Patty Schimmer Condition Update

Long time....

2009-10-22T20:21:00.002-05:00

So, I hear I'm in some trouble for not posting for, well, months now. I apologize - I had honestly thought that since Mom was back in school that most everyone would be in touch with what was going on - that now appears to not be the case, so I'll get back on the ball.

Let me go back a few months and bring you up to date. We had an ortho visit on May 15 - and we were all hoping that would be the day the docs would let her walk. Much our dismay, not only did they not let her walk, but we took some significant steps backward. It was discovered that the plate supporting her bone graft was bent. The docs felt as though she needed to stop putting weight on the right leg until they came to a conclusion. Eventually, we figured out that the plate would bend when under her body weight. As such, they decided to ponder a while, then determine what the next steps should be.

In the meantime, one of those pesky abdominal wall tears required repair. So, Mom had a hernia repaired - and was in surgery about 6 hours! Except for a very unpleasant allergic reaction to the steri strips on her incisions, all went well.

Back to the ortho issues...After a few months of pondering, the docs finally decided to do surgery. They weren't sure as they headed to the operating room exactly what they would do. The options were to put some screws through the existing plate (if it was not permanently bent) into the bone graft. Alternatively, if the plate was permanently bent, they would replace the plate with a stronger one. A few minutes after taking her to surgery, the doc called - the plate was not permanently bent. They would straighten her leg, put in 5 screws, then send her home. After a few hours in surgery, and a few more in recovery, she's good to go!

I'll try to be better about keeping postings up to date... Life just went and got crazy!

Also - a note for those of you who may not know - one of the events of the last few months is that we've welcomed a new member to the family. My brother and his wife welcomed a baby girl about 2 weeks ago! She's as healthy as she can be!

January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T14:13:00.004-06:00

Ok, I've been horrible over the last few weeks about updating posts. So, here's the latest story.

Mom has been back to the trauma docs about the torn muscles in her abdomen. The front tear has healed on its own, and the tear on the back has healed through one layer (there are a total of 3 torn). She'll go back in about 9 months for another CT scan to see how it is healing. There are some risks associated with that being torn, so please keep that in your prayers.

Now, onto Ortho! The ruling for now that there won't be any surgery to repair mom's left foot. So, with that, he has started her back on physical therapy, letting her put weight on it. This past weekend, for the first time since September 29th, I saw my mom stand up. She has to support herself, but she's actually vertical! So, she no longer has to scoot herself everywhere she goes. She can get into chairs she couldn't before - I can't begin to tell you how big of a step that was for her. At physical therapy, she was able to take a small step - again, with help, but a step is a step!!

We'll go back to ortho after Valentine's and they'll check out her bone graft. We don't really know how long it will be before she's able to put weight on the right leg, but we've come so far in the last couple of weeks!

Also, remember that spot on the top of her foot we were worried about healing? I've been working on the scab for weeks, trying to get as much of it off as possible. At physical therapy, the therapist was able to get the entire scab off - IT'S HEALING! While it isn't entirely healed, it has certainly formed over the entire spot - no skin graft will be needed!!!! That's pretty happy news, too!

And, maybe best of all as far as Mom is concerned - she started teaching again yesterday!!! She's thrilled to be back with the kids, even if she can't do everything she used to do. She's so much happier there than at home alone.

So, suffice it to say we've come a LOONG way. Thank you for all your prayers, and please keep Mom in your prayers going forward - we're not through this yet!! Praise the Lord - she's getting better!!

January 5, 2009 - Bone Graft

2009-01-05T10:14:00.002-06:00

She's heading to recovery!

They removed the external fixator and one pin from her left foot. Based upon what they see, they are not planning to do any additional surgery on the left foot. They will show it to a doctor from Bone and Joint to be sure, but that's the plan for now. The words "walking boot" were thrown out there, but we don't know for certain how soon she could be putting weight on that foot. Major victory!!

The bone graft also went very well. They did the graft in three pieces, and it all looks great. She's going to be hurting pretty badly in the hip area (that's where they took the bone), so her pain level is really going to be what determines when she is able to go home, but at least a couple of days is the thought right now.

The doctor still hasn't come out to talk to Dad, but one of the residents did. If we learn more when we talk to the doc, I'll let you know!

Thank you for all your prayers - today seems to have been a very successful one. Praise the Lord!

January 4, 2009

2009-01-04T21:13:00.003-06:00

Ok - here's the story!

We have surgery tomorrow. They are planning to do two things. First, they will remove the fixator on her left foot. She's pretty thrilled - it has been driving her crazy! Second, they are going to do the bone graft in her right leg. They'll take some bone from her hip (the doc said Mom will hate him for a few days), combine it with some donor bone, add some synthetic bone protein, and fill the hole! Surgery should take about 3 hours. It is currently scheduled for 8am, but we all know how that goes. I'll let you know when we hear anything.

They've told us she should be in the hospital 2-4 days after surgery, but shouldn't need to go to rehab when she's done.

Here we go again!!!!

December 18, 2008

2008-12-18T14:36:00.002-06:00

Ok... so things change in a hurry around here.

They removed Mom's gall bladder lapriscopically this morning. The ortho docs and her trauma docs (back from the accident) were not happy about leaving it in for 4-6 weeks - too many risks. So, they took it out this morning. They were not certain if they'd be able to do it lapriscopically, but they did! That's a big deal since Mom has to move herself around using just her arms - if she had a full incision, the recovery is much longer, and moving around would be extremely difficult! They expect to let her go home on Saturday - she should be feeling much better soon!

So! Happy day for us - we still haven't chatted with the ortho doc about his plans for doing the bone graft - so for now, we're hoping we're still on for early January. I'll keep you informed!

December 16, 2008

2008-12-16T09:10:00.002-06:00

I've lost track of how many days it's been now....

Sorry for the long delay between posts.

We went to the plastic surgeon in early December. As far as she is concerned, they can do the surgery to do her bone graft any time. She's done with Mom as long as Mom doesn't need her. Good news!

A week later, we went to see the ortho docs. MUCH happier news this time. It appears that her body is making bone around the area where she is missing bone in her right leg. That's fantastic news - the doc says that indicates her body will help when they go do to the bone graft. So, when's that going to be?

Well.... we're not entirely sure. His plan was to do it around the January 5 /6 time frame. However, we've hit another bump. After being horribly sick for a week, Mom was finally diagnosed with an infected gall bladder yesterday. As a result, they're putting her on antibiotics to get the inflammation down. They'll do surgery in 4-6 weeks to remove her gall bladder. We're still waiting on word regarding whether the ortho docs will want to wait until after the gall bladder is removed to do the bone graft. Mom's in the hospital for a few days right now (back at OU), so hopefully we'll get that answer by the time they send her home.

So, that's the story of late. Prior to getting this gall bladder issue, Mom was really doing well. She's very mobile - she can get herself all over the place very efficiently. She is in pretty good spirits, but definitely ready to be on the road to improvement. She was even going to try to make some schnetka on Sunday (that was when we still thought she'd be getting better!!). So, she's getting more active and doing things that she truly enjoys.

So, please keep her in your prayers - we've still got a LOT in front of us. I'll put up another post when we get word on what ortho plans to do.

Until next time...

Day 57 - November 25, 2008

2008-11-25T08:15:00.002-06:00

Alright - we've had some doctor visits.

We went back to the trauma doctors, and they informed us that Mom will need surgery to repair one of the abdominal muscle tears. Apparently, it is completely severed, and unless they repair it surgically, it will begin to bulge as time passes. Please keep this muscle in your prayers. Mom really doesn't want to have the surgery. This would be a nice miracle! We'll go back for an MRI in January to see how it looks and make some decisions from there.

We also saw the ortho doc. Suffice it to say, we're all discouraged. Let's start with the antibiotic and infection. As many of you know, she's been on an IV antibiotic for almost six weeks, due to the infection that attacked her right leg. She'll discontinue that antibiotic on Monday. We'll wait two weeks, then do blood work. The ortho doc tells us that if the infection is going to come back, they'll see the signs of it within two weeks. If no infection comes back after two weeks, we'll start making plans to repair the right leg (the one missing the piece of bone). There are several options for repairing the right leg. At this point, we're leaning toward the bone graft. They'll take some bone from her hip, donor bone, and grind it to a paste. They add synthetic bone protein, and pack it into the gap in her bone. Then, we wait. If all goes according to plan, her body will calcify around this graft, and she'll have a solid bone. If there is no infection after the two week period, we'd probably be planning this surgery in January. Best case scenario, it would be about 4 months after they do the graft before she would be putting any weight on that leg.

So, then there's the left foot. She's still got a pretty big wound on her foot. They don't want to do anything to the foot until that scab goes away. They want to be sure there is sufficient skin under it for them to be able to close any wounds they might have to make if they do surgery. It is possible that the bones in her foot may calcify on their own in a manner that is acceptable to the docs. If they do, the only surgery they will do is to remove the fixator and pins from her foot. If that is the eventual outcome, she would be able to begin putting weight on it shortly thereafter. If it doesn't calcify on its own, and they have to do surgery, it would be 3-5 months from that surgery before they will let her put weight on the left foot.

So, you can see why we are all discouraged. We have many, many, many days and weeks of this ahead of us. Which leads into my next topic. It would seem that Mom will be in a similar condition to what she is now for an extended period of time. She's doing better and better on a daily basis of being able to do many things for herself. So, on an on-going basis, it may not be necessary to have someone with her 24 hours a day for medical reasons. However, for those of you that know Mom, she won't be in very good spirits if she is at home by herself all day, every day. So, now we're approaching that time that we've talked to many of you about over the past two months. So far, we've had a good arrangement having her home. The lady teachers from CBA have been wonderful to come keep her company during the day. However, that's obviously not a long-term solution (School must go on!!). So, here is my request. If you are willing / able to go to the house and stay with Mom for a couple hours, half a day, or a whole day, please let me know your willingness / availability. I think we are largely squared away through the first week of December, but haven't really planned much beyond that. I'm sure you're wondering what staying with her would entail. Largely, it is keeping her company. If you're around during lunch time, it would be immensely helpful if you'd make her sandwich or heat up a bowl of soup for her (you don't need to bring anything - we even have lunch for you!). If she needs something that is out of reach (or in another room), you can get those things for her. If you're really feeling adventurous, you could water her plants. On occasion, there may be other things she needs done, but that's the gist of it. So, if you are willing / able, please let me know. You can always email me at adtetrick@gmail.com . Also, feel free to call my cell phone and leave a message. For obvious reasons, I don't want to post that phone number here, but many of you have it already. If you don't, feel free to call the house to get it. I'll handle the scheduling so Mom doesn't have to worry about it, but she's happy to pass along the cell phone number. Don't get frustrated if I can't answer the phone (that pesky day job...) - feel free to leave me a message, and I'll get back to you when I can!

