Wed July 14th

Just as I was getting to the point where I feel like the end of the rope is near, an extra boost comes along. 27 days and nights spent in ICU, 27 trips to visit Dad, 27 blurry trips home. 27 emotionally fraying at the edges days of overwhelmingness... 27 days of “yes dad is still in ICU, but he’s getting better.”

Day TWENTY-SEVEN... How many Miracles can you Count?

Today Dad moved to his new room. A room with a view of recovery. Yesterday was such a good day of adventures and progress in dad’s recovery journey. He not only went from a trach to eating, but he also went on his first outside stroll (in a wheelchair).

Monday’s plan following the 3 hour MRI was to let Dad rest and slowly downsize his trach to the point where it could be capped so he could start to talk. Change of plans team. Tuesday morning when the downsizing Trach’s process started, the decision was made to remove it entirely and give Dad a go at talking. This went so smoothly that some food and drink was offered to Dad. He requested some applesauce and a small drink. I think he’s been spending a lot of time with my kids. They think that’s the perfect snack after a good nap. OK, so over 3 weeks in ICU isn’t really a nap, but its a good snack either way. After Dad’s snack, he was feeling so good they helped him into a wheel chair and went outside for some fresh air. Should I say that again? 4 days ago, dad was still on a vent. He was being tube fed, and just had his jaw wires removed. Yesterday Dad went outside for fresh air. Dad went into the ICU on the 18th of June. 27 days later Dad had breakfast, and is going to get some more fresh air after his exercises. 27 days of talking to dad and his responses varying from nothing to a hand squeeze or slight nod, and today he requested to call home. Dad called Mom! What an awesome gift this morning. I just happened to be at Mom’s house with my son Corban and we all got to hear and talk to Dad/Grandpa for a brief moment. Spirits are all soaring. Dad’s got a lot of work to do before can jump up and push the kids on swings, or chase them in the backyard, but these last couple of days make me feel like we just might be able to survive the journey.

~With Integrity

Applesauce and a small drink please?

Yesterday was a long MRI day....

But, Good news.

Dad’s neck is cleared.

Better news?

The trach is out.

Amazing news!

Dad is able to talk with us!!!

He wanted applesauce and a small drink. Wow!

26 days without Ballooning stories from Dad. He has a lot to catch up on.Many more details to come, but first I’m gonna hang with my Dad for a bit.

Miracles, Praises and Requests. An interesting journey so far don’t you think? I wonder where God is taking us.

~With Integrity

MacGyver...

I am constantly amazed, and maybe I shouldn’t be. Dad is an icon in this community. He grew up here. He has played, worked, MacGyvered, rescued, ballooned, and helped with people in every nook and cranny, intersection, back alley, parking lot, highway, boat landing, dirt road, subdivision and all the places in between for 70 years now. Of course Dad has affected peoples lives. Time and again I hear the “I remember when” stories and they are all the same. Sure, each has a slight variation, but the theme remains. Dad, without any prejudice, unassumingly stepped in, knew the right things to do and before you know it, he was done and heading on to the next adventure of his day. Almost like Spider Man without the web. Just last night I was talking with someone who was MacGyvered by Dad nearly 20 years ago. He has only run into him a couple of times since but Dad’s impact on him has left a life long impression. What if we all lived our lives the same way?

I would love to hear more “I remember when” stories. We would love to hear about the impact, however big or small, Dad has had on your life. Did he unlock your car for you? Did he put out your house when it was burning? Please let us know, we would love to read these stories to Dad and remind him where he came from and where he is headed back to.

~With Integrity

Friday night and Saturday,

Dad had what his care team call, “Good” sleep and rest. As if one can actually sleep or really rest though anything in ICU. The plan was almost successful. Dad had his spa Day. He also got a new trach, he did not however make it to the MRI for the scan. Something about, well to be honest, I have no idea, but I certainly can come up with a very convincing reason why Dad has to wait. Give me a second. OK, the reason will start out with this group of Bikers who... maybe we will wait for that story for later time....

