Day 95, Thursday Nov. 26

Day 95, Thursday Nov. 26

Happy Turkey Day! 

Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday for our family. We love to get together and talk, laugh, eat amazing food, and just enjoy each other's company. This year's events have reminded us how important family is and we truly have so much to be grateful for.

Last year was special because it was the first time Annette hosted Thanksgiving dinner in her home, accompanied by the Green side of the family. We had dinner in the basement in order to accommodate the large party. Now the basement is on the brink of overflowing with storage because of the remodel. 

This year is special not only because Jeff is finally home, but also because it's the last year Peggy and Jay will be hosting the dinner. They've earned a place of honor at someone else's table after all the years of service and hard work they've given for our family. 

On the subject of family, Jeff and Annette are excited to announce that they will be grandparents for the 7th time in May 2016. Brandi is expecting again! While mommy's been pretty sick, everything else is great! 

This morning went pretty well. Breakfast was great: pumpkin and Dutch Apple pie! Thanksgiving is only once a year, after all. 

So far it takes about two hours to get both Jeff and Annette ready. Of course it takes longer if it's showering day. While Jeff used to shower twice a day, he only needs to shower about three times a week now. And that's probably more than adequate.

At about 10 am Jeff worked on his computer while Annette finished getting herself ready. After that he messed around in his manual wheelchair, getting a good feel for how it works. 

Then it was time to load up and head to Thanksgiving dinner.

Once Jeff got all bundled up and outside he wanted to really test out the manual wheelchair. He took it for a spin down the street and back to see how the power assist did. 

It has really cool technology that allows it to detect his touch. He doesn't need to push it very hard to get it to go and just putting a little pressure inward with his hands tells it to slow down. The wheels communicate with each other so they won't go crazy like the other chair he tried at the hospital.

They finally got him loaded up and they left for Jay and Peggy's house. 

There was so much excitement today that no one remembered to get any pictures! While we are a little disappointed, we still made some great memories. We did, however, get a couple of pictures Roxanne took before everyone arrived. The decorations were beautiful. 

We are so grateful to have so many able-bodied men in our family. The guys got Jeff into the house using the stairs from the garage to the basement because they are wider than the others and easiest to maneuver down. 

Dinner was amazing and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening socializing with the extended family. We are so blessed to have such an incredible group of people to call family! 

Before pie time the guys went out to Jay's woodshop to make more custom sliding boards. Their talents have been such a blessing through this journey! 

After dessert the guys loaded Jeff back into the truck and it was time to go home. He had been in his wheelchair long enough and it was time for a little relaxation. They finished the day with a movie. 

This year we almost lost our dad. While nothing will ever be the same again, we are full of gratitude and thanksgiving for the second chance our merciful Father in heaven has given us.

One of the first things Jeff said after his surgery three months ago was, "Family... Important." In the wake of a life changing tragedy he recognized what really matters in this life and, in turn, reminded each of us. 

What is the Page family grateful for? We are grateful for our eternal family and the time we have on this earth to learn and grow together. 

Day 94, Wednesday Nov. 25

Day 94, Wednesday Nov. 25

Annette learned a valuable lesson last night. She can't give Jeff his nightly meds until they are ready to get into bed. Within an hour he was out! Blake helped Annette get him into bed because he was a little out of it. The sling and lift work great, we are so thankful to have this system at home! 

The first night back was a good one. Jeff slept until 3:30 when Annette helped him turn over. They went back to sleep until 7:30. This has to be some kind of record for Jeff! Before getting started this morning they made a plan for the day. 

We want to take a minute to thank Cherie and Blake for being so willing to give up their little home and stay with Jeff and Annette during this transition. It has given us all peace of mind to know they are there to help. They have sacrificed so much to be available to our mom and dad and we appreciate all they do! 

Cherie says, "Things went well last night. I think dad will be more comfy once they get a new bed, but when I left this morning at 7:10 they were both still sleeping. Between dad and Aliyah it takes 3 adults!" 

After getting up Jeff and Annette showered and realized that it will take a while to get a routine down. Everything seemed to take longer than expected and their plan for the day had to be modified several times. 

The wheelchair guy, Brian, came with Jeff's new manual power assist wheelchair at 10:15. Thankfully Jeff was ready for the day so he worked with Brian to figure out his new wheels while Annette got herself ready. 

Julee got this text from Annette shortly after: "It's 11:00 and we still haven't had breakfast. That's OK, we will somehow figure this out."

