The fight to continue on.....

This blog has been a wonderful way to help get through some of the toughest and most challenging experiences of my life and it wasn't my life that was fought for. Although the life threatening health challenges were fought valiantly and won, living everyday for mom is a fight. This is a fight that she is now conscious and aware she is fighting. To lose memory of nearly 2 months of life and wake unable to do the most basic of tasks is disheartening. She is working hard but coming back to life with additional challenges is discouraging. Mom had to learn to do basics as simple as swallowing and is working so hard at getting strength enough to care for herself and her basic needs.

Sometimes it's easy to question why. Why would the Lord keep her here if there were so many more challenges still to be faced. It truely goes to show that Lord knows us each individually and what we are capable of. What a tribute to my mom. The Lord has great love for her and most of all faith that she can accomplish much here on this Earth. We love her and know that everything we have been through as a family is part of his great plan. We all have struggles in this life, none of us are immune. We are given the opportunity to grow and be strengthened by hardship. It's these things good and bad that mold us in to the person that we become.

Monday is the Day by Lane

OK, here we are a few days since the last post. It seems when things are going great, you just forget to do everything. Yes, Diane is progressing well. It is just after 7 PM and we are watching the Hallmark station together. Boy the Fonz is really grey now.

Diane is doing quit well. Though she can't really get around unless she has a wheel chair or a walker when she is really adventurous. She tires out very quickly when exercising or walking, but she is growing stronger every day.

So Monday is the COMING HOME DAY!! She is a bit scarred not having the 'hospital' attention, but we have assured her that friends, family and countrymen will be pitching in to help and assist.

Her voice is a bit different...I think because of the trach she had in, but no problem talking and getting her point across. Before she went in to the hospital she had problems speaking and with hand tremors. No more. Seems something happened to get rid of all those problems.

Once we are home we will need a few days to settle in, so if you wish to visit call Lane @ 801-571-7857 in the evenings and we will get you in as quickly as possible. We just don't know how she will be feeling. I am sure that will be day to day.

We are so thankful that Diane will be home for the holidays. It was hard not having her home for turkey day, but so happy she has been blessed and recovered quickly.

Special thanks to Nikki at hospital, her swallowing coach. Ever done swallowing exercises? First, tongue out and swallow. Second, do that again and again. Third, hold head up for 35 seconds 5 times a day. Fourth, lift head up 15 times, up and down, 3 sets a day. Fun, huh?

She is working on wheel chair 101 and 102. Well you can see she is busy learning basic things again.

Enough for now. We will get further info out soon.

Love you all! Lane

Andy's New Son -- Riley Dixon Clark

OK here is # 5 for Diane and Lane.. Riley Dixon Clark.... Dixon after Diane's maiden name. We are all excited.

Friday Night Lights

Today was another great day for Diane. She is working hard on the bike and walking. And, of course, she is loving life with being able to chow down. Tonight was trout, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, dinner roll, and orange sherbet, along with a cartoon of milk. She is smiling from ear to ear. And her eyes are full of light again.
Diane is the most popular patient with the staff. I am not kidding, this gal has a sense of humor like never before. All the nurses want to take care of her cause she cracks 'em up.

We are now planning her return. Release date is expected to be 12/14...that is a week from this Monday!!! She is excited to see the Christmas lights and be in her own home. Warm fire surrounded by the family...especially the 5 grandsons. It is going to be a very special Christmas at the Clark home.

We are planning to get a wheel chair for her. We are not quite sure how everything will play out, but we are enjoying our time together. Also in the plans is a retake of Thanksgiving dinner. She wants her stuffing and cranberries!

Thank you all again for your love and support. We must have a good welcome home party at some point.

God bless and stay tuned. Lane o

Swallowing... and some REAL food

Yesterday was the day. The much anticipated swallowing test. They took mom to the hospital for her 2 hour test to see if she had a strong enough swallow to be able to eat real food. The smell of toast has been haunting her for weeks. Well.....she passed!! And according to her, with flying colors. She is a level 3 which means she is not really limited on want she can eat. So I'm sure you can see where this is going. She got her hands on the menu and wanted to order everything and she pretty much did. She told me she had ordered the Quiche, Navy Bean Soup, Fruit Cocktail, Salad, a Dinner Roll and Dessert. For upcoming meals they took her order for she told me she felt guilty and a little selfish. She worried about the starving kids in Africa. Could she really eat 2 Brownies, 3 Sugar Cookies, 2 Pork Sandwiches.....you get the point. She's outta control, making up for weeks and almost months of no eating and food cravings. Good for her!

