Why I Haven't Posted in a While

Daddy playing with his girls!!!

Seven months ago my hubby came home from work with some serious pain in his foot. He went to the ER after an x-ray they said that he had a bone spur. They suggested he see a foot specialist. He found a doctor and it was confirmed that he had a large bone spur that was hooking into his achilles tendon and shredding micro-tears out of it. His doctor tried several conservative methods on his foot with no success. He referred him to another doctor in his office that does a minimally invasive surgery called PRP. They basically use your own blood to heal your tendon. That doctor explained to us that there is really no risk associated with PRP because they are just injecting your own blood. The only risk is infection, since they are putting a foreign object into your body. After researching it we decided to go with the PRP. Results from using it have been good and there is little to no risk.

He had two injections, both showing decent improvement. Not as much as we had hoped but there was definitely improvement. On the 14th of February my husband had an appointment with his foot doctor that left us in a bit of a haze, the doctor sat us down and asked us if there were any other jobs at the railroad Chad could do. The underlying issue always has been Chad getting back into his work boots. He explained that even though proceeding with the third minimally invasive surgery would improve his condition, he didn't think it would restore his foot to pre-bone spur/achilles tendinitis function. We decided to go ahead with the third surgery. We knew the only other thing  that could be done was a surgery that was very invasive and from what Chad's foot doctor told us, had a very poor success rate. We prayerfully decided that it would be better for Chad to try the third round of PRP's rather than have the major surgery and for it to go badly and him to loose normal foot function.

Within a couple days of him having the third PRP we had a strong feeling  something was wrong. Chad couldn't flex his foot and he was in very intense pain. He had to stay heavily medicated around the clock. If the kids bumped his foot it would literally leave him in tears.We stayed in contact with the doctor's office and they told us everything was fine. The doctor told us there was just a different response because it was "at the epicenter" of the tendinitis/bone spur spot. He said it would take longer to heal and the large bump on the back of Chad's heel was just blood underneath the injection site and swelling from the injection. Chad hadn't experienced any of those issues before so we were very concerned because of the extreme pain he was in at the point of "the bump". We both asked at different points if it was possible that his tendon had ruptured as a result of the injection. The question was dismissed but we were still not so sure. I was concerned because he could let his foot dangle but not flex it up toward his shin. It seemed to me like something had happened to his achilles tendon that was causing to be unable to flex.

Thursday the 15th, four weeks after the third injection, with Chad still unable to walk, his doctor called us back into his office. The doctor said he was so sorry, he felt like he let our family down and that we didn't have the results he was hoping for. He said apparently the tendon was more torn than he originally thought. He explained that he spent several hours on the phone talking to various surgeons around the world. He said he researched everything non-surgical first but because of the haglunds on the back of the heel our only two options were to have cryosurgery to freeze the area and hopefully it would heal itself or have "the surgery". The same surgery which he had been telling us since the very first time we saw him "was not an option". One of the doctors told him that there is new technology. So he called the manufacturer of the company that makes the machine used during the surgery and had a meeting with them. They gave him some brochures he showed us and explained  how the new technology will make the whole process easier on Chad. He also told us that there is a collagen wrap that is now used to speed up the healing of the tendon.  He again apologized and said he was having sympathy pains for Chad. He said he hadn't charged the insurance and wouldn't charge us for the portion for the surgery that we had to pay for, which was $350. He also said he was going to do physical therapy in the office for no charge. His wife suggested that he make chad a "Chineese-y potion of alcohol and herbs to rub on the area. He made it and applied it to Chad's heel to show me how to do it. We left the appointment feeling a little baffled,  the only viable option he had for us was to chose a surgeon that was good at the surgery Chad now needs. The same surgery that he had told us just a week or two before "was not an option".

Since we knew from our own research that having the surgery was most likely the only option. This past Tuesday we met with an orthopedic surgeon. He explained that Chad's tendon needs to be lengthened. He will have to go in lengthen it, peel the tendon back from the bone spur near the back of the heel, grind the bone down, reattach the tendon and wrap a metal wire around his tendon to hook it into the bone.  He said he wouldn't be sure exactly how involved the surgery would  be until he sees Chad's MRI. He was seeing a cloudy area where the tendon is on the x-ray.

This is basically what the surgeon outlined for us to expect as of now. After the surgery Chad will stay in the hospital for a 23 hour observation. That way they can manage the pain. He will come home with a pain pump in the nerve in his thigh, that will stay in for a week (if I remember correctly). He will be non-weight bearing for 6-8 weeks if everything is perfect on the MRI, if not 8-10. If the tendon is ruptured, it could be longer than that. After that he will transition to a walking boot for several weeks, after that he will have several weeks of physical therapy, move to a tennis shoe and then hopefully his work boot. We wont know what his MRI says until Monday and at that point we will schedule his surgery. The surgeon says he is booked 2-3 weeks out, if he's more than 4 weeks out he will try to move his schedule around and fit him in sooner.