As always, thank you for your prayers. We continue to need them. It seems this adventure is just beginning. Also, the first two weeks of December are going to be big - we need this infection to stay away - please keep that in your prayers.

In the event that I don't get another post up before Thanksgiving, please have a very happy Thanksgiving. Also, give those loved ones a hug and make sure they know you are thankful for them - you don't always have as much time as you anticipate.

Day 50 - November 18, 2008

2008-11-18T09:34:00.002-06:00

So we've been home almost a week now, and Mom is doing pretty well. We do have a couple of prayer requests, however. The antibiotic really makes her nauseated in the mornings. So, mornings aren't much fun for her. Additionally, she just doesn't feel great. This isn't anything new - she's been pretty much this way since she has been awake enough to know how she feels. But, she's getting tired of feeling "eh". So, please pray that we can get over the nausea and get to feeling better all around.

We go back to the docs on Friday, so maybe we'll start to have a better idea of timing for the remaining surgeries.

Also, as we rapidly approach the holidays, please keep the other family involved in this tragedy in your prayers. I've been pondering how I'd be feeling this Thanksgiving if we had lost Mom, but I know I can't even begin to imagine the pain that family is feeling. So, please keep them in your prayers this holiday season.

Day 45 - November 13, 2008

2008-11-13T21:45:00.002-06:00

"Free! Free at last!"

That's what Mom had to say on our drive home yesterday. She did just great on our trip home. She wasn't apprehensive at all, and the travel didn't hurt her. We got her home, had our visit from home health care, and started to get her settled in. We certainly had to make some adjustments - moving furniture, taking the bed off the frame - but she is so happy to be home. She watched the sunrise out her patio window this morning. She could see our cattle out in the pasture. She got to sleep in her own bed!

While there are a few things that have been a little difficult about being home, I must say that today has gone pretty much flawlessly! She said earlier today that she felt like this was the best morning she'd had since this all started! We've gotten her medicine figured out, figured out where we have to put all the furniture so she can maneuver through the house, but all in all, it has been fantastic!

That's all for now! Praise the Lord... we're home!

Day 44 - November 12, 2008

2008-11-12T12:13:00.003-06:00

WE'RE GOING HOME (for now, at least)!!!

We're taking Mom home this afternoon!!! She's excited, but a little nervous. There will obviously be some challenges, but we're going to tackle them!!

So, we'll take her home for awhile, then she'll have to come back to OKC for some additional surgeries. We're not sure when those surgeries will be, so for now, we're taking her home!!!!

I'll keep you posted as to how we're doing at home!

Day 42 - November 10, 2008

2008-11-10T07:51:00.002-06:00

Good Morning!

Went to the plastics doc on Friday. Until now, Mom hasn't been able to bend her legs at the knees (so they're stuck out in front of her, even in the wheelchair) or really move her feet at the ankle very much. This has been a plastics restriction because those movements could tear the grafts loose. As of Friday, she has no restrictions on movement or anything related to her plastic surgery. As far as the surgeon is concerned, these are successful grafts! She now pretty much keeps the skin grafts unwrapped, and she can get them wet, put lotion on them - pretty much everything except soak them in a bath!! So, this is very good news for us! Maneuvering in the wheelchair will be much easier without her feet stuck out straight in front of her. It takes a lot of room to turn a corner like that!!

So, then this weekend, the therapists began working with her on bending her legs. Since she hasn't done this in about 6 weeks, they were very concerned that it would be painful and difficult. With the first attempt, she could bend them almost to 90 degrees. Even when she can't bend them any further, it isn't pain; rather, it is tightness. So, they are thrilled to pieces with that bit of information!!

I know that this might not sound like a very big deal to many of you. Let me tell you, being able to bend those legs is a really big deal as far as her ability to do a lot of things - get in a car, sit in a chair, maneuver in the wheelchair - this is a big deal for her and comfort!! Praise the Lord yet again - more positive steps forward.

The hope is that we'll be able to take her home sometime this week. Please pray for us - going home presents its own set of challenges. We do have it arranged such that she can get a wheelchair in and maneuver through most of the house. For those of you who have been in our home, she obviously won't be down in the basement or in the lower den area of our home. Also means she won't be doing laundry (small victory for her - probably the first time in at least MY lifetime that someone else will be doing the laundry on a regular basis for her!!). But, she can maneuver into her bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen. Bathroom maneuverability is still be to be determined, but we have some strategies in case that doesn't work. However, it is just going to be a little different for her in that she probably won't be able to just take off and go outside or zip down the stairs - as I said, it will have its own set of challenges. So, please just keep her and those of us who will be helping her in your prayers.

We don't know much regarding timing of additional surgeries. We go back to the ortho docs next week, so we'll see what they have to say. Hopefully we'll start to get an idea of timing of next steps.

That's all for today! More as we know anything!

Day 38 - November 6, 2008

2008-11-06T11:08:00.003-06:00

We had doctor appointments yesterday!

We saw both the orthopaedic doc and the spinal doc.

The spinal doc took out the staples, and was very pleased with her progress. He'll want to see her again in about 4 weeks to do some x-rays. But, he's happy so far!

The ortho doc spent a great deal of time with us. He undressed all her wounds and took out all the remaining sutures. They also removed the staples from her left leg. The staples in her right leg remain since that's a plastic surgery wound rather than an ortho wound. He wants her to be working to gain more ankle motion - so, pending a discussion with plastics tomorrow, she'll start working on getting motion back in her ankles. Additionally, he wants her doing more bending at the knees. His plan is to look at her again in 2 weeks, then start to make some decisions regarding timing of remaining surgeries. The surgery to do the bone graft will depend at least somewhat on plastics. Since the bone graft will be directly under the muscle graft, ortho wants to be certain they won't damage the graft when they do surgery. As such, plastics may have them hold off awhile longer before beginning that repair. He also informed us that it may take more than one surgery to get her right leg fixed. As much as we all want to think that just one more surgery will get it, it is entirely possible that it will require more than one. He also reminded us that if they are unable to get that bone to heal, an amputation is still a possibility. As far as the left foot goes, they're still not sure what they are going to do. They'll continue to watch how it is progressing and determine if and when they will do surgery. It is possible that her foot could begin to heal in a "satisfactory" manner. If it does so, she won't require surgery. This probably isn't the most optimal situation on a long-term basis, however. They would be able to better repair it surgically, but will just watch to see how it behaves. He also reminded us that on a long-term basis, the left foot is the biggest threat to her mobility.

So, we're back to rehab for now. She's progressing well on the rehab front. She's able to do many things on her own, which is more than the rehab folks thought she would be able to do. The report from this morning is that she will probably be able to go home early to mid week next week!

That's all we know for now. Please keep Mom in your prayers. She definitely has times when she gets worried about all the challenges that still lie ahead. I think she's looking forward to getting to go home, but also nervous about the challenges that will present. We also need to add another request to the list - please pray specifically for the ability of her body to heal her bones and accept a bone graft. That truly appears to be our biggest challenge of the moment. It's a big unknown and has significant implications for her long-term. We need as successful of a graft as possible - on the first try. Please keep that specifically in your prayers!

Alright - I'm going to get back to being productive at the office. As usual, thank you so much for your continued thoughts and prayers. We truly believe they make a difference!

Day 35 - November 3, 2008

2008-11-03T13:17:00.002-06:00

Happy Monday!

Mom had a really good weekend. She's getting stronger and stronger. Please pray for her cough, though. She has a cough that nobody really understands. Her lungs are in good shape, but when she starts talking, she has a coughing fit! Now we need rid of that cough!

Her legs are really looking a lot better. For those of you who have been enjoying "bovine" jokes, the "bovine" was peeled off like a scab on Saturday, so you'll have to come up with a new joke. :-) The donor site looks very good, and the swelling in her legs has really reduced. The stitches have pretty much all come out (but we still have staples), and the incisions are really looking good. I haven't seen the grafts lately to give an update on those.

She's getting very good at being able to do things herself; stronger and stronger all the time. I think she has mixed feelings about going home. She is really looking forward to being able to be in her own home, but very nervous about what all that will entail. The hospital is built for mobility with wheelchairs and such. There is always someone around to handle whatever she needs. We all know it is going to be a big challenge to be at home without all the convenience a hospital provides. So, steps forward, but steps forward to a new set of challenges. That's one thing we've certainly figured out with this process - every improvement has its own set of challenges. I think we're all ready for some steps forward WITHOUT any new challenges!

We still don't have a timeline for getting her home. All her therapists think she's improving very well, but still no commitment for a "graduation" date. We do have a follow-up with the plastic surgeon on Friday, then with the ortho docs on Wednesday of next week. We'd like some happy news out of those!

That's all the updates for now!

Day 32 - October 31, 2008

2008-10-31T15:37:00.001-05:00

Ok - so I've officially skipped a day on the blog. Now that she's in rehab, there's not as much new news to report every day. We do have some today, though!

We've stopped her respiratory therapy for now. She's got a really dry cough, so they're trying to get rid of that.

They finally took out all the sutures. She still has staples in various places, but all the sutures are removed. She says it all kind of feels like she's been in a cat fight. I can only imagine!!

She's getting more and more mobile all the time. I know there's only so much you can do when you can't really move your legs much, but she's working on doing as much of that as possible!

She finally got to see Aaron today for the first time since the accident. He was in OKC for a check-up, and his dad took him by to see Mom. She really enjoyed that! She seems to really enjoy the visits from all of you who come by - I think she is also very humbled by how much people care about her. Thanks for letting her know how much she is appreciated!

That's all for now. I probably won't post over the weekend unless there is some major breaking news. She won't do much therapy, so she'll just get to enjoy visitors and get some rest.

More later!

Day 30 - October 29, 2008

2008-10-30T12:44:00.003-05:00

More of the same!

More rehab! Mom is getting better at being able to move herself around, so that's a really good sign. She'll be popping wheelies in her wheelchair before long!

Don't really have any more new news to report - still no word on when she gets to go home, but hopefully we'll know more next week!

Thanks for your prayers - they've meant a lot (and obviously made a difference) thus far in the process. I do want everyone to please keep us (and Mom in particular) in your prayers. This is where the truly hard part start, and without the continued prayer and support, it will be very difficult for Mom to get through all of this.

