Tim here....

Tim here.

First of all I want the thank you, thank you, thank you for all the support, both prayer and physically you have given and are presently giving me and my family during this most trying time. The Lord's mercy is great and good and I have known that to the fullest extent from my brothers and sisters in Christ - believe me.

I am now at home now (my mother-in-law's) residence in Texas City which is single story and seems to have just been made for my situation. My brother-in-law build me a fine ramp on the back door which allows me to enter and exit the house in my wheel chair at will. I am able to tool around in the large back yard on the grass (which is taxing in itself) and to do some chores around the house. I've been able to cook some, both in the house and on the electric smoker in the back in order to somewhat help Bonnie with her caring for her mother who is in assisted living and not doing well at all.

This afternoon I have an appointment at TIRR (Texas Institute for Research and Rehabilitation) and am looking forward to that as they specialize in spinal cord and back injuries. My daughter asked me to not be shallow on my first blog and to put the "nitty gritty as to my condition. Well I think it's as good as can be expected under the circumstances under which I find myself here but the nitty gritty is that I realize I am extremely fortunate, blessed would be more accurate to be where I am today. Room does not premit my listing all the circumstances of knowing the Lord's faithfullness in all this.

Like how I obtained the Doctor, I have now to Dan and Kathryn Fischer and on another occasion Hershel Rosser ( a senior pastor at Vineyard in Sugar Land) laying hands on me in prayer and me feeling an improvement in my physical condition the next day.
These and many more are the nitty gritty of my condition.and I suspect will continue to be.

Again thank you, thank you, thank you.

Tim

Dad Now able to Post

Howdy! This is just a short note to let you know that Dad will be able to post on here also. If I post I will state that it is me, otherwise Dad will be updating.

Overall things have been trucking along. Dad found a Dr that he likes there in Texas City and he is able to get his cumiden testing done there also. Starting today he is going to TIRR twice a week for therapy. Please pray for mom's health and that she is able to physically drive especially on those days as they have to come into Houston. I will let dad post more in details as he has now been home for a couple of weeks.

MeeMaw is still not doing well...although, thankfully Mom is now only about 5 minutes away from her with them living in Texas City.

Mom and Dad's house is now posted and up for sale, please pray for God's timing on the sale of the house.
http://search.har.com/engine/doSearch.cfm?QUICKSEARCH=4333%20S%20Jefferson&FOR_SALE=1

Thank you so much for all the continued prayers. This transition that Mom and Dad are going through is not easy for anyone and life as they knew it before is totally different. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to live/adjust in the "craziness" of it all. ~E~

*Singing* Free, Free I'm Free Indeed, Thank God Almighty I'm Free Indeed....

Dad was released from the Nursing Rehab last Thursday, he was out of Medicare days for his therapy. From what I heard people there were sad to see him go and one of the primary nurses cried. Mom and dad are currently staying in Texas City at MeeMaw's house where is it a one story. My uncle (My dad's brother in law) built a ramp in the back yard so dad can get in and out of the house and although I haven't seen it yet, I hear that it is big enough for them to sit out in the mornings and drink coffee on. Friday morning, dad's first morning there, dad got up and made coffee and breakfast...Praise God! A prayer request: Dad still has a lot of blood clots in his legs and he is on the highest dose of Kumedin (sp?) and they are still there. Please pray for these to be dissolved and that if any try to hit his lungs again that his filter will work and protect him from this all happening again.

The plan from now: Dad will be going down to TIRR twice a week for rehab. My understanding is this will be for as long as possible. They have an outpatient rehab location near Reliant Stadium so they won't have to go down into the depths of the medical center. This will help a little bit, although it will still be an hour drive one way.

MeeMaw is not doing well. She has been in and out of the hospital over the last 6 weeks and is currently in a rehab hospital, getting worse. She will be moving to another facility in the next couple of days. They believe she has Alzheimer's and she has started to turn against mom, yelling at her, telling mom she doesn't love her, etc. Example: Friday mom spent 7 hours with her, took her to lunch, tried to get her some fresh air, etc. Sat afternoon MeeMaw called with no memory of the previous day and yelled at mom for not ever being around and leaving her all alone. For obvious reasons this is very hard for mom to hear, yet mom seems to understand that this is the beginning of what could be a long road.

Although dad and mom are back under the same roof (which after 6 months, is an adjustment for any "normal" situation), this journey is far from over. Mom's health is not doing well. More days then not her hips and knees hurt so bad she can not drive and when she is driving she is literally driving into other lanes falling asleep. Although she doesn't have to worry about dad at a facility anymore, she does have to drive him into therapy twice a week on top of still helping MeeMaw in whatever facility she will be living at. MeeMaw is in to bad of shape and needs nursing care, along with her poor mental state to where she can't live with mom and dad....that wouldn't be healthy for any of them.

On top of it all...the Jefferson house is in the process of getting ready to be posted on MLS. We pray that this will all happen quickly and they can sell the house. Mom and dad will be living in Texas City until it does.

Mom and dad don't have a telephone set up yet in Texas City yet, when they do I will let you guys know.

Again thanks for all the prayers and continued support!! Hard to believe it has been half a year already...I wish I could express how much we appreciate your faithfulness! Thank you and God Bless!!!

Walker, Texas Rehab Patient

OK, so the title is super-cheesy. You wanna try and come up with something snappy every couple days for 6 months??? Be our guest!
This weekend, Dad "figured out" how he could walk better, as apparently he was having an issue with dragging one of his feet. So he was excited for Monday to come along and try it out in rehab. The therapist said, "I think we will try with just a walker today," and he said, "YES, that's what I was wanting to do!" Unlike the video previously posted, we are talking about a simple walker like what you see old folks usually using. So, Dad was not only able to do it, but has been walking with that walker during rehab since Monday. He is so motivated to keep his promise of "walking out of here" when he leaves...which is just a few weeks away. So, Praise God for His continual progress! Dad will still have a long way to go, but his attitude, effort, and determination is great.

Mom had four dear friends come in and start packing up some of the house for their eventual sale of the house and move. They say Moving is one of the most stressful events in life. Can you imagine Mom combining this with the other stressors such as her health, Dad's health, loss of employment (while in hospital), figuring out extreme medical bills and insurance, and taking care of an elderly parent who is in extremely poor health? So God Bless all of you who have been helping Mom and the family out this last half-year. We have been blessed by everyone's faithfulness in physical help, emotional support, and prayer. We can't say it enough, so hope you're not tired of reading it. THANK YOU.

Fitting for his Wheelchair

Not much to really report other then dad is working really hard in his Therapies and has gone over a week now without any bathroom accidents.

Mom and him went to TIRR yesterday and he was fitted for his new wheelchair. It is only 20 lbs which is great for mom...Praise God! It will take about 2 months they said until he gets the wheelchair because apparently different parts are made all around the US. Oh yeah...it's also Red! Dad was excited about it. hehe

MeeMaw has good and not so good moments. She is back at the Hearthstone with AMED Home Health Care and they just started her back on some therapies, monitoring pain still, etc. One minute she can be talking fine, the next unable to understand her. She is with help getting into her chair some, although has fallen out of it. She was able to dial my phone number last night and call...we talked for about 10 minutes and she was able to admit that she is okay some times and not others and she never knows when it is going to be a good moment. She is a fighter that is for sure!

Mom was REALLY sick this past week. Thankfully she was able to get on some antibiotics and after a few days started feeling better. Please keep her in your prayers as her knees and hips are giving her SO!!!!!!!!! much pain. Some days she can hardly take one step in front of the other. We need God's healing touch on her because I am concerned she is going down the road to needing replacements.

