Dad walked into and out of church yesterday for the first time in over four months. Mom informed me that they went to Wal-Mart on Saturday and he rode around in the motorized scooters, riding around while Mom shopped. He has been going to physical therapy three times a week for an hour each time and it has really helped him. He's able to walk further and further every day with his walker and his strength is definitely improving.
If you're in the area, please don't forget about the benefit being held at Deep River Baptist Church on Saturday. There have been some silent auction items donated, so please don't miss out. There will be hand-made Christmas tree ornaments, a Thomas Kincade picture, and a pie-safe made by Grier Stout. I'm not going to lie, I'm secretly trying to find a place in Condo C to put the pie safe! ;) Just for good measure, here's the info again.
SATURDAY, October 13, 2007
From noon until they run out of food
4095 Deep River Road
Ramseur, NC 27316
(in Coleridge off Hwy. 42)
BBQ, pinto beans, cole slaw, hushpuppies, and homemade desserts
Sit down or pick up a plate, they'll even have a "drive through" set up in the front of the church
We'll be there all day so make sure to say hello! And we'll hopefully get to see Dad walking around some which will be awesome!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Daddy update and BENEFIT INFO!
Dad has improved dramatically in the past few weeks. He's using a walker and knee braces to walk around the house. He's even walked down and then back up the ramp outside the house. He's had a few doctor's appointments lately but little to update on. His back doctor wants him to continue using the back brace for at least one more month. His knee doctor does not want to do knee surgery on his left leg until he is out of the back brace. So he's hoping for one more month til surgery. Once he has the surgery, he'll have to stay off of his legs for at least six weeks so that will be a change for him. However, once the surgery is over, it's all recovery from that point on! The good news is he's getting out of the house more. He had lunch last Friday at a cafeteria and then went to church on Sunday.
Here's some pictures of Dad recently:
With Bub, James Aaron and Darren
Walking up the ramp after a trip out.
Dad and Uncle Butch walking around the house.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Deep River Baptist Church's Adult Sunday School Class wanted to do something to show Dad they are supporting him through it all. So they are holding a BBQ Benefit meal for Dad and here's the details:
SATURDAY, October 13, 2007
From noon until they run out of food
4095 Deep River Road
Ramseur, NC 27316
(in Coleridge off Hwy. 42)
BBQ, pinto beans, cole slaw, hushpuppies, and homemade desserts
Sit down or pick up a plate, they'll even have a "drive through" set up in the FRONT (not the back of the church as earlier mentioned)!
If you have any questions or would like to know how you can help, please email me.
We are all so grateful for such a wonderful church family. They are going to be VERY blessed for all of their hard work they are putting into this!
Here's some pictures of Dad recently:
With Bub, James Aaron and Darren
Walking up the ramp after a trip out.
Dad and Uncle Butch walking around the house.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Deep River Baptist Church's Adult Sunday School Class wanted to do something to show Dad they are supporting him through it all. So they are holding a BBQ Benefit meal for Dad and here's the details:
SATURDAY, October 13, 2007
From noon until they run out of food
4095 Deep River Road
Ramseur, NC 27316
(in Coleridge off Hwy. 42)
BBQ, pinto beans, cole slaw, hushpuppies, and homemade desserts
Sit down or pick up a plate, they'll even have a "drive through" set up in the FRONT (not the back of the church as earlier mentioned)!
If you have any questions or would like to know how you can help, please email me.
We are all so grateful for such a wonderful church family. They are going to be VERY blessed for all of their hard work they are putting into this!
Monday, September 3, 2007
App State with the biggest upset EVER!!!
We were there. We were at the game that changed history. The first time a 1-AA team has stomped an AP Ranked 1-A team. Final score- Appalachian State 34- Michigan 32. And the underdog won it all.
Here's the view from section 24, row 82, conveniently located under the press box for maximum shade:
Jason took this with his iPhone. Our friend Dan has some amazing pictures he took with his camera so as soon as he sends them our way, we will post them as well.
We heard on Sunday that there were something like 3,000 ASU fans in the audience... keep in mind there were over 109,000 people there!!! We were the only three App fans in our section so we were definitely getting some mean looks when we were jumping up and down celebrating the win. Fortunately, the MI fans were nice but I think it was just out of shock. No one expected this mountain team to come out and score, much less win against Michigan!!! It was nuts.
