Sorry I have been a little negligent on posting...Mitch had his final surgery on his left foot last Friday, October 28. They straightened out each of his toes by putting pins in them. The big toe had a different procedure (more like a bunyonectomy...is that a word?). Anyways, the surgery went well. Recovery was a little rough this time...Mitch felt nauseated so it took a little longer for him to be released to come home, but we were able to come home late Friday afternoon. We are now on day 6 (Thursday) and he is doing well. We will go back to the doctor next Friday, the 11th, to get stitches out and then Mitch will be fitted for a walking boot. He will then be able to put weight on his heel. It will take a bit to get his leg strong again after being off it for 8 weeks. Then six weeks after surgery, he will have the pins pulled out! We heard that this isn't a big deal, it just seems like it would be. Thank you for your prayers. Continue to pray for a speedy and complete recovery.
Wanted to share something pretty cool with you! After Mitch's surgery was done, the doctor came out and said everything went well. Then he asked how Mitch keeps such a positive attitude even though he has been through so much. I really blew it on my answer to him...I said something about that he had a lot of great people in his life that have helped him...true...but not the complete answer. So, during the night Friday, I decided that I needed to let Dr. Maskill know the real reason so I wrote him a little note. I said that I believe the reason Mitch has such a great attitude is because of his faith in God and his personal relationship with Jesus. I shared that one of Mitch's favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." And that he has many great people in his life who do pray for him and care about him. I also thanked him for his part in Mitch's journey...that God has gifted him as a very good physician but also as someone who cares about his patients, which has been such a blessing to Mitch.
Thank you to everyone who is and has been a part of Mitch's life. He is truly blessed!!!
Next surgery will probably be scheduled sometime mid-February...to fix the right foot! Stay tuned...
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A good day!
Well, today has been a good day. Mitch had a pretty good night of sleep last night and is doing well today. He is much more "with it" and his pain is minimal. He is taking less pain meds...getting around pretty good on the crutches...all in all, a good day! Thanks once again for the prayers. God is good! Mitch goes back to the doctor on Friday, September 23. They will take x-rays and cast it. Right now, it's in a splint that we can't take off. I will post more after that appointment.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
First 24 hours since we've been home.
Well, we kind of had a rough start. At about 5:00, the pain meds wore off and Mitch was in so much pain...just screaming...poor kid. Called the doctor and got him additional pain medication to fill in between the other one he is taking. That helped. Then at 6:00, the pain once again spiked. He felt like his muscles were having spasms. Called the doctor again and got him a muscle relaxer which gave him relief. It was a long night of giving him some kind of medication every hour. This morning, the pain is much better, but Mitch is a bit loopy...maybe a few too many pain meds during the night. As of 3:30 this afternoon, I think we have found a happy medium...he's not experiencing too much pain and he is much more coherent. Still comes up with some weird things some times, but not too crazy...actually kind of funny. Keep praying for a speedy recovery. Looks like we are on the right track. Thanks!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Surgery went well!
Mitch's first foot surgery went very well. The doctor was very pleased with how everything turned out. After three hours, and four different procedures, we are glad to be this far. The anethesiologist did a great job giving him anti-nauseau medication...no puking for Mitch after this surgery!!! That's big! Pain was pretty bad when he was in recovery, but that seems to be under control now. We are home and Mitch is resting (sleeping actually). Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Continue to pray that the pain can be minimal and that recovery is quick! Thanks!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
First foot surgery this Friday.
Mitch is having his first of four foot surgeries (2 per foot) this Friday. The doctor will be reconstructing his foot to straighten it out (3 different procedures). The surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am at the MidTowne Surgery Center in Grand Rapids. It is an outpatient surgery which is supposed to last about 2-1/2 hours with 1-1/2 hour recovery time. Please pray for Dr. Maskill, the nurses and others involved. Dr. Maskill said that Mitch's foot is one of his biggest challenges but feels that he can make the foot better.
The plan is to have this surgery and then, hopefully, 6 weeks later another surgery to straighten the toes. After straightening out the toes, he will have a 3-month recovery. Then we start all over with the other foot.
I guess patience and a quick recovery would be another thing to pray for.
Thanks!
The plan is to have this surgery and then, hopefully, 6 weeks later another surgery to straighten the toes. After straightening out the toes, he will have a 3-month recovery. Then we start all over with the other foot.
I guess patience and a quick recovery would be another thing to pray for.
Thanks!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Mitch is doing SPECTACULAR!
We went for Mitch's two-week post-op appointment today in Detroit and the doctor said that he was doing spectacular! He is very pleased at how Mitch is progressing and the x-rays look great. He will be on crutches with toe-touch weight bearing until his next appointment on June 6. His hip needs to have healing time. Thanks, once again, for all your thoughts and prayers!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Mitch is doing well!
Mitch had a good day yesterday. He is getting around on his crutches and just hanging out. He is already bored! Although, taking a shower really pooped him out. He has four exercises he has to do every day...two of them 500 times each! The doctor wants his mobility to increase each day..which is so different than his last hip surgery. If Mitch keeps this up, he is going to be REALLY bored soon! He has a post-op appointment in Detroit on the 28th. I probably won't post anything again until then unless there is some big news. Thanks again everyone for your support!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
We are home!
Well, Mitch did it! He passed physical therapy and occupational therapy! He started a little rough this morning with the physical therapist...got a little light headed after sitting up and doing his exercises. She told Mitch to rest, eat lunch sitting in a chair and she would be back at 1:00 to have him walk and do the stairs. His lunch (grilled chicken) must have had something special in it because when she came back, he could do what she asked him to do! YEAH!!! The ride home was a breeze! No problems at all. He is only taking tylenol for the pain and is moving around like a pro on crutches since we got home. THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. God is good and we are truly blessed!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Keeping food down was an issue yesterday.
