Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Whew!


After a very long week of lifting mom from place to place because of her broken foot, we were relieved to hear the orthopaedic surgeon's prognosis yesterday. Mom doesn't need surgery or a cast but has been fitted with a restrictive boot which she only needs to have on when she walks.
And mom has been walking, albeit very tenderly and painfully, several steps from chair to bathroom, etc. with the aide of her "walker". She still needs constant assistance, but no longer does she need 2 of us to lift her from chair to wheelchair/scooter or toilet.
This is a praise report indeed!
Mom can stay at home while her foot is healing (and her many bruises and bumps) and we are able to care for her more easily (especially good news for my aching back!).
Whew! What a blessing!
Thanks for your prayers... please keep praying because life is not so easy for any of us with these restrictions. And pray for a speedy healing for dear mom.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

911

Thanks for checking in to my blog today because we could sure use your prayers for Mom.

On Tuesday she was letting the puppy out to pee and when Bridget tugged Mom lost her footing and fell on the front deck outside. She hit her forehead and smashed her face into the polywood and bled quite a bit; her knees are bruised and her left foot is broken in 3 places!

No one was home at the time; I was just returning from a short trip to visit family in Florida and Barbarah was at work. Mom wears a mobile phone around her neck but didn't have the power on and in the heat of the moment wasn't able to figure out how to turn it on (hold the button in for one second).
Anyhow, there she lay for nearly a half hour, crying for help until one of our neighbors found her and called 911. The paramedics came quickly and got her in the house about the same time Barbarah got home (the neighbor had called her). Mom's heart rate, blood pressure, etc. were stable so they cleaned up her wounds. They wanted to take her to the Emergency Room but Mom didn't want to go to the hospital if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

I arrived home from the airport a few hours later and checked her over(I have First Aid training and I know mom). I was concerned because her left foot was so painful and yet there was very little swelling. I got her foot elevated and put ice on it, but I suspected a break.

The night was long and very painful for mom. In the morning she was definitely willing to go to the hospital. We called 911 again and they took her in. Barbarah and I spent most of Wednesday at the hospital getting mom thoroughly checked over and xrayed, etc. In the late afternoon we brought her back home with a pressure bandage on her left foot/ankle which you can see in the photograph. On Monday she will either get a cast or surgery on her foot.

This has quite serious consequences because mom is unable to bear her weight on her right leg and therefore we need to actually lift her to transfer her from her chair to a wheelchair/scooter or to the toilet or whatever. My back isn't strong enough to keep this up for long and neither is Barbarah's back. Together we can handle it quite well but Barbarah isn't here during the day.

Please pray for strength and grace and healing. Mom's a bit shaken, as we all are, but she's quite brave through it all and trusting the Lord. We are praying lots, thanks for yours!

A friend of mine wrote this in her newsletter today and it's quite fitting:

I saw this picture of a single flower, it made me think how all plants begin with one seed. Prayers are also seeds. A seed is small and looks insignificant but within it holds the potential to grow into something beautiful. Prayers also seem small and insignificant but also within them is held a great potential for beautiful things to grow. I have used your prayers as seed. They have given me strength, safety, spiritual insight and security.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Family reunions


















These past two weeks we've had our annual family reunion in Minnesota and a reunion among our family in Florida. I was able to be at both and it was a special treat to see everyone again. I'm trying to have personal visits with each of them while I'm in the USA (and inviting them all to come visit me in Holland!). Cousins, aunts, uncles, second cousins... it's great! And aren't they all just beautiful?!!
There is no place like home and family is home!

Thursday, July 05, 2007

The 4th of July


Well, Honey and I celebrated the American Independence Day today with grand style - we dressed up and participated in a Westie Walk with about 25 other Westies. I won't show you all the photos, just the cutest ones of Honey in his red/white/blue bandana...

Of course, then he met an odd animal and wondered what it was??? I think Honey is in culture shock - they dress up dogs here! (yuk!) Well, it was fun to be with a whole group of Westies for a few hours. Then we went and had hot dogs, beans, potato salad, etc at my friends house (thanks, Dan & Jessie) and continued the celebration!

All in all, a memorable day in America.