Elizabeth has been seeing a pediatric orthopedic surgeon since the accident. I'm pretty sure we found the best on in Orlando. She's been carefully following up with me, and she is very watchful of Elizabeth. Eliz seemed fine at the accident site, but she went home with a friend and started complaining of back pain. She ended up with a large bruise on her mid/low back area, and she didn't sleep b/c of the pain. We got a referral to a great doc who took x-rays and specializes is situations like this with children. She spent a great deal of time with Elizabeth watching her, poking on her, and talking with me. After a couple of these visits, she believes that Eliz needs to follow up with an MRI of her spine. B/c of the length of time it takes to get a spinal MRI (and likely b/c of Lizzy's age), they will need to sedate her for he test. After the MRI, we will need to follow up with the ped ortho doc. We are praying that NOTHING shows up on the MRI. I hope you will join me in praying for a clean MRI. If there is something there, it could cause growth issues.
I'm concerned. I'd be lying to tell you differently, and here is why: Yesterday, she slightly bumped her back while I was working in her SS class at church, and it caused her to scream in pain. Today I ran over her foot with a door, and she said ouch. The girl doesn't cry unless she's being dramatic. She never cries b/c she's in pain. She's complained incessantly about her back being hurt from the "car wreck." I think she may be acting dramatic or copying me, but the doc confirmed that we just can't be sure. I'm so thankful to have found such a thorough doc!
Our Family
Monday, July 11, 2011
Update on our June
I haven't been on the computer much in the past few weeks, and that would b/c I haven't been home much. And the time spent at home has been filled with chores. But with half of the chores done, I wanted to take a sec to tell you about how things are progressing this summer.
The wreck was I don't know 5 or 6 weeks ago now. Mat's wound is healing up nicely, and he has returned to work. He still has a couple of much smaller holes in his leg, but he can get around better. He is still experiencing discomfort now clearly in his knee. The ortho doc says that we will have to do an MRI on his knee after his leg wound has completely healed. There is suspicion that a torn meniscus is the source of the pain, but we will only know further once the MRI is done. He can't walk around much without get a very swollen knee, and he limps by the end of each day. He has to ice it and just take it easy for a while...which is a challenge for someone as active as Mat. He is doing fine following doctor's orders, but he is frustrated with the length of this ordeal...as we all are.
I am super sore myself. My hip hurts like fire, and my neck isn't doing well either. I'm on pain meds, I have physical therapy 3 times a week (which doesn't seem to have helped at all at this point but I'm still hopeful), and as if that weren't enough, I have arthritis, tremors and I'm getting braces on Wednesday. Could this summer get any more exciting?
I'm so behind on all the things that I need and had hoped to get done during my summer break. I had hoped to reorganize my school room, change Lizzy's room from a baby room to a big girl room, and get our book shelves under control. A portion of each task has been accomplished at least.
We still have our super helpful Amy here with us for the next few weeks, and we had hoped that she could babysit the kids so we could go on a date. Our dates have consisted of hospital stays, doc visits, and physical therapy trips. We're still hopeful to get to go on a date before the summer is over!
Now we have had a bit of fun. We had one pool day this summer - well, Amy, the kids, and I did while Mat sweated on the sidelines. We also took Amy out last night for a super special birthday dinner at a Downtown Disney restaurant. And...Amy, Andrew and I went to Animal Kingdom for a couple hours a week ago. We've also watched lots of Netflix movies recently. My goal before the summer is over is to visit a beach or go to a waterpark...both attainable considering Florida summers last longer!
The wreck was I don't know 5 or 6 weeks ago now. Mat's wound is healing up nicely, and he has returned to work. He still has a couple of much smaller holes in his leg, but he can get around better. He is still experiencing discomfort now clearly in his knee. The ortho doc says that we will have to do an MRI on his knee after his leg wound has completely healed. There is suspicion that a torn meniscus is the source of the pain, but we will only know further once the MRI is done. He can't walk around much without get a very swollen knee, and he limps by the end of each day. He has to ice it and just take it easy for a while...which is a challenge for someone as active as Mat. He is doing fine following doctor's orders, but he is frustrated with the length of this ordeal...as we all are.
