Feeling Good, Looking Good

Dad went out for a haircut yesterday. He's doing tons of Physical Therapy work to strengthen and stretch. He's feeling much more like him sled as evidenced by his interest in tinkering projects around the house. He's taught me to change the air filters, wind and set the clocks, repair the cat scratching post and light the pilot light on the gas fireplace. IF ONLY I'd taken him up on his offer to let me follow him around when I was a kid, I'd know how to do EVERYTHING!

He got the absolute royal treatment from the Westen grandkids this week: a cheer ("gimme an M, gimme an I, gimme a K, gimme an E") and a fantastic rendition of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow!"

The Note Fairy Visited Again

During Grandaddy's nap today, another note appeared. It says:

You are well today.

Love,

Note Fairy

Heather's Here Again!

Heather (a.k.a. Auntie Roo) arrived yesterday from Austin. She's seeing enormous changes in Dad since she was last here just 11 days ago!

Working on a kiwi crate with Grandaddy & Olivia (thank you Auntie M & Uncle J!):

A Great Correction!

To quote Dr. Goldsmith immediately after the 9+ hour surgery, it's a "great correction!"

The internal after (left) and before (right):

The Man Himself: The Notorious D.R.G!

What can we say? We LOVE this guy! In addition to changing lives, Dr. Goldsmith continues to impress us with his humility and compassion. It's one thing to be highly skilled (some say gifted) and it's another thing altogether to also be a regular guy with feelings, a sense of humor and not an ounce of arrogance!

Quote of the day from Dr. G about Dad's progress: "You are where I want you to be."

Midnight Snack etc.

Last night when Dad got a bit stiff in bed, we went for a walk around the house at 3:00am. As we circled the kitchen, he said, "is that chocolate cake ..." We stopped for a midnight snack - Dad had Diane Westen's Texas sheet cake and I had Lucy Boyd's peach cobbler. YUM! And a sure sign that Dad is feeling much more like himself.

Today is Dad's first outing - we're at Starbucks at the moment before we visit with Dr. Goldsmith for the first post-rehab follow up. The drive to DC (potholes and all) was a piece of cake for Dad today as compared to the excruciatingly uncomfortable commute the morning of the surgery. What a difference a few weeks (and a highly skilled surgeon) makes!

Thriving!

Dad is thriving (and is VERY busy!) with visits, well-wishes, delicious meals and excellent at-home physical therapy! He awoke from a nap the other day to find this note from the medical fairy. It says "He is well. He is well."

The only slow in his roll is the continued low blood pressure and high heart rate. Once those are under control, there will clearly be no stopping him!

There's No Place Like Home!

What a great homecoming! Dad is sleeping well, eating better and enjoying visits and delicious dinners from friends in the neighborhood and church.

Simba took only a day-and-a-half to forgive Dad for being away from home for so long:

Happy Valentine's Day:

Olivia helps Grandaddy with Physical Therapy exercises:

Jiggity Jig!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

So great to have Dad home and to arrive to a party atmosphere with Gary, Peggy, Bill and Paul! 

He looks like himself a decade ago! Pictured here with Simba.

A Family Affair

It's been really joyful hearing so many kind words and blessings from the Sibley Rehab staff about our family. So many nurses and technicians have told us in such heartfelt ways that seeing our family here with Dad around the clock day after day, week after week has touched them. They apparently don't see that very often - most families pop in for a visit, drop off some flowers then head out. I completely understand that - life is very busy and for many families, it's not possible to be away from work and children. We're very fortunate that we've been able to make this work for us - there is no doubt in my mind that having family advocacy every second of every day has greatly informed, guided and improved Dad's recovery which has progressed so strongly thus far. 

Pictured at Zach's 2014 high school graduation!

Showing off!

This won't be the norm yet when Dad gets home tomorrow, but here's a glimpse into a future phase when he'll be walking upright with only a cane!