I'll give you more updates when we learn anything new!

Day 29 - October 28, 2008

2008-10-29T08:19:00.002-05:00

Rehab begins!

They started working Mom pretty hard today. She's learning how to get herself moved from bed to wheelchair, then wheel herself around. She spent a big part of the day with her out of bed and in the wheelchair. She seems to be doing very well with that, but it wears her out moving from one to the other.

She says the food is really good (thank heavens! How are you supposed to get healthy if the food isn't worth eating??), so we like that. They really seem to be taking very good care of her!

Not much more than that to tell - hopefully we'll start to have some idea of when she might get to go home soon!!!

I'll keep you posted!

Day 28 - October 27, 2008 - PM Update

2008-10-27T18:17:00.001-05:00

We've moved!!!! We're now in rehab at Baptist Hospital room 373!!! So, if you go looking for her at OU, you won't find her!!

We got moved about 1pm today, so we're moving forward! No real news yet, other than we're working on getting her ready to go home! We've been told that it will probably be a couple of weeks, but that will be evaluated as we proceed through this process.

Just a couple of notes - they do not allow visitors much during the day (between 9 and 4, it seems) since they have the patients in and out of a lot of rehab. So, if you're planning a day-time visit, you should aim for the lunch hour. If you're aiming for an evening visit, it should be after 4pm.

I'll update more when I know exactly what's going on, but for now, that's the story!

Day 28 - October 27, 2008

2008-10-27T08:44:00.001-05:00

Mom has lots of activity planned today! More physical therapy (which pretty much just involves getting her up into a wheelchair), a swallow test (to determine once and for all she can eat and drink whatever she likes), potentially a scan of her legs (to be sure no blood clots are forming), and hopefully news of her release to rehab soon!

She's doing well, and still in good spirits. I think she'll be a lot happier when she gets to rehab and gets to start doing some things. In the mean time, we're trying to get her as rested as possible.

When they changed the dressing on the skin / muscle grafts this morning, they continued to inform us they are as happy as can be with the progress on the grafts!!

If we get any kind of new news today, I'll be sure to let you know!

Day 27 - October 26, 2008

2008-10-27T08:42:00.000-05:00

Sorry this post is a day late. Not a whole lot to report - skin / muscle grafts still looking good!

Mom was able to stroll around in a wheelchair today again for awhile, and felt pretty good!

So, we're continuing to make progress. Hopefully we'll know Monday exactly when she is heading to rehab.

More later...

Day 26 - October 25, 2008

2008-10-25T19:18:00.002-05:00

Sorry this post is so late!

Today has been a pretty good day. Nothing big to report. The plastics docs re-dressed her grafts, and she said she's even happier with them today than she was yesterday. She's pleased that they are healing very well.

Mom was able to get up into a wheelchair and sit up pretty straight for about an hour today. Each day is a little more progress! Her back is also hurting her less today!

She's looking forward to moving to rehab next week and beginning to get herself moving.

That's the story for today! More tomorrow!

Day 25 - October 24, 2008 - Graft Results!

2008-10-24T14:42:00.002-05:00

So, they've taken the bandages off the skin / muscle grafts.

Let me preface this by saying I've never seen anything like what I saw when they took the bandages and wound vacs off the grafts. I pray that none of you ever have to see anything like that, either. However, if you are ever presented with the need for a skin graft, I pray yours are as successful as Mom's. :-)

The doctor was very happy with the results, both on the skin grafts and the muscle. Mom will have a very big scab at the skin graft donor site, but no more bandages! She'll have the bandages on the actual grafts changed daily from here on out. The doc said it should take about 2-3 weeks for the flesh to re-form over the wounds. Yippee!!! She still needs to be careful about the movement in her legs for the time being, but all-in-all, we're doing great!!

Additionally, it really didn't hurt her much at all when they did all the unwrapping, which is a blessing in itself.

Thanks so much for your prayers. We continue to have reason to praise the Lord! We're moving forward and will hopefully be in rehab sometime next week!!!

More tomorrow!!

Day 25 - October 24, 2008

2008-10-24T08:23:00.003-05:00

Today the bandages come off the skin / muscle grafts!!

Not a lot to report yet this morning. Mom had a good night and seems to be hurting less this morning than she was after surgery yesterday.

The plastics docs will come this afternoon and unwrap her legs to see how everything took. I'm planning to go over when they do it, so I'll get you updated as soon as I can thereafter!

So, the prayer request for today is that everything looks great when they unwrap and that it hurts as little as possible (the whole unwrapping procedure seems to be a bit painful - the doc said it will feel like "fire" for about 15 minutes).

More when I have an update!

Day 24 - October 23, 2008 - Post Surgery

2008-10-23T16:06:00.001-05:00

PRAISE THE LORD!

Surgery went very well, and she doesn't have to wear a brace!!!!! The doc was very pleased with the surgery, and expects her to have a full recovery. They'll obviously keep an eye on things over the coming 6-8 weeks, but she's on the road to recovery!

On an interesting side note, the doc that performed the surgery has actually been to Corn and knows all about the school! He was very good with us, and we liked him a lot. It has been very interesting to us through this ordeal how small a world it really is.

Thanks for your prayers - this is another big victory!!

Wraps come off the muscle / skin grafts tomorrow. We're praying for good news there, as well!

Day 24 - October 23, 2008 - Urgent Prayer Request

2008-10-23T13:17:00.003-05:00

Mom went into the operating room shortly before 1pm. They'll be fusing 3 vertebrae, and determining during surgery if a brace will be necessary. Please pray that a brace is not required. It will be a rather unpleasant 6 - 8 weeks for Mom if one is required. Given the location of the vertebrae being fused, the brace would require the inclusion of a thigh (that is, the position of at least one leg would be fixed for the 6-8 week period.

Surgery (once they get started) will take just over an hour, then at least an hour in recovery.

More post-surgery! Please pray in the meantime!

Day 24 - October 23, 2008

2008-10-23T08:49:00.002-05:00

Good morning!

Mom had a pretty good night last night, despite the repeated interruptions from all the folks to get her prepped for surgery today. Looks like they'll take her around noon (so, sometime this afternoon...). Once the surgery gets underway, it should take approximately an hour and a half. Then, they'll send her to recovery. So, it may be late this afternoon/evening before we have much news.

Thanks for the cards and notes you've sent to Mom / us. We've been reading them to her, and they really lift her spirits. Thank you so very much!!

I'll let you know when she actually gets headed to surgery... More later!

Day 23 - October 22, 2008

2008-10-22T13:33:00.000-05:00

I just want to add another specific prayer request. Without getting into any messy details, we'd just like to request that you pray that the insurance companies involved in this situation will resolve this situation amicably. Obviously there are a number involved, and there are lots of issues to iron out. So, just please pray that they are all able to work it out amicably.

Thanks! More soon!

Day 23 - October 22, 2008

2008-10-22T09:20:00.002-05:00

Not a lot more to report this morning.

Mom had a really good night - slept really well. We spoke with the ortho resident this morning regarding the spinal surgery tomorrow. They plan to fuse 4 vertebrae in her lower back together using rods, pins, and some bone growth matrix to fuse the vertebrae together. They tell us it shouldn't impact mobility much simply because that portion of your back doesn't bend much anyway. They'll do that surgery tomorrow, and it should take approximately 1 1/2 hours. They didn't give us a time, but as we all know by now, it wouldn't really mean much if they did! :-)

Additionally, we spoke with the plastic surgeon today. She's planning to unwrap and check on Mom's legs Friday afternoon. I guess it takes some time, and they don't want to hurry through it. So, if you're planning to visit on Friday, morning or evening would probably be best. It doesn't exactly feel fantastic when they unwrap these grafts, so we have a suspicion she might not be feeling great after they do this.

Assuming the grafts all took well on her legs, the spinal surgery should be the last one for awhile. She'll then head to rehab for a couple of weeks, then home until she has to come back for the next surgeries on her legs / feet!

We certainly need prayer for the surgery tomorrow. There are always risks with any surgery, but when they start messing with your spinal column there are additional risks. Please pray for the wisdom and steady hands of the surgeons. We'd certainly like everything that needs to stay intact to remain that way!

Donita - I have a quick request from Mom. Would you take another picture of the bulletin board at school and email it to me? I'm going to blow it up a bit and hang it in her room. Also - make sure you add pins to St. Joseph, MI and West Palm Beach, Florida (just north of Ft. Lauderdale)!

Thanks for all the prayers - as we've said many a time, the prayers are what are going to get us through all of this.

Final thought of the morning: Hubby started his new job this morning! Praise the Lord!

Day 22 - October 21, 2008

2008-10-21T08:34:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update this morning.

Mom had a really good night. Not much pain, and she seemed to sleep pretty well (in between interruptions from the nurses).

There won't be surgery today. Mom got bumped to deal with some traumas that came in yesterday. So, now the plan is for spinal surgery on Thursday.

Other than that, not much to report today. If anything develops, I'll let you know!

As always, thanks for your prayers and support!

There Shall Be Dancing in the Streets!!

2008-10-20T13:47:00.001-05:00

PRAISE THE LORD!!! PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!

NOW we have the official word from the doctor. They were able to repair everything they had wanted to repair today! The report from the surgical nurse was accurate - they were able to use existing muscle in the right leg and a graft from the abdomen is not necessary!!! PRAISE THE LORD! They were also able to do the skin graft on the left leg (apparently that was a pretty easy fix)!

They'll keep it wrapped for 5-7 days (so she'll be in the hospital at least until that point), then they'll unwrap and see how it is doing. From there on, they'll change the dressing on the wounds daily. The infection is continuing to improve in the wound, and did not prevent them from being able to make any repairs today. There is still no infection in the left leg!

So, Thank you VERY much for the prayers! They are clearly helping!!! This is without a doubt an answer to prayers! We still need many more, but this is a big step forward!!!!!

As far as we know, the plan is still for spinal surgery tomorrow. After we've talked to a doc and get plans for that, I'll let you know!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!

Day 21 - October 20, 2008

2008-10-20T12:43:00.003-05:00

Mid-Surgery Update:

We've gotten a report from the surgical nurse. Before you get too excited, please remember this isn't from a doc, but should still be largely reliable.

They just finished re-arranging the calf muscles on her right leg and are beginning the skin graft on the right leg. THIS MEANS THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES!! This was by far the preferred method with much lower risk. They were going to finish up the skin graft on the right leg then begin the graft on the left leg. This is fantastic news!!

