What a whirlwind year-and-a-half we've had! Yesterday was yet another trip to Philadelphia to see Marty's newest doctor added to the mix, a spine specialist. He is with the same group that his main ortho belongs to, so we're very confident in his findings. Marty has a disc in his back that has herniated as a result of the fall. Rather than being simply uncomfortable, because it is in his thoracic back (upper) it is causing more pain than a disc herniated elsewhere would cause.
He is often miserable in pain or simply sleeping to avoid it, which makes our family life rather difficult. Nearly every task falls to me, and although Marty does his best to help, it's often at the cost of great pain.
After a round of therapy for his back that didn't change the pain level at all, the doctor has decided to have Marty try steroids. There are several reasons that this is good, and several reasons it's bad - one being that steroids can cause the hip joints to deteriorate or become necrotic. With Marty's hip still broken (it will be that way for the rest of his life, we suppose) that risk is upped a bit, but the doctor feels the benefit of the steroids outweighs the risk.
The doctor we saw yesterday mentioned the Marty had "permanent nerve damage" in his leg and foot. This is the left leg and foot where he has neuropathy pain - badly enough that he is taking the maximum neurontin dose daily for it. Marty's main doctor has always tried to be positive about this, saying that there is a chance for regeneration there and trying to make Marty feel better about it. We pretty much knew after a year and a half of no change that it was permanent, but hearing it said in such an offhand way was difficult. I don't know how the main doctor would feel about this being told to us, but it may be better off just knowing rather than clinging to false hope.
Marty's hand is as far as it will ever get. The fact that he even has it and has some use is better than the alternative. He has no grip strength in the last two fingers - which is where all of a person's grip strength comes from - so he can't hold on to simple things like grocery bags for more than several seconds.
The memory problems continue despite a neuropsychologist telling us that there was not much of a problem beyond very short-term loss. What I am seeing at home is far different and we'd like a second opinion. Very major life-changing events are being forgotten along with other insignificant things - it's disturbing regardless of the magnitude of the subject that's being forgotten.
So, we are on to the steroids - Marty is done with outpatient therapy for the moment and the depression really needs to be dealt with, as well. He sees guys from work occasionally and gets very sad that he is not out working with them. We will pass buildings he has helped to put up and he mentions wanting to go back.
I'm trying to keep us above water with all that needs to be done, but even at this moment we don't have a Christmas tree up and not one thing for the kids has been shopped for. I'm trying not to get depressed myself! We're hanging in, as we will continue to do - it can only get better, right?
Showing posts with label husband. Show all posts
Showing posts with label husband. Show all posts
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
One Year Ago Today ...
If you don't regularly read this blog, you may have no idea what transpired in my life a year a go today. You can always check out this link and catch up (you'll have to backtrack to the beginning), but if you don't have time, I'll summarize.
One year ago today I was hanging out with the kids (August 2nd was a Thursday last year) and doing our normal 'lazy summer day' nothiningness. Marty - my husband - called and asked for the web address to my Family.com blog; he wanted to show off my work to the guys on one of their cell phones. I obliged and we hung up. Shortly after that, maybe half an hour or so, I got a call from his office manager, Sasha, that began, "We don't know the extent of the injuries yet ..." I think I went blank because, while I know the details of what was said, I can't remember exactly how it was spoken. All I knew was that my husband had fallen off of the roof he was working on and was being airlifted to a hospital. The height of the roof has changed a few times and it was finally found that he was 27 feet up - or 3 stories - when he fell. He suffered severe traumas and was not coherent, including being in a medically induced coma, for two weeks' time.
To say that he should not be here would be a gross understatement. To say that he is a miracle, would be closer to the truth. When I got to the hospital, instead of being greeted by a single doctor to have things explained to me, I was met by four doctors who questioned me repeatedly about whether Marty had a heart condition or not. He had some fluid around his heart as a result of the fall and his heart rate would not steady. He had several fractures to his pelvis, a severely broken right wrist, a suspected break to his right elbow (that turned out to be just a laceration), a large gash to his right cheek, severe bruising to his chest and right lung. Not two days after his fall, his lungs went into ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and they nearly lost him. He had internal bleeding in his pelvis, which was found after many units of blood failed to bring his hemoglobin levels up. He had a fever, near kidney loss, bloating all over his body ... it was really horrible.
Marty was more than 60 miles away from us at Hahnemann University Hospital in center city Philadelphia. The trip there and back took 4 hours out of each day. I went almost daily and waited for him to wake up. It was 11 days after the fall that they were finally able to operate on his hip, so the wait for him to wake seemed interminable. He still has a long road ahead of him, his hip is still broken and he will most likely need surgery to correct it. He has short-term memory loss and we are now dealing with neurologists and neuropsychologists added to the mix of orthos we see on a regular basis. He's still in therapy 3 times a week and will be there for some time.
I would be remiss in all of this if I didn't acknowledge several individuals who helped to make this miracle happen or at least made the trauma more bearable for all of us.
Firstly there would be my brother, Bobby. As soon as I got the call (I was sitting at the computer, of course) I sent an IM to Bobby and asked him to pray. As God would so have it, Bobby was just blocks away from Hahnemann University Hospital and called to let me know he was on his way there. It would take me nearly two hours to get there, so he went ahead and got as much information as they would share with him. He called me often to update me on what was happening. That was so comforting to me to know that family was there when I couldn't be.
Secondly would be Katiepooh (Kate to the rest of the world) who saw my frantic post on Lots of Kids and called me immediately to find out what was happening. She would then relay messages to my friends at LOK and keep them updated. I loved having her on the phone, she was like the calm in the storm - just talking and being distracted helped me to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Unbeknownst to me at that time, she had set up a PayPal account for donations to help us. She's been there so often with her own children, especially her youngest, who has had numerous surgeries that kept Kate far from the rest of her family. She knew firsthand that it would take a lot of money to travel daily and keep things running. I am so grateful for that - it really did help. It didn't take any of the hurt away, but it eased the burden so much.
