Quick Garden Update

We've spent lots of time in the garden lately harvesting all the good stuff that's ripening.  Until this week, the humidity still hasn't been suffocating nor the heat oppressive.  But look out.  It's coming!  The sweet corn harvest is coming as well.  We planted early this year, kind of risking it with a late frost, but everything worked out.  As you can see, the sweet corn is tasseling.  Won't be long...

The Rainbow Swiss Chard is the last hold-out from the fall crop.  It is still producing, but it doesn't like hot weather.  Some of the bigger leaves have begun to droop.  Those get fed to the cows.  I like the way the veins in the leaves and stem have bright colors - red, yellow, pink, and white.  Hence, the name rainbow chard.

The sweet potato vines have quickly overtaken the entire first part of the garden.  This is something that we've not planted in a decade.  It comes up every single year volunteer.  There's no telling how many hundred or even thousand pounds of sweet potatoes we've dug over the years off of one original planting.

Speaking of only planting one time, here is our asparagus.  My mom bought us the asparagus roots easily a decade ago, probably more.  Each year, they've grown back, pushing up spears out of the ground.  You have to check them each day because they grow so fast!

And the cucumbers.  We're picking a basket of cukes every day.  We have fresh dill growing in the herb garden.  We have a favorite salad that we like to make using cut up cucumbers, blueberries, fresh dill, and balsamic vinegar.  It makes a delicious, crisp, cooling salad for lunch.

Zucchini, yellow crookneck and straightneck squash is filling up baskets as well.

Sautéed squash, zucchini fritters and zucchini casserole has been in rotation for side dishes lately.

Tricia sautés asparagus in butter with some sea salt.  We finish them off as fast as we can pick 'em.

From garden to table.  Hard to beat fresh garden produce!

I hope your gardens are producing bountiful harvests!

An Update on Benjamin

 

Benjamin (left), Tricia and Russ

I haven't given an update on Benjamin lately, so here goes.  He's back at work full time and living on his own in Lake Charles.  We had two appointments in Lafayette the other day.  One with his neurosurgeon and another with his orthopedic surgeon.  The neurosurgeon released him from care, saying, "You only have to come back to see us if you need us."  He can bend, twist, and turn until his body tells him he can't.  That's remarkable since he has two titanium rods in his back scaffolding his spine.  Praise God!

In the afternoon, we went to see his orthopedic surgeon.  The news there was not bad, but not as good as the previous appointment.  According to the surgeon, he still has a non-union to the tibia/fibula breaks in his right leg.  There was bone loss there and, despite using the bone stimulator, it hasn't properly joined and healed like his left leg tib/fib breaks did.  He wants to give it more time to heal on its own, but if it doesn't, a surgery would be performed in which the hardware would be removed, bones reset, dyed cement put in.  A second surgery would take bone tissue from the femur and put it in place around the non-union and then hardware put back in.  I may have some of that stated incorrectly.  I want to believe that it's not going to be required, but if it's needed, we'll do it.

Benjamin has a limp on the right leg - the leg with the non-union.  But the limp is 90% caused by his toes.  Since the surgery, his big toe has curled sideways, along with the next three toes.  This hurts him to walk, resulting in a limp.  The orthopedic surgeon recommended Benjamin see a surgeon that specializes in foot/ankle issues to correct the problem while we give the bones in his legs more time to heal.

On the way out of the office, I looked up the surgeon on my phone.  I couldn't believe it!  As it turns out, we know the doctor and his wife.  We get Christmas cards from them every year.  The surgeon's wife is a friend of mine from high school/college.  She grew up in the small town where our family farm is located.  What a small world.  More than two decades ago, when the surgeon was at Tulane in New Orleans, he and his wife were kind enough to have Laura Lee spend the night with them one night when we were at Children's Hospital in New Orleans with Russ.

Tricia, Benjamin and I met at a coffee shop and visited with the surgeon's wife.  (To protect privacy, I'm not using names to protect privacy.)  It was a great visit, catching up on kids and what's been going on in each other's lives.  We then went to the appointment and he must have spent an hour with us, looking at x-rays, observing Benjamin walk, looking at his toes and talking to us.  So knowledgeable.  So kind and caring.  Bottom-line, he is very optimistic that he can help Benjamin out through surgery, but first wants to look at an MRI and also have Benjamin do a nerve conduction study to confirm his suspicions of what's going on with Benjamin's foot/toes.  The damage could be from muscle death from the swelling/trauma and/or nerve damage from related trauma.  Nerves heal very slowly, but there are some things that he can do with the toes in surgery.

We set up the appointments for the MRI and nerve conduction studies and we will return to the surgeon's office in a month once we have the film and the results from the nerve conduction study.  Then we will plan the next steps (pardon the pun).  As always, we appreciate your prayers.  If God doesn't do anything else for us, He's already done more than we deserve.

An Update on Benjamin on His 23rd Birthday

Today marked Benjamin's 23rd birthday.  On its own, it doesn't seem extraordinary.  23 trips around the sun.  It's a milestone, though, for him and our family.  Many of you have kept up with his progress since his accident on September 3, 2022 when he fell off the third level of a parking garage in Lake Charles, a 40 foot drop.  He landed on his feet, breaking both bones in both legs severely, fracturing his spine and fracturing his skull.

