New Things Continue!

Hey folks!

Sorry for the extended gap between now and the last update. What can I say but there is just too much "life" going on right now, if you know what I mean. But enough about me, let's get to the man on every one's mind... no, not Brad Pitt... it's Dad, silly!



Monday, February 28th, will mark the 8-month anniversary of Dad contracting Guillian-Barre. In that time period, Dad will have gone from not being able to move at all or breath on his own to what you see in the pictures today. In case you are wondering what Dad is doing in the first picture, he is trying to feed himself the wonderful entree that the facility fixed for his lunch today, which was potatos au gratin, carrots and fried chicken, all pureed of course, with sweet tea to drink. In the other picture, Dad is sitting up on the side of the bed under his own power. He needed assistance to get to that position, but he's requiring a little less help to do it each day. Dad is able to swing his feet back and forth and lift them up just ever so slightly when sitting upright on the edge of the bed. He's also able to play a little game of volleyball with his hands and a balloon to help with his upper body physical therapy. This is all great news, as it's awesome to see Dad start progressing a little more each day.



Of course, no one believed that Dad would be doing this well back 8 months ago. All of the doctors had grim responses to our questions about Dad's prognosis and what kind of life he would have in the future. But it just goes to show you how prayer and hard work can upend those doubts and fears.

As of today, there is no doubt in every one's mind that Dad will be back to or close to 100% within the coming year or two. But it will take more prayers and lots of hard work to keep Dad headed in the right direction. So please be sure to continue to write Dad so we can make sure he stays on the right course. You really don't know how much your words of encouragement mean to him and how it keeps his spirits up.

For instance, Dad received lots of letters and cards a few weeks ago around the time of his birthday. All were positive in nature and help to lift Dad's spirit. But one in particular from a neighbor who had fallen on hard times herself not too long ago was especially inspiring to him. She too had something to literally take her life in a different direction, not at all fitting into her "plan" of how her golden years would be. But with God's help and that of her family, she was able to work through the tough times and come out on the other end of it better than she was before. Sure, some things had changed, but she was stronger for having experienced the hardship and was a better person for it now because she knew what it meant to be down on the bottom and how to get back on top again. Her story reminds me of another that I heard not too long ago.

A guy is walking down the street one day and falls into a deep hole. Finding no way to climb out, he starts to holler to the top, asking for help. A doctor walks by and the guy says, "Hey doc, can you help me get out of here?" The doctor takes out his prescription pad, writes a prescription for nerve pills, tears it off and throws it down to the man as he walks off. Another man walks by, this time its a priest and the man asks the him for help out of the hole. The priest kneels at the edge of the hole, says a prayer for God to give the man strength and courage. Then he gets up and keeps on walking. Finally, a friend of the guy walks by and the guy screams to him for help. The next thing he knows, his friend jumps down into the hole with him. In astonishment, the guy says to his friend, "What are you... crazy or something? Why on earth did you jump down here?" The friend looks at the guy with a smile and says, "Because I've been down here before and I know the way out".

Sometimes, those who you think would be the most helpful are not, and those who you think wouldn't be helpful come through for you in the end. When you least expect it, God will usually send you exactly who and what you need. My point is... for the past 8 months, God has sent all of you to Dad, and for that we are extremely thankful.

Well, that's all the news for now. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Dad wanted me to tell everyone that you are certainly in his and Mom's, and they can't thank all of you enough for your continued support.

Take care of yourselves and we'll update you again real soon.

Team Jerry all the Way!

Just had to share Anna Leigh's surprise

Enjoy this link to Anna Leigh's surprise.....the video is priceless! Feel free to share!
A Taylor Swift Surprise

New and Exciting Things are Happening!

Hey there, Ho there, How's it going there!

OK... so I'm a little too jovial today. But that's because of all the new and exciting things that happened this past week for Dad. So instead of me talking about what a proud son I am and how it warms my heart to know what I know, I'll just tell ya so you too can be too jovial.

Let's first travel back in time to the week prior to Dad's birthday. It was a trying week where things just didn't seem to be going anywhere fast. Dad and Mom was frustrated with the staff, and they were appearing to become frustrated with them. The facility's management was saying one thing, but the staff was doing another. Things just didn't seem to be headed in the right direction. But then, Monday came along and things started to change.

On that day, the head therapist came in and had a long talk with Mom and Dad to apologize for some of the confusion regarding Dad's treatments. In short, the whole mess was caused by a breakdown in communications, a common theme in just about every dysfunctional process out there. So he committed to making things and better, and boy did he keep his word.

