Thank you for once again checking in on AJ’s progress and needs through his Caringbridge webpage.  The love and concern you have shown through word and action has produced strength, energy, peace, encouragement; and most of all, invisible and tangible results in AJ’s life through prayer. 

I have had several people, who have read Caringbridge, ask how the accident happened.  I did post details on an entry, but not everyone read that particular day so here it is again.  Our family was attending a New Year’s Eve party at another family’s house with several other families from our church and home school group.  AJ and another boy were showing each other their wrestling moves when the accident occurred.  I don’t know that either boy even knew how to wrestle or had ever seen wrestling, but that is how AJ explained it.  The other boy was teaching AJ how to land on all four (two arms and two legs); however, when he pushed AJ, AJ fell backward and to the side landing on his right temple.  The temple is the thinnest part of the skull and it fractured when he hit the carpeted concrete floor.  The skull fracture punctured the artery directly beneath it and caused a severe bleed inside the skull.  Since there is very little room inside the skull for the blood, the blood pushed on the right side of the brain and pushed the brain against the left side of the skull.  The pressure was squeezing the brain and the brain was beginning to herniate out of the base of the skull.  For these reasons AJ has brain injury in several areas of the brain.   

To me, AJ’s New Year’s Eve accident seems like it couldn’t possibly have happened yet if feels so fresh and overwhelming.  The shocking statements my ears heard coming out of doctor’s mouths that night seemed like an out of body experience.  Were they really saying his skull had fractured and caused an artery to bleed inside his skull?  Massive Epidural Hematoma…helicopter is on the way…intubation…Children’s Hospital…neurosurgeon has been called in to operate…the blood has to be stopped and removed… he needs to be trauma packed…one of the best pediatric surgeons in the country will be taking care of your son…Severe Traumatic Brain Injury… time is of the essence…every second counts…highest level of head trauma.

Insert prayer: To the Creator of the universe, the lover of our souls who knows our past, present and future and know the plans He has for AJ.  I can’t thank Him enough for allowing us to keep AJ that night, and today. 

I have seen too many parents bury their precious baby or child so I know a child’s premature death can happen to anyone.  There were times I felt unkind sharing AJ’s story, not knowing how it would make such a parent feel.  I didn’t want them to feel I was sniding them because my child lived and theirs did not or that I knew the magic formula for prayer so my prayers worked and theirs did not.  This just happens to be part of AJ’s life, his testimony…God’s plan A for AJ’s life.  It is not an obstruction in the road that God didn’t expect and has to build a detour around for navigation.  On the other hand, I firmly believe had prayer not gone up for AJ the answers would not have come down.  God has good and wonderful gifts stored up for us in heaven that He wants us to pray for, ask for, so we can have them here on earth.  AJ’s healing was one of those gifts.

AJ’s brief hospital stay was miraculous.  The obstacles that were known to present themselves in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients the first few days never did.  The step-by-step healing that was to take place over the next weeks and months were taking place; instead, hour by hour. 

Months later we found out that the severe traumatic brain injury was worse than originally diagnosed and operated on; and in fact, the blood had entered into the brain (subdural) in the right frontal lobe and the left frontal lobe.  We were originally told the blood did not enter the brain.  This would have made a much worse short term and long term diagnosis.  The miracle was even greater than we first thought!

Here are the most recent developments:

 -AJ was officially released from his neurosurgeon last week and will not have to go back for a one year check-up.  

 -The progress most important to AJ is receiving permission from his brain based therapy doctor (Chiropractic/Functional Neurologist) to begin riding his bicycle again.  He was fitted for a new bike helmet at Children’s Hospital recently and has been riding his bike almost every free moment he can find.  (He didn’t seem to notice his right leg dragging a bit from riding his bike for so long.  The leg dragging should go away as the brain continues to heal.)

 -The most recent MRI showed the blood completely gone in one frontal lobe and almost gone in the other.  (I really should have taken notes to help my memory in this area.)  There was noticeable healing taking place in the injured areas of the brain. 

 -Presently I take AJ six to eight times a week for therapy and doctor appointments.  (Applause for the fact AJ is with us and able to attend, and because we live in a city where we have these services available!)

 -AJ is excelling through the brain based therapy.  How I wish I had before-and-after video of AJ to show the doctors at Children’s Hospital and WashingtonUniversity.  There was a tremendous improvement after just three weeks of this therapy.   There is a monumental difference to me as I teach him in school. He is far from his normal one hundred percent, but he is quickly traveling in the right direction.

-I included new pictures of AJ on page three of the “photos” tab.  These are recent pictures of AJ receiving brain based therapies.

 -AJ received a care package from his favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, Chuy’s, in Texas. Actually Chuy’s are all over Texas and in many other states also. (Nannie and Happy (grandparents) told them about AJ’s accident and that he CRAVES their food and can’t get enough of it.  They loaded him up with several Chuy’s mementos in a care package.)

-The remaining Washington University Research MRI and cognitive testing will take place around the one year mark from the date of the original injury.