I don't think we realized how big the win was until we were exiting the stadium. From behind, we hear a man's voice say, "We are the laughing stock of the nation right now!" That pretty much said it all. We won. We beat the number five team. AT THE BIG HOUSE! Incredible.
Before the game, the ASU Alumni Association hosted an alumni brunch/tailgate. They set up a huge tent, had food and drinks and it was a great place for us to get worked up for the game. Here's a shot of some of the tailgaters:
You can see the App flags and decals. We were all sorts of excited just to be there! A big shout out to our friends Amanda and Chris Griggs from the ASU Alumni Association who were wonderful hosts.
After the game, we were still in shock and couldn't believe what had happened. We are still, on Monday, addicted to ESPN and all the sports highlights because we cannot believe we are seeing our school on tv. We hear from Jason's mom that she's sending us the now famous "Michigan Who?" t-shirts. We can't wait. All I have to say is GO APP STATE!!!
Here's the view from section 24, row 82, conveniently located under the press box for maximum shade:
Jason took this with his iPhone. Our friend Dan has some amazing pictures he took with his camera so as soon as he sends them our way, we will post them as well.
We heard on Sunday that there were something like 3,000 ASU fans in the audience... keep in mind there were over 109,000 people there!!! We were the only three App fans in our section so we were definitely getting some mean looks when we were jumping up and down celebrating the win. Fortunately, the MI fans were nice but I think it was just out of shock. No one expected this mountain team to come out and score, much less win against Michigan!!! It was nuts.
I don't think we realized how big the win was until we were exiting the stadium. From behind, we hear a man's voice say, "We are the laughing stock of the nation right now!" That pretty much said it all. We won. We beat the number five team. AT THE BIG HOUSE! Incredible.
Before the game, the ASU Alumni Association hosted an alumni brunch/tailgate. They set up a huge tent, had food and drinks and it was a great place for us to get worked up for the game. Here's a shot of some of the tailgaters:
You can see the App flags and decals. We were all sorts of excited just to be there! A big shout out to our friends Amanda and Chris Griggs from the ASU Alumni Association who were wonderful hosts.
After the game, we were still in shock and couldn't believe what had happened. We are still, on Monday, addicted to ESPN and all the sports highlights because we cannot believe we are seeing our school on tv. We hear from Jason's mom that she's sending us the now famous "Michigan Who?" t-shirts. We can't wait. All I have to say is GO APP STATE!!!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Little Steps...
Dad has come so far in the last few days. As I wrote the other day, he's been standing up and has even taken a few steps using his walker for balance. He says it's really hard because his left knee is extremely tight and his right foot is just unable to contribute because it's just sort of hanging there. He has to pick his right foot up to move it, but we are all hoping and praying that the movement and feeling in his right foot will return gradually. He stood up the other day for over five minutes which is a long time for him.
He has a doctor's appointment this week and with the help of the physical therapist, he's hoping to be able to get into a regular vehicle and not have to use an ambulance to get there. He says he can move his left knee about 45 degrees on his own, but anything much further than that is extremely painful. So if he is able to get into a vehicle, he will be far more mobile than he is now and may be able to get out of the house more. What a relief!
Darren starts back to school this week and Melissa starts full time at her job soon so it's going to be hard for everyone to get settled into a new routine. However, I'm sure they will have lots of folks stopping by to keep Dad company so he'll have plenty to do. And remember, keep emailing him!
He has a doctor's appointment this week and with the help of the physical therapist, he's hoping to be able to get into a regular vehicle and not have to use an ambulance to get there. He says he can move his left knee about 45 degrees on his own, but anything much further than that is extremely painful. So if he is able to get into a vehicle, he will be far more mobile than he is now and may be able to get out of the house more. What a relief!
Darren starts back to school this week and Melissa starts full time at her job soon so it's going to be hard for everyone to get settled into a new routine. However, I'm sure they will have lots of folks stopping by to keep Dad company so he'll have plenty to do. And remember, keep emailing him!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Standing up
I had a wonderful conversation yesterday with dad when about halfway through, he mentioned that he stood up for the first time!! With the physical therapist and his sitter at his side, helping him up, he was able to stand up on his legs for the first time since the accident. It's one GIANT step in the recovery process and we are all excited.
I asked him if he was light headed while standing and he said no, but that it felt weird. He had a walker he was using to take some of the weight off his legs, but for the most part, he was holding himself up. He stood up twice, not for very long, but it's the first time since the accident that he's been able to get up on his feet at all.
