Jeremy had his first out-patient physical therapy today at 9:00. Way too early to get him and the girls ready. Needless to say, we got their five minutes late and Jeremy didn't get to shower until the afternoon.
Jeremy's new walker arrived after naps. It is so much easier for him to navigate and it has a seat so he can sit in front of the sink to brush teeth, etc. We took it with us to the park for a BBQ with his lab from school tonight. He got a lot of walking in getting from the car to the party, bathroom, and back. It worked great on the grass. He was wiped out by the time we got home, so we're hoping he sleeps well tonight.
He continues to eat better. He's struggling with constipation despite the daily stool softeners and suppositories...unbelievable what that percoset can do to you. All in all a good day.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Things Are Going Well
I was a little nervous about getting sleep now that Jeremy is home, but last night went really well. I only needed to help him rearrange pillows three times and he didn't cath until 6:30 a.m. Ayden decided to sleep in until 7:30 too, so that helped. The bowel and bladder programs are running smoothly. It looks like he won't have to cath much longer.
Today's goal is to have him walk 1000 ft with the walker. We measured his usual routes from the bedroom to bathroom to kitchen and back so we can keep track. It's 6:00 and he has walked about 300 ft so far. We might be a little shy of the target today, but his new walker arrives Thursday. The one he ordered has four wheels and a seat and will be easier to walk with than the current loaner.
They reduced his Percoset(pain meds) from two every four hours to only one every four hours. It's good for him to start laying off the drugs, but his body isn't too happy about it. His appetite is coming back and he isn't battling nausea anymore.
All in all, everything is going great and the girls are being pretty good.
Today's goal is to have him walk 1000 ft with the walker. We measured his usual routes from the bedroom to bathroom to kitchen and back so we can keep track. It's 6:00 and he has walked about 300 ft so far. We might be a little shy of the target today, but his new walker arrives Thursday. The one he ordered has four wheels and a seat and will be easier to walk with than the current loaner.
They reduced his Percoset(pain meds) from two every four hours to only one every four hours. It's good for him to start laying off the drugs, but his body isn't too happy about it. His appetite is coming back and he isn't battling nausea anymore.
All in all, everything is going great and the girls are being pretty good.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Rome is Home & We Sold the Truck
I should have said, Brian and Connie sold the truck. THANK YOU! I just have to mail the check to the leasing company tomorrow and we are truck free. Thanks to Brian and Connie we were able to sell it for just over the pay-off amount, so we didn't have to pay anything to get out of the lease agreement:)
Now for the exciting news; Jeremy came home tonight. We were planning on leaving at noon, but the orthodics company picked up his super-suit brace to make some adjustments. They trimmed off some of the sides that had been digging into his hips. He says it is way more comfortable now. In fact, he's been wearing it since we left the hospital four hours ago. He might even try sleeping in it so that he can roll on his side for pressure relief.
We convinced the doctors that he shouldn't have to take Lovenox, the anti-blood clot shots, anymore. The one-month supply was going to cost us four thousand dollars and Jeremy doesn't particulary enjoy giving himself a shot in the abdomen every morning. They said he should be fine if he is walking about 1000 ft a day. Since he has to use the walker to get in the bathroom and bedroom anyway, we think he will be active enough to not get blood clots.
The girls played with Kaylee (thanks Kyle and Karen) after we got home so that we had time to settle in and unpack. Kyle and Karen unloaded the car for us, which was no easy task. I pretty much filled up the trunk and entire back seat with stuff that had accumulated at the rehab motel. Before bedtime the girls wrestled with each other on the bed next to Jeremy, who did his best to pitch in from time to time. We are very happy to be home together again. Jeremy's first physical therapy appointment isn't until Thursday, so we will enjoy staying at home tomorrow.
Thank you for your service and prayers.
ps Mom, we picked up a month's supply of the testosterone patches today. James, his roommate, said Jeremy will probably want to watch WWWF and football all the time now:)
Now for the exciting news; Jeremy came home tonight. We were planning on leaving at noon, but the orthodics company picked up his super-suit brace to make some adjustments. They trimmed off some of the sides that had been digging into his hips. He says it is way more comfortable now. In fact, he's been wearing it since we left the hospital four hours ago. He might even try sleeping in it so that he can roll on his side for pressure relief.
We convinced the doctors that he shouldn't have to take Lovenox, the anti-blood clot shots, anymore. The one-month supply was going to cost us four thousand dollars and Jeremy doesn't particulary enjoy giving himself a shot in the abdomen every morning. They said he should be fine if he is walking about 1000 ft a day. Since he has to use the walker to get in the bathroom and bedroom anyway, we think he will be active enough to not get blood clots.
The girls played with Kaylee (thanks Kyle and Karen) after we got home so that we had time to settle in and unpack. Kyle and Karen unloaded the car for us, which was no easy task. I pretty much filled up the trunk and entire back seat with stuff that had accumulated at the rehab motel. Before bedtime the girls wrestled with each other on the bed next to Jeremy, who did his best to pitch in from time to time. We are very happy to be home together again. Jeremy's first physical therapy appointment isn't until Thursday, so we will enjoy staying at home tomorrow.
