August 14th

Aunt Mary rocks!  She has been by Brittan's side the whole way.

Homeward bound!  

Yesterday we were able to bring Brittan home.  What seemed impossible turned out to go amazingly well!  We waited  until we could overlap  her pain and anxiety medication and carefully got her into the car via wheelchair, walker and 105 pillows!  She slept about 90 percent of the time and even wanted to hit Dairy Queen right before we got home.  We were greeted with big burly men to help carry her in and lots of yummy food.  Mary and Maison slept by her all night and Michael and I were able to get some sleep!  Michael left for the airport early this morning and will get Olivia sent off to Mexico tomorrow afternoon.  Things are looking up and it is sure nice to be home!  Thank you all for everything-  prayers, thoughts, meals, etc.  We feel strengthened by you!

August 13th

Rough day-  This is B's attempted smile!

Today has been a long day!  Brittan continues to recover even though it is not fun.  She continues to do really hard things even when she doesn't want to.  The PT and OT are not her favorite people, but in time she will realize they are her friends. 

B's church young women's class organized a video chat today that really perked her up!  It was fun to see her light up and show her pearly whites!  They called from our house where they had been decorating her bedroom in hopes to help get her excited to come home.

We are working with the doctor(s) on medication. It's a tough thing to balance pain, anticipation of pain, muscle spasms, inflammation (kidney and liver), etc. Seeing her in pain is very hard on us so we're sometimes a bit pushy . It is hard to see her hurting so much, but we are working through it one day at a time.

We appreciate the love and prayers that have been offered in Brittan's behalf.  We can feel the love and support and truly feel blessed.  

xoxo The Neals

August 12th

Brittan continues to make progress.   The OT had me get her out of bed this morning which turned out to be a torture session.  B and I were both bawling by the time we finally got her in the wheelchair.  Once in the wheelchair (and a 30 minute rest) we were able to get her feet positioned, put a little makeup on (she really is feeling better) and take her for a ride around the hospital.  We visited the garden down below and took a trip to the gift shop.  She lasted almost an hour then wanted to get back into bed.  Maisy and I were able to take her potty and get her back into bed all by ourselves.  Hooray for us!  Aunt Mary and Maisy will spend the night with her again tonight so that I can head home and love on my other kids and give Olivia a farewell hug.  She will leave for Mexico on Sunday after the Sampson family reunion this weekend.  Daddy will join them on Saturday to get Olivia off on Sunday and bring all of the kids home.  Thank you for all of your sweet notes!  

August 11th- Brittan's progress

Zac Efron here we come!  The girls thought it would be a good idea to have matching PJs.  I say "whatever works!"  

Brittan is amazing!  She is DOING very hard things!  She has now officially showered!  

Britt enjoying a crossword puzzle that her friends from the Sisters branch brought her.

"You want me to do what?"

Britt let the PT Jackie know that she was a "very mean person" today.  She told me that I was mean too....   I think she is right.

Today seems like 5 whole days!  Brittan slept well last night-  she only woke up once at 5:30am to go potty.  It is becoming less and less of an ordeal to accomplish this difficult task. Brittan's cousin Maison has been a tremendous support to Britt and has gotten her to do things that not even I as her mother or Michael as her father could do.  She had a difficult but successful session with the physical therapist and occupational therapist this morning.  She also was taken off morphine and moved to an oral pain medication which she was not too happy about.  By 1pm I noticed a huge improvement in her attitude and her willingness to move and cooperate.  I made a deal with her at about 5pm that if she would drink her mug of water and agree to take a shower I would run to Old Navy and buy her some new PJ's.  Much to my surprise she agreed!  She also bargained for the new Zach Efron movie which I gladly agreed.  Maisy and I were able to shower her and get her nice and pretty.  She is feeling better every day and making amazing progress!   

Brittan's progress

Brittan's spirits really brightened when she saw her siblings.  The kids all cried when they hugged her and in Brittan's natural form she patted their backs and assured them that everything would be ok.  She really is the second mother in our home. (Aug 9th)

Her legs are a bit banged up with scrapes and bruise and tire marks.

Brittan in the emergency room with her favorite shirt from Aunt Emily that had to be cut off!  She was pretty mad about this and insisted on continuing to wear it under her gown.  

Thank goodness for life-flight.  Our new hero's.  

Moving from the ambulance to the helicopter.  (Aug 8th about 7pm)

Brittan is doing very well.  She has made a significant amount of progress in the last 24 hours.  We decide to post pictures from the beginning of the accident until the current progress so that we can really monitor from day to day what brave strides she is making.  Today she had two PT sessions.  Both very painful and difficult but the progress from just yesterday was amazing.  She was able to sit, stand with a walker, and go potty on a commode.  We love this girl and are so pleased with her progress.  She will go home as soon as she is eating, walking with a walker and sitting for a period of time.  She also needs to be able to be off morphine!  We are taking one day at a time and hope that we can be home in Portland soon.  Please take a minute and leave a comment so that Brittan will feel your love!  

Last night Michael and I headed back to the cabin for some zzzzz's and Aunt Mary and cousin Maisy stayed with her.  Maisy was able to wash her hair in a fancy little shower cap and comb it out which was awesome! She wouldn't let me near her head so hooray for Maisy!  We planned on being back at the hospital by noon so we could button up the cabin and get the boat out of the water and missed her 1st physical therapy appt.  They were supposed to come in the afternoon, but you know how these things work!  The goal was to get her into a sitting position.  With a sufficient about of morphine, and love and care from Mary and Maisy she was able to accomplish this goal!  Every day we will make progress-  Brittan is a tough cookie!  We love and appreciate you all!  

Brittan

Our sweet Brittan was in an ATV accident last night and was air lifted to St. Charles Hospital in Bend, OR.   She is stable and doing fine, but is suffering from several fractures (hip, pelvis, sacrum and fractured L2,3,4).  We have been told that her recovery will be complete with no lasting problems, but that the recovery time period could be 12-18 months.  The doctor promised her that she should be able to start 8th grade on time but that she may have a walker or crutches (Olivia will be so jealous as her dream is to have a broken leg so she can have crutches!) 

  

We appreciate your love and support and the kind words that have been exchanged through text or email.  She will most likely be in the hospital for the next week, then we will figure out the best way to get her back to Portland and in her own bed.  

Love to you all, and please keep Brittan in your prayers.

Happy Birthday Olivia

Yesterday was Olivia's 11th birthday!  She has always been such a delight to have in our family.  She will live in Mexico as an exchange student this next year and we are really going to miss her. We played on the lake yesterday for her birthday (I'm sure that surprised you) and made a carrot cake for her birthday cake!  Yum!  

Summer pics!

Ximena is a rock star!  She can wakeboard, ride a bike, jump of tall rocks and a 22 foot bridge! 

 

Bella enjoying her cotton candy at the Newsom garden party!

Hayden with some of his friends.  They finished EFY together and then met back up at the garden party.  

Brittan on the mechanical bull.  She makes it look easy eh?

Fun summer pics!

Britt and Nina at the famous Newsom garden party.  The girls danced all night long!

Olivia is a hairdresser in the making.

This horse has some serious power!  We took the Cors family to Karen's barn and rode horses!  What fun!  

We had a BBQ for Ruben's family and invited all of the Neals.  

Macarena enjoying her icecream!