A bar will stick out of her mouth where her eye tooth should be. Each day for the next month, Shea will need to go to Dr. Mills' office so he can turn the bar. In doing so, this should grow a half millimeter of bone each day. The difficulty is trying to grow bone both vertically and horizontally.

This afternoon Shea went for her pre-op appointment with Dr. Mills. He says her prognosis is on the lower side of fair, and the only way she could have a 100% successful surgery is with a lot of prayer. So once again we call on you, our friends and family, to pray again on Shea's behalf. We have seen miracle after miracle in her life and we will pray for faith to believe that God wants to bless Shea even more with His healing hand.

Yesterday Shea sang in church and the song was certainly a testimony of God's continuing work in her life. As parents, it's hard to watch your child (no matter what age) go through painful surgeries, but we are so proud of our girl and are seeing in her a deep love for Jesus like never before.

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
God in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
God in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Be my everything
Be my everything

Christ in me
The hope of glory
You are everything
Christ in me
The hope of glory
Be my everything
Be my everything

You are everything
Jesus everything.

Love to you --

The Hickoks

2007-08-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

He sat for hours on the cold linoleum floor with only a gum wrapper and time to kill. Entertaining a nervous nine-year-old boy with a paper football, waiting to hear the plight of his sister, was no small feat, but he did it with ease and gentleness. Hearing the news of the accident that early morning of November nineteenth, he came to Macon with his parents to be a support and comfort to his pastor and family. A few days later he came back to Macon to visit Shea although she was unconscious and completely unaware of his presence. He stepped closer to her bed and touched her cold swollen hand. Looking up at the monitors, reading the stats and then down at her lifeless body, he thought this might be the last time he would ever see her. Knowing music was a big part of Shea's life, he left his ipod for her to find comfort in familiar song.

Months after Shea came home from the hospital he came over for church band practice. Afraid of being seen, Shea hid in her room while the guys rehearsed. Week after week she isolated herself. One night after a long day of doctors' appointments, we drove home to find all the cars at our house. Rehearsal was already in progress. What should we do? Wait in the car? "I can't keep hiding. I need to go in," Shea said. As she walked in the front door, the music stopped. Their expressions said it all. She was alive and back with us. Jason, sitting on the floor with his guitar, carefully reached up and once again, touched her hand -- this time soft and warm. Few words were exchanged, but there was an undeniable connection for sure. The next day Jason left a message on Steve's cell phone where he poured out his heart about how unbelievably moved he was to witness this miracle. He wondered if he had experienced maybe a fraction of what the disciples felt when they touched Jesus again.

Phone calls became more and more as their friendship developed. Jason was there for every surgery and recovery. Oftentimes showing up with a carton of sorbet and a movie or some probiotics and a homemade shake. The flowers came later! Last August, Shea and Jason Baker declared their love for each other! We couldn't be happier for our little girl. Jason told Shea, "This is the face I fell in love with." Her scars he loves too -- they tell a story of character and a strength which only deepens their relationship more. Sometimes holding her teeth during meals or passing them to her quickly when people ask her a question. They've got it down! Quietly but attentively he attends to Shea's needs. With numbness on parts of her face, food seems to gravitate to those areas, but Jason nonchalantly wipes them away without a thought. They have had a different start from most couples. With the laughter that fills our home, you would never know the dark times these two have together shared.

What a bright spot this love relationship is in our family! Thanks for sharing in our joy.

Steve and Susan

2007-08-20T15:09:00.000-05:00

A Note From Shea

2007-07-05T17:10:00.000-05:00

This is the first time I have posted and I have really wanted to write all of you. I told my parents that I was writing the next blog. Problem is . . . four months later I am finally gathering up the courage to do it! I was nervous to write because I have a lot to live up to considering some of the writers on this blog have actually published books! They say I'm dealing with a lot of anxiety that will hopefully diminish with time, so I'm sorry that I haven't at least written something. I guess I don't see my life as all that interesting right now, so I don't want to blab on and on about my life when things are, what I perceive as somewhat normal now.

First of all, I want to thank all of you who are still following this blog for continuing to remember me in prayer. I wish I could thank each of you personally. It seems kind of trite to thank you via a blog and I will never know how many people prayed for me. It's pretty overwhelming. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your earnest prayers for me. If it weren't for all of you lifting me up to Jesus I don't know if I would be here today.

A number of people have asked how different my life is now since the accident. I was going to school and working so my family pretty much saw me flying in and out the door. Life was busy, stressful and crazy. I don't remember much about the day of the accident except that morning I used Crest White Strips. I looked in the mirror, smiled and thought, "My teeth look goooood." Over a month later I woke up, looked in a mirror and didn't recognize myself. A couple days later I was taken to a brain injury unit, and I felt like I was living the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Actually, I've never seen the movie, but I've heard a lot about it! Ever since then I have had various surgeries, recuperated and pretty much stayed home with my family most of the time.

I have had the opportunity to visit some of my extended family which has been really good for me. When you have to take out five teeth when eating, family is the best crowd to be around! I have had many close calls with my teeth - almost throwing them away at restaurants and asking the waiter to bring back my plate. A couple weeks ago our family went to Connecticut to visit my aunts, uncles and cousins. We took a boat out for the day, and I was relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. All of a sudden, my brother lost his footing and I screamed, "Luke!" Down fell my teeth, sliding down the side of the boat practically in slow motion, they slipped into the Long Island Sound. Once again, a great crowd to be around when you have to spend the rest of your vacation toothless! I got another set of teeth and sang in church recently. Betweeen the services I laughed backstage and out shot my teeth. Unfortunately, they broke into pieces. We gathered up the teeth, ran to Walgreens for Super Glue, glued them back together and walked on stage just in time for the next service to start. Just this weekend it happened again! I was at our family reunion and was outside in the woods walking to my cabin. I sneezed and out they came. It was midnight and I couldn't see a thing. Minutes later, the whole Anderson search party arrived with cell phones, lap tops and car headlights to help me find my dentures! They only broke in two places this time, but fortunately, I now carry Super Glue in my purse along with my lip gloss!

In a few minutes I am heading off to another surgery. This time they are detaching my upper lip from my gums. In my last surgery they had to use my lip to cover over the new bone they grafted. Now that it is healing they can separate the lip from the gums. They will also graft skin from the roof of my mouth to place on my gums where the previously grafted bone has shrunk. I guess it will appear to look like bone but gum tissue works as well too.

Thanks so much for all your love and prayers for me. I am so blessed and I know God is using all that has happened in my life to deepen me spiritually and to allow me opportunities that never would have happened.

"And we know that in all things God works to the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Love,

Shea

Sweet Smelling Incense

2007-03-05T10:46:00.000-05:00

We are home, and all is well. We weren't able to post any news at the hospital, and we thank David Pippenger, Steve's brother-in-law, for helping us out then.

Tuesday morning our whole family was up at 4:30 and out the door shortly thereafter. They whisked us into the pre-op room, and Shea was soon hooked up and ready for a long nap! Dr. Nunn came in and Shea said, "Did you have a good night's sleep?" "Well, as a matter of fact I did." Shea shared with him that many of us were praying that her surgeons would sleep well the night before. Dr. Nunn smiled and said, "Hey, would you please pray that I sleep that well every night?"

As they wheeled Shea away, Dr. McKay yelled over his shoulder, "See you in three or four hours." We saw Shea twelve hours later! The surgery took much longer than all the surgeons anticipated, but we are thankful they were able to take their time. At about noon Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, came out to report that all was well. He was able to direct the plastic surgeons and tell them exactly where to place the bone in her jaw so that he would have the exact amount of bone he needs to eventually do her implants. He reminded us again that Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay are unbelievably talented and artistic. So waiting the rest of the afternoon and into the evening wasn't as difficult as you might think since we knew Shea was in great hands. After the surgery both doctors commented that all went better than they ever imagined. Dr. McKay said, "I felt like I had an angel on my shoulder the whole time."

The first few nights at the hospital were very rough as they had a difficult time regulating the morphine. Shea was in great pain the first night and the nurses were trying to convince her to relax and allow the drug to take effect. When the shift changed and the night nurse came in, she informed us that the morphine pump machine had been turned off for over an hour! So glad to have a nurse with 35 years experience watch over Shea all night!

Shea is home and improving every day. She has been seeing an alternative health care specialist, Dr. Marc D'Andrea, weekly for the past number of months. He called on Saturday and asked if he could make a house call! We couldn't believe it. He is working hard to give Shea the proper nutrition her body needs to rid her body of all the toxins, boost her energy and speed healing.

Once again, we thank all of you for your faithful prayers. There's a song by Matt Redman taken from Revelation 8:4 that Steve and I have been singing lately, - here's a line of the lyrics: "May the prayers of the saints be like sweet smelling incense to You, Lord." There are many of you whom we may never meet, but you continue to pray for our girl's continued healing; so many have not stopped praying. How could it be that doctors sense an angel's presense, that they are in awe of their own God-given abilities except for the prayers of the saints? Thank you again . . . and again.

Love,

The Hickoks

Report from Steve (with photo)

2007-02-28T11:57:00.000-05:00

I just got this email from Steve:

"Shea is doing well this am she has a slight fever and a scratched cornea in her good eye other than that she is hanging in there. She is so thankful for getting thru this surgery. Pray that no infection sets in."

Steve also said I could post this pic...

Success!

2007-02-27T18:49:00.000-05:00

The surgery took twice as long as expected, but the doctors feel this may be the last major surgery! Steve and Susan still have not seen Shea but they have talked to the doctors and the report was that the surgery went better than they had even hoped for.

Susan says there will not be any more posts tonight, but we will keep you up to date tomorrow.

Thanks to all for all of your thoughts and prayers.

David Pippenger

Surgery Update

2007-02-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

Susan just called with an update:

The surgery is still ongoing but so far all news is good. Her blood pressure is great and they are now working on getting the bone from her hip for the grafts in her teeth.

They are removing a lot of plates and screws which we hope will result in less pain for Shea.

They have raised her left eye a full centimeter and have injected her own blood and stem cells into the bone of the upper jaw to speed healing. They still don't know whether they are going to break her lower jaw, since they don't want to affect her singing.

Dr. Mills came out and said that Shea has the absolute very best doctors in the world for this surgery. He stated that if he was in an accident, these would be the doctors he would hope for.

Surgery Tuesday Morning

2007-02-26T23:24:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much for all the encouraging comments on the blog. At dinner tonight, Shea said that she wasn't at all nervous about the surgery tomorrow. "Should I be?" she said, and we all laughed. The outpouring of love and prayers is truly carrying all of us, and we are actually excited about tomorrow.

We had a pre-op appointment with Dr. Nunn last week, and he explained all the procedures they will be performing. Rebreaking the cheek bone, grafting bone from Shea's hip to use above her front gums, breaking both sides of her jaw, pulling out her chin, raising the left eye a little more and maybe even a brow lift! Just what you want when you're twenty! Shea asked Dr. Nunn if anything could be done for the pain in her jaw. He had another x-ray done of her skull and saw a metal plate that the first surgeon had used to hold her crushed jaw together. At this point, the plate has no purpose and is hitting Shea's jaw every time she closes her mouth. Dr. Nunn said that it hurt him to even look at her x-ray. He thinks he can remove it, but there is the concern that bone has grown around the plate.

Please pray that all will go as planned and that Dr. Nunn, Dr. McKay and Dr. Mills will be absolutely amazed at the miraculous results of this surgery.

We love and appreciate all of you --

The Hickoks

We're Still Alive!

2007-01-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Where has the time gone? Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's have passed and 2007 is well under way. Thanks so much for the encouraging comments on the blog, and we apologize for allowing so much time to pass before posting.

Maybe life has become normal to us, and we don't really know what all of you are interested in hearing as there hasn't been anything monumental to report until now. We have visited some doctors recently as Shea prepares for her next surgery, and yesterday's appointment was to get a 3D CT scan of her skull. They are making a model of Shea's skull for the plastic surgeons to use, and the technician explained to Shea, by using a quarter, that they can get to 1/10 the thickness of a quarter in accuracy.

Shea's surgery is scheduled for February 27th at 7:30 am at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Her left cheekbone will be rebroken and repaired again. Shea's eye needs to be raised higher, and we're hoping that this will alleviate the double vision in her left eye. Both jaw bones will be broken and the bottom jaw will be pulled out farther. Bone from Shea's hip will be grafted to the area above where her front teeth should be.

Shea is seeing a nutritionist who is helping her get her body as healthy as possible before the next surgery. Evidently she still has about 25% of the toxins in her organs from the last surgery. Anesthesia and lots of strong meds take a toll on the body. Shea still requires about 12 hours of sleep a night and is experiencing jaw pain and headaches.

On our last post there was a comment from Paula Richardson. We have never met, but thank you, Paula, for encouraging our family in a huge way. Unfortunately, your husband was the doctor we dreaded seeing as he was the doctor who worked on Shea in the emergency room. We sat in the Family Counseling Room and Dr. Richardson had to share the grim news with us that our daughter was not expected to live through the day. He said that she was not responding to the oxygen and they were doing all they could. One time he walked into the room, and his face was solemn. I looked at him, trying to read his expression, fearing what he would say to us and our boys. "Is she alive?" I blurted out. "Yes." I remember clapping my hands and Dr. Richardson put out his palms to us and said, "It is very grim." We only knew to pray and so we continued. Now that we hear the words from his wife, of her love for the Lord Jesus, we wonder if Dr. Richardson prayed over our daughter as God used him to miraculousy bring our Shea back to life. Thank you from the depths of our hearts for not giving up on our girl.