If this all is true, the risk of losing her right leg declined dramatically with this step. They'll keep her legs wrapped for 5 days, then unwrap them to check out her progress. Then, they'll change the dressing every day thereafter.

As I mentioned, we'll remain cautiously optimistic until we hear officially from a doc, but this seems to be a reasonable explanation. It will probably a couple hours before we have any additional info. As they update us, I'll update you!

If all is at is seems, we'll be dancing in the streets! If not, well...

Day 21 - October 20, 2008

2008-10-20T10:09:00.001-05:00

Quick Update:

So, as we've come to expect, 7:45 scheduled surgery looks to be more like 10:15 a.m.. I just talked to Dad and they are just preparing to take her back. Given the time frame, I'm not sure how much they will be able to get done today. As they update us, I'll update you.

Day 21 - October 20, 2008

2008-10-20T08:34:00.003-05:00

Good morning!

First, in response to a couple of comments - we do read the comments every day. They mean a lot to us, and are a great way for you to communicate with us. Additionally, if there is something you would like to pass along to just the family (but don't want it posted for the world to see), please feel free to email it to me at adtetrick@gmail.com. I check my email several times a day, as well.

Second comment response regarding blood donations to be credited to Mom. I believe that if you go to donate, when you sign-in, you have the opportunity to indicate if there is a particular party you'd like it credited to. I know a couple of you have already donated and indicated you asked for it to be credited to Patty Schimmer at OU Medical Center. Can you leave a comment indicating if my understanding is correct?

Ok - now for the update on Mom. I expect to have a couple updates throughout the day today since we're in surgery again, so be sure to check back often.

Surgery was originally scheduled for 7:45, but they had an emergency come in, so her surgery has been pushed to 8:45 a.m. Here is the plan for today (but as usual, this is entirely subject to change depending upon what they find when they start surgery): They plan to do plastic surgery to repair the right calf wound. Based upon the results of the CT scan they did on Friday, they are hopeful they can use the existing muscles in her calf to fill the void. However, as I mentioned in my post yesterday, they aren't certain that will be possible. The CT scan can be distorted by the plate that was inserted along her tibia. This, however, is the goal. If they discover the CT scan was distorted and they are NOT able to use the existing muscle, they will not complete the repair of her wound today. They will come back in later (not sure which day) and repair the wound using a muscle from her abdomen. We're really hoping for the former - much fewer risks, much higher success rate. Additionally, if they have time, they will repair the wound on her left calf today (which is simply a skin graft, as best I can understand).

As things progress, they keep us updated from the operating room. So, as we get those updates, I'll be updating you! Please keep us in your prayers today - we really need the docs to be able to use the muscles that currently exist in her calf.

More later...

Day 20 - October 19, 2008

2008-10-19T10:32:00.002-05:00

Good morning!

We're cautiously optimistic this morning after hearing from the plastic surgeons. They have reviewed the CT scan of her right leg. Let me preface this by saying the metal plate that was inserted during surgery on Wednesday can distort the results of the CT scan (which is why we are cautiously optimistic). They will not know for certain if the following is true until they are in surgery tomorrow. However, here's the plan from the surgeons at the moment: Based upon the results of the CT scan (that could be distorted), it appears all three major vessels in her right leg are intact. Additionally, it appears the remaining muscle is adequate to be used to fill the void in her right leg. As such, at present, they are planning the "optimal" surgery on her right leg tomorrow, which will simply relocate existing calf muscles rather than requiring them to move a muscle from the abdomen to her calf.

SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUEST: We need to pray that the CT results were not distorted and that they are able to repair the leg using existing muscles in the leg.

If they are able to go the route they are planning, it will be a 4-6 hour surgery, and they will repair the right AND left legs. If they are required to use a muscle from the abdomen, it will be a 6-8 hour surgery, and they will repair the left leg on Wednesday.

She had a really good day yesterday, and is feeling pretty good this morning. She's eating well, so we're very happy about that!

Thanks for all the prayers - we really do appreciate them, and they really do make a difference!!

More later!

Day 19 - October 18, 2008

2008-10-18T14:30:00.002-05:00

Sorry this post is so late in the day!

Today has been a good day. Mom's feeling pretty well today. I'm going to credit the Ted's fajitas I brought her for dinner last night! :-)

Going to be a very busy week next week. We found out last night that her spinal injury will require surgery. We haven't gotten to speak with the attending, so we're not entirely clear on what they will be doing to repair it. However, they feel as though the risks of leaving it as is as much higher than the risks of repairing it. They plan to do that surgery on Tuesday.

So, for those of you keeping track, the plastic surgery to repair her right leg on Monday will be surgery #9, spinal surgery on Tuesday is surgery #10, and if they are unable to do the plastic surgery on her left leg on Monday, that will be Wednesday, and will be surgery #11.

So, the specific prayer request we have for Monday is that they are able to use existing muscle tissue in her right leg to repair the damaged muscle. The risks with the alternatives are much higher than using what is there. However, they won't know until they get into surgery on Monday what method will work best.

That's all for now! More later if anything develops!

Day 18 - October 17, 2008 - Part 3

2008-10-17T15:02:00.002-05:00

So, that trip outside was an answer to prayer. Her spirits are lifted after her 15 minutes in the sunshine!

She's doing well this afternoon - just tired. They are planning to take her for some procedure (either a CT scan or an angiogram, we're having a little trouble determining which) this afternoon in preparation for the plastic surgery on Monday.

More if anything changes!!

Day 18 - October 17, 2008

2008-10-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

Specific Prayer Request:

Just talked to Mom. She asked that the next time I posted that I ask you to pray for her encouragement. She's getting a bit discouraged about how long she's stuck lying around. So, if you'd add that specific one to the list, she would appreciate it!!!

Day 18 - October 17, 2008

2008-10-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

Morning update:

There was no angiogram yesterday. I believe they will probably try to do that today. Also on the agenda for today: GOING OUTSIDE!! They are hoping to get her into a wheel chair and take her for a stroll in the beautiful weather outside today!!!!!! That's just AMAZING news! She'll love that (especially after 18 days of being stuck in a hospital bed)!!!

She seemed to get pretty good sleep last night, and was as excited as she could be when I told her the score of the football game. She is really proud of you boys!

The feeding tubes are all gone now. We've got to be sure she gets adequate caloric intake, but she's said she'll eat all day and all night if she has to - she doesn't want the feeding tube back! So, I finally got to see my mom's nose for the first time in 2.5 weeks yesterday! She sure has a cute nose. :-)

I stayed with Mom last night, and we had a long talk on a lot of topics. I won't get into details, but let me say this: I no longer have any concern regarding her emotional state. She completely grasps the severity of her injuries and the possible implications. She grasps the magnitude of the recovery / rehab process she will have to go through. She understands what she can and cannot control and isn't at all worried about those things that are outside her control. She's an amazing woman - we're all very, VERY blessed to have her in our lives.

She's on the schedule for the plastic surgeons on Monday. They may or may not work on both legs, depending upon how they must repair the right leg. If the right leg goes smoothly (and the easiest repair), they'll probably repair both. There are LOTS of risks with the surgery to repair the muscle / skin. We need serious prayer on this issue. There are so many things that can go wrong - but the surgeon is confident they can repair it (even though it may take several tries to get it repaired). The optimal solution on her right leg is that they are able to use the existing muscles in her leg fill the void. Far fewer risks are associated with this method. However, there is damage to the remaining muscles, so they won't know until they begin the procedure if they will be able to go that route. Option 2 would be to take a muscle from somewhere else in her body (likely her abdomen) and use that in her leg. Again, we won't know until they are in the operating room how they will be able to repair it.

That's the morning update... if we get more information, I'll keep you updated!!

Day 17 - October 16, 2008

2008-10-16T15:22:00.002-05:00

Not a lot to update, but we've got the eating thing figured out! She can eat again!! And I think she enjoyed her lunch today. She's feeling pretty feisty today, which is really great to see.

I believe the plan is to do an angiogram this afternoon to get an idea where the blood vessels in her right leg are located. They'll use this to attach muscle to her existing vessels in order to fill the muscle void in her right leg. Still don't know when plastics are planning to do that, though. Still sounds like no surgery until the weekend.

Mom's spirits are really good. We've switched her pain meds, which seems to be making her a lot more clear-headed. So, still feels like we're moving forward!

Oh, and for those of you who are curious, hubby signed an offer letter for a job today. The plan is to start one day next week. PRAISE THE LORD!

More later!

Day 17 - October 16, 2008

2008-10-16T09:36:00.002-05:00

Morning Update:

Not much to report today. Mom got pretty good rest last night, so that's positive. As far as we know, there is nothing noteworthy on the agenda today. So, she's just relaxing in the hospital.

We've had some mix-ups with her docs, and they can't seem to find anywhere that she has passed a swallow test, so she's back on the tube feeding for now. They are planning to give her another one today, so hopefully we'll get that issue resolved.

That's really all the news for now.

I'll update later if anything changes!

Day 16 - October 15, 2008

2008-10-15T13:24:00.002-05:00

Post-Surgery Update:

WE'VE TAKEN 2 STEPS FORWARD (and those are the ortho doc's words, not mine)!

Lengthy surgery (she was still in the operating room at 1:00pm), but good progress. He was able to put a plate on the right tibia (or what is left of it) - but only after consulting all his resources. Apparently, this was a tough one. The infection has improved, and he believes the bone was likely the source. The prognosis for the right leg has improved following this surgery. While we are VERY happy that this was a good day, we've still got a long road ahead. Risks will continue for months and possibly years.

The plan is to go back in sometime this weekend to reclean the wounds. We still don't have a timeline for the plastic surgeons, but the ortho doc is pushing them to make the repairs sooner rather than later. The ortho doc hopes to have her short-term surgeries completed by the end of next week. We'd still be looking at a surgery in 6 to 8 weeks for the bone graft in her right leg, and a surgery at some point subsequent to that to repair her left foot. The docs want to have her right leg dealt with prior to starting on her left foot. Largely, I believe this is to give her body one problem to deal with at a time.

That's the news for now - positive news out of surgery!!! We're back to moving in the right direction - forward!

Day 16 - October 15, 2008

2008-10-15T08:32:00.002-05:00

Morning update:

She's off to surgery at about 7:20 a.m.. They expect it to take 3-4 hours, and then at least an hour in recovery. They are going to clean out the wounds on each leg, and insert a plate in her right tibia. The plastic surgeons will be observing during the surgery and making plans to do their repairs "sooner rather than later." So, they may be doing the plastic surgery for the right and left tibias later this week or this weekend. I'll update you when I have more information.

