Just for those that don't know who writes this page:
My name is Peggy, and I am the wife of the webmaster, a close friend of
Wes and Peg's, and a member of First Christian Church. I don't want to
write just facts; I want all of Peg's friends to feel that they are at
home with Peg, going through her ups and downs with her. I hope that these updates make
you feel as if you are a part of what is going on because you are. Without
your prayers, Peg might not be this far in her progress. So on behalf of
Wes and his family, we say, "Thank you." Please keep your prayers coming.
Nov. 11 – 9:00AM
Dear friends -Our prayers are working
-- PEG IS HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL!!!!
YEAH GOD!!! AND DOING
WELL! Peg went to church on Sunday and she was the center of a "hug-fest"
- second to none! She will be continuing her therapies on an out patient
basis from HOME! We know even more deeply than the first time she came
home that there are miles and miles to go on this healing journey. Peg and
I will continue to need your prayers for encouragement and strength - for
perseverance and focus. Peg still has GREAT difficulty speaking - she
knows what she wants to say, but she cannot get to the words. And for her
safety, Peg will have to have someone with her at all times. We are truly
blessed because several people in the congregation have volunteered to be
her "companion", and one of Peg's sisters, Roxanne, will arrive Wednesday
and stay for with us until the 21st. Later, Julia and her husband, Jeff,
will be here for a couple of weeks.
It's like - we topped a mountain - and the view is tremendous - and after
we taken in the beauty - we realize there's another long valley between
the next and distant mountain and us. So with great faith - hand-in-hand -
we now take the next step in this journey into healing. Your love, support
and prayers have helped bring us to this point, AND they will carry us
through - THANKS!
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Nov. 4 – 9:30 PM
Dear friends - Peg and
I continue to be so grateful for your prayers and support - AND - all of
the prayers are working! Peg had an overnight pass for Saturday, and we
had a great time. Saturday evening we had a campfire and SMORS!! Peg loves
to walk, and Sunday she did 2 miles. Physically, she continues to improve
dramatically. Monday, the staff decided that Peg is walking so well that
she no longer needs a wheel chair. She is free to walk all around her
unit; however, since she might not be able to communicate with anyone if
she got off the unit, they moved her to a different room. In order to go
near the elevators, Peg must walk pass the nurse's station. Peg has
relaxed and is more playful, and when she laughs, my soul sings! This is
Peg's last week at TIRR - she will be discharged on Saturday, and continue
her in therapy on an outpatient basis. Because of the limits in her
insurance, Peg will only receive Speech Therapy from a professional.
The rest of her work will be with the help of family and friends. We do
not know what the future holds, but we know that God holds the future -
AND we trust God. We are blessed in so many ways - and you are counted
among our blessings! THANK YOU!
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Oct 26 -- 10:07 PM
Dear friends - Peg is working hard to make progress
in her continuing journey toward healing and recovery. Because Peg is at
risk to fall she cannot be left alone. When she has no visitors, she must
be either in therapy or in the "common room" in her wheel chair. When I
arrived at TIRR today, she was sitting in the common room looking through
magazines. I was encouraged by her activity. As is our custom, we took a
couple of walks around the 3rd floor. Peg needs a steadying hand when she
walks, but she is regaining her strength and that will be very helpful in
her therapies. Because today is Sunday, Peg didn't have any therapy.
Tomorrow her therapy will begin again. (Physical Therapy (PT), Speech
Therapy (SP), Occupational Therapy (OT) and Group Therapy (RT) focusing on
life skills and interaction. I am not yet sure of her schedule, but you
can count on her being free after
2:30 pm. When you come to see Peg she will be in some type of therapy
until 2:30 pm. Peg is always interested in news about others, and she was
distressed to learn yesterday that two of her friends, Jack and Janice
Wooderson, had been injured in an auto accident. She wanted to pray for
Janice and Jack - and, of course, we did. Today, she was glad to hear
that Jack is OK and Janice is getting better.
Peg and I watched some TV together - some kind of funny videos sent in by
viewers - and she laughed (appropriately) at different times - this is a
good sign that she understands the world around her. I'm sharing these
details so you'll have some idea of how your prayers are helping Peg (and
encouraging me). We continue to be grateful for you and your
prayer-filled support. THANK YOU!
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Oct 24 -- 8:56 AM
From Wes
Dear friends -
Yesterday Peg was transferred to "The Institute for Rehabilitation and
Research (TIRR) in Houston. This is where we were the first time so in
many ways this will be familiar to her. However, this time we are in a
different section, and that's good because it won't be like "the same old
thing". Therapy will begin today. Peg will participate in Physical Therapy
(PT), Speech Therapy (SP), Occupational Therapy (OT) and Group Therapy
focusing on life skills and interaction. I am not yet sure of her
schedule, but you can count on her being free after 2:00 pm. When you come
to see Peg she will be in some type of therapy until 2:00 pm. Last night
was "Pet Night" and Peg was thrilled when several of the dogs came to see
her. She petted each one - some even got on the bed with her - and she
talked to them.
TIRR is located in the Medical Center
- the address is 1333 Moursund Houston, Texas 77030-3405 - here's their
web address:
http://tirr.org/
And here's a link to a map: sometime
you can just click on these and they work; if not, just copy and paste in
your web browser: (I can't get this to all fit on one line so it will all
underline -- be sure to get the whole address)
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?addtohistory=&countrycode=250&country=US&address=
133+Moursund&city=houston&state=tx&zipcode=77030&submit.x=53&submit.y=13
Peg and I have walked this path before - AND we have never been alone – we
have God - you - each other - our dear family - and many caring people –
AND we are grateful for each. THANK YOU!
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Oct. 22 – 10:15 PM
Dear
friends - Good news! Peg continues to improve! Today, they removed the
staples from her incision (48 of 'em) - they also removed her central line
- she is completely disconnected!! With a walker and a lot of support Peg
walked about 25 feet today. She has been referred to TIRR for more rehab -
so now we wait for the insurance company to decide. Peg's meals have been
upgraded and she loves it! Peg is able to read (very slowly) and one of
the highlights of the day is when I take in the cards and emails she's
received - she reads all of them! Another highlight is when someone comes
to see her - Peg lights up the room with her smile and her joy is
evident. Your love, support and prayers lift us up and give us strength -
THANKS!
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Oct. 20 – 10:40 PM
Peg was moved to a regular room today.
She is in #457 at Methodist Hospital. She has moved up the breakfast food
chain to oatmeal instead of Jell-O! I don't know what she had for lunch
and dinner, but she fed herself most of it, and she ate every bite.
Tomorrow Peg is going to be evaluated for her physical therapy needs.
Remember, she has been flat on her back for a week. She will probably go
back to TIRR for a little while after she is discharged from Methodist.
There she will get her strength back and also get more speech therapy. We
will know more about this later.
Wes asked me
to put the word out that he is looking for people that would be able to
sit with Peg for a few hours during the weeks to come. If you are
available on certain days, would you let me know what days and what times?
Evening times, too, because Wes has meetings and counseling sessions in
the evenings. Then, when Wes needs a Peg-sitter, he can look at the list
and see who is available at that particular time. This will not be a daily
or weekly set time -- just a time when he could call someone if he needed
to be at the church or somewhere else.
Oct. 18 -- 9:00 PM
Report
from Wes
Dear friends - Peg is doing well!
Today she perked up and the Doctor removed the breathing tube. This
afternoon she sat up in the "Cadillac chair", and this evening ate some
Jell-O and had some fruit juice. Peg can speak in a whisper - (please
remember that Peg cannot yet speak in what we would call a normal
manner). Peg is able to move both arms and legs, and respond to questions
by nodding her head. One of the things making all of this possible is
that this time there was no bleeding into the brain. In addition, the
Doctor told me that the aneurysm on the right side has not enlarged any!
We continue to thanks God for every grace and blessing. And, to you we
can only say, "THANKS!" We are relearning at deeper levels every day what
it means to be surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.
Oct. 17 -- 4:00 PM
Peg appears to be breathing completely
on her own, but they have left the breathing tube in until she wakes up
and they are sure it is OK and then they will remove it. She hasn't
opened her eyes yet but the waking up process is still underway. She
has moved both of her arms and legs and nods if you ask her a direct
question. She is squeezing Wes' hand.
Wes must not have had the flu since he
is OK today.
Oct. 16 -- 6:58 PM
Report
from Wes
Dear
friends - we continue to need your prayers. Yesterday afternoon, at the
Methodist Hospital in Houston, the doctors operated on Peg's third
aneurysm. It was part of the one that ruptured back in August. When they
got in there, the aneurysm was so large that they couldn't see anything
else. The doctor said that if they had waited to operate until today, it
would have burst, and Peg would probably not survived. Since the aneurysm
was so large, the doctors couldn't tell if any other arteries were
branching from the section that they clipped. (They actually place a
metal clip above and below the aneurysm and seal it off.) We won't know
for a few days if there has been any more damage to her brain. Peg is
waking up very slowly, and is still on the breathing machine. Things will
stay this way through the night. She was moving both arms and legs, and
our hopes are high for her recovery! Please continue to pray for Peg and
all of our family.
