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California Brain Injury Association - Thank you!

10/16/2014

THANK YOU to those that supported Samantha in her effort to raise money for the California Brain Injury Association. There were a series of nine fundraising walks from San Diego to Sacramento that just completed this past weekend. While I’m sure the final tallies aren’t in yet, I wanted to let you know that “our” walk, right here at Santa Anita Park raised the most funds of all the other cities.

For those of you that know Samantha pre-accident, you know how much she liked being on the winning team! I’m proud to have participated in this event and thank you for your love and support.

Overall they raised over $260,000. that will go directly to programs that will benefit people like Samantha - people throughout our state that are trying to re-define themselves following their life changing injuries or illnesses.

This is only the 7th year that CALBIA has organized this event. Thank YOU so much for your part in making it one of the most successful yet.

- Sam, Diana, and Samantha

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Dallas Trip 2-16-06

12/4/2012

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Howdy! - Actually we never heard anyone say that. Nor did we see anyone wearing a cowboy hat, never saw a horse or a corral. In fact, outside of our hotel room and Dr. Tennant's Office Building, we didn't see much at all of Dallas. We literally spent all our time with Dr. Tennant and his staff!

They were wonderful people with hearts as big as their state who took to Samantha like she was their own daughter. Three of the key ladies were moms themselves and they related to me and my sister, "doin' whatcha gotta do" when it comes to your kids. And nothing was too much to ask of them.

Women, who are mothers, can be different in every external way and from vastly different places, but the love we have for our children, binds us together in a very powerful way. My heart will be forever grateful to Tiffany Vara, Abby's mom, for sharing this information with me.

I've spent hundreds of hours this last 10 months on the internet searching the world for information on products & treatments that could help Samantha recover from her brain injury. And thousands of websites have come up but not one told me about energetic medicine or integrative medicine until I learned those terms and keyed them in myself.

Integrative Medicine has become widespread with Scripps in La Jolla opening their own Center for Integrative Medicine in 1999. Stanford also has a department of Integrative Medicine. It encompasses any number of treatments that are outside of the Western or Traditional Medicine. Like Acupuncture as an example. It also focuses more on natural healing rather than a pharmaceutical approach. Using diet, exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements, relaxation and recreational therapies as an overall approach to wellness. ALL the things we all know are absolute fact in keeping our bodies healthy....nothing too new here.

Energetic Medicine is the practice of using energy or the flow of energy within the body as a healing factor. It is one of the oldest forms of healing, documented in The Yellow Emperors Book of Internal Medicine over 4000 years ago. Dr. Tennant, with 30 years of medical practice, is a very scientific mind as well as a father himself. He is actually the inventor of a device he calls the "Tennant Biomodulator" that uses a technology developed by the Russians (Scenar) and biofeedback to help the body re-energize low or degenerative cells.

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Why I'll Never Let Go...

11/15/2011

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Since Samantha's accident, I've received lots of advice; some good and some not so good, but always given kindly and with love. Having never experienced anything as painful as nearly losing my child to a car accident and never feeling such intense fear of what the future held, I made sure I was open to any and all suggestions on how to help her medically, as well as how to cope with the tragedy.

One bit of advice came in those first few weeks. You must understand that “you lost Samantha in that car accident and allow yourself to grieve this loss”, this seasoned hospital administrator explained. “Write it down, carry it with you and remind yourself of this reality from time to time. She will never be the same again.” She tried to assure me and ease the sting of those biting words by saying , “When Samantha does wake up, you will grow in love with the new girl that she is going to become.” I disregarded this piece of advice immediately, as it only made me feel nauseous to even think about that possibility. Letting go of the beautiful 16 year old girl I was so close with and falling in love with her replacement? Impossible.

Samantha is the fourth member of our family to look to me as “the mom”, but the first that I gave birth to. She was a true gift from God, delivered from heaven on my 28th birthday! I was not only in love with this little bundle of joy, but the whole experience of pregnancy and family life. I especially cherished this experience as I knew that I’d only give birth to one child in my lifetime, but was graced with the honor of being mom to four. I was perfectly content with that. In fact, I was curious at times what it felt like to give birth to another child- Could I even love a second child as much as I did my first?

Intellectually, I knew the obvious answer. Of course a mom can love multiple children equally without diminishing her love for each individually; moms do it all the time. But to me it still felt like I would be betraying Samantha, my one and only. I never dwelled on it; it was just a fleeting thought every now and then, a quick moment of curiosity. Could I possibly love another child as much as I do Samantha? Isn't that like cheating on your first one? The love I have for all four of my children is different, naturally. They all came to me in different ways. So I never had to figure it out for myself. It could be left one of life’s questions that I would never really totally get.

Sixteen years and four months later, I was being forced to walk myself through that same question I once so easily shrugged off. I had reached a point that the social workers advice had to be considered. She explained that this is how many people had managed to cope in similar situations. Allow yourself to grieve the loss, embrace the new; still sickening to open my mind to that concept.

