We celebrated the holidays at home again this year.  Mackenzie was happy Christmas Eve and didn't want to go to sleep.  She was happy and smiling all of Christmas Day as well.

{I am happy to see my cousins}

The day after Christmas Mackenzie's cousins arrived (from Oregon) for a week long visit.  She was so excited to see them.  We then spent the weekend at Keystone Colorado so that Mackenzie's sister and the cousins could do some snow skiing.  It was a fun weekend.  Mackenzie and I enjoyed watching her cousins learn to ski for the first time.

{Watching the girls snow ski}

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and we wish the best for all in the new year.

Tomorrow is Mackenzie's 8th birthday.  We held a party for her over the weekend at the local bowling alley.  It was a success even though Mackenzie had a really bad cold that day.  She really enjoyed spending the day with her friends and family.

In mid-October Mackenzie had the flu for about a week.  The seizure have significantly decreased since then.  This happened once before (back in March she was ill for a week and the seizures disappeared for a month and a half) and we are certain that the seizures will return this time as well.  In the meantime, she is completely off all anti-seizure medication and it has drastically changed her attitude.  She is happy most of the time, smiling and even laughing more frequently than with the medications.  In addition, she is more alert and aware of her surroundings.  In therapy, she is taking some amazing steps (the best we have ever seen) and she is learning to grasp objects with her hands. 

 We have been getting new equipment these past few months.  We got an exercise mat and bolster for home use as well as a new chair (The Up-Down Chair)  for her to use at home.  The up down chair allows us to sit her at floor level or at the kitchen bar level.  In addition, she was quickly outgrowing her wheelchair and developing spine curvature and hip displacement - so we got her a new wheelchair.

Back in July we ordered an accessible van for Mackenzie.  We had been using a child car seat and lifting her into the vehicle and then lifting the wheelchair into the back of th vehicle.  With her growth, the space was decreasing and the weight was increasing.  So we decided on a full size van with a lift.  We also had four-wheel drive installed because of the area in which we live.

{My daddy is helping me to bowl}

{My second grade classmates}

Mackenzie started 2nd grade as soon as we returned home from Ability Camp.  She really enjoys being around the other students and smiles often in class. 

We have begun to notice changes in her since the hyberbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT).  Her physical therapist reports a noticable decrease in the tone in her legs, meaning that her legs are more loose and able to function normally.  Her sit-to-stand routine has improved as well as her grip (holding of objects). 

Most noticable is Mackenzie's ability to walk.  She can now take nearly perfect steps while being supported around the upper torso.   In addition, Mackenzie has taken an active role in using her communication device.  Lately there has been a marked improvement with the use of her talker to participate in conversions around her.  However, this past week her use of the talker has decreased while she focuses more on gross motor skills, such as walking and grasping objects.

We are all very excited and extremely proud of her. 

The seizures have not changed in duration or frequency.  We are looking into our options for different medications and/or the Vagas Nerve Stimulator to get her seizures more under control.

{Me & My new friend, from Ability Camp, Lily Putney}

{Sarnia Ontario}

Mackenzie did very well with the Hyberbaric Oxygen treatment again.  She is now up to 80 treatments.  I would like to reach 200 treatments. 

We have seen no significant changes since the treatments, but any change, resulting from the HBOT,  can take a few months to occur.  We are not expecting any miracles from this therapy, we only wish to give her every opportunity to heal.  Other the cost, there is no negative side effect from this treatment.

 {Mackenzie} 

One week remaining here at Ability Camp.   We are doing great and making new friends.  We are not looking forward to the drive back to Colorado, but we plan to visit some friends along the way.  Mackenzie will start the 2nd grade as soon as we get back home (she is missing the first week of school).   I know that Mackenzie is excited to get back to school and see all her friends again.

{The HBOT chamber}

{At Ability Camp}

We are doing well here at Ability Camp.  Mackenzie is happy and smiling all the time.  Yesterday we took a stroll to see the lake.  Lake Ontario is only about 1/2 mile from the camp.