It's hard to imagine that a year ago we were just coming home from the Acquired Brain Injury Unit and settling Shea at home. It's birthday time in our family, Jess' was today, Steve in a few days and Shea will be 20 on February 7th. What a difference a year makes as last year we were just trying to get through each day. Lying in bed, sleeping for hours on end, doctors' appointments almost daily. Last Wednesday Shea joined our Bible Study at church. As we sat side by side, she took my hand, squeezed it and whispered, "I love you, Mommy." You can imagine the emotion that welled up in me as I looked into the eyes of our only daughter, even though her appearance isn't exactly the same as before, it's her. She's alive, beautiful and will one day be very well.

Thanks for listening and praying --

The Hickoks

One Year

2006-11-18T23:11:00.002-05:00

Something about seasons reminds us of our past. For us, fall is a beautiful season with the myriad of colors ranging from flaming red to yellow, gold and even some still green. As the leaves continue to fall until almost all the trees are bare, we are reminded of that ride home from the Shepherd Center last year. Where had fall gone? It was stark winter. Cold and scary. We had been inside hospitals for six weeks without any notice to the changes outside. Maybe we'll always be reminded of that date in November every time the leaves fall, but today we rejoice. Our children are alive and under our roof. They are not the same kids they were one year ago. Things are different -- our conversations are longer and deeper, time doesn't matter. Talking sometimes begins in the middle of the night and ends whenever they've said it all. Physical and emotional healing doesn't care about time.

Today our hearts ache for Bill and Kyle, Anna and the girls and Deborah. One year ago today they lost their son, their brother. We see the strain on their faces as they go about each day and simply try to get through it. We don't always know whether to talk with them about Mike or if we should talk about the weather. It's hard. We can't imagine the emptiness they feel. That night our kids were given back to us and theirs was taken. We don't have any answers, and sometimes there's a tinge of guilt that we have so much hope. They've heard it all --- it was his time, it's God's will, he lived a full life, he was a great kid. But it must take time --and lots of it -- to even begin to sense healing. Our hearts go out to all of you as you walk this difficult road. We love you all and will continue to pray.

To all those in the accident -- Kyle, Blair, Will and Rachel. We haven't forgotten your pain. Each one of you suffers similarly yet in different ways, but you all still suffer. Even though our roads have taken different paths, that cold November night still unites us. There is a special bond that is there every time you see each other -- the tragic memories play like horror movies in your mind, and that is what we pray will diminish with time -- there it is again -- time. Maybe there will come a day when this event is not the first thing you think about each morning. And maybe God's Word is true when it says, " I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. So we can say with confidence,'The LORD is my helper, I will have no fear.'" . . ."Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

With love and thankful hearts ---

The Hickoks

Shalom

2006-10-14T23:17:00.000-05:00

This week Shea saw her orthodontist and received the word that her hard palate needs to be rebroken at her next surgery as it has expanded too far on one side. The week before, Shea found out that her cheekbone needs to be rebroken as well. Shea was so strong the first day as she was trying to be strong for the rest of us. The last three days or so she has been very tired and listless, and the emotion of it all seems to be affecting her physically. Some discouragement has set in, and it's understandable as Shea doesn't know how long the road is ahead of her. Your comments have meant so much to her and all of us. Thanks for your encouraging words and continued prayers.

In Numbers 6 the Lord asked Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing. Today we pray this blessing for our sweet Shea as she bravely faces the trials ahead --

"May the LORD bless you
and protect you.
May the LORD smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the LORD show you his favor
and give you his peace."

We love you, sweet girl --

Mom and Dad

"My Offering"

2006-10-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

This month Shea had an appointment with Dr. McKay, one of her plastic surgeons. He was encouraged by the symmetry of her eyes and doesn't think she will need a brow lift or an eye tack, which is putting a stitch or two at the outer eye area to lift it up. He believes that as the swelling continues to go down, the eye will naturally go up on its own. Yes, after almost three months Shea still has quite a bit of swelling. The not so good news is that Shea will have to have her cheekbone rebroken as it still has not healed properly. At her next surgery (we don't know when that will be), they will do a complete headband incision from ear to ear, actually pulling down her face to see the true symmetry of both cheekbones. The doctors tried not to be as invasive at her recent surgery but realize now that it is necessary.

The last few days for Shea have been a little down. She was pulling back her hair tonight and caught a glimpse of her face -- not like she doesn't see it every day, but it was one of those times when the reality of all that has happened became real again. Sometimes she is so busy that she doesn't take time to analyze her face -- much like most of us. The realization of all that she has endured and all that lies ahead can be a little discouraging.

Shea has braces again. She got the tooth-colored kind so it really isn't noticeable. Since her three front teeth are not her own, she only has a thin wire that goes across the front, so it looks pretty much like a retainer. She was just showing me her bite, and I can't believe she has never complained before. I couldn't see any teeth that meet. Shea is having some stomach problems as she can't chew her food properly, so we are discussing cutting meat from her diet and other chewy foods that are hard for the system to digest. Shea meets with Dr. Salama, her orthodontist, tomorrow and we will know more then.

Some of you have asked us about Shea's vision in her left eye. The spot was originally big and black, then it turned to grey, and now it is transparent in some areas -- like looking through a cloud, she says. Sometimes it makes her dizzy, and it also causes her to have problems with depth perception. The good news is, it continues to diminish. Shea wants to see it clear up naturally as opposed to another surgery.

Steve asked Shea when she would be ready to sing at church again. She has not sung since before the accident and just took up voice lessons again. Shea has been very hesitant to sing since she doesn't like what she hears. With all the plates and screws and the fact that her sinus cavities were shattered, her voice sounds foreign to her. We felt she was ready to sing again and needed the confidence to do it. Steve gave her a song to practice -- a duet with her special friend, Jason Baker. They practiced and practiced and finally on Saturday night when we thought they would just run through it a few more times, Shea began to cry. "I can't do it." -- almost like how some describe a panic attack. We tried to encourage her and pray with her but she decided it would be better to have someone else sing in her place. It wasn't until one in the morning that Shea recognized that she was being prideful (her word, not mine!) in not doing what she knew in her heart God wanted her to do. It was her offering to Him. No matter how she sounded, she would sing it to Him! Everyone at church was so excited as they have walked with our family through this most difficult time. They stood and clapped with gratitude at what God has done in Shea's life. As Luke watched his sister sing, he became emotional as just ten months ago Shea was on life support, not expected to live and now she was singing again -- doing what she loves most. One proud brother!

"My Offering"

I lay it all down, my dreams and my crown
Lord I surrender
I lay it all down, my fear and my doubt
Lord I surrender

My heart like never before
My heart like never before
Lord I want to give you everything
i want to give you everything
This is my offering

Give me the strength, enough for today
Lord I surrender
Show me your way
Give me your grace
Lord to surrender
Lord I surrender

My heart like never before
My heart like never before
Lord I want to give you everything
I want to give you everything
This is my offering

The Hickoks

Beautiful Plan

2006-09-02T23:01:00.000-05:00

Shea's surgery was almost eight weeks ago. It's hard to believe the time has passed so quickly, and even though it seems slow, it's good to see the healing take place from week to week.

Shea spent the first four weeks without her three front teeth, but surprisingly that didn't stop her from living life. She went to an Atlanta Braves game, church, Salon 124 to get her hair trimmed and out to coffee with friends. This may be a little crass, but sometimes we all just need a little comic relief! We were driving to an appointment on the 85 and passed a trucker who had a sign taped to his window -- "FLASH ME!" Do you dare me, mom? Next thing I knew Shea smashed her face to the window and flashed the biggest toothless smile!! She loved his reaction -- "Scared him to death!"

Shea finally got temporary teeth again. Dr. Mills did an excellent job, and just this week Shea went to Dr. Salama's to get braces . . . again! We did have trouble with the palate expander as it expanded her palate too far, especially on one side. So now she has to turn the "key" the opposite direction every other day. The concern is that if this does not work, they will have to rebreak her hard palate.

We are surprised that Shea has considerable swelling in her face. Her left cheek bone still appears to jut out, making it appear that her cheek bones still are not symmetrical. According to the x-rays it looks good, and we probably won't really see much change until after her jaw surgery. Shea has an appointment soon with Dr. Nunn who will give us an honest evaluation of her progress.

None of this seems to be of much concern to Shea. She continues to surprise and delight us. God has blessed her life with the most amazing and unexpected blessing, and even now, Shea continues to say that all she has endured, even though the path has twisted and turned, is part of God's beautiful plan for her life. Psalm 119:71 -- "The suffering you sent was good for me . . ."

Love and thanks to all of you --

The Hickoks

No Teeth . . . No Problem!

2006-07-30T09:15:00.000-05:00

It has been a few days since we last posted as things have been beautifully quiet around here. Shea had a few appointments last week. Dr. Nunn removed the staples from Shea's head which she said was painless. Dr. Mills had his theater full of dentists again, and Shea was the subject. She stood before the doctors and answered questions all while missing three front teeth. Shea sat in the front row and was surprised as Dr. Mills proceeded to show the graphic photographs of her surgery, and for this she was completely unprepared. She did fine though and was actually quite fascinated with it all!

Shea was determined to get some temporary teeth last week, but Dr. Mills said she would probably need to wait a month. That was not a good day. Shea pretty much had a meltdown as she has recovered so quickly and wants to get out yet the lack of teeth is holding her back . . . or so we thought! It's Sunday morning, and I can hear Shea getting ready for church! We never dreamed that she would allow those she loves and strangers as well to see her for who she is physically right now. So proud of our girl today!

I must close or Shea and I will be late for church!

Love,

The Hickoks

One Miracle at a Time

2006-07-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Shea had an appointment with Dr. Nunn who was very pleased with his work! He removed the stitches from Shea's left eye so that she could open it. The staples in her head can't be removed for a few more days, so Shea still can't use a blow dryer -- she wouldn't want to heat up the staples! Her left eye was raised one centimeter, and even though it's still hard to really tell what she's going to look like, it's almost level with her right eye.

Our next stop was Dr. Mills' office. He wanted to take pictures of her and document everything as he will use Shea's case in his teaching classes. When she walked in, Dr. Mills, the nurses and the assistants gathered around Shea and could not believe how good she looks after only one week. Dr. Mills had patients in the dental chairs waiting to be worked on, and so he asked Shea if she minded being introduced to his patients. He shared the story with everyone and they were all amazed at how well she is doing after only seven days. Then Shea begged Dr Mills for her three front teeth -- "I'll even bake you cookies!" He high fived her and said, "One miracle at a time, Shea."

Last of all we went to see Dr. Salama, the orthodontist. Since Shea's hard palate was also broken and expanded a centimeter during surgery, they had to broaden it even more. We will turn the "key" a couple turns each day for the next month and then the braces can be put on her teeth. How long this will all last, we don't know. Shea tries to be lighthearted about getting braces again --"Oh, it's going to be so much more fun the second time around!"

The recovery time is supposed to be six weeks, but after one week we are amazed at Shea's quick improvement. Thank you again for your interest and prayers on Shea's behalf.

Love,

S & S

Soggy Crackers

2006-07-23T06:43:00.000-05:00

Most of Friday Shea stayed in bed and slept off and on. We brought her meals to her --nothing too interesting -- different pureed soups, yogurt, applesauce, etc. We talked some, and then Shea took her meds and drifted back to sleep. Her face has become more swollen, but yesterday we noticed a crease in her eyelid, so the swelling is already going down! Her left eye is sewn shut for now, and she has a number of stitches in her mouth too. On Monday we have an appointment with the plastic surgeons.

It's interesting how one person's mood affects others. They say " a mother is as happy as her unhappiest child," and I know that goes for dads as well. Steve and I are trying to keep the morale up in our home. We have two boys who need their parents and they respond differently. The hospital, the surgery, the recovery brings back all the memories of the accident for Luke, and he talks about it some, but I know he also wants this event to finally be behind him even though it has shaped him and will always be a part of him. Jess, at ten years old, has been through the trauma with us and although we wish he never had to go through what he did and see what he did, God knew, and it will be used for good in his life somehow.

Last night Steve and I slowly walked up the stairs after a long day. As we got to the top, Shea opened her door and said, "Hey, do you guys want to go downstairs for a snack and talk?" YES!! She was her old self. It's interesting that her Nepridine ran out and Dr. MacKay said he would not refill it. Alleve, Tylenol and others will have to work for now. Being off the narcotics so quickly was a surprise to us, but we're happy to help her manage the pain in different ways and have Shea back. Shea dipped graham crackers in milk until they practically fell apart, and you would think we served her a gourmet meal!

"O, taste and see that the Lord is good!"

Steve and Susan

Shea's Home

2006-07-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

We didn't post last night as we had no internet connection. All of the posts have been very encouraging as we have had a tough time making Shea comfortable. As soon as we think we have the perfect med mix, she surprises us with intense pain.

Today Shea has pretty much slept all day and is now in bed for the night. It has been three days since the surgery, and her spirits are way down. She sat at the table and drank her broth and yogurt and didn't speak. When we asked her things she didn't answer. Then after awhile in Shea's sweet style she apologized for not being "up" for us, and we assured her that this is her time to heal and be quiet if she needs to be. Of course, being on a narcotic alters your mind, and she has had a few hallucinations which bother her since it takes her back to the drug withdrawal horror in Macon. We're praying that the Meperidine can be reduced soon.