We are so thankful our mom is able to take things as they come during this change. We are proud of her for her optimism and patience. She is such an amazing example to all of us! 

Brian and Jeff worked together until 1:15 pm to figure everything out. After he left Jeff and Annette finally ate something. We are thinking breakfast needs to come before the shower next time. Ha! 

Annette helped Jeff into the recliner to relax and then her parents came for a visit. Joyce helped Annette make the crust for Jeff's favorite cherry pie and Clifton went to the basement to help organize it a little more. We are so grateful for their love and help! 

Annette then made her famous sugar cookies because her brother Neil will be in town and she knows how much he likes them. 

Tis the season for all sorts of goodies and when you have great friends there is no shortage. Pat Maybe brought a homemade pumpkin pie. Jack and Carolyn Johnson brought a homemade, hot out of the oven, Dutch Apple pie. Thank you so very much! 

This Thanksgiving eve has left us with so much to be thankful for. Words cannot express our appreciation for all of you and the little and big things that you do for our family. We are truly blessed by the many people in our lives! 

Day 93, Tuesday Nov. 24

Day 93, Tuesday Nov. 24

Today is the BIG day!! And boy is there a lot to share. 

The morning routine went as usual. Brandi and Julee came to help with the discharge preparations and for moral support. It was bittersweet for both Jeff and Annette. 

In OT Alex asked Jeff what he wanted to practice one last time before going home. Jeff's sarcastic response that he needed more practice doing everything made us all laugh. 

Julee practiced a few transfers in and out of the wheelchair, with and without the sliding board. Jeff's recliner at home has large arm rests. The sliding board will complicate the transfer from the wheelchair and make it more dangerous. Julee has the advantage of height and long arms to do these transfers. Even though it was more difficult for Annette because she is so petite, she also transferred him successfully without the sliding board! 

Then Brandi and Julee also learned how to get Jeff off the floor if he were to fall. Annette, Julee, and the therapist practiced the technique when only 3 people are available. They learned that timing is everything, especially when the helpers are such different heights! 

Annette learned how to help Jeff sit up using her own weight to pull him up. This will be handy when Jeff is in bed and doesn't feel well enough to pull himself up. Jeff also liked this because it left them in a perfect position for a "morning make-out session!" 

Jeff then instructed Julee on how to perform the stretches to his lower body that he will be needing every day. Jeff did a great job recalling each one. Alex gave tips and pointers as they practiced them. 

They then went back to the room where Jeff's suprapubic catheter was replaced for the first time. This is done using sterile technique and will be changed once a month by Annette and Julee. 

The original catheter was removed through the hole in Jeff's lower abdomen after the stitches were cut and the internal balloon emptied. The area was cleaned well and then the new catheter inserted into the hole. The balloon was filled to anchor it inside and a syringe was used to check placement by extracting urine. Stitches are no longer required. 

It's important that Annette is familiar with this process in case the catheter were to ever be dislodged and pulled out. There's about a 2 hour window to get a new catheter back through the hole before the bladder expands and the hole shifts. If that were to happen Jeff would require surgery to get it back in. 

After lunch time it was OT. Josh came in and brought pressure mapping equipment to test Jeff's wheelchair seat. Basically, Jeff sat on a pad that is connected to a computer that shows how much pressure is on Jeff's butt when he's sitting. 

The sitting bones in the butt (ischial tuberosities) have the most pressure when you are sitting upright. They showed up as red "hot spots" on the computer screen, surrounded by yellow and then blue where the pressure deceased. 

When Jeff did his pressure relieving exercises, leaning to each side and forward, the hot spots disappeared. If nothing else, this really hit home how important it is to remember to do the pressure releases. We also learned that the pad he ordered for his manual wheelchair causes less pressure than the one on his power chair. 

The last thing they did was have a discussion about how to meet Jeff's emotional, spiritual, physical, and social needs. Brandi was the scribe. This included discussing what the daily routine will look like. 

They talked through what they wanted their routine to look like with morning chores, showers, meals, work, etc. Every time they decided what would come next, like breakfast, Josh would ask them who was going to do what. He encouraged Jeff to do as much as possible on his own, from pouring his own cereal to making his own pb&j for lunch. 

Also, time management was discussed to make sure all of Jeff's exercises get done. TV time equals exercise time with the stretchy bands and weights. Stretching can be done first thing in the morning before Jeff gets out of bed because he's already laying down. That kind of thing. 

