Back to VGH

A major disappointment this evening. Robert came back from his xrays at UBC not feeling well at all. He has a pretty high fever and another bladder infection of the same type he had before. He needs to be on an IV to treat this type, and they do not insert IVs here at GF. The doctor was finally up to see him tonight and is sending him back to VGH to have an IV put in. Robert will likely end up spending a day in emergency, tnen possible up to a ward. He may be back here in two days, or he may have to wait a week or more which means he would lose his bed here. Apparently another bed is opening up some time next week and he would get it but this feels like a setback after he had been settling in here so well and progressing with the physio. Pray that he only has to stay at VGH a couple of days and that this bladder infection clears up once and for all. He no longer has a catheter, the big cause of bladder infections, so hopefully, this will be the last one. We are waiting for an ambulance (not one with red lights flashing) to take him over to VGH. Pray that this infection clears up quickly, and that we would not give in to discouragement over this turn of events.
I am thankful that Tom is here this week to help deal with this all of this.
Thanks for your prayers which are needed urgently.

Chris

Sunday

So Dad's flight was delayed an hour or so last night and he didn't end up getting to see Robert until about 10pm with a quick howdy-hi and then off for the night. Sundays are pretty slow around this place, we went for a family walk in the sunshine and made a trip to Safeway and had lunch together. Mom and Dad went back to the hotel for naps this afternoon and it is just Robert and I. He is napping too so here I am. He just said he had a headache for the first time in 7 weeks - I guess they must really be weening him off all those crazy drugs (either that or he is going into withdrawl from them switching his drugs! The don't call it "rehab" for nothing...) We are all looking forward to the big family dinner tonight - I haven't seen anyone from Mom's side since my wedding over 2 years ago so it's TIME.

Prayer requests...
- Robert is fighting another bladder infection and we don't want it to escalate or he'll be making a trip back to VGH. He's slogging back the Cranberry juice : P
- Continued strength as Monday will be back to physio and working out. Pray for energy and motivation for Robert.

It's My Birthday!!! Wooo Hoooo

Well I made it to 20. And it feels good. Jen showing up yesterday was probably the best present I have gotten in a long time, maybe since the GT snow racer whan I was 7. Today has be a very good day. last night I had a hard time falling asleep due to pain in my tail and bum bones. This has been a pretty constent problem latley so If you could pray for relief in this area that would be great. But back today, I was allowed to leave the hospital for awhile, so mom jen and I went for a walk/roll around the area and then went to safeway, just so I could remeber what some normal people activities feel like. Then this evening I think were having pizza. The real celebration will be tomorrow when dad is here and will be going out for supper with my mom's family. Well I would like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes and for the continued prayer. Now I have a party to get back to!!

Robert

A Happy Friday!

Hello all - it's Jen. I showed up this morning to surprise Robert for his birthday. It worked - he was surprised!

It is so good to see him and see how much progress he has made since I left him at the end of August. I wish you could all see him - he is wearing people clothes and sitting up in a chair and hoisting himself in and out of bed and into his chair, doing lots of physio and pumping iron like Chuck Norris on a "Total Gym" commercial. I am so incredibly proud of him and how fast he is progressing, what a guy. Hero material. Medals for bravery and courage!

Tomorrow is his 20th birthday and I am overwhlemed with gratefullness to have him alive to see that day and doing so well. He has already overcome so much and I know it is thanks only to God and to Robert's incredible effort and character. I saw the PPC card and many of your other cards and gifts (CHOCOLATE whoooooohoo) that you have all sent - you are all so kind.

Send your birthday wishes!