Thank you for praying for healing, strength . . . and maybe joy in the morning too.

Love,

Steve and Susan

Quick Update

2006-07-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

Thank you for uttering "Shea" throughout the night and today. We loved all the comments you shared with us. As I sat by Shea's bedside this morning she asked me to read the blog. As we read one after another we both cried. There were many long pauses as I just couldn't get through them. Shea is utterly amazed that all of you are steadfast prayer warriors who are not giving up. To those of you whom Shea has not even met before, she wanted me to give you a special, "Thank you" for allowing God to "enlarge your hearts" to pray fervently for her.

I guess you could say it was a "newborn baby" night. Up and down quite a bit. They started Shea on four mg of Morphine, and it didn't quite last the two hours that it is supposed to. The last twenty minutes or so before she could receive her medicine I tried to keep her mind occupied -- sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. By morning though, Shea was up to six mg and she was doing very well. She stayed in ICU until late this afternoon and was then wheeled to a regular pediatric floor. What a difference. As soon as we got there it was time for her medicine. They gave her a lower dose of a different medicine! It wasn't working, and Shea was beside herself. The doctor was called and he said she could have the morphine but a lower dosage. It seems that the change was too abrupt and we tried our best to get the doctor called again and keep Shea comfortable at the same time, but it was a tough few hours. Steve is spending the night with her, and he just called to say that everything is fine and she's finally resting well.

Shea is more swollen today but not as much as we thought she would be. Dr. McKay came in today and said, "Shea, I thought you would be a pumpkin head this morning." She is wearing an elastic bandage that looks like a stocking cap around her neck and head as a compression for the cranial incision. When we ask her where the pain is, she says, my head, my face and my mouth. We're trusting that each day will get easier and the pain will be manageable as they gradually lower the dosage over the next few weeks.

Love and thanks to all of you --

The Hickoks

Surgery Successful!

2006-07-17T17:56:00.000-05:00

This morning we awakened Shea and when she looked at us we thought she would groan and roll over, but she smiled and said, "Good morning." As she prepared to go to the hospital we heard her singing in her room. It was surprising to us as she has been very nervous the last few days. On our eleven-hour flight home from Italy her leg nervously shook. We had kept busy for two weeks and now the reality was setting in as she realized the surgery was in a couple days. So it was encouraging to all of us that she was in such high spirits.

Our whole family went together to the hospital this morning, and Shea chatted with the nurses as they prepped her for surgery. She said that she was excited about the party. When we asked her, "What party?" She said, "You know, the party in my room tonight"! We all prayed together again, and then the doctors came in. We asked her if she was nervous and she said, "Not at all -- I don't know why I'm so calm." Then we all smiled as she realized a host of friends and family were already busy uttering her name to our Lord. Thank you so much for your prayers. As the nurse wheeled her away I heard her ask Shea is she was nervous and Shea said, "No, I'm really excited." So when emotions would normally be really high, the four of us had a restful time this afternoon. Some of our great friends stopped by to pray with us and help time fly, and it did.

After 4 1/2 hours, Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay came out to say that the surgery was very successful! Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, and his assistant observed the surgery and took many pictures of the different procedures. They grafted bone from her skull and utilized it in the eye orbit area. They broke her cheek bone and eye orbit area in three different places. Dr. Nunn also broke her hard palate and expanded it a centimeter. Unfortunately Shea's three front temporary teeth could not be saved, and we're not sure yet how long she'll have to go without them. This is tough for a nineteen-year-old.

They wheeled Shea out of recovery, and we were able to see her for a short while. We were surprised that she looks somewhat swollen but so good. The nurse said that she'll be more swollen tomorrow, but it was nice to hear her voice. She whispered to us, "Jesus got me through it." She was in a lot of pain and still is. They are trying to regulate her medication with morphine, but since her body has built up such a tolerance to medication, they're having a hard time keeping Shea comfortable. She is in ICU so we know she will be watched very carefully. One parent is allowed to spend the night in the room, so it's Mom's night tonight! Please pray for a pain-free restful night.

Before Shea's surgery she talked to us about "the peace that passes all understanding." She related that she would never begin to understand that verse if she had never known suffering. So even though it's hard to watch your child suffer, we continue to thank God for the trials as He "breaks" and molds our little girl and prepares her for a deeper walk with Him.

We cannot thank you enough for your kind words and prayers. We read the latest comments to Shea this morning, and we could tell she was hanging onto every word. Thank you!

Much love,

The Hickoks

Waiting

2006-07-02T21:52:00.000-05:00

"Since ancient times no one has heard, no one has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." Isaiah 64:4

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a long time since we last posted. We have enjoyed reading different family members share their experiences with Shea as they have recently spent time with her.

The past month has consisted of doctors' appointments almost daily. A couple weeks ago we went to an endodontist that Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, recommended to us. He was to give Shea a root canal, but after about twenty minutes Dr. Rousseau came out to tell me that he would not be able to save the tooth. He had already called Dr. Mills who said to send her over immediately to have the tooth pulled. We drove to Dr. Mills' office, and after awhile he came out to the waiting room to talk to me. He said that he might not be able to pull the tooth after all, and we may need to send her to another doctor who can completely sedate her and pull the tooth. Dr. MIlls said, "We cannot underestimate the seriousness of this as the roots of the tooth are right by the plate and screws holding her jaw together." I told him that I trusted his judgment and knew he would make the right decision. A little later Dr. MIlls came out with his head down -- I asked him if he pulled it. "I did." I was thrilled and told him that I had prayed for him. He looked away and I thought it was a little strange even though he had told us many visits before that he is not a religious man. I asked him what he was thinking and he looked at me, blinking his eyes and said, "Thanks for praying."

We went to see Dr. Nunn, one of the plastic surgeons who will be performing Shea's surgery. This was our last pre-op visit, and Shea had a lot of questions for him. They have changed some of the plans for the surgeries. Instead of three surgeries ahead of her, Shea has four. The first surgery this month they will do the headband incision from the top of her head down to her ear. They will then graft bone from her skull to place in the eye orbit area. Her left eye needs to be raised one centimeter. He could see that Shea does not have complete use of the nerves in her forehead even though we, with the untrained eye, cannot tell. He said that it could still come with time but that may be as good as it will get. They will also break her hard palette and an expander has already been placed in the roof of her mouth. At this point, her bottom jaw is wider than her top jaw, and of course, the top jaw should be wider than the bottom.

Last Saturday we had an appointment with Dr. Mills for a bone graft. Shea was lightly complaining about it and asked if we could just cancel our appointment this one time. I thought it was strange that our appointment was for 4:00 on Saturday, but he has been so good to work us into his busy schedule, so off we went. I decided that I would just drop Shea off and do some shopping down the street and wait for her to call me when she was finished. About fifteen minutes later Shea called and said, "Mom, you might want to come back here. There are 68 doctors here who are going to observe my bone graft, and Dr. Mills wants me to share my story with all of them." I chucked my shopping basket, drove back to the office and opened the door to the office to hear the first song on Shea's CD blaring! On the second floor Dr. Mills has a 90-seat theater and a glassed-in area with a dental chair. After Shea and Dr. Mills spoke they suited up for the surgery. Shea saw me standing in the back and we both shook our heads and rolled our eyes. Always drama!! The attention was a little overwhelming, and she begged Dr. Mills to turn off the CD but he just carried on! And here we thought it was just another routine dental appointment! A screen came down from the ceiling and Dr. Mills wore a camera on his head and a microphone. He taught as he worked, mixing together synthetic bone, Shea's own blood and a saline solution. It was fascinating to see his skillful work. The two teeth that had to be pulled now have synthetic bone waiting to heal for eventual implants. Many of the dentists gathered around me in the back and asked a lot of questions about the accident. Once again, I was asked how we got Dr. Mills as our dental surgeon. Shea and I laughed as we wondered if we really looked that down and out! One dentist told me that Dr. Mills is the best in his field and probably the top 1% in the world in dental surgery. We are blessed with who we believe are the best doctors possible for the work that needs to be done in Shea's body.

Shea's great friend, Kelly Limmer from Scottsdale, AZ, has been here the last ten days with Shea. Kelly and her mom flew to Macon the day after the accident to be by Shea's side and to be a support to our family. It has been great to hear the girls laughing in Shea's room just like old times. They have filled every minute with fun times, and we know this has helped Shea's nerves as the date of her surgery gets closer and closer. Kelly, we have loved having you here!

Tonight we got back from the annual Anderson family reunion in TN. It was great to be with family and once again share our appreciation for our family's loving help during our most difficult time. Tomorrow morning all five of us are leaving on a trip of a lifetime -- we're going to Italy! All of us are excited about this amazing opportunity. We get back July 14th and Shea's surgery is scheduled for Monday, July 17th at 12:45 pm at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. We have waited for many months for this next surgery, and now we are seeing the date quickly approaching. We appreciate your prayers for Shea's good health and for the doctors as they perform the surgery. We are told that the surgery will last from 4-5 hours. Dr. Salama, Shea's orthodontic specialist and Dr. Mills will be observing as Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay perform the surgery.

Kelly Limmer will write the next update from AZ after she gets home, and we will update all of you as to the outcome of the surgery. Thank you for your continued interest and prayers for Shea. The waiting gets long for her, but she has seen God's faithfulness each day.

Love to all of you --

The Hickoks

A visit to the Hickok plantation

2006-06-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

It was just a week ago that DeDe and I visited the Hickok clan. It was my first time ever to visit them since they moved to Atlanta, and what a precious time it was! For the first time we were able to see the way God has answered the prayers of those who have prayed for Shea...to see the healing that has taken place there and the beauty that God has restored to her physically. To God be the glory!

While we were there, Shea's dentist was able to replace her retainer-like "removable teeth" with some semi-permanent ones that more closely resemble her own. What a remarkable difference! We will surely miss the jokes though as she took out her retainer and did her various "impressions". But there is a beauty that the Lord did not need to restore to Shea, which comes by His grace. It is that inward spiritual beauty of a girl whose first waking thought was centered upon Jesus and how much she loves him.

How thankful we are to have witnessed God's amazing way of delivering and healing this family. But there is still a long journey ahead for them. All four of Shea's surgeons will be meeting on June 6 to discuss a game plan for Shea's upcoming surgery in July. That meeting will include 2 plastic surgeons, a dental surgeon and an ortho-periodonic surgeon. Pray for wisdom as they work through procedures that will be performed during that first surgery. They will be rebreaking the left eyesocket and grafting bone for that from her skull, grafting bone from her hip to her top jaw below her nose to make dental implants possible and rebreaking her jaw and spreading her palette to give her room for teeth and an ability for the teeth to meet so that she can finally chew. Most all of the teeth that remain in her mouth must be repaired, so that will also be addressed. This will be an important meeting as they strategize about that upcoming surgery.

We do want to close by speaking a word about the unseen struggles that are daily being dealt with by the Hickok family. Pray for God's wisdom as Steve and Susan seek to guide their children through these difficult times. We went to the Hickok plantation hoping to be an encouragement, but instead, came home with a harvest of blessings and precious memories. What an amazing family!

Uncle Johnny (UJ)

A Week in Colorado

2006-05-18T16:51:00.000-05:00

Last week Shea came out here to Colorado to visit her extended family, the Pippengers. We wanted her visit to be a chance for her to relax and we also wanted to give her a chance to celebrate the life that she had so desperately fought for in intensive care. We understood that Shea’s plight had become so well known and that the kindness and concern of hundreds of people from her community had been so abundant that we wanted to offer her a couple days to herself. So, it was to be just Shea, her aunt Joy, her uncle David and her cousin Jonathan hangin’ out in the mountains of Colorado for a week.
One thing we learned was that in the future we’ll probably have to get Shea to the airport a little bit earlier than other travelers. On her way out here the 42 screws and 8 steel plates that were keeping her skeletal structure together, gave airport security some suspicions. They thoroughly investigated while she made her way through the metal detectors. (We’ll make a note of that in the future).

The first night Shea was here we actually got a little snow which is lucky because it may be the last time we see snow around these parts until next winter. We jumped in the hot tub and caught snowflakes on our tongues and ate snow that collected on the hot tub cover while our hair froze in the cold night..... a pretty good “How do you do?” from the Colorado climate.
We hung out at the house for a day or two and then made our way to Manitou Springs. Manitou is a little mountain town in Colorado that has lots of character. We drove up to see the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi Indians whose peaceful pueblos were once scattered around the Southwest. Then went and tasted the mineral water of Manitou Springs and taught Shea about the legend from the early 1920s. This legend says that the Ute Indians put a curse on the Historic Manitou springs if the waters were used to make a profit. It was right around the time European settlers piped the sacred mineral spring water into a bathhouse. The project failed and still no man has been able to profit from the sacred waters. Then we went and saw some of aunt Joy’s friends who live in Manitou and have a pet donkey named Molly Sue. She bit Jonathan, but he didn’t mind because the donkey was so freakin’ cool. With its huge head and tendency to do pirouettes out of excitement, who could keep from loving this donkey? We left and got some delicious Thai food and then headed home.

We hung out for a couple more days and relaxed, then headed south for Mother’s Day Weekend (thank you Susan for lending us your daughter during Mother’s Day). We drove towards Bishop’s castle. This is a 250 foot high castle single-handedly built by one man, Jim Bishop. It was a beautiful warm day with lots of sunshine so we rode through some characteristically amazing Colorado scenery in a convertible with the top down. It was Awesome! The castle was complete with stained glass windows and climbing towers. It was truly an astonishing sight to see something so huge, completely assembled by one man. Downright inspiring if you ask us. We even got a chance to chop it up with Jim who I’m sure Shea would tell you is quite a character.

