This advertisement appeared in the February 12th 2008 edition of the USA Today newspaper. I think it's worth circulating and sharing.
February 12, 2008
USA Today Advertisement 2-12-08
This advertisement appeared in the February 12th 2008 edition of the USA Today newspaper. I think it's worth circulating and sharing.
February 6, 2008
Postponed
We've had to postpone Taegan's March 8th spaghetti dinner benefit until further notice. My beloved 79 year old grandmother is very ill and on hospice care out in Pennsylvania at this time. I'm unable to devote the time and energy to organize a successful fundraiser during this difficult time. Trying to put it all together and solicit community support while you are out of state is nearly impossible, as you might imagine.
We've also had to postpone Taegan's April session of HBOT for several reasons; The main reason being, without having this fundraiser in March, we do not have enough money for the therapy.
Hopefully this spring we will be able to have the spaghetti dinner benefit for her. Right now, it's just impossible to speculate a future date.
Taegan's 2nd Annual "Angels Ridin' 4 Taegan" motorcycle ride will be taking place in July. We're excited about that! :-) I'll post more details when they become available.
In the meantime, if anyone is interested in sponsoring Taegan's ride and having your name/company name placed on the Angels Ridin' 4 Taegan T-shirt, please contact us at: angels4taegan@yahoo.com
We've also had to postpone Taegan's April session of HBOT for several reasons; The main reason being, without having this fundraiser in March, we do not have enough money for the therapy.
Hopefully this spring we will be able to have the spaghetti dinner benefit for her. Right now, it's just impossible to speculate a future date.
Taegan's 2nd Annual "Angels Ridin' 4 Taegan" motorcycle ride will be taking place in July. We're excited about that! :-) I'll post more details when they become available.
In the meantime, if anyone is interested in sponsoring Taegan's ride and having your name/company name placed on the Angels Ridin' 4 Taegan T-shirt, please contact us at: angels4taegan@yahoo.com
January 10, 2008
Winter Update
Hello everyone! Hope everyone has been staying healthy this winter.
Taegan finished up her 120th session of HBOT on December 20th. She's been doing very well. She again improved with her range of motion in all of her leg muscles by about 10 degrees. That is really WONDERFUL news! Her speech also improved during the treatment sessions. I heard many new words and several 2 and 3 word sentences sporadically. Since we've been home though, the speech hasn't been as fluent unfortunately. We still hear words intermittently and occasionally an "I eat" or "me sleepy" comes out, and that's always nice.
She's finally getting back into the routine of things again...we all are! Things have been so hectic since Thanksgiving, some down time will be nice. Sadly, Taegan's great grandfather McFarland passed away on December 23rd. We traveled to Greensburg, IN for the services over Christmas break. That same week, Taegan's great grandmother Cupp was admitted to the hospital in Pittsburgh, where she still resides at the time of this writing. Taegan, my mom and I traveled to Pennsylvania shortly after Christmas to spend some time with family there.
Taegan resumed her therapy and school schedule this week as well. She really enjoys school from what I can tell. She has been in such a good mood all week. :-) In recent months, Taegan has been displaying more and more signs of autistic behavior. It has been quite difficult for me to deal with actually, even though I am very familiar with the disorder, having taught special needs preschoolers for 5 years. When it's your own child, it's a different reality that no one can prepare you for. She hasn't been 'officially' diagnosed with the disorder, but it has been mentioned several times by various medical professionals over the past 18 or so months.
I have so many emotions... Part of me questions why cerebral palsy/PVL/apraxia/genetic disorder wasn't ENOUGH for Taegan to deal with in this lifetime. But I know these things are not up to me. Still, it's a struggle to put things into perspective sometimes, especially on those challenging days, when all you want to do is fix things for your child, but you simply cannot.
Someone recently said to me, 'This is just how your child is.' as if I didn't approve of who she was, or who she might become. I don't think people who have never been put in the position of having a special needs child can truly understand what it's like and everything it encompasses. It's not that I don't love my daughter just the way she is, it is that I want the best possible life for her. And for Taegan, that means living the least restricted life possible. If there's a chance in hell that her physical limitations can be lessened, you'd better believe I will do everything in my power to provide that for her. There is HOPE out there... I have strength and determination. Most importantly... I believe.
And so it seems another journey is beginning...
For many months now I have been researching how to eliminate toxins from the body. Specifically, heavy metals. There are all kinds of theories out there on the cause of autism, and I don't discount any of them. Who knows what the root cause is, or if it is just one causative factor. I strongly feel her body needs to be cleansed of the metals (which come from a variety of sources, but predominately come from vaccinations/routine shots.) Taegan received the RSV (also referred to as Synagis) shot monthly during her first year of life. That was a total of 9 shots right there. I have searched for the ingredients in those shots, and not to my surprise, the ingredients cannot be found, on-line at least. Back in April, it was found that Taegan had a copper toxicity. The level was alarming, to say the least. I tried my best to remedy that problem as the Cole Center suggested. The diet alteration didn't bode well. Taegan took the supplements without a problem. I've got her back on the supplements for copper elimination. We'll see how that goes.
I'm hoping to have a comprehensive biomedical work-up done on her in the near future. I'm researching several doctors/facilities, with the most promising ones (closest to us) being in the Chicago area.
In the meantime, I'm organizing the spaghetti dinner benefit for Taegan. It will be on March 8th in Madonna Hall of Our Lady of Greenwood Church. More details to follow.
Til' next time. :-)
Taegan finished up her 120th session of HBOT on December 20th. She's been doing very well. She again improved with her range of motion in all of her leg muscles by about 10 degrees. That is really WONDERFUL news! Her speech also improved during the treatment sessions. I heard many new words and several 2 and 3 word sentences sporadically. Since we've been home though, the speech hasn't been as fluent unfortunately. We still hear words intermittently and occasionally an "I eat" or "me sleepy" comes out, and that's always nice.
She's finally getting back into the routine of things again...we all are! Things have been so hectic since Thanksgiving, some down time will be nice. Sadly, Taegan's great grandfather McFarland passed away on December 23rd. We traveled to Greensburg, IN for the services over Christmas break. That same week, Taegan's great grandmother Cupp was admitted to the hospital in Pittsburgh, where she still resides at the time of this writing. Taegan, my mom and I traveled to Pennsylvania shortly after Christmas to spend some time with family there.
Taegan resumed her therapy and school schedule this week as well. She really enjoys school from what I can tell. She has been in such a good mood all week. :-) In recent months, Taegan has been displaying more and more signs of autistic behavior. It has been quite difficult for me to deal with actually, even though I am very familiar with the disorder, having taught special needs preschoolers for 5 years. When it's your own child, it's a different reality that no one can prepare you for. She hasn't been 'officially' diagnosed with the disorder, but it has been mentioned several times by various medical professionals over the past 18 or so months.
I have so many emotions... Part of me questions why cerebral palsy/PVL/apraxia/genetic disorder wasn't ENOUGH for Taegan to deal with in this lifetime. But I know these things are not up to me. Still, it's a struggle to put things into perspective sometimes, especially on those challenging days, when all you want to do is fix things for your child, but you simply cannot.
Someone recently said to me, 'This is just how your child is.' as if I didn't approve of who she was, or who she might become. I don't think people who have never been put in the position of having a special needs child can truly understand what it's like and everything it encompasses. It's not that I don't love my daughter just the way she is, it is that I want the best possible life for her. And for Taegan, that means living the least restricted life possible. If there's a chance in hell that her physical limitations can be lessened, you'd better believe I will do everything in my power to provide that for her. There is HOPE out there... I have strength and determination. Most importantly... I believe.
And so it seems another journey is beginning...
For many months now I have been researching how to eliminate toxins from the body. Specifically, heavy metals. There are all kinds of theories out there on the cause of autism, and I don't discount any of them. Who knows what the root cause is, or if it is just one causative factor. I strongly feel her body needs to be cleansed of the metals (which come from a variety of sources, but predominately come from vaccinations/routine shots.) Taegan received the RSV (also referred to as Synagis) shot monthly during her first year of life. That was a total of 9 shots right there. I have searched for the ingredients in those shots, and not to my surprise, the ingredients cannot be found, on-line at least. Back in April, it was found that Taegan had a copper toxicity. The level was alarming, to say the least. I tried my best to remedy that problem as the Cole Center suggested. The diet alteration didn't bode well. Taegan took the supplements without a problem. I've got her back on the supplements for copper elimination. We'll see how that goes.
I'm hoping to have a comprehensive biomedical work-up done on her in the near future. I'm researching several doctors/facilities, with the most promising ones (closest to us) being in the Chicago area.
In the meantime, I'm organizing the spaghetti dinner benefit for Taegan. It will be on March 8th in Madonna Hall of Our Lady of Greenwood Church. More details to follow.
Til' next time. :-)
November 30, 2007
Another Round of HBOT Underway
Taegan finished her series of serial casting in mid November. She had 4 total sets of casts by the time the process was complete. It went very well. Both of her ankles are within normal ranges of movement. The physiatrist has suggested a possible regimen of Botox injections every three months. I’m hoping the hyperbaric oxygen treatments will help to maintain her range of motion in her leg muscles and perhaps we wont have to have any more injections of Botox. She might have to continue with serial casting after large growth spurts throughout her adolescence.
