First weekend at home

The weekend was busy! Josh had an appointment Saturday morning with the neuro doctor, it lasted until just after 2:30. They had him doing all sorts of tests to see how extensive his brain injuries are. We should get the results back sometime this week, they will determine how long it will be before he can go back to work and drive. I took him to lunch when he was done and by the time we got home he was wiped out. He said his tail bone hurt from sitting to long, he fell asleep not long after. That night we walked next door to the Mowers house,we had a good visit by the fire and had smores. It was good for Josh to take a walk and to have time to visit with great friends. On Sunday we got up and went to church. He asked the Bishop if he could talk for a minute so that he could tell everyone thank you for what they had done for us. The moment he stood up the tears started spilling out of my eyes, I just can't believe he has come so far so fast. He walked all the way up to the podium all by himself, it was good to hear him up there talking, he likes to. It was also good for him to be able to thank everyone. He had a hard time sitting on the bench the rest of the meeting, but he made it. I took him home to rest after and he had a few visitors. Today we got the kids off to school and headed over to the wound clinic. After he wanted to stop at work and say hi, and he didn't say it right off but I knew he wanted to see the video of the accident. Now that he knows what happened he said he didn't want to watch the video again. All I can say is wow! It was really weird watching it, he is blessed to be here. It has been said that angels did surround him, and I know they did, there is no other way he could have survived. Thank you again to everyone who was there and helped him that day, you are some of those angels. Much love, Denise

Wounds

Today was the first time I have seen Josh's wounds in two and a half weeks. They are looking really good, the ones on his back are healing so well. His lower back has new skin on it and the upper one is hardly even a hole anymore. His leg wound is also looking really good, it is still draining with the wound vac but is closing really nice. He is doing well, this morning he got up and got ready for his appointment by  himself. He is still adjusting but seems a little more relaxed today.

With Thanksgiving over it is time to start thinking about Christmas. I went out a picked up a couple of things during the Black Friday craziness, thanks Kim for venturing out with me. I am usually done with shopping and planning by now. Yesterday was the first day I have really thought about it at all. I really want to enjoy the holiday, with Josh being home with us all spending so much time together. I don't want to have stress about it, just take it as it comes and enjoy being together. Thanks to those still praying for Josh, it helps so much! Love to all, Denise

Happy Thanksgiving!

This morning I woke up next to my husband, so thankful for that! It is so good to have Josh home, he is happy to be here. He is also a little bit unsure of what to do with himself, he says he feels like he should be doing something but doesn't know what. I know he is a little overwhelmed, it will take a few days to adjust. With a little time and once our new schedule starts he will settle in and be fine. I think most of what he is feeling is just the unknown of what is to happen now. He kind of followed me around a little last night and didn't know what he wanted to do, we finally started a movie and that was good to take his mind off other things. He seems more content this morning.

It took me a long time to get his pills last night at the pharmacy, they had to figure out the insurance stuff. There were also like 10 different bottles of pills, I hope I can keep them all straight. I need to get one of those pill boxes. It has been a little overwhelming for me to, my responsibilities have increased. He can do a lot himself but I have to keep tabs on him and make sure he has the right pills at the right times and make sure he eats and keep him entertained. I don't want him to get down about all that he can't do still, now that he is at home. He is ok to have visits here at the house, please just call him to make sure he is up for it. He says he hasn't had many visitors this week and I know he enjoys them so keep them coming. I am so thankful this day that Josh is alive and that my family is together. I am also SO thankful for all of the help we have received from our family, friends, his company and mine, and even strangers. As hard as this has been it has been made easier to deal with by all the support we have received. I am happy this day, love to all, Denise

8 weeks

Josh is coming home today, he had his wound care appointment moved up and so he will be home this afternoon instead of this evening. It has been 8 weeks and 1 day since the accident, a long time. He is recovering fast really for the injuries he had. It will be nice for all of us to be in one place. He already has two appointments scheduled and we haven't even had a chance to set up anything for OT, PT, ST or wound care. I think we are going to be pretty busy. I hope we can set up some of them on the same day, I don't want to wear him out though. When I went in yesterday they had a paper setting on his tray, it was a contract saying he wouldn't drive. He said he didn't plan on driving but he didn't want to sign it because it stated he would have to take the driving part of his test again to get his privileges back. I don't know if he ever signed it. He also can't go back to work until they clear him, it is going to be awhile. He has got an appointment with the neuro doctor on Saturday for some in depth testing. This appointment will determine what will happen with work and driving. I can tell his head is getting better, he will get there. Well I had better finishing getting ready to go get him, I will write more soon, thanks everyone who has helped in anyway to get us to this point, love Denise