We spent the night in the sleepy town of San Isabell, had some great pie, kicked around Lake Isabell and taught Shea how to drive a car with a standard transmission. Good times. Unfortunately, that night the cabin we slept in had the windows open and the heat turned off and Shea’s cousin, Jonathan, didn't realize that the poor little Arizona native was probably freezing. He just pulled up the covers, rolled over and fell asleep. He still feels bad about it.

Sunday and Monday nights were spent relaxing with Shea. Monday night Shea kicked it with Jonathan and his friends who, of course, instantly fell in love with her because that’s just the way she is and they had all around good times.

We took her to the airport early (just in case) and sent her back to her loving family and friends, but now we have a gaping hole in our family dynamics after only a week with Shea. We miss her very much already and hope y’all appreciate what an incredible human being you’ve got on your hands out there in Georgia.

With Love,
Jonathan Pippenger

Burn to Shine

2006-04-29T19:25:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your patience as we have worked through our computer trouble. We're up and running so hopefully this won't happen again . . . at least not soon!

Where do we begin? Shea went to see Dr. Salama, the orthodontist who specializes in extreme and traumatic cases. He had reviewed Shea's case ahead of time as Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, had prepared a complete story of Shea's injuries including all her pictures from the first days in the hospital. When Dr. Salama came into the examining room to meet us, he introduced himself, commented on all that Shea had been through and then said, "How did you get all these doctors on your team?" He proceeded to tell us about Dr. Nunn, Shea's plastic surgeon -- he is not only known nationwide but even worldwide. Dr. Mills, her dental surgeon, travels here and overseas teaching other dentists cutting-edge treatments. We also heard great things about Dr. Salama and told him so, but he modestly brushed it off and actually encouraged us to check his credentials as well. All of you have joined us in prayer as we have considered the best doctors for our little girl, and for that we thank you.

Shea has also had a couple more visits to Dr. Mills' office for gum treatments. He is working strategically to get Shea's gums healthy again, and then he will begin restoring her teeth. Most of her teeth are broken, and when she chews only two teeth meet in the back on one side -- both of which are broken teeth. So Shea is uncomfortable eating in front of people she doesn't know very well because it's obviously painful to eat, and she has to remove her three front teeth as well.

Some of you have asked about Shea's left eye and her knee. Not much has changed in her eye. She sees a lighter colored spot that moves around and sometimes appears smaller, but then days later she says it's pretty much the same size. She doesn't mention it much and is even spending a lot of time reading which she couldn't do a few months ago, so that is good, but we do see her holding her hand over her eye to rest it now and then. As for Shea's knee -- it's doing quite well. She did mention today that it seems wobbly sometimes and feels like it may give out on her, so off we go for more therapy!

On Monday Shea went back to Shepherd Pathways to take a six hour neuropsych test. She dreaded it as she had already taken a six hour test when she was an inpatient at Shepherd Center. She was determined to tell her doctor that she never did have a brain injury so she shouldn't have to take that long test! The thing Shea really wants to do is drive again, and we were told that Shea would need to take a driving course before she could resume driving. They explained it to us this way: if Shea didn't take the test, the driving course and have her doctor sign a release from Shepherd Center it could be trouble for her years from now. If Shea would cause an accident ten years from now and it was determined that she had been in a brain injury rehab unit but was never released by her doctor, it could be a bad situation financially. So she rolled her eyes a bit (!) and took the test. Our next appointment will be to review her test results with the neuropsychologist, and then Shepherd Pathways will schedule her driving course. I'm sure she doesn't realize it, but we're just as excited for her to have a little freedom too!

Shea has purposefully reduced her medication and now only occassionally takes her pain pills. She is doing a detox program as she is determined to rid her body of all the medicine she received in the hospital yet still lingers in her body long afterwards. She was outside the other day sitting in the sun and smelled something metal -- she smelled her arm and figured that it was medicine still working its way out of her body. It's hard to see Shea in pain (the pain is specifically in her jaw and mouth), and sometimes we encourage her to take something, but she only does when absolutely necessary.

At this point, the first surgery is still scheduled for July 17th. Dr. Mills, the "quarterback" of Shea's team of doctors, is doing his best to see if the surgery date can be sooner, but we must wait until all the doctors can get their schedules together and possibly make the change. Please pray for God's best time.

A few nights ago we were getting ready to eat dinner, and we could tell Shea was down -- really down. It's always hard to know what she needs -- a listening ear, prayer, encouragement. I don't know how many times we have told her that we would take her pain, surgeries -- everything if we could, but we have to sit and watch her go through it. She shared her frustrations and maybe we were a little down as well as we couldn't seem to help much. The phone rang -- it was Dr. Mills driving home from work! "How is Shea?" He wanted to check up on her and let her know he's working on her case. He talked and talked and encouraged Shea that this is the beginning of a marathon, but that they will be there for her and give her the very best care. It's what she needed that night -- funny how God brings along the most unsuspecting people with the right words at the right time.

After dinner that night Luke read to us from STREAMS IN THE DESERT, a great old book given to us by one of our great blogger friends. We'd like to share with you the passage for April 26.

"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:8

"Light is always costly and comes at the expense of that which produces it. An unlit candle does not shine, for burning must come before the light. And we can be of little use to others wihout a cost to ourselves. Burning suggests suffering, and we try to avoid pain.

We tend to feel we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong and fit for acive duty and when our hearts and hands are busy with kind acts of service. Therefore when we are set aside to suffer, when we are sick, when we are consumed with pain, and when all our activities have been stopped, we feel we are no longer of any use and are accomplishing nothing.

Yet if we will be patient and submissive, it is almost certain we will be a greater blessing to the world around us during our time of suffering and pain than we were when we thought we were doing our greatest work. Then we are burning, and shining brightly as a result of the fire.

The glory of tomorrow is rooted in the drudgery of today.

Many people want the glory without the cross, and the shining light without the burning fire, but crucifixion comes before coronation."

God's best to all of you --

The Hickoks

Computer Update

2006-04-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

Susan just called and wanted everybody to know that their computer is being updated, which means they are unable to post to the blog at this time.

This is a short term issue and they look forward to keeping in touch with the blog soon.

Shea's Blog Brigade

2006-04-10T17:59:00.000-05:00

I had the good fortune to be in Atlanta on business last Thursday on Susan's birthday. Steve and Jess were enjoying a father-son camping trip up in the hills of North Carolina so Shea, Luke and I celebrated with Susan at a wonderful little restaurant in a nearby town.

Before dinner we stopped off at Firenze, the cool coffee shop owned by good friends of the Hickoks where Luke works his barista magic each morning. He has great friends there, and it's clear he loves what he does. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I enjoyed all the Hickok art displayed throughout the shop. The works include a number of large pieces demonstrating Steve's comfort in art forms ranging from abstract to realism to photoart. One large three-panel painting was born out of the release of emotions following the accident. It was good to see that Steve had been able to giveconstructive vent to all those emotions in an outpouring of artistic passion. So if you get a chance, stop by Firenze some morning and sample one of Luke's masterpieces while viewing some of Steve's.

It was of course a privilege to be back in Atlanta to see Shea in person. It is not news to anyone on this blog that Shea is a remarkable person, raised by remarkable parents, who inspires friends and strangers alike with a sweet voice and a spirit to match.

Shea looks strong, laughs easily and as we all know is contagiously funny. If you go out for dinner with her prepare to laugh out loud. Half the time she's making fun of herself. She's just one of those people who cares about everyone else more than herself even when she has every right to think only of herself. (If you know the mom and dad you know where that comes from). Shea's also fortunate to have a brother like Luke who she can lean on. It was neat to see them very easy with one another just enjoying a fun night together.

So with everything seeming so normal, no one can be faulted for thinking everything is back to normal. But of course it isn't. Shea faces some serious and difficult surgeries on a timetable that keeps getting pushed back and can't be hurried. Her chosen profession and training has been put on hold. She's got temporary teeth that she has to remove whenever she eats and her vision is still blurred. Add to this the loss of her wonderful friend, Mike, and at age 19 Shea faces physical and psychological battles we can't fully comprehend.

As Shea goes through periods of darkness and frustration she needs all of us to continue to encourage her and to support her (and all the Hickoks) in prayer. This blog has done much to buoy and inspire Shea. The perserverance of support is truly remarkable. For all of us who love the Hickoks it is an honor to be part of Shea's Blog Brigade.

John Anderson

Shea on iTunes!

2006-03-25T17:24:00.000-05:00

This morning Shea got the call -- she's on iTunes!! Our great friend, Sarah Snodgrass, has been working on this for a couple weeks. What a great help she has been -- Thanks, Sarah!!

Shea's new 10-song album, "Song in Me," can be downloaded starting today. What an amazing opportunity for this music to minister to so many. The album was recorded about six months before the accident, and the words take on an even deeper meaning to our family as we listen to it now.

To God be the glory!

Thanks For Praying

2006-03-25T11:51:00.000-05:00

Amy called to report that her mom, Sharon Thomas, came out of surgery and is doing very well! She told us that normally when a kidney is transplanted, it sometimes takes three days before it begins functioning. Before Sharon even awakened after her surgery, her new kidney was functioning beautifully! She had been on dialysis for six years. Thanks to all of you for upholding her in prayer -- we are grateful to all of you for your concern for someone you may not even know yet have it in your hearts to pray anyway.

God bless --

The Hickoks

Sharon Thomas

2006-03-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

We have seen two doctors this week. On Monday Shea saw Dr. Kaylin for her follow-up appointment at Shepherd Center. It seemed like ages ago when we wheeled her down the halls of the Acquired Brain Injury Unit. We saw the therapists, nurses and some of the patients who are still there. Dr. Kaylin kept saying he was "tickled pink" to see how Shea has improved. At this point, we do not need to go back there anymore.

Shea had an appointment with Dr. Mills this week as well. Once again, we were there for hours! He is going to do his best to get Shea's first surgery moved up, so we will wait to see if anything can be done. At this point, her surgery is set for July 17th. Four months is a long time to wait when Shea could be healing from the first surgery and anticipating the second surgery, but we will continue to pray for God's perfect timing. Dr. Mills spent a lot of time talking to Shea as he is so interested in her story. He told her that his guess is that she will probably never look exactly like she did before the accident. It was hard to hear, but in comparison to -- "We don't think she'll make it through the day" and "There's nothing more we can do" we just nodded and listened. Doctors are oftentimes very wise, but we know from experience that God, Jehovah Rapha, is the great Healer. When we got in the car, Shea said, "Well, that was discouraging." It was, and it wasn't what we wanted to hear, but it was honest. We wil continue to pray for complete healing and trust God for it all.

Last Sunday Shea went to church. It was her first time to sit in the congregation since the accident. It was sweet to see her junior high girls gather around her waiting for a hug. We watched as moms and dads ran to get their little ones and bring them to see the girl they had prayed for. Here is living proof of a miracle -- a result of many prayers.

Amy Thomas, Shea's friend from Scottsdale who wrote the last blog, is back in Texas finishing up her first year of college. The girls had the best time together, and it was a tearful goodbye when Any left last Sunday. Shea just got a call from Amy this morning asking for prayer for her mom, Sharon Thomas. She has been on a donor list for a kidney and was called this morning that the kidney is available and they are ready to operate. Sharon has also had a heart and lung transplant and skin cancer as well, so she has been sick for a very long time -- ever since Amy was born. This is a very risky surgery, so we are asking all our blogger friends to please pray for Sharon and for her doctors today. Sharon has sent cards to Shea and prayed for her the last few months, and Shea really wants all of us to uplift Sharon at this time. Thank you.

Have a beautiful weekend --

The Hickoks

Spring Break

2006-03-15T14:19:00.000-05:00

Hey Blogger Family!

This is Amy Heart, Shea’s friend from Arizona! I have had the amazing opportunity to spend my first Spring Break of college with my beautiful friend Shea Stahrr. People keep asking me how she is different from before the accident, and truly I believe that aside from the cosmetic, she is the same beautiful person she has always been. We have been busy running all around town; shopping, getting coffee, getting our nails done, getting spray tanned, and seeing old friends - you know, the important things in life!

Last Friday we went to the salon where Shea worked before the accident and will eventually go back to once she is released to work. She was received by a group of giddy salon workers who were eager to have her back. Shea almost immediately tried to get back to work and put dishes back in their places. It was great to see the looks on peoples faces as they realized that she really is going to be okay, and God is good.

As many of you know Shea also went back to her church, The Bridge for the first time since the accident. She was asked to come up on stage to be interviewed and give a testimony to all the amazing things that God is doing in her life. Jason Garcia, one of the pastors at The Bridge started off the interview by giving a recap of the night of the accident. He shared pictures of Shea in the hospital, in rehab, and with many of the people who Shea interacted with. This was truly a tribute to how far she has come. Shea began by thanking the congregation for their continuous prayer throughout this whole experience. She shared how Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a key verse for her throughout her recovery. In times where she did not know what to do she had to lean on God and trust in Him to direct her paths.

Jason then asked how people can pray for her. We were hoping that Shea could get into surgery next month but they are now saying that she can’t get in until July 17th. Shea is on a waiting list to get the next available surgery date. For us, it seems like the sooner the better, but we know that God’s time is what we are waiting for. Please continue to pray for God’s timing with Shea’s surgeries. Also, pray for wisdom for the doctors who will be working on her.

