I have several blog posts in progress...drafts such as...an explanation of how last Friday night's concert came to be, stories from hospitals and rehabs, media experiences & more, but today I will post the latest medical/home news.
Thank you for continuing to pray us through!
Starting Sunday, March 16, 2014...
Sunday morning - church together as a family. Ever grateful to God to hear Tim sing with us once again!
Tim rides in our minivan in the backseat, a captain’s seat
behind the front passenger seat.
We slide and lean the front passenger seat as far forward as it can go. We slide & recline Tim's seat as far back as possible, and we give thanks to God for how well this works.
To get into the van, Tim sits on the seat, then brings his legs into the van. Tim rests/elevates his left leg on pillows, stacked on the van floor. Wherever he sits, Tim sits on a pillow, due to loss of muscle in his buns and leg. When he sits, he sits on skin and bone, and it is painful. He is slowly building those muscles back up, through PT sessions and working on these muscles on the off days as well.
To get out of the van, Tim first lifts his legs out, then stands with the walker to transfer to the wheelchair. We load Tim’s wheelchair & walker in the back of the van.
With all of this, our family still fits safely in the van, each in a seatbelt. Luke (Kindergarten – 6 years old) sits on a booster seat behind me, beside Tim. Caleb (6th grade – 11 years old), Joel (4th grade – 10 years old) & Lilly (3rd grade – 9 years old) sit in the back of the van. Sometimes, one of the older children sits up front with me as I drive.
Tim spends most of his time either in the wheelchair, on the reclining couch, or flat in bed. He continues to use his walker more and more to get around the house.
We slide and lean the front passenger seat as far forward as it can go. We slide & recline Tim's seat as far back as possible, and we give thanks to God for how well this works.
To get into the van, Tim sits on the seat, then brings his legs into the van. Tim rests/elevates his left leg on pillows, stacked on the van floor. Wherever he sits, Tim sits on a pillow, due to loss of muscle in his buns and leg. When he sits, he sits on skin and bone, and it is painful. He is slowly building those muscles back up, through PT sessions and working on these muscles on the off days as well.
To get out of the van, Tim first lifts his legs out, then stands with the walker to transfer to the wheelchair. We load Tim’s wheelchair & walker in the back of the van.
With all of this, our family still fits safely in the van, each in a seatbelt. Luke (Kindergarten – 6 years old) sits on a booster seat behind me, beside Tim. Caleb (6th grade – 11 years old), Joel (4th grade – 10 years old) & Lilly (3rd grade – 9 years old) sit in the back of the van. Sometimes, one of the older children sits up front with me as I drive.
Tim spends most of his time either in the wheelchair, on the reclining couch, or flat in bed. He continues to use his walker more and more to get around the house.
Sunday afternoon was the first time Tim went to the barn
since the accident. All of us (our 4 children and me) were with him. We made
sure to securely dress all wounds, and we covered all areas with plastic bags,
etc. I drove him down to the barn in our van and pulled up as closely to the
barn door as possible. Tim was able to use the walker to get out of the van and
into the barn through the muddy ground. He sat on a bale of straw, we wrapped him with blankets, and he led the kids
and me through chores. It was overwhelmingly wonderful.
Tim's brothers, Brent and Doug, have carried the farm steadfastly through this. We are so honored and excited to start chores. Brent and Doug will continue to lead with the BIG chores, like spreading manure, grinding feed, butchering, etc., until Tim can help with this. We give thanks to God for providing Brent and Doug and their families with the health, strength & hearts to help us through.
Tim's brothers, Brent and Doug, have carried the farm steadfastly through this. We are so honored and excited to start chores. Brent and Doug will continue to lead with the BIG chores, like spreading manure, grinding feed, butchering, etc., until Tim can help with this. We give thanks to God for providing Brent and Doug and their families with the health, strength & hearts to help us through.
Monday – Home nurse checked in on Tim. Nurse anticipated
discharging Tim weeks ago, but certain medical issues still require that Tim receives home
care.
Tuesday morning – drove Tim to lab for blood work. Doc
ordered the blood draw to see how Tim’s organs are tolerating the meds, check
hemoglobin levels, etc. Doc called us Friday morning with results. We give
thanks to God that all blood levels look great! Tim is no longer anemic, and
his body seems to be tolerating the meds so far. Please pray that Tim’s body
continues to tolerate the continued amount and combination of meds.
Tuesday afternoon – Physical Therapy worked with Tim in our
home.
Wednesday – Tim went into work for 4 hours. Tim is able to
go into work for an amount of time. He also works from home, from a laptop, as
much as he is able. He enjoys selling beef from home as well.
Thursday morning – After we dropped 3 kids off at school,
Luke (our youngest – in Kindergarten - he has T & TH off, but goes to school
full days on MWF), Tim & I drove off to the northeast side of GR for 2 doc
appts. The first appt. was at 9 am, and it went well. We met with the hand
specialists who are treating Tim’s left-hand ring finger for ligament damage.
Last week, the specialist measured Tim’s finger at 55 degrees. Through the use
of heat & pressure, he was able to set and cast Tim’s finger at 45 degrees.
