Keeping up with the Williams Family

“Bubbly” - that is the only word I can think of to express Payton today.  She went to church and then to a baby shower with our Youth Pastor’s wife and came home just about to bubble over with happiness about being back into life again.  She had a wonderful pain free day and is so excited to think about all of the things she will be able to do this coming year.  She knows she needs to guard her leg with her life and protect it.  She jokes that maybe she will just wear her softball shin guards turned to the side to protect that part of her leg from any kind of bump, kick, hit, or whack!  There is no way to express how happy it makes mom,dad and brother to see her so happy again.  Tomorrow starts pretty active exercises on that leg.  I predict that she will do great and the activity will make her feel even better but I always go into these things bathed in prayer because with RSD you just never know.  Because of the way the nerve pathways run in the body even mental stress can cause pain messages to be sent to that leg so we have to really watch her stress levels as well.  She is still working through the emotional side of this flare up but in my opinion is doing well and is handling herself with such grace.  That is why she is Payton Grace!  In addition, with a second flare up so soon after the first, there is more of a chance of spreading of the RSD.  It spreads either laterally meaning from one leg to the exact same place in the other or diagonally meaning from her left lower leg to her right upper arm.  Strange huh?  Last week she had a couple of days where her good leg was burning but we went straight to God and then straight to the medication and exercises and it stopped.  But you can see how the cycle of worrying about the possibility of spread could actually cause more flare ups and spread!  So, to have a happy Payton is to have a healthy Payton!!

Thank you for continuing to pray for her and our family.  We have been through a lot this year and are now wearing the scars but we made it through and are determined to have a GREAT 2008!