MrSteve

Life goes on! God is with us!

2009-10-31T10:53:00.003-04:00

Well it has been almost 13 months since Steve went home to be with our Lord! There have been times that the tears would just flow as we remembered the things we would do together. Today I enjoyed a good breakfast that he would have fixed for me. Corned beef hash and eggs. I even asked him to make it - he couldn't because he was fixing breakfast for "the KING". That's right - life isn't all about me - it IS about HIM!! We all miss him dearly but we KNOW that we will see him again and we WILL be together forever! In fact, this week God reinforced that to me in James 4. Verse 14 says that we don't even know what will happen tomorrow - we are a mist that appears for a while and vanishes. Steve was a GREAT mist - big mist too - that hurricaned into our lives. He certainly left his mark on EVERYONE he met. Even strangers he met on the airplane.

Yesterday I received an anonymous gift postmarked DesMoine, IA. Have any of you been in Iowa lately? Because the person obviously doesn't know that Steve passed away. It was addressed to Steven and Jan Deichert. There was a note inside that read - Thank you for your help when I first graduated from college. No doubt in my mind that Steve had monetarily helped someone out 20 plus years ago. AND no doubt that GOD had this person send this to me yesterday! I recently had to have work done on my 95 Saturn. I was dreaming of a new car but God had said to be content with what I have. GOD provided this money to cover the costs of these repairs!!!

This year has been interesting as our family continues to "go on" without Steve or Dad. I'm grateful that the grandgirls still fondly remember "Poppop". I am glad I can hope on a plane and see them for the weekend like I did Columbus weekend. What a wonderful surprise for the girls and me.

I am excited that the Lord has provided a full time benefit paying job for Kimberly!! It was almost a year to the day that she lost her job God provided this new one. She was working part time in a local hospital and was able to secure another job in the same field. God has intertwined both to give her expertise in her work.

Kevin has applied for a promotion at his job and is working many hours - we are thankful that he does have a job! We have been down that road before as a family - work is good. Brandy is doing a wonderful job as a mom and loves it! And of course I know it is debatable but I do have the best grandchildren in the world! Anna, Ella and Derek! I can't wait to be with them again.

And I am joyful as I work at Joyful Noise Preschool! I love it and the ladies I work with are the VERY BEST!! They are great encourager that love me and most of all love the Lord! They are taking good care of me.

I thank the Lord for HIS word and how it encourages me daily. Now I NEED to lean on HIM - no one else on earth can help me. It's just God and I! He has shown me this year that life is all about HIM - not us - we selfish people! God is sovereign and in control of EVERYTHING! There have been many times that it seems like God is sitting right next to me! I praise the Lord for Christian radio speakers! God uses them to encourage me and keep me going. Greg Laurie is on my radio many times and God is using his messages to confirm that God is REAL!
Feb. 13th (my birthday) Greg said, "Keep on" referring to Philippians 3:13. Kevin called me that day and at the end of the conversation said - "mom - just keep on." Then a few weeks ago when I was feeling a little overwhelmed - Greg said again, "keep on". These words of encouragement keep me "keeping on"! AS Dad Hare always said - "keep on keeping on"!

Keep on my FRIENDS - 1. God is with us! 2. We belong to God! (If we have surrendered our lives to HIM). 3. We should be doing the will of God! 4. We need to believe God! HE knows what is best for us!

Thank you for letting me share my heart. And thank you God for continuing to care for me - even better than Steve!

I love you all -- Mom, Mrs. Steve, Janice

Continuing the "firsts"

2009-02-07T21:37:00.002-05:00

Today is February 7th and we continue through the adventure of going through the first special days without Steve. We did pass over his birthday pretty well. It was January 19th. Kevin did not want us to be alone so he came in for the week with the family. He had off for Martin Luthur King's birthday and took off the rest. I made him promise that they would not come if there was any threat of snow. He said that one snowflake falling would keep me indoors - haha. They did arrive and return safely. We had a wonderful time. It was great to be together! The grandchildren really make a difference. Sleeping was a bit to get used too - but what is a leg in the face when we are all family? Poor Derek did not like the pack and play and it made for a long week for Kevin and Brandy. I did LOVE to see him jumping in the doorway with the jumpy thing. Every parent should have one. I am really thankful that God planned that trip even though when they left I had a difficult time saying "see ya later".

That brings us to today. To update you - Kimberly has been placed on perdium with Virtua Hospital. She really likes it. But with perdium she only works every now and then. She is only scheduled for 2 days during the month of February. She was scheduled to work today - she did work with a happy spirit. We went out to Redstone Restaurant this evening and it was very good. Steve would have loved the food and the presentation. The broiled sea scallops were VERY good. Kimberly and the ribs and they were excellent. We figured that Steve would have had a steak - NY Strip or Prime Rib. Any guesses? There were definite times of crying at the table. But it was good to talk and reflect on where we have been and how God's plan has been executed.

Kimberly has an interview doing activity planning at a private school. We'll see what God's plan is. I REALLY hope that God will show her what is next because $$ is getting a bit scarce for her. She has been seeking the Lord and He has been with her. She is CONFIDENT in His plan!

I think we will just skip over the next birthday. Mine on Friday. His morning was hard enough thinking about no daddy to say happy birthday to "half pint". I know this is part of the process but it is hard.

Kimberly is out with her friends watching a movie so I guess I'll just go to bed and read my college testbook and go over my words for the quiz on Tuesday night. Yuk!

Thanks for your continual love for us.

widow Janice and daughter Kimberly

"empty table syndrome"

2008-12-31T23:09:00.003-05:00

Well, it is less than an hour until a new year begins. . .

My - oh my - what a year this has been. God has surely had us on some adventure - huh?!

A year a go tonight I was sitting with Steve watching "the ball" come down and Dick Clarke in Times Square. We had just enjoyed a holiday with Brandy, Kevin, the girls and Kimberly. I think we even put the girls to bed upstairs and played a game of Rumicube - one of our vacation favorites. We felt a little "funny" because we that next Christmas would be different. Kevin and Brandy had shared that they would be moving to Ohio and that their days in NJ would be over. The changes began at the very beginning of 2008!

January took the Kevin Deichert family to Ohio and we began life without the constant little voices calling for "Poppop". You see, Steve would sit upstairs in his recliner and read stories to the girls and cut them fruit and Brandy would take a break (?) and go to the grocery store. This was a system that worked for everyone. Now I would tell Steve that we would see the girls in X -amount of days and he would say "no" they have been gone X-amount of days. I know he REALLY missed them. I would re-iterate that this was God's plan and we had to accept it.

God allowed Steve to attend the wrestling tournaments with his brother and watch his nephew wrestle - boy he liked going. They would truck out with the wheelchair and park in the "handicapped" parking and enjoy the evening. I think Steve just like being on the floor in the wheelchair and close to the team to smell the sweat. Yuk!

April came and we headed to Ohio to spend a week at Apple Valley Resort. We were sooo excited. Dr. DiMenna gave permission for Steve to swim because his foot had healed and was able to get wet. Steve's desire of his heart had come true. He couldn't wait to get into the water with the girls. Everyday we swam. It was an Olympic sized pool and we were the only ones in it most of the time. We all had fun. We also borrow Daniel's Wii and had a good time with that as well. We enjoyed my nephew's wedding in Cleveland and then had to head home to NJ.

The summer came with some more changes. I resigned from my teaching at Shining Lights Preschool and moved to Joyful Noise Christian School in Marlton. God has taken care of this transition and I love what I am doing. I began working in the summer to get familiar with the procedures and facilities. I was helping them because another staff member had lost her husband to cancer.

THEN July 15th a day that none of us will ever forget. The AVM and off to a most difficult adventure God has ever delivered us. There have been different chapters to our adventure of life and just like the others - God WAS with us 100% of the way. We both sensed God with our decisions. These were difficult valley days for Steve. Dr. Mike Renzi said that it was "the worst". Steve shared with me that it was like going through hell. He wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

Oct. 4th we were supposed to board a plane for Disney World to vacation in our timeshare with the family - this was "our" plans not God's. We knew that Steve would take a bit longer to recover so we moved it to May so he could get stronger. Steve aspirated that day and decided to opt not to be put back on a ventilator and wait for God to take him home.

On Oct. 5th Steve experienced a place better than Disney - he experienced the presence and glory of God! No sun or moon because God's glory shines 24/7. No more night terrors and two great feet that can take him everywhere he wants to go!

God has been Wonderful to me since Steve has gone home. I KNOW He is with me constantly. When this began I said to the Lord - Steve was my rock and HE said -"no I am your rock!" and He has been! There have been times of fear and the Lord has placed a song that talks about not being afraid of the darkness - if God be for us who can be against us? or a preacher that preaches just (?) what I am feeling.

Are there times of sadness? Yes, most definitely. It hits us all at different times. Saturday we went to the Columbus Zoo and there was a building about the "reef" I remember Steve LOVING the ocean at Curacao and swimming with the tropical fish. I lost it that time.

Right now our biggest problem is fixing food. Steve took great care of feeding all of us. He made the kids lunches from day one. I knew if I went out at night time or on a retreat my kids would be well taken care of. It has take me a long time to make a decent cup of coffee. Yes, I was spoiled - Steve would make my breakfast and 10 course lunch - I would get dressed, come down and eat and leave. When ever we ate he cooked - I can - I just haven't. And everything in my brain is 7 or more. I am basically going through "EMPTY TABLE SYNDROME".

Kimberly and I are still doing some adjusting. She isn't on a regular schedule and PLEASE pray that she would find contentment in the job God has for her whatever that is. Meals are still a chore for both of us. When you have been married and lived with a chef for so many years - this may take a while.

Well, thank you for your mind. We are all going through this process as well as we can.

I found this in Steve's papers and I would like to share it with you on this New Year 2009 -

"When we disobey God
we defy His authority and despise His Holiness
When we fail to trust God
we doubt His sovereignty and question His goodness."

On that note I close - I don't know where each one of you are spiritually but God LOVES you and Mr. Steve loved you as well. Mr. Steve's desire for everyone was that they come to a personal knowledge of the God of the universe! God has a plan for you and HIS desire is that you seek HIM.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2009 One year closer to being with our God and one year closer to being with all those who are temporarily separated from us.

Three Months Ago today

2008-10-14T10:05:00.004-04:00

It has been exactly 12 weeks since the start of the roller coaster Mom and I have been on called "AVM burst."

My family and I would like to thank all of you who have read this blog and have left comments to encourage us and Mr. Steve. I would like to thank those who made it out for the funeral and/or viewing last week. It was such a testimony to see all of the people impacted by my father's life. He was a great man, he left a legacy. I am proud to call him my dad. I said at the funeral, I loved my father, but I also liked him a lot. He was the best man I ever knew.

There are a lot of people in the world that never get to meet their parents. Some children have terrible parents that they run away from. There are some that have good parents that watch them get married and have children of their own become successful and get old. And then they bury their parents.

But then there are a few of us who end up burying our parents for one reason or another when we are just starting out in life. I never thought I would say my life hasn't begun and I'm already through college. I thought in college that my life began and was now over because those were supposed to be the best years of my life.

I am not saying that they were terrible or that they were the best years of my life but they were a time where my father was alive. I am thankful that my father saw me graduate from college. I'm glad he saw his daughter do something he himself did not do.

I am thankful for all the disagreements we had before, during and after college. I am glad my father loved me that he cared about me. He was proud of me, I know that.

My wish now isn't a regret that I have; but a request I now have. All I want to do is talk to him. I'm not sure what I would say or if I would say anything. I want to give him a big hug and tell him I love him.

My father was not scared on his deathbed. He was not worried about the future of his family that he would not see. My dad had the clarity of mind to tell his son, "take care of your mom." He had the right mind to ask for me "where is my daughter," and hold my face and call me "precious."

What I will think about for years to come is what my father said over and over the last night of his life. It was when mom and I stayed with him at the hospital. He said "Its OK girls, I'll be fine."

I know that you were touched by my father's life in some way or fashion. If you have a story or a memory of my father, please email me your story (kimberlydeichert@yahoo.com). I will be compiling a lot of things about my dad over the next few weeks and months. I want people to know (his grandchildren) what their grandfather was all about.

Thank you to all of you who have read this blog even in its smallest part or if you have stayed with us over the long hall and read its entirety. Mom and I would agree that this helped not only you, but us as well. Some day I will look back and read all of the entries but that's not today.

Thank you all Sandy Covers that came up for the funeral it was great to see you there! Mr. Steve would have been very emotional have known you would come up for it! Mom and I will try to put something together so we can all reunite under better circumstances.

Again, thank you for your continued prayer support. Mom and I will need it these next few weeks, and even months and years as we grieve over the loss of a dear friend, father, spouse, etc.

Hopefully in the next week or so I will be posting a video of dad so stay tuned for a few more posts.

And in case you didn't know...there have been over 700 people that have viewed this blog!!!!

Funeral Arrangements

2008-10-06T14:58:00.002-04:00

Here is the obituary that the funeral home put together for us today. We are now on our way to discuss the service plans at church. Thank you for your comments, thoughts and prayers.

Keep 'em comin...

Follow this link for the obituary...

http://www.northeastobits.com/posts.cfm?st=34&obit=28057

Home with Jesus

2008-10-05T23:22:00.002-04:00

I'm staring at my fingers on the keys of this computer, and I can't seem to know the right words to write.

Some of you may know, and some of you may not, but my father finished his race today around 8:00pm.

Yesterday around 6pm he choked on some water and Mom was the only one home so she called 911. They took dad to the ER and we discussed our options. The options were to put him on a ventilator for 15 to 20 days then talk about a trach and surgery on the lungs. When he aspirated something went into his lungs. Dad was awake and able to talk so we talked with him about what we could do. He said that he did not want to be all wired up. And he understood that he would be kept comfortable; but that there was nothing more to be done. He was put on a morphine drip from then on.

So last night Mom and I stayed in his room with him. He had difficulty breathing through the night. Kevin and Brandy drove through the night so they could be here because no one knew what would happen.

Today my dad met his grandson. Held his grandson and talked to him. Dad also saw Anna and Ella today and told them he loved them.

People in church were told of dad's condition and that he was now considered under "comfort care." Several families stopped by to see him and he had a GREAT last day on earth! He was laughing and joking and having a good time.

I showed up around 4pm (I left after Kevin & Brandy got there so I could take the girls home). It was around 6pm that Dad was having a severe time breathing. Mom called Kevin to come back to the hospital.

It was from around 6:30 until 8:30 that Dad had a tough time. We increased his morphine until he was comfortable and he went home to be with Jesus around 8:30pm.

The nursing staff was amazing at the hospital! I am so glad they were there to help him and us! They were crying along side of us as we watched him take his last breath.

Thank you all for following in this journey we have been on for a few months.

I'll post information about the funeral arrangements, etc. tomorrow so check it tomorrow.

God has healed my father and I am so grateful for the peace I have knowing everything is going to be all right. My dad is up in heaven seeing the face of His Savior! I will miss him, any daughter would, but I know God is still worthy to be praised no matter what happens in my life. Thank you heavenly Father for giving me such an amazing Dad!

Spread the Word

2008-10-03T18:44:00.007-04:00

This is an early evening post, but I think I need to rest (I have a slight fever) so I'm writing my thoughts now.

Right now Harvest 08 is going on just over the river at the Wachovia Center. I'm praying that people's hearts would be moved and God would do His mighty work tonight and the rest of the weekend. I will be heading to Harvest tomorrow night and Sunday. If you are in the area I encourage you to make it out to at least one!

Life now goes like this:

God has a funny way of making me COMPLETELY dependent on Him.

Yesterday I purchased the van I've been looking at for about a month or so. I found the van online, and I test drove it last week. After speaking to several banks, I got the loan over the phone and the check was mailed to me yesterday. I went straight after work to get it!

The dealership I went too was up in Trenton. There are only two guys that work there, and they are the nicest guys on the planet. I would buy a car there again anytime!! The price is right, and the warranty is amazing:)

It was as I was getting in the van that I turned around and shook the hand of the gentleman that helped me. I said, "Bryant, I would recommend you guys any day of the week. I appreciate everything you've done for me. Thank you." It was then that he said "You are one very special woman, and it was my pleasure to meet you. You are going through a tough situation; and you are handling things better than I could."

Here's the van...

2005 Town & Country 40k miles...

StowNGo:)...

Stressed out? I have A LOT of reasons to be stressed out. And honestly, this week I've been more stressed out than I'd like to admit.

But...

As much as situations in my journey can cause me to question everything, I take pride knowing that God thinks I can handle it.

Life is not at simple as"when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." (I'm actually not a fan of lemonade; I prefer sweet tea!)

It is in I Peter and James that we learn that God challenges whom he loves, His children. As Evan Almighty would say, "Love me less." God loves me so much, that He gave His only Son, that if I believe in Him I will not perish but have eternal life.

But it doesn't stop there...

If you love me, you will do what I command (John 14:15).

I'm studying Philippians with ladies at church and Kay Arthur helps us to see that Paul was given the platform of imprisonment to spread the gospel message.

So this is what God has said to me today:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice!
Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.

Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
If you do this, you will experience God's peace,

which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

So many people think that what this says is "Rejoice in EVERYTHING"...and people interpret that to "Be Happy all the time"....but its not like that...God wants us to rejoice in the promises he has given us...

When?

ALL THE TIME.

There are too many requests to mention at this time; but please pray for me if you get a moment. Also pray for Dad that he would make serious improvements as constant care can take its' toll on a small woman a.k.a. my mom. Pray that no matter what happens this week or next, that people would see that the platform of my fathers illness that my mom and I are on is just a platform to spread the gospel message.

"a full night's sleep for Steve"

2008-10-02T21:45:00.003-04:00

Mom's remember when your infant slept through for the first time? Well, I woke up a number of times last night waiting for Steve to wake up. Fortunately or unfortunately for me - he slept from 10:00pm to 6:18 am. Praise the Lord - the first uninterrupted night's sleep he has had since July 15th! He was breathing kinda hard because he had his mouth open and he had had a night sweat. So I was worried that something was wrong. I woke him and asked if he had to go to the bathroom. He said yes - then began becoming more alert. He peed, I then told him that I wanted a half an hour of quiet then he could talk. I was the very silly one. I should have slept soundly myself. It was good to get the longer sleep! When I woke him up we talked about what happened. He also remembered about waking up startled when the kids were babies. It was good that he slept and tonight I will sleep much better! He told me that he was looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight again. I promise not to wake him this time.

This adventure is very long and there is soo much to learn. I am so thankful for Christian radio stations! When I am in the car I listen to the speakers and they have something that I need to hear. Whether it is a familiar passage of scripture or a meaningful song - I love the way the Lord encourages me each day. Today the pastor talked about "going through the fire and we are not consumed - He is with us" This was comforting to remember. I will share this with Steve tonight.

Thank you for praying for us. It is great to know that your prayers are being answered. Thank you for praying for the little things - like a good night's sleep.

Good night.

Janice

"please Lord - no fever"

2008-10-01T22:40:00.003-04:00

Just a quick blog tonight. It has been a very busy day today. With working and a meeting a preschool this evening. Then Kimberly at work and student ministries this evening. We are both bushed. Thank you Vicki for Mr. Steve sitting this evening. You were a life saver. Thank you also for going the "extra" mile and attending to his unmentional need.

Please pray that his low grade fever goes away. With the AVM we know that the body temperature goes wacko from time to time. It's like having a hot flash - ladies. But he gets sweaty in the am and needs to have his chirt changed which is no easy task as I am trying to get things done in the AM. For all of our peace of minds - please pray that this is just a small phase and that it will go away very soon. The fever is 99.4 - but to me any fever is not good. He did have these in the hospital and went on anti-biotics and found nothing.

Have a great evening or Thursday.

Janice

"getting into a routine"

2008-09-30T20:00:00.002-04:00

Sleep was okay last night. Steve has a problem with this tummy rolling - doing summersalts after the tube feed is put on. Kimberly tonight will make sure that the water she uses for the flush is only room temperature so that we can rule out the chill on the water upsetting his stomach. Tonight we will give his evening meds crushed with apple sauce rather than in the tube feed and that will be less water as well.

This morning was very busy with trying to get out to work. I did it. I will need to be more organized as time goes on as getting clothes out and making lunch the night before. Uncle Denny did get me a decaf WAWA coffee that tasted great! We did run into a slight problem. The Accu-chek Active machine was not working. However God provided 2 meters now for no cost!

