Day 331 to ONE YEAR, July 25-August 24
Our family believes in miracles. We've seen enough of them that we just can't deny their existence. Just the fact that our dad is still alive is a miracle. It's been a year since the accident. A year ago today, August 24th, to be exact.
It was a day that changed our lives forever. Especially the lives of our dad Jeff, and our mom Annette. We aren't sure why this trial had to come our way and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't wish we could go back and change things. That being said, there isn't a day that goes by without sunshine in some shape or form either.
Something we've come to rely on this past year is recognizing the tender mercies our Father in heaven sends our way. The little triumphs, the everyday blessings, these are the things that make each day worth living for our parents. That, and the knowledge that someday our dad WILL walk again.
Every summer Annette takes the grandkids swimming. This year they went to Kearns Recreational Center and had a blast. A huge thanks to Isabel for volunteering to help out so our kid to “grown-up” ratio was safe. The kids sure love spending time with her!
Jeff and Annette were able to escape with friends to Bear Lake for a weekend and we are so grateful to Stan Dijon and his wife for inviting them and making it possible. Also, thanks to Brad Frost, Dan DeVries, and their wives for being such great friends and helping our mom and dad while they were there. Jeff said, “We had so much fun, we are glad we were invited. We enjoyed sitting on the porch and visiting in the breeze.”
While in Bear Lake Jeff was able to go on a bike ride. He said, “We went biking, but it was a horrible experience. It was too hot with the sun on me and I couldn’t keep going. My muscles were giving out. The temperature was great, but the sun is like an energy magnet and just sucks the energy right out of me. By the time we turned around we got a little bit of cloud cover, but I was already on my way back and wasted.”
After they got back from Bear Lake Jeff had to visit the dentist to get his permanent retainer finally removed. The impact of his crash had pushed things out of place in his mouth. After eating something several months ago a wire of the retainer started bothering him and poking his mouth. It was a relief to get it out.
They decided last minute to stop into Costa Vida for a salad only to find that Ryan and Julee were there on a lunch date. They were able to spend a few minutes with them before Ryan and Julee had to go back to work. It was especially nice because they hadn’t been able to get together for a couple of weeks and Ryan’s family was leaving on a trip for another ten days, so it was a definite blessing.
Brandi’s family was able to go camping at Rock Creek Ranch. It was a little colder than they would have liked, but they enjoyed their time with each other and Mother Nature. It was Aspen’s first time camping and she did great. Kaisy and Sierra had a blast and got really dirty!
Ryan’s family went to Warrenton, Oregon to spend time with Julee’s dad and to attend her brother’s wedding. They explored the coast from Long Beach, Washington down to Tillamook, Oregon while they were there. It was Tylee’s first visit to the ocean and Talon’s first time being old enough to remember. They did well on the long drive and can’t wait to go back.
Jeff and Annette took their turn for the time share in Park City. Blake and Cherie were able to stay with them along with Brandi and the girls. Kortny was also able to come on Thursday and stay through the weekend to play. Zach wasn’t able to join them because he had to work during that week and Ryan’s family was in Oregon. Jeff said, “It was nice spending time up there. It rained a lot, but it needed to rain more because it’s so dry.”
Brandi says it took a lot of convincing to get Jeff to go to the outlets with them and they ended up convincing him to come. They got him and the girls an ice cream that made it worth while.
We have some of the most exciting news that we’ve had in a while. Jeff was accepted back to Neuroworx on a grant that they offered him! He goes three times a week now and will continue to go as long as they have a slot available. His hope is that he will continue with them until he is able to do complete transfers without assistance.
One of his visits lasts a total of four hours. He does an hour of physical therapy, an hour of an exercise class, an hour of yoga, and an hour on a really cool bicycle. The bicycle is special because they put twelve electrodes on his legs and send shocks through them in the proper sequence to force his muscles to pedal all by themselves. While the technology is fascinating and the results are incredible, Jeff finds it to be a very long and boring hour. He says, “It only allows my legs to pedal in circles, there is no muscle behind it to push any weight at all.”
