An Update on Jeremy

All by himself

2011-07-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

Jeremy stood today with his walker, no help from the family!

Standing!

2011-07-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Jeremy stood for 20 minutes today!! He also asked for his walker! His knees are getting stronger and stronger every day. Now he can keep them straight a lot easier.

This picture is from July 1, when he stood for 3 minutes.

This picture is from this last Saturday when Jeremy stood for 16 minutes.

April 27, 2011

2011-04-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we signed Jeremy up for a gym membership. We were getting frustrated by how little physical therapy he was getting. From the beginning his progress has been slow and steady. That is Jeremy. When we stand Jeremy up he complains that his knees hurt (rightfully so, it has been almost 2 years). We needed to find a way to build up the muscles in his legs, sooo - We found a gym close to the house and signed Jeremy up with a personal trainer twice a week, 1 hour each time. We have tried to take him ourselves as often as possible. Some days Jeremy is good to go and other days he is less than excited. At times we have to be very creative to get him to cooperate. Our goals with this is not only to build up his leg muscles but his arms and abs also.

His trainer is a young guy Jeremy's age, a motorcycle rider who has injured himself in motorcycle accidents. He seems to be doing a great job. Yesterday during Jeremy's training session they put him on the leg press machine. They set it on 100 lbs and Jeremy did the 10 rotations quickly, evenly (both legs working together, which is progress in itself) (Remember, he still has difficulty with the right side.) They decided to up the anti and see what Jeremy could do. They got up over 200 lbs.

Jeremy is getting too comfortable in his nice wheelchair. He still has difficulty sitting on the edge of his bed by himself (still has a balance issue). He can sit on a dining room chair by himself. He stands up with about 40 -50% assistance. However when he stands he still wants to lean forward - which makes it impossible for him to stand by himself. He can roll from his side to his back by himself but has difficulty going from his back to his side (needs assistance).

We are hopeful that by exercising more and building up those muscles he will be able to do more for himself. When he went to Physical therapy Monday, his therapist was VERY happy about how much progress (in baby steps) Jeremy was making. He would like us to get a pole to put beside Jeremy's bed so he could start using it in getting out of bed. As opposed to us doing all the work.

Feel free to ask questions about Jeremy's recovery. His progress is so slow that sometime we don't notice the changes. Forgetting that we leave you out of the loop. The bottom line is he is still continuing to make progress.

We will try to do better at keeping you posted on his progress.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Message from Jeremy

2011-02-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

Thank you for praying for me! I'm getting better every day!

Jeremy

Walla Walla

2011-02-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Jeremy's visiting Walla Walla this weekend. He has a bit of a cold, but he's doing well. He told me last night that he loves pool therapy because he gets to walk.

This morning while eating breakfast, he told Debi that the Lord saved him and He loves him. So cool that he recognizes that.

If you're in the Walla Walla or College Place area, give Stephen a call (208-871-2568) and you can stop by our house. It's too difficult for him to get ready for church while he's here at the house and has a hard time getting in and out of the house. So, we'll be around all day.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Jeremy really appreciates it.
Courtni

January 19

2011-01-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

Jeremy is still doing very well at home. We still see little improvements in him every week. We are still trying to get Jeremy to speak up, but his quietness may not be caused by the accident, he has always been quiet.

When Debi and Greg took Jeremy to the doctor's office and wanted to know his weight, the staff brought in a scale with a handle. Jeremy stood on it long enough, with no help other than the handle, to hold his own weight.

The doctor increased his baclofen pump output to hopefully help relax his hands a bit more. He continues to do pool therapy, which is good for him both physically and mentally.

2010-11-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Jeremy is working on rolling over with very little help from his Physical Therapist. We weren't there when he did this so were trying to find out how to get him to do this at home. Rolling over would be a huge step in Jeremy's independence.

Happy Thanksgiving. We truely have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

At home he is lifting 8 lb weights now. We started with a dowel, then we added a 1.5 lb wrist band to the dowel. Then we went from a 3lb to a 5 lb to an 8 lb weight. His left arm is still stronger than his right. But he is able to lift the 3 lb and sometimes the 5 lb from his bed up to his headboard.

November 9

2010-11-09T20:05:00.001-08:00

Stephen and I just talked to Debi. She and Jeremy went to see Dr. McMartin, a rehabilitation doctor and Jeremy's primary care physician, today. Apparently, he had received some glowing reports from the therapy team about Jeremy's progress, which is often rare for someone in Jeremy's condition. They were very impressed by the way Jeremy engages in a conversation. However, if he doesn't feel like he's directly a part of it, he will disengage. Dr. McMartin seemed to think that medication at this point wasn't necessary which is also pretty cool.

Jeremy is able to help more and more with his own care. He is now able to take off his shirt by himself, and he surprised Debi today by bending down all the way to undo the Velcro on his shoes. Little does he know, that now that she knows he can do it, she's going to keep making him do it. :) In the past, it has been difficult to get him to do help with things like this, but now he seems to be taking the initiative to do it. He seems to understand that doing these things will make him better.

We are very excited to be able to go see Jeremy for a long weekend over Thanksgiving. It's been a long time since we were down and we'll be sure to post some new pictures! Thank you for all of your prayers for Jeremy, and thank you to all of those who are still so faithfully checking this blog, we will continue to do our best to keep you updated!

-Courtni

October 14

2010-10-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Jeremy in pool therapy. I had a 2 minute video but it was too hard to download. This is Jeremy's second day at pool therapy and he was much more relaxed than the first day. At first he wanted to bend at the waist. He is learning that he needs to stand up straight. He wants to watch his feet. They are trying to teach him to just look forward. He walked accross the pool 3 times on this day. I wish you could see the smile on his face! He smiled for most of the hour. He loved it.

In physical therapy yesterday the therapist was working with him on leaning forward to get that initial push with his legs to get him to stand (He will stand with assistance from someone else holding on to him). Anyway the therapist was trying to teach him to lean forward and puch with his legs to stand. AND HE DID IT!

This group of therapist are very incouraged by his progress right now. Keep praying that Jeremy continues to make progress! Jeremy himself is praying that prayer every night!

Thank you for your prayers and support!
Debi

2010-10-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

October 4

2010-10-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

Jeremy finally got his own wheelchair! It has all the bells and whistles that the loaner had and there are still a few issues we need to resolve. They will be by today to (hopefully) resolve some of those issues. He is so tall that when they put the leg extensions on the foot pieces sit on the floor. Jeremy has to remember (and he does remember) to tilt it back slightly so he doesn't scrape the floor when he drives it.

He has also started with a new therapy group. This one is an outpatient program associated with St Als hospital. S.T.A.R.S (St. Al Rehab Services). He goes 2 days a week and does the regular Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies. Then on Friday he goes to pool therapy. Last Friday was his first time at pool therapy and with a floating device and some assistance he WALKED across the pool. He was pretty proud of himself. They are all 1 hour long sessions and at the end of the hour in the pool he was exhausted but it was worth it!!!!! We can hardly wait to see what this week brings.

Thank you for your continued prayers!
Debi

September 2

2010-09-02T21:01:00.001-07:00

Stephen, Kristen and I went to visit Jeremy last weekend for my birthday. Jeremy had asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I asked him to stand for me for five minutes. Debi and Stephen stood Jer up next to the counter in the kitchen and Jeremy leaned on it. Stephen steadied Jer from side to side, and it was so great to see him working hard and doing so well. You could tell he was starting to hurt by about 4 minutes, but he muscled through and did it.

We also went out to dinner and breakfast. I think that taking Jeremy out to breakfast is a little easier than dinner. By dinnertime, he was getting pretty tired.

It was so great to see Jeremy. He's off all of his medications now and seems to be doing great with his daytime caregivers. He still needs some extra work on the speech therapy; he was very hard to understand this trip. He will be starting some new therapies in the next couple weeks, water therapy and LiteGait therapy. Super cool programs and we're hoping that it will give him a little more strength and flexibility without as much pain.

Kristen is staying the week in Boise to spend some time working with Jeremy. She took Jeremy to the zoo yesterday and it sounds like it was pretty fun! It is so good for Jeremy to get out of the house and do something new as often as possible. Every new experience gives him something different to challenge and teach him.

Thank you to those of you that are still checking this blog. Sorry it's been so long. We'll try to continue to keep everyone posted on Jeremy's progress as we go.

August 12

2010-08-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry it's so long between each post! Changes seem to come a lot slower now than they used to. We'll try to update at the very least, once a month.

Stephen and I just got off Skype with Jeremy! Such a cool technology to be able to see each other from 250 miles away just like we were in the same room. Jeremy will be starting a program called STARS soon. It is an outpatient therapy program. He may get the chance to try out some different therapies, including swim therapy. Also, he'll probably do light-gait therapy in which Jeremy will use a harnessed treadmill that allows him to "moonwalk", doing the motion of walking without the weight. This therapy program will give Jer some new, exciting things to try; hopefully, encouraging him to work a little harder at therapy. Right now, it's painful and not fun, not sure I blame him too much for not wanting to try a little harder.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Jeremy and all the rest of us are very thankful. Please feel free to write or call or come visit, just let us know! :)

August 4

2010-08-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all who have asked about updates on Jeremy. We have not updated in a while - life just gets busy. We appreciate the fact that so many have been checking, and have been disappointed by no update. SORRY!!!

