...Rob's Blog...

Back on the bike

2009-11-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd try my road bike out on the trainer. I had gotten a big fat seat to try and make it as comfy as possible and it actually worked quite well. I was able to ride for about 20 minutes at the end of which I was tired, sore, and sucking for air, but it felt great to be riding again. Over the past few weeks I have continued to improve at walking with one crutch and without my left leg brace. Last week the doctor and I decided to try taking my pain medication down another small amount. It hasn't effected my sitting tolerance much although I did experience some withdrawal early in the week. Nothing too major just some shakes and a few restless nights. I think that's about it for my news for now. Thanks for continuing to check up on me and for the prayers.

2009-10-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

I just figured out that I can put pictures up. Here's a couple from wheelchair basketball.

2009-10-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hey there. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Well the last month has been a pretty big success. For the last few weeks I have been going to wheelchair basketball. Its a fairly small group of 8-9 people and is pretty casual. The first 45 minutes is usually some skill building and practice which is good since I have a lot to learn. Then the remainder of the time is spent playing. I have a lot of fun playing. So far I have been able to stay for around 80 minutes. Which brings me to my next bit of good news, my sitting tolerance has made a significant increase from 40-50 minutes to 70-80 minutes. Because of this we are now trying to decrease the pain medication that I am taking by a very small amount to see what happens. So far I haven't noticed much of a difference so perhaps we'll be able to take it down some more in the future. Since the beginning of October I have been going to the pool for physio twice a week. Its a nice change from the same old routine and has helped my balance and leg strength improve. As a result of this I have recently been able to walk with only one crutch for short distances. Its not the smoothest way to move but it's progress. This afternoon my dad and I went to the CN center parking lot so that I could attempt to drive. With my foot drop, and me not having driven in well over a year I wasn't sure how it was going to go. I had been thinking that I was going to need to use my left foot since I can't lift my right foot up. Fortunately this wasn't much of an issue and I was able to drive normally. My leg was getting tired after awhile so it'll take some more practice and exercise to get that back. I don't think I could sit in that chair for much longer then a half hour but it felt really good to do it again. Hopefully some day in the future I can start driving myself to physio and stop taking cabs.

I think that is about it for my good news report. Hopefully they'll be some more to add to it soon.

It's September

2009-09-27T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hello again. Since I have been back from Vancouver for a few weeks now I suppose it's about time I write a new blog. Today is September 27th, which also happens to be my birthday. It was a pretty fun one. Several friends from Fort st. John came up for the weekend which made for an enjoyable time. Football was watched, games were played, cake was eaten, so it had to be fun.

On to the medical side of things. At the beginning of the month I was down in Vancouver to get some CTs, MRIs, and to see a couple of doctors. At that time I didn't find out to much, but a few weeks later, after the doctors had gotten together to discuss me, I got an answer. That answer was... can you guess... more waiting. This at first may sound really annoying but it's actually for a good reason. The scans showed that there had been some healing where my spine attaches to the pelvis. This was one of the areas that they thought would be causing my pain. Well this healing hasn't helped a lot with the pain it's good to know that there is still some healing going on. So the new plan is to wait until Febuary-ish and then go back down to Vancouver for some more scans and another set of the injections I had in the spring. This time they want me to hang around for the day afterwards and document how it effects my pain levels. Last time I had the injection, I had to catch a flight about an hour afterwards so it didn't give them a very good chance to see its effects. If the injection seems to make a substantial difference they may decided to try a surgery to fuse the bone in that area. At the moment they are still hesitant to do a surgery because they are unsure if anything they could do would have a high percentage of helping my pain. They are also scared of thing like causing nerve damage resulting in loss of some of the fuction that I have, or things like infection and bleeding. The othopedic doctor said she was amazed at the level of my recovery and the amount of function I have. She said that many people my age with similar injuries end up in a lot worse shape.

The spinal doctor had sugessted that I start doing some physio in the pool. I had tried this when I was at GF but I got sore so quickly that I wasn't able to accomplish much. The pool is closed for maintence for most of September but it will be open next week and I'll begin going twice a week. Before the pool closed I got the chance to go once. I was able to last for around 30 minutes and while I didn't have mush of a workout plan I was able to to walk around in the water a bit and do some simple exercises to work my legs. When I start in October I'll be going with a physio therapist so hopefully when that starts my legs can strengthen up and get used to walking without crutches.

I think that's about all thats going on here right now. Thanks for all the comments, encouragment, and prayers. It still means alot to me.

If We All Pretend Today Is Tomorrow Then Today Is a Year From My Accident

2009-08-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well tomorrow is August 10th. Last year on that day was my accident. It started out like any normal Sunday. Well normal for that summer anyways. Since I was working shifts at the Taylor Pulp Mill my schedule was a little unusual. I would have gone to bed at 6am just having gotten home from work. Then after waking up in the mid afternoon I would have lazed around for a few hours then packed myself a lunch and hopped on my bike to get to work by 6 pm. The first few hours went by fairly quickly and everyone was looking forward to the upcoming days off as it was our last shift of the tour. After loading the 7 o'clock hours worth of pulp I noticed the rail cars were nearly full and decided I should go prepare the next batch to come into the warehouse. I went down the line of cars removing old seals, unlocking them, and sliding the doors open a crack to make them easier to open with the forklift once inside. When I got to the fourth and final car I did the same little routine I had done a hundred times that summer, removed the seal, unlocked and slid the door a crack. I then went to walk around to the other side of the cars to repeat the pattern on their opposing doors. My path took me right under the door which I had just slid open a few inches. Suddenly I heard the screeching of metal and out of the corner of my eye saw a wall of steel coming down. I tried to sprint out of the way but my efforts brought me two feet short of safety. I was pounded into the ground with the force of 1400 pounds of metal. My hard hat flew from my head and my body instantly went tingly. At first I couldn't breathe, the majority of the weight was on my left hip but my upper body was chest down with a portion of the mass pressing on my back, making it difficult to inhale. I fought for a minute to twist my torso on it's side taking the weight on my shoulder which allowed me to breath a little easier. I took a look at my watch, it was 8 o'clock. I still didn't think that I was in that much danger, my ankle was throbbing and my hip hurt but I thought I would be able to slide out from under the door and walk or at worst crawl my way back to the finishing line office. Maybe I would need to get driven up to the hospital if things was really bad. I began to attempt an awkward side ways push-up, my lower back burned and I couldn't even budge the door. I continued to struggle and fight until I was tired and soaked with sweat. Then I began to panic. I started screaming as loud as I could. However I was in an area not often populated, even less so as it was a night shift, so my cries for help where useless. I continued this routine of struggling to get out and and yelling when I was too tied or in too much pain pain to fight with the mass of steel. Suddenly I heard the sound of tires on gravel. "I'm safe," I thought. I started yelling as loud as I could then louder and louder as I could see the bottom halves of the tires rolling by on the other side of the rail cars. My head was free enough to look down past my feet and under the car to the area where empty rail cars are processed. The man driving the huge loader wouldn't have been able to hear a gun shot two feet from his head over the roar of his diesel motor with his ear plugs in. I looked at my watch, it was 8:15. My arms were shaking and weak from my efforts and I finally gave into to the fact the I couldn't get out on my own. I decided to save my energy for yelling and would let out a cry for help every few seconds. I came up with the brilliant idea of chewing on rocks to distract myself from the pain. The minutes rolled by slowly. countless thoughts went through my mind. "I guess this is going to put a damper on my training program for biking," "I wonder if I'm paralyzed," "I can't die hear." I then came up with one final plan to escape. If I could dig a hole under my body and then pile the rocks under the door to hold it up maybe I could crawl out. This plan lasted about 4 seconds as I made a feeble effort to dig with fingers into gravel packed by years of heavy machinery. My brain began to calculate how long it would be until someone noticed I'm gone. "Well the conveyor that holds the pulp should be full by 8:45, then Jim will wonder why I'm not helping him. He should see my forklift parked by the door that leads out here. I just have to make it till then." I looked at my watch, it was 8:30. Suddenly the adrenaline that had been pounding through my veins disappeared, and I felt extremely tired. "I can just fall asleep," I thought, "then I don't have to worry about the pain, and when I wake up they'll have found me and this will be over. No! Stay awake, you have to keep screaming!" I continued to yell for help but my strength was nearly gone. As more and more things went wrong inside my body I thought, "Nobody is going to find me in time, I am going to die right here." I began to do the only thing I new would bring me peace in a situation like this, I prayed. It's a very simple thing preparing for death, there's no distractions, or questioning. I knew that God was real and that I loved him and there was nothing to fear from death. That prayer probably lasted about 10 seconds, but that was all that was needed. I went back to my yelling. Looking at my watch I saw that it was 8:45. Finally, finally I heard the word that I've heard a million times but has never sounded sweeter, the voice of Jim Farquarhson yelling, "Robert!" My body gave me its last drop of adrenaline and I let out a cry for help. He sprinted over, saw my situation, said "I'll be right back," and ran about 10 steps back towards the mill before realizing he was carrying a radio. He called for help and moments later I was surrounded by a dozen well organized men who lifted the door off me and carefully slid me out from my prison. What happened after that is the same as what happens at most accident scenes. The fire department came and put me in a neck brace then strapped me to a spine board. The ambulance arrived and took to to the hospital.

