We have had a busy couple of days, but it doesn’t seem like we ever get anything done. Today I got ready for church and couldn’t find my “winter” church shoes. Since we have been in Denver, I have been able to wear sandals. It rained most of the night and turned a little cold here so I needed enclosed shoes; they’re all in boxes in the garage – but which one!! I try to unpack at least one box a day if not two, but the last couple of days I haven’t been able to get to any.
I keep thinking that we are going to get on a schedule, but not yet. Ryan’s schedule depends on how he feels. Tristen, our grandson, has had a little cold, I think Ryan may have caught a little of that. All-in-all, he is doing really well although Sunday’s are hard on him because he doesn’t get to rest much. He gets up at 9:00 and our meetings start at 1:00 pm; we don’t get home until 4:30 – which makes for a long to day. When we got home he asked what was for dinner, I told him we were having roast and potatoes but it would take about 30 minutes to get ready. By the time I got it ready he was sound asleep, I woke him but he said he would rather sleep!! After he woke up and ate, some friends came by; which is always nice. We so appreciate the love and support we have been given.
Friday, we had a very nice visit with our cousin, Matt Billingslea. He was in town with the band that he is playing with and was able to take a little time to come by and see Ryan. It was nice to catch up with him. The last time we saw him was when Ryan received his Eagle Scout Award at age fifteen, so it was nice to visit and hear what all he has been doing.
Ryan was a good sport and went to a couple of high school ball games this week; the Piedra Vista girls’ volleyball team played Thursday night and the football team played Friday night. During the football game Dean asked him if it was like being in INVESCO Field; Ryan replied with a grin and a look of “yah, dad??”
Last night we had quite an “intense” thunder and lightening storm. The lightening lit up the sky and the thunder roared. I actually enjoy thunder and lightening, but being in a new home, it was a little unnerving. Ryan’s bathroom has two large corner windows and when the lightening would strike it would light up his entire room. About 12:30 a.m. I went into his room to close the bathroom door; he was awake, couldn’t sleep because of the storm. We talked for a minute about how loud it was and how different it was being in a new place. After I went back to bed, my mind started wandering and I woke Dean up to see if we were prepared with back-up batteries, for the vent, just in case the electricity went out. He said we had everything we needed for the vent, but not the air mattress on Ryan’s bed. We do have a twin mattress on hand in the event the air mattress goes flat, so we were somewhat prepared. My mind wouldn’t slow down and I got to thinking about the bedside vent that Ryan is on. The bedside vent has a humidifier which has wiring going thru the circuit to heat the mist as it flows thru the tubing. I thought, what if the house was hit by lightening and Ryan was electrocuted because of the wiring going thru his vent circuit – I have got to figure out how to turn my mind off!! Dean went in to check on Ryan about 4:00 a.m. because he couldn't sleep and found Ryan was still awake. They talked for a bit about “life,” some of our best talks are in the middle of the night – but we have got to get some sleep!! Tomorrow, we will get a small generator for the bed and a surge protector for the vent – maybe that will give us some peace of mind – and some rest!!!
Each day Ryan looks forward to getting the mail and checking the e-mail; it brightens his day to hear from each of you. We so appreciate all of your continued love and support. We do wish we could respond to each of you individually, but please know that we are so grateful to be loved by so many. Numerous people have offered to help in any way they can, most times we don’t even know what to ask for. We are taking one day, sometimes one moment, at a time and hopefully making good choices. As Ryan said prayers tonight, he asked that the Lord would bless us according to our faith. We continue to have faith and hope that Ryan will improve. We believe that the Lord’s will will be done and hope we are so in tune to know what that is and accept it. We hope and pray that the Lord will bless each of you.
Love,
Dean, Terry and Ryan
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Ceilings
Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma, we finally got a bed, but the mattress came in and it is the wrong size!!! Things that used to seem so simple have become so complicated. We are hoping the new bed will be much more comfortable for Ryan; not only will it be long enough, but the head of the bed will raise to 40◦ - 50◦, which is critical for watching TV…not to mention keeping the airways in his lungs open!!
Geralyn and I met with the State Medicaid Office today and completed the next step in getting Ryan approved for the NM Disable and Elderly Waiver Program. Hopefully we are again on the right track to get Ryan’s needs met. After fifteen years of dealing with government entities, I am continually amazed at the “red tape” which the public has to go thru to get anything done. Thanks to our local State Representative, who has helped us get thru some of the paperwork more rapidly. It was also nice to have Geralyn there, as she has worked the system in Wyoming and knows a lot of the “particulars.”
Ryan has been called to be the Ward Prayer Coordinator for our Ward; which is, for those who don’t know, to make assignments for the opening and closing prayers for Sacrament Meeting. It is so nice to have a Bishop who listens to the spirit and comprehends that Ryan needs to be a part of things. As he was telling his grandparents about his new calling he commented that he was called to do that because, “I can’t hand out hymn books!!” Grandpa and Dean assured him that they could “hitch” a trailer to the back of his chair and he could do that too!! His positive and spontaneous sense of humor is so great.