2 more days

Home inspection went really well, Josh did amazing. They had him do things in each room. Sit in his spot in the living room, get down on the floor and back up, lay in his bed, get things out of the bottom drawer in the fridge, get in and out of the shower, and he even went out to the shop! The only thing that we need to do is remove or get a new rug in the kitchen because it slips, and they are going to order him a shower chair. That's it! Who new that the showers already having handles and the showers having a removable sprayer would come in handy, thanks to the previous owner. Josh told me later that it was good to be home and that he wanted to stay here. His PT said that they would like to get a full day of therapy in on Tuesday and Wednesday. He will get a new wound vac on Wednesday, and then he will be ready to come home. Yay!

It is time, we are both ready for the next phase. Each time we have taken the next step it has been an adjustment for Josh and I don't expect this to be any different. I know he will get tired fast and that he may get overwhelmed with things at first. I told him he needs to tell me if he is needing a break or some quiet so that I can help him. He will do fine and in time he will be back to doing the things that he wants to do. I was told that he is not allowed to use power tools just yet though, and if he does want to go out to the shop he needs someone with him. One of the appointments in the near future will be to see the neuro doc for a more thorough evaluation, it is about a 4 hour test. He will do it now and again in one year to see what has changed. Most of what he has trouble with now is memory and problem solving, but he has improved in all areas already and I am sure that will continue. Even though it seems like forever, he has really progressed fast. We are super excited that he will be home soon! Thanks to my kids for helping me get the house ready and to everyone who's prayers have given Josh the strength he needs to get home. Much love, Denise

Inspection

I know it's just a home evaluation to see what Josh will need here at home, but for me it seems more like an inspection. Or maybe it's just that he is coming home soon and I want things to be nice and clean. I have been nesting all weekend! In between visits with Josh I have been scrubbing and washing and cleaning, my two older kids have helped out a lot. I spent some time with Josh this evening, I took him dinner and we had time to talk. I think he is excited to be able to come home, but a little nervous as am I. It has been a long time for him and he has had great nurses taking care of him. He has also been monitored every six or so hours. How will I know if his vitals are screwy? What if he misses his nurses because I am to busy with everything to get to him right away and there is no call button on our bed? What if I forget his meds? I so hope that he adjusts well, it will be so good to have our family back together. This will be another phase to adjust to, a good one.

Tomorrow is the inspection/evaluation and then he will go back to room 501 for another day or two until everything is ready for him to leave. They have to order a wound vac that he can take home. They will also want him to have the things in place that he will need at home, whatever they decide on tomorrow. Oh my and meds, I am sure we will have to pick up some prescriptions for him.  We will also have to set up his wound clinic, PT, and doctor appointments. We figured it out and he would really only have had about 2 or 3 more days of therapy if he were to have stayed until the 29th because of the holiday and the weekend, so it makes sense to have him come home sooner. Thank you to everyone who visited with Josh over the weekend, in person or on the phone. I know that it is good for him and good to know people care. Thanks again, love to all, Denise

Home for Thanksgiving!

Some how Josh has talked his therapist into letting him out earlier. They will bring Josh to the house on Monday morning to do a home evaluation. They need to see how he will function here and what type of equipment he will need. Then they said he could come home on Tuesday or Wednesday. I am excited for him to come home, I just hope he is ready. His therapists are really good so I am sure they will know if he is ready. Crazy how much things can change over night. He really is doing very well, they had him walking all over the place today. They even had him down in the OT room stepping in and out of the tub. It will be nice to have him home, finally!

I have spent much of my day cleaning so that the house will be ready for Monday, The kids have helped out a lot. I want to finish in the house tomorrow and do some yard word. I don't want Josh to feel like there are things he needs to do. I am thankful Josh has worked so hard and that he will be home soon! Again, thank you to everyone for all that has been done for our family, Love Denise