2 surgeries, 5 units of blood, 2 months in the hospital, 2 more in GF Strong rehabilitation center, 22 ambulance rides, 9 air ambulance flights, and 8 months of physiotherapy later, we arrive at today. I have made it along way in that time, and I owe all of that to God and those who have prayed for me.

At the moment I am able to walk very short distance with crutches and braces or a walker. Thanks to a nerve block in June I am have been given a few months of relief that has extended my sitting time to around 50 minutes. The nerve block didn't do much to relieve my pain when standing so I am only able to do that for about 10 minutes. This is still an incredible miracle as at the beginning they thought I might die, or be paralyzed and need dialysis for life. So where I am at today is miles from where I could have been.

As for the future it's hard to say what will happen. My next appointment to Vancouver is for the 31st of August when I'll have an MRI and CT scan done. The following day I will meet with both the spinal and orthopedic surgeons. This trip will hopefully give them the information needed to come to a decision if or what kind of surgery will help me most.

If anyone is still checking this blog I would like to thank you so much for praying and thinking of me. How far I have come in this year is absolute proof that God is alive. To save you from having to check this unnecessarily I won't be posting anything until I get back from Vancouver in the first week of September. That is unless something significant happens.

Thanks again for continuing to follow my progress.

Two weeks Later

2009-06-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

Hey there. Well It's been two weeks now since the injection. This Is how long the doctors said it should take for the steroid they put in to be fully active. It has made some difference and I am able to sit some what comfortably for around 50 minutes. There is still quite a bit of pain and discomfort but it is still nice to be able to sit a little longer. In some areas it now seems that there is new pain. I think what is really happening is that I just hadn't noticed the pain in these areas because of the worse pain in the spot they put the injection. I had talked with the orthopedic doctor last week and she was going to be consulting with the spinal guy and looking at the ct. scans and taking the info from the injections to come up with a plan for what's next. Hopefully she'll be getting back to me soon with an update. Anyways thats about all thats new with me lately. Thank-you for continuing to follow along with my progress and for the encouragement you all provide.

Robert

After Way to LongI'm Back

2009-06-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

First off I ned to apologize to those of you who are checking still checking this. I have no real excuse for not posting anything for o long besides be lazy. I'd like to thank you for still following along with my progress and praying. Well This pose is going to contain somthing rare... Good News!!! thats right, get excited. Now for the story. Yesterday around noon I flew back down to vancouver. We did the usual ambulance, to air ambulance to hospital routine. We got to fly with the same flight crew that we have the last 5 times we flown so it's always fun to see them again and catch up. Anyways at the hospital they injected my right SI (where the pelvis and spine attach) ith a quick acting local anesthetic and long lasting anti-inflammatory To make sure the put it in the right spot they would take a quick ct scan then put in the needle, do another ct scan to make sure it was in the right spot then advance the needle till it was in the right area and then injected the medicine. If this was the area that was causing my pain I should have felt almost instant relief, and then the long acting stuff could have possibly provided several months of relief. Hwever after sitting up for a few minuted the pain appeared as normal. bumber. Thursday evening was fun though. a few aunts and uncles and my grandma came by and we all crammed into the hotel room and visited for awhile. Then Today it was back to the hospital for a similar injection. Todays however was a nerve block. to get the needle to the area they wanted the had to try and bend the needle around some bone however. So to do this they had to first stick in a straight needle part way, then take a curved needle and use the straight needle to deflect it into the right area. all the while doing ct scans to make sure there going to the right area. it took them several trys and about 2 hours to get the right spot but they finally did and inject the stuff. after wards while waiting for the ambulance to pick us up to take us to the airport I managed to sit for over an hour pretty much pain free!! wHoo Hoo. So no it's been about 6 hours and the quick acting stuff has pretty much worn off so the pain is back, but n the next day or so the long lasting stuff should be kicking in and hopefully relieving my pain for some time. I was supposed to see the orthopedic specialist as well afterwards but since the injection took so long, and our schedule for getting to the airport for our flight was very tight we had to skip that part. So I think we will be talking on the hone next week. Anyways, besides providing temporary relief of pain these injections also tell the doctors what areas are causing the problems so that they can come up with a more long term plan. So it's very exciting to be making some serious headway. So thats my big exciting good news.

Robert

The Report

2009-04-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hello. hey is the report from the trip to vancouver. After some poking and prodding and a bunch of questions the specialist came to the conclusion that simply putting more screws into the areas that are still not healed wouldn't help my pain much. It seems that they areas tht are still brken aren't the reas that are causing me that much pain. She said that if it were those areas I would have extreme discomfort lieing on my side or when she pushed left hip, but it didn't. She thinks that it is more likely caused by excessive bone growth in one area that might be rubbing and catching on itself when I sit or stand. She Also figured that some of the hardware is the problem as alot of the pain is focused around one screw. It was told a lot more elegantly when she said it, but thats the gist. SO her plan of attack is that fisrt she wants to talk with the spinal guy to find out if my back is stable enough to take any hardware out. Then she want to have dye injected into the areas that have pain and take some real time x-rays of me sitting and standing to see if they can pin point the problem. An then if they think there's something they can do surgicaly to correct the problems they'll take that route. So I should be hearing back from her in the next week or so to find out what shes learned from the spinal doc and the radiologist.

