August 28, 2008
Day 19
Back on my Feet Countdown: 88 days
Strengthening Feet--Family Visits--Awesome Friends--Great News!
I am sleeping better and better each night. I believe the reason for this is that my feet are not hurting or as uncomfortable as they have been. I also noticed this morning while doing my physical therapy exercises that I can move my toes and my ankles more and more without any discomfort. This is very exciting!! The swelling is much improved as well!
My dad and mom came in around 1pm today. They are on their way to Branson, MO and decided to come and spend the night with us. It was so good to see them. This is the first time I have seen my dad since my accident. My mother came the day after my accident and spent a week with us. She was so helpful! She took care of Collier and many of the household chores. I wish to take this moment to thank my mom for all of her care, love and help. You are a huge blessing to me and my family. So, my day was great....I spent the morning with my Mom-In-Law and Collier and then spent the afternoon with my Dad, Mom and Collier. It made the day go by fast and it was purely enjoyable!
My first doctor's appointment since leaving the hospital was this afternoon at 4:30pm. Since Robbie was working, my friend Liz volunteered to take me to my appointment. So we loaded up in the car, and took off. I began to tell Liz where we were going. She turned to me and said, I know where I am going! LOL Of course, she has lived here all of her life!
We got to the doctor's office at 4:20 and the waiting room was full. Liz laughed and said, "I bet we don't get out of here by 6!" Sometime around 5:30pm, I was called back. They began by removing the splints I had on. From there, we went to another room to conduct x-rays. The x-rays were completed and they decided to leave me on this very hard table, saying this would be the best place to remove my stitches and to put casts back on.
While lying on the table, Dr. Lorio comes in and hold the x-rays up to the light where he can show me what was going on. I have to admit, this is my first time to see x-rays of my feet after surgery. All I could see was pins and screws. Funny, was there in bone in there at all? Dr. Lorio begins to speak. We start with the left foot. He is very pleased with the healing process so far. And the wounds on that foot are looking good...no infection and no drainage. Then we move to the right foot, the one with the most damage. He gets this huge smile on his face and then then turns to me, smiling, and says; "I could not be any more excited about how this looks! You know as I told you after surgery, I did the best I could do rebuilding this foot. See the bone putty? See where we tried to use pins on the top to repair the damage!" He then pointed to the curvature of the bone and again was smiling....he continue to tell me how happy he was with the healing so far. No infections on the right. The wounds are looking good. There is still a little drainage, yet, all is just awesome. I looked him in the eye and said; "This is the hand of God, this is the hand of God!" He agreed with me! He left the room and all I could do was point to the ceiling and say; "You God, this news is all YOU! Thank you and praise you!"
From there, my big smile when to a squinting face and saying ouch! The stitches were coming out and boy, did they hurt. Big, big, ouch! But, it was temporary and it passed.
I left the office with a boot on the left foot (no cast, just a sock covered foot in a walking boot to keep it in place as it continues to heal) and a cast on the right one. They cut a hole in the cast so that I could clean my wound every day for the next 2 weeks. I go back in 2 weeks for another follow-up appointment. At that time, the wounds on the right will be healed enough for a boot covering as well. I am able to move my left foot back and forth to give my ankle some exercise.
So you see, God really does answer prayer. I am so thankful for this wonderful report and I praise Him and give him all the credit for this awesome news!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Day 18--First Day Alone at Home
August 27, 2008
Day 18
Back On My Feet Countdown: 90 days
Getting into the swing of things!
I fell asleep in my bed at 9:30pm last night. I had not planned on going to sleep that early, yet, I was exhausted from the day's activities. I woke up at 11:30 in a complete sweat. Not sure why, but I was soaked and so were the sheets. I had the feeling of wet sheets. YUCK! So I pealed off some of the covers and let the ceiling fan cool me down. Then back off to sleep I went. I woke up at 6:30am just in time to get dressed and feed Collier. Robbie had everything ready for me to feed him this morning. She got him up and I was at his high chair with his food and milk. We got him into his high chair. We prayed to say thanks for our food and I began to feed him. It was then that I began to sing the song that I always sing to him when I feed him: This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day (YEAH) this is the day, that the Lord has made!