Thank you for your service and prayers.
ps Mom, we picked up a month's supply of the testosterone patches today. James, his roommate, said Jeremy will probably want to watch WWWF and football all the time now:)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Trip to the Movies
I didn't go down to see Jeremy this morning because he and his roomate were heading to the movies for occupational therapy...maybe I could sign up for that too. I asked him if they got to ride in the special bus; but, alas, it was just a Ford Taurus. He said everything went well. His back was killing him by the end of the movie. It is hard for him to be sitting up so long.
For physical therapy Jeremy walked 250 ft with the walker. His therapist was surprised that he could walk with the walker at all. He should have known by the Superman sticker that Jeremy means business. They decided not to take molds of his right leg for the brace after all. They're thinking that by the time the brace is made, he might not need it anymore. It's pretty expensive so we didn't insist.
He is still eating and keeping food down, although, all he ate for lunch was popcorn at the movies. They are concerned that he has another UTI and are running tests. The most exciting news is that he is coming home tomorrow around noon! His first appointment for out-patient therapy is Thursday and we'll be ordering his wheelchair then.
ps Aunt Mare: I tried that blog address and it didn't work, could you re-send the address?
For physical therapy Jeremy walked 250 ft with the walker. His therapist was surprised that he could walk with the walker at all. He should have known by the Superman sticker that Jeremy means business. They decided not to take molds of his right leg for the brace after all. They're thinking that by the time the brace is made, he might not need it anymore. It's pretty expensive so we didn't insist.
He is still eating and keeping food down, although, all he ate for lunch was popcorn at the movies. They are concerned that he has another UTI and are running tests. The most exciting news is that he is coming home tomorrow around noon! His first appointment for out-patient therapy is Thursday and we'll be ordering his wheelchair then.
ps Aunt Mare: I tried that blog address and it didn't work, could you re-send the address?
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Overnighter Report
We picked up Jeremy from the hospital last night about 6:00. He was really nervous on the drive home and for the first little bit, but soon felt comfortable and glad to be home. We discovered that it is best to go backwards down the ramp after an exhilarating ride down the first time. Jeremy and I were both sweating bullets for a few minutes after that. Getting back up the ramp is quite a workout for both of us. We'll have to hire Bro. Anderson to help us in and out. I'm sure all those chin-ups will come in handy:)
The wheelchair didn't fit in the bathroom and bedroom doors, so Jeremy had to transfer to the walker to get into those rooms. I tried to stay behind him in case he tipped backwards but he did just fine. He definitely got a workout this weekend. Life for him basically consisted of doing one life task( going to the bathroom, eating, or showering, etc.) and then getting back into bed to take off his less than comfortable super suit(turtle shell) and rest. Gratefully, Uncle David was here to help with the girls on Saturday evening. I thought we would be fine on our own, but it was good to have him there for the first few hours home.
Jeremy ate well and never threw up. He also said he slept well...I'm not sure how he could call last night sleeping well, though. Between repositioning the pillows every two hours, one potty break, and one dose of pain killer, I'm not sure when he slept. It must be pretty bad at the hospital. We started getting him ready for church at 8:00 this morning and even though church doesn't start until 11:00, we were still 15 minutes late. I'm sure as he gets more sleep and once his super suit is re-fitted he won't have to take as many breaks in between tasks. He managed to stay through part of Sunday School. He said he could have stayed through all of church if he had taken a pain-killer right before. On the drive home he said that all-around he felt better than he ever has since the accident.
ps (for Sara:) He has normal feeling in the left leg. Sensation in his right leg is coming back but it isn't as advanced as the left.
The wheelchair didn't fit in the bathroom and bedroom doors, so Jeremy had to transfer to the walker to get into those rooms. I tried to stay behind him in case he tipped backwards but he did just fine. He definitely got a workout this weekend. Life for him basically consisted of doing one life task( going to the bathroom, eating, or showering, etc.) and then getting back into bed to take off his less than comfortable super suit(turtle shell) and rest. Gratefully, Uncle David was here to help with the girls on Saturday evening. I thought we would be fine on our own, but it was good to have him there for the first few hours home.
