Timothy D

Don't know if anyone checks this site anymore since I stopped posting in May. However, we have reached an important juncture and want everyone who was concerned to know. Monday, Nov. 9 Timothy will return to work. He will be traveling to Wyoming to rejoin the undercutting crew that he was on when the accident Mar. 6 occured.

This has been a long journey, and Timothy has fought hard to get healthy. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he travels and as he begins his physically demanding work routine.

May 28 at 8:30

At last the halo came off! Oh happy day! The right leg looks good, and the neck is healing--not healed but healing. Timothy now has a collar which we expected, the right leg has a "boot" to keep the foot from drooping, and the left leg continues to have a brace. His "nursing" care is down to a dressing on the right leg (just for a short time), the bone stimulation treatments each morning, and pills. Therefore, I will not be spending all my time at his house. He is steady enough on his walker that we don't fear that he will fall, and he can take care of his basic needs. He will still need someone to cook food, wash clothes, and clean house--not too much different than before the injury! As for food, we have had some wonderful meals brought to us this week. Thanks neighbors!

We will never be able to thank everyone enough who has supported us through this ordeal, but we do appreciate every act of kindness and every caring deed. Thanks everyone for keeping up with us. This will be my last blog entry. Please come see us, drop us a note at PO Box 376, Oregon, MO, 64473 or e-mail us at cdannar@ofmlive.net.

We have come a long way, and the journey will continue as Timothy mends and surgery is completed on the left knee in the future, but I think in time he will make a full recovery.

I feel that your prayers and mine were answered.

May 23 at 11:25 a.m.

Looks like therapy will by twice a week on Tues. and Thurs. mornings at 10:00 for an hour. We are looking at Wednesday as being a big turning point. Hopefully, the halo off and good news about progress of Timothy's right leg. No more IV antibiotics after Mondy. Taking only one pain pill each day now.

Timothy and I seem to be in a routine of getting the medicines down, the IV taken care of, the bone stimulator treatment done, and the exercies accomplished.

I have begun to leave him alone for a few hours now and then. He is o.k. with that and keeps his phone nearby at all times. He is able to do more and more on his own, and that pleases him. He is anxious to be independent, and I don't blame him.

May 20 at 7:30 a.m.

We went to our first out-patient therapy yesterday afternoon. The physical therapist determined that there isn't a lot she can do with Timothy until he can put more weight on his right foot. Also, she thought it best to save some sessions for when he has the surgery on the left knee. Insurance only pays for so many each year. She will give us some exercises that he can do at home on Thursday. I was not surprised. It didn't seem like that the PT was doing very much even at Madonna. The occupational therapist will continue working with Timothy's right arm twice a week. We go back Thursday at 10:30, and hopefully we'll have a definite schedule after that session. There is not a speech therapist on staff at this time so OT will incorporate some memory exercises with their work.

Timothy is gaining strength each day. His appetitie is very good, and he is walking with his walker more every day. We had no trouble transferring from walker to suburban or wheeling through the therapy suite. He enjoyed getting out yesterday to St. Joseph and eating at the Sonic. He just sat quietly and watched the traffic for a long time. Finally he said, "Boy its good to be out of the hospital."

May 16 Sat. morning

We are home! Paper work, last minute good-byes, pictures, exchange of contact info. with friends, last minute instructions--CPR with a halo vest of all things as we were escaping down the hall. I told Faye, the nurse, a sweetheart by the way, "This just won't happen today. I couldn't deal with it if it did!" She said, "O.K. I just have to tell you about it just in case." And finally at 10:00 on the dot we were driving away! Madonna Good-Bye--Home here we come! We were so excited!

Trip home was cold, wet, and drippy or pouring down rain. First glitch was the pharmacy. I had Timothy's insurance card but not the prescription one (didn't realize there was a difference. Mine is the same one.) They delivered stuff later--lots and lots of pills. Luckily home health arrived around 5:00. She had a pill box and helped me sort everything out. She found a glitch in the mg of one that didn't agree with what Madonna had written down. Got that straightened out with about four phone calls.

And then came the IV. It is so simple that the home health person couldn't believe it. And to be fair, Faye couldn't picture the concept of no pole, no pump, etc. either. So she had sent some tubing and extra tubing just in case. Home health person kept questioning and calling to make sure we were getting it right. We were; it worked--nothing to it.

Then came supper--I was determined it would be home-cooked. I had brought sacks and sacks of stuff in preparation. First thing I needed--a potato peeler or even a paring knife--not to be found in Timothy's bachelor dwelling. He did have steak knives. About to lose it, I sent husband home for some essentials for cooking a meal. Luckily, we live about a mile away. Finally around 8:00 we sat down to a meal at home. Not too bad, the potatoes got a little scorced as I was making the gravy, but they were eatable.

We had some visitors in the midst of all these goings-on which I loved. Made Timothy's return special.

Everyting is better today. I'm rested. I've done all the things for him that I am supposed to do at least twice, and I feel more at ease with being a "nurse."

I do not know therapy schedule yet. We go Tuesday at 1:00 for our first visit. It may be just paper work and evaluation.

May 14 at 5:30

Timothy had the last of his therapies and consultations today. Social workers are still trying to co-ordinate our follow-up visit to Madonna. It will probably be sometime in August.

We took a four-block wheelchair walk today. I was talking and pointing out different things. When we left the Madonna grounds, the sidewalk had two or three rough places along the way. When I ran into the first one, Timothy said, "Mom, quit talking and pay attention to where we're going." After the third rough ridge he said, "This wasn't a very good place to go." Finally, I replied, "We aren't always going to have smooth Madonna sidewalks. We've got to learn to deal with all kinds of rough patches." As we reached the Madonna turn-in, Timothy seemed to be holding onto his Halo. I asked him, "Are you shading your eyes from the sun or holding your Halo on?"
"A little of both!", was the wiseacre reply.

So with everything we've been through, Timothy still has his sense of humor. I think I'm ready for the next chapter titled "Back Home Again!"

May 13 at 4:30

Not much happening today. I am trying to tie up loose ends; Timothy continued with his therapies. We went on a long walk this afternoon. Timothy is wheeling his wheelchair more and more by himself and getting stronger all the time. We are saying our good-byes to the staff and the patients and their families who we have become acquainted with while here.

I had instruction on the IV procedure. Think I can handle that.

Just counting down the days and now the hours!