Of course it took me must longer than normal to sing it as I was crying my eyes out, trying to get through the song. My tears were tears of joy....I was finally back home, singing to my son as I always did each morning I fed him. I was so thankful that I was there and had the ability to sing and interact with him. There are so many other scenarios that could have played out from my fall.....and that is why I am so thankful that I was here, singing this song and feeding my son. Oh Praise YOU GOD! Only YOU can do the impossible, the most miraculous!
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Robbie's Mom came and took Collier for the day. Robbie then got me setup for my day and she kissed me goodbye and off she went to work. Now, it was just me, God, my cats and this house. I was being overwhelmed with emotions of loneliness and wondering how I was going to make it through the next 90 days. You see, my doc and I have a goal for me to get back on my feet (or at least begin to get back on my feet) in 90 days. It was then that I spent the next hour in prayer and reading my Bible. God took away these negative feelings and I began my day in pure joy!
I went all over the house today in my wheelchair. I even ventured out to the garage. I have spent the majority of my day here in my recliner, in the living room, talking on the phone and working on my computer. It has been and great day and I look forward to Robbie and Collier's return this evening.
Day 18
Back On My Feet Countdown: 90 days
Getting into the swing of things!
I fell asleep in my bed at 9:30pm last night. I had not planned on going to sleep that early, yet, I was exhausted from the day's activities. I woke up at 11:30 in a complete sweat. Not sure why, but I was soaked and so were the sheets. I had the feeling of wet sheets. YUCK! So I pealed off some of the covers and let the ceiling fan cool me down. Then back off to sleep I went. I woke up at 6:30am just in time to get dressed and feed Collier. Robbie had everything ready for me to feed him this morning. She got him up and I was at his high chair with his food and milk. We got him into his high chair. We prayed to say thanks for our food and I began to feed him. It was then that I began to sing the song that I always sing to him when I feed him: This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day (YEAH) this is the day, that the Lord has made!
Of course it took me must longer than normal to sing it as I was crying my eyes out, trying to get through the song. My tears were tears of joy....I was finally back home, singing to my son as I always did each morning I fed him. I was so thankful that I was there and had the ability to sing and interact with him. There are so many other scenarios that could have played out from my fall.....and that is why I am so thankful that I was here, singing this song and feeding my son. Oh Praise YOU GOD! Only YOU can do the impossible, the most miraculous!
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Robbie's Mom came and took Collier for the day. Robbie then got me setup for my day and she kissed me goodbye and off she went to work. Now, it was just me, God, my cats and this house. I was being overwhelmed with emotions of loneliness and wondering how I was going to make it through the next 90 days. You see, my doc and I have a goal for me to get back on my feet (or at least begin to get back on my feet) in 90 days. It was then that I spent the next hour in prayer and reading my Bible. God took away these negative feelings and I began my day in pure joy!
I went all over the house today in my wheelchair. I even ventured out to the garage. I have spent the majority of my day here in my recliner, in the living room, talking on the phone and working on my computer. It has been and great day and I look forward to Robbie and Collier's return this evening.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Day 17--At Last, Going Home!
August 26, 2008
Day 17
Home or Bust!
In my Day 16 post, the last thing I talked about was being awake at 6:30am and deciding to start my day. I could not sleep any more. I wanted out of my bed. I wanted to pack everything up....I was ready to go home! I paged my friendly, sadistic nurses! They came and bagged my legs for my shower. They brought in all of my towels and supplies. I grabbed my clothes, got into my wheelchair and into the the shower I went. It was great to sit under the jet spray of warm water and think about going home. I just sat there and praised God for His blessings! I got dressed, brushed my teeth, did all the normal morning things. I left my bathroom ready to GO!!!