Thanks again for keeping the family in your prayers. I know this has been a long road to travel and that faithful support, prayers and God's hand on us has kept us going. God's Blessing!

Video of Dad; Update and Prayer Request

Well I was able to go today to dad's rehab and get video of him trying to walk. Sorry its not the most still video, I was trying to keep up with David while video taping.

I also happen to be there when Dad's Doctor came in. This was the first time I had met him, but heard wonderful things about him. He went on and on at how much progress dad has made and was so excited for him. Through us talking dad is able to now fully dress himself and has learned how to do that in his wheelchair. He can even put on and off his chucks (shoes), he is also able to shower himself. Dad has been having severe burning pain in his feet around 10pm at night once he was settled and not moving around anymore. The Dr gave him some medicine that you would give someone with Fibromialga (sp?) and it has taken the pain away. I mentioned how we were told a month into all this that he could have symptoms of that, which from the doctor's response had not been mentioned to him before.

Just from my visit today the main prayer he needs as far as physical therapy goes is continueing the task of learning how to walk again. As you can tell from the video he is making progress and also still has a long ways to go. He has been healthy and continued prayer that he stays healthy also.

In Addition....

Please keep us in your prayers with MeeMaw. Friday night at 10pm I got a call from my mom, saying that we needed to call 911 for MeeMaw (her mom) to be taken from her assisted living home to the ER. When I got to the ER MeeMaw was in so much pain he was gripping the handrails of the stretcher, back arched, clinched teeth/head, rigid body etc. Immediately she was given pain meds and an IV as we soon discovered on top of everything else she had a UTI which was making the back pain worse. She was also 95% of the time spaced out and completely unresponsive. Well here we are Thursday she was returned back to her assisted living home under their care along with Hospice and a group of doctors and nurses that will be going to her to help (last night she went back to the assisted living home). She is unable to get out of bed, she is at times unresponsive, when she is responsive it is mainly with facial expressions and rarely any words spoken. She is unable to feed herself and as of 1pm this afternoon unable to eat at all. She is breathing on her own and is on meds for the pain that are suppose to be closely monitored. It is no quality of life and I personally pray that God takes her home quickly.

It is 3:20pm on Thursday afternoon, I just talked to my sister in law and she just left MeeMaw's place. She said that MeeMaw looked comfortable in her bed, she was given a Boost type of drink and sipped on it and water while they were there. My sister in law mentioned that she had some memory at times and not at other. She smiled a little also. It seems that the afternoon is going better then this morning. My mom will be there around the evening so we will see what mom has to report back tonight.

Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers as we all have alot on our plates right now. We just feel pulled, pushed and knocked down and need the strength physically, emotionally and mentally to keep going. From all of us thank you so much for all the prayers and support!!

P.S. I know that there are way more people following this blog then are actually registered as a follower. If you want to send a message to dad or mom then you can email me at MsDejavu@yahoo.com. Please keep the messages for dad seperate then for mom. With them still not living under the same roof they will be dilevered to seperate places.

Exciting Updates!

Once again I am way late on updating this blog for you guys and I am so sorry. I am going to try to make a point to update it once a week even if it is to post minimal info.

Last Saturday we took dad out to eat!!!! He taught himself how to get in and out of the car with his slide board and was craving a hamburger and onion rings from chili's. We were going to bring it to him but he was determined to get out for a little bit if his nurse would let him. We were able to take him out and it was awesome! His sister was in town also from San Antonio so that made it extra special. Needless to say he was exhausted from the little outing and pretty much slept the next day and a half. Oh, another great accomplishment that happened when we were out.... (again trying to figure out exactly how to word this) dad could tell that he needed to have a bowel movement as we were leaving Chili's. He was able to control his internal body enough that he held it in until he was able to get back to his room and to his bathroom (about 10-12 minutes). This is HUGE!!!!! He is on no official bowel program, this is God's program.

Dad is also back to cathing himself and doing this daily with success. He also told me a couple of days ago that with his bowel movements he is able to successfully make it to the bathroom and is only having an accident in his diaper once every few days.

Things are going good in physical therapy. I walked in there yesterday at the very end of it and I really liked that the therapist was sitting with dad doing the arm strengthening exercises with him. I know when I was a basketball coach I would always run with my girls, do plays with them, etc...and it makes a difference. I felt the same with dad and seeing his therapist....it makes a difference.

Please continue to keep mom in your prayers. She continues to have a lot on her plate and things are not looking good for her mom, MeeMaw. I went Wednesday with mom to visit MeeMaw and she looked horrible. Last week MeeMaw got lost after lunch trying to walk back to her room, and she has a bump on the back of her head but doesn't remember how she got it. We talked with her about moving to a nursing home but she doesn't think she could survive the move. MeeMaw has been in the assisted living home for a year now and has a few workers that really look out for her. They make sure if she doesn't come down at meal time that she gets her food in her room and she even has one that prayers with her every night before MeeMaw goes to bed. MeeMaw continues to be in alot of pain with her back and her body all over feels horrible. Mom is in contact with her doctors to get MeeMaw on some stronger drugs to just keep her comfortable for whatever time she has left. After talking to the nurse of MeeMaw's internist...the nurse said that she is portraying herself like someone that has cancer. We do not know if MeeMaw has cancer, I don't know if something like that would show up on an MRI, but the Doctors have never mentioned anything about cancer. At 87 years old either way, our goal is to keep her as comfortable as possible. She keeps talking about wanting to go "home" and we don't think this is a house here on earth. Needless to say this is very stressful, especially for mom on top of just everything else going on. Mom is an only child and my brother and myself can only do so much as grandchildren.

Please continue to keep all of this in your prayers. Pray for all of our strength and endurance during this time....especially mom's. God Bless!!

Updates on Dad

Well I have been trying to think of the best way to put the following news, but I don't think I can get it more polite. So here it goes: Last Friday dad had that internal feeling that he needed to have a bowel movement. He then proceeded to get himself wheeled into the bathroom, was able to undress himself and get on the toilet where he then DID have a bowel movement. This happened twice in one day. This is HUGE!!!!!! for him to be able to do this. He was told that he would never have that feeling again and that he would always be in diapers.

In addition yesterday, Monday, he was able to take about 18 steps. (When we say steps at this point we mean little shuffle steps). His therapist is teaching him how to walk without holding on to anything and how to properly catch himself. He said that he was able to take a couple of steps at a time, then catch, couple more, etc. He mentioned the other day that he is getting to wear he can go from sitting in the wheelchair to a standing position. When not in official therapy he will sit in front of a window with some sunshine and practice this.

He is (as you can imagine) so excited about all the new progress. He actually called me all excited about it. (First time he has called me and not me call him during this whole time) Praise God!!!!!

There is still much needed prayer with the continuation of his progress. He is not making it to the bathroom for every bowel movement (my understanding is not even daily, but at least we have a start), and still needing to regularly be cathed (sp?)...and of course just all the therapy. One of the greatest future obstacles to please keep in your prayers, is that mom and dad do not have a bathtub (no full bath, only half bath) downstairs in their house. The earliest dad will come home is the end of May and the dilemma is with the bedrooms and full bath being upstairs.

Thank you so much for the continued support! My goal in the next couple of weeks is to get a video of dad walking in therapy and sharing it with all of you. God's Blessings!

