It’s official ... Julie is no longer in a coma

Julie was officially declared out of a coma late last week. I apologize for the delay, but I’ve been without a computer to spread the news. It hasn’t progressed the way movies portray a coma where someone looks sleepy and then they wake up and they’re all better. This is not typical. Julie has been in a very minimally conscious state for a long time, but has now progressed to a point where she has been declared out of coma.

She still has a long path towards her recovery, and it will continue to take hard work on her part, as well as her therapists to regain many of the skills she had before her accident. Nobody knows how long this will take, nor exactly how far she will come, but we have faith in her abilities and there have been sparks her personality coming out.

She is making progress and is doing more each day. It is awesome to watch God work. Thank you for your continued prayers during this journey. Please pray for Julie to remain healthy and pray for Lee and Jen as they encourage their daughter.

Prayer requests:

Feeding tube: The nursing staff is working hard on feeding Julie by mouth. She is doing remarkably well learning how to eat again

Standing up: Julie is also working hard on standing up with the ultimate goal of being able to walk again.

Health: Julie got sick a couple of days ago and swallowed some fluid. This caused her to get pneumonia so she is now on antibiotics.

Next steps: Please pray for Lee and Jen to stay well, have strength and get rest as they plan for the next phase in Julie’s care.

Fun Stories:

Doggie Days: Julie requires lots of rest and naps each day, as even the simple act of concentrating to put on her shoes tires her out. During one such nap today she was visited by a therapy dog named Annie, a sweet yellow lab. When she woke up and saw the dog there, she got the sweetest smile on her face, and gently and calmly reached out with her arm to touch the velvety softness that was the dog’s ear. It was sweet and peaceful, and what could give anyone more contentment than the softness of a dog's ear.

A Phone Call Away: Julie still whispers when she tries to speak, but she is getting better on the phone. She has real conversations with the person on the other end, instead of just listening; she replies and responds to their comments. She has also been making more audible noises ... another step in the right direction for her to regain her ability to be heard when she speaks.

Arm wrestling: I saw Julie on Wednesday and was amazed by the progress she has made. She likes to hold your hand and arm wrestle. I was amazed with her grip, she’s getting incredibly strong. We laughed as she continued to beat me.