Patient: Stephen Diagnosis: Major Motor Vehicle Accident

March 15 - 18, 2009 - Steve's Aunt Lori (Shelly's sister) arrived from Michigan on Tuesday. She was pretty tired after that long bus ride, but is great support for Shelly. She's going to help take care of the girls in the coming weeks. Other family members from Michigan might also make the trip and take turns helping out with the girls & Steve. Boy is Steve a fighter - and he's won several rounds so far. He underwent surgery on Monday. At first, the nuro surgeons were very guarded, and concerned that turning him to do the surgery might cause the shattered vertebrae to injure or severe his spinal cord. But they're a top-notch team, and are very positive about the results. The ortho surgeons worked on his leg; putting a rod in his femur and plating his ankle. They're hopeful that his knee cap, with the break looking like a spiderweb, will heal on its own while his leg is immobilized. Steve remained on the ventilator through Tuesday morning to make sure his lungs were able to keep his O2 levels up and he was off heavy sedation. He sure was happy about that! He was still pretty well out of it, and only able to take a few ice chips every now and then. We could tell he was on the mend - The nurses were allowing him to suction the excess fluid out of his mouth (apparently it's rather difficult to swallow after having a tube down your throat for a while), and was using the suction tube as a wand and a pointer. Wednesday continues to bring good news. Steve actually sat up on the side of the bed for a short time, and has started physical therapy. He's still got a long way to go, but he's definitely doing better. He's been working on his 'breathing toy' - anybody that's had surgery will know what I'm talking about - the little gizmo that you have to breath into and make the little smiley ball go up the tube to a certain level. Trying to drink some liquids, and maybe some jello late tonight or tomorrow. The real test is yet to come. Those who know Steve knows there is one thing he NEVER does in public restrooms. He has to do that before they'll move him out of ICU. Come on, Steve. We're cheering you on! David is heading back to Alabama for a short time to take care of some things and then will be back. We've been trying to keep Steve's dad John, his "Grandma Kay,' Aunt Lil, Aunt Barb, and others updated on a daily basis via phone. Sometimes it's difficult to find the time to talk with everyone, so we're hoping that as he gets better, and as more family members with computer access learn of this website, that we can use it to keep everybody updated. Please feel free to use the link to send Steve a message - we'll make sure he gets it. We also want to say thank you and may God bless to all who have helped and are helping us get through this, whether through warm wishes, prayers, or acts of kindness. There are no words to really express our gratitude! Stay tuned - more to come.

Steve is finally out of ICU and on a regular ward. Jessica told me he sat up in a chair for about an hour, and did well with his physical therapy. I didn't get to see him yesterday, and when I went up there today he was napping. They have 'quiet hours' from 3 - 5, so I'm going to try to get up after that to see him. He still doesn't remember what happened, and sometimes he seems a little foggy remembering what you've just told him a half hour or so ago. At this point, we're not sure if it's because of the pain meds or if it is as a result of the accident. Time will tell. He will go to a Rehab hospital for a week or so between the hospital and home. They will provide both physical therapy and occupational therapy (learning new life skills with his limitations). More on that when we have more info and a better idea when he gets to go. For now, it's one day; one hour at a time.

Steve moved to the "rehab" wing of the hospital today. Although it should be a good thing, he's in a lot of pain from all the jossling they did getting him moved from one area of the hospital to another. They did an Xray of his lungs since he was still having difficulty taking deep breaths (more than normal even with a few broken ribs), and found that he had a lot of fluid accummulated in his right lung. They suctioned off about 600 CCs, which should have helped, and did for a short while. Not too long after they got him settled in the rehab area he was complaining of a lot of pain in that right lung and the area where they inserted the big needle to do the suctioning. It got to the point where they ended up taking him down to Xray again to see if they could identify what might be causing it. Hopefully they will be able to give him enough pain meds that it will at least dull it a little with out having to go into the deep sedation again. I'll find out more tomorrow and will post an update. For those of you that have left an email address, I've added you to the list of people to notify when I post an update. If you don't want to receive those notices, just post a message and I'll remove it. Likewise, if you know somebody that might like to be on the list, have them post a message to that effect. Thank you for keeping Steve in your thoughts and prayers. He's a strong-willed guy and I know with your support he'll get through this!

