Discoveries of 2010.

"You learn something every day if you pay attention."
~Ray LeBlond

On the Caribbean Sea.
(Photo from my mom's cruise in January 2011)

Every year my friend Amber has a Girls Night party celebrating the things we have learned and discovered in the past year. (Yes, this is the same Amber who only a few short months ago was in the hospital in a coma. Miracles do happen.) The idea is to come up with a Top Ten list of things you have recently learned or discovered such as: new beauty products, new websites, recipes, stores, books, gadgets, cleaning supplies, etc. We put together lists and print out enough to give one to each guest. And what is a party without some food? No worries. We all make and bring our favorite recipe from the last year. It always ends up that we have the perfect amount of main courses, sides, desserts, bread, etc. The recipe is included on your list, so that everyone gets a copy of it.

This year was special year because we all have learned so much in the last year. Our thoughts shared were rather poignant because they all included major learning experiences from almost losing Amber. I'm so grateful she's still around and that she chose to come back. I haven't written much about the thoughts that have been swirling around in my mind since last October when Amber came home, about what I learned each and every day she was in the hospital and from the overall experience, but I will sometime soon. I've struggled with how to put it all into words. Suffice it to say, I've learned that life is a blessing, God is good, and we are deeply, deeply loved by Him. But more on that later.

For now, here is my list of discoveries from 2010. (And in case you want to look back, here are my previous lists: Discoveries of 2009 and Discoveries of 2008)

Emery’s Discoveries of 2010

1. Roasted Almonds w/Bragg™ Aminos from Whole Foods – I've always loved roasted almonds because it brings out the natural flavor of the nut, but these almonds are a special treat. They are infused with Bragg Liquid Aminos (soy proteins from soybeans, purified water)non hydranate canola oil.
2. Dried Blueberries – I've always enjoyed dried cranberries tossed into a salad, but Costco's Kirkland brand of dried blueberries was a new discovery this year. Tossing a few on a bowl of cheerios (my favorite) adds a healthy kick.
3. Rolo Pretzel Delights – Need an easy treat for any party or activity? These Rolo Pretzel Delights are the answer. Set Rolos on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Pop in the oven at 300°F for exactly two minutes. Pull them out and immediately begin pressing a small pretzel on top of each softened Rolo, until the chocolate begins to come through the holes of the pretzel. Let sit on the counter for an hour or speed up the hardening process by placing the cookie sheet in the fridge.
4. The Knife Matters – There is nothing like one of these great big Chinese choppers for chopping vegetables or meat. No kitchen should be without this tool. (Also, if you give this to your husband, he will happily help you in the kitchen. Haaaaa-yah! Just watch out for your fingers.)
5. Finger Puppets – Primary kids love finger puppets. You can also keep a couple in your purse and share them with tired kids at church or your own kids while you are waiting in line, in the car, or at the doctor. Instant theater.
6. Pinterest – Pinterest is a social catalog service. Think of it as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can post collections of things you love, and "follow" collections created by people with great taste. It's a great place to keep ideas for Christmas gifts, or birthday party themes, or wedding ideas organized. Or simply use it to archive all the pretty, fun things you find online. Find my pinboards at www.pinterest.com/eclaires
7. Groupon.com, LivingSocial.com, CityDeals.com – If you haven't checked out these sites and signed up for their daily deals, you are missing you. All deals are at least 50% of the regular price and definitely worth it!
8. Monopoly Deal – Definitely better than the board game, Monopoly Deal is a fast-paced, totally addictive card game that you can play in minutes! Deal and steal your way to success - just collect 3 property sets to win. Sounds easy... but beware the dreaded Debt Collectors and Deal Breakers, which can flip your fortunes in the play of a card! Fast-dealing, card-stealing fun for family and friends! fast-paced, too! Play with as few as two players.
9. “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – One of the greatest of our hymns, which was inexplicably deleted in the 1985 version of our Mormon hymn book, is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."  Mack Wilberg's arrangement of this hymn as sung by the combined BYU choirs in 1994 will bring tears to your eyes, and fill your soul with the spirit.
10. Spray Bottles – I detest being hot. I simply cannot function when I am hot and feel overheated. Bring along a spray bottle on any hike, to a parade, to an outdoor picnic to keep cooled off. Such a simple idea that will make a world of difference.