I am super sore myself. My hip hurts like fire, and my neck isn't doing well either. I'm on pain meds, I have physical therapy 3 times a week (which doesn't seem to have helped at all at this point but I'm still hopeful), and as if that weren't enough, I have arthritis, tremors and I'm getting braces on Wednesday. Could this summer get any more exciting?
I'm so behind on all the things that I need and had hoped to get done during my summer break. I had hoped to reorganize my school room, change Lizzy's room from a baby room to a big girl room, and get our book shelves under control. A portion of each task has been accomplished at least.
We still have our super helpful Amy here with us for the next few weeks, and we had hoped that she could babysit the kids so we could go on a date. Our dates have consisted of hospital stays, doc visits, and physical therapy trips. We're still hopeful to get to go on a date before the summer is over!
Now we have had a bit of fun. We had one pool day this summer - well, Amy, the kids, and I did while Mat sweated on the sidelines. We also took Amy out last night for a super special birthday dinner at a Downtown Disney restaurant. And...Amy, Andrew and I went to Animal Kingdom for a couple hours a week ago. We've also watched lots of Netflix movies recently. My goal before the summer is over is to visit a beach or go to a waterpark...both attainable considering Florida summers last longer!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Progress and Healing
It's been nearly 4 weeks since our car accident. I can honestly say that it's been the busiest time in my life, and I'm ready for a breather. While that won't happen for a while, I can tell ya that Mat had a great report from the surgeon yesterday. The wound is healing nicely. He is able to start walking a bit though he has to use a walker, and he only has to have the dressing changed once instead of twice daily. Currently, a nurse is coming over twice daily to help with that, but tomorrow Mat is going to learn how to change the dressing himself - and it's totally disgusting! The surgeon believes it will take 4 weeks for the wound to heal completely. We meet with the infectious disease doc next week, and then we'll go from there. In the meantime, Mat has to lay low and recover, but he is working from home.
Elizabeth and I also had follow up appts from the accident last week. Lizzy seems fine, but the doc isn't ready to dismiss her yet. We have been instructed to watch specific things, and we go back to the ped ortho doc in 2 weeks to get her rechecked.
I start physical therapy Friday - 3 times a week for a month. I have been sent to a neurological doc for tremors I've had since the accident, I have to get further blood work, and I will likely have to get an MRI - will be assessed during PT. I'm not gonna lie, my hip is hurting and my neck doesn't feel too hot either. I've been taking muscle relaxers, anti inflammatory meds, and I got a sweet painful shot right in the sore spot.
Our highlander is at the body shop being repaired this week. I have a rental (I'm getting spoiled with a mini van for the week), and they hope to have the car ready by Monday. When I dropped the car off, Andrew was with me, and the manager of the body shop knew Andrew and Mat so he was taking extra good care of us. The car should look like new when we get it back! We have this great body shop that posts pics of the progress on-line so we can see the repairs step by step.
It makes me tired to even think of all the doc appts and arrangements I will need to make over the next month, but I am so thankful that everyone is alive, home and really well off after all the insanity lately. I'm ready for some boring days :)
Thank you all for your prayers, for all the meals, the encouragement etc. I haven't had to think of planning meals since last week, and it's been such a blessing!
Elizabeth and I also had follow up appts from the accident last week. Lizzy seems fine, but the doc isn't ready to dismiss her yet. We have been instructed to watch specific things, and we go back to the ped ortho doc in 2 weeks to get her rechecked.
I start physical therapy Friday - 3 times a week for a month. I have been sent to a neurological doc for tremors I've had since the accident, I have to get further blood work, and I will likely have to get an MRI - will be assessed during PT. I'm not gonna lie, my hip is hurting and my neck doesn't feel too hot either. I've been taking muscle relaxers, anti inflammatory meds, and I got a sweet painful shot right in the sore spot.