Jeremy is doing well. His new van, (Thanks to the Young's of Walla Walla, WA.) Mini as they called it, has been great. We've had Jeremy out to eat and to Doc appt.'s and it is so much easier then the car!!!!! Jeremy continues to improve - slowly. Still working on his speech - still not back to where he was before his last Hospital stay - but hopeful that will improve. He's really starting to move around alot more - his legs and arms both. We're working on him turning on his side while in bed and with our help yet does a good job of balancing there on his own. We're always amazed at his attitude and cheerfulness through everything. Still has his outbursts but comes back with a smile - Jeremy's smile - gotta love it. Care givers are great with him. Debi and I are back to work - but when we get home it's all about Jeremy for the evening and through the night. One reason for the lack of updates.

In the process of building him some equipment to help him exercise more - and working on something to help him experience the feeling of walking again - (A frame and harness). Always trying to think of the next thing that might help him break that barrier.

We will try to update at least once a week now, more if we're able. We know that so many are keeping Jeremy and us in their prayers and we are truly thankful. Know that those are returned back to you from us as well.

He had visitors from his workplace come to see him this last weekend - and although he did not remember you he really enjoyed the visit and talked about the fact that someone from work came to see him. Thank you
Greg & Debi & Jeremy

July 22

2010-07-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been so long since we posted last. It has been a busy couple weeks. Jeremy is back home again, and Greg and Debi are really impressed by Jer's caregivers. They are really putting in some extra effort to cook, walk and hang out with Jeremy. We're so happy that Jeremy's caregivers are making the extra effort.

Stephen and I took a trip last weekend to Boise to deliver Jeremy's new wheelchair accessible van! What a blessing! It is so much easier to get Jeremy in and out of the vehicle, and we took a few joyrides, out on errands and to the river for a bit. We went out Sunday morning to iHop and Kohls. It was great to see Jeremy. He seems to be sitting up taller each time we see him. It seems as though the surgeries have set him back a bit in his ability to make himself understood and he was very tired all weekend. I'm sure that will get better again with time.

Thanks everyone for your continued thoughts and prayers!

July 9

2010-07-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jeremy was released from the hospital on July 7. YES!!!!! The insurance company decided that the original discharge date of July 8 was too long so they discharged him a day early. We were OK with that since we kind of like being at home!!!!!

Jeremy had a doctor apt this afternoon with the doctor who did the surgery. I thought it was funny that they wanted to see him 2 days after he left the hospital but they did!. They x-rayed his hand and were pleased with the progress. It seems to be healing well. They are a little concerned about his shoulder. He still wants to hold it tight to his side. We haven't found a way to convince him to relax that shoulder. The doctor decided to increase the amount of baclofen he is getting to try and cut out the last of the "tone". He said it may make him relaxed or appear "weak". But he can build up his strength from there. If the tone or spasm is all gone its easier to build up strength from there. We all agree that Jeremy still has some "tone" still.

Thank you for your continued prayers!!!!!!

July 5

2010-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is still rehabilitating at St Al's. They are working on his right shoulder trying to get as much stretch out of it as possible. His hand is still a little swollen so its hard to get it to move without assistance. He does his best. It hurts so Jeremy is not excited about it!

Jeremy is still set to be discharged on July 8. We are all anxious to be home again!

We think we have found a wheelchair van for Jeremy. We will let you know how it goes. The person with the van is leaving on a 1 month trip on the 7th of July and the banks aren't in a rush to give you any type of loan now days (quickly). We may have to find another way to pay for it. Pray that things will go according to God time and plan!

Thank you for your continued prayers!

June 27

2010-06-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is still at the hospital and I guess he will be there for awhile. (At this time the discharge date is set for July 9) Rehabilitating from shoulder surgery is harder than originally thought. And I remind myself that 3 hours of therapy per day is never a bad thing no matter how much we would like to be at home!!!!!

Weekends are slow as far a therapy and getting information. Jeremy is doing well as far as I can tell. There wasn't anyone around that knew how to put on his JAZ splint on over the weekend, so it only got put on once each day(should be 3 times a day for 30 min. each time). So on Sunday I asked Jeremy to stretch his arm out to his side as far as he could and keep it there while he rested. He did great at that so I didn't fee as bad about not having the brace on. The nurse is going to suggest that they do some sort of training of the nurses on how to put the brace on so they will be able to help more. Although I don't know how that will work when he seems to have a different nurse each day. I'm back to my "consistency in nursing" complaint.

We have a lead on a wheelchair van so please keep that in your prayers. God has been good and he promised to "supply all needs".

Thank you for all your prayers!!

June 24

2010-06-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today Jeremy got a temporary wheelchair that he will use until his permanent wheelchair, which they took measurements for this week, is custom-made and delivered. Jeremy also got his brace for his shoulder yesterday. Jeremy will be at St. Al's Rehabilitation facility for a little while longer.

June 20

2010-06-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jeremy spent another weekend in the hospital. We have no idea at this point when he will get to come. The therapists are slowly coming around to check in with Jeremy. (Weekends are slow). Most of them are the same ones he had when he was at St Al's before. They remember Jeremy and love working with him. There were several days after the surgery when he didn't get the therapy on his arm that he needed so he has lost a little ground there. (The order from the doctor didn't get in the chart I guess). We are all having to work a little harder to get that arm stretched out again. We are a little frustrated by that but all we can do now is work harder. It is pretty painful for Jeremy and we have to remind him constantly that it will be better and of the goal he had to move that arm and hand. The nurse brought him a ice bag last night and he threw it across the room. I guess that means he doesn't want it. He is tired and not sleeping well at night. He's a little grumpy at times:)

He isn't eating very much right now. Not really hungry I guess!

It is weird being in a hospital setting again. When Jeremy was at the skilled nursing home we could take him home for the day. In hospitals you can't do that. Jeremy is anxious to be back home and we hope that will motivate him to work through the pain. His poor hand is so swollen, it looks like the Pillsbury dough boy, only black and blue.

We were talking to the speech therapist yesterday about different ways to get Jeremy to speak more clearly. She was thinking out loud about phone apps or computer programs that would give Jeremy feedback on his own speech. If anyone is aware of anything like that please let us know.

Please continue to pray for Jeremy. He is having a rough week! Pray for all of us too! Jeremy is a little grumpy! Oh I guess I already said that!

June 17

2010-06-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is being moved to the rehab unit, room 3451 at St. Al's. His doctor said that the medications are causing him to be too impaired to go home. Hopefully the pain will subside so that they can reduce his meds and he can head back home. Debi said that when the representative from the rehab unit came up for her signature on some paperwork, she mentioned that all of the nurses were excited to have Jeremy back. Sounds like he has established quite the fan club! :) We know how wonderful Jeremy is but it's definitely nice to see how much other people love him too!

I was just thinking... I don't know how much longer Jer will be at St. Al's but it'd be fun to send him cheer cards again like we did those many months ago! Here's the link! (Remember, he's in room 3451)
http://saintalphonsus.netreturns.biz/CheerCards/

June 16

2010-06-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is still in the hospital - still waiting for the rehab doctor to come and check him out for a few days in the rehab unit. He is still in a lot of pain from the surgery and so the pain medication is making him pretty groggy (spacey)! They are giving him pain medication pretty much every 4 hours. We pray that it will get better soon!!

They are ordering him a JAS (Joint Access System) splint to help with his shoulder. He will have to wear that for about 15 minutes 3 or 4 times a day.

Thank you for your prayer!

June 14

2010-06-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

Jeremy's surgery went well today however he is spending the night at the hospital. They wanted to keep him overnight and then do some OT in the morning after numbing his shoulder again. His hand is in a cast and his shoulder is very well padded. They had to put a plate in the wrist area to stabilize it. Then they did the tendon releases so he can move his fingers and shoulder more freely.

Thank you for your prayers and HELP responses!

Out of surgery

2010-06-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is out of surgery and it sounds like everything went smoothly. The doctors went ahead and preformed the procedure on Jer's shoulder as well as his right hand to lengthen the tendons and give him greater mobility. He will stay the night in the hospital tonight and be back home tomorrow!

June 13

2010-06-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Please remember Jeremy in your prayers tomorrow. He will be having surgery on his wrist and possible his shoulder. They plan to do the same type of thing they did on his ankles. Straighten his wrist and extend the tendons so he can better use his hand. (we hope & pray!!!)

Thank you for your prayers.

June 11

2010-06-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in updates. Trying to get a routine down with Jeremy and us and the new caregiver. Everything is going really well - Jeremy's progress is sometimes slower then we'd like, but all in time. Lots of things to deal with, where to start. Equipment appeals to work on, wheelchair van to find, new therapists to get used too, new caregiver, Jeremy's upcoming surgery,.........etc. Just a few things to work on - oh yeah and sleep. Weekend coming maybe able to sleep in a few extra minutes before Jeremy rings his bell. Yeah he has a bell - and knows how to use it..... ha ha. Still working with him on bathroom control (best way to put it) He's getting better - that will be a big piece once we get to that point. May make sleepping at night a little easier. Living for the weekends takes on new meaning!! God continues to bless - everyday!! We never lose site of that fact. Jeremy is a joy to have home!!!

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers,
Greg

We need help!

