"Cheap shades and a tattoo and a Yoo-Hoo... sweet summertime!" -K. Chesney :)
- kristelishmael
- Jun 18
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 12
(((big sis, Kristel, takeover for this entry)))
Well folks, summer 2025 is here and we're NOT ready for this Texas heat! Luckily, we've been blessed by garden nourishing rain and cool breezes so far- THANK YOU LORD!!
<-- Pic of J and Kabrina after a long day of work! Kabrina standing in an OR for 8hrs and J continuing his day therapy sessions. (Update on this later in the blog)
All smiles (a couple of weeks ago), but this was AFTER he had to get his G-tube replaced due to him pulling it out after a shower. Funny thing is, Kabrina was trying to get his PCP to call it in for weeks ( J's PCP is not the best...) and well, J literally took matters into his own hands! Sometimes I think he'll do just about anything to miss a day of therapy! :)
That reminds me -- PRAYERS NEEDED for more consistency with J's eating and drinking. It's a gamble sometimes if he's going to actually chew/swallow a meal or if we're just going to have to put a tube-feed in his belly (via the G-tube). Needless to say, that G-tube is a must until we can get on the other side of this hump.
This past weekend had some fun and family infused into it! Saturday, Kab & I took Jared bowling. One of my sister's coworker's is a part of Sons of American Legion 597 and they had a fundraising bowling tournament. George, my sister's coworker, has been such a Godsend to the girls at Price Circle. He's come over a few times to do some repairs around the house and always asks Kabrina if there's anything that he can help with. Thank you so much, George! We had a lot of fun bowling... until I forgot how slippery those lanes are and hit the ground! Word of advice: Golden Goose might be cute, but they don't stand a chance against a slippery bowling lane! Pray for my knee -it's def sore and I'm no spring chicken! Ha ha!!
On Sunday, the youngest Ish-gal, Kayla, and her family came over to hang out. Our 3 nephews sure do love their Uncle Jared! Here are some pics and a fun video of J bowling!
We give all praise to God, who has walked alongside Jared every day since the accident. I tell all who bend their ears to listen that I've witnessed with my own eyes just what the Lord can do, and I'm forever blessed by what I have seen. Thank you, Lord, for faithfully showing me that ALL YOUR PROMISES ARE YES, AND AMEN!
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Life lately...
Day therapy at CNS (M-F 11-4)
Physical - making great strides with his core strength, which helps him with his standing and walking balance.
Speech - phonating more and more at therapy and in true Jared style, throwing out little word nuggets to the CNS staff! They love it as much as we do!
Occupational - continuing to work on fine-motor skills (most are tasks that help him with every day living) such as buttoning shirts, zipping pants, reaching and stacking objects, etc.
Counseling - when Jared wants to communicate with his counselor, Luis, he does, but anyone who knows J also knows how stubborn he can be when he doesn't want to! Luis has been so great with Jared- we appreciate him being one of J's biggest fans at CNS.
Dentist diaries--- Jared chipped a tooth and it was his 1st visit to a dentist since I've known him (10+ years)
He's been grinding his teeth at night, so please pray for that to cease. Sleep is vital to J's success in therapy during the week!
Had a chipped tooth pulled and replaced with a retainer that has a tooth facade.
He found a wonderful dentist in the Little Elm/Frisco area --> Lakefront Family Dentistry / Dr. Nicole Bellingham, D.D.S.
Margot is still his biggest fan and even if he only admits to liking her a minuscule amount, she'll take it! The best thing has been fining a pillow with a Margot on it, so now he has 2 Margots in bed with him! (pics above -she is never very far from her Uncle J)
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On the horizon...
Annual visit with his neurologist, Dr. B, in July -pray the appt doesn't get pushed back again!
Discharge from CNS at the end of August -- PLEASE KEEP US IN PRAYER RE: NEXT STEPS.
Please pray for peace and guidance as Kab & J explore this next leg of his healing journey.
Pray for wisdom as Kab & J are look at in-home therapy options.
Pray that J is able to capitalize on the 2.5 months left at CNS
getting stronger with his walking and overall balance
continuing to improve his speaking volume and overall vocalizing
stronger with chewing and swallowing and controlling his saliva more consistently
full on participation at therapy -- no more fake naps, Jared!
As much as we (me, mom and Kabrina) always feel like we need a vacation, the one person who has been putting in work has yet to go anywhere!! Please send us tips of places that are both handicap accessible and friendly. If y'all know J, he's a mountain over beach kinda guy, so if you have any ideas, let us know! We want to get him away for a nice vacation -he's more than earned it!
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We continue to be grateful for the community we have found at ABLE FAITH. We are so thankful to have a place that "GETS IT," and people who understand and are genuinely here to help in anyway possible. This organization is fantastic, and I pray that all of you that read this, give them a few minutes of your day and see what they do, and all the people they help. www.ablefaith.org
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For anyone who might be new here, or wanting to know how they can help, here are a couple options:
-- I'm going to drop the link to Jared's Amazon gift registry here:
The most needed items (due to everyday consumption) are briefs, wipes and the various vitamins and supplements. Contributions and/or gift cards are also very helpful for random items that pop up as well.
-- And his GoFundMe is still alive and always useful.
Thank you so much for any contributions and/or purchases. We appreciate it more than you know! We look forward to the day when Jared is FaceTiming all of you to share his gratitude as well!
Stay tuned with us as we keep truckin' along! We love when we get to share pictures, videos, stories, praise reports, and even the hard stuff. Thank you for your support, prayers and encouragement! We are grateful to our community out there who care about Jared! You can always check in here or see our day to day wins and wows on my social media pages!
Instagram: @kbrenie
Facebook: https://facebook.com/kabrina.ishmael
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!
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