Breakfast came and my doctor stopped by to cover any last minute things and to tell me they were working on my departure paperwork.
Soon after this, Robbie showed up and started packing my stuff. Some of our friends also showed up to help take home my rehab equipment. What a blessing to have friends and for them to come when you call for help!
Finally, my nurse come in at 9:30 with papers to sign. I signed them and at that point, I was a free man! Yee Haa! Hurray! Go! Go! Go! It is Home or Bust!
Home At Last!
I wheeled into my house with such delight, joy and a wee bit anxiety. What? Anxiety? You have got to be kidding. How in the world do you have anxiety when all you could think about was coming home. Well, it was there, in the pit of my stomach, anxiety! Questions starting going through my head:
Day 17
Home or Bust!
In my Day 16 post, the last thing I talked about was being awake at 6:30am and deciding to start my day. I could not sleep any more. I wanted out of my bed. I wanted to pack everything up....I was ready to go home! I paged my friendly, sadistic nurses! They came and bagged my legs for my shower. They brought in all of my towels and supplies. I grabbed my clothes, got into my wheelchair and into the the shower I went. It was great to sit under the jet spray of warm water and think about going home. I just sat there and praised God for His blessings! I got dressed, brushed my teeth, did all the normal morning things. I left my bathroom ready to GO!!!
Breakfast came and my doctor stopped by to cover any last minute things and to tell me they were working on my departure paperwork.
Soon after this, Robbie showed up and started packing my stuff. Some of our friends also showed up to help take home my rehab equipment. What a blessing to have friends and for them to come when you call for help!
Finally, my nurse come in at 9:30 with papers to sign. I signed them and at that point, I was a free man! Yee Haa! Hurray! Go! Go! Go! It is Home or Bust!
Home At Last!
I wheeled into my house with such delight, joy and a wee bit anxiety. What? Anxiety? You have got to be kidding. How in the world do you have anxiety when all you could think about was coming home. Well, it was there, in the pit of my stomach, anxiety! Questions starting going through my head:
- Who will help us with Collier if Robbie is called to the hospital on call night?
- How will I get around a house in a wheelchair when the house was not built with a wheelchair in mind?
- How am I going to be able to help around the house to keep my wife from being overwhelmed by all the added responsibilities?
- How in the world will I be able to take a shower since my wheelchair will not fit into any of the bathroom doorways?
- How will I keep from getting lonely sitting in an empty house each day for 10 or more hours?
It was then that I was reminded of the verse in Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
I just let those thoughts drift away and I continued to soak up all of the excitement of being home.
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We hung around the house for a little time and then decided we needed to get my prescription filled and go to Wal-Mart to get some supplies to help me with my new environment, home! So we took off, had lunch and ran our errands. We headed home, stopped by to pick up Collier and back to the house we went. We were all home...just the 3 of us! I was back home with my family. Temporarily disabled, but home nonetheless here at home, with my family!!!!
We spent the afternoon together. We setup my portable potty. Tested my ability to get from the wheelchair to the bed. Wheeled around the house to see where I could and could not go. I have to admit, it was a tad bit frustrating. Everything did not work as easily as I had hoped for, but I had to keep reminding myself, I am home...who cares if there are small little difficulties...I am home! My feet were swelling from all of the day's activities. Therefore, I got up on my bed (oh! It felt so good!), elevated my feet and just laid there for a several minutes.
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Around 5:30pm, people started showing up at my house. Robbie and our friends planned a coming home party and they were arriving with food, drinks, and their wonderful kids. So I got into my chair in the living room and spent several hours with friends and family and playing with the kids. It was pure joy! Everyone left and it was time for our nightly cuddle time with Collier. You see, Collier typically goes to bed around 8pm each night. Just after he has his last bottle of milk for the evening, he will cuddle with us until we put him into his bed. So Robbie, Collier and I sat in the big, over sized chair and ottoman....and we just snuggled for several minutes. Again, it was PURE JOY!