Another thing they discussed was how to help fill the large hole that is left now that Jeff can't do all the physical things he used to do all the time. Some of the things Jeff wants to be able to do with his time are temple work and genealogy. 

Then it was time to say goodbye. Jeff did a victory lap around the entire unit while they played a song he chose to celebrate him going home. Staff members and even patients were telling Jeff and Annette bye. There were tears and Annette said, "When you've spent almost three months with these people and get to know a lot of them, it's almost like leaving family." 

Jeff and Annette were invited to come back in the future to visit with other patients and tell his story. 

The trip out was an adventure in itself because there was so much stuff to take to the truck. It's amazing how much stuff can accumulate in three months! 

Annette said she is grateful the snow waited for them to go home so she won't have to drive back and forth in it. Here's a picture of the truck, leaving the hospital for the last time, with the wheelchair on the back. 

At home they worked to get a few things put away. Annette organized the drawers by Jeff's side of the bed with his meds and the supplies she needs to do all of his cares. Jeff did some work on the computer. 

Blake got off work early to take Jeff's truck to American Fork for the warranty inspection. The timing was bad, but it was the only appointment they had available to get it done. Unfortunately, when Blake arrived no one was there to do the inspection even though they had an appointment set up. So it will have to wait another day. 

Blake brought pizza home for a fast and easy dinner after a long and busy day. 

Randy and Terren came to work on the wheelchair lift in the garage because it won't work properly. We are grateful for their help! 

This is the first night Jeff has spent in his own bed in over three months. It's also the first time he has been able to sleep next to Annette since the accident. She will be able to help him roll over as needed to prevent sores. While he can't sleep straight through the night, we are praying he sleeps better than he has been now that he's home. 

Today has been an emotional day and we are so thankful our dad is finally home! 

HE'S HOME!!! 

The road ahead is still a very long one, but we know our dad will be okay. We are full of gratitude for the firm foundation of knowledge and skills he's been given over the last three months. The therapists he worked with at IMC went above and beyond and we know it has made all the difference. 

Our mom and dad have forged so many new friendships, learned so much, and grown so greatly, there is no doubt that this journey is being led by our loving Father in heaven. He has blessed us greatly in this trial. He truly does visit His people in their afflictions. 

Day 92, Monday Nov. 23

Day 92, Monday Nov. 23

Today was busy, as you can imagine. In therapy Annette learned how to maneuver Jeff up and down curbs and stairs in the wheelchair. It takes a lot of strength and patience. Stairs require a second person for safety, one in front and one in back. 

They then spent time learning how to get Jeff off the ground if he were to ever fall. Of course we are praying and hoping this will never be a problem we come across, but if it were to happen at least we will have the basic tools needed. 

Ideally it would take 3-4 people and a sheet. We are grateful that Jeff and Annette have such a great ward family and neighbors if they ever needed this help, plus there are several family members who live nearby. 

You may be asking why we wouldn't just want to call 911 if this were to occur. Most falls have the potential to cause injury, so in those cases we would leave him where he fell and let the professionals do their work to keep him safe. 

But, there is also the possibility of a failed transfer where he is lowered to the ground. Or if he were to slide off of a piece of furniture and land more gently. In these cases we would need to know the safest way to get him up and would need this knowledge.

They also spent time outside during therapy. Jeff learned pretty quickly in previous outings that the seatbelt in the truck is not adequate to keep him upright. He has to excessively use his arms to hold himself steady so he doesn't fall over with every bump or turn. 

Today they got a large gait belt that goes around his chest (below the arms) and around the whole seat to hold him securely upright. We were thinking he needed something similar to a 5 point racing harness, but this is much less expensive and works great! 

They worked to get medical supplies ordered today. There is quite a list of things they'll need at home that they don't have yet. 

And of course it's time to start signing all sorts of paperwork. They tried to get as much of the discharge instructions and paperwork done today as possible. 

They go home tomorrow and today is the first time they went downstairs to get ice cream. They've heard how amazing it is and have been wanting to try it, but Jeff worries about the extra calories. They also tried a fritter that they really liked and Jeff said, "We kind of broke all the rules and ate a bunch of junk!" 

Finally it was time to relax and soak in the fact that it's Jeff's last night at the hospital. Movie time was not as successful as usual and it wasn't long before Annette had her phone out looking at food recipes. 

After a while Jeff said in disbelief, "This is so boring I'm watching you on Pinterest!" Ha! 

Tomorrow is a big day! Updates will be posted as soon as possible. Thank you for following our dad's progress, we appreciate your support so much!