Great Visit

First of all I would like to thank the messenger that allowed God to use them in a very special way. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have gotten to go see Christie. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, you can't imagine how rich I was this weekend with Christie. You will see what I mean when you See the new pictures.
Now for the update. Christie is kinda in a coma, it is a level 3, she is in a "minimal responsive state." That means at times, she can move her head and right hand, but it is non purposeful movement.
The therapist is trying to establish communication. Christie can move her head for yes and no answers. She can push a button to a recorded message. They record yes, they ask her a question, if the answer is yes, she pushes the button, if the answer is no, she moves her hand away.
She does stretching exercises, she don't like them, because it hurts her. She has been still for over 2 months. She is doing great.
Also after I left today, she went to the ENT doctor, and they removed her Track. I wish I could have been there to see her without it.
She has her left eye open, but she can't see out of it. If you are on her left, she has to turn her head to see you. The best part of the weekend, she gave me kisses on my cheek. She puckers, and you can even hear her make the smack sound. I was so happy. I can't wait to go see her again. As soon as I get the money, I'm off again. The therapist say she seems to be more consistent when I am there. Please feel free to look at the pictures. I am adding some, and deleting some to make room.
Thanks for the prayers,
Love,
Becky & Christie

GREAT NEWS

I got to talk to Christie today. The speech therapist called and had Christie on speaker phone so she could hear me. Christie is still in a coma, but there are different levels. Christie at times can hear and respond in her own way, a blink, a thumbs up etc. Other times she doesn't do anything. Anyway, the good news is the therapist have a machine they speak words into. Then they show Christie where the yes and no buttons are. They ask Christie a question, and all by herself she pushed the button. She pushed the button to day that said "Hey Mom" if you were in Church Sunday, in the video of the father and son, it is the same kind of machine the son was using to speak.
Christie said she wanted me to come see her, so I am leaving Thursday around 1:00 P.M. I am stepping out on faith to make the trip, because I really don't have the money and I still don't have a job. I'm not to proud to say" If you can help, please do." The account at BB&T is still active, or you can make donations to the church, just ask if you need to know how.
Thanks,
Becky & Christie

Tuesday June 17

I don't have much to tell you, Christie was transported to the hospital this morning for a CT scan of her right hand and also a CT of her brain. It may take a week for the results, but I will let you know as soon as I hear. Keep praying I can see her soon.
Becky

phone update

I called to check on christie, she has pneumonia again in her right lung. There doesn't seem to be any other change other than that at this time.
Please keep praying. I miss her and really want to go back to see her.
Becky

Looking ahead

I just had a conference call with Doctor V. at FINR. Christie has high liver enzymes and they are trying to find out why. They think her liver may have been damaged in the wreck. She also has an infection somewhere, they are trying to pin point that. It may be a blood clot somewhere.
They will know more in 60 days how Christie is progressing, but as of now they know she is blind in the left eye. The left side of her face is paralyzed, the pictures of her smiling is the best we can get. The left side won't move. With the left temporal lobe gone,she will not be able to speak again. She may be able to communicate in some way, but not talking. She will reach her full potential in 2 years. What that is, we don't know. The doctor said she may never be able to do anything for herself, it depends on how she responds to therapy.
Please keep praying for us. I am so torn ,I want to be with her every minute, but I can't. Gas alone there and back is 300.00, plus lodging is extra. If any one would like to help you may make contributions to BB&T under the name of Christine Martel, or to my church, 4018 Old Buncombe Rd. Greenville S.C. 29617. If you send to the church, please indicate it is for Christie.I also need a job, please pray a door will open up soon.
Thanks,
Becky

