Taylor seems to be enjoying her school break. Her days are still filled with plenty of work, riding her bike, keeping her brother busy helping her to work on her computer at home, thinking of things she wants to get people for Christmas and thinking of things people can give her for Christmas. Always the thinker. She had one more person trained in her care last week so that she can go visit them by herself. She was extremely helpful and thoughtful during the training process. In order for her to be able to visit with someone without her mom, dad or nurse along the person needs to be trained to change her trach in the case of an emergency. This is a procedure Taylor has done on a scheduled basis every couple of weeeks and during this change a new person was broken in. At the end Taylor reassured them that they had done a great job. She also told them that she could tell they were nervous so she purposely didn't tense up to help them out. Who is the grownup here anyway??? What a great trooper. I've known it all along but she just keeps reaffirming the fact. Taylor wants to wish everyone a VERY, MERRY CHRISTMAS and Thank all of you again for your thoughts and prayers and especially thank you for all the spiritual and verbal HUGS!!!! Her strength is amazing and our hopes for her are strong. Thank you all!!!

Taylor's soar on her back was completely heeled this week. This allowed her to get around much better in her chair. She had a good week at school and is still doing well. This week was short due to parent teacher conferences. Taylor has been doing great in school and got a great report excelling in all areas. She has been using a computer to assist her at school and she is getting much better using it. She also went to the movies this week with her brother and her friend Avery. They say "Fred Claus". She also got a white fish for her room because she has been helping the nurses complete her care with little resistance. She named the fish "Snowflake".

Taylor had a great Thanksgiving weekend. She got to visit with one of her favorite horses (Blackie).  He was tricked into giving her kisses on the head with raisins.  She says that she continues to try to move her arms and legs. Although it hasn't happened yet she is confident that someday she will.  We are excited about the new prospects of stem cell research.  We know that someday there is hope that she will walk again.  Taylor now has her sights set on the Holidays

Taylor has had a rough week. She has developed a sore on her back. This means that she has to constantly lay on her side to give the sore time to heal. This makes it difficult for her to get around since she should not sit in her chair until the sore heals. She had the whole week off of school and was unable to go enjoy it. The good thing is she did not miss any school because of it. She has been doing very well in school and has been getting 100% on all of her spelling tests. She recently got fitted for her new powerchair. She is getting more used to the idea of using it in the future. She is looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday with her family. She really likes the stuffing. Happy Thanksgiving.

Taylor had a good week this week. She continues to ride the bike and she says that she keeps trying to move her arms and legs. She remains confident that if she keeps trying someday they will move. She got more sleep this week which made her days at school better. On Friday she had a birthday arty to go to for her friend Avery. Taylor really loved the fact that she had it at Ben & Jerry's. Her favorite ice cream is vanilla with chocolate syrup. This weekend she went with her family to see the "Bee Movie". She thought that it was hilarious. Taylor said that her favorite part was when Barry became a polinator bee. Her second favorite was when the bees got under the plane and landed it. She continues to try to breath and cough more on her own. Her cough is getting stronger and she needs less assistance from the bag to help her cough. She continues to use it to give her comfort. She likes being on the ventilator and really wants to use it until she gets distracted and is having a good time then she forgets about it. She sat through the whole movie smiling without the need to be bagged or suctioned the whole time. Above is her most recent school picture. A lot has changed in a year in her life but she still has the same great smile.

Taylor had a week of ups and downs. She did not sleep well most of the nights this week. Despite that she still went to school each day and did her work. She dressed up as "Gabriella" from "High School Musical" for Haloween. The picture is of her at her first "Trick or Treat" house. She enjoyed the trick or treating and got a lot of candy. Her and her brother also went to "Spookefest" in Durham and played the games and watched the activities on stage. She saw some of her friends that she used to ride her horse with. Taylor also wone some brownies in the cake walk game.

On Saturday she went with her family to see "High School Musical on Ice" in Sacramento. She did not know where she was going and was very pleased by the surprise. She had a great Saturday and really enjoyed the show.

Taylor had a great week. She has been getting used to her new nurses. She continues to strugle to get a good night sleep. The good news is that when she is up during the night she eats more. This has helped her put on more weight which is great. She went on a field trip with her classmates this week to a recycling facility in Chico. She had a good time. She also went to the doctors in Sacramento at Shriner's. She got some great news. Each time she has gone back they test her diaphram to see if it is functioning better without the pacer. This time she had more movement on the left side of her diaphram than she did last time. That is a positive sign as she continues to try to strengthen her cough on her own. She is looking forward to Haloween and all of the trick or treating candy that she will get.

Taylor did well this week. She has gotten more familiar with her new computer at school that allows her to control it. She is coming home each day with art that she made on the computer. She is getting really good at signing her name on it. She decided that she is going to be Gabriela from the movie "High School Musical 2" for Haloween this year. She is excited to go trick or treating. Taylor continues to be diligent about riding her bike in the morning before school. We really admire her strength. It is tough for her to sleep at night and to start her routine each day at 5:30 or 6 and go allday with her attitued is amazing. She went to Shriner's for a check up and they are pleased with the progress that she is making. She continues to gain weight. She is looking great. This is good since she had school pictures last Wednesday. Her and her brother carved their pumkins with their friends Madison and Massey. The other kids helped Taylor with her pumkins taking direction and carving it like she said. She was very pleased with the job they did.

Sorry it has been so long since the update on this blog. Many of you still show great support for Taylor and ask how she is doing. With help from additional family we will keep updating this site. We will do weekly updates on Sunday or Monday each week if not more frequent. If you know of people who have given up on the site please have them start looking at it again.

Taylor had done remarkably well since our last blog. She has started school and is assisted by Malinda each day in class. She is back at her old school and is getting reaquainted with her old friends as well as some new ones. She does very well at her school work and has recently learned the whole "Pledge of Alligence". She is doing addition and subtraction in math and is reading at a third grade level. Taylor has also made some longer trips. On Labor Day weekend she went to her dad and now step mom's wedding in Carmel, CA. Was able to go with two of her nurses Lisa and Melinda. She enjoyed the weekend and really liked seeing the ocean. She was one of the flower girls in the wedding. Taylor has also gotten back on a horse since the last blog. She recently went to a Rodeo where she cheered for her Dad, Uncles, and Grandpa.

She continues to work hard at regaining motion in her arms and legs. Taylor has been doing well riding her special bike everyday. She missed some days due to her being sick but she does her best always. Her recent checkup at the doctor went well and she continues to impress them.

Sorry it has been some time since the last update. Our family has settled into our daily routine and unfortunatly sometimes we forget the website. We are well aware that you still like to get updates on Taylor and know how she is doing. We will continue to update Taylor's site periodicaly.

She continues to do well. She is requiring less breathing treatments throughout the day. Her anxiety is less and less each day. She is getting closer and closer to the start of school. She will start on August 20th at her old school. She enjoyes sitting on the porch and watching cars go by and taking naps in the sun. Her brother Tanner is a constant source of entertainment for her and is always there to help her out. She is getting more comfortable letting him help. She is getting better on the go and is getting out on trips more.

Taylor has been continuing to work to get better. She is on her bike everyday and she does all that is asked of her by her family and nurses. She continues to have sensation throughout her body. We are hopeful that that turns into some movement in the future. Her spasms have been getting better. She is having less of them and is getting to where she can feel them coming.

She had a great Christmas and got many nice gifts. The neighborhood put up lights to allow Taylor to have Christmas in July.

She is getting easier at going through her day to day activities and has liked being close to her horses. She got to see them last weekend and feed them cookies. She supervised the braiding of their mane and tails. She wanted to make sure they were done right. She continues to read your comments on the blog and through emails. She has been sporadic at viewing them and responding. She enjoys them.

Taylor has been doing well in her day to day activities. She celebrated Christmas last Sunday. She enjoyed her presents and she felt that it was long overdue. Her Brother also had his birthday this week and is now 3 years old. She still thinks he is crazy. Taylor's color is looking better the more that she gets out and she is asking to be bagged and suctioned less now. Yesterday she showed some improvements in her ability to use the muscles in her stomach. She was able to lift her head and shoulders off of her bed using her stomach muscles. She continues to ride her bike and work hard to try to improve and get better.

