Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - December 13th through 15th

Hello all,

It has been a very challenging three days and nights for Tori unfortunately... Tori has slept hardly at all during the past few days and neither have Maria or I... Tori is having some pain and she let's us know that through her groans, grimaces and cries for help but she can't tell us where it hurts of course... So she has received alot of motrin, xanax and even lortab during the past few days. We will watch her very closely over the weekend to see if her temperament and condition improves, but if it doesn't we may be visiting a hospital once again... Her vital statistics are just fine at least - no temperature, she is breathing well, and her heart rate is acceptable. So we are in watch and wait mode at this point.

Grandpa and Grandma Schmanski returned on Wednesday which is great news!! Our lives and schedules operate MUCH MORE efficiently when they are are around as they are a tremendous help!! Unless you are in a similar situation, you cannot even come close to comprehending what caring for a 100% dependent person involves. Everyday is a challenge...

Tori has eaten well while she is awake during the day. I fed her almost a complete Yoplait strawberry and banana yogurt and she continues to sample on anything else we are eating. Meredyth keeps her eating the apple sauce and rice cakes mixture as well. Tori's lip closing around the spoon is still happening as well. She seems to have that nailed down right now and after a year of trying to get her to do that it feels good.

Tori had an assistant education visitor yesterday but she didn't respond too well. I think it was due to 'stranger danger' more than anything else... Meredyth stopped by today and had another, very encouraging visit with Tori. She let Tori bite down, hold and release on some beef jerky for one thing. Then they did more picture association where Tori had to look at the correct choice between two cards. Then it became interesting. Even though Tori gets the correct answers on all of these exercises we often question ourselves on where she is cognitively. I don't know, it's just hard to acknowledge it until she 'tells us' the answers and what she is thinking I guess. We see her each and every day and perhaps we read too much into what we are seeing and believing. Today, towards the end of Meredyth's session, Tori was shown some 'I Spy' cloned book pages. For those unfamiliar with the 'I Spy' book series, they are essentially pages and pages of hundreds of various items displayed. Tori was shown two pages in the book and was asked to locate many of the specified items with her eyes. Tori would scan the pages intently and eventually stop and 'appear to focus' directly on the item in question. Again, without her using her finger and pointing or telling us where it is at, Tori focuses at the correct position on the pages. From what we can tell she is 100% correct each time!! This was amazing today in several ways because she is typically closing her eyes and through with the session by the end. But she was still very active and awake today.

I'll be sure to post an update tomorrow as well on some additional stem cell research discoveries.

Thank you all and good night,

-Tim