Thursday

Today began the various assessments from the doctors and physios. Nothing really new was discovered. A few areas where there is evidence of nerve damage show slight improvement, with alot more improvement needed so that Robert will function normally. We know that nothing is impossible with God.
Also, The doctor is going to play with the medications a bit to try to cut down on ones which might not be helping, and replace them with something else. It seems like enduring alot of pain is going to be part of the process .... and the more Robert does, the more pain he will have, at least for awhile. They want to cut back his meds because of the negative side effects like severe constipation, drowsiness, lethargy ....but also want to keep the pain level manageable. Pray that God will do something supernatural in the pain department. Again we were reminded of the severity of Robert's injuries, and how the pelvic injuries had been of the life threatening variety, so I thank God once again that Robert is alive and recovering.
Alot more is expected of Robert here .... his main difficulty with that is being able to tolerate time up in the chair ... they were working on the chair today to try to make it as comfortable as possible. He is expected to be dressed in the morning, make it to physio and ot appoointments and be up for meals. This is going to be good .... in time.
About his roommate ....turns out he doesn't speak a word of English.
The afternoon was lightened and brightened by the delivery of a huge birthday card from the family at PCC. Robert really enjoyed the picture and the comments .... so did I ... once I could see through the blur of my tears. :) Thanks so much to all of you for living up to the "We Care" banner we had for so many years. You are all loved and appreciated very much.
An extra push in prayer would be great to help get Robert off to a great start in this next phase of his recovery process. Thanks everyone.

Chris

Settling in

Here we are at GF Strong. I located the computers in the basement of this place ...quiet down here at the moment.
So Robert got moved at 11:00 this morning. Everything went just fine. He said it was nice to drive in a vehicle and actually be able to see out the window! He's in a room with an older East Indian fellow ....haven't really talked to him yet as he's kept to himself and goes off to his various appointments. This place feels quite different than the hospital. Everyone is wearing clothes (as opposed to those nasty hospital gowns), and few people are in bed. Well, Robert is, but once they've assessed him, I'm sure his reprieve will be over. He has been promised visits and indepth assessments by doctor, physios, ots, after which they will set up goals and a program forhim. Continue to pray for all these people as they work together to put together the best possible program for Robert. In about a week, everything should be in place. So no physio today .... just getting in and out of bed a few times, using the sliding board. Robert's getting pretty good at it.
I have a new address for Robert, but left it upstairs .... so tomorrow I'll pass that along. It's always a day brightener to get mail.
That's about it for today. Thanks for praying.
Chris

Surprise move

Robert got word first thing this morning that he is probably getting moved to GF Strong ..... tomorrow! We have not received the final word yet, but everything is pointing in that direction. Because he is able to partially weight bear, and because a bed is open now, he can continue his recovery and get on with more rehab there. This is exciting, as well as a little scary. Another new system to learn, and a whole new set of people to meet .... but a huge step in getting closer to coming home.
Today the transfer from bed to wheelchair went much more smoothly, and the standing at the parallel bars was also showing improvement over yesterday. He is taking alot of the weight on his arms, but today was able to put more on his right leg. The hamstrings in the left are so tight, that it causes him tremendous discomfort to put much weight on that side. But that will improve with time, I'm sure.
Anyways, praise God for this new development. Pray that the transition will go smoothy, and for wisdom and skill for his new physios and caregivers. Be spurred on to pray for continued healing of all affected bones, muscles, and nerves.
If you don't hear from us tomorrow, it will be because there's too much going on with settling into a new place.
Blessings on all of you praying bloggites,
Chris

Standing up!

I've got 13 minutes before this place closes so I have to type fast. The report today is that the physio decided to skip the slant board and go straight to standing at the parallel bars. Before that, they had Robert use a sliding board to get from the bed to the wheelchair. That took a Herculean effort on Robert's part, and the aid of three other people to make it happen, but he did it. It was hard to watch, but, it's another big first accomplished. The next thing was to go to the gym and attempt to get to a standing position at the parallel bars. Again, an enormous effort, a great show of courage and willingness to endure pain to make it happen, along with the assistance of two physios, but again, he did it!!! He was able to bear some weight on his right side, and a little on his left, with lots of help from his arms. The second time he tried, it went quite a bit more smoothly, requiring only one person to assist him and he was standing straighter. So the goal this week will be to keep working on that, and getting muscles to work and stretch which haven't done much of anything for the past six weeks. This feat is made more difficult by his left leg which Robert says just feels like dead weight. He needs that quad muscle to get working.
Anyways, lots to be thankful for today including a new mattress, (an air mattress) which the nurse ordered for him last night.We'll see if this will help him to be able to rest more comfortably as it is supposed to take some pressure of his tailbone and hips.
Three minutes to go ..... thanks everyone for your prayers .... And thanks to God for His rebuilding and restoring power at work in Robert's body.