He's also got a laptop from work and is able to check his email now. Jason had the insight to install wireless internet at their house, so he is connected. Please email him if you get a chance, he'd love to hear from you! He's checking it daily and it has been really good for his morale.
I forgot to post this the other day, but this is Dad with our cousin Emily so here's a picture:
I asked him if he was light headed while standing and he said no, but that it felt weird. He had a walker he was using to take some of the weight off his legs, but for the most part, he was holding himself up. He stood up twice, not for very long, but it's the first time since the accident that he's been able to get up on his feet at all.
He's also got a laptop from work and is able to check his email now. Jason had the insight to install wireless internet at their house, so he is connected. Please email him if you get a chance, he'd love to hear from you! He's checking it daily and it has been really good for his morale.
I forgot to post this the other day, but this is Dad with our cousin Emily so here's a picture:
Monday, August 20, 2007
Pictures
This was in the ambulance on the way home from the hospital two weeks ago. See those boots? They are gone!
Dad with his three beautiful children!
Finally, no more rods and pins in his legs!! The saying like father, like son is SO TRUE in this picture!
New braces! We are all waiting for the day when he just gets out of bed and walks around the room. ;)
Finally... a new posting!
I'm so sorry this has taken so long. I started a new job last week and things have just been really hectic lately... so here's the latest.
Last week, Dad went to the doctor for the surgery he's waited for for weeks. He had his external fixators removed, finally! While he was asleep, they moved his knees to see how much flexibility he had in his legs. The left knee moved 100 degrees while the right knee moved 120 degrees. Keep in mind, this is the first movement he's had in his knees in over 7 weeks so this alone is an accomplishment.
They also did MRI's on his knees so that they could see internally how much nerve, muscle, tendon damage he had. They have concluded that they will definitely have to do reconstructive surgery on the left knee. It's still up in the air regarding the right knee. They have opted for four to six weeks of physical therapy and then they will take a second look at the right knee.
At this point, the main concern is how much strength and stability each leg has. The legs could have strength, but not stability, and vice versa. This is what they are going to try to figure out through physical therapy.
They have a lovely "dad sitter" that comes and stays with him during the day while Mom goes to work. This has been good for them both because it allows Mom to get back to work without worrying about him.
I just talked to Mom and she said that he was just up, sitting on the edge of his bed with his feet almost on the floor just a few minutes ago. He sat there for about 15 minutes, just getting readjusted to having his feet near the ground.
He's started moving the fourth toe on his right foot so all that's left is the big toe. This is an answer to all of our prayers as he is regaining movement and feeling in his foot. Mom is sending me more pictures of his legs here in a few minutes so there will be more to see.
Last week, Dad went to the doctor for the surgery he's waited for for weeks. He had his external fixators removed, finally! While he was asleep, they moved his knees to see how much flexibility he had in his legs. The left knee moved 100 degrees while the right knee moved 120 degrees. Keep in mind, this is the first movement he's had in his knees in over 7 weeks so this alone is an accomplishment.
They also did MRI's on his knees so that they could see internally how much nerve, muscle, tendon damage he had. They have concluded that they will definitely have to do reconstructive surgery on the left knee. It's still up in the air regarding the right knee. They have opted for four to six weeks of physical therapy and then they will take a second look at the right knee.
At this point, the main concern is how much strength and stability each leg has. The legs could have strength, but not stability, and vice versa. This is what they are going to try to figure out through physical therapy.
They have a lovely "dad sitter" that comes and stays with him during the day while Mom goes to work. This has been good for them both because it allows Mom to get back to work without worrying about him.
I just talked to Mom and she said that he was just up, sitting on the edge of his bed with his feet almost on the floor just a few minutes ago. He sat there for about 15 minutes, just getting readjusted to having his feet near the ground.
He's started moving the fourth toe on his right foot so all that's left is the big toe. This is an answer to all of our prayers as he is regaining movement and feeling in his foot. Mom is sending me more pictures of his legs here in a few minutes so there will be more to see.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
More updates...
Today Dad had doctor's appointments at Chapel Hill, so the ambulance came and picked him up, and along he went. The back doctor said everything looked good. The x-rays looked good and he has to wear the hard plastic brace for two to three more months. The best part of the day is that this morning, dad asked mom to check, but he thought he could feel himself wiggling his toes on his right foot. Sure enough, he was wiggling them for the first time since the accident! He said he can feel it when you touch his foot in certain spots so our hope is that this is the beginning of his feeling coming back in his foot completely. Let's pray that his body is healing itself.
