My blog is moving...

I am moving my blog over to Wordpress. Please come check it out and follow me there. http://designsbysachs.wordpress.com/ I hope to have my domain name point there in a couple weeks, so you will also be able to go to http://www.designsbysachs.com

See you over there!

Eating "Right"

Things have been pretty much the same as of late. I have not had any major breakthroughs or setbacks. I have just been. I have been working full time or at least close to it and my days have been I guess what one would call “normal”. Last week I started back up with physical therapy. This time I am seeing a guy who is a personal trainer and nutritionist. The big thing this time is DIET. No, not the kind that you hear on the news and on so many t.v. shows, not the lose weight kind but the kind that we all should follow, eating right. He has me eating things that are “good for me”, and to my dismay this does not include double stuffed Oreos, candy or Diet Mountain Dew!!! In our first meeting he informed me that carbonation is the worst thing for your immune system. It has to do with the destruction of calcium and therefore the lack of the ability for your body to absorb nutrients and vitamins. So, I have not had any soda since Monday, I have had only water. Now don’t get me wrong, a majority of the time it is flavored by Crystal Light or some other brand of mix in, but it is water none the less. I just have a hard time with just water, but I have been doing rather well if I may say so myself. I have been eating at least 5 times a day and fruits and veggies have been a large part of what I eat. I must say that it is harder to eat “healthy” when you really try. The grocery stores and restaurants don’t make it easy at all. I have committed to do my best with this new diet because I don’t want to get sick again. I have read too many stories about people who have had GBS more than once and I don’t ever want to feel that kind of pain again. There are many people that don’t have pain when hit with GBS, but let me tell you, it is possible. Just because your nerves are being stripped apart does not mean you can’t have pain, at the right stage of progression pain is excruciating at least for me it was. During our sessions we are talking about nutrition and he is slowly adding exercises that I can do to help build up strength and add muscle mass. According to the tests that were done I have about 5% body fat that needs to be turned into muscle and then I would like to add on about another 15 lbs on top of that. So, that is where I am at the moment, working on living a healthier life, and with the love of God I know it is possible, because through Him all things are possible.

Not so down with the sickness

Well, those that know me well know that I do not like to throw up, vomit, puke, toss my cookies, spew chunks or any other variance one might come up with. In fact I will do almost anything possible not to do any of the aforementioned. Now as many of you know that about two weeks prior to December 26, 2008 I had a 24 hour bug, as did everyone else in my house, and that is what led to everything you can read about in this blog. So, now when I get sick I don’t take it lightly and really it kind of freaks me out a bit, especially since I am still recovering. So yesterday I was not feeling too good and at about 6:30 pm I settled in on the couch and that is where I stayed till about 9:00 pm with a very bad headache. It was one of those that felt like someone stabbing a railroad spike thru your temple and every now and again they would tap it or wiggle it a bit. Not something I consider fun. I also had a lovely feeling in my neck and that is because my second cervical floats and when it gets out of whack it can cause issues, painful issues. On top of these two things my body just did not feel right. It is a feeling that I can’t really explain, but after a long day I usually get this feeling around 9:00 pm, and yesterday it started around noon or so. So, once bed time rolled around I was not feeling good at all. I gently laid down, because every moment made that evil person that was wiggling that railroad spike in my head really force it into a tender spot of my brain. The entire night was no fun. I was sweating so bad that every time I woke up my forehead was soaked as well as my t-shirt and sweat pants. It reminded me of several very uncomfortable days in the hospital when I was sweating so bad that one night I had my sheets changed three times. I don’t think I have to say that those were not very good nights of sleep, well neither was last night. Then somewhere around 2:00 am I rolled over onto my side and that was a no-no. My stomach made a very strong recommendation that we head to the bathroom and get to know to toilet a little better. So, I got out of bed and with that evil railroad spike wiggler following right along with me I made a dash for the bathroom. Now, please remember that my muscles are still tender and squatting down is not comfortable at all. Bringing my heels to my backside hurts a lot and as far as I know that is the natural vomiting position. So as I hurried to get “in position” I was stuck not knowing what to do because it hurt but I also needed to be in “position” and ready to discharge. Well, I finally found a position that worked for everyone and I proceeded to get to know the toilet on a more personal level. Once I decided that we had become close enough and I would try to make it back to bed I did so very slowly, because although my stomach now felt better my head was still throbbing. I finally slid out of bed around 12:30 pm and over time my head began to feel a bit better and now I am doing okay. My stomach is not perfect, and neither is my head, but all is tolerable. Well, sorry this post was not filled with great reports of progress and notes of recovery, but hey it is what I call life and all I can do is put it in God’s hands and do my part.