I feel so privileged that God has allowed me to be a part of Shea’s recovery and be here for my best friend. I have met so many wonderful people who have been praying for her. I got to meet the Jones family and hear so many wonderful stories about Mike. It is great to be able to remember what a wonderful man of God that Mike was through the stories of everyone that loved him. This journey has been a roller coaster ride! Although times are good right now, there are hard times ahead. Please continue to pray.

With Love!
Amy (Heart) Thomas

Spring Wrinkle

2006-03-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the great comments this past week. It has been a good week for Shea. When you have something to look forward to, it's always easier to cope. Amy Thomas, Shea's friend from Scottsdale, AZ, got here on Thursday to spend her spring break with Shea. We wondered what it would be like when Shea and Amy saw each other for the first time, and it was a sweet reunion. They hugged and laughed and hugged somemore. I could see Amy looking at Shea as she talked. Shea sounds the same (except for a lisp) but she doesn't quite look like herself. The girls have been going nonstop since Thursday. It's music to our ears to hear the girls talking and laughing in Shea's room -- just like old times. Yesterday, Shea and Amy went to Salon 124 for the first time since the accident to see all Shea's friends she works with. She was a little apprehensive to see them, but of course, she was warmly welcomed.

This week Shea saw Dr. McDonald, the orthopedic surgeon from Shepherd Center. He can see that her knee has greatly improved and told Shea that she only needs to wear the leg brace when involved in rigorous exercise. She is walking normally without it, but too much walking puts a strain on it. So how do you tell a nineteen-year-old girl that maybe the high heels aren't the best idea for her right now? Too late!

We tried to set a date in April for Shea's surgery with Dr. Nunns and Dr. McKay, but were unsuccessful. Dr. McKay is not available until the beginning of the summer -- sometime in June. That is a big disappointment to Shea as she has to wait for three months to have the first of three surgeries. If it were a short procedure, they could work her in at the end of the day after another surgery, but they need a 3-4 hour block of time. We are on a waiting list, but unfortunately, there are others in front of Shea. Please pray for God's best timing in this.

As we drove through Atlanta with Amy and Shea, we pointed out the Bradford Pear trees. What a transformation! In the winter season, they are stark -- straight brown sticks pointing in every direction. As the spring months approach we see a bulging of what seems to be buds soon to appear. Now the white blooms are everywhere -- where many are planted together it looks almost like a field of baby's breath. As the sun hits the tops of these trees, one can see the lime green appearing. Spring is coming. Birds are singing. New life appears. Even in the winter months when everything appears dead, there is an inner working -- a preparation for the big show in spring! Just this week, Shea announced to all of us, "Hey everybody! Look at this wrinkle above my eye!" Sure enough. There it is! A wrinkle above the left eye has finally appeared. During the "winter" season in Shea's body, the nerves were sleeping -- and always in the backs of our minds we were thinking, "Will they ever wake up?" A good reminder to us that even when God seems silent, in the winters of our lives, He's always working.

Fresh spring love from the Hickoks

No advertising, please.

2006-03-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

The reason the posts were working differently is because we were trying to eliminate comments where people advertise stuff.

We'll change it back, but ask that comments not contain advertisements or links to other products or services.

thanks

Night Cry

2006-03-04T19:31:00.000-05:00

This week we had a follow-up visit with Dr. Nunns. He removed all the plastic and metal from Shea's mouth last week, and this visit allowed him to have a good look in her mouth without all the hardware. Her back tooth needs to be extracted, and he told Shea he will remove it during her first surgery. Many of her teeth are broken, so it looks like she'll need at least six crowns. Dr. Nunns said that we can decide on the surgery date as long as he and Dr. McKay are both available as they will perform the surgery together. We have decided to have the first initial surgery in April, and next week we'll find out the actual date.

Around 2:30 this moring Shea came into our room apologizing for awakening us, but she needed to talk. We sat on her bed, and she poured out her heart. When our kids were little we could kiss their owies, put cartoon band-aids on them and smile as they happily skipped away. Not so last night. "Mike is dead, and I don't look like myself anymore." Trying to process it all is overwhelming right now, and Shea needed to cry and talk into the night, and so we did. We didn't have anything profound to say except that everything she is feeling is normal -- time can be the enemy. We told her that one day she will awaken and the first thought of the day will not be of the accident. How long will that be? Wouldn't we love to know. Shea recognizes that God is doing a great work in her life. She knows "all things work together for good . . . ." . . . she "will come forth as gold" and "God meant it for good" -- and on and on, but sometimes the daily battles are just plain hard.

At about 4:00 this morning Luke came out of his room and joined us on Shea's bed. It was sweet to see the two kids lying next to each other -- both wounded in different ways but feeling each other's hurts. Sometimes the sweetest times come about in the simplest ways. We left Shea's room and peaked in again at about 8:00 this morning to see both kids snoring under Shea's electric blanket! It took us back to when they were little. Luke, afraid of the realistic life-sized jungle animals Steve painted on his bedroom walls, always ran to his big sister's room for comfort in the night. Last night was different. Luke sensed his big sister needed him, and he was there to comfort her.

Shea just read what we have written and said, "You guys, don't depress our awesome bloggers"! So you can see that today is sunnier and brighter for our sweet girl!

Love to all you awesome bloggers! --

Steve and Susan

We Have Teeth!

2006-02-26T23:44:00.000-05:00

After about 25 hours spent in the doctor's office last week, Shea finally has some temporary teeth! They are shorter and smaller than her real teeth, but for now, it is the best they can do. Because her jaw is broken, Shea's teeth have moved forward leaving very little space to place the temporaries. Nothing can touch her gums, so they put the three teeth in a clear retainer -- like Invisalign -- and she wears the retainer along with her teeth. The doctor gave Shea a mirror to see her teeth for the first time, and she said, "Dr. Mils, I can't believe I'm so excited to have dentures!"

We have to tell all of you about Shea's adventures this week. There is never a dull moment, and we have laughed more this week than we have in months. Dr. Mills has taken great interest in Shea's story. Each day he asked her more questions, and many of the doctors and nurses gathered around to hear her tell about it. On Thursday, Dr. Mills said, "Shea, would you mind if I interviewed you and we videotaped it?" She said, "sure" and never thought much more about it. On Friday afternoon as Shea was in the dentist's chair, a camera crew, with camera and lights approached Dr. Mills and asked him where to set things up. Shea started laughing and couldn't believe he had gone to such great lengths to do this as he is a very busy doctor. She was hoping that she could wear her new teeth for the interview, but, oh no, they weren't ready yet! Dr. Mills wanted Shea to lisp her way through it!

While we were at the office a beautiful woman came in to have work done on her teeth. She had obviously had some cosmetic enhancements and was sharing with Dr. Mills that she wasn't satisfied with her teeth and wanted them perfect. He said to her, "Come with me. I want you to meet someone." So he took her to Shea's room and introduced her to the woman. He asked Shea to show her "before" picture and tell a little about her story and how she was coping. It was a great opportunity for Shea to share her testimony and God's miraculous work in her life. Dr. Mills later explained to Shea how thrilled he was to show this woman, constantly concerned about her outward appearance, that real beauty is from within.

We left the office at closing time again on Friday! The staff told Shea that they will miss their "Ray of Sunshine" next week as we don't have an appointment there. It wasn't a typical quiet, dignified office atmosphere last week, thanks to Shea!

Saturday was more of a down day for Shea. She wanted to go to Starbucks, shop and get out of the house. We were unable to take her, so she found her car keys and decided to drive herself. We reminded her that she has not been released by her doctor and cannot drive until she takes a driving course. Shea was upset. "I never did have a brain injury. . . I finished the brain rehab . . . why do I have to keep proving myself to them?" She spent time crying and questioning, but after awhile Steve sat on her bed with her and encouraged her. So many others at Shepherd Center are much worse off. Shea has the hope of one day driving, working and getting on with her life, and many of them do not. This is a time of testing, and honestly, Shea is tired of being tested. So we're letting all of you in on the good and the bad times to show you that although Shea is trusting God with her future, she's real and has her tough times as well.

Tonight our family spent a quiet evening together. We drank coffee and played "Apples to Apples." Shea is the least competitive, yet she always wins! We're grateful that even in the midst of trying times we are blessed abundantly. Bill and Anna came over to show Shea their new puppy. We sat around our kitchen table, and they shared story after story about Mike and his crazy antics. We laughed at the memories yet our hearts were saddened again for our loss. They're always a big encouragement to Shea -- just like family. So much that Shea even takes her teeth out in front of them!

Love and thanks,

The Hickoks

Toothless Wonder

2006-02-22T22:44:00.000-05:00

It's been another busy week for Shea. On Monday Dr. Nunn removed the plastic plate and all the metal from her mouth. It has been uncomfortable for Shea, but she has been a great sport in spite of what she is enduring. The plastic plate had its main purpose but cosmetically it held her lips out as her teeth normally would. Now her top lip curls in quite a bit as there are three teeth missing, and her speech is definitely affected. Shea calls herself the "toothleth wonder"!

Dr. Nunn also shared with us that Shea will definitely need three more surgeries. The first surgery will be the restoration of the left eye orbit and cheek bone. He will graft bone from her skull to replace the missing bone in the cheek bone. At the same time Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay will graft bone from Shea's hip to replace the missing bone above the front teeth. Some time later she will undergo a second surgery where her lower jaw will need to be rebroken and extended. Fixing her nose will be the last operation and hopefully the least invasive.

On Tuesday we spent 3 1/2 hours with Dr. Mills. He is very thorough and, as we said in the previous post, he is moving her along very quickly as he is leaving the country soon. Today our appointment was at 10:00, and we left with the staff at 6:00 tonight! We are going back again tomorrow. There was a cancellation today so they were able to spend the whole day working with Shea. Dr. Mills took lots of pictures, molds and even began working on a temporary bridge. Her jaw is completely messed up -- how else can we say it? Only two teeth in the back meet, and one tooth needs to be extracted while the other needs a root canal. So for lunch Shea had mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and stuffing from Boston Market! She's craving a good salad, but it will be quite awhile before she can chew. Shea needs to get braces again, so soon we'll need to find an orthodontist. She has had braces before but is pretty upbeat about getting braces along with Luke very soon!

Her temporary bridge doesn't really look like her real teeth but after having no teeth in front at all, Shea's thrilled with them. We don't know quite when she can wear the bridge yet as her gums are still healing, and the bridge cannot touch the gums as it will irritate and impede healing. Dr Mills reminded Shea that this will be a long journey, and she was able to share with him from the Psalms --"We make our plans, but God orders our steps." Though Shea has her down times, she recognizes God's faithfulness and continued provision for her during this process.

Is there a more creative way to say "thank you" to all of you for your faithfulness in encouraging and praying for Shea? We wish you could hear her expressions as she reads your comments. Oftentimes your words are just the boost she needs in the midst of a tough day, and it's amazing the difference it makes in her outlook on the coming months. Some are heartfelt and others are funny. She loves them all.

We love you too,

The Hickoks

3 in 1 Day

2006-02-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

Today was Shea's appointment with plastic surgeons Dr. McKay and Dr. Nunn. Dr. Nunn saw Shea first and his whole analysis of Shea's situation seemed pretty grim. He told her that they may not be able to make her look like she did before the accident. He could see that Shea's face is not symmetrical and her left eye is lower, but he reminded us that she still has a lot of swelling and sometimes it takes six months for it to go down. He did notice that her jaw is off -- her bottom jaw goes off to the right a little. Shea said that she's fine with it cosmetically, but if her jaw is off at all, it could cause trouble for her in the future. Dr. Nunn gave a few different scenarios as to how we could avoid invasive surgery as there are always risks. She could look worse, there could be nerve damage, etc. He told Shea that she would have to make the decision. She got a little teary-eyed and Dr. Nunn said, "I'm sorry, sweetie, but you want me to tell you the truth, don't you?" He hadn't seen the CT scan yet as they were having trouble pulling it up on the computer.

A little later Dr. McKay walked in. He and Dr. Nunn left to view the CT scan. They took us in and showed us the difference in her left eye orbit and her right. Big difference. It was very obvious to them both that Shea would need the surgery. The hard thing for Shea to hear is that the only way for them to adequately get to that area is for them to make an incision at the top of her head down to her ear -- like a headband. Any girl hates to hear that they're going to mess up your hair! The good news is . . . they don't have to shave her head as they did years ago. She will have a long scar, but over time it will be unnoticeable. In order to repair the cheek bone they will probably take bone from Shea's skull, and at the same surgery they will graft bone from her hip to make the bone above her front teeth.

This Monday Dr. Nunn will sedate Shea and remove all the metal from her mouth. She has metal bands around each tooth and also a plastic plate that will be removed. When Shea asked when she could get temporary teeth, Dr. Nunn said, "Let me see what I can do." He came back and told us about Dr. Edward Mills, an excellent dental surgeon who has many well-known stars who come to him -- he named a number of them to us. The only problem is, he's very busy and it could be a long wait before he could see Shea. Dr. Nunn gave us his number and said he would call him right away and we should call him today as well. On our way home, Dr. Nunn's office called us and told us to call Dr. Mills' office right away -- we were instructed to ask to talk to Dr. Mills personally. After a few tries we got him on the phone, and he was very pleasant. He told us that Dr. Nunn said to take very good care of these people. "Can you come in right now?" We were almost home. "Sure we can." We turned around and went to his office in Roswell. As we were filling out the paperwork, Dr. Mills came from behind the desk and looked at Shea. "Are you Shea?" Shea nodded and smiled slightly. He stared at her for quite awhile. After hearing about all her injuries from Dr. Nunn he was expecting to see a girl with an extremely mangled appearance. "You're a miracle, you know that?"