One of my new favorite recipes this year comes from my mother’s cousin, Robin.

Robin’s Yankee Cranberry Cake

This cake is chock full of cranberries and reminds me of a really tasty blueberry muffin, with more fruit than cake. Even if you think you don’t like cranberries, try this. It’s simple and fabulous. The butter sauce really makes the cake.

1/2 teaspoon butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups fresh cranberries (if you double the recipe, you can use a whole (small) bag of fresh cranberries.)

Mix ingredients together and fold in cranberries last. Bake in a 9x9" pan for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees. Cut in squares and serve warm with butter sauce spooned over each piece.

Butter Sauce:

1 cube of butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cream

A dash of vanilla

Melt butter and sugar in a small sauce pan until sugar dissolves in the butter. Add cream and vanilla and heat through.

2010 sure was a great year. Here’s to a happy 2011 with lots of new discoveries!

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A Thank You from Amber.

In case you missed Amber's thank you... read her post here.
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Home Sweet Home for Amber.

"Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest."
~Henry Van Dyke


Guess who came home on Saturday?!?!

Amazing. Simply amazing.
What an incredible experience we have witnessed -- a true miracle.
The doctors worked diligently and Amber is determined,
but even they (the doctors and Amber)
have said that what has happened is beyond their capabilities.

We have been blessed!

Welcome home, Amber!

As mentioned in an earlier post, Amber plans to write to you all... so keep checking her blog.
I'll let her tell you all about coming home...
After all, this is her story and... she's back.

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Happy Day.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."
~Unknown

The feeding tube is gone!
The trach is gone!
Just a small bandage in its place.
Her voice is back and sounding great.
Oh, and she made cookies today!
Yes, cookies in the hospital.
The physical therapist asked her what she wanted to work on today.
This girl, as thoughtful as ever, said she wanted to try her hand at a batch of chocolate chip cookies... so she would have treats to offer her visitors!
Seriously, that woman... my goodness.
Well, my friends, Amber's back in business!

... and her cookies were delicious!
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Isn't life sweet?

Amber is Wonder Woman. Read my latest update here.

Amber is no longer our Sleeping Beauty...

I hope she doesn't mind me saying, but she is now more akin to Wonder Woman!

Seriously, what an amazing woman! She is up and walking, virtually all by herself. No kidding. Still a tiny bit shaky, but she is doing it on her own! She climbed up and down three flights of stairs today. She is just charging forward taking every opportunity to get stronger, so that she can get home. It's incredible. This is truly a miracle.

Her voice is getting much stronger, and tomorrow the full tracheostomy will be removed! Hallelujah! She is more than a little excited about that. She has become a professional annunciator, but she is gladly giving up this newfound talent so she doesn't have to rely on our woefully lacking lip-reading skills.

Life is good. God is good. Amber is healing. We have witnessed a miracle. There is no doubt about that. Thank you for your faith and for joining your prayers with ours and calling down the healing powers of heaven. The strength we felt as we all united in prayer and fasting will not be soon forgotten. We have been reminded that our Father in Heaven hears every one of our prayers. He loves us and wants to bless our lives. Let us not forget to give thanks. We are eternally grateful that He saw fit to grant us the blessing of Amber's full recovery. She's well on her way there, sprinting actually. Just itching to get home. Home to that beautiful family of hers. Isn't life sweet?

Amber with JP and the kids... outside!

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Amber is Doing Amazing!

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since they have asked me to update the blog for them.

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Good evening all!

What an amazing week this has been! Amber continues to improve with remarkable speed. She walked 500 feet on Friday, with a walker. She just gets stronger every day. Simply, amazing! She is breathing mostly on her own except for at night, so the doctors are hoping to be able to take the trach out fairly soon. They continue to have her use the speaking valve (the greenish blue valve on her trach), allowing her to talk and exercise her voice.