More Road to Recovery Pics

Well, here it is late again and I am ready to head to bed, but just felt the need to share the pictures I just finished working on. I took these pictures in the complete dark again and used the same light I did before. I am really enjoying the effect that this technique creates. I thinking about finding a way to take in donations and depending on the amount would determine how many of my pictures the individual would get and then donate the proceeds to charity. I spoke a friend tonight about how I could go about doing this and I am excited about the information she shared. I think I am going to try to ride under another organization for a while and if things actually go well and I am ready to start my own organization then I will look further into it. My goal will to one day start a non-profit organization called Photos for Life. I would like to have a wide variety of photos that I would group together and make available and each set would be connected with a charity and the proceeds would go to that charity. Well, that is what is going on in my head right now… Enjoy the pics!






Saved by the blood,
Donovan

Just a little note and update…

I did not mention that the pictures of the wheelchair were taken in pitch black room. I focused the camera in the light, then turned out all the lights and used a flashlight to light the spots I wanted lit. I took several shots to get the look I was looking for and I plan to use this process to do the rest of the series. I hope to have another picture or two in the next several days.

I also just signed up for SoFoBoMo which stands for Solo Photo Book Month. You take photos in a 31 day period between May 1 and Jun 30 and make a book out of them. I have been wanting to do a book that is “a day in the life” all taken in macro form. So they will all be very up close shots of things that are part of my everyday life. Now I have to buy my lens that I have been wanting! Can’t take macro shots without a macro lens.

I have been doing well this past week. I had my last day of PT on Friday and now I am waiting to be set up with another therapist that is a personal trainer and nutritionist. That should be fun. I have a feeling I will hear something about no Oreos, but do I have news for him!!! I have been having issues with my left arm, it has been numb. I had some pretty good pains in it this afternoon, but this morning I was able to trim bushes and do yard work. So, I guess some pain and numbness could be expected. Well, tomorrow I have a meeting with a potential new client and then I will spend the rest of the day at the office. On Friday we looked at some new office space. We are looking to expand a bit, just don’t want anything too big and to much $$, just don’t know what is going to happen with all the economic “stuff” going on right now. My plan is to stay as healthy as I can and do my job and in my free time have fun with my hobby. And all along the way thank God for what he has given me and take care of it the best way I know how.

The Road to Recovery Series

This isn't really an update, well I guess in a way it is. Here are a couple pictures that I took and I guess the fact that I took the pictures is a recovery update. I am planning to do a series of pics that will include pics of my wheelchair, walker, cane and shoes. Hope you enjoy...

One step closer!

Well, it may not sound big to many folks but today I cut my own finger and toe nails. Last time I tried to accomplish that task I did not have the strength to squeeze the clippers closed and today, success! This was just one more step to a full recovery. However, I am still not able to wear my crocs, which is something I would love to do,but the texture in them is just too much. My feet are so sensitive that it hurts to put my foot in them. I have the scoots and I love wearing them here in sunny Arizona, but they are just too darn uncomfortable at this point. Well, it is getting late and I need to be thinking about gettin’ to bed, I am planning on going into work in the morning. Just wanted to drop by and share my most recent accomplishment, cuttin’ nails!

On the road again...