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
We
think Wes now has the flu.
Oct. 16 -- 11:43 AM
Report
from Wes
Dear
friends – your prayers are sustaining us – THANKS! Peg had surgery
Wednesday afternoon/evening to repair the new aneurysm – it went well.
The Dr. was surprised at the size to which it had grown. Anyway, he was
able to close it off – they call it “clipping”. Peg is in the ICU at the
Methodist
Hospital,
Houston. Today, they’re planning on
letting her wake up and weaning her off of the breathing machine. All of
her vitals signs are good, and she has good movement of her
extremities. The neurosurgeon even smiled
when he saw her this AM, and said that he was
“guardedly optimistic”. I am thrilled and exhausted. Our plans are to be
at the hospital all day. If everything is still good this evening, I will
go home and sleep in my own bed. Lizanne sand “Praise
To The Lord, The Almighty” to Peg. When
Lizanne asked, “isn’t that right?”, Peg nodded
her head. Please keep your prayers going – we are lifted up by your love,
support and prayers.
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Oct. 16 -- 9:20 AM
Yesterday afternoon, the doctors operated on Peg's third
aneurysm (it turns out that this aneurysm was part of the first one). When
they got in there, the aneurysm was so large that they couldn't see
anything else. The doctors told Wes that if they had waited to operate
until today, it would have burst, and we would have lost Peg. Since the
aneurysm was so large, they couldn't tell what vessels would lose blood
after the aneurysm was clipped off. Because of this, we won't know what,
if any more brain damage has occurred. Please continue to pray for
complete healing for Peg, and peace and comfort for her family.
Oct. 15 -- 12:30 PM
Peg has a 3rd aneurysm. I hate to bring you this news,
but yesterday Peg woke up and could not see out of her left eye. The eye
was turned outward and bulged somewhat. Wes took Peg to the ER at
Methodist Hospital in Houston. There a CAT scan was done, but showed
nothing. An angiogram was scheduled for this morning. The angiogram showed
a 3rd aneurysm that is either new or had been overlooked. This is pushing
on cranial nerve #3, which is the optic motor nerve. Surgery was scheduled
for tomorrow morning, but now the doctors are trying to get it scheduled
for this afternoon. This surgery will be where the surgeons go in through
the skull and clip the aneurysm.
Peg had been doing so well at home. She was very
mobile and could remember almost everything. She could read, and had
learned to write again. She still didn't have recognizable speech. She
could say some words, but most of what she said had to be translated. We
had to start small (ex. Are you talking about your house or somewhere
else? Your house? Yes or no.) Then we would keep broadening the area until
we could figure out what she was saying or Peg would give up. She
was going to speech therapy two or three times a week. Her neurologist
said that she was doing better than he expected her to at this time.
Now this. Please pray for success with this surgery and
complete healing for Peg. Please pray for peace and comfort for Wes and
the rest of Peg's family.
Sept. 20 –
8:30 PM
Happy 60th Birthday, Peg!!
Peg got
home from the TIRR Thursday morning. She had her things together and ready
to pack on Tuesday. She was ready to come home! After they got back to
Conroe, Peg pointed Wes toward where she wanted to go. They ended up at
Academy where Peg wanted exercise shoes with Velcro instead of shoelaces,
but they didn’t find any. After lunch I met them at the car service
department and drove them home. Peg told me in words and gestures that her
mouth was hurting her. It turns out that she had put in her bridge in her
mouth for the first time since Aug. 6. It caused an abscess in her mouth
because by the next day, her jaw was swollen out like a chipmunk. But Peg
was very glad to be home.
On
Friday morning, I took Peg to the beauty shop to get her hair, nails, and
toenails done. Krysti, our hairdresser, did a great job with Peg’s hair.
She layered it and fluffed it, so it almost covered the spot where Peg’s ½
inch hair is growing back in. By the time Peg had her pedicure and
manicure, she was wiped out! When I got her home, she went right to bed
and to sleep. She slept about 4 hours! I waited there until Wes came home
from the airport with Peg’s sister, Roxanna. Roxanna is going to stay with
Peg for two weeks. Then Peg’s sister, Nancy, will come for two weeks, and
finally, Julie will be back for another two weeks. It’s great that she has
a lot of sisters.
As I
said at the top of the message, today is Peg’s birthday. Wes said that
when they left TIRR Thursday, the mail person brought in not one or two
pieces of mail, but a sack of mail! So far, Wes thinks that she has gotten
about 100 cards and letters. Those that she didn’t get before she left,
they will pick up Monday on their way to Texas City for a visit. I think
everyone met the goal of sending Peg more cards than one person at TIRR
has ever gotten. Thank you.
A
member of our church, Marvene, made and decorated a beautiful birthday
cake for Peg. A friend of theirs that lives in Alaska sent them a "Taste
of Alaska" with crab legs, salmon, halibut, etc. So Peg and Wes and all
their family were going to grill and smoke this for a very special
birthday dinner. Today, talking to Peg on the phone, she was having a very
good day, and she strung more words together for some short sentences.
Wes
gave me a booklet about Peg’s speech condition. It is called apraxia, a
struggle to speak. The booklet is a guide to help family and friends
understand what is going on. It says that when speaking, Peg will have
distorted speech sounds and words may be produced haltingly. But automatic
speech, speech uttered with little or no thought, like talking on the
phone, is relatively intact. For instance, Peg can say, "Thank you". I
have noticed that sometime when Peg is having difficulty with a word, she
will put her hand to her lips and try to make her lips into the right
shape to say the word.
Some of
the things this booklet says that family and friends can do to make things
easier for her are:
1. To
state the topic of conversation, such as "Let’s talk about…" and then tell
her when we change topics.
2. Let
our facial expressions help her to figure out what we are talking about.
3.
Speak slowly, in short phrases & sentences, and allow time for Peg to
process that information. And the booklet says, "Speaking loudly does not
aid understanding unless the person is deaf."
4.
Often ask if Peg has understood what we have said.
5. Be
patient and allow Peg to get her ideas across. Try not to interrupt.
6.
Encourage Peg to speak. She needs to experience acceptance in order to
stay motivated to keep trying to communicate.
7. Give
Peg a choice when asking a question. Example: "Do you want tea or water?"
Or ask questions that have a yes or no answer.
8. If
Peg is starting to get frustrated by not being able to say what she wants
to say, encourage her to rest a minute or change the topic.
9. If
we don’t understand what she wants to tell us, ask yes or no questions to
keep narrowing down the topic. We might or might not get to where Peg
wants us to be, but at least we both tried.
10. At
social gatherings, sit with Peg so that she doesn’t feel isolated. I have
noticed that sometimes Peg tunes out of the conversation if she doesn’t
think she can participate. Include her in what is going on.
11.
Don’t make overly optimistic promises that Peg’s speech will be back to
normal in no time. Just validate her feelings.
12.
Encourage Peg to use gestures to help us understand. She can point or even
get up and go to what it is she wants to talk about. If we pick the wrong
thing, Peg will let us know by rolling her eyes at us or other easy to
read facial expressions.
13.
People with apraxia tire easily. When Peg gets tired, encourage her to
rest. If she just gets up and leaves to go take a nap, don't take it
personally. She needs the nap.
I know
this is long, but I hope these things will make you feel more comfortable
when you are around Peg.
Peg
will be having therapy once a week. The rest of the weekdays, she will
need someone to help work with her for about an hour or two a day. This
will be a big commitment, but if you are interested in helping, please let
me know. We can make out a schedule so that one person may take every
Monday, another every Tuesday, etc. It needs to be kept to 5 or 6 people
so that there is consistency in those working with her. We will also have
to be trained by the therapist. Sometimes it is easier to work with
friends than family. Family needs to be family and not caretakers if they
can. Family can burn out after a while. I know this from experience. If
friends burn out, we just get another friend to help. Again, let me know
if you are interested in doing this.
Sept 16 – 3:00 PM
Hold those birthday cards and mail
them to:
Peg Morgan
13280 South Shore Drive
Conroe, TX 77304
Peg is
coming home Thursday. She is being discharged!
Wes just called. He hasn't spoken to
anyone about it yet. He was just told in passing and the nurse was
surprised that he didn't know. There are still a lot of questions to be
answered, and hopefully Wes will get the answers this afternoon.
I'll report when I know
anything.