Day 16--Last day of PT; Waiting for Tomorrow
August 25, 2008
Day 16
Tough Workout!
Day 16
Tough Workout!
My therapists worked my tail off today. We went outside and I went up and down a steep ramp in my wheelchair. Then we came back to lift weights and stretch. Thank you Michael, Fredrick, Holly, Cherry and Marcus for your outstanding help in getting me ready to go home and take care of myself. I have the confidence necessary to go home and know that I can do my daily life activities.
Wonderful Nurses!
Lora and Janice have been my night nurses for the past 3 nights. They are full of energy, fun, smiles and laughter. We cut up all night long. I will miss them. Last night, my dinner meal from the cafeteria was pretty bad. I did not eat much. I was craving a pizza. So, when Lora and Janice came on at 7pm, they came to my room to get my vital signs. I asked them what food they brought to celebrate my last night in the hospital. I was giving them a hard time and they told me I wasn't getting anything because I was a bad patient! Joking of course! Next thing I know, Lora comes back into my room with a pizza! She wouldn't let me pay her for it...she said it was her treat for my last night! This is the kind of treatment I have received during my 17 day stay! When I get home, I am going to write a letter to the CEO praising all these people by name.
Can't Sleep; Too Excited!!!
I was up until 1am because I just could not go to sleep. All I could think about was going home and how wonderful that would be. I finally dozed off. I woke up at 3:30 am and it took another 30 minutes to get back to sleep. Then I was back up again at 5:30am. I dozed back off again and woke up at 6:30am. I decided to start the day.
Today's HumorI know I have made a lot of humor out of body parts and body waste products, but for some strange reason, this is where I am finding my humor these days.
During the night, I woke to a full bladder screaming at me to do something. So, I raised my bed, grabbed my portable urinal and proceeded to take care of business. Now, one very important thing you have to learn about portable urinals is that you have to keep the angle just right or it will overflow on to you, your clothes and your bed linens. You see by now where this story line is going! ;) While taking care of business, I drifted off to sleep and yep, you guessed it, I did not keep the angle right. So I quickly woke back up to urine soaked clothes and bed sheets!
So I page my fun-loving nurses to lend me a hand. Of course, they get a great laugh out of it....you know, they have nothing better to do than to take care of me! LOL They make everything right again, and back off to sleep I went. The whole time, all I could think about was going home in just a few hours!!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Day 15--One Day Left!
August 24, 2008
Day 15
24 Hours And Counting!
In 24 hours, I will be leaving the hospital and going home! A friend of mine asked me if I was nervous about going home. I can answer with an absolute, NO! I am so thrilled and happy to be leaving the hospital that there is no room for nervousness. I am so thankful for the surgeon, the hospital staff, nurses, therapists, house keeping, etc. They have been so good to me. My healing had greatly benefited from their care and I am so grateful to them!
I am looking forward to finally being in the same room as my wife. I have missed her greatly. It has been very painful not having her near me. It will be great to have my son next to me again. I have missed his jabber, squeals and laughs. I am looking forward to being in my own bed. Not just the comforts of my bed, but having my wife there next to me. Very lonely without her for these past 17 days! I can do nothing but praise God for His blessings!
Suprise Field Trip!
I learned at the last minute that I could have a day trip away from the hospital. Instead of going home for the day (since I am going home on Tuesday), I asked Robbie to come and get me and take me out to eat. So we went to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch. It was so good to be out, with my wife and to eat some real food. We had a great time together and the food was just awesome. We were out for 2 1/2 hours. Robbie spent the rest of the afternoon with me playing board games and napping. It was fun!