After viewing Shea's x-rays and seeing all the plates and screws in her face, Dr. Mills just shook his head. He called in his colleagues and said, "Look at these x-rays and then look at her. It's incredible!" They all looked at the x-rays and then at Shea. "Shea, this kind of thing just doesn't happen. You have no soft tissue scarring." We smiled and agreed. Dr. Mills asked if we had any documentation of all the doctors Shea had seen in the last three months. We told him about the blog, and he pulled it up on his computer. He sat and read away - like he was reading a good novel! We were in his office for 2 1/2 hours! He asked Shea more and more questions, and Shea told him that she appreciated the fact that he saw her so quickly, but that we didn't ask for any special treatment -- she was just surprised that he would take so much time with her. He smiled and said, "I like you -- let me give you a hug! He did and kissed Shea on the cheek! He is a very busy doctor and does a lot of teaching overseas. He's leaving in March for Japan and the Dominican Republic, so he's going to do his best to work Shea in and get her case moving along quickly.

The reason we're amazed is that we never once asked if they could give us special treatment and hurry the process. We just showed up for our appointment and got the very best of care. Thank you for your prayers as we see that God is in all the details and desires the very best for Shea.

So from the time we left the house this morning until we got home tonight, it was nine hours! Three doctors in one day! It has been a long day but a lot was accomplished.

God bless all of you, and we can't thank you enough for your prayers.

Steve and Susan

A Valentine for Heaven

2006-02-13T22:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a week since we last posted on the blog, and that's a good sign. Three months ago there was something to report every day, but now things have slowed down, and the visible healing isn't noticed daily either.

The day after Shea's birthday, Mike's headstone was finally placed on his grave. Bill (Mike's dad) and Shea went together to see it for the first time. As she walked out the door, she took a bouquet of flowers someone had sent for her birthday and scooped up a handful of hearts that were still scattered on her birthday table from the night before. The reality of seeing Michael Evans Jones on a tombstone was more than she could take. Shea always tries to be strong for everyone, but this was most difficult. She scattered the flowers and hearts across the headstone and left a picture of the two of them as well.

Physical Therapy started up again last week. Shea's mobililty in her knee is better, but there is still more therapy to be had. We see Dr. McKay, the plastic surgeon along with the dental surgeon this Thursday, so it wil be good to know exactly what will need to be done since they will have the results of the CT scan.

The good news? There is even more movement around Shea's left eye!!! She can squeeze it shut, not as tightly as her right eye, but it's coming along. Shea can raise her eyebrow too! -- not as fully as the right eye, but there is definite improvement. Thank you for your continued prayers and words of encouragement that carry her through the quiet days.

Steve and I were in Shea's room tonight, and we noticed a beautiful handmade card that said, "Happy Valentine's, Mike." "You can read it if you want," she said, and so we did. She talked about all the fun times they had together, what he must be doing in heaven and what they had planned for Valentine's Day tomorrow. It will be a lonely one instead, but Shea isn't one for wanting sympathy -- we're proud of the fact that she is facing all the sadness and pain, and we'll do our best to make her day the best we can.

Much love,

The Hickoks

IT'S SHEA DAY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETIE!

2006-02-07T10:16:00.000-05:00

It's midmorning and February 7th is exceptionally special for our family today. Shea is nineteen! We quietly covered her doorway with streamers and then brought her breakfast in bed! She has always loved her birthday and had been awake for an hour waiting for us to come in!! We sang, she blew out the candles on her pancakes and, once again, that moment of joy -- she's here, she's back to celebrate the day God blessed us with our baby girl. Actually, at midnight Shea came to all our rooms and screamed, "It's my birthday!!"

Thank you for all the great comments from our last post. It seems that God gave all of you just the right words and scriptures to uplift Shea and all of us. I remember when we were in the Emergency Room praying for Shea's life, Isaiah 43 repeated over and over in our minds --

"Don't be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross the rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the LORD, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . .you are precious to me, because I give your honor and love you . . .Don't be afraid because I am with you."

Some of you have asked some questions -- some have even asked about our dog!! So we're going to answer as many as we can remember, and if you're not the least bit interested in our dog, Cali, then feel free to skip that paragraph!

Shea's trach -- When Shea left Shepherd Center, Dr. Kaelin examined the hole in Shea's neck and said that instead of it healing in less that a week, which is normal, hers would maybe take three weeks. It actually took over a month to heal. The bandages are off now and the scar is very small. Shea is pleased with how it looks. She said that having that scar will always be a reminder to her each day of God's grace in giving her back her life.

What can Shea eat? -- Shea started off with very thin liquids and then moved to thicker liquids. Even after her mouth was unwired, she could still barely open it. It still doesn't open all the way, but soft foods like mashed potatoes, puddings, ice cream, pancakes, canned mandarin oranges and bananas are her staple foods right now. She's craving salads but can't chew hard things as she has a plastic plate that covers her top teeth. I did try to blend a vegetable drink for her, but that was not a hot recipe to be repeated! Someone wanted to send us soup recipes, and we definitely welcome that! Our email address is shickok@charter.net and our home address is 3041 Woodward Park Way, Suwanee, GA 30024

Shea getting counseling -- Shea has received counseling, and we do want to continue that. Even though she has left Shepherd Pathways she is stil being monitored by them for the next year. Luke has received some counseling, (and Jess as well). Some have sent us info on counselors specializing in grief and trauma, and that has been helpful. If any of you in the Atlanta area have first-hand experience with such counselors, we welcome the referrals.

Will Shea write on the blog? -- Someday she will, but she's experiencing some anxiety, and sometimes, even the smallest suggestions are overwhelming to her. She is journaling, as some of you have suggested, and we may ask her if we can share some of her entries.

Why won't Shea call or see us? -- The swelling in Shea's face is down considerably, but even after almost ten weeks, her face isn't back to normal. That isn't what bothers her as much as her missing three front teeth. Her top lip rolls into her mouth since there aren't teeth there to hold it out. When she smiles, it's the best! We are so used to seeing her without teeth, but others are not. Shea may get temporary teeth in the next few weeks, and that will change things drastically for her. Her biggest concern is feeling "up" for people and the pressure right now is too much. She's afraid to contact some of you and not others as that would show favoritism, but too many people overwhelm her more than you can imagine. For example, our family has always been rather loud -- we all talk at the same time -- if you know Steve, just imagine how wild it gets around here. That's all Shea has ever known, but for now, she prefers it very quiet with little stimulation, and we're trying our best to keep it down!

Ok, Cali, (short for California) our dog! -- At the end of October, Cali, our 3-year-old brindle Boxer joined our family. We are her fifth owners, and sadly, she was abused somewhere along the line. We had Cali for three weeks, and then the accident happened. Our great friends, the Kucala's, took her home with them for six weeks while we were in Macon and loved her like she was their very own. Cali and Jess are the best of friends, but it's amazing to see how Cali has warmed up to Shea right now more than any of us. We call her Cali Cat because she curls up into a ball, (all fifty pounds of her!) sits on Shea's lap and follows her around the house. We were gone for a couple hours one night and Shea spent some time alone crying. Pretty soon Cali was on her bed licking her face, trying her dog best to make her feel better. For some reason, everyone loves this dog!

Time to make a birthday cake and get ready for a party. Mike's family and all the guys in the band are coming over tonight for soft foods! We rejoice that our sweet girl is here to celebrate yet another year. By God's grace, her life was spared, and we will celebrate it especially big today with lots of balloons and streamers. If you know Shea, too much is never too much -- we're gonna glitter it up!

Much love,

The Hickoks

Weekend Update

2006-02-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

Once again, it has been awhile since we last posted any news. We did write a pretty lengthy one a couple days ago but lost it as I was typing the last line. This may be short, but we'll let you know what's been going on this past week.

Shea has had more down times and, though it's expected, it's still hard to see her struggle. She's also having trouble sleeping as she awakens in the night, thinks about all that has happened, and then can't get back to sleep. The same is true with Luke and most likely all the kids involved in the accident, but we're praying that with time, things will begin to get better.

The other night Shea was sitting on her bed - down and discouraged. I asked her if she could talk to anyone right now, who would it be? She said, "Kyle and Blair." They were both in the accident and Kyle is Mike's brother and Blair was Mike's roommate. I suggested that she call them, but Shea just shook her head. About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and who do you suppose stopped by from Kennesaw University? Kyle and Blair!! They came up to Shea's room and shared their hearts and their struggles with their mutual loss. Her countenance changed when they left. What an encouragement. Talk about God answering unprayed prayers!

Today Shea did the face test again for us, and we are amazed at the changes in the last few days. She continues to get more movement around her left eye, and the lower lid has moved up and doesn't appear to droop as much anymore. Thank you for your "earnest prayers" as we see improvement and blessing over and over.

We'll write again soon.

Love,

The Hickoks

The Knitting Continues!

2006-01-31T09:01:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday morning, Steve's birthday. The kids got up a little earlier this morning to prepare a big breakfast-in-bed for their dad's special day. We gathered around Steve and sang "Happy Birthday!" and the five of us sat around the bed reminiscing and laughing about lots of family memories. We dreamed about the possibility of taking a family trip to somewhere none of us has ever been -- Luke teased Shea that with 45 screws in her face, we'd need extra time at the airport for her to be frisked! I looked around at our family, overwhelmed with joy and gratitude realizing we are all here together.

As we talked, we asked Shea to do the eye test. Every few days we pull her hair back away from her eyes and ask her to scowl, raise her eyebrows, wrinkle her nose, etc. This morning there was new movement!! We all saw a flicker above her left eyebrow, and she was able to squint the eye as well!!!!!! What a gift on this special day! We cheered and thanked God for His beautiful handiwork -- the Master knitter! Even though we are saddened that Bill Jones, Mike's dad, does not have Mike with him today, (today is Bill's birthday as well) we know that he rejoices for Shea and truly loves her like a daughter. Happy Birthday, Billy! We all love you!

Thanks to all of you for rejoicing with us as we rejoice and weeping as we weep. It's a blue sky, sunny day here in Atlanta and in our hearts.

Warmly,

The Hickoks

Rehab Alumna!

2006-01-29T20:24:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all the great comments, prayers, calls, cards -- We are blessed by all of you, our friends. In addition to this, many from our church family have prepared and delivered wonderful meals, and we are grateful for your labor of love for us.

Friday was graduation day for Shea! It was her last full day of rehab, and her little ceremony was at 3:00. All the therapists were there and her psychologist as well, and each commented on Shea's accomplishments. At the end she was given a certificate of graduation from Shepherd Pathways Rehabilitation. Everyone clapped, pictures were taken, and we said goodbye to all of the patients and therapists whom Shea had befriended while there. She will only need to do physical therapy on a regular basis and occupational and speech therapy as needed. A psychologist is available for Shea as well. A program called The Bridge is an extension of Sheperd Pathways, and they will keep in contact with Shea for a year or as long as is needed.

Shea has been spending a good amount of time this weekend alone. That's not typical of Shea who normally flies through life at the speed of light! She enjoys it at times, and then there are times of discouragement -- times when she wants to grab her keys and go to Starbucks with friends, help out with the Jr. Highers at church, drive to work and be independent. Thankfully, that will all be a reality again someday. Shea has taken up knitting, of all things! "Mom, it's all the rage, you know"!! So she's working on a beautiful olive green scarf -- it's the size of a coaster right now, but it's coming along!

Shea's CT scan is scheduled for Tuesday at Scottish Rite Hospital. This will help Dr. McKay determine for sure what procedures will need to be done at her next surgery.

That's pretty much all our news here. Thanks again for your prayers and your continued interest in our sweet Shea.

Love to you,

The Hickoks

Tough Words to Hear

2006-01-26T09:33:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday morning and Shea is back at rehab. Yesterday we had an appointment with a plastic surgeon, Dr. McKay. We were hoping to hear good news -- as in, when the swelling goes down we'll only have some minor things to fix, but that was not the case. She will have a CT scan soon, but Dr. McKay said that it looks like when the swelling goes down, Shea's face will not be symmetrical at all. It looks like the orbit which should have grown together nicely has instead overlapped causing the bone to jut out. He will have to rebreak the bones around the orbit to repair that area. Also, he's not sure if her jaw may need to be rebroken as well. Dr. Carey did tell us that that was the most critical area to fix as the left mandible was pretty much destroyed, and he warned us that she may need future surgeries to get it just right. The superior maxillary bone, the bone above where her front teeth were, will need to be grafted from her hip, and her nose will be done last as it sets on top of that bone.

I could tell Shea was disappointed as Dr. McKay shared the news with her, but she held it together and asked many good questions. When we got to the car, the river of tears flowed and flowed. It's been 2 1/2 months now, and Shea is recovering slowly but nicely, and now the thought of having to go back in to have the face and jaw rebroken is a little overwhelming. So without sugar-coating anything, last night was pretty dark. We prayed together, cried together. These are times when Shea doesn't really like pep talks. It's okay to be sad and disappointed, but our tendency is to "fix it" and make everything better for our kids. We're learning.