Work was great - I wondered what was going on at home but I did not worry at all. I knew he would be well cared for. They had a good day together. Uncle Denny did work him and he was much more alert when I came home. He used the hand weights and Steve actually enjoyed it!

When I got home I bathed him and he did a good job with dinner. We have been enjoying very meaningful conversations. We both understand that this is a very difficult time. I think everyday he says he is sorry. I assure him that this is God's plan and he doesn't need to apologize. We will get through these days. He is more and more determined to work hard and this encourages me greatly.

The hardest thing is the bathroom issue. He is unable to be mobile and this makes normal bodily functions hard to manage. Just let your mind tell you the rest. But praise the Lord I am encouraged that he is able to help me a bit more each day. This morning I was determined to do the change thing by our selves. I was sweating and tired by the time I went to work but, WE did it! Some of the initial "fears" are starting to subside. He says he is "anxious" rather than "scared" now. And this is good. Today Kimberly even watched as he moved his left leg. The is great!

We continue on and continue to lean on the Lord for courage and strength. "I am still confident of this: I will see Your goodness, Lord, in the land of the living. I will wait for You, Lord, I will be strong and take heart and wait for You, Lord. " Ps. 27: 13-14

Janice

" in everything give thanks"

2008-09-29T21:34:00.003-04:00

I decided that we would begin writing down everything that encourages us each day. It is always is good to hear the positive so that is the way we will get through this adventure. Right now it is hard - very hard.

Today the nurse came to make sure I could give Steve the necessary needles. Testing his sugar, insulin - 2 kinds, and the blood thinner that hurts him when I give it because it burns when it goes in his belly. She sent the physical therapy nurse. When she came to assess the situation she said that the only thing she would do with Steve was "range of motion" therapy. This meant that she would move his legs up and down and move his arms the same way. That was all. She wanted to know what goal the family had for Mr. Steve. I said that we wanted him to walk again. She said that that goal was not attainable with the therapy that she did and that we would have to contact our physician to have him request this for Steve. As God would have it - the AETNA case manager called today and wanted to know how we were doing and offer a free service AETNA has - to work on behalf of the patient and get appropriate care. Boy did I fill her ears with information. She will call me back later in the week to see what they can do to get Steve out patient physical therapy. That would be great. Please pray that God works something out because I am not ready to give up on his ability to walk again. He really wants to be able to walk by himself to the bathroom.

We are also thankful for God providing meals for us. This will be a GREAT help because I go back to work tomorrow. And BOY is Mr. Steve going to have fun with Uncle Denny. He will be pooped when I get home I'm sure. I brought up 2 pound weights for them to begin a home therapy program.

Today Steve is showing signs of understanding a little more about his left hand. He was looking at his hand and got some of the fingers to move. This is good. He also moved his left leg and the physical therapy nurse thought that was good. So these are signs of encouragement for me anyway.

Steve is eating a little better now - that is good. His daytime sugars are also good. It's just the stupid night tube feedings that send his sugars into orbit. That is another discussion.

We got MORE sleep last night and this is REALLY good. He slept from 10:30 to 1:30 and needed to pee and was up until 2:15 then back to sleep until 6:18 and I asked him to give me another hour and he slept until 8:00. That was good - I could take that every night.

So here we are again. Thanking you for holding us up in prayer and God for getting us through another day.

Janice

"getting used to Mr. Steve's needs"

2008-09-28T20:59:00.007-04:00

Thank you to everyone who is praying for us. I can't wait for Mr. Steve to be able to get to the computer and be able to read all the things you have written. Of course it will take him a long time not only because he is slow at the computer but he will get choked up as he read what you have written.

Last night was a very long - or short night. Kimberly gave him his night medicines and he immediately fell asleep. He then woke up at 10:30pm and only slept off and on the rest of the night. I think we slept from 4:30am to 6:15am. There was a thunder storm during that time but I didn't hear it. So tonight we are giving his nighttime meds at 10:00pm and hopefully he will sleep better. Usually the first night in a new place is always difficult. He promised to sleep better tonight.

He had a busy day. He got to see his puppy dog, Daisy. The Compton's have our dog now and they are enjoying her. It was nice for Steve to see her and pet her. He was a little scared that she would jump on him and he wouldn't be able to handle her. Kimberly will send along a picture.

We were able to get Mr. Steve into his favorite chair. Pastor Dave the recliner that you struggled to get upstairs is now back downstairs. Sorry Kathy - your cozy living room is a hospital room/rehab right now. I can't wait to get it back to the cozy place I love. Steve enjoyed being in the chair and he was able to tolerate it for about 4 1/2 hours. I told him that it was the last place he sat before his AVM. It gave us a time to reflect on where we have been and how God got us through and how He will get us through the rest.

Steve also had a great talk with Benjamin who suffered an AVM four years ago. He was a great encouragement to Steve. God places trials in our lives so we can help others. Mr. Steve said that Benjamin is a very strong commitment to Christ that is unshakable. Mr. Steve will continue to remember what Benjamin said to keep him going. And of course I will continue to remind him that Benjamin said that therapy WILL be hard and the pain will be great but he (Mr. Steve) MUST keep on and endure. I'll remind him nicely.

Tomorrow I will be home from work. I praise the Lord for such a fabulous place to work. The entire staff has encouraged me and prayed for me throughout these 2 months. Tomorrow I hope to set more of the care for Steve and the therapy's he is eligible for. Uncle Dennis is taking care of his brother for Tuesday - Friday. This will be a BIG help so we can get Steve on a schedule and be able to predict more of his abilities. Next week we will begin having others attend to Steve's needs during the hours that I will be at work. Thank you to all who have volunteered to help Steve in such a great way.

Well the Eagles are on and I need to chill out.

Have a restful sleep. I know I hope to....

Janice

breaktime

2008-09-27T20:25:00.008-04:00

Well...it was a pretty good first day at home.

Dad is in bed now, and I just gave him all his medications and insulin for the night. He's asking for the usual fix my arm, my butt, my legs, my neck...but other than that he is fine.

The nurse, Jay, is here now, and is talking with Mom about what is going to happen and basic questions he needs to ask to get updated with Dad's health. Jay is from the home health care place through our insurance, and his job tonight was to just see where we are at and where we are going.

While getting the medications all ready Jay said...something about "Bethel"...what is this Bethel Baptist I keep hearing about? And we said that we were members there, and he said "I knew there was something different about you guys!" You born again, he asked? He said "I'm a believer too!" And we said yes...he said "Oh so you guys believe in the rapture...you think its gonna happen soon too right?" Yes we do;) He was soo soo happy to meet us, and we are delighted to have met him. I'm not sure if he will be actively at our house, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get to see him again;)

Anyway...I went to Walmart and Shoprite today. I needed to stock up on Dad's prescriptions which were a total of 16...and lots of $$$. Then I stocked up our pantry because Mom and I do not eat at home much anymore, and definitely not together...so now that everyone is home we have to think about food. Ekkk...I'm now the chef;)...Dad was totally cute and asked if I needed help when I made dinner but Mom reassured him that I was OK.

Dad had a couple visitors today so we signed them up to help moved Dad to the wheelchair:) So yes, four rookies used a lift to put my dad in a wheelchair and all parties are alive to tell about it;) Thanks Vickie and Bud!!:) I'm sure it won't take that many people in the future (I hope), but for a while it just might be that way. He was in the wheelchair for about an hour, when I wanted to tilt him back and the thing kind of broke! So we had to quick put him back on the hoyer (lift) to put him back in bed. And Praise the Lord it was a lot easier than getting him up!

The plan for tomorrow is to have the routine nurse stop by to talk about what the extended care of Dad will be for the remainder of the year.

Mom will be staying home with Dad tomorrow and Monday. I'll be heading off to church in the morning and I encourage you to do the same!

Here is a picture from tonight's events:)

He's home...

2008-09-27T12:06:00.006-04:00

Just thought I would take a second to let you all know that he is home. I'll update later to tell you more about how the day goes...thanks for your continued support.

Here's his new room...aka the living room...

Here is the hoyer (lift) and the welcome home sign mom made for him...

Here he is...

"one more night"

2008-09-26T23:15:00.002-04:00

I went to visit Steve this morning. Knowing this was his last week in the rehab I tried to do it every morning. When I went in I said, "Do you know what tomorrow is?" He said, "Yea, I get out of prison!" Who ever said he didn't know what was going on? He is well aware of what is going on!

So tomorrow at 11:30am he gets transported by medical transport - home. Hooray. This will cut out some of my time on the road but will increase my responsibility. Many people have said that he will do better once he is home. I think the same thing, especially since he has had to move from hospital to hospital. I know he will get much better care. Those facilities have many people to care for - we only have one. Also at my fingertips we have a number of nurses who have offered their services at ANY time.

I did get some encouraging news from the speech therapist. She said he was doing very well. He is able to eat soft foods now. He can chew and should chew. She did say no rice, corn or meat like chicken on the bone. She did not know about the paralyzed vocal cords but was very glad that we did not trach him. She said just be extra careful and keep an eye on him while eating. Also serve him thickened beverages and only a very little thin beverages.

I got a list of exercises that we can do here. I asked for any and all hand outs. I know Uncle Dennis is planning on a rigorous work out for him. I just need to remind him that we do need to have a little compassion - right?

The bed is all ready - in fact we'll have to kick Kimberly out of it so her dad can get in. So here begins another chapter of our adventure. I can't remember what chapter we are on at this time.

Kimberly did purchase a van so we can transport him around. I'll let her share those details with you later. She can blog tomorrow night.

When he gets home he is planning on taking a shower - I explained why that was not possible yet. And he was also planning on going to church on Sunday. I don't think that will work yet either. In time this all will happen.

Continue to pray for us. Especially that we will have wisdom, knowledge and strength. Please pray that we will be free of colds and flu this season. This would be REALLY bad news for Steve. I work in a preschool and I plan on showering every day when I get home - before I touch him. This worked with my grandchildren when they were babies.

Have a great day tomorrow - I know Mr. Steve will!

Mrs. Steve/ Janice

One more day at Silvercare...

2008-09-25T20:37:00.004-04:00

So depending on how you look at things...we have two nights and one full day left to get things somewhat in order for Dad to come home.

When I got there tonight to see him, he was stressed out. His butt hurt, his hip hurt, his back hurt...everything hurt.

And according to him...

"I'm done, I don't want to do this anymore."

You can read that over and over and interpret it a bunch of different ways. Is he done in this journey called "life?" Is he done with being constantly dependent on someone else? Is he done with pain or what his brain interprets as pain?

My father's body has honestly, never worked correctly. Well, at least for the past twenty years or so. He has survived a heart attack. Which was caused by 1200 blood sugar count resulting in diabetes. He has survived kidney stones. He has survived a hole in his foot for two years. He has survived pneumonia and an abscess in his lung. And he has "survived" a AVM burst.

And that's only his body.

So that is where he has been; and that's not what we need to talk about. We need to talk about the present. The future only holds too many questions; for him, and my family.

Dad is having a hard time breathing which is a result from having paralyzed vocal cords. He is very afraid of the place he is in right now because they take so long (twenty minutes or more) in getting back to him after he has pushed the call button. Dad has made little progress in the past two and a half months. He is going to be more 'comfortable' at home, but he won't get all the highly trained skilled physical, occupational, speech, etc. therapists that have been available to him up until now.

You may ask, what's the plan?

Although I would love to tell you that the plan is for Dad to be mobile and independent in six months, the reality of that is not likely. I hope that he can and with the strength only God can provide he can get through this.

But right now...

I'm OK if I pray for relief. Relief from my father continually in discomfort, continually needing a reason to go on, continually dependent on someone else for everything.

God You know that I need you to get through this. And I'm OK if you want to send him home to be with You. I want Your name to be praised! I want others to be so drawn to you that they don't have a reason to hate You. I hope that others would see what it is to be in a Christ-centered home. I want others to know You and the gift ONLY YOU have to offer!! Be with my father tonight. Calm his mind, and fears. I pray that You would work all things out for YOUR good and not my own. I thank you for giving me this family. I thank You for giving me my dad. I love you, Amen.

"eleven weeks"

2008-09-23T20:11:00.002-04:00

My how time has flown by - NOT! It is now fall and I don't even remember summer except for the one evening at Ocean City. New Jersey - of course!! Sorry Judy. Kimberly spent the evening with her dad so I will let her finish out the blog for this evening.

This has been an interesting adventure. We can all see how God directed us EACH inch of the way. We have all grown sooooo close to the Lord because HE was the only one to bring us comfort and wisdom during this time. Steve continues to CRY out to the Lord for help during this time. He REALLY wants this over however, his need to depend on the Lord totally is not up yet. But then again - is there a time that we should stop depending on the Lord TOTALLY?
We get going along in life living each day and do we totally depend on the Lord? Just a thought there.

Four more nights away from home and then the responsibility for his physical care falls on us. That could be good or bad. I know we will be able to attend to his needs a whole lot better than he is experiencing now. This morning I was beginning to get concerned about this very thing. Kimberly and I will do some training to do his food tube because he will be getting this in the evening. I was listening to Greg Laurie this am and he was talking about when you have to do something that you are anxious about - the more you do it the easier it gets. See God was letting me know that I don't need to be anxious because the more I do the feeding tube the easier it will become for me to do. Thank you Lord for the encouragement that we can do this.

Tomorrow the expansion of the interior doorways begins. Dirt - dirt everywhere. Oh well - that is progress. Pray that it goes well and quickly.

Also pray for Kimberly and I as we look for a vehicle. We don't have a car that will seat Steve comfortably and take his wheelchair. Mr. Steve's black van has 192,000 miles on it and Kevin just took it to Ohio for his second vehicle until it dies. God has always provided a FANTASTIC automobile. The silver bullet with 180,000 miles and the Bat mobile with 192,000. I KNOW He will provide another one I'm sure.

Dad is doing good. He left a message on Kevin's phone telling him that he is glad Kevin just got his new job, and was hoping that he had a good first day of work. We watched the Phillies game together; then I got him dressed for bed. When I left he was in good spirits, so its nice to know he was resting comfortably when I left him.

Thank you for your continued prayer support...but the hard part is just about to begin...so pray for us as we will be solely responsible for his care starting Saturday.

"five nights to go"

2008-09-22T23:06:00.002-04:00

Well, the date is set - Mr. Steve will be coming home Saturday. Check out is by 10:00am. It sounds like a hotel. Believe me it is not - although Mr. Steve thought he was in the lobby of America's Keswick waiting for a room this past weekend. He told me he ended up sleeping on the step. He also heard Jim Kennedy's voice. I assured him that he was not at Keswick and that I would never leave him to sleep on the step.

So this week we get everything together. We are ready in the living room for the bed. And Kimberly and I have gotten settled in our "new" rooms.

Thank you to all who have visited Mr. Steve for the month of September. It has been really good for Kimberly and I to have that time to get things together. If you are interested in visiting Steve at home - no problem. I would ask that you contact one me so we don't have a mass of people visit now then no one later. Steve would love to visit all of you - but I don't want to overwhelm him. He told me tonight that he was overwhelmed with all that is going on. I am setting up a schedule for those who have told me they were interested in helping with this care during the day.

A prayer request for Mr. Steve right now is that he not be overwhelmed but "rest" in God's plan. He "wants" to do things but is not able. This is very frustrating. I know when he gets home he will feel much better. Right now he continues to fight the "unknown". He is scared of falling again, hitting his head (brain), someone not being careful and bumping his head. And there are more - but this will take care of "his" allotted prayer slot. Jared the physical therapist tonight was very encouraging. He told him that he WOULD walk again. He gave us things to do to stimulate the nerve endings in the "sleeping" limbs. Like rubbing them gently, then rubbing them more vigerous, then using a soft bristled small paint brush. This will help the brain to work the nerves in the limbs. Really good info.

Well, it is way past my bedtime so I'm done.

Rest well and I will because God is with me and Mr. Steve even though we are a few miles apart.

Janice

"one VERY busy week"

2008-09-21T20:14:00.002-04:00

Today's day began with a bath - not mine but a washcloth bath for Mr. Steve. Boy was that fun!
Mr. Steve has not had a shower since Magee. Remember he said that he was NOT going to take a shower until he got home - well this might just happen. This rehab does not have the routine as Magee does. I don't even know if they do showers since he has not been out of bed since he arrived either time he was there. But I won't go there. I figured that since he will be coming home soon I had better get into the routine. Tammy the nurse said I did great. I just needed her help to move him up and put his clothes on better. He is only able to move his right side so this is a difficult process to do alone.

With all that has gone on this past week I am planning on bringing Steve home soon. I will let you all know probably tomorrow for sure what the plan is. He is really doing better. With his vision better and the visit to Virtua to assure him that he is physically fine - I think we have hurdled over some unsure waters in Steve's mind. He seemed much more alert yesterday and today. He is even allowing me to do some physical therapy stuff with him. We talk about Anna and Ella and his love for swimming with them to detract his attention. Today he didn't even know I was moving his hand. And then on the other hand - he was screaming and moaning when I wasn't doing anything.

This will be a very busy week as we prepare for Steve's arrival at home. Please be in prayer overdrive for us. There is planning and preparations with equipment. Thank you so much.

Mr. Steve and company

"I told you NOT to touch that arm"

2008-09-20T22:35:00.002-04:00

Thank you night time bloggers! Reading these were extremely encouraging. Night time last night and tonight seem to be a big adjustment right now. Mr. Steve had the nurse call me this morning. He sounded upset but I talked and he seemed better. He hung up and somehow pushed redial. It rang again and he could not see where the phone was and as I was calling his name he was responding - "someone help me" "Oh my, please help me". I kept talking and tried to reassure him. I called the main number on my cell phone. They transferred me to the nurses station where I got a busy signal. The nurse finally came back in and showed him where the phone was and he hung up. So I was frazzled from the minute I woke up.

When I arrived at the rehab - I found out that he did not have his food tube feeding last night. I told the nurse before I left that he didn't have dinner and that he needed his tube feed. So I was just a bit ticked off by then. My kids got to see me ticked. That does not happen often. The supervisor said that it did not come over with the orders from the hospital. But they didn't call me to verify the information. Anyway - he is getting it now. I'll be glad when he can eat "real" food. The tube feed spikes his sugar 100 points. Then he has to get an insulin shot and that is NOT fun.

Today Kevin was in - he took the van back to Ohio. It will be his car to drive to work. Monday Kevin starts for Chase Manhattan Bank. Kevin and Brandy had been praying for the Lord to guide them to the job of HIS choice. Believe it or not - Kevin even told the Lord he would stay in the food service business and be a store manager for Pizza Hut if the Lord directed them back to this area. Oh well, it was very clear that God wants them in Ohio. And Kevin got the desire of his heart and is now out of food service after 15+ years! A part of us will always want them to be close to us - but it is God's plan for us to live apart right now.

Kevin was able to see his dad doing rehab today. Steve is one loud patient. He really did good.
The only problem was that the therapy lady did not tell him that she was working on his left shoulder and she lifted it and he got ohhh myyy. Kevin yelled - "Mom get dad's arm - hurry"
He was lifting in and was about toooooooo..... But I got to it in time. It took all my strength to keep him calm. He did get to put his feet on the floor and sit on the edge of the bed for a time today. He is also doing well and is pulling himself over with his right arm and holding onto the opposite railing. This allows him to get some strength in his right side and move into a more comfortable position. This is good.

Tonight he was disoriented again. He things he is at America's Keswick and needs a room because he doesn't want to sleep in the lobby anymore. I stayed until he was comfortable and almost all the way asleep. My children were afraid I was going to sleep there - really I almost did. He assured me that he was okay. We read verses and prayed. I repeated to him," I am getting better" and I made him repeat it back a number of time. This gives him assurance that he really is progressing and that he will be able to come home soon. We promised him that the next ambulance ride will be the one that takes him home! Lord willing that will be VERY soon.

Enjoy tomorrow worshipping our Lord,
Thank you all again for all your love and concern and most of all your prayers.

