Thursday, July 2, 2009

Good News!

Yes, Mitch received some good news today at the doctor's office. The bone and pins look great and he can start weaning himself off the crutches (which he has pretty much been doing the last two weeks), so basically he can toss them. He can start walking slowly and not for a real long time because the muscle will get sore, but other than that, he is good to go. We have another follow-up appointment in four weeks where they will take another x-ray and see how the strength and mobility in his hip are doing. Thanks for your prayers. He (we) are very excited and pleased.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Doctors Appointment this Thursday, July 2

Mitch will be going back to the doctor on Thursday to see if there has been enough healing so that he will be able to get rid of his crutches. They will be taking x-rays which will show how much of his bone has filled in with new growth. Please pray that healing is complete and that Mitch will be able to toss his crutches and get on with more normal 16 year old activities. Thanks.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

VERY, VERY Disappointing News!!

Yep, we are once again not impressed with Mitch's doctor, Dr. Bielema, from OAM, Spectrum Health. We were under the assumption, because that is what we were told, that Mitch would have to be on crutches for six weeks and then he would be good to go. Well, that's not what the dear doctor told us today. Mitch has to be on crutches another 4 weeks. I understand why, it's because the bone has to fill in where they broke it, but it would have been NICE TO KNOW THAT when we started with this whole business. Needless to say, Mitch is VERY DISAPPOINTED and PISSED! He is allowed to bend to 90 degrees, so that's good.

His next appointment was not going to be until July 14 because Dr. Bielema is on vacation, but I asked for Mitch to see someone else...so now he has to go back on July 2 and see the doctor's PA...the nurse said she wasn't sure if that would be OK with Bielema, but I said it just plain better be...DUH...do you think a 16 year old is going to want to wait an extra 12 days just because the doctor is on vacation...I DON'T THINK SO!

All in all, our experience with this dear doctor has been very bad...he has terrible bedside manner, doesn't ever see his patients (with their parents) at the hospital, coming in as early as 6:00 am, we didn't see him when Mitch got his staples taken out 4 weeks ago either...maybe then he would have given us the information we got today. I know he is good at what he does, but at what expense...he will not be getting any recommendations (good ones that is) from me, in fact, if I can somehow let others know how he treats his patients, I will.

Please pray that in the next 4 weeks, that the bone will be healed completely and Mitch can go on with life. It sucks because he won't be able to get a job, his summer is pretty much gone...hard stuff for a 16 year old to digest and accept.

Monday, May 11, 2009

First day back to school today!

Mitch went to his first 3 classes of school today and it went well. He figured out how to sit in a regular chair at a desk in the classroom. Walking on crutches went well too. Thank you, Mr. Tuls, for letting Mitch leave class a little early in order to beat the rush. Mitch said he was tired, but his hip felt good.

Tomorrow, he is going to go to his last three classes. He will be happy to sleep in...6:50 came a little too quickly this morning! He will probably be going half days for the rest of this week.

Thank you to all of Mitch's teachers for being SO understanding and caring and working with Mitch and getting him through the last weeks of school. It means so much!

It has been 3 weeks since the surgery...only 3 more weeks to go!!!

Monday, May 4, 2009

X-rays look good!

Mitch's doctor appointment went well. The nurse took out 28 staples...and the x-rays looked good. No damage done - everything is in place.

His restrictions will be the same until his next appointment 4 weeks from now - June 4. Only the toe touch and still no bending past 60 degrees. Kind of a bummer, but we'll manage. The nurse said that after that, if the x-rays look good, Mitch will be able to start walking - probably with no physical therapy seeing that he is so young and active (not like an elderly person).

Mitch is going to try going to school for a few hours Friday afternoon and then pop his head in on play practice. He is VERY bored...it's time to get moving! Less TV watching time and more school work during the day at home. I tell you, homeschooling would never have worked in this household...one of us would have been hurting! Thank you for normal schooling!