One day

Josh is tired of the food at the hospital, he sent me a text today before I left the house and asked if I would bring him some fries. I bought him a medium thinking he wouldn't eat them all and he ate every last one and said I should have got a bigger one. I am glad that he is eating again, and that it's more than just a few bites. At the meeting today they all said they were happy with Josh's progress and said that he is doing really well in all areas. It is funny the social worker said that he was still scheduled to release on the 29th and I said I thought it was the 30th and she said no it has always been the 29th. It is only one day but it's one day sooner that he will be home. I hope she didn't make a mistake because I already told Josh and I am going to hold her to it! That means that after the weekend he will only have just over a week, yay! I am still amazed at his attitude during therapy, even if he is criticized for something he takes it so well and keeps trying to get it right. He is stronger than he thinks he is.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is only a week away, it has come so very fast. I am thankful for Josh and his strength, for all of the blessings this trial has brought into our lives, for all of the people who love us, and for all of the people who have helped our family. There has most certainly been angels around us during this time. I am thankful that Josh is already making plans of things he wants to do when he gets out, if he ever does as he would say. I am sure it has been long for him even though he doesn't remember over half of it. He is doing really well, in the meeting today they said again what a miracle it is that he is even alive and that he has progressed so fast. I thank God for that, Love for all, Denise

On his own

Today as I watched Josh in PT he really seems like he is learning, he can pick out himself what he needs to change or do better in the movements he is working on. Today he walked all the way down the long hall way all on his own, he didn't hold on to anything. He has to concentrate as he is stepping and he walks with a bit of a shuffle, but it was so good to see him sailing right along on his own. He also did so well at his speech therapy she was having trouble finding things to challenge him. Tomorrow they will talk about how he is doing in their meeting. I don't know if they will change his date or not, they said they are pretty good at picking dates and don't usually change them, but he has progressed faster at everything else why not this too. Well see what they say, even if they keep it the same at least we get to take him for Thanksgiving dinner. It will be good for him to have a break and spend some time with family.

Things are crazy busy, I have been going to the hospital at least twice a day to spend time with Josh. I like to be home for dinner and putting the kids to bed so I try to visit earlier in the day once with just me and then later with a kid or two. His attitude has been great, it helps that he really likes all of this therapists. His personality has been shining through latley, it is nice to hear him teasing again. He is doing really well. Thank you everyone who continues to pray for him, much love, Denise

Cravings

I went in early this morning to spend some time with Josh. It was funny, I told him what time I would be there and he watched the clock thinking I might not be coming and I still had five minutes when I got there. He was in a good mood today. He had an appointment with the neuro doctors assistant. She did some testing with him and said he did really well, she said that within a year he would be back to what he was before as far as his brain goes. He did really well during PT also, he knows when he does something wrong and can correct it most the time. They want him to have certain body mechanics when he moves so he can learn good habits. He asked the therapist if there was anything that he can do on the weekends when he's not there, he said he would put together a list of things he can do. Josh said he didn't want to just sit there and rust. He is doing so good, he strength was better today and he really worked hard.

It has been a busy day! I went in to town three times today, twice to see Josh and once to the gym. When I went back this afternoon to see Josh I gave him a hair cut, it looks nice and will be easier for him to wash and take care of. Then after dinner I cut all of the boys hair, they look so cute. I am also working on cleaning out my garage so that I can get my shelves out of Josh's garage before he gets out. He will need the room to set up his drums, he talks about it being good therapy for him. I worry about him walking out to his shop in the rocks, I wish there was cement across that part of the driveway. I know there are going to be times he will need to go out and spend some time out there doing what ever it is he does. He will be used to a quiet hospital room and our house can get pretty noisy at times. I am just so glad he is motivated! He said he was craving Panda Express today so my dad is going to take him dinner tomorrow night from Panda. He also text me this evening and said he wants roll out cookies, I said I would get some to him soon. I am happy that his appetite is coming back. I just want to thank everyone for the continued support and love, love to all, Denise

Working hard

Today as I walked down the hall behind Josh as he was on his way to PT the therapist said that his motivation has been good today and that he has been doing really well. It is nice to sit in on his session so that I can get an idea how things are going. He is getting a lot stronger and he can do so much more than he could even a week ago. His body is still very weak and it is going to take a lot of time before he is back to where he used to be. It takes so much concentration for him to do movements that are just not a thought at all to you and me. They are teaching him the correct way to stand, sit and walk. He has to think about every body part and what it should be doing. There are even things that make it easier for him, like leaning forward to stand and keeping his feet flat on the floor. It is pretty interesting how the therapist can look at him and the way he is moving and know if it is going to make it harder for him before he even does it. Also today he had an appointment at the wound clinic, they said his leg is looking good and he most likely will not have to have surgery. He will however come home with the wound vac still on, it is going to take more time to heal.

