First day in VGH

We talked to Robert for a few minutes this evening. He sounded tired, is on a new pain medication and is not sure how well its working. He's working on getting used to his new surroundings and care givers .... a few more days and I'm guessing he'll have those nurses wrapped around his baby finger once again.
For anyone wanting to write a note or send a card, here's his mailing address:

Robert Lavigne (RM 9B-944)
c/o Vancouver General Hospital
899 12th Ave West
Vancouver, B.C.
V5Z 1M9

Keep praying for complete healing of Robert's body, and for God's peace to fill him and surround him. Pray for Tom and I as we travel to Vancouver tomorrow afternoon.
We continue to be thankful for all that God has done for Robert so far, for your faithful prayers, and for your encouraging words. May not one of you grow weary in the welldoing of being persistant in prayer.

I likely will not post a blog tomorrow as we won't be getting in Vancouver until very late and we won't see Robert until Monday morning. Until Monday then.

Chris

The next chapter

Good morning, everybody. Sorry I didn't get to post anything last night.After coming to the conclusion that we were not going anywhere yesterday we got word at 3 in the afternoon that Robert was to be transported in one hour. He was picked up and taken to the airport and flown to Vacouver, then admitted to the spinal cord unit of VGH. Meanwhile, I loaded up the Matrix and drove back to PG, arriving after midnight sometime. Thanks to all those who prayed for safe travels for the two of us.
A big thanks to my sister Jan and brotherinlaw Phil for being the welcoming committee in Vancouver, and helping Robert to get settled into his new surroundings. Now he has to go through the process of everyone there getting familiar with his profile (he comes with a thick binder and a CD). And Robert has to get to know all the caregivers who will be in and out of his life for the next many weeks. Pray that the transition goes smoothly and that God gives wisdom to all people in charge of his care.
Tom and I are driving to Vancouver tomorrow afternoon, but won't see Robert until Monday. Tom will help me to get settled into a hotel in the general area of the hospital, and also have the chance to see for himself where Robert is. This should help to give him a little peace of mind as we begin the next phase of Robert's recovery. Again, I'm so thankful for my family members who are willing to spend time with Robert while we can't be there.
At this time, I'd like to thank Ray and Julie Benterud for giving us our home away from home while we were in Edmonton. Your kindness is appreciated more than you can ever know.
I will post Robert's room number and address later today for anybody who wants to send a card or drop by for a visit.
Looking forward to a day of rest at home, thanking you for your continued prayers,
Chris

Thursday night

Nothing new to report since this afternoon. We wait for the morning to see when Robert will be flown out. Having talked to a few friends in the medical field, I realize that this truly is the best option for Robert. He is going to a place that will give him the best possible care for the injuries he has. I'm thankful for that, even though it means being away from home.
Pray especially for a good night's sleep for Robert, for smooth travels tomorrow, and a positive start to his stay in a new hospital.
I'd appreciate prayers for myself as well as I drive back to PG.
Good night, and God bless you all for your faithfulness in prayer.
Chris

Thursday afternoon

Well, there's been a major curveball thrown into what we thought might be happening with Robert next. After hours on the phone, the bed coordinator here let me know that Robert is going to be moved to the spinal cord unit of Vancouver General. He will likely be flown out tomorrow. So sorry to all of you who were planning to come to Edmonton this weekend for a visit. We are so disappointed that we won't get to see you ... I know Robert was really looking forward to it. Even more disappointing is that he is not going to be in PG. I was crushed when I first found out, but the experts say it's the place where Robert will get the best care for his type of injury. It was felt that PG Hospital was not up for it. We don't get to vote on it .... well we do, but our vote doesn't count. In the end, we have to believe that this is indeed what is best for Robert's recovery, even though it means the looked forward to visits and his mom being able to be at home isn't going to happen.
I will drive home tomorrow after Robert leaves, spend a couple of days at home, and then go do what I do now in Vancouver. I do have family there, so that will help.
As for Robert today, it's back to rough times. He didn't sleep most of the night so has slept alot today. He was down and discouraged even before he heard the news of his next destination. Some evidence that God is hearing his prayers is badly needed.
So friends, that's the latest from Edmonton. I'll update you again this evening.
Chris