Chris

Sunday afternoon

This is Chris, coming to you from an internet cafe in downtown Vancouver.
After his three hours in the chair yesterday, Robert had a pretty rough evening with lots of pain in his tailbone and hips. Eventually, he had an okay night, and was feeling good this morning, even waiting a little longer than the usual three hours between doses of pain medication. Today he decided, wisely I think, to shorten his time in the chair considerably,, and to take a day off physio .... Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest after all.:) His day (and mine) was brightened by a couple visits from the cousins, so thanks for stopping by, Ashley and Jayeson, Alaina and Joe. (And to Jan and Phil who stopped by last night and helped me cheer the Lions on to victory .... sorry about that, Lind family.)
Tomorrow begins the process of the lower extremities learning to once again bear weight.... keep that upcoming adventure in your prayers.
Stay tuned for further updates.

Chris

It's Saturday... best I could think of for a title.

Hey everyone, Robert here. Well so far today has been going pretty swell. Last night I had one of the best sleeps I have had in a long time. Whenever I woke up my back and pelvis were quite sore, but I still managed to sleep quite well. Mom and dad stopped by at around 9 before dad had to fly home. It wasn't to tough to say goodbye since he'll be back in a week. Right now I have currently been in the wheel chair for nearly 3 hours so that is by far a new personal best. We have also been able to start to a couple exercises to help me get prepared for weight bearing so thats pretty exciting although I'm not to sure how well its going to go in the pain department. but it's good to know progress is happening. latley I have been getting frustrated about having to be so dependent on others and worried about the nerve damage to my feet and legs healing, so I you could pray for me in these areas that would be great. I think it's probably time to get back to bed, this chair is starting to get quite uncomfortable. Thanks for continuing to follow whats going on and praying for me.

Robert

Okayed to weightbear!

The good news today was that, after looking at the xrays of Robert's foot, pelvis, and back, the doctors have given the green light to begin weight bearing. How quickly this can happen will be dictated by how much pain results from each new movement. It's been five weeks since his surgery, only half as long as the 10 weeks we had originally been told it would be before this could happen, so praise the Lord! The process to actually get to a standing position will happen very slowly, with a series of procedures and exercises to go through before he's ready to be upright. But it is such a positive step forward. He is also able to have the aircast off his left foot, except for when he's in the wheelchair and doing in physio.
Give God lots of thanks and praise for all He's doing in Robert. Continue to pray for a return of the ability to bring his right foot forward, and to use the quad muscles in his leg .... all important to his being able to walk. God is more than able.
Time's almost up before the computer place closes for the weekend. Thanks again, everyone, for your prayers.

Chris

A Blogpost from Tom

A blogpost from Tom at Vancouver General Hospital. I arrived in the big city late last night on Air Canada. It was great to see Chris (the beautiful chauffeur) waiting for me.
A foggy day in Vancouver today as I entered into what has become Rob and Chris' daily routine. Up early for brekky, Rob had the hospital fare with some healthy additions from Chris.
Rob met with the team from WorkSafe BC (Guy, Mary, Vivian, Lorraine) who were here to connect with Rob and do an assessment of the situation. They were very supportive of Rob and of ways they could help with his healing and recovery - this was a real encouragement to him as well as to Chris and myself.
Rob had a few bouts of incredible pain that seem to come with not having your bowels functioning in the normal way - how do you spell OUCH (X 100). I'm amazed at the courage Rob has in dealing with this sort of pain - I think I would just curl up in a ball and fade away...
Rob set a bit of a record today as he was up in his wheelchair for just over 2 hours, he through in some physio for extra measure.
Rob had some xrays yesterday on his pelvis and today on his foot - the physion team is hoping that if the xrays are positive they may be able to get him standing in the next few days (something for your prayers).
On a personal note I wanted to say a huge thank you to each of you who are praying and have sent blog posts, emails, cards etc, this means so much to Rob and to us. I don't know how families get through these kinds of things without a loving Father and praying friends (thank you again).
Trusting and praying for God's best! Tom

