Silas is simply amazing. He did school last week. He never called me to pick him up early. He was tired but he powered through. And he loved every minute of it. He was so so so happy. He had homework every night but he loved that too. He continues to have that grateful heart that is looking for and finding all the blessings. Everywhere.
And I know he was a blessing to others as well. I saw it with my own eyes. He is encouraging the hearts of those around him.
Today, our boy is exhausted. Beyond exhausted actually. He needs to pump the brakes a bit. And that’s difficult. He so wants to keep powering through. But, that’s what parents are for. To lead and to guide. And Silas understands that. And he is grateful.
Please pray for Silas to know when to go and when to stop. Please pray that his brain and body continue to heal and that he makes a 100% recovery. Please pray for his vision to return to normal. Please pray that his heart is encouraged and that his relationship with the Lord grows deeper and wider. Please pray for Ryan and I. For wisdom as we parent Silas through this.
Silas loves the Lord so much. Even more today than yesterday. If you have not read his testimony, here it is…
Hello all! Silas went to school today and did so well! He loved being there. He loved seeing his teachers and friends. He is so thankful for the work that the Lord has done in his mind and body. He is so thankful that he actually got to go on the first day. What an amazing blessing.
He is absolutely exhausted. He went to bed an hour early. Because he wanted to. This is going to be a lot. Silas is under no illusions about that. Today was really just rules and procedures. The real work begins tomorrow.
Please pray that Silas can do Tuesday at school. Please pray that his attitude continues to be one of submission to the Lord’s will. Please pray that he continues to look at life through the lens of gratefulness. Please pray that his vision returns to normal. Please pray that his life and testimony continue to bless others.
If you have not experienced the great blessing of hearing Si’s testimony, here it is. This was the day of his baptism, just 2 weeks before the accident…
Dr. Spiller (hematology) called today while we were at the Ophthalmologist. She wanted us to know that WE ARE DONE WITH THE BELLY SHOT!!! Silas actually made me do a “no more belly shot dance” with him. That is the most excited I have seen him since he woke up. I love it so much!
Dr. Spiller went on to say that the CT scan from yesterday showed no inflammation. Silas is truly in the clear from a hematology standpoint. She said that his recovery is amazing. 🥰
Dr. Wadley (Ophthalmology) was very encouraging as well. He said that Silas is showing a lot of improvement in his horizontal vision since his visit a month ago. His vertical vision is no better. That nerve has not “woken up” yet. That is to be expected. He is hopeful for progress in that area very soon.
Physical therapy also went super well today! Silas is making amazing progress. Our grateful boy said this when we were leaving, “I’m really thankful that my ankles are getting so strong. They are stronger than they were before the accident. Because I have to work so hard to keep my balance.”
Please pray for Si’s vision to return to normal. Please pray that he makes a 100% recovery. Please pray that he continues to see all the blessings and rejoice in them!!!
Silas has been to this very same exam room with his big bro Caleb so many times!!! He was proud to be in the “Caleb chair.”
Oh what a work the Lord has done! Si’s clots have cleared!!! His CT scan todaywas gorgeous!
Thank you all so much for praying!
Silas and I got to visit the ICU this morning. His reception was pretty amazing. There were some happy tears for sure! We got to see several of the nurses that took such incredible care of him for 20 days. We love you all so so so much and we are so thankful for you!!!
Please pray for 100% healing for Silas. Please pray that his vision improves. Please pray that he runs this race with endurance. Please pray for wisdom for him and for us as we add some more activity to his life. Please pray for Silas as he starts school next Monday, August 8.
Silas and I did a little video interview today in an effort to answer some Frequently Asked Questions. Here it is…
Silas is a follower of Jesus Christ. He loves Him and serves Him and trusts Him. If you have not read his testimony, here it is…
All is well. Sometimes a mama just can’t sleep. Sometimes the thoughts are just so swim-y. Sometimes the heart and mind are just too excited. And too thankful.
Of course, I have a lot of conversations about Silas. About how he is doing. About what he has been through. About what we have all been through. And most importantly, about what the Lord has done.
One thing that has been really unexpected about this process, is the un-puzzling. I have mentioned it several times in regard to Silas. But, I am experiencing it as well. So much happened from May 31 to June 20. So much hard. So much good. And often those 2 things were happening at the same time. It was often too much for the heart and mind to process in real time. So, here I am, un-puzzling away at 4 am on a Sunday morning.
Si Update #24 said this: “Heart rate low. Please pray.”
That was a Sunday morning. It was day 5 in the ICU. We had been riding that torture device non-stop for 5 days. We were realizing that we were nowhere near the end. One of the neuro doctors on call talked to Ryan and I about life outside the hospital. He told us that way too often he sees families “holding vigil” at the hospital. They are consumed with someone who might not even survive. He reminded us that there is life outside the hospital. That our other people need us. So, we tried to find some kind of balance.