Once again it has been way to long between my writings. But it just would not be me if that was not the case. People the know me know that I am not a reader or a writer, but at times there are things we feel we just have to do, and this is one of those things in my life right now. It has been so long since I wrote last I’m not quite sure what to write about. I guess the best thing to do is cover the basics and to do so without writing a book.
I guess I will start by saying I am walking without any assistance at all and to top it off I am driving! God is good! I do still have numbness and tingling in my feet and that is probably the biggest issue I still have. While I consider that the biggest issue I also have muscle tenderness all over and some balance issues, but nothing that will stop me from doing day to day life. Another issue that I am dealing with is numbness in my left arm and hand, it is a nerve issue. I feel it pretty good in the morning and later at night for the most part, and oddly it almost kept me from typing this entry tonight. In addition to morning and night I often experience the numbness when I am working out during physical therapy, but there I have my therapist there to help work it out. Well, when you get right down to it I guess that is about all that is still wrong. Well, I guess one other thing is that I do get fatigued rather quickly, but that is also getting better as time goes by.

I have been working from home ever since I left the hospital (actually I was working even when I was in the hospital) and over the last couple weeks I have been going to clients and today I went into the office for a few hours. We are getting pretty busy at work and I am playing a decent sized role in what is going on, so the sooner I can get back into the swing of things the better.

I guess that is a good summary of where things are right now. I could write more personal feelings and specific things I have done but I could probably fill pages if I did that, and I am just not up for that right now. I guess that will be motivation for me to write here a bit more often. My left hand is bothering me pretty good right now, so I am going to sign off… night all…

Movin' more...

Well, for those of you following along I am sorry for the large gap between posts. First let me assure you that all is well and I am progressing nicely. I have had three PT/OT sessions now since I have been out of the hospital and I am doing well. I have a lot of deep tissue tightness in my back and neck but the OT guy is working on that for me. I am thinking of going for a massage, but I am just not sure about it, being a massage virgin and all. It just sounds real relaxing. I have progressed rather well over the last couple weeks. As I get around the house I often do so without any aids, well that is if you don’t count the walls and furniture. I still have a lot of tightness in my leg muscles and I really feel it in the early morning and late evening. A good hot shower in the morning and sleep at night help out with the pain. My left shoulder and hand have been bothering me a bit the last several days. I just never seem to know what is going to bother me from one day to the next. I am trying to work as much as possible during the week and that is going rather well. We have several projects going on and the more I can play along the better for everyone. I am still not driving and that makes it much more difficult to get around, I have to rely on my loving wife and that puts a lot on her, but she has been awesome about getting me everywhere I need to be. I hope to be driving again soon; I will post it once I am back on the road. I got new glasses a couple days ago. It took me at least 45 minutes to pick out my new frames. I have been picking a standard metal frame from the Air Force for the last 12 years that all the choices had me going in circles. So, I now have my new nifty specs in both a regular and sun glass. I will get a pic soon and post it for all to see. I want to try and get a good shot because I want to make it my profile shot on all my sites that have a profile pic.

Well, I am sure there are a ton of things I could add in here but if I don’t finish this soon it may never get posted. I have been working on it for an hour now and this is all I have. I must say the Food Network has some good stuff on tonight. I love watching people cook food; wish I was able to make some of these things they make and show. I could really use some of it right about now. I lost about 20 lbs. in the hospital and could stand to bring it all back, 150 lbs. for a 6’1” guy is not the recommended weight. Well, I better be going for now. I will try to get back sooner the next time around. Until then… God bless!