Better than yesterday

Robert had another rough night - 2 to 3 hours of sleep. However,he slept a good part of the morning and was able to go to physio this afternoon. His time in the chair was cut short by a trip to Xray where they are going to look at his pelvis and lower back to see what the status of that is. I'm really glad because with all the pain he gets from that, it would be good to be sure that everything is as it should be there.
Yesterday he had a long chat with a doctor who specializes in pain management. As a result they have upped his dosage some more, including more nerve pain medication which could help to alleviate some of the severe spasms of pain he is getting. The extra meds also make him sleepier. Seems to work well in the day for being able to sleep, but not so well at night. Well, so far today is an improvement over yesterday for which I am thankful. Many thanks for all your continuing and continuous prayers.
Chris

A Rough Day

Today has been a tough one, preceded by a rough night, with Robert in severe discomfort due to bowel issues, along with his other pain. He also is back on an IV for antibiotics to treat another bladder infection. Because he was feeling so lousy, he was up for just an hour in the chair, but still toughed it out through his exercises down at the gym. His determination and courage is amazing. At the same time, it's a challenge not to become disheartened and to give in to discouragement.
We were both happy to hear that Tom is flying in late Wednesday night and will stay until Saturday. We're looking forward to seeing him alot.
Keep those prayers going, everyone. When Robert is experiencing alot of pain, the nurses give him something extra which they call "breakthrough" .... It feels like we're hitting a bit of a wall here, and need a breakthrough of a more powerful sort which only comes through concerted prayer.
Thanking you all once again for your care and your prayers,
Chris

Monday

Hi everybody. Back at the blog after a day of rest.
Robert spent some more time in the chair today, and was introduced to some new strengthening exercises for his upper body and one leg. We spent a little time off the ward as well, but he was getting really uncomfortable so headed back to the room. It's so great for Robert to get out of the room and to get some exercise, but there's a big price paid for a few hours afterwards in the form of more intense pain. Today was a bit worse that way, so the physio suggested cutting back on the time up. Pray that he will continue to grow stronger, and that the resulting pain from being up would recede.
It makes for a bit of a roller coaster of a day for me, as there's the joy in seeing him up and in a Tshirt and shorts, then the emotional pain of watching him back in bed once more in the vice grip of severe physical pain. I continue to need prayer for strength and stamina to endure the watching, which I know is nothing compared to what Robert has to endure.
There has been further testing of nerve and muscle function, and they have confirmed what we've already been told, that there is evidence of nerve damage talked about in previous blogs. Continue to pray for a healing of all nerve damage, as well as for the healing of the crushed bones in his right foot, and of course, the pelvis and lower back.
It was great to have a visit from Denise on Saturday. She came bearing gifts from Gilmores and Ellen, and we say a big thankyou to you for all of that.
Thanks again everyone, for staying strong in prayer. I thank God for all of you, and for the strength which He does give from day to day.

Chris

It's Me... Robert

Hey everyone, Well I finally have been able to get this wheel chair to an area with internet so I figure it's about time I try out this blog thing. First I would like to thank everyone for praying for me and following whats going on so closly. It means a ton to me to know that so many people have my back. My mom faithfully has been bring the comments that you guys put on here to me and those also mean alot. So thanks. It's been so nice lately to be able to get out of the bed after having spent nearly 5 weeks lieing on my back. Actully being able to do stuff and lift so weight and do some exercise is so nice. It definelty lets me know that I am progressing and getting better. Altough the rehab stuff is quite hard and tiring resulting in long naps after words and some pain, it's definetly a good thing. Well I think I'm going to try and go sit outside for a little bit since it's hard to know how many more sunny days will get here. Thanks again everyone for caring so much.