Janice

"Sleep well< my love"

2008-09-19T22:23:00.002-04:00

I hope there are some late night bloggers. Please pray tonight for Mr. Steve. I left him scared. Tonight he was moved back to Silvercare Rehab. This time he is sharing a room with a Russian man. That would not be a problem except that he has the TV on and it is right in Steve's ear and the volume is loud. Right now Steve is very sensitive to sounds as it is. I asked him what he is afraid of and he said he was hearing weird noises - well, the nurses aide said that that is the way it is all night. Let's face it - he is in a hospital bed that he can't adjust. He is in a room with a person on the other side of the curtain that he can't speak to. He can't get out of bed if he needed to. He doesn't have the confidence that the nurse will come when he pushes the button IF he can find the button. It was such a great day - it makes me sad to end it like this. Please pray for him and for me that I won't worry.

Today WAS truly a good day. I saw many improvements. He was more alert. I made a little sound to him when I entered the room and he immediately opened his eyes and said - "hi baby!"
He said that the double vision was gone. He is able to eat better. Although he is scared of choking so he is not ready for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He is moving his body better. He did not have any night terrors last night. I noticed that his eyes are moving together now.
The blood behind his eyes is probably going away now. PTL! And he was awake for a very long time today. As I was leaving he asked me if I had gone to the bank. We talked about that at 8:00 this morning - good recall. Also he asked if I had done the bills. I had to confess that I had not. He said that I was busy taking care of him instead of doing them. I hit him and we laughed. I assured him that GOD is "doing it". HE is healing Steve and we are EXCITED!

Tonight Kimberly and her friends messed up the house - not really. They moved furniture up and down. They moved me down and Kimberly up. Also we had to make some changes in the living room to fit the hospital bed in it. We opted to put the hospital bed in the there so when people come over there will be more room. Also the TV is in there. A BIG thank you to all those who helped.

After this evening's bedtime adventure - I'd like to get him home ASAP. So pray with us and keep an eye to the blog for an update. Rest well.

Janice

"I don't like rollar coasters"

2008-09-18T21:34:00.003-04:00

The last 24 hours have been a giant roller coaster ride! Taller than "The Beast" at Kings Island!
We were notified by the ENT doctor that Steve's vocal cords are paralyzed. This was the reason for his chest pressure on Monday am. The vocal cords allow the air to flow through the trachea and out the mouth. If they are not working - he is not breathing correctly.

So we could put in another trach - remember he enjoyed removing them in previous adventures? Then there are other type of surgeries to remove some of the folds and they would be complicated. The end result is the possibility of aspiration. Right now I opted for no trach.

I would like to challenge all of us to PRAY EARNESTLY that GOD would remove the paralysis from Steve's vocal cords. If this truly a "God experience" then HE CAN remove the paralysis!! Right? Amen! Today he passed a swallow test and tonight he enjoyed a meal! Pureed peas and a few whole ones that scared me as he was eating them. He did a good job chewing by the way. Also mashed potatoes that tasted better than Silvercare's and ground up chicken. He did a great job and I was really proud of him.

Thank you so much for responding to the blog this week. Mr. Steve has REALLY enjoyed us reading them to him. He did his share of tearing up as I was sharing - well, yes, we both were.
God is using your words to encourage us and they will keep Mr. Steve pressing on!

This is the game plan. All is subject to change according to God's plan. Tomorrow we will find out if Mr. Steve is allowed to go to Silvercare. The insurance company and Silvercare have a difference of opinion regarding to his progress. I pray that this all works out and he is able to go to Silvercare for a week. This will give us the opportunity to get the house ready with the necessary equipment. At that time we will be bringing Mr. Steve home. Oh my!

We - Mrs., Kimberly, and Uncle Dennis and Co. will rehab Mr. Steve here. He may want to go back to Silvercare by the time we are done with him. I think he will progress just fine. The hardest part will be taking care of his "personal" needs. Getting him mobile enough to use the bathroom will be the key to my sanity!

Thank you seems like such a small word when we are the receiving end of your love and concern. Keep on trusting along with us and I KNOW God will be glorified in ALL we do!
"Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible", my Dad used to say, "And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love GOD, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose."

Sleep well - Steve is doing better these days.

Mr. Steve and Company

the next step

2008-09-17T21:52:00.004-04:00

There are some big decisions to be made concerning my Dad's health.

Please pray specifically for wisdom for us and the doctors.

God has the power to do AWESOME things and Pray that HIS name will be glorified in any and all circumstances!!

No broken bones

2008-09-16T20:55:00.002-04:00

Dad had x-rays done today on his shoulder and hips and all checked out to be fine.

He is being seen by a ton of doctors today that will continue the rest of the week. He will be at Virtua Voorhees until Monday.

They need to check out basically his whole body (head/brain to toe)...so that they know whether or not Dad could be 'faking' it.

Mom and I read to him the blog this evening during my visit; and he was genuinely touched that so many people from all over are praying for him. I think I've mentioned this before but he is very emotional these days; so he starts crying when he hears about people praying for him; or when people come to visit because it is "such an encouragement to me."

Good night

"good morning friends"

2008-09-16T08:47:00.002-04:00

I just thought I would give you a morning update. I just talked to Virtua Hospital. Mr. Steve fell asleep at 10:00pm! He missed the great football game last night though. Even though the Eagles lost - it was a really good game - I should have gone to sleep but I couldn't. Anyway -
Mr. Steve woke up during the night and was calling for an ambulance. The nurse went in and reoriented him and he fell back asleep. Praise the Lord. At 8:50 am his is still sleeping - thank you for all your prayers!!

At this point I don't know how long he will be there but we will keep you posted. If you would like to speak to Mr. Steve by way of the blog - they have a computer hooked up to the TV and I am able to read your entries. Yesterday I read the blog to him and the replies. He really enjoyed them. So here is your opportunity for Mr. Steve to hear from you ASAP!

Have a GREAT day we sure will!

Mrs. Steve

"another hospital visit - whoopee"

2008-09-15T20:48:00.002-04:00

Today when I went to visit Steve before work I entered the room to find him strewn all over the bed. He had "food tube" food all over him. His gown was wet and he said that the peg tube opened and it went everywhere. He said it was in his belly button and that he was picking it out of his beard. He was a real mess.

When I got over to him he was breathing deeply - short of breath. He had the oxygen on his nose, not IN his nose. Also he was complaining of a heavy chest. Pressure on his chest. He wanted me to call Mr. Mike - our primary care physician. I asked him to explain what he felt. He knew the feeling of a heart attack and he knew that he didn't want to relive it. I talked to the nurse and she called 911. The Cherry Hill ambulance came and put nitro under his tongue and gave him a baby aspirin.

So our day was spent at Virtua. They have admitted him and did a number of tests today. He had a full ultra sound/CT scan and they have determined that there is NO blood clots in his body. Praise the Lord - right family!! So we can sleep better knowing that! They are going to do some test with his heart but I don't know what - it was getting confusing. He is on a heart monitor while he is there.

They are also going to do some x-rays - Steve is excited about that. Then we will have some answers about the pain in his hip area and bottom. Also he saw a pulmonary dr. and he thinks he has sleep apnea. He will prescribe a scrip for a sleep study. Hopefully they can do that as an outpatient from Silvercare. Also the pulmonary dr. had Steve seen by an ENT dr. He said that the upper CT scan will show the throat area. He thinks that there may be a narrowing of the trachea and he may need surgery. That will be interesting. I have not liked his breathing since this whole thing started. It may also have to do with the blood in the brain and the AVM.

I think that is all. Continue to pray for peace for Steve. When I left tonight he was fine - I reassured him and confirmed where he was and where my number was and where I keep the phone when I sleep. I do hope he does well tonight.

I REALLY appreciate every one's prayers. Steve and I REALLY felt the power of prayer today. Steve was REALLY good. Not much moaning and content as we waited for the tests and in the ER. I told him I was REALLY proud of him!!

We are keeping on - keeping on - as Don Hare would say!

Janice

"enlisting all prayer warriors!"

2008-09-14T22:06:00.003-04:00

Friends -

We are coming into a very important place in our lives. Mr. Steve is now at a sub-acute facility. This is a step down from the acute rehab when he was at Magee. It is hard to accept the fact that he is not progressing, as I shared before. He NEEDS to progress NOW and not just a little - he needs to progress A LOT! For example - he needs not only to be able to sit on his bed without assistance BUT he needs to be able to get from the wheelchair to the bed using a straight board.

Let me tell you where we are - he is able to get to a better sitting position in the bed when someone helps hold his arm and gently pulls him. He has had NO therapy on Saturday or Sunday. So my concern is that things that he had may have been lost to some degree; since moving to Silvercare.

Also Steve still has a "peg" tube in his belly. That is where they are feeding him from a bag to give him more nutrition. He is eating some pureed foods but he doesn't eat much because they don't taste too good. I would not like him coming home with a peg tube but they say that sometimes happens.

He also is not able to get to a potty - and that is another issue for us to deal with "at home".

The social worker is telling us that his AETNA insurance days are numbered and that she will do her best to get as many days as possible. Now some of you are saying that we should be glad that he is coming home. But in reality - this will be a VERY difficult time for us. He just isn't mobile enough for us to care for him easily.

The night terrors still plague him. Last nights terror was that he was at a camp and mercenaries got into the camp and was trying to get the woman and children so they could use them as slaves. He was trying with all his power to get them out. How scary.

Right now we ask all of you to plead with God that He show mercy to Steve and deliver him from these terrible dreams. Also that God will deliver him from the pain he is experiencing. This week I promised Steve that we would be getting some concrete answers. Steve prayed tonight and he specifically prayed that God would give him a peaceful nights sleep and take the pain away! If God awakens you at night time - whisper a prayer for Mr. Steve please.

Rest well.

"life with Job"

2008-09-13T21:25:00.003-04:00

The last few days have been difficult. They are always difficult when there is change for a patient in a new environment. Especially when the patient has a brain injury, As you know -
the move was difficult physically and emotionally. We are most grateful that he is on this side of the river in NJ!

Yesterday they did some evaluating. The speech therapist is out so he can not get okayed to eat solids until then. And that is fine because he was eating for me and a couple of times I had to coax him to swallow. Of course the food in his mouth wasn't prime rib ----- but he should have swallowed it a little faster. The "mystery meat and mystery vegetables" just wasn't too palatable. It was suggested that the next church dinner be prepared just like Steve has been enjoying so that you can experience what he is experiencing what he is experiencing and be able to pray much more effectively for the sick! He said they serve mashed potatoes EVERY lunch and dinner - I'd venture a guess that there will not be mashed potatoes for a very long time when he comes home.

I'm not sure how much PT and OT they did. I think it was just stretching in the bed. But today I asked that he get out of bed and into a wheelchair. I didn't want to loose his great endurance he had for sitting in the wheelchair. Well, that was an adventure all its own!! They tried in the AM but it didn't go well. So after lunch the new aide thought she would be nice and get him into the hoyer and into the wheelchair so we could take him outside. I thought it would be good for him to have a visual to see familiar surroundings. Oh my - BAD MOVE! The wheelchair was too wide and no support and he began to slip right out of the chair. The aide went out to get help and Kimberly and I got him back onto the hoyer and back in bed. That was a nerve racking adventure that we care NOT to repeat. The only thing it proved is that Kimberly AND I together have to move him on the hoyer. Bringing him anywhere will be one BIG job!

We are still trying to figure out his pain. I am planning on pushing for him to have an x ray done. This way we will know for sure if there is a physical problem. This pain thing may be part of the healing process and he may be "thinking" it will hurt before the leg or arm is moved.
PLEASE continue to pray with us about this in particular.

A note of praise - tonight as friends were visiting I asked Steve to look at his hand. He still doesn't understand why God put someone elses hand on him. So I did the preschool thing and talked about "how many hands did God give you?" He said, "two." I then replied, "then where are they - point to them." He lifted his right hand then stopped and looked at the left hand. I said, "that is your left hand - wiggle your fingers." He said he was. I told him again to look at his hand and wiggle the fingers. He wiggled his middle finger on his left hand! Yeah!! That is a start - we'll take it. I can't wait to see him do it again tomorrow. That is our encouragement for today.

I read tonight from Job 3. We have talked a lot about how Job would have reacted to be in Steve's place. It was a good passage for Steve to hear. Job was human and his feelings mirrored Steve's in many ways. The devotional part talked about stress and not letting our minds go crazy. It even mentioned about worrying at nighttime. Perfect for Steve to hear.
He pray right along with me as we went before the Lord asking the Lord to take away the night time terrors. When he gets these he yells out for members of the family. This is very disruptive to everyone on the hall. PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WOULD BIND THE EVIL ONE AND THAT STEVE WOULD BE FREE OF THIS BONDAGE! Thank you for taking this to our Lord.

Janice

50's and in a nursing home...

2008-09-11T22:58:00.002-04:00

Yes people my father has made it to yet another 'hospital.'

Dad got to silver care this afternoon. He was in respiratory distress for a while because he had to be laying flat for the trip over here. I'm sure he probably got caught in some traffic; as most south jersey people did today. (There was a fatal crash on one highway that caused all kinds of traffic issues.)

I got to see him right after work...and I brought a present for him:) He was abnormally sad tonight so I knew this would help him! I got him an iPod shuffle! I put all of 'his' kind of music...(no country, sad day)...so he could relax. It is so nice to see him truly relax when I put the music on. Music therapy is amazing...and every rehab facility should have it! This new place does not but I'll have to recreate my own music therapy with him;) Its so funny because when he has the head phones in he moves his hand with the music...he loves it!:)

Also another cool thing about today is that Dad has a phone right next to his bed...he had one before, but he couldn't reach it. So the good/bad news is that he can call anytime he wants. Our cell phone numbers are hard for him to remember; but our house number hasn't changed in twenty years so that's definitely engraved in his memory.

Prayer request goes as follows...

Dad is at a new facility so pray that he gets the same level of care that he has received previously. I'm a little nervous because Dad is probably the youngest patient they have; and therapy may not be as intense as I'd like it.

Also pray for the night terrors that dad continues to have. He said that he is going to write them down and send them to Stephen King.

Finally, pray for healing. Dad's left side does not move on command. His shoulder still is very tender and he screams in pain if you touch or move his left hand. His brain does not process things as it used too. Time does not make sense to him right now. He thinks that this happened yesterday and that he will go home tomorrow. And trying to explain to him that you can't take him home right now is hard; because he gets upset.

Reality check: I never thought I would go see my dad in a nursing home two years after graduating college.

"on the move AGAIN"

2008-09-10T21:41:00.000-04:00

Well, tomorrow starts another chapter in this very long novel!! We started at Virtua, then Jefferson ER, Jefferson Hospital, Jefferson Neuroscience, St. Agnes, Methodist for CT scan, Magee, and now Silvercare. Silvercare is located on Brace Road in Cherry Hill, NJ. They only thing I can say is that we have made a full circle and now we are back in good ole New Jersey.

Because of his need for medical healing we opted to bring him closer to home. This will be great with me going back to work full time again. And of course as all things are - this was also a "God" thing.

Last week I found out that he wasn't handling the heavy rehab at Magee. He was sleepy during the sessions and wasn't as productive as we all had hoped. Because of the "night terrors" his sleeping patterns have been a real problem. I hope that as they have adjusted his medicine and getting into a more familiar surrounding will help take care of some of these problems.

I was asking around about some "sub-acute" facilities in the area. His Case Manager at Magee suggested Manor Care in Cherry Hill. I asked a few people what they had heard about Manor Care and it was not favorable choice. I was given the name of Silvercare on Brace Road. And found out that one of my preschool moms is the Case Manager for this facility. A call was made and the process began. Before the end of the day everything was confirmed and he was on his way - just some paperwork needed to be finalized. I had the joy of going to my meeting to hear that they wanted to move him, to tell them that I already had him going to Silvercare. They were all amazed! See - only the Case Manager is a believer and we both knew that these circumstances had "God" written all over it. God had planned for me to change jobs to a new preschool before I had a clue, now I know this was part of His plan for our family!

This has been a very difficult time for Steve. I can't even put into words how difficult this is.
I will be glad to get him closer so as you visit he will know your love and support. I will have a book so you can sign it so I know that you have visited if Kimberly or I are not there. I don't want to say someone visited if they really didn't.

Pray that the transition goes well for Steve. He has to go in an ambulance and that in itself can be stressful. We'll be glad to get him there. Sometime in the afternoon is the plan.

Time to "re-group"

2008-09-08T21:17:00.004-04:00

Well, I had a meeting with the "team" at Magee. The team agrees that Mr. Steve is not as strong as he needs to be to reach his potential at Magee. He still has the pain issue in his shoulder, hip, and left leg. After much discussion we decided that it would be in Mr. Steve's best interest to move to a sub-acute facility in NJ. Please pray that God will direct us to the place where he will get the best medical care and receive a fair amount of therapy. I have visited one in the area and they have a 3 hour program a day.

At the sub-acute facility they would be able to sent him out to have the sleep study. They would be able to allow him to get the rest his body needs to heal. He is a very slow healer.
We could probably have the hip/shoulder x-rayed as well.

They assured me that they would check out the equipment the facility has so that he would have the ability to use the same type of equipment. Also they would pass on the information about the current wheelchair so that he will not have to go through the entire process of adjustment again.

Tomorrow morning Mr. Steve will travel to Methodist Hospital again for a CT scan. This scan will show us how much more the blood has dissipated. We know it has gone down but it would be good to find out really how much. More information about the AVM is to come this week.

With having him close will give more people the opportunity to visit him. This will bring him encouragement and hopefully the drive to keep on "pressing on" to a full recovery. His left leg has moved and so has his left arm - so we are hoping this is a good sign.

We are hoping that Mr. Steve could have a special visit from his furry friend, Daisy! There are places outside that we could have them meet. That would surely get him smiling! That will be our big surprise! Someday!

Serving our Lord continually,

Janice

"THANK YOU, LORD"

2008-09-07T20:07:00.003-04:00

Thank you Lord, for a very good visit with Mr. Steve today. I was pleased with his attitude - not nearly the moaning and complaining that he had had up until this time. Thank you for Lior who knows just how to get him to listen and NOT moan. She was cute - she said that if he moaned, she would moan back and that would not be a pretty sound. They both laughed!

Thank you Lord, for his ability to eat by himself. He does a pretty good job with the pureed carrots. He didn't care so much for the "mystery meat" Lord, and had to ask the nurse for catsup. That will disguise anything. He did want a roll and I thought that was a good question. The nurse said that it was too big right now but soon. His appetite is getting better and that is good.

Thank you Lord, for the encouragement with his vision today. He read the label on the TV "donated by friends of Jerry Seigel". He wanted to know who Jerry Seigel was. Lord, it was good that he finally saw the pictures on the wall. We placed this on the wall the first day he arrived - in fact they have been in every hospital room he has been in. He did see Kevin's picture at the very top but wasn't sure who was in the picture with him. But Lord, he saw it and that was super! Lord, I am also thankful for the way he was more tolerant of the sun. We went up to the 6th floor on the roof and he couldn't handle the sun weeks ago and today he was fine. He actually ENJOYED our time up there!

Thank you also for preserving his "cooking" brain. He was able to assist Bob and Kathy Wood as they went over details for the church dinner on the 21st of September. Now you guys better eat up or take tiny portions to make him look good. JUST KIDDING!

"Give thanks in all circumstances. . ." I Thessalonians 5:18. This is good for all of us to give thanks!! Thank you Lord for the reminder today that "All things are possible. . ." We know that Mr. Steve's full recovery is possible and we thank you for increasing our faith as we travel this road with so many people who love us and pray for us!!!!!!

Tomorrow I have a meeting with the case manager and the doctors to plan out more of Mr. Steve's recovery. I really covet your prayer. They want him to reach his FULL potential so we may need to make a few changes. Please pray for wisdom for all of us. Thank you!

Janice

2008-09-06T16:10:00.002-04:00

I guess from now on - there may not be a blog every night. Because of us trying to have some time to ready the house and go to choir - we may not be visiting every single solitary day.

Thursday night was the first night Kimberly and I didn't go to Magee. It really worked out well. We had family and people from church visiting him. They stayed until 9:00pm - that is more than I do. But, he had a room full. Thank you to everyone who visited him. Pastor Dave I hope he didn't sleep on your time again. Kimberly and I enjoyed choir but I have to admit part of me was in Philly. I felt much better when Bud called so I could say good night to Steve and Kimberly wanted to say good night to her dad. When I saw him on Friday he was able to tell me some of the people who had visited. He is still working on that short term memory. So in the future I will leave a notebook for visitors to sign in. This way when he tells me someone has visited I KNOW they really visited. Not like today when Koz was upstairs in a meeting and would be down at 3:00 to visit him! I knew that was not true. Also, if you want me to reiterate something you said - you could write it down.

