August 3

As I type in the date, I realize it has been exactly three months since Leanne's stroke on May 3. If I had been told then that Leanne would be doing what she does now, I'm  not sure I would have believed it.  But here she is, home for good, managing to do almost everything herself, talking to friends on the phone, getting ready to go to the pool. Who would have thought it? God has certainly worked a big miracle in our lives and shown us once again who is really in control.
Leanne is not entirely recovered. Sometimes we forget how tiring some things are for her, physical things, but also mental things. Some things take a lot more concentration for her than for the rest of us. The doctor told us it could be a year before she gets as 'good' as she can get. We're not sure yet what that means. Will it mean she can play the piano or viola like she used to? We don't know. But it doesn't matter. What matters is not how 'perfect' our bodies are, what matters is that we love and serve the Lord with our whole being.  If that cannot be done with two hands, that's okay.
In the meantime,  she can keep working on hand and finger exercises, and then she'll go for therapy once a week in St. Catharines in September. The doctor took her off her injections which she, and I, are thrilled about. Aspirin once a day is not so hard  to take.
Once again we thank you all for being such a support to us through thoughts, prayers, hugs, meals, driving, housecleaning, babysitting, and whatever else we all received from you. These also were reminders that God has blessed us greatly.
This will be the last blog we write, as there will  not be much to write about. Besides, Leanne is ready for attention to be directed elsewhere for a change:)
Our attention was drawn recently to Psalm 27:13 and 14, which I'd like to share with you:

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

How blessed we are when we can do this no matter what happens!
Clarence and Diana and family.

July 22

Only one more week and Leanne will be back home for good! Sometimes I think back on those first few days and how scary that was. And yet we knew that our Heavenly Father was carrying us and He knew what the future held even if we didn't. So much to be thankful for!
This past week Leanne spent 4 hours a day with 8 other children who also had  one low-functioning hand.  And with their good hand being restrained, they did many activities in which they had to use the other. We did wonder if she would manage to get any lunch down, but a fork was attached to her hand so that even though she couldn't grasp it, she was able to scoop and lift her food. By Friday, Leanne was noticing more wrist movement, and she was able to lift her pinky and ring finger slightly. And she is able to lift her arm much more easily. So this week was very beneficial, if rather tiring. The idea of it all though is to train the 'bad' hand to work more, as the 'good' hand tends to take over and make the other one 'lazy'. We have noticed her trying to do more things with her right hand this weekend, so it seems to be working well.
Originally the plan was for Leanne to have injections twice a day for 6 months. We got a call from the pharmacist that she is trying to change that, as the blood thinners are very expensive, and we would have to pay for that when she gets back home for good. Aside from the cost, it would be really nice not to have to do those needles anymore. Though I'm getting rather good at it (ahem) Leanne does not seem to love having them done by me (or anyone for that matter!). And it would certainly give her more freedom at nights when she wants to go out. For some reason the idea of taking me out all the time doesn't appeal to her, so hopefully the pharmacist is successful in getting her off it soon.

July 9

I know some of you are still checking for updates regularly, but the progress isn't so dramatic anymore so it's hard to come up with something every week. I will continue to update though when there is anything new, so please don't give up checking!
Leanne went back to the hospital after being home for 10 days. What a nice break! Not that we saw much of her because she went to Strings Camp everyday just to observe and hang out. But she was still home part of each day and things felt rather normal. And she enjoyed Camp enormously even though  she couldn't play. She's counting on joining in properly next year!
For the next two weeks her therapists are planning to strap her left (good)hand in a splint for 4 hours a day to try force her right hand to do more. That should be interesting as she really depends on that left hand. But she's game, since it's supposed to help her.  God has given her a lot of patience, which we're very thankful for.

