Mid January

Hi Everyone,

Brian here. Things are going well. Ruth is really good.

The biggest thing is that she has graduated from the wound-vac. This sponge-tube system has been emptying fluid from her hip/body ever since about two weeks after the accident. After some quick figuring, I would say it has removed over 16 quarts of fluid. Anyway, the output was waning and the nurse said the little "cave" (space between skin and tissue) is gone (big yay), so they took her off it last Friday. This means no more 4' hose and 3 lb. machine to go wherever she goes. That is very nice, and so is the news that the healing continues to go so well. The nurse loves how the sight looks (nurses love strange things, amen?). Now we have a multi-layered dressing that will be changed every two days that actually has silver as part of the inside layer to promote healing and kill bad stuff.

I realize there are some questions you may have that we haven't answered. Someone asked me today about Ruth's prognosis in terms of walking. Well, if we haven't said it, doctors think she'll be fine aside from some arthritis. She has used her platform walker some. It's pretty tiring for her, more in terms of lungs, heart and endurance than leg or arm pain. She still won't be able to put any weight on her right leg until mid-February, so any steps she takes are actually hops supported by her arms.

She is able to use our downstairs powder room now (we removed the door and frame to make room to get the wheelchair in the doorway) (and then, don't worry, we hung a curtain), she can transfer from chair to sofa by standing on her good leg, her appetite is great, skin looks good, sleeping well (last night was the first night she slept solidly all the way through without a potty break).

By the way, phone calls are fine and for those of you who are local, visits are fine. Call first so you don't stop by when she may be out or have a therapist here.

Prognosis for procedures: Now is the time for a skin graft on her hip, but Ruth is not at all sure she wants to go with one. She doesn't like the idea of another hospital stay (of course, being away from me is agony) or the month-long discomfort (feels like a bad itchy sunburn, they say) of the site where they would take the skin from. When pressed, the plastic surgeon said the skin should eventually grow back on its own, though it could take a year or so. Ruth, who has always been more evolutionary than revolutionary, likes the sound of that better. I like the quick fix, but we are, of course, letting her decide.

The orthopedic doctor at HUP who is still following up (who is incidentally one of the most impressive doctors we have ever met in terms of knowledge plus communications skills plus bedside manner plus familiarity with her case even though he's only seen her a few times over two months ago ... I could go on and on ...) says a hip replacement might be in her future. Some slight bone growth that doesn't look too good is developing. He'll keep his eye on it.

That's about it for the news from our house. Our dog (Rio) just about goes nuts when he gets some face time with Ruth. She was always a devoted mommy to him and he hasn't seen much of her since the accident (he is an outdoor/mud room dog, and she is mostly in the living room and her bedroom). He echoes our sentiments.

Again, praise be to God for his healing power and to all of you for your prayers and help. We are so grateful.

By the way, oh, I meant to get right back to you with this, but we are still very busy at home: remember in my last blog, I asked you to pray for my old coworkers? God answered your prayers before they were even prayed. I had dinner the next night with two friends from there. Two weeks earlier, the company had decided to keep this office open.

!!!

What is that Scripture in which God says, "Before you ask me, I will hear you?" Remarkable, and thank you for praying. This doesn't mean that all is well there, but at least it keeps any of those people from being desperately unemployed all of a sudden.

still grateful,
Brian for all of us.