It's a Zip-a-dee-doo-dah day!

   "  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, my oh my what a wonderful day, plenty of sunshine goin' my way........Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!!" The Pastor here in AR used this little song last week in his sermon.  It got me to thinking how much I always liked it and how happy I felt when I sang it.
      When you think about singing this little diddy you understand you can't sing it without it bringing you happiness. You don't sing about a Zip-a-dee-doo dah  day when you are feeling melancholy or sad.  It is a perk up and have a wonderful day song! Well, that's where we are at here in AR.  Each day is a more wonderful day! Each day Kristi is feeling better and perking up.   This past week Kristi has been able to get back into some real life.  We went "out" and practiced driving and I got to be the grown up going along, (Dr. recommended) just like the drivers ed teacher, but I didn't have my own brakes.  I only needed them once! Later, I took her on a drive to Jeff and Amy's house to see them and the work done on their new addition. On this drive Kristi was the grown up riding "shotgun" and wishing she had her own brakes when the people we were following suddenly decided to slow down and turn.  We had a good laugh because I paid her back!    Kristi hadn't been able to go to Amy and Jeff's house, which is only 40 mins away, since January.  Kristi got to see the basement part of their "addition", which had proved to be beneficial last week as everyone had to take cover from the same storm that hit OK.  George said that he didn't know trees could bend over that far and pop back up and be ok.   It went from still, quiet weather to swirling hard winds here in seconds. At Kristi's house we took to the inside rooms, hoping the storm passed by.  It did pass over our homes, though there was damage in the area. Josh was traveling to a safer place with us during the worst of the storm in his little Toyota truck and was blowing around  and quite alarmed by the time he arrived. He said it was getting "sketchy!" It was more than sketchy as a  19 yr old man was killed while driving to deliver medications for a drugstore when a sign came flying into his car.  Our family felt very sad for him and all those who are suffering so much from these tornados.  One night in a tornado shelter underground when the news is saying, "take cover" is worth all the cost and 70 hours of digging (not by hand) and hammering out that red rock.  George dug it out and Joshua helped some and then made a nice red graveled road for the kids in the enchanted forest next to the house.  Well, talking about Storms;
  We are hopeful the storm in Kristi's life  has passed by. It's been scary, very tough and long. "A long hard road," the Dr said, on Nov 15th, 2010! " We were hoping he was wrong but we need to tell him how correct he was! There is an old song that tells the story, " When the storm passes over and the thunder starts to roll...when the clouds roll forever from the sky... Keep me safe let me stand in the hollow of His hand.  Keep me safe till the storm passes by." Thanks be to our Heavenly Father for keeping her safe and bringing her though these past 2 1/2 years.  And  a huge  thank you to all you people who had a part in helping the Wright family get through this.  People have had wonderful ideas and been incredibly generous to all of us and we have learned so much from all of you and from this experience about how to help others in these situations. You have been a shining example of "Jesus with skin on" (from a Guy Dowd video).
     There is a little plaque in my room here in AR at the Wright's house.  I actually bought it for Kristi after her June 5th miracle last year.  It says Rejoice Always, Pray without Ceasing, In everything give thanks!  Easy to do when you have received a real life miracle down here on earth... but every adversity doesn't come with a miracle.  I read it every day and wonder how to apply giving thanks to everything.  The thing that comes to mind is that I can always give thanks that God makes a way for each of us to bear the hardships that come to us in this life. As a young wife I found a verse in the bible that promised me that with every hard thing that comes my way, God will be with me and I will be able to bear it and survive it.  That has given me great peace throughout my life and I see it playing out in Kristi's life each day. He is faithful.  I have seen this promise play out in friends and families' lives as they experienced adversity.  It is a promise God has shown us He will always keep! As people who have the holy spirit living within them we should always be ready to pray and trusting God in all our situations.  Praying without Ceasing just becomes a way of life. And then there is the Rejoice Always portion.  We all have things to rejoice about and be grateful for even in the midst of our troubles.  We are rejoicing that Kristi is done waiting to live life, but is able to actually go out into the world and live her life.  She has had some social events she could attend this week.  Last night she COOKED!  She passed her driving test with Mom and took over the driving.  She took her kids to the pool yesterday.  She can power walk in the driveway with Chris, the Physical Therapist. There are some consequences that come with this activity like sore shins and sudden fatigue, but we are rejoicing because she is recovering and being part of life again.