What I do know is Dad’s MRI is on the books for Monday. Then we can get back on this train of recovery. Of course we are assuming that the scan comes back telling us his neck is clear. Keep praying about this. We are all still wondering just what pain in his neck he is indicating. Yeah I know, you were thinking that pain in his neck is me, but we still don’t know. Good news though. With this new trach thats in Dad is now able to “talk” to us a bit. Still several days out, but his talking will become a more regular happening as both Dad heals and the trach is reduced in size. In the official notes Dad’s care team mentioned that he first asked if he could “go outside and go for a walk”. I just have to stop, allow that tear to splash down my cheeks, and smile. Not only does that tell us that Dad is ready to get on with this process of recovery, it tells us that he’s looking to the future. The ICU can be a place where the mind checks out, but such praise and what a miracle. Dads is going to be OK. Yes it’s down a really really long road, but he is going to recover. The care team says full recovery should be in about 3 years. Yikes, it already feels that long. How long has it been? 3 weeks? I still cant sleep right. When I do, its a weird half sleep, and I don’t have all the alarm bells and beeps going on around me. Its in the quiet where my mind gets lost. I can only imagine how mom is coping with this current saga. She is a rock. Going on strong. Keeping her wits about.

I am constantly asked how mom is doing? She has her days. Just like me, just like everyone. There are those good days and the days where, as my daughter says, “Daddy, you just have to pretend that your going to have fun.” For better or worse. Mom is the wife of a retired yet adventurous fire man. Every day of Dad working to put out fires, rescue kittens stuck in trees and save lives could have been the day Dad didn’t come home. Each morning mom had to mentally process through. Today could be that day. Not to be morbid, but reality says that we should all recognize that today could be that day. Its the end of life that keeps the circle going. The Bible tells us to never let the sun go down on anger and to cherish, each and every moment with our loved ones because only God knows the plans set for us. After 30 years processing this daily, Mom has some mental safeguards already in place. She knew the process and steps she would take and simply started down that journey, a few steps ahead of everyone else. I compare it to cooking with a seasoned chief. They know 17 steps ahead of in the recipe exactly when the salt is sprinkled in when I am at step 3, still waiting for the water to boil. Mom is going on, because there is no pause button for life. Mom is doing good. Mom is recovering on schedule. Mom has her good days and the rest. She, just like me, just like countless of other folks who know and love Dad, needs prayer and encouragement. We all have many recovery miles to cover.

~With Integrity

The saga continues...

Friday was a “spa” day in the ICU for Dad. First the soothing and quiet rhythm of the chirping alarm beeps and bells gently awoke Dad. First thing on the agenda for the day after some delightful suctioning of his lungs, a leisure breakfast. A unique and nourishing blend of antioxidants, calcium, protein, and carbs. Then an exhilarating bath time scrub, scented with antiseptic and cleansers. Dad also received a shave and small trim of his handlebar mustache. The stylist is famous for the “neat yet sophisticated” look of a handlebar. After Dad’s cleansing scrub he was given time to meditate in a near sitting position. Its all part of the total body renewing process this ICU is so well known for. Several long hours of flew by in what felt like moments. Dad was then reclined and he dozed in his newly cleansed and healing body. Gently Dad was rocked awake as he was wheeled expertly long the path to another ICU room. This one offers a “different healing perspective”.

In Dad’s new ICU room he was visited by the Facial Reconstruction guy. He really likes how dad’s recovery is going. He even removed the wires holding Dad’s jaw together. This was for 2 reasons. Dad can now start to open and close his mouth, and go get an MRI of his head and neck. After a short wait, and quick trip to the MRI, they determined that oops, dad still has some metal in him. Evidentially the trach has enough metal in it to cause discomfort to dad during the scan. Whoops?!? Thank goodness for checks and double checks. Wow, that could have been the beginning of a bad day. So now the plan is to get another trach installed in dad that is more MRI friendly. Then back to get a scan which will hopefully clear his neck. Then with a cleared neck we are back on track, according to his care team, to remove the collar. Wow, what a saga.