On that particular morning, I went to the hospital alone. Ryan stayed home to spend some time with our other children after allowing me to do the same the day before. When I arrived, it was obvious that things were not good.
By Day 5, we knew some things. When the big double doors opened that lead into ICU, I looked down that hallway and saw lots of doctors and nurses in the room with Silas. Not good.
I walked toward the room on shaky legs. Every muscle in my body felt weak. When I looked at Silas, he looked so sick. When I looked at the monitors, I felt sick. His heart rate was so low. His ICP (Intra Cranial Pressure) was so high. I felt my knees buckling and they asked me to leave. They needed more people in the room and I was in the way. I turned and walked back down that hallway and out of the big double doors. And my knees buckled. I dropped. Hard. I posted update #24 and then I sobbed. I tried so hard to pray. But my mind was completely blank. I simply cried out, “Lord, Lord.”
That post was at 9:37 am. I later found out that our church stopped Sunday School and cried out to the Lord for Silas. I found out about so many other people that stopped in that moment and did the same.
God’s Word is so very rich. It gives us everything we need for life and living. Romans 8:26 reminds us that the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us when our groanings are too deep for words. In Exodus 17, Moses could not hold his hands up any longer to defeat the Amalekites. So, Aaron and Hur came on either side of him and held his hands up for him.
I am so thankful to the Holy Spirit for interceding in prayer for me in that moment. I am so thankful for all of you who came alongside.
Ryan ended up coming to the hospital. Our neighbors, Brent and Candy, came home from church so that he could. Candy stayed with our other children and Brent brought Ryan to the hospital. We were surrounded on all sides. And the Lord sustained us.
And it continued to be a hard day. Pneumonia set in. Silas needed a CT scan but was too unstable to get one. And the Lord sustained us.
This Tuesday, around 8:30 am, Silas and I will be walking through those ICU double doors again. With cake pops in hand. Oh what a work the Lord has done.
Please pray for Silas as he continues to un-puzzle. His vision is improving a bit (praise Jesus!) and he has been able to start reading the Silas Updates starting at the beginning. It’s just a lot to process. Please pray that his heart is encouraged and that his faith grows as he reads about all that the Lord has done.
Silas is a disciple of Jesus Christ. He has been used already in such a mighty way. If you have not read his testimony, here it is…
He is getting stronger every day. He is also a bit more antsy. He REALLY wants to be active. He is ready to do all the things. But that is not what God has for him yet. And Silas gets that. He is working hard to be patient. But he does have his moments where he bursts into a little sprint on a family walk or jumps on the bull in the pool. Ugh.
We went to our hematologist this week, Dr. Spiller. She is so pleased with Si’s progress. She wants to get a scan of the sinus cavity in his brain which is where his clots are. We will do that on Tuesday along with any other scans that Dr. Savage (Neuro) wants. Of course we are hoping that the clots and bleeds are much smaller. We will also see Dr. Savage on Tuesday. These two ladies have done an incredible job caring for our boy. We are so blessed.
The big question from everyone is Si’s vision. Well, it’s exactly the same. No better and no worse. We will see the Ophthalmologist on Wednesday.
Please pray for 100% recovery for Silas. Please pray that his vision returns to normal quickly. Please pray for endurance for him as he runs this race that the Lord has set before him. Please pray that school goes well. Please pray that Silas continues to communicate well.
Silas loves the Lord and serves Him and trusts Him with all his heart. If you have not read his testimony, here it is…
The Lord is doing such a work in him and through him. His heart’s desire is to be an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands. And Silas is doing everything, as far as it depends on him, to be equipped. One piece of that, is learning God’s Word. He has worked so hard to learn the first two chapters of Thessalonians. And it has definitely been a challenge. His vision is blurry, his brain is foggy, he has extreme fatigue in his mind and body. But he has persevered. He has not complained. He has not made excuses. He has swallowed his pride. And the Lord blessed him. And those of us who are on this journey right alongside him.
Today, Crossway Bible Church’s Quizzing Team (The Diligent Outsiders) did so well. They won actually. And Silas certainly did his part. He actually quizzed out. Twice. “Quizzing Out” means that a person has answered 4 questions correctly inside of that round so they have to step out and let another teammate in. It’s really difficult to do. I may have cried happy tears when our boy did it. Twice.
The Diligent Outsiders
Silas continues to choose a grateful attitude day by day. All throughout the day he finds things to be grateful for. He blesses my heart constantly. He is grateful to have more energy, he is grateful that his mind is more clear, he is grateful that his injuries were not worse, he is grateful for no pain, he is grateful for all the love and support.
I am completely selfishly enjoying having so much time with Silas. We play card games every day and I love it so much. While we play, he does all kinds of crazy made-up foreign accents and body contortions. Hilarious! I sometimes make him stop because I am actually tired of laughing. Best. Problem. Ever.