Power of Prayer

Well, I have wanted to write for the last couple days and just have not really had the time or energy. However, today something happen that has made me want to find the time to make an entry even if it doesn’t turn out to be a very long one. On Sunday the sermon at church was on prayer and believing that God hears what it is we have to say, even if He does not answer us right away, or even ever. That lead me to think about all the people that I have heard from that said they are praying for me and they told friends and family about me and that their churches, or study groups, were also praying for me. I don’t think I can even come close to realizing how big the group of people praying for me is, but today I received a package in the mail and it gave me a bit of an idea. I received a package from a good friend of my Grandmother’s and she belongs to a group called The Busy Workers. One of the things that The Busy Workers do is knits prayer shawls. You may be asking yourself, “What is a prayer shawl?” Well, each person in the group knits on the shawl and as they do so they say a prayer for the person who is going to receive it. I can’t begin to explain how the receiving of that package made me feel and after looking at my progress over the last week I can testify to the power of each one of those prayers. Actually, it did not take until this week to realize the true power of prayer; I realized it at the beginning of this whole process when people first started praying for me. I do realize that about 80% of people recover completely from GBS and I feel that I have a good change of being in that group, and not just because of the speed of which we caught the disease, but because of all the prayer warriors out there on my behalf. I surprised so many therapists in the hospital with my progress and since I have been out of the hospital I have not seen a therapist and this evening I started walking around the house with a cane. God is good! And all His people said… Amen!

Home for a week

I have been home for just over a week now and things are going well. I have either been busy doing things or just to exhausted to post out here. During the week I have been busy working, mostly during the day. However, if I don’t get enough time in during the day I spend an hour or so in the evenings to make up for any lost time. I am trying to get a full days work in so I am no longer being hit with sick time. My evenings have been spent mostly relaxing on the couch not doing much of anything. That seems to be about all I have the energy to do by the time evening hits. Seeing as though I am trying to do as much as I can during the day and early evening I guess that is understandable. I have been trying to help out in the kitchen as much as possible, but with my lack of balance and minimal strength in my hands there is not a lot that I can do, and I really only last about 15 to 20 minutes puttering around whether in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house. I don’t start physical therapy until the 18th so that is my motivation for doing all I can around the house. I don’t want to just sit around and become a lump and lose everything I gained back in the hospital.

During this last week at home I have become much more aware of things around the house that are not very “handicap friendly”. I guess I will start with the outside of the house. We have a slopped driveway that is a bit of a challenge to get up in a wheelchair. I learned today that turning around backwards and pushing with me feet and legs is the easiest way to get up with the least amount of effort. When I am using my walker it is not too bad, I just have to take it a bit slower and I do on a flat surface. About the only other thing I can think of on the outside of he house is getting from the outside to inside. We don’t have a ramp, so Tricia has to do a wheelie and the lift the backend of the chair to get me in the house. We have only had to do this twice seeing as though I use my walker at least 90 percent of the time. As far as inside the house there are a few things that I have really noticed to be a bit of a bother. One of the things I deal with almost every time I get up and move around is the difference in floor surfaces. We go from carpet to linoleum and back again. Since I use my walker so much of the time, and I have wheels on the front of the walker, the small bump to get up on the carpet can cause big issues if I am not paying attention. Another placed I find it a bit more difficult is at the bathroom sink. With the cabinet under the sink I cannot roll my wheelchair right up to the sink, I find it much easier to roll up sideways and lean over the side of the chair when I brush my teeth, or do anything else. I don’t stand when I brush because the sink is so low when I stand that I would fall over when I brush my teeth because of my lack of balance. Finally for this post, and really the only other big item I can think of, is the shower. As you can see in the picture at the top of this post, I don’t have a lot of room in the shower. First all, getting into the shower I must be very careful not to fall when I am stepping in, one because of the step up and second because there is not a lot of room for my size 13 feet. Then getting out I have all the same issues only now things are wet and that adds a whole new set of challenges. So far we have had no issues and all has gone well.

Tricia is rather worried that I am going to hurt myself doing all the things I am doing around the house, but I keep reminding her that I can’t just sit around and I have to do my best to do things for myself. I also remind her that I am not going to do anything that is going to hurt me and that I will ask for help when I need it, and I thank her for being concerned for me and wanting to take care of me. I am very lucky to have the family that I have. The kids have been very good at helping me when I ask, and at times even when I don’t ask. Then there is my awesome wife. She has been through so much in the last couple months, not to mention the past year that she is due for a good long nap. If it where up to her I think it would be a several day, if not week or even month long nap, and I can completely understand. She has just been awesome…I love you baby!