Taylor has been having better days recently. She went to a birthday party last weekend and had a great time. She continues to remain in great spirits and is more often than not seen with a smile on her face. She is eager to see her horses again now that they have moved from Grandma's house to her house in Chico. She says that she will ride Blackie with help from her dad very soon. Her appetite has continued to improve and she is doing her exercises. She is also trying new things to try and regain some movement. She went to get some acupuncture to see if that helps. This weekend she will be celebrating Christmas and has a tree full of presents in her living room.

We are sorry for the length of time since the last update. Things have been rather hectic getting Taylor all set up. Taylor is still continuing to get more comfortable with her day to day life at home. She has her ups and downs with her routine. She is glad to be back with her horses and she wants to ride one of them soon when she feels comfortable enough to get on with someone. She has seen many of her friends come by and visit and she has also been strolled around the park numerous times however it is getting hotter now. She is going to birthday parties and seeing even more friends. Taylor is excited at the possability of going to her old school and being in the same class with so many of her old friends. As things get slowed down a little we will work to keep this site updated more frequently. Thank you for caring for Taylor.

Taylor has been getting along well. She has gotten used to her day to day activities. She has gone shopping and has picked out some very nice clothes. She has recently gone back to Shriner's to see how she is doing. She is doing fine. She has started to eat more and sleep better at night. Taylor has kept a positive attitude and is continuing to work on her recovery by riding the bike.

Taylor is still having a dificult adjustment to daily life. Chartwell who is handling her respritory equipment sent a representative today to review some of the equipment with her nurses. The are hopeful that with time Taylor will be able to breath on her own. This would help with some of the anxiety that Taylor is experiencing. It is still a long road ahead and Taylor must work hard to achieve that milestone. Taylor's family is hopeful that she will become more relaxed in her surroundings as time goes on. She has brought the therapy bike home with her and is starting back on it tomorrow.

Taylor has been having a rough time with the transition home. She is trying to get used to the new equipment and nurses. She is also still trying to get used to the life she now has at home. She has been getting out and trying to have fun. She went to the movies and saw "Shrek 3" with her brother and family. She enjoyed the movie and had a great time. She has been visiting with friends that stop by to see her and has enjoyed their company. She is still trying to get used to everything. Both Taylor and her family know that it is still a long road ahead.

Taylor enjoyed her first night home in over 6 months. She was excited to be home and even got out today and traveled around to see Chico again. She had a restful night and is very pleased to be back in her own room. Although she stopped by her dad's office and told him that she liked his office in Sacramento better. She will be slow in getting things back to normal. It is difficult for her to get out to much. When she is outside her secretions get worse and cause her to need more suctions. She has switched the cap on her trach to a closed cap to have her air go through the normal passages to filter the air. On her first night her nurse was Lisa who is a great friend of Taylor's. Taylor was surprised that Lisa stayed up all night at her bedside.

Taylor had a great day today. She was excited the whole day about her departure tomorrow. She went up to the ICU to say goodbye to many of the nurses that she met up there. She also had an endless string of people coming by to say goodbye to her in her room. There were a lot of pictures being taken and tears flowing. She will definatly be missed by the people in the hospital. Her family is working to have the bike follow her home. If not they will need to replace it with a new one. She has continued to be in great spirits and is working hard for recovery. Once home she will move at her own pace and get out when she can. She is hoping to see more of her friends and horses. She should be leaving early in the morning. Hopefully she sleeps well tonight given the excitement about tomorrow.

Taylor is another day closer to going home. She is very excited. She is missing her home, horses, friends and home cooking. She has been having more fun. Yesterday she went to a "fun day" event that they had planned here at the hospital. She got to see one of her new friends from Auburn who was here to visit. She was very excited to see her. Today she got out and went for longs strolls around the hospital neighborhood. She is still finding new things to do with the stuff in the hospital. She has been having a lot of fun with the suction tube.

It has been a while since the last update and a lot has happened. Taylor has continued to improve and is now getting out of her hospital room. She has been cruising around the area and on Thursday went to her Grandma Judy's house and saw her horses. She got to watch her horses tail get braided. Things are getting setup in Chico for her return home. She is expected to go home this Tuesday. She is very excited to go home. She said that she will miss her nurses but not that much.

Taylor has had a boring couple of days. Due to the infection in her lungs she has been confined to her room on the ventilator. She has also had to be on a mister for most of the day to help loosen up the secretions in her lungs. She continues to work towards going home. She is hoping to be able to go home later this week. Today she got to get out of her room and celibrate mother's day with her family. She also got to see video of her benefit Barrell Race in Orland today and was very excited to watch her horse Lady run the barrels.

Taylor has had a interesting couple of days. She got to move back down to her room after the morning in ICU on Monday. She continued to struggle with her oxygen level and since then has been back to ICU once and had a procedure done with some anesthesia. She has continued to improve in her regular room and is now spending most of her time off of the ventilator.

On Tuesday she got a special visit from Sara. Sara came to visit Taylor and talk with her about exactly what Taylor is going through. Sara brought her service dog and talked with Taylor for a while. Taylor was very glad that Sara stopped by and hopes to see her again soon. Sara shares Taylor's love for horses.

Taylor is looking forward to watching her favorite horse Lady run the Barrels at her Barrell Race in Orland this weekend. She was promised a video tape of the run.

The doctors still say that none of the things that Taylor has experienced this week will prolong her return home. The family still has not been given an exact date and hopes to be going home soon.

Taylor's day did not go as planned. She got moved up to the ICU unit early this morning at 3 AM. She was not happy about the move and was wanting to get back to her old room. Her oxygen levels were low and the doctors were concerned about her levels dropping to far. After x rays they found that it was just secreations in her lungs that were causing her oxygen levels to drop. Later today she got moved back to her old room. She was upset that she was unable to go to her Grandma's ranch and see her horses. Hopefully she will get to go soon. The doctor's assured the family that this episode did not set back her expected departure for this month.

Taylor had a busy day today. She got a day pass to go see her family in Woodland. She was out of the hospital allday. She is very excited to take a trip to her Grandma's and see her horses on the ranch tomorrow. She is excited to see Blackie, Lady and many more. Her brother is going to go with her. The trips out of the hospital are fun, however they make her more eager to go home.

Taylor has had a very good couple of days. She has been venturing out of the hospital more in preperation for her return home. She has been visiting friends and family that live around Sacramento. She has enjoyed the freedom from the hospital. She is still doing her exercises in the morning before she goes and she has to be back to the hospital by 8 pm. She continues to get more and more anxous about her return home. She is very excited and does not want to spend any more time in the hospital than she has to. She is excited to see her horses more and get out. Tomorrow she plans to be out as well.

Taylor was in a great mood today. She was in her chair from 9 in the morning until 8 tonight. She did the bike and went to school. At school they tried to stump her with some of the things they taught her and were amazed when they could not stump her. Her teachers continue to be impressed at how advanced she is. She is really looking forward to going home. She says that everyday and is reminded that it won't be long.

Taylor had a very long night last night. She got very little sleep. She is getting very homesick and wanting to go home. The good news is the end is near. She is scheduled to go home in 2-4 weeks. She watched some movies and took some naps to catch up on her sleep today.

Taylor was very greatful to all who sent their ice cream flavors to her. It created a lot more work for her on her school survey. She learned how to enter it on the computer and create a bar graph using excel. Taylor finally got to see her horses today. Blackie and Lady paid her a visit in the evening. She held a granola bar in her mouth and Blackie ate it out of her mouth. Then he gave her kisses on the cheeck. She went back to the hospital and did stamps in the recreation room. She had a good day.

Today was a big day for Taylor. She was granted a day pass and was allowed to leave the hospital without a nurse or a respritory therapist. She enjoyed the whole day at her aunt and uncles house in Woodland. She got to see her cousins and get out of the hospital. It really lifted her spirits. Tomorrow there is plans for her to see her horse for the first time since going into the hospital. She can't wait to see "Lady".