Taegan and I made another 10 hour trek by car out to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where she is receiving another round of hyperbaric oxygen treatments. She’s completed six dives so far (as I type this) and already, her speech is flourishing. It always amazes me how quickly the oxygen begins to work wonders in her body. I hope these improvements can be maintained after we complete this round of 40 treatments. I’m also anticipating more improvements in her muscle tone/range of motion, especially in her legs. After our July session of HBO treatments, she made significant improvements in her range of motion in her legs. (Read previous posts from July/August for specific measurements of improvement in her range of motion.)
We’ll be finishing up this round of HBO treatments a few days before Christmas and then we will return in April for her last session of the 120 HBOT program. I’m organizing a spaghetti dinner/bake sale/auction for March 8th in an effort to raise enough money for the lodging and transportation etc. that we will need for that session.
Award winning composer/keyboardist/soundescape artist Jan Pulsford has once again generously offered several of her Christmas compositions up for download in the “download and donate” section of Taegan’s website. http://www.musicallmusic.com/angels4taegan_music/index.html
Jan’s main website can be found at www.musicallmusic.com
We hope everyone enjoys a happy holiday season. May you all have a blessed 2008, filled with an abundance of love, laughter and peace.
Taegan and I made another 10 hour trek by car out to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where she is receiving another round of hyperbaric oxygen treatments. She’s completed six dives so far (as I type this) and already, her speech is flourishing. It always amazes me how quickly the oxygen begins to work wonders in her body. I hope these improvements can be maintained after we complete this round of 40 treatments. I’m also anticipating more improvements in her muscle tone/range of motion, especially in her legs. After our July session of HBO treatments, she made significant improvements in her range of motion in her legs. (Read previous posts from July/August for specific measurements of improvement in her range of motion.)
We’ll be finishing up this round of HBO treatments a few days before Christmas and then we will return in April for her last session of the 120 HBOT program. I’m organizing a spaghetti dinner/bake sale/auction for March 8th in an effort to raise enough money for the lodging and transportation etc. that we will need for that session.
Award winning composer/keyboardist/soundescape artist Jan Pulsford has once again generously offered several of her Christmas compositions up for download in the “download and donate” section of Taegan’s website. http://www.musicallmusic.com/angels4taegan_music/index.html
Jan’s main website can be found at www.musicallmusic.com
We hope everyone enjoys a happy holiday season. May you all have a blessed 2008, filled with an abundance of love, laughter and peace.
October 29, 2007
Casting Update
Casting is going well. Taegan is in her 3rd set of casts this week. The doctor is pleased with her progress so far. Hopefully she will only need two more sets of casts in order for her range of motion to be where they would like it.
She was fitted for a new pair of AFO orthotics (leg braces) last Friday. Once casting is completed, she will hopefully be able to start wearing her AFO's on a regular basis.
This week she has had to wear a knee brace on her left leg at night while sleeping. Her leg muscles were beginning to shorten due to her keeping her legs pulled up close to her for a prolonged period of time.
She's still able to participate in all of her therapies during casting which has been a blessing.
Cramping only proved to be a problem during the first week and a half of the casting process, so I'm also thankful that it has tapered off and she is able to have restful sleep.
More updates soon....
She was fitted for a new pair of AFO orthotics (leg braces) last Friday. Once casting is completed, she will hopefully be able to start wearing her AFO's on a regular basis.
This week she has had to wear a knee brace on her left leg at night while sleeping. Her leg muscles were beginning to shorten due to her keeping her legs pulled up close to her for a prolonged period of time.
She's still able to participate in all of her therapies during casting which has been a blessing.
Cramping only proved to be a problem during the first week and a half of the casting process, so I'm also thankful that it has tapered off and she is able to have restful sleep.
More updates soon....
October 9, 2007
Casting This Week
I wanted to update everyone on Taegan's progress.
Taegan caught a pretty bad viral infection (are there any good ones? LOL) 3 weeks ago and is still on the mend, recuperating from that. She missed a week and a half of school and therapies, which threw off her whole routine. She was able to receive the Botox injections 2 weeks ago, and we are just now beginning to see the effects.
She is no longer able to stand or walk, as it is extremely painful for her to place any weight on her left leg. We believe this is happening because the Botox is relaxing that left calf muscle enough now that Taegan is no longer able to depend on the high tone, or tightness of that muscle to bear weight on (usually up on her tip toes.) It's a muscle that she has never been able to use before which now that it is loosening up, is obviously weak from never having been used.
It is probably quite sore as well. Taegan has been saying "foot ow" quite frequently in the past week. Last night I heard her saying "ohhh please... please foot... no foot...please." My heart aches for her, that she is having to experience such things. But really, it is good that this is happening, because it means changes are occurring in her muscles which will hopefully allow her to have more functional use of her legs.
The Botox can last anywhere between 3 to 6 months. It is different for everyone. So, she could receive another dose in 3 months if needed. Most likely, she will need to have this treatment on a regular basis, especially during growth spurts, as the muscles will lengthen and tighten during periods of growth.
Serial casting was supposed to occur last Friday, the 5th. Taegan was still too sick at that time, so casting will take place this Friday, the 12th. I am apprehensive about casting, but realize it is necessary to hopefully achieve the outcome we desire. I'm just worried that since she is already having complaints of her foot hurting, when it is casted it is going to cause even more discomfort and cramping.
Over the weekend, Taegan's foot was hurting her so badly that she screamed when Gramma tried to take off her shoe. She was so sensitive, she pushed away my hand and said 'No!' when I attempted to feel for swelling etc.
On the brighter side, she was in wonderful spirits Monday after school. She really enjoys school and is a much more pleasant child when it's part of her weekly routine. :-)
In other news, I am busy planning the spaghetti dinner benefit for Taegan. It should be either the first or second Saturday in March. This benefit will help pay for our accommodations while we stay in North Carolina for our final round of 120 HBO sessions in April. Watch Taegan's blog space for further details.
Thanks to everyone for keeping Taegan in your thoughts and prayers as she goes through this difficult month ahead of serial casting.
Taegan caught a pretty bad viral infection (are there any good ones? LOL) 3 weeks ago and is still on the mend, recuperating from that. She missed a week and a half of school and therapies, which threw off her whole routine. She was able to receive the Botox injections 2 weeks ago, and we are just now beginning to see the effects.
She is no longer able to stand or walk, as it is extremely painful for her to place any weight on her left leg. We believe this is happening because the Botox is relaxing that left calf muscle enough now that Taegan is no longer able to depend on the high tone, or tightness of that muscle to bear weight on (usually up on her tip toes.) It's a muscle that she has never been able to use before which now that it is loosening up, is obviously weak from never having been used.
It is probably quite sore as well. Taegan has been saying "foot ow" quite frequently in the past week. Last night I heard her saying "ohhh please... please foot... no foot...please." My heart aches for her, that she is having to experience such things. But really, it is good that this is happening, because it means changes are occurring in her muscles which will hopefully allow her to have more functional use of her legs.
The Botox can last anywhere between 3 to 6 months. It is different for everyone. So, she could receive another dose in 3 months if needed. Most likely, she will need to have this treatment on a regular basis, especially during growth spurts, as the muscles will lengthen and tighten during periods of growth.
Serial casting was supposed to occur last Friday, the 5th. Taegan was still too sick at that time, so casting will take place this Friday, the 12th. I am apprehensive about casting, but realize it is necessary to hopefully achieve the outcome we desire. I'm just worried that since she is already having complaints of her foot hurting, when it is casted it is going to cause even more discomfort and cramping.
Over the weekend, Taegan's foot was hurting her so badly that she screamed when Gramma tried to take off her shoe. She was so sensitive, she pushed away my hand and said 'No!' when I attempted to feel for swelling etc.
On the brighter side, she was in wonderful spirits Monday after school. She really enjoys school and is a much more pleasant child when it's part of her weekly routine. :-)
In other news, I am busy planning the spaghetti dinner benefit for Taegan. It should be either the first or second Saturday in March. This benefit will help pay for our accommodations while we stay in North Carolina for our final round of 120 HBO sessions in April. Watch Taegan's blog space for further details.
Thanks to everyone for keeping Taegan in your thoughts and prayers as she goes through this difficult month ahead of serial casting.
September 18, 2007
Botox Injections & Casting
Hello All ~
It's hard to believe fall is upon us already! Taegan has really enjoyed being outdoors this summer. She is very curious about grass, trees, flowers, and especially rocks!
Taegan began a special needs preschool program in August which she attends 4 days a week. It is provided through our local school system. It took a few weeks for her to adjust, but she is doing well now. She LOVES riding the school bus especially. Her new words are: friends, school and bus. She's singing a lot more songs now, and is able to pronounce the words quite well. She loves to sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes."
She receives PT, OT and Speech therapies through school now, but she still receives them privately as well. She actually has PT 4x's a week, OT 2x's a week, Speech 2x's a week, Hippotherapy 1x/wk, craniosacral therapy 1x/wk and chiropractic care 1x/month. So, we're still busy, busy, busy!!!
We met with the physiatrist (doctor of physical medicine) last week and decided to go ahead and try the Botox injections and serial casting. Taegan has had such a growth spurt, that her muscle tightness in her ankles is extremely tight now. It is causing her to be unstable with her balance and she has much difficulty walking. Her braces have not fit her for several months now, which is also contributing to her spasticity. The braces keep her muscles stretched out when she wears them. Since she's been unable to wear them, the problem is exacerbating We don't want to fabricate a new pair until after the Botox and serial casting, or they will not fit properly.