Wednesday

I arrived at the hospital to find Robert had had a rough night and was worn out by it all. It looked like we could be in for another long day. Happily, things improved from there. First we had a visit from a guy from the Sherwood Park Healing Rooms .... I had called them yesterday, asking if someone could come pray for Robert. So after chatting a bit, he began to pray for healing, for a lifting of the mental trauma from the accident,and so on. I can't speak to what was happening in Robert, but as the gentleman prayed, I felt the Spirit gently soothing my spirit. When he was done, Robert couldn't notice any difference in his body, but to me, it felt like the sense of hopelessness had been lifted. When the fellow left, Robert reached over to his side table, picked up a comic book and read for awhile. This is the first thing he's done in the last three days other than lay and moan, or lay and stare at the TV or the ceiling. Later in the day the room was invaded by the Knox mafia from PG .... a mockery was made of the two visitor rule, as at least 10 people crowded into the room, but the nurses didn't seem to care. Added to the mix was Tom's brother Jim and his two children, Aaron and Emma...so special to see them. Anyways, it was a bit of a party, with lots of visiting and some much appreciated laughter. Thanks to everyone for stopping by. In summary, it was a much more positive day, with Robert's pain being controlled by a whack of drugs, but with no visible changes in his condition. I was thankful that as I left, I could hear him bantering with the nurses in a style I hadn't heard in several days.
A new item for prayer, along with the ongoing request for healing in every injured part of Robert's body, is that the red tape to get him back to PG be cut through toute de suite. Apparently there is often a problem getting out of province patients back home .... I don't understand why. So without going into a bunch of detail about the arguments being hurled back and forth across the border, I'm asking you to pray that PG Hospital would agree to take Robert until he is ready for rehab. Oh yes, we found out today he has another 8 weeks of bed rest before his pelvis will be capable of weightbearing, so he can begin rehab in Vancouver.
That's it for today.
Thanking you for your continuing prayers and lifegiving words of encouragement,
Chris

Tuesday

Another day, much the same as the last two, has come to a close. Robert spent the day in various degrees of pain and intense discomfort. He is frustrated and exhausted. This healing thing is a slow process, with little evidence of change in the past several days. Maybe this is an example of faith being the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. In any case, it's becoming quite the experience of waiting on God, and as I sit bedside watching Robert suffer, unable to do anything but get him a glass of water, or adjust his feet a little, I have to keep giving Robert over to God, trusting Him to take care of our/His son, and to bring relief at last. I'm thankful for the peace I received from Him throughout this day. Thanks to everyone who was praying today. Thank God for how far He's brought Robert, and keep persisting in prayer for his complete healing.
Chris

Monday

I'm sorry to have to report that today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday. It is really important that everyone continue to pray for encouragement for Robert. Continue to pray for the healing of damaged nerves, his back and pelvic region, and for a clearing up of the blood infection for which he is being given a very powerful antibiotic. Change for the positive in any one of his issues would be so great, something to cheer about.
It was nice for me to have a visit from Cheryl K. whom I hadn't seen for many years. Thanks for stopping up and for a lunch that wasn't from Wendy's!
Keep perservering in prayer, everyone. He says to ask and keep on asking, so let's do it.
Chris

Sunday

There were no changes in Robert's physical status today. However, he is discouraged, frustated, and full of questions as to what his future is going to be like. It broke my heart to see him so discouraged, yet his frustration is so totally understandable. I'm sure none of us can even begin to imagine what he is going through. And I do believe the hardest part right now is not knowing what he'll be able to do in the future. As he waits for the complete healing we are all praying and trusting for, pray for protection from ongoing discouragement. He is trying so hard to remain upbeat, but sometimes, its all just too much, and only God has the ability to truly comfort him.
As for me, a hard day for Robert is a hard day for me. So pray for extra strength for me, especially as I am now flying solo. It was a blessing to have Amy here for the morning; thanks, Amy for being here and for your encouragement.
Looking forward to a brighter day tomorrow, and thanking you again for all your prayers,
Chris