Taylor has had a busy couple of days. She continues to ride her bike and go to school. One of her school projects is to see what kind of ice cream people like. The choices are Vanila, Strawberry, Chocolate, and Other. If you want to participate please email her your favorite. She is one step closer to going home. After getting her case denied by Enloe for the 3rd straight request a company out of Sacramento has agreed to provide her with the ventilator equipment that she needs. She is hopeing to go home to Chico within 2 to 4 weeks.

Taylor slept good last night after her exhausting day at the zoo. Today she got outside in her chair. She has been getting tired of just seeing the same block over and over so she went to a new block to see the new scenery. She also spent more time on the bike today. It has done little to help her regain movement but it is helping her keep muscle mass. She spent little time on her new ventilator last night. She did not like it and they decided to try it another day.

Taylor had a great day today. She still had to ride the bike but she also got to go to the zoo. This was her first big trip out of the hospital since the accident. She did very well. She got to see the penguins, giraffe, monkeys, birds, and snakes. She really liked the penguins and giraffes. She later took a nap back at her room because the trip was exhausting. She had very little anxiety for her first trip in an automobile since the accident. Tonight she is switching to a different ventilator than she is used to. This one is more similar to the one she will go home with.

Taylor got up early this morning eager to get the day started. Due to the pressure soars on her back they have been more aggressive with turning her at night and she woke up during one of the turns at 4 am this morning. She still got out of her room and took a tour in the hospital due to the weather today. She is excited for tomorrow. The weather should be good and the hospital has arranged for her to take a trip to the Sacramento Zoo. She is excited to see the penguins that are currently at the zoo.

Taylor continues to do well with her attitude. She has been dealing with her soars and spends a lot of time in her bed on her side to give them time to heal. Doctors have discused a possible trip to the zoo Monday morning for Taylor.

Taylor has had a tough but rewarding couple of days. Doctor's continue to watch her developing soars on her back. They are getting better and she is now spending more time in her chair. Taylor was eager to go to school and the bike today. She has started using her ventilator while on the bike. They are unable to change the settings on her pacer and when Taylor is riding the bike she needs larger breaths due to exercsion. The ventilator makes it more comfortable for her to use the bike. She is still being a trooper.

Taylor had a long day today. She did her usual routine that normally exhausts her however it was made more difficult by the fact that she was unable to talk today. Respritory speculates that there is some secretions that are not allowing her voicebox to function properly. This is making it to where Taylor is unable to talk. Needless to say this is very frustrating for her. Doctors seem to have little concern with it and believe that she will regain her voice very soon once the secretions have cleared. Her appetite continues to improve and she is working hare to take all of her fluids and food orally. She is still excited to be on track for an early May return to her home.

Taylor has been increasing her activity. Tonight she went across the street and had grilled cheese, bread and cake for dinner. Her appetite has recently increased, however she continues to struggle with trying to gain weight and has started to take more feeds through her stomach tube. She needs to keep her weight up to be able to return to Chico in May. Arrangements are being made for her return. Her nurses are coming to the hospital on Thursday to be trained in Taylor's care. She still has had success in breathing all day off of the ventilator with just the assistance of the phrenic pacer.

Taylor has continued to enjoy more time in her chair. She has gone across the street to a restauraunt to enjoy meals. She goes to the second floor to watch the other kids play. She continues her efforts in school and on the bike. Taylor is eager to go home and is waiting until the first of May when it becomes reality. Her pacer appears to be working well and her oxygen levals have stayed up even when she goes outside. She is hopeful that she will see one of her horses soon. She has started to develop a pressure soar from sitting in the chair so much so for now she will rest in bed a little longer.

Taylor has had a couple of really good days. Tuesday she was quick to jump at the chance to ditch A.J. (her occupational therapist) and duck across the street to get a quick cup of juice to start her day. She was back in time to actually do her therapy but was thrilled at the idea of A.J. showing up to find her already out and about for the day. She did not do her therapy on the bike today as she had the feeding tube changed to a micky button today. She has been sleeping well lately and her appetite is improving each day. She maintains her spunky attitude and continues to love playing jokes or tricks on people whenever she can.

Taylor was in a great mood today. She did the bike early in the morning and was a little tested by about 15 minutes. This is usual considering the time that she has gone without riding the bike. Today she went outside and cruised to get a smoothie outside of the hospital. She is hoping to see her horses soon. Her spirits remain strong and her sense of humor is still sharp. Her appetite is slowly coming back and she enjoyes eating her homemade pasta.

Taylor has done well since the last update. She is now back to using the pacer full time during the day and only on the ventilator at night. She has been more active with trips down to the bike and has enjoyed staying out of her room for 4 hours at a time. Taylor continues to have high anxiety and is anxious to go home. She is looking forward to visits out of the hospital and is hopeful that she will see her horses soon when they come to visit her in Sacramento. She enjoyed an Easter egg hunt with the other kids in the hospital. Not being able to move her arms or legs was not a deterent. She had and eagle eye to scout out the eggs.

Taylor had a tough day today. She remained on the ventilator while doctors wait for a new pacer to try their theory that she needs longer stimulation of the nerves. She was unable to leave her room today and was exhausted due to the fact that she had a difficult time sleeping last night.

Taylor got a great night sleep last night. Today she was placed back on the bipap ventilator machine to help keep her volumes up on her breathing. She did not let that stop her. She got into her automatic chair and took it for a cruise around the hospital. She has started to eat better and is liking the home made food that her family is bringing to the hospital.

Taylor has had a busy weekend. She had her party with some friends on Saturday and they decorated her room for Easter. On Sunday they tried to go downstairs and Taylor's title volumes dropped and she had to return to her room. Today she started on the bike. She did it for an hour and a half and then stayed in her chair for four hours and was able to go outside and enjoy the beutiful day. Her mood goes up and down and she is in a good mood for the most part. Her nursing and respritory therapy is getting finished in Chico and she is expected to go home in May.

Taylor had a wonderful birthday today. She was visited by family with cakes and presents. Tomorrow she is going to have a little git together with some of her friends. It will be a spa day with arts and crafts. She is looking forward to it. One of her favorite gifts from today is a moon that she can put above her tv and have it change with the moon outside. It makes a great night light and allows her to see the moon even in her room. She still did class and the bike today and did great as usual.

Taylor has been quite the trooper lately. She has kept her spunky attitude and joking ways with the nurses. She continues to do well at school and impress her teachers. Today she did an hour on the bike with little problems. She is looking forward to her birthday tomorrow and due to the size of her room she has plans throughout the weekend so that she can spread out the number of visitors. She will be 6 tomorrow.

Taylor was back to her usual routine. She went downstairs to school for the first time since going down to ICU. She enjoyed her school lesson and then on bike later. Due to the fact that she has not been on the bike in a while she was only able to sustain for about 15 minutes which was expected by the physical therapist. She is enjoying the pace of being down on the 3rd floor and is enjoying her old nurses. She has become very homesick and asks to go home to Chico daily. Doctors are hopeful to have her going home around the first of May currently.

Taylor was back to her usual routine. She went downstairs to school for the first time since going down to ICU. She enjoyed her school lesson and then on bike later. Due to the fact that she has not been on the bike in a while she was only able to sustain for about 15 minutes which was expected by the physical therapist. She is enjoying the pace of being down on the 3rd floor and is enjoying her old nurses. She has become very homesick and asks to go home to Chico daily. Doctors are hopeful to have her going home around the first of May currently.

Taylor finally got to move down to her old room today. I know that that is what an earlier update said. However the doctors changed their mind at the last minute and decided to keep her through the weekend. Taylor was like a yo-yo wondering is she going or staying. She was very glad to get down to her room. The discharge people are working to get Taylor home soon. They think they have secured her nursing care in Chico and are hopeful to have her home in early May. She is going to be able to start getting out of the hospital with her family during the day to go to the zoo or the movies shortly. She is looking forward to her brief furlows with her family. Tomorrow she starts her intense therapy back on the bike.

Taylor got little sleep last night. She remains in the ICU. The doctors changed their mind at the last minute on moving Taylor. Now she is expected to move tomorrow. The is anxious to get down to a regular room. She was in great spirits today and had many family visitors stop by.