School is out for the summer and Kristi is going to be caring for the kids.  Pray for her endurance an strength to meet their needs as well as keeping up at home. Its important she doesn't over do it!  The medicine she is on doesn't allow her to be in the sun without burning, so she'll have to be very careful while taking the kids on outings. Also, there are hurdles still to cross with housework and going to Walmart, as Kristi continues to have a very strict weight limit for lifting.  For example, she cannot carry a laundry basket of clothes yet.  However, the kids have agreed to be very helpful as they are excited about this big corner their mom has turned as well!  Funny thing happened, Breck (Amy's son) texted with Isaiah, He said, "What's new?"  Isaiah said, "MY MOM!"   written by Kristi's MOM!

Mother's Day 2013 - A New Perspective

"Changing your perspective...... Changes your experience" - unknown

Have you ever gone to the Eye Dr. and tried on glasses only to realize you had not been seeing clearly and had not even realized it until that very moment?  I have!!  It was such a surprise to realize my perspective and experience of life had not been as clear as it could have been, or as it needed to have been.  This is the gift God has continued to give our family since 2010.

We first experienced this with Kristi's cancer diagnosis, then my son Taylor came close to death with a septic hip and staph infection,  followed by learning Kristi's treatment for a cure would be permanently life altering, and this past week my brother in law Jeff survived the "widow maker" and following surgery found out the scary and disappointing news that he has quite serious heart disease.  (This is Amy's husband)  We have also changed our perspective as we have watched or walked through suffering with many of you.

We are celebrating life......the ability to fully live the life God has given us!

We are celebrating relationships......the ability to share life with those God has given us!

We are celebrating worship.......the ability to love and serve and worship our Savior! 

More than anything, we are asking God to give us HIS perspective about all of life.....our time, our relationships, our work, our spiritual, physical, financial, mental and emotional resources, etc...... so that our experience of life and relationships and worship will be what He wants for us and for HIS glory.

Today we are all celebrating that Kristi is home with her children and that God has provided a way for her to continue to be a Mom to Isaiah and Alyssa.   Kristi had set a goal to be able to go to Isaiah's choir concert last week and she made it.  Today she set a goal to attend church for Mother's Day and she was able to attend.  It took a lot out of her and felt like a long time to sit, but she lived life today with her children, her Mom and her family.  This made her happy!!  When I was there two weeks ago, it was heartwarming for me to see the kids be able to ask Kristi permission to do things, or show Kristi their homework, etc  instead of me.  One night, while I was caretaking at the Wright house, Kristi was having a good night and was laughing and interacting with her children,  and it felt so good to the kids that Isaiah didn't even want to break away to take his shower.

On this Mother's Day, our Mom is now in Arkansas mothering and grand mothering the Wright Family.  Our parents flew into Arkansas late Monday night and were greatly needed!!  Due to Jeff's sudden heart tests and hospital stay and Katy having both boys sick,  they were both needed.  Dad stayed at Amy's house with Breck and Kacey and Mom has been at Kristi's house.  Josh and the Soderquist family joined Amy at the hospital.  We have said this before, but we are so grateful for a BIG family!  We are even more grateful to know the Lord and His strength and hope and grace for times such as these!

Mom.....the caretaker for the Wright Family this week.
Thank you Lord for allowing Kristi to celebrate Mother's Day 2013! 

Dad...the caretaker for the Soderquist Family this week!
Thank you Lord for letting Jeff be here to celebrate Mother's Day!

PRAYER REQUESTS:
Kristi is going off of 2 of her 3 antibiotics today.  She has been anxiously awaiting this on two accounts.  She is hoping it will help with the evening nausea (this past week she has thrown up several evenings).  But she is also fighting anxiety about returning infection without the medication.  She was so sick and miserable her 24 days in the hospital and it has taken 6 weeks to gain new strength back.  Please pray that God will take her thoughts captive and that her fear of another setback due to infection will not control her mind.

Kristi is battling dehydration and possible anemia.  Pray that she can be rehydrated and rebuild her iron without needing  IV treatment.