In not my body news. The trip down was pretty smooth.We got to visit with some family on tuesday night. Always a good time. I also calculated that that was my 7th air ambulance ride and 17th time in an ambulance in under a year. Not really statistics you want on the back of your baseball card. Other then that things are pretty much sticking to routine. However spring is here. which makes it a lot nicer. I can now safely walk to and from the car without being afraid of slipping on the ice. I'm also thinking of taking the wheelchair out for a walk around the block. Its been awhile since I've been outside just to be outside. Not since GF strong. Oh glorious sun. Anyways I think thats it for now. Hope you all boing great.

Robert

On to April

2009-04-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hey. Well here is the latest and greatest. About a week or two ago ago I got a letter from the spinal doctor with the results of my CT scan. Without getting into all the technical mumbo jumbo of it, it basicallny said that there are still areas that haven't healed. Which is what we already kind of knew, but it was nice to see it all officialy there rather then just being told by a secreary glancing at some notes. The letter also suggested that putting in somemore plates and screws could help get things to heal and help with the pain. Now I've been refered to a specialist in pelvic instability. Tomorrow I'll be flying down to Vancouver again, then will be seeing this doctor on Wednesday morning and then flying back home right after that. This trip is just a consult and I guess the real plans will be made after that. Hopefully they can start doing something soon so i can start sitting normally again. Another new bit of news is that I have started getting acupuncture done on my lower back and around my hips, as well as acupuncture with electricty hooked up to it in my quad. This to try and help stimulate it abit more. I haven't really noticed any difference from either of these things, but I'm willing to try most things at the moment. Thats pretty much all that's been going on with my body lately. In life I've still been learning lots of 3d animation stuff and some video and photo editing. I had to send my computer away to get a little problem fixed last week and it made me realize how much of my time I spend working on it. I really enjoy doing it so it's saved me from losing my mind over the last few months. Also a couple of friends have started having a bible study at my house on Thursdays lately. And yeah, that about all I can think of at the moment. I'll let you know what the plan will be as far as more surgery or whatever later in the week.

Robert

A Quick One

2009-03-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Hey, I finally kind of got ahold of the doctor. Well I talked to his secretary who looked through my file and found some notes. I'm not sure of any real details but this is how she explain it to me. She said that the mid line of my pelvis has fused together as well as s1/s2. There are a few partial fusions in the pelvis as well as one/some (She wasn't very clear on this) non fusions. So basically some of the bone have healed while other's haven't. This is what I'm assuming is the cause of all the pain. She also told me that since the problem area isn't in the spine but in the pelvis that I have been referred to a orthopedic specialist in Kelowna. Apparently all my info was faxed over on friday and I should hear from them soon. Who knows what that means. I'm glad that he isn't sending me to the orthopedic surgeon I had in vancover when I was at VGH because he was pretty much useless. Anyways everything is still kind of a mystery but at least we might be heading in the right direction.

Robert

Hello Hello

2009-03-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hey. Well I finally have some good news to share. Last week I went in for another spinal tap and the pressure was at 20 mm of water right were its supposed to be. My vision isn't back to perfect yet but Its definitely improving. I can even read the screen today without closing my one eye. The neurologist wants me to continue take the medication for another month and then hopefully after that things should be all back to normal. I still haven't heard back from the spinal surgeon yet on the results of my ct scan. He was supposed to call me last Wednesday but didn't. I have left several messages and talked to his secretary twice, but still no word. Thats a bit frustrating but I suppose that know news is hopefully good news. Physio is going fine. My left quad s continuing to see improvements while my hip and foot are still not getting in on the action. Things are still pretty sore, and it would be really nice to know if the CT scan showed any evidence of the cause. but I guess I have to leave some angry messages this week. I have also been have some new pain near the middle of my back. I sat kinda funny for a few minutes and then when I stood up I was extremely painful to straighten my back out. It has eased up some but is still a bit of an issue. I'll have to have my physiotherapist take a look at it if it continues. And I guess that would be most of my news. Next weekend my parents are going down to watch my sisters senior recital. I had been hoping hoping to go but a ten hour car ride wouldn't agree with me quite yet. So Pat Mcdonald is going to be staying with me for the weekend. Should be fun. hmmm Thats all I can think of right now. Hope your all doing well.

Robert

Back at Home

2009-02-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well we made it back home. The trip back went just as smooth as the trip down. I managed to sleep the whole flight again so it went pretty quick.On tuesday I had x-rays and saw the spinal surgeon. He was concerned that my pain while sitting may be caused by the bones not fusing together properly, SO he ordered a CT scan. I was able to get squeezed in that afternoon. I called his office today and he had left a note with the secretary saying that he took a look at the scan and it didn't look that bad to him, but he has to wait for the radiologists report. He is planning to call me during his next rounds and since he is off next week I'm expecting to hear from him the following wednesday. The EMG test this morning didn't really show anything that we didn't already know from simple observation. My quad still should be recovering some more. My foot doesn't look that promising, and my hip is kinda iffy but looks like I should get at lest a little back. Well there I was able to visit with a bunch of family which was very good, and filled in all the gaps that could have made the trip seem long and boring. And that would be my trip to vancouver.

Robert

Live from Vancouver

2009-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hey. I would like to apologize for not posting in a really long time I don’t really have a good excuse for it, but I’ll do my best to pick up the pace here. Well since I last posted I have gone in for another spinal tap. This time the pressure was a bit more reasonable but still quite high. The dr. drained the fluid down to normal and is keeping me on the medication for at least another month. I’ll be going in for another spinal tap on the 3rd of march. The drugs that he started me on to try and slow down the production of the spinal fluid have been reeking some havoc on my body. My appetite had decreased a lot and when I did eat or drink more then a little I ended up feeling nauseous. In the first two weeks on the drug I lost 12 pounds, however over the last few days it had been picking back up some. I also ended up being taken off to of the drugs I was on for nerve pain which has left me having a lot of random burst of pain in my legs, especially at night time. So for the last week I have been having some fairly poor sleeps. Some good news now. Chris and Corinne Millington Oooo and Ella!! and Denise came down to visit this weekend, that was a good time. And now I am currently sitting in a hotel in Vancouver. I flew down this morning by air ambulance since I still couldn’t handle sitting on a commercial flight. Tomorrow I go and get some x-rays taken and then see the spinal surgeon. He may be ordering a ct scan or possibly a bone scan depending on how it goes. And then on Thursday I have a EMG (testing the strength of the nerve signals) at G.F Strong. This test will help give us a better idea of how much I will get back in my legs. Then I’ll be flying back home thursday early afternoon. Mom came down with me and were planning to have some of the family come and stop by to visit, so that’ll be fun. And I think that just about covers it. I want to thank you all for still checking up on me and following my progress. It really means a lot to know that you care so much.

Robert

The results

2009-01-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

Well the spinal tap went well. It was a fairly easy process. They found out that I ad over double the pressure compared to a normal persons spinal fluid. The doctor drained around 22cc which is the quick fix, since a normal person produce cerebral spinal fluid at a rate of .7cc/minute and I'm making it at who knows how fast. Then they have started me in some more medication to slow down the production. Now the fluid will be tested to see if there is any problems with it. The docotr is unsure of what the cause is as the doesn't often occur spontaneously in males of my body type. He thinks that the cause may be due to..... you guessed it, my drugs. so we've come full circle back to tapering mt drugs down. so hopefully this in conjunction with the new medication will allow me to start seeing some results in the next weeks(the doc said it wouldn't clear up instantly as my eyes have had some swelling in them). I will have to be going back in for another spinal tap next week to see how things ae going and probably for a few more in the future. But I feel a lot better now that it seems some progress is being made.

