Day 83, Saturday Nov 14

Day 83, Saturday Nov 14

Today's update will be brief. The morning routine went well and Annette spent most of the day at the hospital. Overall it's been a pretty good week. Much better than the previous three, according to Jeff. 

A frustration we have for this week is that no one has mentioned anything about the CT results. No doctors have come to talk about it or anything. No news is good news? We certainly hope so. 

Jeff worked hard in therapy today. They did car transfers, balance activities, and strength training. These are all things that are necessary for him to go home. 

Bonnie came and stayed with Jeff while Annette went with Cherie and Blake for a few hours. We are so grateful to her for all of her time and help! 

This week closes with hopes for the coming week to be filled with progress and learning. We are praying that things will remain on track so Jeff will be discharged on the 24th, just in time for Thanksgiving! There's a lot of stress surrounding this date, but also gratitude and excitement. 

The odds have been against Jeff from the beginning it seems. He is paralyzed from the chest (nipple line) down, including the bottom half of his arms. The use of his fingers is very limited, and there has not been any improvement in sensation or movement since the accident. And yet he remains optimistic, faithful, and full of gratitude. 

Annette has stepped way outside her comfort zone to learn how to care for Jeff including toileting, showering, feeding, dressing, transferring, and medicating him. She does it willingly and without complaint. She feels his suffering as her own and has infinite compassion and love toward him. This trial has certainly strengthened their marriage. 

The message they are teaching us through their example is to keep the faith. There is always light, even on the darkest of days. Don't give up. The only way to fail is to stop trying. 

The trial the Lord sends you might knock you down on your butt, but that just means the only way left to go is upward. When you are trying to find a hand to grasp for an extra lift up, try reaching for the love of Jesus Christ. It's there. He feels every pain and every sorrow and He's there for you to lean on. 

This is how Jeff and Annette live each day in this new way of life and still manage to smile. We are so grateful for their strength and example. Even on the bad days they keep pressing forward. 

Day 82, Friday Nov. 13

Day 82, Friday Nov. 13

Friday the 13th? That might not bode well, but it didn't seem to cause any trouble on this front! We are grateful because Jeff has had enough struggles lately and doesn't need anymore. 

A quick shout out for today, Richard Butterfield fixed the breaks on Annette's Durango. Now they don't make noise and vibrate. Yay and thank you! 

Peggy spent the day with Jeff and Jay also came to visit. Here is what Peggy has to say about the goings on of their Friday the 13th:

"​Mom's day to spend with Jeff and try to be useful.  Arrived at 8:00 a.m. lugging my bag of stuff and grateful for a very close parking spot. Jeff was almost finished eating breakfast; the rocker knife works really well for Jeff. He asked the nurse for the day if she could get things going by 8:30 this morning. Surprise, surprise, she did. We even had enough time for Jeff to shave and use his electric toothbrush that was modified slightly. It worked really well. 

Jeff likes to make use of every minute every day, so he and I managed to get some bookwork taken care of. The duo pair of lady Physical Therapists surprised Jeff by being in wheelchairs. Off the three of them went and completed an outside lap around the IMC Campus. They returned a bit cold and tired arms. Jeff had the advantage because he had some power under him. 

A little work out on the weight lifting and then practicing transfers from wheelchair to bench, then he ended with some balancing. They bantered back and forth, teasing and laughing while I was at the receiver end of the ball. Jay arrived to add to the bantering and teasing.  

​No wasting time by resting, Jeff got on the computer to show his dad the wheels he wants on the F150 Super Cab. Lunch came and it was consumed quickly. Back to the computer and the search for a used power wheelchair on KSL.  FOUND ONE!  Jeff asked the owners to charge the batteries over night and give him a call back so he can come check  it out.  Hopefully this will be what he wants and needs.

Jay and I went to the hospital cafeteria for lunch while Jeff's favorite Occupational Therapist, Josh, came to get him for the next round. When we came back they were working on a device that would enable Jeff to pick up small things. It worked pretty good.