Pictured with Cindy, his wonderful Physical Therapist. These two have had some very emotional moments together, especially the first time she stood him up in front of a full length mirror!

He will have a lot of restrictions the next several months to keep the new spine perfectly straight while the marrow and stem cells (always vote yes for stem cells!) fuse everything back together. Dad's progressing quickly now - taking showers, etc. and had his first pain-free full night's sleep last night.

The staples come out of his back today!

Going Home Friday!

True to form, Dad is ahead of schedule!  He's going home on Friday (a week ahead of his Physical Therapist's original estimate and a day ahead of his own goal)!

He just had an EKG, the results of which the cardiologist described as "very youthful." Now he's got the spine to match the rest of his fountain-of-youth countenance!

Message from Mike and Diane

Dearest Friends & Family, 

     Mike is overwhelmed with joy by the loving support you show him each day. Your cards, visits, emails, texts and blog comments mean EVERYTHING to him. He wants me to tell you that he's sorry that he is not acknowledging them himself, but he takes them all to heart. His primary job is to work hard each day to become stronger and to meet his therapy goals set by his incredible PT and OT team. He thinks of all of you every day and thanks God for your presence in his life. We both send our love to all of you.

       Mike & Diane xo

Driving Mister Daisy!

Occupational Therapy is so much fun!

Reminds us of when Dad taught me how to drive 31 years ago!

Taking Care of Business!

And lookin' good!

Visitors from the Neighborhood!

Dad loved visits from Rosa and Harvey, Diane and Bill!

Taller than all of us now!

Photo op today - photos taken by Dr. Snow, Dad's attending physician :-)

Granddaughters Day!

Ashley (all the way from Texas!) and Olivia spent the day with Dad yesterday! 

Dad's goal is to go home next Saturday the 13th! His Physical Therapist is on board to help him reach that goal. With Ashley spotting him, Dad went up and down a big staircase yesterday, walked a bunch (including with only a cane!) and got a hall pass so that the family can walk with him anytime he wants to go for a stroll. He (and we) continues to marvel that his new spine is even a possibility. 

Sharp dressed man

Guess who dressed himself today, socks and all?

Keep on truckin'

Dad had a solid day yesterday - he walked the length of several football fields and he was so fast that Mom and I had to hustle to keep up! 

Last night, Dad asked for the blanket that our dear family friend (and my 2nd & 3rd grade teacher!) Marsha knitted for the occasion. Thank you, Auntie M!

Today Dad's going to start wearing street clothes because that's how SuperMan rolls ...

Glowing Report

Dr. Goldsmith visited this morning and said it's very unusual for anyone to be on such a mild pain management regimen after this surgery and he said it's an indication of how very strong Dad is. He loves the big "before" and "now" photos we have on Dad's wall :-)

Dad's primary job for now is to WALK!

Thanks to the kids of St. M's!

Dad's "heal" loop from the children at St. Margaret's has been with him all along during the hospital/rehab process!

Rehab Selfie & Youngest Visitor

Before and During

You've heard of "before" and "after" photos. Well here are "before" and "during" photos of Dad.

He's moved into Rehab now and he's had an *awesome* string of roommates (first Amy and now me!).

"Before:" On the left with Marcus at Brittany and Levi's October wedding. 

"During:" On the right with Olivia today!!

Some Sunday Visits

Dad's schedule of therapy is quite rigorous so he's very busy and also quite exhausted by the end of his "work" day.

We know that visits will be wonderful for him and for Mom (personally, I feel that he has a LOT to show off!) and we want to manage visits carefully to be sure we don't wear him out and cause any setbacks.

So ... while he is in Rehab for the next few weeks, we are inviting visitors on Sundays! If you would like to visit, please text Mom to make arrangements. And no pressure at all to visit - totally optional and there will also be plenty of time for visits (and maybe some nice walks) once he's back home.

NO VISITORS PLEASE!

