To Prince George

I completely forgot to write the blog! I was so busy at work and planning the trip to Prince George that it passed right on by. Sorry!
Last week mom and Matt travelled to High Level to look at a toy trailers and Matt was seriously considering buying one. The back goes down into a ramp and the bed is on a hydraulic. So he can get inside easy with no modifications. He would really like to go camping this year and also have a place that he can go into, especially if mom and Matt decide to travel and visit and many houses are not wheelchair accessible.
Mom came with us to B.C. and we really picked a bad weekend. We left on Friday and by the time we hit the Icefield's it was snowing! And of course I had packed a lunch so we stopped when the snow and the wind slowed down, however it was still only 3 degrees. Poor mom was so cold she couldn't get her food in her mouth, her hands were shaking so bad. Our stay in Prince George was great but short. John, myself and the girls stayed at Patty and Dean's and mom stayed at Auntie Brenda and Uncle Bob's. We also visited with Cassie and Matt and Darryl for a bit. Matt was going to come with us, however he decided it was too long of a drive for such a short visit. We made him babysit the cat, even though poor airene was allergic. It had to stay in the garage most of the time. Airene was a trooper and stayed with Matt the whole weekend. They couldn't even go outside until Sunday, the weather was so cold. On Sunday, Jacki, Gary and the kids along with Nolan and Erin travelled to Red Deer to visit their lonely brother and ordered in pizza and wings and played hand and foot. Matt was very sad the Canadians lost, even if he felt it was inevitable.
John and I have a new version of the song "the cat came back the very next day" and we have changed it to "the bat came back". So far this spring we have had 4 bats in the house. Let's just say, John and I are not fans of the little critters, no matter how many insects they eat!! We are now sleeping with the vents covered with duct tape, tennis rackets in our hands while we sleep, and mosquito netting over the bed. We may buy a camper just so we can sleep in it at night to get a good nights rest. We are also getting a contractor to put up a 20 foot pole to put out our "bat house" so they will hopefully enjoy it's comforts as opposed to our house. I may like visitors but I draw the line at bats!

Snow Gone, Still Cold

We went for a 5km walk with the girls today and the wind is still so bitter. Last night it dropped down to -8 and the frost was heavy on the ground. I know many farmers here had put in some spring seeding prior to the snow, but I think the idea was too premature. However, the early bird does get the worm!
Last weekend was busy. Jacki and Gary were playing in a volleyball tournament in Olds and mom had all three munchkins. I picked up Amy and Bobby Saturday for some time at the acreage, and also on Sunday after church. Our neighbor's kids came over and Bobby loved having a boy to play with, instead of all the girls. Anthony is crawling everywhere and very proud of himself. I know he is my nephew and I am bias, but he is so stinking cute! He has that look on his face that he knows something that you don't. He loves crawling up to Uncle Matt's wheelchair and pull himself up. Anthony then stands there looking at Uncle Matt with that "I know something" look and it is hilarious.
The whole gang came on Sunday for steaks and we were able to sit outside for awhile, but it was chilly. Mom and John went for a walk and Matt and I watched some hockey. He was so embarrassed when I asked who was playing. So much for the little brother looking up to the older sister with admiration! That dies when they are still young!
Mom and Matt are coming for supper tonight (homemade pizza) and hopefully for a few games of cards.
Mom said Matt is getting stronger on the transfers for the bed to the chair. He can almost do it himself, so that is great. She has to set everything up for him of course and make sure he doesn't fall. He is still doing his own "personal care" every three to four hours and that helps him feel more independent.
Matt and mom both went to the dentist and mom is horrified to learn she needs a root canal. She knew it was coming but if you never visit a dentist, then nothing is wrong... right? Matt's teeth are great however they did order him another bite guard because since the accident he still grinds his teeth at night.
Oh I almost forgot the most important. I finally convinced Matt to go to the movies with me and the girls last Friday. Mom came too and we watched "How to Train Your Dragon" in 3D. It was fantastic! I did get nauseated during some of the flying scenes and felt like the water was coming right at me. The girls loved it too. Matt was being a grouchy old bear before it started, but once it was on he loved it too.
Hope everyone has great weekend (or what is left of it).