This week, they removed Tim’s cast and after applying heat and pressure to Tim’s
finger, they set and casted his finger between 35 and 40 degrees. The goal
would be to get Tim’s finger to 0 (zero) degrees, but we will see how things
progress from here. Please pray that the casting continues to work effectively.
The second appt. was across the hall. It was with Tim’s plastics/reconstructive
surgeon, and it also went well.
We decided to begin weaning Tim off Gabapentin/Neurontin
(nerve meds) due to the fact that this drug seems to no longer be treating Tim’s
nerve pain. We will introduce Lyrica to Tim’s system as we follow the
weaning/introducing schedule. The Lyrica will be in Tim’s system fully by
Tuesday, just in time for Tim’s next PT in-home session. Nerve pain is what we
expect, as Tim heals and nerves find new pathways through injured areas. Nerve
pain is unpredictable and painful. Tim describes his nerve pain as feeling like
someone is taking a flame and slowly burning his foot along the sides and
bottom of his foot. It also feels as though Tim’s toes are painfully curling in
all the wrong directions, when they are not even moving. This pain will send
Tim through the roof, bring him to tears, etc. So when he has what he calls a “nerve
attack,” we get him to his room, medicate him as needed, turn off the lights, close
the door, pray for him, and let him get through it. Please pray that God would provide effective
relief from nerve pain in Tim’s foot, hopefully through introducing the new med.
Please pray for clarity for me as I maintain Tim’s round-the-clock med
schedule.
Tim has an open wound on the top of his head, from the
accident. The doc is pleased with how clean this wound is. However, if the
wound does not show enough signs of closure in 3 weeks’ time from now, the doc
would like to move forward with putting a skin graft on the wound. Please pray
that the head wound continues to remain healthy and healing.
Through all of this, Tim has remained free from pressure
sores from his body, except for his left foot. Due to the several boots, casts
and splints on Tim’s left foot over the past months, Tim had developed many
pressure sores on his left foot. All have healed, except for one. It is a stage
3 pressure sore and it is near his heel. Thankfully, the sore is not located on
a pressure point of his heel. Stage 3 pressure sores require months to heal. The
sore also requires daily local debridement, tackled by yours truly. Please pray
that God would heal this sore.
The doc has determined that Tim has carpel tunnel in his
right arm, which will be surgically released by the surgeon in due time.
We give thanks to God that Tim’s muscle flap and skin graft
are doing well!
We seem to be moving from more “major” issues to “minor”
issues. But if the “minor” issues are not treated, they could possibly become “major”
issues.
We are scheduled to see these specialists again, on
Wednesday afternoon.
Thursday afternoon – PT came to our home to work with Tim.
Concern was swelling of the left leg and foot, which limits the range of motion
required for PT movement. Tim’s leg and foot swell easily when it is not
consistently elevated above his heart. Due to the activities of the day (time
spent riding in the van to and from the doc, spending 2 hours at the doc’s
office, wheeling from room to room, etc.) even though we do our best, we are naturally
limited when it comes to elevating the foot above Tim’s heart for an extended
amount of time. Next week we scheduled doc appts. for W afternoon instead of TH
morning, so to not effect next TH’s afternoon PT session with swelling/limitations.
Please continue to pray for effective PT sessions, as well as great days of
therapy in between sessions, when we work on Tim’s foot and leg muscles
together.
Friday, currently: – Tim is at work.
Upcoming, Lord-willing:
Friday night (tonight): Family chores in the barn, Family
movie, pizza & popcorn night AT HOME together! Saturday: home together. With kids home to help, we look forward to accomplishing as much as possible. Family chores in the house and in the barn. Saturday evening we plan to host a salad portion of a progressive dinner, when we look forward to 5 guests joining us around our table to eat salad together.
Sunday: Church together & family chores together.
Monday: Nurse treats Tim at home
Tuesday: PT session at home
Wednesday: Doc appts – hand specialist & reconstructive surgeon: NE GR
Thursday: PT session at home
Tim looks forward to going in to work next week. Days and
times to be determined.
Tim remains at “homebound” medical status, which is
consistent with his needs and tolerances. When we return home from being out
and about, he is “done for,” and needs rest.
We give thanks to God for your gifts. Thank you for your
gift cards, financial gifts, your time, your help, food
and meals. For your cards and words of encouragement.
One of my errands today was to fill up the van with gas. As
I swiped gas cards that have been so generously given to us, I close my eyes
and give thanks to God for providing. These gifts lift burdens so that we can focus on Tim's recovery.
Thank you for your continued and faithful prayers. Please
continue to pray, for me as well. Never before have I sensed more conviction and
fulfillment in my calling of wife and mother as I do now. As many of you can
relate, when I wake up in the morning, I wake up tired. I pray that God would
give me the strength to make it through the next 30 minutes. And that’s how it is.
30 minutes at a time. Please pray that God would give my family understanding, patience
& forgiveness. Our children continue to rise to the occasion, and beyond. But
as you can understand, many things just have to be done, or at least
coordinated and thought of, by Mom. Tim also helps as much as he is able.
Please continue to pray for our family as we adjust to new ways of living.
Ever grateful to God for bringing us home together again, we
give thanks to God for the JOY He provides, for how He continues to sustain and
strengthen our relationships with one another, for how He provides abundantly through YOU. We thank God for you, as we go onward.
Join us in gl
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