Travis at Home & How We Hope

Travis being at home is

WONDERFUL!  Of course it has

its' challenges though;( mostly

for Lynna.  As is often the case,

the main caretaker gets all

of the patient's frustration taken out

on him or her.  This is true

with Lynna and Travis, too!

They are both pretty stubborn

people, plus mother & son,

and many other aspects all

rolled into this ONE situation!

They make the most of it though.

God bless, BLESS and please

bless their hearts more!!!

Most people haven't a clue

what all of this is like for

Travis or Lynna or any of us

for that matter.  And on the very

same note, most people don't

know what it's like to feel

as BLESSED as we do......

and when I say blessed, I mean

BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!  Nothing

material......all people, all love,

all miracle...all straight from God. 

Travis has never lost that million

dollar smile!:)  Talk about a blessing!!!

The STORM is always popping

in to see their favorite Superman!

This little dude is most often with me.

I try to get over to Trav's

every day to do "speech"

with him. He repeats the alphabet after

me and we work on sounds together.

Sometimes the sound comes and

sometimes it doesn't. 

It's QUITE amazing to say the least!!!

Of course it doesn't sound like he would

like it to sound YET...but boy

the progress he is making!!!

And his DRIVE...
his DETERMINIATION...

it puts me to shame!!!

If I miss a day of "speech", he is so

quick to call me out on it...usually

around 5 in the morning.

(Poor guy can't sleep long even
with sleep aids...another TBI result).

I also use a tongue depressor like his

real speech therapists use to help work

his tongue muscles. I try to pay close

attention to everything he does in

therapy so I can mimic it as best as

I can on his non-speech days. 

I've asked him to call me, "Dr. Pierce"

but he won't!  Just shakes his head

and laughs.  ha ha!;)

I think it's Hudson that takes
away my professionalism!  ;)))

Thank Goodness there's

never a dull moment at Trav's.....

Between Travis, Hunter, the dogs

AND the Storm.....it's always WILD;)

Last Friday night we were over there

and Walker had Reese and Kierra

sitting with him.  He told me

to text Hunter at the movies and tell him,

"There's a new dog whisperer in town!"

Oddly enough pushing a grocery cart is

an EXCELLENT way for Travis to

exercise and practice walking. 

They have had carts at all of the brain

rehabilitation facilities he's been in.

So this day a trip to

Wal-Mart was in order!!!!!!!!!!

Trav's day consists of getting up VERY

early.  His first aid comes at 7.  The aids

do not have to do much for him other

than administer his feedings

and medications throughout

the day and make sure he doesn't fall

(which he does A LOT because he

won't use the walker around the house).

It's unbelievable to see him move about

the house.  To think he was in diapers

for months during and even after his coma.

This boy has had to re-learn EVERYTHING.

I still cringe thinking about what all his

body and then he went through

AND continues to go through:(

He does sit ups throughout the day

and walks on the treadmill in the evenings.

He has been bound and determined

since the very beginning.  He's never

just given up...oh maybe a day here

or there, but he ALWAYS gets back

up.  STronger, too. He spends most of

his time on his phone texting or on

Facebook.  We wish this weren't the

case but it's really all he has.  I think

Facebook is as much of a curse

as it is a blessing for him.

Sure it's his way to communicate

with others and to keep up, but

it's also a daily reminder of how

all of his friends have moved on

or are moving on...graduating college,

getting married, working, etc:(

He loves for any and all of us to

drop in...we are guaranteed a smile

most anytime:) and usually a thumbs-up,

too!  He struggles with his "filter"...

knowing appropriate things

to write on Facebook and in texts. 

This is part of his TBI and it's so

sad.  Travis was and IS the most

gentlemanly guy.  My mother would

always have chosen Travis as her

most mannerly and kindest grandchild. 

Travis is very lonely much of the time.

Travis rarely, RARELY complains

about his situation.  This amazes

me.  Sure, he gets angry and he'll

write a horrible text or lash out

at his mom...pretty much the same

things that I do over petty, stupid

things that I have absolutely NO

reason in the world to throw a fit

over!!!  He gets down, too.  He

gets very down and it breaks our

hearts.  He just bounces

back though and is always

quick to realize "it is what it is"

and move on.  I often try to encourage

him to wake up the next day

new and refreshed and ya know,

he does.  He really, really does. 

As I've said over and over,

I can handle the not talking, the

not eating and the not walking...

but him suffering and being sad

is a killer to my heart and to

the rest of my family.  It is

truly painful:( I wish I didn't know

what a true broken heart felt like.

And my sister...

it's all just about killing her. 

For Travis To have been so vibrant

and full of life and personality

and now this:(

Thank God we have

HOPE though!

I fully believe there IS a reason and

a purpose for all of this

and I can't wait to continue to

watch it unfold for Travis. 

Please continue to pray for him!

 

"Suffering has been stronger than all

other teaching, and has taught me to

understand what your heart used

to be.  I have been bent and broken,

but I - hope - into a better shape."

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Isn't he SO handsome?!?

Many brain injury patients lose

their looks...it's the truth. 

Obviously Travis did NOT though!!!

He always could pull off pink, too!;)

One aspect of him coming home

that we prayed and fretted over was the

aids and how they would be with Trav.

We have been SO blessed in this area.