The other two days of therapy he is only there for two hours. He does an hour of physical therapy and an hour of the exercise class again. His long day will soon drop to three hours because they will not be offering the yoga anymore. We are so grateful to them for this opportunity for our dad. It’s hard to imagine how he could have any improvement with the limited amount of therapy the insurance allows. This has renewed our hope for progress to come!
Neuroworx has been such an incredible asset for our dad. Not just with physical therapy, but also with the activities and opportunities they provide. A brand new (not quite finished) disability camp that was donated by Joe Sorenson opened in Oakley and thanks to Neuroworx Jeff was able to be a part of the first group to experience what they have to offer there.
Blake took Jeff to the Mustang and Ford show in Park City first where they spent a couple of hours browsing.
Then they went to the camp. It has a large covered pavilion that can close with glass garage doors if the weather is bad. There’s also three yurts, a large lawn area where they were playing games, a deep sand volleyball court, and horseshoe pits. Jeff said, “None of it had been used before we got there.”
While Jeff was there he was able to try out a track wheelchair. He said it’s like having a big snow cat track on the wheelchair. “I tried one and can say I’ll never do it again,” he said. “It was too slow and rough. The only good thing about it was that when the ground had no bumps I could stand up straight. If there were any bumps I’d feel like I was going to fall over because it makes you lean so far.”
He also said he was able to watch people play volleyball, eat good food, and enjoyed being there. The only real downfall to the experience was the start of a pressure sore to Jeff's left elbow where it was rubbing on the armrest of the track wheelchair. He couldn't feel the pain so he didn't know it was a problem. We hope it heals quickly and doesn't continue to be a problem.
We want to wish Ryan a happy birthday! We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate him and hope he knows how grateful we are for all he does to help out. On August 21 he turned the big 3-0.
Yesterday, the 23rd, Jeff was able to experience water skiing for the disabled on a private lake in Tooele County with Neuroworx. Annette was worried and nervous at first, but Jeff was confident in their ability to keep him safe.
Brandi, Zach, and Aspen went with Jeff and Annette. Brandi said, "Zach drove which was a good thing!! Dad was being a side seat driver and he got pissed at a farmer going slow and when Zach finally passed the guy dad threw up his arm and hand to flip him off as we passed and then said,'I can't even give him the bird cause my fingers don't work!!' It was hilarious!"
Jeff said he had a great time and really enjoyed water skiing. Annette said it was a really fun day and she wished all the kids could have been there with them. It was put on by a couple named Rick and Margo Lybbert.
They dug out and made the lake, bought all the equipment, and set it all up. It was something that they had been wanting to do and Neuroworx finally helped make it happen the way they had hoped it would. They are planning on doing it three or so times a year from now on. You can learn more at:
We are so grateful for their generosity and kindness and for giving our dad this opportunity. It means so much to him to be able to do things like he used to and feel that exhilaration.
"It took me a while to figure out that the boat had to go faster to help me turn more and go side to side. The guy kept slowing down because he was scared I was going to fall over on the wakes, but I wasn't. It was a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of people. They were awesome. The second boat was there in case you tip over because you'd just sink. They have to keep you above the water getting in and getting out. It was a lot more fun than the tank thing! It's about an hour southwest of Salt Lake in the middle of nowhere."
You can watch the video and see pictures at:
Brandi said, "I didn't get a chance to meet or talk with Rick (he was driving the boat) but we talked quite a bit with his wife and she is super super nice! I told Cherie that it was so awesome seeing dad get an adrenaline rush again, it made me cry I was so happy for him! I'm so so grateful that he was able to participate!! It was a good way to celebrate his one year anniversary... to be happy and having fun."
We are all so grateful. Our dad's every day life can be monotonous and sometimes depressing, so adventures like this are worth more than words can express. Thank you Rick and Margo!