weekend with Christie and Richard

Hello everyone,

This may be along blog, if I can remember everything from the weekend. The plane was late, so we didn't get to FINR until 7:00 P.M Friday night. We saw Richard right away, he was at the nurses station. He saw Mom and Me and got very emotional. He said " hey everyone(talking to the nurses.) This is my ex-wife, but always my best friend and my mother-in-law. Now you have met almost all of my family.
We talked with Richard for awhile, he didn't know I have been keeping up with Him and Christie the whole time, so he wanted to warn me, so I would know what to expect when I saw Christie. I told him it was OK, that I have been there, He was just asleep when I was there and didn't see me before.
Richard said he had seen Christie that day and he was upset by it, but by the end of the weekend, I think he is going to be strong for Christie and help her as she starts the progress he has made.
Christie has a throat infection because of the trach, but is normal and being treated with antibiotics. We took Christie outside in her chair(lays down like a bed) for a few minutes Sat and Sun. She is still in the coma, but we believe there are different levels. Christie can hear you when you talk to her. She smiled a lot this weekend. She is trying to communicate, I asked her was she ready to come back inside, I said if you are blink once, she did, then I said, I'm not sure you really meant yes, so if you want to go in, give me a thumbs up, she did. We came in. I accidentally took her to her Dads room, Richard had been outside with us. After I got her settled in the room I realized it was the wrong room. I said Christie, I brought you to your dad;s room by mistake, she smiled all over the place.
Richard seemed to enjoy our visit, while Christie slept, I would go for walks with Richard, Mom and I played BINGO with him in the common room. Richard seems to remember a lot, he brought up people we use to know over 20 years ago. He talked of pleasant memories that he recalled from our past, He remembered the pet names he had for Mama, he called her Mama cheese whiz, Mammaw and I can't remember the other, but he did, he remembered when I was coming to visit from day to day, he was waiting by the door Sat and Sunday when we got there. He said what took you so long, I've been waiting for you. I remember you said you would be here in the morning and if I was still asleep, you would wake me up.
He is determined to take care of Christie, If he is cold, he will go to Christie's room and turn off her fan. I told him I was glad he was there to look after Christie and take care of her, he said that WE would take care of her together and I told him yes we would.
He liked some of Christie's pictures, so I made copies, and he had me rearrange his wall of pictures. He put them where he wanted them and I taped them in place. They had been on his bulletin board, but he said he couldn't see them from his chair, so we moved them.
Christie also raised her head up several times. Paula and Aaron also came to visit Friday and Sunday. Christie seemed to enjoy their visit as well. Richard also joined us. Richard slept really well Saturday night and took 2 naps at least 2 hours each Sunday.
I'm glad Richard knows Christie is there, so now Angie and Phillip can visit her again without fear of Richard following them and finding out about Christie.
also we are looking for them to try and cap her trach this week, I call everyday for updates on Christie, but with Angie there in person, maybe she can put more current updates than I, so keep checking Richard and Christie's blog.
Becky

MY BAD

OK friends and loved ones,
Let me clear somethings up. Christie is still in a coma. There has been no change on that. When I type that I talked to Christie, I talk, she listens(I hope) she doesn't respond. I am just so use to getting to talk to her before the accident, because I would talk to her everyday. Also, what I mean by she is awake, is that her eye is open, sometimes you can tell if she's normally sleeping, or if her eye is open, she may be "awake", but she is still in the coma. Sorry if I misled anyone and got their hopes up.
Sorry,
Becky

Christie's EEG

Hey Everyone,
There hasn't been much change with Christie. She was having what seemed to be seizures, so they did an EEG, nothing showed up on the report, but she continued to show signs of her having seizures, so they started her on seizure medicine, sorry I can't remember the name., but it has stopped what ever she was doing, so she is doing OK. She is resting, but hasn't done anything new.
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers,
Becky

New Pictures

Hi everyone,

These are pictures that were taken of Christie May 31, 2008 by Paula. Thank you so much for sending them to me so that we can see our little girl in progress. God bless you.

Dawn

Christie had visitors

Christie had visitors today. Her friend Aaron and his Mom went to visit. She was asleep when they got there. She was resting comfortably. During the visit she awoke, and I got to talk to her on the phone. She also got to listen to her Mammaw. She smiled when she heard our voices. I told her I was watching Gone With The Wind, and she made a face like oh brother. Paula rubbed lotion on her left ear because that is the side she has been laying on the most and we don't want the skin breaking down(bed sores). Paula said she moved her head from side to side several times today. Paula put cold lotion on Christies left foot and she withdrew it fast enough Paula thought she had done it somehow herself. Not wanting to be mean, she dropped more cold lotion on Christie's foot to see what she would do, again, she withdrew her foot. It wasn't alot mind you, but she did move it more than once. Small steps.While Paula put lotion on Christie, Christie got cold chills. Also Christie is ticklish on her left ear. When she applied lotion to her ear she smiled. Christie also coughed today, really hard twice. Christie was also moved to a bigger room. The nurses where nice, and put all of her things back on the wall. I was told Christie looked good, and that she wasn't sweating.Paula made pictures. As soon as I get them, I will ask Dawn to put them on the site so you can see for yourselves.also they have opened her hands and have splints on them to keep them from curling up.

Thanks for your Prayers,
Becky