Robert

Friday

2009-01-23T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hey just wanted to let you know that the cat scan showed no sign of a tumor and that everything looked good. I will be going in for the spinal tap in about an hour. So hopefully this will find the problem and we can get this eye deal over with.

Robert

quick update

2009-01-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hey jut thought I'd let you know the latest in the eye story. I went to the doctor today and he saw some inflammation in the back of my eyes so he refereed me to an ophthalmologist. He found that my blurred vision is caused not by my drugs but from ppressure in the back of my eyes and on the optic nerve. He sent me over to another doctor who told me that there are two possible causes of this. Either a tumor or excessive spinal fluid pressure. He is leaning towards the spinal fluid pressure as I show no other symptoms of a tumor.So tomorrow I will be going in fo a CT scan, and depending in the results of that I may need to get a spinal tap to measure the pressure of the spinal cord fluid.

Robert

Friday January 16 (creative title, eh?)

2009-01-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Friday night, and that means its Blog writing night, or so it seems lately. I'd like to thank you for all your comments .... there were an exceptional number this week, and its always nice to hear from you guys.
Here's the latest and greatest in the "Great Eye Escapade." As of Sunday, I began to get some slight improvement in my vision in that the blind spot was gone. There was a slight clearing up of the blurriness on Monday. Since then there's been little to no improvement. When I went to see the doctor on Monday he cut back more of my drugs, and wants me to continue to see him once a week until this problem is solved. I am, however, now able to read and use the computer, which has made my days go by alot faster. I am learning to use a 3-D animation program. This can be quite time consuming, but fun, which is what I need right now.
On to Physio ..... this has been the first week where I have gone every day and my body didn't take this so well. By Wednesday, I was quite fatigued and was finding it hard to complete my exercises. But I'd been going 5 days a week at GF Strong, so I guess I've just gotten soft going only 3 times a week. This week I have been doing quite a bit more walking, and have started each appointment with going for a walk around the sports centre. Dad I and also went for a walk around the indoor track there last Saturday. I still get sore and tired quite quickly while walking but my technique has improved.
Last Saturday I made my first social outing and went for supper at some friend's house. I did lie on the floor most of the time but it was definitely good to get a change of scenery and to hang out in that setting.
Well, once again I managed to talk my mother into typing for me, even though I'm quite capable of using the computer ..... I just enjoy being a dictator. That's all for the this week. Until next time , bye bye from Chris and me .... Mr. Robert. (Please hum the theme song to Mr. DressUp in your head,)

Title unknown

2009-01-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

Well another week has gone by. It's been a bit of a slow week, as there has been no improvement yet with my blurry vision. Since I last posted my vision gradually got worse until Wed. and since then its been about the same.I went to the doctor yesterday and we came to the conclusion that it wasn't the Lyrica causing the problem. So now we've moved on to the next most likely culprit.
So far there has been no positive results. I would appreciate your prayers in this area as its very frustrating for me to not be able to see or read. Due to the messing around of my drugs, my pain has been a little worse than normal, but for the most part, its under control, as long as I'm not doing anything too active or sitting.
Not too many new things have happened in physio. Today I did go for a fairly long walk around the Sports Centre with Davis, my physiotherapist, giving me some tips on my technique that made me feel a little less stable. However, its a more natural walking position. He also had me walking with one crutch which nearly saw me on my backside. I did manage to get it figured out a bit, but I have to take very small careful steps. Some good news .... I am now going to physio five days a week as of Wed. the 6th. Hopefully that will help my progress.
Well, that's all for now folks.

Robert (as dictated to his mother).

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

Well, first off I'd like to apologize for once again not posting for quite awhile. Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years.
MIne was pretty great. Jen and Wade were here for almost 5 days. It was good to have the whole fam together. I was able to get some pretty sweet presents from WCB for Christmas which will help in my recovery and make life around the house more comfortable. The one is a recumbent exercise bike which is the exact same model as at my physio which means its of pretty good quality. The other is a lazy boy that is able to recline completely flat so I can be comfortable in the living room without having to lie on the floor.
This week its been back to physio as usual except that my regular physiotherapist has been sick so I've been working with a different one. Its been good to mix it up a little and do a couple of new exercises. This week I also began to experience blurred vision that gradually got worse as the week went on. So today I went in to see the doctor to find out what was going on. I'd been suspecting that it was a side effect of one of my medications and after doing some research of my own, decided that it had to be Lyrica. He said that he agreed with me although he said it could be one of two other drugs. But since Lyrica is the most likely, he reduced my dosage by one third. Hopefully, that will begin to make some difference soon, as the blurred vision has made it difficult to do anything as my daily life consists mainly of reading, working on the computer, and watching TV. Oooo .... I've also taken up drawing. If you're wondering how my spelling and punctuation have taken such a dramatic turn for the better, I am dictating this to my mother, as I can't see the letters on the screen or the keys for that matter. Hopefully she has been writing what I say, and not writing something like "Robert stinks."
To top this week off, I've also had a very sore neck. Today I woke up with such a bad kink in it that it made it almost impossible for me to turn my head. However, the weekend is looking more promising as Colin, Mike, Ryan, and Dylan are coming down to visit me. That should be heaps o' fun.
Once again, I'd like to thank you all for continuing to follow my progress and for encouraging and praying for me.

Robert

Guest Blog: A few words from Chris

2008-12-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

I have asked permission from Robert to make a reappearance on his blog, and he has given me the OK.
I felt compelled to write for several reasons. First, to thank you all for hanging with us in the past four months, for your faithful prayers, for your many words of encouragement, as well as for the big and small acts of kindness which have blessed us many times. A couple of days ago I read the blog from start to finish, and was reminded again of how anxious were the early days, and of how very far Robert has come since then. Through it all God has been with us, comforting and strengthening, getting us through as He has promised He will . There is still a ways to go to full recovery, but we continue to trust God to bring Robert to that point in His good time.
My second reason to write is to let you know how settling in at home has been going from my point of view. I have admitted to several that the first week was difficult .... so many details to be worked out with appointments, wheelchair taxis, meds, figuring out what a new “normal” day would look like. We"ve had to adjust to new equipment about the house ....a wheelchair, walkers, handrails, etc. And for me, having been gone so long, feeling disoriented and out of step with life here, and of course, Christmas just around the corner. However, we got through that,and I’m happy to say that the second week went more smoothly as we began to settle into a more comfortable routine. Robert continues to amaze with his upbeat attitude and his willingness to make the best of a very challenging situation. As for the Christmas preparations, the tree is up, shopping is complete, the baking is in the freezer, and we eagerly await the arrival of Jen and Wade on Tuesday. As Jen said, it will be so great to be together as a family in a place other than a hospital. We are looking forward to a great time together.
On that note then,on behalf of our family,I would like to wish you all a blessed Christmas . May the God of peace be with you each and everyone.