June 27

And the discharge date is...
July 27! We can now start the countdown!
Today we had another meeting with the staff at Bloorview, and we were very encouraged by the reports that the staff gave. She will no longer need to take her wheelchair home, as she is walking well enough. Possibly in the few more days they'll take the wheelchair away altogether. Once she is finished with Bloorview she will go to therapy in St. Catharines once a week. That's not too hard to take! And the best news of the week is that Leanne is allowed to go to String Camp next week. She'll come home tomorrow night and not have to go back til July 8. She's very excited about that and it'll be wonderful to have her home for such a long stretch. After that she only has to go back for 3 weeks. I know that time will go fast and she will continue to improve during that time. We can be so thankful for the services available to us in our country. I know that some people have bad experiences with our health system, but for us it has been wonderful, truly a blessing.

June 25

Just a quick update for those of you who are still faithfully reading this blog... There is not too much new stuff going on, except that Leanne's right arm is definitely improving. She can now raise it above her head and keep it there for a few seconds. Now for the hand! She's still very positive but starting to feel like she'd really like to be home for good. On Wednesday we have our second Family Team Meeting which includes anyone at the hospital who is involved with her. Hopefully then we will have a good idea as to when she can come home. In the meantime, we keep thanking God for how far He has brought her and carried us throughout this journey.

June 16

Leanne's dismissal date seems to be getting closer! In the last week or two the middle of July seemed to be the goal for her to go home. Yesterday a therapist came over to make sure that Leanne could safely move around our house. She told Leanne if she worked at some exercises at home on the weekends, and showed (on video) her therapists at the hospital how easily she moves around now (even from the house over the uneven lawn to the pond), there should be no reason why she shouldn't go home sooner. As long she can get proper therapy in St. Catharine's she would not need to be in Toronto much longer. We like that idea!
There is definite improvement in her right arm. Though the muscles are still weak we notice new things that she can do every week. She really has to concentrate on those movements, so generally her arm does hang at her side. God has shown his goodness again and again as we see her gain strength every weekend that she comes home. So tomorrow we will go to His house with our whole family and sing praises to Him who cares for us all.

June 10

Today Leanne wanted to walk partly to church with her friends and have us pick them up on our way there. The answer was a definite NO but it does say something more about her progress! She's come a long way again this week. Her wheelchair came home with her, but it has not really been used, as she's walking everywhere herself. She's even sleeping upstairs again, to her delight. She does have to pace herself, and gets tired quite easily. The therapists keep warning her against doing too much, too fast. Now there is more discussion about when she can actually think about coming home. It sounds like it will not be too many more weeks, as long as they can find something closer to home to go to for therapy. Although that still sounds too long for her, it's pretty exciting for us. She's in a wonderful place, and doing well there, but it's not the same as being home. So the countdown is on!

June 2

One month and two days ago Leanne was in emergency, and we didn't really know what was going on.  Now she is able to speak, transfer from her wheelchair on her own, mostly dress herself, and WALK. Yes, she's actually walking! Yesterday her grandparents picked her up from Toronto and when she got home she got out of the car, walked up the porch steps and into the house. Talk about  miracles! Does she do it as easily as we do? Well, she does need someone or something (her sling) to support her right arm so it doesn't drop too hard, her balance still needs working on, and her right foot tends to cross in front of her left, making it easy for her to trip, but she did do it all by herself. Apparently she had started walking using a bar on Monday, and it was only Friday  that she actually  started on her own. The therapist warned me not to let her do too much walking-overconfidence could have disastrous results. But she told me it was entirely possible that Leanne could climb up the stairs to her room by next week. The Lord is good!