To all our dear loved ones who are so faithfully keeping Dad in your thoughts and prayers:

We have made a family decision to ask for absolutely no visitors.  Dad is in a phase of his recovery where privacy is deeply important to us. 

Please know that we cannot wait to open the doors to everyone - there will come a different phase of his recovery when your visits will be THE most important thing. 

Please stand by ...

With love,

Lisa, Diane, Heather, Amy and Alan 

More Progress and Daddy Steps

Belated update from Heather describing Sunday:

Good things again today!  Dad's appetite continues to be good, he ate an entire egg salad sandwich for lunch.  We are working on staying awake when the sun is shining, circadian rhythm gets messed up when you are in surgery for as long as he was. 
Physical therapy was late today and went extremely well.  Dad was able to sit on the side of the bed, stand up, take a few steps and transfer to a chair where he will sit for a couple of hours.  The therapists were blown away at his progress in just a few days.  He also did several sets of exercises like a champ!  He says his pain level is low.  

Alan visited and volunteered to give Dad an amazing shave!  Mom is taking a picture of the two of them right now and Dad said "here let me stand up" - that's not allowed right now but we are thrilled that he wants to! 

Everyday is a New Day

Everyday is a new day and thank goodness because yesterday was a tough one for many, many reasons.  The progress today has been outstanding, some of the key accomplishments so far and it's only 3:00:

• All IV's, Drains, Tubes etc. are out!
• Fantastic Physical Therapy Session culminated in Dad getting to and sitting in a chair for 40 minutes.
• He ate a nice lunch, meatloaf and rice which he enjoyed.  This is his first true meal since surgery on Wednesday.
• He asked if he could do some of his physical therapy exercises in bed and then did them on his own.

 Dad has an amazing spirit and is determined to do everything that he is supposed to do, we really couldn't ask for a better patient!

Don't Worry......

Heather Here: Today has been a big day, two therapy sessions one physical and one occupational.  During the physical therapy Dad was able to sit on the side of the bed for about 5 minutes one minute of which was unassisted.  The goal for tomorrow is to have him sit in a chair and take some steps.  The morphine pump was removed this morning and replaced with an oral pain medication.  This has resulted in Dad being awake more and eating a few bites of food.  Earlier I was reassuring Dad that everything is going just as it should, I told him not to worry and he said "be happy".  I asked him if he would like to hear the song and he said yes.  I quickly put on Bobby McFerrin's fabulous song and as soon as it began to play he puckered his lips a bit as if to whistle and sang a few notes. 

Wall Art

This card from Olivia is on the wall in Dad's hospital room. 

Across the top it says: bubble gum rainy day
Under that on the left it says: Grandaddy's card from Olivia
Figures on left are: Sebastian & his age (8) & Kangaroo & Little Roo
Figures in the middle: "you" (Grandaddy ), "me" (Olivia & her age 6 3/4) & Nanny
Figures on the right: Piglet & Winnie the Pooh
In the middle is a bee labeled "bee" :-)

Resting

Dad has been mostly sleeping since his big physical therapy adventure yesterday morning. Sometime today he'll have some medication changes that should help him to be more alert. He continues to be strong and as sweet as ever. Because he has been continuously so stable, he's moved now to different ward in the hospital that seems to be the right place for him - lots of very gentle attentive care. After spending some time with him, his first new nurse last night told Amy and me how sweet he is and how young he looks :-)

Fly Southwest Airlines Everybody!

We three sisters decided that Dad could benefit from around-the-clock advocacy right up until he moves to rehab if possible. So Amy started making arrangements with her office, her childcare, her pet sitter, etc., to stay here longer.  Once all of those arrangements were made, she went online to change her flight.  The cost to change her itinerary was $600.  She called Southwest and the cost to change her itinerary came down to $400.  When she explained our situation to Joe the Southwest Customer Service Agent, the change fee plummeted to $30. Reminds me of the time Alan and I flew infant baby Olivia home from Texas on Southwest. The gentleman behind the checkin counter took one look at our brand new family of three and silently hustled our grossly overweight suitcases and large boxes stuffed with baby things from Austin and from Olivia's birth family onto the conveyor belt without a single fee. Go Southwest!