2010-06-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Greg asked me to post a message to all of Jeremy's supporters tonight. We're still looking for a wheelchair accessible van at a reasonable price. We've been looking for a while now and we're not having much luck. So we thought that maybe it's time to ask for help. If you find any good deals or know someone that's trying to sell a wheelchair accessible vans in good condition, please let us know! We'd even be willing to travel to get it if it was a good enough deal. It would make taking Jeremy to doctors' appointments and just out to have fun much much easier.

Please comment on this post or any other if you have found something we should check into.

Thanks,
Courtni

June 6

2010-06-06T20:28:00.001-07:00

The nurse reviewer came on Friday to "review" Jeremy's case. We (Jeremy included) had a very nice visit with her and before she left I asked her if she had any idea how many hours of help Jeremy would receive. I felt pretty good about her visit and feel like God was watching over us again. She said she would like to see us get enough hours to work and maybe get some free time for stopping by the store on the way home, etc. I hope that we get the final word on Monday or Tuesday. She also told us that if we every needed a weekend off we could take Jeremy to someplace, like Boise Health and Rehab, and it would be covered.

We also called about Jeremy's wheelchair and the "sit and stand" and found it is being held up by the insurance company. I don't know why they didn't tell me that a week ago when I asked if they needed anything else to get it ordered ASAP. They said they were good to go and we should have it by Friday - that would have been LAST Friday!!! We will be calling the insurance company about that on Monday!! I think we will try the squeaky wheel thing.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers!!! God is good!

June 3

2010-06-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

This has been a week building part of the new "normal". We are still waiting for the equipment but we have met all his new therapists now and a schedule is beginning to form. Jeremy has another wonderful new speech therapist. She will meet with him twice a week. What a blessing, his occupational therapist is a hand specialist. He will meet with her twice a week also. The physical therapist will be meeting with him 2 or 3 times a week. These ladies come to our house for his therapies. These are the "skilled" people that have been assigned to Jeremy. From what I understand, this is re-evaluated every 2 months.

This week we have all taken turns taking time off to hang out with Jeremy. Eric, Stephen & Courtni, Kristen, Greg and I have all taken a day. We are prayerful that our meeting tomorrow will settle our schedule a little.

Tomorrow the nurse reviewer for our area will be coming at 11:30 to evaluate how many hours of ""unskilled" help Jeremy will receive. Jeremy does not require a nurse to care for him during the day. We have asked for a male person, so Jeremy can have a friend to hang out with during the day. between therapies. We are praying that it will be enough to cover Greg and I so we can continue to work.

Thank you for your prayers!!!!!

June 1

2010-06-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Greg! :) A much better birthday present this year than last year. Jeremy home! It's been a long, hard year and we know that we still have quite a few long hard years to come, but we remembered once again this weekend how lucky that we are to still have Jeremy.

Stephen, Eric, Kristen and I spent the day with Jeremy today while Greg and Debi both went to work. The Sit and Stand still hasn't arrived and Debi can't transfer Jeremy without it without hurting herself. It's frustrating keeping all of the care covered for Jeremy and still work full time while we wait for all of his caregiver paperwork and red tape to go through.

It's still pretty difficult, since Jeremy's still 100% assist, to get him up and keep him entertained all day, but between the four of us we got it done. We met with the occupational therapist for her assessment of Jeremy today. Sounds like she'll do a great job. She's really wanting to push Jeremy into more independence even as much as to get his own glass of water or cut his own food.

I spent a lot of time with Jeremy today, I was trying to keep him occupied without letting him sit in front of his computer (it has a tendency to make him a little extra grumpy). So we made a marinade for the tofu I was making for lunch and Jeremy dumped in the spices and other ingredients. Then we made chocolate pudding and Jeremy did the mixing with the mixer. Then we made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and we used the break apart ones. Jeremy put all of the cookies on the sheet. Last, we started making regular chocolate chip cookies and Jeremy softened the butter and helped with the stirring. Then Jeremy talked to me and hung out while I cut vegetables for lunch.

It was a busy busy day! The rest of the crew did some more housework, cleaning and finishing wiring in the living room, moving furniture, etc. Jeremy helped unravel the spool of speaker wire. Good practice and a great job for his hands to do. Then, as soon as Greg got home from work, we all headed out of town back home!

Thank you for your continued prayers! Pray that the caregiver's hours get assigned quickly!
-Courtni

May 30

2010-05-31T08:45:00.001-07:00

Today was a day full of firsts!

First, Jeremy got a visit from his new speech pathologist, who did a bit of an assessment on him, trying to figure out what they need to work on starting later this week. She'll be working with Jeremy for the coming months on loudness, articulation and writing and then go from there.

Jeremy got to go out to breakfast this morning! His first restaurant since the accident one year ago this weekend. He did great and really enjoyed his omelette at iHop! :)

Then, after getting home and taking a bit of a nap (the field trip to the restaurant really tired him out). Eric, Stephen and I wanted to go to a store to check out the weekend's deals, and Jeremy asked to go with us. So, we loaded him in our car and off we went! We're still looking for a wheelchair accessible van so that that process can be a little simpler, but we got it done!

What a fun day!
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
Courtni

First restaurant outing!

2010-05-30T11:26:00.001-07:00

May 29

2010-05-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jeremy had quite a few visitors today! It was a very busy day!

The first visit was from the violinist, Jamie Jorge! He was doing some concerts in the area and staying with a couple from the church that has been helping complete Jeremy's room. So they brought Jamie by and he hung out with us a bit and then played a few songs for Jeremy! Just beautiful!

Then some more friends from high school, college and church came to visit and spent some time playing games with Jeremy and visiting. It was quite the day!

Jeremy really seems to enjoy being home instead of at the nursing home. I don't think that it will take long for the family to fall into a routine.

Blessings,
Courtni

Good news!

2010-05-28T09:01:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to give you all a quick update.

We're moving Jeremy home this weekend!

There's only a few things left that need to be done in his room, but we can complete those around him. Thank you to everyone that lent a hand to help get Jeremy's room built, finished and furnished!

We're super excited and will take lots of pictures to post here on the blog. Stephen and I are headed to Boise this evening after work to help out in the moving process. We still don't know when care will be coordinated for Jeremy. It takes up to a few days for an evaluation to be done and the process to be completed for a caregiver to be assigned to Jeremy. And that evaluation can't be done until he's home, so the next couple days will be pretty crazy with the family taking turns caring for Jer.

Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers and support. Jeremy still has a long run ahead of him with many hurdles, but this is one we'll be able to mark off the list after this weekend! :)

-Courtni

May 23

2010-05-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

Jeremy spent almost an hour working out in the gym before he left Boise Health and Rehab today. He usually spends 15 minutes working his left arm and then 15 minutes working his legs on the Omnicycle (his favorite machine). Today for the first time he did the whole 15 minutes with both hands on the arm pedals. I was very proud of him. Then he did a 30 minute workout with his legs. A little at a time I have been increasing the tension when he works out his legs.

It is nice to be able to bring Jeremy home for the day. We brought him home on Saturday and then again on Sunday. He enjoyed watching the progress on his room today. The house is almost done. We will be putting the final molding on over the next couple of days. The toilet and sink will be put in in the next couple of days also and then we are ready.

We are all looking forward to bringing Jeremy home this Friday. They have told us we won't have any of the equipment that they ordered by then but we will be fine for a few days. Hopefully it will only be a few days!!!!! We know the "system" works slowly so we will pray for God's speed. Through other sources we acquired a bed, transfer wheelchair and hopefully this week we will get a shower chair. The main thing we will be missing is the sit and stand. Which means we have to do all transfers for now. His electric wheelchair may take a little longer to get, we aren't sure. It will be nice when he gets that. Then he can have more freedom to go where he wants and not depend on someone to get him there.

Thank you for your prayers.

May 20

2010-05-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Well, it's not all hard work with Jeremy. Tonight we played on his computer and then we talked for a while. I wanted to see if he might remember anything more or different about why he was in the Hospital for so long. He said he was in an accident, I said how, he said he didn't know - so we looked through some pictures of the accident site again as I told him the story of what happened. When I got to the part about the bend in the road and told him he went straight and over the side of the road. He looked up at me and said (with a grin) OOPS. I couldn't help but laugh. He is so funny at times - still has his Jeremy sense of humor. Everyday seems to bring new changes and we get closer to bringing him home which I think will be very good for him.

We know so many of you keep Jeremy in your daily prayers and we're thankful for that - blessings to you.

Greg

May 18

2010-05-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Jeremy's physical therapist was pretty excited about his effort to stand yesterday so this morning she got out this walker. The standing frame has more support at the knee's. With this walker he can lean on it but the rest of it is all him. His therapist said he couldn't stop smiling this morning when he stood. The picture you see is after 4 when we got back from the doctor (just a checkup after the botox). We are all so proud of him!!!

Thank you for all those prayers!

2010-05-18T15:47:00.001-07:00

May 17

2010-05-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

We registered Jeremy with a In Home Health agency today. One step closer to bringing him home. We still have to find an agency that does Physical and occupational therapy in case they decide to give Jeremy some hours of Physical and occupational therapy once he gets home. I guess that is a possibility.

Jeremy was pretty tired today when I got to the hospital but he agreed when I asked he to go to see what was happening in physical therapy. He agreed to get up on the standing frame (30 minutes). When we started to raise him up to the standing position, something either hurt him or made him mad but it got him to his feet. He stood! All by himself. We had to hurry and tighten the strap that goes behind his seat for when the adrenalin passed. It was pretty cool!!!!! He ended up working out for over an hour.