Please pray that Kristi can find the right ostomy bags for her body.  It has been a frustrating process recently.  They tell you this will be part of the process so it isn't unexpected, but there is so much to making this adjustment mentally and emotionally and physically.  Overall, God's grace has covered Kristi with this life altering adjustment above and beyond what we would have expected.  She has some hard days and grieves different losses or gets frustrated with the process,  but over all......She looks at life through the perspective of just that........the opportunity to have life.

I don't know what your circumstances are as you read this, but I pray that you are allowing God to use your circumstances to change your perspective.....allowing Him to give you Spiritual Eyes in order to see clearly through new lenses that change how you see life, God, yourself and others.  We continue to learn this truth.......Our perspective does change how we experience life and relationships and sometimes we are more blind than we think!  Let's not allow being too busy, fear, unforgiveness or pride to blind us from what God wants us to give or receive....for we know not what tomorrow brings! (James 4:13-16).

Blessings,
Danina for us all

We plan to continue to give you an update every 7-10 days.  Thank you for the many that continue to pray and follow Kristi's story.......God's story!

3 Month Anniversary.....Post Pelvic Exenteration

Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, 

but to turn it into glory.”  --Phillip Yancey

You have now walked with us for 3 months following Kristi's surgery.  

Thank you!  

Kristi says, "Three months down......nine more to go!!" 

I flew in on Sunday to give my siblings a break from caretaking  for the week.  I knew Kristi would visibly show improvement, but she shocked me when she got up off the couch by herself and just took off walking to the kitchen without her walker.  I was so excited to see her walk and not shuffle and be hunched over!! 

Danina, Joshua, and Kristi
Kristi has enjoyed the sunshine.  She sits in a protected area
on her front porch and can watch the kids play and enjoy her ice
tea.  I've been cooking with lots of the ingredients provided for
the Wrights, and Kristi has been eating really well this week! 
We take walks across their grass so her body can get used to uneven 
ground, and today she set a goal to walk to her 2nd neighbors mailbox
and made it! 

Kristi had a major new workout this week with her Physical Therapist.  Her kids were so excited when she told them that she had "played basketball" that day.  Chris had her put a basketball on the floor while sitting down and then stand up and hold it over her head.  Then they walked outside and shot a few baskets to use new muscles.  She has appreciated Chris' creativity in helping her with objects around the house..... and this was one that brought the children into it and made them happy!
She did fall asleep early last night and slept all night and late this morning to recover!! : ) 

Monday was an emotional day for Kristi full of ups and downs.  She went from getting the news that a woman she met through her cancer posse at church had lost her battle with breast cancer, to receiving news that a long time friend of our family wanted to help them monthly with the exact amount of their house payment.  She had no knowledge of the amount of their house payment either!! God is so awesome in how He goes before us.  This removes some of the stress if their house does not sell immediately.  Please join us in praying for the family of Martina Peacock and in praising God yet again for HIS provision through His people.  We are also feeling the weight of our other friends struggling with cancer and difficult news.  We would love to ask you to also pray for encouragement and strength for Toni Simmons from our home town of Meeker, CO and our new little friend Julia Cobb we met at MDA.  They are both on facebook under Toni's Story and Jucan and both started with Ewing's Sarcoma.

Martina's faith amidst cancer impacted Kristi.  When Martina first attended a Hope in Him Cancer Encouragement Group, she shared a beautiful prayer that she and her husband prayed every day.  It was full of promises from God's word and Kristi held onto part of those words as she journeyed forward.  Another woman in the group reminded Kristi that one of Martina's scriptures was from 2 Cor. 4......

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. ¹¹ For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life in you.

 Martina and many others in this cancer group desire more than anything for God to be glorified and Jesus to be known....whether in life or in death. 

 May we all live with this perspective with whatever suffering God allows in our own stories.  

------- Danina

“Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” 

― Philip Yancey, Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud

Continued Progress

Kristi has has been home for 25 days now! The longest stint at home thus far since her surgery. I am very sorry for the lack of updates over the past couple weeks.  Those of us here working as her caretakers are busy when we're at her home making sure she's taken care of and keeping up with their laundry and dishes etc and then once we arrive back at our own homes we need to keep up with life there as well - leaves very little time to sit at the computer, however, we do value your continued prayers and want to keep you in the loop so you know how to pray specifically as well as join us in Thanking Jesus for His provisions and for her progress.