- Diana Palumbo

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Shunt revision surgery improved headaches and appetite

10/17/2011

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I am delighted to report that Samantha is having a very good month. A shunt revision surgery in September was likely the biggest reason for the turn around, but we have also had two solid weeks of improved eating habits. The girl always has been a picky eater choosing cereal for dinner and PB & J sandwiches since she was old enough to talk. But just before her accident was eating very healthy, very healthy. But after suffering through 2 1/2 years of a g-tube in her stomach for nutrition, she tasted a bowl of cereal, peanut butter and jelly, and sugar cookies and she was hooked. And I sometimes have a hard time depriving her of such pleasure, when she works so hard all the time. But I can truly see a difference in her energy and endurance levels when I let her slack to often.

So between the surgery that added an anti-siphon device to her shunt system and two solid weeks of great eating habits, with a few sugar cookies thrown in, she is really putting in some busy days.

Thankfully, she has some young assistants that can keep up with her. After going to the mall this afternoon, shopping for a birthday gift, hitting Target, and then grocery shopping, they finally came home and she still wants to play a game.

Interestingly enough though, 10 minutes on the computer doing any kind of brain work tires her out more quickly than all that shopping she did in the last 4 hours. Cognitive fatigue - another obstacle I have to find a way around in order for her to continue to learn and grow.

Thank you to Dr. Lazareff and his team at UCLA for a successful surgery to fix the shunt system. Because clearly her intracranial pressure is more stable, reducing the headaches and overwhelming lethargic feeling so I can challenge her with some brain teasers.

Thank you all for your continued interest in how she is doing, and the unending love and friendship you give us.

-Diana Palumbo

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Pageant of Hope Ladies are Truly Lovely

10/1/2011

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Late night meeting reviewing details and duties for Pageant of Hope. These true beauties really know how to spend their Friday night. How blessed we are that Samantha is right there with them and how unconditionally loving they are to her. What a great weekend this is going to be!!!!

-Diana Palumbo

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Excited about the Pageant of Hope this Week!

9/27/2011

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The Pageant of Hope is THIS Sunday. Excited about it for Samantha to get to participate. She'll be sharing her story using her text to speech computer and she gets to step back into her former life again.....wearing her sash and crown!

But these two notes on the HBBQs fb page really make me excited! I know how much I enjoyed seeing my daughter on stage and the thrill of her simply introducing herself..."a 15 year old from San Dimas, California. I AM Samantha Palumbo"!

So here are some notes from family members left HBBQs, Inc. Pageant of Hope looking forward to this weekend for THEIR special kiddos. LOVE IT! Thanks Jena for giving us the honor of volunteering with this cool event!

"Hello! I am very excited about this pageant coming up in LA I spoke with you today about my 17 month old son Tyler. Love what you do for these kids not to many people take the time with these lovable kids."

"I'm so excited for this weekend pageant my daughter of 1 yr. will be in, and also my niece that is fighting cancer.. I spoke to you all of our family is excited."

- Diana Palumbo

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Back to Normal and it Feels Great!

9/23/2011

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Samantha to Sam: "Dont worry about me for dinner tonight Dad"
"What, why not? Arent you hungry? He responds.
Sami: "I'm going out with my friends, we're gonna eat out!!"

I'm so excited about this moment of such normalcy around my house on a Friday night. It literally takes my breath away. Look at us, how far we've come! The only thing out of the ordinary was that Samantha was "talking" to her dad using a text to speech computer. But even that is normal for us and doesn't bother me in the least! The reality is that Samantha is out with her friends tonight and celebrating life!

- Diana Palumbo

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Thank you for your Support!

9/21/2011

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Thank you all for riding the roller coaster of brain injury with us. All the love and support makes us feel so loved and your prayers bring my heart comfort like nothing else. So I'm asking that you all please say Samantha's name tonight because she is going in for another neuro-surgery tomorrow morning. Seems the fatigue issues are likely related to that VP Shunt that needs to be revised.

I've done my due diligence and even consulted with a second neurosurgeon to confirm the inevitable. So decision made.....gonna do it.....please pray for a successful surgery AND great results from the adjustments they make to her intracranial pressure. If they can get that tweaked just right, her brain wont have to work as hard as it is to do all the things shes doing.
I know there is soooo much for you all to pray for in your lives, I feel a little guilty asking for more. So if you can, just say Samantha's name tonight and tomorrow morning. God knows what she needs. Just say her name. I have faith that He is listening!

-Diana Palumbo-

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California Brain Injury Association - Thank you!

Dallas Trip 2-16-06

Why I'll Never Let Go...

Shunt revision surgery improved headaches and appetite

Pageant of Hope Ladies are Truly Lovely

Excited about the Pageant of Hope this Week!

Back to Normal and it Feels Great!

Thank you for your Support!

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