No, not for his face – for his arms. Apparently, Botox works on relaxing the muscles. Tone in a brain injury patient has to do with how tightly they contract their muscles and keep them contracted, and it shows up primarily in the way that their arms contract to their bodies and in the way that their fingers curl (among other ways). Ian’s tone isn’t great, so they want to relax those muscles. He was given shots (three, I think) in his left arm (the one most contracted), and it could take a couple weeks to show the effects. They also have him on a medication designed to address the tone throughout his body. The Botox is supposed to be like a jump start for his arm.

He’s using his left arm now to feel things on his body. He plays with his shirt between his fingers. He feels and scratches his neck. He strokes the hair on his chin. When I put his hand in mine, it’s like a new sensation for him, and he feels my hand with the tips of his fingers. It’s as though he’s trying figure things out through touch.

Please continue to pray for the thrush in his mouth. It continues to be an issue, though the staff are treating it and though it’s getting better little by little.

Paul said in Philippians 4:12 that he had “learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” It occurred to me today that I had always wrongly put the emphasis in the next verse (13) on being able to do all things. The secret Paul had for facing everything, including hunger and need, was looking beyond his difficult circumstances to the God who ruled all his circumstances. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” He rules Ian’s circumstances and ours no matter what those look like, and He is good. I can do all things (though I don’t always feel that I can), because I know He’s in control and because His Spirit is in me kindly confirming to me that God is in control and because He supernaturally strengthens me by His Spirit. I can do all things through him.

Pray for Ian.

Steve