Spring Storm

I was so grateful for the rain yesterday. It has been so dry and dusty. The rain started to turn everything green and it was feeling very spring like. However, last evening watching the white stuff come down was bittersweet. As i look out my window now, it continues to snow and all the green grass is covered. I am just thankful we are not Calgary. They are literally getting dumped on and highway 2 by Airdrie was closed. Buses are shut down due to icy conditions and it looks like there is no end in sight today. Old man winter is not giving up without a fight!
Mom and Matt had a quiet weekend. I was away to Radium Hot Springs with some girlfriends of mine and John was watching the girls. Mom only had to babysit part of the evening on Saturday. I arrived back Sunday evening and stopped at mom's house. i had to tease her because she was still in her pyjama's!
It has been a busy week for me but a quiet week for Matt. Jonmarie received the Terrific Kid award at her school. I took videos and she couldn't stop smiling. Mom took Matt for his bath in Innisfail yesterday and I am taking him for a haircut today. I hope the roads improve. Tonight Matt and Mom are babysitting the kids because John and I are going to a fundraiser for Shaunie's school. It is called the Evening of Decadent Dessert's and it is so much fun. Shaunie's class made art work and they put it together and then auction it off. Last year they had hand prints on a quilt and it went for $4000. It is then donated back to the Center to hang on the wall. Can't wait to see what it will go for this year.
Matt's back is starting to clear up somewhat, however the scarring is really bad. We are hoping to do some treatments at the spa but it is difficult because I am always working and can't go and pick him up. Trying to convince him to come in the Handi Van but he is so stubborn!! He wants either myself or mom to drive him. Just like a man. Dad is hoping to come sometime in May so maybe he can drive Matt. He hasn't heard his test results yet but should in the next week.

Visitors

The weather has sure warmed up with a high of 23 yesterday. The wind consistently blows so that creates a bit of a hassle because it is so dry. Dust everywhere. This weekend it will again become cold with a high of 3 degrees.
We enjoyed a surprise visit from Uncle Bob and Auntie Brenda. They had been in Swift Current for a memorial service for Uncle Bob's late brother and decided to go back to Prince George via Red Deer. yesterday we took the kids to the park and Shaunie loves to ride on Uncle Matt's lap because "I'm tired, legs not working". John and I took Auntie and uncle, mom and Matt for supper at Tony Roma's for wing night and had a great time. The waitresses were laughing because our group keeps getting bigger and bigger. Friends of ours from Red Deer also joined us so there was eight people.
Matt has been feeling under the weather suffering from sinus congestion which has really run him down but Matt is starting to feel better. It started when they were in Calgary over the weekend and kept getting worse. However Matt still went to watch Jacki play volleyball and have a rousing game of Risk with Gary and his friends. Nolan was there as well.
This weekend I am going with friends to Radium Hot Springs and very happy to have a break for a few days. John is going to be watching the girls with Grandma on standby! This week I was so busy with work related issues that the girls stayed at grandma's for 2 nights! Sure miss them when they are not sleeping in there own bed but they didn't seem to mind. they love being at Grandma's house.
Prayers for dad as he is right now in Saskatoon having a carotid ultrasound ans is a little worried about the possible results. It is a very non-invasive procedure so no pain associated with it. Dad probably won't hear about the results for a few weeks.

Arrived back to Red Deer Safely

Well the troop arrived back in Red Deer Sunday evening just in time for mom to start work today. I was surprised to hear her say she did miss working at the school and the staff members sure missed all the work she does! Jonmarie was ecstatic and every time she saw Grandma she ran up and gave her a big kiss. Mom said there were days prior to the holidays that she wouldn't even see Jonmarie but today it was over 20 times!!
I think Matt is happy to be back but you could hear in his voice he missed Weekes terribly. He loved going uptown to play cards and chat with the men, and Tony Roma's wings hold nothing to the Weekes bar's hot wings!! I think the familiarity of it all is very comforting to Matt and he gets lonesome for his friends. While in Red Deer he is closer to family but it is not the same. I think time will tell if they decide to make Red Deer permanent (mom still has her Sask plates on her truck!).
Prior to leaving Mom and some of the Aunties went to a mini ladies retreat at the church. Mom said the speaker was very good and became legally blind from a genetic condition at 11 years old. I always thought I could handle losing my hearing (some days I pretend I do!) but losing my vision would be so difficult. God gives us all different burdens to bear and with His guidance we can truly see the path to ease those burdens.
Thanks for all those who could stop in to visit and say a quick hello. I believe the plan for the summer is to go home for 2 months. However I know they are trying to get in touch with the "Project Walk" in Regina. They heard about it through the grapevine and would love to have a chance to see what it is all about. They have tried to email but have no response as of yet. On the website there was no other contact so pray that if Matt and mom are meant to go, it will work out.

Having a Great Time

It was a busy week for the folks in Weekes. During the week, Jacki took the kids to Deb and Rod's to see baby calves, which Bobby just loved. I think he wants to be a farmer, just don't tell Gary! They also went to visit a school chum of mine, Twyla Pugh and got to see baby calves. However Bobby was more excited to have a friend to play with . Twyla had her 4 year old boy and 2 1/2 month baby.
Bradon Kipling has been a Godsend. He took Matt uptown and keeps him company while mom was working for a few days. I believe he was a better driver than Jacki, who has forgotten how to drive in the Saskatchewan mud. She took Matt to the Weekes Hotel for wing night and got stuck with Esmeralda (the van) in the mud. Matt thought it was hilarious until him and Bradon took a tour of the farm and got stuck with his wheelcahir! Thank goodness Bradon has got some muscle so he could push him out. However mom is still mad about all the mud in the house. It will be stuck in his wheels for weeks! Still getting mom mad hey Matt?
Last night they stayed up quite late visiting with Aunty Karen and Uncle Neil. Dad, Neil, Matt and Jacki played 6 hands of hand and foot. Aunty Karen and mom played Wii however mom states she was so good they wouldn't let her play. However, I believe that she was so bad the game wouldn't let her play anymore! Everyone was laughing so hard at her.
Jacki and the kids are on their way home right now and pray everything goes okay. They looked for Easter candy this morning so they could be nice and wound up for the trip. The grandparents were so excited to see Anthony crawling all over the place, getting into all kinds of mischief.
Wishing everyone a happy Easter and safe journeys for all who are travelling.