After numerous surgeries and hours of rehab, he has made remarkable progress.  We are so blessed to be able to celebrate his birthday.  It is because of God, gifted surgeons, nurses, therapists, and prayer warriors that he is able to stand and smile and celebrate the passage of another year.

From left to right: Russ, Benjamin, my Dad, my Mom, and Tricia

He requested a Tres Leches cake and we gathered around to watch him blow out the candles.  It was definitely a joyous occasion.  Words don't do justice to how grateful we are.  Benjamin continues physical therapy in Lake Charles twice a week, but he has also started back at his place of employment at a refinery in Westlake, LA where he is an electrical engineer.  He had only been there for two months and a week prior to the accident.  He should be cleared this week medically to once again go out into the field where he is working on his first real project.  He called last week so excited about the responsibility and satisfaction that he has in his job.  As he was preparing to blow out the candles, all these thoughts were racing through my head - how faithful God is, how undeserving we are, what a blessing to have a second chance after a life changing accident like this...

We packed away his walker, his wheelchair, his potty chair, along with all the other accoutrements of his recovery and put them in boxes and stored them in the attic.  The ramp for his wheelchair that a good family friend made still stands sentry at our back door, the last reminder of a 5 month journey to healing.  At some point we'll pack it away too.  He has even weaned himself off of the Gabapentin meds that he was on for nerve pain.

Not only is Benjamin walking, but he is driving.  Today we sent him off with the rest of the tres leches cake (I should have robbed one more slice, before sending it away) and other food so he would have lunches and breakfast already made this week.  He backed out of the driveway en route to the house he rents in Lake Charles with two other buddies.  We're so proud of his determination in working so hard to recover.

It's a weird feeling, to say the least, to see him drive off.  The baby bird leaving the nest for a second time.

And we're empty-nesters again.  God is so good!  Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer.  If you want to know a continued prayer issue or two for him:

He has a non-union in his right leg.  This means that the bones have not healed.  He is using a bone stimulator device to spur growth.  In 3 months, the orthopedic surgeon will look at it again.  If it hasn't healed, he'll schedule a surgery to remove all the hardware, reset the broken legs and start over.  Please pray for healing of the bones in his right leg.

He has trouble with his range of motion in his right foot and has no feeling in the bottom of his right foot, toes, and right hand and two fingers.  Pray for nerve healing that would bring back the feeling.

Thanks Again!

An Update on Benjamin - Back to Work

Tricia took Benjamin by the Medical Office at the refinery that he works at and he was cleared to go back to work (light duty) part-time.  Benjamin completed his first full week back at work.  He works M-F 7AM -1PM.  Because he hasn't been cleared to drive, I drop him off in the morning and Tricia picks him up in the afternoon.  It is a 45 minute commute to his work from our home in Jennings.  I drop him off by the front gate and he walks in.  He's very happy to be back at work.  Even though he's limited to office work only, sitting at a desk behind a computer, he says it feels good to be useful and part of his work team once again.

His right leg (the one that has the non-union) hurts him while walking.  He walks with a limp and since he is spending more time upright, he's noticing swelling coming back in his right ankle and foot.  He's a little discouraged with that, but doesn't spend a lot of time worrying or complaining about it - at least not out loud.  On Monday and Wednesday, he has rehab in Jennings from 1:30 - 3:30 or so, where they work on improving his strength and his gait.  He's still working hard with that.

We did receive a call today from a nurse who will be bringing by a bone stimulator on Thursday that he is to wear for 20 minutes each day on the right leg.  The hope is that it will stimulate bone growth where it hasn't healed yet.  After 3 months of this, we'll return for x-rays or MRI and consultation.  If it hasn't healed, another surgery will become necessary where they will go back in and remove hardware.  We are praying that this is not necessary.

Benjamin tells me that he tries real hard to walk as normally as possible at work so people don't stare at him, and he thinks that's why his leg is hurting so bad.  All things considered, we feel absolutely blessed by Benjamin's healing up to this point and the progress he has made.  The fact that he is back at work just blows my mind.  I watched him as he walked into work this morning as the sun was rising.  It hasn't been an easy road and no doubt he may have rough days ahead, especially if another surgery is needed, but God has been so good to him and so good to us.  Thank you for being so faithful in praying for Benjamin.  He's so appreciative and can't believe how kind people are to him. 

An Update on Benjamin - December 6, 2023

Benjamin had an appointment with his orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday.  We got there early and they had him do some CT scans.  We waited in the office.  The surgeon came in and closed the door behind him.  He said, "The left leg is healing really good.  The right leg is not.  It's what we call a non-union.  I am pessimistic since I deal with trauma, but I'm going to try to be patient.  We'll get you a bone stimulator that we'll have you wear for 20 minutes a day for three months.  At the end of 3 months, we'll look at it again."

We had been praying for better news, but there was some good news there.  He is ahead of most as far as his left leg is concerned.  He is released to go back to work on Monday!  He doesn't have to wear the boot anymore!  He'll still go to physical therapy three times a week.  He is making great strides there.  Speaking of strides, click the arrow on the video below to see Benjamin walking with no boot and no walker.  He's getting better every day!

