Florene Gilstrap here.  Thought an update on our son, Jason Micah, was in due order, so here goes ...

Jason turned eighteen in August.  He has come a long way since his injury of a year ago.  Hard to believe that one year ago, Jason was in the hospital, in a coma, fighting for his life, but God has healed our boy and while he isn't the same as he was prior to his injury, he has made vast improvements.

We couldn't be more pleased.

Physically, Jason is walking with the aid of a cane.  His one side is partially paralyzed and he wears a brace on his weaker leg.  He's only been using the cane for the past month, so his walking isn't that sure yet.  I'm so scared that he will fall and reinjure himself, especially when outdoors.  Whenever he goes out, someone has to be with him.  

Mentally, he is like a seven-year-old.  He can't wait for Christmas; he wants to tell Santa Claus what he would like: an iPOD or a race car set.  He loves to watch "Spongebob Squarepants" on tv; he thinks it is absolutely hilarious.  He even acts younger than his kid brother Darrin, who is two years younger, which drives Darrin crazy.

Jason is talking, but his speech is sometimes hard to understand: it sounds as if he has a mouthful of marbles or rocks.  He has been undergoing a regular regimen of speech, occupational, and physical therapies and while he's made huge strides, he still has a way to go.

The therapists say he could regain all his lost functions, but they're also saying that he could remain as he is at the current time.  His head injury was severe; it was so bad it could have left him a vegetable or even killed him, but God saw to bring him through.  It has been a very hard time for our family, but if there is one thing we are thankful for this coming Thanksgiving/Christmas season, it's that Jason Micah has survived and is coming back (slowly, yes, but surely).

Doctors think that Jason might have suffered a stroke when in his coma, but they really haven't come to any conclusions just yet.  I find myself agreeing with him because he acts like a person who is getting over a bad stroke.  He has problems with short term memory and is paralyzed on one side, as I alluded to earlier.

Right now all we can do is hope and pray that the old Jason will fully emerge.  Having this version of our son has been nothing but a nightmare and a challenge.  We see the old Jason verses the new, and it is enough to make me shake my fist at God for allowing this to happen to us.

I know it isn't God's fault that this happened, but it did and so now we have to try to help Jason try to get his old life back and be with him whenever he has a bad day or is in need of extra help.  And we also have to trust God in all things, good OR bad.

Easier said than done at times, believe me!!

Well, Jason is getting grumpy, so that means I must put him to bed.  Tomorrow is his last day of school for a week; he and all the kids who go to school here will be on Thanksgiving break.  Then it's a few more weeks of school before Christmas break, and that is for two weeks.  O, joy!  Until later, this is Florene Gilstrap, Jason's mom, saying so long; take care and God bless!  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  May it be full of blessings, joy, laughter, family, love, and lots of turkey (and the trimmin's)!

~Florene.  

~To be continued.~