I'll probably post again after his school day on Friday. Have a great week. Enjoy the spring weather and Tulip Time, if you are into that sort of thing! Mitch wants cotton candy and an elephant ear, so we'll have to hit one of the booths before the week ends.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Doctor appointment tomorrow

Mitch is getting around so much better the last few days.  He is able to get on and off the couch by himself, which is huge.   It makes him a little more independent.  His pain is minimal...always worse in the morning after laying still during the night.  He is only taking motrin during the day (800 ml).  He played cards last night with our friends, Mike and Kathy, and Doug and myself and the lucky kid WON!  Obviously, he is focusing better!

Mitch's doctor's appointment is tomorrow at 1:30 with the nurse.   They will remove the stitches (which by the way, he can look at now without getting woozy).  I would also guess they will take some x-rays.   Pray that all goes well!  I'll give you an update after his appointment.

We are very glad to be this far!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Crazy Horse for dinner

Mitch decided his first outing after surgery would be dinner at Crazy Horse, so that's where we went tonight. He did great! We ate at a high top table so he could keep his leg at 60 degrees. We left home at 6:30 and got home around 8:30. He was pretty tired by the time we got home, but it was good! Thanks, Cadie, for your great service as usual.

Mitch took another shower today and it went better. He didn't look at his incision this time, so he didn't get light-headed like last time.

Mr. Tuls, Mitch's English Teacher, stopped by this afternoon and dropped off notes to Mitch from the class. Thanks, Mr. Tuls, for stopping by and caring about Mitch.

That's all for today.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

One week + 3 days after surgery

Mitch had visitors today - Mr. Stahl (Principal of H.C.) and Mr. Slenk (the discipline guy - I don't really know what Mr. Slenk's title is...at H.C.). Thanks, guys, for stopping by. It means a lot to know that people care. He got a big envelope with a bunch of cards that students made for him in Choir. Thanks for the words of encouragement - they put a smile on his face.

The plan right now is that Mitch will start going back to school, at least part-time, after Tulip Time week.

Mitch keeps getting stronger every day. He is sleeping well, sitting up most of the day, taking walks with his crutches around the house. All good stuff. Maybe we will go out for supper to the Crazy Horse on Friday or Saturday night. He should be able to sit at a high-top table with not too much trouble.

We go back to the doctor (actually we see the doctor's nurse assistant) on Monday at 1:30 to have the staples removed. They will also take x-rays of his hip to see how things are going.

God is good - all of the time - even when things don't go quite the way you thought they would. He knows what we are going through. He cares and loves us so much! We feel His presence and love. Thanks for your prayers.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Cheese balls and water!

Yes, cheese balls and water are the snack of choice this afternoon. Mitch has now moved from the walker to crutches. He can go much faster with the crutches. He said that the crutches are easier on his shoulders. He also took a shower this afternoon. He did really well until he took off the dressing and looked at his scar which includes the staples...he got a light-headed for a little while there, but after fanning him with some air, he felt better. The scar actually looks really good. It's a good thing that those kinds of things don't make me light-headed...what a pair we would be! He is thinking that he might try to go to his sister, Hilarie's soccer game tomorrow night. We'll see how the day goes. All-in-all, it has been a good day! The prayers are working! Thanks.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Monday...one week after surgery

Mitch is continuing to gain strength every day. We have been able to manage his pain well. He is averaging 6 hours between each pain pill. He was experiencing some muscle spasms in his hip so we got some meds for that today. It also helps if he ices it. He slept all through the night last night - from 11 to 8 (I woke him up at 8 because after laying still all night, he needs to get moving. He wasn't exactly happy with me!) Please pray that Mitch will try really hard to do what he needs to do to heal fast. He is doing a great job, he just needs extra encouragement sometimes. I told him he should be able to use his crutches by Wednesday or Thursday. Thanks for the continued prayers!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

We're Home!

Yes, we are home. Mitch did fine with his walker going up a stair and down this morning with the PT. She said we worked great together as a team.

His PT came in around noon...at 1:30, I finally called the nurse and she said she didn't have the OK from the doctor...so she had to track him down. About 20 minutes later, I went to the desk to see how things were going...and she had heard from the doctor and just needed to go over the discharge papers. We were on the road at 2:10, home by 3:00. Mitch did great getting in and out of the Denali and getting into the house.

There's no place like home! I don't really care if I see the inside of DeVos Childrens Hospital for a long time! It's a great hospital, but I'm done!