Help??? And...selling SUV

Dad's doing better and better each day. Working hard on Rehab. Just a long journey ahead. Keep praying that he improves where he needs to, in order to go home. This week he actually moved himself from the bed to his wheelchair without his "helper board" that he uses. Also took a shower by himself, but needs help getting in and out of the shower chair. So, things are progressing...

HELP NEEDED
Folks, as you know, Dad could (and did) fix just about anything. Well, 4-5 months of being out of the house is taking it's toll. Mom said today that her Washing machine (5-6 years old) dumped a bunch of water on the floor of the wash room. She doesn't want to have to call Sears to repair it, as they charge half of what a new machine costs usually. Therefore, if anyone who reads this knows how to fix the most common washing machine problems...Mom would appreciate any help in getting it fixed. She said the belt on the dryer is squeaking too, so it may need a new belt REAL soon as well. Unfortunately, brother M. is starting to travel more with work, and isn't available to try and fix this stuff...

SELLING DAD'S TRUCK
It's obvious Dad is not going to be driving any time soon, and we need to sell his SUV (also, need to sell it so we can qualify for Medicaid). It's a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder LE (Silver) with about 114,000 miles. Mechanically is excellent, exterior condition is Good, and has new oversized tires on it. It's a V6, so gets good gas mileage. The Kelley Blue Book value places it between $4,800-$5,900 for private sale, but we'll probably ask $4,500 to friends. The only "problem" is that it is out of Inspection (for a year) due to a check engine light associated with the O2 sensor...it needs to be fixed, but shouldn't be too difficult or expensive. Dad simply procrastinated on taking it in. Other than than, runs great. If you or anyone you know is looking for a good used vehicle, please let sister E. or brother M. know! Don't want to bother Mom with it.

God Bless!

A week late...

Dad is working hard at Rehab, and stood up out of his wheelchair 10 times on the parallel bars, on Wednesday. He dressed himself fully including his high-top "Chucks," all by himself, and plans on eating in the cafeteria now that they'll let him (instead of having the meals in his room). This means he will wheel himself half-way across of the facility every time it's meal time. Unfortunately, due to the spinal cord damage, he still does not have any bladder or bowel control...so PLEASE be praying for that, as it's needed before he goes home.

As for Mom, her Sjogren's disease has been cropping up, and she's not feeling well at all. Obviously the incredible amount of stress on her between both Dad and her mother does not help, plus she is having to do a lot on her own every day that she hasn't had to do...and travelling back and forth to the nursing facilities, etc. So please keep her in your prayers. She's staying home a few more days out of the week, which we think is good as she needs to recouperate.

Please keep all of this in your prayers, as a lot of difficult decisions are going to have to be made and implemented when it gets time for Dad to be discharged from the nursing facility. That will likely not be for some weeks, but no matter his condition, there will be lots to get done that will not be easy, pleasant, or quick. We have all been blessed by the outpouring of love, prayers, and other support everyone has given us.

Short Update and More News coming soon...

I haven't updated because there hasn't been much to report. Dad seems to be finally getting back to "normal" over the last couple of days with not feeling so worn out with having the CDiff. He is continuing to try to stand and take some steps in physical therapy, although most times it is such a strain on his muscles that sometimes he has to take a pain pill just to have the ease of breathing normally.

He has finally shown a real interest in something...the guitar. A friend came and played some songs for us last Sunday and afterwards he asked if he could see it. He picked around at it some. It was exciting to see.

They were suppose to all have a meeting today at dad's place but mom woke up feeling horrible with her Sjogrens (please keep her in your prayers) so she wasn't able to make it to see dad and they had to reschedule the meeting. When this is rescheduled, I will update any new info I am given.

Thanks again for the continued prayers....we still need them everyday!

Dad's Birthday is Tomorrow!

Praise God that he is still with us! Happy Birthday Dad!

and Jesus said, "get up and walk"

What a GREAT day yesterday was! In physical therapy dad was able to take 12 small steps!!! He doesn't have the strength to hold all his body weight so he was assisted with holding himself up with straps and a couple of people...but...the actually movement of his legs he was able to make them do HIMSELF! Mom tried to explain what he was holding onto...my understand is that is it like parallel bars but on wheels like a walker (I'll let you come up with your own visual on that one). Praise God!

When I saw him last Sunday he mentioned that his birthday plan (his birthday is his Friday) was to take his first step. Well 4 days prior he took 12!

Praise God for all he has done and is doing with dad's recovery. We are praying that this is the start to some encouraging rehab and a light of hope for dad. Please join us in those prayers along with his body getting stronger and healthier.

Dad's New Location and Contact Info

Well I am a day late on posting this information...but what's new. Now my son also has a stomach bug going around so I figure I should get this posted before I drop off the face of the internet earth for the next couple of days.

Dad is at:

Courtyards of Pasadena
4048 Red Bluff Rd
Pasadena, TX 77503

His direct phone line is: 713-475-6551

Update from the little I know: Dad is still getting over his C-DIFF, although is just at the tail end of it. He was up in his wheelchair from 9:30 am to 4 this afternoon. He was also able to do some therapy yesterday and today. Mom seemed very encouraged with how things were going today. I also just learned last night that the Dr. dad had at TIRR said that the Plolyneropathy diagnosis at Kindred Hospital was a misdiagnosis and that dad does NOT have it. Once mom gets to know the Dr. at the Courtyards she is going to revisit this with him.

Mom is holding up as best as can be expected. MeeMaw is still not doing well, and has a doctors appointment tomorrow (I didn't ask with what dr, so not sure). Please keep mom in your prayers and she has sooooo much on her plate between the two.

If you need to reach mom during the day we ask that you please try either their home or the hospital first. She only has a limited amount of cell phone minutes and with all the "business" she has to take care of with MeeMaw and dad, it uses up most her minutes. She is with Verizon so if you are with Verizon you can call her for free, otherwise unless you REALLY need her asap, please try the other numbers first. She still needs the phone calls and encouragement from friends, but yet is limited with her cell phone. Thanks for this consideration.

We are asking that people still continue to keep the family in your prayers. There is a long road still ahead of us. Dad will be in The Courtyards for around 90 more days then maybe home...depending on if he still needs the medical help/rehab.

God Bless!

Short Note...

Dad has moved to the Courtyards of Pasadena and so far so good. He is still recovering form the C-Diff, but seems to be getting pretty good care at the new place.

I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I can't give more details now, although tomorrow I will post where he is, address, phone, etc.

MeeMaw is still having much pain with her back and just overall not doing well.

Thanks so much for the continued prayers!!!

Update with Rounds today

Rounds from today are again reported to us from Cherie who was in attendance via phone:

Rounds on Tim today brought the following information:

Medical:

Tim’s C-Diff has set all therapy back by a week so he is no longer able to do acute levels of rehabilitation. He will be on a three week course of Flagyl (from last Thursday when it started) and longer if the diarrhea continues. His white count is down this morning to 8,000 (was at 20,000 with high normal at 10,000) so the antibiotic is working. He no longer has a fever and diarrhea is slowing. Dr. Zuir was covering for Dr. Bodenheimer who was not available for rounds. The CT scan scheduled for noon is to see if they can get a clearer picture of the problem in the mid back area causing lower extremity, bladder and bowel problems so it will not affect transfer to skilled nursing facility but will direct rehab planning for the future.


Nursing:

His need to catheterize has increased from every four hours to every three with this illness. No urinary tract infection but he is much less independent with this than a week ago and needs more assistance. No longer at acute rehab level. Has slipped to skilled nursing level. No open areas of skin. The area on the back of his calf has now healed and closed.