WARNING: The bottom pictures are of dad's wounds. They have healed so well and we want to make sure that y'all can see the progression his body is making. However, it's a little graphic so please don't look if you have a week stomach.
He has another appointment tomorrow with the knee doctors so we'll know more. And now, some pictures...
Uncle Butch and Dad at home
Taylor and Dad
Matthew's wife Jennifer gave dad a hair cut as he sat up in his wheelchair
Dad's back doctors, Dr. Mathur (right) is the one that performed his surgery
This is the vein graft site. The scars on the left are from the incisions he received when he hit the ground during his fall. The main scar here is where they put the vein in and if you remember, it was open for a really long time so it's healing very well.
This is his right foot and the blister sites that are healing.
Here's his left foot with a few scars on it.
As you can tell, he's come a long way already. We'll go to the doctor tomorrow again so that they can examine his knees and we can get a scope on what is left to come. Wish us luck!
WARNING: The bottom pictures are of dad's wounds. They have healed so well and we want to make sure that y'all can see the progression his body is making. However, it's a little graphic so please don't look if you have a week stomach.
He has another appointment tomorrow with the knee doctors so we'll know more. And now, some pictures...
Uncle Butch and Dad at home
Taylor and Dad
Matthew's wife Jennifer gave dad a hair cut as he sat up in his wheelchair
Dad's back doctors, Dr. Mathur (right) is the one that performed his surgery
This is the vein graft site. The scars on the left are from the incisions he received when he hit the ground during his fall. The main scar here is where they put the vein in and if you remember, it was open for a really long time so it's healing very well.
This is his right foot and the blister sites that are healing.
Here's his left foot with a few scars on it.
As you can tell, he's come a long way already. We'll go to the doctor tomorrow again so that they can examine his knees and we can get a scope on what is left to come. Wish us luck!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Homecoming
Before going home, Melissa visited him at the hospital and I just had to put this up because I think she's so beautiful!!
Here's what greeted Dad when he arrived, Darrens handmade "Welcome Home" sign hanging on the ramp and some yellow bows and balloons.
The ambulance drove him almost right up to the ramp and wheeled him in.
Being pulled up the new ramp in the stretcher.
Darren is volunteering at the hospital this summer and has been in the physical therapy department a lot helping out. During this time, he's been picking up tricks he can use with Dad so here he is working his leg muscles. Doesn't he look like a professional in his scrubs???
I talked to Dad yesterday and he said that Melissa is really going above and beyond to help him and Mom. Here she is massaging and working Dad's leg muscles. She's been so helpful, making runs to get Dad what he needs and cooking breakfast. She's a worker bee, that's for sure.
Like father, like son. ;)
Welcome home Dad!!! (sign made by Melissa)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Finally... HOME!!!
Yesterday Dad and Mom got the break they've been looking for and they made their way home. Dad had to ride in an ambulance because of his legs, so Mom led the way in her car and the ambulance followed behind. My brother and sister had put up balloons and signs welcoming Dad home and he had a good meal last night for dinner. It's such a relief for everyone to have him home. And he got to use the new ramp for the first time built by the guys at Sanford Contractors. He loved it!!
I would like to take a quick moment to say that we really appreciate all the cards, phone calls and visits from everyone while Dad was at the hospital. It has done wonders for his spirits to know that he has so many folks cheering him on. Since he'll be home now, we know he will have even more friends and family visiting daily which is wonderful. At the same time, it would be helpful to everyone if these visits were kept brief since we want to make sure he has time to rest and recover.
Again, thank you all for everything, I promise I will put pictures up of his homecoming as soon as I get them from Mom!
I would like to take a quick moment to say that we really appreciate all the cards, phone calls and visits from everyone while Dad was at the hospital. It has done wonders for his spirits to know that he has so many folks cheering him on. Since he'll be home now, we know he will have even more friends and family visiting daily which is wonderful. At the same time, it would be helpful to everyone if these visits were kept brief since we want to make sure he has time to rest and recover.
Again, thank you all for everything, I promise I will put pictures up of his homecoming as soon as I get them from Mom!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Things are looking up...
I just talked to mom on the phone and she said that Dad is improving. He got rid of his IV, drainage tubes and oxygen this morning. He's sitting up at an incline now and is on a liquid diet. Mom said he had some jello this morning for breakfast and before we left last night, he had some jello and cherry italian ice.