Chris

Sorry For the Wait

2008-12-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Sorry it's taken me so long to get this up. Well it's definitely been nice to be home. As a family we've settled down in to what the routine will be for the next little while and have got most of the little kinks worked out of everything. At first we had a bunch of problems getting the wheelchair taxi schedule figured out. There was only two of these cabs in prince george so it can be a little tough to get into their system. That and communication between the drivers and the dispatch seems to be non existent. We thought we had it all figured out and then this morning one of the two cabs had an electrical fire and burned up. I still managed to get to my physio on time, and hopefully it won't be to big of a problem. The physio at the university is going very well. The guy up there recently quit his job as a dill sergeant for the navy seals and became a physiotherapist, or at least thats how it feels to me. Never have my abs and butt been so tired as they were after doing bridges and crunches and planks for more then an hour. It's a good thing though, and hopefully it will bring about some more results. Getting around the house has turned out to be a lot easier then we first thought. We got new, stronger handrail put in, so I am able to go up and down the stairs using only those. Then we keep a walker on the two main floors so I can get around the rest of the house on those. I have just recently been able to eat a meal at the dinner table while sitting on the cushion from my wheel chair. Other then that life's been pretty mellow. Moms got the house all decked out for christmas, no tree yet, I'm not to sure what the plan is for that. Yesterday me and a couple friends built a gingerbread house, so it's really starting to feel christmasy and I so glad to be home for it. Well I think thats all I have to say for now. Thank-you all for you continued prayer and support.

Robert

Home

2008-12-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

Well I'm home. Sorry for not posting for a bit. The trip up here went pretty smooth. We went by air ambulance since I can't sit long enough for a commercial flight. Arriving at home was a bit overwhelming. I suddenly had to walk everywhere and since the Occupation therapist was there she wanted me to try out all the things around the house. So after getting my new wheelchair all set up, trying out a shower seat, grab bars, hand rails, toilet seats, my bed, the stairs, and almost every chair and couch in the house I finally got to just lie down in my bed in my room. Unfortunetly my room was a pretty big mess since all my stuff that had got brought up from taylor was stacked all over. We decided to blow off cleaning that up for a day. Anyways I'm starting to get a bit more settled in now. Getting around the house is a bit of a pain since just to go to the kitchen I have to put on my two braces and shoes. My pain level has been at a very bareable level so far which has been very nice although my activity level has been fairly low. Next week I'll be starting physio up again. I'll be going monday wednesday and friday for an hour and a half untill january 9th when WCB will re-evaluate the situation. So anyways it's good to be home, and I'd like to thank you all for your prayers which have got me this far along in my recovery.

Robert

The Report

2008-12-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone sorry it's been so long. Well today was the big day to get the okay for me to go home. After reviewing my x-rays and checking me over the doctor said that I was good to go. So thats pretty good news. I also had to have an ultrasound of my leg because I was having a lot of pain in my right calf. So they were checking for blood clots.They didn't find anything. My doctor is pretty sure that the pain is caused by some angry nerve. The plan now is that were going to be leaving Thursday morning and getting into P.G around 11:00 Then I have to meet with my social worker and my new physio. After that it's just settling into the new atmosphere of home. After 4 months of being in a hospital with nurse and doctors only the push of a button away it's a bit scary to be leaving that comfort, but the food will be better. Well I think thats all the news I have for today, a bit of a pleasant change to have it all be good.

Robert

The Wednesday Report

2008-11-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well it's Wednesday and that means only 8 more days to go. We got some could news today from my social worker. It looks like a lot of the things I need to have for home are starting to get sorted out. The medical store in P.G didn't have some of the things I needed, so now we are getting them from a dealer here in Vancouver. This does mean however that we'll have to purchase instead of rent a wheel chair. Fortunately It's all covered, so I'll have something to donate to the red cross when I'm done with it. The Plane home has also been figured out. It was a big relief to see that these things are coming together; on Monday it looked like a bit of a mess. Today I went for another good ride on the recumberant bike which is always fun. In physio over the las few days we have started working on balance by standing on a balance board and hitting a balloon back and forth. Yesterday I got talked into going down to the gym to play wheel chair basketball. It was a lot of fun, the chairs we used are very light and turn on a dime. My competitive edge kicked in allowing me to play for 30 minutes which is a lot longer then I have sat in a while. Afterwards I was very stiff and sore though, both from the sitting and from wheeling so much and just all the new movements that the sport involves. But it was definitely worth the pain to have some fun like that. The play different games every Tuesday so I'd like to go again, and I'm thinking of checking out the wheelchair basketball they have in P.G once I'm home. I'm going to post some rehab pictures my mom has taken on my facebook, so you can check those out if you want. Hope your all doing great.

Robert

Monday

2008-11-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

Well They sure didn't let me settle into the week slowly. Today I had more appointments then I think I have had my whole time here. I have been meeting with a psychologist to work on pain management techniques. So far I haven't had to much luck with his methods, but who knows maybe something will come out of it. I also got to go for another ride on the recumberant bike. The increases in my drugs haven't seemed to have any effect of the pain I have while sitting, it has however over the last few days seem to have help with pain while standing/walking. On Friday and throughout the weekend I was able to be standing and walking longer then ever, managing to walk about 3 blocks. So now we are trying to figure out which of the two drugs they increased is the one that did the trick. On the weekend I also had several relatives stop by to visit so that helps make the time go by. The Grey cup was tough to watch as I felt sick when ever a team scored since I hate Calgary and Montreal so much. Some stuff that I would really appreciate prayer for is that everything that needs to be arranged for me to go home would happen, and that the right things that I need to have to live at home would be there when I get home. Well thats all for now,
Robert

Friday

2008-11-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

Hello. Well another week is over and there's only 13 days till home time. There still hasn't been any changes in my pain. The doctors have continued to increase both my nerve and pain medications. It seems at times that I am able to walk for longer periods of time then I used to, but my ability to sit is still the same. I have also decided to pull myself out of the pool class since it causes me a lot of pain. The weekend is looking likes it's going to be pretty quiet. The grey cup is on but I find it hard to get excited about without the Eskimos in it. Thats about all thats been going on around here lately. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Robert

Tuesday

2008-11-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

Two days into another week, with not too much new to report. The pain level when sitting or walking remains the same. One bright spot was that Robert took a short walk outside with his crutches and his physio, and that went without a glitch. It was a beautiful, late fallish kind of day so it was nice for him to get out for a breath of fresh air.
Things are beginning to happen in regards to getting things in place for Robert's coming home. Pray that all that falls into place easily, and on time .... modifications to our place, and getting all the necessary equipment and paraphenalia he is going to need for awhile. Other than that, prayer requests remain the same. Thanks for continuing in faithful prayer for all of us.

Chris

The Weekend Report

2008-11-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hey, Hope everyone had a good weekend. I spent most of mine in bed, fortunately there was plenty of sports on T.V to keep me occupied on Saturday. My Eskimos were unable to win in the east, and moms Lions couldn't take the west. We were both kinda sulky until the Canucks were able to pull off a win and wash the bad taste out of our mouths. On Friday I continued to work with the forearm crutches and was getting smoother at walking like a regular person. Over the weekend I continued to practice and I was feeling quite confident at it. Unfortunately this morning when I was walking I place one crutch out to wide and when I put my weight on it I fell landing on my butt and back. Luckily for me I was unhurt, a bit surprised though and pretty ticked off with myself, but thats far better the. The nurses scraped me up off the floor and I decided to play it safe and stay in bed and use the wheel chair for trips to the washroom and get food. Tomorrow I will work with my physio again and hopefully get my confidence back and pay a bit more attention to where I put my crutches. Thats all the excitement that happened around here, besides me having a big come from behind win in cribbage moments ago. Well have a great week.

