11.19.2009/7.20.2010

A lot has happened over the last two weeks. I'll share the good news first – I was released from the doctor on July 30!! Eight months and 11 days. That's a LONG time, especially for someone so impatient like me. I learned a lot in those months.

I learned how precious life is. Milliseconds could have changed the outcome. God truly had his hand on me in that moment.

I learned how faithful God is. Never once did I feel like it was too much to bear. Never once did I feel I was going to have to give up. Yes, I had some bad days. When you go through such trauma you generally will. However, I always knew God would pull me through. He proved himself over and over again.

I learned how great my family is. My parents of course came straight to the hospital. But the rest of my family – they immediately started praying and just never stopped. Words cannot express how thankful I am for everything each one of them did. Kaden and Kale – thank you for taking care of me, taking orders and being good little brothers. Now, if only you could act like that all the time :) Magan – thank you for pushing me in the wheelchair during Christmas shopping (until you turned into your evil twin). Oh the joy of day after Thanksgiving! haha. Katie and Jared – thank you for taking me to the movies (Go Pokes!), to Pop's and keeping me entertained. The rest of my family – you are all incredible and I don't think I could have made it without your prayers and love.

I learned how blessed I am to have great friends. Hailey – thank you for coming to the hospital and taking care of everything. Sorry for waking you up on your day off classes! I knew everything would be OK when you got there to take care of it all. Caylee – thank you for driving to OKC to pick me up so I could get away from Tuttle for a weekend. Swim House – thank you for crossing the street with me and letting me stay whenever I wanted to. I have the best Big and Adopteds :) Brittany – thank you for being a constant friend and praying so much! I never think twice about asking you to pray about something. Littles – Catie – thank you for taking care of me and bringing me food and medicine when I felt like I was on my death bed! Also for letting me stay at your house and helping me figure out what to do next when things go wrong. Paige – thank you for coming to Tuttle to check on me and bring me coloring books and CDs. I'm so thankful to have two wonderful littles. Jim, Terri, Stephen and Cherish – thank you for bringing pizza, a CD and being great friends. Cherish and Terri, thank you for the girls evening – I had so much fun! Shelly and all the AGCM department – thank you for making sure I was going to make it and working with me on all my classes. I have been so blessed over the last three years. There are so many more friends who were there for me, calling me, checking on me – Jess, Colin, Cinda, Patrick, Twinnie and many more – thank you so much for caring.

I learned God can do anything. The song that helped me through the whole deal was Steven Curtis Chapman's Faithful. The first time I heard it, I was in the car driving for the first time since the accident (I doubt I was even going more than a mile!). It made such an impression on me. Check it out here.

I know I said there was more to this post than just good news, and there is. Keep watching and praying. More will come in the next few days.

Shae Suzanne