The vascular team came in and removed the 14 staples in Dad's right leg (on the left side where they took the vein from). Now that the staples are gone, he doesn't have to wear the ace bandage wrapped around his right leg so that is one step closer to having his wounds heal!
Of course we're not getting too excited (yet) but the word is that he may be able to go home tomorrow. They did an x-ray on his back to see how well his surgery helped to create the natural curve in his spine and if that comes back well, then he will be home bound. Things are looking up so keep the prayers a coming!
The vascular team came in and removed the 14 staples in Dad's right leg (on the left side where they took the vein from). Now that the staples are gone, he doesn't have to wear the ace bandage wrapped around his right leg so that is one step closer to having his wounds heal!
Of course we're not getting too excited (yet) but the word is that he may be able to go home tomorrow. They did an x-ray on his back to see how well his surgery helped to create the natural curve in his spine and if that comes back well, then he will be home bound. Things are looking up so keep the prayers a coming!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Surgery is over, and here's some pics
Dad had a slew of visitors on Wednesday, the initial day he was supposed to have surgery. Here's some of them above.
Dad's coworkers from Sanford Contractors came by. From left to right, they are Richard, Randall, Mark and Brent. Thanks guys for coming by so much, it really helps his spirits!
Out of surgery: Surgery took about 6 hours. We waited and waited for the doctor to come out. Finally he came out said that they took a small piece of bone from his left hip and placed it in his vertebrae with cement and screws to make that natural curve in his spine. He will have to lay flat on his back for 48 hours and will have a scar about 4 inches long on his back. He's got an IV, back on oxygen and is resting quietly. He's halfway through but the next 24 hours will be long, I'm sure but so far he's been resting a lot which is good. Here's dad and I getting some rest...
We're not sure when he'll be coming home, but we're hoping it's soon. A big thank you to all of those who have sent cards in the last week... I bet we got over 25 in the past few days!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Surgery Update
It's 12:39 pm on Friday and Dad's still in surgery as far as we know. We arrived at 10:45 am and mom said that Dad had gone back for surgery at about 8 am. We're hanging around in the waiting room with a wheelchair full of stuff because we're not sure what room he'll be moved to next.
They had to put electrodes on his head to monitor his brain waves because they are going to be close to his spinal cord. I really hope to get a picture of this so that I can show it to him later on. He'll be so mad that they messed up his hair!
I'll update this once he's out of surgery, but until then, we'll be sitting here waiting...
They had to put electrodes on his head to monitor his brain waves because they are going to be close to his spinal cord. I really hope to get a picture of this so that I can show it to him later on. He'll be so mad that they messed up his hair!
I'll update this once he's out of surgery, but until then, we'll be sitting here waiting...
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
FRIDAY - Surgery Day
Tommorow, Dad will undergo surgery on his back to help fix his crushed L3 vertebrae. Dad explained it to me saying that a healthy back is curved and his back is currently straight. If his back isn't corrected by surgery, he will lean forward for the rest of his life and that will lead to arthritis and other problems. The doctors recommended taking care of this as soon as possible so tomorrow at 7:30 am, he will go in. The surgery will last 2 1/2 to 3 hours and then he will have a scar that's about four inches long. They said that he may be able to come home in 2-3 days so that's a positive. I'll update this as soon as I know the outcome of his surgery, but please think good thoughts and keep praying!!
Oh, and a big "THANK YOU" to the folks from Sanford Contractors that finished the ramp today. You guys are amazing and we can't wait to get home and put it to good use!!
UPDATE: Dad's surgery was postponed on Wednesday and we're told it will be FOR SURE Friday at 7:30 am. We're not sure why he got "bumped" but he's ready to get this surgery over!
Oh, and a big "THANK YOU" to the folks from Sanford Contractors that finished the ramp today. You guys are amazing and we can't wait to get home and put it to good use!!
UPDATE: Dad's surgery was postponed on Wednesday and we're told it will be FOR SURE Friday at 7:30 am. We're not sure why he got "bumped" but he's ready to get this surgery over!
Monday, July 16, 2007
The world's best nurses, hospital bed & ramp
Here's what's been going on lately in no particular order:
Nurses make the world go round: Meet Edgar, Dad's favorite day shift nurse. Ironically, Edgar is one of the nurses that took care of my aunt Emily when she was in the rehab wing at UNC hospital several years ago. Uncle Dale was visiting when Edgar came in one day and they instantly recognized each other. Small world. Edgar even asked for dad's telephone number and address so that when he takes his kids to the NC Zoo, he can stop in and check up on dad. How nice is that?!?