As Shea was getting ready this morning, I asked her how she was doing. She flashed me her beautiful toothless smile, and said, "I really am better now." And we both knew she meant, "Joy comes [again] in the morning."

Thanks for listening. Thanks for praying.

Love,

The Hickoks

Thank You, Gracie

2006-01-21T17:55:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since we last communicated, and we want to let all of you know how things are going with Shea. On Wednesday we had a meeting, at Shepherd Pathways, with all of Shea's therapists. We sat around a table and each therapist shared Shea's progress. It was all good news! She will be released on January 27th from full-day rehab! We have another meeting on Monday, and will get more information on the next program which will be more part-time, and we may even be able to find a facility closer to our home. So once again, we are thankful that there is more good news, and God continues to answer our prayers.

We continue to see slight improvements in Shea's appearance. A little wrinkle appeared on the left side of her nose as she tried to wrinkle it up for us! (Imagine praying for more wrinkles!!) Also, when Shea scowls, we can see muscles moving on the left side of her forehead, but when she tries to lift her eyes, as in a surprised expression, her left eye and the left side of her forehead show no movement. The surgery was seven weeks ago, and we are a little surprised that Shea still has quite a bit of swelling, but the doctor said this may take months to go down.

Shea is encouraged that her eyesight in her left eye is better! At first she saw a big black spot that eventually turned red. Now the spot is smaller and lighter in color as well. She doesn't want to see a doctor yet as she wants to wait to see God work. Today Shea was reminded of the verse, "Be still and know that I am God," and told us that that's exactly what she believes God wants her to do. it's easy to become frantic and rush to doctors to find answers, but now is the time to sit and wait and pray. Please continue to pray!

Every day after rehab we are all anxious to hear about Shea's day. She always has the sweetest stories to tell us. At first Shea was dragging her feet, so to speak, as she went off to a full day of rehab, but that has changed, and she is determined to look for those who need encouragement. Seeing many who are much worse off than she is amazes her that she has been spared the long recovery of a brain injury. Wanting to make the best of her situation, she asks the other patients about their accidents, One was a stroke in childbirth, another "car surfing" with his friends, a construction accident, gang fight, falling off a quad, dialing on a cell phone while driving. It's unbelievable that Shea is completely sound in her mind. We thank you again and again for your prayers.

Today, Shea talked to her almost four-year-old cousin, Gracie, on the phone. How sweet to hear that little angelic voice.

Shea, oh, your voice is beautiful
It's good to hear your beautiful voice too, Grace
We all cried -- mommy, daddy, me, gramma, papa
Ohhhh
Shea, I pray for you
Thank you, Gracie
Are you all better?
Almost, sweet girl
Why?
Little Gracie prayed to Jesus and Jesus heard her prayers, that's why
Are your owies all gone?
Not yet, Gracie, but I'm getting better
I'll still pray for you, ok Shea?

What could be sweeter than the faith of a child? Shea has received cards and letters from classes of children. They aren't afraid to draw pictures of a wrecked car, sad faces and tears on stick figures. Shea is also encouraged by their honesty as they boldly speak of death and sadness.

We are rejoicing today as God continues the healing process in Shea's body.

Love from the Hickoks

Celebrating Life

2006-01-16T17:46:00.000-05:00

Today Carie and I left our little family in Georgia and flew back to Arizona. We took with us many precious memories of our time spent there with the family that we love so dearly. I believe we have all learned to truly celebrate life from our little Hickok family. When the wrinkle of Shea's scowl crept across the bridge of her nose and extended on to the left side, there was a moment of great celebration. She is truly learning to maneuver around those 8 plates and 45 screws that are in her face. Her eye is looking better, and even though her orbital fracture around it hasn't grown together yet, we are seeing changes and swelling decrease and those changes are duly celebrated. Pieces of the accident and Shea's missing month spent in the coma are slowly falling into place. The blog has been a wonderful part of that experience for her as she is now able to read it on her own. It also appears right now that she will not have to have surgery on her knee and that was grounds for more celebrating. Though she walks with a brace from thigh to ankle, she has completely abandoned her walker and her nickname "Scoot" as well. Shea is also beginning to think of ways that God might use her in the future, to use this experience to help others who are struggling with difficulties similar to hers. So celebrating purpose in all things was also something that we were able to share in.

Apart from our busy lives at home, we were able to feel that time had slowed down and there was time to reflect over and over on God's goodness. We were able to encourage Luke that he too is going through a healing period. His scars are as deep as Shea's injuries, and we aren't able to see visible signs of healing on a regular basis as we do with her, so the turmoil of his emotions need to be turned over daily to the one who can heal his heart and mind. He is so precious, in the blink of an eye he was suddenly thrust into manhood. This has changed his life forever. Our prayer is that God will use him mightily for His glory as he learns to depend on Him for each step of his life's walk.

Steve and Susan spent a difficult week with sickness and pain. Susan is still dealing with a great deal of numbness down her leg and the bottom of her foot, but is slowly beginning to feel better. The Lord helped Steve Sunday morning to be able to lead both services at church in spite of a bad throat and cold. It was the first Sunday for two services and God certainly blessed there. Their bodies have let down as have their emotions and it is a time for healing for them as well.

We were also able to celebrate life with their new dog Cali. We can truly see why God sent even this little animal to them and the timing of everything as we watch Jess lying on the couch side by side with dog's legs intertwined in boy arms when they aren't romping in the woods together. Even Cali has been a blessing and therapy for little Jess.

Saturday morning the boys were gone and only the girls were at home, 2 mothers, 2 daughters, sitting around the table in the morning sunshine reading the Psalms and praying together. We were thanking God for his faithfulness and his goodness to us in so many ways, again recounting and celebrating life itself with our Shea. What a wonderful time that was for me. I will never forget the peace and love as we quietly sat around that table enjoying the joy of the Lord together, laughing, loving and truly basking in the presence of God. It reminded me of Lamentations 3 where it talks about it ...being of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions never fail, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness! The Christian walk is done one step at a time that starts every morning with renewed compassion and faithfulness. What a wonder that though we are miles apart, God should allow us as a family, to take those steps together as we walk this life with Him. Thank you all again for your words of encouragement, and please continue to pray for the Hickok family.

DeDe Forbes

My Cousin, The Treasure

2006-01-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

When my mom, my son and I set out on our trip to Atlanta a little less than a week ago, I was so nervous, hoping and praying that God would give me the right words to say to encourage my cousin Shea, and the whole Hickok family. Little did I know, I would be the one who would end up encouraged and ministered to. As I have spent time listening to Shea processing the events of the last eight weeks, and filling in the blanks to the missing moments of her life, I am overwhelmed by the sense of peace and strength that Shea has as she rests in God's promises and goodness. She truly has found shelter under the shadow of her Father's wings. She has never become angered by what has happened, but continues to remind us that this was part of God's plan for her life. What an example of God's grace she has been to me in these days as well as to countless others. Thank you Shea.

We also have been encouraged that during a week's time, we have seen more movement in the left side of Shea's face. She is able to smile evenly and her dimple is more beautiful than ever. The spot in her left eye has improved as well. Shea believes that her vision is getting much better as she is able to see more clearly. Please continue to pray that her body will absorb that extra blood and that her vision will be completely restored.

Shea is also continuing on through the long days of rehab. Her stories of the experiences she has in convincing them that she is not brain damaged have kept us all entertained, and we look forward to the hysterical updates at the end of each day. As always, she has been instrumental even in encouraging the other patients, and was recently involved with helping a therapist with a break through on a patient whose therapy has been very difficult. Steve and Susan have a meeting with her therapists this Wednesday. Please pray that the report will be positive and that Shea will be released soon.

Exhaustion is part of the reality of what the whole family has been through. And there are still dark times as Shea works through the grief and pain that has become a part of her journey, but she continues to keep her eyes fixed on her Savior. Even when the dark clouds roll in, the light of God's goodness breaks through as her walk towards healing and complete recovery continues.

What a privilege it has been to be here and see the beauty of God's miracle unfold before us as we lift our hands to Him with thanksgiving for what He has done and continues to do in our Shea. She truly radiates the beauty of God's glory and shines brighter than any star I have ever seen.

I love you Shea, my treasure,
Your Cousin,
Carie

Here at Last

2006-01-11T14:48:00.000-05:00

This is Steve's sister DeDe from Arizona. My daughter Carie and grandson Wesley Michael and I are so thankful to finally be here at last. When you are waiting in line to come and help behind that wonderful Anderson family you just have to learn to be patient! We are thankful to our God for all of them with their love and care, as well as for all of you, whose constant words of encouragement on the blog have meant so much to the Hickok family. With so much of the tragedy behind them, they are finally letting down and feeling the exhaustion from those recent days of stress and anxiety. Getting back into the routine of every day life with the addition of all the rehab, doctors appointments and school makeup work, etc is a little bit difficult when they are so weary, but they are truly praising God for all of His abundant blessings.

When we arrived here on Monday evening and walked through the door, we could hardly believe that our little Shea was walking down the hall to greet us. To be able to touch and hold this little miracle is one memory that we will always cherish. She was truly a beautiful blessing to behold!! Although somewhat different in her appearance, she shines through as the precious little niece I have always loved. We have spent quite a bit of time now, especially as it has been my privilege to drive her to therapy in the mornings, reflecting on what God has done in our family. Shea amazes me for I have never once heard her complain about why God would allow such a thing to happen in her life. Her concern is for the sorrow and worry she brought to those she loves and why God would choose her to show His glory. What a special blessing she has been to my own life to be able to share what this has done for me personally in my Christian walk as well as others whose lives have been changed forever because she was his vessel, created, broken and brought back to a place of healing and service for Him to be glorified in. What an honor it is to be a part of her life. She is challenging me every day to be thankful to God for all things.

Please continue to write and pray for this family. There are dark times ahead, as there is a long, uphill battle for this little thing with all the challenges and surgeries that she will need. Rehab is a daily trial that is terribly difficult for her to get up and face every morning. Discouragement as healing slows down is also a very real opponent that can weigh heavily on her spirits. Yet, praise God she is walking hand and hand with Him, looking for the reason He has for her to serve Him. Pray for Steve as he re-enters his busy life with minimal energy. Pray for Susan as she is struggling with the sciatic nerve in her back and has been down for a few days, unable to meet the challenges of coping with children that really need her now. Pray for Luke as he struggles in the quiet moments of his life with thoughts that haunt him and the "whys" of his life. That he would truly know the comfort that only his God can give. Pray for Jesse as he catches up on his schooling and the curses of multiplication that he is presently struggling with. In reading Isaiah 63 last night before I went to bed it said:

I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us--yes many good things he has done... In all their distress he too was distressed... In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them.

He has truly been faithful to his word. What a blessing it is to be a child of God.

DeDe Forbes

A New Day

2006-01-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

Today is Sunday, and Steve, Luke and Jess are at our church, The Bridge, for the first time since the accident. They are looking forward to seeing all of you and thanking you for your prayers and encouragement. Shea and I have been praying for our church family today as you worship together --- wish we could be there.

I wish you could really know how the responses from the last blog have encouraged Shea. She just told me -- "Please tell everyone thank you again for all their kind words and their prayers for me." Shea is doing so much better. There will be more times of discouragement, we know, but for now, we are seeing progress. Her knee is healing well, and the doctor thinks, that if she continues with the rehab and wears the leg brace, she will not need surgery after all! We can see that her knee is stronger every day, and sometimes we even catch her trying to do more than she should -- must get that independent spirit from her dad!! Shea still has a hole where the trach was, but it is covered in gauze and tape. The doctor said that those holes usually close up in less than a week but thinks Shea's will probably heal in about three weeks. We are seeing more facial nerves working -- at the left side of her mouth and the side of her nose. The nerves above Shes'a left eyebrow and around her eye are not responding yet. Thank you for continuing to pray for complete restoration and for coming BOLDLY to the throne of grace with us.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Much love,

Steve and Susan

Back to Macon

2006-01-06T12:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we drove to Macon for Shea's follow-up appointment with Dr. Carey who performed Shea's facial reconstruction surgery. The waiting room was crowded so Shea found a seat next to a young girl named Portia. Soon the girls were talking back and forth as if they were old friends. Portia has been struggling with seizures, and so the girls exchanged their stories. After awhile, Portia was called to her examining room and we to ours. Pretty soon sweet Portia came in our room with her Bible and asked if we could show her the verses Shea had been sharing with her. She placed her Bible on the examining table, and I watched as two girls desperately struggling in different ways leafed through the pages of God's Word for comfort. The comments from the last blog have been a huge encouragement to Shea. Since her eye is bothering her still, she asks us to read and reread the blog to her! Shea understands your concern for "flinging" Bible verses at her, but she says, "Bring it on . . . it's what I need." Thanks, Karine, for sharing Isaiah 49 with us. We thought it amazing that a message Shea's grandpa preached a year before she was born would be used to bring comfort to his granddaughter almost twently years later, long after he was gone. He makes "mountains into roads . . . and the roads will be raised up."

Dr. Carey examined Shea and saw that things were moving along slowly. Shea was hoping that he would get all excited, and say, "You're going to be fine -- all the nerves in your face will soon come alive and you'll be your old self again." But that wasn't the case. Shea asked him, Will I be myself again?" He responded, "You are yourself, Shea." He reminded her of what she had been through, and said that we have to keep waiting -- maybe months but there is no promise that all the nerves will come alive. She began to cry and said, "Dr. Carey, a lot of who I am is my expression." He again reminded her that she is herself and can show expression, just not maybe as much. So we reminded Shea that this is where we exercise faith. The doctors in ICU told us that when Shea awakened, because of the blow to her head, she would not be herself -- maybe for six months to a year. That was not the case. Miraculously, and by God's grace, we do not have to wait for healing in her brain, but God has allowed us to exercise faith in other areas.