Occupational Therapy:

Emily states that he has deteriorated in independence from this time last week due to the infection. He is less independent in cathing, showering, transfers, dressing than a week ago and needs to restart bowel training at the SNF.


Physical Therapy:

Tim has missed all PT sessions since this time last week due to infection so it is quite likely he has lost a great deal of independence in all areas that were being worked on. He is no longer capable of acute level of rehab so the SNF with a lower demand on time and energy is more appropriate for his current level of ability. The SNF and TIRR will work together to put appropriate rehab plan in place.

Discharge plan:

Worth has made the referrals to the two facilities Bonnie identified in Pasadena and League City. Ambulance transport will be arranged for tomorrow and the transfer made on the basis of which place has an available bed for tomorrow. Tim no longer is able, because of infection, to do acute level of rehab so a SNF is the appropriate place for him to receive the care and rehab he is currently able to do. If a bed is not available in the first choice facility, Tim has the option to transfer as soon as a bed is available there.


Bonnie then read a scripture (I Thes 1: 2-3) to the staff thanking them for the care they had taken of Tim and her and how all had worked so diligently to bring him this far from where her was on November 24th.

Update on Dad's Infection: C-DIFF

Dad does have C-DIFF again and right now is: throwing up, diarrhea, nausea, extremely week, can't do any therapies, and only has until Wed to be at TIRR. He has been moved back into a private room, I do not know the room #. I know for now he is unable to handle visitors, although mom can, and I'm sure would like some company off and on. We knew that we would have up times and down times, but it doesn't make the down time any easier...especially when he doesn't have much time left in a great facility.

Side Note: MeeMaw made it through her doctor's apt. The doctor raised her pain med, and gave her an appetite inducer. She also had blood in her ear so she had to go see an ear dr. She has an ear infection, although they weren't sure if the blood was from that or her fall. She is back at the assisted living facility. Thanks for all the prayers with her also.

Please, please pray for a fast recovery with dad! Thank you so much!!!

Dad Has an Infection

Please add to your prayers....dad has an infection. I just got off the phone with him and he said his white blood count went WAY up. I asked him if he thought he had C-DIFF again, and his response was, "I hope not". They are culturing/testing to try to figure it out. He said that he threw up once already and felt like he was going to do it again and hung up quickly.

Mom is not there either as she had to go to Texas City to take MeeMaw to the Dr. and try to get MeeMaw some help. I talked to mom at 11:30am and they were being called back to the exam room. She is suppose to call me when she gets in the car, it is now 2pm and I haven't heard back.

Please continue to keep these new developments in your prayers. Dad sounded horrible, and I am very concerned as it sounds a lot like what we have been through before. Thanks!

Dad needs prayer today

In the process of trying to get dad's bowels on a schedule as part of "therapy" he was given a suppository last night around 9pm. Well he is now and continuing to have bowel movements every 30-45 minutes. He also has a hemorrhoid now and all of it together is making him not feel good at all. He also wasn't able to do physical therapy today.

Dad was suppose to go out into the "real world" and work on getting in and out of a car with his wheelchair, in and out of places, etc. Now because of the situation above, he is not able to attend this important outing. It is all such a disappointment.

Please pray that things will regulate themselves out and we can get back to making progress and can start feeling better. We need a quick turn around so that dad can get back to things. He is making progress everyday and all his therapist are thrilled at how well he is doing. He only has until the 18th and then he has to move onto the Skilled Nursing Facility.

Added note, mom and I went and looked at 2 yesterday afternoon. We really liked one (and as an added plus it is walking distance from my [Elizabeth] house) and we didn't like another. We have heard good things about a place in Webster which will put mom day to day closer to MeeMaw, we are hoping to look there tomorrow afternoon. Also mom is going tomorrow morning to take MeeMaw to her Dr. We aren't sure if there is anything he can do, but it is worth a try....please pray for that visit.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support. We have been at this new life for almost 3 months now and it is amazing and a huge blessing to still see that we continue to have support. Thank you so much!!! God Bless!!

Update on the Medical Rounds/Meeting Today

Cherie attended rounds today Via phone, I copied and pasted directly from the email, information for you:

Rounds today on your Dad were attended by his doctor, a member of the nursing staff, OT, PT, the neuro-psych team, the social worker and your parents. I will go through by category:

Medical
Cardiac status is improved so that Digoxin and Potassium have been stopped. One other cardiac drug will be weaned over the next couple of weeks.
The MRI re-read showed an area of brightness at T9 (about 4" above the waist) that might indicate an area of damage due to oxygen loss. There is also, on closer look, a variation in the vertebrae that they will do a CT scan to more fully evaluate this week. This is thought to be the cause of the partial paralysis from waist down.
Coumadin (blood thinner) will be needed till at least May or June. Your parents were advised to follow up with their primary medical doctor to see if clots are still there in legs or why they developed in the first place.
Your Mom expressed concern about Tim's feet and legs swelling even with compression stockings on. She was told this is "dependent edema" and will be present to some degree as long as he is using a wheelchair and not walking.
Nursing

Nothing to report. No nursing needs identified.

Occupational Therapy
Endurance is improving with each session.
Tim is now feeding himself independently
He is learning to use adaptive equipment for reaching and dressing himself and transferring from the wheelchair to the bed.
Upper extremity independence is limited.
Lower extremity independence is maximally impaired.
Catheterization technique still needs work.
They will start work today on teaching him to be independent with shower and bathing in a roll in shower. The OT thought this had been completed but it has not been started yet. He is currently still doing bed baths.
Still having episodes of stool incontinence. Will begin bowel schedule training today. Again, the OT thought this had been done and it has not.

Physical Therapy
Doing so much better in therapy sessions with dizziness now a rare occurrence.
Still needs minimal to moderate supervision with transfers as he tends to forget steps he must use to be safe.
Tim is attending RAPS classes designed to teach him how to live and function well with a spinal cord injury. They were pretty clear today that this is likely to be permanent.
He will need a custom fitted wheel chair when he leaves the skilled nursing facility (SNF) and there is great potential for fraud here so TIRR wants him to come back to their wheel chair clinic when he is discharged from the SNF and suggested he rent a wheel chair until they could get one that was fitted to his needs. The SNF will provide him with needed equipment while he is there so the purchase of a chair will not be for 2-3 more months. (End of notes from Rounds)

Please continue the prayers for his recovery. Also Wed of next week dad has to move to a Skilled Nursing Facility...pray we choose the right one. Mom and I are going SNF shopping this afternoon. God Bless!!

Update as of Friday

Well I wrote a loooooong post and then all of the sudden gone. I went to the draft hoping the auto save would have it there...but it wasn't. Oh my gosh...I will outline important things and try to recap everything.

• Dad is still trucking along doing good.
• Dad's roommate left today. Dad was able to pray for him, so mission accomplished in dad's eyes. No surprise.
• Dad loves his OT and she is in a wheelchair after a car accident. She is a real role model for him on how much he will be able to for the time he is in a wheelchair. Of course we are all praying he recovers fully. He will just go on and on about how she can do this and that and she is teaching me to do this and that...it's fun to hear his excitement.
• If you want to visit this weekend here is his schedule: He is free after 1pm on Sat and free all day Sunday.

• Please keep Mark (my brother), Cherie (medical advocate and good family friend), and Barbie (lawyer that is taking care of dad's active cases and a good family friend) in your prayers. They are shoulder deep in paper work, research, phone calls, etc to make sure dad gets the best care for as long as possible, keeping up with the finances, taxes, etc. Thankfully due to email we have been able to keep consistent communication going between the 4 of us.