Our highlander is at the body shop being repaired this week. I have a rental (I'm getting spoiled with a mini van for the week), and they hope to have the car ready by Monday. When I dropped the car off, Andrew was with me, and the manager of the body shop knew Andrew and Mat so he was taking extra good care of us. The car should look like new when we get it back! We have this great body shop that posts pics of the progress on-line so we can see the repairs step by step.
It makes me tired to even think of all the doc appts and arrangements I will need to make over the next month, but I am so thankful that everyone is alive, home and really well off after all the insanity lately. I'm ready for some boring days :)
Thank you all for your prayers, for all the meals, the encouragement etc. I haven't had to think of planning meals since last week, and it's been such a blessing!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Mat Came Home Today
First off, THANK YOU all for praying, caring and loving our family. It has been a very difficult week. I'll tell you a little of the back story so you can understand where we are today...
Three weeks ago, a Friday night to be exact, we were having a wonderful time visiting with friends from Atlanta. We were playing at Epcot. Mat met us there right after work. It got late, and we went home. Andrew, who usually rides home with Mat, hopped wearily in my car and nearly fell asleep. Lizzy was in the car with me, and we rode home around midnight with Mat following behind me in his car. We were half way home when we (me, a car in front of me and Mat in his car behind me) had to stop for a bus to make a turn. Another bus plowed into Mat's car and send a chain reaction of crashes. It was horrible! Mat immediately went to the ER after walking out of his car nearly untouched, his leg was pounding and slightly bleeding. He seemed pretty ok although he was in shock, and his car was crushed beyond recognition.
My car seemed to transfer the force to total the car in front of me. The kids were screaming, and the whole place was immediately in a flurry of activity. There were tons of people there immediately to help, and the paramedics were there in maybe 3 minutes. They checked us out, and sent Mat to Celebration. Andrew and I followed in another ambulance about 3 hours later when he started to scream with abdomen pain. The 3 of us got full x-rays. We were sent home and told to follow up with the doc.
We thought everything beyond the whiplash was fine except for the major bruise on Mat's leg. He limped for a few days, but he seemed to be getting better. He had a check up, and the doc said Mat was healing. However, Lizzy was having back spasms. We are still following up with her at a pediatric orthopedic specialist, and I'm going for follow ups too.
Then this past Sunday, Mat's leg started really hurting again. By Tuesday, he couldn't walk, and he was going to get it checked out. He checked himself into the ER. He had an infection, and the report went from being there overnight for observation to being there for several days. He ended up having surgery, and by Thursday night, the night I asked you all to pray so heavily, the docs felt sure that Mat had MRSA. It seemed rather grave to be honest. There was tension in his room and the nurses and docs were very serious.
They ran further tests to see the extent of the infection, and we found out that Mat has a generic staph infection rather than MRSA. It's been drained, and they left a big hole in his leg so that the wound could heal inside out and continue to release the bad bacteria in his leg in the process.
Mat came home from the hospital today. We have a little bit of a road ahead of us. He has to have a nurse come twice a day, he can't walk (although he can get around a little with a walker - which we are giving him heck about), and he has lots of antibiotics and follow up doc visits in the few weeks to come. But he is alive!!!
God certainly has provided, and he knew this was going to happen before it went down. Mat walked out of his little car alive! God protected Andrew from being in the back of Mat's car during the accident. Amy is here helping us with everything especially the kids, and I'm still reeling at how God sent her in just the exactly right timing. Our friend have been so helpful and encouraging. I could go on and on about God's provision.
Keep praying! Mat can handle the pain of the injury, but it is horribly painful when the bandage has to be changed and packed. We have to make sure that we don't introduce any further germs to the wound, and we will have to go back and forth to doc appts for a little while. His spirits are up, and we are so excited to have him home! Mat's work is even sending us food via Mat's favorite chef!
We certainly don't understand whey we had to go through all this, but we hope that God receives all the glory. Just looking at the car Mat walked out of makes us praise Jesus!