Rejoice always, pray continually,

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

I Thess. 5:16-18

We are super encouraged by Kristi's continued progress in the right direction.  She is counting down the days till two of her antibiotics will be over!  She has a little over two weeks left with them and then maybe the  nausea and restlessness caused by those meds and the anti nausea medications will go away.  The typical routine for the past ten days is that she wakes up feeling pretty good and has gained energy and is doing more things with her mornings. She is able to get up and sneak out of her room to allow Billy to keep sleeping from his late nights at work and make her way to the couch all on her own, and in the last couple days she's braved getting her own drink and carrying it to the couch. Even made herself a pitcher of iced tea!  She's still pretty shaky and weak so does not trust herself at the stove or even with a knife to cut up fruit! Those days will come though - I can see them on the horizon! This week she even left the house and went over to Katy's for a few hours while the house cleaners were there to perk up her home. She thought it was nice to have a change of scenery. THANK YOU to all of you who have given to have her house cleaned - this is a HUGE blessing.

Here's the week review in pictures!

Sunday night Billy was called in to work at Midnight which allowed him to stay home a little longer than normal on Monday and enjoy some time with Kristi

Charlotte has stayed the last two weeks and helped with the kids in the evenings and getting them up and off to school in the morning!

We could not have done it these past 3 weeks without Charlotte and Billy's mom Leona.  They've done a great job of staying on top of the kids needs so we can focus on caring for Kristi's.  You both have been a Blessing!

Lots of Physical Therapy these past two weeks and Kristi is getting stronger! We are grateful for Chris and his enthusiasm, listening ear, and desire to find treatments that will get Kristi back to living life again.  She has accomplished her first set of goals and has recently set a new goal of being able to walk into Isaiahs choir concert un-aided, without her walker or wheelchair, so we are doing lots of walking! plus she's met the goal of standing for five minutes, being able to sit at her dinner table with the kids and in the den to watch a movie with her kids. She told me yesterday that Chris is showing her she can do even more than she thinks she can.  Her legs are still very weak and it's hard to do any sort of steps.

Accomplishing her goal to walk to her mailbox and back

Doing Physical Therapy at Katy's house - she had a fan club there!

Another goal is to work on her gait - she still shuffles along instead of walking at a normal gait. She says she walks like our Grandpa Claude!

Yesterday we walked beyond her driveway to the neighbors driveway and back, she's making new strides every day!  Also yesterday she sat outside and colored - she was gifted coloring books and colored pencils for after her surgery and she's finally getting to the place she can focus long enough to color a picture. 

 

Although she is finding some renewed energy and a  little more independance each day she begins to feel worn out come early evening.  She finds herself counting down the hours till she can take her 9pm meds and go to sleep. She still battles the restlessness during the evening hours but not nearly as bad.  Her PT has given her some stretches that has helped with that a lot yet it seems to be a side effect of one of her anti-nausea medications. We did attempt AGAIN trying to go off of that one and she threw up. So it's just a must for this season of her recovery.

 

We continue to be touched by the out-pouring of love she receives by so many of you.  This week she was able to pay off her medical bills to Highland Oncology and an old bill to the OU Cancer Center and still had some to send towards her bill at MD Anderson. THANK YOU to so many who have given financially to them. There is a huge need and you are helping meet it.  THANK YOU to all of you who have provided frozen meals, pantry supplies, paper products, gift cards..... They have all come in handy and have met a need and allowed Charlotte and Leona to not have to worry about what to feed  the kids in the evenings or for any of us to have to squeeze in a run to the store for the basics. You don't understand what a huge help that is!  THANK YOU to those of you who came this last week to pull weeds, mow their grass and perk up their outdoors! This spoke volumes to Kristi and Billy. THANK YOU to those who continue to help cart the kids  too and fro from school and their many activities.  It has allowed them to continue doing things that are a part of their "normal"  in the midst of a time that feels so abnormal.

 

Our hearts are full and we are grateful that Kristi continues to recover versus having set backs and for all of you who have helped us keep life moving in a positive direction. 

 

Danina will fly in this next week to join the care team for the upcoming week. Please add her travels Sunday evening to your prayers. 