Silas and I had a meeting at school with Mr. Bobby (Principal) and Mr. Ford (the vice principal). They could not have been more supportive. They were so thrilled to see Silas and are willing to do anything to make this year do-able. So we have a plan. Silas will go to school as much as he can. His school mama, Mrs. Sheila, will be right there. When fatigue sets in, I will come get him and we will finish the work at home. We are so thankful for the Lord’s provision of Knoxville Christian School.
Please pray that Si’s vision clears and returns to normal. Please pray that the fatigue subsides. Please pray that he sleeps well at night. Please pray for 100% recovery. Please pray that his hematology appointment goes well this week and that it is uneventful. Please pray that he is able to keep up on his schoolwork. Please pray that he continues to be diligent in his scripture memory and Bible study. Please pray that his heart is encouraged and that he desires to minister to others.
Silas loves the Lord and lives his life as a follower of Christ. If you have not read his testimony, here it is…
Sometimes a boy just gets the giggles when his sweet dad is trying to put a needle in his belly. And on that note, the blood work from hematology is in and it looks great! So, now we will just maintain that dosage and re-test in a few weeks.
Silas is doing super well on his 1 Thessalonians memorization. He is now through Chapter 2 Verse 7. Amazing.
These guys are committed! They study hard and practice hard!
Silas continues to do Physical Therapy at home daily and at the rehab center 2 days a week. He continues to have an incredible attitude and his heart is encouraged by the progress he is making.
Silas and Caleb doing PT together…
Please pray for 100% recovery for Silas. Please pray that his vision gets back to normal. Please pray for physical strength, especially on his left side. Please pray that he will be diligent to study and memorize God’s word. Please pray that he can be a light for Jesus. Please pray that he is equipped for his quiz meet this Sunday. Please pray that he can start school with his peers on August 8.
Silas loves Jesus Christ and follows Him wholeheartedly. No matter what. If you have not read his testimony, here it is…
He is sleeping super well. He is learning to navigate life with blurred and double vision. He is not fatigued as easily.
This week, he asked what he could do to help around the house more. NOT pour cereal! We learned that the hard way! But we have found ways for him to help. He is making his bed again and helping his siblings with their summer school. Amazing.
He is still chugging along and learning 1 Thessalonians. He has inspired so many to do the same. Including his mama!
Have I mentioned he is just the sweetest? He is such a treasure. I still just marvel and praise the Lord continually that he is here. That he is whole. That he is him.
We learned earlier this week that his blood was a little too thin, so Dr. Spiller changed the dosage of his belly shot. And get this, in God’s enormous provision, our neighbors own a pharmacy! They took care of all the details and even delivered the new shots to our house! Shout out to Mac’s Pharmacy!!!
Please pray that Si’s blood is now at the right level. Please pray for continued wisdom for his medical team. Please pray that the brain bleed heals and that the blood clots dissipate. Please pray that he can commit all of 1 Thessalonians to memory before his quiz meet on July 24. Please pray that he can start school with his peers on August 8.
Silas is a wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ. Our hearts desire is that you are as well! If you have not read Si’s testimony, here it is…
Silas continues to progress. Today he mentioned that balance is feeling a bit easier. What a blessing! He is sleeping well and long at night but is not as fatigued during the day. He is still in the Word deeply and daily. He has memorized 9 verses of 1 Thessalonians. His concentration is not 100% but he is determined. The first quiz meet is July 24 and it is over Chapters 1 and 2. His goal is to be ready. Even with a few obstacles. 😉
Today, we went back to camp. It was important to Silas to see the tree that hit him. And to see the place where he was when he got hit. My brother (the former ICU nurse) calls recovery from a brain injury “The great un-puzzling.” I think going today was part of that process for Silas.
I have to say, it was surreal. Forty-three days ago I received the worst phone call of my life. The three weeks that followed were the hardest of my life. In my most hopeful moments, I still never imagined that we would ever be back at that exact spot. With Silas. Healthy and whole. Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There is NOTHING our God cannot do.
Silas and Mr. Stock… Si is holding the little tree he was cutting on when the big tree hit him. Part of the big tree that hit Si…
It is so interesting how God knits believers together. It is more than that. It is mind-blowing when you really think about it…
Please pray that Silas makes a 100% recovery. Please pray that he continues to endure and run this race with perseverance. Please pray that he constantly remembers that he is an instrument in the Redeemers hands. Please pray that he is able to memorize 1 and 2 Thessalonians by July 24. Please pray that he can start school with his peers on August 8.
Silas has such an amazing testimony of how he came to know and love the Lord. He is a follower of Jesus Christ. More and more each day. He continues to marvel at the way his testimony has spread to so many hearts. Amazing. If you have not read it, here it is…
Sunshine Soldier 