Folks, as a choke back the tears, I am pleased to announce that Dad had his first "meal" in over 7 months. The meal of choice was pureed crab cakes and mash potatoes with sweet tea. Now, I'm not saying that he sat down and ate a plate full...we're only talking about small amounts. But hey... at this point, that's a full meal for him. He also had breakfast the next day, with oatmeal and scrambled eggs. So you might be thinking this is real exciting, and you'd be right. But I've got more.

As you know, the biggest concern is the progress, or lack thereof, of Dad's vent weaning. Well, I'm pleased to announce that Dad is making big headway in that department as well. On Tuesday, Dad tried the trach-collar that I've told you about in past posts. This is where they attach a tube that is just supplying oxygen to Dad's trach tube so he is getting pure oxygen when he breathes. The therapy is very tiring, because the patient has no mechanical support to help with the breathing. But it helps the patient to build their lung muscles so they can breath more on their own.

Like I said, on Tuesday started the therapy and was able to go for just over an hour with the machine. Then on Wednesday, Dad went just under 3 hours. Mostly, this is because his older... um, I mean more mature... oh, good grief... I mean his sister that came out before him (??) was there to help Mom distract Dad while he was on the trach-collar. Each day this week and weekend, Dad has continued to progress. As of this evening, Dad had gone 10 plus hours on the therapy and was going to do more after Mom left to go back to the hotel for the evening.

Folks, I can't tell you how proud I am of Dad, and I know you share in the excitement. I know that part of the reason he is doing do well is because of the love and encouragement he is receiving from family and friends. Your words of faith and love have really touched Dad's heart and made him realize that its time to "kick this pig" so-to-speak and get to work. While the doctors, nurses, family, and Mom all share ownership in Dad's therapy, please know that you do too and because of your continued support, Dad is getting better. So on behalf of Dad, THANK YOU!!!

OK... that's it for now. I'll update you more later. Take care of yourselves!

Team Jerry all the way!!!

Happy 60th Birthday!

Thank you to all who came to the birthday party on Saturday or sent cards! He was so surprised and tickled to know how many people are pulling for him! Enjoy the photos!

Quick Birthday Reminder... and Update

Hey folks!

I just wanted to remind everyone that Dad is turning 60 this Friday on February 4th. If you want to send a card to him, you can mail it to either:

PO Box 2364
Danville, VA 24541

or

Jerry Hawkins
c/o Blue Ridge Health Care Center
3830 Blue Ridge Road
Raleigh, NC 27612

Now for an update on Dad…

The insurance company is at it again. They gave us a scare this past week stating that they would start denying Dad's claim for Skilled Nursing after February 5th and he would have to go on Custodial Care. Essentially, they were giving up on him and not willing to pay anymore for his treatments. Well, after a long talk with both them and the care center in Raleigh, everyone appears to be on the same page about what Dad needs and deserves. They have given Dad 3 weeks to show some more improvements or they might reverse the decision and make it final. Unfortunately, that doesn't give us much time due to some other factors.

Folks... I don't know that I've ever encountered someone who can be so brave at times and so scared at others. I guess that's what happens to someone when they face their own mortality in the face like Dad did. Dad saw his 7 months ago in Topeka, KS when he stopped breathing. That fear of not breathing is always with him and he is finding it hard to let go. Pile on top of those feelings the fact that we are having some "issues" with the nursing staff that makes Dad question their intent on making him better and it becomes a hard predicament to manage. Fortunately, I think we can help Dad through this part of his treatments.

With your help, I think we can keep Dad encouraged and upbeat on facing his daily trials and tribulations with his treatments. Dad has to work harder and more diligently than he's ever worked before in order to get better. There will be plenty of times that Dad will be scared beyond anything that you or I can imagine. But he's got to face it head-on and do everything possible to overcome it.

All of you know Dad and know that he's capable of doing it. We've just got to remind him of how strong he once was and still is today. We can't let him give up! So when you send your well wishes and birthday cards this week and going forward, make sure to let him know how proud of him you are and how much faith you have in him to get through this ordeal. Any personal tales of triumph would be welcome, as it helps to remind Dad that we have all had our own cross to bear at times; and with the help of our friends, loved ones and a higher power, he can and will come through this crisis right now in his life.

OK... that's it for now. Take care of yourselves and I'll try to post some pictures of Dad on the next update.

Team Jerry all the way!!!

Can you hear me now?

Hey everyone!

Well, someone's been making phone calls this past week, and I'll get to more of that in a moment. There's a lot of new things happening in Mom and Dad's world, so I'll dispense with the usual intro and just get right to it.