Three weeks ago, a Friday night to be exact, we were having a wonderful time visiting with friends from Atlanta. We were playing at Epcot. Mat met us there right after work. It got late, and we went home. Andrew, who usually rides home with Mat, hopped wearily in my car and nearly fell asleep. Lizzy was in the car with me, and we rode home around midnight with Mat following behind me in his car. We were half way home when we (me, a car in front of me and Mat in his car behind me) had to stop for a bus to make a turn. Another bus plowed into Mat's car and send a chain reaction of crashes. It was horrible! Mat immediately went to the ER after walking out of his car nearly untouched, his leg was pounding and slightly bleeding. He seemed pretty ok although he was in shock, and his car was crushed beyond recognition.
My car seemed to transfer the force to total the car in front of me. The kids were screaming, and the whole place was immediately in a flurry of activity. There were tons of people there immediately to help, and the paramedics were there in maybe 3 minutes. They checked us out, and sent Mat to Celebration. Andrew and I followed in another ambulance about 3 hours later when he started to scream with abdomen pain. The 3 of us got full x-rays. We were sent home and told to follow up with the doc.
We thought everything beyond the whiplash was fine except for the major bruise on Mat's leg. He limped for a few days, but he seemed to be getting better. He had a check up, and the doc said Mat was healing. However, Lizzy was having back spasms. We are still following up with her at a pediatric orthopedic specialist, and I'm going for follow ups too.
Then this past Sunday, Mat's leg started really hurting again. By Tuesday, he couldn't walk, and he was going to get it checked out. He checked himself into the ER. He had an infection, and the report went from being there overnight for observation to being there for several days. He ended up having surgery, and by Thursday night, the night I asked you all to pray so heavily, the docs felt sure that Mat had MRSA. It seemed rather grave to be honest. There was tension in his room and the nurses and docs were very serious.
They ran further tests to see the extent of the infection, and we found out that Mat has a generic staph infection rather than MRSA. It's been drained, and they left a big hole in his leg so that the wound could heal inside out and continue to release the bad bacteria in his leg in the process.
Mat came home from the hospital today. We have a little bit of a road ahead of us. He has to have a nurse come twice a day, he can't walk (although he can get around a little with a walker - which we are giving him heck about), and he has lots of antibiotics and follow up doc visits in the few weeks to come. But he is alive!!!
God certainly has provided, and he knew this was going to happen before it went down. Mat walked out of his little car alive! God protected Andrew from being in the back of Mat's car during the accident. Amy is here helping us with everything especially the kids, and I'm still reeling at how God sent her in just the exactly right timing. Our friend have been so helpful and encouraging. I could go on and on about God's provision.
Keep praying! Mat can handle the pain of the injury, but it is horribly painful when the bandage has to be changed and packed. We have to make sure that we don't introduce any further germs to the wound, and we will have to go back and forth to doc appts for a little while. His spirits are up, and we are so excited to have him home! Mat's work is even sending us food via Mat's favorite chef!
We certainly don't understand whey we had to go through all this, but we hope that God receives all the glory. Just looking at the car Mat walked out of makes us praise Jesus!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Mat's in the Hospital
This week has been a roller coaster. It seems like every time I go to the hospital there is more bad news. So here's the story:
The infection Mat has is bad. They drained it in surgery, but they are very concerned about it. They are running more tests to determine the type of infection (they are thinking MRSA) and to see how far it's spread.
He looks horrible, has no appetite, and his spirits are very down. They say all this is treatable, but then they put him in a quarantine like situation. The kids can't see him, and adults have to wear special clothing to see him.
We have friends offering to help, and I'm going to find a cleaning service to come and sterilize our house for the time he comes home...if you know of one of those type of services, please pass the info on to me.
I'm tired, the kids are scared, and Mat is scared...ok...I'm a little scared too. But I want to say that God has provided for us every single itty bitty step of the way. He sent our friend Amy to live with us for the summer starting this week. Our very dear friends "happened" to be in town this week for vacation, and they have spent time with us praying and loving on us...especially Mat! Our precious neighbor with children the same age as Andrew and Lizzy is taking great care of our children, and Mat's mom is coming in town tomorrow....and the blessings go on and on!