We asked what the surgery would look like, if the bone in the right leg doesn't heal in 3 months.  He told us that, if necessary, the surgery could be scheduled at 6 months, 9 months, or whatever.  He would miss 2 weeks of work.  It would involve removing the existing hardware (plates, screws, etc.) and putting in new hardware, along with cement.  I'm not sure I got all that right.  Hopefully it won't come to that.

The doctor was happy that Benjamin hasn't been on any pain meds and has cut his Gabapentin down to only one pill a day.  That's the pill for nerve pain.  He's tried going without it, but has trouble sleeping.  We asked about the tingling and the numbness in his right foot and right hand.  The doctor said that the tingling meant that feeling could come back.  He said that if the foot and hand is numb, it may be like that permanently, but said that's not chiseled in stone.  He's seen it come back.

The doctor wants to get him back to work as quickly as possible.  He told us that Benjamin could be released to drive in another month.  We kept it quiet that I've already been letting him drive on back roads on the way back from therapy.  For the time being, we'll be dropping him off at work and picking him up.  Traffic where he works in Lake Charles (actually, Westlake, LA) is a little more hectic than around here.

Although not the overall report we prayed for, we're going to focus on the positive and still work hard and move forward.  He's been really working hard at rehab and we're proud of him.  Benjamin has an appointment at the neurosurgeon's office in Lafayette tomorrow afternoon.  They will review the CT scans and make determinations on releasing him and/or discussing limitations.  

Thank you for your continued concern and especially your earnest prayers.  God is so good to us.  Even if He did nothing more for us, we praise Him.  It's from Him that all Blessings flow.

A Miraculous Update on Benjamin

It's been 70 days.  70 long days since Benjamin fell 3 stories off of a parking garage in Lake Charles.  I'm in Lake Charles every single day, but I have not wanted to go to the accident site.  Someone sent Benjamin a photo of it and he showed it to me.  The parking garage has five stories.  He fell from the third floor and hit the concrete below.  The ambulance driver said it was a 40 foot fall.  Seeing where it happened is kind of hard to process.  I choose to be thankful that he didn't land on his head or his back.  He landed where he had to land in order to still be with us.  There is nothing else to do but praise God!

I've gone far enough in this update without doing something that I should have started off with: Thank you for your continued prayers!  Seventy days ago we were here in ICU getting ready for both orthopedic surgery to put rods in both bones in both legs and neurosurgery to insert two rods in Benjamin's spine.  At this point we didn't know really what to expect.  You can see that on Russ' face.

Since those surgeries, he moved from ICU into a regular room at Lafayette General where he began to recover and start very basic rehab.  He was moved to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital in-patient rehab where he was involved in 2 weeks of intensive physical and occupational therapy.  They almost immediately had him doing things that we didn't think he'd be able to do for a long, long time.  Amazing, really!

Then he was released to come home with lots of medical equipment.  Three times a week he goes to out-patient rehab here in Jennings at Thibodeaux, Albro, & Touchet Therapy Group.  They have him working hard and we've seen marked improvement.  Remarkable, really.  He's been in a wheelchair.  Since his right leg is not load-bearing due to severe injuries sustained, he cannot walk.  He can put weight on his left leg as the bones with the rods have healed.  Because of that, he's been able to kind of gently hop on his left leg while standing in a walker.  

Benjamin has lost 25 pounds since the day of the accident.  He has lots of nerve pain in his right ankle and foot.  He still has weakness and lack of feeling in his right hand and fingers.  He works with putty to strengthen the hand and have seen improvement in strength.  Still numb and tingly, though.

He still wears a back brace at all times and wears a bone healing stimulator for a couple hours a day.  He can't bend and he can't twist while his spine injuries continue to heal.  The orthopedic surgeon told him he would be able to be load bearing on his right leg tomorrow.  We have been looking forward to that day.  Well, I have a surprise for you.  This video right here is miraculous!  Click on the arrow below to get a glimpse of what we witnessed this evening:

I can't describe to you the emotion, the gratitude, the awe that we feel.  Benjamin still has a ways to go.  He told me tonight, "It's a marathon, not a sprint, Dad."  But God is so good!  There is nothing He cannot do.  Thank you family and friends, and readers for your continued prayers.  We are so grateful for your love and support.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.  Psalm 107:1

Update on Benjamin - 10/26/2023

Thumbs Up!

Our family wants to thank you for your faithful prayers!  The patient, Benjamin, continues to improve.  On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday he goes to outpatient rehabilitation locally.  We know the physical therapist and feel like our guy is heading in the right direction.  On his "off" days, he works from home, doing everything he's learned to do to continue to get better.  He's not load-bearing on his right leg until November 14th, but he IS able to stand on his walker and walk (sort of hop) around on his left leg.  Several times a day he gets out of his wheelchair and makes several laps around the den.  He sits out on the patio in the sunshine for an hour or so in the afternoon to get some Vitamin D.  We are loading him up with protein, fruit juices and a plethora of supplements to aid in healing.

His right foot, through hard work, has finally gotten to the 90 degree angle.  That will be beneficial when load-bearing and able to begin trying to walk.  He was fitted out with a new apparatus that he wears 2 hours a day.  It is a vest that somehow electrically stimulates bone growth to speed fusion/healing in his spine.