Third would be Sasha, the office manager for Allentown Applicators and wife of Marty's best friend, Lodi. She didn't blink an eye when it came to getting me to HUH. She came here and picked up the baby and me and drove us to Philly to be with Marty. I thought she was going to get the Worker's Comp stuff taken care of, but when I asked her if she was going in to talk to the nurses, she told me that she was just taking me there.
In no specific order are the men and women who were there for Marty from the start. The ambulance crew who picked him up, the helicopter crew who flew him to the hospital - these are the people that made all the difference in Martin staying alive. They stabilized him and got him where he needed to be quickly. I have no idea who they are, but plan to find out soon so I can let them know how much they mean to us.
The nurse that called me from Hahnemann to let me know that Marty told her, "Make sure my wife knows I love her".
The trauma doctors that took such amazingly good care of Marty - especially the one who "got it" when I showed him the photo of all the kids. Before that moment, he seemed brusque and uncaring, but when I showed him the kids and said, "Everything you're doing for him, you're also doing for them," he nodded and said, "I get it." He was my very favorite doctor from that moment on, and I have no idea what his name was.
Doctor Susan Harding. When you say her name at HUH, it's like the sky opens up and sunshine pours down as angels sing. I didn't understand at first what all the fuss was about. Now I do. When she did Marty's first surgery on his wrist, it was midnight that first night and she called me at 6 am when it was over and explained things so well that I had no questions at all for her. After she did the surgery on his hip, she was on the phone with me for 20 minutes to explain it all. No other doctor has EVER stayed on the phone with me that long - for anything. She has sat and talked to us for an hour during visits and she leaves no stone unturned when it comes to Marty's care. She and her entire team (especially Katie McGloughlin, her P.A.) are absolutely amazing. When I questioned Marty staying so far from home, I was told that Dr. Harding is only one of two doctors on the east coast of PA able to have handled his wrist injury. I don't think it's a mistake at all that Marty was flown to Hahnemann.
My mother-in-law, Pat. When I left that first day, I took the baby with me and the 6 other kids stayed home. When she got off of work, she came by and picked them up to take them to her home, and every day when she got off at 2 p.m., she would come and get them. I didn't doubt that my older girls could take care of the younger kids, but it helped me feel secure knowing that she was there with them.
Michelle and Molly at White Trash Mom. They put up a lovely post about everything going on and got the word out to others who may have wanted to help. I was working with them at Family.com, and it hadn't been very long at that point so I was so surprised to find that they had reached out.
The 'Constant Man'.
Kfarmer. That girl sent me gifts to help, one of which was a box full of apples from her orchard. It lifted our spirits in that dark time, and still lifts my sprits whenever I think about it. She is a real gem.
We had family from afar send cards and gifts - family we hadn't heard from for some time - and it was so nice to hear from them. It re-kindled old relationships and brought us all together again.
I think that's about it - I know it's a laundry list and this is a long post, but if you made it this far, add yourself to the list just for caring enough to read.
One year ago today I was hanging out with the kids (August 2nd was a Thursday last year) and doing our normal 'lazy summer day' nothiningness. Marty - my husband - called and asked for the web address to my Family.com blog; he wanted to show off my work to the guys on one of their cell phones. I obliged and we hung up. Shortly after that, maybe half an hour or so, I got a call from his office manager, Sasha, that began, "We don't know the extent of the injuries yet ..." I think I went blank because, while I know the details of what was said, I can't remember exactly how it was spoken. All I knew was that my husband had fallen off of the roof he was working on and was being airlifted to a hospital. The height of the roof has changed a few times and it was finally found that he was 27 feet up - or 3 stories - when he fell. He suffered severe traumas and was not coherent, including being in a medically induced coma, for two weeks' time.
To say that he should not be here would be a gross understatement. To say that he is a miracle, would be closer to the truth. When I got to the hospital, instead of being greeted by a single doctor to have things explained to me, I was met by four doctors who questioned me repeatedly about whether Marty had a heart condition or not. He had some fluid around his heart as a result of the fall and his heart rate would not steady. He had several fractures to his pelvis, a severely broken right wrist, a suspected break to his right elbow (that turned out to be just a laceration), a large gash to his right cheek, severe bruising to his chest and right lung. Not two days after his fall, his lungs went into ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and they nearly lost him. He had internal bleeding in his pelvis, which was found after many units of blood failed to bring his hemoglobin levels up. He had a fever, near kidney loss, bloating all over his body ... it was really horrible.
Marty was more than 60 miles away from us at Hahnemann University Hospital in center city Philadelphia. The trip there and back took 4 hours out of each day. I went almost daily and waited for him to wake up. It was 11 days after the fall that they were finally able to operate on his hip, so the wait for him to wake seemed interminable. He still has a long road ahead of him, his hip is still broken and he will most likely need surgery to correct it. He has short-term memory loss and we are now dealing with neurologists and neuropsychologists added to the mix of orthos we see on a regular basis. He's still in therapy 3 times a week and will be there for some time.
I would be remiss in all of this if I didn't acknowledge several individuals who helped to make this miracle happen or at least made the trauma more bearable for all of us.
Firstly there would be my brother, Bobby. As soon as I got the call (I was sitting at the computer, of course) I sent an IM to Bobby and asked him to pray. As God would so have it, Bobby was just blocks away from Hahnemann University Hospital and called to let me know he was on his way there. It would take me nearly two hours to get there, so he went ahead and got as much information as they would share with him. He called me often to update me on what was happening. That was so comforting to me to know that family was there when I couldn't be.
