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Look at my first NEW SHOES and NO LEG BRACES!!!!

Brooke is Home

Brooke has come home!! Brooke and Patricia have been home for 5 days now and Brooke is doing great she has been out and about. Her feet are showing improvement each and everyday!! Today Brooke is getting fitted for her first pair of shoes in two years. We are so excited!!

Brooke at the Livestock Show

Brooke was dressed up at the Texas Livestock Show.

Brooke Walking With NBC Reporter

Brooke walking with NBC reporters in Texas a week after her surgery. She has been at the Texas livestock show with reporters as they film for the Dateline special.

Thank you, to my friends @ ALLotts School for all my cards & my gifts they brightened my day, & Briley too I miss you all so much!

Brooke hanging out in the room tonight enjoying all of the gifts everyone has sent her, after a fun day at the Zoo!!!

NBC Filming

NBC Filming Brooke at the hospital Monday for the Dateline Special. We have a movie star on our hands!!!

Update on Brooke

Hello,
I just wanted to update everyone that has continued praying for Brooke as she is on the road to recovery. She have been resting well at the hotel and has enjoyed the gifts that many of you have sent. Brooke has enjoyed reading all your comments that have been posted on her blog, it seems to brighten her day! With each and every day she is feeling stronger, so thank you for your continued prayers, thoughts and words of encouragement!!

Brooke and Patricia

Address to Hotel Where Brooke Is Staying

Hilton Fort Worth
Attention: Brooke Grissom, Suite 1024
815 Main Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

The Heroes

Congrats to the Health-care Heroes!

We knew these Doctor's were Heroes the day that they did surgery on our daughter and gave her, Her life back, I could never repay these men for the Love and care that they bestowed to Brooke. We have met a lot of Doctors on this long journey to finding a cure for her medical mystery, and never have we met any Doctor that can hold a candle to these men.

They are truly the Best!
The Staff that they have built is awesome too, everyday they would come over to the Hospital and introduce themselves and ask if we needed anything.
Each day every Doctor would come over and check on Brooke, they just go a step above.

There greater reward will be in Heaven and will be given by God himself!!

Sincerely,

Jeff & Patricia Grissom

Brooke Leaving the Hospital

WoW!!!!! Brooke got to leave the hospital Today!!!! Today has been a wonderful and blessed day for Brooke to be able to check out of the hospital just two days after her big 10 hour surgery! God is So Good!!!

Now we are headed to the hotel to get settled in and rest. Please continue to keep Brooke in your thoughts and prayers as her body starts to heal and keeps any and all infection away.

A special thanks to everyone for everything!!!

Brooke in the Movie Room

This is amazing.....Brooke was able to walk down the hall to the theater room and watch a movie tonight!!!

GOD IS GOOD, GOD IS GREAT!!!!!

An Update on Brooke the First Day after Surgery

Brooke had a very long and rough night and morning today. With very little sleep last night she finally calmed down and started to rest and feel better after mid-day. And Nurse Rebeka has been wonderful taking care of Brooke all day.

Brooke and Dr. Marks

Dr. Marks thanks for being so great with Brooke!!

Dr. Acosta Checking on Brooke today

Brooke in Surgery

Dr. Honeycutt and his team operating on Brooke

Preparing for Surgery

Dr. Honeycutt and his team preparing Brooke for surgery.

Brooke after Surgery

Brooke in some pain after surgery, but thank you Lord Jesus for protecting our little baby!!!

How to Post a Comment

Some have been having trouble posting their comment. So, when you go to post a comment and you can click on NAME/URL and just put in your name and nothing in the URL. And there you go you should be able to write away!!!

Update on Brooke

We have Great News.......Brooke is not in ICU!!!! That is right.....they did not put her in ICU. She was doing so well the doctors decided to just put her in a Recovery Room!! God is always Amazing!!!

The Surgery is Finished!!!!!

Thank you Jesus!!!!!!! Brooke made it through surgery with flying colors! The doctors said she did great with no complications and the CT Scan came back looking great!! Brooke is now going to be in ICU for the next 24 hours and then will go to a recovery room tomorrow early afternoon.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Brooke and all of the family. Thank you to the team of surgeons that were surround around Brooke today, you did a great job! Today was one of the longest days of our lives, but God always Concords! Please continue to pray for Brooke as recovery is just important.

An Update on Brooke Surgery

Mom and Jeff just got an update from the Doctors saying that they just finished with the right side of the brain and are starting on the left side. They said that everything is going and looking good with no complications. Thank you to everyone for all of your continued thoughts and prayers!!!

Going into Surgery

Tammy and Lewis taking Brooke into surgery. Wow what a big team of doctors! God please protect our little baby girl!!

Brooke and the Anaesthesiologist

Brooke and the Anaesthesiologist preparing for surgery and she seems pretty calm!!

