Hayleigh: She Speaks!

A 10 second message from Hayleigh......



""Hi I'm Hayleigh and because you prayed I'm here.  Thank you for your prayers.  Bye!"

Hayleigh came off the ventilator on Monday.

Monday night she asked me to get in bed with her and sleep there.  So sweet....but I didn't want to rip out any of her medicine lines so I held her hand and slept in a chair by her bed.

On Tuesday October 22 we had our entire family together for the first time since Monday night September 30.  Actually, this is the first picture of all of us together since Isaiah was still in Rachel's womb on September 30!

Does Rachel look great or what?  I am the luckiest man in the world for sure....

Before the family arrived, the medical team put Hayleigh on this mask called a CPAP because it  opens the lungs better.  She wore the mask throughout Tuesday.  On Wednesday and Thursday she wore canulas through the day and CPAP at night.

When she saw Isaiah she reached for him....and then they both fell asleep (she was still on quite a bit of meds during our visit so she was sleepy off and on over the 4 hours everyone was there)

Her friends at school made a beautiful book that we read to her (along with many cards).

The book is a series of pictures with her classmates spelling out in sign language, "We Love You Hayleigh"  Such a good group of kids....

AJ loving on his sister...

After the kids left she sent her first email (me typing, her whispering her message) to her friends in her class.  That night she asked about how far along they had progressed in math and Spanish and wondered what was her topic for the 5 page report that is due soon.

The doctors were very impressed she remembered these kinds of things.  I kept quiet realizing the miracle of my daughter actually talking about homework (that is my lame attempt at a joke).  The response back from her teacher was perfect the next morning "Your assignment is to get better, so much better that you can leave that hospital, come home and come to school.  We will figure out how to catch you up on other assignments when you have completed this first, most, most important assignment."

Wednesday was her first day getting out of bed (not pictured).  She coughed a lot on Wednesday (which is good as she needs to clear her lungs).  She took her first sip of water but was still showing some signs of withdrawal so the medical team really just paused everything to give her a day of rest.

She asked me what had happened as the last thing she remembered was the helicopter ride to the hospital in Maine and a few details of our time together in Bangor.  So, I walked her slowly through everything that had happened including her near death and being put on ECMO.  She joked "Well, now that I've been on ECMO twice maybe I should get my own machine and have it handy 'just in case'  I could become someone who runs ECMO and show others there is no need to be afraid!"  I also read her a TON of cards on Wednesday.  I call her bag of cards her 'fan mail'....and she blushes when I say that so I say it a lot.

Thursday (today) was what everyone is referring to as the "Hayleigh Spa Day"   She started the day with a hair wash and conditioning.  Then she moved to this chair.  I sat in the chair next to her and she totally ignored me (as teenage daughters are proned to do) for about 4 hours while reading teeny bopper magazines and listening to her ipod.   I actually felt joy in being ignored this way as it meant I definitely had my daughter back!!! ;)

The pink blanket is a prayer blanket from a church in Frisco, Texas.  They prayed for her and tied knots in the strands around the edges as they prayed.

Hayleigh's new friend Megan came in and painted her nails pink.  They had a great time talking girly stuff as Megan is just out of college and still 'cool' to a 14 year old girl.

Thursday afternoon she got her first real PT / Rehab session.  She had just fallen asleep when the physical therapist, Liza, walked in.  I had told her earlier in the day that she couldn't leave the hospital until she got off all her meds and was strong enough to walk.  So, when she realized who Liza was she woke up and frankly amazed everyone with her work effort.

After PT, it was back to ignoring dad and using the surgical light above the bed as a reading light for her teenager magazines.

Finally, she had her first solid food today (pudding) as well as a small can of Ginger Ale.  She is making GREAT strides.

Today was a GREAT day.  From Psalm 9: 1-2....

1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

God bless,

Andrew


Next Post:  http://tsfga.blogspot.com/2013/10/hayleigh-she-walks.html

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