Dear Family and Friends,
What a blessed and God filled Thanksgiving we had. Our dear friends, Charlene and David Laird and two prayer warriors, Pena and Zona, came out laden with real turkey and all the goodies of a home made meal to celebrate with Dick and me. I had decorated the private dining room like I would at home and we shared wonderful fellowship and of course food. Our friend Pena is quite a believer and always has stories to tell of how the Lord takes her from day to day. She literally has very little to live on and lives by faith to make it to the next day. We all need a dose of Pena especially when we think we are struggling.
Dick is still complaining of terrible pain in his left hip and even though the therapist say it is just the nerves waking up, I am ready to have it xrayed. Even if it is just the nerves I will have peace of mind that there are no fractures or tumors getting in the way. This advocating gets tiring after awhile but with the load the therapists have I guess I need to be in there all the time. I am also going to see if he can be on antinflamatories every four hours to get this under control. He really does not say anything about how bad it is until I am there and that does frustrate the staff as they have a PRN order for pain.
he still has no movement in his left arm or leg but can feel the tension in his left thigh as he tries to move it. That is a good sign.
I am hoping to get permission to get him out in the car for a ride and see the lights. The PT has to help him with the transfer and I would have to arrange to have them assist into the car before and after our jaunt. I did some wheeling and dealing last month and traded in our 2 cars and got a Honda CR-V and left over money to do some house needs as garage doors. The car is a better fit than our Odyssey and Camrey were. One too high and the other too low. I warned Dick that he better get home soon or no telling what I might sell. He has alot of "treasures" .
We will be spending Christmas here but I do not think he will be ready to stay home over night. We will get him here for the day and enjoy the gift of our Lord and Savior together . I did make him an Advent wreath using the battery operated candles so we can read and light our candles every day. This is one of our favorite seasons in the church year as we prepare our hearts and minds for the first coming of Jesus and waiting and staying alert for His second coming. May you experience that wonderful anticipation of His birth and know that without our Abba's deep,unconditional love for EACH of us we would be among those who have no hope or joy as we journey through our lives in this world.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I THESSOLONIANS 5:16-28
I have waited to pass along the news because we had a care plan gathering with the staff today and wanted to gather their impressions of Dick's progress.
The PT and OT are pleased with his working hard and see gradual movement and strength on the left side. He still has no use of the left side but has gained enough strength in his trunk to allow his left elbow to slightly push him towards the right and then bring himself up to a sitting position. Their goal is to have him able to accomplish daily activities with little assistance. I watched him stand in the parallel bars today and makes me so appreciate the use of my limbs without any difficulty. It is hard to watch an active man now having to struggle to stand and walk. I thank the Lord for the patience and gift of the therapists.
He has not been able to sleep very well as his roommate calls out in the night and there are two men down the hall that yell. We brought that up at the meeting and there is a room available tomorrow that is in a quieter hall. He really needs his rest as he can barely stay awake after a couple of the therapies.
This Friday we are getting together with the two couples we meet with for dinner and fellowship. They are coming out to the center and we have the private diningroom to use as we bring home cooked goodies and
celebrate our life in the Lord and each other. We have been so blessed by the visitors and contact all of you have made with us. Truly the Body of Christ in action. I am sure this has enabled Dick to keep trying and trust in the Lord to give him the strength to walk this journey. We will bring Thanksgiving to him and also I plan to join him on the 22nd to celebrate with the center at their Thanksgiving meal.
As I think about Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for in having Dick alive and the care and accessiblity to wonderful health care. I have a giving, loving, and faithful family and a wonderful Church family that has walked with Dick and me through years of health issues. May our Lord and Savior bless and grace you with His deep abiding love.
The PT and OT are pleased with his working hard and see gradual movement and strength on the left side. He still has no use of the left side but has gained enough strength in his trunk to allow his left elbow to slightly push him towards the right and then bring himself up to a sitting position. Their goal is to have him able to accomplish daily activities with little assistance. I watched him stand in the parallel bars today and makes me so appreciate the use of my limbs without any difficulty. It is hard to watch an active man now having to struggle to stand and walk. I thank the Lord for the patience and gift of the therapists.
He has not been able to sleep very well as his roommate calls out in the night and there are two men down the hall that yell. We brought that up at the meeting and there is a room available tomorrow that is in a quieter hall. He really needs his rest as he can barely stay awake after a couple of the therapies.
This Friday we are getting together with the two couples we meet with for dinner and fellowship. They are coming out to the center and we have the private diningroom to use as we bring home cooked goodies and
celebrate our life in the Lord and each other. We have been so blessed by the visitors and contact all of you have made with us. Truly the Body of Christ in action. I am sure this has enabled Dick to keep trying and trust in the Lord to give him the strength to walk this journey. We will bring Thanksgiving to him and also I plan to join him on the 22nd to celebrate with the center at their Thanksgiving meal.
As I think about Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for in having Dick alive and the care and accessiblity to wonderful health care. I have a giving, loving, and faithful family and a wonderful Church family that has walked with Dick and me through years of health issues. May our Lord and Savior bless and grace you with His deep abiding love.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
TAKING A DAY AT A TIME
The first week has gone by quickly and we are very happy with the therapy department. They even gave Dick a good workout yesterday which is more than he got at the hospital rehab. The poor guy is really beat by the end of the day. They have worked out a schedule that enables him to rest more in the morning just getting speech therapy and then after lunch they give him three hours of PT and OT. They are pleased with his effort and he now can stand for five minutes in the parallel bars. He has a long way to go but is determined to see this through.
I do not go in to see him until after all the work, as he gets easily distracted and needs to stay focused on the exercises. I stay for dinner with him, get him ready for bed, and then have time to read and pray together. Both of us have a better night knowing the Lord is with us even while we are apart. This has been hard to have to leave him knowing his next day is going to be more of the same and is such a slow process. My prayer is that he will be able to come home for Christmas and that I will be able to manage without difficulty.
Blessings to all of you as you follow our journey with the Lord and His grace and mercy.
I do not go in to see him until after all the work, as he gets easily distracted and needs to stay focused on the exercises. I stay for dinner with him, get him ready for bed, and then have time to read and pray together. Both of us have a better night knowing the Lord is with us even while we are apart. This has been hard to have to leave him knowing his next day is going to be more of the same and is such a slow process. My prayer is that he will be able to come home for Christmas and that I will be able to manage without difficulty.
Blessings to all of you as you follow our journey with the Lord and His grace and mercy.
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