Please pray for us as we continue to look for people to help us with Jeremy once we get him home! Thank you for your prayers and support!!

May 16

2010-05-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

Jeremy had a pretty good weekend. We took him home for the day on both Saturday and Sunday. Before we left, we went into the gym and did a little exercise. He stood on the standing frame for 30 minutes and talked to Dad and Mom and looked out the window at the beautiful flowering trees. He also go on his favorite machine (the arm and leg bike) and did 25 minutes with his legs and 15 minutes with his arms. That included 7 minutes with BOTH is arms. I don't think he has ever gone that long with his right hand.

When he got home he had an two enjoyable relaxing days. At one point Eric was transferring him from the sofa to the chair. He asked Jeremy to give it all he had and stand. Eric was so surprised at how well he did that he held him at an arm's distance. And Jeremy was still standing. Then he sat him down. Jeremy was definitely doing more than 25% of the transfer that time. WOW!

We are currently looking for some sort of used standing frame so we will be able to continue working (safely) at home with Jeremy. If you know of a hospital or rehab place that has gone out of business or got new equipment (and wants to get rid of or sell the old stuff) in your area, PLEASE let us know! Someone told us that sometimes they just have old stuff sitting in the back room collecting dust. We just have to find it! I asked how much Jeremy's favorite machine (the Omnicycle) cost - they said "Oh, you don't want to know." Please Pray!

Thank you so much for your help, support, and most of all your prayers!

May 12

2010-05-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Jeremy has some good days just like all of us and some bad days. It is very frustrating to me on days where he doesn't want to even try. Nothing I can say will convince him go get up and go get some exercise. He tells me he is tired (which I understand) he will do it tomorrow and then tomorrow comes and he says the same thing. Please pray that Jeremy will have the will, the fight and that we will have patience. I know with his hand and wrist (and the botox) he has about a 2 or 3 week window of opportunity to get the maximum benefit. Plus it is important for him to continue to build strength.

Tomorrow we will meet with an agency about caring for Jeremy at home. The next step in bringing him home.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

May 9

2010-05-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

Jeremy spent both Saturday and Sunday at home with Greg and I. Just a calm peaceful weekend. At least for Jeremy. Greg and I painted the family room and another part of Jeremy's room. A little molding and we will be ready for bed and equipment. We are hopeful that we will be able to get that soon. It looks as if it may be awhile before Jeremy gets his electric wheelchair. The process takes longer than we had hoped. The target date for Jeremy to come home was May 12 and that isn't going to happen. Hopeful he will be able to come home by the end of the month. The final touches will be put on Jeremy's room in the next week.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

May 7

2010-05-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

We gave Jeremy another good long workout today. We started on the mat with stretch of his legs. Some of his groin and upper thigh muscles are still really tight. We worked them along with his arm and hand muscles. Then we handed him some bean bags that were sitting close by and had him throw them as far as he could, which is not far but we are working on that also. The reward is that if he can get it to the top of the wardrobe that is across from the foot of his bed I will buy him a gallon of ice cream.

After that we went to the standing frame for 1/2 hour. We ended up being in the gym for almost 2 hours. This was relaxing, no push session. Fun.

I guess the plan to bring Jeremy home for good has been put off to the end of the month. We are finding out that his process takes a long time.

Saturday we plan to take him home again. Lunch at Grammy and Papa's and hang out at home.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

May 6

2010-05-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

After Jeremy's doctor visit on Tuesday he sent a order or request to Boise Health and Rehab to "work out" that arm 3 or 4 times a day. They have asked the CNA's to do it once, the restorative nurse to do it once and we will do it also. When I got to Jeremy late this afternoon we went into the gym and he was going to work for 15 minutes on his legs. It turned out to be over an hour. Someone was on the machine he usually uses so we put him on a different one. I can't think of the name of it right now. Then we took him over to the mat for about an hour of stretching, rolling and torture (at least Jeremy thought it was torture). We rolled him over on his stomach and slid his head over the end of the mat. Tried to get him to hold himself up with his arms! He did it after he stopped yelling. He was not a happy camper at first. He was yelling so loud they closed the door to physical therapy. Jeremy was the only patient in the room at the time. The yelling is good news by the way. He still speaks so quiet most of the time you cant hear him. Someone took pictures of him during this time so I will try to get them and post them. In the end I know he enjoyed all the attention and could tell that people really care about him getting better.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

May 4

2010-05-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Jeremy had a doctor apt today about his right arm. They had decided to try Botox again and this time target the muscles that are associated with his wrist and hand. Last time they did it they targeted his shoulder and elbow muscles. When he is lying down he moves his elbow pretty normally. When he is sitting up for some reason he holds it very tight to his side. The next 3 weeks is our window of opportunity to work on that hand and see if we can avoid surgery. If the Botox doesn't work surgery is the next option. They would do the same type of thing that they did on his ankles.

The nurse and the therapist at the doctors office were pleased with the progress that Jeremy has made is the past 3 weeks since the last office visit. They felt that even his right hand was moving a little better.

In the past month since Jeremy has been "taking control" back, sometimes it is harder for me to get him to WANT to exercise. He is to the point where he has to want it and DO IT! Please remember him in your prayers. None of this is going to get easier!

Thank you for those prayers!

May 2

2010-05-03T09:14:00.001-07:00

Well, the floors in Jeremy's room are done. They look beautiful, much better than plywood! :) It was a day of hard work, and Stephen, Kristen and I had to leave to head home before everything was done. But Debi, Greg, Eric and Peter pulled through to finish it up! The laminate, snap-together flooring took a really long time to get started, but once we got past the notching for bathrooms and door frames and the short hallway, the progress really picked up! :) One more step to bringing Jeremy home! :)

May 1

2010-05-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty good day, Jeremy came home and spent the day here at the house. We played some games and did some resting. It was a pretty uneventful day. Jeremy's been getting more independant in his mind even though his body isn't cooperating yet. By the time we took Jer back to Boise Health and Rehab, he was tired and getting grumpy.

We spent the evening pulling up the carpet in the family room, leveling and screwing down floor boards, and patching the floor so that we can put in the new flooring. Tomorrow will be a busy day, with painting and floor laying.

April 30

2010-04-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

The training continues. This time it's not Jeremy, it is the rest of us. We were given a short course in "range of motion. Things we should to do on a daily basis from now on. We were also taught how to get Jeremy up in the standing frame. This is something we will try to do 3 times a week. At this point Jeremy doesn't have any more physical therapy sessions so we will do our best to keep him as active as possible.

We plan to bring Jeremy home again tomorrow. With Eric, Stephen, Courtni and Kristen in town it should be a wonderful Sabbath.

Thank you for your love, support and prayers.

April 28

2010-04-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

Our training session went well today on transferring Jeremy to and from the car. The therapist learned that her car (the one in the picture) is easier to transfer to (her front door opens wider than ours). But all in all it worked out fine. Greg learned that the sit and stand transfer to the car is MUCH EASIER! Since Greg is usually the one in front doing all the heavy lifting and I am behind, directing things.

Jeremy is exhibiting more desire to be in control more and more every day. The problem comes in the fact that he doesn't yet have the ability to sit back, formulate his thoughts, control what comes out of his mouth. Most of the time its a rush of words that people can't understand. His care givers are having to learn to slow down and give Jeremy a chance to formulate and say what he wants. HE WANTS CONTROL BACK. Sometimes that is possible and other times it's not. But it is all part of the process that we all have to go through. We have to find creative ways to get Jeremy to cooperate in therapy that may hurt right now but is necessary in recovery.

Thank you for your prayers.

April 26

2010-04-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Jeremy loved having his grandparents here for a few days. He enjoyed sharing with them the places on the Internet that he goes to to exercise his brain as well as showing them things in the gym. He is also looking forward to having his brothers home this weekend. "He misses them a lot"!

There are new pictures posted. On Wednesday they will begin training Greg and I on the proper use of that very thing. Getting Jeremy in and out of the car (without breaking him or us) using that" stand and lift" you see in the picture. It will help us get him in and out of bed or the chair(without hurting our backs) in addition to using it to get him in the car. After that they will start training us on other pieces of equipment we may need to help Jeremy. As Jeremy runs out of therapy sessions, more of that will be left up to us to do with. It is fun as well as a lot of work! We know God will supply what we need - strength, courage, people to help. God has been good to us.

Thank you for your prays and words of encouragement.

April 24

2010-04-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Jeremy's grandparents anniversary so we decided to see if we could get him in our car and surprised them at lunch. We were planning to have lunch with them at their house. We were able to get him in the front seat. He loved getting outside and spending time with family like normal. His other grandparents from California came up to see him for a few days so that was extra special. Jeremy had a pretty good day.

This is the first time he has been to our house since we started to remodel. He was pretty happy to see everything. His face said it all. Big smile, maybe even a little overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from everyone. Again - Thank you to all of you who helped!

Thank you for your continued prayers!

April 23

2010-04-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and the therapists continue to work on the things it will take to get him home. Some of that for the therapists is miles of paperwork that they have to submit to get Jeremy the equipment he will need once he gets home. For us it is weeks of endless waiting for "the process".