Robert

Thursday

2008-11-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

Once again Robert was put through his paces with three hours of physio, including one hour in the pool. Today he got the knee brace which is to keep his left knee from buckling until his quad muscle is up to the task. With that on, he was able to attempt walking with crutches for the first time. That seemed to go quite well. The downside to this is the extreme pain that follows. As soon as this session was over it was back to his room as fast as his new lighter and sportier wheelchair would carry him, and into bed where he lay in agony until the pain gradually settled down to a bearable state. Sitting also continues to be unbearable, which is most disheartening. The doctor is going to be increasing the medication which deals with nerve pain, so hopefully that will make a difference. So far, no medication seems to be the answer. Keep praying that God will touch Robert in a miraculous way. Continue to pray for wisdom for the doctors and perhaps some fresh insight into Robert's situation. I have to say that the OT, PT, and his doctor are very caring and are doing everything they know to help and we are very grateful for all of their efforts.
That's about it for today. Continue to pray for Robert as he continues to courageously battle chronic pain and the discouragement that can go along with that.
Chris

Tuesday

2008-11-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

Today was a pretty uneventful day. Robert felt better than yesterday, but still not quite back to "normal". He chose not to take any more of the same drug he'd had too much of until tomorrow, to allow the megadose he received yesterday to work its way out of his system. The doctor was in today and said there would be an investigation and reports written up, to find out how the mistake happened and to make sure it doesn't happen again. She said she had been livid when she found out about the error, but was relieved that there were no worse effects than what Robert went through. Anyways, Robert spent the good part of the day in bed, sleeping most of the afternoon. Tomorrow its back into routine which will be good for everyone's spirits around here.
Thanks for your prayers .... keep them going .

Chris

Back in Vancouver

2008-11-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

This is Chris, in for Robert, to give you a quick update on life at GF. I got back here at about 8 this evening after checking in at my B&B where I can see I will be well taken care of.
I got to GF to find Robert had been given an overdose of methadone this morning. A nurse whom he never had before gave him ten times the prescribed dose ... got her decimal points mixed up, I guess. As a result, he was very groggy all day, had trouble focussing his eyes, had dry mouth .... not a good day. Tonight he had a very bad headache which the nurses say was not because of the drug, but who knows what to believe? Anyways, please pray that the effects of too much of this drug wears off quickly, and that he wake up with a clear head in the morning.
That's it for now.

Chris

Finally a New Post

2008-11-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hey sorry for not posting for a few days, thought I'd wait till I had all my appointments and just put up all the information at once. Well on Wednesday I was able to go outside on a real recumberant bike. I went for about a 20 minute ride which was very enjoyable. Since I have to have supervision I have an appointment to go for another ride on Monday if the weather is nice. Yesterday I was woken up at 7 to be told there was an opening for an EMG test that I was scheduled to have next week. So I hopped out of bed and rushed down to the clinic in about 5 minutes. The test involves sticking a needle into a muscle and test to see if there is nerve signals going to it. There was both good and bad results, which do you want first? I'll go with the good. My weak left quad showed that it should continue to improve. However with my right foot (the one with foot drop) they were unable to get any nerve signals going to it which means that it recovering doesn't look to promising. They did say that it is still early and that it may recover, but it's not that probable. Today I went for to see my spinal doctor. I had x-rays taken again and after looking at them he was unable to find anything on them that would be causing me the pain. He said he wants to see me again before I go home and if the pain is still present I will have to get a cat scan to see if they can find the problem that way. So basically I will just continue on with what I'm doing. Well this weekend Amy is coming to visit me, so that will be fun, and then on Monday mom is back. And thats my news for the last few days.

Robert

Once Upon a Monday

2008-11-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Well I survived the weekend. Most of it was spent laying in bed watching t.v. I had several visitors on Saturday so that made the day a lot nicer. I did manage to escape the hospital once when I went to Safeway to restock on strawberries. This morning I had a urology appointment bright and early where I learned that everything is all good. In physio today I got to ride on a recumberant bicycle. I was pretty excited to get to be on a bike again. I rode for about ten minutes and afterwards my legs were like jello. I definitely need to be doing some more cardio cause I was huffing and puffing pretty bad. Pedaling was also an odd feeling since certain leg muscles aren't doing as much work as they should. The surprising part was that I wasn't in pain sitting on the bike. So now the therapist are scratching the heads trying to figure out why I can't sit in a wheelchair on stand comfortably when I can sit on a bike. So yeah that was my exciting news of the day. Hopefully I'll be able to use the bike daily now so I can be in top shape for next summer. Well Thats all I have for today.

Robert

Halloween

2008-10-31T18:42:00.001-07:00

Well I made it through day one on my own. This morning I had a casting of my left leg, the one with the weak quad, so that they can make a brace to prevent my knee from buckling. It'll take about 3 weeks for the brace to be made, so until then I will just have to hope for the best. Then I met with the people who were going to be making me a custom cushion for my wheelchair. However after being assessed on their evaluated we determined that the cushion would provided no more comfort then any other cushion I've tried so far. So I will have to tough it out with what I've got and hopefully either they will find a combination of medications that work or I my body will simply have to heal from whatever is causing this pain. Other then that and Mom and Dad being gone theres not a lot new. It looks like it will be another weekend spent fairly close to the bed. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Robert

Thursday

2008-10-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today was Robert's appointment with the orthopedic doctor. Xrays were taken and according to the doctor, nothing in his pelvis seems to have shifted. Also he is able to get rid of the aircast on his left foot. However the area of concern on his spine where he has had a metal cage and which has been so bothersome to Robert did not get addressed. This was not this doctor's area, so Robert has to wait until next Friday when he has an appointment with the spinal doctor to find out what the story is there.Today's doctor gave no possible explanation for all the pain that Robert is in .... most unsatisfactory and uninformative in his answers to Robert's questions.
In an effort to deal with the pain better, Robert's doctor has started him on a new drug .... time will tell if this one will make any difference. In the meantime, Robert has to spend most of his time lying in bed except when he gets up for meals, goes to physio, or answers the call of nature. Pardon me, he also did his own laundry
today. :)))
Tom and I leave for PG early tomorrow morning. Pray for a safe trip for us, and for God's comfort to surround us as we leave Robert here. Especially for me as I will likely suffer from a little (maybe alot of) separation anxiety. Continue to pray for Robert's healing, for freedom from pain, and whatever else God brings to your mind.
I now place the blog baton completely into his hands, at least until I return on Nov.10. In the meantime, I'll be eagerly reading the blog with the rest of you.