She will have her Botox injections on September 26th. We are only doing her calf muscles this time to see how well it works for the rest of her foot. She will be able to have more injections in 3 months, so at that time, the Dr. might decide to inject different muscles, depending on the outcome of the casting and first injections. She will have her casts put on the following Friday (Oct. 5th). Both of her legs will be casted at that time. The Dr. will stretch her foot as far as the muscle will allow, and then cast it in that position. She will have the casts for one week. Each Friday she will have the casts taken off and her foot muscles stretched again, even further, and then recasted in that stretched position for another week. This process will go on for about 4 weeks, depending on how fast the muscle stretches.
Please have good thoughts that the muscle cramps/charlie horses for Taegan will be few and far between! I can only imagine how this might go... when she wore her night splint on ONE foot, she would have terrible muscle cramping where she'd wake up screaming and grabbing at her leg. I could see it spasming. I don't know how I'll be able to help her when this happens with casts on that you cannot take off to rub the muscles when they're spasming.
The Dr. also gave us new dosing instructions for the Melatonin (natural sleep aid) to try for two weeks. Hopefully this will help regulate her insane sleep patterns!!! Lately she goes to bed about 10:30pm, and is up by 3am. She then stays up (in her bed) until roughly 7-8am and sleeps until I wake her for school! She's been grumpy and moody a lot, I presume from this erratic sleep schedule.
The chromosome testing showed that Taegan has what they call a duplication of 8p23.3
It is a duplication of part of the 8th chromosome. Instead of having 2 copies of that part of her 8th chromosome, she has 3. It is a very rare disorder, so rare in fact, that the genetics doctor had to get all the information on it from Wales. They sent me a pamphlet on the disorder about the studies these doctors in Wales have conducted on people with this disorder. The pamphlet only references 40 people who have this genetic disorder. I've taken the information with a grain of salt, because quite frankly, Taegan really doesn't fit into many of the categories they address in the pamphlet.
Some of the physical symptoms of the disorder which Taegan exhibits are: flat nose bridge, extra skin folds around the eyes, lower set ears, and a shared toe joint. The pamphlet discusses mental retardation and heart defects, which appear to be common for this disorder. It's not treatable or curable. Since Taegan has Cerebral Palsy, we're not sure if it is her chromosome disorder that is causing her delay or the CP. That is something we might be able to distinguish as she gets older.
We might have to investigate the possibility of a heart defect, although I would think the NICU would have found evidence of that after her birth. Taegan had a hole in her heart at birth, which they monitored during her first week in the NICU. They did several echocardiograms during that time, and the hole in fact closed on its own by the end of the first week.
We're looking forward to fall... pumpkin decorating, apple cider and Halloween! Perhaps Taegan will go as a mummy...her casts would go quite well with that gettup!
Before we know it, Taegan and I will be headed back out to the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina for her third set of 40 HBO treatments! (November 25-December 18)
It's hard to believe fall is upon us already! Taegan has really enjoyed being outdoors this summer. She is very curious about grass, trees, flowers, and especially rocks!
Taegan began a special needs preschool program in August which she attends 4 days a week. It is provided through our local school system. It took a few weeks for her to adjust, but she is doing well now. She LOVES riding the school bus especially. Her new words are: friends, school and bus. She's singing a lot more songs now, and is able to pronounce the words quite well. She loves to sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes."
She receives PT, OT and Speech therapies through school now, but she still receives them privately as well. She actually has PT 4x's a week, OT 2x's a week, Speech 2x's a week, Hippotherapy 1x/wk, craniosacral therapy 1x/wk and chiropractic care 1x/month. So, we're still busy, busy, busy!!!
We met with the physiatrist (doctor of physical medicine) last week and decided to go ahead and try the Botox injections and serial casting. Taegan has had such a growth spurt, that her muscle tightness in her ankles is extremely tight now. It is causing her to be unstable with her balance and she has much difficulty walking. Her braces have not fit her for several months now, which is also contributing to her spasticity. The braces keep her muscles stretched out when she wears them. Since she's been unable to wear them, the problem is exacerbating We don't want to fabricate a new pair until after the Botox and serial casting, or they will not fit properly.
She will have her Botox injections on September 26th. We are only doing her calf muscles this time to see how well it works for the rest of her foot. She will be able to have more injections in 3 months, so at that time, the Dr. might decide to inject different muscles, depending on the outcome of the casting and first injections. She will have her casts put on the following Friday (Oct. 5th). Both of her legs will be casted at that time. The Dr. will stretch her foot as far as the muscle will allow, and then cast it in that position. She will have the casts for one week. Each Friday she will have the casts taken off and her foot muscles stretched again, even further, and then recasted in that stretched position for another week. This process will go on for about 4 weeks, depending on how fast the muscle stretches.
Please have good thoughts that the muscle cramps/charlie horses for Taegan will be few and far between! I can only imagine how this might go... when she wore her night splint on ONE foot, she would have terrible muscle cramping where she'd wake up screaming and grabbing at her leg. I could see it spasming. I don't know how I'll be able to help her when this happens with casts on that you cannot take off to rub the muscles when they're spasming.
The Dr. also gave us new dosing instructions for the Melatonin (natural sleep aid) to try for two weeks. Hopefully this will help regulate her insane sleep patterns!!! Lately she goes to bed about 10:30pm, and is up by 3am. She then stays up (in her bed) until roughly 7-8am and sleeps until I wake her for school! She's been grumpy and moody a lot, I presume from this erratic sleep schedule.
The chromosome testing showed that Taegan has what they call a duplication of 8p23.3
It is a duplication of part of the 8th chromosome. Instead of having 2 copies of that part of her 8th chromosome, she has 3. It is a very rare disorder, so rare in fact, that the genetics doctor had to get all the information on it from Wales. They sent me a pamphlet on the disorder about the studies these doctors in Wales have conducted on people with this disorder. The pamphlet only references 40 people who have this genetic disorder. I've taken the information with a grain of salt, because quite frankly, Taegan really doesn't fit into many of the categories they address in the pamphlet.
Some of the physical symptoms of the disorder which Taegan exhibits are: flat nose bridge, extra skin folds around the eyes, lower set ears, and a shared toe joint. The pamphlet discusses mental retardation and heart defects, which appear to be common for this disorder. It's not treatable or curable. Since Taegan has Cerebral Palsy, we're not sure if it is her chromosome disorder that is causing her delay or the CP. That is something we might be able to distinguish as she gets older.
We might have to investigate the possibility of a heart defect, although I would think the NICU would have found evidence of that after her birth. Taegan had a hole in her heart at birth, which they monitored during her first week in the NICU. They did several echocardiograms during that time, and the hole in fact closed on its own by the end of the first week.
We're looking forward to fall... pumpkin decorating, apple cider and Halloween! Perhaps Taegan will go as a mummy...her casts would go quite well with that gettup!
Before we know it, Taegan and I will be headed back out to the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina for her third set of 40 HBO treatments! (November 25-December 18)
August 4, 2007
Improvements Abound!!!
Taegan's physical therapist measured her range of motion (ROM) in her legs on Thursday and the improvements were quite significant!
She measured her ROM on her last visit, just before we left for the HBO treatments. So these changes have occurred since her last visit, obviously as a result of the hyperbaric oxygen treatments....
Taegan's hip abduction increased by 20 degrees on her right leg. On her left side, she improved 10 degrees. Hip abduction is the movement you make when you lift your leg straight out (away and to the side) from your body, while keeping your knee straight.
She also improved 15 degrees on her right side with her hip flexion. On her left side, little change, if any was noted with this movement. Hip flexion is if you would lie on your back and raise your leg straight up into the air, keeping your knee straight, and trying to get it as close to your shoulder as you can.
Both of her ankles remained the same in measurement, which was a bit of a disappointment, but I'm extremely happy with the muscle changes this most recent HBO session has helped her achieve. We could potentially see more improvements up to two months down the road from this last set of 40 HBO treatments. The oxygen will continue to 'dissolve' inside her blood stream for up to two months.
It's extremely important right now that we hit all her therapies really hard. The oxygen has awakened dormant neurons in her brain, and also has encouraged new capillary growth. We now have to 'train the awakened neurons' by making sure she gets all the therapy sessions she can receive. I'll be increasing the time spent working with her here at home on all her stretching exercises and speech techniques etc.
Taegan's had a growth spurt too during the past month. She's gotten taller, her hair has grown quite a bit and her feet have grown. Even her finger nails grew like wild fire while we were out in NC. I had to cut them twice a week! Since we've been back, everyone has noticed that she's taller.
Her speech continues to flourish! She comes out with new words almost daily! Her latest phrase is "Uh-oh! I get it." She's so animated when she says it too! She had her first speech session Thursday as well, and she was coming out with all kinds of words and phrases I'd never heard before. She has SO MUCH locked inside her brain, she just needed a little oxygen to help it come out. :-) She was saying "Mine" during speech, and "what?" and "yes" and "I want it" and "I did it!" Oh, and one of her favorites now is, "I know." And she says it appropriately, that's the funniest thing. She started that one while we were out in North Carolina. While in the bath tub, I told her the soap was slippery, and she matter of factly said, "I know."
She's still doling out hugs and kisses too! You can't ever have enough of those, that's for sure!
Thanks to all of Taegan's earth angels for making these accomplishments possible for her.... it is most definitely the hyperbaric oxygen treatments that are awakening our daughter before our very eyes!!!!
She measured her ROM on her last visit, just before we left for the HBO treatments. So these changes have occurred since her last visit, obviously as a result of the hyperbaric oxygen treatments....
