Tuesday, Ryan had a visit from Don Digby. He was a graduate from Craig Hospital 4 years ago. Ryan met him last Saturday down at the ice cream shop and had a nice conversation with him. He is the man who owns Navajo Trucking and donated the Friendship Center here at Craig that we have used several times. It was great to meet him and hear of his encouragement to Ryan. It is wonderful to meet these types of people and see some of the improvements that they have made.
This morning Ryan was getting ready for his 11:00 class when he was told that he needed to go to Swedish for a GU, something about his kidney-routine I think. We waited and waited and finally they came and informed him that the nurses had it on their log sheet but Swedish had no record. So we waited for nothing. He has the patience of Job.
We needed some encouragement after the family conference that we had at 1:00 o’clock. Ryan asked some questions concerning his injury to Doc. Balazy. After he was done explaining some of the medical issues, (Ryan is classified as a complete C-2 level injury); he made the comment that if a patient has made some neurological improvement it usually happens within 8 – 12 weeks. Ryan is at 12 ½ weeks out of his injury on May 4th. After that time period, according to Doc. Balazy there is not much hope for improvement. There have been several minor improvements, but we still have hope and pray for two big changes: some movement and sensations below his chin, and the ability to breathe on his own.
They were talking about moving us to the east side, in preparation for going home. The east side is a building east of the one we are in now, appropriately called the west building. They like to keep things simple for our simple minds. On the east side, the plan is to have a family member stay in the same room 24 / 7 to get used to providing the care necessary to take care of the patient. There is a nursing staff, and the techs etc. but they function in a diminished capacity. In fact, we have been told that it is almost as if they do not exist. In our overwhelmed state it is hard to see any benefits of moving to the other side. First of all we will have to hire a moving company to help us load all of Ryan’s card and posters to another room. Secondly, we know that taking care of Ryan will be an enormous job, requiring 24-hour attention. Thirdly, we will miss a number of the nurses, techs, and staff that have become so involved in caring for Ryan. Maybe that is part of the reason to move patients to the other side, to begin adjusting to a new routine and help develop some confidence. Yeah right!
Gale from OT said that she received an e-mail today that told her that Ryan’s power chair is in and they are assembling it now. It should be ready on Monday. Then it will take about two weeks to make all of the necessary adjustments to custom fit it to Ryan. In addition, they were talking about a shower chair, his manual chair, (a back up in case his power chair does not work or will not fit somewhere), the lift to help get him out of bed and a number of other things. We will have to add an addition to the house just to fit all of the new pieces of equipment that he will need.
We had a nice visit from a woman that lives in Colorado Springs; a member of our ward in Farmington asked her to come and visit us. Her father was suffered a spinal cord injury and she had some good insight for us. They were here for a tune-up and she took a few minutes to share some of her experiences with us. As difficult as this is, it helps to see other people with similar situations and learn how they have dealt with some of the challenges. Her visit was helpful and she offered to let us come to her home, which had been built with her father in mind, to give us some ideas as to what we might need to do to accommodate Ryan needs. It really is a blessing to have people give of their time and support to help us deal with all that is going on here. Thank you to all of you for your love and support. It makes a difference and we are so appreciative.
Dean, Terry, and Ryan
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
A Word from Meredith!
Dean and Terry keep insisting that I write the blog sometime, my first disclaimer is that I am not here all day long so I don’t have the day-to-day information. My second disclaimer is that I apologize ahead of time if I don’t do a good job.
When I got back from work today amazingly, Ryan was awake! I have to laugh at myself because I hurry back from work so that I can be with Ryan and then when I get here he is usually asleep. Poor kid, he is wiped out! He keeps saying “its ok I don’t have to do anything all day, I don’t know why I am so tired.” That is not true. They really work him all day long. Of course, it is “work” just to get out of bed some days. I asked him how his day was today and he told me it wasn’t so good. He kind of jokingly informed me that he had been dizzy ALL day long and had passed out once. He seemed pretty upbeat about it when he told me that, later on I got the story from Dean. Ryan was actually really frustrated because he was so dizzy today. Of course, Ryan is too conscientious to bother others with his problems. We talked more about how work was for me than we did about him.
The other night after Dean and Terry had left to go to bed we were visiting and some of the nurses and respiratory therapists came in to Ryan’s room. It is funny that when people aren’t assigned Ryan as a patient they still have to come and visit. He is so positive, upbeat, and quick to crack a joke that people can’t stay away! The RT’s (you probably know the lingo by now but just in case...respiratory therapists) were talking about how Ryan is just so fun to be around and the fistfight they got in over who was the lucky one to have Ryan on their rounds. One of them made the comment that Ryan should teach a patient etiquette class here at the hospital. They said that it would be so worth it that they would pay his salary out of their own pockets!!! I don’t think that is such a bad idea. I think everyone has a lot to learn from Ryan, and I’m not just talking manners.