Sept. 16 – 2:30PM
My computer has been out, so I have to
play catch up. In the last email, Peg had taken some medicine that was
supposed to help unlock her speech center. Instead, she had a reaction to
it, and her blood pressure bottomed out, and Peg passed out. The next day
she was fine and back to doing her exercises. Her speech did improve
somewhat as she could put a couple more words together. The doctors
decided that they would continue to give her this medicine in lower doses.
Friday, Sept. 12, Wes had a wedding
rehearsal in the evening so he asked that I go keep Peg company. Peg is
eating regular food now, but she can't cut it up. Wes wanted someone there
to make sure her dinner got cut so that Peg could eat it. I got Donna to
go with me. Donna brought nail stuff so we could give Peg a manicure. When
we showed this to Peg, she led us right to the bathroom, pulled up her
pant leg and stuck her foot in the sink. I asked her if she wanted her
legs shaved, and she answered with an emphatic "Yes!". They hadn't been
done in 5 weeks!
I went to ask the nurse if they had a
razor, and while I was waiting for someone to get me one, another nurse
asked if I was family. I said no, just a friend. The nurse then wanted to
know if someone from the family was coming that night and I told her no.
The nurse said that since Peg was getting a weekend pass the next day, she
had to remind someone that Peg would need an injection on Sunday morning,
but not to worry -- the nurse had told Peg how to give herself a shot. I
was incredulous. I said, "You mean you want Peg to give herself a shot?",
and when the nurse said yes, I said," have you ever given yourself a
shot?" The nurse said, "Yes, but I would never do that again" I decided to
tell Wes to check that out. You don't tell someone with a brain injury who
can't hold a pen easily to give herself a shot!
When I got back to Peg's room, I took
a tub of water and had her sit and soak her feet, then I shaved her legs,
gave her a foot massage, and painted her toenails. While I did that, Donna
gave her a manicure and helped her cut up her dinner.
Peg then said, "I want ... I want ..."
and pointed to the clock. I asked her if she wanted to know what time it
was, and she said she did. I told her it was 5:15. Peg said, "No. I want
...." I asked her if she wanted something from home and she did. I asked
her if she wanted her watch, but she didn't. She pointed to her bedside
table and then the clock. Finally, I asked her if she wanted a clock from
home to put on the table so she could see the time, and she sighed and
said, "Yes." I told her we would get her one tomorrow, and Peg said, "No!
Now!" I told her that I couldn't go back to Conroe and get if for her and
bring it back tonight, and she said, "Why not?" Then she wanted something
else and we finally figured that she wanted to call Lizanne. When we got
Lizanne on the phone, Peg tried to find out when Lizanne was coming. When
Lizanne told her that she couldn't come that night, Peg was ready to hang
up. I think she wanted Lizanne to bring her a clock. After that, Peg
seemed to wind down. Peg is ready to go to bed by 6:30 PM because they
work her so hard. We stayed until she got ready for bed, tucked her in,
and said and prayer with her and left.
Peg came home on her weekend pass on
Sat. morning. When she and Wes got into Conroe, Wes said that Peg kept
pointing to guide him to where she wanted to go. It turned out that she
wanted to go to Academy to buy a pair of exercise shoes with Velcro straps
instead of laces, but they didn't have any. Then they went to Subway for
lunch. Wes had the wedding in the afternoon, so I went over to Peg-sit. We
watched "Fried Green Tomatoes" on TV. Peg can follow the movie easily.
Then we went out to the back porch to sit on the swing and watch the lake.
We played 20,000 questions as I tried to figure out what she was trying to
say. Sometimes I could get it, and sometimes I couldn't. Peg gets so
frustrated when she tries to speak. We need to pray that she gets her
speech back soon. Sometimes, Peg keeps trying and sometimes she just gives
up. Later she might come back to it. I left when Wes got home. Lizanne and
her family were coming that night.
Late Sat. night, Wes called and asked
if I would sit with Peg at home during church. He said he was going to ask
Donna to come also, and that he would give us both a permission slip to
miss church. So Sunday we met at Peg's at 9:00AM. When we got there, Peg
didn't look like she felt good, but Wes had just given her the shot. I
asked Peg why she didn't give it to herself. She gave me a questioning
look, and I told her what the nurse had told me. Peg's eyes went very wide
and she said, "No." Donna brought an old Cary Grant movie, and we watched
that and ate muffins that I brought. Donna and I dozed through parts of
the movie, but Peg watched it all the way. Then we went out and walked
near the lake and sat on the steps and talked. She tried so hard to tell
us something, and just when we were about to give up, I got it. Peg was so
happy and so was I. Finally Wes came home, and Lizanne and her family and
David and his wife came, and Donna and I left.
That night Wes took Peg back to TIRR.
I asked him if it was hard for her to go back, but he said that it wasn't.
Peg had realized how much she needed to relearn before she was ready to go
home. She does well, but every once in awhile there will be a "brain
glitch" (my term) and she won't know what she is supposed to do. For
example, she tried to turn off the TV using the phone instead of the
remote.
Monday, Peg got some more of the
medicine that was supposed to unlock the speech center. Again, she had a
bad reaction to it. She got a bad headache. Then she finally remembered
that she had another aneurysm. Remembering that and having the headache
made her freak, and they had to call Wes to come back. Today they are
supposed to do a CAT scan, but Wes said they told him that it most likely
wasn't the aneurysm causing the headache because her vital signs were so
strong. They aren't going to give that medicine to Peg again. They are
going to try another kind. Peg finally calmed down, and when I called
later that night, Wes said that Lizanne was helping Peg play Solitaire.
Remember Peg's birthday is the 20th.
Please try to send her a card to TIRR (See address in previous messages).
She loves to get mail, and opening the cards is good for her hand
dexterity. She is also able to read them. Hopefully, Peg will get a
weekend pass next week because she wants to come hear the music and
participate in our ice cream social. Wes will also acknowledge her
birthday there, but Peg doesn't want to make a big deal of it.
By the way, I just found out that
there was a communication problem when I reported that Peg could sing.
Julie told me that Peg just recognized the songs and nodded her head with
them, but she couldn't sing along ....yet.
I also guess you have figured out that
having one report on Thursdays didn't work either. Ms Peg is not
predictable, and I will just put a report out when I need to. You will
just have to check the web site everyday in case something happened.
Sept.10 – 10:41PM
Today Peg was given a
drug that was supposed to help unlock the "talking" part of her brain.
Instead, it caused her blood pressure to bottom out and cause Peg to pass
out. Thank goodness that Wes was with her. He caught her and when he knew
that he couldn't hold her up, he just lowered both of them to the ground.
Peg was put to bed with IV's to bring her blood pressure back up and to
flush the drug out of her body. A few hours later, Peg woke up a little.
Wes asked her if she hurt anywhere, and she said "no". He explained what
happened and told her that she would be better in the morning. She nodded
and went back to sleep. Wes expects her to be ok, but continue to pray for
her.
Sept. 8 – 10:05PM
Peg had her first outing. TIRR took 6
patients in a van to The Galleria Mall. Wes and Julie (Peg's sister) met
her there. She did very well. She walked and picked up things to look at,
but didn't buy anything. (Of course, it is the most expensive mall
around!) She even got on and off the escalator by herself without any
problems. I think that is amazing. Then she came back, ate lunch, and went
to P.T. When another church member, Jean, and I got there at 4:30, Wes was
gone to take Julie back to Lizanne's, and Peg was in the wheelchair. She
was glad to see us. As we talked, you could tell that she wanted to join
in, but she just couldn't find the words. She kept pointing to her
nightstand. I asked her if she wanted something over there. She nodded
yes, but everything I picked up wasn't what she wanted. Finally she
scooted over, opened the drawer, and took out a pen. We found her an
envelope, and she showed me how she could write her name in cursive! At
first she wrote P - E but she forgot to put the tail on the G, so she
started over. This time she got the P, but the E looked like an O, so she
started over again, and this time got it right. She wasn't about to quit
until she did it! After I had run out of things to say, I asked Jean if
she could think of anything else to say, and she said no. I told Peg that
I guessed we were boring, and Peg said, "Yes!" Finally, Wes came back and
got her out of the wheelchair (they keep her strapped in, so she doesn't
lean forward and turn the chair over). When Wes went to talk to the
nurses, Peg wanted to walk. So Jean and I hurried to keep up with her. I
told her that I hoped she knew the way back to her room because we sure
didn't, and Peg did. When we got back to her room (6:30 PM), she walked
over to her closet and got out her pajamas. I told her that she must be
ready for us to go home. Just then my cell phone rang, and Bill wanted to
talk to her. She talked to him and said words and phrases. When she hung
up, I asked her why she talked more to him than us? Wes said that the
therapist said that it was more instinctive to talk on the phone than
face-to-face. If I had known that, I would have had her hold my cell phone
all the time we were there!
Today they told Wes that the insurance
company wanted TIRR to release Peg on Sept. 25. She cannot be left alone
and needs a lot more therapy. Please pray that she can stay longer.
