Good & Sobering News

Almost one week at home already. Thank you so much for all of you who have been following my blog and praying for me. Truly, as I have been sharing this past week with other, I feel that God has answered your prayers and helped me recover much faster. Remember, the first few days in the hospital everyone was telling me surgery for sure. Instead, I am at home already, watching my daughter watch "Wonder Pets" on tv and my 7 week old son take another nap (my other daughter is napping too).
So, along the lines of good news, I already had a Dr appointment today. The Dr said my previous Xray looked so good that I didn't need to bother taking another one today. That was huge news to me! It looks like I am over the hump regarding any surgery concerns and now I just need to heal...
....and that brings me to the sobering news. 6 more weeks on crutches before I see the Dr again to see how my fractures have healed. 6 weeks. I know, it could be much worse. It just means a lot of hanging out at home. No jumping jacks or break-dancing for at least 6 more weeks. And then I will need another month of physical therapy to get back to walking the Dr said. He said that most people he puts on crutches for 3 months and then at least 6 weeks to get back to walking ok. The Dr said I'm healing fast so he is optimistic. So am I.
So we looked at the calendar and my goal is to be "back up and running" just after Thanksgiving. So a good 3 months+ for my little trip into the ditch...
Bike ride anyone? ;)

I'm going home!

My friend Chris Daughtry sings a little tune that says "I'm going home, to the place where I belong...". That's the song I'm singing today. Though I am far from healed, I have made huge strides and I can do enough to be self sufficient at home. As you can guess - I'm pumped. Can't wait to be home with my wife and babies and just do what we do. Took another xray today. Please keep praying all follow up xrays show perfect healing and no need for surgery. Pray for no accidents in the home and my kids understand I am still a fragile work in progress. Thanks again for your prayers !
"Get up, take your mat and go home." Matthew 9:6

Sunday : 2 weeks here- my long short stay

Half of my skull is not missing. I am not the one moaning in pain down the hall. I am not confined to a wheelchair. I am not wearing a helmet nor do I need to wipe the uncontrollable drool from my lips. Nope. These are the fates of others I have been staying with here in the ARU. I was the mountain bike guy. I could've been one of the 2 motorcyle guys that have broken multiple limbs. They were here before me and they will be here when I leave this week.I spoke to a grateful mother yesterday. Her son was the one sitting innocently in his car at a red light with his pregnant girlfriend in the passenger seat. They watched as a car flipped and flew through the intersection and landed on them. She was able to step out of the car unharmed. His body needed to be cut out of the wreckage. He was the one with the helmet. Half his skull is currently is a deep freezer to allow for for his brain to swell and heal. They will reattach it later. I focused on the positives of his situation. The fact that drs have the ability to medically treat this young man's skull and save him is unbelieveable. The fact that one day he will be holding his healthy baby and telling him about this crazy chapter of his life is a blessing. He nodded in agreement. Wow. As I write this I almost get emotional. Truly thank you God. It could have been so much worse. Things happen so quickly in this world. It did to me. It did to the others here. So Sunday was my 2 week anniversary here at the hospital. A day off from therapy sessions. A day to rest. Mom, Mindie and the kids walked through my door in the morning. I could here angel voices coming from down the hall and I thought to myself someone here has a little one coming to cheer them up. I was that lucky guy. Rachel brought me an upside down caramel macchiato. My old pastor Graydon made a surprise visit. It was great to catch up with him. Nathan and his girlfriend alia visited again. They have seen me the first Sunday it happened, then one week later and then again a week later this Sunday (yesterday). It was cool to hear his opinion of my progress from week over week. A week ago seems so long ago now. But if you ask me if my stay in the hospital has been long I would say yes and no. Yes it has been long- long enough to make me appreciate things I will never take for granted again in my life: simple things like being able to put my feet on the ground and stand to walk. Yes it has been a long stay- just long enough to genuinely understand that my stay was actually a short stay and could've been so much longer.Again, thank you for your prayers.

another day closer to home

Not super eventful Saturday which is fine by me. Parents came, Louie Mary and Grace came and brought me Gatorade (thank you), and Mindie came at night. Louie watched me practice hopping into the shower using crutches (hopped over the shower curb). OT makes you practice these things before you go home which is a good idea. Got my wheelchair, camode, and crutches delivered yesterday. Nice looking all black wheelchair. Took me first unsupervised shower yesterday. Got the whole bathroom wet. Also put my feet down on the outside ground for the first time since the accident. Kinda weird to think I've been inside for 2 weeks. I'm ready to go home especially now that the go home goal date is in sight. At least I have some windows to look out. Another thing to not take for granted: fresh air.
Job 8:21 says "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy."

