The times they are a-changin'

According to Wikipedia, Exponential Growth occurs when "the growth rate of a mathematical function is proportional to the function's current value."  The best way to understand this sort of explosive growth is with a parable:

According to legend, a courtier presented the Persian king with a beautiful, hand-made chessboard. The king asked what he would like in return for his gift and the courtier surprised the king by asking for one grain of rice on the first square, two grains on the second, four grains on the third etc. The king readily agreed and asked for the rice to be brought. All went well at first, but the requirement demanded over a million grains on the 21st square, more than a million million (aka trillion) on the 41st and there simply was not enough rice in the whole world for the final squares.

So how does this relate to Isabel?

Updates on the blog have been in short supply recently.  This hasn't been because there isn't any news to report--the problem has been just the opposite:  There hasn't been time to disengage from Isabel's EXPONENTIAL day-to-day improvements in order to catalog them.  What was newsworthy yesterday is being completely overwritten today!

Rick's last update only a little more than 48 hours ago captured the beginnings of this process with the simple statement that Isabel is demonstrating "increasing levels of awareness."  In less than three days, God's reservoir of mercy has been overflowing and at an exponential rate; and while He and Isabel will undoubtedly be working to obsolete this list no sooner than it is published, it is important to provide everybody a chance to participate in the wonder of God's work as "hour-by-hour fresh mercies we see!"  Praise God as you consider this cataract of blessings (added to the earlier chronicle posted on July 29th): 

• Isabel is completely self-aware--she expresses the same likes and dislikes that have always been characteristic of who she is as a person!
• She is sitting on the side of the bed for 25 minutes at a time, feet on the floor!
• She is working without the trach for extending periods during the day (moving toward likely removal altogether--an important step in a full return to natural speech)!
• She is able to kick a balloon across the floor upon request!
• She is following complex conversations and responding to appropriate questions and comments; her ability to understand the spoken word seems to be "spot on!"
• She understands teasing (a complex form of communication)!
• Her gestures and facial/body expressions are appropriate to conversation, e.g.,
• Responding to questions and preferences by means of head nods (up-and-down and side-to-side for "yes" and "no")... She is clearly indicating HER preferences, which gives her increasing measures of control over how people respond and assist her!
• She moves her head on the pillow in order to follow conversations taking place across the bed, tracking and following who is speaking at the time
• Occasional smiles and facial movements!
• Shrugging her shoulders when she has no preference to a particular question!
• Purposeful full movement in her left leg and arm, with her right side now exhibiting the very same sort of rapid progression as we witnessed on the left (in just a matter of hours the right leg went from almost imperceptible motions to full intentional flexing of the leg and knee!) 
• She is eating small amounts of soft food, demonstrating that her throat and tongue are under her full control!
• She is sitting up in a wheel chair which will enable excursions outside her room!
• She has expressed on several occasions that she is bored (which is indicative of her readiness to advance into more challenging levels of rehab)!
• AND, THIS JUST IN (before this update was even published):  The Creator is now working on her speech!  She is starting to mouth simple words and experimenting with her vocal cords!

The abilities Isabel is demonstrating are all pointing to an amazing recovery--far beyond what many of us dreamed possible.  We dutifully marched around her comatose walls and prayed over and over for God's mercy and wondered if He would at least allow us a peek inside.  But now that those massive walls are crumbling before our very eyes, our hearts and minds are amazed and humbled to see His mighty hand!  Come, witness the water that pours forth from The Rock!

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
For the times they are a-changin’

Come writers and critics
Who prophesy with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
For the times they are a-changin’ 

-Bob Dylan 

Continue to Praise His Holy Name for His faithful mercies and this staggering display of power and love.

On behalf of Rick and Mary