May 27

The end of another weekend already! In some ways it feels like we've been dealing with hospitals for ages, though in reality it's been 3 1/2 weeks. Clarence and I had a Family Team Meeting on Friday at the hospital. This involved meeting with Leanne's doctor, nurse, teacher, social worker, therapists, and anyone else who is at all involved with her. About 10 people altogether. They all gave a full report on Leanne's progress. There wasn't anything that we didn't already now, but it was interesting because this was her first "report card" ever. They all spoke of her as being cheerful, positive, and hard-working, which was great to hear. She's actually been told to slow down, because she tends to do all her activities with sometimes too much energy! These are some of the things we heard. Leanne's now on a regular diet. She can eat anything she wants. The doctor told her to practice singing in the shower as singing involves different techniques than talking. Apparently there are people who cannot say a word, but can sing them beautifully! In Leanne's case she's also been talking more and more, and just needs to slow down sometimes because she's got too much to say too fast. She can stand up by herself, with her right leg also supporting her weight, but she has to be careful not to overbalance. This afternoon while I was taking a nap she got into her wheelchair by herself off her bed without a problem. I think this is not recommended in case she overbalances, but it does show her independence and ability to do this without help. She cannot yet move her arm but this is entirely normal. The leg heals first, then the arm, then the hand. All in good time. So the Lord is continuing to work on her, and to our joy she is still quite positive and cheerful-at least when we see her!
This weekend was less busy for her than last, but she had friends over for lunch and supper, and some of them accompanied to her to Toronto with Clarence while I stayed home. Busy but fun.
One of my good friends is putting together a schedule, week by week, for drivers to Toronto. Some of these drives will bring me to the hospital during the week, once or twice (Clarence drives Sunday nights and Fridays). Some of these would bring a friend or two. It's encouraging for her to have company to look forward to at the end of a day full of school and therapy. Some of you have offered to drive, but I have to admit my memory doesn't hold a lot these days. If you are willing/able to drive sometimes, would you please let Julie DeHaan know? Her phone number is 905-957-9184, her email is wilcoandjulie@gmail.com.
Once again, thank you everyone for your prayers, and everything else. What a blessing it is to see the community of saints working together!

May 24

No big changes this week, but constant progression anyway. Leanne's getting in and out of her wheelchair with ease, able to eat anything, and talking more and more. She has to check her speed (of talking) otherwise her words get mixed up. But it's a whole lot easier to communicate now. She's quite busy with therapy and school before 4:00, but has a chance to relax after that. Last night I was there with some friends (hers and mine) and we decided to go out for supper with Leanne. I had thought is might be a big hassle, but it worked out very well. Permission was granted without any issues, and though it took us a while to get somewhere because of heavy traffic, it was a very fun outing. We'll have to do that again!

Busy weekend

I do not think I will ever forget my 40th birthday. As if it wasn't exciting enough to have Leanne come home, and a sister here from B.C., and my wonderful friends taking total charge of my birthday party, Leanne talked!

Saturday morning I was in the livingroom. I had set her up in the kitchen with some waffles (no one else was up yet), and I heard, "Mom, Mom!" She wanted her waffles cut! Since then she's been saying more words, exciting anyone who hears them.  One of her friends got her to play the piano last night, so there were the two of them, Leanne playing left hand, Anika playing right. What a beautiful sound and sight that was! The weather's been gorgeous, so she likes to sit outside as much as possible, working on her tan. It only took about two hours, and she looks like she's been outside all week! I wonder if she's going to be catching up for those late nights and napless days when she gets  back to the hospital. It's been a stimulating weekend!

birthday surprise

Today I had my early birthday surprise! My sister is here from B.C!  My wonderful husband thought it would be good timing for her to come for a visit since it's also my birthday tomorrow. Very few people knew this. I tried to get the secret out of Leanne but she feigned ignorance, so I thought she didn't know. She's finding it beneficial to be silent sometimes!
So today she's coming home. The last two days she's been sitting in her wheelchair all afternoon, rather than just an hour or two, so that will make it much more pleasant for her. She can join us wherever we are. It will be a busy weekend, but very enjoyable I'm sure!

May 17

Leanne seems to have settled in quite nicely. MacMaster was great, but this place is better for a longer stay. She shares a room with another girl but the room is nice and big and when the curtains between them are opened we have a nice view. The window even opens! (I know, it's the little things here that are exciting.) Leanne has her own desk and drawers, and there is LOTS of space for cards, though that space is rapidly filling up. We took all the cards from MacMaster and hung them up yesterday. They also have a bathroom in their room. For meals they go to a patients' cafeteria  and get a few choices of foods. Apparently the food is a lot better here. We've also been outside and there are nice paths to take walks on, away from the noisy roads. So for a hospital it's not at all unpleasant. For any of you wanting to visit, the hours are from 4:00-8:00.
We want to say thank you again to all who have offered help in many different ways (and those who have already helped). It sounds like we will not have to stay overnight  in Toronto since she is coming home for weekends. And when we go during the week (not every day) we will go after lunch and head home on time after supper so we can still spend time with the other kids. I may need a ride every once in a while if for some reason Clarence can't go, and I will feel free to ask those who  have offered. Others of you have baked, or cooked or cleaned or made phone calls, or taken care of the kids, or given rides to them. And numerous other things. We could not have managed without all that for the past three weeks. Also in this we see God's goodness. How humbling it is to have all that support!

