More good than bad

Yesterday started another week of rehab. Jess did great at both ot and pt. He's still working on balancing and transfers. This week he's trying out 4 different wheelchairs so we can decide which chair to order for when we go home. He will soon be working on testing other equipment that will be needed throughout the house.

My sister Holly headed back home today. It was SO nice to have her here (thanks Chris for watching the kids, I think she probably got the better end of the deal :) We had such a great time together. She was such a great help around the house as well as with Briley. I felt bad that Briley wasn't really her normal self. She has been really fussy and clingy this last week. Yesterday and today were much better though. I think we were finally able to get her into more of a schedule. (Looks like I spoke too soon, she just woke up)

Today we had a meeting with all the Drs and therapists on Jess' team. They went over all of the x-rays and MRI's that he has had. It looks like his arm is doing well, and with time it will heal. They couldn't read the report from the EMG that he had last week, so we don't know the prognosis and timeline yet of how the radial nerve is going to heal. As far as his spinal cord, you can definitely tell that the picture doesn't really look the same at his point of injury. However, they couldn't tell the extent of injury because of the magnet with the MRI machine and the metal in his back.

This evening Jess did have a little problem. I noticed this afternoon that his catheter wasn't emptying like it usually does, so I told him to make sure that the nurse checked everything out. His Dr was very glad that we noticed when we did, because his bladder wasn't emptying. Without going into a lot of details, basically his bladder has sediment in it, which they are trying to figure out what is causing it. He is getting bladder spasms which he describes as cramps about every minute, so they have put him on some new meds.

So please pray for Jess. That he won't be in pain with his bladder. And that the Drs will figure it out and it will be an easy fix. Thanks so much for all your prayers and support.

This may not have been a road we would choose to travel, but with God by our side in the end we will overcome it. And maybe, just maybe someone will see that we serve a living God. A God who is the same God we may have read about in Sunday school or heard as a bedtime story. A God that turned the water into wine, multiplied the loaves and fish, calmed the seas, healed the sick, rose the dead, made the blind see and the lame walk. But even more importantly a God that calms our hearts, gives us peace and strength and carries us through the tough times.

God is Good!

This weekend was filled with spending time with family, new adventures, football, and some exciting new blessings.

Friday night my sister Holly and I were able to go out to dinner with our Uncle Dale and his wife Lois. It was a great surprise to be able to see them and catch up on the last couple of years, as well eat a delicious meal.

Saturday Jess was cleared to leave the floor, so we took him out to a little garden outside and spent at least a couple of hours enjoying the sun and fresh air. It was the first time since we were in Montana that Jess had been able to get outside. Briley loved crawling around in the dirt!

Jess' Uncle Mike from Maine flew in on Saturday. We had such a great time catching up with him. When Mike was 26 he lost his leg in an accident, so he could really relate to Jess' situation and had a lot of good advice for him.

Today was the first time Jess was able to come over to the apartment Briley and I are staying at. We spent the morning hanging out and watching football. Later on, Jess came back to the center and one of the nurses gave him a much needed hair cut. He watched some more football while Holly, Briley and I spent some time together at the apartment.

Hi everyone this is Jess. I have some very exciting news to all of you that have been praying for me. I belive that God has begun a work in my body, for I now have sensations shooting down my legs. The best way I can describe this feeling, it is like the tingling feeling you get when your foot is falling asleep. So please continue to pray, for I truely believe that God is doing something amazing.

Pain in the Neck

Yesterday Jess was fitted for another wheelchair. Even though this one still isn't quite long enough for him, it fits a whole lot better. Every couple of days the hospital brings in dogs for people to play with and just be around. So yesterday when Briley saw one of the dogs, she got so excited. As you can see from the pictures, they got along pretty well.

Today Jess was supposed to test out different wheelchairs so that he could decide which one he wants to order, but he was wheeled off for what was supposed to be a short procedure instead. When he was at St. Patrick Hospital they put in a filter into his jugular vein, to catch any blood clots. Well, the Dr here didn't want him to have it in any longer so he sent him in to have it removed, and it was a good thing. The device had actually moved and instead of laying vertical in the vein it was at an angle and wedged into the sides of the vein. The procedure was supposed to take 20 minutes and it took about 2 and a half hours. Needless to say, I was doing my best not to be worried and I think the same can be said for Jess. Unfortunately, Jess had eaten breakfast, because he hadn't been told about the surgery, so they weren't able to sedate him. He said that it was probably the most pain he has been through, throughout this entire ordeal and is so glad to have this day behind him.