It amazes me that people are still wanting to help our family, it has been so long. Some days it seems never ending. Josh has come a long way in a short time for all that he has been through. I know we still have a long road ahead, it just changes from one phase to the next. I am excited for this phase to be complete because at least after this he will be at home. He will be at home and going in to therapy a lot during the week. The kids and I went up this evening to take Josh some fresh clothes and his basket of gifts. Each gift has a note attached from one of us to help keep him focused on coming home and so that he knows that we love him. Thank you so much to everyone who continues to help my family, I hope that God does bless you all, much love, Denise

Sunday

Josh had a visitors off and on all day today, I think it is good for him. Ahlia and I took Rustie in to see him. She was pretty nervous but she was excited to see him, she sat with him for a little bit. Her nails are really long and sharp so she had to be careful around. He misses his dog, it was good for her to spend some time with him. I still can't believe that he is able to walk, he has come so far in a short period of time.
The kids and I have been working on our little gifts for Josh, I am excited to take them to him. We are going to go up for a visit tomorrow evening. I will be going up tomorrow in the afternoon to see what they have him doing in PT. If he keeps up the good attitude and works hard he may get to leave earlier than the 30th! That would be great! Thanks and love to all, Denise

Saturday Nov. 12th

I went to see Josh twice yesterday, he was in a good mood. He talked about his therapy in a positive way. He told me that he had walked by himself,  I could tell that he was excited about it. He was smiling yesterday when I left him the first time. When I went back I took some friends with me, we had a really good visit. He was joking and laughing, it was so good to see him in such a good mood. Right about the time we were getting ready to go he called the nurse because he needed to get up to the restroom. We stayed for a minute to see what he could do by himself. I was so amazed! He got to a sitting position all by himself, he pushed off the bed and stood all by himself and he walked to the bathroom with just a hand on the nurse. He did so good, I was super excited to see how strong he had become. He is working hard and I know it is really hard for him, I can't wait to see what the coming week will bring.

I had a great weekend with the girls at Time Out For Women. It was so good to have some girl time and to be spiritually fed. Even though there were some tears now and then I came away from there feeling good and uplifted. Thanks to everyone who went and for those who saved my seat so I could stay with Josh right up until it started. After visiting with Josh last night we went to the store a pick out some gifts for Josh. I only got about half of them. Most of them are just silly little things, I want to make him happy. I am going to have everyone help me wrap what we have so far today and write notes to go along with them. I will probably wait until tomorrow night to take all the kids to deliver them after I have picked up a few more things. Today I am going to take his dog over to see him, he misses her. Thanks to Kim and Justin for helping me shop for Josh last night, much love, Denise

Motivation

Josh is feeling a little better today, his energy level has been up. He has spent some time in the wound care clinic. He has an abscess inside the wound on his leg, they are trying to get rid of it with the wound vac, if it doesnt' work he will have to have surgery. When I went in today he was trying to refuse his PT, I told him he needed to get up and do it. His attitude was not very good at the beginning, he had a lot of complaining going on. He told the therapist that he was killing him and the therapist said no laying in that bed is what will kill you. We had a good talking to him and I told him that I need him home but that he can't come home until he is stronger. He did much better with the rest of his therapy after that. He is getting a lot stronger but he still has a long way to go.

I heard a story today about person who had a friend in the hospital and they had to be there for 15 days. The person took a gift for every day that their friend was there. I think that would be good for Josh to have a little something to look forward to, just something small. I want to involve the kids and have them write notes to put in for him to read each day. I want him to be positive and have motivation to do the work he needs to get home. I will be going in from now on to help him have a good attitude for his PT in the afternoons. If he works hard he will be able to come home at the end of the month. We need him home! Thanks to all my friends who have been there for me, I love you all, Denise

Drained

Today was really hard for Josh, they found that he was anemic this morning and so they decided he needed some blood. He called me because he was worried about getting it and I told him that he has had so much already that he didn't need to worry about it. They sent some of his blood to the lab and then had to fly his own special blood here from SLC, they checked his blood again with the new blood and they started the 6 hour process about 7:30 this evening. They said that he would feel much better tomorrow and have a lot more energy. He had a hard time doing his therapy today because of his low energy and he was kind of sad today. The date they picked for his release is November 30th, it will be close to that day give or take a few. It depends a lot on his motivation, the doctor said today that he needs to work on it. I know he wants to get home so I have tried to motivate him with telling him that if he does what they want him to do that he will get there sooner.