Don't forget to send those birthday
cards to get to her by Sept. 20.
Sept. 6 – 9:23PM
Peg called me today!!
When I answered the phone, Peg said, “Hello, there.” I was so excited!
Then she said, “I want….. I want…..I want….”. She just couldn’t say the
words that she wanted to say. So, just joking, I said, “You want me,” and
Peg said, “YES!”. I hadn’t been able to get down there this past week, and
she missed me. It brought tears to my eyes, so I am going Monday. Peg
seemed happy to know that I was coming. Before we hung up, Peg said, “I
love you”. I think that is Peg’s first complete sentence. Later Wes and
Julie said that it took them about 15 minutes to figure out that Peg
wanted to call me. One month ago today Peg had her surgery. Look how far
she had progressed. God is working overtime on this girl!!
Okay, so I couldn’t
wait a week to tell you what was going on with Peg. You will just have to
check the website everyday to see if I posted anything new.
September 20 is Peg’s
60th birthday. Let’s see if we can fill Peg’s room with
birthday cards!!!
Her address is:
Peg Morgan
TIRR
Room 309 -- bed 2
1333 Moursund
Houston, TX 77030-3405
Here is Wes’ report
for today.
“Dear friends - Peg is
truly powered by your prayers and the work of God's healing spirit! Today
we saw more evidences of both. Peg is right- handed, and it is the most
affected - so, miracle of miracles - when she wrote something today.
Lizanne wrote the alphabet on a white board - then she wrote a name. Peg,
holding a pen in her right hand, wrote: J E N N - then, D A V E - then, H
AN N A H - then, L I Z A N N E - AND THEN - I L O V E Y O U! There was
so much cheering that you would have thought she had just hit the winning
homerun in the seventh game of the World Series! Then to top things off,
Peg told several people today, "I love you!" Peg continues to have a lot
of trouble saying what she wants to say, but she is working very hard. She
is also very frustrated that she can't come home with me. (So am I - but I
want every day she can get at TIRR - I want every ounce of healing and
rehab that is possible - so she can't come home - yet! Julia, one of Peg's
sisters, brought some family albums,; and as we go through them, Peg seems
to connect more and more with her memories. All of Peg's nuclear family
and several friends visited today, and she interacted with each person in
good ways. I am filled with such a deep gratitude for your love and care.
It is with God's continuing Presence and your prayerful support that Peg
is continuing to improve, and I am able to stand with her - Thanks, more
than you'll ever know.
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><”
Sept. 4 – 9:30PM
Today Peg worked very hard. She is
getting very frustrated not being able to say what she wants to say. Wes
is trying to teach her how to sing what she wants, but so far she just
looks at him like he has lost his mind! She was very excited to see her
sister, Julie, and they went for a walk. Peg likes to walk, and she walked
outside twice today. However, when Julie & Wes were ready to leave, Peg
was sad that she couldn't go with them. I'm not sure she realizes yet why
she can't go home. However, Monday, Wes is hoping that Peg will get a Day
Pass and, then they can go somewhere away from TIRR and let Peg have a
different experience.
Starting today, the "Peg Reports" will
be once a week on Thursdays unless there is something exciting that you
really need to know right away.
Blessings and keep the prayers coming.
Sept. 3 – 10:00PM
Early in the afternoon, friends from
Conroe went to visit Peg. They met her coming down the hallway as her
friends got off the elevator. When she say them, her face lit up in
recognition. Her therapist asked if she knew those people, and Peg nodded
yes. Her friends were pleased to see how well Peg was walking and riding
her stationary bike. Today Wes got to TIRR later in the afternoon. When he
arrived, Peg was surrounded by some of her Texas City friends. Looking up
and seeing Wes, she said, "Hello there". Peg had potted a plant in O.T.
and was anxious to show it to Wes. In Speech Peg sang and knew the words
to "You Are My Sunshine", "Amazing Grace", and "How Great Thou Art". It's
weird, but the part of the brain that controls singing is not the part of
the brain that controls speech. Maybe Peg could learn how to sing whatever
she wants to say! She also played the hand chimes when the therapist
pointed to which chime to play. Peg has a CAT scan tomorrow just to see
how things are going. Wes has sent the webmaster a picture of Peg and Wes
dancing on their anniversary. When he gets back, the webmaster will
post it on the web. Wes has a special prayer request for us to pray for.
You can read it in his report:
Dear friends - another day, another 2
million prayers (+ or -) AND they're working! What do you do the day after
celebrating your 40th anniversary -- Day 1 of year 41 began with Peg
continuing to work hard at trying to do everything asked of her. Some
things she just can't do - YET. Other things, I think she can't do because
of who she is - I don't think Peg has ever stuck out her tongue - so when
asked if she can stick out her tongue, she nods her head' "Yes", and then
laughs - but you don't see her tongue. And for someone who has never been
an exercise person - she loves going to the gym and doing what's asked of
her. Peg is really working hard to talk, and it is VERY frustrating for
her. So yesterday, when I couldn't remember some names, she just smiled
and rolled her eyes at me. The therapists are using some pictures from
Peg's family - asking her to point out people in the pictures. And she
does that very well. Here's a suggestion for your prayers. You may
remember that Peg had two aneurysms (1 on each side). Back in June they
put a stent in each one. I've been told that sometimes the artery wall
will grow in and around the stent, which is made of a mesh. If that
happens it incorporates the stent into the artery wall. I think, hope, and
pray that will happen on Peg's right side. And if it does, it will close
off that aneurysm, and it will no longer be a threat. So now you have
something else to pray for! I have given a picture of Peg and me dancing
to the webmaster to post when he gets back into town. The picture just
doesn't catch the spirit - BUT it shares the love. Again, thanks so
much for all of your love, prayers and support.
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Sept. 2 – 10:20PM
This is Wes' story of their 40th
anniversary day:
Dear friends - I could have danced all
night! Peg and I celebrated yesterday in the only way we could - we held
each other! We danced! - and 5 Physical therapists and a dozen other
patients gave us "thumbs up"! Peg had the rhythm and remembered all of the
steps. When I first arrived at the hospital Peg was sad, and so we just
held each other for a long time. Then she finished lunch. This was
followed by PT (where we danced once). In PT, Peg rode the stationary bike
for 10 minutes, tossed a ball with another patient and then they kicked
the ball back and forth. Lizanne and Danny brought dinner (grilled salmon,
steamed veggies and dessert). Peg ate 110% of her meal! AND then we danced
again for our family. Then we took a walk around the unit (Peg loves to
walk). Finally the day was finished. Following her shower, as I was
tucking Peg in, I said, "Now we start on 41 - Peg smiled and said, "Yes"!
My heart is still dancing. Peg's recovery is "Powered by Prayer" - yours,
mine - everybody's -- I am grateful to you, to God and for Peg's great
spirit.
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Today was another good day for Peg.
Her family from Maryland sent her a tape of them talking to her. Wes also
brought pictures of them for her to identify in therapy. She did very well
recognizing who everyone was. Her sister, Julie, is coming on Thursday to
visit Peg and to see for herself just how things are going. In P.T. Peg
walked up and down stairs with someone, and she wanted to dance again. So
Wes and Peg danced. Peg is really trying to verbalize and wants to be part
of the conversation. She sometimes adds one or two words to let everyone
know that she is there! She now has a new therapy -- music therapy. I
don't know what they do there, but Wes left a CD of hand bell songs there
since Peg really enjoyed playing the hand bells in Texas City. When Wes
got her settled in bed and got ready to leave, Peg said, "Walk." So he got
her up, put her shoes on, and they walked around a little more before he
went home.
Sept. 1 – 10:30 PM
Sorry for missing two
days, but I have been out of town. Here is what Wes wrote this morning at
9:30 AM:
Dear friends - Peg and
I continue to thank you for all of the ways in which you show your love
and support. My computer was on the fritz for a couple of days - so no
updates. Much good news - Peg loves to walk! We make a number of trips
around the floor - it kind of reminds me of when we used to roller skate
(a mixture of smooth and wobbly). Saturday, Peg was able to walk outside
with the therapist. She continues to work hard in her many different
therapies and she is making good progress. Two areas are most difficult
for Peg: (1) Speech and (2) her right arm and hand. Peg has added a couple
of more words/phrases to her speech - AND - Saturday evening, as I was
leaving, she said, "Wes!" Peg is also experiencing some periods of
appropriate sadness. I think the more she becomes aware and is able to do
things, the more she becomes aware of her situation/condition. There are
times when we just hold each other and pray. Today is our 40th anniversary
- so I'm going to get all dressed up, and pick up some flowers and go see
my girl friend. And I have a large bag of cards that we're going to read.
We will take a walk - and dance to "Some Enchanted Evening"! What a day it
will be - even better than 40 years ago!