The kids have been able to come and see her several times. They've played and watched movies together. Having family time has been really wonderful for all of them.

JP, Amber, and kids on Sunday afternoon

Amber would like everyone to know how grateful she is to you all. She is grateful to be alive and told her mom today that she believes she is alive today because of all of you, all those who prayed for her, and she knows there were many. She is alive because her Father in Heaven heard and answered our prayers. Amber has such amazing faith, but has relied on your faith and prayers and she is so grateful. We are too. Thank you!
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Amber is Out of the ICU!

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since they have asked me to update the blog for them.

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Amber has been transferred from the ICU to Rehabilitation! This is such a huge step for her. The doctors felt she was doing so well with the recovery process, that she could skip the in-between step of acute long-term care, and go straight to rehab. What a blessing!

Watching Amber's progress is truly amazing and humbling at the same time. Though she tires very easily, her mind is quick and she’s definitely "all there." We are so grateful to Heavenly Father, that her mind has been protected through all of this. She is doing remarkably well both physically and emotionally, considering all she has been through over the last six weeks. Admittedly, this is incredibly hard for her, but it is clear that she is strong and will do what she needs to do to get through this. "I'm alive," she said gratefully, "and Heavenly Father is blessing me. I know I can do this." With that kind of resolve, coupled with the support of her family, the doctors, and all of you, she is taking giant steps forward every day!

In talking with Amber about all the people (you) who love her and are praying for her, she said, "Tell them that I love them. I can hardly wait to write on the blog, myself." Amber wants to be able to talk so badly. She mouths everything and is so patient with our weakness in lip-reading. Talking with the speaking valve in her trach is very difficult, although she works at it. The removal of the trach will come in time, as her body is able to master breathing 100% on its own. Her diaphragm and other muscles involved in breathing continue to get stronger and stronger and she is close enough that they have removed the ventilator machine (at least for periods of time) and allowed her to work at it all on her own.

Now that Amber is in the rehab stage, she is able to have visitors. She spends the daytime hours working (exercising), but is able to have visitors after 4pm. She would love to see you! So that we can ensure that she isn't overwhelmed at any given time, if you're interested in visiting with her, please call JP, Greg, or Julie to make arrangements. Also, please keep in mind that shorter visits (15-20 minutes) are best, so that we don’t exhaust our patient. Amber's workouts, combined with the continued effects of her medication, still tire her more quickly than normal, so we just want to ensure that we don't add to that.

Amber's recent (incredible!) progress includes lots of hand/arm movement, lifting both legs one at a time on her own, shifting her head back and forth (neck muscles kicking in!), taking several assisted steps in the physical therapy room, standing up and sitting down three times (with help) from her wheelchair, and much more smiling!

Truly, she is just amazing us (and her whole medical team) with her rapid progress! We're so proud of her and know that she can do it!

Once again, thank you for all your love and support. Please continue to remember her in your prayers. We love you all!
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Amber Gets the Chance to Talk.

"Friendship is a treasured gift, and every time I talk with you I feel as though I'm getting richer and richer."
~Author Unknown

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since they have asked me to update the blog for them.

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Over the last few days, the respiratory therapist has been working with Amber in the ICU, allowing her a few short periods of time when they adjust the tracheostomy so that she is able to talk. The small balloon-like part of the tracheostomy is deflated for a short time, causing air to pass up through her throat and voicebox into her mouth, allowing her to speak. Her voice is quite soft, since her vocal cords are still healing, but she has been able to speak a little to JP, her parents, and her children.

Today, she told us that she wanted to say a little to you:

"I have so much I want to say... Thank you very much for all your love, support, and fasting. I'm so grateful for your friendship and faith. Heavenly Father loves us and is creating miracles so that I can be here for my children and JP. Thank you so much for your love and your friendship. I love you all."

We are so proud of Amber and her efforts to get well. She's working very hard and we often hear the request, "exercise me." Her determination to recover is apparent and she gets a little stronger each day thanks to that determination. We know she has a strong spirit and that spirit is strengthened by your hope, optimism, faith, and prayers. She needs all the positive encouragement we have to offer. We love her so much, and know that you do too! Thank you for sharing your positive thoughts with her!
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Amber Brings us Joy.

