charging forward...

I love the above photo of Ben! This was captured when him and his PT where exchanging funny words while taking a break! I don't even remember what got him smiling but I am glad that I was able to get it! It is still getting closer to his regular smile which means his muscles and face are still healing!

This is a well deserved post so y'all can see a few of the things that Ben is working on in therapy. He has been working so hard and yet it is never enough to him! He will do "anything to get me better" and anything "to get me out of this situation and brain injury." I will say that he gets super frustrated that he just cannot get up and do what he wants to do. He continually says, "if I could just walk" "all I want to do is walk." In his mind he can do it all but his body just wont do it. I cannot even think that I could comprehend what he is thinking or going through. His balance and hips are so off right now that when he wants to and trys so hard to walk it throws him all off. His biggest request is just to "walk on his own with no assistance!"

He has been working on his walking...alot! The last few weeks it has been outside, inside, on the treadmill, with a walker, trialing a cane, with nothing, with support of therapists...any way that we can think of to get him going! It is amazing how hard he works and doesn't want to stop...he just keeps going and giving it his all! The last few days were really nice so they hit the street and did some walking. In the am he went out with his PT and walked both directions from the driveway and back. Later that day in working with OT they went all the way to the mailbox and back! That was the pic I posted a few days ago! GO BEN!











Ben has also been getting in the pool about 2 times a week anywhere from 45-90 min! Of course he loves it! Ben lives for the water! About a year before our accident Ben had the opportunity to go to scuba school in the Florida Keys. This was not one of those schools that are a few weeks long but this was a military one that lasted about 8 weeks and was hard! I remember him calling me with the quietest most tired voice saying, "we have about 5 min to talk before I fall asleep!" He said it was the hardest and mort tiresome school he had ever done! Ben came out of it graduating with his master diver certificate and bleachest blonde hair I had ever seen on him!
Anyways, he had been wanting to use his snorkle and mask again so I found them in the garage to use. It took him a few trys to get the rythemm down again but now he goes underwater and gets his swim on! The first long swim was 9 min underwater and then this last week he went up to 15! It's pretty amazing to watch! He has a long ways to go but since the pool is set at 82 degrees he gets alot of good muscle relaxing in and good stretching of his muscles!








Remember the tree that split in front of our house in the snow/wind/ice storm? Well, Ben and his OT have started to saw some of it and get some good arm use in at the same time! Ben, like his swimming, is in his element! Being outdoors is just an amazing adventure for him and makes him so happy! The first time they started it was about 45 degrees and the second time 60! Darn weather is messing with us!
Of course Diesel had to watch in on all the fun and get some play time! Oh, I failed to mention that he had to go to the vet this last week for a chip and rabies shot and weighs 55 pounds...at 5 months! Oh man, I think he's going to be a big-in!









There is one more amazing thing Ben has started doing! He has only done it three times and the second time went about double the time and the third a few min longer! He got on the treadmill again! I was not able to see him the first time that he went about 6 min but I was able to see him the second time when he went about 12 min! I was running on a treadmill and Ben and his therapist came in and Ben must have told him he wanted to get on the treadmill too! So just four treadmills down from me Ben started walking! I paused mine (got in 5 miles and payed for that later), jumped off and got a few pics and a video! This time last year Ben was on the treadmill all harnessed up and with two people helping him! This time, the treadmill, Ben and his therapist standing behind him! It was amazing!! He went about 12 min this time but yesterday he went 15...walking at a 1.5! He told me today that when he starts walking on his own again that he's "going to be all over this town and show people what I am made of!" Lord, please continue to give him this ability of freedom!



I think this was the first time Ben got on the treadmill in CA...


This was last year in NJ...fast walking but not alot of control of his body...


and this was on Tues...


As you can see Ben has been hard at work! Like I said above, he never, ever gives up and says he is doing it all for me, him and Diesel! This man always puts others first.

A few specific prayer requests as far as Ben's body...

1. head and neck control...ben's had botox, massages, chiropractor and therapies to help. it's kind of coming along but needs alot more healing! where his neck and head goes, so does his body so it throws him all off!

2. walking...ben's biggest desire at this point and almost all he talks about these days. sometimes he just wants to leave places because he feels he cannot participate how he wants to and that his body is holding him back. please pray that the Lord continue to help coordinate his body and that the connections would be made for his ability to walk on his own. I really believe that once Ben is able to get around on his own that he will take off...nothing will hold him back! It will free him up from so many things that now hold him back. He wants it, I want it...we need it!

3. bathroom abilities...he still has a catheter. he hates it. ben's sensory ability is coming back a little in this department but it is something that his brain is still a lil slow on...

4. his tone in his muscles. he does not have contractures and he can move them and build them up muscle wise but they get tight which limits his movements at times and causes tremors.

5. bens mind emotionally...his mentality is amazing but like any other person he gets frustrated, disturbed, annoyed and another one of his big things now is that he wishes that he can do more for me and around the house. although we still make decisions together (as much as he can) he knows that his role of the man of the house has changed for a bit. He wants to lead, he longs to be the man God created him to be, he wants to be involved in things and be there for me. please pray for his heart and that the enemy would have no place in his life!

Thank you all for following our journey so faithfully! We feel your prayers and appreciate them so much! What we are going through is nothing I could have ever imagined that we would do but if people are blessed by it, encouraged and brought closer to Jesus then it makes it a lil more worth it! To God be the glory!

The God who says he will...WILL!!

"Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God..." Ps 62:11

"Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Neh 8:10