Home...

Well, I am home!!! I spoke the anesthesiologist yesterday and just did not feel comfortable having my gallbladder removed at this time. I am going to wait till I am stronger and in better health before having any kind of surgery. So, after making that decision I was hoping I would be able to go home, but it was around 7 p.m. before all this was done and the nurses did not think the doctor would be in to write all the scripts that I would need to go home. So I figured I would be spending one more night at the hospital and come home today. It was at about a quarter after seven and out of nowhere the doctor appeared. It was like magic. We discussed what the surgeon and anesthesiologist said and then we discussed all the meds I needed to keep me going at home. Earlier in the afternoon my wheelchair, walker and 3-in-1 chair were all delivered to my room so all that was left to do was the nurse needed to complete all the discharge paperwork. At about 8 p.m. we headed out. Unfortunately Tricia had brought the truck because she was coming to pick up all my equipment that was delivered and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get in the truck since it is a bit higher than the car. But I was able get out of my wheelchair and step up and pull myself right in. Luckily the truck has handles all over the place that I could use it was a piece of cake, what progress in 3 and a half weeks.

Once we got home we put me in the wheelchair and rolled me up to the house. When we opened the door Chip came running out and had to take a second to realize what was going on. He had to figure out the wheelchair and who was in it. It was only seconds before he was up in my lap. Tricia wheeled me into the house and then I took control of the chair. It is a bit different rollin’ on the carpet but I was able to get around without a problem. I did find that the interior doors in our house are about a quarter inch wider than my wheelchair and walker, so I have to be real careful when going into any of the bedrooms. Oh, the door to our “toilet room” is to narrow for anything to fit through. So I use the doorknob and wall for support. Showering is not too bad. I took a nice hot shower this morning, and while things where a little tight it was still a nice shower in my own house. I plan on posting a picture on here later of my shower situation. One thing that made it easier is the new hand held shower head that my lovely wife installed all on her own before I came home from the hospital. It was such a great shower and I will be glad to be able to take shower whenever I want, well as long as I have someone around to make sure I don’t fall.

Sleeping last night what great! I was in my own bed and lying next to my wife with my dog at my feet. I slept great and Tricia even set an alarm to make sure I get the meds that I need at 6 a.m., because if anybody knows me they know I would not be awake at 6 a.m. on my own. We finally got up and moving around 10 a.m. and that is when I got my shower and ate breakfast. After Tricia was done getting ready for the day we headed out and I got a hair cut. It was not bad. I took the walker since the place we go is in a strip mall and parking is only a few steps from the door. After my hair cut we stopped by Walgreens to get a Diet Dew! After we got home I took a seat on the couch, just to make sure I didn’t overdo it. Tricia went to the store to get some things we need for the house and the kids went out to play. I had to promise not to get up or do anything stupid. So, here I sit typing away…

Home?

This is going to be a quick update; I just want to let everyone know what is going on. I will either be going home tomorrow or I will be admitted to another part of the hospital to have my gallbladder removed. I had an MRI done last week and they saw some issues in reference to the gallbladder but they did not feel it needed to come out at the moment. Then I had some pretty bad stomach pains on Tuesday and Wednesday but felt fine today. After talking to a doctor tonight he thinks I should talk to a surgeon and see what they think. So, in the morning I will be talking to a surgeon and if he thinks we are good to go I will be talking to an anesthesiologist to make sure we are safe to move forward. We want to make sure that nothing is going to cause a relapse or a huge setback. So, that is where we stand. I will provide an update when I can…

Another Update

Well it has been some time since I wrote but I have spent most of my computer time working and checking email. I have made great progress in the last week and it looks like I might be heading home toward the end of next week! Today I walk about 325 feet without taking any rest breaks and I did so without hardly locking my knees back. That is great progress seeing as though two days ago most of my steps ended with me locking my knees. I guess you could say I am making progress on step at a time.