Holly, his first one, was AWESOME...

unfortunately she had to move back

home to another state.  We were

so sad to see her go, but she served

her purpose.  God knew we would

need someone like her to ease into

this.  Another who has been an

absolute BLESSING is Brenda.

She has actually just been filling

in through the absence of Holly

and then his other aid having to

have emergency surgery.  Brenda

is an angel on earth!!!!!!!!!!!

She and Trav have hit it off...

she's cool and so interested in Travis.

She helps him practice his

speech, works with him on his

writing, talks to him, encourages

him, and hangs with him!

We LOVE Brenda!!!

Hudson and I look forward

to hanging with her, too, when we go! ;)

God love his heart...

thank Goodness Travis didn't lose

his sense of humor or his LAUGH!!!

I love to hear him laugh...

still sounds like Chewbacca

and it is AWESOME:)))))

Trav's drive is something you just

don't see too often.  He doesn't quit

AND won't quit!!!!!!!  A few nights

ago he came over to hang out.  He

spelled out for Troy that he wanted to

go and walk in the grass in the backyard.

Why?!?  So he could walk unassisted

and if he fell, it wouldn't hurt!!!

So smart!  So handsome!  So buff!

Doesn't he look AMAZING?

Travis comes up with ideas all the time.

Things that HE can do to help himself...

like recently he asked me to get him

some books so he could try to learn to

write in cursive again.  He has totally

taught himself to write in print again.

The first time we handed him a

pen in hopes that he could write us

something, all he could do was scribble:(

Now his printing is legible.

Speaking of his handwriting,
Travis is back going to Baylor for
Speech.  He goes on Mondays
and Wednesdays.  Grandmother, PaPa
and I take him.  His new therapist
is AWESOME!!!  She's such a cool
chick and she gets Trav;)
He has individual therapy with her
and then group therapy. 
Last week we played a
game during group, and Travis
got the question:  "What would
you do if you had a million dollars?"
Well, I never know what answer
he is going to write or plug into
his iPad to say!  ha;)))  He is quite
the cut-up at speech and everyone
loves him!!!  I was so amazed
and proud of his answer for this
question though............

Weeks before he shared that answer (which
made me cry right then and there!!!),
he had written this post on his Facebook:

What a GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love it...
Man of Steel Center of Hope



I suppose our BIGGEST prayer

over all of this isn't for Travis to

talk, eat or walk again.  Of course

those are HUGE prayers...but

moreso that he CAN and WILL

embrace God fully and truly

realize the purpose that God

has for him in this life.  We see

glimpses of Travis letting go

and letting God.......

He's a mess, there's no doubt about that!;)

I just know though with all my heart

that God can and will use Travis

in a mighty way!!!!!!!!!!!

But Travis has to fully open up

and give God his heart.

There's a lot there...

and whether Travis admits it or not,

there has to be some unresolved

hurt and pain over all of this happening.

I know I deal with it and yell

out at God at times.

It's NOT fair and it HURTS.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches

he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts

through faith.  And I pray that you,

being rooted and established in love,

may have power, together with all

the saints, to grasp how wide

and long and high and deep is

the love of Christ, and to know

this love that surpasses knowledge --

that you may be filled to the measure

of all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:16-19



This little Superboy loves him

some Travis.  He's so sensitive

and cute to the needs of Travis. 

My children will always have this

whole entire ordeal in their hearts.

I pray that it helps them in ways

I can't even fathom or plan...

"Therefore, whenever we have the

opportunity, we should do

good to everyone."

Galations 6:10

On Walker's birthday as he blew out

his candles, he gave us a hint

that he has been wishing the same

thing for the last two years and it

 has to do with Superman!  Troy

and I both about melted. 

I don't doubt that my entire family

has been making the same exact

wish as well, but for my little

man ~ my little ten year old son ~

to have the depth and complexity

and compassion to be wishing this.

It blew me away and made me

so proud.  I guess this is one way

I'm seeing this ordeal play out

in my children's lives. 

I told Travis about this the other

day and later that night

he wrote this on Troy's wall...

("sick" in Travis Terms means "cool")

"Big T will be back nevertheless"...

That is soooooooooooooo Travis.

So very, VERY Travis. 

 

I'll never get over this.  Never, EVER.

And when I say that, I don't mean

it in an entirely negative way.

I miss the Travis who had so much

going for him...so much life ahead

of him...the guy who could talk

me into anything...the one who

would jump over the counter

when we walked into Zeb's

and yell "Livin' the Dream",

and just so much more!!!!!!!!!!!!!:(

I took this picture of the kids with

Travis a few weeks before his accident.

If only I had known then. 

But.I.didn't:(

 

I look at this picture every day

and I thank God that I don't have

to long to hug Travis or laugh

with Travis.  That was almost the case.

Thank God it wasn't!

 

And for that reason, I'm NOT

going to lose hope...

never give up...

try to not miss a day of supporting

and helping Travis...

and ALWAYS give God

all the credit especially

as Travis accepts and fully

gives in to the what must

be an AMAZING purpose

on this earth!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

"Character cannot be developed

in ease and quiet.  Only through

experiences of trial and suffering can the

soul be strengthened, vision

cleared, ambition inspired,

and success achieved."

- Helen Keller

"We wait in hope for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

In Him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in His holy name.

May your unfailing love be

with us, Lord, even as we put

our hope in you."

Psalm 33:20-22