We had a long talk with mom last night, and she really seems to be doing well mentally / emotionally. Thanks for all the prayers - we'll get through this!

More after surgery!

Day 15 - October 14, 2008

2008-10-14T13:58:00.002-05:00

Quick update:

SHE'S OUT OF ICU!! She has been moved to room 506, so you won't find us on the 2nd floor anymore! She's able to eat some now, but until she gets a little more strength in her throat, liquids need to be relatively thick, so the Dr. Pepper is returning slowly...

We're definitely moving forward. We'll see what the rest of today and tomorrow hold.

Oh, one of the docs told us she is scheduled for surgery at 7am tomorrow, so, she might actually go early (but I'll believe 7am when I see it!!).

That's all the news for now!!

Day 15 - October 14, 2008

2008-10-14T09:23:00.002-05:00

Morning update - Not a whole lot to report today. Mom had a good night last night, and felt like she slept pretty well. They are going to do another swallow test today - she gets to drink barium and they'll take pictures of her swallowing to ensure everything is doing what it is supposed to be doing. After being on a ventilator for 10 days, the body has forgotten how to do some things it used to do. So, they're working on getting her swallowing properly.

Also, her blood sugar levels stayed stable throughout the night, so it is entirely possible that she gets moved out of ICU very soon!!!

As she's more and more awake, she's more aware of what is happening to her medically. She is aware they removed the piece of bone, and that a bone graft will be needed somewhere down the line. She is clearly aware of the magnitude of her situation.

We did finally speak with the ortho attending doc last night. His plan is actually to make every effort to stabilize the right tibia tomorrow (or possibly Thursday) during surgery. He has indicated it is now a high priority to get the leg stabilized and the wound closed (to begin to allow the tissues to heal). If they don't stabilize the leg, the tissue won't be able to heal because it will still be taking all the pressure of movements. So, it now sounds as if we'll be getting that lengthy surgery tomorrow. It won't, however, be the final surgery to repair the right leg - that will be 6 to 8 weeks later (assuming the infection doesn't spread further) when they will do a bone graft.

That's this morning's news - More later!

Day 14 - October 13, 2008 - Part 2

2008-10-13T13:56:00.003-05:00

Well, this is another very difficult post. After the great weekend, it really felt like things were looking up. We were brought back to reality after surgery today.

There was still infection in her right leg. We don't really know how the report from Saturday's surgery was that there was no infection, but the word today is that it still exists. The bright spot is that it still isn't in her blood stream - yet.

The other news out of surgery today is that the middle piece of bone in her right leg is dead. As a result, they have removed that piece of dead bone (which is also a source of infection), and replaced it with antibiotic beads to help fight the infection. They plan to do surgery again on Wednesday to clean out the wounds, and probably again on Friday. We don't know at this time when they will make efforts to repair the tibia.

It is absolutely imperative that this infection be killed. The implications of it entering her blood stream are not good - they would need to take drastic steps pretty rapidly to stop it from spreading to the rest of her body. As such, this is clearly our biggest prayer need at the moment. This infection has got to go...

I'm sorry I don't have better news today. If we get anything more, I'll be sure to pass it on.

Thanks for your continued prayer and support.

Vistors today:

Cheri Thiessen
Cari Thiessen
Will Bones
Ethan Harms
Danny and Beth Harms
Alvin, Kristin, Sarah, and Ben Friesen
Monte and Sandy Schimmer
Charles Regier

Day 14 - October 13, 2008

2008-10-13T09:29:00.002-05:00

Mom headed to surgery early this morning. They took her about 8:20. They plan to clean the wounds, wrap her back up, and send her back to ICU. If all is still clean, they will do surgery on Wednesday to repair the tibia.

After surgery, they'll take her back to ICU and do all the test to see if she can swallow, determine how her blood sugar levels are doing, and if they can remove the feeding tube. If all goes well in that department, she may be in her own room later today. I'll let you know if/when that happens.

That's the story for now... more after surgery!

Day 13 - October 12, 2008

2008-10-12T16:48:00.003-05:00

I'm so sorry it has gotten so late before I got a post up today. She's having another pretty good day. She's talking more, more of her personality coming out, and seeming to be even more clear headed. She wears out very quickly, but seems to sleeping pretty well when she does get to sleep.

We've had a fair amount of visitors today, so that's been very nice. Mom was very happy to hear how the Pumpkin Festival went, but sad to hear about the football loss last week.

We do have a little news on the ICU front. They're working on getting her blood sugar under control. She's not diabetic, but when your body undergoes trauma (and the body reacts to surgery just like trauma), the adrenalin the body produces turns to sugar. Between that and the tube feedings, her blood sugar has been high. She's presently on an insulin drip. They'll keep her in ICU until that blood sugar level is a little more controlled. The plan is to give her a slow-release insulin shot tomorrow, and if the blood sugar is ok, they'll try to move her to her own room (Yippee!!) either tomorrow or Tuesday. One of the docs told us she'll "probably definitely" be able to have a Dr. Pepper tomorrow. She's eating as much ice as they'll let her have right now, but I can't find a way to sneak her a drink of Dr. Pepper!

So, the prayer for tonight is to get her blood sugar under control so she can move to her own room.

That's the news for now. Plan is still for surgery tomorrow to clean out the wounds again. If there is no infection, we expect them to attempt to repair the right tibia either Wednesday or Thursday. For those of you trying to keep track, she's had 6 surgeries so far...

More as I have new information!!

Day 12 - October 11, 2008 - Part 3

2008-10-11T21:54:00.002-05:00

Ok, final post of today.

I don't know if I've made it clear enough - the last 48 hours have been absolutely as fantastic as we could ask for. The report of no infection in EITHER leg after surgery today, the fact that she's off the ventilator and talking with us, the fact that the infection from Thursday was a localized infection, the fact that Mom is "Mom" and talking to us - I just can't express how wonderful the last 48 hours have been! She still can't have Dr. Pepper, but they're saying most likely on Monday. She'll be a drinking fool!!! Praise the Lord for answers to so many prayers.

One update I forgot to include in the earlier post from surgery is that they looked at the skin on top of her left foot. While it hasn't gotten any better, it also hasn't gotten any worse. So, that's also reasonably good news.

Again, for anyone planning to come by on Sunday, please follow the signs to the ICU East waiting room (also called Critical Care Waiting Room). Either Dad or I will be there - given how awake she is, they're being real sticklers for keeping the traffic relatively low to her room (and only 2 of us at a time). We don't want to offend anyone, but we will probably not have many people heading back to her room - Hopefully we'll get her in her own room soon, and then none of this will be an issue!! We look forward to seeing all of you soon (tomorrow or later!).

Thank you so much for your prayers. Thursday was a really hard day for us, but it looks as though Thursday wasn't as bad as it seemed at the time. God is truly answering prayers, from keeping the infections mostly at bay to giving us peace through all of this. In case you can't tell from the tone of my posts, I'm absolutely elated after the last 2 days. It was pretty cool on Friday - it felt like it was just Mom and I hanging out. Really great day!! Today has been every bit as good, but today it was good medically, not just emotionally!!!

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PRAYERS!!!

Day 12 - October 11, 2008

2008-10-11T15:22:00.003-05:00

Afternoon Update:

She's out of surgery, and they found no signs of infection in the right or left leg! Since she isn't on the ventilator anymore, she actually had to go to recovery after surgery, so she's not back in her room yet.

She was resting very well before they took her to surgery, so I'd say it's been another very good day! Hopefully she'll get to move to her own room soon - that would be another very good step forward!

That's all the news for now - I'll post more if anything develops.

Day 12 - October 11, 2008

2008-10-11T09:53:00.003-05:00

SHE'S OFF THE VENTILATOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord!!!

They took her off the vent at about 8am today!!! She's been talking with us a little bit, and she reminded me that someone owes her a Dr. Pepper in the morning! She's very with it!

Even though she's off the vent, we need to make sure she gets her rest. Also, they are VERY strict about only 2 visitors at a time in her room. So, we're going to try to keep the traffic in her room to a minimum as long as she's still in ICU. So, if you come to visit, please come to the waiting room to find us rather than going directly to her room - they get very cranky with us with too much foot traffic in ICU. We certainly welcome your visits, though!!!!!

Also, I know Dad told folks at school that we hadn't really talked with her about CBA so far. I talked with her today about the Pumpkin festival. She wanted to know what all the class made, and who made the pumpkin rolls. I told her that Dad had tested and approved the pumpkin rolls, and she seemed satisfied with that. I asked her if she knew how long she had been here, and she said "2 weeks." I asked if she remembered what happened, and she said "You mean about the wreck?" She's really very clear. At one point she said to me, "I'm ok." I asked her if she was asking or telling, and she said telling. We still obviously have a long road ahead of us, but at least we can all take comfort in the fact that her mind is very good.

The plan is still to take her to surgery sometime today, but we really don't know when. Again, they are simply going to clean her wounds again, but not make any repairs today. Then, the plan would be for surgery again to clean it on Monday

Day 11 - October 10, 2008 - GREAT DAY!

2008-10-10T20:45:00.003-05:00

Ok, last post of the day. IT WAS A GREAT DAY! There was no major medical news, but it was still a fantastic day! As I mentioned earlier today, it was so good to see "Mom." It was her and not the drugs ALL DAY! In fact, it was such a good day for her that she kicked us kids out tonight. We went in to tell her that I was going to go home, but that Scotty and Emmy (big brother and his wife) would hang out with her for the evening. She told us no. She said they didn't need to stay. They could go - she wanted to sleep! She kicked us out!!! That's the biggest piece of evidence I could give on her being herself today. I did begin to clue her in on how many people have been checking on her - I got a number of "wows" out of her. I told her she'd be saying "wow" a lot. I asked her as I was leaving if it was a good day for her, and she gave me a big nod and a smile. We had lots of smiles today. It was wonderful!!!

So, I just wanted to share with all of you that it was a GREAT DAY! Thank you for your continued prayers and support!!!

Visitors today

Jess Parker
Grover and Betty Wilson
Dwayne and Leona Funk
Fran Gathright (Maiden name: Warkentin, CBA Class of '63)
Debbie Schimmer

GREAT DAY!!!

Day 11 - October 10, 2008 Part 2

2008-10-10T14:26:00.003-05:00

I just slipped out of Mom's room to leave you a quick post.

It has been a GREAT day. The infection is not "systemic." That means it isn't in her blood flow - that's a piece of fantastic news. It's localized, and at present, doesn't seem to be spreading. Again, GREAT news.