Jeremy ate well and never threw up. He also said he slept well...I'm not sure how he could call last night sleeping well, though. Between repositioning the pillows every two hours, one potty break, and one dose of pain killer, I'm not sure when he slept. It must be pretty bad at the hospital. We started getting him ready for church at 8:00 this morning and even though church doesn't start until 11:00, we were still 15 minutes late. I'm sure as he gets more sleep and once his super suit is re-fitted he won't have to take as many breaks in between tasks. He managed to stay through part of Sunday School. He said he could have stayed through all of church if he had taken a pain-killer right before. On the drive home he said that all-around he felt better than he ever has since the accident.
ps (for Sara:) He has normal feeling in the left leg. Sensation in his right leg is coming back but it isn't as advanced as the left.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Home Sweet Home, hopefully:)
Ayden was feeling better this morning so David watched the girls while I went to the hospital. Jeremy is still eating, not enjoying it, but at least eating and keeping it down. He's lost at least 20 lbs. since the accident. The blood test results showed he is running extremely low on testosterone, which could be affecting his appetite. They are giving him a testosterone patch until it normalizes. He was walking on the parallel bars with out any aid except his right leg brace. This afternoon he was supposed to practice using a walker since his wheelchair won't fit through the bathroom door. We're hoping he can park the wheelchair outside the bathroom and then use the walker to make it to the toilet and shower.
He is supposed to be coming home tonight for dinner. I'm picking him up around 5:00
This paragraph is for Sara:) We were planning on filling in details about the surgery after the blog entry on the accident...but it hasn't happened yet. Jeremy shattered his L1 vertabra. He didn't sever the spinal cord but it was crushed and embedded with bone fragments. The general surgeons permanently removed the two lowest ribs to enable the neurosurgeon access to the injury. The neurosurgeon said because the cord wasn't severed, he expected Jeremy to walk. As for how well he walks and how well his bladder/bowels work, it is a matter of time. The swelling is supposed to go down 4-6 weeks from the surgery. Let me know if you have any other questions because I'm sure I left things out. ps Congrats on the wedding! Sorry we had to miss it!
He is supposed to be coming home tonight for dinner. I'm picking him up around 5:00
This paragraph is for Sara:) We were planning on filling in details about the surgery after the blog entry on the accident...but it hasn't happened yet. Jeremy shattered his L1 vertabra. He didn't sever the spinal cord but it was crushed and embedded with bone fragments. The general surgeons permanently removed the two lowest ribs to enable the neurosurgeon access to the injury. The neurosurgeon said because the cord wasn't severed, he expected Jeremy to walk. As for how well he walks and how well his bladder/bowels work, it is a matter of time. The swelling is supposed to go down 4-6 weeks from the surgery. Let me know if you have any other questions because I'm sure I left things out. ps Congrats on the wedding! Sorry we had to miss it!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Two Many Sickies
Ayden came down with strep last night. I got her some antibiotics this morning and am staying with the girls for the day. I think I'm having withdrawals. I haven't had hospital food for over 24 hours. With David and Bro. Mecham's help we managed to get a ramp up on the back steps. We just used a piece of ramp from Todd Corbett's ramp that Jeremy helped take down a few months ago:) Thanks Todd, David, and Anthon! Bro. Mecham also installed a grip bar in the bathroom. Jeremy's shower chair should be arriving this afternoon, and then we will be ready for his grand arrival on Saturday evening, as long as the wheelchair fits through the bathroom door of course.
Jeremy told me that the orthodics rep. came again this morning to observe his "walking" so that they can fit him for a brace on his right leg. He came yesterday but Jeremy was too weak to get out of bed. We were amazed because he, the orthodics guy, walked in the room with only a cane. Then he proceeded to tell us that the only muscles he can control below his waist are his quads; no glutes, hams, or calves, etc. He wears braces on his lower legs and just with his quads he can walk and stand. They will come back on Monday to make molds of Jeremy's right leg with which they can make him a custom brace. This afternoon someone is supposed to bring Jeremy a new demo wheelchair and take his measurements to order his own.
As for his nausea, Jeremy has been feeling better today. He ate some breakfast and lunch and made it to his therapy in the morning and afternoon. He still has some bowel challenges(not sure what else to call them:) that are making him pretty uncomfortable but things are improving. He is still planning on coming home for an overnighter tomorrow as long as Claire and I don't get strep before then. Ayden isn't supposed to be contagious tomorrow, but I'm a little nervous about Jeremy being exposed to all the germs here.
Jeremy told me that the orthodics rep. came again this morning to observe his "walking" so that they can fit him for a brace on his right leg. He came yesterday but Jeremy was too weak to get out of bed. We were amazed because he, the orthodics guy, walked in the room with only a cane. Then he proceeded to tell us that the only muscles he can control below his waist are his quads; no glutes, hams, or calves, etc. He wears braces on his lower legs and just with his quads he can walk and stand. They will come back on Monday to make molds of Jeremy's right leg with which they can make him a custom brace. This afternoon someone is supposed to bring Jeremy a new demo wheelchair and take his measurements to order his own.
As for his nausea, Jeremy has been feeling better today. He ate some breakfast and lunch and made it to his therapy in the morning and afternoon. He still has some bowel challenges(not sure what else to call them:) that are making him pretty uncomfortable but things are improving. He is still planning on coming home for an overnighter tomorrow as long as Claire and I don't get strep before then. Ayden isn't supposed to be contagious tomorrow, but I'm a little nervous about Jeremy being exposed to all the germs here.
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