Please pray for a speedy recovery. Thanks again for your prayers!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Going home on Saturday

Mitch's PT didn't get to his room until 3:00. She got him up on crutches and he made it out of the door before he got dizzy. He did really well. They she put him in a wheelchair and brought him to the PT room where he learned how to do a step. He was a little dizzy but did pretty well. On the way back to the room, we were talking about how well he did with the walker the night before. She asked him if he would rather use the walker than the crutches for now and he said yes. So, we are going home tomorrow with a walker. She said that he could use the crutches when he feels more comfortable. He was disappointed, but at least he is coming home tomorrow. We will have to wait until a PT gets to the room and gives him the OK, so hopefully, that will be sooner than later. He is very anxious to get home and so am I. I think he will do much better at home because we are constantly waiting for the nurses to come in and help with his walking and stuff. Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to pray for a quick recovery.

Good News!

First, I have to tell you about last night. Every night, the nurses have had to give Mitch a shot to prevent blood clots. It hurts like none-other (in Mitch's words). Well, Mitch was kind of sad last night because he really wanted to be at home for Hilarie's banquet, but it didn't look like that was a possibility. So he told the nurse he was having a really bad night. He was the negotiator...he asked her that if he got up and walked to the door and back, then he wouldn't have to have the shot. It worked! And he walked! He did it! I guess a little determination and fear of pain gets you places.

Now the good news...the doctor came in this morning and said that if Mitch can walk steady with his crutches, he can go home today!!! He had to go to the bathroom this morning, and he got out of his bed and stood with his walker and peed (once again, a lot). He is moving SO much better this morning. So today could be the day!! The PT comes in at noon so, I'll update you with the news later.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Something I wanted to share with you...

I was on Matt Yount's blogspot this afternoon and noticed the line "leave a good impression of Jesus" and I just wanted to share something with you. Jimmy (14 year old boy who was in the bed next to Mitch) came in on Tuesday morning with some "personal issues" which I really can't share. Jimmy is also by-polar and has some mental disabilities. You know how when you are in such tight quarters you can either ignore the people next to you or you can strike up a conversation. Well, I decided to have conversation. People are SO interesting to me, so I was able to learn a lot about her and her family. I did a lot of listening. She was a very nice lady who has her hands full with her son. She is a homemake who raises goats. She asked me what I did and I told her that I worked in the office at my church. She actually continued to talk to me...I didn't know if that would turn her off or not. Jimmy was discharged this morning... The doctors feel that some of his "personal issues" are a result of some sexual things that may be going on, but he wouldn't tell the doctors anything. When she left, she gave me her name and phone number and wanted mine also...so we exchanged those. I told her I would be praying for her and she said thanks. I hope I "left a good impression of Jesus" with this family just by listening and caring.

A few steps were taken!

The PT came back and helped Mitch take a few steps with a walker. But after about 6 steps, he felt nauscious and threw up his lunch...BUMMER!!!! He was SO disappointed and is very frustrated. The PT said that he did great, it's just that his body is having a hard time adjusting after the surgery. He wants to walk so bad and it breaks my heart that he's not been able to do what he wants to do. But like the PT said, he is making progress and is doing better than yesterday. He is resting now. They will try to get him up in the chair again later. There is no way he will be going home tomorrow and most likely not on Saturday either unless things turn around. Keep praying...

Mitch is up for the 2nd time!!!

WOW! What a difference a few hours can make! Mitch had some lunch (his McDonald's hash browns and some fruit for lunch (yeah).

He wants everyone to know he peed 750 ml! He thought he was going to fill the hand-held urinal! He thought that was SO sweet! He also was able to put on some boxers. He said he was feeling like a woman wearing a dress!

He did SO well getting out of bed and standing for a few minutes. He used a walker to help him over to the wheelchair. He is sitting up and doing really well. We are waiting for the PT to come in and help him hopefully walk with his crutches! AWESOME!

Mitch's roommate just left so there a more space in the room. We requested that, if possible, that he won't have to have another roommate. Mitch has so many contraptions in his room...so claustrophobic. I sometimes think I am going to go crazy. So maybe that could be a prayer request...that no one will have to be put into his room.

Thanks, once again, for the prayers! We are truly feeling them.