Kristen and Brooke

Kristen, Brooke's Life Coach giving her some gifts before going into surgery this morning! Thanks Kristen, Brooke just loves you!!

Dr. Honeycutt Praying over Brooke before going into Surgery this morning

How amazing that the surgeon lays his hands on Brooke's head and prays over her and him before leaving for surgery this morning!!!

It is about 9:30 in Texas and Mom and Jeff have been told that Brooke is a little apprehensive, due to some of the sounds and feelings going on with them getting starting. See won't be asleep the entire surgery, but in and out when they need her. God please give Brooke a since of peace and calmness, because I know she is nervous.

The surgery is about a 10 hour surgery, so I will keep everyone posted throughout the day. Also, Brooke will be in ICU for the following 24 hours after surgery. So, for anyone who is wishing to send Brooke, flowers, balloons, gifts and or anything else please wait and send Thursday due to the fact there can not be anything in the ICU Rooms.

Hospital Address:

Cooks Children's Hospital
801 7th Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76104
(682) 885-4000

I just wanted to update everyone on what happened today.
We met with the Surgeon that will be over Brooke's surgery and he is a really nice guy. He was very encouraging about the surgery, he said that with Brooke's age she is a perfect canidate and he just really felt that this would give Brooke her life back!
Dr. Honeycutt did say that it would probably be a couple of months before we would see any improvement, and because she is on so much meds that they would have to wing her off of it slowly.

We also met with Brooke's Life Coach Kristin that will be staying with her throughout the entire surgery. She really did a great job on easing Brooke's nerves and assured her that she would be with her the entire time.

I think that it is finally hitting me today all that is involved in the surgery. I am praying that God will guide the surgeons hands and that he will keep her safe from infections that seems to be one of the biggest risk. Pastor Randy called and said a word of prayer with me that helped a lot.
Thanks, for all that have posted on the blog their words of encouragement have meant the world to us.
The Dr. said that they will try to keep us updated every hour tomorrow, and as soon as the surgery is over we will go from the recovery room to ICU.

Ash., try not to worry I want you to take care of yourself.

I love you and miss you bunches!

Love,
Mom

Brooke and Mommy....Don't you love the house-shoes!!!!

Brooke and Daddy.....ready to go to bed!!!

Brooke hanging out in the room after a long day at the hospital with her new DVD player.

The 1st Day at the Hospital

Today started early for me, Jeff and Brooke having to be at the hospital by 10:00 am for a long day of meetings and not ending until 6:00 pm. Brooke was nervous from the very beginning, just not knowing what to expect. Brooke had only one question for everyone........"will I get a needle shot"????? She asked anyone and everyone a thousand times over and over again. The doctors and therapist were great to reassure her that "you won't feel the needle and there won't be any needles, there will just be a mask going over your face and you will just fall sound asleep" WoW, just those few words of confidence by them made a world of difference, she was at complete peace.


We are all finally in the room and trying to get ready for bed and another long day tomorrow at the hospital. Thank you everyone for all of your thought and prayers, they are greatly appreciated from all of us!!!

This is me Brooke

Brooke, Mom and Jeff leave for Fort Worth, Texas for Brooke's Surgery

Hello Everyone,

I hope this email finds you all in good health, peace and serenity. Brooke, my mother and Jeff left today for Fort Worth, Texas for Brooke's Brain Surgery that will be taking place this Wednesday at 7:00am. They will be gone for one month, due to the intensity of the surgery. I ask everyone to please keep Brooke in your prayers, even if you don't know her that well. Although, please let me tell you a little something about my sister who is only 8 years old. She is the most energetic little girl you will ever meet who has always kept her spirits up even with being diagnosed two years ago with Dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological mussel disorder that has affected her feet, toes and the lower part of her legs and has a 90% chance of it moving up the rest of her body. Her team of doctors from Birmingham, Alabama referred her to a hospital in Fort Worth, Texas that specializes in a brain surgery to help patients with Dystonia live a much better life. God willing when her surgery is successful, she will no longer have to take all the twice daily handful of pills or have to wear uncomfortable leg braces and shoes and many other befits other than just these two. So, I ask everyone out there to please take some time and get on your knees and pray to God to guide the team of surgeon's hands, protect Brooke's body and for all of God's Guarding Angels to camp around her and keep her well, safe and strong for a speedy recovery.

Thank you in advance to everyone for all of your time, thoughts and prayers. And for anyone and everyone who would like to send Brooke something special during her time away at the hospital you can to Cooks Children's Hospital at the following address and number below.

Attention: Brooke Grissom
Cooks Children's Hospital
801 7th Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76104
(682) 885-4000

Date of Surgery: Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 7:00 am


Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers,
Ashley Carpenter

.....Also, I will update everyone after her surgery on Wednesday!!!