Secondly would be Katiepooh (Kate to the rest of the world) who saw my frantic post on Lots of Kids and called me immediately to find out what was happening. She would then relay messages to my friends at LOK and keep them updated. I loved having her on the phone, she was like the calm in the storm - just talking and being distracted helped me to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Unbeknownst to me at that time, she had set up a PayPal account for donations to help us. She's been there so often with her own children, especially her youngest, who has had numerous surgeries that kept Kate far from the rest of her family. She knew firsthand that it would take a lot of money to travel daily and keep things running. I am so grateful for that - it really did help. It didn't take any of the hurt away, but it eased the burden so much.
Third would be Sasha, the office manager for Allentown Applicators and wife of Marty's best friend, Lodi. She didn't blink an eye when it came to getting me to HUH. She came here and picked up the baby and me and drove us to Philly to be with Marty. I thought she was going to get the Worker's Comp stuff taken care of, but when I asked her if she was going in to talk to the nurses, she told me that she was just taking me there.
In no specific order are the men and women who were there for Marty from the start. The ambulance crew who picked him up, the helicopter crew who flew him to the hospital - these are the people that made all the difference in Martin staying alive. They stabilized him and got him where he needed to be quickly. I have no idea who they are, but plan to find out soon so I can let them know how much they mean to us.
The nurse that called me from Hahnemann to let me know that Marty told her, "Make sure my wife knows I love her".
The trauma doctors that took such amazingly good care of Marty - especially the one who "got it" when I showed him the photo of all the kids. Before that moment, he seemed brusque and uncaring, but when I showed him the kids and said, "Everything you're doing for him, you're also doing for them," he nodded and said, "I get it." He was my very favorite doctor from that moment on, and I have no idea what his name was.
Doctor Susan Harding. When you say her name at HUH, it's like the sky opens up and sunshine pours down as angels sing. I didn't understand at first what all the fuss was about. Now I do. When she did Marty's first surgery on his wrist, it was midnight that first night and she called me at 6 am when it was over and explained things so well that I had no questions at all for her. After she did the surgery on his hip, she was on the phone with me for 20 minutes to explain it all. No other doctor has EVER stayed on the phone with me that long - for anything. She has sat and talked to us for an hour during visits and she leaves no stone unturned when it comes to Marty's care. She and her entire team (especially Katie McGloughlin, her P.A.) are absolutely amazing. When I questioned Marty staying so far from home, I was told that Dr. Harding is only one of two doctors on the east coast of PA able to have handled his wrist injury. I don't think it's a mistake at all that Marty was flown to Hahnemann.
My mother-in-law, Pat. When I left that first day, I took the baby with me and the 6 other kids stayed home. When she got off of work, she came by and picked them up to take them to her home, and every day when she got off at 2 p.m., she would come and get them. I didn't doubt that my older girls could take care of the younger kids, but it helped me feel secure knowing that she was there with them.
Michelle and Molly at White Trash Mom. They put up a lovely post about everything going on and got the word out to others who may have wanted to help. I was working with them at Family.com, and it hadn't been very long at that point so I was so surprised to find that they had reached out.
The 'Constant Man'.
Kfarmer. That girl sent me gifts to help, one of which was a box full of apples from her orchard. It lifted our spirits in that dark time, and still lifts my sprits whenever I think about it. She is a real gem.
We had family from afar send cards and gifts - family we hadn't heard from for some time - and it was so nice to hear from them. It re-kindled old relationships and brought us all together again.
I think that's about it - I know it's a laundry list and this is a long post, but if you made it this far, add yourself to the list just for caring enough to read.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Our Big Day Turned Out to be Far Smaller
Well, somehow communications got garbled and none of the specialists were at the office today. No trauma doctors, no hand specialist. Tuesday is the only day they are there and we'll be going back April 8th.
I guess we got a free (not really) sight-seeing trip to Philly today.
Thanks so much for all the well-wishes!
I guess we got a free (not really) sight-seeing trip to Philly today.
Thanks so much for all the well-wishes!
Monday, March 17, 2008
A Thursday Visit
This is a "Dr. visit week" for us, which always means a bit more hectic than usual. I have several posts I'd like to get up, but there's a lot to do so I may not get the chance.
Really, it's not all that far away, 2 hours one way no matter which route we take, and all-told we're usually gone less than 12 hours, but that seems to be really trying for the kids with both of us parents gone for the day. I need to have everything "just-so" before we head out at 6 a.m. so nobody explodes while we're gone. It's funny, it's nowhere near as difficult as my friend Kate's trips to the hospital for her son, but challenging in it's own way.
Usually one of the older girls is home with several of the little ones and we take the two youngest. Well, last time that was a fiasco. We had SO much to discuss and neither Lara nor Ian would sit still or be quiet. We talked to the doctor for an hour, and whole it was awesome getting so much time in with her, it was rather hellish trying to keep those two kids quiet so I could hear.
Marty could very well go in alone, except that he has no recollection of the accident or first several weeks after his fall. He also doesn't retain medical "lingo" too well and needs to look to me often for answers. So, in reality, it's more like I'm visiting the Dr except that I don't have any injuries.
At any rate, Marty has decided to have arthroscopy done on his right shoulder. Not a big procedure, but a procedure nonetheless, and one that he needs to be sedated for. He's not looking forward to that, and neither am I since it means a 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. departure time on that day.
This visit will be with his ortho and the trauma doctors that cared for him while he was in the STICU. He's never "met" them at all, and I just wonder what they will think when they see him walking and talking.