It has been about a week since he has had any kind of sleeping pill to assist in sleep.  It has been weeks and weeks since he's had any pain medication.  He is still on neurontin (gabapentin) for nerve pain.  If he tries to get off of that, he has lots of nerve pain in his right leg and foot.  Strength in his right (dominant) hand is half that of his left hand and there is still numbness/tingling in his right foot, thigh, right fingers up to his elbow and left forearm.  All those are prayer concerns, without a doubt.

His employment is another.  Benjamin talked to his boss.  She has gotten approval from HR for him to begin part time work whenever he is released by his doctor.  Originally, the doctor had said RTW was sometime after the first of the year.  With the news from his boss, he called his doctor and the doctor will be flexible.  Benjamin's goal is to continue to work hard.  He has an appointment with his neurosurgeon and another with his orthopedic surgeon in early December.  Benjamin has proposed to his boss that he could try to return to work on December 6th, but has not heard back from her yet.  That is a good goal to work toward.

As I survey where we are today versus where we were seven and a half weeks ago, well, I get a little choked up thinking about it.  God is indeed our refuge and strength.  The third verse in the old hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" says it best.  No matter what besets us, He gives us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow—

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

An Update on Benjamin (After Orthopedic Surgeon Visit)

This morning at 9:45 am Benjamin had a visit with his orthopedic surgeon in Lafayette.  This was an important visit as we were praying for a good report and one that would result in him telling us that Benjamin could now be 'load-bearing' on his right foot.  With that news, he could begin immediately to learn to walk again, and that would mark another milestone and move forward in his recovery.

It was not to be.  As much as we wanted, the surgeon reported that there was bone loss and the tibia is a slow healing bone.  He wants Benjamin to remain off of the RT leg until November 13th.  He instructed us to give him Vitamin D and plenty of protein to encourage healing.  The x-rays show all the hardware in his right lower leg and ankle.  This is the first time we'd seen x-rays of the work done on his legs.

The surgeon mentioned that there is a 50-50 chance that things will heal without resorting to other measures, such as bone-growth stimulation and additional surgery.  He did give Benjamin a boot to wear on the right foot that encourages the foot to be pulled up at a right angle.  He also wrote new physical therapy orders.  Benjamin will continue out-patient rehab three times a week.

So it wasn't exactly the news that we were praying for.  I would not be truthful with you if I told you we weren't disappointed.  However, we progress forward.  We continue to work hard in rehab and doing everything we can to heal.  We remain optimistic and continue praying and having faith that our Lord will answer our prayers in His time.  On a good note, his incisions/scarring has healed remarkably well.  He has also been told by the surgeon that he is now able to put weight on his left foot, not merely using it to pivot.  That is a move in the right direction.  We also don't lose sight of the fact that he is alive, he is not brain-injured, and he is not paralyzed.  To God be the Glory!

Continued specific prayer requests:

1. Healing of the bones in the right lower leg,

2. A return of feeling and strength in his right (dominant) hand,

3. A diminishment in the nerve pain in his right foot, along with return of feeling.

Thank you all for your concern, your prayers, and your friendship!

I've Got Your Back

Today was a big day as far as doctor visits go.  Benjamin had an appointment at 1PM with his neurosurgeon in Lafayette who performed his spine surgery.  Prior to the visit we had to have X-rays done on his spine.  That appointment was at noon and those X-rays would be immediately sent to the neurosurgeon.  The X-ray location and the neurosurgeon's offices were in two different buildings about a block away.  That's usually not a big ordeal, but when you have to get out a walker and a wheelchair and stand and pivot and sit and then stow away all that equipment only to wash, rinse and repeat a few minutes later, well, that's "tracas."  [TRAH KAH] "trouble or problem" in Cajun French.

But you know what?  There's another way to look at it.  It gave us good practice.  By the end of the day, Tricia and I were like a pit crew on pit row getting the walker out of the back seat and setting it by the opened passenger door, popping the trunk to remove the wheel chair, opening it and putting the cushion seat on, rolling to the front door and locking the wheels.  Benjamin stands, pivots, sits, foot rests are put on the chair and Benjamin rolls clear of the car.  All doors are closed and the trunk shut before the car speeds away.  If you listen closely, you can almost hear the whirring of the air impact wrenches and the squeal of tires...  

We went in and were seen by the neurosurgeon's office.  The staff was very thorough and explained things so well.  It was not rushed.  They asked if we had questions.  Of course we did!  I asked, "We never saw anything but the big scar on his back.  Can you show us what was done to Benjamin's spine?"  She pulled this up quickly and began to explain:

Benjamin's spine suffered compression fractures in the lumbar region and sacrum.  L2 was pushing toward the cord, with little pieces broken off.  To stabilize this, his back was cut open and two titanium rods were put on either side of the spine and fastened with screws.  To do this you must go two vertebrae above and two vertebrae below the damage, so the rods went from the Thoracic group (T11) to the Lumbar group (L4).  You can see the rods and anchoring screws in the x-ray above.  He will have some range of motion issues (some diminished bending/twisting), but they keep stressing that he is young and healthy and his muscles will develop to compensate.  Who's got your back?  The rods answer saying, "I've got your back."  Ultimately, God has our backs!