Saturday, August 23 update

This is Chris, now in for Jen, praying I won't drop the baton, hoping I'll be able to maintain the high standard in blogging which she has set over the past two weeks.
Today was a rather uneventful day in Robert's recovery process. He had another "decent" night's sleep, thankyou Lord. Throughout the day, he had some good stretches where he was about as comfortable as it gets for him as yet (pain at a 5 instead of a 7), and others where he was eyeing the clock, gauging when he was due for his next shot of the good stuff.
Jen left after the 11 -2 shift this afternoon. It was hard for her to leave, and hard for us to see her go. She has been a pillar of strength for us, and I am so thankful that she could be here for as long as she was. For all her fans, you'll be happy to know she made it back safely to Calgary, and will now get herself organized for another year of school and all that entails. To soften the blow of her leaving, God had it arranged that a good friend of Robert's from FSJ, Amy, arrived as Jen was about to say her goodbyes. She put a bright spot into each of our days, and we are very grateful that she made the big effort to come and visit Robert for a couple of days.
The items in need of lots of prayer remain the same .... physical healing of the pelvis, back, feet, and the damage done to some of the nerves,a clearing up of the blood infection, and a good nights sleep. Also pray that God will continue to fill each of us with His encouragement, and that the spirit of discouragement will not come near Robert.
Thanks everybody, for your persistance in prayer ... please don't stop.

Chris

Hey hey - an alright day

Well, maybe all that knocking is making some noise on the other side - Robert had a decent night with something that somewhat resembled SLEEP. Hopefully this is a start of a new and glorious trend for him :)

We had visitors today from Canfor Taylor Pulp - Bert and Terry stopped by. I for one was glad to see Bert again, what a great guy. We appreciate the mill making an effort to talk to us and come visit Robert, we know Canfor Taylor Pulp is not just a stone-wall company with no names or faces but a place full of people that care about my brother and his recovery and who are just as ticked as we are that this happened in the first place. For all you Canfor folks following in on the blog, thanks for the card (and the gift - WOW), I know Robert really appreciated that.

Thanks also to Wanda for stopping by!

In other news... We would like specific prayer for the following things:
- healing for all nerve damage
- his blood infection to be properly treated and go away (this is currently under control and not getting any worse but they still don't have the tests back to identify specifically what he has)
- quick healing for the bones in his back and pelvis and in his left foot which was dislocated and is still very swollen and bruised.
- more sleep! and quality sleep!

In family news...
- Tomorrow, I go home. "Does this mean an end to the blog I have come to love dearly and read religiously?" you ask... By no means! My very capable and eloquent mother will be taking the baton (and not dropping it like a USA track star but carrying it to victory like a Jamaican! - if you are not watching the Olympics, this comment will mean very little to you...) I am terribly sad to have to leave my brother but school is a mere week away and I haven't been home in 7 weeks (except for one day!) so it's time. Thanks for all your encouraging words about the blog - did you know that blogging is praying too? So is journalling, random singing, crying, speechlessness, yelling, wondering... you don't just have to get on your knees in a church and say something pretty to be praying! Not knowing what to say and just sitting there knowing God is near is more than enough. He has very good ears!

August 21 - Evening

Hello again to all!

So, another day. Today was better than yesterday for a few reasons - one of those reasons was NOT that Robert had a better sleep because he really didn't at all (I can't figure out why God doesn't answer the easy prayers but we'll keep asking for tonight!). The good news is he FINALLY has his own room - I think he set a record for longest trauma patient stay in the observation room, 10/11 days is way too long to share a room with 6 other people in terrible shape. He now can have a TV and some peace and quiet for once, we are quite delighted - maybe even more than him. The sounds and smells of the big group room were driving us crazy. Robert was able to eat more today and was in much better spirits than yesterday. The nurses just love him and have been so good in fighting for him to get things like a good rooms and stuff that he wants (although they will never give him more morphine than he is allowed...).

