Update 1/18/10 Day 71

Dear friends,

I can't get the Haitian people off of my mind. I heard today that the majority of those alive and hurt are suffering with orthopedic injuries. Broken arms, legs, feet, mostly from buildings falling on them. The first responders and medical personnel don't have enough supplies to treat these folks. There isn't enough stuff to make casts! We've all got to help these people in whatever way we can. When I think of Stephen's broken bones, and the trial he's experiencing with state of the art equipment and protection from all kinds of infection, I simply can't imagine the nightmare on that tropical island. God, we cry out to you for them! Be their comfort.

Hannah had a follow up appointment today with the neuro psychologist, Dr. Andy Hess. Looking at all her testing the conclusion is that she is doing extraordinarily well in this early phase of brain injury recovery. Short term memory and executive functioning are where the healing is occurring and will continue for the next year or more. But the language center of Hannah's brain is highly functional and above the average even for those without frontal lobe injuries. Amazing how our brains are put together. What a wonder! Dr. Hess will see her again in a few months, and he believes the curve on the memory and executive functioning areas will begin to rise to meet the language range. I know the Great One is working even now in her neurons, putting together and rerouting pathways to give her back what she had. She is as wonderful and beautiful as ever. But I won't be satisfied till she has back what was stolen from her. The light will indeed overcome the darkness. It already has.

Stephen had a crummy night's sleep on Sunday, but does that surprise anyone? He wakes up and can't roll over or change position. I'm telling you, when that fixator comes off on Thursday I'm thinking he'll be like Rip Van Winkle. He keeps banging the blasted thing on the kitchen doorway too, and that my friends is not funny. The ouch stands up like a starched shirt. The ouch is profound. I wonder if they give us the fixator after the whole thing is over. Probably not. It's probably worth something in the bizarre world of orthopedics. I really wouldn't mind if I never saw the thing again. But it held my dear one's bones together, and for that I am grateful. Sometimes the ugliest, most painful things in life are doing us a world of good, only we can't see it. It's later when we shake out the benefit. But in the middle of the thing it's a mystery. "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I almost fell down the stairs yesterday, scaring Hercules, my children, and Judy the Good nearly to death. I was carrying clothes to fold, talking on the phone, and navigating the stairs when one of the sheets got under my feet and I slipped. Some god-awful sounds came out of my mouth, and I punished my shin bone pretty well. Thankfully I didn't crack my head or break a bone. But my ankles are sore today. The whole thing could have been pretty cute if Smitty had to call 911 for me. Thank the Great One for catching me. There's only so much a girl can take.

Thanks to Garden Joan, who brought a yummy meal and TULIPS IN JANUARY. She has a tulips in January kind of heart, and what better symbol of hope than that. (She also brought some kind of creamy cake that I'm about to tuck into). Cake and tulips. Doesn't get much better than that.

Jack is back! 24 premiered last night, but we didn't watch it til today. Jack Bauer has outwitted terrorists and assorted bad guys for 8 seasons now, and no doubt he'll save America again from the powers of darkness. This isn't my normal light fare, but I'll make an exception 1 night a week. Steve's mom got him a DVD set of the old Jack Benny TV shows. That ought to offset the bleak world of international murder and mayhem.

Busy day tomorrow. Who knows what zany adventures await us ? Or what opportunities will summon us to love someone sad, or to comfort someone suffering, or to make someone laugh. Bring em' on, Lord!

Be the light, my friends. You've been the light for me.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann