Update / Prayer: April 29 - May 5

Tim,

Sometimes even when we can say, "It is well with my soul," our bodies still struggle.

So a heartfelt prayer is being said for you now, asking God to provide all the strength you need today.

Thinking of you and praying for you!

With Love, Becky

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. Romans 15:13




Dear Family and Friends,

Many of you have told us that you enjoyed the last blog regarding the summary of doctors. We are humbled. There is much more detail we could add, and we will do so in due time.

In the works, soon to come, is also a post regarding a summary of heroes at home...those who stepped up in ways seen and unseen to help keep things as stable as possible at home while Tim was hospitalized.

This evening we update you on how things are going in our day to day, so that you can pray, which we deeply appreciate and upon which we rely! THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFUL & CONTINUED PRAYERS & SUPPORT!

Tuesday, April 29 ~ Physical Therapy at home went as well as it possibly could. Tim works from home on computer and phone.

Wednesday, April 30 ~ Hand appt. in GR. Recasting of left-hand ring finger. Slow but steady progress. Canceled orthotic boot adjustment appt. It made no sense to fulfill this appt. when Tim was going to have a newly positioned leg/ankle/foot the very next day. Orthotics agreed.

Thursday, May 1 ~ Outpatient surgery in GR with Dr. Anderson (OAM Foot & Ankle).







Going into surgery...but first...let's take a selfie! :) (Mom, that's supposed to be a joke. "Selfie" is a current top 40 song. LOL!)



After you gaze at our Tim, look closely at his booted leg, ankle, and foot. Can you see how Tim's foot falls forward? It has been in this position since Dec. 7. For almost 5 months, Tim has been unable to control the movement of his ankle. He can tolerate some passive pressure, (someone else pressing against the bottom of his foot in order to move it at the ankle joint), but even then no one is able to get his foot to neutral position. Dr. Anderson explained there is no way Tim will be able to achieve these motions unless he has surgery to release tendons.


                                               
  BEFORE SURGERY





 



AFTER SURGERY
Can you see the difference in the "before" and "after" pictures?

We give thanks to God that Dr. Anderson was able to successfully release Tim's Achilles Tendon (the tendon that runs behind your ankle), Posterior Tibial Tendon (the tendon that runs along the inside of your foot) and the tendon attached to Tim's big toe.





Tim has a fingertip's width between his heel and the base of the boot. He is almost placed at neutral here. I remember after the Dec. 8 surgery, they tried diligently to get Tim into this position for healing. Due to his injuries. there was no way. Tim has been trying and trying to get his foot into this position. This positioning is a goal he has longed to achieve, and with healing and help, the Lord has blessed Tim with this accomplishment.




Now the fun begins. Tim leaves outpatient surgery stable. Home nurse meets us at home at 4 pm but is unsuccessful at starting Tim on the IV morphine drip. The next available nurse comes at midnight and successfully gets the line into Tim's vein. I was close to trying it myself, but ended up filling Tim's pain meds instead, asap, so to keep his pain under control until the strike of 12. :)









Friday, May 2 ~ STAY HOME, LAY LOW, ICE ON, ICE OFF! All looks great!




Saturday, May 3 ~

8 am ~ THANK YOU, Brother Doug, for assisting Keith, licensed butcher! Do you see the white trucks? It's BUTCHER DAY! We give thanks to God for the successful butchering of 3 Holstein steer!















11 am ~ Tim and I are honored to be the Grand Marshals of Borculo's Dandelion Festival Parade!




Yes, the irony is amazing. This is an antique manure spreader (NO PTO!) 

Caleb marched in the Borculo Christian School Band (plays trombone), Joel and Lilly helped hand out candy to the crowd, and Luke rode the Borculo Christian School Float (hay wagon). We were all very near to each other in the parade, and we all met up in the school parking lot, where the parade route ends. It took a few good men to hoist Tim up and over the donkey ears, to get him on and off the spreader, but they did it safely! :)

Saturday afternoon ~ THANK YOU to Brothers Brent and Doug for grinding feed! THANK YOU to Farmer Tom Zwagerman and to Jonathan & Katelyn Levering for lending a hand!

Sunday, May 4 ~ Honored to go to church as a family.