My arms are getting better too. I still can’t lift them all the way up, but they are getting there. My hands and feet are still numb and they cramp up when my pain meds start to run out, but I am still able to use my hands quite well. I am typing this with my hands in proper typing position and they are doing pretty good.

Something new that has appeared is dry skin. It started with my legs. I scratched the calves and ankles to the point that I broke the skin in a few spots. I have been applying lotion at least three times a day since I realized what was happening. I am now itching on my legs, back and hands. My feet are dry too but they don’t really itch. Well, at least I can’t feel them itch, but that could just be the numbness.

It is hard to believe I have been in the hospital for 29 days now. There are times when it seems like only days and others when it seems like an eternity. To think of going home in a week or less brings up a range of emotions from happiness to fear. I am ecstatic to think about being home with my family and scared to think about the fact that I will be in a wheel chair and walking with a walker and still not able to do everything that I was able to do a month ago. I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support that my family and I have received from both family and friends and I would like to thank each and every one of you for everything thus far. I know we still have quite a long road ahead and I can only hope that everyone will continue to do what they have so far. Your prayers and support have been incredible. Thank you!

Yes in deed I'm walkin'

I have been meaning to write for a couple days now and I just have not gotten around to it. The big news for the week is that I have been walking! I started walking between the parallel bars, and that allowed for about 4 to 5 steps, but the last several days I have been using a walker. The first day I went about 10 feet and it was an odd feeling. My feet are still numb so balance is a little difficult, but with lots of concentration I am able to stay upright. The second day I went about 30 feet and the steps felt better. I still can’t stand from a seated position on my own, but once I get up I am okay for the most part. Today I used the walker again and went about 40 feet. I have a harder time stepping with my left foot; I have to try just a bit harder, than I do with my right, to get it to move forward. I usually stop when my back starts to cramp up. It’s a bit uncomfortable once the muscles start to spasm, so that is when I decide to plop back down into the wheelchair.

So, walking was the big news but other than that I can report that things are going well. I am able to do a little more each day. It is either reaching a little further, pushing a little harder or moving a little better. Right now I think the thing I would like most, besides walking better, is for my shoulders to work better. When I am laying down I can move my arm from down by my side to up by my head, but when I am sitting down I can put my hand on my knee and lift it only about 3 to 4 inches. I know it will get better in time, but I wish it was better now. My hands and feet are still very numb. I do have some feeling but not much, and when I do touch something it is very tingly. The rest of my body has mild numbness, nothing major.

On Tuesday the doctor told me that he thinks I have 3 to 4 weeks to go, but that is only a guesstimate. I am by far the youngest person here but it seems that I may have the longest stay. I am not sure why everyone is here but strokes and surgery seem to be the biggest reason folks are here for rehab. I have seen several people leave in the week that I have been here and a couple new people arrive. Everyone is very nice staff does very good when it comes to taking care of us. They make you feel very comfortable and they do anything they can to make sure all your needs are met. I have been very grateful for everyone I have worked with. Well, I will have company very soon so I will finish up for now. God bless each and every one of you and thank you for all your prayers…

Back on-line…

Well I have made it to the rehab center and I feel like I am improving each day. There is no wireless connection here so we have been trying to find a way to get me connected. We finally ended up getting a Cricket broadband USB modem. Now I am back on-line and I can work and play once again.

As I said I feel like I am improving a little bit each day. I am able to use a board to slide in and out of bed to me wheelchair. I can do most of the transition on my own, but I still have to be spotted. I got to the rehab center around 7 p.m. on Wednesday the 14th. On Thursday the therapy folks evaluated me and had me stand up, with lots of help, for about just under a minute. I have an elevated heart rate and on Thursday it hit 160 bpm and I was put in bed for the rest of the day. I did my therapy in bed on Friday, everyone was being cautious of my heart rate. It has been decided that my elevated heart rate is being caused by the Guillain-Barré and not one of my meds. I did 30 minutes of occupational and physical therapy on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I had my first shower in two weeks, it was great! For Monday I did my normal hour and a half of each type of therapy. Each day I seem to be able to do just a bit more than the day before. Today the doctor said that I have probably 3 to 4 weeks left here at rehab. That is just an estimate based on how I have been doing so far. So, over all things are going well, but I can’t wait to get home.