Being a pastor's kid, Shea has been concerned that all of you "bloggers" be encouraged as well! All you PKs out there will know what we mean! The last few days have been shadowed -- loss, uncertainty, pain. Shea mentioned last night that she wants to be honest but doesn't want to be a "downer" to all her friends (new and old) and family. "But I should be honest, shouldn't I? . . . so they know how to pray."

Last night Shea watched the DVD of Mike's funeral for the first time. From the very first frame where she saw Mike's casket with the beautiful spray of red flowers, she began to cry. "Oh Mike." We all gathered around her and experienced the service with her. The reality is setting in with all of us now (seven weeks later) that we are out of ICU and Shea is stable. Shea was nodding along as different people shared about Mike's life. He loved Jesus . . . he loved his family . . . his friends . . . was a friend to the friendless . . . loved his music and on and on. She cried and smiled as Luke and Blair hugged each other. Her heart went out to Kyle who lost his only brother, to Deborah his sweet mother, to Billy (as Shea calls him), Mike's dad whose heart is as big as the world and to dear Anna, Megan, Emily and Katie. So, honestly, it was a dark night for us -- Shea finally drifted off to sleep at about 3 this morning.

It's early afternoon now, and Shea is still sleeping. We called Pathways, where she is in rehab, and asked for a day off. They wholeheartedly agreed that this was the best rehab for her today.

Thanks for hearing our hearts. "Joy comes in the . . .afternoon?"

Our love to you --

Steve and Susan

Two Days at Pathways

2006-01-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

It's been a few days since we updated everyone on Shea's progress. We're moving right along in rehab. Shea is fine with it, but is a typical teenager when we awaken her early to get ready for "school." Tonight Shea told us about all the different activities she has to perform. At this point, it doesn't seem at all hard for her, but it was frustrating when she first met the therapists -- they enunciated every word slowly and clearly and asked very elementary questions. Shea thinks that because one side of her face doesn't quite work yet and is missing teeth it makes her look a little "slow." We teased her that she's in HR -- Honors Rehab!!

We have had some difficult days. It's interesting to us that coming home is a new reality to us. Shea is home where everything is familiar, but everything isn't the same. Mike is no longer here, and Shea has many limitations and uncertainties. The other night she was struggling with how her face looks --wondering if God spared her life but maybe would allow paralysis to remind her of the miracle of survival. She was feeling a little guilty asking for yet more. She asked us, "Have you ever looked in the mirror and not recognized the face looking back at you?" It seems that for every other situation in our kids' lives we have been able to say that we've been down the road before and can see around the corner. This whole situation is new to us. We have never experienced what Shea and Luke and the guys in the band have gone through. It's comforting, when you have no words to say, to turn to The Comforter. We read Psalm 30 together. "I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord . . . . Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes in the morning . . . You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mouring and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever."

This afternoon 500 of Shea's CDs arrived at our house! We are excited that they are finally here. Many of you have asked about purchasing the CD, and we will let you know about a website where you can do that very soon. Shea's desire is that this blog be one of prayer and praise and not for the sale of her CD.

God bless and thank you for continuing with us on this journey,

Steve and Susan

Happy New Year 2006

2006-01-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, and a blessed year we have enjoyed again in 2005. It is good to rethink on the goodness of our Great God in bringing our Shea so far so quickly from that fearful moment in the early hours of November 19 in multiple miracles to Christmas at home and to outpatient therapy for the New Year.

What an honor for me to be writing these lines and what a joy to share in continuing the good news that Shea has been released from Shepherd's in Atlanta.

And then to know that Dr. Carey, who did Shea's reconstructive oral and facial surgery, wants to see her on Wednesay this week in Macon. I'm sure the entire staff at Children's Hospital will be happy to see their miracle girl and her progress in the short time since her release from that I.C. unit.

My heartfelt thanks to all who were willing and able to be there for Shea and for her testimony to the grace of her amazing God.

Jerry Anderson (Shea's Grandpa)

Home . . . "Sweet!!"

2005-12-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

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!!

2005-12-29T19:32:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-28T09:33:00.000-05:00

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 . . .

2005-12-26T23:53:00.000-05:00

(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

2005-12-26T23:24:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

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.

2005-12-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

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!

2005-12-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

Shea's Christmas Tree

2005-12-23T20:24:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-23T12:11:00.001-05:00

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...

2005-12-22T23:09:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-22T00:45:00.000-05:00

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"

2005-12-20T23:51:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

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......

2005-12-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-18T23:29:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-17T22:23:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

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!

2005-12-17T08:25:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-15T21:11:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-14T16:46:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-12T18:58:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-12T00:51:00.000-05:00

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!

2005-12-11T17:39:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-09T13:46:00.001-05:00

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

2005-12-08T19:51:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-08T17:16:00.000-05:00

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

Please pray.

An Active Morning

2005-12-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-06T16:29:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

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!"

2005-12-05T17:21:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

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

2005-12-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

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!

2005-12-03T07:08:00.000-05:00

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

11:20 PM Friday: Lower Jaw is complete

2005-12-02T23:22:00.000-05:00

It's 11:20 PM. Just got word from Susan. The mandible, the lower jaw, is complete. They're starting work on the orbit, the bone around the left eye.

We expect to get a call after that is complete but we may not be updating the blog until tomorrow morning.

Thanks for your prayers. Shea is being supported by the love of faith of so many!

--Michael

10:45 PM Report: Surgery is Going Well

2005-12-02T22:49:00.000-05:00

It's 10:45 PM. We just heard about a half hour ago that the surgery is going well.

The surgeon, Dr. Carey, expected to have some difficulty with the mandible, the lower jaw, and this has been a challenge but apparently no more than expected.

So keep Dr. Carey in your prayers, that his hands and eyes may be steady and his mind clear.

We expect to hear another report around 11 PM and we'll post that as soon as we get it.

Love to you all.

--Michael Anderson

Surgery is Underway...

2005-12-02T17:19:00.000-05:00

The surgery got started around 5pm Eastern time. The latest X Rays show that the damage to Shea's right eye is less than they orignially thought, and they now feel it will heal on it's own. That means that surgery number 5 (on the Saturday/Surgery update) is now only on the left side, not both.

There has been an interesting request... the surgeon that is operating on Shea just asked Steve to bring him Shea's CD so they can play it in the operating room.
We can't help but feel that the operating team will feel even closer to our Shea with her voice flowing through the room.

You can click on the heading above to hear track # 1 from the CD.

It's going to be a long night. Susan asked the doctor if he was really planning on working until 5am tomorrow... he said he most definitely was.

Your thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated.

Shea's Surgery: Looks Good for 3 PM Today

2005-12-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

It's 10:30 AM. I've just returned from the morning rounds.

Shea's temperature is still elevated, still around 101. But Dr. Narsinghani said several times, "I don't see any reason why she can't undergo surgery today. We feel the infection is localized, probably in the lungs or in the sinuses, and this poses very little risk to the surgical site."

So, in spite of what we heard last night, it looks like it's a go. Surgery will start around 3 PM and could go as late as 3 AM Saturday. So keep praying that Shea stays strong and the temp stays low.

Mrs. Hickok's Surgery at 6 PM Mountain Time
I just talked to Susan and she confirmed that Steve's mom's surgery is scheduled for tonight. They're going to be doing wrist surgery after her recent fall.

So we have two surgeries on the same day! We can double our prayers and ask God to bless the surgeons and the nurses and all who attend them today.

They Lit a Big Tree for Shea Last Night!

Last night, when we left the hospital, Susan and Jeanne and I saw a big commotion right in front of the hospital. All was set for the annual lighting of the Christmas Tree.

Santa Claus was there hugging the kids. The DJ from the local station was the emcee. Several hospital execs and local dignitaries gave speeches. I saw a reporter from the local paper taking notes on her steno pad. A camera crew was on duty and a white truck with a sattelite dish was parked nearby. And to top it off, the string orchestra from the high school was there. They even had a harp! They were all wearing those little red velvet Santa hats. They played a beautiful medley of holiday carols, ending with Silent Night. We stood there and sang along with the crowd.

One little boy from the children's hospital, who was being treated for leukemia, had been selected to flip the big switch. So, on cue from the DJ, we all counted down: 5-4-3-2-1-0 and suddenly the huge green tree was awash in light.

We know that this is an annual civic celebration. But last night we chose to believe that the whole town of Macon had turned out, with the orchestra and the DJ and all the dignitaries, and the reporter and the camera crew and Santa too--and that they'd put on this whole show outside our hospital all for our little Shea.

Thank you, Macon! We love you!

--Michael Anderson

Temperature Needs to Come Down for Surgery

2005-12-01T23:04:00.000-05:00

It's about 11 PM.

I just returned from a pre-surgery conference with Steve and Dr. Carey, the maxillofaical specialist who'll be doing the surgery tomorrow. (David and Joy Pippenger diagrammed the surgery in great detail a few days ago so I'd refer you to that report).

The real concern tonight is Shea's temperature which rose to 101.5 today. She's been on antibiotics to try to bring it down. Dr. Carey said that in order for him to proceeed tomorrow her temp must be no higher than 99 degrees.

Steve and Susan have asked that we pray that God's will be done in this matter. Clearly we'd like to see the temp go down so the surgery can proceeed. But if it must be delayed, there will be ample time in the days ahead.

Love to you all. Thank you for keeping our dear Shea in your prayers.

--Michael Anderson

Thursday, December 1, 2005

2005-12-01T21:22:00.000-05:00

Another very good day for Shea. We're so excited about the stability in her condition. She's strong enough for facial surgery tomorrow and that's such great news.

Here are the notes from the comments made by the doctors and nurses in the morning rounds:

Morning Rounds Report
The very simple news, the very good news is that Shea is stable; there has been no significant change.

She did run a temperature overnight, just over 101. They ordered a routine culture (blood, urine, sputum) and these results will come back in 24-48 hours. Susan and Steve are asking that we have special prayer that the temperature will return to normal; this would be optimal for surgery tomorrow.

The arm edema is slightly better. Her face is less swollen as well.

Jeanne asked: if Shea didn’t have to have this facial surgery, couldn’t we be working on getting her out of ICU. Dr. Narsinghani said, “Yes, that’s right. In fact if you just looked at her chest x-ray, if you didn't know she had facial injury, you’d wonder—why is she even in here?”

Surgery Tomorrow, Friday, 3 PM
Dr. Carey, the surgeon, has a tentative schedule of 3 PM Friday. Surgery will be done in the main building, second floor. The surgery could be as long as 12 hours, until 3 AM Saturday.

I asked them about plans to move Shea to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. It’s primarily a rehab hospital. They said, she’ll need to be off the versed and the morphine before going there. Also, she'll need to be off the ventilator and ready to do rehab work. But they have put Shea on the wait list for Shepherd so we're ready when she's ready.

Susan and Steve ask that we be in prayer for a successful surgery, that God will give wisdom to the surgeon and staff and that Shea will come through in full helath, with no paralysis or complications. Amen. Amen.

Prayer for Steve's Mom
Steve heard today that his mother has fallen recently. She's having surgery tomorrow on her wrist. Steve has asked that we keep her in our prayers.

--Michael Anderson

Luke's Birthday Party: His Best Birthday Gift!

2005-11-30T21:46:00.000-05:00

Luke's Birthday Party
November 30, 2005 9:00 PM

We just returned from Luke's surprise 16th birthday party. And it WAS a surprise!

We all gathered at a local pizza place where the Pippenger's and Bill Jones had decorated with bright-colored balloons. When Luke walked in he was greeted by many of his friends and the party got cranking.

We ate pizza and ice cream cake and Luke opened gifts and cards. He got an I-Pod, also some pretty cool headphones and some gift certificates. After the party he had his buddies went off to Best Buy to redeeem the certificates for tunes.

In the meantime the older crowd went for coffee and relaxed at the end of a long day.
At the coffee shop, as we were leaving, we noticed a group of women circled up in a Bible study and as Steve walked by he greeted them. As it turns out these women and their church had been praying for Shea! So the circle widens and the love grows.

Then we said good-bye to David and Joy Pippenger and their son, Jonathan. They return to Colorado tomorrow. They've been here for 11 days! Many thanks to them for all their support.

The Best Gift Ever

I was just about to post this to the blog and Susan just called. She said she and Steve, Luke and Jesse had gone over to the hospital to see Shea. (Luke hadn't seen her today). When they actually pulled up to the hospital, Luke decided to stay in the car. He said, "You guys go in; I may come in if Shea is at all alert. I'm not sure." So they went in and came back and told Luke that Shea was restless and somewhat "awake."

Susan said Luke came in and went to the bedside. When he called her name, Shea opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him and Susan said they looked at one another in a real recognition, a real encounter that went on for some time. Then Luke took Shea's hand. Susan said, "Shea, squeeze Luke's hand and say Happy Birthday." And she did. She very obviously squeezed his hand.

Luke said, "Wow, this was the best birthday present I have ever had!"

What a way to end a beautiful day! We give thanks for all the blessings of the day, for the many people who continue to surround Shea with their love and prayers.

--Michael Anderson