Hopefully we'll get some answers about the memory losses Marty has suffered (both long and short-term) and the swallowing difficulties and whether or not there is brain damage that is just now rearing it's ugly head.
He also needs an EMG for his leg so they can check out nerve response there and decide if he will ever have normal range-of-motion with is left foot.
I'm betting it will be a longer day than usual with a whole host of doctors, including a hand specialist running in as a special request of Marty's ortho.
Thoughts and prayers, if you will, for everyone that day!
Really, it's not all that far away, 2 hours one way no matter which route we take, and all-told we're usually gone less than 12 hours, but that seems to be really trying for the kids with both of us parents gone for the day. I need to have everything "just-so" before we head out at 6 a.m. so nobody explodes while we're gone. It's funny, it's nowhere near as difficult as my friend Kate's trips to the hospital for her son, but challenging in it's own way.
Usually one of the older girls is home with several of the little ones and we take the two youngest. Well, last time that was a fiasco. We had SO much to discuss and neither Lara nor Ian would sit still or be quiet. We talked to the doctor for an hour, and whole it was awesome getting so much time in with her, it was rather hellish trying to keep those two kids quiet so I could hear.
Marty could very well go in alone, except that he has no recollection of the accident or first several weeks after his fall. He also doesn't retain medical "lingo" too well and needs to look to me often for answers. So, in reality, it's more like I'm visiting the Dr except that I don't have any injuries.
At any rate, Marty has decided to have arthroscopy done on his right shoulder. Not a big procedure, but a procedure nonetheless, and one that he needs to be sedated for. He's not looking forward to that, and neither am I since it means a 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. departure time on that day.
This visit will be with his ortho and the trauma doctors that cared for him while he was in the STICU. He's never "met" them at all, and I just wonder what they will think when they see him walking and talking.
Hopefully we'll get some answers about the memory losses Marty has suffered (both long and short-term) and the swallowing difficulties and whether or not there is brain damage that is just now rearing it's ugly head.
He also needs an EMG for his leg so they can check out nerve response there and decide if he will ever have normal range-of-motion with is left foot.
I'm betting it will be a longer day than usual with a whole host of doctors, including a hand specialist running in as a special request of Marty's ortho.
Thoughts and prayers, if you will, for everyone that day!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sunday Dinner
On our table today:
Eye Round Roast with Herbs
Roasted Baby Potatoes and Carrots
Gravy
Green Leaf Lettuce Salad
Kentucky Butter Cake
**Whew! I barely got dinner done this week. We had a visit to Philadelphia for Marty on Thursday and after being sick all last week, Declan, our 8 year-old, woke up sick to his stomach today. I've been racing all day cleaning up and taking care of the non-sick kids in addition to Declan's illness. You can read up on Marty's progress at The Rest of Me.
Eye Round Roast with Herbs
Roasted Baby Potatoes and Carrots
Gravy
Green Leaf Lettuce Salad
Kentucky Butter Cake
**Whew! I barely got dinner done this week. We had a visit to Philadelphia for Marty on Thursday and after being sick all last week, Declan, our 8 year-old, woke up sick to his stomach today. I've been racing all day cleaning up and taking care of the non-sick kids in addition to Declan's illness. You can read up on Marty's progress at The Rest of Me.
The roast is real simple - I seared it on all sides in olive oil in a large oven-proof pan and added fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley to it. Then I roasted it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or so before slicing. You can cook it a bit longer, but more than 2 hours for a 3-5 lb. roast would be too much. Add a little red wine if you'd like - not much, about 1 cup would do.
For gravy, remove the roast and herbs from the roasting pan, add 2 cups of beef stock to the roasting pan and scrape up all the little roasted bits.
Set over high heat and when it starts boiling, pour a mixture of flour and water (1/2 cup water to 1/4 cup flour) in a thin stream into the stock, whisking all the while. 
Do this in small amounts to check for consistency; if you put too much in, you'll get brown glue. Once it's the right thickness, let it simmer for a few minutes to cook out all the flour. Season with salt and pepper and strain if you'd like before using.
You'll see my gravy color isn't too dark, that's because I didn't sear the roast enough before cooking. You could add something like Kitchen Bouquet, but I like to just go with the real dea. Besides, it sure tasted good.
The roasted baby vegetables were all simply washed, tossed into a large baking pan and drizzled with olive oil. I sprinkled these with coarse salt and coarse pepper and covered with foil before putting in the oven - that same 350 degrees F - for an hour or until tender and nicely colored.
Salad is pretty straightforward - wash your lettuce, dry very well, tear in bite sized pieces and add whatever you like. The Kentucky Butter Cake is linked for you, and you don't want to miss that one!
Monday, January 28, 2008
A Little Sunshine in the Winter
Aren't these pretty? I've always wanted to try Harry and David's Royal Riviera pears, but hadn't had the chance yet. Marty's Aunt Joan beat me to it; happily. She had these sent along to help Marty feel a little better about his latest hurt. They're making me feel better, too.
I can't think of a better way to soothe an ouch - except maybe chocolate...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Someone wake me up when it's all over...
My dear husband has gone and hurt himself on top of his hurts. He fell on black ice yesterday at the kids' school and BROKE HIS FOOT. Honest.
We really are Irish; if we didn't have bad luck, we'd have none.
He'll be sitting for two weeks until this heals up. It's good that it wasn't so bad, but it sets his therapy back just that much further.
I think I wasn't waiting on him enough and he wanted more meals-on-trays.
We really are Irish; if we didn't have bad luck, we'd have none.
He'll be sitting for two weeks until this heals up. It's good that it wasn't so bad, but it sets his therapy back just that much further.
I think I wasn't waiting on him enough and he wanted more meals-on-trays.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
And the best gift this year is...