Mom has been herself most of today. It's HER talking to me, not the drugs she's taking. Her personality is really coming through. They told us that they are hopefully they'll be able to take her off the ventilator tomorrow, but they'll just see how she's doing. So far today, her breathing and oxygen levels have been great. They said they'll let her eat after taking the vent off, too. So I asked if that meant she could have a Dr. Pepper. They said "Absolutely." As soon as I told her that, I got a huge smile, she raised her shoulders as if she was saying "Yippee!!" It was the best thing I've seen from her in almost 2 weeks. The Dr. Pepper was mentioned again a bit later, and she raised a clenched fist in excitement. It's been a good day so far.

She's resting at the moment, but I just wanted to let everyone know that today has been good. I still don't know what time they're planning to do surgery tomorrow, so we're still playing it by ear on that one.

More later!!

Day 11 - October 10, 2008

2008-10-10T10:35:00.003-05:00

So, after rough news last night, things have brightened a bit today.

Mom seemed to have a good night. Slept reasonably well and kept her stomach contents where they belonged. They did remove the chest tube last night, and the lung is looking pretty good today. Her right lung is looking great (minimal amount of fluid). Her left lung is looking much better, but still has some fluid. They want to keep her on the vent a while longer, until some more of that fluid has departed her lungs.

She's been talking to us this morning (but is sleeping right now). She's got a fan blowing on her, so it's pretty cool in her room. I asked her if it was alright for me to go get my jacket out of my car. I got a really big smile out of her. I asked if she was laughing at me for being cold, and she gave me an enormous nod of her head. It's encouraging to see her personality is intact. She's also asked a few questions that make it very clear she's still heavily medicated, but she's continuing to confirm that she isn't in pain.

So, today has been a good day so far. I'll probably not post again late this evening (like after 6:30 when they kick me out of her room). We haven't talked with the ortho docs today to learn anything more about the infection or the plans for surgery over the coming days... I'll let you know anything more that we find out in this evening's post.

Thanks for your prayers - I think all of us are doing better this morning than we were last night.

Day 10 - October 9, 2008

2008-10-09T20:22:00.002-05:00

Well, today wasn't a good day.

When they went in to the wound area on her right leg, they found infection and pus. So, instead of repairing the tibia, all they could do was clean the wound and replace the suction bandage. They did check the left leg (and recleaned it), and there appeared to be no infection. They will probably do surgery again on Saturday to clean the wound in the right leg. It may take several more surgeries to clean the wound, until there are no additional signs of infection. They were planning to remove the chest tube (not the ventilator) when she returned from surgery. We haven't been with her since surgery, so we can't confirm whether or not it has been removed.

We don't know at this point whether they are still planning to take her off the ventilator tomorrow.

Prayer emphasis: Elimination of infection, strength for us, strength and peace for Mom (it is difficult for us to really tell how she's doing emotionally / mentally).

On a more positive note, for those of you who know what has been going on in my personal life, my husband did receive a job offer today, and has another interview tomorrow. Praise the Lord!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

We just had a few visitors today:

Joanie Quiring (and one of the twins, but we really don't know if it was Chad or Ryan)
Bobby Elliott

Calls from:

Maryanne Miller
Kendall Johnson (the Highway Patrol officer on the scene)

Day 10 - October 9, 2008

2008-10-09T15:02:00.002-05:00

So, they took her to surgery around 2:30 p.m. We talked to the docs, and they may or may not do the plastic surgery today. Also, depending on what they find with the tibia, they may or may not repair it (depending on whether it is "ready" to be repaired). So, the short version is that we have no idea what exactly they are doing in surgery and how long she may be there. The longer she is there, the better today. If they are able to do the plastic surgery, it could take as long as 8 hours. If they aren't able to repair the tibia, they could be finished in a couple of hours. I'll definitely keep you posted, but this is a big one - we need them to be able to repair everything and for this to be the last surgery for awhile. Mom REALLY wants off the vent, and we're really hoping she can get off and stay off the vent after this surgery.

More later...

Day 10 - October 9, 2008

2008-10-09T11:27:00.002-05:00

Morning!

They didn't let us stay with Mom last night (they've switched her rooms in ICU), so can't say from first hand experience how her night was. The nurse tells us that she had a pretty good night, though.

The plan continues to be for surgery today. The plastic surgeons talked with Dad this morning, and they plan to do the plastic surgery on both legs today, as well. So, this surgery could last around 8 hours - 1 to scrub, 3 for the ortho work, and 2 hours for each leg. So, we're in for a long day once she heads to surgery. I will do a post as soon as she goes so everyone is aware.

For those of you that happen to read this prior to surgery, please pray that she'll have the stamina to make it all the way through this surgery. The last time they attempted a surgery of this length, her lungs got rather unhappy, so they had to quit before they had done everything they wanted to do. If they are successful today, it will be quite a while before she will have to go back to surgery again. That will also help us get her vent out in the next day or so. Then, no vent, no more ICU!! She'll get to go to a room. If all goes very well over the next 48 hours, we could be in a room by the weekend!!!

Ok - more when she heads to surgery!

Day 9 - October 8, 2008

2008-10-08T15:05:00.003-05:00

So, no surgery today. They had some traumas come in, so if they were to do the surgery today, we wouldn't be getting the best surgery team. Given the complexity of this particular surgery, they want only the best working on her. Therefore, she's the second case on the schedule tomorrow. If, for some reason, the first case cancels, she'll go to surgery around 7:30 or 8:00 am. If the case doesn't cancel, she'll go mid-morning to late afternoon. So, we're a little disappointed, but if we'll have a better surgical team, that's more important. Given they are planning surgery tomorrow, we won't be getting the ventilator off today. None of this is really a setback, just a delay. More tomorrow!

More visitors today:
Charlie Blount
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rickles
Clare and Rhonda Goering
Terry and Terri Fellenstein
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Sawatzky
Tym Phillips (friend of the young man who died)
Dillon Janz (friend of the young man who died)
Debbie Schimmer

Cards

2008-10-08T10:22:00.002-05:00

If you'd like to send cards to Mom, send them to the school. They've been very faithful to bring everything that has been sent there. That will prevent any issues in delivery if she gets moved out of ICU.

Thanks!

Day 9 - October 8, 2008

2008-10-08T09:09:00.002-05:00

Well, I had this post all written and ready to post, then the docs called. So, I'm starting over.

The ventilator isn't coming out today, but that's good news - She's going to surgery today around 1pm. They are going to work on the right tibia. The plan is to put a plate on the inside of her leg to support the tibia, and wrap the bone with some material to assist in fusing those multiple pieces of bone back together. The plastic surgeons are going to be in surgery with them, and they may or may not do the plastic surgery while they are in the operating room today. So, more progress. They had a slot come open on the schedule today, so we're going in today!!

Please pray for peace for her - she's been pretty apprehensive at times. The medicine she's on makes her very foggy, and she doesn't entirely understand everything going on around her. She was pretty upset last night, and Dad said "Let's pray." As he prayed, I watched her blood pressure subside dramatically. So, that's the newest prayer request we have.

Aaron's dad is sitting here with us, and it sounds as though he'll be moving to rehab today, as well. He's adjusting to the fact that his jaw is wired shut - but still doing pretty well! Paul went to rehab yesterday. Our ability to keep up with them will be a lot more difficult now that they're moving to a different facility... sounds like they're doing good, though!

I'll let you know as soon as we get word when she's out of surgery!

Day 8 - October 7, 2008 Part 3

2008-10-07T20:34:00.004-05:00

Ok, I was just kidding... one more post tonight.

We just received a phone call from the ortho docs. There will be no surgery tomorrow. So, the prayer request for tonight is that her lungs are strong enough to come off the ventilator tomorrow. The chest tube won't come out on the same day, but hopefully we can get her off the ventilator. That will make her feel MUCH better.

Also - please remember to keep the young man's family in your prayers - we are blessed enough to still have Mom and our boys. They lost theirs. Let's be sure to keep them in our thoughts and prayers as well as they go through this difficult time.

Visitors today:

Tim Sandy
Mr. and Mrs. Ashcraft
Jerry Yoder
Mike Lovelace
Cory Lovelace
Jason Schimmer
Mike Schimmer
James Powers
Kevin & Joyce Creed
David Barnett
Henrietta Pickens
Phyllis Hamar
Ivadale Borror
Betty Payne
June Christensen
Mark and Connie Entz

Day 8 - October 7, 2008 Part 2

2008-10-07T19:29:00.002-05:00

Not much new to report on Mom tonight - she's gradually waking up and trying to talk to us again. The ortho doc doesn't see Mom on the surgery schedule tomorrow, but he told us that can change, so she still may go to surgery tomorrow. If she DOESN'T have surgery, they're planning to take her off the ventilator (and probably remove the chest tube). That will be a BIG move forward - she'll be able to communicate much better, and that will make her feel a lot better.

Other than that, no major changes. We've got her southern gospel music playing in her room and she seems to really like that. I'm sorry there's not more to tell tonight... As usual, thank you for all the visits, gifts, and phone calls....

More tomorrow!!!

Update on the boys - part 2

2008-10-07T19:04:00.003-05:00

Lots of people have been asking for updates on the boys. Here's what they tell me:

Paul has been moved to the rehab facility this evening. That's good progress!

Aaron had surgery today, and they wired his jaw closed (soup and milkshakes for 4 to 6 weeks), and they did a little bit of work on his right cheekbone. His dad says he's doing pretty well.

That's 'bout all I know about the boys!!

Day 8 - October 7, 2008

2008-10-07T10:32:00.003-05:00

Mom had a good night last night. She's sedated following surgery, so she's been quite relaxed. She's "awake", but not what I'd call alert. They're starting to work on removing the ventilator, so hopefully it comes out today or tomorrow.

The plastic surgeons have spoken with us now. The plan is if she has surgery on the right tibia tomorrow (Wednesday) that they'll do the plastic surgery on Thursday. If she isn't able to have the right tibia repaired tomorrow, it will be next week before they complete the plastic surgery. The plastic surgeon did say she feels as though they can repair the skin on the foot, so we'll see how all of that progresses.

Thank you for your continued prayers - this is only the beginning of a very long journey for Mom (and all of us, really). The outpouring of concern has been overwhelming - I can't tell you how much it means to all of our family to see how much everyone else thinks of Mom. I mean, she's my Mom, I think she's the best thing since sliced bread, so it is pretty amazing to see that everyone else does, too. Thanks - alot.

I'll update more later as we have more info about surgery and if she is able to get rid of the ventilator.

Day 7 - October 6, 2008

2008-10-06T20:41:00.004-05:00

We're out of surgery!