It was really hard to see Josh feeling so sad today, he wasn't even teasing like normal. He just kind of sat there. I wish there was something I could do to make him feel better. They have talked about me being there more to be apart of his PT. I will find out more tomorrow about what they want me to do. They want him to be able to take care of himself when they send him home, which is good. Today when I got there PT was working with him on getting to a sitting position when he is laying in bed. They know exactly what muscles it takes and what movement he needs to do to make it work for him. It is pretty cool to watch. Also they did a CT today and he does not have any internal bleeding that caused the loss of blood. They are not sure at this point what caused it but said they will be watching it very close. It may just be from before and his body trying to balance things out. So we are praying for a better day tomorrow so that he can continue with his PT and make some progress. Thanks everyone for keeping up on Josh and for your continued prayers, Love to all, Denise

Pushing

Josh is getting stronger each day, it is amazing to watch. He doesn't care to much for his new routine but I can see his improvement and it is exciting. Today he walked with some help from his room to the PT room! That is so great, he will be walking on his own in no time. He is busy from early morning until about 3:30, they won't even let visitors interrupt his schedule. So if you would like to stop in to say hi make sure it is not during the day time. He will have PT on Saturday for about half the day and then none on Sunday, so the weekend is better for visiting. He enjoys visits but he gets tired easy so don't be offended if he dozes off when your there, they have him working pretty hard. I think that pushing him at this point is helping him so much. He may not like it but it is so good for him. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow is when they will have there meeting about him to set a date for release, can't wait to see how that goes!

It is really hard not being there more for Josh like I have been all along. I miss him. It has been nice to spend a little time with my Mom before she heads back to SLC. I can go in more now but I don't want to get in the way at all. I would really like to see him doing some of his therapy. I know it is working because while I was there today he lifted his left arm up over his head, he couldn't do that 2 days ago. I want him home before Thanksgiving, so that is one of the things I am praying for now. I am grateful to the rehab here and all of the staff for taking such good care of my Josh. Loves, Denise

Day 1

Today has been busy for Josh, it was his first day in the new place. His schedule included wound care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Wound care said they would like to put a wound vac on his leg to help in drain. He has a pocket under the skin where the lymph fluid is collecting, nothing major but they need to keep in drained so it can heal. He said they worked him pretty hard in PT, he didn't feel like he could do all they asked him to do but he tried. At this point they are still trying to get to know him and they are going to push him so he may have some frustration. Josh told me the speech therapist said she was going to have to find something more challenging for him, which is good. When I arrived today the social worker was here asking him questions and she said that he will be amazed at what he can do by Friday. He wants to get home and he knows he has to work hard to get to that point, even through his frustration. He has been a little nauseated with being up and around more, hopefully that will get better soon. Over all it has been a good day, one day closer to home.

Today was a little  hard for me being away from Josh and wondering how he is doing. I sent him a few text messages to check on him. They said for the first few days it would be better if I wasn't there. I guess he needs to get used to his schedule and learn to do things on his own. I have been taking care of Josh so long it seems weird to do anything else. I know he will be home soon and I will be his sole care taker so I need to take this time to catch up on things. I cleaned the bathrooms this morning and I even put a load of laundry in before I came to be with Josh. His attitude was pretty good when I got here today. I hope that he can continue to be positive, it will help him so much. Thanks to my family who is still helping take care of my kids, much love, Denise