The fact that my husband and the father of my children was here to enjoy it. Of course. But beyond that, there is a gift that he gave me that outstripped them all, and this is that gift:
Yes, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations had me giddy and squealing like a schoolgirl at the mere sight of the cover (which completely thrilled my husband). He's crass. He's rude. He's genius. If you push your way past the grit you'll come to truly appreciate his writing, his humor and his very different and wonderful perspective on life. He's not living it from afar; from an armchair as I am left to do, but from the darkest depths to the highest heights and everything in between and this book showcases it in all its glory and grungy fabulousness.
I'm waiting with baited breath for the newest installments of No Reservations to be aired on The Travel Channel this January. I expect to be entertained in the fashion in which Mr. Bourdain has so deftly accustomed me to. Bring it on!
Yes, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations had me giddy and squealing like a schoolgirl at the mere sight of the cover (which completely thrilled my husband). He's crass. He's rude. He's genius. If you push your way past the grit you'll come to truly appreciate his writing, his humor and his very different and wonderful perspective on life. He's not living it from afar; from an armchair as I am left to do, but from the darkest depths to the highest heights and everything in between and this book showcases it in all its glory and grungy fabulousness.
I'm waiting with baited breath for the newest installments of No Reservations to be aired on The Travel Channel this January. I expect to be entertained in the fashion in which Mr. Bourdain has so deftly accustomed me to. Bring it on!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Lightning Fast Update
Marty is getting better- slowly, but surely. He is on week 5 of his physical and occupational therapy--outside the home. He has been doing both since he came home, but the more intensive work has been going on for just over 4 weeks.
PT says he should be done with therapy for his hip at the end of 10 weeks, however, they are unable to say how long his hand will take. That's the same answer we get from the doctor. It was just damaged so badly that nobody can tell when he will be better--if ever. We do have to face that fact; that he may not ever use his hand as he once did. Marty is trying to come to terms with that and the fact that he may also have permanent nerve damage to his foot and have a "dropped foot" to deal with and possible bracing etc. to help with that.
He's having an MRI done soon (Christmas Eve, ugh!) on his right shoulder to see what the problem is there. They are thinking it's most likely from inactivity, but want to make sure there is no other damage there.
He also has lost part of a tooth that was laying directly under his cheek where his face hit and where his stitches are. He'll have that looked at Friday--it's most likely infected because even with the strong pain killers he is on, it's hurting him badly.
The kids all have colds running through them, and me, and slight fevers have made the rounds this past week, as well.
Christmas is certainly coming--I wish it were to be more festive this year, but things just aren't there yet--I'm hoping we have many years ahead of us to celebrate properly.
Our landlords are OK as far as the ebola virus goes. They are all home together (there are 10 of them!) and have had very bad colds and infections they are trying to deal with that seem to be antibiotic resistant. Send more prayers for them, if you would. All they are dealing with right now will make their holiday especially difficult.
PT says he should be done with therapy for his hip at the end of 10 weeks, however, they are unable to say how long his hand will take. That's the same answer we get from the doctor. It was just damaged so badly that nobody can tell when he will be better--if ever. We do have to face that fact; that he may not ever use his hand as he once did. Marty is trying to come to terms with that and the fact that he may also have permanent nerve damage to his foot and have a "dropped foot" to deal with and possible bracing etc. to help with that.
He's having an MRI done soon (Christmas Eve, ugh!) on his right shoulder to see what the problem is there. They are thinking it's most likely from inactivity, but want to make sure there is no other damage there.
He also has lost part of a tooth that was laying directly under his cheek where his face hit and where his stitches are. He'll have that looked at Friday--it's most likely infected because even with the strong pain killers he is on, it's hurting him badly.
The kids all have colds running through them, and me, and slight fevers have made the rounds this past week, as well.
Christmas is certainly coming--I wish it were to be more festive this year, but things just aren't there yet--I'm hoping we have many years ahead of us to celebrate properly.
Our landlords are OK as far as the ebola virus goes. They are all home together (there are 10 of them!) and have had very bad colds and infections they are trying to deal with that seem to be antibiotic resistant. Send more prayers for them, if you would. All they are dealing with right now will make their holiday especially difficult.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Wipe out!
No, despite Marty's prior fondness for surfing (when he lived in Cali during his USMC days), it wasn't a good wipe out. The bit of snow and freezing rain we got on Sunday sent Marty down the porch steps and off to the ER for x-rays. Thankfully, he's fine. Sore ... but fine.
We left the hospital just in time for me to return our oldest daughter to her college dorm an hour away.
The only excitement I want to see anytime soon will be the Christmas kind.
We left the hospital just in time for me to return our oldest daughter to her college dorm an hour away.
The only excitement I want to see anytime soon will be the Christmas kind.
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Pins are Gone
... and the plates and screws remain. We went this past Tuesday to Philadelphia (again) so Marty could get the last two pins that were left in his arm out for good. He still has plates and screws and the 15 cm (6") screw in his hip will be there forever. So, as a visual for anyone confused, I'm posting copies of the x-rays from his original pre-op breaks and post-op fixes. That should be fair warning enough-please don't look below if you're at all squeamish.
Not fun ... those smaller pins labeled "last pins" were the ones removed this last week and we were told they would come out so easily that it was even possible to accidentally pull them out---not for Marty, though. It took two doctors about 20 minutes to get them out and they do NOT give any type of anesthesia at all, so it was really awful for Marty.
Now that those are out he can start moving ahead with occupational therapy for the wrist and he is 50% weight bearing on the left leg, so he can at least put his foot down now. We're hopeful that he will be walking well by Christmas!
The car situation has worked out a bit, thanks for the prayers there.