Today I went up early because I knew he was having physical therapy at 10:00am. This gave me the opportunity to see him in action. When I got there he was asleep in the hall - he can't be left unattended. We went to the room and I was able to read and talk to him a little. Ashley came and got him for therapy. He was really "out". I told her when we got to the gym to take off his nice warm blanket and he would wake up and that is just what she and Charise did! With a little grumbling he participated. The goal for today was to stand with the help of the tilt table.
He did well. It is always difficult to get him into position because of his size and inability to move. Ashley did great and explained why we had to do this and he said - "then let's go." That was encouraging for all of us! He batted a balloon with Charise for a long time. Then he was given a badminton racket. I thought Ashley was going to get it a couple times. He really had good hand/eye coordination. His left side was still a problem but not quite as bad. I'd say that he was standing for better than a half hour! He was learning to put weight on his "good" - right leg and some on his "bad" left leg. The reason the "" are used is because if you remember - the bad foot is his right foot, the question how "good" is the right leg?? I guess we'll see! Ashley and I were encouraged because he is beginning to have spasms in his left leg. Any movement in the leg is a good sign!

Thank you all for your cards of encouragement. God continues to encourage us on a daily basis!
Today I read from My Utmost for His Highest and it was just about what Steve and I were talking about last night before I left. Also we were talking about not complaining but be thankful (have joy!) and Greg Laurie has been talking about that on his radio program. I LOVE those GOD moments!!!
I hope you all can say that you have experienced some of these times - they make great memories of God's faithfulness to us.

Have a great day worshipping tomorrow - we love you!

Mr. Steve and family

2008-09-04T21:16:00.002-04:00

Good evening one and all...

Choir rehearsal went well...and for the first time since we began this journey Mom nor I went up to see Dad at all.

We talked with him on the phone to say "Good Night" but that's pretty much it.

He had a shower tonight which I heard went better than last time.

Dad will have a CT Scan early next week to check the brain and how things are going...let ya know how that goes.

Continue to pray for Mom and I as we 'prepare' for the new life ahead of us. There are no guarantees with Dad...so it is very 'foggy' as to the future and the care of Dad in the short and long term.

If you would be interested in visiting Dad, please email myself or my mom so we can put you on the schedule. Thanks:)

Night off

2008-09-03T21:52:00.007-04:00

Mom and I had the night off! Praise God!

We left my father in the hands of friends so we could take a night off of putting Dad to bed. Today dad had a good day!:) He played black jack, sipped out of a cup, sat on the edge of a bed (with serious help) but he had a good day!

When we were there with him; he was not as 'complainy' as he usually is!:) He was holding his head up in bed really well tonight...so I took a picture of it!!! Here's Dad eating some pureed chicken and mashed potatoes, and for dessert pudding!...

So yes, today I finally got to see my dad eat!:) He was fed by his nurse in bed because he was a good boy today and was in his wheel chair a lot of the day, so he got to go to bed early! His wheel chair doubles as a seat for visitors...so here's his brother chilln out in it:

Here is a picture of Dad's 'trolley' that he takes a shower in...its interesting...he put up a HUGE fight last night for a shower...and even today he said that he's not taking one tomorrow...but he will...like it or not...the nurses don't like smelly patients...

Pray for Mom and I tomorrow, and Dad, as we will not be able to go up and see him at all. He will have visitors from church at night; but this will be the first time he has had neither Mom or I go up to see him. Pray for mom too...she's been at his bedside everyday since this began a while ago; and I'm sure she will miss seeing him.

Also pray for the plans and construction that will be taking place at our house the next couple weeks. Our house right now is not able to handle Dad and his wheel chair, hospital bed, etc. So doorways and ramps need to be widened and built before he can come home.

Thank you so much for you cards!! Dad really likes to look at them when we bring them to the hospital!!

To those of you who are visiting Dad, please be prepared to 'say' something...he told us today, after we explained to him we would not be there tomorrow, that he will have to come up with something to talk about...Please feel free to talk about your life with Dad. He doesn't always want to talk about his situation, so talk about things in your life, ask him for advice in different situations and such...He likes that. Ask him questions about how long too cook meat...or anything about food...it will get his mind off his 'life' now

Well it has been a long day...off to bed...Good night:)

Also...a confession has to be made...yes I am sick...and yes I went to see dad....and yes...now he has a cold:( So pray for his cold to get better quickly...and that this will not slow down any progress being made; or develop into something a lot worse:(

"seven weeks and counting"

2008-09-02T21:47:00.003-04:00

I know I am tired - but it is tiring waking up listening to good Bible messages and songs. Then arriving at Magee in a really happy spirit and come in and say hi to a grump. Moaning and complaining about his shoulder and hips and a "dead hand" that is heavy and that isn't his.
He is so busy complaining that he doesn't always say hi, or give me a kiss, or even say I love you.
He just tells me how difficult his day has been.

Every other night he gets a shower. They place him on a big trolley, they call it. The way they move him onto the trolley is by moving the sheet from his bed and they slide him over to the trolley then after the shower they use a dry sheet and slide him back onto his bed. Now think about it - a big man with a bad right shoulder and "dead" hand/arm/leg being moved by two women. Not an easy thing to do with two strapping men. He describes it as being flopped around like a fish.

Sunday night he got a shower and the ladies were not the gentlest. So when it came to tonight he "refused" to do it. He "WAS NOT" going to have a shower. He was going to go home and take one. I kindly explained that not able to do that yet. That went no where. Lior one of the nurses that he has had all during his stay is very sweet and came in and said "Now Mr. Steve let's rock and roll. I like all my patients to smell good when I take care of them. I'll stay right with you and help the girls." Lior and the ladies did a great job calming him and washing him gently. He even said so. Although he did scream out a number of times - "you're hurting me".

Now that I am back to work full time I do get the "left overs". He is tired by the time I get him.
Today one of the nurses let him call home and leave a message for me. He was telling me that he was tired of this and was ready to come up and would I pick him up.

As we were praying Steve was "amening" everything I was saying. So I know he was understanding what I was praying about. We prayed that God would help Steve to be patient and look at the little accomplishments. I think he is holding his head up a lot better even tonight when he was tired. We also prayed that he would have a happy spirit and try to think of things to be thankful for rather than complaining. He amened that as well. So we'll see how tomorrow is.

Tomorrow I visit with the case manager - we'll see if they kick him out or not. He is sleeping better at night from what I understand and that is a blessing. Because Andrew asked to be moved because Steve was keeping him awake. Sorry Andrew.

Have a great day -

Mr. Steve and company

silly hospitals...

2008-09-01T21:12:00.002-04:00

Every time I go to see dad...I end up...not seeing him...sitting in the hallway

Today was no different;)

I went to the hospital today in the late afternoon to relieve my mom of 'night' duty. I got there in time for dinner so I could see or help Dad eat dinner!:) I was soo excited to see him eat a meal!

But I was asked to leave...

The nurses said no family members are allowed to be in the dining room while patients eat.

So...so much for that...

I waited another hour to see him; then he got meds and put back in bed. This also is a time in which I am not allowed in as they change him into a hospital gown; and usually put him on a bed pan so he can use the potty...which kicks me out of the room yet again...

I finally get to 'hang out' with my dad around 6:30 when Mom decides to go home; and I get Dad all to myself.

And he falls asleep.

So I end up playing tetris on my cell phone until 7:45 when I read to him, pray and head home.

That is my usual trip to see my dad. I get him at the end of the day when he is worn out from all the activities of the day. I think I'll just say that its the time of the day when he is most at peace because I'm there;) (whatever;)

Dad is making small improvements everyday. But he still complains all the time for almost everything. Pray that the pain of his shoulder will go away. (Which the doctor told us is only his mind playing tricks on him). Pray for therapy this week so he can catch up from the weekend and the holiday as no routine therapy took place:(

You can also pray about Mom and I as we get ready for Dad to come home. Yes we know its a while down the road...probably another 5 weeks...but pray that we get everything set up...we have to organize the basement and get rid of stuff to make room for things in the living room. We have to move rooms; paint; and get the living room ready for Dad. He will need a hospital bed and porta-potty. And that will only fit in the living room. A ramp needs to be built and the drive way needs to be fixed...

There is a lot to do in a short amount of time...so we appreciate all the support we can get.

Thank you so much for your friendship; your prayer support; financial contributions, etc...God has truly been good to us; and we do not take it for granted!

PS from last night

2008-09-01T09:25:00.002-04:00

My brain was fried by the time I wrote the blog last night and I forgot to put the most important part of my conversation with Steve about his hand. . . Steve was not understanding what is going on with the hand/arm that is attached to his body. I keep trying to assure him that in fact it is "his" hand. I tell him that it is sleeping and that he needs to try and look at it and move it. I told him yesterday that God has enabled our brain to redirect the signals and that he will be able to move it again. He said "NA, that's not possible" So even Mr.Steve will see how awesome our God is and that HE has made us in an amazing and wonderful way! No human or even a doctor, as invincible as they think they are, can make a "sleeping hand" move again. And so I begin to hum the song, "Our God is an awesome God"!

And HE is awesome!

2008-08-31T21:22:00.002-04:00

We Deicherts, have a lot to thank the Lord for this evening. This evening as I was coming home I saw flashing police lights and many tow trucks and then I realized that there had been a car accident. God has protected our family while traveling many miles to and from the hospital and to and from Ohio. We are extremely thankful for His watch care over us. And also many people have blessed us with money so that the parking, tolls and gas have not been an expense for us. Thank you everyone.

Steve is getting a little stronger every day. Today they put him on a flat table and raised him up to a standing position. Strapped to the table of course. This was great. He was uncomfortable but it gave him a chance to stand and know that feeling again. He stood for about 10 minutes. He did want to walk, so he wasn't quite understanding that he was not able to do this yet. Also he is processing things a little better. He was able to take his pain medication in the pill form by swallowing them. I told him he is better than me because I still can't swallow pills!! Right family??

Sometime during the day he does have a few times that he gets very confused. Today he wanted to know if I knew what time he needed to be at Keswick. I assured him that they were not expecting him tomorrow. Sorry Bill he won't be in tomorrow. He still can't figure out why God but a dead hand on his body. He really doesn't believe that it is his. I explained that the hand is sleeping and that he needs to look at it and retrain his brain to move it. He said that I was lying to him. I assured him that I do not lie and he knows that because he has told me many times that I would never make a poker player!

Enjoy your Labor Day together with your family and friends - I don't know where the summer went. Steve and I didn't even get any delicious white sweet corn. And now I don't want it if Steve can't have it either. We'll just have to enjoy it the more next year! He will also enjoy many Jersey tomatoes.

Love,

Mr. Steve, Janice, Kevin and Brandy, Kimberly and three of the greatest grandchildren ever!

"I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength"

2008-08-30T20:32:00.002-04:00

Because I wasn't working to day I was able to get to Magee a little earlier than last week. I got there in time to meet him in the dining room. He was in his wheelchair with a big blue bib on eating his pureed carrots, mashed potatoes, and pureed chicken. He did a good job with this food. He was in the process of eating the papaya. He wasn't chewing and swallowing very well and I had to sweep the cheek to get it out of the little pouch so he wouldn't choke. The muscles on the left side of his face are not strong yet and this is what happens. Therefore he is not allowed to eat unattended.

After lunch he rested and then we went to the 6th floor and enjoyed some sunshine and warmth. He is always cold. They told him that the reason it is cold is because they don't want the germs to spread. He was able to tell me that. I'm not sure if it is his attention span or the fact that his bottom hurts in the chair or both, but we did enjoy a change of scenery for a couple hours. He talked to his neice in CA and our grandchildren during this "out of the room" time.

Steve is still processing everything that is going on. He wants to come home. He says he'll work hard at home. He doesn't quite understand that the "dead" hand is his hand. He wants to know why God put a "dead" hand on his body. The nice thing is that while we were talking about his hand - he got an itch on his arm. He even told me that it itched on the back of it between the elbow and the forearm. I moved his right hand over so he could itch it with the cover. So that is good I think.

He has time of getting discouraged so today we went over Philippians 4:13! He recited everyother word for me - "I CAN do ALL things through CHRIST who gives me STRENGTH!"
He got it! I asked him if I needed to post it under the clock for him to read - he agreed "yeah that may be a good idea". You can't possibly go through this without times of discouragement.
We need to take that discouragement to God and turning it into COURAGE to keep on. Mr. Steve promised to keep on and not give up.

It was wonderful - at our prayertime tonight God slipped another believer into our path to bring us encouragement. She prayed with us and told me later that our testimony has already been used. People are watching what is going on in room 454. Praise God - it's all about HIM not us.
God authorized this plan for our lives - we are just trusting HIM to get us through.

Enjoy your day of worship tomorrow,

Mr. Steve sends his love to all of you!

PS Kimberly has a cold and can't get up to see her dad - it would be great if you would pray with us that the cold will take it's course very quickly so she can see him soon.

"Lullaby and good night - shut your big bloodshot eyes"

2008-08-29T21:16:00.004-04:00

There is so much going on everyday. I'm waiting for "dull and boring."

We are planning ahead and Tuesday I meet with gentlemen to discuss the ramp situation. Steve will be coming home with a wheelchair and a large wheelchair at that sooooo we will need a ramp built. Because of the doorway sizes - it will have to be in the front of the house - glug. All this needs to be constructed by Gibbsboro's building code. A new adventure!!

Steve was sleeping when I left. He didn't even move when I was praying with him. The word from the staff was that he was calmer today. Thanks for praying. He was up all night last night. He was all riled up. Calling out to Tracy his nurse to take him home with her when she left. She was sad to leave him that way. The doctor decided to put him on a neurological drug that works on the chemicals in his brain. This is NOT habit forming. And is a very low dose. This will help him cope with what is going on in his mind. I asked him specifically what he was feeling at night. He said he would see himself in a car accident and couldn't stop it. These kinds of events happen in brain injury people. So he is not abnormal and this is good. I know everyone on the night shift will be glad that he will have a good night's sleep tonight. I did ask Tracy to spot check his pulse oxygen level before she left and she said she would. Also she will ask the night shift to do the same. I just didn't want him too sleepy to forget to breathe with his sleep apnea.

Enjoy your long weekend!

The Deicherts

"now I lay Steve down to sleep"

2008-08-28T21:06:00.004-04:00

Each day is an adventure for Mr. Steve. He continues to gain strength. Today he told me that he was brushing his teeth on his own now. This is good. They are really trying to make him as independent as he can. He is also feeding himself - yummy pureed mystery meat and veggies!
And when he is thirsty the nurses give him a drink of thickened peach nector. YUM!

There are still some areas of concern however. He still has discomfort with his left side. That is the side that does not move upon command. Therefore when it is moved - he has pain. What is happening is that the muscles in his shoulder and hip are weak and since the brain is the central nervous system - it sends a signal that there is pain. And that is what Steve experiences. The doctor does not think there is any dislocation but just muscle weakness and nerves that signal pain. So lets pray specifically that God will strengthen these muscles. When this happens two things will happen - he will be free of pain AND he will have movement! It makes sense to me.

Mr. Steve wants to have liposuction done on his body. He wants to take the fat on his belly and place it in his "bottom". He has no padding and continues to be uncomfortable. Once he is stronger he will be able to re-position himself in the wheelchair, but until then it is tough for him to sit for any length of time.

The last thing that concerns me at this time is his sleeping. Sometimes people that go through brain disorders have their days and nights mixed up. I think this is happening to Steve. More than that - I think he is having trouble sleeping because he is having night terrors. The only way I can explain this is that going through an AVM you will experience seeing weird things. During the day the nurses or myself can say "No that isn't there or no I can't see that person." But at night he is alone in the room. The nurses and I think he has sleep apnea. They don't do a sleep study at Magee so it will not be able to be diagnosed until he gets home. I will make an appointment asap so he can have this test. Knowing Steve he does NOT like anything on his face so we need to find a machine that he would tolerate.

I think you have enough to pray about for one evening. If any of you women (or men) wake up during the night - remember to pray for Steve because chances are he is not sleeping peacefully.
When we left tonight he was extremely sad. He didn't want me to leave him there. It really broke my heart. Please pray about this because he has at least 5 more weeks of this.

Our love to all - Shalom

Janice

FOOD - AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

2008-08-27T20:43:00.002-04:00

Well today was the first day that I was not able to get to the hospital. He did make it without me. I did make sure that his brother was going to be there so I could call him and talk to him before he went to sleep. So what what ever is written is from Dennis' conversation with me.

Steve had his first "meal" - if that is what you could call it. It was pureed mashed potatoes and beef and vegetables. He had thickened juice for the beverage. I asked Steve how it was and he said ok. So you think about it - NO food in your mouth for 6 weeks and you tell me how would it taste. I think his taste buds were in shock! He didn't choke and that was good. Little by little he will be able to eat more.

Steve still struggles with his left shoulder. I think we are all frustrated with the amount of discomfort he is enduring. I will address this with the doctor tomorrow. I will be spending a good portion of my day there tomorrow - so I will have plenty of time to ask questions. I will also have a meeting with the case manager. This will be a great thing for all of you to pray about with us. Thanks.

Steve did agree to go up to the sixth floor for some fresh air today. It is a beautiful area that patients are allowed to visit. He is having trouble staying warm and it was a beautiful day so that was a great adventure. He enjoyed it for about 45 minutes. Right now he has a low attention span. I'm sure that will get better as days go by and he gets stronger.

Have a great day - these cool nights are wonderful!

Mr. Steve and company

Dad didn't fall out a window...Eutychus however...

2008-08-26T20:13:00.004-04:00

Good evening...

Just got back from the hospital...For me it seems like whenever I go I spend more time out of his room then actually with him;)

You see, when I get there, he needs a shower, then a bed pan, then privacy, then changing clothes, etc...The list goes on...but Dad continues to tell me that he's happy that I've come to see him and that makes me happy too:)

Dad had his trach taken out today!!!:):):):) YEAHH!!! He also tried food in his mouth as well! Part of his speech therapy they have to give him the 'ok' to eat again...and today they tried some apple sauce and thickened orange juice! And dad did well! (This is all from what my dad told me, what actually happened might be different; but I'll take it!)

His shoulder is still continuing to hurt him. He is continually in pain about this so please pray that he would get some relief.

Today dad got a visitor from our senior pastor at our church who came during one of those 'times' that I always seem to be around for...so he had to step outside for a moment while dad finished his business. When he came back in, dad and him talked for a moment or two and then pastor wanted to pray for him. So during his prayer Dad was 'at peace' and fell asleep. Lucky for him he didn't fall out of a window...but Praise God, he's still alive!:)

For those of you who do not attend our church, pastor spoke on Luke 8 and Acts 20 where there is a story about Paul preaching late into the night and one of the guys, Eutychus, falls asleep in a window and falls to the ground...and lives...its a pretty funny story so read it...

Well...Mom and I are both taking a break from seeing dad tomorrow...both busy girls now...

Good night!

"No drama now, Barbie"

2008-08-25T21:58:00.003-04:00

Today I arrived to Mr. Steve sitting in front of the nurses station with his helmet off - he is supposed to have it on when he is in the wheelchair - and he was fidgeting with his blanket.

I wondered why I was getting a silly look as I walked down the hall. Anyone who comes in the doors gets a glance because of the nature of the floor. The respirator therapist was with him. He wanted in his room and ignored my plea for a kiss. I told him that I would not move him until I got one!

On the walk to his room, Linda informed me that he had taken his track out again last night. I think I have lost count of the times he has taken it out. One of the nurses said that if they hadn't called an emergency or if they had called Dr. Berenstein - Steve's DR he would have said to just leave it out. But instead - they put it back in again. Oh my, enough is enough. For real it IS coming out tomorrow - following the correct procedure! Steve's story is this and you can choose to believe it or not. He claims he was coughing and he "threw up" and coughed it out. He wiped it with a towel and it came out. WHATEVER! He even told the one nurse Lior to give him the benefit of the doubt. Boy, he knows just what to say.

Today he had a good day at OT (occupational therapy). Ken was really impressed with what he was able to do. Steve said that he has been practicing! He was able to sit on the mat with just Ken helping balancing him. That was much better than before when I saw him. Ashley was trying to do something with a balancing table and trying to work on standing, but he was in pain. I'm sure she'll try again.