Steve had a rough night, but continues to improve. Lots of PT & OT today, and it wears him out. But he's determined to get home as soon as possible; he misses his girls so much! Jessica had to spend most of the day away from him today, running errands & picking up Kaytlin & Steffie from close family friends where they've been staying the last couple of days. That had been a huge help, not only to Jessie, but for Shelly & Lori too. It allowed them to spend a lot of time at the hospital with Steve. Shelly hasn't been able to run any errands for Jessie, but at least she was able to be with Steve while Jessica is away. Kaytlin was fitted for glasses today, and she might have them on when Daddy comes home. Won't he be suprised! Jessica and Steve are true soulmates; falling in love in high school. They are so devoted to each other and their girls, rarely will you see one without the others! It's been hard for Jessie to break away from Steve to do what needs to be done, and it tears her apart to not be with her girls. As tough as it is, she will have to go back to work on Monday, March 23, 2009. Al least she will be able to work half-days, using family medical leave for the time off. This allows her to keep her job. Shelly and Lori are going to watch the girls in the morning, and Jessica will come home and be with them in the afternoon. She'll bring them over to 'Nanna's house' so she can see Steve in the evenings. Jessica wants to be involved in his rehab, especially so she can ensure he continues to improve once he gets home. But ithat will be difficult since she can't be there in the afternoon, Hopefully we'll be able to work something else out, maybe when David comes back. Thank you so much for your words of support and encouragement; your thoughts and prayers. I try to print them out and take them to Steve (or pass to Jessica) on a daily basis. It means a lot to them to know there are so many caring people thinking of them and wishing them the best.

Sunday was a really special day. Steve was feeling a little stronger, and wanted to see his girls. They spent the night at my house on Saturday, so Jessie picked us all up and away we went. They were so thrilled to see Daddy, and gave him kisses and asked if he was feeling better. And of course they were curious about everything in the room, and had to explore. It was really touching, with them sitting on the bed with Steve, They both told him they missed him, and Kaytlin wants him to hurry up and come home so she can help take care of him. Lori and Shelly walked the girls to a near by park, and Kaytlin and Steffie gave them a run for their money. The girls are really active, and were sliding down the big slides, running to and from all the different swings, tetter-totters, etc. They all stopped at a large water fountain on the way back, and quick as a wink both of them were climbing in! We've worked out some better arrangements so both Jessica and Shelly can be involved in Steve's therapy. Lori will watch the girls in the afternoon a couple of days, and Jess & Shelly will meet at the hospital after Jessie gets off work. I'm going to watch them on Wednesday, and Jessica's Aunt Ellie (my sister) is coming in from Kissimmee to help out with the girls on Thursday and Friday. We're not really sure how long he'll be at the in-patient rehab, but hope he'll be home before the middle of next week. There will still be a lot of PT, but I think they'll be able to work it so either a therapist goes to their house a couple of times a week, or he comes in on an out-patient basis. There's still a long road ahead, but we can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Keep the thoughts and prayers coming, not just for Steve, but for his entire family as they navigate through these rough waters.

It seems hard to believe, but it was just under two weeks ago that Steve crashed his car. And now they are talking about discharging Steve today! So much has happened over the last couple of days... I got to play with Kaytlin and Steffie on Wednesday, and my sister Ellie came in from Kissimmee in the wee hours of Thursday morning. She has a whole lot more energy than I do, and it's a good thing. The girls seem to be like energizer rabbits! The doctor let Steve leave the hospital for a couple of hours on Wenesday, and they suprised the girls by dropping by the house. We thought that was a little odd, because they normally don't let patients do that until they day or two before their discharge, and he wasn't actually scheduled to be released until April 7th. Jessica called me late yesterday afternoon and sprung the news - as long as his lab work looks good this morning, they are going to release him today! Oh happy day, everyone's prayers have been answered! Now Jessie has to make new arrangements for the girls for next week as she has returned to work part-time, and Steve can take care of himself for the most part, but not two very active toddlers. She's looking into the early Voluntary Pre-Kindergarden (VPK) programs, but doesn't know if she'll be able to get the girls registered that quick. Some of the programs are only half a day, others all day. Most VPKs are free, but there are still the extra hours outside of that time that some day-care facilities charge for. With Steve not working, and Jessica only working part time, it's going to be really tough. She is applying for financial assistance, but we're not sure how much help they will get, if anything. The economy really stinks here (as in a lot of places), so we'll just have to see how things go. There is no way we can express our deepest gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and other staff at the hospital. We know God was watching over them and Steve. He'll be coming home with wheelchair and walker, but he's coming home! We'll continue to update this website for a while, because he still has a long road ahead and lots of family that will be wanting to know how he's doing. Keep the prayers going, and sing His praises!