Taylor was happy to be able to view her concert yesterday. Thanks to ColusaNet she had the ability to control the camera at the event and watch it all on her computer. She was able to see Gene who was responsible for putting on the great day. She was impressed with all of the bands that played and got to listen to them while she watched over a cellphone. She was very excited to see all of the people and get a t-shirt from the event. Taylor and her family want to thank everyone for their help in making the "Day on The Green" a success. The generous bands were great and all of the staff really worked hard to put on a first class day.

Taylor has had a tough time lately. She had some anxiety about the doctors testing some medication on her and having to inject it into her back. The doctors decided to put her out for the procedure so that she would not recall the injection. It was to determine if the medicine that they were giving her for her spasims was working. She will finally be changing her room today and moving back down to the third floor now that the pacer is functioning properly. She is excited to see her brother again. She has been sleeping well and is in a joking mood most of the time. She continues to keep the same great personality.

Taylor had a good day today. She did her school lessons and had light physical therapy today. Most of her day consisted of getting better on the pacer. She did 2 hours on and 2 hours off all throughout the day. Doctors are still hopeful to have her out of the ICU by Friday. Taylor had a movie night tonight and watched something other than "Flicka". She watched "Cars" which is her brother's favorite movie. Once she is able to she wants to watch it in her other room with him. Taylor is excited for next week. It is her Birthday Week. That is right her birthday is next Friday March 30th. Taylor will be 6 years old. She says that she doesn't know what she wants for her birthday. One thing she is looking forward to is a spa day and having her nails done being pampered. At least more than she is currently being pampered. Tonight she was also excited about the concert this weekend in Colusa. She has gotten emails from many of the bands and would love to hear them. She is looking forward to seeing video of the event.

Taylor was well rested after sleeping for 13 hours last night. She went to bed right after her movie night. She woke up well rested and in a great mood. She had a long day and the doctors were working with her pacer again today. Due to some scheduling in her old room she has to wait until Friday to get out of the ICU. Doctors think that one of the medications that she is receiving is causing the phrenic pacer to function poorly. They are testing to rectify the problem and are running some tests. Taylor is getting more comfortable with every day. She continues to be optimistic, work hard and fight to get better.

Taylor had a great day today. She did some time breathing exclusivly on the phrenic pacer. Doctors expect to have her back in her old room on the third floor by Wednesday and then back on the bike by Friday. They are hopeful that this weekend she will be a little more mobile and can possibly leave the building with family to go out and enjoy the great weather. Tonight she had movie night in her room and watched "Barnyard" on the big screen. She did have a long day of school and therapy and was out for the night early.

Taylor is still getting very little sleep at night. She remains in great spirits during the day. Her doctor came by today and turned on her pacing unit again and tested her volumes in order to try to get her off of the ventilator again. They are gruadually starting the time on the pacer like they did last time. She is developing soars around her mouth due to licking her lips constantly. Doctors said that this is common in her case since that is one fuction that she has control over and her body tells her she needs to be doing something. Taylor has developed some discomfort in her legs. She describes it as a burning feeling and needs constant massaging to ease the pain. She might just be trying to get a massage, however the doctors said that this may be a good sign. They have been cautious to be to optomistic with Taylor and her family. She continues to work hard in therapy and in school.

Taylor was pleased to hear about the dinner in Gridley last night. She wanted to thank Hannah, Julie, Lisa and Becky for organizing the evening. She is eagerly awaiting the video messages and the other well wishes that were done for her at the event. Her family would like to thank everyone who organized and supported the event with donations. It was great to see everyone who attended and it is truly a blessing to see how a community can come out to support one of their own that is in need.

Taylor got little sleep last night. She started the day with little energy but in a good mood. She was visited for her school lesson and then had her usual treatments and therapy in her old room in the ICU unit. Taylor ate very little today and is now back on her feeds through her tube. She is expected to call it an early night tonight.

Taylor was moved back up to the ICU today. This was done to have nurses keep a closer eye on Taylor while they have her off of the pacer. The doctors are giving her a break and allowing her diaphram muscle to rest and hopefully the pacer machine will work again. The doctors are hopeful that it will only take a couple of days until she is back to full time pacing. The move caused some anxiety for Taylor and she was unhappy when she had to put a new trach in. She was able to enjoy a little movie night. Her family brought in a projector and they watched Flicka on the big screen and had popcorn.

Taylor has had a good couple of days. She has continued her schooling in her room. Her breathing is also improving. Although she is still on a ventilator her volumes are getting better. This means that she is getting a bigger breath using the pacer. We hope she continues to improve and will soon be just on the pacer and able to enjoy some of the freedom that she was just getting used to, such as going outside. Once she is able to do that her Grandma will bring her horse down to see her. For the mean time she has gotten a break from the bike and is only working with Occupational Therapy in the afternoon. The bike, like any exercise, was causing her to need a bigger breath and for now the doctors feel that she is better served to take it easy and focus on her breathing.

This Saturday is Taylor's dinner in Gridley. You can find information about the dinner under the "How To Help" tab on Taylor's homepage. Also don't forget the "Day on the Green" concert and BBQ that is next Saturday at the Colusa County Fairgrounds. Taylor and her family greatly appreciate all of the support from everyone involved in these events.

Taylor had a good day today. She relaxed in her room and played all day. The doctors still had Taylor on the ventilator all day today. She was able to enjoy having her favorite pasta dish for lunch and dinner. Since she had the day off from school and therapy she was able to enjoy playing on the computer and watching movies with her family.

Taylor had a relaxing day. Today the doctos put her on some muscle relaxers to try to help her lungs expand further and that caused Taylor to sleep most of the day. She did have time to visit with her brother and her cousin that is up visiting from Southern California. The doctors may move her back to the ICU and have her off of the pacer for a couple of days to check the unit. The move back to the ICU would be necessary since the nursing staff up there is better equipped for the ventilator. Taylor enjoyed playing her horse game this evening. She is wanting to ride her horses for real but for the mean time she seems pleased to be able to groom, ride and compete on her computer horses.

Taylor had another day confined to her room. Her teacher came up and gave her lessons in her room. She was unable to leave to ride the bike. Doctors are still trying to figure out what is wrong and hope to resolve the issue soon. Taylor has enjoyed playing on her computer and is learning how to control it herself with the help of occupational therapy.

Taylor has had another frustrating day on the ventilator. She is unable to get big enough breaths into her lungs. Doctors still are unable to find a solution. One thing that they are trying is to relax the muscles around the lungs feeling that is what is not allowing the lungs to expand fully. Due to the fact that she is on the ventilator she is not allowed to leave her room. Taylor was not able to ride the bike today because of this. She also missed going to school because she was getting fitted for a new electric wheelchair that she can control with her head. She did not like it and preferred being pushed in the stroller. Taylor has remainded confident that she will ride her horse again and keeps watching "Flicka" and playing the horse game on her computer. She said "They also did not think that she would cough again and now she is doing that on her own".

Taylor had a good day today. She woke up to a visit from her brother. Later she had her teacher come to her room to give her lessons. She was unable to leave her room because she stayed on the ventilator all day. Her pacer is working but she is not getting the deep breaths that she is comfortable with. The doctors are working to find a solution. They reassured the family that everything is fine and that this is something that they can work out. Taylor skipped the bike today since she was unable to go downstairs. She is working with occupational therapy to get technology to allow her to use a computer on her own. She was in great spirits tonight and is being her usual joking self.

Taylor had a long day today. Last night the doctors tried to stop her sleeping medicine and she did not sleep well last night. Taylor was a trooper and stayed awake through her whole class time. She even did the whole hour on the bike with stimulation. The doctors decided that maybe trying to take her off of the sleeping medicine all at once was to much and now they are going to put her back on it and take her off of it gradually.

Taylor had a frustrating day today. She was on a misting machine to help loosen up the secretions in her lungs so that they could clear her lungs. With the mister on it is hard for Taylor to talk and that frustrated her as well. She had her teacher come to her room for class. They did let her off of the mister to ride her bike. She is able to ride for about an hour on full stimulation. The doctors are cutting back on her meds and are stopping her feeds at night. She is eating enough during the day to avoid the continuous feeds at night through the tube in her stomach.

