Saturday, December 14, 2013

Rehab

*DAY +66 POST TRANSPLANT & 73 STRAIGHT DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL*

     First, I want to thank you all so much for your comments, messages, thoughts and prayers over these last 10 days.  It has been so busy, and quite overwhelming at times, so knowing how many people are behind us and rooting for our little family helps keep us going.  Now our little Hazelnut has been moved to the inpatient rehabilitation floor and has been there since Monday.  We knew she had a long road of recovery ahead of her and were hoping so much that she could do it from home, but this was not the case.  Dr. Craig, the head rehab doctor told us she is a very complex patient and may need anywhere from 4-6 weeks of inpatient therapy.  Of course we will do whatever it takes to get our daughter back to where she needs to be, but this news was so heartbreaking for us.  We wanted so badly to be home for Christmas and to finally be all together as a family once again, and now we have to wait so much longer!  They did tell us, however, that in all likelihood, she can get a 12-hour leave pass to come home on Christmas day! So we will take it!  
     Her days on this unit are intense and long.  She goes through three hours of therapies, consisting of: speech, occupational and physical.  These are usually broken up into half-hour or hour sessions spread throughout the day with breaks for meals and nap time.  As part of her physical therapy she has had two casts put on her legs.  Her heels, calves and hamstrings are so tight after being in bed as long as she was, and the casts are being used to helps stretch them out so we can get her standing and walking again. Upon arrival here, Hazel was very weary and untrusting of everyone around her.  The huge strides she made before seemed to disappear overnight.  She clammed up and seemed almost defeated.  This of course took quite a toll on me (which everyone seemed to notice).  But as time has gone on, she has warmed up and become comfortable with her routine and her therapists, which is making all of our jobs much easier.  Another thing that has lifted her spirits is the fact that we are finally allowed to go downstairs and outside!!!  This has done wonders for all of us!!  She even had her siblings come for a visit and many tears were shed by all of us.  
     Now on top of rehab, we have also had to move forward with her cancer treatment, which means we began radiation on Thursday.  I think I will save all the details of this for another post, because it is a complex process.  But I do want to share something else that has been truly remarkable.  Over this last week, I have been praying, and asking others to pray very specifically that we could finally see a glimmer of our little Hazelnut come through.  It has been about a month and a half since we have really seen our daughter and Aaron and I have had hearts full of anguish.  Well I am happy to report that our God is a faithful God!  He knows when our hearts are weary and how to lift us up.  For He promises in Isaiah 40:31: "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." His answer to prayer came Thursday afternoon.  It was as if something was plugged in and Hazel just showed up!  She has been talking so much and has used so many words and phrases that are so very specific to her and it has been unbelievable!  She also has sang the lyrics to entire songs, is playing with toys the way they should be played with, is staying on task and is being playful and goofy!  It has been a wondrous few days so thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers!!!!




37 comments:

  1. My prayers are with you all continually and I'm so glad for the successes.

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  2. Praying for you all in this long weary process. God is good and faithful to those who trust him.

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  3. YAY!!! I teared up when I saw Hazel's smile! So glad you guys got to see another miracle from god in Hazel's sweet smile :) I will continue to pray for little Hazel and for the cancer to leave her body. I can see how much her siblings love her from the Christmas Photo. Happy Holidays and I look forward to more progression updates!

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    1. God is Amazing!! Praise God!! Continuing to pray for complete deliverance from Cancer. In Jesus name. Amen! <3

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    2. Sending lots of love to you hazel

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  4. What a beautiful faith-filled family you are, and the Lord will bring you through this. You are so strong, and such an inspiration to all. May God give you a special blessing this Christmas, with miraculous strides in sweet Hazel's health. I am so happy that she can be home with her wonderful family on Christmas day, and I am constantly praying for complete and total healing for her!!

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  5. Your faith and Hazelnuts courage will get you all through this.Love and Hug's

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  6. So many Prayers for you Hazel!!! I pray for the whole family to have the strength you need everyday. My you all have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

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  7. Such a beautiful and courageous little fighter. My prayers for strength and her healing. She is such an inspiration. God bless

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  8. Lovely picture, hopefully this time next year you will take the same picture with a healthy, fully-rahbilitated Hazel, God bless you all and give you the strength to continue this courageous fight. You are always in our prayers!

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  9. I love these photos! So great to see that beautiful smile. Thanks for sharing the latest news and progress. Hazel is a little miracle!

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  10. My God continue to shed his glory upon your family. I pray in the name of our lord Jesus Christ that Hazel's treatments and rehabilitation go well and your family be able to heal along side her. I also pray that these weeks go by fast so your family may be whole again. Good Bless your beautiful family.

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  11. Thank The Lord that Hazel is back, I think about you guys everyday!!!! So much love and so many prayers for Hazel and your family!!! <3
    Lots of Love,
    Lauren

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  12. Thank you Lord for bringing Hazel back. We continue to pray for her, the doctors and the entire family. Merry Christmas

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  13. Prayers each and every night and day for your family. Thank you Lauren for sharing Hazel with us so we may be with you through this journey. Prayers and love to you. May God continue to heal Hazel and bring her home again.
    We love you Hazel!!
    Amy Kelly

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  14. I am soooo glad to hear the great news! Tons of prayers daily for hazelnut and ur entire family! Glad u'll get to spend some time at home for christmas - a true blessing!!

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  15. So happy for your family. Hazel you never leave my mind and heart. I'm praying that this cancer with leave Your body. Your a true hero Hazel. Hope you have a great Christmas surrounded my your family. God bless you and your family

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  16. oh what a happy day through happy tears may i say this is a beautiful pic of a beautiful family, hazel you look marvelous xoxo

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  17. You are doing an amazing job! I am so glad that she is responding and doing better, the last 70 days must have felt like a year. My 4 year old starts the stem cell process on January 7th at CHLA and I I greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences. God bless.

