Hey friends and family! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! We did! We were fortunate to be able to enjoy much of the holidays with Jared at HOME! We took him to a Cowboys game, we had family from both of our sides come to visit, and we got to eat all kinds of yummy food, thanks to my mom! Bathroom renovations are almost complete, just a few finishing touches to go! (pictures to come soon) Jared has given his stamp of approval on everything so far and he has been able to use it in the times we have brought him home. It is so nice to be able to hang out at home with Jared, he loves being in HIS house, on HIS couch. The weekends are typically for resting, and Jared has loved getting to nap on the couch when we bring him home. We usually give Jared the choice of what he wants to eat when we bring him home, and we have discovered that when Jared really finds something he likes, he will eat it!
Jared is continuing to get better at eating, and swallowing, and he has been wanting to feed himself more which has been a huge step! It has been both fun and frustrating at times finding things that Jared can and wants to eat. We have had some of the funniest moments though discovering some of these new things, we love being surprised by Jared along the way. Like with anything else, he has good days and not so good days with meals, sometimes he does great and loves it, and other days it takes much longer to get him to eat and swallow.
We are still wanting to hear more of his voice, he is continuing to work on projection and consistency with his voice in his speech therapy sessions. Every now and then we get blown away by some of the funny things Jared will use his voice to tell us...one of the days we were at home and he was sitting on the couch and he told us "I'm shivering" because he was cold and wanted a blanket.
I know we have told y'all about this hill that Jared walks up everyday during one of his physical therapy sessions; between walking around the different treatment centers, doing the stationary bike and the NuStep, Jared is walking every day, and he is getting stronger, faster and more consistent with it. PT is definitely his favorite therapy sessions as his therapists, Elba, Jenny and Chris are the ones that get him up and out of his wheelchair!
Christmas Eve we took Jared to the Dallas Cowboys game where he had a blast! I'm not going to lie, I was dreading it, I was worried that it would be too much-- too much stimulation, too much noise, too much crowd maneuvering, too much cold, too much…but I was wrong! Not only did Jared enjoy himself, everyone we met was so friendly. He made all kinds of friends there, even if they were Philadelphia Eagles fans! One person we met there, wanted to know Jared’s story, and she said she would be praying for him. When we first walked into the stadium the game had just gotten started and after the first Cowboys touchdown, Jared was clapping along with he crowd, it was so heartfelt to see such joy on Jared’s face. We were thankful for his PT recommending earplugs for Jared to help cut down on some of the noise!
Another pleasant surprise were some visits from his family for the holidays; his grandfather who always loves visiting with Jared came a few times, and watching those two together is so special, as Jared is the oldest grandson, him and his grandpa Mike are two peas in a pod. If you have been keeping up with the blog, you have probably seen some of the sweet pictures and videos of Jared with his grandpa.
His uncle Mike from Florida came in town, his dad stopped in for a visit, and even Jared’s younger brother who lives just around the corner stopped in. Below you will see in one of those pictures-- 4 generations of Sawalls!
Jared is getting stronger every week, we just need to channel that strength and will to do things in the right and safest way. Jared had an accident last week when he fell out of his bed overnight. This is a great and not so great thing because this means he is getting stronger to where he has more core, and trunk strength to lift himself up; however, he is not quite there yet for getting out of the bed safely on his own two feet. He was not hurt, and we are so grateful that this tumble did not cause a trip to the hospital. My sister and I, and the nurse on staff that night, believe that he was trying to get out of the bed to go to the bathroom...which is a wonderful thing. So now to help with this, Jared sleeps a little closer to the floor, with a mat next to his bed and now has a bed alarm that senses when his body weight has come off of the bed.
Rolling into this new year afforded me some time to take a look back at 2022, and in doing so I loved revisiting all the blessings that have come to Jared- even the trials and obstacles. The amount of "No's" we had received, the people that said he had plateaued, the amount of times his insurance told me he was considered "custodial" and no longer progressing, the amount of people who know and/or do not know who Jared is, and what he is capable of, have been proven wrong each day! We fought endless amount of times for continued medical coverage, the amount of denials, peer to peers and appeals, while in the midst of it can be disheartening, have shown me that no man can block God's plan for Jared. All these battles, which I know we will continue to face as we have a long road ahead of us in his recovery, but the leaps and bounds that have been made are what keep us going.
Last year the holidays looked very different, as Jared was still in a coma in the nursing home. It was also around this time that he had gone into the hospital to treat an infection from an open wound and something else was caught when they discovered he had hydrocephalus and his need for a vp shunt to be placed. Thanksgiving on a ventilator in the LTAC facility, Christmas in the nursing home, with a trach in a coma, new years in the Neuro ICU after shunt placement…so here we are with a completely different outlook on our days together. The asks continue, they just change... I can remember when I would be asking the Lord and Jared for just a simple toe wiggle or recognition eye movement from him, now our asks are talking to us, and walking on his own. LOOK AT GOD!
Last year...
This Year...
Fresh Haircut...
He is always very aware of the camera...
I am so grateful for my family and friends who have been here for me this past year. Those who have donated to the GoFundMe, sent meals for me and my sister, gave up some of your time to come visit with me or Jared wherever we have been, and those that ask about Jared and continue to pray for him-- thank you for being great humans and friends to us. We still have a long road ahead of us, but you all make the journey that much more manageable! I cannot wait for the day to come where Jared won't shut up and we start going through the phone book and face timing people to say "Hey, thank you for your prayers and support!" What a glorious day to come!
"Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."
- Romans 5:1-5 NLT
Prayer Requests:
A BREAKTHROUGH to happen with Jared's speech. He speaks when he wants to, it is usually at a low to whisper volume, we are looking to really hear his voice loud and more often. him communicating with us will be a game changer for bringing him home. And for his swallowing and eating to continue to get better and quicker, so he can get that peg tube out.
Continued progress with Physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. His walking and standing balance to get stronger. his ability to do his daily living activities to get stronger and more independent at for when he comes home and has less assistance.
Jared is likely to be getting discharged to come home in the next 4 weeks, so I could use prayers for strength for that transition home. As excited as I am for him to be medically stable and able to do so, it comes with a new set of challenges, as I will be needing help with Jared at home, so finding the right people to be in our home and care for Jared while I am at work will bring forth a new set of challenges.
Finding the best place for Jared to continue his outpatient therapy at the right Day Neuro program, so he can continue on his road to recovery, Prayers that God will guide me into making the right decision when the time comes.
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