OUR LAST DAY AT BROOKS!

WOW!  The light at the end of the tunnel is finally here.... the day I thought would never be here.... from 3 hours to live to being in the hospital  for 86 days!  Tomorrow will be day 86.... with being in Brooks for 58 days! WOW!  Our lives all changed on January 6th and our lives put on hold!!  Tomorrow is a new beginning with lots of challenges but we are ready...... READY TO CONQUER THE WORLD!!  A big thank you to Mike Johnson/DR Horton/Winchester Ridge Neighborhood for coming together and getting Alex a ramp built, changing out the door in his bathroom... to my MOM, who went to our house today to take down our 10 ft christmas tree and all the christmas decorations, boxed em up and put away... thank you MOM for unpacking tons of boxes that we sent over to the house today from Brooks that we packed yesterday and sent home with POPPA DILLARD and MIKE (thank you guys for manhandling and being our personal movers).  For those of you who were able to visit... you know how much stuff we had and it took us ALL DAY to pack it up!  We are sad to leave our friends/nurses here but have formed strong relationships with some of the most awesome people ever!  God brought us all together and together is where our friendships will stay!  Alex has nicknamed a couple of his fav's.... MAGANDA MIRANDA, LOLA MARCIE, MAMACITA CARMEN.... he cracks me up!  Those are his 3 amigo's and our nights were always full of laughter with the night crew :0) .... we will definitely miss you ladies but will stop by to see you once a week when we go to the plaza.... PINKY PROMISE as Alex would say!

Not only are we leaving tomorrow but "Rocky ",whose real name is Marty, left today to go to a nursing home in St. Augustine.  We will surely miss him and his conversations of interest.  I bet he was a hoot with an awesome character before his brain injury and maybe our paths will cross again one day!  His sweet wife let Alex take a picture with him so we could remember our funny Rocky: 

















We got great news today and Alex will be starting the day program on Monday!  9:00-3:30 Monday-Thursday and a BIG THANK YOU to all of YOU who helped raise money or who participated  and donated because if it wasn't for you.... He would not be able to attend this program!  It is $ 450.00 a day, times 4 days a week... you do the math... $ 1,800 a week that insurance does NOT cover ANY!  Sooooooo, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all of your hard work, time, effort and donations..  he wouldn't be getting the intense therapy he needs to be able to walk again if it weren't for all of you!!!..... Alex won't let you down and HE WILL BE WALKING ON HIS OWN....sooner than later... watch and see!  He got his own wheelchair today along with a quad cane, special toilet, bath bench and tons of supplies will be sent to the house tomorrow!  I think we are good to go and ready to face the challenges ahead of us!  ME, ALEX AND J.C...... WE SURELY GOT THIS!  Today in my meeting with the doc, case manager and schooling advisor... I sit there and listen and when the doctor talks and says things about the type of brain injury... gunshot wound brain injury... it's still all so surreal to me!  I almost started balling in the meeting today just thinking about Alex and what he has been through.  My handsome boy survived a gunshot wound to his head!!!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME???  WOW!  Thank you God for the awesome MIRACLE you performed in Alex.  He is of right mind... well sometimes,lol.... health, beauty, movement, expressions, feelings, wit, charm, smiles!!!  THANK YOU GOD!  Alex did say to me yesterday as he was brushing his teeth... out of nowhere... he said... "Mom... I don't think I know how to cry any more".  I said "Why Alex, what makes you say that?"... He said.. " I don't know... I just don't think I know how to any more.... or how to laugh".  I didn't know what to say... I just said that "somethings take longer to come back than others"... and that he hasn't really had a reason to cry here because he has been taken care of and happy to be alive! GOD.....  I begged you to give him back to me and said that I would deal with anything .... anything at all if I could just have him come back to me.....THANK YOU GOD... YOU ARE AWESOME and again.... I give it all to you!  I am strong with you by my side and this too shall pass!  My boy will walk and play baseball again and know how to cry and how to laugh.... he will be back to his old self ....on your timeline.  Patience is something I have learned over the past few months and you have taught me to be obedient to your word.  We have all the time in the world and will continue to focus on the day at hand... one day at a time.  Not worrying about the future or what it holds for us because I KNOW you are in total control and I know what you are capable of!