A refresher course on prayer requests...
-Sleep
-Digestive system in general as he gets on solid foods
-RIGHT LEG (he is now getting very painful spasms in his calf and the arch of his foot and there is really nothing they have done to help him other than put it in a brace which forces his foot to flex at 90 degrees to keep the muscles stretched)
-The grace and strength for him to stay positive and focused as he recovers, it is going to be a long haul.

Keep knocking on His door until He answers!

Knocking away,
Jen

A Slow Day at the Office

Hello faithful blog readers...

Robert was very tired today and spent most of the day sleeping. He has started on solid foods but was so tired that it was hard to work up the energy to get it all down (plus it's hospital food...). He is in dire need of a good night's rest so if you get this before bed tonight, let's pray hard for that. It's awfully hard to keep positive and do all the things the nurses would like him to when he barely has the energy to talk.

Jen

PS Thanks to the Carmichael's for the visit today.

Visiting Hours

Hello friends...

As Robert is now stable and more people plan to visit, I just wanted to remind you all of visiting hours so you don't show up and get turned away.

Vistors can come between 11am-2pm and 4pm-8pm. He is currently in 3F2.06 - bed 3 (subject to change anytime - always check with Information first). It would be nice if you could give us a heads-up before your visit in case there is something going on that day or multiple people there at the same time. Vistors are so good for Robert but also tiring so we just want the best for him in that regard.

Thanks to those of you who have already stopped by - it's great for us to see familiar faces too.

Jen

Baby Steps!

Today was a successful day for Robert and for us - even small victories are so big these days. No small victory was that Robert was able to sit up at 90 degrees for long enough to get new X-rays and the doctors seem pleased with their work. He is drinking lots and had to have prune juice today... He ended the day in good spirits and it was healing water to my heart to be able to just joke around and poke fun - I am so often reminded to be thankful for having Robert's mind and personality still fully intact!

In family news, Dad is heading back to Prince George tomorrow - I guess "duty calls" in regards to weddings and other church business, sure will be hard for him to leave though. Pray that he finds comfort despite being so far away (I know you PG folk will take good care of him for us!).

Prayer for tonight...
- Robert is still being plagued by endless and often scary dreams every time he closes his eyes to rest. We would dearly love for that to end and that he could just have normal rest.
- safe flight for Dad and strength for him as he is away from his family

Good night friends!
Jen

Three steps forward...

Today was a very long day in a new way - Mom and Dad took the midnight to 4am and 4am to 8am shifts with Robert to help him rest better and as a result are very sleep deprived. I am okay, I got some sleep inbetween midnight and picking up the parents at 8am, thank goodness we are staying within a reasonable distance of the hospital.

The day went fairly well and by the end, Robert was sitting up 45 degrees (a big deal!), off the oxygen (also a big deal) and passing gas (a huge deal). However, just before we left tonight his heart rhythm which has been so steady and making beautiful lines on the screen starting looking rather fishy and he developed a pretty bad headache too. So we were disappointed and concerned to end the day - not quite what we wished for for the day. We were hoping this is just another little blip in his recovery and we called tonight to find that all is well again. The headache and temporary heart instability have both been credited to his elevation after a week of lying flat.

Prayer requests for tonight...
-SLEEP for my parents (and me and Robert) and good health despite our comprimised immune systems (not enough sleep, so-so nutrition, being at a hospital all the time)
- continued stability for Robert and that he would be able to sit up 90 degrees by tomorrow morning for new X-rays
- for full life to return to his internal organs and his legs/feet

Thanks for sticking with us!
Jen

PS Thank-you to the friends who visited today - Jaren, Leslie and Veronica - I know it means a lot to Robert to have his friends visit him.