The final things are being done in the house expansion process. The bathroom should be done by Monday. We are painting a little at a time in the evenings after work, Jeremy and farewells to good friends moving to Texas. Next weekend we will have a floor laying party. Eric, Stephen & Courtni will be here to do that and put some of the finishing touches to Jeremy's room. Then we wait for that "process" so Jeremy can have the proper bed etc. Jeremy wanted to know why he couldn't sleep at home last night. I asked him if he wanted to sleep on scaffolding. It's the only thing in the room at this time.

I asked today if the guy they had contacted about a wheelchair had called back. They have 2 places in Boise that they contact "Wheelchair clinics" that give their expert advice on wheelchairs. These wheelchairs run around $15 thousand. (more than my car cost!!) You only get one shot at this so you have to do it right the first time! Because of Jeremy's very specific needs, height and size, this is really important. We have learned the hard way in the hospital loaners that Jeremy has been in, in some of the hospitals how REALLY IMPORTANT this is.

Thank you for your prayers!

How to comment

2010-04-20T16:03:00.001-07:00

I had someone tell me this weekend that they wanted to comment on the blog but couldn't figure out how to, so I thought that I'd repost the following instructions! :)

If you don't know how to post a comment here are some instructions:

1. If you're on the main blog page, you can click on the underlined link under the post that says "comments" or click on the title of the post.

2. Once you're on the next page, there should be a blank comment box under the post. Go ahead and type a comment to Jeremy. Don't forget to sign it! (Maybe include where Jeremy knows you from... Sometimes it takes him a bit to remember who people are and that seems to help jog his memory)

3. Down on the "Comment as..." dialogue box, if you don't have a Google account, you can either click on "Name/URL" or "Anonymous".
- If you pick "Name/URL" you can just put in your name and skip the URL box. If you pick Anonymous, it will post your comment as "Anonymous", which is fine as long as you remembered to sign your post.

4. Then you can click "Post Comment" to post your comment to Jeremy.

Hope that helps!
-Courtni

April 19

2010-04-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

They (Jeremy and the therapists) are working hard in preparation for going home. We will have to have some type of lift (in case one smaller person is home alone with Jeremy) to get Jeremy from, his chair to his bed or from one chair to another. Jeremy can help with this process but when he is tired - not so much. They have 2 types of lifts - one is a hoyer, Jeremy would have to be lying down to use that one. Very hard for one person to use this and get him into a chair. They have not used that on Jeremy for 6 months or so. They other one they wanted to try on Jeremy is a standing frame one. They weren't sure with Jeremy's size (height) that it would work with him. They tried this lift today and it worked well. It has a band or harness that wraps around his chest area, under his arms and lifts from there. There is a platform for his feet (and yes his size 12 shoes fit on the platform), a cushioned knee area to hold him in place. They are hoping we can get this machine to assist in transfer at home. Remember, everything has to be submitted to the insurance company for approval.

Thank you so much for your comments, support and prayers. If you have any questions about Jeremy feel free to "comment". We will try to answer any questions.

April 18

2010-04-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Friday the physical therapists from Boise Health and Rehab came to our home to look at what they had to work with as far. They measured Jeremy's room, the bathroom and entryway. We spent a lot of time talking about options as far as, how to get Jeremy out of bed (if only one person is around). We will have help during the day while Greg and I are at work (at this point we don't know how much). We discussed other pieces of equipment that Jeremy may need as far as help in showering, toileting, what size and type of bed Jeremy will need, equipment to get to and from the wheelchair, and the wheelchair! They were very excited that we didn't put in a bathtub. They will go back, study all the options, submit a proposal to the insurance company and see what happens (I guess).

Saturday -
When I arrived this morning I found Jeremy's room empty. I went to the gym and found him. He was set up in front of the Wii playing ping pong, surrounded by dogs. Lisa had brought her dogs to share with the residents there. Jeremy was having a good time. The first thing Jeremy asked when I got there was to go outside. It was a beautiful day in Boise so we went for a long walk. OK, Greg and I walked, Jeremy had a nice ride.

Thank you for your prayers.

April 15

2010-04-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

One of the therapists talked to Grammy and Papa yesterday. They had asked how Jeremy was doing. The therapist said in silent frustration - "We are having to start all over"! We hear that and have to try not to get discouraged.

On Wednesday when I was there they were working with him on "side board transfers". They put a smooth board between Jeremy and the worktable. They demonstrate, in detail, the movements they want from Jeremy. Analyze every movement you go through to stand up. Lean forward - push your feet into the ground - push up with legs - just enough to get your seat off the chair. All they want at this point from Jeremy is the up and down movement, they will work on the side movement later. They helped him with that now. He did pretty good (I think). One therapist asked the other how much she was helping. She said "Not much." That's good!

Then they worked with him on the standing frame. He stands and they put him in front of the Wii - We tried bowling - not really easy while leaning on a standing frame that has a table in front of him. So we tried pool and then ping pong. He kept complaining that his knees and feet hurt. We kept telling him we knew they hurt, but he had to work through the pain if he wanted to walk again. He doesn't use his knees and ankles that much.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

-Debi

April 13

2010-04-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

I talked to Greg and he said that Jeremy's doctor's appointment went really good. Dr. Kadian was very impressed with Jeremy's range of motion and the results of the surgery on his ankles. Jer is moving his feet back and forth, which he couldn't do before. Sounds like they'll be scheduling a similar procedure for his right hand to see if we can help him get his hand open, it's getting better, but they'd like to help the process along. They also refilled Jeremy's baclofen pump.

Sounds like Jeremy is starting to "re-blossom" under the care of Boise Health and Rehab again. Which is a big relief to all of us that saw Jeremy regress at the Elk's facility. Stephen and I are looking forward to seeing Jeremy again in a few weeks. Can't go every weekend; wish we could.

Thank you for keeping Jeremy and the rest of your family in your prayers!
Courtni

April 12

2010-04-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Jeremy had a really good day yesterday. When I got to Jeremy in the morning the first thing he said to me is "what do you want to do today?" I suggested that we head to the gym, work his arms or his legs for awhile and then head to the activity center where we could "golf" or "bowl" on the Wii. So that is what we did. He spent 25 minutes on the leg part of his favorite machine. It rotates his legs in a bicycle peddling type motion. Then we went to "golf" for an hour.

Lunch. Nap. Then in the afternoon we did the same thing only with his arms and then "bowling". The motion with bowling is harder for Jeremy to do. It is the swing and release that he has trouble with. We are practicing though. We will get it down eventually and he gets a lot of laughs at me when I throw the ball behind me. I need practice also! Maybe I'm not the right partner for this activity!:)

The Physical therapist told us tonight that they plan to put Jeremy on the standing frame tomorrow and do something on the Wii (something about dance fever?) so that should be interesting. They really make those workouts fun!

Jeremy has a doctor apt tomorrow to get the baclofen pump refilled.

Please continue to pray for us as we work on our "list" God's direction!

April 10

2010-04-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

The general opinion of the staff at Boise Health and Rehab is that Jeremy regressed during his time at the Elks. I was really hoping that it was our imagination but NO, several people have stopped us in he hallway to express their concern. We just tell them we brought Jeremy back to them to turn things around before we take him home. Stop this downward trend.

We had a "family meeting" Friday with the Social worker, head nurse and the head therapist to discuss "the plan" to take Jeremy home. We set a tentative date - one month from now. May 12th. That date may be adjusted. Two people from Boise health and Rehab will come out next week to assess Jeremy's room and tell us what we need to add. Bars here or there, etc.

Things that have to done before bringing him home are:
Jeremy's room has to be finished
Jeremy's wheelchair has to be ordered - finally!!!!! (Has to be ordered by the last place he is at before going home. )
A bed has to be ordered
AND we have to find someone to care for him while we are at work. Hours to be determined by the state after he is discharged. We will have to interview agencies and people for that position. We will probable be looking for someone Jeremy's age - with a strong back. They will have to help move 200 pound Jeremy several times a day!

Please continue to pray that all goes according to Gods plan. We NEED His help! Thank you

Reorganization of the site

2010-04-07T08:56:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Just wanted to clarify the reorganization that I did here on the website. You can now find the "What Happened?" and "Definitions" sections under the links across the top of this page. If you go to one of those pages, all you have to do is click on "Blog" to get back here!
-Courtni

April 6 - Jeremy moved again!

2010-04-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Jeremy moved back to Boise Health & Rehabilitation Center at about 3 PM today. He's in room 110. He has a roommate this time, so we'll see how that goes, but everyone there is thrilled to have him back. Debi told me that she was standing outside his room talking to someone, and there was a steady stream of people going in and out of Jeremy's room welcoming him back! :) We're really hopeful that Jer's progress will turn around now that he's back at this facility.

April 5

2010-04-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

We resolved the problem with Boise Health and Rehab today! It seems that at every turn there is another issue we have to deal with. You get one answer and there are 3 more questions. Call this agency and then that! And the sad part of it all is that it has nothing to do with getting Jeremy healthy again. The social worker told me today she has never seen anything like this. You just have to laugh!!! Otherwise we would go crazy. It will all work out in time. God has a plan and we will just wait to see what it is.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

April 4

2010-04-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

Stephen, Courtni, Kristen and Eric came to see Jeremy for awhile today and they planned an Easter egg hunt. First they had some hard boiled eggs and some shrink wrap decorations for the eggs. Jeremy had to put the sleeve on the egg and then we put it in boiling water to make it conform to the egg. Then we had him decorate some of the eggs with stickers. You could see the part of Jeremy's personality that said "this is silly", but he did it smiling and laughing. It challenged him to put the shrink wrap on the egg. Kristen and Courtni assisted and cheered him on.