Jay left for other responsibilities and I had some phone calls to make between insurances which went well on our end. I also "cleaned house," sorting out all the bookwork papers from Jeff's work to home. Cleared off the window ledge, the small table, organized all the items he uses in therapy into a clear plastic bag.  

Jeff returned to his room and bed. Of course the computer and phone were set up for him so we could do a bit more bookwork. I asked the nurse's station to send the cleaning ladies, because nothing was done lately; they responded quickly. The overly filled laundry bag was changed, the garbage was emptied, the bathroom was cleaned and the floor was cleaned very thoroughly.  

Then dinner arrived, Annette arrived, and this Mom exited to take on the commuter traffic which took 45 minutes; another form of developing patience.

​I will end my Mom's Friday report with a quote from Elder Richard G. Scott:

Healing: "It is important to understand that His healing can mean being cured, or having your burdens eased, or even coming to realize that it is worth it to endure to the end patiently, for God needs brave sons and daughters who are willing to be polished when in His wisdom that is His will" ("To Be Healed," Ensign, May 1994, 7).    

FAITH: FUELS, INSPIRES, EMPOWERS, & COUNTS.  SHARE YOURS."

 

We are so very grateful for Peggy's visits each Friday. She has been such a blessing to our family! 

Jeff and Annette had a very relaxed evening and were able to watch a movie together. So thankful for a good and productive day! 

Day 81, Thursday Nov. 12

Day 81, Thursday Nov. 12

Today started out like any other. Annette got to the hospital early to help Jeff get ready and eat breakfast. She commutes to the hospital every day and we are all looking forward to our dad being home instead! 

They worked outside on car transfers. The movements may be the same, but practice makes perfect and each time they get it right they gain a little more confidence in their abilities. 

Camille came to give Jeff a haircut! We are so grateful for her willingness to go to the hospital for our dad. She did an amazing job, as always. Her husband Mo also came to visit and spend time with Jeff and Annette. It was great for them to talk and catch up. 

Bad news today, Jeff has another UTI. He also tested positive for blood in his urine and an indicator for kidney stones. They did a CT scan to verify and we haven't heard back yet on the results. Jeff was started on the dreaded antibiotics again and we hope this is the last time for a long, long while! 

Robert and Julie Davis, old friends and neighbors, came by today. They are just one example of the great support system our mom and dad have outside of our family. The love and care shown by all of you is invaluable and we are so grateful for you! 

Josh Lloyd came for the evening so Annette could go home. Jeff says they looked online at mountain bikes for handicapped individuals and wheelchair carriers. He says time went by really fast, as it always does in the company of friends. 

While Jeff says he is a "big boy" and can spend a few hours in the evening alone, it is a great comfort for Annette when someone is there with him. It's much easier for her to leave and take care of herself when she knows Jeff isn't alone. We want to thank everyone who has volunteered to stay in the evenings with our dad, it helps in more ways than you will ever know! 

Please join us in praying that Jeff might kick this infection and keep it away. We see the Lord working in our lives every day and know that He hears us and will bless us if we keep the faith. 

Day 80, Wednesday Nov. 11

Day 80, Wednesday Nov. 11

Happy Veteran's Day! The Page family wants to thank all of those who have served our country to preserve our freedoms. We are so blessed by their sacrifice every single day! 

Today was overall a good day. Annette came early in the morning as usual and helped Jeff to get ready and have breakfast. He had been awake since 5am, unable to fall back asleep with his mind busy at work. 

Julee came to spend the day with Jeff so Annette could have a day to play and get things done. Annette practiced one transfer in the therapy gym before leaving and did an awesome job! 

She just needs to believe in herself more! 

Jeff used a different power assist wheelchair in therapy today. The batteries weren't fully charged and it caused all sorts of grief. The finicky wheels were very sensitive and it was difficult to control, but Jeff managed it pretty well and with minimal irritation. 