Dream a Little Dream of Grandaddy

Brittany (Mike & Diane's granddaughter) had a very special dream last night!

Big Day

Dad had an intense physical therapy session this morning. He keeps blowing our minds with his strength and determination. He stood up briefly twice and there was not a dry eye in the family. He stood so straight and with his eyes looking ahead rather than down. All the activity sent him into a deep sleep for the past few hours.

One of many talents

Amy always has been able to apply her makeup anywhere (usually while driving).

The sun also rises

Dad just asked me to take a picture of the sun out his window, declared it beautiful and said, "you can post that."

The Morning After

Not kidding: Amy and I walked into Dad's room for the day just in time to hear him say, "I'm as peaceful as a spring evening."

And his voice is so strong this morning!

Heather reports that it was a good night.

Dr. Goldsmith came by a little bit ago and said Dad is doing great - blood work looks good, no transfusion needed.  Impressed that he had such a good night.  Today he'll get out of bed and take a few steps ... In response to that, Dad says "I love a challenge."

Dad wanted all sorts of fruit (and grits!) for breakfast but he's on a liquid diet so is having some mango italian ice instead. For lunch, he can have whatever he likes.

The Best

Dad moved into a private room at 11:30pm and it's clear he'll inspire good care because he's sooooo sweet to everyone. He looks and sounds amazing - like his usual self. He has a precious remark for everything we tell him:

Us: Your spine is straight now - the surgery went so well.

Dad: Isn't this incredible?

Us: You're so strong - you're amazing.

Dad: The team that did this is amazing.

Us: You're the best.

Dad: I have the best.

Us: You look so good - your color is great.

Dad: Take a picture.

Us: Are you sure?

Dad: Sure, I don't care (and then smiling at how great he looks!)

etc!!

Mom and Heather are spending the night with him tonight. Amy and I are at my house for some shut-eye. As we left the hospital, Dad was eating some jello (one of his favorite snacks) and saying how good it is. :-)

Best possible outcome! Total turn around from near-despair this morning to such confidence and excitement. It's impossible to look at him without grinning  and tearing up at the same time.

No ICU afterall

We just got to visit with Dad again. He's interacting with us more, smiling and even laughing a little bit (which must mean the pain meds are good ...). When we told him that his spine is straight now and he won't be looking down at the floor anymore, he said he's trying to wrap his mind around it. :-)

And no ICU because he's soooo stable!

It's a full house here tonight so as soon as a room opens up, he'll move out of recovery.

I love you, too

Heather asked when we would be able to see Dad and when she was told that he would be going to ICU tonight after all, the kind recovery nurse saw the concern on Heather's face and made a game-time decision to let us into recovery to see him for a quick, reassuring minute.

He looks infinitely better than when we last saw him this morning.  He absolutely lit up when he realized we were there and smiled over and over again as we each quietly talked to him. As we left, Mom told him she loves him and he whispered, "I love you, too." 

I don't have a word for the melange of intense emotions here: I think it's relief, love, pride, anticipation ... 

Drum Roll Please ... !

The surgery is complete and it ALL went very well!  Mom is so grateful for everyone's thoughts, prayers and well-wishes and appreciates your continuing them during his long, difficult recovery over the coming year.

We were all definitely getting restless as it got past 4:00pm even though we knew the surgery could go as late as 8:00pm.  When Dr. Goldsmith came out a few minutes after 5:00, we all jumped up to meet him halfway and his demeanor was so different from the morning meeting after the first phase of surgery. This time he was grinning ear to ear, clapped his hands together and said it's a "great correction!" I would be remiss if I left out this part: he also said that we are such a good-looking crew that it's nice to come out to see us and that Mike must really have a great time.  And FYI: Dr. G is very easy on the eyes himself.

