Message from Pops 9/16/13

Forrest has been learning again to focus in class and at home studying for his US History class.  He works on Flash cards with Tami and Mom. It is a lot of material and a lot of work to keep up with especially as he has been missing a day a week or more on therapies or doctors appointments.

His most recent surgery on the devitalized skin on his scalp has had a minor setback even with 33 staples removed last Friday. We are treating it aggressively and we are optimistic that it will continue healing.  He continues the demanding work of physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy as well as his music therapy and school work. So his days are incredibly busy.
Mom and Tami and the nurses keep him going on a regular basis and were able to cover for me this weekend when I had to go to Missouri to attend a funeral of a beloved uncle.  It was sad but also good to see my Mom, uncles, aunts and cousins and a lot of family and friends, they all wished you well, Forrest.  It was amazing the number of people who came up to me and asked "how is Forrest doing"?  "We check the blog all the time", so you have quite the following in Missouri too, Buddy. They are all amazed at your courage and your capacity to not give up but try it one more time.

Your Mom's sisters came to visit this week and I'm sure you had a great time visiting with them.  Your Mom sent me a great picture of this week's novel Physical Therapy, having you walk in the tall grass and climbing the pasture fence on the way down to the barn to help feed the horses, things we couldn't imagine you doing even a few months ago. Knowing your Mom, she, your nurse and others are by your side spotting you, just out of the viewfinder on Aunt Trish's camera, as you climb your first fence in three years!

You have been doing a great job working with training Sundance and I know he has enjoyed your training sessions and you have both learned lots.  As your Mom put it so well in your last post from a Jimmy Buffett song, "there's something about a dog."  You certainly haven't lost your connection to animals.
So you keep keeping on no matter what, enduring surgeries, painful staple removals, therapy, schoolwork, retraining your brain and rebuilding your physical body.  Every morning I go down to see you in the morning, you still have your normal reluctance to get up and face the morning, but when I ask you how you are and you always say, "very well, Pops".

With Love,
Pops

There's Somethen' About A Dog. 9/4/13

It was a gorgeous day. You made it safely to school and stayed after to finish your make up test. When you got home it was just too beautiful outside to start your homework right away.  So Nurse Gayle and I gathered you, your gear, and Sundance up in the van and headed down Logan's Mill Rd to the creek crossing.  A handsome herd of Angus grazed nearby in the tall grass and the sunlight filtered through the trees onto the gravel road and the banks of Barton's Creek. 

Sundance is a wonderful therapist, attentive, encouraging and enthusiastic.  He had you throwing the ball across the creek in no time, stretching your shoulders and strengthening your balance.   With his eager Labrador smile and wagging tail, he got you to walk half way up the hill on the gravel by his side.  We drank in the crisp clean air and gave thanks for magical healing moments in the Virginia countryside, good dogs, and your daily progress. 

With love, joy, and gratitude,

Mum

Back to School 9/3/13

Hey it's Forrest. My head where they did surgery five days ago feels better. Today I went back to school and took a history test. It was fun. It was about the American Revolution and how we became a country. It's exciting to learn all the facts and to study again. Thank you to all my class mates and teachers for being such good people and friends.

Quoting Thomas Jefferson who helped write our Declaration of Independence, "We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Your buddy, Forrest Stone Allen

Bandage Change 9/2/13

It was a momentous occasion. The first post op bandage change. With two veterinarians in attendance, you still managed to keep your gracious sense of humor.

The Morning After Surgery

It's Forrest. My cool surgeon Dr Ramineni just stopped by. He said I'm doing good. He said "No horseback riding, but I can go home today!" Thanks for all the messages and FaceTime visits. To my new friends in history class, I hope you're doing good in school and good luck on the history test today.

Here is a special video message from me and my good friend, Bob Marley: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ozf8_oeY9E4

Surgery Update

Forrest is in post-op and is doing well.  Thanks for all of the prayers, love and encouraging messages!  We will update more later. 

~ Forrest, Rae, Kent and Team

A Scheduled Detour

Hi friends!  Forrest has jumped right in to History class at Kettle Run High School, already having completed a week and a half.  It makes for a busy day for him, getting up earlier than usual, then off to school with one of his amazing nurses.  His afternoons at home are filled with homework - often hours of reading, worksheets, flash cards and studying.  We are all enjoying expanding our US History knowledge right alongside of him.  Forrests' struggles with memory continue to be a big hurdle in many areas of his day, especially in learning class content.  We quiz him throughout the day on definitions, historical figures and events and have learned that repetition seems to be the key.  By the end of the day, you can tell that he is worn out from the additional hours of mental effort, but always rallies to share a few laughs with his friends, family or team before bed.  In true Forrest fashion, he has handled the transition from education at home to a classroom with confidence and determination.  While in the class with twenty plus students, Forrest receives support from the incredible Special Education Department teachers of Fauquier Schools. He is determined to do whatever it takes to keep up with the intensive pace.  His nurse also accompanies him to school everyday to ensure his safety as he ventures back into the routine and busyness of a public school.  Today during class, Forrest answered a question correctly from the teacher and also volunteered to share a definition from one of his homework assignments with the rest of the class!

This afternoon, Forrest and Team 44 made the trek to Washington DC for a scheduled visit to Washington Hospital Center.  Tonight he is having an MRI done, just to make sure everything in his "noggin" (as 44 likes to say) looks good.  Tomorrow morning, Forrest will have reconstructive scalp surgery. Forrest is having a scalp expanding device surgically placed under the skin on the backside of his head.  Over the next couple of months, it will be gradually inflated, stretching the skin.  Then in a second surgery, the doctors will hopefully be able to move the extra healthy skin forward to get rid of the devitalized scar tissue that keeps breaking down.  This will give him new, healthy skin on those areas to better protect his skull and titanium "lid" from infections. His procedure tomorrow is midday so we will post an update when he is safely through surgery.  If all goes well, he will have one overnight at the hospital before returning home on Friday.  He is looking forward to Facetime or Skype visits with friends this weekend!

Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers,

Tami (and Team 44)

X-Rays following the successful MRI today