"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls."
~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Amber continues to do a little better each day. She still has the trach, which means she can't speak yet, but she mouths a lot of things. We're getting better and better at reading lips, but praying that she remains patient with us!

On Friday, she was able to slowly lift her arm all by herself as a natural reflex to scratch an itch on her cheek. We were stunned! Natural reflexes and muscle strength are such a good sign. She also was able to lift her head off the bed slightly for a few seconds, at the nurse's request, and amazed us all with her strength and control. She continues to work with the physical therapist daily, which is certainly helping her to regain muscle control, little by little.

Although Amber cannot yet talk and still sleeps a good portion of the day, she is all "Amber" with her sweet smiles, her laughs, and her mouthed "I love yous." This is still a slow-going process and it's certainly a challenge, as you can imagine recovery is after being virtually immobile for five weeks now, but we are incredibly overjoyed with her progress and the miracle that is taking place. Our Father in Heaven has blessed her and our family beyond measure. The wonderful doctors and dedicated and loving nursing staff are so good to Amber. They love her and have been so excited to "meet" her this week. "Just wait until we bring her back, up walking and talking. You'll love her even more," we tell them.

Amber is such a strong woman, a woman of faith and dedication. We know that she is pushing herself each day to "exercise" so that she can recover and regain her strength quickly and return home to her family. Her strength and determination inspire us and bring us such joy.
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Just a quick update on Amber.

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since they have asked me to update the blog for them.

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"True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable."
~David Tyson Gentry

I know it's been a couple of days since I posted, so I just wanted to give you a quick update tonight to let you know that Amber had a very good day today. She continues to progress a little each day and gain a little bit more strength. More hand squeezes, slight head nods or shakes (answering yes or no, since she still can't talk with the trach), toe-wiggling, and lots of mouthed I love yous. We love you too, Amber! We couldn't be more thrilled! We stand in amazement at the miracle that is occurring right before our eyes. It's truly exhilarating!

Amber is loving listening to us read your notes, the words of encouragement, the stories and memories, the I love yous you have shared. Thank you so much for lending your faith, support, and encouragement. Keep them coming, if you'd like. She loves hearing from you.

More tomorrow.
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Lots of little BIG improvements... and another request.

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since they have asked me to update the blog for them.

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Hi everyone!

Amber is still making slow and steady progress each day. Sunday brought a little bit of toe wiggling and a few more squeezes of the hands. Monday morning she was wide awake, which meant that by Monday afternoon, she was completely zonked. She still spends much of the day resting, which is what her body needs. Her brain waves continue to look a little better each day.

Today, she is moving her hands and feet a little better, although still not able to lift them. She moves her head only to nod ever so slightly. She continues to breathe mostly on her own, but talking is out of the question, even though she tries every once in awhile, until the tracheotomy is capped.

Early this morning, the physical therapist sat Amber up on the side of her bed, where she remained (with a lot of help) for thirteen minutes! This is an excellent start to really getting her core muscles to begin working again.

We are so thrilled with each step she makes on this road to full recovery. She still has quite a daunting road to travel, but we know she's such a strong woman. She is a walking miracle.

Your prayers on behalf of and words of encouragement to our family have been so uplifting and inspiring. We have read every comment and gained strength from each one of you. We feel your love and are so grateful.

Now that Amber is more aware and awake, we invite you to leave your thoughts and words of encouragement for her (rather than for us), as she makes her way through this. We have been reading many of your previous comments to her and she has been so happy to hear your words. Remember those smiles I told you about? Well, she has had some for you. She would love to hear from you, whether it's a few words of encouragement to lift her spirits, maybe something new that's happened in your life, or a fun, funny, or uplifting memory you share with her. She'll love it!

Thank you all so much! We love you all!
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Good Day for Amber.

Today was a good day.