I know most of you probably don’t want to hear about anyone but Ryan but I think that Dean and Terry deserve a lot of credit for being so amazing. I’m not a parent but I’m willing to bet that some of you (parents) are wondering how Dean and Terry are handling all of this. They are always writing the blog so that is never addressed. Terry is a typical mom, she is worried 24/7 about Ryan (as most moms are) and she just wants to fix everything. It is toughest on her I think but she is doing well. She has courage and faith to know that everything will work out (somehow!). Dean is...well, he’s Dean! His method of relieving stress and worry is to make a joke out of it. As much as I tease him about making jokes at the drop of a hat, (don’t tell him this...) I actually appreciate his jokes and usually I have to force myself not to feed the fire by laughing. Laughing to relieve stress is something that is familiar to me because my own family does it too. I remember one particular HORRIBLE trip and my dad kept saying, “Kids, someday you will look back at this and say, wow! What an adventure! I promise you, you will laugh later.” He was right! Sometimes it helps to remember that although this is really tough and not particularly funny at all, it is an adventure. Everything is new territory and we press on in faith, knowing that we will and are being led through the tough times by a guide that has charted the unknown territory many times before and has felt all the same emotions.
Ryan, Dean and Terry really appreciate all of the letters, cards, emails, etc that have been sent. Just the other night Ryan made the comment that it is amazing to him to see just how many people are behind him in this trial. He is one amazing guy!
Meredith Pratt
When I got back from work today amazingly, Ryan was awake! I have to laugh at myself because I hurry back from work so that I can be with Ryan and then when I get here he is usually asleep. Poor kid, he is wiped out! He keeps saying “its ok I don’t have to do anything all day, I don’t know why I am so tired.” That is not true. They really work him all day long. Of course, it is “work” just to get out of bed some days. I asked him how his day was today and he told me it wasn’t so good. He kind of jokingly informed me that he had been dizzy ALL day long and had passed out once. He seemed pretty upbeat about it when he told me that, later on I got the story from Dean. Ryan was actually really frustrated because he was so dizzy today. Of course, Ryan is too conscientious to bother others with his problems. We talked more about how work was for me than we did about him.
The other night after Dean and Terry had left to go to bed we were visiting and some of the nurses and respiratory therapists came in to Ryan’s room. It is funny that when people aren’t assigned Ryan as a patient they still have to come and visit. He is so positive, upbeat, and quick to crack a joke that people can’t stay away! The RT’s (you probably know the lingo by now but just in case...respiratory therapists) were talking about how Ryan is just so fun to be around and the fistfight they got in over who was the lucky one to have Ryan on their rounds. One of them made the comment that Ryan should teach a patient etiquette class here at the hospital. They said that it would be so worth it that they would pay his salary out of their own pockets!!! I don’t think that is such a bad idea. I think everyone has a lot to learn from Ryan, and I’m not just talking manners.
I know most of you probably don’t want to hear about anyone but Ryan but I think that Dean and Terry deserve a lot of credit for being so amazing. I’m not a parent but I’m willing to bet that some of you (parents) are wondering how Dean and Terry are handling all of this. They are always writing the blog so that is never addressed. Terry is a typical mom, she is worried 24/7 about Ryan (as most moms are) and she just wants to fix everything. It is toughest on her I think but she is doing well. She has courage and faith to know that everything will work out (somehow!). Dean is...well, he’s Dean! His method of relieving stress and worry is to make a joke out of it. As much as I tease him about making jokes at the drop of a hat, (don’t tell him this...) I actually appreciate his jokes and usually I have to force myself not to feed the fire by laughing. Laughing to relieve stress is something that is familiar to me because my own family does it too. I remember one particular HORRIBLE trip and my dad kept saying, “Kids, someday you will look back at this and say, wow! What an adventure! I promise you, you will laugh later.” He was right! Sometimes it helps to remember that although this is really tough and not particularly funny at all, it is an adventure. Everything is new territory and we press on in faith, knowing that we will and are being led through the tough times by a guide that has charted the unknown territory many times before and has felt all the same emotions.
Ryan, Dean and Terry really appreciate all of the letters, cards, emails, etc that have been sent. Just the other night Ryan made the comment that it is amazing to him to see just how many people are behind him in this trial. He is one amazing guy!
Meredith Pratt
Monday, August 01, 2005
Going to Church
Yesterday, we had a good day. We were able to go to church with Ryan to the Maplewood Singles Ward. Their Sacrament meeting started at 9:00 a.m., so we had an early start. We were able to rent a van that was able to accommodate a wheelchair. It was a tight fit, but we were able to get him in, wheelchair and all. It had a raised roof, so that he was able to sit upright in the chair but he couldn't see out of the windows. (Hopefully a lowered floor will give him more of a view.) It was the first time that we were away from Craig Hospital without any staff for support. It was nice to be able to control our own time and surprisingly enough we felt ok with the responsibility. Sometimes we feel like there is so much to learn and the consequences are very severe if we mess up, and they push families from the very beginning to take control and learn all that we can to assist with his care. But, even with our advanced age and slow memories we have learned something of what it takes to keep him going. Still very scary!!!!