The pelvis was fractured, along with the sacrum.  If you look at the film above, you can see that two 5-inch screws were inserted to 'hold things in place.'  Yikes!  He certainly has some hardware in him.  Benjamin's off of all pain medication and muscle relaxers and is only on gabapentin for nerve pain and trazadone for a sleep aid when nerve pain persists.  We discussed nerve pain.  Nerve damage is slow to heal.  They wrote OT/PT orders which will be communicated to Rehab to help with that.  They want the back brace on at all times.  No sleeping on the stomach.  They want him taking Vitamin D and calcium.

They looked at his "pins and needles" sensation in his right (dominant) hand - mainly the ring finger and pinky.  It looks like damage to the ulna nerve (funny bone), however, it could be caused by the neck.  In looking at the film, there appears to be a slight bulge in the cervical group (C6, if I remember correctly).  We were shown the opening where the nerve goes out and to the right arm.  The opening was large and doesn't appear to have damaged the nerve.  Only time will tell on the nerve damage.

Overall, they were very pleased with his progress in rehab, range of motion, strength and want to see him again in a month.  He heads back to Physical and Occupational Therapy tomorrow afternoon and our next appointment is with his orthopedic surgeon on October 12th.  We'll see what he has to say about his pelvic area and especially, legs.  When will he be load-bearing?  We're just a month out from the injury.  In many ways it seems like a LONG time, but we look at where he was versus where he is now and it is a testimony to the Goodness of God.  To God be the Glory, great things He hath done!

Two Left Feet - An Update on Benjamin

Tomorrow (Thursday) will be Benjamin's last full day of in-patient rehab.  On Friday, he will attend the morning session, and then he'll be released and - we'll go HOME.  He's excited.  He's made a lot of progress.  It's amazing, really - like witnessing a miracle.  A part of me doesn't want him to leave and lose the momentum he's got going.  I'm afraid he'll get home and take it easy.  It's easier to push forward when a physical therapist is challenging you versus mom & dad telling you to do something.  He will be getting outpatient rehab 3 times a week, though.

Tomorrow we're invited to his morning rehab session where they'll communicate more about his move home.  We ordered equipment he'll need for the home stay.  When Tricia got to the hospital yesterday, they were practicing getting into and out of a car.

I still don't know how they got this car up on the second floor.  Regardless, he's able to get in and out.  His mobility is getting better in his legs.  He got off of the muscle relaxer and most of the pain medication.  When he tried to get off of the Gabapentin (nerve blocker) medicine cold turkey, he experienced excruciating pain.  He didn't sleep a wink that night.  He's back on it and feeling better.  Benjamin is feeling lots of pain in his right leg/ankle/foot as they try to stretch it.  It is still swollen.  That's the leg that is not load-bearing, yet.  He'll have an appointment in 2 weeks.  Once he is load-bearing on the right leg, he'll start walking with a walker.  Things still have to heal up for now.

He's had his sights set on returning home and sleeping in his own bed and eating home-cooked meals.  I wanted to set his sights on a more ambitious goal.  As I passed his place of employment in Westlake, LA, I took a photo of it and told him and his physical therapist that his new focus needs to be on getting healed so he can get back to work.  He's ready to work toward getting back to gainful employment as fast as he can.

So two left feet.  I'm not a good dancer.  I've never been a good dancer.  I always say I have two left feet.  Tricia, on the other hand - that little lady can dance.  Tricia always wants the boys to kick off their shoes and dance around the kitchen with her.  The boys are always not too thrilled with that idea.  After much coaxing, they'll dance with their momma, but it takes a lot of arm-pulling.

Earlier this week Benjamin received a text from my brother.  Tricia asked Benjamin about it.  My brother told Benjamin to keep up the hard work - that he'd be up and dancing in no time.  After Benjamin told Tricia about the text, he got real quiet.  Tricia looked over and noticed Benjamin was real emotional.  Up to that point he'd been real stoic throughout this whole ordeal...  until now.  He told Tricia, "Mom, I'd do anything to be able to dance with you right now!"  

So in addition to getting home and into his own bed and eating home-cooked meals and getting back to his job, he's got another goal - to dance in the kitchen with his momma!  Get your dancing shoes ready, Benjamin!

Benjamin - Three Weeks After the Accident - Update

In a couple of hours, it will mark three weeks following Benjamin's "great fall."  Fortunately, all the king's horses and all the king's men (and women) were able to put him back together again.  Praise be to God!  We still don't know fully what limitations he'll have, but we feel so blessed that he has made as much progress as he has.  This afternoon after church, we drove from Jennings to Lake Charles to visit him.  We brought a large Tony's Pizza, and he wolfed it down.  It's only a 35 minute drive and that allows us to spend most of the day with him each day.  

Normally I am able to get to his room around 11 AM.  I go and watch him in his physical and occupational therapy sessions for a while then I go back to his room where I work until he comes back and we have lunch together.  Then he naps and they wake him up at around 1 PM and he goes back for more therapy.  I'll do more computer work and then head home.  Tricia comes to the hospital and is there when he gets out of therapy and she'll stay with him until bedtime.  Then she comes back home.

If all goes as planned, Benjamin will be released this Friday to come home.  What they've been able to do with him in this short time is nothing short of miraculous.  We're so impressed.  He is making improvements day by day, and I think he is proud of the progress he's made so far.  To be honest, he's ready to come home.  He tells me he's tired of being asleep and being awakened to have his vitals taken at all hours.  He's tired of being awakened at 4:30 AM to get dressed for the day.  He also tells me he wants to sleep in his own bed.  He's just tired altogether.