August 17th evening

Jen has stayed at the hospital for some extra time tonight, so I, Chris, have the privelege of writing the update on Robert. We got to the hospital this morning to find he had had a horrible night, with spiking temperature, high heart rate, and a reaction to a drug they had given him for pain and muscle spasms. He had dreadful hallucinations which scared him badly and made him feel like he was dieing. As the day went on, things calmed down. His heart rate returned to more acceptable levels, his temperature normalized, but he was still confused. Everytime he would doze, he woke up totally disoriented, thinking he was somewhere else. He was really bothered when he realized he couldn't tell reality from what was going on in his mind. However, as long as he was awake, he was okay.
On the bright side, he was able to have his first drink of water. That was a moment worth a smile. He also drank juice, chicken broth, and ate some green jello. By evening he was in a much better place than he had been this morning, But in order to help him stay calm tonight, we're going to take shifts spending the night with him.
Keep praying for Robert's recovery process, for complete healing, and for his peace of mind. Thankyou for keeping all of us in your prayers. We are encouraged to know that so many people care, share our pain, and are faithfully praying.

Chris for the gang

Just from Jen...

Hi all. I was going to post this last night but I didn't and then I felt like I should so I am...

As the dust settles from the whirl-wind of finding out about the accident, waiting for surgery and surgery being done, a lot of new emotions start to surface that didn't have time to pop up before. Things you need to know we are feeling too like anger, disappointment, frustration, loneliness... all of them are okay to have, we'd be crazy people if we didn't have them. Despite a sense of thankfulness that I will never lose for the fact that Robert is even alive, it makes me mad to see him - an awesome young guy in his prime - stuck in a lame hospital bed in intense and constant pain over some accident that never should have happened to anyone, let alone him. Despite a sense of peace, I am restless thinking about him stuck there every night alone and try to convince myself I shouldn't feel guilty for leaving him there but every morning when I wake up I feel like running straight to the hospital just to be around even though we aren't allowed in.

But I know two things. One, that this accident is not part of some big plan God had since the beginning of time but that $*** happens here and God can make something out of it if He wants... and two, that even though I couldn't choose whether or not this happened to Robert, I can choose how I respond. I can run away and just get mad and stay there or I can do the hard work of turning around and facing life and fighting it out with God until He gives me resolution. And according to what I am learning this week, that decision has to be made over and over every day. I have a pretty good feeling that somedays I am just going to choose anger and it's going to feel good to be mad and to blame things and to hold tightly to a sense of the world owing me something. And then God will give me the grace to somehow pull out of that and keep going forward.

There is no easy way to deal with this. Knowing Jesus doesn't make my heart hurt less or my brother's morphine work better. There are no words to make pain better, no actions to make time jump ahead to when recovery is finished, nothing but slowly passing hours that all roll in to this weird jumble. We have no control over anything except our own attitudes and our own response to this whole situation - and even that seems nearly impossible to be good at by the end of the day. I rest right now in one thing only and that is knowing that Jesus hurts with me and that God's heart is broken over Robert's broken body and that's about it.

This is no holy boot camp for a nice Christian family learning about faith, it is a long stupid week with too many hours spent at a hospital visiting someone we love more than we can say and watching them suffer. We hold on tightly to each other and to God for strength and hope with all we have to just make it through the days and somehow be helpful to Robert as he heals.

Thanks for your prayers and words of encouragement - it is good to know we don't walk alone. We need each other - that's why we have this "spiritual" family of physically unrelated people who know and love Jesus.

This is what the church is for.


PS from Chris
Having just read what Jen wrote, I will say that she wrote exactly what is happening in me, and I'm sure in Tom as well. Anything else I could say about how I feel would just be a repeat of what Jen so eloquently expressed, so I'll just leave it at that. But we do thankyou so much for all your support, prayer, and care.

August 16th - Evening

We do not have too much to report tonight, Robert is in stable but very painful condition and it is so hard to see him in constant pain that is just barely being managed by the morphine. He tried to stay awake most of the day because he was determined to get the sleep tonight that he missed out on last night. We are hoping that plan works out for him.

Thank-you for your faithful prayers...