It was freezing cold outside so we decided to do the hunt the large dining room. The other option was the halls - we went for the dining room. Stephen and Eric turned it into an exercise session (since he doesn't get therapy on weekends anymore). If the egg was on the floor - they helped him lean over to pick it up. If it was up high - they helped him reach for it. If it was in the middle of a large table - they helped him lean forward to get it. They all had a lot of fun. Jeremy loooovvvveeeessss having his brothers (& Courtni & Kristen) around! AND Greg and I love watching them together.

We continue daily with the "brain games". His body may not be getting as much exercise as we would like but his mind is getting hours of exercise workout! He continues to make steady progress in this part.

Thank you for your prayers & support!!!!!

April 2

2010-04-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

This week Jeremy's regular occupational therapist has been on vacation. He has had a student working with him. It is so nice to see how excited she is about helping Jeremy improve. She has to be very close to his age so I'm sure she relates to him. And it didn't hurt that she is cute and that has some influence in getting him to try harder. She had him shaving himself today with shaving cream and a razor. I have not seen that before. Not that it hasn't been done but I haven't see it or evidence of it. Jeremy was having fun.

The speech therapist left us a note today, suggesting that we may want to look into a voice amplification system. Jeremy is so soft spoken it is often very hard to hear - thus understand him. It might be interesting to try. We will have to look into it.

Thank you for your prayers and support!!!!!

April 1

2010-04-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Just just received word that Jeremy's transfer to Boise Health and Rehab is on hold again. Jeremy will not be transferred this week. We will meet with them on Monday to see what the hold up is. The person in charge of the financial stuff is out of the office this week and she is the one we need to talk to. Patience!

Pray that we can finish Jeremy's rooms as quickly as possible. Than we could just bring him home! Patience!

God's timing! Patience! Thank you for your prayers!

March 31

2010-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Jeremy may be going back to Boise Health and Rehab tomorrow or Friday. He has been approved for Medicaid so "the process" can move forward. Whatever that means. We were told he will NOT have a private room this time (there are none available). I just hope that if he has a roommate he likes to go to bed early and doesn't watch TV. It's hard enough hearing him as it is. I'm not going to worry about it at this point.

At home we are ready to tape, texture and paint the walls. Then the flooring and sometime in between that the bathroom will get tiled. We are almost there. Oh yea, at some point they have to put the doors on! Then we have to clean, clean, clean. Before they come to do the home inspection! We are getting pretty excited!!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued prayers!

March 30

2010-03-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

We have learned ways to help Jeremy remember things. No, that is not the right way to say it. They tell us that Jeremy will need to be a note taker - Post-it's will be his friend! There is a white board in Jeremy's room with the where he is at, Elk's, room number, nurses name, meal times, etc. He kept asking when he got the casts off so we put that date on there also. It saved him from having to ask us all the time. Clues, reminders, all good things.

In speech therapy last month I saw Jeremy play a game where he couldn't follow 2 instructions in a row. Do step A and then do step B. This week I observed a different speech activity where he did much better at A, B and C.

He still has a very difficult time remembering some simple things ("where do I go for breakfast in the morning?") especially when he is tired. He asks that every night about the time he is about ready to fall asleep. We ask him, do they serve breakfast in the library or the dining room? We will continue to try and help him exercise that brain of his.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

March 27

2010-03-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Jeremy finally got his casts off yesterday. He was really looking forward to that. Stephen, Papa and I took him in Papa's van. After we were through at the doctor's office we went to the place where the braces were being made. The mold casts that they took after surgery evidently weren't very good so they wanted to make new ones. I had asked them to make sure Jeremy had on shorts for all this, figured it would be easier. He had on those polyester athletic shorts that all the kids wear. Well when they lifted up both legs to re cast (molds) his legs he kept slipping out of the chair. It is a good thing there were three of us helping.

Today is a beautiful day in Boise. I took Jeremy for a walk or ride in his wheelchair this morning. We were out for probably an hour and a half then we had to come back so Jeremy could get lunch. It will be nice to be able to do that more often now that spring is in the air!

Several people have connected us with web sites with "brain games", anything from math to memory, puzzles to word games. Jeremy is enjoying these sites. It is nice to have something different to do. Since he has only 3 hours of therapy a day and the rest of the day he has no scheduled activities it's nice to have something to fill the time. He isn't able to get the computer out when he is alone, but when someone is here it's a nice change. Thank you very much for your input!!!!!

One of the nurses told me that she had received a head injury like Jeremy's and it took her 4 years to recover. We had hoped Jeremy's recovery would be faster but.... God has a plan for Jeremy were will just have wait and see what that is.

Thank you for your prayers! Keep on praying.

March 25

2010-03-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is very excited about getting his casts off in the morning. We will take Jeremy to the doctor apt Papa's van. Should work out fine. We plan to start early because this will be the first time we have done a trip with Jeremy sitting in a regular car seat and the wheelchair in the back. We will have to transfer him to and from the car to the wheelchair and then back again for each apt. He has 3 apts throughout the day. One with the doctor to get the casts removed, etc. the other 2 apts are with the place that is making his new braces. One in the morning and then another in the afternoon. Should be a fun day.

I also talked to the doctor about his right arm tonight. He want to talk to Dr. Shilt (doctor that did his ankles) or possible do more botox on different muscles on his arm. Possibly next week. He also agreed to go let occupational therapy do more electric stimulation on his right wrist and arm. He also is going to ask permission for Jeremy to use the gym equipment whenever he would like. That would be nice.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

March 23

2010-03-24T07:15:00.001-07:00

We found out this afternoon that the driver at the Elks had not been notified about the changes in times for Jeremy's doctor apt's on Friday. We may have to transport him ourselves, so they are training me to do a transfer ALL MY MYSELF. No I take that back - Jeremy has to do it. I am just there to assist. Its fun to see Jeremy get to the point where he is getting able to do that. My only concern is I have a very small car and as you know Jeremy is not "very small". We will see what happens - God has a plan. What was my reaction to this? I called Greg and Stephen.

Thank you for your prayers!

A few new pictures from this weekend are up!

2010-03-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

March 22

2010-03-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is still in limbo at the Elks. We have not been able to make contact with the "insurance and Medicaid specialist" from the Elks yet. We were told she would call us last Friday.

Jeremy continues to get the 3 hours of therapy a day. We continue to investigate ways we can help him when we get him home. We can hardly wait now. What seemed overwhelming a month ago, we are now looking forward to. What a difference a month makes. Gods timing.

I can't thank you enough for your support and prayers. It means more than I can tell you.

March 21

2010-03-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

My goodness, we get a lot done on Jeremy's room today! Electrical got a good start, some wiring was ran and Stephen put in the fan in the bathroom. Thank you to Douglas from Ida-Haven for his direction. Just a bit more to do this week before rough inspection. The walls that used to be the outside walls came down today too. That was exciting!! First there was a little punch through the walls and then they fell! :) I think that the demolition was everyone's favorite part, except everyone was sneezing because of all the insulation and sheetrock in the air.

Thank you to everyone that came out to help! It's starting to look so wonderful! We're all so excited for Jeremy to see the new room! It will be like Extreme Home Makeover - Jeremy edition! :)

I'll be posting new pictures soon!

-Courtni

March 20

2010-03-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a beautiful day in Boise. In the morning we took Jeremy for a walk (Jeremy in electric wheelchair). up the road from the Elks. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and it was the first day of spring. Jeremy continues to get better with the electric wheelchair. He still has problems with distractions or turning corners to sharply. He almost took out the front door of the Elks. It is glass and about 10 feet high. Stopped just in the nic of time.

After lunch we all played a game in the dining room. It is bright in there with big windows. It is good to get out of his room. They tend to keep the shades drawn, lights out in his room. Jeremy enjoyed the games and the company with Eric, Stephen and Courtni.

The afternoon brought with it friends from California. Courtni, Stephanie, Lindy (the 7 year old) and Marissa (4 year old) played a game of UNO and then Lindy played connect 4 with Jeremy for about an hour while we visited. It was fun. It gave Jeremy something different to do.

Sunday will be another work day (Sunday at 10:30) on Jeremy's new quarters at home. We are all looking forward to having him home. It should be done in 2 or 3 weeks. It will be nice to get life back to some kind of normalcy.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

March 18

2010-03-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Still no progress on the Medicaid problems, but Greg is meeting with someone today to see if she can help move the process along. Sounds like, from what Debi told me, she's ready to fight for Jeremy.

Jeremy's doing good, still doing his therapies, still hanging out at Elk's. Lately, Debi's been reading some new information about exercising the brain, which is what she thinks that the therapists are using the computer games for in therapy. So, in Jeremy's free time she's been doing a lot of memory games and Sudoku on the computer with him. He really enjoys doing Sudoku, numbers you know, but Debi thinks it might be nice to find some other good online games for him to try.

If you have any ideas of good brain games that are not too complex and fun to play, please comment on this post and let us know. We haven't really had the time to do the research ourselves to find new games, but if you have one that you already play, that would be so great!