Day 15
24 Hours And Counting!
In 24 hours, I will be leaving the hospital and going home! A friend of mine asked me if I was nervous about going home. I can answer with an absolute, NO! I am so thrilled and happy to be leaving the hospital that there is no room for nervousness. I am so thankful for the surgeon, the hospital staff, nurses, therapists, house keeping, etc. They have been so good to me. My healing had greatly benefited from their care and I am so grateful to them!
I am looking forward to finally being in the same room as my wife. I have missed her greatly. It has been very painful not having her near me. It will be great to have my son next to me again. I have missed his jabber, squeals and laughs. I am looking forward to being in my own bed. Not just the comforts of my bed, but having my wife there next to me. Very lonely without her for these past 17 days! I can do nothing but praise God for His blessings!
Suprise Field Trip!
I learned at the last minute that I could have a day trip away from the hospital. Instead of going home for the day (since I am going home on Tuesday), I asked Robbie to come and get me and take me out to eat. So we went to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch. It was so good to be out, with my wife and to eat some real food. We had a great time together and the food was just awesome. We were out for 2 1/2 hours. Robbie spent the rest of the afternoon with me playing board games and napping. It was fun!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Day 14--Rehab & Some More Rehab
August 23, 2008
Day 14
Physical Therapy Turns Into A Field Trip
My PT session today turned into a field trip outside. My Therapist strapped 35 lbs of weights to the bottom of my wheelchair and said, "Lets Go!" We went outside and he made me go up and down this ramp. Now, I have to tell you that this was the first time I had been outside of the hospital since checking in; 14 days. It felt so good to breath fresh air, feel the wind and sun on my skin. I was in heaven! I have to laugh as I write this because it seems that all of the basic things of life that I take for granted every day, are fresh and new to me again and I am writing about them as if I had just experienced them for the very first time....yet that is exactly how I am feeling when these things happen.
It is a great feeling to be able to take care of myself. As I complete each new day of PT, my skills of moving around, grooming; the daily life activities that I need to do to survive are getting easier and easier. Again, there is nothing like bathing yourself or wiping your own bottom! These are the things that make me happy today!! LOL! Laugh all you want, but if the day comes, and I pray it doesn't, where you are unable to wipe your own bottom, you will fully understand what I am telling you and why I am feeling the way that I do. You will also find that it doesn't take much to make me happy! :)
Today's Humor
Day 14
Physical Therapy Turns Into A Field Trip
My PT session today turned into a field trip outside. My Therapist strapped 35 lbs of weights to the bottom of my wheelchair and said, "Lets Go!" We went outside and he made me go up and down this ramp. Now, I have to tell you that this was the first time I had been outside of the hospital since checking in; 14 days. It felt so good to breath fresh air, feel the wind and sun on my skin. I was in heaven! I have to laugh as I write this because it seems that all of the basic things of life that I take for granted every day, are fresh and new to me again and I am writing about them as if I had just experienced them for the very first time....yet that is exactly how I am feeling when these things happen.
It is a great feeling to be able to take care of myself. As I complete each new day of PT, my skills of moving around, grooming; the daily life activities that I need to do to survive are getting easier and easier. Again, there is nothing like bathing yourself or wiping your own bottom! These are the things that make me happy today!! LOL! Laugh all you want, but if the day comes, and I pray it doesn't, where you are unable to wipe your own bottom, you will fully understand what I am telling you and why I am feeling the way that I do. You will also find that it doesn't take much to make me happy! :)
Today's Humor
- For the past 2 evenings, I have been transferring from my wheelchair to my shower bench. From there, I shower (of course), dry, put on clean clothes and then transfer back to the wheelchair. Today, my Therapist said that for him to check off his list that I am able to do this life task, he must observe me doing it. I asked him how much my showering did he need to see...what he going to sit there and watch me or what? He laughed and said, "WHAT?" I asked if he was come kind of pervert! Of course, I was just kidding him and he knew that...but it was funny how serious he was when he was telling me that he had to observe my shower routine; as if he was going to stand there and watch me do everything...ok Mr. Fredrick (his name), here I am moving over to the bench....here I am stripping off my clothes...ok, now here is how I soap up the wash cloth to clean my arm pits....etc! He's like, DUDE! No, I am just going to be there to see you go in and come out; just so I can say that I observed your ability to do this! I was like, OK! I just wanted to make sure I understood what was going to happen. It was sooooooo funny to see his facial reactions to my inquiries of his actions. He could have killed me at this point!