The family met with Dad's doctors and therapists on Wednesday (1/19) to discuss his current medical status, conceivable goals, and what barriers they feel he will face in the coming months. The big news is that they think that Dad will recover to almost 100% over time, but it will take a lot of hard work on his part. Unfortunately, Dad will probably remain at this facility for a while longer than we had first hoped. Current estimates are 4-6 months. Here's a breakdown of each rehab area:

Speech Therapy - Everyone said they are very pleased with the progress Dad has made in this area. They would like for him to deflate his ventilation cuff more often during each day so he can work on talking more. This tactic will help to reawaken his vocal cords and throat muscles, which will help him to learn how to swallow again and be able to eventually eat on his own. Dad had mentioned to his therapist that Banana and Grape flavors sounded good to him, so she and her husband bought Dad some Popsicles the other day while they were at the grocery store.

As a result of his progress, Dad was able to make a few phone calls to different family and friends over the past week. Of course, it made his day to be able to talk to other people besides the ones that he gets to see most of the time. His voice is still crackling a little, but that will subside over time as he talks more.

Ventilation Therapy - When Dad came to this new facility, the ventilation machines were hard to get use to, as they are mechanically different from what he was use to in Lynchburg. But he has adapted well to the change and has started progressing towards staying off the machine more hours each day. The therapists think Dad can be off the ventilator within the next few months with continued hard work and effort.

Physical Therapy - There's been a few bumps in the road with this part of Dad's rehab, but we're working things out with the staff. The therapist wants Dad to stay out of the bed a little more each day to help with getting his body accustom to sitting up. This will also help to strengthen the muscles in his abdomen. So Dad is trying to do this each day, but is having difficultly working through the pain. To add to it, the staff is not always the best about coming back to get him into bed at the time they agree upon. It sometimes ends up being over an hour longer than what they promised, which doesn't sit well with Dad or us at all. But like I said, we're working on fixing it with the facility's management.

Overall movement in Dad's body is still showing some improvements. Mobility in his arms and legs is slowly coming back, and he's able to do a few more things on his own. Hopefully, this too will continue to progress over the coming months.

As for Mom, she is staying with Dad in Raleigh and visiting him each day. We found a place just down the road from the facility that does long-term stays. After some haggling, we were able to get them to come down on the price just enough to make it somewhat affordable. The room has a little dinette in it, so she's able to cook for herself. One of family's friends wanted to see Dad, so when he came down to visit, he brought Mom's car to her from Richlands so she can save on travel expenses. While he was there, he also gave Dad a much needed haircut, which made Dad feel a lot better.

The house in Richlands has a contract on it and we're in the process of doing the same here in Danville. As last reported, we found a house that fits Mom and Dad's needs and we're praying that the owners will accept our offer. There will be a shortfall between the price of the house here and what they'll get for the house in Richlands. But we're trying to get the payments low enough to make it affordable for Mom and Dad in the coming years. As soon as we have more info, I'll let you know.

Well, that's all for now. We'll continue to keep you posted on Dad's progress and everything else going on with him and Mom. Take care of yourselves, and thank you so much for your continued support and well wishes. They mean more to us then you will ever know.

Team Jerry all the way!!!

New Place, New Way of Doing Things!

Hey folks!

Hope everyone is enjoying the New Year. Dad is starting to adjust to the new facility that he moved to on Jan. 3rd in Raleigh, NC. Of course there are some growing pains, such as getting everyone on the same page with Dad's care, but we're use to doing that by now. Dad is still making phone calls to people when they try to contact him, and believe, plenty are trying. It really makes him feel good when he's able to talk to people and communicate directly with them. After all, he hasn't done anything like that in over 6 months.

The family is meeting with the doctors this week to hear their plan for Dad's recovery. We're hoping that things with go smoothly and quickly so we can get him home. But we don't want to rush things either, so we are just satisfied with knowing that he is getting better.

The movement in his upper body is slowly coming back. Dad can almost touch his face with his hands. The part that is keeping him from doing it is his upper arms, which haven't come around just yet. But we know with a little hard work, they should come around soon.

We have found a place for Mom to stay in Raleigh while Dad is there. It's a mile and a half from the facility and close to restaurants and a grocery store. We talked to the manager of the establishment and was able to get a rate that is comparable with what it would cost to rent a furnished apartment. Mom also got her car delivered to her today by a good friend of the family. He brought it down from Richlands, so now she won't have to rely on taxicabs to get back and forth.

Mom came to Danville and spent the weekend with us. We went Saturday and found a house that we think will be good for them. The layout is ideal and the location is doable. We just pray that they'll take our offer.

Well, that's all for now. We'll update the blog again soon once we know the doctor's plan for his recovery to let everyone know the timeline. Take care of yourselves and keep those well wishes coming. If you want to send him a card, just use the PO Box (2364) in Danville (24541).

Team Jerry all the way!!!