{Lake Ontario}

We are doing two hyperbaric oxygen sessions per day.  We are also working on eating by mouth and toilet training.  So far we have had little progress with either. We are hoping to start a feeding therapy program when we return home. 

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments and guest book entries.  We miss you all.

{Relaxing at Ability Camp}

We have returned to Ability Camp in Ontario Canada.  We left home on the evening of the 31st and arrived this afternoon at the camp.  It was a VERY long and exhausting drive.  Mackenzie started out doing just fine, but sometime in day two she had enough of being in the carseat and began whining.  I really hate it when she is unhappy.  After we arrived she relaxed on her back for several hours and has since found her smile again. 

This place looks much different in the summer time (without all the snow).  The little town of Picton is over-run with tourists and the weather is much more humid than I have become accustomed to in Colorado. 

We will be here 3 weeks and then we start the dreaded trip home.

Stay tuned for more updates.

{My new haircut}

May 2008

Mackenzie had to have a baby tooth pulled out due to an infection.  The dentist said the infection could have been caused by a blow to the chin.  With her seizures she is always dropping her head painfully hard onto her knees or whatever other surface may be there.

{The Colorado Marathon went right past our home} 

 July 2008 

We had an unexpected visit from family this month.  They only stayed for the day, but we all (especially Mackenzie) enjoyed their visit. 

We are planning to return to Ability Camp this August but will not participate in the conductive education therapy due to Mackenzie’s seizures.  She will be doing  3 weeks of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Mackenzie played the piano.  The keys were marked with princess stickers and the therapist held up a paper with princess stickers on it.  Her job was to look at the paper and hit the corresponding key on the keyboard.

 {In Arlington, Washington with my daddy and my aunt Imagine}

March 2008

In March we took a road-trip to the Northwest.  Mackenzie was sick the entire week that we were in Washington.  We the fever and the vomiting ended – so did the seizures.  We didn’t see even one seizure from the middle of March until the beginning of May.  We don’t know why they went away or what made them return.  Unfortunately, the seizures that returned are stronger in intensity and frequency than the seizures that she has been having for the past 3 years.

{My new tricycle}

April 2008

April brought puppies and a tricycle.  Mackenzie’s dog had 4 adorable puppies and she was placed on the AMBUCS tricycle wish list and received an adaptive tricycle from an anonymous donor.  She wasn’t on the list very long (maybe a few weeks) when we heard the news.  Mackenzie also found her laugh in April.  She just started laughing one evening and continued on and off all night (until she was asleep).  We were all so excited to see and hear her laugh again.

{This is me laughing}

Let me start by apologizing for not keeping the updates page current. We had a busy 2007.

December 2006
We were given permission by Mackenzie’s neurologist to decrease her medications in hope of eventually stopping them altogether. Also in December, we discovered "Ability Camp" by searching Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT) on the internet. We registered Mackenzie and were on our way to Picton Ontario (Canada) by the end of January 2007.

Ability Camp is a 5 week program of intensive HBOT and conductive education therapy and is located near Picton Ontario (Canada). It was a good program and we made some good friends, but it was COLD and SNOWED a bunch. Some of the noticeable results after 5 weeks at the camp include: Mackenzie’s trunk control improved and her muscles (most notably her hands) were much looser than they were before the treatment. I was also impressed with how well Mackenzie did on the car trip to and from the camp. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I expected it to be on her. We plan to return to the camp in August of 2008.

{Me with my friends Chrissy and Ellie - in Washington DC}

May 2007

In May we took a road trip to Washington DC via Gettysburg. In DC we had lunch/dinner with a few astronauts and toured the Capitol and the city monuments. We even met up with Mackenzie’s first Physical Therapist who had moved to DC a year earlier. It was very exciting.  

July 2007

July brought another round of horse therapy our way. Mackenzie really enjoys the horses and the volunteers are wonderful individuals. Mackenzie repeatedly expressed excitement and an eagerness to get out of the truck on our weekly visits.