I miss not being home with my beautiful wife and kids. I miss my puppy too. There was a therapy dog here at the hospital yesterday. It was great to be able to pet her but it sure made me miss home just a little bit more. Some days go by very quickly and some just seem to drag on forever. I have lost track of the date more than once but luckily they write it on a dry erase board each morning. It does not really seem like I have been in the hospital as long as I have, but then when I think about it there are some days that it seems like I have been gone for months, it is really quite weird. It really makes me thankful for what all I have and can’t wait to get home. For now all I can do is take it one day at a time…

A little painful…

is how I would have to explain today. The Eagles won today so that was a good thing, but we tried to make the move from IV pain meds to pill form. This did not work so well and it took all day to get things back on track. After some reading today it seems that around weeks 2 and 3 individuals with GBS are at their weakest. I am not sure if weakness and pain are related in this case but my hands and feet seem to be at their worst. When trying to explain how my feet felt Tricia shared something that she had read that pretty much nailed it. Each foot feels like a solid piece of concrete. And let me tell you what, that feeling is no fun. The pain in my hands crept all the way back to my elbows today, again, not a great feeling.

I realize each days is going to be different and bring new challenges and I think that is going to be the hardest thing to deal with. No matter who we are, or what we do, we never know what our day is going to bring, but I am finding this a bit more difficult these days. Not only do I not know what is going to happen in my day I don’t know if there is going to be something else that I can’t do today that I could do yesterday. I just keep reminding myself that God is in control. He will not give me more than I can handle, although there are times I wonder if he has the right person when he puts something new on my plate.

Just remember that God is great and that we can do all things through Him!

No move today...

Thought I was gonna move to a rehab center today (Saturday, I am up a little late tonight) but the insurance office is not open on the weekend so I will be here at the hospital till at least Monday. I had a CT of my stomach tonight, no results yet. My blood pressure is higher than the doc would like and I have some sort of stomach issue, not sure if it is a nerve issue or not. I did not sleep well last night and took a few good naps today. My feet and hands are still cramped and in pain, but they are still working, so that is good.

A couple ladies from church came by today, after they dropped a bunch of food off at the house. It was nice to meet some of the folks helping out my family while we manage this rough time in our life. It is so awesome to see how willing people are to help out, even when you have only just met. There are soooo many things I would like to write but my hands are really starting to hurt. I will try to write more tomorrow during football and pain pills…

Current Status…

Well, I was hoping to have a lot more typed by now but as you can see I don’t. I am finding it rather difficult to type when I can’t feel my fingers and have limited control over them as well. My hands and feet seemed to be a bit stiffer and tighter today. My hands are so stiff that they are “stuck” in a half gripped position, it is very difficult to fully straighten my fingers, in fact there are a couple that don’t at this time. While things seemed to hurt more overall today I seemed to have better movement of my arms and legs than I have in the last couple days. The biggest news of the day is that I will be transferring to rehabilitation treatment center most likely tomorrow sometime. I will all depend on whether or not paperwork got done today and if there is a bed available at the other location. It is not really possible to know how long it will take to recover from all of this but some folks that I have spoke with are saying maybe 2 or 3 weeks of rehab, but it could also be a year or more. But based on how I am doing at the moment they are guessing up to a few weeks, and that is all time to retrain my muscles and nerves that have been damaged. It is going to be a long and painful road I have a feeling. But with the help of my family and the grace of God I will overcome it all. Well, my hands are done for the night, I must give them a rest now…goodnight!

Yesterday...

This is a picture I took of Donovan yesterday, January 6, 2009... Donovan will be on later today to update and give information on his condition...

in Him,
Trish