 

With a humbled and grateful heart, Amy for us all





Thoughts from Katy

For those of you that haven't read Katy's update on Facebook, here it is.......

Last night I was driving home from caring for Kristi and her kids and I felt teary. It was a mixture of sad and happy tears. I was happy because she has these tiny little improvements that are so exciting. Such reason for praise! Last night she did NOT throw up!!!! PTL! I'm grateful to see her occasionally walk off without her walker even for just a few steps or see her brush her teeth at the sink. It's still a praise to see her sit up on her own or stand up on her own. She rolls to the side and then pushes herself up with her arm and walla she's sitting up! (the things we take for granted!) We can sit around stuffing our face with food we don't even need to be eating, we may not even be hungry and we don't have to think about every little thing we eat. We don't realize this is someone else's lifeline to getting better. She has to be extremely conscious to what she eats, when she eats, and how much she eats a day. Eating is so hard for her. She has to force herself to do it most of the time but she does it and doesn't complain. She doesn't complain about much at all actually. You only know when she's feeling bad usually by her appearance or the shakiness in her body. Or the fact that caring for her so much you've learned her cues for "I don't feel good"! This is the part I can't even get through without tears rushing into my eyes. I never thought I would be taking care of my big sister. I've always called her, asked her, leaned on her, cried to her but now I find myself being the 'big' sister. I think that's why her sitting up or brushing her teeth is so impactful. It wasn't too many days ago it still took us two to three people to help her sit up and swing her legs around because she couldn't even lift them herself. Or bringing her water and a toothbrush to bed because she was too weary to make it to the sink. Just the act of brushing her teeth was all the energy she had. Some things are heart breaking but this journey has been heart wrenching. The things she has been through in the past 2 1/2 years are unthinkable. I never imagined some of them even possible. But she's done them...she's walked this walk and held her Heavenly Father's hand the whole time. Even when she wondered where He was at times she/we knew He was there. That is a promise God gives us that we can only hope through this journey everyone can come to know. In Him we have HOPE and that has sustained us through many days.

This has been such a humbling experience for everyone involved but especially for our sweet Kristina. How sweet she is and what a blessing to so many. So many times people ask how does she manage with this or that or get through certain things...I have one answer GOD! He gives us such grace and mercy. I have definitely learned especially through all of this infection and feeling discouraged through this Cancer Journey what it's like to trust and have faith in Him. I can say there are days that I have felt my whole being grasping at that "mustard seed" of Faith. He says that's all we need and it's the truth!

I started this post just to tell that Kristi didn't throw up last night and look where it went!!!! I was so happy that she didn't get sick because it's so hard on her. She did go back to taking a whole anti nausea pill that makes her restlessness and jitters worse. So it's a trade off. Either take half that pill and have less restlessness (which can be severe) and feel nauseated or the whole pill and less nausea and more jitters. ugh. BUT you can find a praise in almost anything nowadays! thank you for praying and please continue to do so! It's helping!

Think about the things you take for granted today and look for reasons to be thankful. My son (3 1/2 years) told me his Apple was "beautiful" today and I thought when was the last time I found beauty in something like that! He looked it all over before eating it as if it were the most amazing thing he's ever seen! He also told me a few days ago while riding his bike he softly said "This is wonderful Mom. This is a Wonderful life"!!!!!! Whaaaaat!?!?! What a smart little fella. It makes you stop and think....slow down, be grateful, look for the little things...and enjoy life! It's "wonderful!!!" We are surrounded with little gifts and beauty every day. Let's try to look at it through a child's eyes!

 ~Katy

April 14th - a week at home

Kristi has completed her first week at home after spending 24 days in the hospital.  We've noticed a number of differences since she was ushered away to a local hospital a little over a month ago

• she's able to get in and out of her bed all by herself and has gone to the kitchen to get her own drink just needs someone to carry it back to her room for her.
• she no longer uses the wheel chair around the house
• she's able to make 3 laps around the inner circle of her home where before she barely walked to her kitchen and back - she's even caught herself taking off walking without her walker a few times - although her PT told her to keep it close!
• she no longer has a need for a home health nurse and is more independant in taking care of her personal needs
• she's more alert, sleeps less and even reads once in awhile
• she is off her pain medication
• she's has no food restrictions on her diet - she still rarely feels like eating due to the continued nausea
• she had a couple days this week she didn't even take a nap