August 16 morning

Hi everybody. This is Chris wanting to thank the friends from First Baptist in PG for the flowers, fruit basket, and cards .... and most of all for your continuing prayers. Terry K. stopped by the house where we're staying this morning and made the personal delivery.
We've seen Robert this morning (Jen and Tom are with him now). He said he had a rough night and right now is in an awful lot of pain. The nurse said she would see about getting him something else as the morphine just isn't cutting it.
We have yet to see a Doctor to get their take on how things went yesterday or what the prognosis is.
The three of us had a good night's sleep and are feeling more able to cope this morning. Pray and keep on praying for us that we will honour God in the way that we deal with this trauma. And again, thankyou so much for your prayers for Robert.

Chris

August 15th - Evening

We are back home after what was a very long day for us - but much longer and harder for Robert. As mentioned, he was taken in just before 10am and we did not see him back until 7:15pm - not sure exactly how long the surgery was, but we can guess at least 6 hours. As you can imagine, Robert is in a great deal of pain and discomfort at this time and we would covet your prayers for a deep rest tonight and that the drugs would do there thing and help mask all the pain. We don't know any real details from what happened in the surgery but we have not heard anything scary from the nurses and they seem to be running in regular post-op mode with him. They will perform a scan of some type tomorrow morning to have a look at the positioning of all his new hardware and hopefully we can talk to the doctors and get the updates from his nurses.

We are incredibly drained from this day and the tremendous stress of the situation is felt deeply in our hearts and our physical bodies. We continue to turn to God for strength and are grateful for all your prayers.

Prayer requests for tonight...
- All the things you can imagine for Robert... rest, relief from pain, peace for his mind as he rests, a deep assurance of God's protection over him, no infections, perfect placement of all the rods and plates in his back and hips, life continuing to return to his kidneys, bladder, bowels, intestines, stomach etc, the swelling in his right leg to go down and for him to recieve back full feeling in his right leg and foot and have full range of motion there, continued wisdom for his doctors and nurses as they assist his body in returning to good health (and so on!!)
- for our family as we tire emotionally/physically/mentally from days like this one. That would we cry when we need to and let our hearts break and find the strength we need to keep going and to support Robert and each other.

Keep on your knees with us as we pray Robert through these crucial next few days for him and his body.

He's In...

So we thought we were getting to the hospital early to hang out before the surgery and we arrived at just before 10:00am to find that Robert was already off to surgery about 15 minutes earlier. We are so grateful he got in today but I was fighting off guilt for not getting here in time to see him off. However, despite this I was immediately flooded with God's peace and the deep assurance that even though my timing sucks, His is so PERFECT.

He went down to prep just before 10am Edmonton time, so if you are wondering when to pray your hardest, that would be now. We are hoping to see him later this afternoon, perhaps the early evening depending on how it all goes. They let him rest awhile after before bring him back to his room as well so it's hard to say when that will be.

Wear down the knees on your jeans :)

A peace that passes understanding

Today is - Lord willing - the big day. Mom and I are heading the the hospital soon so we can be sure to be around whenever it is that they finally take Robert in for surgery. We asked him yesterday if he was scared at all and he just kinda shrugged and said, "Well, it's gotta happen!" and wiggled his eyebrows - what a trooper.

As a family, we are moment by moment experiencing the miracle of a peace that we cannot fathom. We are spending our time being grateful for Robert and all the care he is recieving and feel held-close and strengthed by your prayers.

Our requests remain the same and we know you are all lifting Robert up to the throne of our Healer King in constant prayer. We will keep you posted when we know how everything went.

A word from Chris

Jen's doing a great job of keeping you all updated, but I just wanted to put out my own personal word of thanks for all the prayers and words of encouragement being sent our way. God is definitely giving us strength through this most difficult of times. To be honest, sometimes I get totally overwhelmed by the situation, but God does not allow me to stay in that place, and He comes to me with His gift of peace. I know this is an answer to so many of your prayers. We are praying and trusting for the hand of God to be on the hands of the surgeons tomorrow, and that the results will be nothing but positive. Thanks again for your faithful and heartfelt prayers.
Chris

August 14th - The Evening Report

It is with great pleasure that I have nothing to report!

