November Update
11-27-98
11-27-98
To finish up with October's activities, Catherine went on an outing to
the mall on Friday, October 30, with her therapists and another girl in
rehab. They usually plan an outing each week to go somewhere together.
They have gone to the grocery store, the library, for coffee and to shops
downtown. It is a form of "community reentry" and therapy in that sense.
After the outing, Joe drove her to Camp Verde and from there she continued
on to Phoenix for the weekend with her sister Neta. They stayed at her
sister Joy's, and went shopping at a mall down there on Saturday. She had
a fun "girl weekend" with her 2 sisters and her sister in law. She went
to church and then on the return trip home, connected with Amber at Neta's,
getting home Sunday evening. |
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Catherine with Occupational Therapist -- dressed as a farmer and doctor for fun |
The first week of November Catherine had no therapy as we weren't able
to get the insurance problem resolved. Catherine said that it was a gift
for her birthday not to have therapy for that week. On Tuesday (3rd)
we celebrated her birthday in fine style. Carol Hagen had her home decorated
beautifully and about 40 people showed up, most dressed according to the
50's theme. Her Uncle Jim drove his 57 Chevy. Chef Joe, bar-b-qued 60 hamburger
patties outside and we had cherry cokes. After Catherine opened her presents
she said she wanted to give a speech. She stood up to thank everyone and
then told them that this has been the best year of her life as she
has been able to get to know everyone better and love them more. She told
me that she is so glad to be alive. After her party was over she wanted
some of the kids to drive her to a local restaurant which is designed and
run like a 1950's diner, as they were dressed appropriately and that seemed
a good way to top off the evening. |
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Catherine has a teacher coming in to work with her on her schoolwork. She
really wants to complete her senior year on time and it will take quite
a bit of work on her part to do that. She is very determined and motivated
so she will undoutably make it happen, with the help of the Lord and her
teachers. Catherine went to Phoenix again the first weekend of November.
She and Kathleen drove down on Saturday morning (7th)and went
to church meetings Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Catherine met many
young people from different states, some of which had followed her progress
on the website. When she woke up on Sunday morning her double vision
was gone! She was so thrilled she called home to tell me, and
kept saying, "I can see!!!" every few minutes. She asked me to turn
in a praise report at church, and when she got home sent out an email to
let some others know about it. We took her to the eye doctor on Tuesday
and reminded him of what he had told us in the hospital, "The same way
God was healing everything else, he believed God would heal her double
vision". She picked out new frames to go with the new lenses without the
correction for the double vision (the prism lens is gone).
There is a lapse in her horse therapy between the fall and winter sessions so she won't resume the horse riding until Monday the 30th. With this month being very busy, it seems like a good break. This month seems to have been full of trips and I have noticed that Catherine gets very tired when she travels. She usually returns exhausted and it can take a couple of days to feel normal again. On Friday the 13th, her dad drove to Tucson to go to a church meeting. Catherine cautioned him, as it was exactly 9 months since she went to Tucson to go to church meetings and was in the accident. He arrived home safely. The next day, we drove to Camp Verde to Neta's for a wedding shower and brought Joy's 5 year old daughter, Allison, home with us for a few days. It's good for us to have her youthful sparkle around here to bring cheer and joy. On Sunday (15th) Catherine rode to Prescott with Neta and Amber. Then on Wednesday night, (Allison was to leave early Thursday morning) Allison was coughing in the room next to Catherine. Catherine heard her and thought she was crying, so she got out of her bed and crawled into the next room to check on her. Catherine said she got to hug her and tell her goodbye. Joy and her two children came up to Flagstaff on Friday evening (20th)to attend a wedding on Saturday. So, besides attending a wedding, we had our family around making our house fuller and more fun for the weekend. Thanksgiving is Joe's favorite holiday. He had to leave and go to Washington to attend a funeral on Wednesday, (25th) so we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday instead of Thursday as he was flying home on Thursday, arriving late. All of our children came to stay for the weekend, creating warmth, noise, fun, laughter, and memories. Every year after we eat our Thanksgiving turkey and fixings, we each read a scripture promise card and go around the table telling what we are thankful for. As we express our reflections of gratitude for the blessings of the year past, we always are emotional and this year we all felt especially grateful. Catherine started out by reading her testimony that she had written for the Eagle View publication. That started the tears flowing. We have Catherine and our granddaughter, Gabrielle, that were miraculously healed and their lives restored. Joe wanted to be last, but Catherine, who is known for having to have the last word, had to say something after he was finished. She said that she was thankful that God had chosen her to be the one blessed by letting this happen to her. She reiterated that she has received so much love and has learned to give love and feels privileged. Looking back over this month, I realize it has been a busy one with a big birthday party, several trips to Phoenix, Camp Verde, Prescott, a wedding shower, a wedding and Thanksgiving. We have enjoyed our family and are thankful for our friends and our church family. Catherine told us last night as we drove to church that she is glad that it was her that this happened to, as she has learned so much. She keeps reflecting on all she has to be grateful for. She said that she can remember last June when she was feeling like she didn't want to "live like this". She said now she doesn't share that same feeling at all. She is thankful that her healing has been a recovery and not a total instantaneous miracle, because she is seeing that it has built character in her. I can only thank our wonderful Lord for giving her these insights and helping her have such an inspiring attitude. Our hearts are full and overflowing with gratitude. We can never thank Him enough. God bless everyone of you. You are a part of our heartfelt thanks for all your prayers and helps to our family in a difficult trial. Thank you again and may His blessings be yours at this time of the year when families gather for their traditional time of Thanksgiving. Cynthia Daulton
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