She has certainly enjoyed being back in her own home.  Another praise this week has been her PT.  He was very dedicated to hearing her story and understanding what her needs/goals are.  Some things she's going to be working toward is the ability to sit at the kitchen table while her family eats and being able to stand up for five minutes (at MD Anderson they had her stand for 2 minutes and that felt very hard)   This would allow her to stand at her sink to do her hair and bursh her teeth etc. Kristi's muscles have atrophied greatly in size and length and due to shrinking in length this makes it hard for her to sit very long or be able to lay flat in her bed.  These are goals she will begin to train her body to do again as well.  However if she does not keep enough nutrients in her body all the physical therapy in the world will not help her because her body will not have what it needs to recover.  Nausea continues to be a battle due to the high powered antibiotics that she is on.  She has also battled significant restlessness all week due to the side effects of one of the anti-nausea meds. Her home health nurse referred to her as a jitter bug! We are hopeful that tomorrow we will hear back from MDA about another anti-nausea medication, by alleviating the one to help with the restlessness it is not enough to keep the nausea at bay and her from getting sick by the days end. The hardest part of her day is between 6-9pm - the restlessness and nausea rare their ugly heads the worst during this time frame and she ends up throwing up. At times the nausea scares her as this was the indicator before that the infection was back - the difference we see this time around is that overall she feels good where as before her whole body felt bad.

Prayer requests as we enter week two at home:

• A new anti-nausea medication that works without making her super sleepy or restless
• the ability to get all the nutrients she needs to help her body heal
• peace of mind - that she would take captive any thought that leads to fear/worry
• pray against the return of any infection
• pray against discouragment at how long the recovery feels already for her whole family
• Alyssa caught a nasty stomach bug this weekend - pray it does not spread throughout the rest of the family - pray for Kristi's mommy heart that grieves when she can't take care of her kids
• keep Billy in your prayers as he leads his family and feels stretched in many directions
• pray for the caretakers as we manage our own homes and assist Kristi in her recovery and caring for her home

We would also like you to pray for our new little 8 year old friend we made at MDA - we mentioned her in a previous blog but Julia (who is loving called JuCan) was told a little over a week ago she was cancer free only to discover that her cancer may have returned in her knee.  Tomorrow she will undergo a biopsy that will reveal whether it is an infection in the bone or if ewings sarcoma has rared its ugly head in her little body again.  The battle against cancer is wearisome - Julia's grandmother has also been re-admitted this last week to MDA due to her own cancer.  You can read her story at www.JuCan.cc  We know we are not alone as we walk this cancer journey - God has called many of you to walk it too.  We are praying for each of you and for a cure for cancer.  Another young mom from our home town, Toni, fights for life and the chance to be mom to her children. She currently is seeking a second opinion and asking others to pray for a miracle.  Please join us in praying for these two families. 

Grateful we can join together as one and cover each other in prayer. Tonight I will close with a Psalm where David waits on God and encourages others to put their trust in Him rather than in their own human strength.  

Find Rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from Him. 

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

He is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in Him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to Him,

for God is our Refuge!

Ps. 62:5-8

Tonight whether you're like Kristi and waiting on the healing process or JuCan who waits for another diagnosis or Toni who waits on a miracle may you find strength for today and hope for tomorrow through Jesus alone.    ~Amy

April 8th - Home Again

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Yesterday was a full day for Kristi that brought along with it some anxiety about whether or not she could do all that it entailed to get Home. Although she has taken strides in her recovery sitting for hours on end is very difficult.  As the morning started Kristi began with her own chant "We're going home today" in hopes to instill courage for the journey ahead.  Danina and I prayed!  So many details in taking a "sick person" home on a commercial plane.  We all noted that we are gaining compassion for those who live life disabled in some form or fashion. 

