Prayers For Christen

February 28, 2005

Christen weighed in at 106.2 pounds this morning! That's a gain of about one pound since last week.

This Wednesday, Christen will travel to DuPont for a follow-up visit with the surgeon who repaired her trach site. There is snow in the forecast and so the weather between today and Wednesday morning could pose some hazards. Please pray that Christen will travel safely to and from Delaware for this examination, and also that the results of her examination will be positive. Please also continue to pray for
Christen's continued neurological, cognitive, and physical recovery.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." (Jer. 29:11-14)

February 25, 2005

We have diligently prayed for improvement in Christen's cognitive skills. Christen has now been assessed to be between levels 6 and 7 on the brain injury recovery scale! Furthermore, yesterday Christen was deemed ready to begin homebound school instruction in the next 2- 3 weeks, following a required assessment by her school. Christen will begin homebound instruction in one subject area. When she is discharged from full-time day hospital, her instruction will increase accordingly.

Although Christen has made tremendous cognitive progress, she continues to struggle daily with one symptom of cognitive injury in particular -- perseveration. Christen's tendency to involuntarily repeat herself and to fixate on certain tasks and concerns is blocking Christen from engaging in higher level thinking. In essence, this is one area of captivity from which Christen has not yet been released. Please, if you can, make this a priority in your prayers -- that our Lord will free Christen completely from her captivity to this symptom of her injury. Freedom from this problem will result in a surge of cognitive improvement for Christen, just as she is about to begin her home studies!

Also beginning yesterday, Christen began walking independently from therapy to therapy, unassisted and unaccompanied. This is a reflection not only of Christen's physical progress, but also of her cognitive improvement, including her ability to perform tasks independently and appropriately.

Christen continues to improve on the physical front as well. Her new orthotic arrived yesterday. This appliance fits into Christen's regular shoe and helps her bring her heel down when she walks. Immediate improvement was observed; however, Christen's ankle muscle still has not activated so she still does not walk heel to toe.
Rather, she walks flat-footed. We continue to pray that this ankle muscle will activate soon, allowing Christen to raise her toe when she walks and balance herself better. One way in which the Weisman therapists are trying to activate that muscle is horseback riding. In order to sit properly and control a horse, it is necessary for the
rider to raise her toes and press the sides of her feet against the horse. Christen has always loved horses and rode for years. It is hoped that her previous experience with riding will help her to automatically engage those muscles necessary to control the horse, which happen to be the same muscles necessary to walk properly!

Thank you again for your persistence in prayer for Christen. Based on the scripture verse that our Lord placed on Christen's heart just before her accident, we believe our Lord has declared that His great plans for Christen include freedom from harm, and therefore, complete healing. "For I know the plans I have for you," declare[d] the
Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer. 29:11) Together with Christen, we continue to call out and pray for God to bring His great plans to fulfillment by releasing Christen completely from the captivity of her injury. "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and
I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declare[d] the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." (Jer. 29:12-14)

February 22, 2005

You have "devoted yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful," (Col. 4:2) and God has answered your prayers affirmatively -- again. Christen weighed in at 105.4 Monday morning, a gain of 2.4 pounds since last Monday! Praise God for His goodness, graciousness and faithfulness! Christen is so blessed to have you all as her faithful "prayer warriors."

Christen's rehabilitation is continuing to progress since she her
discharge to "day hospital." On the physical rehabilitation front, Christen's walking is improving but she still suffers from a contracted hamstring muscle and supination of her left foot. Her knee is straighter than it was before but is not normal yet. Her new orthotics have not yet arrived but when they do, they should help correct the supination. The therapists at Weisman are planning an outing to a barn so that Christen can ride horses, which also may encourage the activation of Christen's ankle muscles. Please pray that as Christen's brain continues to heal, her leg muscles will heal and activate, correcting the problems with Christen's knee and ankle, and that Christen will regain her ability to walk straight, upright and balanced.

On the cognitive front, Christen continues to advance. The therapists at Weisman have recognized this by inviting Christen to participate in goal-setting at team treatment meetings. In addition, she has begun participating in a student bible study at her church on Monday nights. The bible study is titled "Experiencing the heart of Jesus" by Max Lucado. Christen has been able to keep up with the readings, with recording her responses to questions, and with participating in discussions.

Recreationally, Christen is maintaining a full social schedule. In addition to the bible study and youth group and her church, Christen has been attending basketball games, youth group at Dom's church, and Kyle's hockey games.

Christen has not received the results of her field of vision examination. (The doctor has been on vacation.) Please continue to pray that the peripheral vision in Christen's left eye will return as Christen's brain continues to heal and that God will restore Christen's eyesight completely.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future." (Jer. 29:11)

February 17, 2005

Though the Lord is on high, He looks upon the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes, with Your right hand You save me. The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lod, endures forever -- do not abandon the works of Your hands. (Psa. 138:6-8)

Christen's rehabilitation is continuing to be strong since she her discharge to "day hospital." There was great improvement in Christen's left hand just since last week. Previously, Christen could only give a thumbs up. She can now hold up one, two, three and/or four fingers. Also, the tone in her left arm appears to be returning. She is intermittently standing with her left arm relaxed and straight. Also, Christen's appetite has picked up quite a bit. This development, along with Christen' clearance to drink water, should contribute to a steady return to a more normal weight.

Christen's walking is improving but she still suffers from a contracted hamstring muscle and supination of her left foot. Please pray that as Christen's brain continues to heal, her leg muscles will heal and activate, correcting the problems with Christen's knee and ankle, and that Christen will regain her ability to walk straight, upright and balanced.