Taegan's hip abduction increased by 20 degrees on her right leg. On her left side, she improved 10 degrees. Hip abduction is the movement you make when you lift your leg straight out (away and to the side) from your body, while keeping your knee straight.
She also improved 15 degrees on her right side with her hip flexion. On her left side, little change, if any was noted with this movement. Hip flexion is if you would lie on your back and raise your leg straight up into the air, keeping your knee straight, and trying to get it as close to your shoulder as you can.
Both of her ankles remained the same in measurement, which was a bit of a disappointment, but I'm extremely happy with the muscle changes this most recent HBO session has helped her achieve. We could potentially see more improvements up to two months down the road from this last set of 40 HBO treatments. The oxygen will continue to 'dissolve' inside her blood stream for up to two months.
It's extremely important right now that we hit all her therapies really hard. The oxygen has awakened dormant neurons in her brain, and also has encouraged new capillary growth. We now have to 'train the awakened neurons' by making sure she gets all the therapy sessions she can receive. I'll be increasing the time spent working with her here at home on all her stretching exercises and speech techniques etc.
Taegan's had a growth spurt too during the past month. She's gotten taller, her hair has grown quite a bit and her feet have grown. Even her finger nails grew like wild fire while we were out in NC. I had to cut them twice a week! Since we've been back, everyone has noticed that she's taller.
Her speech continues to flourish! She comes out with new words almost daily! Her latest phrase is "Uh-oh! I get it." She's so animated when she says it too! She had her first speech session Thursday as well, and she was coming out with all kinds of words and phrases I'd never heard before. She has SO MUCH locked inside her brain, she just needed a little oxygen to help it come out. :-) She was saying "Mine" during speech, and "what?" and "yes" and "I want it" and "I did it!" Oh, and one of her favorites now is, "I know." And she says it appropriately, that's the funniest thing. She started that one while we were out in North Carolina. While in the bath tub, I told her the soap was slippery, and she matter of factly said, "I know."
She's still doling out hugs and kisses too! You can't ever have enough of those, that's for sure!
Thanks to all of Taegan's earth angels for making these accomplishments possible for her.... it is most definitely the hyperbaric oxygen treatments that are awakening our daughter before our very eyes!!!!
July 28, 2007
Second Set of 40 HBO Sessions Completed
Taegan finished up her second set of 40 HBO treatments on Thursday morning at Miracle Mountain in North Carolina.
We ended up having to stay a few extra days because we missed 4 sessions due to bad head colds (both of us.)
This time I noticed an increase in her speech and an increased awareness of her surroundings. Also, her social skills appeared to improve, as she actually engaged in play with other children there at the clinic. It was so wonderful to witness that. She is definitely more 'spirited' and filled with an abundance of energy. So many small things improved this time around, which really have filled my heart with joy. One evening, I opened the car door to get Taegan from her car seat, and she looked directly at me in the eye and smiled the sweetest smile. I'm sure that doesn't sound too significant to those of you who don't know Taegan well, but it really was a major milestone in my book.
There are so many more instances I revel in, and I wrote them all down in a journal to keep for her as she grows. I imagine one day she will read through them and appreciate how far she's come, and all the achievements she attained.
She has been able to express more verbally during and after this round of HBO. She is speaking several 2 and 3 word sentences now. She put her arms around my neck last week and said "I give kiss." and leaned in and gently kissed my lips. She then pulled back and said, again while looking in my eyes, "I give hug." and squeezed my neck as tight as she could. Of course I turned into a puddle right then and there! It was such an amazing feeling to experience my child EXPRESSING her WANTS in intelligible words appropriately! She's continued to do this almost daily, which I am so thankful for indeed.
We'll be returning to Miracle Mountain at the end of November for our 3rd set of 40 treatments. Our 4th round of 40 will be completed by the middle of May next year.
I purchased a wonderful documentary video that was put together by the Discovery Channel called "The Healing Chamber." It is an in depth look at how hyperbaric oxygen is being used to treat various illnesses and diseases, including brain injury (like Cerebral Palsy.) Hopefully I can upload it and provide a link for everyone to be able to view it if you're interested.
There will be a car show to benefit Taegan on Sunday, July 29th from noon to 6pm in the parking lot of the Lone Star restaurant off US 31 South in Greenwood. All proceeds will be donated to Taegan's fund. This car show is for all car buffs and car enthusiasts. Anyone can enter their car into the show for a minimum registration fee of $5.
I am planning to organize a spaghetti dinner and/or pancake breakfast to benefit Taegan's fund in order to help pay for the housing facilities and car rental we will need for our next two HBO sessions (housing for one month, each session.) If anyone has any suggestions/tips/advice, please contact me! :-)
Taegan will begin preschool on August 13th. We have a boatload of appointments between now and then... geneticist, orthotics, neuropsychologist, OT, PT, SLP, CST etc. Summer has flown by... it's hard to believe it will be over soon!
Thank you to all of you who continually check in on us... we truly do appreciate it!
Enjoy the rest of summer 2007.....
We ended up having to stay a few extra days because we missed 4 sessions due to bad head colds (both of us.)
This time I noticed an increase in her speech and an increased awareness of her surroundings. Also, her social skills appeared to improve, as she actually engaged in play with other children there at the clinic. It was so wonderful to witness that. She is definitely more 'spirited' and filled with an abundance of energy. So many small things improved this time around, which really have filled my heart with joy. One evening, I opened the car door to get Taegan from her car seat, and she looked directly at me in the eye and smiled the sweetest smile. I'm sure that doesn't sound too significant to those of you who don't know Taegan well, but it really was a major milestone in my book.
There are so many more instances I revel in, and I wrote them all down in a journal to keep for her as she grows. I imagine one day she will read through them and appreciate how far she's come, and all the achievements she attained.
She has been able to express more verbally during and after this round of HBO. She is speaking several 2 and 3 word sentences now. She put her arms around my neck last week and said "I give kiss." and leaned in and gently kissed my lips. She then pulled back and said, again while looking in my eyes, "I give hug." and squeezed my neck as tight as she could. Of course I turned into a puddle right then and there! It was such an amazing feeling to experience my child EXPRESSING her WANTS in intelligible words appropriately! She's continued to do this almost daily, which I am so thankful for indeed.
We'll be returning to Miracle Mountain at the end of November for our 3rd set of 40 treatments. Our 4th round of 40 will be completed by the middle of May next year.
I purchased a wonderful documentary video that was put together by the Discovery Channel called "The Healing Chamber." It is an in depth look at how hyperbaric oxygen is being used to treat various illnesses and diseases, including brain injury (like Cerebral Palsy.) Hopefully I can upload it and provide a link for everyone to be able to view it if you're interested.
There will be a car show to benefit Taegan on Sunday, July 29th from noon to 6pm in the parking lot of the Lone Star restaurant off US 31 South in Greenwood. All proceeds will be donated to Taegan's fund. This car show is for all car buffs and car enthusiasts. Anyone can enter their car into the show for a minimum registration fee of $5.
I am planning to organize a spaghetti dinner and/or pancake breakfast to benefit Taegan's fund in order to help pay for the housing facilities and car rental we will need for our next two HBO sessions (housing for one month, each session.) If anyone has any suggestions/tips/advice, please contact me! :-)
Taegan will begin preschool on August 13th. We have a boatload of appointments between now and then... geneticist, orthotics, neuropsychologist, OT, PT, SLP, CST etc. Summer has flown by... it's hard to believe it will be over soon!
Thank you to all of you who continually check in on us... we truly do appreciate it!
Enjoy the rest of summer 2007.....
June 22, 2007
Headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains
Taegan and I are headed out to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for the month of July. She'll be receiving her second set of 40 HBO treatments at a facility there called Miracle Mountain Children's Hyperbaric. We'll be driving out on June 30th, and treatments will begin on July 3rd.
On July 2nd, I will have to drive Taegan to visit with an open minded Dr. who works closely with the the facility, in order to obtain a prescription for the HBO treatments. I called for directions to the Dr's office today, and was quite shocked to learn it is 2 1/2 hours away from the hyperbaric clinic! Should be an interesting ride all around... Both facilities are deep in the mountains, and having lived in flat, corn field land-Indiana most of my life, it will be a refreshing change.
I am a little nervous though... the friendly woman I spoke with on the phone this afternoon from the Dr's office advised me to pump the brakes while driving through the mountains, and not to push hard to the floor on the pedal, or I might burn up the brakes! I definitely want to be sure to complete Taegan's 120 sessions during the summer and spring months, and avoid the winter months! I don't want to go sliding off the side of a mountain or anything! LOL
Taegan's motorcycle ride was a wonderful success! Everyone worked so hard to make it run smoothly, and it turned out to be an excellent day! We raised just over 6k for Taegan! That will pay for all 120 treatments of HBO at Miracle Mountain. We are thrilled!
Well, there's a ton of packing to be done... will update as I can....
Much Love & Brightest Blessings To All!!!
On July 2nd, I will have to drive Taegan to visit with an open minded Dr. who works closely with the the facility, in order to obtain a prescription for the HBO treatments. I called for directions to the Dr's office today, and was quite shocked to learn it is 2 1/2 hours away from the hyperbaric clinic! Should be an interesting ride all around... Both facilities are deep in the mountains, and having lived in flat, corn field land-Indiana most of my life, it will be a refreshing change.
