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From: Jenny Gilbert
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 12:16 AM
Subject: Amazing day! 6/24/08

Hi everyone~ Dad had another amazing day today! He actually did some assisted walking in physical therapy! They had him walk between two rails, which he held on to for support. He supported the majority of his own weight, and the physical therapist just supported his hips for stability, and he took step after step. It was amazing!! When he got done, I told him what a great job he had done (in between the tears and sniffles and smiles!) and he nodded and gave me a true Don Proue smile. It is something I will never, ever forget.

They have also started feeding him meals. It is pureed food at this point, but we know that he must be enjoying being able to eat again. This morning he had scrambled eggs, oatmeal and coffee, and tonight it was Dad’s favorite–steak and potatoes.

My day started off with a very special voicemail message from one of Dad’s friends, Levi Britton. (He was actually roping with Dad at the time of the accident.) Levi is in Reno, Nevada, competing at one of the premier roping events in the nation, with over 500 teams competing and several thousand spectators. He was asked to lead everyone in attendance in prayer at the beginning of the roping today. He told them that he was going to pray for Dad, and they said that would be alright. So, this morning, there was a very powerful prayer sent up for Dad from Reno, in addition to the prayers that you all have been sending. It just gives me chills because I firmly believe that the power of prayer is the biggest factor in Dad’s recovery, and we have YOU to thank for it. Dad’s progress today was proof of that!

And, on a sidenote–Levi went on to win that roping today, and $100,000 plus numerous prizes! He said that he was wearing a pair of spurs that Dad had made for him, so we know that part of Dad was there with Levi on every steer! We are thrilled for ALL of the blessings of the day–Dad’s, Levi’s, and yours too, whatever they may be!God Bless,
Jenny

From: Jenny Gilbert
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2008 10:15 PM
Subject: Update 6/22/08

Hi everyone~ Dad is still making progress, bit by bit. He is continuing to say words or small phrases, and will also sometimes shake his head “yes” or “no” to answer questions. He does recognize some people very quickly and will say their names, while others come harder to him. Every so often he will say something that is just “DAD” to us, and we live for those moments, because they truly make us feel that he is on his way back to us.

The trache was taken out completely on Thursday, and he has done excellent without it. They do allow us to feed him ice chips from time to time, which he really seems to enjoy. We can’t wait to bring him steak & potatoes, but the nurses tell us that may be down the road a bit. I have threatened to bring him chicken nuggets, thinking that would get a rise out of him. When I was growing up and we would go out to dinner as a family, it always irked Dad if I ordered chicken strips or grilled cheese, instead of beef!

This morning, Dad asked my aunt Maureen “where am I?” which we think is very encouraging, because we know that he is becoming aware of his surroundings, and recognizing that he is not in his normal environment. We tell him every day what day it is, what happened, and where he is. We aren’t sure how much of this he understands, or retains. The speech pathologist works with him daily and showed him one of our family pictures, asking who each person was. Dad correctly replied “that’s my daughter”, “that’s my son”, and “that’s my wife” when she pointed to each of us. This morning, Denver and I took Molly Jo in to see him, and when Denver walked around the corner with her, Dad looked up and said, “How ya doing, punkin?” and also leaned his head up off the pillow to kiss her on the cheek. Needless to say, I shed a tear or two… I also cried tears of joy this afternoon when I called my mom’s cell phone, and was able to talk to Dad when they held the phone up to his ear. I asked how he was doing, and he replied “good”. I told him we were coming to see him and he said “You and Molly?” Ironically, I was sitting at the exact same stoplight in Billings where I had last talked to Dad on my cell phone, the morning of May 9th….

I know that sometimes when people hear the things he has said or done, they think that they can stop by and he will shake their hand and talk about cattle or wheat prices with them for a while. As responsive and alert as he is at times, he also still has lots of down time where he is “blank” or unresponsive. He isn’t able to hold conversations or respond consistently yet, but we know those days are ahead of us. We are always thankful for the blessings each day brings with every bit of progress Dad makes and know that he is fighting so hard to heal up and go home.