Home for Awhile

Mom and Matt made it okay to Weekes. The weather was great. Mom said the trip went really well and they are glad they kept the winter tires on, because there is still lots of snow in the yard. Mom said that dad has gained 20 lbs, which is still underwieght for him however we will take it! He is looking much better. I found out that he had a episode a few weeks ago and Dr Pieterse feels dad needs a carotid ultraound to see if there is a blockage in his carotid arteries (feeds the brain blood). The appt is for April 22 in Saskatoon .
A big thanks to Bob Lindenback for making a ramp in the house for Matt. Mom just has to paint it. It is so much better than the metal one, and Matt doesn't have to change his chair setting (he can go straight into the house without having to stop and re adjust his chair settings).
Mom, Aunty Karen, and Aunty Sandy are planning on attending the Weekes Ladies retreat on the weekend. Have fun ladies! Also they are going to celebrate Aunty Margaret's birthday Friday night before they (Terry and Aunty Margaret)leave on a trip to Mexico.
Bobby and Amy are really enjoying the farm and they found the mud puddle that we used to play in when we were kids. They think Grandpa looks so 'silly" because he has a Grizzly Adams style beard.
Matt is looking forward to wing night with some friends and going uptown for crib and coffee.
Hope everyone is planning to spend some time with family this Easter holiday and remember what the holiday means (it just isn't all about the food and chocolate!).

Winter Snowfall

Winter just doesn't want to let go. Had quite a bit of snow fall last night and more than a few accidents this morning. The roads were quite icy. However it will soon melt with the +5 weather we are having right now.
Matt is again on antibiotics for we are not sure what. His bloodwork showed a very high white blood count so that is why he hasn't been feeling well last week. It may be a urinary tract infection again, however once he takes the meds we will see if they are the right antibiotics for whatever ails him.
Matt and mom still had a good time in Calgary. Gary arranged a game of Risk with some of the other people living in their crescent and Matt lost again by the smallest of margins. Too bad for you Matt.
Mom and Matt are already packing to leave for Saskatchewan for 2 weeks on Saturday. I am already having a panic attack thinking about it. No one to babysit! Jacki and the kids are taking their own vehicle and going as well. I think dad will be happy to see everyone. He had went to see Dr. Pieterse (I can't remember how to spell it!)and found out he had bursitis in his hip, which the Dr. gave him a shot of cortisone which really helped.
Hope everyone is having a great week and Matt is hoping to see some familiar faces while in Weekes.

Spring is in the Air!

I am sitting in front of the computer with the sun shining in the window and it is warm! I may even have to close the blinds. Or maybe not! Of course when the weather warms up, even though there is still snow on the ground, the flies are waking up and making their appearance known. Jonmarie would not go to the washroom until I killed all the flies (there was 8). You take the good with the bad.
On March 14th, Matt and mom came for a barbecue, hamburgers and hotdogs and we sat outside on the deck. It was so nice we had to put up the umbrella because the sun was so bright. We had live entertainment (Jonmarie on the ukulele and Shaunie on the harmonica). I have no idea what they were playing but they were wonderfully received by the audience. Rosco (the dog) added her accompaniment with a few howls.
I noticed Matt starting to talk about school again, which is great. This week he went and seen Dr. Myburgh for some medication changes, went for a dentist appt (teeth are great)and some shopping at the mall, and today they are in Calgary visiting with everyone there. Matt told me he was getting cabin fever, which is great motivation to go and do something. He hasn't been feeling that great, having a temperature in the middle of the night for 2 days running but seems to perk up about mid day. He went a got some bloodwork done at the hospital so hopefully it is something minor that will clear up on its own.
Matt's been checking on some travel trailers because he wants to do some camping this year. Those trailers made for bringing your quads(cute play on words) or ATV's are perfect. They have a ramp to get your machine into the trailer and the bed is on hydraulics to raise or lower them when the ATV is in the trailer or when you move it out and it is time for bed. Now that the weather is nice, we may go and check out a few.
Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's day. Next up, Easter!