No seizures! We are overjoyed! She remains on phenobarbarbital and one other seizure medication, which seem to be working really well today. The doctors have taken her off the antibiotic, since they feel they have taken care of the infection. They will still monitor her white blood cells and other inflammatory markers to ensure that nothing else flares up. One of the doctors mentioned yesterday that sometimes when a patient is on an antibiotic, an infection might be masked and show favorable results. So they are cautious, but really do feel they have gotten it under control.

Today marks one month to the day that Amber went into the hospital. She is much more alert today, and was even awake for nearly four hours this afternoon without going back to sleep. What incredible strength! The pento is working itself out of her system, allowing her to wake up. Although it is still a slow process, she seems to be making progress each day.

She is responding to voices and questions with her eyes and eyebrows. We have wondered if she has been able to see, but today her eyes are now tracking movement! When you speak to her, her eyes will slowly track toward you and it even seems like she is trying to move her head ever so slightly. Greg asked her if she wanted to see a picture of Corbin and Kayla. She responded "yes" with her eyes, but began to cry with a quivering lower lip before he even returned back to her bedside from retrieving the picture from her bulletin board. It seemed clear that she could see that picture and even more clear how much she loves her children.

When the physical therapist came in to work with her, which he has been twice a day every day for the last month, he held her hand and asked her to squeeze. No response. Then Greg encouraged Amber, telling her, “Amber, this is your exercise,” and told her how important it is for her to work hard with the physical therapist. Amber, the determined one, then mustered all her strength and squeezed his hand. I can only imagine how difficult this was for her and am once again amazed by the strength and determination Amber has. She is such a hard worker, always has been.

Throughout the afternoon after the PT's visit, when JP slipped his hand in hers, she squeezed back with both hands and repeated again with her dad. This is clearly a workout for her because she is only squeezing when prompted, but what an amazing achievement today!

Greg and JP introduced her to a few different nurses today, letting Amber know that each has been helping her and taking care of her. Sweet Amber responded, as if to say "thank you" with a smile! Her smiles have increased, but are still a huge effort on her part, as not all the muscles in her face have started working again. But when have you ever known Amber to shy away from something that is hard?

Amber likes to have her feet rubbed, which is no surprise to those who know her well. JP and Greg were taking turns giving her foot massages today and they began to joke back and forth about who gave a better massage. Amber smiled and looked as if she was laughing inside. How wonderful to add humor to the list of emotions she is expressing to us, as she's waking up. Such a wonderful sign.

She is still sleeping a good portion of the day, which is to be expected during this waking up process, especially since she is on the phenobarbital. The doctors are maintaining her temperature at a normal 37°C. She still gets chills and visibly shivers every once in awhile, but they have a warming blanket on her to help keep that under control.

We know that Amber is not yet out of the woods. We still have a long road ahead and a lot still has to happen on that road to recovery, but she seems to be responding and showing some good improvement. The doctors are very pleased with her progress, but are still monitoring her closely. They are still concerned with the possibility of her seizing again and are now focused on seeing gradual improvement in her motor functions, but they remain optimistic and feel that she is doing very well.

She IS doing well. Today was such a good day. For that we are so grateful. Every achievement she makes is a reason to give thanks to our Father in Heaven. He is mindful of Amber and mindful of all of us. We feel His blessings pouring down upon us and hope that you, too, can feel that as you have grown closer to Him in your thoughts and prayers over the last month. He has been with us every step of the way.

As Latter-day Saints, we use the first Sunday of each month as an opportunity to fast. As we have mentioned before, we believe that fasting combined with sincere prayer can strengthen us spiritually, bring us closer to God, and help us prepare ourselves and others to receive His blessings. Tomorrow, we will be fasting for Amber's full recovery, but with a special focus on our gratitude to our Father in Heaven, who has heard every one of our prayers. We invite you to join us. Amber is in His hands and what better hands than His to take care of her. We continue to pray in faith for her full recovery and are so grateful for the progress she is making, undoubtedly, with the constant help from God.

