Tim and I grew up singing this song in church. We sang this song at our wedding, Saturday, July 11, 1998, and we give thanks to God that we were able to sing it the other week in church together.
"My Tribute"
Andraé Crouch
How can I say, thanks, for the things You have done for me
Things so undeserved; yet You gave to prove Your love for me
The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude
All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee
To God be the glory for the things, He has done
With His blood, He has saved me
With His power, He has raised me
To God be the glory for the things, He has done
Just let me live my life; and let it be pleasing Lord to Thee
And should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary
With His blood, He has saved me
With His power, He has raised me
To God be the glory For the things, He has done.
We give thanks to God for another week of life in Christ!
Thank you for your faithful and continued prayers and support!
Tuesday, May 6 ~ Tim speaks at Unity Christian High School Chapel, sharing what God has done and is doing in his life. The main point - don't live life in frustration or fear. Choose to ask God for help. He wants to help you, and He will help you, according to His timing & will.
Physical Therapy @ home mid-morning. Tim is "weightbearing as tolerated with boot."
Please understand, this does not mean that Tim is "walking as tolerated with boot."
Walking is a goal, and Lord-willing, in God's time, walking will be an outcome Tim will experience.
The boot Tim wears was fit to him about an hour post surgery on May 1, when Dr. Anderson released tendons. Currently, the boot remains on Tim's leg 24/7.
"Weightbearing as tolerated with boot" means: Tim stands at the kitchen counter, with hands placed on the countertop. He slowly shifts his body weight from right foot to left foot, rocking side-to-side. He sets one foot in front of the other and slowly shifts weight from the back foot to the front foot. He switches legs, and continues the slow rocking motion.
Tim takes steps with walker and crutches, carefully putting some weight on his left leg as he steps. Tim is putting about 50 percent of his body weight into his step when he bears weight on his left leg. He says, "It feels like I have to learn to walk again." His physical therapist agrees, "You do."
Tim ices and elevates his leg throughout the days and nights to reduce pain and swelling in his left leg. Tim could try to weightbear on his left leg all day long, but when Tim overdoes it, his leg swells. Swelling limits motion, and when swollen, he is unable to move well. As many of you have experienced first hand, physical recovery & healing involves living with highly variable, fine lines of limits. We give thanks to God for the healing that God has provided, and we ask for continued to prayers for patience and healing, according to God's will.
Wednesday, May 7 ~ 5 months since.
Works at home from computer and phone.
Doc appts. in GR. The first with Dr. Do. We discuss Dr. Anderson's conversation with us regarding amputation. Dr. Do encourages Tim to keep moving forward with Tim's own leg. Dr. Do reminds us that Tim remains a healthy candidate for the decisions made to attempt to save the leg. Dr. Do also reminds us that financially, in the long run, it is less expensive to keep your own leg, then to have a prosthetic. Dr. Do also reminds us that Tim's faith is very important in Tim's healing. "Those with faith do better." There seems to be less worry, and more hope. We give thanks to God for the encouragement that Dr. Do provides to Tim.
As Dr. Do unwraps Tim's dressings from the May 1 surgery, he shares with us that his wife and he had their third son last weekend, one month early. Mom and baby are healthy and well. :)
Tim's stitches/incisions from the outpatient surgery look great. Dr. Do debrides Tim's pressure sore on the back of the heel. The muscle flap & skin graft look great. Dr. Do redresses Tim's leg.
Dr. Do assesses Tim's head wound, and he is pleased with the wound as it heals, slowly but surely, which is the expected speed of this entire process.
As Tim continues to strengthen, Dr. Do will offer Tim the option of placing a skin graft over Tim's open wound on the top of his head, to speed the healing process. Then, if possible, he would further close the skin together so that Tim's hair would continue to evenly grow. As of right now, Tim will have a bald spot where the wound is/was.
Dr. Do will also eventually surgically release tendons in Tim's right arm, but as Tim needs his arm to support his body as he take steps with the walker and crutches, now would not be the best time to elect to operate.
Another goal Dr. Do has shared with us is to put a shoe on Tim's left foot. Dr. Do explains that, based on other patients who have lived through a lower-limb free flap, it is a realistic goal for Tim to possibly fit his left foot into a shoe 7 months from now. (1 year from the accident). After hearing from other people who have lived through this, this is a consistent goal with what they experienced. Swelling is a reality for lower limb injuries. It's a matter of gravity, and a matter of time for this to heal. Soon, Tim will be fit with a prescription compression stocking to help limit swelling.
Wednesday evening, we are honored to attend Early Childhood Graduation at Borculo Christian School, where Luke, our youngest, graduates from Kindergarten. This fall, Caleb will be in 7th, Joel will be in 5th, Lilly will be in 4th, and Luke will be right down the hall from his big brothers and sister, as he will begin 1st grade.
An event such as this is a milestone, not just for Luke, but for us. When Tim was hospitalized, I often wondered..."Will he be well enough to...make Caleb's first basketball game?" Turns out, Tim was not. Lord-willing, there will be more games to come.
"Will Tim be well enough to...get to the school musical?" Turns out, he was. "Will he be able to get to Luke's graduation?" Yes.
God answers prayers, according to His will and His timing.
Thursday, May 8 ~ PT @ Home midmorning, Tim goes into work for the afternoon.
Friday, May 9 ~ PT @ Home midmorning. Tim goes into work for the afternoon. Giving thanks to God for my (Teresa's) 38th bday.
Saturday, May 10 ~ A local antique plow club, organized by friend Ken Kooiker, has offered to plow our home field as well as the rented field, where Tim's accident occurred. The plowing was scheduled to take place today. Due to wet fields, the plowing is postponed to next week Saturday, May 17, when Lord-willing, the antique plow club will be able to enjoy plowing the fields. If you are interested in watching this take place, feel free to stop out and watch! Watch Facebook/blog for more details later this week. :)
THANK YOU, Jonathan Levering and Caleb Brinks, for your help around the house and farm.
Sunday, May 11 ~ Honored to go to church as a family. We celebrate Mothers Day, giving thanks to God alone for His faithfulness. We are ever grateful to live in the protection and shelter of God's love.
Monday, May 12 ~ Home nurse checks in on Tim. Tim works from home on computer and phone.
Upcoming, Lord-willing:
Today, Tuesday, May 13 ~ Physical Therapy at home. Tim would like to go into work.
Wednesday, May 14 ~ Tim would like to head into work. Afternoon hand therapy appt. in GR to set and recast left-hand ring finger.
Thursday, May 15 ~ Physical Therapy at home. Tim would like to go into work.
Friday, May 16 ~ Physical Therapy at home. Tim would like to go into work. Tim and I are honored to attend the wedding of my cousin's (Mike and Erin Velzen) oldest child, Aaron Velzen and his fiancee, Joni Holsem.
Saturday, May 17 ~ Antique Plow Club plows home and rented fields.
Sunday, May 18 ~ Church with family. High School Graduation Open House of my cousin's (Mike and Erin Velzen) third, Andrea Velzen.
Monday, May 19 ~ Day with Docs in GR: Post-op appt. with Dr. Anderson in the morning and routine appt. with Dr. Ringler in the afternoon.
We give thanks to God for each and every one of you, for your continued, faithful prayers and support. We will continue to keep you posted.
"I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right."
~ Billy Graham
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