Monday, we had to go to the hospital for blood gas tests; Ryan wanted to go out to lunch before he had to “give blood” so we went to Red Lobster, had a real nice lunch and found that their tables are high enough that he can actually pull-up underneath the table so he can sit as close as the rest of us. The little things we take for granted! As we got out of the van, the sidewalk was blocked so he wasn’t able to maneuver his chair up the handicapped ramp but rather had to “pop the curb!” Luckily, Dean was with us and was able to help him so that he didn’t “pop” another wheelie!! If he would have, he would have hit a huge rock. After we had ordered, Ryan asked if he could speak to the manager – we all looked at him and thought, Oh, no, what is he going to do. The manager came over and Ryan is so polite, he first told him that he always loved their food and he was glad that he could pull-up under the table, then asked him if he wouldn’t mind “making some improvements” to their handicap access. He continues to amaze me, his patience, his positive outlook and constructive mannerisms; we all could take note!!
As we were awaiting our food, he did a “weight shift” which he does about every twenty or thirty minutes. As he was reclining in his chair, he said matter-of-factly, “I know what I want to do for a career,” we were all very attentive awaiting the new revelation. We waited patiently and then he stated, “I want to be a Ceiling Consultant…I see most ceilings everywhere I go!!” We talked of the pros and cons and than all had a good laugh!!
We try to count our blessings thru this trial. We have become closer as a family, we have made wonderful new friends and acquaintances, we are learning patience, and most importantly we are trying to become closer to our Savior and truly understand his atoning sacrifice. After Meredith drove the five hours - 305 miles from Flagstaff this past weekend, she told Ryan that one of his blessings is that he doesn’t have to buy gas. We just need to look at the positive – she forgot we are in the gas business!!
Sincerely, we are so grateful for our blessings, some days we have to look real deep, but when we do we are richly blessed. May we all look a little deeper each day for the blessings that fill our lives.
With Love,
Dean, Terry and Ryan
Geralyn and I met with the State Medicaid Office today and completed the next step in getting Ryan approved for the NM Disable and Elderly Waiver Program. Hopefully we are again on the right track to get Ryan’s needs met. After fifteen years of dealing with government entities, I am continually amazed at the “red tape” which the public has to go thru to get anything done. Thanks to our local State Representative, who has helped us get thru some of the paperwork more rapidly. It was also nice to have Geralyn there, as she has worked the system in Wyoming and knows a lot of the “particulars.”
Ryan has been called to be the Ward Prayer Coordinator for our Ward; which is, for those who don’t know, to make assignments for the opening and closing prayers for Sacrament Meeting. It is so nice to have a Bishop who listens to the spirit and comprehends that Ryan needs to be a part of things. As he was telling his grandparents about his new calling he commented that he was called to do that because, “I can’t hand out hymn books!!” Grandpa and Dean assured him that they could “hitch” a trailer to the back of his chair and he could do that too!! His positive and spontaneous sense of humor is so great.
Monday, we had to go to the hospital for blood gas tests; Ryan wanted to go out to lunch before he had to “give blood” so we went to Red Lobster, had a real nice lunch and found that their tables are high enough that he can actually pull-up underneath the table so he can sit as close as the rest of us. The little things we take for granted! As we got out of the van, the sidewalk was blocked so he wasn’t able to maneuver his chair up the handicapped ramp but rather had to “pop the curb!” Luckily, Dean was with us and was able to help him so that he didn’t “pop” another wheelie!! If he would have, he would have hit a huge rock. After we had ordered, Ryan asked if he could speak to the manager – we all looked at him and thought, Oh, no, what is he going to do. The manager came over and Ryan is so polite, he first told him that he always loved their food and he was glad that he could pull-up under the table, then asked him if he wouldn’t mind “making some improvements” to their handicap access. He continues to amaze me, his patience, his positive outlook and constructive mannerisms; we all could take note!!
As we were awaiting our food, he did a “weight shift” which he does about every twenty or thirty minutes. As he was reclining in his chair, he said matter-of-factly, “I know what I want to do for a career,” we were all very attentive awaiting the new revelation. We waited patiently and then he stated, “I want to be a Ceiling Consultant…I see most ceilings everywhere I go!!” We talked of the pros and cons and than all had a good laugh!!
We try to count our blessings thru this trial. We have become closer as a family, we have made wonderful new friends and acquaintances, we are learning patience, and most importantly we are trying to become closer to our Savior and truly understand his atoning sacrifice. After Meredith drove the five hours - 305 miles from Flagstaff this past weekend, she told Ryan that one of his blessings is that he doesn’t have to buy gas. We just need to look at the positive – she forgot we are in the gas business!!
