Never ending faith

Shear injury w/ abnormal edema of corpus callosum R>L

L cerebellar shear

mid-brain shear

multifocal areas of hemorrhage and edema in both frontal lobes w/combination of contusion and shear

multifocal shear injury w/hemorrhagic contusion

These are the results of Michael’s initial MRI within the first days in Trauma ICU.  If there was ever any doubt that what we are witnessing with Michael’s recovery is anything less than a miracle, do a little research.

“The steadfast love of the Lord NEVER ceases. His mercies, they NEVER come to an end. They are new EVERY morning. Great is thy faithfulness, O God. Great is THY faithfulness.” (even in the midst of our undeserving lives) Lam. 3:22&23

Never really planning to publicly disclose the details of that first MRI but I was so touched when reading that bible verse this evening on the blog.  I thought maybe with the MRI information, you would have an unmistakable understanding of the severity of the injuries to Michael’s brain and for each step toward his recovery.  Why, what we’ve seen thus far increases my faith in miracles.

Each day as I watch Michael push himself to exhaustion, I am so humbled to be a part of this.  I know I will describe my feeling as humbled over and over again, but there is no better way to express the way I feel.  I am humbled.

Observing an Occupational Therapy session at 1 o’clock where weaknesses in Michael’s functioning level affect the simplest of tasks.  We’re on Easy Street (it’s the coolest part of the rehab center) and he’s at the grocery store.  Take 8 potatoes and put them in the shopping basket.  How many times have you effortlessly done something like this?  Michael struggles to pick up one vegetable from the bin and place it in a shopping basket.  He has the knowledge.  He looks at his hand, he looks at the bin, he knows what to do.  You can see the struggle between mind and body as he tries first to lean forward, then to initiate the arm movement to get his hand close enough, to initiate finger movement to grasp.  He has the potato.  He sits back to rest.  He sits up, he leans forward, he moves his arm to place the vegetable in the basket but has trouble releasing the potato in the basket.  A short rest and then lets go.  It is running a mile, it is solving a problem in a physics course, it is one potato, there are 8.  There will be red peppers to follow.  Other than the ride to and from his room, these 8 potatos and 8 red peppers consumed the entire hour.  This session was preceded by 10 AM Speech Therapy and would be followed with Physical Therapy at 3pm.

I ask after Physical Therapy and an extra hour in his chair, ”how’s your day going, honey?  How do you think you’re doing?”   There is such hope in his eyes as he says “I think I’m doing good”.  He responds without a hint of “I can’t do it… it hurts… I’m tired…poor me”.  There is no discontent, there is no dissatisfaction, there is no complaining.  Michael has always been driven to succeed.   I don’t think I’ve ever seen him back down from a challenge. He knows that to achieve big things, you work hard.

There is no doubt in my mind that Michael believes he can do this.  We believe he can do this.  “All things you ask in prayer, if you believe, you shall receive”.  Matthew 21:22

3 Responses

1. Jennifer Crowder
   December 5th, 2007 at 2:05 pm Did you know that Mike touches people that don’t even know him? Did you know that Mike has an impact on other peoples lives without even trying to? I came to work at WPH right at the time of Mike’s accident. I work w/ David and have bugged him daily asking about Mike. I’ve shared his story w/ my family. My son of 16 (the scarey age that it is) hopefully will gain a measurable amount of respect for driving than he has now. My daughter, who is 9, asks me daily how he is. She’s even cried for him. We both have. I want to tell you what Mike has done for me. I owe him so very much and I’ve never seen him, talked to him, or shook his hand. As I said, I talk to David on most days, and I read the updates each day. I read what he goes through, the tiniest tasks that we just breeze through. Then I sit there with my bottom jaw on the floor, flabbergasted at 2 things…what an incredible human being Mike is….and what a ungracious fool I am. Mike makes me take inventory of myself. He makes me realize the important things. He makes me stop and smell the roses. I’m spending more time w/ my children. I’m not so ungrateful any more. I’m grateful for being able to walk, to pick up potatoes and peppers, and to be able to move around at will. Geez, the things I complain about. How do I have the tinniest room to complain about ANYTHING? Mike makes me look in my heart and say, “thanks God, just for today, thanks for my family, thanks for just letting me be here, anything else You give me today is icing on the cake.”

   Thanks Mike.

   That’s how he has touched me.

2. Brady D
   December 5th, 2007 at 3:50 pm Wow, where can I get a brain like Mike’s?!
3. Robin Blake
   December 20th, 2007 at 1:33 pm LIVESTRONG Michael !