 -All of his hair grew back.  He had had three bald spots on the back of his head that were questionable.

-He still doesn’t know the full extent of his injury and surgery and has not seen all of the pictures of his hospitalization.  We answer questions as he asks them and will most likely wait until he is much older to show him all of the pictures.

 -Several weeks ago, I was reading on Google Scholar regarding massage therapy for TBI patients who have anxiety and/or sleep disorders.  Many patients have said they found it very helpful to receive massages so I began giving massages to AJ at bedtime every night.  Which means I’m also giving short massages to Colson so he isn’t once again left out…**smile**.  AJ finds this relaxing and he is sleeping much better most nights, 6 out of seven.  It has also made a HUGE difference for his emotional issues.  I do mild pressure on the muscles because he doesn’t like deep pressure.  I do some joint compressions and finish with gentle massaging. 

The psychologist and functional neurologist both noticed a positive change emotionally so I shared with them about the massages.  The psychologist said massage is great for his limbic system and for child/parent bonding therapy.  She said AJ’s limbic system was damaged from the inter-cranial pressure being unstable; as well as, the right frontal lobe injury.  The functional neurologist said I am reprogramming AJ’s brain, and speeding the healing of his dampening system.  AJ seems to have lost his filter/dampening capabilities and it is most noticeable in his emotional responses.  This doctor explained how massaging promotes healing in the”3,2,1” region of the brain.  This is where some sensory integration takes place for muscles, joints, and skin.  Muscles, joints and skin are what I am massaging every night! I hope I remembered the doctor’s conversations in a half-way intelligent manner. This is a topic I wish someone had known to tell me about months ago, but unfortunately the hospital didn’t have much information to give us regarding the healing process, things to look for and therapy or supplement alternatives.

God is so good to direct my thoughts and research; and most of all, to fill the gaps where doctors haven’t been able to give me direction.  It is so good to find out though that there is science to explain the how and what of different therapies and why it is working so doctors will hopefully help other TBI patients in the future.  I am certain God wants the pain and trials of AJ’s accident to be used for a good purpose in other children’s lives.

Taking AJ to therapy appointments 5 days a week, plus doctor appointments does make life busier than usual.  The brain-based therapy is beyond my greatest expectations.  Again, I wish all of AJ’s doctors could see a “before and after” video of him completing a day of school.  His attention is greatly improved even though secondary attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (SADHD)-or ADHD seems to have developed after his traumatic brain injury (TBI).  It’s improving weekly thanks to the help he is receiving from Dr. “W” and his staff for brain based therapy.  I can actually teach AJ and he can actually sit still, listen and not get tired, and not yawn to the point of having to hold his head up with both hands to keep from putting his head down on the table.  AJ has reevaluations every few weeks to show what progress is being made.  He shows improvements in: vital signs, motor planning, sustained attention, comprehension, fine motor dexterity and accuracy, as well as emotional processing and balance.  If I understand correctly some of the areas in the brain the therapy is helping are the: cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus and the basal ganglia, among others.  AJ is improving and feeling much better!

As I sit here reading over multiple doctor and MRI reports I realize there is too much to share with you.  So many details and abundant medical terminology that I will refrain from adding to this text.

My main hope for sharing AJ’s story over the last several months is this:  That many witnessed God’s power and believed.

God is our help and our salvation and He doesn’t waste our pain, but He uses our pain and difficulties to position us so that others can see His transforming power at work in our lives and believe in the living God and His son, Jesus Christ.  He allows our pain to be used for purpose.

My hope and prayer for AJ is that he will not look back at the past except to allow His great God to use it for good.   Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” A quote I came upon recently seems appropriate along side this verse.  “God isn’t at work producing the circumstances you want.  God is at work in bad circumstances producing the you he wants.”  ~John Ortberg in The Me I Want to Be. 

I’ve read more articles and statistics on TBI’s than I knew existed and I understand the predicted deficits and changes that have the potential to develop.  They will still be God’s plan “A” for AJ.

My heart's desire for AJ is for him to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength (his passion, prayer and intelligence) and to love others abundantly (as well as he loves himself).  Matthew 22: 37-39.  This is what I desire for Riley and Colson as well and nothing would make my heart happier than knowing my children are wildly in love with their God and shining for Him in service to others, and having the time of their life doing so! 

This is my last entry for AJ’s Caringbridge page.  I continue to thank God for AJ.  I am thankful for the best neurosurgeon we could have asked for and for a talented team of PICU doctors and nurses who took the best possible care of AJ.  I’m thankful for the support we have received from the Wash. U. research doctor and team.  I’m thankful for Dr. “W” and that God blessed him with an amazing mind and passion to understand children’s brains.  There is not another doctor in the Midwest who could do for AJ what this doctor and his staff are doing on AJ’s behalf.  They are helping AJ to achieve the fullest life possible.  I am thankful to you, our family and friends, for the warm encouragement, love, kind acts of service and prayer support.  We are blessed!

*If you want to keep up with us any further you may request to be a friend on Facebook under Carolyn Deevers.

Love,

Carolyn