Day 14 - September 6, 2015

Today has been a very busy day! So many things to report... 

Jeff's arterial line was removed from his wrist because it was interfering with physical therapy. He is no longer on dopamine or any other IV medications and is remaining stable. The PICC line to his chest is still in place just in case it is needed so they won't have to poke him for IV access, but it is currently unhooked. YAY! Jeff's pain is being managed well with oral pain meds and nerve medications.

The neck brace he had been wearing since the surgery was switched out yesterday and he seems to like the new one a lot more, it's more comfortable for him. He'll need it for a full 6 weeks post surgery, or about 4 more weeks.

They also implemented a second boot that they rotate with the current one. The first one is full of air and soft in order to reduce pressure. The second is more like a brace with a squishy inside material. The purpose of the harder boot is to prevent what's called “foot drop” where the muscles can't hold the foot in a functional position any longer and the foot falls forward. By rotating the two boots every two hours, when turning him, they are decreasing the risk of bed sores and foot drop.

He enjoys the food at IMC and is eating well, reported by both Annette and Peggy. 

The room he is currently in has a beautiful view of the Wasatch Mountains. It has more leg room than his last room and a comfortable chair for visitors, for which Annette expressed gratitude.

The doctors round early every morning. They have stated it is expected that Jeff will be transferred to inpatient therapy by Tuesday or Wednesday of this week! We are especially excited for this as the grandkids are getting antsy to see their grandpa and waiting in the waiting room every time moms and dads get to visit is difficult for them. Grandpa is especially excited for this because he's rearing to get going on his physical therapy!  He told Brandi tonight that he needs to get there so he can "work his butt off".

Jeff worked with physical therapy this morning. They actually got him up to sit on the side of the bed today. He had a therapist behind him for support, as he can't sit on his own yet, and one in front on a stool. They worked on upper body strengthening in order to maneuver his body where he wants it to go. Annette said they had him do reps of a sort of “push up” with each arm to help build up the muscles that will be needed to help him become more independent.

Jeff had many visitors today and he really enjoyed spending that time with friends and family. A special thanks to Josh, Brad, and Max for dropping by. It really helped to lift his spirits to see you today! Also, to Jeff's home ward bishopric who came and helped Jay give him a blessing... we are so grateful you took the time to come and minister to our dad. We know it meant a lot to him. 

Jay and Peggy came and helped him to eat dinner while Annette ate at the cafeteria with Cherie, Blake, and Aliyah. Peggy reports that Jeff's mind is going 90 mph, as usual, and that Jay is working to follow through on everything. She says, “He is so tuned in, we have to pay close attention.”

Brandi and Zach then went to visit Jeff to take him a poster which was signed by almost the entire Page family clan. (We are so grateful to everyone who participated in making that happen!)  Brandi read her dad all the messages on the poster and Jeff listened with tears in his eyes as Brandi tried to read them all without crying - which was pretty much impossible.  The messages from Terren (Jeff's younger bother) and his wife Stephanie made him smile and laugh.

Annette reported that Brandi and Zach walked her to her car tonight. She went a different way home than what was expected so they followed her to make sure she made it home safely. When they got close enough to her house to know that she knew where she was going they turned to go toward their own home. Annette laughed as she described this, but then expressed her deep gratitude that they cared enough about her well-being to do such a thing. 

Annette is an extraordinary woman, there's no other way to describe it. She's strong when she needs to be, gentle when it matters most, always overflowing with love for her family and friends, and has the most beautiful spirit showing on the inside and out. We could never have asked for a better mom/grandma. Having her back with us has brought so much joy to our family!

Annette's only complaint about getting home and having to get ready this morning was that now she has too many options! In Denver her wardrobe was extremely limited to what she had packed for their trip. Now she has to decide from an entire closet. Ha!

When she left the hospital tonight she said she felt very comfortable that Jeff is in good hands. His nurse tonight is Ally and she was with them last night. Ally has gone out of her way to make their experience a good one and it is working. From full and extensive bed baths each night, thoroughly brushing his teeth, and changing out all of his linens (including every pillow case) every night, she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. We are grateful that she has continued with the excellent care our dad had in Denver and our hearts are full of gratitude. 

For those reading this who are not members of the LDS faith, today is what is known as Fast Sunday, which is the first Sunday of every month. That means members fast (usually for 2 meals) and pray for certain blessings they are seeking in their lives or the lives of loved ones.

Usually children under the age of 8 don't fast because they are too young.  However, this morning Brandi talked with Kaisalyn & Sierra about fasting and expressed that her and Zach were going to fast for Grandpa Jeff.  After discussing this with them, Kaisalyn decided that she could go without lunch and snacks at church (church is from 1:00-4:00pm).  Going without snacks at church during sacrament meeting is a very big deal for a little child.  Although Kaisalyn and Sierra were a little irreverent during sacrament meeting, both girls stuck with the plan and neither of them asked for snacks during sacrament meeting.

Fast Sunday also means that during our church's Sacrament Meeting the congregation takes turns at the pulpit bearing their testimonies, or expressing their love of God and how He has helped them.

Today many of us found ourselves in that position, looking out at the congregations before us, and expressing our thanks for the blessings the Lord has given our family during this trial. The message that seemed to be expressed most was how thankful we are for our dad's testimony and his faith in God. We know that it has made the difference between giving up on life and finding a new purpose. He spent his time in Denver teaching others about Jesus Christ while he was suffering himself from a debilitating condition. He chose to use his time in such a way that would bring light not only to others, but also to himself. 

We all know Jeff as a determined, driven, and goal oriented person. That's what has made his life such a success up to this point. And now that everything has changed for him physically, we see that those attributes are still helping him to succeed every day. 

When Julee told him that she had bawled like a baby her whole way home after work yesterday morning because she was so relieved they were coming home, he responded that he had cried more in the past 2 weeks than he has in years combined. He then said, “But it was never out of sadness. It was always because of the spiritual stuff.”

What an amazing example he has set for his children, grandchildren, other family members, friends, and even total strangers. He has decided to put his faith in our Father in heaven and to trust in the plan that God has for him. He has made the choice to endure to the end, or more like to thrive to the end. This is the beginning of an incredible journey for all of us. We are strengthened every day by our dad's incredible faith and endurance. We are blessed by his fighting spirit. We are grateful for his example, and we love him more than he will ever know!