I am a little nervous though... the friendly woman I spoke with on the phone this afternoon from the Dr's office advised me to pump the brakes while driving through the mountains, and not to push hard to the floor on the pedal, or I might burn up the brakes! I definitely want to be sure to complete Taegan's 120 sessions during the summer and spring months, and avoid the winter months! I don't want to go sliding off the side of a mountain or anything! LOL
Taegan's motorcycle ride was a wonderful success! Everyone worked so hard to make it run smoothly, and it turned out to be an excellent day! We raised just over 6k for Taegan! That will pay for all 120 treatments of HBO at Miracle Mountain. We are thrilled!
Well, there's a ton of packing to be done... will update as I can....
Much Love & Brightest Blessings To All!!!
June 8, 2007
Auction Items
Adina Francis is a long-time friend of mine who enjoys drawing in her free time. She's graciously donated several original art work pieces to be auctioned off to benefit Taegan's fund. The water color of Nascar driver Tony Stewart will be one of the pieces auctioned off at the June 16th motorcycle ride. All art work will be matted and framed.
Here is a preview of some of the items that will be auctioned off soon via eBay and local fundraising events.
If anyone is interested in the mountain bike or the four beautiful pieces of art work listed here, please contact me via angels4taegan@yahoo.com. Also, dimension specifics can be provided upon request.
Thanks again to everyone for their continued love, prayers, and support! You are helping to change Taegan's life forever... and we will always be thankful for that!
Here is a preview of some of the items that will be auctioned off soon via eBay and local fundraising events.
Richard Oakland is an exceptional photographer with a unique eye from the UK. He has generously donated a limited edition, autographed, numbered print from his collection. It is entitled "Creeping Sun."
To view more of Richard's inspiring collection, visit one of his three web sites at:
http://www.clickinhistoryphotography.com
http://www.clickinhistory9.blogspot.com http://www.photoboxgallery.com/839059
This is a 2006 Harley Davidson mountain bike. It is barely used and in mint condition. Previous owner only rode it twice.
If anyone is interested in the mountain bike or the four beautiful pieces of art work listed here, please contact me via angels4taegan@yahoo.com. Also, dimension specifics can be provided upon request.
Thanks again to everyone for their continued love, prayers, and support! You are helping to change Taegan's life forever... and we will always be thankful for that!
May 6, 2007
Bike Ride To Benefit Taegan
For the locals: Tammie Lee Hall and Century 21 Realty Group Ruch-Hicks have organized a motorcycle ride on the south side of Indianapolis to benefit Taegan. The ride will take place, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 16th, 2007.
The ride will begin at 11am from Century 21 Realty Group Ruch-Hicks. Stops on the ride include: "Somewhere" in Bargersville, "Route 67" in Mooresville, "Jakes" at Southport Rd & Bluff Rd and concludes at "That Place" off Country Line Rd. and Emerson Ave. The registration fee is $25 per bike. This includes a free Angels Ridin' 4 Taegan T-shirt (additional shirts are $10/each) and a wrist band.
There will be a poker run, 50/50, and great door prizes at each stop. Free burgers and dogs will be provided by "That Place" to all registered riders after the ride.
Registration can be completed on-line or registration forms can be printed off from Taegan's web site http://www.angels4taegan.com with checks made payable to Angels 4 Taegan and then mailed to:
Century 21 Ruch-Hicks
1680 W. Main Street
Greenwood, IN 46142
Attn: Tammie Lee Hall
So, come on out for a terrific time while helping a great cause!!!
April 21, 2007
Back Home Again In Indiana
Taegan successfully completed her first set of 40 HBO treatments in Cincinnati and will resume her routine therapy sessions on Monday. (PT, OT, DT, CST, Speech, Nutrition Therapy, Hippotherapy, and Chiropractic care.)
I was a bit sad when the HBO sessions were complete because Taegan seems like a different child while receiving HBO. She was very content and social (which she hasn't been in recent months prior to HBO). Also, one of the best things to come from the HBO treatments was a major improvement in her sleeping habits. She was sleeping all through the night (except for 3 nights during the 40 treatments, but even then, she was only awake for an hour or so then!) She slept 8-10 hours per night, which was truly wonderful! She is such a different child when she has SLEEP! (Aren't we all?) In her 3 short years here on earth, she's never slept for an 8 hour stretch of time, ever!
Her appetite also sharply improved during HBO. I am positive she has gained weight. We'll see just how much when she meets with the nutritionist next week.
Unfortunately, she has resorted to her old sleeping habits. She's still pretty much a pleasant child, just a bit moody at times. I've recently learned that her moodiness and insomnia could be coming from a copper toxicity
.
While at the Cole Center for Healing, I had a tissue sample sent to the lab for extensive analysis. The results were really quite shocking. Taegan has very high copper and aluminum levels, and has very low sodium and potassium. Her adrenal gland is also not functioning as it should be and is causing a glucose intolerance in her body.
I've purchased the suggested supplements to help correct the various imbalances in her body and hopefully we'll begin that regimen along with major dietary changes next week after consulting with her nutritionist.
Another thing I did not realize is that copper affects the ability of the muscles to function properly. It even affects the myelin sheath of the nerves (which is already a concern/problem area for people suffering from CP!) So, I'm hopeful that once the supplements and dietary changes correct her imbalances, we'll see some positive effects reflected in her mood, improved sleeping ability and muscle function.
She showed such positive improvement during that first week of HBO, espec
ially with her muscle tone. She was able to get her left foot flat on the ground for the first time in her life. By the second week of treatment, her braces no longer fit properly (I am guessing it is because of the changes in her muscle tone, but I'm no expert!) She can no longer wear them because they rub blisters on her heels, especially her left heel. However, she isn't really putting her left foot down flat anymore on her own. I have to physically make her do it now, which still baffles me. When she walks, she's back to walking on her tip toes on the left, and is very shaky and unsteady.
My only rationale for this is that perhaps other muscles in her legs loosened up too, considerably, during HBO and she has never had to use those muscles before. I'm wondering if she's just unsure of how to use those muscles to steady herself and walk... they obviously would be weak from never being used before. Maybe we just have to focus on strengthening those muscles in order for all the muscles in her leg to work synergistically. I'm hopeful that her physical therapists might have some insight into what is going on. The HBO technician reminded me that it is possible to see continued changes from the HBO treatments up to 1-2 months after the cessation of treatment.
Her appetite continues to be healthy and she's even trying some new foods now. Of course, we'll be altering her diet quite extensively soon (no refined carbs and no sugars, including fruit and fruit juices.) Dietary and supplement recommendations were included in the tissue analysis process. They recommended Taegan be retested in 3-4 months, so that supplements can be adjusted or stopped altogether if no longer needed.
Meanwhi
le, we're continuing to raise money for Taegan so that she may continue to receive the HBO treatments. I'm hoping she can receive at least another 40 before she begins preschool in August.
I mentioned briefly in a previous post, I've met a very generous man who has a HBO clinic in North Carolina. He's offered 120 HBO treatments to Taegan for $6,000 (for a limited time, as his company is a cooperative.) The 120 sessions do not have to be done consecutively, but can be broken up into sets of 20 or 40 until completed.
I'm researching the possibility of flying there with Taegan when the time comes. There are several non-profit organizations out there (I believe that is correct) that offer free flights to parents/children of special needs, to help them receive the necessary medical care they require. I'm still just learning about this possibility....
Many thanks to the Women's and Men's Eagles Club of Fairfield, Ohio... they raised $505 during their recent benefit for Taegan on April 12th. They are a wonderful group of people who have taken a special interest in helping Taegan.
Taegan seems to be missing Jake and Alli... she looks all around the living room and kitchen calling "baby!!! baby!!!" and I think she's looking for her 6 year old friend/playmate Alli. She often times called her baby while we stayed there with the Ball family in Cincinnati.
Taegan was evaluated this week by the Special Services team for our local school system. They will use the results to qualify her for services through the school system when she starts in the special needs preschool program this August. We'll have her case conference to determine eligibility and to write goals in late May.
It doesn't seem possible, that my baby is ready to begin school!!! I still cannot believe she will be turning 3 in June! The NICU days really don't seem all that long ago... I still have dreams (nightmares!) about her time there. It absolutely doesn't seem like 3 years has passed since her traumatic birth. Where does the time go?
I'll post another update soon... ~Be well~
I was a bit sad when the HBO sessions were complete because Taegan seems like a different child while receiving HBO. She was very content and social (which she hasn't been in recent months prior to HBO). Also, one of the best things to come from the HBO treatments was a major improvement in her sleeping habits. She was sleeping all through the night (except for 3 nights during the 40 treatments, but even then, she was only awake for an hour or so then!) She slept 8-10 hours per night, which was truly wonderful! She is such a different child when she has SLEEP! (Aren't we all?) In her 3 short years here on earth, she's never slept for an 8 hour stretch of time, ever!
Her appetite also sharply improved during HBO. I am positive she has gained weight. We'll see just how much when she meets with the nutritionist next week.
Unfortunately, she has resorted to her old sleeping habits. She's still pretty much a pleasant child, just a bit moody at times. I've recently learned that her moodiness and insomnia could be coming from a copper toxicity
. While at the Cole Center for Healing, I had a tissue sample sent to the lab for extensive analysis. The results were really quite shocking. Taegan has very high copper and aluminum levels, and has very low sodium and potassium. Her adrenal gland is also not functioning as it should be and is causing a glucose intolerance in her body.
I've purchased the suggested supplements to help correct the various imbalances in her body and hopefully we'll begin that regimen along with major dietary changes next week after consulting with her nutritionist.