Please pray and encourage us. We serve an awesome mighty and powerful God who isn't surprised by any of this...and please remind me of this when you see me :)
Genny
The infection Mat has is bad. They drained it in surgery, but they are very concerned about it. They are running more tests to determine the type of infection (they are thinking MRSA) and to see how far it's spread.
He looks horrible, has no appetite, and his spirits are very down. They say all this is treatable, but then they put him in a quarantine like situation. The kids can't see him, and adults have to wear special clothing to see him.
We have friends offering to help, and I'm going to find a cleaning service to come and sterilize our house for the time he comes home...if you know of one of those type of services, please pass the info on to me.
I'm tired, the kids are scared, and Mat is scared...ok...I'm a little scared too. But I want to say that God has provided for us every single itty bitty step of the way. He sent our friend Amy to live with us for the summer starting this week. Our very dear friends "happened" to be in town this week for vacation, and they have spent time with us praying and loving on us...especially Mat! Our precious neighbor with children the same age as Andrew and Lizzy is taking great care of our children, and Mat's mom is coming in town tomorrow....and the blessings go on and on!
Please pray and encourage us. We serve an awesome mighty and powerful God who isn't surprised by any of this...and please remind me of this when you see me :)
Genny
Friday, May 27, 2011
My Sweet Little Devil Princess
Elizabeth is the roughest toughest girl on the exterior. She rarely cries because she has been physically hurt. However, she is a complete softy on the inside. She cries b/c her feelings have been hurt.
Today was no different. She was playing rough with her brother and driving me mad. I thought that I wouldn't make it through the morning, and if I did, I thought that she wouldn't. We both made it through. I let her and Andrew play in the tub together - after she peed on the carpet, and I'm pretty sure the boogie man entered my house while they were bathing. The screams in the bathroom likely cause the boogie man to exit the house before we exited the bathroom.
After the kids hopped out of the tub, got dressed, and got their hair done did (always a serious chore with the curly tops & tangles no matter how much conditioner I use), I got to rock Lizzy. We prayed, and I told my sweet girl about how I wanted her to love Jesus first and foremost. I told her about how we sin (like she did all morning long), but that Jesus came as a perfect man so that we didn't have to be - and can't be at that since we are depraved. I explained that Jesus died for us, and she added that she was so upset by the bad men hitting Jesus and pushing him over on his way to the cross. She remembered the stories!!! I was thrilled. So we got to talking about the only way to spend forever with Jesus was to ask him to be in our hear and a allow him to be a part of our life. She said she wanted to do that, and in the sweetest voice she said, "Jesus, please come live in my heart."
I know she's super young, and I'm not very sure she knows quite what all she asked means. I do know that she understood the simple way I explained salvation, and I know that we will continue to teach her the ways of Christ. What an exciting and awesome moment I shared with my daughter today! She is a very special and precious little devil princess!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Being a Mommy
Yesterday was mother's day. A day to celebrate being a Mommy. And while I do love being a Mom, I find that it becomes more challenging the older my children get. I'm currently experiencing the terrible 2's with Elizabeth, but that doesn't compete with the challenges that I have with Andrew. He's becoming so much more aware of the world around him.
I want to be there to protect them. I want to prevent not only their bodies from being harmed, but I also want to protect their hearts. I'm finding more and more that I am not in control. It hurts my heart immensely to see one of my child get their feelings hurt. I find more and more that I need to be on my knees for my children, AND I need to be there to hug them and encourage them when they do get hurt. I can't always prevent the hurt, but I can certainly be a good band-aid.
I pray that I will always be sensitive to my children so that I can be a source of encouragement to them no matter what hurts them...even if it's me. I also pray that they will turn to their heavenly Father first.
Being a Mommy is the most challenging AND rewarding gift of all!
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