check out calebbaber.blogspot.com for updates from India

Update

I'm currently working on combining both of the blogs I currently have. I have many things to update but I want to settle into a manageable one-blog situation before I start going over my experiences since the race.

5k

Well, I finished the 5k this morning in 32:49

Studying, also running

A student is not an individual enrolled in classes or even someone who attends classes. A student is one who studies. Studies subjects and concepts not "for exams." The end is not a grade it is knowledge and understanding of subjects and disciplines that can be used. Exams are only tools to determine to what extent the discipline and subject has bee understood. I too often confuse the priority of learning with that of getting an A or graduating.

I'm setting a goal: to wake up before classes early enough to read about what my classes cover each day. I don't want to study for exams I want to review what I've already studied. To aid me in this endeavor I've enlisted the help of coffee, hence the cup picture. (I just realized I don't know how to properly use the word "hence" but I'm leaving it in anyway.)

The 5k is Saturday.

I'm stoked.

A little nervous too.

I hope I don't have too much trouble with my legs; it is a long run.

I'm going to finish regardless; I would just prefer to be able to walk afterward.

So, I'm running.

So this semester I set out to begin to run for exercise. I was met immediately with disappointment. After the first run I developed a sore that lasted over a month. It made everyday walking very painful and school was a very hard thing to get through each day. By the 15th of February my legs had begun to heal. I also discovered that AirBorne helps my skin tissue. Much more than that God showered his grace on me. On Friday I tried running because it felt like the first legitimate spring day. I only made it .85 miles, but i ran .85 miles! The next morning was beautiful again and I ran the same distance. Then Monday I ran a full mile. Wednesday 2 miles. Monday (this past one now the 1st of March) I ran 2.5 miles in about 25 minutes and today I ran 3 miles in about 33 minutes! I'm set to run a 5k soon i think. I would really like to work toward running a half marathon.

In other news, I have had a person tell me that they are going to pay for my plane ticket to India this summer. I am going to go to work with HIV and AIDS patients for 6-8 weeks depending on how the schedule gets laid out. I'm very excited for this opportunity as well! God has been bringing me through some very trying times. I feel like he has given me a breather so to speak but its impossible for me to accurately describe how hard the past two months have been on a day to day basis spiritually as much as physically. He is still good and just...He is everything I hope Him to be.

-caleb

Missed appointment

This is just to inform you that Caleb locked his keys in his car & had no spare & missed his appointment with the hand specialist in Chatt. It will be up to him to reschdule. I have reached the end of my part of his journey. I have completely turned the rest over to him. If he chooses to have surgery, he is suppose to let me know, but there really is nothing else for me to do......I thank you all so much for the many thoughts & prayers that helped us through a very difficult time in our lives. And I pray that our journey pointed you toward our Lord..........Love, Tami

Moving Quickly

Things are moving a little quickly. In the course of talking with Caleb's school about dates for trying to schedule appointments, I was given a recommendation for a hand Dr in the Chatt. area. This would be so much more convenient for Caleb, so I am in the process of setting things up down there. Please pray that things would continue to go well. They are falling into place so far & I am excited to get this last leg of Caleb's road to a conclusion. I will keep you posted as to if/when there would be a surgery. We are hoping for the week of Oct 4-9. Thank you for all your prayers & support. We love you all! Tami

MAYO

Well, we really don't know much more.......Dr Spinner said there is nothing neurosurgery can do for him........He is referring him to a hand reconstruction specialist. Caleb ran out of time to meet with this Dr. He needed to get to the airport to catch his flight home to TN. It's such a difficult time of year. He's very busy with school. We will check into making an appointment with this Dr during a break in Caleb's school schedule........Thank you for your continued prayers.....

Mayo

Well, Caleb was at Mayo on Friday for tests. It was mentioned to him that there is a possibility that there is other damage in the left arm, between the elbow & the wrist. We won't know if there is or what the results are until he goes in on Tuesday. If you read this, please continue to pray. We are trusting that God is Good & He is still Sovereign........we just need to trust Him in ALL things! Love, Tami

From Caleb in India

http://andi-sheba.blogspot.com/2009/07/stepping-out.html
the man i met in Mumbai at his AIDS clinic wrote this