The big news was this afternoon Mr. Steve SHAVED!! That's right - shaved himself. I'm not sure whether he saw his face because all he could say was - is that as good a mirror as you have.

He sees blurry but I guess his face wasn't going anywhere so it was pretty easy. It really looks a bit funny - he shaved the middle of his chin but didn't finish the rest. Ken said they would finish it tomorrow. I sent along a picture of this momentous occasion! At church we have a spring drama and they always need bearded men - sorry Barbie, Steve will not be ready now!

I will share some more goodies tomorrow.

We love you all!

Mr. Steve and family

A time to rest

2008-08-24T21:09:00.003-04:00

Dad is sleeping now...I put the phillies game on for him before I left...

Mom and I both had a great time at church today...lunch...and then off to see Dad.

He's really being cared for very nicely at McGee:) We are really happy with how things are going except Dad's left shoulder:(

Dad's left shoulder is dislocated and has been for a while now. He complains a lot about it hurting, and there's really nothing we can do to help. Tomorrow he will have an x-ray done to see how things are going on his hips as well as his shoulder. The doctors will take the appropriate steps once they see how things are going.

I asked dad about his vision tonight; and he said that he sees me; but I'm a little blurry. So hopefully that means that his sight is getting better.

But the BIG EXCITING news is that on Tuesday the trach comes out!:) (hopefully)...things can always change but its exciting to think that he's almost there!!! He was 'capped' last night for the first time; which means that he was forced to sleep using his mouth and nose...this causes snoring so I wonder if his roommate, Andrew, gets any sleep;)

Before I left I prayed with dad as I always do...and during prayer he interrupted a couple times to thank the Lord for putting us through this whole situation. He also thanked God over and over the wonderful wife he has been given! He LOVES his wife...and his kids;) Dad has definitely improved mentally in the last couple days...and its really nice to hear how he tells everyone in the hospital that he's a 'miracle man'.

I read Philippians 4 before I left and Dad was glad I did. I'd encourage you to read it and take some of the verses that speak to you and put them on index cards to remind you of them throughout the day.

Until we meet again...rejoice in the Lord always...

Mr. Steve's weekend "off"

2008-08-23T21:26:00.002-04:00

It was wonderful to sleep in this morning - sorry Brandy and all those parents who are sleep deprived! Today I did something for "me". I stayed home in the morning and fixed pancakes for Kimberly and myself. I then when to our church choir retreat. I really enjoyed the fellowship and singing.

Steve and I had a great visit although it began a little later than is usually does. For the last almost six weeks I have been getting to the hospital around noon or 1:00pm. I watch him with therapy and then take care of him until 7:00 or 8:00pm. Today I didn't get there until 4:00pm. He wanted our friend, Craig, that was visiting Mr. Steve to call me and let me know where he was so I could come visit him. Now how could I forget??? He gets a little confused from time to time. Ask him about catering for Eddie Murphy and you will know what I mean!

Today he had "off" from therapy. Boy, he really enjoyed that. I keep warning him that these 2 days off will go by quickly and that he will need to jump right in on Monday with a good attitude and work hard for Ken. Please pray that he will have relief from the pain in his shoulder and lower back/hip area. He said that the doctor said they were going to do an xray but I haven't gotten that word yet.

He seemed more interested with the tv tonight. He says things look better without the glasses right now. He definitely has some vision issues - you can pray about that as well. His mind is keen about the sports information!

It was nice to cuddle a little. I put my arms around him and he squeezed me to him and rubbed my back. That was nice. He also said he was sorry about what was going on and that it was difficult. I assured him that I was fine.

The highlight of his day was talking to "his girls" - Anna and Ella. He enjoyed talking to them on the phone. They are getting better talking on the phone to Poppop. He teared up when she told him that she loved him and that she was praying for him to get better. Aren't grandkids GRAND? He liked talking to you Kevin and Kimberly. He also enjoyed talking to Autumn (one of his Sunday School children) tonight - he said he missed teaching his kids at Sunday School. He asked if that was weird. I assured him that it isn't always true, but definitely not weird!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Mr. Steve and company

"ESPN"

2008-08-22T21:02:00.002-04:00

Mr. Steve is able to rest now. I think he will have Saturday and Sunday off of therapy. They may stick a little in but not the vigorous days like he has been having. He has been working like you and I are working. He is up and at'tem at 7:30am and he did not get out of his chair until 6:00pm. They usually put him in bed for a rest mid morning. By 4:00pm today he was saying, "I'm done." and would move his right hand out with emphasis.

Ken has him for two sessions. He was impressed that he was able to hold his head up better. Last night while I was there, I turned ESPN on and held his head upright and back to the head rest. This forced him to keep it upright. Well it worked. Ya know ESPN is good for somethin'.

He still has trouble with his left shoulder. It is very painful. They try to isolate the shoulder and move the arm. They are able to do this without too much pain. He will say, "Yeah buddy"
when it hurts too bad.

Steve had a better night last night. Of course Tracy went in and scolded him and told him to stop moving around and go sleep. He did. I felt better about leaving last night. I read Psalm 139 then prayed with him. One verse in particular was very apprepo - verse 15 that talks about being formed in my mother's womb. You see - this AVM was also place in Steve while he was being formed in his mother's womb. It's another "God thing" and I love it!

I thank the Lord for getting me through this week. I'm glad I got broken into the work routine gradually. Come September 2, I'll be working much more and I am praying about how God will have me work, visit Steve and do all the other house things.

Have a great weekend - enjoy your family.

Mr. Steve and company

"comfort in God's Word"

2008-08-21T20:51:00.002-04:00

Each day brings it's challenges. Some challenges are the same day after day. Today when I arrived he was resting in bed so that he would be more alert to participate in occupational therapy. Both therapy people converged on him and decided what to do. They decided to work in the room and try his ability to sit on the edge of the bed. He really loves the "crain" he calls it. It is a hoist that carries him like a papoose from the bed to the wheelchair. Instead of using the hoist they turned him and held him so he could learn to balance himself. He is not able to do this on his own. He falls over to one side. If they were not there - he would be on the floor yet he doesn't understand that yet. They really did a great job. I think they were the ones who got the physical workout. When I am there I am to stretch out his neck because he doesn't have the ability to hold his head up either. A couple of times he tried to re-position himself in the wheelchair. I think that was a good sign. One of the nurses (Gloria) said today that she thinks he has taken off some weight. That is a good thing too.

I did have a meeting with the case manager. She said he would be a Magee for 4 to 6 weeks. Steve has some medical issues and that complicates things. The doctor will be talking to me.
If he still isn't ready to come home - he will go to a sub-acute facility or nursing home. When he is ready to come home - he will need 24 hour care. Especially for 2 weeks. This all in completely in God's control. I especially need to stop planning and REST in God's plan. God has sovereignly planned everything out and I need to WAIT. Oops - that nasty word.

Today before I left I read Psalm 139 to him and prayed with him. We have been praying before we leave since the beginning. Now I think it is a good idea for us to read either Psalm 139 or Psalm 91. Kimberly or I will do that before we leave. I think it will be a good transition for him to go from us physically being with him to the Lord being with him always - even when we are not. The parting seemed to go much better tonight. God's Word did comfort him this evening and that is great.

This is a VERY slow and VERY long process. I KNOW God will sustain us. Steve and I review everyday about what happened and that God sovereignly planned this for us and that HE will get us through these days as we trust HIM.

We love you all,

Mr. Steve and family

"being transparent"

2008-08-20T21:07:00.002-04:00

All of you have a vision of what Mr. Steve is to you. This could be the way he acts or says or what he looks like. You will need to erase some of that from your mind for a minute or two. Right now he is lying in a hospital bed with a scrufty beard and eyes closed some of the day. He has a hole in his throat which they have put a cap on it so he can breathe without assistance. He is unable to get out of bed to use the bathroom facilities - so you take it from there.... He has been tested for sugar 4 plus times a day and given multiple needles a day. He has not had a drink of water or food for over 5 weeks. He is getting nourishment from a peg tube in his stomach. Think about that...what is his profession and delight?? And one last thing, what are you looking at right now?? He told me that the images on the TV were all scrambled up. He told me he saw a spider web on my sweater.

Right about now he has had "enough". He says this stinks. "It's like living through hell." He is scared. He got the last of his stitches out today and told me he went in for surgery. He is reliving and trying to sort out the last 5 weeks. He doesn't understand what has happened and it is way too much to understand for us as well. He doesn't really know that his left side of his body is not working. He asked today why Ken keeps asking him to hold someone's hand/arm when he is in the big lift. He doesn't know it is his hand that he doesn't feel. He thinks he can just get up and walk to the bathroom and get to the car and go home. He thinks his brother and "the boys" will take him home and it will be as it was before. He wanted his cell phone so he could call the ambulance to take him home. NO I have his cell phone.

By the end of the conversation he was crying and I was also. Praise the Lord we have been given compassionate nurses who will stay with him and comfort him. They love him as we do and they encourage him to keep on. They don't know Mr. Steve - he is made of tough stuff.

Tomorrow I have a meeting with the case manager who is a believer. This is good because we will be able to converse on the same level with openness. I will be able to get more information and be able to give it to Steve and the family.

Please pray that Mr. Steve will not become discouraged - that he will remain strong. He is doing better physically. He is not complaining about the wheelchair today as much and he is pulling up his body to sit straighter. He is also trying to straighten his head/neck. He would have rather that God would have let him know that this was going to happen. I said that's not the way it works. He knew that. So we perservere. Continue on. I told him to just look at today. I gave him examples of what HAS BEEN accomplished. I prayed and we kissed and I left. This is and will be a very long process.

Thank you for your continued prayers for all of us.

The Deicherts -Mr. Steve and family

2008-08-19T20:26:00.002-04:00

Five weeks ago today -

About 10:00 am today the "blue fairy" appeared to Mr. Steve's room in the medical coat of the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor! He took out the large trach that was used for the ventilator and put in a smaller collar. It was a real adventure. Steve put the nursing staff in a real tizzy with all the coughing. I will refrain from graphically explaining all that happened. At some time I know he will share this fun experience with you all. After the smaller trach was put in the doctor "capped" the trach - not allowing air to flow through the trach but Steve would now be forced to use his mouth and nose. Something he has not done yet.

Steve became like Pinocchio!! He talked and talked. He had his eyes open for most of the day also. You figure with the amount of words he had stored up for 5 weeks, he had a lot to catch up on. One story after another came rolling out like hot lava from a volcano! I had to tell him to stop because I was laughing so hard it was hurting.

Ken the OT guy was really pleased with the way Steve was pulling up with his right arm to straighten out his back while he was in the wheelchair. The wheelchair is very uncomfortable for him because he has some arthritis issues. They would like him to sit in the wheelchair for four hours. Ken is explaining to him about the bones and muscles and what he needs to do to strengthen everything. Of course Steve says - you sit for four hours in a wheelchair and tell me how it feels.

-mom

Now its my turn...

Dad had a good day...he's talking for sure...i know we said he was talking before but this time he's talking the way you and i talk...and its probably more comfortable for him now then it was.

I got to the hospital tonight around 6 and then mom took off so she could have the night off...so dad and I hung out for a couple hours:) it was really nice:) it's weird to talk to him now because he's kinda like my 'dad' again...he's talking about 'life' and not this body part or that body part hurting...which he does..but its different now. its kind of hard to explain...

We prayed before I left...and when I was done he said "good job"...silly boy...

Anyway...Mom and i have early mornings so its off to bed...thanks so much for all the cards and comments! Mom read to him a card from the little boy I nanny for and he LOVED it! Thank you Ian!:) Mr. Steve loved it!

I've asked dad repeated times about people coming up to visit and he says "why?" and then says its not much to see...and then he talks about other things which i won't go into...

But I know some of his Sunday school kids and kids from church want to see Mr. Steve...and the hospital has no set age limit on visitors...so you are more than welcome to bring them....but please respect other patients and keep an eye on the little ones...also please prep the kids that Mr. Steve does not look or sound like he used too. His eyes are closed a lot when I'm there so expect that...also his head, his beard, tubes, etc...its a lot to take in for a kid and he doesn't want to scare anybody...

and he definitely doesn't wish this experience on anyone!

thanks again for reading a little bit about our lives...
~kim~

"WOW"

2008-08-18T20:31:00.002-04:00

Physical therapy is moving along well. The occupational therapist really wants Mr. Steve to progress. Today he added another half hour. He is finding out that Steve is tired by the time he gets him in the afternoon, so he wants the nurses to have him take a nap between sessions so that he is able to be productive during his time. He is working on a lot of a areas. Today he worked on stretching out his left shoulder. It is out of the socket and causes a lot of pain for Steve when he is trying to get his arm/wrist moving. Tomorrow they will fit him for an elastic brace to support the shoulder but not hinder the movement of the arm/wrist. Ken is also working on stretching out his neck. He is not able to hold his up straight. When he moved his neck around all Steve said was, "WOW". I guess he was being one of those "stiff-necked" people the Bible talks about.

Steve still does not open his eyes as often as he should. It would be nice if he would. We (Ken and I) would like to evaluate how much he does see and what he sees.

Steve did not have oxygen on during the day again today. His pulse/ox numbers were a little higher today then yesterday. That shows us that his body is getting stronger. When the numbers drop - I say "take a deep breath, hun". He does and that brings up the numbers.
This is another good sign.

It was great to be back to work today. The ladies I have the privilege to work with are great!
I know they love me and are supporting me with their prayers. I really thank the Lord for enabling me to jump back into preschool mode. I did a pretty good job of remembering things after being gone for 5 weeks.

Tomorrow I hand back the keyboard to Kimberly who you all love.

Mom Deichert

"some rest for the weary"

2008-08-17T20:33:00.002-04:00

Mr. Steve was "off" today from physical, occupational, and recreational therapy. The only thing he had to do was get dressed - which is a big deal - and sit in the tilt wheelchair. He was in the wheelchair for the longest amount of time he has ever been before. By the time I got there he had a headache and was ready to get out.

Not only is his endurance getting better, but today they decided to take him off the oxygen. All day he was free of a tube and canister following him. He did very well. If you know anythng about pulse ox readings - they like them to stay in the 90's - no lower. He was able to maintain 93 or 94 and that was good. It would go up if he took deep breaths. This is difficult because he is not able to keep his body upright yet. This will all come back as he heals. I asked about night time and they said he would have the oxygen on at night. That made me feel better.

Thank you for praying for Kimberly's travels. She had a great time and arrived safely at the hospital. Of course she TRIED to wake up he father but he was toooo tired.

Well, the party is over. I have to go back to work tomorrow. This week I will be working 6:30 - 1:00. The schedule will work well because he will have therapy in the AM. I will get there in time to observe the last therapy which I would like to see. I am able to check the log book and find out what they are working on even if I miss seeing them at work. Please pray for me as I begin this busy schedule that I will have the strength to endure and wisdom to know when to say "enough".

Have a great week serving our Lord - remember to keep HIM first in ALL you do!

All the Deicherts

"building relationships"

2008-08-16T21:02:00.002-04:00

Wherever we go we intersect with other people. We can choose to talk to them or ignore them.
Over the years Mr. Steve and I have chosen to build relationships with everyone God places in our path. Mr. Steve is doing this from his bed/wheelchair in Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.
The nurses we have come in contact with, are very nice. Not a bad one in the bunch. Mr. Steve is polite and patient even when he is in pain. They all have commented that he is great to care for. Upon meeting them - he holds out his hand to shake it. When asked a question - he gives the thumbs up. Even if his eyes are closed.

Today when we went to speech Mr. Steve was really tired. He had been in his tilt wheelchair for almost 6 hours. Don't panic. The chair moves so he is able to relieve the pressure off his backside. The speech therapist wanted to make conversation so she could hear him talk. She had seen a Bible in his room and asked if he was religious. She asked him to recite the Lord's Prayer. He didn't know it ----just kidding! She then asked what faith he was. He said Baptist.
She said she was a Catholic. She asked him if she changed because of wanting to marry his wife.
He said - no! He said he changed because of what he believed in his heart. I'm sure there will be more conversations like this in the future.

Mr. Steve is being an encourager right where he is:
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven."
Matt. 5:16.

Friends - lets work on building relationships wherever we go. Don't be afraid to say, "Have a great day" to the toll booth lady/man, grocery clerk, or the bank teller. Let's reach out and show some love to those around us.

No silly stories today - no tragedies - just calm. We aren't bored yet.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Janice

2008-08-15T23:43:00.002-04:00

Today Mr. Steve began his day at 7:30am and many new adventures were going to come his way. Just getting dressed in "real" clothes, not in a hospital gown, and sitting in a wheelchair was new. He was bombarded by almost everyone in the building. Everyone wanted to either talk to him or prod him to do something. This was a day of evaluating what Mr. Steve is able to accomplish. He had some type of therapy from 7:30 - 11:30am. Everyone was GREAT. Very encouraging to him and they document information to the family so we are aware of what was worked on. Our input is valued and communication is encouraged. I need to make a page of pictures to put in Steve's notebook so they can use it for therapy. Do you think we have one or two pictures around? What a GREAT concept.

After he was able to get back to bed - he slept for 2 hours. Then wound care came in to check his foot and his stitches. This will help all you that have been praying specifically about his foot.
His foot is calloused over and is dry so it will have lotion put on it two times a day. When it softens my guess is that she will clean up the callous. If not I'll have to ask Dr. Joe to make a hospital call! There are two stitches that need to come out.

Doctor Bernstein was asking me questions about the AVM and I didn't have the answers and he will contact Jefferson Neurosurgeons and try to get the answers for us. I like the way he is proactive with Steve's care. He is also proactive on getting the trach out. He feels it inhibits his ability to do therapy. I have heard from many around the rehab that they like Dr. Bernstein. I like him already. He has the patients best interest in view and that is GREAT.

Mr. Steve also got a visit from a Psychologist. She said he would be evaluated by her staff. Now guys - refrain from letting your brain go crazy! Steve was very good. She asked basic questions to see what he remembered. For the most part he did remember stuff. The neat thing was that she asked him who he depended on to get through this difficult time. He said my wife. Then she asked questions about us. So I said - "Okay, who do you depend on if I am not here?" He said, "MY GOD". With that she said, "its nice that you are a religious man." Have a nice day. And she left. So I don't know if she'll be back or not but at least she knows where Mr. Steve stands!

Tonight Mr. Steve was going to take a shower. Most of you think this is no big deal, but he has wanted to take a shower for a VERY long time. He told me he wanted to stay in the shower for 13 hours. I can't wait until tomorrow to see how it went. You see - Mr. Steve thinks he is able to be mobile however he is not. He will begin understanding his limitations right now. I pray that with this knowledge will come determination to fight on. As you know - Mr. Steve is NOT a quitter. And with God "ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE". That is a winning combination I think!

I thank the Lord for Magee and all the special people who we have been blessed to meet. I am excited to see what God is going to accomplish in Mr. Steve's life! How about you?

"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23

Mike Regina - I'll take a rain check on the dinner from you when Mr. Steve can come too!

We LOVE each one of you!!

:"on the road again"

2008-08-14T22:30:00.002-04:00

Steve is on a first name basis with the ambulance drivers in Philly now! Of course he and Daniel (his nephew) compare the transport because Daniel transports patients in NJ.

Today Steve moved to Magee Rehabilitation Center on Race Street. I received the call around 11:00am and they were going to move him at 1:00pm. A room opened up and he got it. And as God's plan unfolds - Steve got a brand new bed. Never used before. How's that for treating a special child of God? He will have that bed the entire time he is there, even if he moves to another part of the building.

From the minute I walked in, EVERYONE was nice. They escorted me around and explained everything to me. They even gave me meal passes and parking tickets. They nurses attacked Steve (in a good way) when he arrived on the floor. They found some wheezing in his lungs so they prescribed a breathing treatment right away and lowered his oxygen to 28%. They plan on aggressively getting him off the trach. This is good.

He does have a BIG surprise tomorrow. Today was his "day off" because tomorow he begins working! He will have 3 hours of therapy. So he will be one tired pup. I already warned him that he would be tired. I reminded him of his high school days and playing sports and what that felt like. I'm sure the realization of that will come back loud and clear. He does have another surprise - he will be taking a shower!!!! He has been asking to take a shower for a long time. He wants it to last 13 hours he said.