Matt's First Conference

I have been bugging Matt to go a do something for the last year and I think he was finally tired of listening to me harp at him he finally relented. The paraplegic Society was having a two day course on living an fruitful life. It was 2 full days, Tuesday and Wednesday. Nolan came from Calgary on Sunday night so was able to take Matt both days. The first day was hard because Matt was not used to getting up so early and it was hard to stay focused. However Monday night he was so tired that he slept really well and Wednesday was much better.
I asked what it was about and the speaker asked each person of one thing they would change about themselves. Of course all the attendees were in wheelchairs or had other disabilities and most said they would love to be walking or back to their normal self. The speaker then asked if it was actually something they could change and all replied no. He then asked why they would focus so much on something they couldn't change anyway and start re-focusing on something they could actually change. To illustrate, he showed them a video with two teams with 3 players on each team. One team was dressed in black and one team was dressed in white. Each team had a basketball and you had to count how many passed the white team makes. To make it even more difficult, the teams keep moving. At the end of the video, the question it asked is "did you see the gorilla?" Apparently a gorilla had walked with the group and not one of the attendees had seen it. It was showing you how you can focus so much on one thing that you miss other opportunities right in front of your nose.
Matt said it was really good and meet some new people, so that was great.
We are trying to encourage him to socialize more, however after he saw what happened to the fellow in the wheelchair in Australia, Matt gets worried all over again. For those of you who didn't see it, a guy from Canada is in a wheelchair and was visiting in Australia. He was going to catch the train when two teenagers came up to him and started to beat him with fists, a metal bar, and then he fell over out of his chair and they started to kick him. They apparently didn't steal anything and the Canadian is in critical condition from serious head injuries. The world is made up of all kinds and Matt does get worried about being unable to defend himself. Pray that Matt will try and look past those that will do him harm and see the good in people, that the majority would only try and be helpful.

Happy Gold Birthday Matt!!

What could be better than a gold medal on your birthday? Matt was so pumped. We were at Jacki's for Amy and Matt's birthday party and were watching the game with some of the parents of the kids who attended. Poor Amy had a very disorganized party, as we opened presents and had cake during the intermission and then after that they were on their own! If any kid came in front of the TV, you could hear the yelling to move from the street. I could hardly watch the final period and when USA scored, their was a definite sick feeling throughout the room. The sudden death overtime was too much for me to handle and I sat watching while reading (or looking) at the paper but still listening. When Crosby actually scored, the paper went flying, the cheers went up, and Anthony got such a fright he screamed for 10 minutes!
I also got Matt some scratch and win tickets (Jacki picked them out) and Matt won $100 on one ticket. He said it was the best birthday ever. The only damper is Dad and Nolan were in Saskatchewan, but phoned him as soon as the goal went in the net. I hope everyone was able to watch as Canada won the most Gold medals in a winter Olympics EVER!!Congrats to all our athletes.

Congratulations

Congrats go out to Michelle on the birth of her twins. Deb, if you could tell us what the weights were and everything, that would be great. I heard they were over 6 lbs each but don't know for sure.
The weather has certainly warmed up and the sun, when it shines, actually feels like it is working! Shanie and I went for a walk yesterday and it was -10. I hadn't dressed appropriately so when we came to a open spot, i stood in the rays of the sun and it was so great to feel the heat! Spring is in the air, although I won't get my hopes up too much, winter always has a hard time saying goodbye and usually gives us one more Hooray (snow storm) before it leaves. There is some clear patches on the ground and the roads are relatively clear of ice and snow, except on the roads less travelled.
Matt has been watching the Olympics, as are many people, and he keeps me informed of all the happenings. I try to watch when I can, however Jonmarie said a funny thing yesterday. we have a rule in the house there is no TV watching during the week. So when she comes home yesterday and sees the TV on, she said that she would like to watch a movie. I again explained the rules, however I forgot the TV was on the Olympic station at that time. she said if the rules apply to her they should apply to me. Hard to argue with that reasoning, but I did answer back and a typical mother was, "When you start paying rent, then you can watch TV too!" Not my most brilliant comeback.
Matt, mom, John and I went to Tony Roma's on Wednesday for wings. it was so crowded in the the lounge area because of the men's hockey that we had to sit in hte dining room. It was easy to know what was happening though. Every time we heard a loud cheer, we knew Canada had scored and when there was a loud Booo, the Russian team had scored. However when the game was over and they was still cheering, i was sent to check out what was happening and that is when Canada got 2 medals in the bobsled racing. Very exciting. An interesting thing happened when we were about to leave. One of the waitresses Bradie, who we have seen since we started going to the restaurant ran over to our table and started to chat. She asked if we remembered when Matt had accidentally left his oiler cup holder there over 8 months ago. We had tried to find him a replacement but they are scarce or we are just not looking in the right stores. Well, Bradie said they had actually found it but when she had seen us a month later, she went to go get it and it was gone. It must have bothered her alot because when she went home to Manitoba over the Christmas holidays, she looked and found one in Fields store and bought it for Matt. She had it in her car for 2 months waiting for him to come back in the evening (we had started going in the day) so she could give it to him. We could hardly believe she remembered and then had taken the time to go and try to find another one. Matt was so happy because without his cup holder, he can't lift hot/cold drinks because his hand spasms and was always having to ask someone to test the glass. It just goes to show you never know who's life you may end up affecting. It sure made Matt's day!