Benjamin and Tricia

We've tried to encourage him to push through it for one more week - five more days, really.  We tell him that if he went home now, he'd miss out on valuable therapy time that would slow or limit the success of his recovery.  I've talked to the wonderful staff here, and they all assure me that he's doing great and that what he's feeling is normal.  I don't want his discouragement to hamstring his continued progress.  Please pray that he'll power on through this week and finish strong.

This past week they worked on building stamina in being able to stand on his load-bearing leg.  They also worked on going from a lying position to a sitting position without help, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, putting his back brace on/on by himself, going from a sitting position to a standing position with a walker. They even worked on getting him into and out of a car!  They have a Volkswagen sedan up on the second floor (I wonder how they got it up here) and have been working on this.  He'll leave in a car this Friday, so by then he'll be ready.  They have been doing an electric shock therapy on his right leg.  I know that's not the right name for it!  They are trying to stimulate the nerves so that he regains the feeling in the sole of his right foot.  He's starting to feel tingling.  They say that's a good thing.  The nerves appear to be 'waking up' in his foot.  His right hand/fingers/arm is still asleep.  They have been working with him in typing exercises.  We're praying that in time the feeling comes back.

Although he and his roommates rent a house in Lake Charles, he'll come home to Jennings for a while.  He will continue to get rehab, but it will be only three times a week and will be out-patient.  Benjamin will have appointments with his neurosurgeon and orthopedic surgeon in Lafayette.  The next big step will be getting clearance for his right leg to be load bearing.  Then rehab will ramp up in earnest.

Speaking of ramps...  Some wonderful and thoughtful friends of ours dropped off a ramp that they built in order to make our home wheelchair accessible!  I'm telling you, we have been overwhelmed with the prayers, compassion, and generosity of so many people.  I don't know how people make it through the tragedies of life that don't know the Lord and that don't have a wonderful family, friend and neighbor support system.

This photo doesn't show it, but later I put the "Home Sweet Home" door mat at the end to welcome him home at the end of the week.

The ramp was key to getting him into and out of the house and will be instrumental in getting him to rehab.  On a related note, our fall garden progress is three weeks behind.  The ramp will help get Benjamin outside.  He needs some sunshine, and I'm working on designing an apparatus that will hook a hoe or some type of cultivator to the back of his wheelchair so that he can help me get the fall garden crop in with quickness.  (I kid, I kid!)

Overall, a great week and a great report.  I look forward to telling you more good news as we get it.  We love you all and appreciate your faithful prayers.  Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow!

The State of the Rehab Address

Tonight's post will be short, but informative.  I promised a report after our Family Meeting this morning at 9:30.  Benjamin, below, with a spoiler alert as to how the meeting went:

The three of us were led to a large conference room and were invited to sit at the head of the table.  The objective of this meeting was to communicate Benjamin's progress, set goals for continued rehabilitation and recovery, and discuss the projected release date.  I'll let the cat out of the bag on the last point.  Benjamin will be released from in-patient rehab in 10 days - September 29th.  There were reports from each group:

Physical Therapy:    Goals were as follows: By the time he leaves, he'll be able to get into and out of the bed with no help, Put back brace on/off while lying down in bed, Stand and turn on walker on load-bearing leg without hopping, get into/out of a car, Begin electrical stimulation on right foot and ankle.

Occupational Therapy:    Will take a shower today.  First time in over two weeks.  Benjamin said, "Dad, I stink!"  Goals: to continue to get independent in self care, bathroom, bathing, etc.  We talked about the numbness/pins and needles in his right (dominant) hand.  They want to give it more time, but there are therapies like an EMG nerve study (I think?) to help as well as doing a C spine MRI to locate potential areas causing this.  We communicated that he doesn't have a lot of fine motor skills in his dominant hand, so writing with a pen is hard as well as typing.  They were happy to add those skills to his training regimen for the next 10 days.

Speech Therapy:    The rigorous testing on cognition is over and Benjamin did great.  No brain injury.

Dr. Alyson Jones:    Overall, Benjamin is doing great, improving every day and motivating others in the gym.  Still watching his ankle that is oozing.  He will go home on September 29th, but so as not to lose momentum, will get out-patient or home health therapy 3 times a week along with exercises/homework.  He will have an appointment with his neurosurgeon and orthopedic surgeon in Lafayette two weeks after discharge from rehab.  Once orthopedic doctor gives the green light to bear weight on his legs (~ 6 weeks) he can resume rehab with learning to walk, gait, etc.  We asked about pain meds.  He is not needing near as much as he did previously.  He'll go home with pain medication and other prescriptions, but said he could experiment weaning down.  We asked if he would have chronic, long lasting pain/arthritis.  They said perhaps his ankle would tell him when the weather was going to change, but they foresee a good recovery and are optimistic.  Benjamin asked if he would ever be able to run again.  Dr. Jones quickly answered, "Yes."  Generally, the Return to Work date is 3 months post accident date, but she said they would assess that as time goes on.

All in all it was a very encouraging and positive meeting.  We thanked the entire staff and thanked the Lord.  As I type this, I'm overwhelmed by the last two weeks.  God has been so good to us.  You prayer warriors have been so faithful.  We love you, from the bottom of our hearts, we love you!