I also had a lengthy talk with the dieticians. They are very proactive about his diabetes. They will be giving him vitamin supplements. That made me feel good. Right now he is on the peg food tube but as he is able he will be able to eat pureed foods. That will be up to the speech people.

As the doctor was checking his eyes - I noticed that he does not follow to his left. He was able to see one finger and was able to point to each of the grandchildren correctly. And his depth perception is lacking. To what degree we will find out in the future. He also said things are blurry. He still has some blood behind the eyes so I pray that once this goes away - so will the vision problems.

So here we are, finding out what God has planned for Mr. Steve physically. This is a difficult thing for Mr. Steve to endure. He is totally dependent on someone. I know he would rather be home watching the Eagles game with his family than listening to it at the hospital. Please pray that Steve will be patient because has not been an easy road and the road is bumpy still. Your cards are an encouragements to him. I try to read them to him. He does smile at the funny ones.

I have this weekend to myself, so I can do whatever I want. No one to take the remote. No one to cook for. No one to tell me what to do. I know you are all envious but sorry this is my alone time. God and I will have a blast. The windows may rattle with the music so loud!

Until later -
Momma

Rice Pudding Anyone?

2008-08-13T22:17:00.002-04:00

All day Dad has talked about making rice pudding! I got to the hospital early afternoon and heard about it until I left around dinner time!

He asked if we had the recipe. Then he asked about eggs, sugar, milk. He asked what kind of milk we have...and proceeded to tell us that we needed to get Vitamin D milk and not use the stuff we have on hand. He told us how long and at what temp. it needs to be and to make sure we stir it! Before Mom left, she was told that Kevin is going to take care of delivering it, so make sure he gets it.

Ask him anything about cooking and he will give you an answer! Ask him how old I am and he says "31"...people I'm NOT 31!!

Praise God Dad did not complain about a headache AT ALL today!!! He is given Tylenol pretty much on a regular basis...but he didn't need any additional pain medication!!! YEAH!!!

Last night Dad did take out his trach. His nurse came and found him with it on his forehead! Joe, the nurse, asked him "what happened here?" Dad said "My granddaughter did it!" Silly boy, he's blaming the trach coming out on his four year old granddaughter! I'm telling you, my dad is really funny these days!

Kevin, Brandy and kids got home safely; but it definitely took longer than anticipated. I guess that's what happens with a newborn:(

I will be heading out this weekend to a different part of Ohio for a wedding, so you will get some different authors soon. Pray that I have a safe trip back and forth; and that Dad won't miss me too much! He asks for me:) and every night this week after I said "be here tomorrow, dad"...he said "You better be"

You can also pray for Dad as he is beginning more intense physical therapy. Today they had him in a wheel chair for two hours; but failed to stimulate him in any fashion...but I won't go there. Just pray that his bum won't hurt so bad and that he will be better stimulated tomorrow and the coming days.

Until we meet again...I will be dreaming of rice pudding...

Waiting for a bed...

2008-08-12T21:33:00.002-04:00

Thank you all for such sweet comments in response to my last post. Things are definitely improving all around and I'm very grateful to be where we are today from FOUR weeks ago!

It has been a month since this has begun and the impossible is becoming reality.

Dad has been moving around a lot today in bed. His head is still killing him. Mom actually put her hand on his head and could feel the thumping! So you know it cannot feel good if we can feel it on the outside!

He has continued to ask to go home; but overall, he said that today was better than yesterday. I told him over and over again that he has to get strong so we can go to Disney World! And he said "OK!" (We have a family vacation planned in October so we are hoping the WHOLE family gets to go!)

At this point, Dad is OK to move to rehab. We are only waiting on a bed. Once a bed becomes available Dad will be heading there! Whenever I leave town for a day or two he moves hospitals; and I have to go to a wedding this weekend, so he will probably be moved;)

Thank you for your continued support!

Pray for Kevin & family as they head back to Ohio in the morning!

where's your car?

2008-08-11T22:30:00.002-04:00

Its getting late; but I wanted to say a few words before I head off to bed.

I went to see Dad tonight with Brandy and baby Derek. We had a smooth ride to the hospital, and when we got there he was sleeping. So we waited in the day room for a little while so he could sleep.

Brandy went in first to visit with him, then he asked for me.

Once I got in to his room his gown was all messed up and I said "Dad, what are you doing?" And he said "Where is your car?...Go get a wheel chair I need to go home to fix the phone bill."

I told him that he had to spend the night at the hospital because he has to get stronger before he can come home. He proceeded to tell me all the bad memories he is continually reliving while at the hospital. "I just want to go home and get a good night sleep."

He got upset.

I got upset.

I haven't cried in a long time; but seeing your dad frustrated, and you cannot fix any of the problems laid before him; well...you would probably get upset too. I assured him that he would be OK and that I will be back tomorrow to see him. He said "You better be."

One of the toughest battles my dad will fight in the coming weeks and months is the ability to recognize the inability he has to complete simple tasks. He said he had to go to the bathroom and he wanted me to help him up to go.

He can't walk right now, he can't hold his head up on his own. And the problem with the location of the initial hemorrhage is that he will 'think' he can do the things asked of him, lift your left arm, hold my hand, etc...but on the one side of his body it will take some time for it all to come back.

Please pray for my dad. Pray that he can understand and accept the circumstances that surround him. Pray that we would remain strong as we are helpless to his aide. Pray that his recovery would be honoring to the Lord.

Dad said that he would be OK if "It would leave me alone for a while." I told him that God thinks that you can handle this, so be strong and rely on Him to get you through it.

Also pray that bad memories would go away. Pray that Dad would be able to focus on good things and to not be scared.

It is never easy to stand and watch someone hurting. If it is; you don't deserve the life you have been given. I pray that you would help someone today, this week, this month. You don't have to help me or my family, but someone. It will do you and them some good. God told us:

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Phillippians 2:3-11

I'm back:)

2008-08-10T22:15:00.010-04:00

It has been a long time since I have sat down and written a blog! Oh my goodness I don't even want to go back and check how long ago it was! I have gotten busy with other things lately and have not seen dad every day this past week; and he noticed! Mom said he asked for me which is very nice to hear:)

Dad had a good day.

Lately his days are trying to stay awake more often, therapy of all kinds, and sleep as well as can be expected in a hospital.

Right now he has the worst headache of his life and basically we want him to jog around the block; and its just not that easy.

He denied physical therapy one day this week; and well, that's not an option. Sorry, Dad. He likes to rest because that helps take the pain away. But we need him to get strong so he needs to suck it up and deal with it.

I'm sure my mother has said before; but my dad right now, is the best comedian anyone has ever seen! He's hilarious! You almost pee yourself because of all the silly things he says!

I'd encourage you if you have not already, to stop by and let him know you are praying for him and that you care for him. He will probably tell you "this is not fun, this is no party." That's what he says all the time:( But he won't turn any visitors away.

To be honest with you, now is not fun to see him. Granted, the last three weeks weren't fun either, but now things are different. Going to see him now is difficult because you want to take his pain away, have him sit up in bed and walk out the door with you.

But realistically, he hasn't walked in a month. The only body part he moves is his right arm and leg. He has a long recovery process ahead of him. Please continue to pray for him! He needs it! He needs the strength to get through the days where he's tired and not motivated to work. He needs prayer to see the progress he has made and to not give up.

Thank you to all of you who prayed for us to get to and from Ohio last weekend. The girls and I had a great time by ourselves on Saturday at a butterfly exhibit and the Ohio State Fair. And now they are here and we are having a GREAT time having all the little ones around!

Ella & Anna at the conservatory

Anna, Ella & Brandy at the pool:)

Ella & Anna at Ocean City

MeeMee & Brandy at Ocean City:)

Baby Derek

Anna & Kevin on the boardwalk:)

Hope that you all have a great week ahead of you. I pray you are diligently seeking God in your own lives, and that this process of following Christ you speak to him on our behalf. Praise God for fellowship and community in the body of Christ! Love to you all!

Our strength in God's Word!

2008-08-09T19:55:00.002-04:00

Today God gave this to me to share with Steve:

The story is about Paul and his time of discouragement in Macedonia - 2 Corinthians 1: 8 - 11. I thought this was fitting for Mr. Steve and what God is allowing him to go through right now.

"We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt like the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

This passage is so Mr. Steve and us right now!! He is really tired of the daily horrible pain in this head. Today he was teasing about getting the gun and "shoot me now". He was teasing because he did the same thing with his "bad" foot.

His head hurts most of the day. Not only is it frustrating but can be scary. I have asked for Tylenol around the clock so there is no down time. However, yesterday and today around 1:30pm the pressure really got bad. He needs cool rags and he rubs his head constantly (until I tell him to stop). I asked for him to get a percaset again today. I really didn't want to - but the pain was the same time and intense so maybe there is a pattern. Once the medicine sets in he sleeps and the pain is relieved. He is also allowed to have it tomorrow and Monday. He said the pain today was not a bad as yesterday so maybe it is getting better.

One of the blessings of today was that Steve and I enjoyed about 45 minutes of continuous conversation. We interacted well and he was able to answer my questions correctly and ask questions himself. He did have his eyes open for a good amount of the time as well. We have set our HOPE that God will deliver us from this peril because YOU ALL are praying continually for us! Then WE ALL will give thanks for all that God has done for us cuz really it is all about HIM not us!!

Enjoy your time of worship tomorrow!

Mr. Steve and company!

today.....

2008-08-08T22:42:00.002-04:00

Well, today was a little bit up and down and all around. I almost felt like copying and pasting some of the previous days entries, but I didn't want you to feel cheated.

Mom and I (Kevin) got to the hospital just after lunch and found Dad walking around the 3rd floor to the hospital.

Just kidding...

Sorry about that. It slipped.

The nurses said Dad had a good morning. He was very responsive and was alert to all that was going on around him. When the speech therapist came in, he did some of his exercises, but needs to work on the muscles in the left side of his face. He was very sleepy while working with the therapist, so I felt like we left a little on the table, there. We did get to talk to the doctor, who seems to understand all that Dad is going through, but is encouraged with his progress to this point.

About 1:00 he started to complain of a big headache. Since the docs have begun regulating Tylenol to him around the clock, we sort of ignored his complaints for a little while and put a damp cloth on his head. Then he started to really complain and really complain. Dad doesn't complain too much, so we asked that he get a percaset. The doctor wanted to check out his noggin, so they sent him to get a CT scan done. Throughout the process, Dad was alert, but at one point his blood pressure dropped pretty low. Low enough to get us all a little concerned (and emotional), but the results of the test came back normal. It even showed that the bleeding in his brain has lessened to this point.

The hard part to convey in a post like this is the up and down rollercoaster that some days turn out to be. It was a good morning, tough outing with the therapist, really tough CT scan, good results, decent evening, bedtime.

Unfortunately, I am on a plane in the morning tomorrow to go back to Ohio. Brandy and the kids are staying for a couple more days. Please continue to pray for Dad and his recovery, but also for days like this that can be really tough and emotionally draining on all of us.

Thanks again for praying,

Kevin, Brandy, Anna, Ella, Derek

Mom, Dad, Kimberly

Living in adventureland!

2008-08-08T08:25:00.003-04:00

We have been having very busy days with the children here! And we are very much enjoying them. We also wish we had their energy! I know Mr. Steve would love to have their energy.

Steve is making good progress. We as a family need to remember this. Sometimes we get anxious for him to make big strides when just breathing with smaller levels of oxygen is a big stride. He is doing well. We all are enjoying his sense of humor! Yesterday the nurse said that she was going to give him an insulin needle and that it would hurt. He said, "How would you know?" So everyday is an adventure. Let's keep that perspective - Prov. 19:31 - "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Prayer requests for today: that Steve would be willing to participate in the physical therapy with Susan and speech therapy with Lee Anne. His energy level is low and he would rather be "lazy" as he says than endure some pain. I guess he forgets when he was playing sports, "play with pain or no gain." Also I requested him to get tylenol on a schedule rather than wait until he is asked by the nurse. I'm hoping this will take away some of his frustration and allow him to participate in therapy more willingly.

Thank you for all your cards. I read a few of them to him each day. He enjoys them and smiles at the funny comments.

Have a great day with your own "adventure" sent from the Lord!

Janice

Ocean City here we come. . .

2008-08-06T23:09:00.004-04:00

This afternoon the kids decided that they "needed" to head to Ocean City. They wanted me to go along - so I did. We really had a good time together. The girls loved chasing the waves and riding some rides. We also "needed" a piece of Mack and Manco pizza for dinner. They don't franchise in Ohio yet. It just wouldn't be quite the same without the seagulls. One of the nicest things was that Aileen - Steve's repiratory theropists called while we were on the boardwalk. She said that NOTHING WAS WRONG, but Steve wanted to talk to me. I had told her what we were doing so she could call if she needed me. She used her personal cell phone and called. Steve sounded great! He was glad that we had gone and that the girls were having a good time. Kimberly will share all the pictures with him later.

What you don't know is that this morning Steve had a headache and they gave him Tylenol and he still had it so they gave him a percaset. I forgot that percaset makes people wacko. Steve was saying some really strange things. He asked if I had enough fruit in the freezer. I was really concerned. Not many people have a supply of fruit in the freezer. When Kevin and I began to talk about Steve this morning - he reminded meof the side effects of that medicine. I felt much better after I talked to him. He definitely had clarity of thought at 7:00pm. PTL

If you could pray along with us as we continue to pray for healing. The DR isn't concerned about the headache - but he has had it almost everyday since the surgery. Please ask God to give us and the DR wisdom with this.

No temp today and the oxygen level was lower more - he is almost down to room air now! His lungs are processing the oxygen just fine - PTL. AND he is still talking and that is truly a blessing from the Lord - amen and amen!

Thank you for all your notes - blog comments - and cards - they are greatly appreciated.

Janice

1-2-3-4-5

2008-08-05T22:39:00.003-04:00

Good evening to one and all! I have to admit that today has been a miraculous day at St. Agnes! There were a few surprises in the beginning no doubt, but in all a great day! Mom and I (Kevin) walked in to see Dad and were a little frustrated with the night shift at the hospital. They hadn't cared for him as we had anticipated, so we were expecting a long and trying day. Dad had physical therapy, but no occupational therapy during the morning. The explanation was that he needed to be "evaluated" for today before beginning occupational therapy.

Not sure what they needed to evaluate exactly...dude had brain surgery, slept for almost 3 weeks and we are ALL trying to get him better.

I digress...

After a looooonnnnnnnggggg afternoon nap, Uncle Denny shows up and Dad flashes a quick smile and hello. The real action happens when the speech therapist shows up a little before 5. She informs Dad all the fun he is about to endure and Dad begrudgingly says yes. After a quick suction (really gross to watch), the therapist puts a cap on the tracheotomy which will allow him to inhale through the trach, but it requires him to exhale out of his mouth and/or nose. It will force him to breathe more normally and will allow him to eventually regain some of his speech and discontinue use of the tracheotomy altogether.

After a few exercises, the therapist asks Dad to count to 5. Done. No problem. Then, to all of our surprise, the next words out of his mouth are "Yeah, Buddy!" Nice to see Dad is still alive and well! Mom, Uncle Denny and I just looked at each other briefly and started laughing because Dad just kept on talking and talking. Making sarcastic comments, teasing the nurse, threatening to pass out on the floor, and I'm pretty sure he offered to preach in church this Sunday. UNBELIEVABLE! Three weeks of nothing and then WHAM! He even requested a cup of coffee and to get out of bed. Sorry Dad, maybe tomorrow.

How awesome for all of us to see (and hear!) that God has done miraculous things through Dad in only 3 weeks!

Seeing Dad last night and having him open his eyes and look at me was a wonderful thing. For sure, I choked up and all I could get out was a hi. It is infinitely more reassuring to hear him complain about all the tests he has endured and the volume of pricks in order to draw blood! It was just like someone turned on a light switch in his brain and he figured he could talk now, so why not! Seriously, he slept just about the entire afternoon (much like everyday since that morning) and then.....magic! Ok, not magic, but you know what I mean.

Today was a great day!
....even if I had to go to a hospital.

I know it is directly related to the amount of prayer, love, and support that so many have shown during this short, yet seemingly long, time!! Thank you so much for all of your time spent in prayer for Dad and all of us.

We are going to be at the hospital again tomorrow as a newly extended family and are still excited to see all the progress Dad has made. Please continue to pray and I hope you all rejoice in this as much as we have!

Kevin, Brandy, Anna, Ella, Derek

Dad, Mom, Kimberly

Graduation Day:)

2008-08-04T22:19:00.003-04:00

Today Steve moved to St. Agnes Long Term Care Hospital.

Don't let this title scare you. It sure scared me when I read that the average stay is 21 days. This hospital is used to prepare patients for rehab. I am really pleased with the care that he has received today! I actually got to talk with his doctor, and I will be able to talk to him every day! (I know Jeff is a great hospital; but we never got to talk with his doctor).

Steve still has the trach and they will work with him to wean him off it soon. They will be starting speech therapy with him once the trach is out. The respiratory therapist said that she thought he would be off the trach soon! Yeah!! Meredith his nurse at Jeff said that probably this week would be the end of it. I don't want to relive Friday night again.

While at this hospital, which is the fourth since this episode began, he will also do physical therapy and occupational therapy.

He will get care for his stitches that are driving him crazy with itching. Because he can move his right hand freely, he likes to touch his head, and scratch his stitches, and mouth, etc.

They gave him a nice big air mattress to lay on. I can't believe they wouldn't bring his cadillac bed from Jeff. (The bed he had from Jeff was a very very expensive bed, that we definitly could not bring with us:( WAWA moves people down the street in a bed in the commercial - Steve wouldn't have minded.

Praise the Lord - Kevin, Brandy, and the three children arrived safe and sound. They were able to see Poppop although we did break the rule. And you all know how I am a "rule follower". The neat thing was that when I held Anna up to see Poppop, I told him someone was here to see him. He opened his eyes and said, "Where's my Anna? Where's my Anna? " just to tease her. That is what he did a home. So he did know her and did tease her!!:)

His sugars are finally back down to under 200 which is really good!

All my kids had a great time in Ohio this weekend! But I am glad I have them all under one roof!

Sunday - August 3, 2008

2008-08-03T21:36:00.002-04:00

It was a GREAT day to be in the Lord's house to worship and know the LOVE of His family!
Pastor Dave preached from Luke 7. It was great. One thing that jumped out to me was that Jesus showed compassion. He said to the widow, "Don't cry." Not only did He show compassion but He knew what was coming next. Ya know - God still knows what is coming next! So our confidence should be in Him! God knows what is coming next with Steve as well.
I trust all of you have that same confidence in God. If not please ask us about the hope within us!

Today was a good day for Steve physically that is. His oxygen level was decreased once again and his body was able to remain on a 97 pulse ox reading. Also his blood pressure is more managable. His body still has trouble with the sugar. You figure that the "kangaroo" food is high in sugar from what I understand and his inactivity as a lot to do with it. He will be on the anti-biotic for two more days. Then things should level out. Today the nurse noticed that he responded quicker. I noticed that he opened his eyes more voluntarily today as opposed to a verbal request. He can do some mouthing of words. And he does know what year it is. So progress is being made. It is smaller than the steps of a turtle but we are moving forward and that is great news.

Tomorrow should be graduation day for Steve either to St. Agnes or to Magee. We will surely keep you updated. Many of you are asking about visiting Steve. We have no problem with a visit. From what I understand - when he has visitors he knows that there is love and support.
I would ask that you call one of us, so one of us are there to enjoy the visit as well.

We thank you again for all your prayers for us. Kevin and Brandy and the kids drive in tomorrow from Ohio. Please pray for their safety.

Have a great day serving our Lord with us!

the wife/mother/mimi

Steve - seeing a little of God's plan!

2008-08-02T21:28:00.005-04:00

When I left you last - we were asking for you all to uphold us specifically praying for peace to get through the night after our "trach adventure". Today when I arrived I called his name and he opened his eyes. I asked him if he could see me and he said "yes" with his mouth. We have gotten pretty good with reading lips. I also asked him if he felt better today and he said "yes". He was even able to communicate when he was uncomfortable. This is good.