Not fun ... those smaller pins labeled "last pins" were the ones removed this last week and we were told they would come out so easily that it was even possible to accidentally pull them out---not for Marty, though. It took two doctors about 20 minutes to get them out and they do NOT give any type of anesthesia at all, so it was really awful for Marty.
Now that those are out he can start moving ahead with occupational therapy for the wrist and he is 50% weight bearing on the left leg, so he can at least put his foot down now. We're hopeful that he will be walking well by Christmas!
The car situation has worked out a bit, thanks for the prayers there.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Happy Birthday
To my husband, Marty.
He is 40 years old today, and it's a birthday very worth celebrating this year.
This was made for him for Father's Day this year:
He is 40 years old today, and it's a birthday very worth celebrating this year.
This was made for him for Father's Day this year:
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The Healing Goes On
I've been remiss in my updating duties, it seems, so I'll try and put in as much as I can here.
Firstly, my abilities to post, read e-mail, get any work finished, do laundry and shower have been limited, at best. The house and I aren't exactly grungy, but a little attention certainly wouldn't hurt.
That, I guess, will come later. The most important thing right now is to attend to Marty's needs and help him to rest, eat well and stay relatively happy so he can heal and to make sure the kids are well cared for.
Wednesday last was another surgery for Marty's arm, and although we really thought it would be the last, we found he needs one more small procedure before he can be considered "done" on that front. He had 4 of the 6 pins in his arm removed and was put in a soft cast. This will remain until October 9Th when we need to travel, yet again, to Philadelphia to have 2 very small pins taken out and then a decision made about casting or having a removable splint put on.
When he was under anesthesia this last time his wrist was manually manipulated to see if he will have movement at all. They got some limited range and we realize he will never have full use again, but it is certainly better than being stuck in a permanent position. He has several fingers that he is not able to feel yet, but they hope they will start to come back as he progresses in physical therapy. At this point he is passively moving his fingers and attempting some active movement. He has a long road to go with the arm.
His pelvis is healing well and we hope to hear that he will be 50% weight bearing on his left leg after the next appointment. It's not much, but it will allow him to put his foot down and get started on walking again. I was told this last time that the pelvic break was also one of the worst the doctor had seen, but the arm was so bad that the pelvis break was really secondary. I finally have copies of the films pre and post op and the breaks are very severe. It helps me to help Marty if I know exactly where he was hurt and how the breaks occurred.
Anyone bored yet? There are some issues from the pelvic bleed that need to be addressed and Marty has begun to fall into some depression--which is also being dealt with, but is very hard to see and deal with on my end. It's hard to not be able to help someone when they are hurting so badly. Prayers for Marty on all issues would be greatly appreciated!
I'm behind on all of life, it seems, and I could use prayers for myself, that I can get things accomplished and bills paid etc. I'm not able to leave the house during the day, which is when things really need to get done, since Marty needs care 24/7. He does small things for himself, but can't be alone at all. I walk the kids to school in the morning, and that's it. That takes about 10-15 minutes total and it's hard for me to leave him alone even for that short period of time.
I'm having a small situation with transportation right now--our van is very sick and needs more than $1,000 worth of work, so I have a car that I've been using. Suddenly, that's become an issue and the money it would take to purchase the car just isn't there. I won't go into details, but it's not something I'm comfortable with at all and feel very pressured about. I need a vehicle, there's no doubt about that--I am the one who takes Marty wherever he needs to go and there's not another option. Prayers there, too if you would!
Firstly, my abilities to post, read e-mail, get any work finished, do laundry and shower have been limited, at best. The house and I aren't exactly grungy, but a little attention certainly wouldn't hurt.
That, I guess, will come later. The most important thing right now is to attend to Marty's needs and help him to rest, eat well and stay relatively happy so he can heal and to make sure the kids are well cared for.
Wednesday last was another surgery for Marty's arm, and although we really thought it would be the last, we found he needs one more small procedure before he can be considered "done" on that front. He had 4 of the 6 pins in his arm removed and was put in a soft cast. This will remain until October 9Th when we need to travel, yet again, to Philadelphia to have 2 very small pins taken out and then a decision made about casting or having a removable splint put on.
When he was under anesthesia this last time his wrist was manually manipulated to see if he will have movement at all. They got some limited range and we realize he will never have full use again, but it is certainly better than being stuck in a permanent position. He has several fingers that he is not able to feel yet, but they hope they will start to come back as he progresses in physical therapy. At this point he is passively moving his fingers and attempting some active movement. He has a long road to go with the arm.
His pelvis is healing well and we hope to hear that he will be 50% weight bearing on his left leg after the next appointment. It's not much, but it will allow him to put his foot down and get started on walking again. I was told this last time that the pelvic break was also one of the worst the doctor had seen, but the arm was so bad that the pelvis break was really secondary. I finally have copies of the films pre and post op and the breaks are very severe. It helps me to help Marty if I know exactly where he was hurt and how the breaks occurred.
Anyone bored yet? There are some issues from the pelvic bleed that need to be addressed and Marty has begun to fall into some depression--which is also being dealt with, but is very hard to see and deal with on my end. It's hard to not be able to help someone when they are hurting so badly. Prayers for Marty on all issues would be greatly appreciated!
I'm behind on all of life, it seems, and I could use prayers for myself, that I can get things accomplished and bills paid etc. I'm not able to leave the house during the day, which is when things really need to get done, since Marty needs care 24/7. He does small things for himself, but can't be alone at all. I walk the kids to school in the morning, and that's it. That takes about 10-15 minutes total and it's hard for me to leave him alone even for that short period of time.