Another thing I did not realize is that copper affects the ability of the muscles to function properly. It even affects the myelin sheath of the nerves (which is already a concern/problem area for people suffering from CP!) So, I'm hopeful that once the supplements and dietary changes correct her imbalances, we'll see some positive effects reflected in her mood, improved sleeping ability and muscle function.
She showed such positive improvement during that first week of HBO, espec
ially with her muscle tone. She was able to get her left foot flat on the ground for the first time in her life. By the second week of treatment, her braces no longer fit properly (I am guessing it is because of the changes in her muscle tone, but I'm no expert!) She can no longer wear them because they rub blisters on her heels, especially her left heel. However, she isn't really putting her left foot down flat anymore on her own. I have to physically make her do it now, which still baffles me. When she walks, she's back to walking on her tip toes on the left, and is very shaky and unsteady. My only rationale for this is that perhaps other muscles in her legs loosened up too, considerably, during HBO and she has never had to use those muscles before. I'm wondering if she's just unsure of how to use those muscles to steady herself and walk... they obviously would be weak from never being used before. Maybe we just have to focus on strengthening those muscles in order for all the muscles in her leg to work synergistically. I'm hopeful that her physical therapists might have some insight into what is going on. The HBO technician reminded me that it is possible to see continued changes from the HBO treatments up to 1-2 months after the cessation of treatment.
Her appetite continues to be healthy and she's even trying some new foods now. Of course, we'll be altering her diet quite extensively soon (no refined carbs and no sugars, including fruit and fruit juices.) Dietary and supplement recommendations were included in the tissue analysis process. They recommended Taegan be retested in 3-4 months, so that supplements can be adjusted or stopped altogether if no longer needed.
Meanwhi
le, we're continuing to raise money for Taegan so that she may continue to receive the HBO treatments. I'm hoping she can receive at least another 40 before she begins preschool in August. I mentioned briefly in a previous post, I've met a very generous man who has a HBO clinic in North Carolina. He's offered 120 HBO treatments to Taegan for $6,000 (for a limited time, as his company is a cooperative.) The 120 sessions do not have to be done consecutively, but can be broken up into sets of 20 or 40 until completed.
I'm researching the possibility of flying there with Taegan when the time comes. There are several non-profit organizations out there (I believe that is correct) that offer free flights to parents/children of special needs, to help them receive the necessary medical care they require. I'm still just learning about this possibility....
Many thanks to the Women's and Men's Eagles Club of Fairfield, Ohio... they raised $505 during their recent benefit for Taegan on April 12th. They are a wonderful group of people who have taken a special interest in helping Taegan.
Taegan seems to be missing Jake and Alli... she looks all around the living room and kitchen calling "baby!!! baby!!!" and I think she's looking for her 6 year old friend/playmate Alli. She often times called her baby while we stayed there with the Ball family in Cincinnati.
Taegan was evaluated this week by the Special Services team for our local school system. They will use the results to qualify her for services through the school system when she starts in the special needs preschool program this August. We'll have her case conference to determine eligibility and to write goals in late May.
It doesn't seem possible, that my baby is ready to begin school!!! I still cannot believe she will be turning 3 in June! The NICU days really don't seem all that long ago... I still have dreams (nightmares!) about her time there. It absolutely doesn't seem like 3 years has passed since her traumatic birth. Where does the time go?
I'll post another update soon... ~Be well~
**Pictures: 1)Taegan inside the HBO chamber. 2) Taegan and Certified HBO Technician Scott Fuhr. 3) Cara, helping Taegan with the steps at the Eagles Club benefit on April 12th. 4) Alli and Taegan having fun in the bubble bath! 5) Taegan examining her new Barbie on Easter. 6) Alli, Cara, and Jake... Jeff was working when this pic was taken. Taegan adored him too!
April 11, 2007
Eagles Club Benefit for Taegan
The Men & Women's Eagles Club of Fairfield, Ohio have been instrumental in helping to raise money and awareness for Taegan and our cause. And, they continue to be supportive and interested in her progress while we are staying here in Mason, Ohio as Taegan undergoes her first 40 hyperbaric oxygen treatments.
They will be hosting a cook-out at the club on Thursday, April 12 at 5pm. Proceeds from the cook-out will be donated to Taegan's medical fund.
The Eagles Club is located at:
8560 Michael Ln, Fairfield, OH
If you're in the area, stop by and enjoy some good food for a great cause!
They will be hosting a cook-out at the club on Thursday, April 12 at 5pm. Proceeds from the cook-out will be donated to Taegan's medical fund.
The Eagles Club is located at:
8560 Michael Ln, Fairfield, OH
If you're in the area, stop by and enjoy some good food for a great cause!
April 10, 2007
Taegan's Progress After 28 Treatments
Hello again everyone. Thought I'd take a few minutes to write an update on Taegan's progress. She's completed 28 hyperbaric oxygen treatments as of this date. I'm continuing to see positive changes from the HBO therapy.
Some more obvious gains are her improvements with speech. She is very vocal now, and jabbers almost constantly. She's saying new words almost daily. And the fact that they are spontaneous is even more thrilling. She will say "Hi!" often times when she enters a room (to whomever is in the room, and even to the dog!) In the past, you'd have to prompt her, sometimes 5 and 6 times before she'd say "Hi!" if she'd even say it at all. Now, she's saying it on her own many times, with no prompting.
She has continued to say "Yes" when asked a yes/no question, but much of the time requires prompting to do so, but STILL! That is a MAJOR improvement for her. Her speech therapist will be thrilled, I'm sure! (We've worked on yes/no for the better part of a year it seems!)
Taegan has said "Open!" to the HBO Technician twice now, as she waits for him to open the chamber door. It's too cute to hear her little voice... and to hear her saying an APPROPRIATE word in the context of the situation, all on her own. She was even proclaiming "Open!" to each door we came to at the clinic today. It's so wonderful to see her grasping the 'cause/effect' of her language.
Her social development has even improved! I'm not sure how much of it is from being around a 6 and 9 year old daily, or how much is from the HBO, but she definitely is making gains socially. She continues to have better eye contact, and is smiling at people and interacting with them, and seeming to ENJOY it, whereas prior to March 27th, she showed little interest in interacting with peers. Her shyness with the opposite sex is diminishing as well. She no longer cries when Jeff talks to her or when the male technicians at the clinic help her in/out of the chamber.
Another major improvement has been her increase in appetite. She is eating so well, I would swear she's gained at least 5 pounds!!! I am anxious to see what the nutritionist reports when she meets with her on April 25th. She's still pretty picky with what she will eat, but she definitely has a healthier appetite since beginning HBO treatments. She ate an entire can of green beans for supper this evening, along with a Nutra Grain cereal bar, 5 Ritz crackers, 4 nice sized strawberries, 6 ounces of chicken noodle dinner and 6 ounces of apple juice!
The improvements with her muscle tone have seemed to plateau a bit this week. She seems to be fighting off an illness... perhaps a cold? Her muscle tone in her legs actually began to feel tighter at the end of last week, which was concerning to me. But she was showing improvement in other areas, as mentioned above.
In the past, when Taegan is ill, it presents in her muscle tone first, and then she has the more obvious symptoms of illness like runny nose, fever, cough etc. So, I have been worried that she is trying to fight off an illness. So far, she's only had a bit of a runny nose. The drastic change in weather hasn't helped anyone, that's for sure. It was 85 degrees here in Cincinnati for 3 or 4 days last week, and overnight the weather pattern changed and the high for the next few days was in the upper 20's! And it snowed off/on for 2 days! It is plain crazy.... Snow on Easter... Go figure.
I know that changes are occurring in her legs though, because her AFO's (leg braces) no longer fit properly! I was trying to keep her in them as much as possible to get prolonged stretching of her leg muscles, and she was crying and trying to get her AFO's off, which is unusual for her. When I took them off, I noticed a red blister on her left heel. It's since scabbed over, and still looks pretty painful. So, she's not been able to wear them since. When we get back to Indy, I'll have to take her back to the orthotist and see what can be done so that they fit properly again.
Her stretching exercises are still much easier to do now, which I'm thankful that hasn't changed with this recent muscle tightness she's experiencing. She's not been standing flat footed as often as she had been the previous week. She's loosing her balance quite a bit now, and has resorted to tall-kneel crawling some.
Today I noticed she winced as she put weight on her left leg and her heel went down to the floor. She picked her leg up real quick and decided to crawl instead of walk. I'm not sure what is going on with that.... I might try to talk with Dr. Cole about these things, and see what his thoughts are about her progress.
We've got 12 treatments left....
Meanwhile, I've recently come across a facility out in North Carolina that has the same type of HBO Chamber/set-up as the Cole Center does, and they are offering 120 HBO treatments for $6,000 (limited time only!) That is an AMAZING deal for HBO! The 40 treatments Taegan is receiving presently cost a total of $4,620. I have spoken with the owner of the clinic in N.C. and told him I'm going to try my best to raise 6K before the end of summer so that Taegan can receive the 120 treatments before she begins preschool this August. He said he'd work with me if the offer was expired when we were able to come to his clinic.
So, once we finish up here in Cincinnati, I'm going to try to organize several more larger scale fundraisers back in Indy. If any of you would like to volunteer to help me out with fundraising, please contact me! I'd like to organize a spaghetti dinner and a silent auction.
There will be a motorcycle ride to benefit Taegan in June. I will post more details on that as I get them.... until then, keep checking back for updates.
Big hugs to everyone for all their prayers, love and support for Taegan!!!