Please know we have been so touched and inspired by you, the many people who are following Amber's situation right now, and supporting her and our family in prayer and thought. We have felt loved and strengthened by those near and far: family, friends, neighbors, and those we have never met. Not one comment on this blog has gone unread. You are an inspiration and strength to us. Thank you so much.
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Smile.

"It takes a lot of work from the face to let out a smile, but just think what good smiling can bring to the most important muscle of the body... the heart. The shortest distance between two people is a smile."

~Author Unknown

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since they have asked me to update the blog for them.

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Hello! I know you are all eager to hear about how Amber is doing. As I mentioned before, Amber has been having ups and downs each day, but overall making progress, little by little. Overall, she's doing quite well and we just wanted to share with you an update and some of the “ups” of the last couple of days.

We are so grateful for the miracle we've witnessed with the cessation of the continuous seizures. This is such a blessing. However, since Wednesday's update, she has had a couple of really intense, though non-convulsive, seizures that manifest themselves clearly on the EEG machine. Yesterday, they were unable to control one that came in the middle of the night with the medications she's been getting, so they began her on phenobarbital.

Phenobarbital is an anti-seizure medication from the same family as pentobarbital, which is the medication that induced the coma when she was having continuous seizures. Phenobarbital does not have as strong effects as the pento (thank goodness!), but it does have a sedative effect. It allows her brain to be calm without sinking her into a coma. Since the pheno makes her tired, it's definitely slowing the waking up process, but she is still doing very well, showing great signs of waking up.

Yesterday, they were able to remove the ventilator and give Amber a tracheostomy, which means the breathing tube is now hooked up at the tracheotomy site. The doctors said that they typically would have done this earlier, but they did not anticipate her being in the hospital this long. Amber is successfully breathing mostly on her own, but the tracheostomy machine kicks in when she needs a little help.

Last night, Amber showed us one of the greatest signs of “waking up” when she responded to the voices of JP and her parents with a quivering lip and tears streaming down her face. Amber is not yet able to focus her eyes on anyone or track movement with her eyes, but we do believe she is listening. Julie and Greg were able to calm her, but I'm sure she's pretty scared and confused, as she is starting to take in everything that is going on around her.

This morning, when Greg called in to the hospital early, the nurse who cared for Amber during the night said she blinked her eyes and nodded ever so slightly when spoken to. She had no seizures during the night.

Today, she showed similar signs of recognition and emotion when JP was talking to her and then also when her mom and sister were talking to her. One of the medical team told us that these signs of emotion were very positive signs, as emotion points directly to Amber's personality, which is a good sign that she is doing well waking up.

But best of all so far?

This afternoon, JP and I were talking to her telling her how much we loved her and were so happy to see her. She was wide-eyed, still not tracking yet, but listening. Then JP asked her to take a long blink if she could hear him. She very deliberately opened and closed her eyes slowly. Good job, Amber! Her eyebrows even arched up a bit.

Elated and encouraged, JP then asked, "Can you smile for me?" With every ounce of energy she had, she slowly pulled her cheeks and the corners of her lips up and mustered one of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen! She can hear us! She is responding as well as her body will allow right now, and we are overjoyed with every effort she makes. About thirty seconds after the huge achievement of smiling, she was back to sleep.

Amber spends most of her time sleeping. The phenobarbital makes her drowsy, but this is okay because we all know (thanks to our moms) that sleep is often the best medicine. That's right, just rest Amber. Rest and heal.

Our hearts are filled with the wonder of life. Thank you everyone for your faith and prayers. Great miracles do still happen, as has been witnessed in Amber's critical situation. Amber still has a long recovery ahead of her. We are full of faith and trust in our Heavenly Father and know he is watching over Amber and blessing us at every turn. She will pull through this.

“I, for one, have never known a woman with more strength and courage than Amber once she decides to do something,” Julie said. It will take time, but we can be patient and put our trust in our Father in Heaven. “We have truly been blessed.”

We love you all and are so grateful that you have joined with us in supporting Amber! We love her, and we know that you do too. Thank you. We love you all!
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Ups and Downs.

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since the family has asked me to update the blog for them.