• I know this blog is for dad, but we really need prayers for MeeMaw (My mom's mom). She fell in the middle of the night. The staff was able to get her back in bed. MeeMaw told mom that she was fine, no bruises, etc. Well the staff got the paper work into her Dr. and long story short, she ended up having to go to the ER and get a CT Scan of her head. Initially everything is fine, we will know more from the doctor on Monday. Praise God for her good friend Helen who was able to go right away and take her. Mom also found out that she has a big knot on her head, and large bruising on her forehead, chin and arm. We are concerned that she needs to be admitted into the hospital as she is also loosing alot of weight (she didn't have it to loose in the first place), not really eating much, and can't get around anymore because of how much pain she is still in (even with pain meds).

Thanks for all the prayers and support, and please keep them coming! Continue prayers for dad's healing, especially his back (T9) and everything that goes along with that. Also just keep the family in your prayers as we continue to live everyday under so much stress and trying to balance the necessities in life. Of course mom, poor thing....just everything she is going through. God Bless You!!!

Tuesday Update

Mom and dad had their weekly meeting with the Doctors, case worker, etc. Here is some information that has been communicated back to me from our friend Cherie who is our medical advocate now:

• Ejection Fraction is at 66% with his heart (should be over 75% but is better than it was) Cardiac rehab is continuing.
• No ischemia or swelling around the spinal cord was seen on the MRI to explain paralysis. They are consulting with the radiologists to have them personally look at the films in light of symptoms and see if something doesn't appear at second glance.
• Results from Radiologist: There is spinal cord damage. Doctor told mom that typically the outcome is wheelchair bound...BUT Doctor is a Christian and knows that we are too and also talked to mom about how she has to give patients the worse case senio, and that God can do bigger things.
• Both of my parents are learning to catheterize 4x/day and both are doing OK with it but neither is yet "competent" to do this unaided.
• Dad is having double vision and dizziness (this is where the nausea seems to be coming from) so they are consulting a "movement specialist" at TIRR to evaluate this.
• We are being told that he will be in TIRR till around the 18th of this month and then move on to a Skilled Nursing Facility.
• He is doing very well with rehab progress but will need OT and PT for several more months as an outpatient (or in a nursing home). TIRR did tell mom and when he is doing outpatient, they want him back at TIRR...mom was happy about that.

On top of all this my grandmother (mom's mom) is not doing well, and we are thinking she will have to be moved from an asisted living house to a complete nursing home. She is in horrible horrible pain, even with pain meds with her back to the point of hardly being able to move and at times not having bowel control. (Doctors are saying she need surgery, but MeeMaw doesn't think that would be a good idea with her risk of more TIA's, and her age) MeeMaw doesn't want to move, so this is another battle that is on mom's plate. Mom is going to go see her tomorrow (and look at a nursing facility that is in Webster) and talk to her more about making the move. Please keep this visit in your prayers as history has proven that MeeMaw will get defensive and things will go down hill with the conversation.

As it is obvious please pray for Dad and the new developments with his spine, along with the previous prayers that we have listed in the other posts.

Thank you again for all the support. Mom was just saying tonight on the phone that the power of prayer has been a big part of her strength and she appreciates so much everyone who is out there praying. God Bless!!!!

Saturday Update

We were able to go and see dad today and it was so much fun. (Sounds odd I'm sure). We arrived at the tail end of his physical therapy. It was the first time for us to see him in actual pants (sweatpants) a shirt and he had a camo baseball cap on backwards. He was in his wheelchair doing a workout on his arms. Of course David saw ALL the balls and was able to play catch with pawpaw some also. Although it almost seemed unreal to see him in a wheelchair he looked natural in it also (hard to explain). I was impressed at how well he was able to get around in the thing. We also got to see him get into his bed from the wheelchair by himself, that was an exhausting ordeal, but he did it. He said it really hurt his body to strain like that with using his arms to throw his legs over...but we were glad to see that he could do it....and was trying.

He is soooo skinny! We would always say before how thin he was and never gained lbs...he was overweight then compared to know.

His stamina is as expected still low, therapies are scheduled out off and on through out the day, still having nausea off and on, extremely light headed if he tries to sit up or move himself up to fast. Still having to be catherized every 4 hours, and things stand the same on little muscle control/feeling from the mid chest down. He has all bandages off his trach area...it looked GREAT! He really does like it at TIRR, and as of now has a "good ol boy, biker" roommate.

We are still encouraging visitors as much as possible. Even if dad is in therapy, it is great for him to know that you are there, and great for mom to have the company. On Sat they do half the therapy and on Sunday there is no therapy at all. From what I can kinda tell, during the week therapies seem to end around 4. Mom has been getting up there around 11am.

A couple of friends took mom out for a "girls night" last Wed evening (dinner, hang out time) and that was such a blessing to her! She needs that type of thing to feel human, normal, rejuvenated, etc. So basically we are doing a call out for "come one, come all" to anyone that could have a "time out" with mom. Mom has thankfully been real good about saying when is a good time or not (as best as she can) on when she can leave dad. I know that we are asking a lot from friends and family with the juggle of visiting dad and also spending time with mom....but this seems to be so important. We as her kids can only do so much, and honestly having other people outside of us kids for her to talk and hang out with is what she needs.

Thanks again for all the prayers. They are hoping to find something out about the MRI at the first part of next week. We are praying that God directs the doctors on what needs to happen with dad as a result of the MRI. They LOVE his Dr. there!! Praise God!

God Bless!

New Room / Number

Dad got moved to room 402A, and his new direct number is 713-797-7403.

Apparently he was quite nauseous today, so the OT people put him in a wheelchair and took him outside. Of course, this was the first time he's been outdoors in 11 1/2 weeks, so he LOVED it! The OT folks left him, and when he and Mom got back to the room, Mom realized there was no one there to help him back into bed.

Mom left to get someone, and couldn't find anyone. When she got back, he was in the bed and was heaving his legs into position on the bed! He had used the techniques that OT has been showing him for wheelchair stuff. Mom went and told the doctor, she was so proud...and the doctor was impressed--but said, "OK, but we don't really WANT him doing that right now, especially unsupervised." But, the doctor wasn't mad, just wanting him to be safe.

Thursday

Spoke with Dad last night, and he said that TIRR is "awesome." He really likes it there, as the environment is very positive, the staff friendly and helpful, and they respond to him immediately if he hits the call button. Even the food is good! They encouraged him and Mom to attend the Tuesday collaborative meeting they hold between all the doctors on his case. This certainly helps them understand what everyone's concerns are, how they are making decisions, etc.

Dad's doing several hours of PT, OT, and wheelchair time every day. Tuesday he was in his wheelchair almost ALL day, although Wednesday not too much.

Ultimately, he will not likely get to stay at TIRR for very long due to Medicare issues...but we are praying that the Lord will have him get the care he needs at the places he needs it, when he needs it. Nothing is too complicated for Him...even though we are sometimes overwhelmed with the complications. Keep praying for Mom's health, strength, and peace...as she is dealing not just with Dad, but her normal health issues and also her mother's health (which is NOT good currently).

10 Weeks! Prayer NEEDED

Can't believe it, but it has been 10 weeks in the hospital! Ugggh. Dad got his first REAL bath/shower on Sunday afternoon, and he said it felt wonderful. TIRR is so much better than Kindred, it's a shame he couldn't have gone over sooner. When he hits the call button, they pop in within a minute! And the food is 10x better there.

