Texas Neuro Part I

Travis was moved to Texas Neuro Rehab

Hospital on August 16, 2010.

It is about two hours from us in Austin...

and it's a nice place,

but I wish I didn't need to know that it even existed.

When we walked into Trav's room on our first visit during that first week, they had him dressed and in a wheel chair. For the previous twenty-two days, I had only seen Travis lying in a bed asleep with all kinds of machines around him. Now he was sitting up and dressed!!! Unfortunately he was still 'asleep' but I knew it was good that his body was being moved around. It was amazing yet heartbreaking all over again. Sucker punched time and time again. I hated how his head had to be strapped to a head rest. There was so much I hated actually. :( Poor Hunter! ;)For my kids' sakes, we always tried to incorporate something fun into our visits. We first started letting the kids see Travis at Texas Neuro. We had begun to realize that this was our family's new normal and the kids needed to see Travis. It was not easy for them to see their "bud" like that. They handled it so incredibly though. Trips to Gatti Land also helped! ;)And the LEGO store might have been the icing on the cake. But you know what? This was our only trip there during the six months Travis was in Austin. They really did understand our trips were to see Travis and be with him.

Such a cool store though!!!

Super Uncle, Super Dad

Super Mom...she loves this shirt from Robin! Macy began her first semester at Texas State in August...26 mere miles from Texas Neuro. God has been all over this situation in so many different aspects.

Having the Hunter B stay with us meant DANCE par-TAYS every night!!! Hunter is a music machine! :))) Somehow we made the most of our weekends...at a rehab hospital in Austin, Texas. What else could we do!?! Family is everything.

TEAM TRAVIS!!! The support has just been incredible. This is a friend of Trav's. Her and her mom came in these shirts to Austin... I can't wait for Travis to look back on all of this someday and see God's goodness like we have.
We decorated his room just a little... One of my dear guy friends from Austin brought Travis this awesome UT jersey and very generous gift cards for Lynna and Scott. Jeremy has been a prayer warrior on behalf of Travis. Even going to see him on a moment's notice when we needed someone to check on him. Jeremy is a dear friend of mine and he also remembers Travis being born and what a thrill that was in my life. All my forever friends remember Travis being born. :)This was his room early on...it was pretty much covered by the time he left there! My dear neighbor made the sign hanging on his door in her beautiful caligraphy. It has the verse "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Live entertainment by Hunter B...the one and only! Travis was in his wheel chair that day as there were several visitors. He was sitting there, eyes closed, but with us. Thank God for that.

My SUPER little girl with the SWEETEST heart. I don't think I'll ever forget hearing her say over and over again to Travis..."Bye Travis I love you". She would repeat it over and over again when we would leave his room.

Lynna, well, I can't even go there.

She is living a mother's nightmare and she

is handling it all so gracefully. She is 110%

dedicated to Travis and his healing and recovery...

whatever that may end up being.

We won't know for a long, long time.

This little stud has been amazing, too. I am so proud of my children...as much as I wish we could forget these days, I also don't want them to ever forget them.Laughter...it really is the best medicine.

I remember thinking that first day on July 25th that my mother would fall apart. She never did. Such a rock. Here she is holding her first born grandson's hand. Ever faithful and strong through all of this.

We always took over the lobbies at Texas Neuro!

Making posters for Travis...

I can just hear Travis saying "Hey Buddy"

to Walker in my mind.

I grasp at it because I never, ever want to

forget his voice or the way he said it to my Walker.

I pray so hard that Travis will speak again.

Oh, Dear Lord, please.

Garrett drove to Austin every single week sometimes more than once a week. He is so part of the family now. God knew we needed him. I can't say that enough! I really do believe our outlook would be so different without the miracle of Garrett in our lives.

My sweet friend from high school Brooke had these made for Hudson!!! LOVE them! That little booty was a hit when he wore them around Texas Neuro!

This poster speaks for itself :)

People have always

told Travis and me that we favor

each other. Several at Texas Neuro asked

if we were brother/sister. ha!

I loved that, too! ;)Thank God for pictures...I love having tangible memories.

Sweet L, a beloved NaNa, who lives in Austin was always willing to do anything. Sometimes I almost felt like I took the Na Na's for granted. Even though they are spread out all over the world, they were/are SO there/here for me. Just true friends who "get" me. Travis has A LOT of family on both sides who love him dearly!!!

Texas Neuro is really a beautiful place...

Some visits were amazing and we were filled with such hope. Other weekends were down right gut wrenching. This was a beautiful weekend in all aspects... God bless my Hunter's heart. Not an ideal way to spend your weekends when you are sixteen years old by any means. I've yet to hear him complain.

Jeannie, my sweet neighbor, made these awesome necklaces for all the girls in my family. We LOVE them!!! Isn't it beautiful?!?

This was the weekend before Halloween...or it might have been Halloween weekend, I'm not sure. Hadlee is standing by the tree where she always picked the 'bewwwies'!

Sweet baby boy...with blue eyes like Travis! Even in the midst of such desperate and heartbreaking times...I have never, EVER lost sight of how very, VERY blessed I am!"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:18Our brightest little JOY through all of this...How about this shirt?!? Lynna went to high school with this sweet lady. She was older than Lynna and they really hadn't kept in touch. She came out of nowhere and has been a source of 110% encouragement and support to all of us. She and her daughters. Her daughter's volleyball team in Florence, Texas, dedicated their season to Travis. Terri has sent Lynna a verse pretty much every day to encourage her and she has called on prayer warriors from all over to pray for Travis. We love Wi-fi and Club Penguin!Checking out Superman's size 13 shoe!!!One afternoon Walker came out of his room with this letter he had written all by himself to Travis. He had it stuffed in an envelope & told me to mail it to Travis at TX Neuro. I most certainly did! "To: Travis, I miss you a lot. I mean a lot. Win (when) you wake up Dad says we can see mega mind. I thank (think) it maybe a good move (movie)." Well, Megamind came and went...but since then Travis and Walker have watched some Star Wars movies together!

Those are better than Megamind any day!

Grandmother decorated his room for Halloween. Lynna had to return to Waco Tuesdays through Thursdays to work, so my parents were with Travis during those days of the week. I don't know how we would have managed without them doing that. Both in their 70's and neither in great health...but never thought twice about what they needed to do. True GRANDparents in every sense.

We are all so Superman crazy...shirts,

decorations, anything & everything.

I thought for a long time that Travis

was going to wake up and say, "Okay I

didn't really like Superman this much." ;)

I sure do wish he could.

This was actually Halloween weekend...of course Hudson had to be Superman! Sweet Loves!

Slowly, very slowly Travis began to wake up.

Of course it was not like you see in the

movies, but his eyes did start to open,

he began to respond somewhat and

when he gave his first thumbs up...

well, it was just indescribable.

In between and during all that I have

mentioned, we unfortunately had

to watch Travis go through some awful,

awful things. Things that no mother

(or aunt!) should have to watch their

child go through. A Tramatic Brain

Injury is the worst type of injury there

is. I'm convinced of that.

Thank God my sisters and I have

each other. There just aren't words

to describe what we have gone through.

We are closer, stronger and

better for it all. I already know that.

My little Superman with my Big Superman...

all 6'4" of him who was trying to come back to us!Hudson always gave us something to smile about...

Still to come at Texas Neuro...

our most thankful Thanksgiving EVER

and a very special Christmas

plus LOTS and LOTS of amazing

progress for our Superman.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/travisbigham