Good morning to all. Im sorry I didnt get to do an update yesterday. I know many of you look forward to an update each Friday. I went from work straight to Reeds game in Rockport, and we got home very late. The weather continues to be beautiful. Yes, its hot, but its not terrible for July in southern Indiana. And I think next week is going to be really nice for a few days. Congratulations to the Rockport Legion baseball team for another big win last night. Our 6 Tell City boys all contributed . . . Rhett started, Reed closed, CJ played third, Gant was at second, Hunter was in left and Austin caught. Were off to Eddyville, Kentucky, today and Floyds Knobs tomorrow. Yes, its a lot of traveling. But we will certainly miss these days in a few years when Reed goes off to college. Weve also enjoyed watching Lauren and Brittany play slow pitch softball again this summer. They are both doing very well. Their season wraps up on Tuesday evening. We had a great Goffinet Family trip to St. Louis last weekend. There were 20 of us. Unfortunately, Adam and Lucy couldnt make it, but we still had a great time. The weather was really nice. Our brother-in-law, Eric, is a great trip planner and always does a great job finding the best seats for us (complete with shade for the Sunday afternoon game). We saw the Friday evening and Sunday afternoon games and went to Grants Farm on Saturday. It was interesting watching Lauren and Reed help Sarah. Remember, this is our first trip since the wreck. Lauren, ever so sweet, was willing to give up the real bed so Sarah didnt have to sleep on the pull-out bed. She also helped Sarah put her hair up. Reed, the very protective baby brother who absolutely towers over everyone else in the family, pushed Sarah around in a wheelchair at Grants Farm. He would have nothing to do with anyone else taking care of her. In case youre wondering why Sarah was in a wheelchair . . . she is walking quite well, but we saw no reason for her to get worn out. We knew wed be walking a lot throughout the weekend, and if she got too tired or too sore from the visit to Grants Farm, she wouldnt be able to enjoy the rest of the weekend. Sarah is determined to walk the 6 mile Schweizer Fest Road Run on August 9. Ive encouraged her to do the 2 mile, but shes having nothing to do with that. She started running the 6 mile race when she was in fifth grade and has never done the 2 mile...she doesnt plan to start now. She is working on her strength and endurance so that shell be in the best position possible for the walk. Sarah stayed with us until I took her back to Evansville on the way home from Cincinnati on Tuesday. She got a good report from her visit there. She stayed the same with her flexion and extension, which is good since she didnt go the week before. Now that Sarah has reached the 12 week point post-surgery, we are allowed to back off on the visits. Well be going every two weeks now then hope to back off even farther once Sarahs classes start this fall. This is all contingent upon Sarah not backsliding. If she does, not only will we be going back to an every week schedule, Dr. Noyes will insist on seeing her 2 times a week. Shes worked so hard for so long and is in so much pain, I know its hard for her to keep at it, hard for her to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, shes also worked too hard for too long and endured too much pain so far to lose what shes gained. This would be hard on anyone. Keep in mind how much harder this is on a 20 year old runner who cant run anymore. Shes physically and mentally exhausted. But her determination in walking the 6 mile route for Schweizer Fest shows her determination, exactly what shes made of. She also hates the trips to Cincinnati. If being told we will go twice a week if she backslides isnt incentive enough, I dont know what is. Her visit to the hand therapist also went well. Her incisions are healing up very nicely (scalpels make much nicer incision lines than bones do), and her swelling is getting better. She is now doing therapy on her hand pretty much all day. It was amazing to see her make a fist and extend her fingers, to see her move her fingers in a typing motion, to see her move her thumb, and to see her pull back her wrist, even if it was a very slight movement. I continue to be amazed at what good doctors can do and what the human body can adapt to. Dr. Perry took tendons from one part of her arm, tendons that have a completely different purpose, and moved them to a different part of her arm. Those tendons still want to do their original function, but Sarah has already begun to train those tendons to do their new function. Her brain says one thing, the tendons want to do another thing, but shes making them do what she wants them to do. Its truly amazing. She has to wear the split full time (other than when she does her therapy) for another week. Then she will probably be wearing it only at night. Sarah is working a few hours a week at the Childrens Learning Center on USIs campus. Its good for her to be with the kids and to have a structure. We all know that when you have all day to do something, its easy to do nothing. Sarah loves being on her own; Dempsey is a great roommate. However, I know she sometimes has some very long days. She also knows that Chris, Lauren, Reed and I are only a phone call away and will be there in an hour if she needs us. We are continually amazed by what Sarah has done in the last 36 weeks. When I get overwhelmed with how long it has been and how much longer it will be before a new normal is established, I think back to 3 images . . . how she looked when I climbed into the backseat of her burning car just seconds after the wreck, how she looked when she was wheeled out of triage when we had to identify her on her way to her first surgery (and just minutes later we were told it was likely she wouldnt live through the night), and how she looked when we saw her right after the first surgery . . . unconscious, on a ventilator, her neck in a C collar, her right leg in traction, her left leg wrapped from hip to toes, her left arm broken, tubes running to both lungs. Those are images we will never forget, no matter how old, crazy and senile we become. Then I fast-forward 36 weeks to now. Wow, what an amazing transformation. Shes beautiful, brilliant, and sassy, just like usual, but still broken. Sarah will keep working hard to be the best she can be, with us beside her every step of the way. Many thanks go out to friends, family, our entire community and the many people we dont know who keep up with Sarahs progress and who have been on this journey with us from the very beginning. Your thoughts and prayers have helped power us through this, have helped keep us going. With love from the Goffinets - Darla, Chris, Lauren, Sarah and Reed
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 13:00:57 +0000
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