Thanks for your continued thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. We are all so anxious for each and every one of you share in our joy when Dad is able to walk out of the hospital and head home to the ranch!God Bless,
Jenny

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

From: Jenny Gilbert
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 9:34 PM
Subject: Update 6/17/08

Hello everyone~ Just wanted to send another short update on Dad. He had a great day on Friday, and continued to be fairly responsive and said a few more things that afternoon. Since then, he has had a couple of quiet days, and hasn’t seemed as responsive or alert. They tell us that this is very normal with brain injury patients. They will have “good” days where they are very responsive, and then it’s very common for them to rest and recuperate without much response for the next few days, because they are so fatigued from the stimulation, etc. We know this is to be expected and yet it is very hard to not see the same level of alertness and improvements each day. As I’ve said before–we are greedy. When he makes progress, we are ecstatic and thankful, and we want more and more and more.
We have been able to take Dad outside in a wheelchair every afternoon, which we’re sure he enjoys. They also continue to do physical therapy with him, which he is tolerating very well. He doesn’t respond to any commands yet physically, so his physical therapy routine basically just involves range of motion exercises, etc. His trache is completely capped off, and he’s breathing through his nose, on his own. However, the new physician overseeing Dad’s care doesn’t think there is any reason to take the trache out for now, and we are fine with that decision. It isn’t causing any problems, and there just isn’t any point in taking it out until he becomes more responsive and we are 100% sure that he can support his own airway without any complications.
We know that each day we can get through with no setbacks is one day closer to Dad’s complete recovery! Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

God Bless,
Jenny

Miracle Alert!
Thank you Jesus. Thank you so much…for his progress. For our family’s relentless faith in you.
This is such good news for our family. We know that there is still quite a road ahead, but this is just beautiful grace…God is choosing to share with us. Jo

_____________________________________________
From: Jenny Gilbert
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 11:23 AM
Subject: Update 6/13/08

Hello everyone~ I know some of you don’t have access to email over the weekend, so I wanted to send an update this morning to let you know how Dad is doing–absolutely awesome! This morning, my mom told him she loved him, and he said “I love you” back to her. Later on, he was acting very restless and Mom told him that she could tell he was uncomfortable, but didn’t know if she should put his bed up, or put it down. He said, “Whatever you think.” Amazing!! There are times when we ask him questions and still get no response, but we are so very thankful that he is communicating with us, and we know that it is only going to get better with each day. I asked him if he was ready to get up and walk out of here, and he said “mm hmm”. I told him that it’s just a matter of time, and we will all celebrate when he does.
They have also capped his trache off completely, so he is currently breathing strictly on his own, through his nose and doing very well. They tell us that if he continues to do well this way, they will take the entire trache out in 3 days. There’s simply only one explanation for Dad’s continued progress–God is doing His thing.
Each of you continue to play such a huge role in Dad’s recovery with your prayers, visits, and well wishes. Thank you!!!
Have a wonderful weekend~God Bless,

Thank you Jesus for letting us walk this journey…this miracle….with one’s we love so much.
Amen!

From: Jenny Gilbert
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 4:18
Subject: Update on Dad 6/12/08

Hi everyone~

I just wanted to share some news about another blessing we’ve received today in Dad’s recovery. They put the speaking valve in Dad’s trache today for a while, and he was able to say a few words! One of my mom’s good friends was sitting with him and asked him if he was comfortable and he said “Yes”. Then they told Dad they were going to call my mom, who went home for a few hours, so he could say “Hi Betty”, and he repeated “Hi Betty” but it was before they got Mom on the phone. They only leave the speaking valve in for short periods of time, and he has been resting this afternoon, so we haven’t gotten anymore words out of him. Mom, Brandon, and I are so anxious to hear his voice, and get one of those amazing Don Proue grins.

Hope you are all doing well. As I’ve said before, God is hearing our prayers for Dad’s recovery. Keep ‘em coming!! God Bless,
Jenny

She got a little haircut….still a cutie.

Shame: Thief of Intimacy (Unmasking the Accuser) by Marie Powers :: Description :: Exposes the characteristics, contributors, causes, contagion and cure for false shame. False shame is built on lies and its only remedy is God’s truth. This study is the result of Marie Power’s personal encounter with her own feelings of false shame. Her purpose in writing this study is to uncover the roots of shame and help believers cut themselves free from the subtle lies of the accuser and discover the God’s truth.

Conversation Peace: The Power of Transformed Speech by Mary Kassian :: Description :: Here’s a women’s study that really hits home. Mary Kassian masterfully presents the biblical principles to help women revolutionize their speech habits and improve their relationships by focusing on ways to positively avoid sharing gossip, throwing negative barbs, or snapping sarcastic replies throughout everyday life. Includes leader helps. (7 sessions)

Mom made this cool bird bath out of an impression of a rhubarb leaf.

if you hold on to the past, you will never be able to go forward.