Lets see if I can give you a birds eye view...
Upon arriving to the airport you would see Danina and Amy scurrying to unload all the bags plus locate the wheelchair for Kristi and cars are zooming in all around us to drop off their loved ones.  I (Amy) note that the tail of the car is hanging out into the other lane and due to it being a rental car certainly do not need to be rearended so in the scurrying I jump in the car to pull it forward only to send the suitcase that Billy loves but won't stand up tumbling to the ground and Kristi saying "Amy I don't think the back door is closed" and it wasn't!  We then decide our best plan is to do curb side check in so we get in line and Danina realizes we have left both her and kristi's computers sitting in the wheel chair - not a safe idea so I jump out of line to put the computers in the car with Kristi and the man behind Danina graciously helps her move our luggage forward - only upon returning do I realize I need Kristi's drivers license and need to escape the line again!  Finally we are checked in and given our ticket to meet an assistant with Kristi's Wheelchair. The whole time we are getting the evil eye from the security guard/parking attendant at the drop off area for leaving our car sitting there for so long but fortunatley (for us not them) some ones car broke down and a wrecker had to come in and that distracted the man from getting on to us!  Danina and Kristi move on with the assistant, Danina bogged down in all the carryons that we needed to travel with (duffle bag with medicine, food and other essentials, pillows and a seat cushion for comfort, back pack with Kristi's computer and Danina's computer bag, purse and the walker) and I head off to return the rental car.

Going through security itself was a new experience.  We thought maybe when you travel by wheelchair you get to take the fast track but not so... Kristi still had to stand and walk through the security check point and be patted down plus they wipe down the wheelchair and the walker for any traces of explosives.  We all passed security and I prayed that God would cover their eyes from the pair of scissors we needed to bring along with us and He did! They were probably so shocked by the umpteen bottles of medicine in my bag that the scissors just slipped their minds.

Finally we are at our gate - Whew! leg one of this journey is complete! We have found lately that we remind Kristi to only think of the next thing because the big picture of recovery feels overwhelming!At the gate I was surprised to see a friendly face boarding our same flight!  God is so good in all the tiny details - He has proven over and over to us that He goes before us. A local Doctor was flying home with his parents after his dad had to be at MD Anderson. He offered to assist me with our carry on bags and that was a gift. We were shocked at all the wheelchair assisted passengers on our plane and how assertive they can be to be first in line!  We learn knew things about people every day on this adventure! Before boarding we had to say our goodbyes to Danina as she was flying out 30 minutes after us to head for her home.  We hugged and shared our tears - theres always so much in those goodbyes - we'd been through a lot in the last few days together and we hold that in our hearts and we HOPE for improvement and healing in Kristi by the next time we are all together again.  We count our blessings that we can walk this road together and to share in the hard moments and the victories.

We board the plane with that assistance of Dr. Stinnet getting our bags put in the overhead compatments and begin to attempt to get Kristi settled and as comfortable as possible with numerous pillows and her seat cushion.  The flight went smoothly and since we were in the front row we were highly entertained by the stewardess as she went about doing her job. We were anxious to get off the plane as it was very hard for Kristi to get comfortable but she was a trooper as always. Once again from your birds eye view you would see Kristi shuffling to our assistant with her wheelchair and I smile and nod in thanks to Dr. Stinnet for grabbing the extra bag as he tells me he'll meet us at baggage claim and off we go, grateful that the second leg of this journey is over.  When we arrive at baggage claim it dawns on us we didn't wait for them to unload and bring us her walker up on the tarmac and now we're in a delimna because we cannot go back through to that side of the airport without re-entering via security.   But,  to our rescue again comes the Doctor.   As he waited on his dads walker, he realized we'd forgotten ours and he came bringing both around the corner at that time! Again, we smile and give our thanks for his helpful hands! Kristi stays with her wheelchair assistant to point out our bags as I head off to FINE parking to get my car and come around to get her and our luggage. This part went much smoother than anticipated except for that suitcase Billy loves...... now the pully handle won't come out so I drag it along with the other suitcase, duffle bag and back pack while the assistant is carrying the walker and Kristi wheels herself through the rotating doors to the car!  I'm buying Billy a new suitcase :) 

We cozied Kristi into my car where she could recline all the way back and stuffed pillows and blankets all around her.  She took her next dose of anti-nausea and we were off for home! She did so well and slept the majority of the ride.  As we drove into her house her kids were outside playing and came running for Mommy Hugs! Nothing is sweeter than that!  Leg three complete - Welcome Home Kristina!