Chris

Wednesday

2008-10-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Today was the Family meeting where all the players in Robert's recovery met together to discuss Robert's progress so far, and to set some goals. Everyone was very positive in their comments about Robert, his willingness to persevere through the rehab despite the pain, his positive attitude, and so on. He is gaining strength in every area, but is held back by the pain that just won't quit whenever he sits or stands for any length of time. Tomorrow he has xrays and sees the ortho doctor so he will find out then if any of the metal has shifted or something, or if this is just part of the process. It was also decided that November 20 was too soon for Robert to go home, so the new date is Dec. 4th. Although it would be nice to be home sooner, we all feel that the more physio he can get here, the better. Also, this pain issue needs to be successfully dealt with.
As for me, the plan at this time is for me to go back to PG with Tom on Friday. We will then go to FSJ for a Memorial sevice for a dear old friend, then come back to PG where I will spend a week or so before flying back here for the last three weeks of rehab. Worksafe has kindly agreed to keep paying for my stay here, for which we are very thankful. I am looking forward to spending some time at home, but I also know that I will miss Robert and that he will be very much on my mind.
Continue to pray for Robert's complete healing, and for continued courage and determination.

Chris

Monday

2008-10-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, and good to be back into the routine of physio. Weekends tend to pass quite slowly here, especially when Robert can't stay in his chair for any length of time. They continue to experiment with different kinds of seats to try to give him some level of comfort, but so far, nothing really works. Keep praying for healing in his pelvic region. Other than that, it's been a good day today, with Robert being given the okay to walk short distances with the walker without a spotter (that would be me holding on to the waistband of his pants). Also, he's no longer on the drug that didn't help but had some not so nice side effects, so he's happy to say goodbye to those. Pain continues to be the big issue, with the its high level and ever presence definitely affecting the quality of life here. Yet there is so much to be thankful for.
Thanks for your continuing in prayer.

Chris

Saturday afternoon

2008-10-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone by....amazing how quickly the days go by. This weekend we're staying close to "home" as Robert is experiencing more discomfort than ever sitting in his chair, and so has to spend most of his time lying on his side on the bed. He was started on a new pain drug this week but it has made no difference in his pain level and has given him some negative side effects, so that has been disappointing for him.
As far as the rest of his physio goes, he is doing well in that and building strength in weak muscles. He is walking a little each day with the walker, and is increasing in the distance he can cover before the pain gets too much. So there are some very positive things happening in some areas, but in others, things have gotten worse. He sees the Orthopedic surgeon on Thursday so hopefully he can find out if everything is as it should be regarding the various screws and pieces of metal in his pelvic region.
Tonight Tom is flying in, and we are both looking forward to having him here for a few days.
That's about it for now. Keep us in your prayers, praying especially for the healing of the bones in the pelvic region, and for a decrease in the pain there.
Have a good weekend, everyone.

Chris

Its a Wednesday

2008-10-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone sorry for the delay in posting. Well a few new things have happened since the last post most of them happening on Tuesday. In physio after the normal workout I started to work on standing up on to and off of a small box. After getting the hang of that I was able to use a small staircase they have built to practice climbing stairs. The steps are only a few inches high but I'm really happy with the accomplishment. Makes the prospect of getting around our house a lot easier. Then on Tuesday afternoon I was able to go into the swimming pool. It was fun to be able to walk with no support. My balance and strength to move my legs was still quite poor But when you lose your balance you only fall till your swimming. They gave me a few other exercises I could do that take advantage of the buoyancy of the pool. The pool is kept very warm which I hold responsible for me sleeping for the rest of the afternoon. Today I went back to VGH to see a specialist which was a big waste of time because all he did was book me to get a test taken in early November and then I came back to GF. In regards to the pain the doctors have started me on a new drug. I have taken it for two days now with little result. I am however on a very low dose of it so there is still potential if they see fit to raise the dosage. Thats about all the news on my end.

Robert

The Weekend

2008-10-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

So we did attempt a couple of outings in the car this weekend. Unfortunately, each trip was quite short as Robert was too uncomfortable both in the car and in his chair. For some reason he has gone from being able to sit in his chair for to two, even three hours, to barely making it for more than half of an hour. Certain areas of his bottom where there are screws and metal are causing havoc with his ability to sit .... quite frustrating for him. It was still good to get out and tour around the area as it gives Robert a better idea of where he is, outside this building. Other than that Robert practiced walking and got a ways further down the hall than he did yesterday. He's a trooper. Looking forward to another week of physio, and confident there will continue to be great progress. Keep praying, and have a good week everyone.
Chris

End of Week Report

2008-10-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

Well another week is done here at G.F. I'm definitely feeling stronger and am noticing major improvements in my walking. This weekend I have been given permission to practicing walking with a walker on my(with moms help)own. So thats a big step forward. Even though I can only handle short distances it lets me know that I will be able to get around on my own. Next exciting thing about the weekend. I have now been given a smaller foldable chair. This combined with my new ability to transfer into a car(see previous blog entry) allows me to go place with mom!!! Freedommmmmm!!!! So we are going to try going for a car ride tomorrow then maybe a drive/walk on Sunday. So thats what the weekend is looking like. I am still in quite a bit of pain whenever I am in the chair for about an hour or more, and the tinkering with painkillers is yet to provide any relief. This is kinda of a big deal that is causing me a lot of frustration so I would appreciate your prayers. Well hope everyone has a great weekend.

Robert

Midweek report

2008-10-15T17:59:00.001-07:00

This week is zipping along as here it is, already Wednesday evening.
Robert has continued to make good progress in physio with today being the first day he got to attempt walking using a walker. He accomplished that feat successfully, going a short distance, always leading with his stronger leg. The physio also helped him attempt a transfer into our vehicle, a task he carried out in "textbook style" in Tracy's words,.... a piece of cake. Now we could drive somewhere of a short distance except I can't begin to lift his present wheelchair into the back of our car. All in good time.
Robert and I would really appreciate continued prayer for the pain issue. He is not able to stay up for very long as he just gets too uncomfortable sitting in his chair.
And of course, as the workload in physio increases, the pain level rises accordingly.The doctor is playing around with the meds, but doesn't seem to hear what Robert is saying when he explains his areas of pain. It's a frustrating thing to be in so much pain day after day. Pray for wisdom for the doctor in prescribing pain medication, and for the hand of God to touch Robert in such a way that the pain becomes a nonissue.
Thanks to all of you for your continuing prayers and for your cheers from the sidelines.
Chris

Thanksgiving Monday

2008-10-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great thanksgiving. The weekend here was pretty quiet. Mom and me hung around G.F. I got in a bit a personally directed physio. We also attempted some wheelchair basketball and tried to set a world record for the longest ping pong rally. Last night was the big thanksgiving feast at my grandmas that I unfortunately had to miss. Mom brought me some leftovers that I'm going to be having for lunch. As well last night a friend, Viral, from UNBC came and visited me for a couple hours. Throughout the weekend my coccyx and tail bone have been giving me a lot of pain, restricting me to a maximum of an hour or so in the wheelchair. So I have been spending quite a bit of time trying to get comfortable in bed. As for what I'm thankful for this thanksgiving, well it's pretty hard to say since I'm yet to have any turkey. Seriously though I'm really thankful for my mom hanging out with me, helping me and keeping me company though the last nine weeks. And for my sister who calls me constantly and is great to hang out with and talk to. Also for my Dad for being a great guy to talk with and for getting me through some hard stuff. So pretty much my family rocks. And thanks to everyone who is following what going on with me and for praying for me and having faith that everything is going to work out great. Well Thats all from me. Have a great rest of the weekend.

