March 25, 2006

It’s been awhile…..

Hello everyone. It has been quite a while since I wrote and updated you about Jordan and his progress. This should not be taken as a sign that things aren’t going well and that Jordan isn’t still improving every day because he is doing very well actually.

How is Jordan doing?

If you have read the updates in order here on the website, you know that Jordan has been back in Cookeville since last July. We stayed at Life Care in Sparta from July ’05 until February ’06, when we finally brought Jordan home for good! It has been such a blessing to have him back at mom and dad’s where we can see him constantly and where he can be at home in his old room surrounded by his things, including Daisy, his crazy yorkie.

Luckily, thanks to yet another “Angel” we met along the way, we found this wonderful organization called Guardian Angel that is based out of Lebanon, TN. They provide 24 hour a day, seven-day a week home care including speech therapy and physical therapy. Theresa Bingham is Jordan’s occupational therapist (She has been for awhile, even before Guardian Angel), she actually went and stayed in Lufkin with mom and Jordan last summer to work with Brenda our fantastic occupational therapist there to learn more specifics about working with Jordan and we are so fortunate to have her on board.

Jordan is still progressing every day. Since being home, he actually stays awake during the day instead of sleeping like he did at Life Care. A more normal sleeping pattern also shows that he is healing as well, staying awake during the day and sleeping at night—although if you know Jordan you are aware that he is such a night-owl anyways. He is also much more alert and relaxed since coming home according to his therapists and therefore easier to work with. In addition to having specific therapists who work with him, Jordan’s nurses also do a great job with him as well doing physical, speech and occupational therapies. We have been so fortunate to find such great nurses who love Jordan and treat him as if he is their own. Nurses Wendi, Emma and Jamie (my faves) treat Jordan with care and respect. They talk to him and love on him like a son or brother and also believe that Jordan IS going to come out of this. They all act as though taking care of Jordan is more of a privilege than a job and this means so much to me and my family.

Jordan is doing better all the time. He has not regressed at all and although his improvements may be considered baby-steps, they are indeed steps in the right direction. He is much more alert and follows people and their voices with his eyes. He tries to talk CONSTANTLY. This consists of him moving his mouth and sometimes using his voice as well. If you ask him a question he will look right at you and move his mouth like crazy like he is trying to answer you. I often worry about his frustration and how this must be so hard on him, trying to communicate. Sometimes too, if you ask him a yes/no question he can say “uh-huh” (yes) or “uh-uh” (no). As his family, we also pick up on little ways he tries to communicate. Like when you ask him something and he is very tired, he will just blink like crazy.

Jordan is also eating more normal foods. One goal of his therapist is to get him up to three small meals a day that would consists of things like macaroni and cheese, oatmeal and applesauce. The goal there is to wean him off of the feeding tube completely. His physical therapists and nurses are working on his sitting on the side of the bed as well as standing him up so he can get the feel of standing again and get those muscles toned and ready for more intense rehab. The more he sits on the side of the bed, the longer he can do it each time. To assist in the rehab of his leg muscles and his standing, we are in the process of having special boots made to keep his feet and ankles straight.

Jordan still gets mad when his teeth are brushed and he hates being turned onto his stomach. How can we tell? He will scowl and sometimes even tear-up a little and he can give a pretty good dirty-lookJ

How is the rest of the family?

We are all doing okay and moving right along. Having the 24 hour care for Jordan has allowed mom and dad to focus more on what else we can do to help Jordan get better. We are planning on building on to mom and dad’s house so Jordan can have his own big room where there is space for an easy-access shower, therapy tables and the like. Mom went on a four-day cruise with some good friends during her spring break. It was the first time she had left Jordan since this journey began and was not easy on her but she had a good time and was in good hands while she was gone. Dad is doing well too. He is so good with Jordan and watches over him constantly like only a dad could. Again, having Jordan home is so wonderful, dad can just stop by the house and see him as many times as he needs instead of having to drive all the way to Sparta. As soon as mom gets out of work, she comes home and there Jordan is, snug as a bug receiving great care and attention. I know dad and mom are beside themselves as far as their joy in having Jordan under their roof again. And me, I am doing well. I too am thrilled that Jordan is home in Cookeville again. I miss his friendship and companionship still all the time, but that shouldn’t overshadow the happiness I feel knowing that he is home. This means not another holiday will go by where Jordan is not home with us where he should be!

Attitudes and such

We still encourage people to come and see Jordan at mom and dad’s house. He has a nurse there with him all the time. We and Jordan’s therapists agree that one of the best things for him is visitors—you know he wants to see somebody else besides me mom and dad sometimesJ He needs to know that people still love him and think about him and pray for his recovery, his FULL recovery. The way I always look at it is, if this were happening to me and I was going through what Jordan is, he would be beside himself with worry, as well as love and he would not leave my side. I know he would do that for most of you too. That’s just Jordan. He would never want us to feel ignored or alone or scared, he would be there, cheering us on all the way and praying for us until we were better and back to life.

Family Mantra

I cannot say it enough: we will never give up on Jordan and his recovery. He will get better and get back to his life. It’s like mom and I say: those people who don’t stick out the hard times with us, won’t be there to experience the joy of Jordan’s complete recovery with us either. You are either with us or you aren’t. This doesn’t mean you should camp out in my parent’s front yard, or even call EVERYDAY, it just means that if you love Jordan you should remind him that you are there, at least in spirit, by sending a card or letter just telling him what’s up in your world. We have to keep reminding him of what he is missing—it will help him recover faster! Also, please remember, we absolutely DO NOT allow negative attitudes or frowny sad faces around Jordan. We don’t need to hear things like “oh, that poor thing.” We want to hear things like, “wow, Jordan seems to be doing well, he looks great, we are praying for you….” We know it can seem hard to know what to say, just remember as long as you remain positive with us, nothing you can say is wrong.

God has and continues to bless our family and answer our prayers. Please keep Jordan on your prayer lists at home and at your church. We know that life has to go on for everyone, it’s just, as you inevitably move forward in life, don’t leave Jordan behind. Just remember him and support his recovery, the way he would do for all of us.

If you have questions about visiting, want to donate to Jordan’s Fund or just to say hi, you can email me at: shannonterryring@yahoo.com

Thank you! We hope everyone is doing well!