Some more obvious gains are her improvements with speech. She is very vocal now, and jabbers almost constantly. She's saying new words almost daily. And the fact that they are spontaneous is even more thrilling. She will say "Hi!" often times when she enters a room (to whomever is in the room, and even to the dog!) In the past, you'd have to prompt her, sometimes 5 and 6 times before she'd say "Hi!" if she'd even say it at all. Now, she's saying it on her own many times, with no prompting.
She has continued to say "Yes" when asked a yes/no question, but much of the time requires prompting to do so, but STILL! That is a MAJOR improvement for her. Her speech therapist will be thrilled, I'm sure! (We've worked on yes/no for the better part of a year it seems!)
Taegan has said "Open!" to the HBO Technician twice now, as she waits for him to open the chamber door. It's too cute to hear her little voice... and to hear her saying an APPROPRIATE word in the context of the situation, all on her own. She was even proclaiming "Open!" to each door we came to at the clinic today. It's so wonderful to see her grasping the 'cause/effect' of her language.
Her social development has even improved! I'm not sure how much of it is from being around a 6 and 9 year old daily, or how much is from the HBO, but she definitely is making gains socially. She continues to have better eye contact, and is smiling at people and interacting with them, and seeming to ENJOY it, whereas prior to March 27th, she showed little interest in interacting with peers. Her shyness with the opposite sex is diminishing as well. She no longer cries when Jeff talks to her or when the male technicians at the clinic help her in/out of the chamber.
Another major improvement has been her increase in appetite. She is eating so well, I would swear she's gained at least 5 pounds!!! I am anxious to see what the nutritionist reports when she meets with her on April 25th. She's still pretty picky with what she will eat, but she definitely has a healthier appetite since beginning HBO treatments. She ate an entire can of green beans for supper this evening, along with a Nutra Grain cereal bar, 5 Ritz crackers, 4 nice sized strawberries, 6 ounces of chicken noodle dinner and 6 ounces of apple juice!
The improvements with her muscle tone have seemed to plateau a bit this week. She seems to be fighting off an illness... perhaps a cold? Her muscle tone in her legs actually began to feel tighter at the end of last week, which was concerning to me. But she was showing improvement in other areas, as mentioned above.
In the past, when Taegan is ill, it presents in her muscle tone first, and then she has the more obvious symptoms of illness like runny nose, fever, cough etc. So, I have been worried that she is trying to fight off an illness. So far, she's only had a bit of a runny nose. The drastic change in weather hasn't helped anyone, that's for sure. It was 85 degrees here in Cincinnati for 3 or 4 days last week, and overnight the weather pattern changed and the high for the next few days was in the upper 20's! And it snowed off/on for 2 days! It is plain crazy.... Snow on Easter... Go figure.
I know that changes are occurring in her legs though, because her AFO's (leg braces) no longer fit properly! I was trying to keep her in them as much as possible to get prolonged stretching of her leg muscles, and she was crying and trying to get her AFO's off, which is unusual for her. When I took them off, I noticed a red blister on her left heel. It's since scabbed over, and still looks pretty painful. So, she's not been able to wear them since. When we get back to Indy, I'll have to take her back to the orthotist and see what can be done so that they fit properly again.
Her stretching exercises are still much easier to do now, which I'm thankful that hasn't changed with this recent muscle tightness she's experiencing. She's not been standing flat footed as often as she had been the previous week. She's loosing her balance quite a bit now, and has resorted to tall-kneel crawling some.
Today I noticed she winced as she put weight on her left leg and her heel went down to the floor. She picked her leg up real quick and decided to crawl instead of walk. I'm not sure what is going on with that.... I might try to talk with Dr. Cole about these things, and see what his thoughts are about her progress.
We've got 12 treatments left....
Meanwhile, I've recently come across a facility out in North Carolina that has the same type of HBO Chamber/set-up as the Cole Center does, and they are offering 120 HBO treatments for $6,000 (limited time only!) That is an AMAZING deal for HBO! The 40 treatments Taegan is receiving presently cost a total of $4,620. I have spoken with the owner of the clinic in N.C. and told him I'm going to try my best to raise 6K before the end of summer so that Taegan can receive the 120 treatments before she begins preschool this August. He said he'd work with me if the offer was expired when we were able to come to his clinic.
So, once we finish up here in Cincinnati, I'm going to try to organize several more larger scale fundraisers back in Indy. If any of you would like to volunteer to help me out with fundraising, please contact me! I'd like to organize a spaghetti dinner and a silent auction.
There will be a motorcycle ride to benefit Taegan in June. I will post more details on that as I get them.... until then, keep checking back for updates.
Big hugs to everyone for all their prayers, love and support for Taegan!!!
April 6, 2007
April 5, 2007
HBO Photos
Here are some recent photos of Taegan in the hyperbaric chamber as well as photos of the chamber itself. Taegan really enjoys the therapy... she sometimes cries when we have to get out of the chamber! She is always in good spirits after the treatments... perhaps it's a side effect? Enjoy the photos. The last photo is of her standing flat footed on her left leg. I am shifting her weight to the left so that she HAS to weight bare through that leg and foot, as she still will not do it on her own. I'm sure it's awkward for her since all she's ever known how to do is stand on her tippy-toes on the left foot. I hope her progress continues to be as wonderful as it has been to date.
March 30, 2007
7 Down, 33 To Go
Taegan and I are here in Cincinnati, staying with my wonderful friend Cara and her beautiful family. They have been so generous to us, opening their house to us for the month while we undergo the hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments.
Taegan had her evaluation with Dr. Cole on Tuesday, and also began treatments that day as well. The evaluation went well, and I really enjoyed the time with Dr. Cole. He is a very knowledgeable man. He feels that Taegan will be a wonderful candidate for HBO and that her progress should be remarkable. He told me a story about a man with CP who received HBO for the first time at age 20, and the improvements for him were significant. He also explained that the benefits Taegan receives from HBO will be PERMANENT. Even if she regresses during illnesses, she will not lose any function she gains as a result of HBO. That was a relief to hear, as I wasn't sure as to the longevity of HBO. He also explained that each person is different, and each person benefits from a different number of HBO treatments. For example, he can't say that after 40 treatments, Taegan will have received all the benefit from it that she possibly can... it may take 50 treatments, or 120 treatments. No one knows... the body will tell you when it's done all the healing it can do with these treatments.
We also met with a homeopathic doctor who discussed supplements with me and several other testing options to help Taegan achieve optimum health. I will probably put her on a few supplements that will assist in healing. Omega 3 fatty acids is one that was mentioned. This helps with the mylenation process (protective layer covering the nerves in a person's body.) With CP, myelination is affected.
As of this evening, Taegan will have completed 8 'dives,' or treatments. We do two treatments a day, about 4 hours apart, and will complete a total of 40 altogether.
She is doing quite well for the 90 minute sessions. The HBO is technically 60 minutes in duration, however, we're in the chamber for approximately 90 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to drop the atmospheric pressure down to 1.5 ATA (about 20 feet below sea level) and it takes about 15 minutes to return to sea level ATA. Taegan fusses a bit while we descend, as it is slightly uncomfortable on the ears. I have a whistle that she blows while in the chamber (and I squeeze her nose while she blows) that helps to release the pressure build-up in her ears. I also bring in a bottle of juice, as it also helps to drink during the pressurization and de-pressurization periods.
The chamber has 2 portholes that you can see out of (and outsiders can see in.) Outside one of the portholes hangs a TV. We watch videos through the porthole, and the sound is played inside the chamber on a speaker system. Once we are at 1.5 ATA, I place an oxygen hood over Taegan's head and hook up her O2 tubes to the bottom of the hood, and the 100% oxygen is piped in through the tubes and stays inside her hood. So, she is always breathing 100% oxygen while the hood is on. Inside the chamber itself, there is normal room air. I do not wear a hood while I'm in there with her (I'm sure I'd have to pay for that!) But, the technician did say I can also benefit from the treatments just by breathing the room air at the 1.5 ATA depth.
I have felt more tired since doing the treatments (which is a side effect of HBO actually.) In fact, Taegan has slept through the night the past 2 nights now! That is AMAZING for her. As many of you know, her typical sleep pattern prior to HBO has been to sleep for 4-6 hour periods (6 on a good night!) and then be up for several hours before falling back to sleep. She has very restless sleep. Last night, she went to bed at 10:30pm and when I turned in for the night around 1am, she hadn't moved from the position in which she fell asleep! I heard her change positions about 4am. She didn't wake once throughout the night. In fact, I had to literally drag her out of bed at 8:45am in order to get her dressed for her 9:30am treatment! She was not a happy camper!
She is jabbering a lot more, and is using spontaneous words! She answered a yes/no question for me yesterday for the very first time! I asked if she would like a drink and she said "YES" as plain as day! She also is saying Cara and Alli (the names of my friend and her daughter whom we're staying with here in Cincinnati)! She has been putting a few words together to say short phrases like "I did it." and "I go," "I eat," and even a "Mommy, I eat." She has never requested to eat before! She is counting more clearly now. (She counts to 20, skipping a few along the way). She's saying her ABC's more clearly as well.
I've also noticed she's beginning to make better eye contact with people, especially when they are talking to her. Usually, she appears to 'ignore' people when they are talking to her.
Her muscle tone is slowly improving. I had hoped for more drastic effects...but I keep reminding myself she's only had 7 treatments, and her feet are the furthest thing from her heart and brain! Patience, patience. :-)
Her muscle tone in her right leg and foot has improved by about 15 degrees, easily. However, her right foot was never significantly tight. It had some tone in it, and requires her to wear a brace, but nothing as significant as her left foot.