Great Weekend with Auntie Karen

What a busy week we just had. Jonmarie had production week at her school. The whole school is involved in the play and mom was working late every night, helping behind the scenes, making sure the kids were where they were supposed to be, helping with the props, etc. Auntie Karen flew into to Calgary and stayed the night with Jacki. Jacki wasn't sure how to get Auntie Karen from the airport to her house because the flight was late in the evening and Gary was in Newfoundland for his Auntie's funeral (sorry to hear of her passing Gary). So Jacki asked Nolan to watch the kids. When he found out the time, he just laughed. Apparently his new girlfriend from Melfort was flying in on the same flight! So he just picked up both of them at the airport. Auntie Karen knew that Nolan's girlfriend was going to be on the flight, so prior to boarding, she was asking people if their name was Erin! When she went to sit down, she overheard a young lady talking on her cell phone and was almost certain she heard Nolan's voice on the other end and this girl's reply "Wouldn't it be funny if we sat together?" Once she was off the phone, Auntie leaned over and asked "Erin?" and the girl replied "Karen?" Very funny story.
Jacki drove Auntie as far as Olds and then I picked her up to bring her the rest of the way to Red Deer. Poor Auntie, she has some great stories to tell about her time with us, losing Bobby at the zoo, trying to keep up with our busy schedule, forgetting the tickets to the production, the list goes on and on. You must ask her about it at the reunion. She said when they had visited Patti and Dean's, the chaos wasn't much different. Mom's with their kids is multi tasking to the extreme. They should actually make it an Olympic sport!
On Sunday, mom and Auntie went to see Aunt Eveyln and Uncle Hughie in Edmonton and Jonmarie, Shaunie and I babysat Matt. It was great to get to watch the Olympics together. However Matt has this new app on his cell phone. It converts English into Afrikaans. He is driving me crazy with it. He enters "Shelley has a big...." and then it replies in Afrikaans. It sounds like a cyborg version though and some of the words are way off.
Matt still has some off days, but thank goodness no more episodes like 2 weeks ago. I took for wings last week and they were the best we had ever had! Maybe it was because we hadn't been there for so long, but they were goooood! I think tonight we may partake in wing night again. Tony Roma's here we come!

Autonomic Dysreflexia

Well Matt had an interesting spell 2 days ago, which hasn't happened to him since leaving the hospital 2 years ago. He was with Cecilia and was using the 'facilities" when he felt the back of his head explode and started losing his vision. It didn't literally however that is the way he described the intense, immediate headache he experienced and knew he was in trouble. It is called autonomic dysreflexia (hope I spelled it right) and it is a condition many quads and paraplegics suffer from and can be fatal. It is when something bothers the autonomic nervous system and because of their condition, the body responds incorrectly because it doesn't have the same regulatory response that we have due to the spinal injury. It can be anything from a crinkle in his shirt pushing on his skin, to his shoes too tight. So Matt's blood pressure was shooting through the roof and if they didn't do something to correct it, the consequences could be deadly. Matt had experienced it once before while in City Hospital and they told him if it ever happened, to catheterize immediately. Cecilia had just done this prior to the incident however Matt was alert enough to tell her to do it again. The drained off 1200 mls of urine. Any one in the health profession knows that is alot for a bladder to hold. Immediately the headache was reduced to a dull throb and his vision returned. Scared everyone though. Thank goodness Matt knows his body well enough and remembered what they had told him at the hospital. What is worring him know is the same thing happening again. Matt has always been able to feel when he has to use the washroom, but this time he didn't feel a thing. So they have contacted Dr. Maclean to see if she knows why it has happened now.
Hopefully it was a one time thing to keep us on our toes and won't ever happen again. We were just thinking of Matt being able to stay by himself for an hour a day, however I think we will reconsider that decision!
Thank you Lord for continuing to watch over Matthew and help us to be constantly grateful for what we have.