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
This is a follow-up
after talking to Wes this evening:
Today Peg fed herself
a few bites using both hands. In P.T. she rode the stationary bike, and
she and another patient tossed a ball back and forth and also kicked it
back and forth.
For their anniversary,
Peg and Wes danced to a few songs in P.T. -- one of those was "Love Is A
Many Splendored Thing" recorded and sang by Dean Lupke of FCC. Wes said
Peg danced just like she did before. She had all the rhythm and all the
steps. The therapists watched and cheered them on. I'm sure a few of them
had tears in their eyes like I did just hearing about it. Lizanne cooked
them a special anniversary meal. Since Peg is eating chopped foods now,
she and Wes enjoyed salmon, broccoli, squash, and a chocolate éclair. Then
it was a shower and bed for Peg. She had worked hard today.
We need to pray for
vocabulary for Peg. We want her to be able to tell everyone her needs and
her wants. Once she can do that, things should be easier for Peg.
Aug. 29 – 8:00PM
Peg had all her therapies today, and
they will continue to give them to her on Saturday and Labor Day. Wes
doesn't know about Sunday yet. Wes is now certified in transferring Peg
from her wheelchair to bed or chair and back again. After a while, as Peg
progresses, he can take her out for a few hours, then on a day pass, and
finally an overnight at home. Today, Peg and Wes walked 3 times around the
floor! I have no doubt that soon Peg will be walking alone. In speech, Peg
said two words together -- she said, "I want", but then she couldn't say
what it was that she wanted. Wes gave Peg her glasses for O.T., but she
promptly took them off and refused to wear them. I guess she didn't want
them! I love that she still has her spirit; it will get her a long way.
Today at her evening meal, she reached for and held a regular cup to
drink. Thank you, God for the work You are doing in Peg.
The following is a report from Wes for Aug. 28
Dear friends -- What a day! Peg had a
full workout at TIRR on Thursday to begin her fourth week AA (after
aneurysm). Peg participated in Physical Therapy (PT) for gross motor
skills, Occupational Therapy (OT) for fine motor skills, and Speech
Therapy (SP) to help unlock her vocabulary. For P.T., Peg stood with a lot
of help, then she walked about 15 steps up the hallway and 15 steps back
with the therapist holding on to one side of her and Peg holding on to the
bar on the other side. Then Peg walked up and down a 12-step stairway. She
also practiced "transferring" (moving from the wheelchair to a bed and a
chair. In OT Peg worked on doing things with her fingers and hands. It has
become apparent that they will have to check her field of vision. They
couldn't tell if she was unable to do things because she needed to be
retrained or because she was having trouble seeing. SP was not very
productive. We are encouraging Peg to work on saying words instead of
nodding her head. Peg will have PT, OT, and SP every day. On Friday, I
will be taught how to assist with the "transfers" in preparation for "day
trips", and eventually overnights to our home. One of the women who work
with Peg (Catherine) is marvelous. She told me that her Dad was a
paraplegic and from that experience she just wanted to help others. She is
the kindest and most helpful of the people we've met at TIRR. Please say a
special prayer for Catherine. Also on Thursday, Peg received her first
shower since August 6! As you can imagine, by the end of the day Peg was
exhausted. However, she still had the strength to hug and kiss her
grandchildren when they came after supper. When it was time to go to bed,
Peg really did a great job of helping get into bed, and her head went
straight for the pillow. Thursday was also a very emotional day for Peg.
When I got to TIRR, Peg was sitting in her wheelchair out by the nursing
desk (they can't let people in wheel chairs stay by themselves) and
looking kind of wide-eyed at everything. I took Peg back to her room. She
still looked very puzzled. So I asked her, "Do you know what's happened?"
She shook her head, "No". When I told her everything that had transpired,
she became very sad, and held onto me and cried. She was sad for about an
hour and hugged me many times and cried - this is good because it shows
that Peg has appropriate feelings. We must all grieve our losses or than
can be no healing. I know this is a long message, but I wanted you to know
what a great beginning Peg had with her therapies and how much your
prayers are helping. The PT therapist said she was amazed at what Peg did
- she couldn't remember anyone doing as well on his or her first day!
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Aug. 28 – 10:30 PM
Today Peg had a full workout at TIRR.
She had physical therapy (gross motor skills), occupational therapy (fine
motor skills), and speech. For P.T., they had Peg walk. She walked about
15 steps up the hallway and 15 steps back with the therapist holding on to
one side of her and Peg, herself, holding on to the bar on the other side.
Then Peg walked up and down a 12-step stairway. I think that sounds pretty
good! The O.T. had her working on doing things with her fingers and hands.
They couldn't tell if she was unable to do things because she needed to be
retrained or because she was having trouble seeing. More tests have been
ordered to check her sight. As for speech, that didn't go as well as hoped
either. She is now supposed to work on saying words instead of nodding her
head. However, when I talked to her tonight, she said, "Okay". That is
another new word to add to her vocabulary. Tomorrow will be another
workout day. Pray for improvement in every area tomorrow. Monday will be
Wes and Peg's 40th anniversary. We are so grateful to God that Peg is here
to celebrate. May God give them many blessings on Monday and all the days
and years to follow.
Wes and Peg -- we all wish you a
wonderful anniversary. We love you. From all the members of FCC Conroe.
Aug. 27 – 9:00PM
Today Peg moved to TIRR (the rehab
hospital). A couple of doctors came in to evaluate her. They said that Peg
had good potential, and she was in better shape than most of the
brain-injured people that they get there. Peg responded well to their
directions. Go Peg! Today she was measured for a wheelchair that she will
get tomorrow. A lot of her therapy will be done in the wheelchair. Peg ate
well today, and she drank all her liquids through a straw! The tight white
hose that she has to wear to protect her from blood clots finally got to
her. Peg was so tired of wearing them, that she tried to take them off
herself. Wes helped her get them off, and she gave a big sigh of relief.
Her skin was so dry, that Wes gave her a leg and foot massage with the
lotion. She loved that. She also got a new bed today. It is called a "veil
bed". It has netting around it so Peg can't climb out of it. She didn't
care what the bed was like, she just zonked out when she finally got in it.
On another note, the insurance company
called to apologize to Wes for the way they had treated him and Peg.
Visiting hours at TIRR are 10 AM to 9
PM. However, Peg will be in therapy during the morning and afternoon. You
could probably come and watch her work out, but if you want to visit with
Peg, Wes suggested that you come in the early evening.
If you want to send Peg a card or come
to visit, the address is:
Peg Morgan
TIRR
Room 309 -- bed 2
1333 Moursund
Houston, TX 77030-3405
713-797-7316 (I don't know who will
answer this phone number, but it is the one Wes gave me.)
Aug. 26 – 9:15PM
TODAY PEG WALKED!!! She only took a
couple of steps and was supported all over, but her feet touched the floor
and her legs moved. That's walking to me. Tomorrow Peg moves to TIRR
(rehab hospital), and progress can really start!! There is only one little
glitch that Wes wants prayers for. TRS (Teachers Retirement System) says
that they will only let Peg stay at TIRR for a 7 -14 day trial period. TRS
says that Peg must be able to follow directions and pay attention for a 3
hour period. What makes them get to decide? I thought that was TIRR's job.
They have already evaluated Peg, and think that they can help her. (Sorry
for my own personal editorial, but I am the editor of this web page, and I
felt like sounding off.) Please pray that Peg can stay at TIRR for as long
as she needs to. This afternoon Wes was making Peg follow directions, i.e.
roll over, sit up, raise your hand, open your mouth -- sounds like he's
training a puppy, but we want Peg to follow directions.
Tonight Donna and Connie went to see
Peg. They took her a Hershey bar! When they showed it to her, Peg's eyes
lit up. Wes broke off pieces and fed it to her until she had eaten 1/4 of
the bar. They also gave her a Dr. Pepper in her sippy cup, and Peg held
the cup and drank by herself! Donna said that when it got empty, Peg shook
the cup at them as if to say, "Hey, don't you know this is empty, and I
need more?” They fed Peg her dinner of pureed stuff, and she ate well.
Connie told her that the TV channel that was on looked very boring (music
and scenery), so Connie changed it to a black and white 1940's movie on
AMC. Donna said that she hadn't seen that one, and Peg shook her head to
say that she hadn't seen it either. Then she kept her eyes on the TV, and
seemed to be following the movie.
Please pray that Peg
makes enough progress at TIRR to blow TRS out of the water! Pray for Wes,
too. He won't say it, but he is very tired. Not only does he have to fight
for Peg at the hospital, he has to fight insurance and TRS. The Elders and
other lay people at the church are trying to take as much of a load off of
him at the church as he will let us. Pray that Wes sees the need to take a
mental health day and relax in his canoe on the lake. (Sorry, Wes, I am
editorializing again. I know you haven't complained, but you need to be in
physical and mental shape when Peg comes home.)