Mayo

We have heard from the Mayo Clinic! Caleb will fly to MN from TN on Sept 4th for testing & then rent a car & drive to NE for Labor Day weekend. Then back to MN on Tuesday for a consultation with the neurosurgeon on what they think they can or cannot do for him. Then he will fly back to TN. It's hard to believe we are on the last "leg" of this Road to Recovery! It has been an Amazing Road & God has been so good! Please continue to pray that His will be done concerning Caleb's hand mobility! Of course, mom would like to see as much restored as possible, but Caleb has made peace with the amount of mobility he has at the moment. That's a GOOD thing! I will plan to post again what we learn from the Mayo Clinic. Thank you all for your prayers!!! LOTS of Love, Tami & Family

Mayo Clinic

I still have not heard from the Mayo clinic. I've left a couple of messages with the Dr in Omaha & I realize that it's vacation time of year, so I am trying my best to be patient. Caleb has agreed that we need to get him in to the Mayo clinic, but as slow as this process is, we are just hoping to avoid school & if not, we'll see if they will work with him in missing a little school. I think they will. Well, I need to go. We are working on the phone system at the Middle School so I need to go. God's Grace is AMAZING!!! Love, Tami

Mayo Clinic

Sorry it's taken so long for me to post. We have heard from the neurosurgeon. They are referring Caleb to the Mayo Clinic. As Caleb is in TN, I called him & told him what they had to say. He was busy with friends & didn't want to talk about it much. He wants to use the $300 voucher he got from the airlines to go see Uncle Josh & Aunt Kristie. He wants the Mayo Clinic to work around his schedule to go see them (Josh & Kristie) & then go to India again before school starts. Soooo, because he's 21, it's best that I turn this over to him. I will give them his cell phone number when they call & he will have to make the arrangements to go to Mayo. Emotionally, mom wishes he was under 18 & had to do what I tell him, but he's not.......Just pray that God will have his way in this situation. I can only do so much! Thank you for all your prayers. Love, Tami

PLEASE Pray

Please continue to pray. I just got off the phone with the neurosurgeon's assistant. At this point it's not looking very good for surgery. The Dr has been discussing Caleb's case with other Dr's and they are afraid to disrupt the blood supply to that muscle flap transplant. The Dr still is going to talk to another specialist next week, so please pray that there might be something more they think they can do. I was so hoping there would be a little more mobility restored to his left hand. Thank you! Love, Tami

Long time

I apologize that it's been so long since I've written. With Caleb having his own Blog at www.calebbaber.blogspot.com and no real new news from the neurosurgeon, it's been easy to just be busy with "life". And that's a good thing. Life is so precious and truly a gift from God. Anyway, I do ask that you continue to pray that when we do get news from the neursurgeon, that he feels he can help Caleb. I am hoping to know something the second week of June. I promise to update you all as soon as I know something. I do ask for prayer for some friends of Todd & I's that were in a motorcycle accident. They have a rough road also. Thank you for all your support over the last 8 months!!! Love, Tami

Amazing

Caleb stopped in to say Hi before going to Lincoln to see the prosthetic people & as he walked down the hall to my office, I couldn't tell that he was walking on prosthetics!!! He walking was so smooth. I guess I am impressed because he hasn't had both of them for very long. He said he actually had to tell someone he had met over the weekend that he did not have feet. It's hard to put into words how this makes me feel! I thank you all so much for your prayers. Caleb's road keeps getting a little shorter! :) Love, Tami

Neurosurgeon

Caleb & I went to the neurosurgeon yesterday. He's ordered an MRI to see if he can find both ends of the nerves that are not working. If he can find them, the next consideration is whether or not he can operate on the muscle flap without damaging it. It needs to keep it's blood supply, etc. Then the last consideration will be, where to get the nerves. They normally get them from the lower leg.........
He will start with the MRI results & let us know if we can proceed from there. If we can, the first part of June he is going to talk to one of the top specialists in the country and ask for advice on how to proceed and then he will let us know from there.
Please pray that God will have His perfect will in this situation & be glorified! Thanks!!!

Caleb is walking!! :)

I just got a phone call from Caleb. He went to get his left leg today & he is walking around with no crutches, no cane, just his own 2 feet!! It has taken so long to get to this point....I just had to share!! Thanks!!!

A New Phase in the Journey

Caleb has an appointment in Lincoln today to get his left leg!!! Who Hoo!!! He will stay in Lincoln tonight & walk with his leg & then tomorrow he has an appointment with the burn Dr to check & see how well the skin graft holds up. Please pray for the skin graft to hold up well & that Caleb will enjoy his newly found freedom!! He is very ready to be able to walk with 2 legs & is making plans to try to snowboard here in the next few weeks! I think he's biting off a little too much, but I've never been able to slow that kid down before, so I don't expect that it's changed that much!! Thank You for your continued support & prayers!! We are so Blessed to have so many praying for him!!! Love, Tami