Monday November 8th

We woke up at 6 this morning, we got breakfast and started the wait to see if today would be the day to move back to St George. The morning was long and the social worker came in to say she was working on it and she would let us know. About 9:40 she came in and said they would be picking Josh up at 10:30, he was to go by ambulance. Josh really wanted to go but was a little nervous not knowing where he was going. I packed up the things in our room and went back to my mom's to get packed there and pick her and Asher up. We hurried so that we could catch up with the ambulance on the road. I talked to Josh several times, but we didn't meet up with them until Cedar City. He did really well on the ride down but he was really tired when we finally got settled in his new room. The new place is nice and their goal is to get him ready to come home. They have a schedule set up during the day that keeps him really busy. They have a dining room where he will eat all his meals. They have two physical therapy rooms and an occupational therapy room that is set up like an apartment. The OT room has all the things to help him to be able to cook and do laundry, get in and out of bed, anything he might need to do to take care of himself. He has a private room with a bathroom that has a shower in it. He was a little worried about the strictness of the new place, but I told him that this is what is going to get him home. I stayed with him for the rest of the evening and left around 10:30, they didn't want me to stay, nor did they have anywhere that I could sleep. It was hard leaving him, I have been with him day and night up until now. They also said they didn't want me to come in during therapy for a couple of days. They want him to get used to his new schedule and part of this is learning to be independent. I will go in as soon as he is done with his therapy for the day until Thursday, then I will go in and see what they are having him do. Also on Thursday they are going to have their meeting about him to set up a goal for a release date. I feel like he is going to do really well here and it won't be to long before he can come home and just do out patient therapy.
I am so happy to be home, I slept in my bed for the first time in 6 weeks. It is nice to be back with the kids. Taking care of Josh has been my life for the last 6 weeks, I will still be doing that but it looks like I will have a little more time to start doing the things I did before. I can't wait for the day he comes home. I want to thank everyone who has helped us in anyway to make it this far, he still has a ways to go but he is getting there faster than anyone can believe. The doctor that seen him last night said that he was surprised he was doing as well as he is after reading his chart. Looking forward to the day that we are all under the same roof again, Love Denise

Visits

This weekend has been full of visits with Josh and the kids. I have not been away from him this much since the accident. I am so happy that we were able to all be in the same room this weekend. I am thankful to Josh's family for spending time with him while I was away. Josh is  doing really well, he is talking better and he is able to transfer from the bed into the wheel chair with just a little help. We are hoping tomorrow is the day to go back to St George, we will find out in the morning. It will be nice to be back and a little closer to home.

It was hard to let the kids go today, I missed them the second the were out of sight. It has been a long weekend, I am excited for what this next week will bring. We are so close to bringing Josh home. Things are good. We are thankful for all that we have been blessed with, Love to all, Denise

Saturday October 5th

Something changed in Josh today. I don't know for sure how it came about. Was it the visits from the kids? He was so happy to see them and spend some time with them. Was it falling out of his chair and smacking his head on the floor? He was trying to get back to bed himself! Was it all of the visitors that he had? He loves to talk and visit with people he loves. Was it taking a break from PT and resting for a day? They came to get him but he had just had his fall and told them he wasn't going. I am not sure what it was, maybe it was a combination of all of it. The change was good, he was smiling, he was talking with a voice that sounded almost just like his own, he seemed more relaxed than I have seen him in 6 weeks, he didn't seem to have any confusion at least when I was there, he seemed like my Josh again. I am so happy with the progress he has made, I can't wait to see what this next phase of his recovery will bring.

I had a really good time with the kids yesterday, we started our day with a really good visit with Josh. We had lunch in the cafeteria and then went back to visit some more before we left. Josh had gone down to the gift shop for part of his therapy and he bought the kids each a treat, it was good for him to be able to give them each something that he had picked out just for them. We left the hospital and went to the Living Planet Aquarium, it was really fun. They had things from all over the world. They even had sting rays to pet. There were snakes, spiders, jellyfish, seahorses, starfish, an octopus and tons of different fish. We had a lot of fun, it was nice to spend time having fun with the kids. It was a good day.
 I was upset this morning when I got the call about Josh falling. His back was hurting and he wanted to get back into bed. He decided that he could do it on his own and lost his balance. He didn't have a goose egg, only a red mark above his eye for a little while. I told him not to do that again because if he was to really get hurt he would be in the hospital longer, and we really don't want that! I thank God for all that I have been blessed with this day and every day. I know he has been watching over us and has put such great people around us at this time. Much love, Denise

Friday November 4th

I didn't have access to Internet last night before bed so I didn't write. Yesterday was a good day for Josh, he was able to take a few steps at the bars. He did really well but he gets tired so very fast. He had a couple of good physical therapy sessions. He has decided to not go back to the mt dew so his new drink is blue Gatorade. He is eating a little better each day, he gets a little frustrated with me for asking him to eat more. He is ready to be moved from Promise Hospital, it's just a matter of getting the paper work done and deciding how they are going to get him back to St George. It sounds like it will be Monday or Tuesday. He needs to start his next phase in recovery.