Robert

Off the unit

More progress today, as Robert made 1 1/2 hours in the chair, and we were able to go off the ward, down to the main floor, and outside into the sunshine. There aren't any beautiful places to sit, but hey, out on the sidewalk, in the sunshine (can't complain about Vancouver weather yet), we are happy. The day has been going well, with Robert having had not a bad sleep, and with the pain under control.
Yesterday we had another visit from the doctor from GF Strong, and he was extremely pleased with Robert's progress, and sees him being moved to GF alot sooner than originally forecasted. All thanks to God for that. Also, the physio has detected flickers in the right foot (the one with drop foot) as well as in his left quad muscles, and she says that's a very positive sign for the future. So we can all pray those flickers into full fledged firings .... what do you say?
So happy to be able to write positive reports after going through that seemingly endless period where there was no visible sign of change. I am so thankful to our Father for His love, and to all of you for your care and prayers. Bless you all.

Chris

To the Gym

Another first today .... a visit to the two gyms on this floor. Robert was directed through some upper body stuff, as well as some exercises to strengthen his right leg. The physio worked him pretty hard today, and he was up in the chair for close to an hour. He's putting out a great effort, working through a good deal of pain and discomfort, but I think he's making amazing progress. I'm so thankful to God for the changes, even in the last few days, including the fact that he had his best night of sleep so far last night, and he's eating more. Yeh, God.
So be encouraged, all you faithful prayers, and keep on praying for that complete healing to be worked out in Robert's body, as well as for continued courage and inner strength.
Chris

Escape from Rm 944

The second day into the wheelchair went much easier, with Robert lasting a good 30 minutes this time. He was even able to wheel himself out of the room and give himself a little tour of the ward. Once he can tolerate an hour, we will be given offward privileges ... whooeee ...hoping for early next week on that one.
Robert's sleep was one of his better ones .... sleeping pretty solidly from 3 til 7 or 8. Thanks to you who offered up extra prayers in that regard.
We met his doctor in the hallway and had a nice little chat with him. He said Robert is one of probably 20 people in the world with his combination of injuries, so there's no "cookbook" to direct what his rehab should look like. Medical people meet as a team and try to work out the best probable course of treatment and rehab. Continue to pray that these people will be given Godly wisdom in their planning.
Well, it's been a positive day so far .... trusting for more of the same.
Thanks for your ongoing prayers.

Chris

Intro to the wheelchair

Today marked another big first as Robert was put into a hammock like affair and powerlifted up out of bed into a wheelchair. Sounds easy? Not even close. I feel like a worn out dish rag from watching the procedure from my comfortable chair. It was a painful, uncomfortable experience but Robert again demonstrated an amazing amount of courage and was able to tolerate the chair for close to 15 minutes, then endure the return ride back into bed. When all was said and done, he needed another extra dose of pain medication (I no longer use the words pain killer, because there really is no such thing), but another first has been accomplished, and the first time they say is always the worst. Anyways, thanks be to God for another step forward in the rehab process, as well as for skillful, caring physios and nurses.
Continue to pray for a cessation of pain ... Robert still needs a great deal of medication to keep that under control. Also, those good nights sleeps we've been praying for are just not happening yet ... keep knocking on that one. And of course for continued healing in his body. and for encouragement in his spirit. Pray for strength for me as well, and for the ability to keep giving Robert and the whole situation to God. And of course, don't forget to give thanks for all the good that He has done already.

Chris

Monday

Today has gone by much more smoothly. Robert had a poor night, but thankfully, a better day. He sat on the edge of the bed (with support) for a longer period of time today, and was given a few exercises he can do while in bed, a few light weights, and some range of motion type exercises. The bladder infection seems to have calmed down, for which we're so grateful.
We had a quick visit from Gary and Susan Knolls who are on their way to Europe. It was really nice to spend a little time with them, so thanks for stopping by.
Continue to pray for Robert's complete healing, for his spirits to be positive, and for a good night's sleep tonight.