After having such a difficult time with this chair, Jeff's appreciation for the chair he ordered increased greatly. It was an awesome confirmation that he made the right decision! 

The PT Alex and his student raced down the hall today in wheelchairs. Nothing like good old fashioned shenanigans to keep things fun and entertaining!

Then it was back up to the therapy gym where Jeff practiced transfers and turning on his side in bed (the therapy bench) without help. He did really well, though he felt it wasn't as easy as it used to be so they will be focusing on doing it more often in future sessions. 

For the last bit of PT the student worked to stretch out Jeff's legs. This helps loosen things up and keeps him limber. After a while she noticed that Jeff's neck was turning red. He was having another episode of autonomic dysreflexia and his blood pressure went very high. They took his Ted hose off, sat him up, and monitored his blood pressures.

We are so grateful they watch so closely for the signs of this condition. Jeff's symptoms are very mild which makes it a bit more dangerous because he doesn't usually feel any different. It could easily be missed and lead to dangerous complications, but their diligence has kept our dad safe and we are so thankful! 

Back to the room and it was lunch time. Jeff did a great job feeding himself his hamburger. Then he worked on the computer until it was time for OT. By then both he and Julee were yawning! 

In OT Jeff explained to his therapist, Josh, that he wanted a brace to straighten out his fingers. They are very tight (beginning contractures) and difficult to extend. This is why they used the paraffin wax, which does help for a short amount of time to loosen them up. 

They spent the hour and a half molding a brace that will allow his thumb to be in the proper position and also straighten out his fingers. It's actually quite a science and Jeff was very pleased with the end product. He kept saying he was excited to wear it tonight. 

Here Josh is heating the plastic up. 

Trying to mold it just right. It was painful to straighten out Jeff's fingers with them being so tight. 

After therapy Jeff had a very difficult time staying awake even though he didn't want to nap because of how it makes him feel after. He couldn't keep his eyes open and ended up with fire nerves the rest of the evening because of it. He calls this the "nap phenomenon" because there is no explanation for it. It's very frustrating when you can't force your eyes to stay open and don't mean to nap. 

Yesterday the nurses took Jeff's shower chair away because someone else had a greater need. Julee brought Jeff's new shower chair that he will be using at home. It was kind of a blessing in disguise because now he will have practice with his chair before going home with it. 

We are so grateful to the wonderful friends who bought this chair for us! The quality is outstanding, the custom design allowed us to get everything we needed, and we expect it to last a very long time. Thank you a million times over! 

Also, a huge shout out to Aaron from Equinox Medical Supply for your help in finding the exact chair to fit our needs and being so patient and helpful with all of our questions and comparing. You truly made things so much easier for us! 

The social worker came in this afternoon. Jeff heard of a government program called Vocational Rehab that may help with future expenses, work, and other resources, and she was the person to talk to about it. Apparently there is a waiting list of 700+ people trying to get in the program. We still think it's worth looking into and getting him on the list. 

He made a point to say that, "Even with this (he shook his arms above his head to indicate the issues with his body), I have been so blessed in this trial."

He means all of you. All of the help you have given, whether it be your encouragement, time, donations, financial resources, etc. All of you have made this trial into a blessing for our dad and for that our family will be eternally grateful. 

Julee left to go to work and Jeff had dinner on his own tonight. He said the pasta was very good, but messy without any help. He took another little nap and unfortunately still felt yucky when he woke up. 

Annette was able to spend the day with her parents. She took them to lunch for Clifton's birthday and they walked around Gardener Village. They later visited the mall for some shopping. 

Terren came to visit Jeff tonight. It's always special when Jeff's brothers and sisters are able to take time out of their busy schedules to be with him and he enjoys his time with them. 

We have been so blessed with such an amazing extended family! They have done so much to help us through this trial. Their service and talents have made leaps and bounds of progress for our dad to come home. We want to say thank you and we love you all!