Taylor had a decent day. She got a visit from on of her best friends today. They played music with Taylor's music teacher and Taylor's brother Tanner was on drums. Taylor thins that her brother is a crazy man on the drums. Taylor was unable to leave her room today due to the fact that her oxygen saturation was low today. She had to be on the ventilator allday. The continued to give Taylor her breathing treatments and that seemed to be unsuccessful. She is disapointed because she hoped to go outside and see her horse Lady tommorrow. Tommorrow she is back to school and on the bike.

Taylor had a relaxing day today. Free of school and the bike. That did not mean that she was off the hook and could just lay around and watch Flicka. She had to do her range of motion exercises in her bed. Later she got to enjoy the beautiful day and go outside with only family for the first time since the accident. She had some issues with her oxygen saturation so she had to come back in early. She is looking forward to seeing some of her horses now that she can go outside. She is eager to see Lady and Blackie, her two favorites. She has continued to stay in great spirits and enjoyed a conversation with her brother this evening.

Taylor had a great day today. She went to school again today and her teachers are now realizing that she way more advanced than they thought she should be. She did a full hour on the bike and still said the stimulation makes her muscles tired. The doctors are reassuring her that sore muscles can be good. She continues to develop more and more feeling throughout her body. Although they say this is not necessarily a indication of regaining use it is still a good sign. So far Taylor has avoided the flu that has gone through the rest of her family. Her brother came down with the flu shortly after visiting her so the nurses have been watching her extra closely for any signs. She was in a great mood today and got a visit from one of her friends. She really enjoys it when they stop by and visit now that she is out of ICU.

Taylor had her first restless night in a long time. After the sleepless night she bathed, did her hair and brushed her teeth and was off to school. Only she fell asleep about 1/2 hour into the lesson with the instructor. They decided to call it a day and she went back to her room where Occupational Therapy met with her and worked on a few things with the mouth stick. She still did her time on the bike. She said that the bike is getting easier. She has regained a lot of feeling in her body even spreading down her legs. The doctors caution that feeling doesn't indicate movement but it is a good sign never the less. Taylor's brother came down with the flu so the nurses are closely watching Taylor for any signs since she was with her brother the first part of yesterday.

Taylor had a great day today. She was excited for her second day of school. Her brother escorted her to class. After her break Taylor got on the bike and rode for an hour. She is excited to be peddaling the bike even if it is with the help of the stimulators. She also got a manacure today and changed her fingernail color to red with glitter. The finished the evening in a great mood. She finished the night by having a conversation using the video confrence feature on her computer with Sheridan, one of her friends.

Taylor had a great day today. She woke up to a visit from her little brother who was climbing all over her bed. She had her first day of school at the Shriner's classroom. She said that it was boaring and she already knew the stuff. I think that she will find that they will accelerate her ciriculum so that she will have to start learning. She did time on the exercise bike today and said that it hurt her muscles. It is good that they were finally getting a workout. It was explained to her that the pain was good pain. Taylor was exausted from her long day and she relaxed in the evening watching Flicka.

Taylor had another relaxing day today. She hung out with family all day. Taylor did some coloring today and painted with a brush in her mouth. She is excited to start school at Shriners tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a big day with school, exercise and therapy. Taylor has slept all through the night for three nights in a row and she said that tonight will be the fourth in a row. Taylor enjoyed reading everyone's emails and comments tonight. She wanted to thank one of her doctors from UC Davis for keeping track of her from UCD to Shriners. She thinks that it is really cool that he is traveling to help kids in other countries.

Taylor had a good day today. The doctors are ordering her to drink more water because it is making it difficult for them to get the secretions out of her lungs without the water. Taylor had the day off from the bike and other exercises but she still had to do her range of motion exercises with her family. She continued the Flicka marathon and enjoyed drawing with her mouthstick and putting stickers on paper. She has made a lot of masterpieces.

Taylor had a long day today. She is now having to exercise a lot more than she is used to. She is enjoying her new room and has made friends with some of her new nurses. Today she rode the bike for an hour. The bike stimulates her muscles and causes her legs to work the pedals. She got very tired. Taylor was put back on her original pacing machine. It was repaired by the company and the doctors put her back on it today. They are going to test her diaphram again on Monday using the ultrasound machine to see if Taylor has any involuntary action of it. She has been laxed in reading her emails recently. There has been a lot going on and she got caught up on some of them today. She is excited to see them and to hear about the events planned for her. Taylor is still watching Flicka the movie. Taylor had a long day and did not even take a nap. She is going to call it an early night tonight and hopefully she will rest all night and wake up for a long day tomorrow.

Taylor had a big day today. She was moved to her new room on the third floor today. She is starting the process of getting used to the nursing staff and the other patients on the floor. Taylor is now able to have children visitors. She is very excited to see her friends that she has missed seeing while she was in the ICU. She also had her first workout session on the bike. She did very well and was able to do it for 20 minutes. The workout helped stop some of the reflex actions that her muscles have been having.

Taylor had a great day today. She is really enjoying playing with her new Flicka horse. She has continued her therapy and is using the mouth stick very well. She has switched formulas that she is getting through her tube and is having a lot less stomach pain. Today the staff was preping Taylor for her move to the 3rd floor. However that got postponed until Thursday for the nursing staff on the 3rd floor to get adequete training on the pacer machine. The new bike got here today. The doctors tried it on some older kids and are hopeful that Taylor will want to use it tomorrow. She is looking forward to using the new bike.

Taylor had a long day. She continued doing her exercises and was a very good patient for the nurses. She is expected to intensify her rehabilitation exercises. She is still expecting to head to a new room soon. She had a little setback due to an infection that she had. She should be moved soon and is very excited to do so. She has found her appetite and had some In and Out burger, fries and a chocolate shake tonight.

Today Taylor started off in a rough mood. That was changed when early this afternoon she got a visit from some friends of hers. Taylor was going out of her room so she got to visit with them. They got to talk and they brought her many nice gifts. That cheered her up. The nursing staff is trying to get Taylor on a strict schedule to limit the interruptions throughout the night and allow her to sleep more peacefully. They are able to eliminate some of her medications and they feel that they have found a solution to help her with her stomach pains. She ended the day talking with her brother on the computer. Her and her brother like blowing each other kisses on the computer video.

Taylor is still having a battle with being able to get a lot of sleep at night. She falls asleep but then seems unable to stay asleep. She is getting by on an average of about 4 hours sleep at night and only cat naps during the day. Doctors are a little confused with this as she is receiving a sleeping aid. She has also been having a problem with very high temperatures during the night. Her temperature is a little above normal during the day but at night it climbs dangerously high. Doctors are taking x-rays, doing cat scans and doing some blood tests to check for any infections or to try to find what may be causing this. In the meantime, Taylor continues with her therapy daily. She has been able to really gain some strength back in her neck muscles. She went from her head cocked to the left to straight and held up strong in just a couple of days of exercises. She is also feeling some sensations in her fingers. When her fingers are squeezed she can not only tell you she feels the squeeze, she can identify which finger you are squeezing. This has raised everyones hopes and spirits immensely. Taylor continues to remain very positive. She still isn't eating all that well and her tummy bothers her often so she has lots of bothersome discomforts to overcome while waiting and working to get better.

Taylor has had many things happen since the last time we updated you. Her pacer machine started to malfunction and she had to be placed back on the ventilator. This caused a great deal of anxiety for Taylor. She did not like being on the vent. She did not sleep well because of it. Now she has a new pacing machine back and is in a great mood. Taylor has continued to get more sensation back. She is still unable to move her arms but is feeling clear to the tips of her fingers. She is now able to tell you which finger you are squeezing. Doctors caution that this is no indication of movement in the future but they say it is still a positive sign never the less. It is something that can proceed movement. The family continues to work with Taylor each day and help her to recuperate. She is enjoying talking to friends and family on her new computer. She is excited to get the bike and start more intensive rehab.

Taylor had a great day today. She was in a good mood and was excited to use her video web conferencing. She is very excited to have her very own computer. One of her pacer antennas was malfunctioning today. The doctors and nurses were unable to find the extra ones and ordered some more. This means that Taylor is back on the ventilator machine and is unable to move to her new room until the new antenna arrives for her phrenic pacer. Taylor finally started to watch a movie other than Flicka. Today she started watching Open Season. Flicka is still the favored and had a great monopoly on Taylor's TV for a week.