Day 1 at Bloorview

It already feels like we've been here a long time! We've met so many people and received so much information... But I'll start at the beginning. We were at McMaster by 8:30 this morning. Leanne was still sleeping, and so had to be woken up and rushed through breakfast because the transfer people were ready for her by 9:00. After a long drive, and admitting, we started the process of meeting all kinds of people. I'm sure we'll get to know them all, but  for now things are  a little confusing. However, 2 things really stick out. We already met two staff members who are from the same church we are (just different towns). One is even related, so that was very exciting. Meeting those 2 with similar backgrounds as us was very comforting. It's not such a foreign world here anymore.
The second thing, even more exciting (sorry) is that Leanne can come home this weekend!!! Unless something changes, we can take her home Friday afternoon, and because it's a long weekend (I've never been so happy about a long weekend) she doesn't have to go back til Monday night.  I will have to learn to give needles which she needs  twice a day. I'm not excited about that part, but it doesn't look too difficult, and if that's what it takes to get her home, I'm not complaining!

Last day in Mac

Today is our last full day at McMaster-tomorrow we're off to Holland-Bloorview Rehab  Centre! She'll be transported by OPT (Ontario Patient Transfer for you non-Ontarions, something like an ambulance for you Dutchies), and I am allowed to come along with her. The drive will be quite a bit longer, seeing as it's in North Toronto, but this is apparently the best Children Rehab Centre in Canada, so I guess we're not that far compared to the rest of Canada. I'll post visiting hours once I find my little piece of paper with that information back. So Leanne's room is starting to look empty. All the cards-and there were many-are off the wall, and her belongings are sorted out according to what comes home and goes along. Once she's been there a few days she will be assessed as to how safe it would be for her to come home on weekends. Then someone comes over to assess our home, and then we should find out when she can start coming home on weekends. That will be very exciting when that happens!!! It's been an amazing 12 days since her stroke. We've gone through a lot of emotions, shed some tears, but through it all we have been able to laugh and smile, because we know our God is good. He has blessed us abundantly!

May 14

Yesterday we enjoyed a visit with Leanne with the whole family-good thing the hospital has other areas to relax since her room is kind of small for all of us! She got to go for a walk outside (in the wheelchair), and work on her tan for a bit. Leanne's getting good at one handed charades-we're not quite so good at the guessing part:)
We had taken a picnic supper, and pepperettes were included in that. Leanne didn't think that was very fair at all, and gestured quite meaningfully that she wanted one too. I wasn't so keen on that, seeing as she's still supposed to be eating soft foods, though she did have a salad a few days ago. I gave her the Ipad and she wrote that she would have NO problem swallowing that. Well, she got the sausage, and did very well with it. I don't think we'll be telling her therapists about this-especially the one who's in control of her food!! So back to mush today:)

Day 10
Many of you have been asking what Leanne's prognosis is. Is she going to walk again or talk again, or even recover fully? The bottom line is we don't know. Everything looks hopeful. The fact that shes improving every day is a positive sign. That she's ready to go to a rehab center already is impressive. Ultimately only God really knows, and we'll accept what He gives us with gratitude. But the doctors and nurses are very positive about the outcome. As one nurse said, "Our goal is to get her back on piano." And for those of you who know her well, you know that's probably her goal as well. She's the determined type, and that can only help. It will be a long road for all of us, but knowing we're not alone because we are believers, and because of the support from all our family and friends, we know it will not be an impossible journey. Instead it will be a journey on which we're carried the whole way through, and not on our own strength.