Josh was super excited to see the kids, we didn't stay all that long when we had the little ones with us but I took the older two back up to say goodnight and visit a little more. Josh's family has been staying with him this weekend so that I can spend a little more time with the kids. It has been almost 6 weeks since I have even drove all my kids in the car or taken them to the store. We had a good night together but it still is not the same without Josh there with us. In back of my mind I know he is laying in the hospital and I can't stop thinking about it. I can't wait for things to be a little more simple, at home with everyone. It is snowing here in Salt Lake, one more reason to go back to St George! Thanks so much to everyone who has helped to make it possible for our little family be together this weekend and for me to be able to spend some time with the kids. Love to all, Denise

I miss.......

I thing Josh is homesick today, he said I miss my kids, my home, my dog, my shop, my ward, my friends, our St George family. All day he has talked about going home, he wants out of the hospital bad. He is doing really well, in fact they have said it is just about time for him to move on to the other rehab. They have not given us a day yet, I am sure they will be talking more about it tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if it were Monday or Tuesday, we'll see. PT has gone well today, he took a few steps at the bars  and rode the bike for a few minutes. He is not able to walk yet, but I guess he doesn't need to be walking before he leaves here..
I am super excited to finally be able to see the kids again, it has been  way to long. Josh is excited for them to come and because I told them they would bring his phone up, he will be happy to get it back. So just know that if he calls you there are still sometimes he is a little out of it. It is mostly when he is sleeping and gets woke up, once he is awake he does fine. Thanks so much to everyone who is involved in getting my kids here to see us, I makes me happy and I know that it will be so good for Josh. Until tomorrow, Love Denise

Tube free

All the tubes are gone! The only thing Josh is hooked to now is the monitors for his heart rate, oxygen level and respiratory rate. They are just those sticky things they put on your chest, I forgot what they are called. He is able to take his meds now by swallowing pills, they even put him on longer lasting pills so they don't have to wake him up at night. He is done with his respiratory treatments, they will only give him a breathing treatment if he needs it now, but he hasn't so far. He has worked really hard today and has been really tired. After his PT this morning he came back to lay down and as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out. He has been working on eating more, he gets full so fast. When we first met he was only eating one meal a day and even before the accident there would be times when he would only eat twice a day, if I didn't know about it. He gets a little frustrated with me because I try to get him to eat more. I usually let him eat what he wants and then after he waits a little I try a few more bites. He needs to be eating at least half of what they bring him and right now he is at about a fourth. He'll get there, I think his stomach just shrunk so much he needs to stretch it out some. He has impressed everyone here with the progress he has made so far, it looks like he will be ready to transfer really soon.

I was able to take a break from the hospital today about lunch time. I went to my mom's house to see my baby and my sister who is a massage therapist gave me a massage. It was so nice to lay there and relax and not think about anything. It was nice to have a little release, one more thing to help keep me going. While I was at my mom's house I was talking on the phone to my kids. Ahlia asked to talk to Asher and I put him on the phone with her. As soon as he heard her talking his bottom lip started quivering and he started to whimper and cry a little. Poor baby, he misses his brothers and sister so much, it broke my heart to see him respond that way.  I had no idea such a little soul could be so sensitive, he is the sweetest thing ever. I can't wait to see how happy he will be on Friday when he sees them. Oh how I want this time to speed up, it is going well and Josh is making great progress but it will be so good to be at home. I have forgotten what it feels like to sleep in a bed, I am sure it will be amazing when it finally happens. Today I want to thank my sister for giving me some time to relax and relieve some tension. Thank you also to my other sister for taking my oldest son to parent teachers and to my Dad and Shirley for taking Ahlia to get her braces fixed.Thanks to Josh for working so hard! Thanks for everything, much love, Denise

5 weeks

Wow! I can't believe it has been 5 weeks, it seems so unreal. It has been a long road so far and we have a ways to go yet. Josh is doing really well, I am impressed with his progress. Today the respiratory therapist said that he didn't need the oxygen any more. The only thing he still has to do as far as his breathing is the treatments every four hours, they said they will probably end soon too. Josh did really well today with the speech therapist, he said he has improved a ton since last Friday. He told us that he will keep working with Josh but that he doesn't really need to much anymore. Josh also had some intense wound care today. He has a couple of wounds on his back and then one really big one on the top of his leg that is very deep and still draining lymph fluids. Josh had a lot going on today, he was pretty wore out for his physical therapy, but still did really good. Things are moving right along, Josh is working hard and doing well.

 I am counting down the days until the kids come, I can't wait to see them. It will be good for Josh to see them too, he said he misses them. Josh had a lot of visitors today, it is good for him to spend the time talking and remembering things. Thanks everyone for everything, Love Denise