Aug. 25 – 6:30PM
Today Wes went to Austin to try to get
the insurance straightened out. Peg can't go to TIRR until it is. Please
pray that this get straightened out soon.
I went to stay with Peg for about 2
1/2 hours. I brought her a chenille throw because I know how Peg loves
soft feeling stuff. She took it and rubbed her hand up and down it. Then
she wrapped it up over her shoulders until it was touching her cheek. She
kept putting it up there the whole time I visited.
Peg also had her first Dr. Pepper!
(the nurse said that it was ok) I showed her the can when I walked in and
asked, "Do you want a Dr. Pepper?" She smiled really big and nodded yes. I
bought her two insulated sippy cups (hey, it beats drinking from a spoon
or a syringe). I filled one with the D. P. and helped her drink from it.
She really did smile after that first drink. By the time I left, she was
almost holding the cup herself and putting it up to her mouth!
We had a good visit just the two of
us. She smiled, laughed some, & nodded, but she didn't say anything. I
told her that she needed to start building her vocabulary back. I said
that I always thought I could carry on a conversation by myself, but I was
wrong. She laughed about that.
I think she would have been more
animated if she hadn't been in such pain from her back. I spent about an
hour and a half off and on rubbing it. I asked her if she wanted me to rub
her back, and she nodded yes. After that, when she wanted it rubbed, she
just turned her back to me. I asked the nurse if she could give Peg
something for the pain. The nurse said that she had put a warm pack under
Peg earlier in the morning, but Peg was so restless that it didn't stay
put. Well, duh! Peg is restless because her back hurts! I asked the nurse
if she couldn't give Peg something for pain, and finally she asked for
orders for Tylenol. Peg almost sat all the way up by herself. She got half
way up and just lay over on her side. She wants to sit straight up to help
the pain. The problem is that she is on an air mattress that is covered
with "vinyl". Every time she sits up, she slides right back down. She
couldn't sit all the way up if she wanted to.
She didn't even eat very much because
it hurt to bad too be on her back. Of course it didn't look too appetizing
to me. I told her that the pureed chicken was really Chik-fil-A, and the
pureed mashed potatoes were really waffle fries, but I couldn't come up
with anything the bright orange stuff could be called. She did eat some of
it and drank more D.P., but then she just turned on her
side. Finally the nurse came with the Tylenol, and it was
starting to kick in when I left.
I did get a big hug when I left.
If you go to visit her, and she seems
in pain, please ask the nurse for Tylenol for her. Ask her if she wants a
drink, and if she does, give her something in her sippy cup. She just
can't ask for herself yet.
The following is Wes' report
from Sunday Aug. 24:
Dear friends -- Peg and I continue our
strange journey toward healing – and we are so grateful for all of the
wonderful and caring ways in which you reach out and support us. Your
love, prayers and support are making all of the difference!
Peg had a good day yesterday -- she
said two more words, "No" and "All right"! (that might be three -- depends
on how you’re listening). Several other times she mouthed the words but
nothing was heard.
Peg was really into hugging yesterday
-- everybody who came into her room got a hug -- I received about 3 dozen!
Many people at the church worked to
make us "Prayer Hats" -- they were a hit! I wore mine into the hospital,
and as I passed the Nurse's station, I got some incredulous looks. I
asked, "What's wrong? Haven't you ever seen a Prayer Hat before?" When Peg
saw it she laughed. I said, "Wait, I have one for you, too. When I put it
on her head she rolled her eyes.
When I asked Peg if we were going to
dance on our 40th Anniversary (Sept 1) -- she nodded her head, "Yes"!
We're still waiting on the insurance
company to settle things so we can move to TIRR and begin the rehab in
earnest.
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
Aug. 24 – 9:00PM
Today was a great day!!! Before I tell
you about it, I need to go back to last Thursday, and let you know what
Jerre emailed me. Here is what he wrote: “I called Wes Thursday
afternoon, and Wes said, ‘Do you want to talk to Peg?’ I said ‘Oh yes, I
sure do.’ I said to Peg, ‘I am ready for you to come home, so I can get a
big hug (again).’ She laughed out loud, and Wes said, she liked that. Boy,
that was an enjoyable experience. Praise the Lord, and the Doctors, and
the Wisdom of our pastor, too.” Peg laughed!! How wonderful. I got the
same experience last night. I talked to Peg, and I said, “Peg, you are
making my self-esteem go down to the basement. Whenever anyone goes to
visit you, you are alert, and smile, and look at them, but when I come,
you go to sleep!” She laughed out loud! I was so surprised that I thought
it was Wes laughing. When I realized it was Peg, I almost cried.
For those of you that don’t know Peg,
she has the most wonderful laugh. I think that laugh was what first drew
me to her. She enjoys life so much, and when something is funny, she has
this wonderful, loud, laugh. She doesn’t try to hold it in or cover it up.
She just laughs. It was such a blessing hearing it again and knowing that
it is not gone.
Today during the sermon, Wes gave an
update on Peg. He said that she loves to give hugs. She wraps both her
arms around someone’s neck and gives a big ol’ hug. Wes wrote on a piece
of paper, “Can you read this?”, and Peg said, “Yes.” Praise God. Then,
when Wes left last night, he held up his arm and waved his fingers to say
good-bye. Peg then did the same thing!! She raised her arm and wiggled her
fingers!!
This afternoon Peg had a lot of
visitors: Barry & Teresa and Jarrod & Johnnie from First Christian in
Conroe; some friends from First Christian of Texas City; family members,
Danny & grandkids and David & his wife, Jen. Peg gave them all big
hugs!!! This evening when I talked to Peg on the phone, she said, “no” to
a question I asked her, laughed when I told her something, and when I told
her something that we would do later, she said, “All right.” (You know the
way you say it by stressing both syllables to show that you are excited
about something.) It was just so wonderful.
God is the Great Healer, the Worker of
Miracles, and the Answer to Prayers. I just say, “Thank you, God, from the
depth of my soul. Keep up the wonderful work.”
Aug. 23 – 12:15 PM
Sorry folks, that I didn't get
Friday's (8/22/03) update until today. Debbie and I went down to see Peg
yesterday. We got there just before lunch was served. She was asleep and
when she woke up, she really didn't respond to us very much. Peg was back
in the fog. Debbie fed Peg her lunch since Wes was back in Conroe. Peg ate
half of a bowl of cream of chicken soup, a few bites of mashed potatoes,
one bite of this horrible looking pureed green stuff, and some banana and
something dessert. Debbie spooned Peg some ice tea, and Peg made a
horrible face. She did not like their tea! She did drink (with a spoon)
some of the pineapple juice. I brought her some Bath & Body Warm Vanilla
Sugar body lotion that we rubbed into her hands and legs. I had hoped that
the wonderful smell would stimulate her. We also put the Dr. Pepper lip
balm on her lips, too. Occasionally, Peg acted like she was listening to
us, but her eyes seems to go to the TV where just different landscapes and
music were turned on. After lunch, Peg drifted off to sleep so we left.
Below is Wes' email on yesterday from his point of view. There probably
won't be a report for today unless Wes calls before the ballgame.
From: "Wes Morgan"
Dear friends -- I thank God for you
and all of the wonderful ways in which you are supporting Peg and me!
Yesterday (8/22/3) was another day of progress for Peg -- it was a "heavy
day" -- I think she was resting from the day before which was such a
significant day in terms of progress. But then I am "learning" (again and
again) that patience is not only a virtue -- it's a gift! Several of our
friends were able to visit (Susan, from Texas City, Debbie and Peggy and
Jennifer ?) Several of them helped to feed Peg -- all of her food is
pureed -- (you haven't lived until you seen pureed bread (or pureed
anything -- you just name it!) Our son, David, was also able to be there
yesterday as I made a trip to the house to get the items that Peg will
need when she is transferred to TIRR. That trip included a little side
trip as I somehow got 5 nails in a tire? A part that is heavy for me is
that the insurance companies are fighting over who pays what -- in the
meantime Peg is missing out on the Physical Therapy that could be so
helpful. So please include the insurance companies in your prayers. Today,
I will be taking a little break -- the church is sponsoring a trip to an
Astros game. So I'll pick up our oldest grandson -- we'll go to see Peg,
and then return to Conroe so we can ride the "big bus" to the game. Our
grandson will spend the night with me and we'll go to church in the
morning and then go back to the hospital Sunday afternoon. Again, I thank
you for your love, prayers and support.
Love & Blessings, Wes <+><
(Remember, you can post a prayer to
Wes, Peg, or for anyone else on our Post-a-Prayer page. Just click on the
button at the top of this page. Your name won't show unless you
write it at the end of your prayer.)