- Late this afternoon, housekeeping came in to clean my room. Housekeeping consisted of 1 guy. He came in and asked if it was OK to clean. I told him yes. So he proceeds to clean. He asked me if I liked football....and I do, a little and in trying to be nice and polite, I told him yes. He got the biggest grin on his face and began to spout out statistics and teams and players and stats and I was just pretending like I understood everything he was saying. Again, I was being nice in the hopes he would get done and move on. So I picked up my computer to do some work and he is just chatting away about football. He said he has never found anyone here that likes to talk about football until now. He was all excited about my interest in football. So he is talking, cleaning and I am stuck. He finishes his noble attempt at cleaning and then sat down in a chair and continued his football chat. Here I am, trying to look disinterested and busy and he wants to talk to his new best friend who appears to love football. Finally, he says goodbye and that he will see me tomorrow. OH NO, I HAVE A NEW FRIEND!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Day 13--2nd Full day of Rehab
August 22, 2008
Day 13
Great Workout -- Great Family & Friends -- Great Motivation
Another great workout in PT! We did lots of weight training on my arms and legs. We also worked on transferring from wheel chair to bath chair. We also did something today that brought a huge smile to my face and great joy to my heart. Drum roll please.......
We raised my hospital bed to the height of my bed at home (29.5 inches). We then practiced transferring from bed to wheel chair and wheel chair to bed. And guess what, I DID IT!!!! So what does that mean, you may ask. That means that I don't need a hospital bed at my house. I can sleep in my own bed next to my wonderful wife. I was going to jump up and do the victory dance....oh, right, my dance card is full for the next few months! LOL! So as you can see, today was a GREAT WORKOUT!
There is no way in the world Robbie, Collier and I could make it through this ordeal without the awesome help of our family and friends. Everyday, I am reminded of how great and blessed I am to have such a wonderful caring family and friends of the same caliper. They continue to step in and meet our needs...hugging and loving us along the way. I will never forget what they have done for my family! So as you can see, I have GREAT FAMILY & FRIENDS!
My verse today during my meditation time comes from James 1:2-4; "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever your face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." So as you can see , yesterday, today and every day after, I am GREATLY MOTIVATED!
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Today's Humor
While I was in PT today, the CEO of the hospital walked into the room and asked to see Mr. Russell Rhodes. They directed him over to me. He introduced himself and he mentioned his title, but I did not hear it. He told me that some friends of my had called him and asked him to stop by and meet me. While he spoke to me, I noticed how quiet the room had gotten. I then glanced at his name tag and saw the letters CEO, but it did not logged into my brain what this meant. He asked me how the hospital was treating me and if I needed anything. He then gave me his number and told me to call him if I needed anything. I thanked him and we shook hands and left. He left the room and I thank asked my Physical Therapist who he was. He laughed and said, "Are you kidding?" I shrugged my shoulders...he said, "That was the CEO of this hospital!" I said, COOL! You could tell all the workers were wondering how I knew the CEO. It was funny to watch their faces as I was finally getting a clue as to who I had just met. I felt all big inside! LOL
Day 13
Great Workout -- Great Family & Friends -- Great Motivation
Another great workout in PT! We did lots of weight training on my arms and legs. We also worked on transferring from wheel chair to bath chair. We also did something today that brought a huge smile to my face and great joy to my heart. Drum roll please.......