I'm having a small situation with transportation right now--our van is very sick and needs more than $1,000 worth of work, so I have a car that I've been using. Suddenly, that's become an issue and the money it would take to purchase the car just isn't there. I won't go into details, but it's not something I'm comfortable with at all and feel very pressured about. I need a vehicle, there's no doubt about that--I am the one who takes Marty wherever he needs to go and there's not another option. Prayers there, too if you would!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Home Again, Home Again ... and All That Jazz
Well, Martin has been home for two weeks tomorrow, and I haven't had moment one to breathe, eat, think or type. You'll have to excuse the absence and lack of updating. Marty was sent home from the rehab hospital for lack of rehab-ability--if that's a word. He was not really well enough to be home, but also isn't able to bear weight at all on his left leg, so there was nothing for the rehab hospital to rehab.
They sent him home without even 48 hours notice (I'm still fuming over that one) and to a hospital bed (read about that story over at my Family.com blog), walker, wheelchair, cane, commode ... you get the idea. Our living room is now Marty's hospital room for at least the next 8 weeks ... probably longer.
He has many needs since he's not mobile and I, of course, am the 24 hour nurse. This has proven rather difficult with all of the kids' needs and my own needs. We're not into a schedule just yet, but hope to be soon.
We spent the day in Philadelphia yesterday with Marty getting x-rays and seeing the docs about his progress. He currently has his wrist in a "beer can hold" position, which we were told was the easiest for an arm to be "stuck" in if he was to lose motion there. The bones in the wrist are fusing together since there wasn't anything large enough for them to pin together. He also can't feel a few fingers and we have no idea if that will be permanent or not.
He has severe neuropathy in his left foot at the present and it could be from a stretched or "nicked" nerve and the fact that they may be healing. Healing is great, but the pain involved for this type is nearly unbearable. So, there are medications (17 prescriptions to be exact, given at 6 different times throughout the day) for all of this, but nerve pain is so hard to get under control that we will most likely be off to a pain management specialist soon.
The kids started school, Cassidy is enjoying college, but a little scared about the recent murder there. Us, too. We're praying that she stays safe on campus.
That is not really all of what is going on, but all I have time for!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
UPDATE on my other Blog: The Rest of Me
They sent him home without even 48 hours notice (I'm still fuming over that one) and to a hospital bed (read about that story over at my Family.com blog), walker, wheelchair, cane, commode ... you get the idea. Our living room is now Marty's hospital room for at least the next 8 weeks ... probably longer.
He has many needs since he's not mobile and I, of course, am the 24 hour nurse. This has proven rather difficult with all of the kids' needs and my own needs. We're not into a schedule just yet, but hope to be soon.
We spent the day in Philadelphia yesterday with Marty getting x-rays and seeing the docs about his progress. He currently has his wrist in a "beer can hold" position, which we were told was the easiest for an arm to be "stuck" in if he was to lose motion there. The bones in the wrist are fusing together since there wasn't anything large enough for them to pin together. He also can't feel a few fingers and we have no idea if that will be permanent or not.
He has severe neuropathy in his left foot at the present and it could be from a stretched or "nicked" nerve and the fact that they may be healing. Healing is great, but the pain involved for this type is nearly unbearable. So, there are medications (17 prescriptions to be exact, given at 6 different times throughout the day) for all of this, but nerve pain is so hard to get under control that we will most likely be off to a pain management specialist soon.
The kids started school, Cassidy is enjoying college, but a little scared about the recent murder there. Us, too. We're praying that she stays safe on campus.
That is not really all of what is going on, but all I have time for!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
UPDATE on my other Blog: The Rest of Me
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Coming Home and Public Service Announcement
Well, not home, but far closer! Marty is being transported back to our area today for physical therapy rehab. The trip there is so short compared to the one I was making--about 20 minutes. This will make my days far easier-and I really need a break about now, talk about burnout! Four hours a day on the road for hospital visits can wear a person down pretty quickly.
Let's talk about Public Service a moment, shall we? For the first few days in the STICU (Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit) Marty received quite a bit of blood. It most certainly saved his life. There was never hesitation about giving it to him, never a moment where they said, "Oops! All out of that type!" It was nice to know that blood was available for Marty at any time he was in need of it. It's also there for YOU, if you should need it. Now that I've said that, I'm going to hit you up for your own blood.
If you are able to donate blood, please do so. If you can't there are plenty of volunteer opportunities available during blood drives. You can be the cookie person, or the "Hi, how are you today?" person or whatever it is they need that day. Please consider it and know that even my 17 year-old daughter has given blood during drives at her school--and she's a big 'needle chicken'. If she can do it, so can you!
Check out the Red Cross site and look for a drive near you, or start a drive of your own! Believe me, the people who receive your blood will be more than appreciative, and you just may save a life.
Let's talk about Public Service a moment, shall we? For the first few days in the STICU (Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit) Marty received quite a bit of blood. It most certainly saved his life. There was never hesitation about giving it to him, never a moment where they said, "Oops! All out of that type!" It was nice to know that blood was available for Marty at any time he was in need of it. It's also there for YOU, if you should need it. Now that I've said that, I'm going to hit you up for your own blood.
If you are able to donate blood, please do so. If you can't there are plenty of volunteer opportunities available during blood drives. You can be the cookie person, or the "Hi, how are you today?" person or whatever it is they need that day. Please consider it and know that even my 17 year-old daughter has given blood during drives at her school--and she's a big 'needle chicken'. If she can do it, so can you!
Check out the Red Cross site and look for a drive near you, or start a drive of your own! Believe me, the people who receive your blood will be more than appreciative, and you just may save a life.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Getting Better all the Time
So, Marty has been out of ICU for 3 days and he has absolutely no IV's, no tubes or breathing apparatus on him at all. He takes his medication by mouth, has been eating (very sparingly) and was up today on a walker and sat in a chair!