Taylor slept great again tonight. She got out of her room twice today. Her family met with the doctors' and they are still anticipating having her on the exercise bike near February 20th. Taylor is expected to move to her new room on Wednesday. They are waiting on a couple pieces of equipment before her new room is ready. Taylor is now able to talk and see family and friends over the internet with her new computer. Her nurses are sad that she is leaving but they are glad that she is getting better enough to be moved. She has made a lot of friends in the ICU.

Taylor woke up in a great mood after a long night of sleep last night. She got in her chair twice and was out of her room for most of the day. She is excited and is supposed to change rooms tomorrow. Taylor got to play games later and even tried her new video computer stuff that will allow her to view her class in Chico during the day. She hopes to be doing that within two weeks. Taylor is having fun learning her horse colors and breeds. She ate a hefty meal of cheese pizza tonight. Taylor finished the evening by browsing a magazine.

Taylor got little sleep last night. She has maintained her appetite and is eating well and had one of her favorites which is Mac and Cheese for lunch. She got into her chair twice today with the second time coming late in the day. The second time she got out and went down to the playroom and went and saw the huge toy train that the hospital has. Taylor remained in great spirits and was a wonderful girl all day. That might have had something to do with the fact that she had the day off from therapy and was left alone to relax today. Hopefully she will get some sleep tonight.

Taylor slept well last night. She also has found her appetite again. She ate great meals all day. She got into her chair twice today. Taylor has watched Flicka non stop. She has been in a great mood all day. She got a chance to read and respond to her emails and really enjoyes reading the email and comments from everyone. Her trach has been capped and she is no longer using the passsy-muir valve to increase the oxygen. She is breathing normal air with only the assistance of the phrenic pacer. Taylor is becoming more mobile and is able to leave the room with just her family members once they are signed off on trach change and suction techniques.

Taylor continued her sleepless ways. The doctors have elevated this to the top of their list. They are going to change her medication to a new one to help her sleep tonight. Taylor still eats very little on her own. The Doctors are continuing to feed her through the tube in her stomach. She got into her chair twice today and continued her Flicka marathon. The did her daily exercises with physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Taylor had another sleepless night. Today she is got into her chair twice. One of those times was to go down to the playroom and watch a play that was being put on. She continued her Flicka marathon. She also got a docking station for her iPod so that she could listen to soft music at night. She should sleep well tonight.

Taylor was in a remarkably cooperative mood today even after staying up all night. She was visited by her nutritionist with concerns about Taylor's diet. They are concerned that she may be losing weight. She has made a deal with them to eat more. Doctors have said that due to her injury she has some abdominal discomfort that is causing her to feel like not eating. Taylor still did her exercises and was visited by occupational and physical therapy. Taylor's family got trained in how to replace her trach today. The training was done on a CPR dummy. Taylor got a great surprise today. Flicka the movie with Tim McGraw went on sale today. She was the first to have it. Hers was purchased for her about 5 minutes after the store opened. She has been waiting for the movie for months. She got it early this afternoon and the nurses later said that it was Flicka marathon day. She has already seen it at least three times. Not only is it her favorite movie but it has her favorite song and video on it which is "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw.

Taylor's family met with the doctor's today. They learned that Taylor is expected to move to the normal rooms later this week and out of the ICU. She will start on the bike shortly after it gets here on the 20th of this month. The family will start meeting with the doctors in a meeting once a month to review Taylor's care. Taylor did her exercises and worked with some of the oral tools that she will need to learn to use. Taylor got a visit from Pastor Pamela and colored with here for quite awhile. Taylor is still struggling with the cold and had to have the intensity of her pacer increased because her lungs were not fully inflating. The doctors have taken steps to rectify the problem and believe that things will be fine in the morning.

Taylor was not having a great day today. She had to do her exercises. She has had a lot of anxiety lately. The doctors are looking to do everything they can to make sure that she reduces her anxiety. Taylor got a visit from her music instructor. She came with a cart full of instruments to play for Taylor. She might have been cranky because she was unable to watch the Super Bowl in her room. She wanted the Colts to win because they were associated with horses and she liked the horseshoe on their helmet. Although she is a Broncos fan the Colts are a close second. Tomorrow the family will meet with her doctors to get an update on Taylor's rehabilitation. Taylor may be able to get a visit from one of her horses in the near future. Taylor got to read the comments from Mrs. Garcia's 6th grade class the other day and she really enjoyed reading them. She also enjoyed finding out that she will have a new baby cousin.

Taylor had a long day. She did not sleep last night. She made up for it today. She slept for 5 hours today. She continues to be on antibiotics due to the cold and slight fever that she has. Taylor's family is meeting with the doctors on Monday to get an update on Taylor's condition. They are still planning on her starting the exercise bike in a couple weeks.

Taylor was in a good mood today. She got to play with child life. Her physical therapy went well today. They continued to stimulate her arms. Later they will take her down to the playroom once she is in her chair. Today she was started on antibiotics to treat the cold that she appears to be getting.

Taylor had a tough day today. She got little sleep and the doctors feel that she is coming down with a cold. She got a little sleep today but was still exhausted. They were still having her do her exercises to keep her strength. She enjoyed her new trach and how easy it was to talk with it. Her discussions are really effortless now. Hopefully she will get some sleep tonight and wake up rejuvenated and ready for the day.

Taylor had a very busy day today. She did the stimulation with her legs and arms. She went down to the playroom for a little while. She even had her trach changed today to a smaller one. The new trach is easier to clean, smaller and does not rub her chin like the old one. Since she is now on full time pacing they will soon cap the trach and only use it for emergency purposes. Today Taylor also got a visit from the wheelchair place. She got to customize her new stroller wheelchair. It will be Princess Red with a Black back and her name written in Pink. She is very excited. Taylor also got a special visit from Debra one of her favorite nurses from UC Davis. Debra stopped by and visited with Taylor for a while and caught up. Debra was very impressed with the progress that Taylor has made since leaving the medical center. She got an earful now that Taylor is speaking so much better than when she was at UC Davis.

Taylor did not sleep well last night however she was in a great mood. She was given some Visa gift cards to shop with on the Internet. Taylor took a nap later to recharge. She was visited by child life and drew some pictures and was even able to draw the letter T very well. She continued her stimulation exercises and did very well. She got some new braces for her feet. Her exercise bike will be here in a couple weeks for her to start her activity based rehab. She started the day on the phrenic pacer and will now be on it permanently.

Taylor was overwhelmed today by the pictures and videos from her benefit roping yesterday. She was amazed to see all of the trailers and people at the arena. She really enjoyed reading the get well wishes that people wrote on the posters. She also enjoyed each gift that she received. Everything about the day brought a smile to her face. Taylor and her family truly appreciate all of the support that was given at her roping. It is inspiring to see the roping community that Taylor loves open their hearts and show how everyone cares for one of their own.

Today Taylor was on the pacer for 14 hours. She slept most of the day. Even though she went to sleep early last night she did not stay asleep long. Today she was able to squeeze in some physical therapy between naps. She continued her stimulation on her arms and legs. Her left shoulder has been showing signs of improvement and has gotten as strong as her right shoulder recently. The stimulation has been working on her legs and the doctors are eager to start Taylor on the bike in the middle of February.

Taylor's benefit roping was a huge success today. The turn out was tremendous and everyone had a great time. Thank you all who attended and made the event so successful. A special thanks to all that helped organize the event.

Taylor had a good day. She was on the pacer for 12 hours today. She got to go to the playroom and was even able to decorate some cookies. She had some visitors stop by as well and she had a great time. As she is on the pacer more she can have younger visitors in the playroom area. Her spirits remain high. She did her exercises and got to bed early tonight.

Taylor was very tired today. She had little sleep last night. She must have been so excited she got her nails done again to sleep. Now her nails are red instead of blue. Taylor paced on the pacer from 8 am until 6 pm tonight. She did very well. She slept most of the day. She finished the night with some pasta and reading everyones emails. She was still tired after sleeping all day, the nurses are hoping that she will sleep tonight. She better save her strength because she is going to be on the pacer for 12 hours tomorrow.