Sincerely, we are so grateful for our blessings, some days we have to look real deep, but when we do we are richly blessed. May we all look a little deeper each day for the blessings that fill our lives.
With Love,
Dean, Terry and Ryan
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Finding Help
It is good to be home, but we are experiencing reality!! Ryan’s caregiver resigned. Caring for Ryan is a “big” job and his caregiver wasn’t up to the challenge. We had heard from several patients after leaving Craig that they had to go thru two or three caregivers until they found one that worked for them. We were hoping that we would be able to “sing a different tune” but we are not exempt.
I spoke with my new found friend Laurie, Dan Leslie’s mom; she lived in Provo this summer trying to find good help for Dan. At the end of the summer semester, she felt like she had succeeded only to find when they returned, after the break, she was at square one again. I think this is going to be an ongoing challenge.
We were aware when we made the decision to come back to Farmington that this would be one of our biggest hurdles.
We weren’t able to make it to Salt Lake this weekend for Ryan’s mission reunion and General Conference. Ryan was quite sad about not being able to go. He loved his mission and made lifetime friendships with his mission companions. He was hoping to get to see some of them. Hopefully in the next couple of months he will be up to traveling and making the seven hour trip.
Since we weren’t able to get to Salt Lake, it was nice to be able to watch General Conference in our home; we were afraid that we weren’t’ going to be able too. We had a satellite installation date of October 10th, but Dean called the office here in town and was able to get the installation date moved to the 30th of September. The installer came out about 1:00 p.m. and was here until 4:30 p.m and still couldn’t get the signal, she called her boss and he came out and got it all set up, finishing up about 9:00 p.m. We told then that our “church” was going to be on TV this weekend and we would really appreciate it if they could get the satellite up and running. They were so kind and generous of their time to get it going.
We enjoyed conference and then Dean and Ryan went to the General Priesthood meeting Saturday night. Ryan came home quite depressed – I wondered what they had talked about!! It wasn’t the meeting, it was seeing a lot of his friends who are now married and are starting their families. He thinks about the future 24/7. We continue to hope and pray that we will know Gods’ will thru this trial.
Meredith was planning on meeting Ryan in Salt Lake for Conference, but since we weren’t able to go, she came to Farmington. She sure can brighten his day!! It was fun to see her and have her here for the weekend.
We had two new caregivers come in yesterday and today; we will see what tomorrow brings!! I feel like our front door is a revolving door. Everyone in Farmington is going to know what kind of a house keeper I am; I guess that is the least of my worries!! Maybe I will ask them to help!
May the Lord bless each of us as we strive to know and do His will. We are so grateful to you all for the visits, the food, the cards, the e-mails, the kind words and most especially the hugs.
Love,
Dean, Terry and Ryan
I spoke with my new found friend Laurie, Dan Leslie’s mom; she lived in Provo this summer trying to find good help for Dan. At the end of the summer semester, she felt like she had succeeded only to find when they returned, after the break, she was at square one again. I think this is going to be an ongoing challenge.
We were aware when we made the decision to come back to Farmington that this would be one of our biggest hurdles.
We weren’t able to make it to Salt Lake this weekend for Ryan’s mission reunion and General Conference. Ryan was quite sad about not being able to go. He loved his mission and made lifetime friendships with his mission companions. He was hoping to get to see some of them. Hopefully in the next couple of months he will be up to traveling and making the seven hour trip.
Since we weren’t able to get to Salt Lake, it was nice to be able to watch General Conference in our home; we were afraid that we weren’t’ going to be able too. We had a satellite installation date of October 10th, but Dean called the office here in town and was able to get the installation date moved to the 30th of September. The installer came out about 1:00 p.m. and was here until 4:30 p.m and still couldn’t get the signal, she called her boss and he came out and got it all set up, finishing up about 9:00 p.m. We told then that our “church” was going to be on TV this weekend and we would really appreciate it if they could get the satellite up and running. They were so kind and generous of their time to get it going.
We enjoyed conference and then Dean and Ryan went to the General Priesthood meeting Saturday night. Ryan came home quite depressed – I wondered what they had talked about!! It wasn’t the meeting, it was seeing a lot of his friends who are now married and are starting their families. He thinks about the future 24/7. We continue to hope and pray that we will know Gods’ will thru this trial.
Meredith was planning on meeting Ryan in Salt Lake for Conference, but since we weren’t able to go, she came to Farmington. She sure can brighten his day!! It was fun to see her and have her here for the weekend.
We had two new caregivers come in yesterday and today; we will see what tomorrow brings!! I feel like our front door is a revolving door. Everyone in Farmington is going to know what kind of a house keeper I am; I guess that is the least of my worries!! Maybe I will ask them to help!
May the Lord bless each of us as we strive to know and do His will. We are so grateful to you all for the visits, the food, the cards, the e-mails, the kind words and most especially the hugs.
Love,
Dean, Terry and Ryan
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