Teresa, what were some of your favorite things to have with you while staying with Tim in the hospitals and rehabs?
MANY THINGS! Some of my favorite tangible things were...
Perfume.
Because there was a lot going on with Tim, showers for me were few and far between. Perfume definitely helped. :)
Wearing yoga pants.
AHHHH! Need I say more! I was able to wash my clothes at the Rennuchi House (while at Butterworth), The Inn (while at Mary Free Bed) & my parents' house (while at Spectrum Rehab & Nursing), so I was able to enjoy clean yoga pants as much as possible. :)
My favorite pair of shoes.
When the deputy called me about Tim, I was in my sweats. I threw on the first pair of shoes I could grab - which happened to be an old, cheap pair of fake-suede fashion boots, kept in the garage as barn boots. :) Without realizing it, the boots stayed on my feet for 5 days. I even slept in them. Again, at that time, there was a lot going on with Tim, 24/7, and it never occurred to me to take them off my feet.
After the fifth day, the boots and my feet started to stink. I peeled the boots off, to find a bright, red rash covering my feet. The boots stunk so badly, I was desperate to get them out of the room. I placed them in the hall, just outside of Tim's room, which was right by the nurses' station. Someone disposed of them. They were RANCID and probably stunk up the whole nursing station & hall! I washed my feet, and then realized I had no other shoes with me. I slipped on a pair of hospital socks. My cousin, Tara Fauble, who works at Butterworth, let me use her shoes from her work locker. Although they were a little tight, I squeezed into them until I could get my favorite tennis shoes from home. Thank you, Cousin Tara! :)
Starbucks.
Hello, my name is Teresa, and I am a Starbuxhollic. If I miss a morning Venti blonde roast, we are all in Grande trouble. At first, I forgot about coffee. What's coffee? What's time? What's happening here? Where am I? Is this really happening? type of notions... Believe me, at times, I am still struck with those notions.
I have heard that my sister-in-law, Nikki, who is married to Brent, expplained to many that I love Starbucks. She's right. I rely on the 415 mg (give or take) of caffiene, truly. Thank you, Nikki, for having my back! My cousin, Andrea Prins, (yes, Tara's youngest sister), a manager in Butterworth's kitchen, would send a Starbucks coffee up to me every morning, on Tim's breakfast tray. (Yes, Butterworth's kitchen serves Starbucks.) For some time, all of Tim's meal trays were not needed for him to receive, because he was unable to eat, but the Starbucks was always simply a sight for literally sore eyes and a pick-me-up kickstart for an aching heart. It would help to be alert with constant docs and nurses tending to Tim. Surgeries, changes, tests, ... Thank you, Cousin Andrea!
Thank you to all of you who sent Starbucks gift cards! SO THOUGHTFUL! I am still using them!
Phone charger.
The night of the accident I grabbed my phone, but not my charger. Around 2 am on Sunday, Dec. 8, my phone was starting to die.
I suddenly remembered that in August, when our Caleb was admitted to DeVos with his broken femur, Caleb's nurse told us that the most frequently left-behind item is the phone charger.
I ran to the nurses' station and asked if they had one there that happened to fit my phone. Sure enough, they did. I plugged in my phone to charge. A few minutes later, a nurse entered with the list of Tim's known injuries. Soon after my phone charged a bit, I was able to post the update to Facebook from the phone.
So many more things I will share...I could go on and on and on! I will continue, add, save for later!!! :)
Dear Family & Friends,
We give thanks to God for your faithful love, prayers and support!
We give thanks to God for each day of life in Christ!
What Tim has been up to lately...
Friday, May 30 ~ Tim goes to work for a few hours. I give thanks to God for Kenton, who drives Tim home.
Saturday, May 31 ~ We give thanks to God for Friend Don Zwagerman, who plants the rented field, and for Brother Brent, who plants our home field!
Thank you to Friends Tom & Cheryl Zwagerman for driving Tim out into the field on their Gator as Brother Brent plants.
Sunday, June 1 ~ I drop Tim, Caleb, Joel & Lilly off at church while Luke and I stay home from church. Luke has a fever & sore throat, and we give thanks to God that Luke tested negative for strep on Saturday. :)
Monday, June 2 ~ Since Feb. 1, when we returned home, our home health care schedule has been:
Home nurse here - Mondays
Home Physical Therapist here - Tuesdays, Thursdays and, more recently added, Fridays
Today we celebrate the evidence of God's healing hand!
After 4 months of home health care, we give thanks to God that today, Tim is officially discharged from home health care.
Home nursing would check on Tim's open wounds and vitals. They would evaluate his emotional and physical well being, responses to meds, and many other things. :)
The open wounds on Tim's body have reached a point of healing, where Tim's doctors and home nursing support the decision to discharge Tim from home nursing care. Tim's vitals, responses to meds, etc., have proven to be strong enough to discharge him as well.