Monday, May 5 ~ Home nurse removes morphine IV. All looks great! Tim bears weight on left leg while wearing boot, many times throughout the day, for short amounts of time. Tim continues to use walker and crutches when bearing weight. Even when he stands on his left leg only, there is still a fingertip gap between the bottom of his heel and the base of the boot. (I know because I told him to stand on his left leg only while I checked for the gap with my finger.) We are assured that this should "all fall into place" as we go...please pray that it does. Tim works from home on computer and phone.

Upcoming, Lord-willing:

Tuesday, May 6 ~ 8:30 am ~ speaking at Unity Christian High School chapel in Hudsonville, MI. Please join us in praying that hearts will be open to hear GOD'S STORY. Physical Therapist will arrive mid morning to work with Tim. Tim will work from home, with computer/phone.

Wednesday, May 7 ~ Doc Appts. in GR

Reconstructive Surgeon, Dr. Do (pronounced DOE)...He and his wife are expecting their third baby, and I am excited to hear about it! :) Oh, and we need to check Tim over as well. Dr. Do will look over Tim's newly positioned leg, pressure sore, open wound on the top of Tim's head, Tim's left hand, right arm, and any thing else that should need medical attention by Wednesday.





Following this appt., Dr. Do will send us across the hall to Aric, hand specialist (I don't have a picture...YET!) for appt. to reposition & recast Tim's left-hand ring finger. So CLOSE to neutral, yet so far away...



Thursday, May 8 ~ Physical Therapy at Home; Tim will work from home on computer/phone


Life goes on. Ps. 116 resounds: Praise the Lord.

Time for bed. High School in the morning! :)

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS & SUPPORT! We will keep you posted!

 

All Glory to God Alone.

Cross references:

1. Psalm 116:1 : Ps 18:1
2. Psalm 116:1 : S Ps 31:22; S 40:1
3. Psalm 116:1 : S Ps 6:9; S 28:2
4. Psalm 116:2 : S Ps 5:1
5. Psalm 116:3 : S 2Sa 22:6; Ps 18:4-5
6. Psalm 116:4 : Ps 80:18; 118:5
7. Psalm 116:4 : S Ps 80:2
8. Psalm 116:5 : S Ex 9:27; S 2Ch 12:6; S Ezr 9:15
9. Psalm 116:5 : S Ex 22:27; S Ps 86:15
10. Psalm 116:6 : S Ps 79:8
11. Psalm 116:6 : Ps 18:3; 22:5; 107:13
12. Psalm 116:7 : Ps 46:10; 62:1; 131:2; Mt 11:29
13. Psalm 116:7 : Ps 13:6; 106:1; 142:7
14. Psalm 116:8 : S Ps 86:13
15. Psalm 116:9 : S Ge 5:22; Ps 56:13; 89:15
16. Psalm 116:9 : S Job 28:13; Ps 27:13; Isa 38:11; Jer 11:19
17. Psalm 116:10 : 2Co 4:13*
18. Psalm 116:10 : Ps 9:18; 72:2; S 107:17; 119:67, 71, 75
19. Psalm 116:11 : Jer 9:3-5; Hos 7:13; Mic 6:12; Ro 3:4
20. Psalm 116:12 : Ps 103:2; 106:1
21. Psalm 116:13 : S Ps 105:1
22. Psalm 116:14 : S Nu 30:2; S Ps 66:13
23. Psalm 116:15 : Ps 72:14
24. Psalm 116:15 : S Nu 23:10
25. Psalm 116:16 : Ps 119:125; 143:12
26. Psalm 116:16 : S Ps 86:16
27. Psalm 116:16 : S Job 12:18
28. Psalm 116:17 : S Lev 7:12; S Ezr 1:4
29. Psalm 116:18 : ver 14; S Lev 22:18
30. Psalm 116:19 : Ps 92:13; 96:8; 100:4; 135:2
31. Psalm 116:19 : Ps 102:21

 

Teresa, As you pour out, God will keep pouring in. His well never runs dry.

Asking Him to encourage and refresh you in the midst of all the loving care you provide.

Praying you continue to have enough strength for all that depend on you.
 
With Love,
 
Becky (with the flower signed behind her name)