Even though today was really difficult, we are so thankful that the Dr decided to have the device removed now instead of waiting the normal 6 months. The surgeon told Jess that it could have presented some really serious complications if they would have waited any longer. Just another reason to be thankful that we are here at Craig.

Playing Catch

It seems that the best way of seeing progress is to think about where we were in the past. As I was watching Jess in PT today I realized that he was doing things that he couldn't yesterday. No they may not be huge improvements, but they are improvements never the less. Yesterday was the first day that he was able to sit on the mat and balance while lifting his arms to his side. Today he was able to sit on the mat and balance while playing catch with Briley. I know it may not seem like a lot, but when we look back just 5 days ago he was just learning how to sit up on the mat.

For those of you who really know Jess, you know that when he sets his mind to something, there is no holding him back. One of our biggest obstacles right now is learning how to be patient with his arm. Because of the nerve damage in his left arm, he isn't able to progress as fast as he would like, which can be frustrating at times. So when your praying for us, one of the things to add to your list is for his left arm to heal quickly and for his right arm to stay strong and keep up with all the stress he's having to put on it.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. I know I said it in my last post, but just knowing that so many people are praying for us and supporting us helps tremendously.

Feeling Your Support

Today was another day of tests and rehab. This morning Jess was wheeled off for an MRI to check up on his injuries and see the extent of the damage. After his morning test we had just enough time to catch a bite to eat and then head off to have an EMG test done. The Drs ordered this test to see exactly what kind of nerve damage was done to his arm. Jess was really glad to get this test behind him, both because it is a very painful test and because we want to know what to expect of his arm in the future.

His physical therapy today was simply getting fitted into a new wheelchair. Which may sound easy, but since Jess is so tall, its was really hard for them to find a wheelchair that even came close to fitting him.

So after all his tests, lunch, more tests, and therapy sessions Jess was in his wheelchair for over 4 hours straight. Talk about an improvement in the last week. That's 4 times longer than last Monday.

I think the reality of the situation is really starting to hit home, but the Drs and staff here are so amazing and supportive. I can't even begin to express how incredible this center is. We are truly blessed to be here. But even more so Jess wants to thank everyone for your comments. After going through a long day like today your comments really encouraged him to keep on pushing through. Thanks so much for being there for us in this difficult time.

A Quiet Weekend

Everyone has told us that the "work week" will be hard and tiring but weekends are a great time to catch up on sleep and relax. So that's exactly what we did. Yesterday Jess was able to get up and eat in the cafeteria for the first time. One thing is for sure, he definitely has his appetite back, which is a good thing. When we got here we found out that he lost 26 pounds in the 13 days since his accident. I guess that's what happens when you don't feel like eating.

This morning we went and strolled around and then finally watched some football on a big screen TV in one of the education rooms. We had a great time. Briley was able to crawl all around and of course get into everything she could reach. One of her new favorite things to do is stand up and shake dads wheelchair or at least pull on the break lever. She still isn't walking by herself, even though we think she could if she really wanted to. That's OK though, because I know as soon as she starts, I'm going to be chasing after her even more :)

Everyone needs their rest

Last night was pretty rough on Jess. He was in a room with 2 other patience and since one couldn't sleep it meant Jess couldn't either. But today took a better turn. He was able to get some sleep early this morning and then met with physical therapy for the first time. It was a long hour of practicing rolling over, weight exchanges, and getting in and out of a wheelchair. So after a long night and a hard workout he was able to sneak in a little nap before heading off to occupational therapy. Since it was his first day at OT we basically went through a tour of the rehab center and found out what to expect in the coming weeks.

This afternoon Jess was able to move into a different room that only has one roommate. It already seems so much quieter and hopfully that will mean more sleep.

Little Miss Briley has taken to playing with a toothbrush. She loves it so much that she even slept with it last night and then again today during one of her naps. Isn't it crazy what entertains kids?