.

Are You Squeamish?

This will be the first post on our Family blog that will revert back to the original purpose of the Our Maker's Acres Family Farm blog.  Tonight's episode is about things that make me squeamish on our little homestead.  We have a bonus at the end of the post about Benjamin and things that made us kind of squeamish today in his hospital room.

If you've followed the blog, you know that LuLu, one of our Jersey cows, recently gave birth to Nicky.  Nicky is a little Jersey bull calf and is a cute little guy.   The plans for Nicky are two-fold.  We'll raise him for about 18 months and let him breed our cows.  Then, he will be processed and put in our freezer.  It is an incredible cycle.  The sun grows the grass.  The cows poop and fertilize the grass, making it grow.  The cows eat the grass, transforming the energy of the sun and the fertility of the soil into milk.  We drink the milk and the calf drinks the milk.  The milk that Nicky drinks, and later grass that he eats, is transformed into protein that ends up on our plates.

Jersey bulls can be very dangerous.  It is a fact that Jersey bulls kill more farmers than any other breed of cattle.  That is a strange thing because Jersey cows are so docile.  The bulls are a different story altogether.  We want things as safe as possible out in the barnyard.  It is still burned in my memory (you'll know why I said that in a minute) an event in movie history that I still think about today.

In "The Song of the South" movie from my childhood that I think is now censored, I recall little Johnny running across the pasture, calling for Uncle Remus.  A bull with horns runs after little Johnny and to everyone's shock, the bull gores little Johnny with his horns.  I wonder if that is where the old saying "You mess with the bull, you get the horns" comes from?  We want to prevent that from ever happening in our pasture, so after every calf is born, at about 10-14 days old, we de-horn the calf.  Click this link to see the tool we use on both calves and baby goats (kids).

This is the way we do it:  We put the calf in the barn, lay him down and sit on him.  Then we use clippers to shave the hair on his head around the horn buds, exposing them.  Then we use an electric dehorning iron to burn and kill the horn bud.  If the procedure is successful, the horns don't grow and your chances of ending up like poor little Johnny are greatly reduced.

The de-horning iron gets cherry-red.  You put it around the horn buds while holding the calf down.  When you have a copper-colored ring around the horn bud, the job is done.  I always feel sorry for the calves and it makes me squeamish to do it.  I'm sure it is painful, but in about 5 minutes, the calf is up and running around like nothing happened.

Well, to segue into a status report on Benjamin today, I saw something today in his hospital room that made me squeamish.  If you don't have a strong stomach, this might be a post to not continue.  I don't know how doctors do what they do.  I just don't have the stomach or fortitude for it.  Today was the day that the doctor would be removing staples from Benjamin's many incisions.  Here are the staples on his legs from where they put rods in both bones in his lower legs and patched up the compound fracture.  The wounds have healed nicely.  His knees and right lower leg, ankle and foot are still swollen.

This is where the compound fracture was.  These staples will be staying in a while longer and a fresh dressing was put on.

Dr. Jones told Benjamin it wouldn't hurt, but he grabbed a pillow and held it tight.  He braced himself.  The doctor told him, "Do you feel it?  I've already pulled out 5 of them."  He didn't feel any pain and let go of the pillow.  They came out quickly and with ease.  He was smiling and laughing by the end of it.

This photo makes my stomach get tight.  This is the incision from the spine surgery (laminectomy), where they put rods in his back.  We counted the staples.  There are 45 of them.  The incision is clean and healed.  This was scheduled for tomorrow, but the doctor said, "Let's get it done today!"

Not that you requested it, but here is a close-up.  I am a grown man of 56 years and this makes me want to cry.  But you know what?  He's alive.  He's not brain-injured.  He's not paralyzed.  I can look at these scars and have gratitude to the Lord for His Goodness in saving my son.  A scar can be a testimony to point to a compassionate God.  That's the way we're gonna look at it.

Dr. Jones asked Benjamin if he wanted the staples as a souvenir.  "Absolutely," he said.  We even dug in the trash and retrieved the staple puller, too.  Being the goofy people we are, we counted all the staples on the tray.  For those interested, guess how many?: (The answer is below the photo)

There were 126 staples that were removed from his legs, hip and back today.  There are still some staples remaining in his right lower leg.  Tomorrow we have our big meeting.  I'll have a report tomorrow night.  Thank you for all your prayers.  They mean the world to us!

Benjamin - Two Weeks Post Accident Status Report

In about an hour and twenty minutes, it'll be two weeks since we learned that our 22 year old son, Benjamin, fell from the third story of a parking garage in Lake Charles.  He suffered terrible injuries, but is recovering.  We thank God for His Goodness.  We thank you, family, friends, and readers for your prayers.  What we've seen is nothing short of a miracle, and God's not done yet.  We thank all the doctors, nurses, ER staff, ambulance drivers, surgeons, and support staff that have been wonderful!

We are currently at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital In-patient Rehab where Benjamin has a team of doctors and therapists working on him, assessing speech and cognition due to the skull fracture.  He undergoes a couple of hours of occupational therapy each morning in which he is being taught to put on a back brace and use a slide board to move from bed to wheel chair, from wheel chair to commode and back.  He also undergoes a couple of hours of physical therapy in the afternoon where they work with him to regain strength and mobility in his damaged legs, pelvis and back.  He is EXHAUSTED in the afternoon when all that is done.