Today was calm and uneventful.

We are hoping and praying that tomorrow will be very eventful and that Robert will recieve his surgery. There is always a chance that an emergancy case will come in and bump his surgery later or even to the next day. We would dearly love for the surgery to just be over so Robert can start healing and getting back in to full form. So that is our number one request for tomorrow - that the surgery would actually happen!!

Other requests...
- a really amazing sleep for Robert so he is strong for the day
- peace for Robert and us as tomorrow will likely be the second longest day of our lives (second only to the day of the accident)
- as mentioned, wisdom upon wisdom for the doctors and staff as they work on his body. We want the very best possible outcome from this surgery!!

We were blessed today by a visit from Shelene and her wonderful boys - we are so grateful to have those young men praying for Robert. (and all the rest of you too!)

Praying without ceasing,
Jen and the Parents

August 14th - The Morning Report!

Hello again...

It is so nice to be able to report Robert's continued progress - his body seems to stablize more every passing hour and he stays awake for longer periods of time to talk and joke with us and his nurses, what a gift as he preps for surgery.

I passed on your messages to him this morning and he was very grateful for them - thank you for blessing him with all your prayers and messages, we feel so fortunate to be part of such a big extended family with all of you.

Many of our prayer requests remain the same. As we near the surgery, our thoughts turn to the doctors and nurses which will perform the surgery. It is very complicated as it involves several teams coordinating to fix both his pelvis and his back. Let's unite in asking God for an outpouring of wisdom and skill in the doctors as they put Robert's body back together for full healing. We are told the surgery will take a minimum of 4 hours - perhaps that indicates the complexity of the whole deal. Prayer for protection of Robert's internal organs and nerves would be great as they are operating in a very delicate area which holds the all-important bladder, bowels, intestines and so on. We are praying life back into those orgrans which are currently lying dormant under the shock and swelling and for life in his right foot muscles are well.

Thanks for keeping up-to-date on Robert, we know your mighty prayers are moving mountains.

August 13th - The Evening Report

Not too much news to report - today was a good day of rest and continued stability for Robert. His heart rate continues to come down and his blood work improves steadily as they constantly are pumping him full of fluids to flush away all the crazy stuff being released by damaged muscles. He is on track for surgery on Friday and we are hoping that when it is done he will soon after be able to have the bed up and be able to sit instead of lie down all the time and that he will be able to start "eating" (aka weird jello and hospital broth - which is a big step up from the whole-lot-of-nothing that he is eating now)

We can't get over Robert's positive attitude and genuine kindness to all those who are helping him - he is a man of incredible character and is being so much stronger than the rest of us!

Prayers for the night for Robert...
- Rest. Sleep. Shut-eye. The Land of Nod. Sweet Dreams. Sleeping tight.
- Continued improvement in heart rate/blood pressure/blood work, no extra blood loss and protection from any extra sickness that might interfere with recovery.
- That he know a deep peace of mind and heart as the surgery approaches.

Many thanks once again for your prayers - Robert is truly surrounded and lifted up.

Over and Out!

Wednesday Morning

Good Morning friends and family!

Robert is doing quite well this morning, he seems to be doing fine with his new hip brace thingy (no technical language for me...) and it means they can turn him over a bit for changing and stuff like that which is better than before when they were too scared to move him at all.

We found out his visiting hours today so if you happen to be in the area and were thinking of coming by, you can only come between 11am-2pm and 4pm-8pm. If possible, it would be great if you let us know prior to your visit as only 2 people at a time can be in the room.

We having been passing on all your messages and they are so encouraging for us.