We raised my hospital bed to the height of my bed at home (29.5 inches). We then practiced transferring from bed to wheel chair and wheel chair to bed. And guess what, I DID IT!!!! So what does that mean, you may ask. That means that I don't need a hospital bed at my house. I can sleep in my own bed next to my wonderful wife. I was going to jump up and do the victory dance....oh, right, my dance card is full for the next few months! LOL! So as you can see, today was a GREAT WORKOUT!
There is no way in the world Robbie, Collier and I could make it through this ordeal without the awesome help of our family and friends. Everyday, I am reminded of how great and blessed I am to have such a wonderful caring family and friends of the same caliper. They continue to step in and meet our needs...hugging and loving us along the way. I will never forget what they have done for my family! So as you can see, I have GREAT FAMILY & FRIENDS!
My verse today during my meditation time comes from James 1:2-4; "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever your face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." So as you can see , yesterday, today and every day after, I am GREATLY MOTIVATED!
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Today's Humor
While I was in PT today, the CEO of the hospital walked into the room and asked to see Mr. Russell Rhodes. They directed him over to me. He introduced himself and he mentioned his title, but I did not hear it. He told me that some friends of my had called him and asked him to stop by and meet me. While he spoke to me, I noticed how quiet the room had gotten. I then glanced at his name tag and saw the letters CEO, but it did not logged into my brain what this meant. He asked me how the hospital was treating me and if I needed anything. He then gave me his number and told me to call him if I needed anything. I thanked him and we shook hands and left. He left the room and I thank asked my Physical Therapist who he was. He laughed and said, "Are you kidding?" I shrugged my shoulders...he said, "That was the CEO of this hospital!" I said, COOL! You could tell all the workers were wondering how I knew the CEO. It was funny to watch their faces as I was finally getting a clue as to who I had just met. I felt all big inside! LOL
Friday, August 22, 2008
A Note to My Son---Collier
Collier---
I miss being with you and your mom on a daily basis. I am so thankful that I can and have given you both to the Lord. He will always sustain and keep you. I can always trust Him for keeping you! I am so thankful for this.
I love you Collier. I love your smiles. I love it when you say, 'daddy'. I love your energy and the way you examine everything that is in your world. I love your happy squeals. I love it when you crawl into my lap with a book so we can read together. I love you. I can't wait until the day I can come back home and be with you!
I can't wait to teach you the great things God has taught me through this accident. Our God is truly amazing and I can't wait for you to see this!
I love you
Daddy
I miss being with you and your mom on a daily basis. I am so thankful that I can and have given you both to the Lord. He will always sustain and keep you. I can always trust Him for keeping you! I am so thankful for this.
I love you Collier. I love your smiles. I love it when you say, 'daddy'. I love your energy and the way you examine everything that is in your world. I love your happy squeals. I love it when you crawl into my lap with a book so we can read together. I love you. I can't wait until the day I can come back home and be with you!
I can't wait to teach you the great things God has taught me through this accident. Our God is truly amazing and I can't wait for you to see this!
I love you
Daddy
A Note To My Wonderful Wife, Robbie
Robbie,
You are my soul-mate, the one God created for me to spend the rest of my life with. I am so thankful for you. So thankful you said yes to my marriage proposal some 14+ years ago. During the good times and the bad, you have been there. I could not get through my life without you and your love for me. Thank you for being my biggest fan, my cheerleader. Thank you for being my rock when I am at my weakest point. Thank you for allowing me to cry on your shoulder when I am sad. I adore you. I respect you. I need you. I want you. I love you!
You are my dearest and my treasured friend.
Russ
You are my soul-mate, the one God created for me to spend the rest of my life with. I am so thankful for you. So thankful you said yes to my marriage proposal some 14+ years ago. During the good times and the bad, you have been there. I could not get through my life without you and your love for me. Thank you for being my biggest fan, my cheerleader. Thank you for being my rock when I am at my weakest point. Thank you for allowing me to cry on your shoulder when I am sad. I adore you. I respect you. I need you. I want you. I love you!