A Mitch Update

Mitch had a great night of sleep last night. His hemoglobin is much better after this blood transfusion. His PT came in today and got him up in the chair. She wanted him to try walking with his crutches, but he started getting light-headed again, so he is sitting in his stretcher wheelchair. They want him in the chair 4 times today. He really needs to get used to sitting up and moving more, so he won't get so light-headed and things keep progressing. He needs to keep his hip at a 60 degree angle. That makes things really interesting. Still trying to process how all this is going to go. I guess, one day at a time.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Hemoglobin (sp?) is low.

Late this morning, the nurses got Mitch into a stretcher chair. He got out of bed and sat in the chair for 1 hour -15 minutes. He did great getting into the chair. He is not allowed to bend more than 60 degrees, so that makes it a little tricky. He still got a little light-headed when he sat up. The nurse just came in around 3:30 and she said that they are going to give Mitch 2 units of blood. His hemoglobin is at 7...his normal is around 14. She said that giving him some blood should be the pick-me-up that he needs. Of course, that means more pokes from needles (which he absolutely hates) but he has been a real sport about it! I'm glad that they made this decision. He is just so weak and his color is a little pasty. This will be a 4 to 5 hour process. Thanks, once again, for the prayers.

Update on Mitchell

onI got to Mitch's room today and he wasn't looking too good. He was throwing up and was on oxygen. His hip was hurting him and his stomach wasn't feeling good, so they tried a different pain medication...well he didn't respond well. So they changed the plan. They gave him something to settle his stomach and are going try something different. Please pray that he will eat and that the food stays in his stomach so they can give him his pain medication orally. The nurse really wants him off his IV since the medication they are putting through there doesn't seem to be working. They are also planning on getting him up, at least sitting at the side of his bed. His nurse is great. He had her yesterday too. She told me yesterday that she didn't want to be mean to him because he is such a nice kid...so polite and kind. It told her to be mean! It's the only thing that motivates him. So here we go. I'll be giving updates later. Keep praying!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Sitting up...not so good!

The PT came in around 12:30 and tried to get Mitch up into the chair. Well, he never made it to the chair. He became very light-headed and had to lay back down. This is not unusual because he hasn't been up for awhile now. He wasn't in a lot of pain so that's good. They are going to try again later. Please pray that it will go better next time. Thanks!

A new day!

Mitch didn't have the most restful night. Not a lot of pain, but he couldn't get comfortable. Today, his physical therapist, Bonnie, wants him to get up to sit in a chair 3 times! Mitch wanted me to change the number to 1! I told him "no can do"... He also has a machine called a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine that he has to do for 2 hours 3 times a day. It is a sweet machine...it does all the work, he just has to lay there. He likes it because it is covered in soft sheep skin. He's had a lot of bleeding, which is normal, so they have to keep putting additional gauze and tape on it. It should be "fun" when all the tape has to come off! He is on a morphine pump which he can push every 10 minutes if he needs it. He hasn't been needing to push it that much, which is good. He said the pain isn't nearly as bad as his back...more of an achy pain...not like the feeling of being stabbed with a knife. He says thanks for the facebook wall posts. He is not able to respond to them yet because he's still hooked up to IV and has the oxygen monitor on his finger. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. The support is greatly appreciated.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Surgery went well!

Mitch's surgery went well. He got started a little late (9:30) and he was done with surgery at 11:15. The doctor is satisfied with the results. It didn't go quite as he imagined it would, but the results are good. Mitch is resting now...probably won't be up for visitors tonight. Call Doug's cell first if you are thinking about coming up. He has a roomate, so the room is tight. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. He was very calm and not nervous at all before surgery. He was just looking forward to the "happy" drugs that they gave him just before surgery. I'll keep you updated as time goes on.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Mitch's Hip Surgery

Mitch's hip surgery is scheduled for 9:00 Monday (April 20) morning. He will be at Spectrum Butternut. They will be building his hip socket with some plates and screws to correct his hip dysplasia (sp?). The surgery usually takes about 3 hours. He is expected to be in the hospital for 3 to 4 days. Please be in prayer for Mitch, the doctors and nurses, and all who will be involved. Thanks!