Today, Christen has an appointment with a vision field specialist to evaluate the vision in Christen's left eye. Christen's family is hoping that the peripheral vision in that eye will return as Christen's brain continues to heal. Please pray that God will restore Christen's eyesight completely.

February 14, 2005

Praise the Lord, all you nations! Give glory all you peoples! The Lord's love for us is strong; the Lord is faithful forever. Hallelujah! (Psa. 117:1-2)

Christen passed her swallow study today with flying colors! As soon as the doctor receives the report, Christen should be cleared for water and other thin liquids! Praise God. Christen enjoys water very much and has been missing it terribly since the accident.

Christen's walking is improving but she still suffers from a bent knee because of stiffening of her hamstring muscle and supination of her left foot. Supination means that when Christen walks, she places the weight on the outside of her left foot, which is very bad for her ankle. She also has difficulty walking "heel to toe" because the small ankle/calf muscle that allows her toe to rise has not yet activated. Therefore, when walking, Christen places her weight on the ball of her foot first and then shifts to the outside. This also affects Christen's balance and coordination. A second pair of orthotics is being built for her to help correct these problems. The hope is that as Christen's brain continues to heal, this muscle will activate, correcting the problem. Until then, Christen will use the orthotics. Please pray that these muscles will activate soon, that Christen's hamstring muscle will stretch permanently, and that Christen will regain her ability to walk straight, upright and balanced.

Christen will see a vision field specialist next week to examine her left eye and investigate the suspected problems with her peripheral vision. Please pray that God will restore Christen's eyesight completely.

February 8, 2005

Christen is enjoying being home very much. It was a whirlwind first weekend home. Friday night she attended Kyle's concert at school. On Saturday, she attended a senior class dinner at Macaroni Grill and then a surprise birthday party for one of her school friends. On Sunday, she watched the Super Bowl with family and some friends. With all the activity, it is not a wonder that she is sleeping much better than she did in the hospital!

Christen also is showing signs of continuing cognitive improvement. She is reading a novel for the first time since the accident. Previously, her attention span was not developed sufficiently to do that. She also is engaging in more sophisticated conversations.

Today Christen and Carol returned to Weisman for the first day of "day hospital." Christen will continue with 8 hours of therapy each weekday, returning home late in the afternoon. She will be concentrating on her left leg in physical therapy. Her left knee remains bent and when she walks she does not walk heel to toe. Because the small muscle in her calf that activates her ankle has not recovered, she has difficulty pointing her toe up before she places her foot on the ground. As a result, she is walking toe to heel, and this problem is exacerbated by the bent knee.

On Friday, Christen will return to Cooper Hospital for a swallow study. God willing, she will be upgraded and approved for thin liquids, such as water, which she has not been allowed to have since the accident.

Please continue to pray that Christen's left leg will heal completely so that she will have the ability to straighten her left knee and walk heel to two without a limp. Pray that her appetite will increase so that she will begin adding weight to her frame. Pray that her swallowing will have improved enough by Friday for her to be upgraded to thinner liquids and a greater variety of foods. Finally, continue to pray for a full cognitive recovery. Christen has come so far so quickly; it will be a wonderful witness to the glory of God to continue praying her through to a complete recovery. "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to by my disciples." (John 15:7-8)

February 4, 2005

Christen was discharged from full-time in-patient care this morning at about 10:30! She then headed over to Moorestown to purchase some new sneakers to accommodate an orthotic to keep her left foot straight. She will resume daytime therapies at Weisman on Monday. On February 11, she will undergo another swallow test, and with God's blessing, will be cleared for drinking thin liquids and other currently-restricted foods. On February 17, she will be examined by a visual fields specialist to determine the nature and extent of the problems with the peripheral vision in her left eye. On March 2, she will travel to DuPont for a trach follow-up appointment.

As Christen begins this new leg of her journey to complete healing, let us reflect upon the journey that she has travelled since September 30, with God always at her side, healing, encouraging, comforting and caring. It is awesome! He is awesome! Let us praise God for his wonderful works:

The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. (Psa. 145:13-14)

The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. (Psa. 146:7-8)

Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His might heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; Praise Him for his surpassing greatness. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (Psa. 150:1-2, 6)

And let us continue to seek the Lord and keep Christen lifted up in prayer, for we know that God will not rest until His plans are finished, and we know that His plans for Christen are great: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." (Jer. 29:11-14)

January 31, 2005

Christen was home both days this weekend. On Saturday, she visited with friends and family. On Sunday, she attended services at Fellowship Alliance Chapel with her family! This was the first time she attended services since her accident, although she has been asking to do so for weeks. After church, Christen attended Kyle's hockey game, which she very much enjoyed watching.

Back at Weisman today, Christen learned that the final decision has been made to discharge her to "day hospital" this Friday. That means that Christen will travel to Weisman every weekday for the same intensive therapies that she now receives. She will return home every night.

Although Christen no longer needs 24-hour hospital care, neither her suffering nor her journey to recovery are complete. While Christen has healed well and quickly, we must not forget that both her body and her brain are still in need of significant healing, and therefore, significant prayer. This is a wonderful opportunity for us all to demonstrate, especially to others who might be tempted to surrender to doubt or passivity, our belief that God can do absolutely everything He says He can do and He is going to finish His work in Christen! Please let us continue to lift up Christen in prayer every day and continue to pray for COMPLETE HEALING! We believe that the Lord wants nothing less for Christen and this is how we must pray -- that the God of all grace will restore her completely and make her strong, firm and steadfast in this lifetime. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet. 5:10-11)

The Kings Christian School