Kathy is Dad's favorite day shift nurse. From what I hear, she's very attentive.
Cards: Dad has received so many cards from so many people that mom decided it was time to show them off. Luckily, my cousin Carson came to the rescue. He and his grandpa Donny taped the cards to the door.
Here they are sharing a box of chocolates. The doors are full, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need more cards... when he goes home, he'll need even more cards to decorate with.
I think mom said that he had over 70 cards... wow!
Playing a tune: Dad's boss Randall came for a visit and found a baby grand piano on the rehab floor. So he entertained mom and dad for a while. At their wedding, they had the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" played. At our wedding, we had the pianist play it in honor of them and it's become a special song for us all. Randall played "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on the baby grand and mom called us so that we could enjoy.
It sounded wonderful, Randall!
Getting ready: Mom went home today to get the house ready for Dad's arrival. They delivered the hospital bed (seen here), the wheel chair, the bed table, and the triangular bar without the trapeze bar.
The bed he's been using at the hospital is an air mattress. It will periodically inflate and deflate itself to contour toward his body. This is great because it prevents bed sores. We were lucky enough to get an air mattress for the house so it is nice!
Men at Work: The men from Sanford Contractor's came out today to begin working on the ramp in the front of the house. Our Uncle Butch LOVED this and spent the day supervising and I'm sure swapping old car stories.
Above is Ken who has spearheaded the ramp project. Keep in mind, it was 94 degrees today and they were out in the hot sun and never once complained.
Uncle Butch is above in the blue. He and his wife have been such a blessing to us lately. They will go and stay with Dad when Mom goes home and allow her to take little breaks during the week that do her a lot of good. A big hats off to them!
We're still expecting Dad to go home on Wednesday so we'll update with more pictures then...
Nurses make the world go round: Meet Edgar, Dad's favorite day shift nurse. Ironically, Edgar is one of the nurses that took care of my aunt Emily when she was in the rehab wing at UNC hospital several years ago. Uncle Dale was visiting when Edgar came in one day and they instantly recognized each other. Small world. Edgar even asked for dad's telephone number and address so that when he takes his kids to the NC Zoo, he can stop in and check up on dad. How nice is that?!?
Kathy is Dad's favorite day shift nurse. From what I hear, she's very attentive.
Cards: Dad has received so many cards from so many people that mom decided it was time to show them off. Luckily, my cousin Carson came to the rescue. He and his grandpa Donny taped the cards to the door.
Here they are sharing a box of chocolates. The doors are full, but that doesn't mean he doesn't need more cards... when he goes home, he'll need even more cards to decorate with.
I think mom said that he had over 70 cards... wow!
Playing a tune: Dad's boss Randall came for a visit and found a baby grand piano on the rehab floor. So he entertained mom and dad for a while. At their wedding, they had the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" played. At our wedding, we had the pianist play it in honor of them and it's become a special song for us all. Randall played "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on the baby grand and mom called us so that we could enjoy.
It sounded wonderful, Randall!
Getting ready: Mom went home today to get the house ready for Dad's arrival. They delivered the hospital bed (seen here), the wheel chair, the bed table, and the triangular bar without the trapeze bar.
The bed he's been using at the hospital is an air mattress. It will periodically inflate and deflate itself to contour toward his body. This is great because it prevents bed sores. We were lucky enough to get an air mattress for the house so it is nice!
Men at Work: The men from Sanford Contractor's came out today to begin working on the ramp in the front of the house. Our Uncle Butch LOVED this and spent the day supervising and I'm sure swapping old car stories.
Above is Ken who has spearheaded the ramp project. Keep in mind, it was 94 degrees today and they were out in the hot sun and never once complained.
Uncle Butch is above in the blue. He and his wife have been such a blessing to us lately. They will go and stay with Dad when Mom goes home and allow her to take little breaks during the week that do her a lot of good. A big hats off to them!
We're still expecting Dad to go home on Wednesday so we'll update with more pictures then...
Friday, July 13, 2007
Lots of photos!
Here's pictures of Dad and what he's been up to. WARNING- at the bottom are pictures of his injuries that may be a little too much for some folks. Please use caution when viewing!
(above) Wes, the Physical Therapist, is teaching Dad some new moves to use on his good foot.
