Update on Ellie Horton..... Ellie Strong...All Year Long! (One Yr!) By Lindsay Ratliff — 6 hours ago The days we celebrate in life tend to be somewhat limited. They are usually confined to birthdays, holidays, weddings, anniversaries, and occasionally life occurrences such as getting a new job, a good promotion, graduations, etc. There are a lot of things that I have learned this past year. (Im sure you all can relate to that.) One thing that I am constantly reminded of is that every day should be a celebration. Aside from birthdays, holidays, and all of the other fun stuff we like to recognize, if we all take a moment to really think about our lives; we have reasons to celebrate every day. Todays cause of celebration is probably bittersweet for some, especially Ellie. A year ago today, Ellies life was changed forever. A year ago today, we were told that she might not make it. I still shudder at the thought, but I smile because it also reminds me of Gods power of healing and that miracles happen every day. May 14th is Els anniversary of her first stroke, but May 15th is the anniversary of her major stroke. So, Im going in middle. Im starting this on May 14th, but its late, so Ill finish tomorrow:). Since it has been a full year, we tend to forget about the journey and just focus on today. I thought I would recap the year as I remember it (which could be a little hazy:)...and Im sure I will accidentally leave out milestones) and rehash the miracle that has unfolded before us every day this past year. May 14/15, 2013: El had her strokes. For the next 2 weeks she was in ICU and then got moved to rehab where she stayed for the next 6 weeks. May 28: She moved from ICU to Rehab May 30: this was her first full day of rehab therapy. I think this was the first time Cathy was seen doing her happy dance!:). This was the day she really started making bigger movements. She was bicycling her leg, stuck her tongue out, smiled really big, and was able to communicate more and answer random questions by blinking. June 10: El watched her first movie, typed on Facebook for the first time, and practiced writing her name for the first time. June 11: El ate food (applesauce) for the first time! June 12: El made a noise! June 13: El said hi! June 14: El ate her first real meal. June 14-18: somewhere in that range...she started singing and making shorter sentences! June 24: She ate her first cupcake (non puréed form). This was a big deal since cupcakes are like her favorite food ever :) July 9: El went home to Marion from Rehab. July 15: She waked by herself both in a treadmill and on the floor. July 20th: A 5k was held in Marion to raise money for the Hortons. It was an amazing event. El started the race odd by walking across the finish line. That race raised close to $50,000! July 31: She had a follow-up Appt, and her doc said her dissected artery had healed. August 17: Marion United Methodist Church had a volleyball tournament to raise money for El. August 18: El left for Tyler, TX do do some neuro ifra therapy. December 30: El turned the big 3-0! March: El moved back to Little Rock April. She started back to work and toward the end of the month she passed her driving test! May 12/2014: Ellie had her one year checkup. Overall, it was a good appointment. The doctor was positive. He did tell her that she probably wouldnt get feeling back in the right side of her body. She seemed to take it with stride. She has been so strong. It continues to humble me. Tonight Ellie went to dinner with some friends to celebrate the glorious occasion. I will try to attach a pic or two. We all talked about her progress and her thoughts on her life today. She said the worst part to her today is not remembering things at work. She has always been career driven, so its very frustrating to her that it is not coming as easy as it used to. She said the best thing is that she doesnt really sweat the small stuff anymore. She doesnt let the insignificant stuff bother her. That is something we should all take away from this. She said...if you think you are having a bad day, trust her...it could always be worse. That is something I try to always keep in the back of my mind. So now...every year...instead of just celebrating birthdays, holidays, and all the other typical days we tend recognize, we will celebrate life. We will celebrate that Ellies perseverance and Gods grace and healing has empowered her to be who she is today, and we will celebrate the fact that we are all truly blessed in ways that we could never even imagine. Ways that Ellie would tell us that we take for granted until they are gone. Continue to pray for Ellie has she continues her healing journey. She has come such a long way this past year but has quite a bit of healing ahead of her. “What I have learned from the year past is something about miracles--miracles of healing and answered prayer and unexpected happy endings. Each came quietly and simply, on tiptoe, so that I hardly knew it had occurred. All this makes me realize that miracles are everyday things. Not only the sudden, great good fortune, wafting in on a new wind from the sky. They are almost routine, yet miracles just the same. Every time something hard becomes easier; every time you adjust to a situation which, last week, you didnt know existed; every time a kindness falls as softly as the dew; or someone you love who was ill grows better; every time a blessing comes, not with trumpet and fanfare, but silently as night, you have witnessed a miracle.” ― Faith Baldwin, Many Windows, Seasons of the Heart Love to all!!!!
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 11:28:44 +0000
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