Please keep Chad in your prayers as this is a CRAZY time for him!!!! Also keep me in your prayers. Chad pulls a lot of the weight around here, the last few weeks have really been a struggle for me. I feel like I am spinning in constant circles doing everything I can just to stay afloat. Which clearly, if you have been to my house you can see that hasn't been working out so well!!!! Lol!!! 

Capture The Flag Nerf War!!!

The gym where our kids take their homeschool gymnastics class had a capture the flag nerf war tonight. Tristin has been waiting the last couple of weeks for this day to come! He woke up early this morning because he was so excited.

My cousin watched all four of my little kids. When the older kids found out we were dropping the little kids off at her house, they said that Grace had mentioned she wanted to come. So, she came along for some nerf fun too!

They had a great time! I think my poor son might have sprained his ankle but he played through it, with little complaint. They were hot, sweaty and tired when they were done, but they had a great time! I am sure they will want to participate every time they offer a "Nerf Night"!

They played probably close to 10 rounds of capture the flag.

 I think their team won every time but one! :)

This is their coach, showing the other team that they captured their flag!

Motivation

Sometimes to get kids moving you have to give them a little motivation. I have a certain eight year old boy whose room I could no longer walk through. He was completely overwhelmed by cleaning a mess that felt to him beyond his ability. My boys share a room so, it's mostly not his fault. At least that's what he tells me. I had to admit that it would probably be kind of hard sharing a room with a one man wrecking crew. I told him the best way to get an overwhelming job done was to enlist the help of a friend or two, or in his case a sibling or two. He told me that there is no way anyone would want to help with that mess, no matter how much they love him! It was cute, and probably true. So I told him he just had to make it fun. He said there is no way to make cleaning that mess fun. I suggested he throw a cleaning party!

So we decided to buy some candy and.... 

Some little cans of root beer!

I told him if he turned on some music it would feel like a party. He thought that was a great plan. He proposed the plan and the girls were happy to help!

 

After just a little while the boys room went from being a hazard to this:

Sorrow and Joy

Yesterday was a pretty overwhelming day. I woke up and checked facebook and saw that two kids in Kaitlynne's youth group were in a roll over car accident, one of them had to be air lifted downtown. I spent a great deal of the morning talking to Kait about that. Around 8:00 last night a garage exploded behind our house, three teenaged kids were inside. One boy died, his brother is in critical care and his girlfriend was badly burnt. My cousins and I walked down to see what was going on. The garage was fully engulfed in flames. It was so sad to watch, although at the time we had no clue anyone was in the garage. We walked back home but had a pretty clear view from my back door and checked every little bit. All of our kids saw the fire from their bedroom windows. They were bothered but not as much as I would have expected, so I was thankful for that.  While I was checking the news online to see if the bit about the fire was on there I saw an article about a boy in Wyandotte who was dragged by a train. He is only 14, I couldn't stand the thoughts of what he and his parents now have to live through. However, it especially broke my heart since it was co-workers of my husband who were operating the train. I can't imagine what they had to see and are now having to process. All I knew to do all day was pray.

I woke up this morning with yesterday's events still heavy on my heart. I decided to lay low and just enjoy my kiddo's company. We whipped through our school work and were finished by lunch time. The kids ate and scampered off to pretend they were spy kids. They watched Spy Kids 4 last night and somehow watching any Spy Kids movie brings out the spy in each one of them!  About a month ago my sweet son decided that the sod between my shed and our fence was overrated and literally dug up the 8X4 patch of grass between the two. Initially I was irratated, but then I decided to embrace it. I realized how much nature they could take in and learn about while digging and exploring. Since it rained most of the morning the dirt pile turned into a mud pit! I suggested they put on their play clothes and go dig in the mud. After they got changed they headed out the door. They played out there for quite a few hours. I was making dinner and watching them run around and crack up, there was mud flying all over the place. At some point they came and told me they found a bone. I went out to check it out and assured them it was just the root from the neighbors tree. A few minutes later they came to the back door and were pointing and smiling and showing me a big bone they had pulled up. The same bone I was calling a tree root. :) That became their greatest trophy of the day! They were so proud of themselves!! They tried to research on the internet to find out what kind of a bone it was. They weren't quite able to figure it out. There has been a lot of speculation as to what it is. Tristin is sure it's a dinosaur bone, Kait thinks it is a human bone that connects the leg to the knee. I am not sure where it came from, my guess is it's a bone we bought for a crazy chocolate lab we had about nine years ago! The kids decided that it really doesn't matter where it came from, it is just cool! I'm so thankful that homescooling gives us the opportunity to spend what would be "normal school hours" learning in a way that intrests our family!

Prized Trophy!

Trying to decide where the bone might fit...

Is it a rib?

A bone in your foot?

My personal favorite...is it a um...bottom bone?



Thinking Spring and a Little Update...

Bella after playing in the dirt! This was the end of Febuary 2009

Tristin after playing in the dirt. Same day as Bell! 

Almost two weeks ago my sweet hubby had a third surgery on his foot. It was just a small surgery to repair his tendon. He has a bone spur that is tearing into his achilles tendon and shredding micro tears into it. Although it is a minor surgery it is very painful. The other two were difficult to recover from but this one has been much harder. The procedure site got infected. He isn't even able to flex his foot. At this point after the last surgery he was able to walk. Not well and not for long but still able to walk. So, for nearly two weeks now he has been in constant pain. Stuck on the couch.

