Live the Lion was created in an attempt to keep everyone up to date on Lance O'Cull and his road to recovery.

Lance was involved in a car accident near Morehead, Kentucky about 30 miles from where we grew up Thanksgiving weekend of 2010. He was airlifted from the scene of the accident to UK Medical Center in Lexington. The doctors told us that they could fix everything below the neck, but his brain was in God's hands. On December 22, after multiple surgeries, Lance was transferred to The Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia for an intense rehabilitation program.

It was there that Lance began to gradually emerge from a coma. Lance was discharged to home, in Vanceburg on February 17th, to continue his therapy with family.

On March 10th, Lance's 25th birthday, he stood on his feet for the first time in 103 days, with lots of help. On May 11th, Lance was accepted into Cardinal Hill's brain injury unit. There he impressed and amazed our family and friends, as well as his therapists through the progress he made everyday.

Between September 2011 and April of 2012, Lance was back and forth between Cardinal Hill's inpatient program and Shepherd Center's inpatient and outpatient program. He has had a couple minor surgeries to enhance his healing and a baclofen pump inserted to help with the tone in his body.

For the past year, Lance is back in Lewis County splitting his time with both parents. He continues to travel to Ashland 3 times a week and Lexington once a week. He is learning to walk again and we couldn't be more thrilled.

It hasn't been easy, Lance has had some setbacks and tears still fall. But he is up and running this marathon. And we are all running right along beside him.

Most of the blog entries have been made by myself, Chelcee, the big sister, Brock, our baby brother, and Dr. Johnny, our dad. Our goal is for Lance to finish this blog as soon as he is able.

God has been with Lance and our entire family, giving us strength. We give Him the Glory. He is the God of Miracles.



~Chelcee




Monday, May 6, 2013

the Come Back... part 1.

WOOHOO! its time for a come back. :) 

People ask me all the time where Lance is... I always looked confused when they ask that. I guess they ask because there for a while he was back and forth to Atlanta and Lexington. But he is home, in Lewis County. But back and forth between my parents houses and running to therapy 3-4 times a week. 

 I'm going to pick up where I left off... last August. 

 Lance's accident happened in November of 2010. The following March, his 25th birthday, 3 of his friends - Ben, Noah and Derrick bought him an iPad. Lance was never a huge fan of material things, but he loved his MacBook. We thought the iPad would be a great way for him to communicate in those early stages, when we weren't sure if he could type, or use a mouse, etc. 
To the left is Grant sitting on Lance's lab using the iPad. We loaded ALL of Lance's music from his iTunes library on it. And we found something really amazing. When Lance was at Patterson, he interviewed Shawn Abdmishani, whose daughter was in the same program as Lance. He is from Iran. There are 3 hours worth of this interview, anyone who wants to listen, come on over. Its interesting, even on the 2934617th time you have heard it ;)



We also discovered last fall that Lance was having some issues with vision. He always had 20/20 vision as a kid, so for the first time last fall, he joined the 4eyes club with his siblings.. and his parents. My dad should have been an optometrist. 
Anyway, the glasses have helped tremendously and he continues to do vision therapy at home to help the eyes work better together. 






It was wear your teams colors at church one Sunday, as you can see we are a House Divided. And Brock is photoshopped in... with no team colors on. 






In October, we got tickets a Louisville Football Game. And when I saw "we" I mean, Lance wanted Mary to go rather than me. hmm. 
Anyway, it was a little chilly. But he met up with a couple of our neighbors, Bryan and Seth Wright. And above on the right is Lance and Mary, drinking their hot chocolate. 






 We continue to take Lance to Kings Daughters Outpatient Therapy 3 times a week. These people have made him so strong. They are all such a huge part of our lives. 
I feel like I've said for months now that Lance is learning to walk again. He is. There is lots to walking. There is learning balance, and working on posture, strengthening his legs and his core, and stretching his hips. 
Here he is on the parallel bars, holding on the pole, while Ryan is in the back stretching his left leg and Leslie to the side stretching his left arm. 
It takes a whole team. 








Also in October was Halloween. My dad went as a police officer and my brother was the prisoner. He was complete with shackles around his ankles. 

That pretty much sums up this past fall. 
I will update on the holidays as soon as I can. and I promise to be better at blogging. :)

 Hope everyone has a great week. 

 -Chelcee
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