The high tone in her left foot is definitely changing though. I can get it to stretch with more agility than before and I'd say she's gained a few degrees of movement in it so far. When she is barefoot and walking, she is still up on her left toes, but I can tell it isn't as high. Her gait is very unsteady now, and she is falling a lot. So much so, that she has resorted to 'cruising' again... she tries to keep one hand on furniture or a wall while she's walking barefoot now, to help steady herself.
At first I was alarmed by this change in her walking pattern, but then I realized, her muscles are loosening up, and she's having to learn to adjust to that. Before this, she's compensated for her muscle tightness and walked high up on her tip-toes and the top half of her body sort of bent into a "C" shape as she walked, to balance herself. Now, she's not 'bending herself' into that shape as sharply and her heel is slightly closer to the floor.
When she is standing with both arms against a piece of furniture etc. she is standing FLAT FOOTED! She's never been able to do that prior to HBO! It's amusing to watch her do this, because I don't think she realizes she's doing it at first, and then you can tell when she realizes, because she will pull her foot up off the floor and rest it on top of her right foot! I also think that perhaps it feels like a muscle stretch while she's standing flat footed. I compare it to how you do a pre-jog warm-up stretch. I imagine that might be what she's feeling, and causing her to notice she's flat footed while standing.
I'm thrilled to see these small changes already after only 7 hours of HBO! I continue to pray we see some significant changes by the 40th hour!
I will be posting pictures of Taegan inside the chamber and doing her treatments shortly. I've gotten permission from the technician at the center to take some video as well. We just have to do it at a time when it's not so busy at the clinic. So, hopefully this weekend will allow that opportunity, and I'll post the pictures here for everyone to enjoy.
Thank you again to all Taegan's earth angels for helping to make these changes a permanent reality for her! After all, it is the kindness all of you showed by donating to Taegan's fund, to allow us this opportunity. We continue to be thankful for each and every one of you.
Taegan had her evaluation with Dr. Cole on Tuesday, and also began treatments that day as well. The evaluation went well, and I really enjoyed the time with Dr. Cole. He is a very knowledgeable man. He feels that Taegan will be a wonderful candidate for HBO and that her progress should be remarkable. He told me a story about a man with CP who received HBO for the first time at age 20, and the improvements for him were significant. He also explained that the benefits Taegan receives from HBO will be PERMANENT. Even if she regresses during illnesses, she will not lose any function she gains as a result of HBO. That was a relief to hear, as I wasn't sure as to the longevity of HBO. He also explained that each person is different, and each person benefits from a different number of HBO treatments. For example, he can't say that after 40 treatments, Taegan will have received all the benefit from it that she possibly can... it may take 50 treatments, or 120 treatments. No one knows... the body will tell you when it's done all the healing it can do with these treatments.
We also met with a homeopathic doctor who discussed supplements with me and several other testing options to help Taegan achieve optimum health. I will probably put her on a few supplements that will assist in healing. Omega 3 fatty acids is one that was mentioned. This helps with the mylenation process (protective layer covering the nerves in a person's body.) With CP, myelination is affected.
As of this evening, Taegan will have completed 8 'dives,' or treatments. We do two treatments a day, about 4 hours apart, and will complete a total of 40 altogether.
She is doing quite well for the 90 minute sessions. The HBO is technically 60 minutes in duration, however, we're in the chamber for approximately 90 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to drop the atmospheric pressure down to 1.5 ATA (about 20 feet below sea level) and it takes about 15 minutes to return to sea level ATA. Taegan fusses a bit while we descend, as it is slightly uncomfortable on the ears. I have a whistle that she blows while in the chamber (and I squeeze her nose while she blows) that helps to release the pressure build-up in her ears. I also bring in a bottle of juice, as it also helps to drink during the pressurization and de-pressurization periods.
The chamber has 2 portholes that you can see out of (and outsiders can see in.) Outside one of the portholes hangs a TV. We watch videos through the porthole, and the sound is played inside the chamber on a speaker system. Once we are at 1.5 ATA, I place an oxygen hood over Taegan's head and hook up her O2 tubes to the bottom of the hood, and the 100% oxygen is piped in through the tubes and stays inside her hood. So, she is always breathing 100% oxygen while the hood is on. Inside the chamber itself, there is normal room air. I do not wear a hood while I'm in there with her (I'm sure I'd have to pay for that!) But, the technician did say I can also benefit from the treatments just by breathing the room air at the 1.5 ATA depth.
I have felt more tired since doing the treatments (which is a side effect of HBO actually.) In fact, Taegan has slept through the night the past 2 nights now! That is AMAZING for her. As many of you know, her typical sleep pattern prior to HBO has been to sleep for 4-6 hour periods (6 on a good night!) and then be up for several hours before falling back to sleep. She has very restless sleep. Last night, she went to bed at 10:30pm and when I turned in for the night around 1am, she hadn't moved from the position in which she fell asleep! I heard her change positions about 4am. She didn't wake once throughout the night. In fact, I had to literally drag her out of bed at 8:45am in order to get her dressed for her 9:30am treatment! She was not a happy camper!
She is jabbering a lot more, and is using spontaneous words! She answered a yes/no question for me yesterday for the very first time! I asked if she would like a drink and she said "YES" as plain as day! She also is saying Cara and Alli (the names of my friend and her daughter whom we're staying with here in Cincinnati)! She has been putting a few words together to say short phrases like "I did it." and "I go," "I eat," and even a "Mommy, I eat." She has never requested to eat before! She is counting more clearly now. (She counts to 20, skipping a few along the way). She's saying her ABC's more clearly as well.
I've also noticed she's beginning to make better eye contact with people, especially when they are talking to her. Usually, she appears to 'ignore' people when they are talking to her.
Her muscle tone is slowly improving. I had hoped for more drastic effects...but I keep reminding myself she's only had 7 treatments, and her feet are the furthest thing from her heart and brain! Patience, patience. :-)
Her muscle tone in her right leg and foot has improved by about 15 degrees, easily. However, her right foot was never significantly tight. It had some tone in it, and requires her to wear a brace, but nothing as significant as her left foot.
The high tone in her left foot is definitely changing though. I can get it to stretch with more agility than before and I'd say she's gained a few degrees of movement in it so far. When she is barefoot and walking, she is still up on her left toes, but I can tell it isn't as high. Her gait is very unsteady now, and she is falling a lot. So much so, that she has resorted to 'cruising' again... she tries to keep one hand on furniture or a wall while she's walking barefoot now, to help steady herself.
At first I was alarmed by this change in her walking pattern, but then I realized, her muscles are loosening up, and she's having to learn to adjust to that. Before this, she's compensated for her muscle tightness and walked high up on her tip-toes and the top half of her body sort of bent into a "C" shape as she walked, to balance herself. Now, she's not 'bending herself' into that shape as sharply and her heel is slightly closer to the floor.
When she is standing with both arms against a piece of furniture etc. she is standing FLAT FOOTED! She's never been able to do that prior to HBO! It's amusing to watch her do this, because I don't think she realizes she's doing it at first, and then you can tell when she realizes, because she will pull her foot up off the floor and rest it on top of her right foot! I also think that perhaps it feels like a muscle stretch while she's standing flat footed. I compare it to how you do a pre-jog warm-up stretch. I imagine that might be what she's feeling, and causing her to notice she's flat footed while standing.
I'm thrilled to see these small changes already after only 7 hours of HBO! I continue to pray we see some significant changes by the 40th hour!
I will be posting pictures of Taegan inside the chamber and doing her treatments shortly. I've gotten permission from the technician at the center to take some video as well. We just have to do it at a time when it's not so busy at the clinic. So, hopefully this weekend will allow that opportunity, and I'll post the pictures here for everyone to enjoy.
Thank you again to all Taegan's earth angels for helping to make these changes a permanent reality for her! After all, it is the kindness all of you showed by donating to Taegan's fund, to allow us this opportunity. We continue to be thankful for each and every one of you.
March 21, 2007
How HBO Can Benefit Taegan
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments can help Taegan by promoting the growth of new blood vessels, decreasing swelling and inflammation in her brain around the damaged areas, deactivating toxins, and by increasing her body's ability to fight infection.
To view a more in depth account on the specifics of HBO and what it can help promote, click here: http://www.colecenter.com/therapies/hbot.html
To view a more in depth account on the specifics of HBO and what it can help promote, click here: http://www.colecenter.com/therapies/hbot.html
HBO Rescheduled
Taegan's HBO treatments were scheduled to begin on March 19th, however she came down with a bad head cold on Friday, March 16th and I had to cancel the appointment. I now have her cold as well....
The appointment is rescheduled for March 27th. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll both be healthy enough to begin HBO that day!
We cannot do HBO with any kind of head congestion etc. because we have to be able to equalize the pressure in our ears as the atmospheric pressure inside the chamber drops. We will be 'diving' to a depth of 20 feet below sea level. It is equal to 1.5 ATA
Fingers crossed that we both are completely healthy by Tuesday morning!
As always, thank you all for your continued support and prayers!!!
The appointment is rescheduled for March 27th. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll both be healthy enough to begin HBO that day!
We cannot do HBO with any kind of head congestion etc. because we have to be able to equalize the pressure in our ears as the atmospheric pressure inside the chamber drops. We will be 'diving' to a depth of 20 feet below sea level. It is equal to 1.5 ATA
Fingers crossed that we both are completely healthy by Tuesday morning!
As always, thank you all for your continued support and prayers!!!
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