Home physical therapy would work with Tim on building, strengthening, and stretching muscles and working joints and tendons in Tim's left leg, foot and ankle. Tim's docs & home physical therapy have also determined that Tim has strengthened enough to move on to outpatient physical therapy, which will provide greater opportunities for strengthening.
At this time, Tim remains a patient of:
Dr. Ringler (orthopedic/trauma surgeon) - GR - next appt. is mid-July
Dr. Do (reconstructive surgeon) - GR - next appt. is early July
Dr. Anderson (foot & ankle surgeon) - GR - next appt. is late June
Dr. Kroeze (primary care doc) - Holland
Holland Hospital Outpatient Physical Therapy, Troy Weiling
Since Dec. 26, Tim has also been a patient of Dr. Bloom, with Mary Free Bed. We have recently asked to be discharged from Dr. Bloom's care, as many other docs are overseeing Tim's health at this time. Dr. Bloom agreed that it makes sense to discharge.
We give thanks to God that we are able to move on in these ways.
Following the May 1 outpatient surgery, God has blessed Tim with healing. The outcomes of the surgery are:
- Dr. Anderson lengthened some of Tim's tendons, which has repositioned his foot, and allows him to almost place his foot flat on the floor
- Tim's surgical repositioning allows for increased and improved blood flow. Although swelling is still part of Tim's leg, ankle and foot, it is greatly reduced.
I drive Tim to work, and I give thanks to God for Justin Thomas, who drives Tim home from work!
Tuesday, June 3 ~ off to GR for appt. with therapist to fit Tim's leg, ankle and foot with compression stocking.
Wednesday, June 4 ~ I drive Tim to work, and I give thanks to God for Kenton, who drops Tim off from work.
Thursday, June 5 ~ PT in Holland -
Appt. with Troy Weiling, Physical Therapist with Holland Hospital Rehabilitative Services, Tim's next physical therapist.
I (Teresa) met Troy a few years ago when I needed therapy for an overuse/shoulder injury. Troy then became a beef customer. And now, we return to him for PT for Tim. We pray that God will bless Tim through Troy. We pray that Lord-willing, Tim will able to build the muscles & gain the mobility needed to walk again. God has blessed Tim through DOZENS of therapists, who have helped Tim reach the point where he is now. We give thanks to God for providing effective healing through each one of them. Now it's Troy's turn. :)
Consistent with the doc's prescription for therapy, Troy determines that at this time, it is best to start Tim at 2 sessions of PT/week, 45 min/session. Therapy will take place at the Holland Hospital Rehab on 120th Ave., in the Shoreline Building.
Tim's medical caregivers agree, as do we all, that they would love to see Tim wear a shoe again, and they would love to see him walk again...with no walker, crutches or cane.
How long will it take to achieve these goals?
Only God knows. All involved agree, that no human knows.
Will Tim achieve this goal?
Lord-willing, yes.
Let's say Tim's boot is off of his foot. You say, "Move your foot, Tim!" He can wiggle his pinkie toe. That's it. Much healing and strengthening needs to take place in order for Tim to walk again. Please continue to pray for healing, patience and endurance for Tim, and for our family.
Will Tim need more surgeries on his leg/ankle/foot?
Possibly. We just don't know.
Even though we don't have scheduled appts., we have continued to communicate regularly with Tim's docs regarding progress, limitations, questions, etc., since returning home, and now as we move into outpatient therapy.
After the appt., I drive Tim to work. I give thanks to God for Kenton, who drives Tim home from work.
Upcoming, Lord-willing:
Friday, June 6 ~ Tim would like to go into work.
Saturday, June 7 ~ 6 months since.
Sunday, June 8 ~ Church with family
Monday, June 9 ~ Tim would like to go into work.
Tuesday, June 10 ~ PT & Work
Wednesday, June 11 ~ Work
Thursday, June 12 ~ Work
Friday, June 13 ~ PT & Work
Sunday, June 15 ~ FATHER'S DAY!!!
Physical therapy exercises are now part of our family's daily and nightly routine. In order for Tim to get a few decent hours of sleep at night, and for him to tolerate a normal day of activity, Tim, with the help of others in our family, stretch, bend, roll and push on Tim's foot, ankle and leg, according to what PT has taught us.
Please continue to pray for our family as we adjust to daily needs and as we live day by day. We rely on God's grace.
Please continue to pray for patience for Tim as he relies on others for help.
We give thanks to God for safety. Tim decided to drive the other day, with children in the van. Tim accidentally ran a red light. The vehicles were able to stop before hitting our van.
Physically, Tim is ABLE to drive. However, the process of weaning him from meds takes time. It will be late June when Tim's docs will be able to approve him to drive again, and even then, it will have been 6 1/2 months since Tim would have last driven on a normal basis. We ask for prayers for patience and safety as, Lord-willing, Tim will begin to drive late June.
We give thanks to God for progress. We know that God will never leave or forsake us. God keeps His promises, and we trust Him!
We are ever grateful for your love, prayers and support! Thank you for giving! Thank you for helping!
From Isaiah 40:
Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
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