Robert

Friday

2008-10-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

Another good day of physio, with more of the same exercises and a few new ones thrown in to mix things up a little. Now we're into the long weekend, so no physio for three whole days. Robert's physio (Tracy) did give him a walker for the weekend so he could practice standing ....no actual walking allowed just yet. It'll be good to have a day or two or rest, just to give some of the sore muscles a chance to rest and recover, but I imagine by Tuesday, Robert will be chomping at the bit to get back at it. We are trying to be creative in thinking of things we can do over the weekend to make the time off as enjoyable as possible. If the weather stays as nice as it is today (beautiful blue skies, gorgeous fall colours adorning the trees, ....sorry all of you living PG and north who are enjoying snow, I understand???) , we should be able to get out for some walk/rolls which is always a good thing.
Going into the Thanksgiving weekend, I am thinking of the many things we have to be thankful .... in our lives in general, and particularly, in Robert's situation. God has brought him so far in the two months since his accident, so much healing has already taken place, it is amazing. God has been with our family every step of the way, giving each of us the kind of strength we need at exactly the right times. I am so thankful that He is the loving Father we can rely on and trust in, even though at times we can't even pretend to understand what is going on. I am also very thankful for the many friends and for the people we don't even know who have been praying faithfully through this entire experience. The prayer support has been immeasurable, powerful, and is deeply appreciated. We can all be thankful that we have a God Who hears, and Who is willing and able to do even more than we could ask or think.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, everyone. God bless you all.

Chris

Back on the Blog

2008-10-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since either of us have written .... I guess that means there's been no new crisis, which is a good thing, and nothing that made us feel we had much new to share. However, it's been a good week of steady progress in physio .... challenging workouts for Robert as he continues to work on strengthening various muscles to prepare him for walking. He has progressed in that regard at the parallel bars, able to walk without the assistance of the physio (except for her gripping the waistband of his sweats which probably wouldn't do a whole lot of good if he were to start going down). Anyways, he takes steps bearing most of the weight on his legs with some support from his arms . He's able to do a few laps up and down the bars. and then that's it. Lots of pain follows that, and there's no getting away from that. We can all thank God for the strides he is making (literally) and continue to pray for healing to the nerves leading to his right foot and left quad. Not much difference can be seen in the function of those areas, but we trust the healing is taking place and will reveal itself soon.
Yesterday Robert got a new roommate ... a man about my age probably .... seems very nice and he does speak English.:) His name also happens to be Robert, so on the big chart in the hallway where everyone's schedules are posted there's a red" name alert" sticker by their names. I guess the nurses could get meds mixed up or something.
That's about it for today. Thankyou, everyone , for remaining faithful in your prayers.
Chris

Back To Work Monday

2008-10-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well the weekend is over and it's time to get right back into the swing of things. I got to take another shower this morning, this time it was a lot less painful to sit in the shower chair, which made the whole experience much more pleasant. In physio We worked some more on walking and I was able to lift my feet up a bit higher which made my steps feel a little more natural. We also did some balance work and found out that I'm still fairly wobbly but can stand on my own for nearly a minute. Other then that there isn't a whole lot of new news to pass along. So I guess that'll be it for now.

Robert

Sunday

2008-10-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

It's a quiet Sunday at GF Strong. It was great to have Ryan Gilmore here from Taylor to visit Robert Friday night and Saturday. Thanks to Bruce for your contribution in making that happen.
Not much on the go today .... if the weather holds we'll go for a roll/stroll and pretty much take it easy. Back into the physio tomorrow.
Keep praying for continued protection from all form of infection, particularly bladder, and for continued healing of nerve damage to the left quad muscle and right foot. Give much thanks for all the healing that has already taken place.
That's all for now, folks.

Chris

A Day of Firsts

2008-10-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well today was a pretty sweet day. I was able to have my first real shower in 8 weeks. One with running water and real soap and shampoo and not me lieing in bed with a face cloth and a bucket of water. So that was really nice to have. Up until now I was unable to sit in the chair they use for showering due to pain, but today I was able to bare it. Then in phsyio I was able to take my first steps. I was wearing a harness attached to a pulley on a sliding track to catch me if my legs gave out. and I was in the parallel bars so I could take some weight with my hands. and the therapist was there to support my back and keep my knees from buckling, But hey I Was Walking!! My legs have been increasing in strength at a very quick pace. There are certain muscles like my left quad and hip flexer as well as some abductor muscles that are very weak due to nerve damage and the pelvic fracture. They are just strong enough that we can begin to exercise them with next to no resistance. So it will be along road to getting them up to a level where they are usable. Ryan Gilmore is also coming up for today and tomorrow. It'll be fun to get to hang out with him for a bit. Well I think thats all I have to say for now. Later,

Robert

Oh yeah here is my new address at GF,

Robert Lavigne (Rm 433)
G.F. Strong Rehab Centre
4255 Laurel St.
Vancouver B.C
V5Z 2G9

An Ordinary Thursday

2008-10-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that nothing out of the ordinary has happened today. Robert had a good day in physio, and its amazing to see the improvement in his strength and mobility that is made from day to day. We know its God at work to heal and strengthen his body, but you have to know that Robert is doing his part in all of this as well. No complaining, he's just try try trying as hard as he can. Tom and I are so proud of him.
Tonight we are walking/rolling to a restaurant about a block from here.Tom leaves first thing tomorrow morning. It's been great having her here.
Thanks for your prayers which I know God is hearing and answering.

Chris

Back to Gf Strong

2008-10-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers. It was quite the ordeal over the past day and a half, but it's Wednesday morning and Robert is back at GF Strong, feeling better and back into physio. Here's the story.
He was moved to VGH Monday night at 8. Believe it or not, he had to go through the whole triage thing to get admitted. This meant we all were in ER, Robert lying on a stretcher bed that was too short for him, narrow, with a thin mattress. Amazingly enough, he wasn't that uncomfortable until later in the night when it became unbearable. The ER was particularly busy that night so we were in the hallway near the front doors. They hooked up an IV, took blood tests, and we waited and waited and waited ...until close to 3 am when he was finally moved to the Medical Assessment unit where he was in room with two other people. Tom and I went back to the hotel and crashed for a few hours, then were back at the hospital by about 9:30. Robert had finally been given a better bed as he just couldn't tolerate the stretcher bed another second. A doctor of infectious diseases came by and said that he wasn't going to give Robert a PIC line (I don't know if that's how you spell it) after all, but was going to treat the infection with a powerful oral antibiotic. Robert did get two doses of antibiotic by IV while he was there, and his fever was done, urine looking clear. Anyways, the word was that Robert could go back to GF that afternoon. Yahoo. All we had to do was wait for an transfer ambulance. So again we waited and waited and waited ..... until close to 10 pm to be transported back.
So now everything is back on track, Praise the Lord. Continue to pray that the bladder infections stay away for good, as well as any type of blood infection which is also a concern due to all the metal he has in his body.
To backtrack to Sunday, we had a wonderful family gathering at Earl's on Sunday night. And it was a great weekend having Jen and Tom here. We continue to enjoy having Tom here, with his presence being particularly helpful during the last couple of days of upheaval.
Thanks for the cards and gifts various ones of you have sent. They are all much appreciated.
Thanking God for His strength and faithfulness, and for wonderful friends who persevere in prayer,
Chris

Back to VGH

2008-09-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-20T17:08:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-09-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-08T16:48:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

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

First day in VGH

2008-08-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-25T20:32:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-21T20:12:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-20T17:56:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-20T10:40:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-08-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-15T20:36:00.001-07:00

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...

2008-08-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

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.