Dad is enjoying the massage therapy Wes gives him on his injured foot.
Here's his back brace that he has to wear when he's sitting up or moving around.
This is his first venture out of the 7th floor. Mom pushed him to the main entrance and then to the Children's Hospital entrance. This 2-story "maze" is pretty fascinating. There are about 10 balls moving around at a time and it makes noise and is just something neat to look at. Children love it.
Ok Randall, play this baby Grand! (Actually, it plays some songs on its own)
Kevin helps Dad strengthen his upper body. He pulls these rubber bands across his chest and gets a good workout!
Here's a good shot of the trapeze bars. You can't see his triangle bar that dangles over his head that well, but this allows him to pull himself up and move his back around. He finds this to be helpful because he can move around to get comfortable.
Dr. Ibazebo is his rehabilitation doctor and he has been wonderful! Here you can see his triangle above his head.
His rehab team: Dr. Atkinson, an intern doctor, Dr. Ibazebo, and Susan the nurse.
This is the nurse that welcomed us to the rehab department. She comes by almost daily to say hello and see how Dad's progressing.
Here's Mom helping to hold Dad up while he sits on the edge of his bed. Believe it or not, this is considered physical therapy because he's not lying in the bed, he's actually moving around. He says his is such a relief to be able to move around :)
WARNING- THESE PICTURES ARE A LITTLE GROSS... You've been warned.
Twice a day, Dad's dressing on his wounds must be changed. When his kidneys weren't functioning correctly, his body was so swollen that the fluid had nowhere to go. So it created little pockets like blisters just under his skin. This dark spot in the next picture is what happens when these blisters burst and the fluid leaks out. It then scabs over and starts to heal. It doesn't look pretty, but it's healing!
(above) This is where Dr. Brabham, the vascular surgeon, took the piece of vein out and then put it in on the other side (next picture).
This is where the by-pass graft was done. They placed the vein inside this wound and it is, essentially, what saved his leg. That's right folks, you're looking at a miracle! As the swelling goes down, they will be able to tighten these sutures and then it will be able to heal. They can't do the knee surgery until this wound is healed so we're hoping it will hurry up!
Thanks for looking folks, I'll have some more pictures soon.
(above) Wes, the Physical Therapist, is teaching Dad some new moves to use on his good foot.
Dad is enjoying the massage therapy Wes gives him on his injured foot.
Here's his back brace that he has to wear when he's sitting up or moving around.
This is his first venture out of the 7th floor. Mom pushed him to the main entrance and then to the Children's Hospital entrance. This 2-story "maze" is pretty fascinating. There are about 10 balls moving around at a time and it makes noise and is just something neat to look at. Children love it.
Ok Randall, play this baby Grand! (Actually, it plays some songs on its own)
Kevin helps Dad strengthen his upper body. He pulls these rubber bands across his chest and gets a good workout!
Here's a good shot of the trapeze bars. You can't see his triangle bar that dangles over his head that well, but this allows him to pull himself up and move his back around. He finds this to be helpful because he can move around to get comfortable.
Dr. Ibazebo is his rehabilitation doctor and he has been wonderful! Here you can see his triangle above his head.
His rehab team: Dr. Atkinson, an intern doctor, Dr. Ibazebo, and Susan the nurse.
This is the nurse that welcomed us to the rehab department. She comes by almost daily to say hello and see how Dad's progressing.
Here's Mom helping to hold Dad up while he sits on the edge of his bed. Believe it or not, this is considered physical therapy because he's not lying in the bed, he's actually moving around. He says his is such a relief to be able to move around :)
WARNING- THESE PICTURES ARE A LITTLE GROSS... You've been warned.
Twice a day, Dad's dressing on his wounds must be changed. When his kidneys weren't functioning correctly, his body was so swollen that the fluid had nowhere to go. So it created little pockets like blisters just under his skin. This dark spot in the next picture is what happens when these blisters burst and the fluid leaks out. It then scabs over and starts to heal. It doesn't look pretty, but it's healing!
(above) This is where Dr. Brabham, the vascular surgeon, took the piece of vein out and then put it in on the other side (next picture).
This is where the by-pass graft was done. They placed the vein inside this wound and it is, essentially, what saved his leg. That's right folks, you're looking at a miracle! As the swelling goes down, they will be able to tighten these sutures and then it will be able to heal. They can't do the knee surgery until this wound is healed so we're hoping it will hurry up!
Thanks for looking folks, I'll have some more pictures soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)