About Jacki

I know some of you may have not received an email from me, but you do check our blog. Below you will find the email I sent out last night. Keep checking my blog for updates on my baby sis! By the way, today Jacki has a slight temp and that is due to the pneumonia in her lungs. 99% of critical care patients get pneumonia, so don't fret about it. ALSO, Jacki opened her eyes on command AND the nurse said, "You can tell that someone was home." She is doing amazing each day and it will be a LONG time before I can breathe a sigh of relief, but each one of these baby steps is HUGE to us! ***************************************************************************************************************** First off, let me apologize if this is the first time you are hearing of this. I haven't checked email all week and have tried to keep up on phone calls while in PA. If you don't know what is going on, please watch THIS VIDEO. My sister, Jacki, was involved in a hit and run one week ago. She was crossing a road when she was struck. I got home today and leaving my baby sister has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I know there isn't anything I can do for her now though and she will definitely need me when she wakes up. I have been praising God for our upcoming move to Maryland. I will be 4 hours from the hospital she is in. About Jacki: I refuse to EVER mention the worst case scenario, but I am sure you can imagine. I have nothing but faith, hope and trust that she is going to recover when she is ready. Jacki is sleeping and has to remain that way until her brain can improve. It will not be good if she wakes up fully and realizes the extent of her injuries. Her brain is trying to figure out what happened. Also, she's been put on a blood thinner because her has a bilateral dissection on her carotid arteries. These are the arteries in the neck that lead from the heart to the brain. The blood thinner is to keep her from developing blood clots and/or having a stroke. She does have multiple fractures in her neck and back. She'll be put in a body brace so she can't move and have further damage. There are some other things too, but for now I think you've heard enough. Jacki is NOT in a coma!!!!! It may seem that way because she is sleeping, but the girl moves her upper body as well as her lower body. She responds when the sedative is lowered and she is stimulated. This is an awful, awful nightmare that I feel I am living in because there is no end. We DON'T know how Jacki will be. We DON'T know how long it will take. Your prayers have been awesome and, as one of Jacki's favorite bands, Journey, would say "Don't Stop Believin'! She is such a tough girl! This is her marathon and we are all just waiting for her to start the biggest race of her life. Over the last week, I've been practicing the art of patience and taking one day at a time. That is all we can do. Jay has been wonderful this past week with the kids. I've asked him to continue to be patient with me as I sort through my life here. Also, since I am the one who is acting on Jacki's behalf, I have those issues to deal with as well. Don't be surprised if I am even more forgetful than before or I look like I am lost. I thought life was complicated before... Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I am so grateful for everyone's encouraging words. I'll need lots of reminding to take one day at a time, so don't forget to keep me straight!! Tim & Jacki - she's gonna kill me because she hated that big zit on her chin! This is one Jacki took herself. She was a bit neurotic about taking pictures of herself! In fact, the photo on the newscast, Jacki took herself!