The members of the Singles Ward have been so supportive to Ryan and us. They have made us feel so welcome and have reached out to us repeatedly. A huge thanks to them, and the Bishopric. Ryan looked pretty sharp in his Sunday clothes, new haircut, and no halo. We were unable to button his top button on his shirt because the neck brace is a bit too large for the collar. He really enjoyed the meeting and stayed for Sunday School and the combined Priesthood / Relief Society meeting. After it was over, he was pretty tired and slept the afternoon away. (Isn't that what Sunday afternoons are for???).
We have enjoyed having Keith, Geralyn and Brett visiting this weekend. (Terry's sister). They are busy planning a wedding in a few weeks. Brett was probably glad to leave town after all the advice we gave him. Meredith was teasing Ryan that Brett would be a real bore not having his girlfriend here, and sure enough he spent plenty of time talking to her on the phone, but I know that Ryan enjoyed having him here. They lived together last year and really enjoyed hanging out together. Today Doctor Balazy came in and told Ryan that the results of his x-ray over the weekend looked good and that his "pot-hole" head jerking experience has no adverse effects. Everything looked the same as when the halo came off. Since the halo, we have had to be much more careful about supporting his head and being much more aware of "this bowling ball" on top of his neck. During his OT class today they have put some laterals on the side of his chair to assist in keeping him positioned in the chair, when he has his spasms. They also put him in a corset. This will help to maintain posture. It has soft and hard supports that go around the top of his waist and abdomen and lower chest.
Ryan had a surprise visit from Vivian Miller (and her sister). Sister Miller and her husband served in the Philippines as senior couple missionaries, the same time that Ryan was there as a missionary. They came during one of his classes, but still had a good visit. (They even called this morning to check his schedule so that they would not interfere, but Ryan's schedule was changed at the last minute). Oh, well.... It was great to have her come and share some memories with Ryan. After this class, we went to his first re-entry class. Ryan slept through most of it and I must admit it was pretty boring (finance and insurance). These classes are designed for those patients that are scheduled to go home this month to give them more information to help with the transition back to the real world. Ryan said that he had a short night last night. He wasn't able to go to sleep until around 5 this morning, so guess what.... he slept all afternoon. I wish that I could sleep as much as Ryan. But we know that sleeping is good for the healing of our bodies. With all of his sleeping you would think he would be up running around. But that is what prayers are for. Right??? Thank you for all of the prayers and support that we have received. It is a real power.
Love, Dean, Terry, and Ryan
The members of the Singles Ward have been so supportive to Ryan and us. They have made us feel so welcome and have reached out to us repeatedly. A huge thanks to them, and the Bishopric. Ryan looked pretty sharp in his Sunday clothes, new haircut, and no halo. We were unable to button his top button on his shirt because the neck brace is a bit too large for the collar. He really enjoyed the meeting and stayed for Sunday School and the combined Priesthood / Relief Society meeting. After it was over, he was pretty tired and slept the afternoon away. (Isn't that what Sunday afternoons are for???).
We have enjoyed having Keith, Geralyn and Brett visiting this weekend. (Terry's sister). They are busy planning a wedding in a few weeks. Brett was probably glad to leave town after all the advice we gave him. Meredith was teasing Ryan that Brett would be a real bore not having his girlfriend here, and sure enough he spent plenty of time talking to her on the phone, but I know that Ryan enjoyed having him here. They lived together last year and really enjoyed hanging out together. Today Doctor Balazy came in and told Ryan that the results of his x-ray over the weekend looked good and that his "pot-hole" head jerking experience has no adverse effects. Everything looked the same as when the halo came off. Since the halo, we have had to be much more careful about supporting his head and being much more aware of "this bowling ball" on top of his neck. During his OT class today they have put some laterals on the side of his chair to assist in keeping him positioned in the chair, when he has his spasms. They also put him in a corset. This will help to maintain posture. It has soft and hard supports that go around the top of his waist and abdomen and lower chest.
Ryan had a surprise visit from Vivian Miller (and her sister). Sister Miller and her husband served in the Philippines as senior couple missionaries, the same time that Ryan was there as a missionary. They came during one of his classes, but still had a good visit. (They even called this morning to check his schedule so that they would not interfere, but Ryan's schedule was changed at the last minute). Oh, well.... It was great to have her come and share some memories with Ryan. After this class, we went to his first re-entry class. Ryan slept through most of it and I must admit it was pretty boring (finance and insurance). These classes are designed for those patients that are scheduled to go home this month to give them more information to help with the transition back to the real world. Ryan said that he had a short night last night. He wasn't able to go to sleep until around 5 this morning, so guess what.... he slept all afternoon. I wish that I could sleep as much as Ryan. But we know that sleeping is good for the healing of our bodies. With all of his sleeping you would think he would be up running around. But that is what prayers are for. Right??? Thank you for all of the prayers and support that we have received. It is a real power.
Love, Dean, Terry, and Ryan
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