Thank you for your prayers! More updates and pictures this weekend, Stephen and I will be back in Boise!

-Courtni

March 17

2010-03-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has taken so long for us to post this week. The last few days have been rather frustrating and stressful. Please continue to keep the family and this process in your thoughts and prayers.

A quick update:
Jeremy was supposed to be moved back to Boise Health and Rehabilitation today, but we have been told he cannot be accepted. Jeremy was denied Medicaid(for now), and it messed a whole bunch of things up. Hopefully everything will get resolved by today or tomorrow. So, right now, Jeremy is in limbo... He's supposed to be leaving the Elk's but he has no where to go...

PM update: The people at the Elks assured us this afternoon that they would not discharge Jeremy until the Medicaid thing is resolved. His insurance decided that he was not making acceptable progress so they quit paying. The people at the Elks will NOT put Jeremy out on the street. We know God has a plan and maybe that plan is for Jeremy to stay at the Elks a little longer. One day at a time!!!!

We'll try to keep everyone updated as the week continues.

Thank you for your prayers!!!!

Jeremy shouldn't laugh and drive! :)

2010-03-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

New pictures are up from last weekend!

2010-03-14T18:04:00.001-07:00

March 14

2010-03-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

When I got home last night ready to post the blog Greg told me everything was torn apart. No internet. We didn't have to laptop at home. Sorry about that.

Jeremy's weekend was quiet. No therapy this weekend for the first time. It snowed yesterday morning but Jeremy and I decided since the sun was out we would take a quick walk. 10 minutes to get our vit D. That was enough.

We continue to challenge his mind with games, computer games like Sudoku, online puzzles, etc. One of the teachers gave me a great on-line site for Sudoku that has degrees of difficulty. He really likes Sudoku.

God has truly blessed us! We had another great crew at our house today working on the remodeling. Putting in windows, doors and inside walls for the bathroom. Tomorrow I think they put on the roof, start on the plumbing and then we wait for the inspector to come and give their seal of approval. They are wanting to have it all finished by April 1.

It has been awhile since Jeremy has asked to go home. Yesterday he started asking again to go "home" again. Once we are back at Boise Health and Rehab he can take a day leave. We are thinking that next Saturday would be a good time for that. Brothers will be home again and Jeremy can check out the progress on his new space.

Thank you for your continued prayers. There will be a lot of changes in the next month or so and we pray that they are positive ones for Jeremy.

March 12

2010-03-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

The meeting this morning went different than we expected. We had intended to go in and try and talk them into keeping Jeremy until the house is finished but the Lord works in mysterious ways. After they told us how Jeremy was doing it became clear to us that this was not the best place for Jeremy right now. We want Jeremy in a place where the people believe in him and are positive. We got to talking about how well Jeremy was doing at Boise Health and Rehab. And the fact that our renovations at the house are not quite finished. We decided to send him back to Boise Health and Rehab until the room renovations are done and we are able to get the home inspection done to bring Jeremy home. He will probably be transferred next Wednesday. We are very disappointed that Jeremy did not thrive during his time at the Elks. It was felt that Jeremy may actually have regressed. The therapists used terms today like: Unmotivated and angry. We are hoping that we can turn things around before we bring him home.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

March 10

2010-03-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

I was able to observe Jeremy's physical therapy today for the first time in a while. His regular physical therapist has been sick so Jeremy has had someone new working with him. They started with sitting Jeremy on the edge of the mat. We are still talking about baby steps but Jeremy is getting a little better all the time at sitting by himself. His brain still wants to push him backwards at times but it is finding those pathways to keep him more upright - he is able to right himself a little better. They tell him to lean to the right and go back up or lean to the left and go back up. It is a long slow process. They are also still working with him on rolling. Tucking his head in toward his chest and pulling with those muscles while laying on his side, then they move to standing again. It seems to me that his knees want to bend more now that he has those casts on and his ankles are in a different position.

One of his therapists took him to the activity room today and they played with the Wii - golf. He needs more practice but this is another thing we can do with Jeremy at home. This is the type of therapy we can get into! They also told us about some game sites on the computer. All good tools for brain exercises. They say even solitaire is good for that.

We have a "family meeting" with the doctor and the therapists on Friday morning at 8 am. Please remember us in your prayers. God's plan and timing!

Thank you for your prayers and support!!!!!

March 8

2010-03-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

There was a lot of activity around the Doherty home yesterday. It reminded me of an old fashion barn raising. Only it isn't a barn it is Jeremy's new space. Old friends and new (about 25 in all) came over to help put up the walls. They took out the existing closet (had to be moved) and tore up the carpet. Next is the roof. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining. Today - Rain!! Thank you God!

Today was Jeremy's first day of physical therapy since his little surgery. We talked to his therapist this evening to ask how it went. Jeremy didn't have his best day. He complained about his back hurting, then his elbow hurt, then his knees hurt. We hope that he has a better day tomorrow.

They have set up the family meeting for Friday. We will meet with the doctor and the therapist to discuss Jeremy's progress. The doctor talked them into giving him a chance after the surgery. We will talk on Friday and their plan at this point is to discharge him on Wednesday. We will be talking to them about the fact that we plan to bring him home and the room is not ready yet. It is NOT the best thing for Jeremy to be transferred to a skilled nursing home (or anywhere) and then couple of weeks later transfer him again - even if it is home. Our preference would be for them to keep him until he can come home. Which was the plan in the beginning. We are back to taking things one day at a time!

Sunday Work Bee - Near the end of day

2010-03-07T23:13:00.000-08:00

Looking into Jer's room from the hole in the garage! When tearing out the sheetrock, the team found out that this part of the wall was shoddily put together when the house was built, so they had to tear it out and reframe the corner to fix it.

Sunday Work Bee - Near the beginning of day

2010-03-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

March 6

2010-03-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

My sister, Kristen, and I joined Debi and Jeremy at Elks this morning around 10 AM. We started off by taking Jeremy out to the car where we had our dogs. Jeremy had so much fun driving his electric wheelchair around with the dogs walking next to him. It was really funny because if he started laughing, his steering really suffered and he'd run into someone or something. Jeremy seemed to be having fun "off-roading" and running his wheelchair into the grass. We spent about an hour out there with him driving the wheelchair around. We finally went in when his battery got low, and he started getting tired.

After lunch, Kristen played quite a few rounds of Connect 4 with Jeremy. Each of them won a few games. However, we knew it was time to start a different game when Jeremy started throwing game pieces at Kristen. After that Debi, Kristen and I played a few hands of Uno with Jer until Mike, Wanda, Stephen and Greg showed up.

Jeremy kept asking today when he was going to get his casts off, so we wrote the date that they were coming off on his whiteboard so that he could figure out for himself how many more days.

Jeremy was really fading fast after his dinner so us girls went shopping, and Stephen and Greg got Jeremy ready for bed. I think Jeremy had a really great day today and it was so fun to see him smile and laugh.

We're looking forward to the work bee at the house tomorrow morning starting at 10:30. They'll be framing in the addition. Debi's going to the hospital to be with Jeremy, and Kristen and I were put in charge of feeding the workers and taking lots of pictures. We'll be sure to post some!

Courtni

March 5

2010-03-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

Jeremy had a pretty good day today considering. They said he was a little more tired this morning - he seemed that way this afternoon also, but he had 2 hours of therapy with no break this afternoon. He refused pain medication all day long. Said he didn't need any until about 8 tonight.

When I got to the Elks after lunch today the nurses said they were having a hard time transferring Jeremy to and from his chair. The bottoms of those casts are pretty slippery. He was also slipping out of his chair more today than usual. They called a physical therapist in and he brought Jeremy some boot type covers for the casts and the transfer was much easier. Jeremy was able to participate again. No more slipping.

Thank you for your prayers and support!!

March 4

2010-03-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know the colors of Jeremy's casts are Boise State University (Bronco's) colors. They guy who put on the casts came out (after the casts were on) and said "I hope he didn't graduate from University of Idaho (rival college team in Idaho). College football is HUGE in Boise so everything is Blue and Orange - Including Jeremy's casts.

We got to the hospital at 10 am. They took him to surgery about 1:15 pm. Out of surgery at about 2:15 and back to he Elks around 6:30. Long day!!!!! Jeremy is a little uncomfortable tonight but all considered he is doing fine. They made small incision in the back of Jeremy's calf and somehow lengthened the muscle. Then they cast the ankle in a 90 degree position for about 3 weeks. The casts come off around March 26 at which time they will put him in new braces. They made molds of his feet so they can make those new braces. Hopefully the discomfort from the surgery will subside in a few days and he can stand on the casts. I don't know how - the look kind of slippery to me, but we will see what they come up with.

Thank you for your prayers!

Jer's out of surgery and doing fine.

2010-03-04T16:46:00.001-08:00

March 3

2010-03-03T18:58:00.000-08:00

It was determined today that they would wait until next week to discharge Jeremy from the Elks. The doctor wants to wait and see if this procedure that Jeremy is having tomorrow will help him stand more freely. There is a chance that the in-balance is in his brain and not due to his ankles. They can't be sure until they try this. They could "fix" his ankles and his balance still be off. One of those new paths that he has not rebuilt.