Keeping Busy

Well the weather was great for awhile but has turned cold again. However we didn't get dumped on like Saskatchewan and Manitoba. We were treated to the thickest frost I had ever seen. Took some pictures of the girls shaking the trees and letting the frost fall on them. It has been an adjustment getting back into the swing of things, and my palm treo phone with calendar has become my best friend again.
Matt is keeping busy with his exercises and looks so much stronger. His acne has really come along way and I hope we can start doing laser treatments for the scarring. He is going to the Red Deer College in February to sign up for classes. I think he is leaning towards history for now. They are also signing up for the handi bus. When he lived out here the bus wouldn't come for him but now that he is in the city he arranges for transport at a minimal cost. Matt can't just phone them on the spur of the moment however he books a week or so ahead of time and then he has more freedom to travel. Dad left back to Sask. last week so Matt is dependent on a hired driver or myself again.
Today they are going to Fabricland to pick out material for his pants. A lady mom knows will sew some pants for him with velcro in the front so he has an easier time with self catheterization. Then off for his bath in Innisfail. We still haven't arranged for anything in Red Deer yet, and the sliding tub chair they tried out was again too short for Matt's height.
Jonmarie and Shaunie love to go to Matt's house when I work after school to play Wii. There is a no TV rule at our house during the week and they get spoiled when the go to Uncle Matt's!
Grandma is enjoying more extra curricular activities and has been going for supper with some of the ladies from school. It is like trying to pull teeth for her to do something for herself. Tonight she is booked for a massage and then supper again, and she keeps thinking she should cancel because I will have to go a watch Matt and take him with me to Jonmarie's swimming lesson. Like she doesn't help me at the drop of a hat!
I think Auntie Karen is coming in the middle of February to visit and I booked them for pedicures at the spa for the Friday. Nice treat when the winter blues are getting you down. So remember, if family comes and visit I will treat you so let that be an incentive to come down! We have an extra room again and so does mom.

Safely Returned

Has it really been since Dec. 21st since I wrote? Terrible. However I have a very good excuse. It was difficult for me to get online. The connection was poor while we were on holidays and when we arrived in Cape Town in the New Year, we were so busy.
But we arrived safe and sound on Wednesday January 13th. The "sound" part is not exactly accurate after 21 hours of flying. Thank goodness for the one day stop over in Amsterdam. We may have arrived back in Canada minus two children!! Jacki and the kids met us at the airport because Grandma was late. Matt had a meeting with Dr. Mclean and it was longer than they expected. But the kids were so happy to see each other and we spent the time waiting at the new play center in the Calgary airport. It was awesome, the best in all the airports we have seen. If anyone is flying, make sure you check it out. There were adults in there too!! But it didn't compare to when Grandma came to pick us up. Shaunie couldn't quit hugging her and Jonmarie didn't quit talking the whole way back to red Deer.
Matt, dad, Cecilia and Airene, and Grandma came for supper last night and the girls were so excited to show everyone the presents they had brought from Africa and John was just as excited to show the videos/pictures. Matt is looking so good. His acne has really cleared up and he is still as handsome as ever. They had been busy over the holiday season, making a trip to Calgary to spend with Jacki, Gary and the kids and Nolan. They also made a trip to Weekes, but we were so busy talking about his latest appts that I forgot to ask how it went! Will update on that later.
Monday they went to Edmonton to meet with the rehab nurse. She showed Matt how to self-catheterize himself. It lets him be more self sufficient and now he can travel by himself more, such as to the mall or the college and be able to use the washroom without having someone to help him all the time. Prior to this, someone always had to be near by in case he needed to go to the washroom. He still has some trouble and needs help with setting up, but with more practice he should be able to be completely self sufficient. Hooray! He will have further appts with her re: other things, however that is not in the near future.
The meeting with Dr. McLean was on Wednesday and went over well. She discussed the MRI and it has not changed since the previous one last year. So she will send it to Dr. Guthrie to see what he has to say. He spasms have improved a bit since decreasing the Accutane dose, however they are still bothersome so she increased his anti-spasm meds. Matt strength and movement are slowly coming back so we think the Accutane was inhibiting that as well. His standing exercises have improved, however they are still not to where they were a year ago. But it will get there, now that he has more room in his new house to do exercises. I forgot to mention they have moved into the new house in town and it is great! Matt is able to get into the washroom and do self catheters in privacy. They are going to order a special bath chair so he can use the shower. That will rally save on the trips to Innisfail for baths. Matt is also excited to be able to phone for take away when Mom is not at home and again can be on his own more. I am very excited about the possibilities and thank God that He has been so wonderful to our family. Thank you to all who still continue to read the blog after 2 1/2 years and have followed Matt's journey through some very difficult times and still see him as the same lovable, funny guy he was prior to the accident. I will sure miss going downstairs and seeing him sitting there watching TV. And it is already difficult without mom, because now I have to take Jonmarie to school in the morning. I think that Jonmarie will be spending some nights at Grandmas and and also go home with her after school. So it will all work out, it will just take some juggling.
Happy belated Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

News from Dr.Guthrie

Spoke with mom and Matt this morning, it was actually Sunday night in Alberta. Matt talked to Dr. Guthrie last week and the bladder test showed no abnormalities, which was what we had expected. However Dr. Guthrie reviewed the MRI of Matt's neck and was concerned over the sac or pocket that surrounds his spinal cord where the injury occurred. He feels it may be impinging on the spinal cord and causing some pressure, which could have a correlation why Matt has regressed with movement and the spasms. By now the spasms should have subsided and be almost non-existent. And the bridging and standing should be going better not worse. Matt is scheduled to have another MRI Jan. 7th and they will see if it is getting worse or staying the same. Matt will then have to decide if another surgery is the best option, however he is very concerned about having the ventilator in again and battling the same problems as before. I can't say I blame him for that. Such traumatic experience (and painful)is difficult to put behind you. Please pray that God will direct Matt in what decision to make, as it will be his alone. We may all think we know what is best, but only He can predict the future.
They went shopping now that school is closed and got all their Christmas shopping done. The weather has turned almost balmy, up to -3 the other day. Thank goodness for them. Hope everyone else is doing some last minute shopping and getting down to the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The girls are so excited about Christmas, however it isn't quite the same. Even though I don't like the cold, I will always consider a white Christmas the best.