Mitch did so well in his physical therapy yesterday, but the day went slowly downhill. Mitch wasn't able to keep any food down yesterday. He would eat something and an hour later it would come right back up. Not a good thing when you are trying to gain strength to be able to get up and around. It is probably because of the strong pain medication he is on. The Resident Doctor came in around 8:00 last night and changed his pain meds to something that isn't quite as strong, so we'll see how it goes. When I left last night, Mitch had eaten some Cheerios and they weren't coming back up. Mitch is very frustrated. He wants to feel better so badly and get going but just feels like crap. Keep praying that the nausea stops and that Mitch can get up and around today. Basically, if he can keep food down, he has permission to go home. We covet your prayers and are thankful for them. Still hoping to go home on Sunday...
Friday, April 15, 2011
We're up and walking...a little
Physical Therapy came in this morning and got Mitchell up. He walked with a walker (a little steadier than crutches right now) to the bathroom and sat up in a chair for a little while. YEAH! He got a little woozy because, but the therapist said he did really well, it didn't surprise her because of everything he has been through. He will be getting up every time he needs to use the bathroom, take a little walk into the hall, and also sit in the chair when he eats his meals. He could possibly go home tomorrow, but most likely he will be coming home on Sunday. Please pray that every time Mitch gets up it gets easier and he is less nauseated. Thanks!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Rough start today, better ending
When I got to Mitch's room this morning, he looked and felt terrible. They drew his blood and found his hemoglobin level at 5.1 when it was at 15 before the surgery. He got two units of blood during the day and was feeling more like himself by tonight. Physical Therapy came in around 3:30 and got Mitch to sit up with his legs off the side of his bed for about 15 minutes. He also stood for a few minutes while they changed some of his bedding and bandages. YEAH MITCH! SO PROUD OF HIM! He did really well. He got a little sick but his blood pressure stayed level! The physical therapist was very impressed with how well he did. He had some supper tonight (chicken strips and jello). All in all, it turned out to be a pretty good day. They will be getting him up tomorrow to walk with his crutches and will also have him sit in a chair for a while. Please continue to pray for a speedy recovery...I really don't think Mitch's doctors will have it any other way! Thank you once again for everything!
Not feeling very good this morning.
I got into his room today and Mitch was not feeling very well at all. They drew some blood and found that his hemoglobin level is at 5.1. It was around 15 before surgery. He lost quite a bit of blood after surgery so that's the reason his blood level is low. They are going to give him 2-3 units of blood this morning. That should help tremendously in how he feels. His physical therapy will probably not be happening this morning...hopefully this afternoon after he has received some blood he will be able to get up and rolling! A little setback but Mitch is being such a trouper!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Another Update
We had a long day today. A lot of sitting (me) and laying around (Mitch). Mitch had an allergic reaction to the pain medication that made him incredibly itchy as the day went on. The nurses gave him some Benedryl and changed his pain meds. When I left tonight, the itching was subsiding. He isn't nauseated anymore, so that's a praise! Tomorrow, they are planning on getting him up and moving using crutches. Thanks again for all of your prayers and thoughts. They are all very appreciated! Goodnight...
A Rough Night - A New Day
Mitch had a rough night last night...lots of puking! He has been able to keep a saltine cracker and some gingerale down for the last 2 hours so hopefully he is saying goodbye to the pukes! He won't have to get up today, just will have to do some exercises in bed. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers once again. Keep praying for a settle stomach and a restful day today so he can start getting up and doing some stuff tomorrow. Thanks.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Surgery was a success!
We have a successful surgery! Dr. Zaltz was very pleased with the results of both of the procedures. The first procedure started around 2:00. The doctor reshaped the femur and lengthened the neck of the femur bone using two screws. That took about 1-1/2 hours. Then he worked on the socket and said that was also successful. He told us that it would take another 3-4 screws to secure it. That took about 2 hours. After these surgeries were finished, they took xrays and stitched him back up (another hour). It took Mitch a long time to get out of recovery because he was very naucious. He finally got into his room (#9435 - a private room...yeah!) around 9:00. He was still a little naucious and very tired! I left his room around 10:15. We are very excited about the results of the surgery. The doctor said that it will take 3-4 months before he will be fully recovered. They will be getting him up tomorrow, letting him hang his legs over the bed. He's not too excited about that! But the sooner he gets up and around the better for him. His stay will be 4-5 days. Please pray that the nausea will subside, that the pain will be manageable, for no infection or complications and that Mitch will do everything they ask him to do. We are very thankful for all the prayers and thoughts today. We felt at peace and hopeful that Mitch will be able to have a hip without pain! Praise God from Who ALL blessings flow!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Surgery
The surgery is schedule for 1:30 pm. Mitchell and I have to be at the Hospital by 11:30am. We just got to our "apartment" housing for the week, trying to get settled in for a bit tonight. The pre-opp with Dr. Zalts went well and he is anticipation a possible 5 days in the Hospital. They are going to do the surgical dislocation first, which means they are going to fix the femur first, then they have to transfer him to a different operating tables and there they are going to fix the socket. We didn't get a length on the surgery yet, but it sounds like it could take a while.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Hip Reconstruction Surgery Coming Up!
Mitch will be undergoing right hip reconstructive surgery on Tuesday, April 12 at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oaks (Detroit area). They will be reshaping the ball of his femer so that it will fit better in the socket. They will also be doing some reconstruction of the socket. We expect to be at the hospital for 5-7 days. Please keep Mitch, the doctors and nurses, etc. in your prayers. Pray that the surgery will be successful and that Mitch will have a quick recovery without too much pain. Thank you!
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