Matters are complicated due to his two badly broken legs.  One of them is non-load bearing, so he cannot put ANY weight on it while it heals.  This could be anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks.  We have a family - treatment team meeting on Tuesday morning at 9:30.  I'll give another update Tuesday night as we'll know more about prognosis, goals, treatment plan moving forward.  You would not believe the improvement we've seen in the last week.  Here he is in the wheel chair.  The tape on his right arm is for nerve damage - numbness and pins and needles from elbow to fingers.  Feeling has not returned.  We're still praying about that.  

Staples in his left leg and right leg, except where the compound fracture was, come out tomorrow.  Staples in his spine come out Tuesday.  They are trying to figure out how to accomplish teaching him to shower with the restriction of no weight on the right leg and no hopping - only pivoting on the left leg.  Other than the numbness in his right arm and numbness on his left forearm, his upper body strength is really helping his recovery.  

He wanted to get out of the room for the past two days, so he pushed himself all over the hospital in his wheelchair.  His brother, Russ, was there to assist should he get tired.  Tricia wanted to avoid being in the photo.  She's hiding behind the door.

Benjamin had not been outside in 13 days, so we went out to the butterfly garden so he could get some sunshine and fresh air.

We anticipate being released to home for a number of weeks until his leg is load-bearing.  At that point, he'll be back in rehab.  This week I'll be moving a bed from upstairs into his old downstairs bedroom.  That bed is shorter.  I'll also be building a small ramp to enable him to get into the house over a four inch threshold.  We'll also remove the door from the bathroom in his room for easier access.  We will also be figuring out how to get him back to work as quickly as feasible.

Stay tuned for a "normal" post tomorrow night and then another update on our patient on Tuesday following the big meeting.  You'll never fully understand how appreciative our family is of your prayers, love, encouragement, and concern since this occurred.  Much love to you from the Sonnier's.

A Change of Scenery (Benjamin's Move to In-patient Rehab)

Yesterday we received the news that there was nothing medically keeping Benjamin from starting in-patient rehabilitation.  An ambulance transport was scheduled for Thursday at 7 am.  We decided it would be a good idea to dress for success and get a clean shave so he would look all spiffy for the trip.

Physical therapy got him situated in his wheelchair and we went for a spin around floor 10.  He pushed for most of the way and then I took the wheel for a while.  I must admit I was a little cautious.  I didn't want someone to come around a corner or out of a door and hit his legs. 

The ambulance arrived and loaded our guy for the trip from Lafayette to Lake Charles, a hop, skip and a jump down 1-10 westbound.

Benjamin really got good service and care in Lafayette.  They were all great.  He was excited about starting his rehabilitation.  We arrived at the hospital in Lake Charles and met with the director, doctor and staff.  They were welcoming and had been praying for Benjamin.  A speech therapy assessment was done along with a meeting with a counselor to ensure that he was psychologically ready.

Dr. Jones showed us the x-rays of his legs PRIOR to the surgeries.  This is the tib-fib fracture on his left leg:

And this is the tib fib fracture on the right leg.  You can tell why his right leg is classified as non-load bearing for 6-8 weeks.  He won't be able to put ANY weight on this one for that long while it heals.  OUCH is all I can say.

Amazing work was done today.  First, he met with Occupational Therapy.  He was changed out of his gown and into shorts and a t shirt for the first time since September 4th.  He moved from the bed into a wheelchair and from a wheelchair to a commode.  The plan is to work with him intensely for two weeks to get him to be able to go to the bathroom, dress, and move into a wheelchair and back to bed on his own.  Once those goals are met, he will convalesce at home until his right leg is load-bearing.  Then, we'll return for learning to walk and regaining tools he needs.

Then he met with Physical Therapy where he was assessed for areas of numbness/nerve damage all over his body.  He was taught to use a slide board to go from wheelchair to bed and back.  He will undergo cognitive testing to ensure that there is not a brain injury that has not been detected.  His days will be filled with therapy and, yes, pain.  But he will get better.

From today until Tuesday, he will get a thorough screening to evaluate all injuries, current status, prognosis for recovery, set goals and formulate a plan to best achieve those goals.  We are invited to meet Tuesday for this presentation.  We are happy to be here.  Everyone seems professional, caring, and very capable.  He worked hard, was in pain, and showed grit and determination.  We're very proud of him.  By this afternoon he was exhausted.  

Tricia has been sleeping at the hospital in Lafayette all week.  Tonight, he's on his own.  Tricia will be coming home.  We'll see him tomorrow at lunch.  Which reminds me, from now on, he was told no more eating in bed.  He has to get up, sit in a wheelchair and eat.  We told him we loved him, prayed with him and told him good night. 

In the meeting on Tuesday with the staff, we'll get an idea of how long his recovery will be, what that recovery will look like, what lingering, long-term effects of the injury will be, and when he can return to work.  We pray that he will fully recover.  We wanted to thank all of you for the emails, comments, texts, cards, and prayers that you have offered on his (and our) behalf.  We have learned a lot about how to care for others by watching your example.  You mean the world to us and we thank the Good Lord for you.  He is so good to us.