Aug. 21 – 3:00 PM
Peg is eating real food today!!!! I
forgot to ask what kind since I was so excited, but I am assuming it is
liquid. She also said two words!!! She said, "Yes" and "Yeah". This means
the other words will come. It seems as if after every prayer service, she
has a big improvement. Thanks be to God! Her grandkids came today. She
recognized them and smiled at them. When I called her, Wes put the phone
to her ear, and he said she got a big grin on her face while I was
talking. He tried to get her to say, "Bye", but she didn't. I know it will
come. Lisa, a friend and neighbor, said that today Peg's morning glories
bloomed for the first time. Even the flowers are rejoicing. Praise God!!
If anything else changes, I'll report tonight, otherwise this is today's
update.
Aug. 20 – 9:00 PM
Well,
it had been two weeks today although it seems like so much longer, but
today was Peg's best day so far! Praise God!! This morning 3 friends went
down to visit Peg. They said that Peg's eyes were open and clear, and she
smiled when she saw them. She was alert as they talked, and when they were
ready to leave, Julie asked Peg to give her a smile, and she did!! In the
afternoon, Peg was moved to a private room! It is room 454 in Methodist
Hospital. Wes played the church CD for her again, and every time someone
new came on, she squeezed his hand and cried a little. Then he played the
CD of the grandkids, and she cried a lot. When he asked her if she wanted
to hear it again, SHE NODDED!!! This is something new -- Yea, God!!!
Tonight the neurologist took her feeding tube out! He said that he hoped
she got hungry enough to open her mouth tomorrow. They will try to give
her some broth then. Both Wes and the doctor would like to see her go to
rehab without a feeding tube, but if she can't or won't eat, they will put
the feeding tube into her stomach. Peg's sisters called her today. Wes
held the phone while they talked, and she reacted to them. It seems as if
today, she was completely out of the fog. If all goes well, she will move
to TIRR Friday or Monday. Your prayers are really working. Bless you and
keep them up.
Aug. 19 – 7:15 PM
During the day, Peg was deep in the
fog, and not very responsive. She has been moving her legs more, and she
has been crossing them when she sits in the chair. Someone from TIRR
(Texas Institute of Research & Rehabilitation) came and did an evaluation
of Peg today, but Wes doesn't know what their results were. This evening
she was in the light fog. She opened her eyes, recognized, and smiled at
two of her visitors. Tomorrow Peg is leaving ICU for a room!!! Go God!!
Aug. 18 – 10:30 PM
Last Wednesday, a
prayer service was held at church to pray for all of those that needed
healing. Before the service, everyone there was asked to record their name
and a short message to Peg. Today Wes played the C.D. that we made for her
at the prayer service. She started out with her eyes closed, but when she
heard our voices, she opened her eyes. When she heard everyone talking to
her and giving her their love, she started to cry. This was a good cry. We
know that she still has her emotions, but better still, she remembers us.
Your prayers and love are coming through to her. Wes showed her pictures
of their grandchildren. Every time he showed her a different
picture, she squeezed Lizanne's hand. The rest of the time, her eyes were
closed. This afternoon Wes walked over to TIRR to check the place out. He
also wants to do some internet research to make sure this is the right
place for Peg. We wish she would be closer, but we all want her in the
very best place that there is for the kind of rehabilitation that Peg
needs.
Aug. 17 – 10:30 PM
Today is a "2-fur". You get two
updates for one day. This afternoon Wes, Lizanne & Danny, and Dave & Jen
(their son and daughter-in-law) were up to see Peg. She was in the chair,
but didn't open her eyes until Wes told her that it was Dave's birthday.
She opened her eyes while they sang happy birthday to Dave.
This evening Madeline & I went for the
evening shift because Wes had a church board meeting and their kids had
commitments also. We were so blessed to be able to be there. Peg was
asleep and still in the chair when we arrived, but I woke her up. We told
her who we were, and she opened her eyes and smiled at us. She didn't keep
them open, but as we talked to her, she would smile. A church member had
given me some Dr. Pepper lip-gloss to put on her lips, and I did. However,
because Peg couldn't really taste it, she didn't get the Dr. Pepper
flavor. I'll try again when she is more alert. We tried to bring up things
that were funny that had happened in the past when we were together, and
as we reminded her about them, she would smile. Madeline brought her a
soft, soft lamb that had a squeeze box in it that when played had a
child's voice saying a sweet version of "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep". We
put it in Peg's hand so that she could squeeze it. Whenever there was a
lull in our conversation, she would make the lamb pray. Madeline rubbed
her feet, and I rubbed her neck. She really liked that, and she fell
asleep. We could tell by how relaxed her face was and how even her
breathing was. Jan L. came in just a few minutes before we left, but Peg
was already asleep and didn't wake up for Jan.
I know that Peg was there,
just at the top of the fog that she was in. Jan who has had an aneurysm,
and who has been with her mother when her mother's aneurysm burst, told us
that the medication that Peg is on to prevent the vascular spasms keeps
her from being very alert. When the doctors reduce the amount of the
medicine or her body gets used to it, we should see a big difference in
how she acts.
Aug. 16 - 4:30
PM
Wes said
that Peg sat in the chair all afternoon with her eyes open the whole time.
When someone came in the room, her eyes tracked to them, and if she
recognized them, she smiled! Praise God!!! Keep up the prayers.
Aug. 15 – 8:00 PM
Peg had a very tiring day today. She
sat in the "cadillac chair" for 4 1/2 hours!! She was worn out. She is now
being treated for a yeast infection. She still has a fever, but now they
think a part of her brain that regulates this might now be damaged. This
means it would not be an infection after all. If she doesn't get any
worse, next Tues or Weds., she will be transferred to a rehab hospital --
probably TIRR (Texas Institute of Research and Rehabilitation). Wes still
is going to research to make sure this is the best one for Peg.
Aug. 14 – 10:16 PM
Sorry that I haven't written sooner,
but I just got back from the hospital. I just had to see Peg myself. She'd
had a hard day today. She sat up in a "cadillac" chair for a while. Wes
said that she didn't like it because she had her "school teacher frown" on
the whole time. Then she had physical therapy. This afternoon, she opened
her eyes for Wes, Lizanne, and Danny (Lizanne's husband). She has an
infection, so the doctor moved her "central line" from the left side of
her neck to the right side of her clavicle. She also has a urinary fungus.
So when Donna Smith and I got there, Peg was exhausted and running a
fever. She had been given Tylenol, but it hadn't started to take yet. She
kept squeezing my hand with her left hand, but I don't know if she meant
to or it was just a reaction to someone putting their hand in hers. I
talked to her, but it wasn't until I told her that when she got her
feeding tube out, I would bring her a Dr. Pepper, did she make a noise.
When I got ready to leave, she gave a big yawn and opened her eyes for a
couple of seconds. It was good to see those eyes. The neurologist told Wes
that she would stay in ICU until at least next Weds. He said that in the
two weeks after a stroke, the person could have vascular spasms. This is
not a good thing, and they want to be close by in case this happens.
Please pray that Peg's infection goes away, and her temperature goes back
to normal. Also, pray that the vascular spasms do not happen.
Another thing I want to say is how
lucky the Morgan family is to have gotten Danny (who is married to
Lizanne) in their family. Danny is so loving and kind with Peg. You can
just see his love and compassion when he is with her. That must be what
makes him such a good pastor. Of course, Danny is lucky to have married
Lizanne and gotten the Morgan family, too.
From now on, I will only be posting
updates once a day in the evening after the last visit. If anything big
happens, then I will post that.
Aug.13 – 9:23 PM
PEG
OPENED HER EYES TONIGHT AND LOOKED AROUND!!!!!
Praise God!!! Tonight while all of
Peg's family was standing around her, she opened her eyes and turned her
head to look at each one. Wes told her that she was in the hospital, but
that she would be ok. That seemed to satisfy her for now. Now we pray that
each day, she improves a little bit more.
Tonight we had a prayer service at the
church for those that were ill. Just as we finished praying for Peg, my
cell phone rang and Wes said, "She opened her eyes!". You should have been
able to hear the cheer from wherever you are. We do praise God for the
miracles that He gives us.
Aug. 13 – 2:33 PM
Wes said that today was a
rollercoaster day. They sat Peg up, the physical therapist worked her
limbs, and then Peg's blood pressure rose too high. Now she is on medicine
to try to bring that back down. She knows Wes' is there and responds by
moving her left hand in his, but she just doesn't want to wake up.
Tonight at 6:30 is a prayer service
for Peg and anyone else that is ill or needs prayer. But at 6:00, Bill is
going to start recording messages from anyone that wants to send Peg a
short message. Just one or two sentences. If you want to participate
in this, please come, and tell all others that don't have email about
this.