I tell you its much like holding water in your hand this trying to keep up with all of Dad’s craziness much less attempting to keep a handle on my own chaos. As many of you know during this time my sister-in-law Hayley has come to help Sarah with the kids and free me up to be with Mom and Dad. She has been helping make meals, wrangle the kids, and be an extra helping grownup in our crazy household. Well, Hayley was playing on the playground with the boys, and somehow ended up hurting her knee. Another perfectly orchestrated accident. Every day at our house someone trips, scrapes, bumps or bruises something somehow. Tears, pic’s for the owie book, snuggles and a band aid or ice, and we continue with our adventures, but within a few short hours Hayley’s leg was very swollen and looking red and infected. Before you could say oozing scab, she ended up in the ER trying to get a hold on the out of control infection in her knee. What?... Another hospital trip? Corban who is almost 4 said, “AWW not again...can I have some ice cream?” So there you have it. Just a glimpse of how the saga continues, life is crazy, Keep Dad in your prayers as he is still in ICU, and recovering right on schedule, but i am beginning to feel like the end of my rope is near. I would ask when does it stop, but I am afraid of the answer. I can rest in the knowledge that God is in control and will not give me more than I can handle.

~With Integrity

Friday’s Game Plan

Today Dad already seems a bit restless. Maybe it’s because i kept him awake too late last night. Maybe it’s in anticipation of the next few hours of activities planned. There is a different energy (vibe) in the ICU today. They have a routine and scheduled move of the patients for normal upkeep and maintenance of the ward. Some of Dad’s care team thinks that the hospital plans these maintenance days to keep everyone off balance, but it has to happen sometime. Dad has some adventures planned for today too. The idea is to pull the wire out of his jaw. This means he will be able to open and close his mouth. This also means he should be cleared to get the MRI scan to look closer at his neck. Hopefully, it will clear and we will be able to remove the collar and let him stretch his neck and bend around to see more. This also is the next step in recovery. Pray that this goes well and he’s cleared. To us it seems lime simple little steps, but for Dad these tiny improvements help boost morale, encourage him, and give him that extra push towards getting better.

~With Integrity

Friday 2AM...

I can’t sleep, so what do I do? Drive over and visit with Dad, and by the looks of it, Dad cant sleep either. In ICU they have a medical condition called ICU syndrome. It’s when your mind and body get thrown out of whack. Every few moments someone is checking on you, poking, prodding, changing an IV, moving you, asking if you’re in pain, and can you wiggle your fingers. After a while you have no clue what day it is, or even what time of day it is. I am not laying in ICU, but I wonder if the medical field has a diagnosis for the families of ICU patients?

Thursday was an amazing day. Dad sat in the cadillac chair for almost 6 full hours. His breathing is only slightly labored and completely on his own. Occasionally he has to cough, which is agonizing to watch, cause there is nothing we can do to help, but it is part of the healing process. I think that dad is starting to work out of the fuzziness of the pain medication and sedatives he was on, because he keeps trying to scratch his nose, and fix his mustache. Mental note, should probably have someone, (mom) trim it a bit. I spent a good long time with him this evening. Wanted to stay longer, but, I also need sleep. Dad’s care team keep reminding me that he needs lots of extra rest to heal. Just opening his eyes is a full workout on his system. Please keep his eyes in prayer. The doc passed them both with flying colors, but cautioned us, as to what he can see, and how his brain is processing images, until we can get some more straight answers out of him. The plan for Friday, which by the way marks 3 full weeks of Dad in ICU, is to remove some of the wires holding his jaw shut and get an MRI to answer any remaining questions about the stability of his neck. Assuming it clears, Dad gets to take the C collar off and then the trach will start to be lessened and soon he will be able to plug it and re learn how to talk and converse with us. Pilot Bill will be flying early this morning for the local area Balloon Festival. I hope no one has mentioned it to dad yet. I know he will be straining to get back out and do his Crew Chief job. Well Dad, get some rest and sleep cause we have a long road ahead of us and lots of projects to keep busy with.

~With Integrity