Body image has always been very important to our dad. Having lost the control he used to have has been a really difficult experience for him. Even with exercising so much more he isn’t able to burn the amount of calories he used to. He has decided to try and compensate by adjusting his diet. It mostly consists of fish, chicken, squash, other vegetables, and salads. He has cut out most carbs and all sugars, even fruit. Keep in mind his body isn’t able to feel full, the hunger is always there.
Jeff says, “My diet sucks. I am down to one meal of about 800 calories on the days I am not active. On the days I am active I will have two meals that total about 1200 calories. And I’m still not losing weight. It’s very frustrating!”
We are hoping to have the opportunity to discuss his diet, exercise plan, caloric needs, and other nutritional needs with a Nutritionist at some point. With some help we are confident our dad will be able to follow a diet plan he enjoys with the proper amount of calories, protein, and other nutrients that will allow for continued healing and weight loss to occur.
More good news, every pressure sore Jeff had has healed except the one on his hip. He has been so diligent about doing his pressure releasing exercises and it has paid off. The wound on his hip is still being treated with the wound vac that gets changed every four days. They are seeing improvement and we are so happy!
Looking back at the slow progress with this particular wound, they have tried so many things to try and help it heal. They tried every single ointment and cream they could think of with several different pressure relieving dressings. Three times they placed skin grafts and all three times they failed. Jeff got a bill in the mail for those three grafts that was almost $10,000.00. Thankfully, Jeff had saved the proof that the insurance pre-approved the procedures or he would have been responsible for the cost because the insurance was trying to deny the claims. It’s been several months of frustration, but we are finally seeing results and for that we are so grateful!
Jeff’s suprapubic catheter is doing well and hasn’t had any further problems with getting clogged. It has started to leak a little bit, but as long as they put something over it to absorb the moisture it doesn’t cause any problems. While some days it can feel like a burden, most days we are able to see what a blessing it has been with convenience and a decrease in infections since it was placed.
In our last update we forgot to mention the video of Jeff riding his hand cycle with the Tour of Utah passing by in the background. The link is:
We cannot express our gratitude for the money that has been donated to Jeff's gofundme account. It has put a dent in the overwhelming world of medical bills that will forever be accumulating now. We'd really like to reach our goal of $20,000 to help with this next year's deductible. We ask that you tell your friends and ask them to pass the word. Any amount helps and gets us that much closer to our goal.
The financial burden of Jeff's condition starts with the medical bills, but it also includes the handicapped accessible vehicles, missed income, and further adaptations that are required to help him live a more normal life. Then add to that every day bills that they are still responsible for... It's overwhelming on the best of days. If you know anyone who can help get the word out there, please pass it along. We want to decrease that burden as much as possible for our parents.
We want to recognize a few unsung heroes of this story. Or at least bring attention to their devoted service that hasn't been regularly written about. Jay and Peggy, Jeff's brothers and sisters, Clifton and Joyce, cousins, and friends... We could not have made it this far without you and we love you so much!
It's been a little emotional leading up to this one year mark. In many ways it doesn't feel as if a whole year has passed already. In other ways it feels like an eternity since that day. We are so grateful to all of you who have followed along with us on this journey. You have given us strength when we prayed for it, service when we couldn't ask, and love when we needed it most. You have cried with us and then laughed with us through those very same tears. We will be forever grateful.
Over the next week or so we will be looking back to those first days. Visiting those moments when we felt despair and then hope. We'd like to share them with you. Jeff has also started dictating to his phone to tell you about the first few months after the accident. We will be posting his thoughts soon.
There is no doubt that the Lord has blessed us these passed twelve months. Progress seems slow at times, but then we receive gentle reminders to be patient. We have a lot to be thankful for and the future is bright for our dad. We will continue posting about his progress and keeping what has become our family blog updated.
We encourage you to keep asking questions and letting us know what you think and feel, we'd love to hear from you. While this blog has been very therapeutic for our family, we hope others have been able to glean a little strength or encouragement from it also.
From the whole Page clan: THANK YOU!
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