I have prayed for a long time for the Lord to direct me the proper time to begin telling Steve about "his adventure". After last night - I thought today would be good. Steve likes to know what is going on and I think it really upset him not to be aware of anything that was going on around him. The people in the field tell us only to speak happy things and to not talk about medical issues in front of the neuro patients because they can hear and understand what is going on. This could be emotionally frightening. In Steve's case - he needed to know. I chose my words carefully and told him that this brain AVM was God's plan before he was a gleam in his dad's eye. He (Steve) had no control over this and that God will get us through it. I even shared some ways that God HAS BEEN faithful to us. He opened his eyes and they got wider the more I told him. I wish you all could have been there. Last week I asked him if he would be patient to get through this. He gave me the thumbs down. Today after explaining the situation I asked him the same question - the thumb came up with purpose! I called him God's "Miracle Man." He smiled.

Today his blood pressure was better and the oxygen level was better as well. They still battle the "sugar" issue - keep praying for that to get under control. This is a VERY slow process but we high five when we see progress.

There is so much to share. The spirit is willing but the body is weak - so I will sign off. My younger editors are together in Ohio enjoying the children. Praise the Lord we will all be together next week!!

Thank you again for all your love for us!!

Janice/Mrs. Steve/etc.

"I will not leave you"

2008-08-01T21:28:00.002-04:00

This is Mrs. Steve - this was a good day. The nurse practioner called yesterday and was working on springing Steve to a new joint. St. Agnes Hospital. This is a "bridge" hospital between Jefferson and Magee Rehab. They specialize in weaning patients off of trachs and rehab them as well. This looked like a good fit for Steve.

Today they were unable to move him because of a particular blood test having to do with the pulmunary system. They decided to keep him where he is and get the pulmunary DR involved in his care. They did a number of tests. One of which was getting a sample of mucous down deep in his lung. As you can imagine it irritated him greatly and he was coughing for a long time. They also drew more blood and have him on 3 anti-biotics. The nurse gave him a treatment to hopefully open up his passage way and relieve some of his coughing.

We were reading "My Utmost for His Highest" and he needed a potty break - so we took care of that. While I was out with the nurse, Steve pulled out his trach. Oh my. I ran back in the room and saw what he had done and saw that the trach was on his chest. I ran and got the nurses and they were "johnny on the spot". They called ICU and got the pulmunary staff up right away to get it back in. They were calm and professional and VERY quickly they had a new one back in place. They spoke words of encouragement to Steve all the time. However it was very frightening for Steve. When I left I prayed with him and told him I would be back to see him in the morning. I re-assured him that there was NO heart problems (they had just this evening run an EKG). Also that there were NO pulmunary embulism (they had just run a CT scan of his chest on Thursday). I know his mind was going back to his sister who passed with a pulmunary embulism a number of years ago.

I assured him that this whole thing he is going through is part of God's plan for him and HE will get him through this. I recited a few verses and asked him to personally pray to God to get through this most difficult time. He said, "I am." I shared that God made a promise to NEVER leave us and that He would not break that promise. When I left he was acting a bit better.

Please pray for Mr. Steve especially right now - imagine lying in bed for three weeks and not be able to communicate and to be restrained on your right arm and not able to move your left arm.
If you are reading this in the evening. Please pray the Satan will not have a foothold in my thought life tonight and that I will "rest" in HIM and sleep peacefully.

Thank you sooooo much for all you prayers for all of us!

stayin or going?

2008-08-01T13:36:00.002-04:00

Dad is still at Jefferson Neuroscience and probably will be for the weekend. Then possibly Monday they will move him to St. Agnes.

The problem with this decision is that that means another two to three days with no activity. The reason Dad is doing more poorly than expected is because he has not been given the opportunity to get up and move around.

The physical and occupational therapists only come during the week, so he's not been given any therapy yesterday or today because they thought he was moving hospitals; plus he won't be given any during Saturday and Sunday.

How is he supposed to get better if he's laying still for this long?

Pray that they do more intense movements/therapy; and get him up in a wheel chair today or tomorrow. Pray that St. Agnes will be the right move and things, like therapy and pneumonia, will improve.

I'm gonna knock your lights out

2008-07-31T21:15:00.002-04:00

So a lot has happened today, and a lot will happen tomorrow. Dad has been diagnosed with pneumonia; and needs treatment. Because the hospital he is at right now is simply neurological; they want to move him to another hospital to treat his lungs.

We were all set to go; then insurance would not allow it. So after prepping him to go; by taking out all his iv's...they decided to keep him and they would then, if he worsened, move him back down to the sixth floor NICU for him to be put back on a ventilator and have a closer eye on him.

Well he is still in his same room tonight; and his numbers are fine and a few different antibiotics to treat the pneumonia are in him now. The problem is is that Dad's veins are really hard to find; which makes hospital visits awful! So they usually put a pick-line in his chest and all medications go through that. However, since he was doing so well they took that out and put one in his hand. Then removed that for transport, then had to put one back in tonight because he ended up staying.

So all in all, Dad has been picked and prodded at ALL DAY. He's tired, and frustrated, and the nurse he had yesterday was there today; and she's really rough with him.

She is so rough that when we were in there again tonight she said "OK, I'm done." And she asked "Is that better?" and he gave her a clenched fist! He's about ready to fight her! We all started laughing because he continued to use his hands in gesturing that she talks a lot and that he wanted her to shut-up:) That's my dad!

Anyway...Mom is on the phone with the hospital right now, trying to see if we can move back to main campus Jefferson, and not the other hospital I had mentioned earlier today.

Pray that the pneumonia heals quickly. That good decisions are made with the health of my dad. Pray that he gets rest! (Today they put a roommate in Dad's room now. And his family and nurses are very disruptive from what he has been used too.) Pray for me as I head out to Ohio tomorrow to spend two days with my brother, sister-in-law and kiddos. And come Monday Kevin and family will head here to visit for a few days....Pray for mom as she will be the only one at his bedside this weekend.

Pray for healing and recovery. Pneumonia slows down the road to recovery and diabetes slows all that down even more!

Correction...(pneumonia)

2008-07-31T12:24:00.002-04:00

Dad is staying at Jefferson now because of hospitals, insurance and Dad's numbers.

Basically we need prayer that Dad's numbers (bp, sugars, respritory) stay the same or improve. They keep needing to up the amount of oxygen they give him; so he needs the antibotics they are giving him to work.

If his numbers fall they will need to move him back down a floor to the nuerological icu to be put on a ventilator.

Pray that his body will heal and the doctors will make a wise decision with all of this.

Developing Pneumonia

2008-07-31T11:24:00.002-04:00

Dad is developing pneumonia, so he is being moved to St. Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia (1900 Broad St). He is doing adaquatly nuerologically at this time, so he will be moved to this hospital to treat the pneumonia, and then from there to rehab.

I'm not sure what room he will be in, and I don't know how long he will be there. If you were planning on visiting; it may be best to wait until he is in rehab because we know he will be there for a couple months.

Thank you for your continued prayer support!!!

Kissy Kissy

2008-07-30T21:06:00.002-04:00

Oh my goodness my parents are making out now!;)

OK, not really...but today was the first day my Dad kissed my mom back! It was totally cute! He didn't want a kiss from me; only Mom:) But I kiss his hand anyway!

Dad had a very awake day today. He had more visitors today than yesterday, so he was definitely stimulated awhile.

GOOD NEWS!! He had a CTA scan on his chest and legs and both came back with no signs of PE which is pulmonary embolism a stoppage of blood flow in an artery.

This evening when I arrived he was being washed up; so we had to wait to see him. But when we got back in the room; the trach tube and gauze around his neck were bright red. (bloody mess) The blood didn't make us feel very good; so we talked to the nurses to find out what was happening. And they said there is an irritation probably in his neck after suctioning him out to get the flem that he usually coughs out.

I'd like to ask prayer for this 'irritation' because they talk like its nothing...which it isn't necessarily harmful to him; but it can't feel good! His head is very hot and his stitches are itching him; everyone is bothering him all the time, so a sore throat to go on top of all that is really annoying.

Before we left we prayed and said our "good night's"...and Mom asked "Did you hear me?" and Dad motioned with his mouth "What?"...we laughed and mom repeated herself and Dad again motioned "what?"...hehehehe...he smiled knowing exactly that he was just playing with us! (He cannot talk right now because of the trach. Once he's in rehab and continues to improve, he will have a cap put on the tube so he can talk.) Today is the first day he has tried to mouth anything so this is HUGE!:)

Praise God!

He's coming around:)

He is still at Jefferson, but most likely will be moved very soon; and we don't know when. If you want to stop by that's fine just send me an email and I can give you celly numbers to arrange times, etc.

Pray for his throat, a good placement in a rehab facility, more good communication!:)

Tired

2008-07-29T20:51:00.002-04:00

Mom and I just arrived home from the hospital; and like everyday for the past two weeks I'm updating the blog right when I get in the door:)

Two weeks ago today this whole thing started...

Its been a long two weeks...

Dad's tired, we're tired...the body is weak...

Today dad was put in a wheelchair, helmet and all, and sat in there for a while. The physical therapist, Joe, worked on his arms. Dad's left wrist hurts him; so Joe is trying to flex it to help the tenseness go away. Dad's left shoulder moves when he coughs but that arm is definitely more stiff then the right arm.

When mom arrived at the hospital this afternoon dad's blood pressure was way too low! So she spoke with the doctor and he agreed they need to lessen the amount of medicine because he agreed with mom 102/52 is just too low;)

His blood sugars are high still and once they get them better under control then they can hopefully get him out of there...

One of the rehab facilities that are possibly going to take my dad, evaluated his status today. We don't know the results of that yet; but the other one is coming tomorrow and hopefully we will hear soon which one dad will be moving too.

Dad was very tired today. I think I get him when he's tired anyway because I don't get up to see him til after work; so he's been through therapy and sitting up, etc...so he's ready for bed by the time I get him. But I did get to see his eyes today and he squeezed my hand to tell me he loves me and wants to see me tomorrow:)

Lastly, when mom got there this morning, his eyes weren't open but she waited until he woke up and she showed him the pictures of his grandson! And he SMILED!!!:) He saw his grandson for the first time today! (Sorry I didn't get them printed until last night;)

Dad is having a CT scan tonight so I'll let you know what we find out from that when we do...hopefully there is no more bleeding, and hopefully the blood from the hemorrhage that caused all of this...has dissipated throughout his body.

Thank you for the continued support. I encourage you if you haven't left a message; please do so we know you are reading it. It helps knowing you are here for us.

Therapy here we come!

2008-07-28T20:57:00.002-04:00

I know it has been a long time since I have posted, and I apologize for that. Saturday night I was honestly too tired; and then Sunday night, well, the power was out...so that's not my fault!;)

Anyway, Monday is now over, and I appreciate you who may have fasted today on behalf of my father. He is making steady improvements and may possibly be moved to rehab this week. So please check the blog in case you were planning or intending to visit because he may not be at Jefferson too much longer!:)

This weekend he is enjoying his new room...at least we are! It was strange on Saturday when we could visit him for 9 hours straight! Mom and I did some house cleaning and yard work Saturday morning before we headed to the hospital. He opened his eyes RIGHT AWAY! That didn't last long; but it was very much appreciated!

Sunday he didn't get any kind of physical therapy but he did today. Two occupational therapists smaller than my mom came in and sat him up for twenty minutes! And he really did very well at that. He has been categorized as "acute" but ready for rehab. One doctor said he would still like to get his blood sugar and blood pressure better; but that may not happen if someone could remember to give him his insulin...

Anyway...

He is becoming more and more aware of himself these past few days! They took off his restraints on his right arm; so now when he coughs he actually puts his hand over his mouth, even though, nothing comes out...because he has a trach in;)

He even scratched his head today which I thought was really cute! He has been a lifeless body these past few weeks so the simple things like scratching your head, are very amusing to me.

We ask him yes and no questions all the time; and he shakes his head ever so slightly to let you know his answer. A friend of mine wants to set me up on a blind date; and so I asked my dad what he thought of it; and he motioned with his hand "so-so"...he's still my dad, so what can I say?!;)

I cannot say this enough that he hears EVERYTHING that happens in that bedroom. So if you would like to stop by please speak kindly and quietly.

God has truly been encouraging my mom and I through this whole situation. Looking back over the life of my family you could say things like "Its your fault you lost your job, business, etc." "Steve has been unsuccessful in all or most of his dealings"...HOWEVER, this IS what God had planned from the beginning...and Oswald Chambers reminded us today about what it means to be successful...

My Utmost for His Highest July 28th

"We must never put our dreams of success as God's purpose for us; HIS purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end....His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now...God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present; if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious."

If you love me, obey me. ~Jesus Christ (John 14:15)

We don't know what will happen later...that is not our concern right now. All we can do is be obedient to Gods word now. This very moment. Because that is all we have.

Fasting

2008-07-28T08:39:00.002-04:00

I don't have much time this morning for a post; but I wanted to let you know that our church has made today

a day of fasting for Mr. Steve.

David Nassar is an evangelist and author who was recently at our church. He defines fasting as (I'm paraphrasing here)....removing something to concentrate more fully on God.

If you don't have time today to fast to more completly focus on God and prayer, then I urge you to consider a day this week. You don't necessarily have to pray only for my father, but you can pray for anything the Holy Spirit leads you to.

FYI: The power was out at my house for about 5 hours last night, that's why I didn't update last night. I will update later on today...

Thanks

Moving..

2008-07-25T21:18:00.006-04:00

Everybody got moved around today...Brandy came home from the hospital; so the new family of five is home and doing well:) And Dad got moved to a step-down room on the same floor! So now we can visit him straight from 11am until 8pm! It is considered an intermediate ICU so the good news is that we won't be in the waiting room much anymore; but we are going to miss the patient to nurse ratio:) (2 to 1; now 4 to 1)

Good news is that his blood pressure is good; and his blood sugars are good:) Physical therapy came today and actually had him sitting up in a wheelchair for two hours! They probably won't do too much this weekend; but come Monday he will have a routine to start rehab!:)

The road before us is long...and how dad has gotten this far is AMAZING! God ordained that this week would come and he ordained for us to be in ICU that long...it was not an accident! Most people are surprised including the nurses that he was in this ICU this long because he has been stable for quite some time now. But we shouldn't be...because if we had moved over to the private step down unit earlier; then we would not have had the opportunity to talk about God with Karen. She did lose her father this afternoon; and we will remain in contact as Mom has certainly developed a connection with her!:)

I know most of my posts have been very encouraging; and positive. And if you know me at all; I'm not easily optimistic. So the reality check is coming: he cannot talk right now; he cannot walk right now; we don't know if he can read, or feed himself. We don't know what he will regain; and what he has to learn all over again. Please don't think that because he may be in a rehab facility in a couple weeks that he is "Mr.Steve" as you remember him. He has to wear a helmet if he is out of the hospital bed...so you may not see him like you used too. His left side still has not moved; so we are not sure of the condition of that side of his body. But as you and I know: ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!:) We are going to hold to HIS promises!:)

For the next couple days I will do my best to post; but no news is good news; so please continue to pray for healing and recovery. One of the things the doctors told us; is that his rehab might be very difficult because of the location of the injury. He will know in his head that he can do the things requested of him; but his brain isn't telling his body that; so he could get very confused and upset easily.

Maybe one day I will show you pictures of him that I have taken on my camera phone to see the before and after...but until the after is present; its best you continue to pray for healing...

However, here are some cute pictures of dad's new grandson and family....

It's really happening!

2008-07-24T21:17:00.003-04:00

In the last two weeks I've had interruptions at night...last week my mom came in my room and said "we are taking dad to the hospital we think he had a stroke." This morning she came in at 2:30 am and said "They just admitted Brandy to the hospital; just thought I'd let you know." Both involve hospitals but entirely different meanings!

Brandy was in labor from about 7pm last night but they broke her water at 6:30am; and she had him an hour later...so things went quickly:) It is a blessing to have a healthy mom and baby! And at a time like this; well...its truly a gift that will not ever be forgotten!

Today Dad has tremendously made noticeable improvements! He now OPENS HIS EYES on command!!! I had to work today; so when I went into see him mom said "Open your eyes and see your daughter" and he did! We (and by that I mean, I) talked looking at each other...which hasn't happened in over a week!

Mom told him about Derek and he got a little upset...but he is doing better now. The best thing for him right now is not to ignore Derek coming into this world; but rather embrace it and let dad know that he is on the way to recovery and will see him very soon! Since he got upset this afternoon about hearing him; I was concerned that we shouldn't talk about him because that may get him more upset that he's 'missing out' on this time...but I spoke to a doctor who said it is this baby that will help him get healthy faster because now he has a goal!

Dad is still in need of prayer to make more and more improvements...more and more abilities to be alert; talking; moving, etc....the list goes on...but today we are very much in awe of what GOD has done in our midst!

Also just to let you all know; that this morning Karen's father had another stroke and they were told to say their 'goodbyes'. Pray for her family as they mourn the soon-to-be loss of her dad. (Most likely he will pass 24-48 hours). Praise God that mom has been given this opportunity to make friends and be a good witness of the goodness that Christ offers.

I cannot believe this is all really happening...God has such a funny way sometimes to challenge us; and why he chose us to be front and center of a miracle; I'll never know.

Here he is...

2008-07-24T12:27:00.002-04:00

The dude:)

Baby Deichert:)

2008-07-24T08:33:00.001-04:00

At 7:37am my sister-in-law Brandy, gave birth to their third baby...

A BABY BOY!!!:):):)

Derek Paul Deichert
7lbs. 5.8 ounces
19.5 inches

Due date was set for the first week in August but we are glad he came now...can't imagine how big he would be;)

Mom and baby are both doing well:)!

"one day at a time"

2008-07-23T19:28:00.002-04:00

Here it is day eight. Each day we arrive at the hospital at 12:00 noon. We go in and see Steve for a half hour then wait for an hour and a half and see him again. This continues for 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 and 8:00. Then we leave. There are some days that get rather long. Today was one of them. The DR said there would be days like this.... (Maybe someone could write a song with those lyrics...). His numbers are still fine. He is still reacting to the nurses commands and that is good. Robin his nurse for the last few days told me when we left that he is doing good. He is still progressing and that is good. It is just hard to be patient when the steps are soooooo small.

It is in these times that we are able to minister to others in the waiting room. Thanks to many of you - we take food up to share with others who are going through just as difficult times. We have seen the faces of families who have lost loved ones. We also see the tears of teens who have heard not so good news about their mother. We see the expression of relief on families who have heard from the DR "we got all the tumor". This is really a unique place to find yourself. Kimberly and I have come to know many of these families. It is neat to show compassion and the love of Christ to these people. When we share "war" stories they ask how we were able to get through last Tuesday and we are able to share that this adventure is God's plan for us right now and we will be fine. God placed another believer family in the waiting room today and that was a special treat.

Please pray with us for Karen and her family. The DR said that her father is hour to hour and that his recovery will take a very long time. As we left today - we whispered - I hope I see you tomorrow. I plan on going to lunch in the main building with her tomorrow. Then we can talk more.

The beginning and end of Jeremiah 29:11 are great for us right now ---"For I know the plans I have for you"....(and HE does)..."plans to give you hope and a future." I hope I am not taking this out of context, but this verse gives me strength to keep going.

By the way - this was mom writing again. Thank you ALL for your prayers for us. We feel God's peace. By the way - no baby boy yet.

Dad had the nurses laughing...

2008-07-22T21:42:00.003-04:00

Taking the train saves you money; but it costs you in time. We definitely got back later than we usually do; but that's OK. I'm glad we have options to and from the hospital!

Its been a WEEK since our lives turned inside out. God has certainly strengthened us. My mom and I don't usually spend this much time one on one together; so that has been a blessing in disguise. I know I live with my parents and the 'roles' have changed a bit; but I still like my parents. We don't always agree, but I love them.

This morning it was hard to see dad. He was more swollen today then he has been in the past six days. It looked like he had gotten in a fight and his right eye was almost swollen shut. They did the PEG tube today. So he will be eating again tomorrow which makes my mom feel good. (There was a history at this hospital of getting pushed back for various reasons so we were hoping that wouldn't happen to dad.)

His blood pressure today is really good. They like how things are going. Its nice to see that more and more machines are turned off because he doesn't need them any more. The plan is to move him to a step down from the ICU that he is in now. It will still be considered ICU; but it has less critical patients. It will be on the same floor just down the hall.