Chris

Sunday

After the good news report yesterday, I'm sorry to say Robert had a very rough night and day today. This is thanks to a bladder infection which is causing him no end of intense discomfort. It's frustrating that when his other pain is under better control, he has had to contend with this. So let's attack that infection with prayer .... seems the antibiotics, which they finally decided to give him today, need a little boost in order for Robert to get some much needed relief.
He did sit up with much assistance again today but with the other discomfort, it wasn't that triumphant an experience. Tomorrow will surely be better.
Once again we've been blessed with visits from family members, as well as from Laura from the CBWC. Apologies from Robert to Pat MacDonald that he was in no shape to receive visitors when you stopped by.
Thanking you all again for your prayers, trusting God to move through Robert with His healing power,
Chris

Sitting up on a Saturday

Today was a red letter day in Robert's recovery as the order of 7 more weeks of straight bedrest was lifted. Although he cannot put any weight on his legs for that period of time, he is going to be allowed to sit up to the point where he can be put into a wheel chair. You realize what this means .... a change of scenery from the same four walls and ceiling. Yes! This morning was the first step in that process as two physios came and got him into a sitting position on the side of the bed. It was a painful, somewhat awkward manuever, but successful. He was able to sit,at not quite a 90 degree angle, with lots of support from behind from the physio for 10 minutes. It was a dizzying experience as its been a long time since he's been in that upright of a position. But whooeee, it's a great start, and I am thanking God for this huge step.
Other positives today is that he is able to eat (hadn't eaten much the past couple of days), his pain seems under better control, and he's in fairly positive spirits. Lots to thank God for.
Thanks to my brother Bill and his wife Lissa who stopped by this afternoon for a visit. Much appreciated.
This morning God encouraged me with Psalm 124. I claimed it for myself as well as for Robert. I think it was Psalm 124 .... I don't have my Bible here with me at the internet cafe, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was.
Read it for yourself and be encouraged.
That's it for this afternoon. Blessings on all you faithful pray-ers.
Chris

Friday afternoon

After reporting yesterday that nothing much was happening, things changed. Robert had a visit from doctors from G.F. Strong to assess him for his rehab which is still 7 weeks off. They asked a myraid of questions and checked him over from head to toe.
Their take on Robert's conditions is as follows:
Strengths - good upper body strength (he will be able to do some in bed physio to keep up and build up that upper body.}
good strength in the right leg
movement in the left foot
Challenges - in other words, areas where strong prayer for healing is needed.
little movement or sensation in the left leg
drop foot on the right side
other issues related to peripheral nerve damage, some of which cannot be accurately assessed due to his pelvic injuries

The one doctor talked of Robert coming home after rehab in a wheelchair or with a walker, with hope for more improvement with additional rehab in PG. The other doctor stated that Robert would definitely be able to stand.

Okay, so we are not satisfied with that and I encourage everyone to pray towards Robert not only standing, but walking, and yes, even running. Pray for the healing of the nerves, as well as for the healing of the pelvice injuries. Pray for a further improved management of the pain, which gets in the way of proper rest and the ability to heal. Pray against infections which are threatening his incision and bladder.

Even more importantly, pray that the enemy of discouragement, he who would have Robert give up, be kept far from Robert. Pray that faith, determination, tenacity would rise up within Robert, inspite of what the doctors may say about his condition.

Hearing these reports from the doctors was overwhelming for me, as although they were not things I had never thought of before, hearing them said out loud in a matter of fact sort of way, was heartwrenching. I'm very thankful that our friends Darcy and Kerstin are here with us at this time, as their encouragement, faith in the God who is able to heal, and their prayers, have helped so very much. Thanks to Darcy who is spending the afternoon with Robert while Kerstin and I went out and had lunch, coffeed, and I got some overdue work done on my hair.

It has been almost four weeks since this all began. We are thnnkful for all that God has brought Robert through so far, for the miracles that have happened, the most important one being the preservation of his life. I ask you to not grow tired of praying, but to hunker down and do battle as you know how, or if you don't think you know how, ask God to show you what that means. Thankyou so much for the time you take to pray, and for all of your support.
Chris

Thursday

Not too much to report on today. Robert had another bad bout of pain last night, but got through it, and slept a little more than he has in the past. Today is a quiet day with not much going on so far; however, we are looking forward to a visit from Darcy and Kerstin who should be here sometime this afternoon.
Thanks, dear friends, for your continued prayers which I know are going up night and day.
Chris