Although it's only been a short time it's been a big change for me. The only way I successfully make it through each day is with his help. He pulls a huge amount of the weight around here. He washes almost all the laundry, helps a ton with the kids, takes care of the garbage and helps me run errands. I usually prep dinner, make any side dishes and do all the slicing and dicing and he does all the cooking. I am able to manage on my own but it has been quite a change. It means juggling my time and priorities. So needless to say, I have been exhausted at the end of each day. I've been too tired to form a sentence. Blogging has been last on my priority list, obviously. :)

I haven't had much to write about, since there isn't much going on around here. Lots of family movie nights, lots of reading and snuggling.

I have noticed my thoughts shifting toward spring. Now that February is coming to an end I find myself day dreaming about sunny, breezy days. I am thankful for such a mild winter, it is always a challenge to tote six kids around in frigid temperatures. By myself it would have been really hard.

I am itching to plant flowers. My kiddo's love to play in the dirt and spent a good chunk of the afternoon today doing just that. They are great gardening partners! I have all sorts of plans for the backyard, our backyard is devoid of any nature other than grass and bugs. We have an 1000 square foot patio that my parents put in, I would like to remove some of that and plant some trees and flowers. I am not sure what we will get done this year since Chad probably wont be able to work outside much, if any. It sure is fun to dream though!

A Sweet Day

Tristin and Granny at the Flatrock Speedway!

This morning I made my kids and Gracie Belgian Waffles for breakfast, we topped them with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and sprinkles. I explained to them that this is a day to celebrate Granny and all the things we loved about her and all the great memories we made with her. We talked about how she had a sick body and now she has a perfect body. The kids had some really great memories, things I had long forgotten. It was very sweet to hear the things about their Granny that was special to them.

After breakfast I spent some time cleaning my house. I turned on some worship music and entered a time of worship. As I worshipped I could feel the peace of God settle over me.

We take this day off from school every year. It is a day for me to reflect on my life and the legacy my Mom left behind. We usually lay low and enjoy each others company. We watched a family movie and snuggled up together.

It was such a sweet, peaceful day. I am so thankful to be able to celebrate the life of my Mom today! God has been so good to us!

Four Years In Glory!

Four years ago today I stood by my Mother's bedside as she peacefully slipped out of this life and entered her new one. I miss her so very much. I had prayed and fasted believing that God would heal her here on Earth. I stood on his word and trusted him. Toward the end of her life, it broke my heart to see her suffer so much. At that point I finally surrendered my will for my Mom to live to God. After all, her life here was a gift to us from Him. I knew His plan for her life was perfect. Sometimes it is hard to convince your heart what your head has always known.

My Mom lived her entire life here for the moment she would meet God face to face. Although I miss her, I rejoice for where she is, for the sights she must be beholding even this very moment! My mind can't even fathom what she must be experiencing there.

After she passed I called our family friend, Lisa to let her know. She told me that she had a vision of my Mom in heaven dancing in a white gown with her perfectly whole heavenly body! Oh the joy! I have held onto my mental image of Lisa's vision since then. It truly does fill my heart with joy every time I think of that.

Today I choose to celebrate her life with us. I choose to remember all the great memories I have over the time I was blessed enough to spend with her. I don't think she would want me to be mourning her death but rejoicing in her eternal life! I have made the decision to tell God one thing I am thankful for about my Mom and the upbringing I had because of her every time I think about her. It is impossible to be thankful and be downcast at the same time. Today I choose to be thankful!

Here are just a few pictures I found on my computer of her! I couldn't find many of her and Kaitlynne which is just crazy because there are probably hundreds of them together. She adored Kait. I guess they just aren't on my computer.

Granny and baby Bella, eating lunch at The Henry Ford!

Mom, Tristin, Me, Chad, Kait and Bella - in strollers!

Christmas Eve 2006, such an enjoyable night!

Mom, Kait and Tristin checking out the train at The Henry Ford Museum.

Gracie's 4th birthday. I think my Mom was helping her open her gift?

Mom and Tristin!

Mom "helping" Bell open her gifts Christmas morning 2006.

Aunt Peggy and Mom at Kait's 8th birthday party.

Yes, Kait wanted pumpkin pie instead of cake! 

Mom kissing Hudsyn right after she was born. She was a patient on the cancer floor so her nurse just wheeled her down. She hung out with us most of our hospital stay, since she was also admitted the whole time I was.

Grace checking out Granny's gift! :)

Bella kissing Granny! 

Mom watching Bell while the kids took ice skating lessons.

It was too cold in there for Bell and Mom so she kept her in the lobby every week.

Mom, Dad, Bell, Kaitlynne and Tristin.

Mom loving on Bell, they were going to be best friends for sure.

Thank you God for the time I had with my Mom. We are not promised tomorrow. You numbered my days before I was concieved. Time is truly a precious gift, please help me manage the time you give me wisely. Help me to invest Your word in my children so that when You call me home their foundation will not be shaken. .