Aug. 13 – 11:37 AM
This morning they sat
Peg up on the side of the bed for a few minutes. That didn't wake her up,
but she briefly opened her right eye. It did tire her out so that she went
to sleep when she lay back down. A physical therapist and an
occupational therapist came in to talk to Wes. They are going to start
working with Peg. The occupational therapist will work with the top half
of her body, while the physical therapist will work with the lower half.
Aug. 12 – 6:47 PM
Peg is essentially the
same. This afternoon she was more active with her left hand. She kept
touching Wes' hand, his watch, his rings, and his fingers. She kept
running her hand up and down his arm. I think she knows that he is there,
and that he loves her and she loves him.
Aug. 12 – 11:09 AM
Not much to report this morning. The
CAT scan they did last night was good and her neurosurgeon is encouraged.
They are still working her right side to keep it flexible. Wes hopes to
know more this afternoon.
Aug.
11 – 8:06 PM
Peg got the drain out
of her head this afternoon. They took a culture of the fluid before they
took it out to make sure that the infection isn't coming from that. When
they ripped the bandage off, Peg made a big frown. She didn't like that!
The nurse told Wes to really move her right arm and leg when he was in
there so it doesn't "freeze up." They are going to do a CAT scan tonight,
so Wes is going down there in the morning to be there when the doctors
come.
Aug. 11 - 2:50 PM
Wes said that Peg is moving her left
side more and her right side less. Remember the left side of the brain
controls the right side of the body. Peg is also fighting an infection. It
might be a blood infection. Another culture has been taken to identify the
kind of infection. Until they know, they are giving her a broad band
antibiotic and Tylenol. Pray for the infection to go away. She
has enough things to fight without fighting an infection, too.
Aug. 10 - 7:54 PM
Peg has had an active
day today. She's been really moving her left arm and twirling her left
foot. Her drain tube is almost clear, so it should be coming out soon. Now
to the wonderful part. Wes leaned down to her ear and told her that it was
almost their 40th anniversary (Sept. 1), and Peg squeezed his hand the
hardest she ever has! For all of you that were not in church today, Wes
told us that he was going to take the fresh bread of communion and put it
up to her nose to smell. Then he was going to dip his finger in the juice
of communion and touch her tongue with it. As he did this, Peg lifted her
head trying to take communion. She is such a faithful Christian and knows
the meaning of communion, and she wanted to be a part of it even in her
coma. We praise and thank God for that because even now, she knows that He
is with her in this valley of shadows. Please continue your prayers. As
Wes said today, we are a part of their family.
Aug. 9 - 6:50 PM
Bill and I went to the hospital this afternoon and
got to see Peg. I put her hand in mine and squeezed it, but I don't know
if that was a reflex or if she meant to. I tried to talk her into opening
her eyes, by telling her how much I loved her, how we needed to go
shopping, how I couldn't carry a note in the choir unless she was sitting
beside me, but I must have bored her because she started snoring. I am
definitely going to have a conversation with her about that when she wakes
up!
After we left, Wes said that they took her to get
another CAT scan, changed her sheets, and gave her a bath. That wore her
out, he said, because she was really snoring when he left. The CAT scan
was just routine and not because of any change. It concerns us that there
is so much black on the CAT scan that show cells that are dead. However, the
brain is unpredictable and is capable of bypassing that and forming a new
path.
They are going to leave the drain in until it runs
clear however long that takes. She is going to stay in ICU until they need
her bed. Then she will go to a "step down" unit. I guess that is a
critical care unit. When she wakes up, and the doc. says she is ready, she
will move to a rehab hospital.
Wes thinks that with the Gideons, Peg has over a
million people praying for her! God will surely have to answer our prayers
so that we will be quiet and He can hear the prayers of others.
Aug. 9 - 10:47AM
Wes just called again. Said the neurosurgeon, was
just in to see Peg. Wes said the doc got forceful with her and pushed hard
on her left shoulder. Peg opened her left eye and took her left hand and
pushed him away. That sounds like our Peg! Also, she must still have sight
in that eye! Yea, God!
Aug. 9 - 10:39 AM
Just talked to Wes. Peg is running a low temperature, so they
are running cultures to see what is causing it. Her vital signs are still
good, as is her intercranial pressure. Her drain is still sending out
blood and stuff, so that is why it is staying in until Monday. She has had a
feeding tube put in so she can be fed and given medicine through that.
They believe that she has a good amount of damage on the right side. She
keeps drawing her right arm close to her and fights when someone tries to
move it. The doctors say this is a sign that she is trying to protect that
side from more harm. After she wakes up, they will transfer her to a rehab
hospital. Hopefully, it will be one close by, but we want the best one for
her.
I have a email buddy whose husband is president of
the Gideons. She is on their prayer list and will have 720,000 men praying
for her every day. Wes thinks that there is at least 1 million people
praying for her right now! Wes doesn't want you to pray to have her back
like she was before because before was when she had the aneurysm. He would
like you to pray for a complete recovery.
Wes will be home late tonight and will
preach tomorrow.
Aug. 8 - 9:16 PM
I just talked to Wes. He says Peg's vital signs are
good, but they are going to keep her in ICU at least until Monday because
the doctor is keeping the drain in until then.
She still hasn't opened her eyes, but she hears what
is going on. Lizanne took Peg's hand and said, "If you love me,
Mom, squeeze my hand 3 times." And Peg did!
When Wes touches his hand next to hers, she reaches
over to it and rubs her thumb up and down his hand. I think that is so
sweet!
Aug. 8 - 4:39 PM
Peg still has not opened her eyes and awakened yet.
But during the afternoon visitation, Wes put his hand touching hers and
she lifted her hand and put it in his.
Keep the prayers coming.
Aug. 8 - 10:28 AM
Wes just called and said Peg touched her head with
her hand and opened one eye for a second! Yeah! She is starting to wake
up! The nurse said that Peg is doing a lot with her left side, but not as
much with her right. (Left side of brain controls right side of body)
She's not moving her fingers on the right side as she is on her left. She
will probably need therapy to get through this, but that is ok.
Wes and Lizanne (Wes and Peg's daughter) are talking to her loudly to try and
get her to wake up.
Aug 7 - 9:45 AM
Peg is still not waking up. All the anesthesia has
left her body, but big parts of her brain did not get oxygen to it after
the artery was blocked off. It was hoped that other vessels would take
blood to the left side of her brain but there is not as much flow there as
the doctors would like. The doctor says that after such a trauma, the body
needs to sleep and heal, so that is what Peg's body is doing.
She does move her arms and legs, so she had gross
motor skills. Until she wakes up, they won't know about fine motor skills,
speech, or other brain activities.
As for the other aneurysm on the right, the doctors
are going to watch it for now. When it gets too large to ignore, they will
operate on it by going through the skull and tying it off. They won't do
the coil method because if that one would burst, she would lose all brain
function.
Pray for strong blood flow to the left side of her
brain as well as healing. Pray for Wes, too.
Aug 7 - 8:33 AM
Wes just called. He said that the surgeon has taken
Peg down to have a CAT scan done of the brain. Then they will take her to
the OR to remove the balloon. All this will take until mid-afternoon. Then
they will let her start waking up on her own. The surgeon did say that her
pupils react to light., This is a good thing brain function
indicator.
Please continue your prayers. Wes feels them and
believes that they are working.
Aug. 6 - 11:24 PM
As I said before, Peg's aneurysm burst. But it burst
right as the surgeon had the balloon 2 inches from the aneurysm. It would
have burst today no matter what. Bless God that she was in surgery when
that happened. The surgeon immediately inflated the balloon to seal off
the blood flow, then he wound tight coils of wire and blocked off all
blood flow to the artery. This is the carotid artery -- a major vessel.
Blood will not ever flow through this part of it again. However, the surgeon said that
other vessels could take over that job. After the coils were put in, he
put in an intercranial pressure gauge and a drain to drain the blood and
fluid off. He left all the instruments that were in
her groin there so that she would not move and make things worse.
They are keeping her paralyzed so that she won't
move. They don't want her to have any stimulation at all. Wes and Lizanne
(their daughter) are not even allowed to touch her. She is also on a
ventilator. The surgeon wants her to not move a muscle. However, Peg did
start of come out of it a little bit and moved both her arms. This is good
because one of the things that could go wrong would be paralysis.
Wes is concerned that she may lose her left eye. This
is entirely possible as this artery fed blood to the eye. There is a chance
however, that other vessels may take over that job as well as the job of
supplying blood to the left side of the brain.
Right now, the surgeon says that we take everything
hour to hour.
Again, Peg is in critical condition on an
hour-to-hour basis. The only real help we can be is to be the squeaky
wheel in God's ear.
Aug. 6 - 1:00 PM
Peg's aneurysm burst in surgery. A balloon put in to try to
stop blood while CAT scan is being done to evaluate. There could be
serious complications. PLEASE PRAY NOW FOR COMPLETE HEALING.
Wes and Peg