the first finish line is in sight

After my scare was cleared up this morning I had another great day of rehab. I practiced getting in and Out of bed and used crutches instead of a walker. Getting up and down is getting a little easier each day. My first day of rehab was on wed and one PT told me I was looking at approx 3 weeks before I would be going home. Today is friday and the 3 therapists I worked with today all agreed that going home next wed is now an appropriate goal date! That means in 2 days we shaved off 2 weeks of rehab. I say we because I know you have been praying for me and God has answered our prayers. The decline of pain and my confidence and ability to move has increased so much in the last two days it seriously baffles me. But I am loving it. Just days ago the hospital bed was a small island prison that I could not move. In or leave. Today I could get up and move with minimal pain. I have been telling the impressed therapists that I have many people praying for me. Please do not stop. Going home next week would be awesome but just one of many lines I need to cross before I have a full recovery. I need to have my bones heal properly over the next few weeks to be completely clear of surgery concerns. Oh yeah. My sister kids and Mindie brought me dinner tonight. I kissed my chunky baby boy and had both my girls on my lap for their fair share as well. A great finish to a great day.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-"
2 Samuel 22:2-3

false alarm

Quick update. Dr informed me this morning that I have nothing to worry about and the nurses should've explained this to me better last night. I tested positive for MRSA a certain type of staph bacteria but I am not infected. Apparently everyone has some form of staph bacteria on them at all times. My particulare type is the toughest to treat with antibiotics IF it becomes an infection. Again I am not infected but they don't want my staph type to go next door to someone in the hospital who is already very sick and then gets MRSA and it turns into infection. Then it can be dangerous to that person. It is much less contagious when you are just a carrier and not actually infected. The Dr said simple hand washing is the best way to prevent transfer of bacteria and that the gowns and masks are over kill. Kissing my wife and babies is all good since they are healthy. Healthy people carry it all their lives sometimes and don't know it because they never get an infection from it. Dr said I most likely had the bacteria on me before I came to the hospital anyways. Its just protocol that they test everyone here at the ARU. I feel so relieved! Thank you for your prayers.

another up and down day

So I already had my title picked out for todays blog. It should have been "best day yet". Thank you all for your prayers because my pain is decreasing. My mobility is definitely increasing. All the therapists noticed today how well I was moving. They all challenged me to do more like getting out of bed all by myself, sitting down in a chair and on the toilet, taking the walker into the shower. I even put a sock on my left foot by myself. I had a natural high all day today. The OT told me if my progress stays at this rate I will be going home much sooner! Praise God. So pumped. My buddy Louie was about to come visit me tonight. And Mindie, Isaiah, and her friend Lyndsay were coming too. I was excited to show off how I can get out of bed up to my walker. My comfort and quickness using the walker has improved too. But jist minutes before they arrived the nurse came in to inform me that I tested positive for the worst kind of staph infection called MRSA. You're more susceptible in the hospital when you have tubes and in your nose and chest and other places like I did last week. So they let me know about it and it was like getting kicked in the stomach at the end of a great day. It didn't fit with the theme I thought was developing for me. Mindie arrived and started walking in just seconds after they handed me a 16 page info pack on this infection. Its contagious and you can die from it potentially. Sounds scary. I told Mindie to just stand in the hall as I told her the news. I didn't want her or Isaiah to come near me until I knew exactly what to expect and what is allowed. The nurses have not been much help in explaining it and a call to the Dr on call got a vague answer that I'm healthy so they are not going to give me anything to treat the infection. I hope I can sleep because I'm not gonna get any real answers til tomorrow. I know that MRSA is resistant to most antibiotics and everyone now has to wear masks and gloves to be in my room. Makes you feel special in the wrong kinda way. But I've also heard that its very common for patients to get this in the hospital and good health makes a big difference in the impact the infection will have on you. I hope I have nothing really to worry about. I just want to get out of here asap. As I write this my worries have subsided. I am hoping that's just the peace of almighty God just residing in me and. I read my bible and did a word search on my kindle for words like sick and ill. Jesus instantly healed many many people far worse off than me. Bottom line: its out of my control and God has already displayed his power and peace in me this last week and a half. Why worry? I just don't feel like it. Please pray for this infection to be gone completely and instantly so I can have my precious friends and family into my room to sit with me and tell me their stories. I really wanted to kiss my chunky baby boy tonight. I had to settle for blowing him a kiss out the window. Psalm 112:4,6-8 says "Even in darkness light dawns for the upright...Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear..." .