The ortho doc came to see us. His words: "She's doing fantastic." They were able to fix the left tibia the way they wanted to. She now has a "nail" in her tibia, but they were able get her leg lined up as it is supposed to be! So, we've had another major victory.

He tells us they are planning to work on the right tibia on Wednesday or Thursday. The left foot has some skin on top that is a big concern right now. The skin is severely damaged and may or may not survive. The doc tells us that it's a "big loss" if that skin dies. It's very difficult to repair the skin on the foot because it doesn't take to skin grafts well. So, that leads to our latest specific prayer request. Let me be clear, infection is still a specific prayer need and likely will be for at least 6 weeks. However, this patch of skin on her left foot seems to be incredibly important to saving that left foot, so, please include this on your specific prayer request. We need the skin on that foot to survive and heal properly!

It may be weeks before they are able to work on her left foot. Additionally, they are going to require some plastic surgery on her legs, but that won't be for a couple more weeks probably.

So, another successful day. Her lungs did great through surgery, and she's back in her room resting now. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

Thanks for those who came today, it means a lot to all of us!

Bob & Becky Yoder
Mark and Connie Randall
Ethan Harm
Will Bones
Katharine Bones
Brent Brown
Monte Schimmer
Rita Schimmer
Kristen Friesen
Debbie Schimmer
Ronald and Reta Loyd
McKenzie Smith
Brooke Dodson
Alyssa Whitmeyer
Tina Whitmeyer

Call from:
Al Wood

Day 7 - October 6, 2008

2008-10-06T15:48:00.002-05:00

Just a really quick update. Mom went to surgery about an hour ago (about 2:30). They're working on the left tibia, and will thoroughly clean the right tibia as well. They said it could be 3 - 6 hours before they are done.

Before they took her back, she was much more responsive. She's trying to mouth things to us (and she gets very frustrated when we don't understand), squeezing our hands, moving her toes. All really good signs. I figure she'll be pretty sleepy tonight and most of tomorrow. I don't know when the next surgery will be.

I'll let you know when she's out of surgery!

Day 6 - October 5, 2008

2008-10-05T18:55:00.005-05:00

Just a quick update - she's more awake today, but still very groggy. She's been doing well today, but needs lots of rest. We still don't know if we'll have surgery tomorrow, but I'll let you know as soon as I know anything more.

Everything is still positive. They've been able to turn up the volume on her feeding tube (yea! Her body is doing what it is SUPPOSED to do with nutrients). She's breathing deeper with each breath than the ventilator is forcing her to take.

Other than that, nothing big to report.

A very big thank you to everyone who came by today - we really appreciate it.

Visits:
Mark Barron and family
Bobbie and Debbie Elliott
Peter, Kara, and Jacob Wall
Linda Dobbins
Thomas Hudson
Charles Hudson
Pate Gossen
Reed Gossen
Jared Boese
Ben Sawatzky
Monte, Susan, and Joseph Slagell
Rudy Brehm
Sandy Schimmer
Detwiler Family
Koehn Family
Kim and LeAnn Gossen
Trinna and Rod Caldwell
Charles Marquis
Tony, Melanie, Alex, Lexi, and Adrian Banuelos
Bailey Wheeler
Skylar Voss
Des Danker
Lori Switzer
Epp Family
Marilyn Tillery
Miracle and Gloria (forgive me... I'm not going to try to spell the last name)
Miranda Kieffer

Thanks again to everyone....

Day 5 - October 4, 2008 - Part 3

2008-10-05T11:38:00.003-05:00

Wow! What a day. This morning, Mom's nurse told us that she just felt like today was going to be a good day, and it was. She's has begun coming out of the influence of the sedative, but she's still very sleepy. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they gave her some medicine to begin flushing some of the fluid out of her body, and she responded very well to that. So, for those of you who saw her this morning, the swelling in her face has subsided significantly. Her blood pressure responded well to the fluid reduction, so we're taking more baby steps forward.

Thank you so much to those of you who came to visit. It really means a lot to us, and it will mean so much to Mom. A few of you indicated you were having a little trouble posting comments. If you have trouble, send me an email (adtetrick@gmail.com), and I will post your comments to ensure they are included. For those of you who are keeping track of where we have people praying, you can add Garden City, MO and Kansas City, KS to that list.

Today was a really long list of visitors, so please forgive me if I forget someone!!!

Visits:
Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins
Martin, Jill, Joshua, and Jasilin Hall
Leland, Diane, Lyndon, and Reesa Warkentin
Mike Schimmer
Josh Jantzen & his family
Lane Gossen
Rayden Epp
Chase Reimer
Andrew Kern
Russ Klaussen and family
Loren, Cathy, Curtis, Emily, and Scott Dick
Don, Carla, Ellie, and Andrew Troyer
Earl Sawatzky and Tammy
Will Bones (and a gorgeous blonde that I didn't get a chance to meet!)
Breanna Binion
Diane Binion
Whitney (Littleton) Hobbs (she was on scene at the accident)
Sunny Squires (she was on scene at the accident)
Kara Wall (Peter Wall's wife) (she was on scene at the accident)
Corinne and Alyssa Friesen
Leah Boese
Lynn and Kathy Bittle
Leppke family
Randy Wanzer & family
Sarah Juarez
Kayla Kennedy
Brian Gossen and Reonna Slagell-Gossen
Calvin, Pam, and Erin Funk
Charles and Carol Regier
Terry Fellenstein
Nathan Sandy
Sandy Schmidt
Tony LoPresto

Day 5 - October 4, 2008 - Part 2

2008-10-04T15:33:00.002-05:00

Wow! Lots of visitors today! I'll get the list updated later tonight. For now, I wanted to make sure I got an update out.

We've spoken with the trauma doctor. She tells us "She's exactly where I would expect her to be given her injuries." They have reduced the concentration of oxygen they are giving her (down to 40% versus normal air of about 20%), and she's responding well. They have begun giving her medicine to reduce the fluid retention, and she seems to be responding well to that, as well. They've turned down her pain medication (they're trying to get her awake enough to respond upon demand), but she still doesn't seem to be in pain.

Really not much new news, but there are some positive aspects, so I wanted to be sure I passed it along.

Someone has asked about infection - how long is she susceptible, what's the highest risk time, etc. The doc told us last night that he'll worry about infection for 2 months, and the nurse has told us the risk is pretty much the same throughout that entire process since there are so many sources of possible infection.

Her toes on that left foot have good color today, are warm, and are doing well. Those little things are encouraging to me, so I'll pass them along, as well. She's not awake enough to respond (wiggle toes, squeeze her hand, etc.), but she's still able to open her eyes if we try to get her to.

Enough for now - Keep up the kind comments for Mom!!

Day 5 - October 4, 2008

2008-10-04T11:16:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd get a post out this morning just to let you know where things stand. They've taken her off seditives entirely for the time being, but she's waking up very slowly. She will open one of her eyes when one of us kids talks to her. The nurse tells us that may be as much as we get today, but that's completely normal. The docs haven't been by yet today - it was a rough night in the trauma center - 15 separate traumas, so it may be a bit before we see the trauma docs.

Couple of other things - if you're planning to come by, please come to the Critical Care Waiting room (2nd floor, toward the East end). That's where we're camping out. We'd like to keep the traffic through the ICU as light as possible. We're hoping to let her rest as much as possible today to let her lungs heal. So, we've got a corner here in the waiting room where we can talk.

More whenever we receive an update!

Day 4 - October 3, 2008 - Part 3

2008-10-03T17:17:00.005-05:00

Ok - she's out of surgery. Yep - that's a lot quicker than we thought.

They repaired the femur - and he thinks it looks good. They decided not to go ahead and work on the tibia. He told us the femur can cause damage to the lungs, so he really felt that was the primary injury that needed to be corrected. However, when they finished working on the femur, they decided to wait to repair the tibia because the way they would need to correct the tibia could also damage the lungs, so they decided to not do anything to put her at risk of going backward. So, we only did about half what they wanted to do. He said, however, correcting the femur was a major victory, so we're our way. The goal is to have the next surgery on Monday, but that is all dependent on how she does over the weekend. The weekend should give her lungs a chance to get a lot stronger.

The doctor is still optimistic they can save both feet. There will be lots of struggle ahead, and her left foot is going to bother her the most long term. Also, he told us the least severe injury is the left tibia.

She did require an additional 2 units of blood during the procedure today. I'll take this as a chance to give a plug for the Oklahoma Blood Institute. For those of you who already donate, THANK YOU! You may well be the donor of the blood that is helping Mom. For those of you that don't donate, please consider doing so. Without those people who donate, Mom wouldn't be doing as well as she is.

Thanks to everyone who has left comments on the blog. They are absolutely wonderful, and they pretty much bring tears to the eyes of all of us. It is amazing to see how much she means to so many people. Thank you so much.

Also, anyone who is reading this from outside our little CBA or church community, if you would tell us where you are from and how you heard about the situation, we'd really appreciate that. We know the news has spread from Nicaragua to Canada to Indonesia, and I see someone from Sweden. This is amazing!

We've had some more visitors today (and whomever indicated I'll never be able to keep track of everyone who checks in on her was absolutely correct, but I'm going to do my best!!).

Visits:
Nancy Ballard
Cheri Thiessen
Cherilen Slagell (and two adorable kids)
Debbie Schimmer
The Anderson family
Monte and Sandy Schimmer
Matt & Jenny Hix
Rob Holley
Anthony Hilbers
Mark Thiessen
Matthew Thiessen
Sarah Phelps
Mark Engleman
Larry and Teresa Bittle
Jerry and Cecilia Buster
Grant and Charity Cahout (and two beautiful kiddos)

Calls From:
Kim Gossen
Terri Jay
Clare Goering
Miranda Kieffer
Debbie Upchurch
Ivan Rogers
Custer City Co-op

Update on the boys

2008-10-03T15:45:00.002-05:00

We've just talked with Aaron's dad - he's doing well. They had him up with a walker today (just up, not walking), and he was a little queasy. He'll have surgery on his jaw on Tuesday.

Paul has been up, as well. He was doing well enough last night to know he wanted an Arby's Melt. Thanks to the Friesens for fulfilling that craving!!!

The boys are doing well. Please keep them in your prayers, as well!

Day 4 - October 3, 2008 - Part 2

2008-10-03T15:39:00.002-05:00

The nurse has called us to let us know how things are going. She tells us Mom is doing very well. They didn't actually get started working on her until 1:10 p.m.. When they called about 2:30, they had nearly finished the femur repair. She said it's still going to be awhile - that's the update! I'll post as soon as we hear anything more.