He can't put any weight on his left leg and his right arm needs a small armrest attached to the walker so he can hold himself up, but the bottom line is, he is slowly becoming mobile. He has a long way to go, but he's definitely moving forward.
I talk to him on the phone, which is so odd to me, he sounds a bit gravelly from the ventilator being in so long, and is fairly quiet, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm just grateful to be able to hear him at all.
We're still trying to get a line on when he will be moved closer, but it really is all up to Marty's body at this point. The Drs have done all they can and Marty just needs to heal enough and pass some milestones first before they will transport him here.
Here on the home front I'm trying to hold things together. My oldest daughter is moving to college on Saturday and we have an orientation on Wednesday. I still need to finish school shopping for the younger kids, the yard looks a bit forlorn, the laundry needs some doing and a sit-down dinner would be nice someday soon!
He can't put any weight on his left leg and his right arm needs a small armrest attached to the walker so he can hold himself up, but the bottom line is, he is slowly becoming mobile. He has a long way to go, but he's definitely moving forward.
I talk to him on the phone, which is so odd to me, he sounds a bit gravelly from the ventilator being in so long, and is fairly quiet, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm just grateful to be able to hear him at all.
We're still trying to get a line on when he will be moved closer, but it really is all up to Marty's body at this point. The Drs have done all they can and Marty just needs to heal enough and pass some milestones first before they will transport him here.
Here on the home front I'm trying to hold things together. My oldest daughter is moving to college on Saturday and we have an orientation on Wednesday. I still need to finish school shopping for the younger kids, the yard looks a bit forlorn, the laundry needs some doing and a sit-down dinner would be nice someday soon!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Getting Better
Good news all around: Marty is in a regular room--OUT of ICU! They took the ventilator off the night before last and I was able to TALK TO HIM yesterday! Not very much, and it was hard to hear him, but that didn't matter--just the sound of his voice at this point was one of the best things I've heard.
He has some memories that aren't real (from the meds), but I'm sure he'll be back to normal really soon. I don't know when they will move him back to the LV, but I'm hoping it's very soon now that he's no longer critical.
He has some memories that aren't real (from the meds), but I'm sure he'll be back to normal really soon. I don't know when they will move him back to the LV, but I'm hoping it's very soon now that he's no longer critical.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Forward, back, forward
Yesterday as I was getting ready to leave for the hospital I received a call from them that Marty's white count was up, he had a fever and some fluid in his lungs. They said they would do a CAT scan to see what was going on and possibly extubate (remove the ventilator) him later in the day.
When I got there they had just finished with the CAT scan and Marty was very awake (or as much as can be with all the medication) and when he saw me, he cried. I wanted to jump up and down, but instead told him everything was OK. They still didn't have the results of the scan when I left and weren't ready to extubate him at that time.
When I called this morning, the nurse told me that Marty had an OK night, but was "complaining of pain", and a little light went on and I said, "Oh! You extubated him!" The nurse told me they had removed the ventilator last night at 9 p.m. I feel like a giddy schoolgirl this morning and can't wait to see Marty today.
I'm hoping the scan shows nothing and that he's just getting better and better and can be moved to our area soon.
Thanks for the prayers and well-wishes, again.
When I got there they had just finished with the CAT scan and Marty was very awake (or as much as can be with all the medication) and when he saw me, he cried. I wanted to jump up and down, but instead told him everything was OK. They still didn't have the results of the scan when I left and weren't ready to extubate him at that time.
When I called this morning, the nurse told me that Marty had an OK night, but was "complaining of pain", and a little light went on and I said, "Oh! You extubated him!" The nurse told me they had removed the ventilator last night at 9 p.m. I feel like a giddy schoolgirl this morning and can't wait to see Marty today.
I'm hoping the scan shows nothing and that he's just getting better and better and can be moved to our area soon.
Thanks for the prayers and well-wishes, again.
Monday, August 13, 2007
ALL DONE!
Long story very short--the surgery took 6 hours. The wrist is plated and pinned and the hip/SI joint has a 15cm (6") pin throughout.
He WILL WALK--his nerves are showing damage on the left to his foot so he may have a "foot drop" that will need therapy and possibly a lift in his shoe. The wrist will take at least a year before he can use it, and he will not be able to do ironwork ever again. It takes too much balance, which he will no longer have, and too much strength and flexibility in his wrist--which is gone, too.
Now we wait to see how his lungs are doing before they can remove the vent and send him WAY CLOSER for therapy. Maybe 4 days, maybe a week--nobody knows right now.
So, WHEW! Biggest hurdle over--NO MORE SURGERIES NEEDED--and we can move on--slowly, but ever so surely.
He WILL WALK--his nerves are showing damage on the left to his foot so he may have a "foot drop" that will need therapy and possibly a lift in his shoe. The wrist will take at least a year before he can use it, and he will not be able to do ironwork ever again. It takes too much balance, which he will no longer have, and too much strength and flexibility in his wrist--which is gone, too.
Now we wait to see how his lungs are doing before they can remove the vent and send him WAY CLOSER for therapy. Maybe 4 days, maybe a week--nobody knows right now.
So, WHEW! Biggest hurdle over--NO MORE SURGERIES NEEDED--and we can move on--slowly, but ever so surely.
Today
I got a 6 a.m. call to let me know that Marty's surgeries will be at Noon. They're doing some labs this morning to make sure everything is good to go and then they're off. They'll assess the pelvis in the OR--they have plans for everything, but they also know that things can look very different once you're in. They're doing both the wrist and the pelvis, so I'm sure it will be a lengthy procedure. I'll update when I can. Send up prayers, please.
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