Lilly's Big Adventure

Lilly's New Adventure

With all the excitement the last couple of weeks, I haven’t had time to update everyone sooner. Lilly and I arrived in Madison, Wisconsin, Saturday for four weeks of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and intensive physical therapy. I want to say “thank you” to all who purchased pumpkin rolls or made donations to fundraisers or prayed for Lilly and our family. It is because of all of your efforts, we are able to make the trip here. BIG thank you to God for weaving all the details together in the midst of the craziness of our lives. When asked how I do it, it is only through Him!

Just to update on what has been going on with the Ecklunds: I started at OTC in January to pursue an Associate’s degree in Allied Health. Hopefully, I will be accepted into the Physical Therapy Assistant program in January 2013. Applications are submitted in the fall. In the meantime, I have been busy working on my prerequisites this semester, specifically Anatomy and Physiology, and English 101. It was a huge adjustment for everyone in the family, to say the least! Lilly was still able to attend her outpatient therapies thanks to my mom, Craig’s dad, and Lilly’s AMAZING aid, Bitsy or “Bibby” as Lilly likes to call her. I had to push my finals up a week for the trip, so finals were last week and after my last one on Friday, I started packing! Lol

Craig and Gunnar are home sharing in some “guy” time. As always, our family makes every effort to accommodate Gunnar because of Craig’s erratic work schedule, so he is spending lots of time with his grandparents. Unfortunately, Craig has the boring, no fun task of going to work, while Gunnar finishes up his last week of school. Then it is summer, summer time! Craig has promised to take a week vacation after we return, so we are looking forward to that.

I have to brag on Gunnar for a moment. He has grown into such a strong young man and he proved to me this last week how selfless he is. I was trying to spend some one-on-one time with him each night. Next to last night he said to me, “Mom, you don’t have to buy me ice cream or take me somewhere. And you don’t have to be sad that I will be left at home without you. I will be just fine. You need to go and take sissy because that is what’s best for her. I will be just fine.” He is hitting those preteen years, and sometimes it’s all about “me”, but deep down he is such a compassionate, loving boy. Side note: we got him a phone with texting and he and I text all day now that I am here. It is so cool!

Many of you are probably wondering, why WI? There is a beautiful center here, WisconsinIntegrative Hyperbaric Center, called A Place of Grace. A mother, whose daughter’s life has been saved due to hbot and bio medical treatments, started this center and has another center in California. Shannon and her daughter, Grace, are so hospitable and the staff here is great! Their center was offering a grant for hbot that we just couldn’t pass up! Isn’t it always about the money?!?!

Lilly will also be attending intensive therapy at Communication Innovations in between her dives. It will be 3 hours for 4 weeks. It is a lot like the intensives we’ve done in the past and we are excited to watch her gain some new skills!

We are not traveling alone this time! Our friends, Liz and Harry Kemper, are here as well doing hbot and some intensive occupational therapy at Communication Innovations. Harry will be the ADORABLE, freckle-faced, little boy in some of the pictures with Lilly. Oh, that boy is precious! Maybe I can catch some stuff on video for you because he is priceless!

I will be trying to update the blog a couple times a week. We have long days and short evenings. Lilly is exhausted and bedtime is early. We are in one open room, so lights out for me too when she goes down. Be sure and check back on occasion and if you are on facebook, be sure and “like” Lilly’spage. I will be tagging pictures, videos and blog updates there as well as my facebook wall.

Thank you again for all your prayers and support! Miss you all back home!