Taylor was very surprised to hear about the turnout at the spaghetti feed last night. Her family is very appreciative of every ones generosity. They want to thank everyone that helped make the night a success. It is a great testament to the community to see such a turnout for on of their children in need. The support from the dinner was more than anyone could have dreamed. The food that was supposed to last all night was looking sparse 30 minutes into the night.

Today Taylor spent a lot of time out of her room. She is going to the second floor a lot and playing with the other kids. She continues to do her exercises and stimulation. The doctors have increased the amount of time that she spends on the pacer and off of the ventilator. Tomorrow they are expecting Taylor to be on the pacer and off of the ventilator from 6 am until 8 pm. She is handling it very well. She has regained her appetite and tonight had a tuna fish sandwich and pizza.

Taylor had a great night last night. She woke up this morning in a great mood. She was eager to get out of her room today. She sat in her chair for over 3 and a half hours this morning. One of those hours was on the phrenic pacer. She did her usual exercises with the therapy doctors and then later got back into her chair and went downstairs to watch the ballet in the playroom. Taylor said that she hopes everyone has a good time at the benefit spaghetti feed in Colusa this evening.

Taylor woke up to a breakfast of toast with mixed fruit jelly this morning. After breakfast Taylor did her stimulation therapy. Taylor had two sessions of using the phrenic pacer today. Each session was an hour long and the doctors will add an additional hour to the day tomorrow. Tomorrow they hope to get her out of her room without the ventilator and only the phrenic pacer. She has had a strong appetite lately and has been in a great mood. Today she also made a fort that covered her with a blanket to hide from the nurses. Unfortunately they still found her.

Taylor woke up this morning to the task of getting into her chair and breathing on the phrenic pacer for 30 minutes. She did great on the pacer and even allowed for the tubes to be taken off and have a valve put on her trach to allow her to talk even easier. She did great. Later in the afternoon she got back into her chair and went down to the playroom on the 2nd floor to watch a puppet show.

Today Taylor was in a great mood considering she got little sleep. She got her toes repainted today because she did not like the color. She was playing with the Child Life specialists this morning. At about 10:30 the doctors came in and prepped her for sitting in her chair and running the Phrenic Pacer. She did great on the pacer and it was working fine at a setting of 2 instead of the usual 5 or 6 the doctors expected. Taylor was comfortable on the pacer and tomorrow they will leave her on it for an hour.

Taylor slept well last night for the first time in a long time. She got her hair washed today. She also got a pedicure and a manicure today. She got a little break from her exercises today. She got in her chair once at the end of the night. She did not go outside of her room to see her brother today. She wanted to stay in her room in the chair. Tomorrow the doctors are anxious to get her phrenic pacer going. The family doesn't know what time they will try her phrenic pacer. All is expected to go well. Check tomorrow for an update on how Taylor liked the phrenic pacer.

Taylor still is not sleeping well. The doctors are working to get her figured out. She did great with her exercises today. She got into her chair and was able to go to the floor where the playroom is. Tomorrow their goal is to get her to go outside. She has continued her therapy each day. She is a little cranky sometimes but is doing what the doctors tell her. Today she played go fish with one of the child life specialists and Taylor beat her and won a spinning top. Now that she can leave her room she will be able to see her brother Tanner. She has missed him and he has asked to see her on many occasions. Taylor has been eating and drinking well. She has also been talking well and is talking the ear off of any person that enters her room.

Taylor slept in today. It was probably a combination of not sleeping well last night and the fact that she knows the doctor's come do her exercises in the morning and she was trying to sleep through that. She did not get to skip the exercises. For the first time since she was at Shriner's she got out of her room. She was in her stroller and got to go outside of her room in the main nurses area. She took a little nap in the afternoon and then played with the child life specialist and had more rehab with electrical stimulation of her muscles. She has been doing very well and trying very hard with her exercises. She is still on schedule to start using the phrenic pacer on Monday. Taylor wants to thank everyone for all of the emails and comments on her site. She has enjoyed reading them.

Taylor had a good day today. She worked really hard with the physical therapy today. She got up at the side of her bed and sat there twice today. She even got into her chair for a little while today. She developed a leak in her IV and had to have it replaced in her hand. She finished the evening in a great mood and was talking past her trach with ease. She was in a teasing mood.

Taylor had an interesting day today. She is thoroughly enjoying being able to talk again. No more stares and puzzled looks from family trying to read her lips. We are able to know her desires loud and clear. She was able to visit on the phone today instead of just listening to callers talk to her she got to input her opinions as well. She worked with physical therapy today and they attached small stimulators to her arms and made them move. She seemed fairly impressed with the whole procedure and was anxious to share the news with any visitors. She said that the stimulation didn't hurt and it felt good to move her arms. She had a visit from a friend that plans on attending her benefit roping and she informed him that she would prefer that he rope with a pink rope so he was headed home to place an order for a pink rope. She, as has been her style, stays in great spirits and loves to tease and play pranks whenever possible. Her great attitude makes it so much easier for the family to deal with her hardship. She takes what she is being dealt in stride and makes the most of any little thing she gets to do. She is still looking forward to being able to get out of her room and venture to the play area and the other parts of the hospital and see what's out there. All in all, another pretty good day!

Taylor had a great morning. She got an early morning visit from a friend of the family from Elk Grove. Also today the doctors changed her trach to a different one that allows her to talk easier. She was able to talk before but only on a limited basis. Now she is talking easily and all of the time. The family told the doctors they might want to keep the other trach handy because Taylor can really talk a lot and they might want to reinstall the one that quiets her down. Taylor was very excited to have the ability to talk and she had her first real conversation over the phone since the accident today. She continued her muscle stimulation and exercises with the physical therapy doctors. Taylor called it an early night tonight because she slept very little last night.

Taylor has had a great day. She got a lot of exercises done early this morning. Taylor was very artistic and was drawing on her computer using the stylus in her mouth. Today the doctors used stimulators to flex Taylor's muscles in her shoulders. They said that she did very well. This evening child life stopped by to play with Taylor. She was having them help her with a scrap book that she started. The doctors removed the bandages covering the implanted devices from the surgery. They are little bulges uder her skin that are not very noticable. The doctors told the family that they will start using the installed pacer next Monday. All in all Taylor had a relaxed and enjoyable day.

Taylor had a great day today. She got a lot of visitors. She got into her chair a couple of times. Some of her day was filled with watching movies. She really enjoyed checking the emails that people have sent her as well as reading the comments on this page. She got to spend a lot of time with child life today. They came back a second time tonight to paint with her. Taylor also got her nails done today and her new paint on her nails look great.

Taylor got little sleep the last couple of nights. However she is still in a great mood. Taylor enjoys playing on the computer. She reads all of the emails and enjoys replying to them. She now has a LCD projector in her room so that she can have the computer screen fit on a big wall that makes it easier for her to see. Taylor also likes watching movies on the big wall. She definitely has the coolest room in the ICU. She has enjoyed getting chocolate milkshakes while she watches movies on the wall. This morning she found out that it is not all fun and games. She did her exercises and worked very hard at them. She did the stomach crunches and shoulder exercises on her own. After her workout she hit the showers, or at least got a bath. She is planning on getting into her chair at least twice today. The doctors came by and discussed altering her sleeping medication to help her sleep. They also said that they plan to have her start on the phrenic pacer on the 22nd. They mentioned that they will start at 30 minutes and bump it up about a half hour each day. The hope to have her breathing using the phrenic pacer 24/7 within 2 weeks of starting to use it.

The doctors tried to move Taylor to her chair today. She got in her chair without incident. She sat in her chair for about an hour. She got a visit from Child Life today and enjoyed doing some craft activities. Her temperature has been normal today. Taylor had a great day today after not sleeping much last night. She called it early tonight. Hopefully the nurses for tomorrow get their sleep tonight.

Taylor was in good spirits this morning. Her main doctor just returned from a research meeting at the Philadelphia Shriners Hospital where he spent some time discussing Taylor's case with other doctors in the field. He checked in with Taylor this morning and said that she looked well. Taylor is still running a little fever and is on medicine to reduce it. Taylor had a visit from the hospital teacher and is continuing her education. She tried to get into her chair but was placed back into bed when her heart rate dropped. Doctor's feel it may be to soon after the surgery and that her body was telling them to wait.