Day 8

My dear husband made me stay home this morning and sent  a dear friend of ours (who is one of Leanne's other 'Moms') to keep her company. So we didn't get there til about 2:30, which made for a very short stay--at least that's what it felt like!  Today we've been talking more with the doctors about the Rehab Centre in Toronto. Apparently there is an opening on Tuesday already. Clarence and I really want to check out the place before she goes though, so hopefully we can do that on Saturday. On the one hand it's good that the doctors declare her ready for that. It means that medically she's very stable, and now she just needs to work on physical recovery. On the other hand it's very hard, because we might not be able to see her every day. However, we've been told by our friends and Leanne's that she WILL get company often, because they'll make it happen. How good it is to be surrounded by so much love! We also know that Leanne's ready for whatever needs to happen. Her calm countenance and ready smile encourage us constantly.
Diana

Day 7

I'm not sure I'll ever take my bed for granted again. I went home last night for the second time (a few nights ago a wonderful sister-in-law stayed overnight), and left Leanne alone. Very strange feeling, since I'm with her so much. But she really didn't mind. For now the plan is for me to come home at nights, and get a ride to the hospital with someone else in the mornings so we don't have two vehicles parked there, and I can get a ride home with Clarence. That way I can see more of the other kids too, and at least eat breakfast with them. During the day they will be at one of our friends' house so they can keep going with schoolwork and have some routine. Leanne is eating quite well on her own, and is slowly able to try more. Yesterday she had banana koek, and loved it, as well as egg salad. Hospital food is not very appetizing so we do have to tempt her with other morsels. Spoiled child:) The therapist has been discussing the future with us. Since Leanne is progressing so well, the therapist is putting in a referral to a Children's Rehabilitation Center in Toronto-apparently the best one in Canada. It will be farther away for us, but she would be very busy there, so she wouldn't need us there all the time anyway. We don't know when that will be, but it again shows how well she is doing.

Day 6

Every day we see God's mercy towards us! Yesterday Leanne was able to move her foot up several inches which amazed all who saw it. She's getting more sensation in her arm and leg every day. Her speech therapist was amazed at her improvement since Saturday. Sat she had been able to obey one command at a time, and yesterday she could easily do more. We were also given several papers with pictures that Leanne could point to when she wants something, and we're starting to learn a bit of sign language.

They're confident this will not be long term but right now it just makes it easier for her.

In all this Leanne's been quite accepting, not showing frustration. I'm sure there will be frustrating times in days to come, but she is fully aware that she is in God's hands and does not need to worry about the future. And we as parents really feel the communion of saints close by and world wide. How good God is to us!
Diana

Day 5

More progress! Saturday evening Leanne got moved three doors down-out of ICU. They'll still check up on her til tomorrow but at least she's not being "bothered" every hour anymore. She is now only hooked up to her I.V. until she eats and drinks more. Its hard to have an appetite for hospital food though! Yesterday was a fairly calm day for her. Her aunt Jane was with her until we got there mid afternoon, and then all was quiet until some of her friends showed up-end of quiet! They did up her nails and put in her earrings and hung up her cards, and chatted away for two hours! That certainly made her day. After that a wonderful nurse showed us how to get a Facebook app on this apple iPad-so we, that is Leanne, is now fully connected to the world again. Apparently blog and email didn't fully cut it! So they did another catscan on Sat. Yesterday the results showed quite an improvement as far as the clot goes. It's small enough so she is no longer in the danger zone. Today will be the first day of lots of therapy-speech, physical and who knows what else, I guess we'll find out. There is so much to be thankful for. As believers we find ourselves rejoicing constantly, being built up by all you who leave messages, and our visitors. I'm sure you can understand we can't even begin to respond to all the messages though I'd really like to. If I didn't have competition from Leanne I might have been able to:) The offers of help have also been amazing. The communion of saints is a beautiful thing! Diana