Prayer details...
- good rest for Robert in a ward that can be quite busy and loud
- full recovery for his kidneys, bladder and bowels after the surgery
- tons and tons of wisdom for his health care workers (we are quickly learning that many decisions made are after much debate with many different opinions from lots of smart people with lots of different ideas and we really just want the very best for Robert in his specific condition. Wisdom wisdom and more wisdom!)
- the possible nerve damage in his right leg... pray it away! We are asking God for full healing there.
- that his surgery would occur at the right time for his body and that there would be no delays on Friday.

Robert is an excellent patient and we have heard many times from the staff what a pleasure he is to care for and how polite and grateful he is. This morning Robert chastized us for being a bit unkind when we were suprised to find out he had visiting hours. He told us we "didn't get any special treatment because he was hurt". WHAT A GUY! We are so pleased to have him telling us off and putting us in our places.

Thank-you again for all your support, we are overwhlemed with your kindness and can feel God's strength sustaining us. We all had a good rest last night - praise the Lord. Keep sending those messages!

Last Post for Aug 12th

Hello again!

Thank-you for all the kind comments, we are keeping track of them and passing them on to Robert - I know it means a lot as we work to keep his spirits up. **We have changed the settings so anyone can post on this blog - not just gmail or google.com members**

We have just heard from the hospital that the small surgery to implant the brace for his hips was successful and that he is back in his room recovering. We continue to pray that this will help his body prepare for his big surgery on Friday. We also would like to see his blood work and heart rate continue to improve and are hoping he is kept safe from any complications with his lungs or potential blood clots that might infere with his recovery.

Prayers for tonight... Rest rest and more rest for Robert and also rest for us. Each day seems to last a week - we can hardly believe we have only been here a day.

We are praising the Lord for wonderful hospital staff and the Canadian Health Care System (as flawed as it is!). We are also continuely grateful to have Robert alive and able to communicate (and even joke around - go figure!). One tough lad.

Good night!

A little update

Hi - it's Jen again. I just got off the phone with Dad and it sounds like surgery is booked for Friday morning. Robert will go in this evening for some type of brace to be put on his hips to help prepare his body for the surgery.

A ray of good news - the ankle we thought was broken was actually dislocated, so it has been popped back in to place. It will have plenty of time to rest as Robert will not be on his feet for some time yet!

Something specific to pray for... there appears to be some nerve damage in his right leg that is inhibiting full range of motion for his foot. According the the doctors it is just a guessing game as to whether or not that comes back - let's not guess, let's pray. Our God is mighty!

From a sisterly point of view...

I am home for a break and Dad and Mom are now at the hospital with Robert. He has had a stable morning and all the stuff they keep pumping in to him has sent his blood work and kidney function in the right direction as he preps for surgery.

He has great nurses and they have made me feel much more at ease - Robert is a tough cookie and was in great shape at the time of the accident and they say that will help a lot as he goes in to recovery.

Robert sleeps alot and wakes up occasionally to talk for a minute or two before going back to sleep. He is not allowed to eat or drink anything so I think his mouth probably feels like the Sahara. They gave him more blood today and he looks much perkier, not so terribly pale.

It has been a horrifying past two days and there is no way to explain the feeling of watching him go through this. We are encouaged by all your support and I want to encourage you to send personal messages to Robert through us as I know that would mean a lot to him.

Rob Update

10:13 am Tuesday, August 12th
Rob is in the Trauma Unit (3F2 - 06) at U of A Hospital and is awaiting a visit from the Orthopedic surgeons to determine when they'll be able to begin his surgeries (crushed pelvis, broken left foot).
He moved to the Trauma Unit at midnight, had a restless night, his kidneys are starting to clear - yeah, his oxygen count is better and he is presently receiving 3 units of blood (yeah, for you blood donors) and is feeling a bit nauseous (no surprise).
Rob's in pretty good spirits and asked us to share a huge thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
Chris, Jen and I had restless nights as well and are beginning to adjust to what's happening - thank you so much for your prayers.

Starting a Blog...

Hello friends and family!

Rather than sending copious mass emails every day, we have started a family blog to keep you updated on Robert's recovery.

Please feel free to leave comments and notes of encouragement - we will pass them on to Robert.

Thank-you for your concern and prayers...