Wednesday afternoon

It's late Wednesday afternoon, a sunny day in Vancouver.
The only new piece of news medically speaking is that Robert had a CT scan done on his left foot, and a doctor actally came up and let us know what they found. It had been thought that he had had a dislocation, but instead they found that two of the bones had been crushed. There was no evidence of ligament rupture which should have been the case had their been a dislocation. According to the doctor this was good news, as bones heal more quickly than ligaments. They will put some kind of a boot on his foot to keep it immoblized, but so far, it seems to be sitting just where it should be. He says Robert shouldn't put weight on it for another 3 weeks...which is not a problem seeing as he's scheduled to be on bedrest for considerably longer than that.
His pain continues to be under better control .... he usually sits at about a 4, but that is considerably better than a 7 or 8.
Robert's social calendar has been kept full by a series of visits from family members. Thanks to Shar, Colton, Ryan, Andrew, Mom, Jake, Jan, Brad, and Jon for coming by and spending some time. Always good to have someone to talk to besides his Mom. Well, let's be honest, its nice for me to others to talk with as well.
My first full day on my own in Vancouver and I'm starting to feel more comfortable finding my way to and from the hospital, parking in confining parkades, navigating through Vancouver traffic. Just to make things a little more interesting, last night I had to switch hotel rooms as something went haywire with the tub and I couldn't get the water to shut off. Two workmen later, neither of whom could fix it, and I was moved to the room next door. Never a dull moment.
Thanks for the prayers and encouragements posted by several of you. Your support and prayers help more than you can ever know.
Chris

Tuesday afternoon

Hello again, from the internet cafe on Robson. Believe it or not, there is Christian music playing in the background today .... absolutely soothing to my soul.
I did find out there is internet access at the hospital between the hours of 10 and 5 so after today, I will be using that more than this place. (save myself a toonie a day :) )
Updating you on Robert ..... last night he was in intense pain to the point they gave him something 3 times as powerful as morphine. It did bring it under control, but also made him feel a little strange, so he doesn't want to have to resort to whatever that was too often. As for his sleep patterns, they are totally messed up. He doesn't sleep well at night so is very tired and sleeps during the day. Which in turn leads to another sleepless night .... pray that this pattern gets switched around. I'll have to try to keep him awake for a day to see if that helps. Other than that, his physical condition appears to remain unchanged. His spirits are up and down, which is totally understandable. I sure do enjoy the times when he converses like his old self.
Tom left today. He decided to leave me with the car and flew back to PG, taking advantage of a great seat sale. Pray for us as we go into a long period of being apart, something we both are not looking forward to but realize its the way it has to be right now.
As you pray, continue to pray for a healing of the shattered bones, a healing of the damaged nerves, a restoration of more normal sleep patterns. Pray that he will be protected from discouragement and that faith and hope would begin to rise up within him. Thanks again, all friends who are supporting him and our family in prayer.
Chris

Monday afternoon

Tom and I made it safely to Vancouver, arriving at about 9:30pm. Thanks to everyone who prayed for a safe trip. We went to the hospital this morning to visit Robert in his new home away from home. He seems to be settling in alright. Different medication seems to be keeping the pain more under control, although he still has some bad spells. The nurses that we've met so far seem good, and all the caregivers are working to get familiar with his case, and decide on the next phase of treatment. Being the long weekend, everythings progressing more slowly than it might normally, but we know it will all come together. Pray for wisdom for each of the doctors, physios, etc. as they decide on treatment for Robert.
Robert's spirits seem better than they were last week. He has had visits from a few few family members, and especially from Auntie Jan, who spent the most time, cheering him up, bringing him healthy snacks, and just being there.
It was wonderful for me to see everyone at church yesterday. Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for all your hugs, prayers, tears, cards, and gifts. I don't know what people do who don't have the family of God around them for support.
One not so good thing here is that the hospital does not have computer access like they did at UofA, and hotel internet is really expensive, so I am relegated to an internet cafe a little ways from the hotel. This means I'll likely be writing the blog during the afternoon, and will only be able to check it for comments once a day. But that's okay. Keep those encouraging comments coming, and I will see that they get passed on to Robert. Or write an old fashioned letter and mail it to him (address posted in previous blog).
Thanks again for your prayers.
Chris