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  18. You always have a way of bringing tears to my eyes. Praise God little Hazelnut is back!!!

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  19. Hazel you truly are a gift from Heaven. Your parents and thousands of other people have prayed for you and are still praying for you. The strength that you have shown at such a young age is nothing short of remarkable and an inspiration to all of us. The loving hands of your parents and the cradle formed around you with the hands of God are a true testament to his love for all of us. Keep up the good work. Hopefully some day in the not to distant future I would love to meet you and tell you in person that you inspire a lot of people is this world and I an one of those and proud to say so!

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  20. Praise God that we gets a pass for Christmas.. You can all be together!!!! Her smile touches me to my very core. I pray that God will give you the relief that you need keep singing...It will help lift your hearts and spirits.

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  21. Our Prayers are with you and your Family, you're an inspiration to me and make me very thankful. My our Father in Heaven bring peace to you and your Family.

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  22. You are truly an amazingly blessed family. So full of life and glowing with His light, it's so evident in the way you're staying strong and filled with faith. You're a blessing to so many. We're thrilled to hear that the Lord gave "Hazel back" in terms of her personality, Praise God for His mercy and love.

    You'll remain in our prayers and in our hearts.

    God bless you all~

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  23. That is such wonderful news! More than anything, you need to know that your child is still there as she always was. Smiling, laughing, playing, talking. With that you can endure! God bless. By the way, that is my very favorite verse of all.

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  24. Praise God for carrying you through this monumental trial and then providing the joy you all needed to continue on in hope. We are so pleased to hear that you've seen a glimpse of your Hazelnut again. What JOY!!! What a wonderful Christmas present. We're so glad she gets to come home for even a short while on Christmas.
    We continue to pray.

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  25. With everything you're dealing with, I thank you for these updates. I've followed Hazel's story since I read about the infamous pizza party and have shed many, many tears for her setbacks, followed by huge grins when there are triumphs. I'll continue to pray for your precious baby girl that reminds me so much of my own granddaughter, as well as your other children that must be ready to have their entire family back home. I'm so happy Hazel can be home for the holidays, even if it is only for the day. Merry Christmas to you and all your family! May your hearts be filled with the Joy of the season.

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  26. God truely is moving in mysterious ways. I am so happy for you all! You post brought tears to my eyes. Love that big sister has her hand on Hazelnuts shoulder like she doesn't want to let go. Big sisters are like that. I know because I am one.

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  27. You just lifted my spirits. I love the update and pictures. Hazel and all of you have been on my mind for so long. I pray so much for you and your family. Many prayers have been answered many yet to be answered. God is good. Hazel is proof of this. The hours together for Christmas will be the best ever! I'm so happy for you. You will forever be in my prayers. God Bless you all. Merry Christmas to your entire family, Grandparents and all.

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  28. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to Hazel & Family,

    May God give you strength for the road ahead, Wish you all the happiness in the world :)

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  29. Lord, thank you for the day you have made. Thank you for the doctors who care for Hazel and All the support staff. Please bless the rehabilitation staff. Fall over all involved in Hazel’s care and healing with Your undeniable love. We need Your grace to fall over all of us as we pray from our knees for Your will. Special blessings over Dr. Craig and the difficult job that he has; may his wisdom and strength be from You.
    I pray the therapy that Hazel needs is delivered with Your compassionate hand. We rejoice that You are such a part of this and love Hazel and her family so much. Please let Your light save us and the glory be to our new born king! Please bring the meaning of Your birth to our homes, hospitals, and hearts. We ask humbly that Hazel be allowed to be home on Christmas day if that is Your will. Lord, I pray healing over Hazel’s speech, necessary daily skills, and physical abilities. Special prayers for her legs to return to normal mobility and let Your hand be our hope in Hazel’s restoration. Lord let no one come near Hazel that doesn’t have her best at heart. And let all come near that have her full concern in their hearts. We ask for Your protection to provide this. Please build up the family especially Hazel’s parents and as they rely on You let everyone see how strong one can be when they rely on You our Rock. Thank You Lord for little gifts of sunshine and fresh air and thank You for big gifts like the healing of Hazel and Your love. I pray that the siblings can stay near especially during this holiday season. Please protect Hazel from the radiation but kill that which seeks to destroy her. Let our prayers be diligent throughout and our watchfulness be persistent. Lord, thank You for answered prayers. We are home in You and love that You are by our sides. Let anguish, fear, and defeat flee. Let hope, healing, and love prevail. Please bring out Hazel’s personality, voice, and desire to play more and more. The glory is Your’s Lord and we know the power is in Your name. Amen!

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  30. Im so happy that Hazel is better, so so happy, you are a fighter Hazel, so strong little girl, al my prayes for you baby girl/jasmina from Sweden

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  31. I'm praying for Hazel and all of your family to have the strength to endure this and that she will be completely healed of sickness! I knew Aaron and babysat he and his brothers when they were young and it breaks my heart to see what you've been going through.. What a blessing it is to have the Lord to lean on through hard times like this. Love to all of you and especially your little Hazel nut.. <3

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  32. I'm praying for Hazel and your family. You are an inspiration to all of us!

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  33. On behalf of the Walgreens staff and nurses we are happy little Hazel is feeling better :)

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  34. She's such a beautiful little girl and I love her smile. I am continuing to pray for all of you.

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  35. My heart has been touched by your story; Hazelnut is an amazing little girl, and I will continue to pray for her recovery and for your family.... I hope your Christmas Day is blessed with her time at home... God Bless Hazelnut... What an inspiration she is to other children...

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