It is abnormal for a tracheotomy patient to be on the collar the day after so that's a huge answer to prayer! Dad is not getting assistance and the machine is turned off all day!!

He still has not opened his eyes; but he is making improvements! He lifted his whole leg for the nurse today on command and that's what we like to see! He was seen by an opthamologist that's has prescribed some antibiotic ointment for his eyes because they are a little infected right now.

Dad gets cleaned up by the nurses in the morning; and some of them know that he knows whats going on and some of them don't...well today they definitely found out that he KNOWS what's going on! They had him on his side so they could clean him up; and he moved his leg so they could fix him up...and he helped move his gown so when they were done so he wasn't exposed!!! So they were laughing that this patient was helping them out!!!:):):):) That's my dad!!! (People think that because he's not talking and because his eyes are shut that he's not there; but he is!:)

Anyway...we are making friends with a family from Delaware in the waiting room. We saw them at the first Jefferson building we were located at for the first couple days of this episode; and now they have moved over to this building. If you could pray for Karen, the daughter and extended family I know they would appreciate it! Karen's dad has had multiple strokes and now has stints in...things are...well...not favorable...I did not realize how good of friends we are til we were leaving and she gave both mom and I a hug:)

Continue to pray that dad makes improvements and that he can open those eyes!

"open your eyes"

2008-07-21T21:55:00.002-04:00

Well - tonight you have momma. The computer whiz just erased the entire blog that Kimberly just wrote and she is off to the movies with her cousin for a well deserved break. Oh well, as my dad always said, "the poor you have with you always."

Today has been a mixed bag of emotions. Steve and I began with devotions again. He enjoyed a selection from my "God for us" CD. He squeezed my hand a number of times during the song.
A selection from Facing the Giants by Max Lucado... His (God's) greatest gift is himself. Sunsets steal our breath. Caribbean blue stills our hearts. Newborn babies stir our tears. (No baby yet!)
Lifelong love bejewels our lives. But take all these away - strip away the sunsets, oceans, cooing babies, and tender hearts - and leave us in the Sahara, and we still have a reason to dance in the sand. Why? BECAUSE GOD IS WITH US!! (the emphasis is mine).

The trachenomy went fine. He was put back on the ventilator for the procedure and is still on it slightly so his brain can relax a little.

Tomorrow they would like to put a "peg" tube in. This is a food tube for us people who are learning. None of these procedures are permanent. They all can come out very easily. With all procedures - there is a chance of infection. He is sedated so we are a little frustrated that these procedures were not scheduled for the same day/time. Now he will not be able to get nourishment for a few days. Now we all know he has some stored up - but he could use some nutrition in the liquid form as soon as possible.

Prayer requests for the next 24 hours -

Pray for Steve that he will open his eyes fully. He did open them a little. Kimberly was holding his hand and I said - "open your eyes and look at your beautiful daughter" and he opened them half way. Maybe I'll get the full eye opening because technically who came first??

Pray for wisdom for the doctors and the nurses. They have been wonderful but more communication would be greatly appreciated.

Pray for our children - it is hard for Kimberly to see her Daddy this way. And Kevin and Brandy as they want to be here but NEED to be there. And Anna and Ella as they talk to Poppop but Poppop can't talk back. We try to let him hear their voices everyday!

THANK YOU for all you are doing for us. We love you all and I pray that God will bless you bunches for your faithfulness in praying for Mr. Steve and company!

Its the beginning of a new week...

2008-07-20T21:15:00.001-04:00

God has certainly done AMAZING things last week! He allowed me to spend quality time car shopping with my dad. He allowed my mom and I to rejoice in the LORD, always. He gave me another day to praise him!

Psalm 146:1-2 says: Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul; I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

My mom would agree with me, that today was a good day for dad. He had a temperature this afternoon of 102...but he got that back down to 99.6 when we left. He is still responding to commands and Praise the LORD the blood pressure has come down.

His blood pressure still elevates at different times (like when they suction out his mouth, etc.)...but he is doing a great job on the numbers. They want the median number to be below 80. Yesterday it was over 100 so that is too high. But today while Mom and I were with him we read to him his daily bread and My Utmost for His Highest; his blood pressure was 69:) So he was very calm and peaceful while reading to him:)

During one of the visits this afternoon, I sang along with a song on my iPod. I said "Maybe I'll sing that song at church sometime." And mom whispered to me to ask him if he wanted me too, to squeeze my hand...and He DID!:) So trust me, he can hear every little thing we say:)

Being in the waiting room as much as we are...we have come to know the people who are there day in and day out. And today was not easy. One of the families lost a loved one today. Psalm 144:3-4 says "O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." Just after it happened, mom actually prayed with the son before heading in to visit with dad. Its sad to see an empty bed across the hall; but I'm sure it will be filled tomorrow. The reality is is that people are in that unit for a reason. I will pray for that family and I encourage you to do the same. We aren't sure if they are believers; but grief is not meant to be carried alone.

The plan for tomorrow is that they will put the tracheotomy in so pray that surgery goes well. I'm not sure when it will be; but I'll let you know how things go. It seems a little premature to do the procedure; however, he will most likely be going through a lot of procedures in the near future that will be required to be intabated...so this saves them a step; and allows more comfort for dad. He really is irritated with the ventilator in, and I'm hoping that it will be easier for him to cough. Watching him try to cough hurts. All you wanna do is help him; but to do that, you could only get yourself in trouble with the nurses. And the nurses are supposed to be your best friends;)

Thanks for all the prayers and thanks for praying for us at church today. God has had this planned out since his birth. He knew that this day would come and may HIS name be PRAISED!

Continue to pray for Kevin and Brandy as they are awaiting the birth of their third; and wanting to be here at the same time. Pray for strength for Dad, for him to open his eyes! Pray for mom and I as we are going back and forth, and as I start working this week.

(I changed the look of the blog because its seemed too dark and impersonal; hope you like it:)

no change...no problems..

2008-07-20T08:46:00.000-04:00

Good morning...Dad is the same this morning...Mom just talked with the nurse on the phone to give us all a little update. He is still having blood pressure issues; so they are still trying to work that out.

Yesterday I spoke with the nurse about his foot; and I had mentioned that he had Mersa, and evidently the hospital didn't know that. So because he has had Mersa in the past, as a percaution, they are isolating his room; and requiring gown and gloves, etc to see him. So this will definitly limit visitors....

Anyway....just thought I'd let you know where we are at...

Off to church then the hosptial...

gotta itch?

2008-07-19T21:36:00.000-04:00

My dad is same but improving...He had a couple blood transfusions today which definitely helped him! His blood pressure was still elevated for the afternoon but it was lower when we saw him tonight.

I'm not sure if I've explained visiting him at all...but we are allowed to see him 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, and 8:00 for a maximum of 30 minutes! So we are there from 12 until 8:30 everyday but we only see him for two and half hours of that...so we are 'waiting' like the rest of you.

Visitors at this point have been few...and honestly, that's the BEST thing for him! My roommate from college had blood pressure problems while pregnant and the more people in the room caused her heart rate to go up...so I'd like to limit visitors to IMMEDIATE family only. He really reacts to a lot of people in the room, and that's not exactly what we want. We want him to get better and wake up...but not get overly excited. In time more visitors will be fine...but for now...lets keep it on the down low...

When we were visiting him this last half hour, he started getting agitated and wanted to itch...and he even moved his eye brows and pointed that he had an itch!! It is SOOO comforting to know that he's telling us of his discomfort! Praise the Lord!

Also I wanted to let you know that he TRIED really really hard today to open his eyes!!!! You could tell the creases in his eyes were trying really hard to move!! So KEEP PRAYING!!! He's ALMOST THERE!!! His left eye was open just a wee bit...but we will take what we can get!!!

Pray from mom as things are definitely difficult. Sometimes its really hard to talk to him because sometimes you don't know what to say; then others all you wanna do is say "I love you" but you burst into tears and you don't want to make him upset because HE KNOWS WHEN WE ARE THERE! He squeezes hands when he's in agreement with the question or comment:)

Pray for Kevin as he is away; and I know that I'm better when I'm at the hospital then anywhere else...so I can't imagine what he goes through...plus a baby on the way. Pray for Brandy as she's mom; mom-to-be, etc.

Pray for Dad to wake up enough tomorrow and Monday that they won't need to do the tracheotomy...I would prefer not to use it; but the ventilator is hurting his throat and that seems to be the best option...but MY GOD IS BIGGER THAN MY PROBLEM:) (My daddy always says that:)

Thank you for the food today...its such a blessing to be able to eat at the hospital...I really don't like going out if I have too:) Mom and I really do appreciate everything everyone is doing!

Here's lyrics to a song I've been listening too...its from an upcoming artist that I went to school with at Liberty...her name is Meredith Andrews and her single is "You are Not Alone"...here's the lyrics:

I search for love
When the night came and it closed in
I was alone but you found me where I was hiding
and though I'll never ever be the same
It was the sweetest voice that called my name singing

You're not alone For I am here let me wipe away every fear
My love I've never left your side I have seen you through the darkest night
and I'm the one that's loved you all your life
All of your life

You cry yourself to sleep cause the hurt is real and the pain cuts deep
All hope seems lost With heartache your closest friend and everyone else long gone
You've had to face the music on your own but there is a sweeter song that calls you home

sayin' You're not alone For I am here let me wipe away your every tear
My love I've never left your side I have seen you through the darkest nights
And I'm the one that's love you all your life All your life

another day..

2008-07-19T15:32:00.000-04:00

This may not be a long post. This is Kevin, not Kimberly and I'll give you the facts as best I can. Dad seems to be progressing a little more each day, so that is a good sign. The swelling seems to be down in this arms and hands and he is responding to most commands (squeeze a hand, thumbs up, etc.) The doctors gave him a blood transfusion to increase his red blood cell count. Seems obvious, right?

They did a chest x-ray today and found nothing irregular, so that is good. The next thing up for Dad is a tracheotomy on Monday, although we are praying that that procedure will not be necessary. Most patients who are recovering from an AVM have tracheotomies put in as a term-perm solution in the event he would need help breathing. He continues to breathe on his own right now, but they still want to do the procedure. If you know Dad well, this isn't something he would want, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Even then, he might say no.

Ok, aside from the tracheotomy, we need Dad to start to awake from the sleep-mode he is in. The doctors say that this sleep is normal, after all, he did have BRAIN surgery. Nice thing to add to his long list of ailments, huh? But since he is my dad, I want him to wake up as soon as possible. The Lord always seems to have His timing and since He is in control, there is nothing more to do than wait and pray.

If you have stayed long enough to read the entire post, I want to ask you to pray again for Dad, Mom, Kimberly, Brandy and myself as this is still a very emotional time and a difficult one to wait and see. I am very thankful to all of you who are praying and continue to pray and be of support to us as a family. It is greatly appreciated!

Thanks again.

Holding hands:)

2008-07-18T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day:)

Mom and I just got back from the hospital and the swelling has gone down in his arms! He is becoming more and more alert...but still in a sleep like state. When Mom and I walked in this morning, his whole right side of his body moved a lot! He moved his whole leg and arm! So much so, that the nurse came in a few minutes after because his numbers had risen so much...she said "He definitely knows you guys:)"! He squeezed mom's hand...(he never has a hard time showing love...he's definitely the "physical touch" love language;)

The update goes like this...the doctors would like him to come off the strong blood pressure medication; so they are giving him a new kind now to see how that does. His pressure is still elevated but OK.

Praise God they removed the drainage and bolt (brain pressure measuring device) from his head...so he only has the stitches in his head now:)! I tried counting them...but I don't think you want to know;)

He is breathing on his own and the ventilator is only on to help him not choke/gag on the tubes...they like to put the ventilator on at night to give him a little break...but all this numbers say that he's looking really really good! He's got a feeding tube and he is eating some kind a milky like substance from the "Kangaroo" company. Mom likes to joke that he's eating kangaroo food...silly girl, but I love her:)

At this point, he needs to wake up some more before they will do the a__gram (the thing up the leg to see the brain)

So its a waiting game...Over the next couple days we are praying that he wakes up and minimal damage has been done; but we don't know until he wakes up.

He has moved his left foot today when mom was agitating it! So he has some movement...but all this movement is predominately on his right side...

Martin, the new pastor at our church came by today, and we prayed together with him. As Martin was talking I asked Dad to squeeze my hand...and HE DID!!! REALLY TIGHTLY TOO!!! It was AWESOME to feel my dad hold on to my hand! I don't know how to tell you how much it means when you ask him to do something and he does it!! Its truly a blessing!! He gave my uncle a thumbs up to say good night before we left!

Its gonna be a long road...but I'm certain God has a purpose for all of this...I thought I was a strong person, but I'll be honest, tears come and go...but God has truly comforted me this week...and I'm actually excited to see what God can do!!

Needs to get healthy...

2008-07-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

Mom has been talking with the nurses to let us know whats going on...

She said that he can still follow commands, which is good...He still has a hard time moving his left side. He does not have a fever but he is too drowsy to take off the ventilator right now. The doctors had talked about doing a surgery today but they don't feel that he is in the best of health to do that at this time. But that does not mean he may not be ok soon...

Pray that he can wake up more today. And pray that they can do the surgery soon. So he needs his blood pressure to come down! They don't want to take him off the ventilator because they need it in for surgery and it was difficult to put it in:) (My dad likes to be difficult in hospitals;)

Mom and I will head to the hospital to be there by 12 and we usually stay all day...til about 8pm...

Once I get more info; I'll send word...your prayers are important though; that's the best thing you can do right now...

My Finite Mind Grasping an Infinite God...

2008-07-17T21:28:00.000-04:00

For the first time in my life; I've let myself focus on the days or months ahead and not on today. I'm always the one that when people say I'm gonna do ____ in a year I always say You only have today! I wouldn't say that I am worried about next month; but I think of it and I get upset to think my dad could possibly never same my name again. I know all the right answers, trust me I know. But I love my dad, and you could say, I like him. He's a really great guy; and it makes me sad to think of what could happen...(I'm a tell-it-like-it-is kinda person).

But I want to let you all know that he is doing really good considering all the previous days events. He is at Jefferson Hospital of Neuroscience in their intensive care unit. He is still on a ventilator but off of any sedation medicine! The ventilator machine is set to have him breath 14 breaths per minute and he was averaging 25ish during the day which is really good because that means he is fighting the machine and wanting to breath on his own! He responds to small commands like, squeeze my hand, etc.

The nurses held his eyes open, since he cannot on his own right now, and they asked him "how many fingers am I holding up?" and he showed them 1 or two depending...so that's a HUGE answer to prayer!!! He is making GREAT improvments. The grandkids said good night to him over the phone; and you could see his eyes moving and head leaning towards the phone. So he knows we are there, and he can hear us.

Here's the reality check. We talked with one of his doctors today and she let us know what we are looking at. The bleeding on the brain that he had which was caused from the AVM was quite severe and has an 80% fatality. So its a really big deal that he made it through it!!

However; where he is right now, is where he is at...There is no way to tell what he will be able to do down the road. Most likely he will have weeks of hospitals and months of rehab. He may not regain strength in his left side. He may never be able to feed himself. He may need a trachiotomy, etc...The list goes on and on.

So for me, I have to be reminded that GOD IS BIGGER THAN MY PROBLEM...and my mind can't grasp him recovering; but GOD CAN DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO! Either way, God will get the glory and I will praise Him for all of His blessings!!

Continue to pray for myself, my mom, my brother and his wife as we are all trying to make sense of things, and make good decisions. Pray for doctors and wisdom. Brandy is almost full term with their third baby and is on bedrest. Pray that she can stay pregnant a little longer; and strength for Kevin as he wants to be here and there; plus doing double time watching the girls in the morning and working at night. Today has been tough for me, and my mom seems to be the strongest of anyone.

I cannot say enough good things about the staff at Jefferson! They really are fantastic people and they are taking GREAT care of my dad!

I will continue to update as more information comes available. I know that the surgeons are going to discuss an treatment option for the AVM in the morning and mom will probably give a verbal ok for it. The ___(I don't remember the name of it) will go up his leg round the heart and into his brain to see the AVM...if it isn't too complicated they will treat the AVM with glue and dispose of it later somehow. (They need to treat the AVM from bleeding out in the future).

Thank you for your continued encouraging posts...keep on praying...

progressing...

2008-07-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would let everyone know that Dad is progressing nicely. He is still on sedation medicine and on a ventilator but will respond to commands. He was asked this morning to give a thumbs up and did for the nurse. My mom is in with him now and held her hand:) He knows when we are there; and he hears EVERYTHING! So we continue to speak to him even though it is hard to see him like this....

Right now he is being moved to Jefferson Hospital of Neuroscience which is a couple blocks down from where he is now. (900 Walnut Street, Philadelphia) He will be there for approximatly 48 hours so they can do more testing on him.

The doctors did a test today checking on his heart and the nurse said that everything is ok with his heart! The doctors don't usually talk to us after the test for some reason....so when we don't hear from them; that's a good sign;) They have not said as to what the slight fever was from yesterday, or if they found or are thinking there is an infection. At this point, we assume he does not have one.

Continue to pray that he makes improvments and that he will be able to move the left side of his body. The only movement that we have seen is his right side; and we are not sure if thats because he can't or if its because that's how he's positioned on the bed.

I'll try and update as more news comes...

Morning Update

2008-07-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

The hospital called this morning. The doctors feel that there might be an infection so they are doing a esophogeal (?) cardiogram (going down his throat) to check his heart out. We'll let you know what happens.

BTW- A praise- Dad is responding on command...he gave them a thumbs up today and squeezed their hand!

Praise God for PAIN

2008-07-16T21:10:00.000-04:00

Who would have thought that pain would be a good thing? Certainly you would agree with me that pain is not something we sign up for. Its not something anyone likes to be in. The slightest discomfort for an infant and it cries. It does not like pain; and typically neither do you.

Well yesterday at 5am...my father felt pain. He was not comfortable and asked for something for his head. My mother went to get the medication for him; and as she did my father fell off his bed and was unable to get up. My mom called my uncle who lives next door to help her move him to the bed. But it appeared to him, my uncle, that dad had had a stroke and 911 was called.

Once at the hospital a cat scan was performed and the prognosis was 'poor.' He had massive bleeding on his brain and needed specialized care immediately. The doctor called over to Jefferson hospital which he was airlifted within an hour. Upon arrival he was admitted to the ER because there was no bed available in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit. He was only there for approximately a half hour when a doctor informed us that he needed immediate surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain. And for the next 5 or 6 hours we waited.

We saw him in his room around 6pm. Praise God he made it through the surgery! They took part of his skull off to relieve pressure from the brain. He has AVM which means: Arteriovenous malformation or AVM is a congenital disorder of the connections between veins and arteries in the vascular system. The genetic transmission patterns of AVM (if any) are unknown, and AVM is not generally thought to be an inherited disorder--unless in the context of a specific hereditary syndrome. He was born with this condition that we all did not know about until now. He was put on a ventilator at the first hospital; and still is tonight. We said goodnight to him last night hoping to see him in the morning; and Praise God he made it through the first day after having emergency brain surgery!

This afternoon we went back to see him and they had him sitting up in his bed. It is important for his head to be elevated to help relieve the pressure. He had high blood pressure and high blood sugar throughout the night. Today he had a slight fever and maintained the same high BP and sugar. Praise God that today he has been moving his right hand and right foot on his own. (He won't respond directly when you ask him to hold your hand.)

The prayer request at this point is to 1) get the blood pressure down 2)keep his body free from infection 3) get out of sedation

Everyone has been so good to the whole family through this time! I really want to thank everyone for the prayers and thoughts as we are in this wait and see what happens time. My brother goes home tomorrow to care for his wife who is on bed rest and could go at any time. (She is 35 weeks pregnant with their third baby.) You can also pray for them as they want to be here and there all at the same time.

Here's one story that gave us encouragement today...this morning my mom, brother and myself were in his room talking with him making sure he is OK. I said to them that I wanted to take a picture of dad so that when he gets out of this, he will be able to see what he looked like. My mom and brother agreed it was silly but my decision. So I held my camera phone out and said "Smile, Dad"...and his head and body all twitched!:) He knew what I was doing and knew that we were there...it really gave us all a reason to laugh!

Thank you all again so much for everything. I will be updating the blog as more information becomes available. But at this point; no news is good news. Keep on praying:)