Also, M. and Mom told Dad the entire story of what happened the day he went into the hospital. The losing pulse 7 times over a 2.5 hour period, being dead for 10 minutes, etc. etc. He took it very well, and we just told him that no matter what happens, we are praising God that he is still alive and with us...and that God obviously has something more in store for him. He agreed.

Today, we got some concerning news. The doctors and therapists at TIRR said that they think there is a strong possibility that Dad has spinal cord damage due to neurological damage from the lack of oxygen to the brain for 10 minutes. They think this may be why he has not been improving much on moving his legs, and has no control of his sphincter (and some bladder issues too). Therefore, they are going to schedule him for an MRI of his spinal cord...but they have to do it at another hospital since they do not have MRI's at TIRR.

Also, a doctor saw the sore on the back of Dad's head that has been there for probably 8-9 weeks, and said, "That doesn't look good at all." Mom said, "YES!!! FINALLY someone is going to look at it!" The doctor said she may get a dermatologist to come and look at it, and possibly do some tests. For those who don't know, they've been saying "this is just a bed sore"...but it has made the top part of his head tingly-numb, and hasn't gotten any better.

While we know everyone has been diligently praying for Dad over these last 2.5 months, we are asking for additional prayers on his spinal/neurological issue, and the sore on his head. We pray that the Lord continue to strengthen him, that rehab would increase his muscle control, and that any issues that are needing to be addressed are found quickly. Lastly, we're not sure how long Medicare is going to let him stay in TIRR, as we've been told it may only be about 18 more days. Please be praying he gets to stay wherever it is he needs to be, for as long as needed!

A busy weekend...

Dad was moved yesterday around 3:45 to TIRR (one of these days I'll figure out how to spell it). Mom and dad both seem very please with the care dad has been given, and dedicated amount of therapy and assessment and very fast response to the call button. Praise God!!! I hope that this continues. Dad will have a roommate and he says he is okay with that and for mom not to spend the extra money for a private room. The roommate that was in there yesterday has moved out, so a new one will be coming soon.

We also got the office moved today...Thank You sooo very much to the ones that helped, it was truly a blessing!! Thankfully we had enough help that we were able to get it all in one trip and it all fit the way we had imagined upstairs at my parents house.

A lot of good stuff has happened this weekend, and we are all exhausted! Praise God though!

Please keep up the prayers for dad's recovery and the care he will be receiving at TIRR. Also please keep in your prayers that he is able to stay there as long as he needs to (there is a fast turn around rate) and he is able to make progress without any set backs. Thank you so much! God Bless!!!

Dad is moving around 3 today

I just got a call from mom and she said they are suppose to move dad at 3pm today. When we know more, we will post more.

Thanks for the prayers with this transition.

Dad is Moving...

Dad is moving to TIER any time now. We are just waiting for when a bed becomes available. All I know is that it is still somewhere in the medical center and suppose to be the best of it's kind.

Also they took out dad's urinary cathater and things seem to be going well.

When we know more about the move we will let you guys know.

Please pray that this transition is a smooth one and all goes well, etc.

God Bless!

Finally an Update...

I'm so sorry for this long delay. I have been up at the office sometimes multiple times a day getting it ready for the move home and my brother has been out of town.

Here is just a short update of the little I know:

• Dad has been feeling better with his nasea and when I talked to him yesterday evening he said he hadn't had any that day...first day in about 5 or 6.
• They put him in a wheelchair and let him use his arms to stroll around the halls. He really enjoyed that, gave him a sense of mobility and independence he hasn't had in a long time. It seemed to wear him out but in a good way.
• I do not know how his blood cultures have come out, I will try to find that out today.
• Mom is still in the process of figuring out where dad should go next. He is suppose to move to a "Skilled Nursing Facility". Thanks big time to Cherie for helping mom out with most of this.

We are trying to sell 3 of dad's big filing cabinets (4 drawer, 36" wide) if you happen to know of anyone or a business that may be interest, please let someone in the family know. We really don't want to have to move those home, mom doesn't have the room.

Please continue praying for the family, we are all wore out with the events of moving the office, finding a new place for dad, MeeMaw (mom's mom) they are saying she needs surgery on her back...or live her life on strong pain meds, and of course just everything going on with dad himself and his recovery.

I'm so sorry this email doesn't have more detail but I have been sleeping, eating and breathing the office all week.

God Bless!

Update on Dad

Just a short update that dad is nauseated again and not feeling well. He is still swollen and back to having a hard time eating, can't move around to do therapies, etc. Please keep all this in your prayers and we feel like.."here we go again".

Also they told mom yesterday that he has to be moved...he has been there long enough for insurance, etc to say he has to move. Please pray as mom is now having to find another place. The case worker said for her to look for a "skilled nursing facility" instead of just a rehab facility with him still not doing very well.

Thanks for all the prayers!!!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Dad made some great progress today. He stood up on his own two feet (actually, he had on his "new" Converse All-Star high tops) for 30 minutes without resting! Better yet, he said that it was mostly all him, with the apparatus keeping him from falling down. He had to use his arms a lot to stay up, so they got a bit of a work-out too.

Also, they took out his tracheotomy today! YEA!!! There is just a dressing over the stoma now, and they are going to let it heal up.

Dad' stomach is still very distended, but he said it's not hurting. Some of that is from the C. Diff and the lack of protein in his system. Also, something we haven't been mentioning is that Dad's left leg is quite swollen and has been for weeks. This is the leg with the blood clot, but his right leg is swollen too, just not nearly as much as the left. Please be praying that his kidneys continue to heal and pull-off the fluid like they need to, as well as he get all his protein and other blood-work vitals to where they need to be.

Thurs addtion...for the addicts

Please understand, those who are "addicted" to this Blog are greatly loved, admired, and appreciated by the whole family...it was simply a joke, as there's not a lot to report today.

A very sweet, long-time friend, volunteered to sit with Dad today while Mom was taking care of HER mom. While Dad is doing well, the reality is that he gets better attention and care from the hospital when people are with him (and Mom is less stressed about him while she's away). The hospital workers know they're being watched, and that detailed reports are being relayed to Mom. Heh, heh. So we've appreciated everyone who has assisted in this time-consuming way. So many have blessed us these last 8+ weeks, it's very humbling.

Dad did very good today, ate most of his meals, and was quite busy with therapy. He stood up in the torture device for about 4 minutes, then 2 minutes, then again for about 3 minutes. He didn't seem impressed, but I told him that only two days ago he had only lasted a total of 4 minutes...today was 9. That's more than double! They also had him in the therapy chair for a couple hours. I wonder why they decided to do that all of a sudden (see previous post).

Nurse said they'll only be taking blood analysis about once or twice a week, so won't know what his protein levels are until the next go-round (whenever that will be). Continue to pray for his recovery, strength, bowel and urinary control, and for Mom's health too.

M's additions...Mon thru Wed

Not only has Dad been recovering, but Monday he sat on the edge of his bed for 18 minutes doing his Occupational therapy...and didn't fall forward or over. In fact, he did exercises requiring him to go to each side onto his elbow, then back up. He said it was hard, but he was VERY proud.

On Tuesday, Dad stood up in the medieval torture device (not really, but looks like one) for about 3 minutes. Today, he stood up about 4 minutes, sat down a few minutes, then stood up for another 2 minutes. I did question a nurse as to why they've never sat him up in the special therapy chairs like they did at Methodist (for hours at a time, no less).