In occupational therapy today they took Jeremy in a small room with a computer. They opened a "game" - tick-tack-toe. Only this "game" would flash, at first 3 X's on the screen and Jeremy had to remember where they were. He had to click on the square that the X had flashed in. They quickly determined that 3 X's was too easy so they went to 5. That was too easy so they sped up how long (or short) the X's were up there. I blinked one time and missed it, but Jeremy did not. After 10 minutes or so of this they went on to something harder.

Jeremy will be going to St Al's in the morning for his outpatient procedure. Thank you for your prayers and support. Pray that this works!

March 3

2010-03-03T05:18:00.000-08:00

Jeremy had a doctor apt today with the surgeon that put in the baclofin pump. He will be doing a small surgical procedure to release (allow them to stretch more easily) the muscles or tendons in Jeremy's ankles. He said they are still about 30 degrees off. He said you might be able to self adjust for 5 or 10 percent of but not 30. Try standing with your heals about a inch off the ground. Then keeping your ankles locked in that position put your heals on the floor. It throws you backwards. They have set the surgery time for 10 am on Thursday. The doctor suggested that we also work on the groin muscle. He noticed that his right leg is aimed inward and he felt it could be because the groin muscle is pulling it in. When we got back to the Elks I left a message for his rehab doctor. That should be a decision the surgeon and the rehab doctor make. Dr Kadyan was adamant that this not slow down his rehabilitation.

We have to set up a "family meeting" today to discuss Jeremy's discharge plan from the Elks. They feel he needs to go back to Boise Health and Rehab (skilled nursing home). Juggling Jeremy's surgery, the changes to the house (thankfully others have taken the lead on this one) and Jeremy's discharge all at the same time has it's challenges. All at the same time trying to keep Jeremy on track with rehab!

I was reminded yesterday that it could be worse. We are blessed! And the battle is not ours but Gods!

Thank you for your support and prayers.

March 1

2010-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

We are reminded day after day that God is truly the only one in control of Jeremy's care. We may not understand why things are happening but they are happening for a reason.

Today, we were told by the social worker at the facility that Jeremy will be have to be released from the facility soon. We aren't sure when yet, but we are very disappointed. They have said that he is not making enough progress. From what we can piece together there is a "secret formula" they use to calculate Jeremy's progress. We had very high hopes that The Elks would be the best thing for Jeremy but we are frustrated that they aren't giving him more of a chance.

Please keep Jeremy's care in your thoughts and prayers.

Stephen

Feb. 28

2010-03-01T05:35:00.000-08:00

Today was a day for celebration!! Jeremy is off isolation! No more yellow gowns. Freedom! Now he can go anywhere and everywhere. I guess it's protocol to move to a different room after a patient has been cleared, so Jeremy is now in room 217.

Linda got quite a bit of video (some on her phone) on Jeremy during speech, occupational and physical therapy. Even video with Jeremy in his electric wheelchair and playing games. They were toooo large to post so Stephen is working on them so you can see bits and pieces of them. It is so fun to see him improve.

He continues working on speaking more clearly. When he speaks with people on the phone, he can be understood better. Jeremy needs more practice in his motorized chair, so now that he has "freedom", and with the Dr's permission, he can get out and about to explore.

Thank you for you support and prayers.

February 27

2010-02-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today was fairly simple - no stress - just relaxing, playing a few games, and talking with some friends during there short visits with Jer. We just hung out and enjoyed some quiet time. Debi and her sister Linda took a drive to McCall to visit Eric. It was good for Deb to get away for a little bit. I spent the morning with Jer and then shortly after noon Aunt Maritza came and helped with lunch and Jer entertained us both. He always has a smile and is always great to be around. What a great day!! Plus the peace and blessing of today.

Blessings to all of you and thank you for your Prayers!!
Dad

February 26

2010-02-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

Today was like most other days. Jeremy did his usual therapies. One of his speech therapists was not there today, so I decided to play the part myself. It has been a real challenge to get Jeremy to put his lips together when he talks. Deb says he is relearning to move parts of his face (lips), due to the brain injury. We practiced "Peter Piper Picked a Peck Of Pickled Peppers". He did so very well, and was so patient, as I so frequently had to keep introducing his top lip to his bottom lip. He has such a great sense of humor as I was so tongue tied most of the time, inappropriate words were flowing out of my mouth. So I flunked Speech Therapy. Jeremy got an 'A' though. The minor problem with all this success in therapy, is that tomorrow, Jeremy will not remember what he accomplished today. So as much as we praise him for what he has learned, he learns it all over again tomorrow. Yet the progress holds, and improves. The brain is fascinating. Jeremy practiced driving his motorized chair today. He has a lot of fun with that freedom. PT is not ready to give him a license. Driving those motorized wheel chairs is not as easy as we may think.
Thank you for your prayers, and kind thoughts. Linda

February 25

2010-02-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

Jeremy had a great day today. I (Aunt Linda) got to see first hand ALL the therapies that Jeremy experiences during the week. Jeremy's day is quite busy, and with ME hanging around all day long, the guy hardly gets a break. I got the chance to videotape speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and all the daily routine activities he participates in. Though I video taped them, I have yet to figure out how to get that exciting action to all the interested parties. I am technically challenged. So, I await the help of one of our technically brilliant children to help with the task of getting the video off the phone and camcorder........ and on the blog to all who care to see the exciting progress.
After all the therapies, Jeremy and I decided to take some time out in the fresh air, took a walk (well, I walked..... and he enjoyed the sights of the neighborhood of the rehab center). It was a beautiful day. We had many laughs, especially when I offered to let him take his wheelchair in the skateboard park. We played solitaire games, connect 4, and some real challenging 'thinking' game type activities. He listens, he prepares a strategy in his mind, and he WINS. This guy is SMART. Not only that, he 'gets' every one's jokes. His arms and legs will be catching up with his mind soon. Then....... watch out!!!!!
Thank you for your prayers and kind thoughts.

February 23

2010-02-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

Aunt Linda (me).... is back. I am so happy to see Jeremy again. He has changed soooooooo much. He is so alert, full of conversation, able to move so much more than the last time I was here (Aug 09). He has a fabulous sense of humor! We attempted a trip around the floor of the facility halls on the motorized chair. What a kick!!! Debi created an obstacle course to test his maneuvering skills. He did fantastic until we came to the vacuum cleaner which I named Aunt Julie. He laughed so hard and promptly ran into it. It is so great to see him progressing leaps and bounds.

The Dr. came in this evening. He made comments on how well Jeremy is progressing. It was good to hear, as we, the family always like to think the best. Dr. Kadyan mentioned he had spoken to the surgeon regarding the tightness in Jeremy's ankles. He wants treatment not to interrupt Jeremy's rehab. The surgeon feels that that can be done.

Thank you for your prayers and your positive thoughts.

February 22

2010-02-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

One of Jeremy's aunts is coming for a few days so we should get a better idea of how Jeremy is doing in all of his therapies (the morning ones that we rarely get to see due to work schedules). We will pass it along.

In occupational therapy today, after Jeremy's usual range of motion and stretching, the therapist brought in a new game. That is one thing I have learned about most of these therapists. They are creative about ways to get people to stretch and move their hands, arms and minds. And as most of you know Jeremy loves to play any kind of game. And let's face it - after therapy - what else does he have to do. Good for his mind, hands and arms.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

February 21

2010-02-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Jeremy had a visit from a new weekend occupational therapist today. He was sitting up in the electric wheelchair so it made it a little hard for her to stretch Jeremy's shoulder and arm. Someone had suggested to me that Jeremy might benefit from one of those hot wax dips. They say they are good for deep muscle relaxation. I asked her if that might be true. She said yes and suggested we go and try it on Jeremy's hands. I may have to look into buying one. She also showed me some other ways we could massage Jeremy's arms and hands with a small wand massage.

Jeremy and I practiced driving around back hallways in the electric wheelchair again today. It's interesting that when he gets tired and he tires fairly quickly, he looses his concentration and starts running into things. I guess that is why they want him to practice.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

February 20

2010-02-20T18:56:00.001-08:00

Today was a pretty calm day. No therapy just games with family and visits from friends. We took Jeremy out in his electric wheelchair to do a little practicing this evening. It is fun to see him move on his own. He only ran into one or two things along the way.

Thank you for your support and prayers.

February 19

2010-02-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

We read Nathans comment from yesterday's blog. He is absolutely correct in the fact that we know it could be worse. We are grateful for everyday. We may feel overwhelmed at times but then we are reminded that God is in control - we don't have to worry about tomorrow - He has it all taken care of. Jeremy is on the road to recovery, even if it is a long road. We are truly blessed!

Today the people that made Jeremy's hand brace (that hurts too much for him to keep it on) and his leg braces came by to make some adjustments to both braces. They leg braces - his heal pops out, so we're not sure that they are very effective. They made some modifications and we will see if they work better. They should be working to keep his feet from getting foot drop. If the heal comes out of the shoe it doesn't work very well. He will need them until he is up on his feet more. They had to take them back to the shop but brought them back after a couple of hours. The hand brace will take a little longer to modify. They will bring it back on Monday. Hopefully we can get him to leave it on. We could get him to put it on but 10 minutes later he has forgotten the reason he has it on and all he can think about is that it really hurts. If someone isn't around to reason with him or distract him, he takes it off. Again, short term memory loss can be good in some cases and bad in other cases.

Thank you again for your support and prayers.