Here are the details:

• It was a great "correction" - Dad's spine is now totally straight.  When he's up and moving around again, his musculature will still lean to the side, but over the coming months that will correct itself to match the straight spine.
• Dad's bone quality is good.
• Dr. G got such an unbelievably good opening during the front part of the surgery, that the back part was less complex.
• The neuro monitoring throughout surgery was normal.
• Dad lost about 900cc of blood and got about half of that back (through cleansing it and reintroducing it) so it's unlikely that he'll need a transfusion.
• Dad was very stable during surgery and is very stable now, so instead of going to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) tonight, he'll instead go to a monitored floor where Mom will spend the night with him.
• Dr. Goldsmith will check on him tomorrow before 7:00am. 

Dad was so weak and in so much pain this morning that it was excruciatingly difficult to send him into any surgery, let alone one as utterly complex and invasive as this one.  As you might imagine, there was some emotional breaking down after the wonderful news.  We are beyond relieved. We are overjoyed.

As I'm finishing this up, Heather noticed the beautiful sun setting on this day.

zzzzzzzzzz

I have an excellent panoramic photo of this but my sisters would be very unhappy with me if I post it, so try to envision one on the left curled up on her side asleep on a waiting room sofa and the other across the room asleep sitting up with her head propped against a wall. They were both up most/all of last night making final preparations with Mom & Dad. With her eyes closed, after I thought she was already asleep, Amy mumbled: "I'm gonna feel so guilty when Dr. Goldsmith comes out and I'm asleep while he has to be awake." Good thing is that he DID sleep last night :-)

Surgery Phase I Complete!

Dr. Goldsmith just updated us: the frontal surgery is complete. It was more complex than expected but Dad did great. The lower back portion went very well as expected; the upper back was very compressed with some "bizarre angles," but he was able to get a cage (rods, etc.) in there to open things up. 

Phase II of the surgery will begin after lunchtime. So far, so great!!

And we wait ...

Mom is enjoying Denise's beautiful blanket and we are all enjoying each other's company tremendously.

And he's off!

Dad is in surgery now! 

He was in tremendous pain going in and we all look forward to a new kind of pain (the pain of recovery) on the other side of this.

Our expectations for today are that we'll have an update from the surgeons by noon today when they finish up the frontal surgery and before they begin the back surgery. Then we'll expect the post-surgery update by 5:00pm.

We all really enjoyed the anesthesiologists - they both have very present, empathic countenances.

Mom is enjoying prayer blankets along with all the sweet messages we've all received this morning.

Go Dad!

Countdown is almost over

Grandaddy and Olivia just tore off the second-to-the-last loop in the countdown to surgery! And we discovered that she wrote messages in the last two rings: this one says "I love you" and tomorrow's says "Are you ok Grandaddy?"

Looking good

Dad's getting a haircut from Amy so he'll look super snazzy tomorrow :-)

Treasure from the past

The best gift EVER arrived from Uncle Johnny today: a golden four-leaf clover from their father's surgery many moons ago ...

Just the 5 of us

Despite the snow, Heather and Amy arrived from Austin today! It's so rare for just the five of us to be together - very special. 

Granddaughters!

"Nanny" & "Grandaddy" are overjoyed! The first generation of granddaughters will visit during Dad's convalescence. Ashley will visit Feb 5-8 & Brittany will visit Mar 11-13!

Overdoing it

Yesterday Dad spent 8 hours running cable for his new router. He did a meticulous job, removing all the shoe moulding so the cable is completely out of sight and the router is perfectly situated for the best reception. This involved a lot of maneuvering and laying on the floor and ... he woke up today with excruciating neck pain. That didn't stop him from bowling this morning but now he's on bed rest with ice and increased meds. The doctor says Dad can overdo it all he wants right up until he gets put on lockdown a week from Wednesday ...

St. M's sweetness

Look what the little ones made for Dad in Sunday school today at St. Margaret's. Sooo sweet.