With all the good news, PLEASE KEEP PRAYING, as Dad is still very sick. My guess he has lost 40 pounds...and he didn't have much to lose in the first place. He needs lots of healing, and certainly the protein levels need to go up.

Praise God!!!

I just talked to mom and they received good reports from the doctor tonight:

• So far all three of the infections he had last week are coming up negative with the new cultures!!
• Doctor also said that a person's protien level should be around 3.something...well dad's was at 1.5 not typical at all for the stuff he likes to eat. The doctor said though that this can happen when someone has diahrea like he has for a couple of months now.
• Dad's diahrea is also doing better. Instead of multiple times an hour, it is now every few hours and getting a better consistancy. (I know to much information, but I don't know how else to word it right now).
• The doctor also said that he believes the swelling is from the lack of protien and as soon as that gets under control then the swelling will also.
• Dad's white blood cell count was obviously high with all the recent set backs. It was at 31 now it is at 17. It needs to be lower, but we are encouraged that it has dropped that much already.
• Mom said that dad looked better this afternoon then he has in the last week.

As you can imgine we are all extremely excited with the good news, and the answer to prayers! Praise God!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!

Monday/Tuesday Update

I don't have a lot of detail, but this is what I know:

• He is having swelling/bloating and the doctors are trying to find out why. They took some more blood samples yesterday to see if anything comes up. They also took him off the liquid drip. Also did an X-Ray of his stomach and it came back normal. Swelling start with this stomach, yesterday his knees, and not sure if anywhere else today. I do know that it hasn't gone down any.
• He is still able to eat and drink some and that overall seems to be doing better and better.
• Doctors said that staph at this point is almost gone.
• Doctors also said that the remission/recovery from the C-Diff is making great progress.
• Dad said today that he was able to do some occupational therapy.

Please keep in your prayers the samples they took yesterday, the swelling, dad's overall strength, recovery from infections, etc. He is still feeling very sick and not at all feeling good/normal, but he is recovering from everything he went through at this time last week.

Thank you a million times over for all the prayers and support!!! God Bless!

Sunday Update

Just a short update about today. This morning was kind of rough as dad didn't feel well and his stomach was really extended. He had a few different doctors come in and look at him, they took an x-ray of him, but as of 3 this afternoon they were not sure what the problem was. The x-ray came back normal, so they were still trying to figure it out. He is slowly able to eat some again, which is a great thing to see.

He is talking more and will talk on the phone and is back to visiting some. Mom could really really use the visits especially. She is facing the reality that life is going to be very different now in all aspects of it and it is hard to swallow. She is being very strong through this whole thing and being nothing but strong in front of dad, but give her a hug long enough outside of the room and you will see some of how hard this really is. I know she would love to see a friendly face at any time. If you want to call and make sure she is there, feel free, or you can just show up. Guaranteed that dad will be there. ;-)

Please continue the prayers listed previous and also that if something is wrong with his stomach that the doctors will figure it out. God Bless!

Friday / Saturday morning

Sorry for missing yesterday, but it's getting increasingly harder for us post updates. Plus, the ups and downs of a day of recovery begin to sound the same after awhile.

Dad felt much better Friday, and was able to eat most of his meals. His fever was only 99.1 or so, when he had it. He sounded better than he had for the last 4-5 days. I just called him this morning (Saturday), and he sounded WAY better...even than Friday. He said he didn't think he'd be nauseous today at all.

Infectious Diseases doctor said the problem with his infections are that the antibiotics he needs to treat his urinary and staph infections, kills the "good" bacteria that is needed to fight the C. Diff. So, they're going to do the shortest possible run of antibiotics for those, then focus on the C. Diff. Dad's stomach was more distended Friday, but wasn't hurting.

As for contagions...the C. Diff. and Staph are contact-borne diseases. If you visit Dad, make sure you clean your hands first, wear gloves if you want to touch him or adjust the sheets, etc., and then make sure to wash your hands with the soap in the bathroom in the room afterward.

DAD'S PRAYER REQUESTS: Dad specifically asked on Friday night that people pray for healing from the staph and C. Diff, but also that he would gain control over his bowels and urinary tract (has not had control since hospitalization). It's frustrating for him to have to be cleaned every hour or so, and it usually takes a long time before they get to him...don't want bed sores and other complications from not being cleaned-up fast enough. Plus, the urinary infection is likely from having the catheter in.

Final Thursday Update from Doctors

I just got off the phone with mom and here is where things stand:

• He does NOT have a parasite, although
• He does have a staph infection (there was a miscommunication with the parasite and it ended up being staph) or sometimes they are calling it a blood infection.
• He has a urinary infection
• He has a resistant form of C-DIFF. The doctor said they just came out with a new medication to treat the resistant form that has gotten good results. Doctor said that it will still take about 3-4 days before we notice a difference.

Needless to say he is very very sick right now and at times this afternoon was just in bed moaning. He still only has mobility with his arms and now that he is so sick it's delaying good rehab of his legs. He is not up to visitors right now and now won't talk on the phone either. Although, if you want to call and talk to mom you can try.

Mom is going to ask the doctor in the morning where we stand with things being contagious. From what we know so far the C-Diff is not air born and of course the UTI isn't, but we aren't sure about the staph. My understanding is that most staph are contagious. Mom is going to ask when we are in the clear for visitors because I know that mom could use the support, but we don't want anyone getting sick either. Thankfully a very good family friend that use to live across the street from us when I was growing up (she now lives in Louisiana) is in town until Sunday. Praise God for this timing because mom really really needs it!!!

Please pray for full recovery, dad's strength mentally, physically and spiritually to fight through all this, and the strength and well being of mom.

If you haven't read the comment by Cherie on the previous post, feel free, it has some info also.

God Bless!!!!

Added Information to Blog Below

I just hung up from mom and she said that dad tried to eat a little bit yesterday but threw it up, and is having those same feelings today. She said that he ate part of one saltine cracker a little while ago and so far that is staying down.

Additionally, the doctor did additional blood testing and he came out positive for a Parasite. His doctor said that he was going to meet with an infectious disease doctor and come into dad's room any minute now to talk with them.

Please add to your prayers the parasite.

Dad is Having a Hard Time

Can you please pray for dad and mom. Dad has been having a hard couple of days with continuation of the horrible nausea. He isn't wanting to eat because he feels so sick, yet if he doesn't eat then the C-Diff, Flagyl and pain medicine (taking as needed) will only make him more nauseated. This is a horrible cycle to be in and mom is doing everything she can to get him to eat and drink, but you can only make a person so much. He has not eaten more then a couple of bites of food in the last couple of days.

Two doctors are going to check into maybe sending him back to Methodist today. Please Please pray for dad's health and determination to eat and drink to break the cycle and for the wisdom of the doctors and mom on if he should be moved.

Thank you so much for this immediate prayer request. I will post again as soon as we hear something from the doctors on the decision.

Hard Morning for Dad

I talked to dad around noon and he has had a very hard day. He said that he has had horrible nausea. They gave him some pills earlier this morning (after the supervisor had to be called again because the nurse wouldn't go in there...he was by himself), but it didn't touch it. He said that he was going to call and ask for the shot when we hung up, hopefully he will get it in a timely manor.

Please keep up the prayers. He is exhausted and tired of being sick and feeling so horrible. He is rebuking the infection and praying for some relief himself as he is laying there in bed. I told him that we had an army out there praying for him and his recovery.

Thank you!