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Amber has had some ups and downs over the last few days since our last update on Sunday evening, but overall, she is doing pretty well.

She has been experiencing several little seizures, which have been successfully controlled with the anti-seizure medication. However, this morning, she had a fairly severe seizure and her brain could not be calmed down with that same medication, so they tried a couple others until it worked. The doctors are doing all they can to avoid, if possible, inducing a coma with the pentobarbital, so they are managing all of the seizure activity with other medications. It is promising that the seizure activity is no longer “continuous” as it was each other time they attempted to wake her up, but this additional medication does slow the “waking up” process. Obviously, the goal is no seizures, so this is what we're continuing to pray for.

The doctors believe that the severe seizure Amber experienced this morning may have been caused by a fever she has, and that the blood clot they found early this afternoon in Amber's right arm caused the fever. The fever is hanging on, so they have hooked her up to some cooling devices to keep her temperature at 35°C (95°F) to help calm her brain. They will probably keep this up for 24-48 hours, depending on how her brain responds.

Amber's recovery will be slow. Her days are a mixture of ups and downs, but we continue to keep our hopes up and have faith that she will make a full recovery. Amber is alive, and for this we are all very grateful. She had a better day yesterday. We hope that we continue to see progress each day, no matter how little.

Please keep praying, and when you do, please ask for Amber's brain to be healed. We believe that our continued prayers do make a difference. As Julie said, “Why this has to happen, I'll never know, but we stand united in prayer and faith to help Amber fight the greatest battle she has ever fought. Thank you one and all for your love and concern.”

Love you all.
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Just a little update.

*This post is an update in a series of posts on my friend Amber, who is currently in the hospital. You can read the earlier posts here.

**Also, the family has set up a blog to keep friends and family abreast of what's going on and also to help reduce the feeling of obligation to update everyone individually. Most of the posts will be duplicates of my posts on this blog, since the family has asked me to update the blog for them.

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We are still moving forward with Amber. She did have a few seizures last night but they feel like they can control these ones and they are still moving forward waking her up. She will open her eyes, though she is not very coherent yet. She can't talk or respond (like we thought she might be able to last night) and her eyes aren't yet focusing. But we believe she is listening. We are all grateful for anything we can get. She could be waking up throughout the week (or longer) just a little at a time.

We are still confident and have faith she will make a full recovery, but we have a ways to go. It's definitely a miracle that she is where she is right now. It's just going to continue to take time.

Thank you once again for the continued love and support you show the family and for your prayers for her full recovery!
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Awake.

"Let all those praying know that Sleeping Beauty has awakened.
Our Heavenly Father has given us a miracle."
~Julie (Amber's mom)

This evening Amber is awake and somewhat responsive. This waking up business is a process which still will take a lot of time, but her eyes have opened and she can hear us. The doctors are watching her and are very pleased with her amazing progress today. We are too!

Please know how much your prayers, fasting, love, and positive thoughts mean to us. Thank you for joining with us in calling down the healing powers of heaven. We are most certainly witnessing a true miracle and it is absolutely incredible.
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Amber's Looking Good!

Things are still going very well today! She is showing all the signs of waking up (which can be a long process). She's coughing even now and then. Although she's still intubated at the moment, she is breathing all on her own. She even just opened her eyes all the way. She's just itching to wake up - you can tell! We are overjoyed!

She started running a bit of a fever today, but it looks like they seem to have that under control. Things are looking up. She's made a huge step in this process and we couldn't be more thrilled and optimistic!

Keep up the prayers. We are witnessing nothing short of a miracle here. She certainly is a special woman.
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Amber: Quick Saturday Morning Update.

She's doing such a good job! This is the furthest she has been able to wake up with no seizure activity. Keep on keepin' on, Amber! Viskas bus gerai, kaip visada.

Good Morning.
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. 12 January 2004

Amber has done very well warming up after the cryo therapy machine was turned off at around 1pm yesterday afternoon. The coma-inducing medication was turned off at about 1030am, so she was warming up/waking up without that medication.

This is the furthest she has come with no seizure activity. Her brain activity is looking better than it did last night, but still has a ways to go. She has had more eye flickering and coughing, which just means she is waking up.