Day 4 - October 3, 2008 - Part 1

2008-10-03T11:34:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update - they've just now taken her back to the Operating Room. It will be about an hour before they actually get started, then we're looking at 6-7 hours of surgery. As we get updates, I'll let you know more. The nurses call us every couple of hours to let us know what is going on. As they update us, I'll update you.

Prayer Request

2008-10-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

We have a request for a specific prayer request.

The doctors have told us the biggest risk at the time is infection. They have also told us that if she gets through this without infection she will be the exception rather than the rule. It will literally be a miracle if she makes it through this without one. So, let's pray for a miracle. Please, among your other words of prayer, please pray specifically to prevent infection.

Also - if you feel so inclined, please leave a comment for Mom here on the blog. Thank you to those who already have - this will mean a lot to her later when she is awake. She's going to need to know how much people love her - That's what will give her the will to fight. So, any words you can send to her will mean more than you may know.

Day 3 - October 2, 2008 - Part 2

2008-10-02T19:23:00.000-05:00

Just heard from the Orthopaedic docs.

Surgery tomorrow morning at 8 am. They are planning extensive surgery on her left leg. They are going to repair her femur. Also, they are going to do some work on the left tibula. The expectation is that surgery will last 6 to 7 hours (so don't expect a report until late afternoon). There are a number of risks with the surgery. She is still at high risk of infection, and there are all the usual risks that occur with surgery.

They then expect no additional surgery for at least another 48 hours.

There's lots to pray for - This is a big surgery and will start to give us indication of how she is going to heal. These are still both limb threatening - lots of risks. Lots. Keep her in prayers - especially while she's in surgery. Then the healing process can begin...

More when I know!!

Day 3 - October 2, 2008

2008-10-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

Mom is back out of surgery!

We still haven't spoken with a doctor regarding her surgery, but the nurses have given us a pretty full report.

They were able to remove one of the three "wound vacs", which is good news. The coloring in her left foot is good (which is also good). They were concerned going in they would have trouble keeping her blood pressure up, but they did not and didn't need to restart her blood pressure medicine.

She is still on the ventilator (but starting to breathe some on her own), and will be on a feeding tube soon. All in all, she's as well as can be expected.

At this point, we don't know when the next surgery will be, but I'll keep you posted.

On a slightly different note, while we were waiting for her to come out of surgery, a woman walked into the waiting room and asked for the Schimmer family. We spoke up and she walked over. She gave us her name, then said she was a member of the young man who died's family. She was carrying a beautiful bouquet. She said she had our phone number and was going to call, but "It just didn't seem right." When we asked how they are doing, she said "We're ok. We're a strong family, and we have a strong faith. We see this as temporary." She let us know that we and the boys are in their prayers, and that they are so sorry. She wanted to know how the boys were doing. She also brought us pictures of the young man. She wanted us to know who he was. She told us that his mother removed a few books from his car, and the one on top was his Bible. We all need to remember to keep this family in our prayers. Just the act of being able to come speak with us shows this is an incredible and caring family. Without a doubt, it was an incredibly emotional visit for all of us.

As for visitors, we've had some of those, too.

Visitors:

Alvin Friesen
Tony and Alex Banuelos
Shawn Young
Linda Lapel
Cecelia Buster
James and Kris Friesen
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Rogers
Melissa Lewis

Calls from:

Kristin Friesen
Debbie Schimmer
Kim Gossen
Ivan Rogers
Sandy Schimmer
Debbie Upchurch
Miranda Kieffer
Tyra Parsons
Dana DeFrees

Day 2 - October 1, 2008

2008-10-02T09:39:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was fairly quiet. She was heavily sedated all day, so pretty much like last night. Her color is definitely improving, and a lot of the swelling on her face has gone down. She was taken off her blood pressure medicine for at least a part of the day.

I don't think I gave the prognosis yesterday - the doctor is telling us 3-5 months before she walks (but we don't know if this means taking a step, walking with a walker, or able to move on her own) and 12-18 months for "full recovery." This is all, of course, still assuming no amputation is necessary. The left foot will be the most difficult for recovery. Long term, she will probably have extensive pain even after she is "fully recovered."

Looks like surgery will be tomorrow to go back in and clean out the wounds and tighten the screws and pins.

I spent most of the day back out in the Suburban and at the accident site. I'll get some pictures up later. The most striking thing for me is that Mom shouldn't be alive, much less still have both of her legs.

We have a lot of visitors again today!

Those who came to visit:
Alvin and Kristin Friesen
Mike and Debbie Schimmer
Will Bones
Ethan Harms
Gene Nickel
Diane Glenney
Brad Perkins
David, Pam, and Cory Harms
Denise Hendricks
Brandy Wheeler and Dez’s mother
Tony Banuelos and family
Skylar’s mother
Alyssa Whitmire
Mrs. Whitmire
Clare Goering
Mark Thiessen
Donna Smith
Heather Hendricks
Alica Hendricks
Breanna Binion
Skylar Voss
Taylor Smith
Jessica Penner
RaeLyn Epp
Ellie Troyer
Travis Anderson
Kirby Anderson
Mr. Anderson
Rusty and Shelia Huiatt
Nathan Sandy
Spencer Huiatt
Jake Friesen
Trent Switzer
Terry & Terri Fellenstein
Dixie Yoder
Duane Jantzen
Josh Jantzen
Jon Dodson
Chad Friesen

Calls from:
Janelle Sutton
Gary Beard (notified via Jess Parker)
Kim Gossen
Alayna Leppke
Rachelle Epp
Ivan Rogers
Don and Kaye Black
J.T. Schimmer
Mandi Broadfoot
Elizabeth Nokes
Megan Barr
Tyra Parsons
Miranda Kieffer
Debbie Upchurch
Cathy Sturgis

Again, if you or someone you know was here and I missed you, please let me know!!!

Day 1 - September 30, 2008

2008-10-02T08:42:00.001-05:00

At approximately 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday, September 30, 2008, Mom and three students from CBA were involved in a head-on collision on highway 54 south of Weatherford. Mom and the three boys were in Mom's Suburban, and the other driver was in a 2007 Mazda Miata.

The gentleman that called 911 had been following the Miata north on Highway 54. He indicated the car had been swerving back and forth across the yellow line for several miles.

About the time he met Mom (whose cruise control was set at 65), he swerved across the center line and hit Mom head-on. The boys who were with Mom said she screamed and swerved to the right. By doing so, she took the brunt of the impact in her area. The impact pushed the front right tire back and into the vehicle such that it is planted about halfway under the middle of the driver's seat.

The driver of the Miata was thrown from his vehicle and was pronounced dead on the scene. The student buckled in the front passenger seat escaped largely unscathed. He had a couple of staples in his forehead, but is doing well. The two boys in the back seat were not thrown from the vehicle, but crawled out the driver side window (we previously thought the boys were thrown out the back driver's side door, but the witness account indicates they were crawling out of the vehicle). They are both here at OU Medical Center and doing well - both had broken bones, but are in good shape (and out of ICU).

Mom was trapped in the Suburban for about 45 minutes and was sent via AirVac directly to the Trauma Center at OU Medical Center. Her legs were trapped and were very difficult to extricate. She was, however, conscious the entire time. She was calm and collected - many who were on site have told me "That's one tough cookie." Dad was informed at school, and he was on scene approximately 20 minutes after the incident.

Her injuries are extensive. She has several lacerations on her face and numerous others on her head (non are serious). She has several broken ribs and a collapsed lung. She has several abdominal muscles torn. And that's the good news... Her right tibula is broken into three pieces. Since her right knee has been replaced, repair of this will be more difficult. Her left femur is broken directly above the knee. Her left tibula is also severely broken. Her left foot is virtually crushed. All the breaks were open wounds, so there is serious risk of infection due to all the foreign objects and debris in her wounds.

She went into surgery at OU Medical Center at approximately 2pm on Tuesday. They spent about 6 and a half hours irrigating the wounds and using external pins and rods to stabilize the breaks. The were able to repair several arteries in her legs to restore blood flow to her feet. They continue to caution us that the wounds are "limb-threatening." Throughout her time in the trauma unit and in surgery, she received 9 units of blood. When she was in the trauma unit, she remained conscious and alert.

She arrived in Trauma ICU Tuesday evening. She is on a ventilator just to help her lungs. She has a chest tube due to the punctured lung. She has a neck brace, and her legs have several drains on the open wounds. She's heavily sedated to prevent her from fighting the ventilator.

We finally got to see her around 11pm. Despite being sedated, she is able to open her eyes and recognize those who do see her. She can't talk due to the ventilator, but she will shake her head Yes or No in response to questions. We, for the most part, don't try to talk to her. We are pleased that she is resting fairly comfortably, and tells us she isn't in pain.

Dad and I spent the night in the ICU waiting room... I was in her room many times throughout the night. Due to the fluids she has been receiving, she is very puffy - you'll be taken a bit by surprise if you step in to her room.

So many people came to visit today - I am sure I will forget someone who was here. If I do, please let me know. It will be so important for mom over the coming days to know how much people care for her, so I want to be sure we know everyone who has called and come by. Here's the best I can recall from Tuesday (forgive me for misspellings):

Alvin and Kristin Friesen
Ethan Harms
Will Bones
Fabiola (not even going to try the rest of her name!)
McKenzie Smith
Kirby Anderson
Paul and Leida Schimmer
Mike and Debbie Schimmer
Monte and Sandy Schimmer
Rita Schimmer
Ivan Rogers
Jeff Brock
Tim and Rhonda Simpson
Jerry Buster
Leon Lapel
Randall Kourt
David and Terry Barnett (brought Sunday School ladies)
Betty Payne
Sunny Jo Roof
Phyllis Hamar
Henrietta Pickens
June Christensen
Betty Hammons
Steve and Marla Austin, and Hannah and Becca
Jequita Aranda
Tim, Nathan, and Sarah Sandy
Mrs. Barry
Tony Lopresto
Calvin Funk
Tim Nokes
Ivadale Borror

Calls From:
Dan Rogers
Nancy Ballard
Phyllis Hightower
Snip and Penny Baker
Trisha (Parker) Ward
Loren Penner
Alan Burgtorf
Megan Barr
Tyra Parsons
Debbie Upchurch
Cathy Sturgis
Miranda Kieffer

Again, if I missed anyone, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! It is really important to us that we have good record of all of this. I'm going to try to keep up with even those that come back... I want her to know how much support she's getting!

More soon...