Day 3 Continued

I've been asked to explain more clearly Leanne's medical status and prognosis, so here goes. Just remember I'm not qualified in the medical field so it's going to be quite simplistic. So two days ago Leanne had a stroke which is kind of rare for kids. Which is why that did not come mind when she was first brought to Welland hospital. Their first thoughts were either drug overdose or seizure when her blood work showed up clear. It was a few hours later when she finally came to that they realized she had no feelings in her right side that they suspected stroke. At that point they acted quickly and sent a helicopter from McMaster Childrens Hospital in Hamilton to come and get her. There, with an MRI, they found a blood clot in the left side of her brain--hence the stroke. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and speech and communication. Since she first woke up she's been fully able to understand what is going on. Maybe not to the full extent (but then I didn't either), but when she was asked to do things like squeezing a hand or raising a foot she would try and cooperate as much as possible. She could also (with difficulty) shake or nod her head. She could write with her left hand (not bad for a rightie) but it didn't make sense to us. Right now she is on blood thinner which will hopefully diffuse the clot slowly without breaking it apart because that could clot other areas. There also watching that the thinner doesn't thin the blood too much and cause bleeding in the brain. She will get another Catscan today to see any changes in the clot, and depending on what that looks like, she could be in a regular ward by Monday.
By today we've already been seeing changes. She can feel someone touching her right arm and leg, and has a little bit of movement in them; she is able to type her name; she nods her head with ease; she's eating soft foods-her swallowing abilities are fine; she can feed herself if the food's not too messy; she is able to sit without support. All these things are little things but such big milestones for her already. She still has a long ways to go but all these little things are positive.
We do not know where she'll be at in one month, or two, or three. But right now we're not worrying about that. We take it one day at a time knowing that God will continue to carry us each of those days.
Diana

Day 3

Thank you everyone for your overwhelming response. It's one thing to know our church family but entirely amazingly to see how worldwide it is. And to find out how many are praying for her is very humbling because we realize it\s not only our prayers that are going up. Leanne received an iPad for my birthday (how is that even fair-now I still have to share it!) in the hope that she could use it to communicate with us since she can't speak. Yesterday morning she was not able to type anything that made sense but last night she was able to type in her name to get into her gmail. Very exciting! She spent a long time reading her many emails and responses to this blog. I think it was rather overwhelming for her, but she needed to see that she's not alone in this. She had some of her best friends over yesterday and I know that it meant a lot to her. The nurses were amazed at the support we've been getting, but finally had to put a bit of a stop to it because she was too tired. So if you stop by there is a chance you will not be able to see her, but if you don't mind putting up with me (Diana) your visit will not be wasted :) I'm expecting someone shortly so I'll write a better update a little later. Diana

Friday night May 4

Just a short update with little news. We went to see Clarence and Diana and Leanne after supper. They had a short list of things they liked to have: homemade bread, cheese, hageltjes and a few more practical things.
We took Megan because she really needed to see her mom.  Each of us were able to see Leanne for about 2 minutes and we thought she looked wonderful, taking in everything that happened around her and responding to our questions by shaking her head or squeezing our hands. Lots of reasons to be grateful. Leanne is aware that many people pray for her.
When Diana comes home some time tomorrow she will take over writing the blogs.
Jack and Jenny Vanderveen, grandparents.

Today Leanne recieved a lot of visitors.  While she was very grateful, the nurses noticed it was quite was tiring for her.  There will be ample opportunity for visits in the coming weeks, and while we realize a lot of people would love to see Leanne they recommend only visits from immediate family until further notice.

Friday, May 4

As many of you many know, yesterday morning Leanne was found unconscious and was taken to Welland Hospital.  It was decided that she should be airlifted to McMaster Childrens' Hospital in Hamilton.  The diagnosis was that Leanne had suffered a stroke at the age of 16, leaving her paralyzed on the right side of her body and unable to speak.

She was able to understand what had happened to her and could communicate to her parents with hand squeezes and big smiles, albeit a bit lopsided.

Since this is not Diana writing this, I don't know all the medical terms so I will leave those up to her to explain later. 

Leanne is able to read your comments on her Ipad so feel free to show her your support via comments or Facebook.

Please keep Leanne in your thoughts and prayers.  She has a long road ahead of her but we know that she is in the hand of our Heavenly Father.