Sunny South Africa

Well we made it and it actually went well. Shaunie loved being in the plane and didn't experience any trouble with her ears, which I was quite worried. I gave her Dimetapp and Tylenol with a decongestant before hand and seemed to work well. We are now in Arch Rock near Plettenburg Bay on the Garden Route and it has been fascinating for the girls to watch the dolphins play in the surf, which we can see from our balcony. I had trouble sleeping the first few nights because the surf sounds like a blizzard storm. We chatted with Matt and mom on Skype the other night (day for us) and we had the video so they could see the scenery. All was quite on their end and I asked if they were still there. Matt's voice came up saying quietly "I hate you". I do believe the -35 without the wind was causing him to be a little bitter. Bitterly cold that is! It seems since we left, everything is acting up. Within a few days the furnace quit and the satellite downstairs is not working. The snow keeps blowing and dad is having a hard time keeping up with the snow removal. I think they are definitely wishing they were here.
We have been having a great time, however having some problems with Shaunie. 2 really bad days in a row. I think the change of diet, lack of routine and missing her house are a few of the problems. Let us just say, our trip to Monkeyland to see the monkeys in their natural habitat was not the best thing for her to do. So we may try some medications, just to see if it helps.
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. Hopefully I will be able to get to another place with Internet access and update some more.

Winter Storm

Well, Alberta is sending us to sunny South Africa with a major winter storm. Just so we don't miss it too much. No only is visibility almost nil, it is bringing in a cold front with a high of minus -20. Don't laugh, people from Saskatchewan, I am sure you will get it next!
I have packed,re-packed, packed that now I don't know what I am taking! John of course has not packed a thing, he hasn't bought the Christmas presents he was supposed to. Shaunie knows something is going on. She is not sleeping at night again, very teary and emotional over everything (she forgot her bunny at school, what a commotion that was, grandma had to go and get it after she was done school). I think she believes we are going to leave her here and go without her. She worries when we are not at home, especially if all 3 of us are gone and she is only home with Grandma and Matt.
Matt seems to have perked up a bit, now that his acne is improving. Don't get me wrong, it still isn't great but at least he can lay on the floor again and do his exercises. Starting to again do his standing exercises everyday, trying to get some strength back. One step forward, 2 steps back.
I realize for the umpteenth time what a funny guy he is. John and I were up quite late trying to find some papers we needed for South Africa and we had to go downstairs into mom and Matt's "house". Matt's bed is in the breakfast nook with 4 windows surrounding him (with no blinds either). He is sitting with the head of his bed up and reading a book. John was teasing him about being on display for all the neighbors to see and Matt quite politely said "Excuse me, but you are in my bedroom". It was actually quite funny. It did it so quick and so matter of fact. Even John commented about what a great spirit he has for the situation he is in. I will sure miss going downstairs and seeing him sitting there. It will be very different when we get back. They are taking half of our furniture so the house will really seem empty!

Post Losing Depression

I think I am safe to say most of Saskatchewan is seeking counselling after the horrendous way we lost in the football game yesterday. Matt and mom travelled to Calgary for a Grey Cup house party and we stayed at home. I could hardly watch the last few minutes and when the flag was thrown after the kick, I knew we were in big trouble. Jonmarie cried and wrote it in her diary as the worst day she has ever had. i phoned Matt immediately and he just answered "I don't want to talk about it".
Just an update, Matt's acne is improving slightly and since decreasing the Accutane his spasms are not as bad and his movement is again improving, though it is not what it was before (June 2009). He stills has difficulty bridging, or lifting his bum up while laying on the floor or the bed. Still getting dizzy when standing in the standing frame. But the saga continues and we must keep looking forward and upwards.