Taylor had a relaxing day today. She slept in and started off in a great mood. Taylor got a visit from "Pinball the Clown". She ran a little bit of a fever today and the doctors are giving her antibiotics in the off chance that it is an infection. Taylor has started to eat some food again today. She gave up her ravioli's for pizza tonight. Taylor enjoyed watching country music videos on the computer and some new DVDs that she got on the TV. Just before bed Taylor had a relaxing bath. She is getting closer to the day when they are going to start testing her phrenic pacer. She is looking forward to getting out of her room in the ICU and in a normal room in the hospital. Taylor is looking forward to seeing her friends again once she makes the move.

Taylor had a good night. She slept well after the surgery. She is still trying to adjust to the differences in the hospitals. At U.C. Davis she got used to the nurses not bothering her at night. At Shriners she gets woken up every four hours for a breathing treatment. She woke up in a grumpy mood and was not interested in anything that the doctors or nurses had in mind for her. Taylor even turned down a visit from "magic the clown". Later she cruised the internet and her mood changed after listening to some music and playing. She later asked for the clown and finally realized how much pull she has in the hospital when they announced over the loud speaker to have the clown report to Taylor's room. Taylor also got a visit from the hospital teacher who said that she would contact Taylor's teacher in Chico and keep her going with her school work.

Taylor woke up eager to get her surgery out of the way. Her doctor came buy to discuss the surgery with Taylor and her family. She wanted some juice this morning and is unable to have any until after the surgery. Taylor had her own photo shoot this morning. The family was asked if Taylor could be photoed for research purposes and also for the Shriner's magazine. The family was promised that her photos would not end up on any billboards or mass media communications, so they agreed to let Taylor be photographed. Taylor continues to collect little cardboard boxes from each time they suction her. She has collected 23 boxes so far. Sometimes Taylor asks for suction just to collect the little boxes. Taylor is getting used to the nursing staff here at Shriner's however she says that she really misses the great nurses that she had at U.C. Davis. Taylor came out of her surgery today in a great mood. The surgery lasted about 5 hours and the doctors said that everything went perfectly. The pacer implants are functioning as expected. Taylor is unable to eat for about 2 days. Taylor has said that the first thing she wants to eat is pasta with the white sauce. The doctors expect to start using the pacer in about 10 days to two weeks to give Taylor's body time to heal. Once they start weaning her they expect to have her off of the ventilator within 2 weeks.

Taylor was in great spirits today. She continues to be in the best of moods given the situation. All of her new nurses are already very impressed with Taylor. She has continued to get into her chair and sit even though she can't leave her room. Today Taylor got her nails done. She choose a light blue with sparkles for her fingers and toes. She has regained her appetite and had a great lunch of fruit and a cheese quesadilla today. Taylor continued her appetite into the night eating her chicken nuggets. After her dinner she did some shopping online at Target.com with a gift card from the Burnett family. Taylor is aware of her surgery tomorrow and is eager to get it over with.

Taylor had a good day today. She is adjusting to her new surroundings and her new nurses. She is handling the move and adjustments with the same remarkably wonderful attitude as she has dealt with everything else during this entire ordeal. Her new room is MUCH bigger than her old one. Taylor's room is currently in the Burn ICU unit at the hospital. This is due to the fact that they have more staff that is capable of handling the ventilator. Currently she can not have visits from children. The hospital does not want any outside kids in the burn unit. Taylor's family is hopeful that she will be out of the burn unit within a month so that Taylor's friends may visit her again. She is on the fourth floor at Shriners which gives her a bird's eye view of her ex-hospital. She has a huge picture window looking out toward UCD Med Center. She got in her chair a couple of times today but she is confined to her room because of the VRE bacteria that she has. They will test her again soon to see if she is still carrying the bacteria or not. If she tests clean then she will be able to get out and around more but for now she has to travel within her own room. She had a much better appetite this evening. She ate almost all of her green beans, some of the french bread and some of the honey dew melon that came with her dinner. Shriners doesn't have the internet so she isn't able to do any surfing or checking of her e mails for a couple of days but the first of the week we plan to have that problem remedied and she'll be back to browsing again. On Monday she is scheduled to have the phrenic pacer put in and the doctors expect her to be a little sore and quiet for a few days after the surgery. When she is healed up from the surgery they plan to start her with a little more physical therapy and hopefully she will be able to be off of the ventilator for longer periods of time each day. She has to be gradually weaned from the ventilator.

Taylor woke up excited for her big day. She wanted to move to the more kid friendly Shriner's Hospital. Taylor is currently in the Burn Unit ICU due to the fact that they need to care for her ventilator. She is expected to move out of the Burn ICU unit once she is weened off of the ventilator in about a month. Taylor was moved just after noon to her new room. She was excited about the view. Taylor can see the helicopters land on the roof of the U.C. Davis hospital next door. Also her room is about three times the size of her old one. She has been very pleased with the nursing staff at the new hospital. She settled in for the night with a tummy full of pizza and watching a movie. She is scheduled to have her Phrenic Pacer surgery on Monday.

Taylor finally has her future move figured out. She will be transferred to Shriner's across the street tomorrow and await her phrenic pacer surgery on Monday of next week. The Philadelphia Shriner's hospital is sending a bike to allow Taylor to do the "activity based rehab" that is similar to the Christopher Reeves Center. Taylor and her family are excited to get this type of treatment so close to family and friends here in Northern California. Taylor's nurses are sad to lose Taylor but they are excited for her future. She has made many friendships with the nurses that have cared for her and many of the nurses have promised to make the trip across the street to visit Taylor. Taylor is excited for the move. She is looking forward to the kid friendly environment. Taylor has been adjusting to her new wheels and is getting more excited about her trips in the stroller. Her appetite has gotten better and continues to improve. She had a dinner of salad and tri tip tonight for her last dinner in the Pediatric ICU in.

Taylor got a good night's sleep again last night. She had gone for trips in her new stroller twice yesterday and managed three trips in it today. One of her trips even included a swing outside. Today the family had a meeting with Taylor's doctors and discussed the pros and cons of the Christopher Reeves rehab facility vs going to Shriners as well as the pros and cons of the phrenic pacer. After weighing all the information the family has decided to stay here in Sacramento and have Taylor transferred to Shriners. She will have the phrenic pacer put in and if she improves enough that she is able to breathe on her own the pacer will simply not be powered. The doctors assured the family that they could pursue aggressive rehab here comparable to what the Christopher Reeves Foundation had to offer. They have also contacted the Philadelphia Shriners, which the doctor at Christopher Reeves is affiliated with, to obtain the bicycle that the Christopher Reeves Foundation uses in their rehab program to make the exercises Taylor will be doing as progressive as what they would have been back in Maryland. Taylor also had a great appetite today downing half of a cheeseburger. She continues to remain in remarkably good spirits, continuing to be the prankster that she has always been.

Taylor had a great night sleep last night. She woke up this morning to some exercises and a bath. The family talked to doctors at the Christopher Reeves center to arrange for her transfer to their facility. The transfer people from each facility are speaking and are waiting to hear back from the insurance company for approval. Taylor received her new loaner stroller while they build her a personalized one. She was less than impressed but she got to go places that she couldn't in her cardiac chair.

Taylor stayed up late last night to see the fireworks to start the new year. The family continued to talk to the doctors at the Christopher Reeve's Center. They are wanting to hold off on installing the Phrenic Pacer. They are optimistic that they can get her breathing on her own again. They also would like to run some MRI's and the installation of the pacer makes that impossible. Taylor my be proving them right. Last night she was working and made some breaths on her own. She worked hard at it but the ventilator machine indicated that she did indeed take a few breaths on her own when she tried. She also showed some promise in her leg movement. When the nurses came to cath her Taylor said no and closed her legs twice. It is still unclear as to whether this was intentional by Taylor, the nurse thought so, or if it was reflex. In any event the fact that both legs moved at the same time without stimulation is a great sign of possibility in the future. Today she got in her chair in the morning after breakfast and did some exercises with the occupational therapy nurse.