You are my dearest and my treasured friend.
Russ
Day 12--First Full Day of Rehab
August 21, 2008
Day 12
Pain, Pain, Go Away...Don't Come Back Another Day!
Unfortunately, I began my evening with pain! Here at Saline, they constantly ask if you are in pain and if so, where on the scale of 0 to 10 (10 being the worst pain you could have). At around 9pm, I was at 8-9 level. I had taken my pain meds an hour before and still no relief. The nurse was knocking his brain trying to figure out what to do next. So, he unwrapped my legs and pulled my casts apart, thinking there was swelling and the pressure was causing the pain. Praise God! Within 15 minutes I was down to a pain level of 3. We left my legs unwrapped for the rest of the evening. I did not sleep very well, but was not in a lot of pain either. There is always something good in the midst of bad!!
Physical Therapy is Fantastic!!
I was so pumped by the end of this day. The Physical Therapy (PT) group worked me over hard, but it was just a fantastic day. I was totally worn out but so pumped and excited for learning how to do things for myself. I was able to take my first shower since checking in to hotel Saline Memorial. I just sat under the jets of warm water and all I could do was Praise God. It is funny how we take the simple pleasures of life for granted....when you lose them, you appreciate them so much more when you get them back!!!
Robbie spent the night with me tonight. It was great to have her here. I will never be able to put into words what a wonderful woman she is. I know she is overwhelmed by my accident. She has been a trooper....taking on additional responsibilities even though her plate is already full. Baby, I love you with all of my heart. You have and will continue to be the Wind Beneath My Wings!
Today's Humor
Day 12
Pain, Pain, Go Away...Don't Come Back Another Day!
Unfortunately, I began my evening with pain! Here at Saline, they constantly ask if you are in pain and if so, where on the scale of 0 to 10 (10 being the worst pain you could have). At around 9pm, I was at 8-9 level. I had taken my pain meds an hour before and still no relief. The nurse was knocking his brain trying to figure out what to do next. So, he unwrapped my legs and pulled my casts apart, thinking there was swelling and the pressure was causing the pain. Praise God! Within 15 minutes I was down to a pain level of 3. We left my legs unwrapped for the rest of the evening. I did not sleep very well, but was not in a lot of pain either. There is always something good in the midst of bad!!
Physical Therapy is Fantastic!!
I was so pumped by the end of this day. The Physical Therapy (PT) group worked me over hard, but it was just a fantastic day. I was totally worn out but so pumped and excited for learning how to do things for myself. I was able to take my first shower since checking in to hotel Saline Memorial. I just sat under the jets of warm water and all I could do was Praise God. It is funny how we take the simple pleasures of life for granted....when you lose them, you appreciate them so much more when you get them back!!!
Robbie spent the night with me tonight. It was great to have her here. I will never be able to put into words what a wonderful woman she is. I know she is overwhelmed by my accident. She has been a trooper....taking on additional responsibilities even though her plate is already full. Baby, I love you with all of my heart. You have and will continue to be the Wind Beneath My Wings!
Today's Humor
- Warning: This section talks about poop! You know, I never thought must about the importance of pooping. I went 4 1/2 days without doing it and was so miserable. And when I started back up, I had to do it in my bed, with a bed pan and then call for some stranger to come and wipe me. TODAY, I transferred from my bed to my wheelchair, from my wheelchair to my toilet and well, you know the rest of the story. I sat there, doing my business, laughing because pooping is important, BUT, pooping and wiping on your own is FANTASTIC!! By the time I got back to my bed, I had burned 1000 calories and I was drenched in sweat! But life was great!
- My nurse today was a guy from the Twilight Zone. I am serious.....he did a fantastic job, but had the strangest since of humor. He would come in my room and chat with me and get so cracked up over his own jokes that he would just ball over in laughter. His jokes weren't too funny, but watching him was amusing to me! You had to be here to get the full effect.
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