It's still a long road before she wakes up but this is a huge step to go that long without seizing. The doctor is very pleased with her progress.

Keep those prayers coming to continue to normalize her brain activity and to sustain her as she is waking up. We are so grateful to you for joining your prayers with ours!
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Peace.

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
~Albert Schweitzer

Last night, I lay awake in my bed thinking about Amber, as has become routine the last three weeks. I started thinking about when we first met and the many adventures we had together as missionaries. I pulled out my mission journal and pulled up the document on my computer with all my mission emails home and reminisced, smiling and laughing all by myself.

This has been the background on my desktop for the last six months. I just love this photo.
16 July 2004. Lithuania.

Amber and I knew we would be companions before we ever met. We knew there were reasons we were together. I won't go into details because some of them seem too sacred and personal to share, but suffice it to say, we knew without a doubt, that it was meant to be and that there was a greater purpose for our companionship than just the fact that we loved being together. Looking back now, I can see even more things that seem to have fallen into place to paint a more glorious picture (in hindsight) of Heavenly Father's plan for each of our individual lives. I will be forever grateful for the twelve months we shared and the countless memories we have from Lithuania, as well as the friendship we still have today and the countless memories we've made since stepping foot onto American soil.

Amber taught me about faith, in word and in example. She truly is a woman of unshakable faith. Honestly. I'm not just saying this to make this post more flowery and inspirational. She really is a remarkable woman whose spirit seems to instinctively just know the right thing to do, the right thing to say, the best way to express love, how to be selfless. She knows and she acts upon it. Her faith seems instinctive, but it has also been earned. It by no means can be confused with naiveté. Her faith is genuine and powerful because it has been tested and tried over and over again and she has withstood her trials with grace and with full faith that Heavenly Father knows her and knows what is best. She has been blessed with the strength to stand firm and believe in Heavenly Father and in His plan for all of us.

As I was praying the other night, on my knees pleading with God to heal her and allow her to have a full recovery and return to her husband and babies, I had the distinct impression and the words just flowed out of my mouth, "I know that it is no coincidence that Amber is the one in a coma." As the words exited my mouth, I was a little shocked and felt like those words should not be coming out of my mouth. As I knelt there, I began to realize what I had said and what it meant. God was telling me that He knows her. He knows her faith. He knows of her example of true Christlike love. He knows that she is the type of person who could rally together a group of people like us and cause us to unite in prayer, love, and faith.

This week has been a tough week. We've been watching and waiting to see some progress with Amber. I'll admit that a couple of times late at night when I was tired and at my most vulnerable, I began to feel a little nervous. But then I would quickly think if Amber were able to be here right now, if the roles were reversed, she would have unshakable faith. It was almost as if Amber was speaking to me saying, "Emery! FAITH. That is not faith and you need to have optimistic, hopeful thoughts. Faith, Emery. Faith." So that's what I can do for her since she can't be here at this very moment, and believe me, it has been a blessing. As our mission president said in a letter to me earlier this week, "the miracle of divine communication blesses our lives."

JP is so lucky to have Amber. And Amber is so lucky to have JP. I'm not sure I've ever mentioned that JP served in our mission also. He was my district leader for five months. He quickly became one of my favorite people on my mission. He was a great leader. He is an incredible man, honest, kind, strong, and genuinely interested in you. The bond you share with the people you work so closely with as a missionary is unlike any other bond. Serving side by side, day in and day out, there is an eternal nature about those relationships, a connection you have that just can't ever be taken away.

I have been praying this week, harder than I think I may have ever prayed. Reminiscent of when I prayed for baby Bronson recently. Only this time, I've been praying for someone a little closer to home. I just know Amber will pull through this, if it is God's will. I know He hears each of our prayers and knows of our desire for Amber's full recovery. I feel like we will witness a miracle, but I know that she is in God's care, in His hands. And quite frankly, that makes me feel at peace.
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Amber: A Note From Mom & Dad.

Read this beautiful note from Amber's mom and dad.