We met a new family tonight.... I had to share God's miracle with Caden's mom Christina as Caden is 2 and was hit by a car in Orlando.  They were in New Smyrna Beach I think she said ... at the beach and she put the key in the car door to open it, he took off the other way, and before she knew it... he had run into the street.  Today she was told that he would be paralyzed waist down.  WELL.....I was told my son had 3 hours to live!  Soooo you know I went marching down there to share my story and give hope to another mom!  I told her to give it all to God and put all her faith and trust in him and not to take what the medical world says and accept it.... we know there is something greater out there.... with God..all things are possible!  She said that she felt is was God that brought me to her as they just got in last night and that I was here today when she got the news.  Tonight she was smiling and looked like she had a new hope... new encouragement!  I hope that I gave that to her.... I hope that in me she saw a ray of sunshine!  PRAY FOR HER BABY BOY..... he is just as sweet as can be!  Pray for healing in his lower extremities.... and for peace in heart to know and trust the Lord!

Alex got his G tube removed tonight.... he had me take a picture so you all could see what was in his stomach,  then he had me google "pulling G tube out of stomach" lol!!  He is a trip!

The square piece is where the tube was and is now bandaged up.  The tube is laid around the bandage.  The white round thing at the end is like the PLUG that was in the little hole and came OUT of the little hole! Sounded like someone putting their finger in their mouth and pulling it out fast... like a pop.   His reaction was priceless and I wish I had a video of it because his reaction was delayed about 3 seconds, ha! I don't think it registered what just went down until he saw how big the end of the g tube is and what little hole it came out of, lol! He said " OW, THAT HURT!!"  and that was it... hahahahaha.  He had himself so worked up about how bad it was going to hurt and saying over and over he didn't want it taken out.... he took it like a champ!  Anywho... big deal because now he can take a BAAAAAAAATHHHH!! He and I are both BATH peeps and we can't wait to take a bath in my big garden tub!!  YAY!  He has to leave the dressing on for 24 hours so Saturday he can take a bath!  WOOOHOOOO!  I am really excited for him about that because he has wanted to take a bath since he could talk, lol!

Well, it's 12:38 and I still have a little to pack up so I am going to sign off... will blog tomorrow night and let you know how it goes tomorrow.  If anyone has any issues with me... please wait until Monday to call me :0) I will have alot going on this weekend with getting acclimated to our new environment with handicap issues. I do not know what we are doing for Easter.... I do not know what we are doing tomorrow.... this weekend is Alex's to do whatever HE WANTS TO DO.  We do have some family in town and will be spending time with them before they go back.  I just ask that everyone understand and realize this is a HUGE step for both Alex and myself and to be cognizant of that.  Family members.... this does not pertain to you!  I imagine you will want to see him over the weekend and you are always welcome, just give me a call first please.... the house will be dirty, lol... I ain't sweatin the small stuff ha!  I know everyone is excited that we are going home and will want to come and see him.  All I ask is for a is couple of days to get into a routine and back on track and then you are welcome to visit! :0)

I want to share my devotional for today with you:

THE BETTER YOU KNOW HIM, THE MORE YOU LOVE HIM
The better you know God, the better you feel,
For to learn more about Him and discover He's real
Can wholly , completely, and miraculously change,
Reshape and remake and then rearrange
Your mixed-up, miserable, and unhappy life
Adrift on the sea of sin-sickened strife-----
But when you once know this Man of goodwill,
He will calm your life and say, "Peace, be still"...
So open your heart's door and let Christ come in
And He'll give you new life and free you from sin__
And there is no joy that can ever compare
With the joy of knowing you're in God's care.

THANK HIM DAILY, TRUST HIM WITH EVERY OUNCE OF YOUR BODY..... amazing how you will feel inside and out and the peace that will come over you like nothing you have ever known!  TRUST ME..... if anyone knows... I do!  ALEX MICHAEL ROSS IS GOING HOME MY PEEPS!!!  THANK YOU GOD...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN!!!!

Please please please.... continue to pray for our family.... Lord knows I will need it to deal with his spicyness!!!

LOVE YA'LL!!
THANK YOU GOD FOR ONE MORE DAY WITH MY HANDSOME BOY!

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!

Lisa