She is staying busy. She has been working on lot on her different therapies and has made drastic improvements. She now has her hands on a cell phone (thanks Nancy) and it has given her great comfort in being able to now to get hold of everyone....at all hours of the day and night. She is also busy planning Sub for Santa for some of her beloved staff. She's really networking and feeling more a part of the world. She appreciates the visits but is also quite occupied with her busy social schedule. If you'd like to stop by, let us know ahead of time and we can tell you the best time. Short and Sweet is best right now. Thanks for the cards and caring.

Granny and Santa are planning something = Lane

4:15 PM Diane and I are sitting in room #219 and watching the BYU - Utah game. Yes!, BYU just scored their first touchdown. Oh good, this makes Diane feel good. She is wondering if she can watch the second half. These ball games are a bit stressful for her. And she loves the old Cougar blue!!!

Before the game Diane started talking Christmas. Of course, on the top of the Santa's list are the grandchildren. How is she going to get her list taken care of? Well, of course, Santa has elves to take care of that.

Oh, how she wants to be home for Christmas! We will see. She is working hard to regain her strength. She used a walker today to get to her door and back. You know those walkers with the wheels and tennis balls. She was very proud of herself.

I spent some time putting lotion and rubbing her feet and legs. We did some leg stretching and moving. She really wants out of here.

Toast! She tells me she is driven mad by the smell of toast being made. She wants bacon and eggs. The aromas are all around her, and she wants to eat. I know this would drive me out of my mind. She sees the food advertising like the Red Lobster.

Can you imagine not having the simple pleasure of eating and drinking?

Diane's a tuff girl. I have a new found respect for her determination. She has a doubt and struggle here and there but she is working hard. She is going to make it, and make it sooner than I thought. 2 weeks ago she was just waking up from her month long snooze.

Thanks for all the cards that are being sent. Diane has a bunch on the wall and more on her table. She reads them over and over. They are a great help to her and lifts her spirits alot

....so again thank you for the cards.

Diane is taking visitors. Best is afternoon or evenings. Thanks for the visitors that have come by. She tells me it is really really boring laying in bed all day...I wonder why...thanks for the visits. So come on in and visit her. She is talking like a mad women...! Lane

Location

Utah Valley Specialty Hospital

Room #219

306 West River Bend Lane

Provo, Utah 84604

Phone 801-226-5858

Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving Day - Lane

I arrived her at 4 PM and Diane was sleeping. It is now 6 and she is still resting quietly.

This Thanksgiving has been like no other. The expressions of thanks have been much different.

As we gathered earlier today with Diane's family for our annual dinner, the wonderful food was still wonderful, but our thanks giving was different. Our conversation turned to Diane. Our wife, daughter, mother, aunt, and granny.

With Diane on the mend we discussed the past almost 6 weeks. Our feelings of almost losing her to now seeing her alert and exhibiting a much higher level of humor. We told the family of her antics and our conversations. How her strong spirit to recover is.

Having missed about 5 weeks of her life, she worried a few days ago about getting the Halloween candy ready for the kids. One of the last things she was planning before she 'left' us was Halloween. She missed not only Halloween, but her sister Nancy's birthday, her son Andy's birthday, and her grandson McKays birthday. She has only seen pictures of her new grandson born 2 days ago in pictures on a cell phone.

And now she has missed being at the Thanksgiving table with her family missing out on her favorites of stuffing and cranberries.

As I ate and talked I gave thanks. Thanks for a wonderful wife. Thanks for a loving mother. Thanks for a sweet and blessed granny. Thanks for a wonderful friend.

When Diane returns home or as you visit her here, you will find her spirit better than ever. She is working hard, planning for the future, and hoping for good health.

Thanks to all of you who have taken a few moments to brighten Diane's days with the cards you have send. They are like manna from heaven for her.

Thanks for those early visitors to her hospital room. She is inspired and thankful for those. If you wish to visit, please give me, Lane or Christy a call and we will give you best times to come.

So our family gives thanks. Thanks to you all for love and support. It means more than you will ever know unless you have gone through similar circumstances.

And thanks to the Lord for his blessings and tender mercies. We are truly thankful to have Diane still with us to bring us joy and happiness.

May the Lord bless us all as we continue forward.

Diane Clark

c/o Utah Valley Specialty Hospital

306 W. River Bend Lane

Rm # 219

Provo, Ut. 84604