A Small Bit of Good News

I talked to dad tonight and he said that they started him on an IV of fluids this evening. He said that his mouth and throat already feel better and he also thinks it is helping with the diahrea. They had to give him some pain medicine which made him very sleepy, so he was hopeful that he would get some sleep tonight. I was encouraged to hear in his voice how encouraged he was about the IV helping some.

Thank you so much again for all the prayers. Please continue to pray that he is able to get rid of the infection quickly and start to feel better.

Update

I talked to a dear friend of ours that is up with dad today while Mom is with MeeMaw. He was able to talk to the nurse some and get some additional information. The nurse said that dad drinks a full glass of water with his pills, and drinks tea with meals. He doesn't drink much in between, but it was nice to know that he is drinking some. Nothing taste or sounds good to him right now so it's hard for him to drink the water so we have some other options, and we are going to try those.

They said that it could take a couple of weeks before he will really start to feel better with his intestinal bacterial infection (C-DIFF), but signs of having this are: nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, and some others. I am hopeful that once the medicine can start working, then we will start to see improvements in these areas and then we can see more signs of improvements over all.

Please pray that the meds will start to work asap and dad will start to notice a difference with feeling better. The infection is bacterial.

Tuesday: added prayers needed

Dad had a very hard night last night, with diahrea at the least every 2 hours, sometimes more. He has had diahrea even back in methodist and there have been no answers on why this isn't getting better. Finally today they told mom that he has an intestinal infection and that they are putting him on an antibiotic and flagile (sp?). He is also not drinking hardly anything, so there is a concern for dehidration.

When dad was in Methodist their personal internest would come every few days and see dad and talk to us about everything that was going on, sumerize it, and put it in normal peoples terms. We have called on her to come and do this again and see if he needs to be placed in a hospital room at Methodist (not neccessarily back into ICU, just back with closer care). Please pray that God gives direction on what would be best for dad.

Thanks so much!

About Monday

I'm so sorry I am just now posting about Monday, on Tuesday morning.

I talked to mom last night and she said that overall the day went better. Dad seemed a little stronger (although overall still not feeling good), the nurses were much better, and his main doctor was more attentive. Praise God!! Now if we can just keep this kind of care going.

Only issue I heard about was around mid-day dad's heart rate was up to 130 and they were having to give him medicine to bring it back down. Which my understanding was that he was on strict meds to keep his heart rate regular, so not sure why he didn't have the medicine already. Something else to check into.

Mom had a check up apointment with one of her doctors yesterday morning and come to find out her doctor went to college with my dad's doctor at Kindred. Long story short, my mom's doctor ended up calling my dad's doctor while my mom was in his office and talked to him about the connection they had with the family.

I talked to dad yesterday and he seems real discouraged at how long it is taking him to get his strength back. I was able to talk to him about how far he has come especially with his upper body strength, the baby steps he has made with his legs and just encourage him overall. He knows there are going to be tons of baby steps along the way that will all come together in the end, although when he is living it every night and day and doesn't remember most of the first month it's hard for him not to get discouraged. (as expected)

Please keep up all the prayers for dad, mom the family and everyone else involved. We are praying for another good day today. In addition, mom has another doctor's apointment with MeeMaw this afternoon, please pray for the doctor's wisdom.

God Bless!

A Hard Sunday

Today started out horrible! Dad had to call the nurse in to be cleaned up and apparently his nurse was horrible. Mom got a call after she left dad's room (the call was from dad) and dad told her how the nurse literally threw him around and tossed his legs this way and that and that she was very rude and defensive. Wouldn't even let him talk or answer the phone. Mom told dad to call the supervisors number immediately. Apparently the person dad talked to didn't say anything about it. Well mom then called and spoke her mind and was transfered to another supervisor and spoke her mind some more and told them that the nurse was to never step into dad's room again for as long as he is in there. (Mom was still at home at this point). When she got up there she was charging right up to the nurses station and was intercepted by who was now dad's new nurse...and they talked some.

So that was the morning....and of course it just gets better.

Apparently the nurse he ended up having overdosed him on his anti-nausia shots and gave him two along with some other medicine (not sure what the other one was). Mom had to call again the supervisor as dad was turning all kinds of flush colors and feeling very sick. She was told his dr. was in the building making rounds, which of course it took him a good while to come to dad's room. Dad took most of the day to recover from it, they didn't do anything, just let it work itself out of his body. This was all around lunch time.

It was also either lunch or dinner that dad choked on some food while eating with his trake. Mom said it was very scarry.

Although dad looks better, he still feels horrible! He has come a long way over the last 7 weeks, that's for sure but his body is still very sick. He still feels very bad and the doctor has given us a name for what he has, although I have researched this, mom does not know the details yet, so when she is informed then we will let everyone know. He is very week, has muscle atrophy and just over all feels crappy...and cant get better. Overall...all of the time his body still feels very week and sick.

Having said that...having visitors for a short amount of time has been good for him because it is a small amount of the day to get his mind distracted...it also helps mom tremendously! He is still in room 410 and if you call Kindred's Number at 713-790-0500 as soon as the lady starts to talk you can press 5410 and it rings in his room. If you go to visit there is free parking underneath the building and you just have to tell them dad's name and room number and they will let you in.

Today was a hard day for mom and dad...harder then usual, obviously. Please continue prayer for his health and for doctors to figure out a way to get him feeling better. Also please pray for the favor of the nurses and for the nurse to be caring, faithful to respond to the needs and gentle. If you can also pray for wisdom of all the doctors and that everyone working for/with dad at the hospital to be blessed in their lives also.

Thank you all again for all the prayers and support. Please keep my brother and his family in your prayers as a cold his making the rounds. Please additionally keep my brother in your prayers and he has taken over many of the "jobs" that dad had to take care of mom. ''

Oh yeah...Mom's cell phone isn't working right now so you can't reach her this way.

January 2nd, Overall Update

Well I talked to mom on the phone not that long ago and don't really know to much. Here is what I do know:

• They had to put dad's urinary catheter back in.
• He isn't eating or drinking very much because he is still nausiated so much. The doctor ordered for him to get a shot for the nausea 30 minutes before he eats, hoping that will help. We don't have faith that the nurse will remember for breakfast, we will see. Mom will be there for lunch and dinner. When he isn't nausiated he has been eating and drinking well.
• Mom had to call the supervisor again today. Apparently the lady came right down to solve the situation and was a Christian and prayed with mom and dad before she left.
• Dad did the stand up device again with full assistance...he was able to do this for three and a half minutes.

That is about it from our conversation.....hope everyone is having a good start to 2009. Thank you all again for the prayers and support! God Bless!!!!

A Good Start to 2009

Dad has had an eventful day as far is things being removed. They officially removed one of the two ports. The port used for dialysis, has been removed. The other port they use for various things like meds, to take blood, etc. so they said they will leave that one in for awhile still. I can't remember if it was mentioned before but he is completely off of oxygen, even the little thing at his nose. They have removed all catheters (sp?), although still unable to get out of bed, they felt this would be better for him and his body. I'll let you fill in the rest for yourselves there.

Mom asked that people please pray for him bowels and urination that they would regulate themselves now that the catheters are removed.

He was able to left his knees off the bed today also. He was able to do it a couple of inches and enough to see it under the covers. He was SO excited and enthusiastically talking about how it was something new today for him to be able to do.

Mom and Dad is up for visitors and it is just as much of a support for them now as it was before. Exciting part now is that people can actually see and talk to dad, and when he doses off it gives you a chance to talk to mom. Thanks for all the prayers and support!