Trip to Edmonton

Well, thank goodness the Riders pulled it off and are off to the Grey Cup Finals on Sunday. Mom and Matt are going to Calgary where Roland and his wife are having a Grey cup party at their house and Matt can get into his walkout basement. We are going to be at home packing and re-packing. John and Shaunie are both sick again and I seriously pray they will be better before Dec. 6th!
Matt and mom travelled to Calgary last weekend to watch the kids while Jacki played volleyball. If anyone wants to see a cute 6 month old giggle, check out facebook and add Jacki as a friend. Anthony was so funny!
Yesterday was John's birthday so we celebrated with some very good friends over supper. Jacki had come with the kids yesterday as well. Her house is being slightly renovated, with some new windows and doors. Already Gary said he could feel a difference in the heat retention. In the long run it will save on fuel bills. So Jonmarie was okay with not being with us on her daddy's birthday, as she had a great time with her cousins.
Matt and I had to travel to Edmonton today for his urodynamics test. It sounds exciting, but it was no walk in the park. They were testing to see what Matt's bladder looks like and if when he feels full, if any of the urine leaks back up into the kidneys, which can cause all sorts of problems. It took about an hour and was uncomfortable for Matt at times, however he is always such a trooper. They were very pleasant ladies and the time went by quickly (at least for me it did!). Then we charged back home to get there before dark. It was raining quite hard and I didn't want to stick around to see it turn to ice. It stopped by the time we hit Ponoka.
Mom and Matt looked at a house to rent that was all wheelchair accessible. The fellow who built it had a cement ramp put in on the front and the hallway is very wide and the doors are extra wide as well. Very clean and had 4 bedrooms. They have to wait and see if they are approved. It think Matt would love to have a room of his own for once in a year! And each room has a phone jack, TV hook-up, and Internet hook-up. The bathroom is big enough that if they purchase a special sliding shower chair, he should be able to shower at home instead of driving to Innisfail twice a week. So pray that it goes through. It would be nice to have our basement back, but Jonmarie and Shaunie would sure miss not having them here. So would I.

I Was Right

I knew that he would be like John with his new phone. I took him to the mall to get his IPhone and I haven't been able to speak to him since! Except when we were in the van and I got a phone call from an unknown caller and it was Matt phoning from the back of the van! John and him are like to kids in a candy store, comparing their phones and discussing their Gb's(gigabytes), Matt has 16 and John only has 8! They do have the same covering on the outside. Right now they are downloading the weather channel onto his phone. I haven't seen Matt so excited since he bought Esmeralda, the van. Just thought I would share this with you!
We had to drop off Shaunie at school, which I do almost everyday. I was so excited because Airene has been working with her everyday and she wrote her name without a visual to help. She has really come along since the summer and we even waited in line for a Santa Claus picture without a complete meltdown. Thank goodness, since we leave for South Africa in less than 2 weeks. Since it was Wednesday we went for wings, great time as usual. The waitress doesn't even come to the table to ask our orders, she knows it off by heart! We are very boring and always order the same thing.

Still No Snow

Well. so much for putting winter tires on Matt's van. There has been no snow and the weather has again turned unseasonal warm. +11 degrees for the last few days, but the wind has been very strong. A 50 foot pole in Calgary blew over and smashed two cars.
But let me regress. Matt had a great time at home. The Biros came to visit. Matt was able to see Kristen and Cody's little guy Lane, and Denita and her kids also came over. Aunty Sandy was going to come but they were still combining so important to get that crop off before the snow falls. Matt loved beating Ted and Dad in crib when they went uptown. Matt was partners with Marvin Burley. Cecelia, mom and Matt played Racko, dice, dominoes at night. You name it they played. Mom even went to work at the nursing home for one day. Hopefully mom and Matt are going home for New Year's, so will be great to see the people coming home for the holidays. I am sure he will love to go watch a few hockey games. On the way back to Red Deer, they stopped in Saskatoon to pick up Alex and bring her to Lacombe to visit with her granddaughter.
Matt has again fallen back on his routine. Matt has been feeling under the weather and had seen Dr. Myburgh before leaving for Sask. and took Tamiflu and antibiotics which did help. His spasms have improved since decreasing the Accutane dose. His left shoulder is giving him trouble again and went for a massage which gives short term relief. Unfortunately because of his acne he never lays on his back at night so only lays on one side which is the left. Dr. Guthrie's office phoned to make an appt for Matt to see a specialist in Edmonton about his bladder. The appt is on a Thursday and Matt is so excited that I will be driving and not mom! I hope I can live up to his expectations. Tomorrow we are heading to Bower Mall to get the Iphone from Bell. They said it is the easiest phone for someone with one hand to use, and we will also get a blue tooth. I hope he is not like John and constantly be surfing the net with it! I end up talking to the side of his head.

Made it Safe and Sound

Just wanted to write an update on the whereabouts of the three musketeers. They made it safe anyway. After 10 hours of driving I am not sure about the "sound" part. Matt, mom and Cecilia arrived in Weekes at 1230 am and didn't get to bed until after 3 am. So Sunday they were too tired to do much of anything. Just before leaving we had put winter tires on Matt's van in case Sask had snow, however mom said the roads were clear the whole way.
The girls are missing grandma and Uncle Matt already. I had to drive Jonmarie to school today and she was very quiet in the back. When I asked her what was wrong, she said I don't talk as much as Grandma! And Shaunie keeps going down the stairs and asking "Where Grandma, where Uncle Matt?" So enjoy your stay in Weekes, because you have two little girls waiting!

No snow yet

I heard that parts of Sask are getting snow but thankfully any that we did have has now melted. We have been having plus temp conditions for the last few weeks, cold at night and then warms up. It is supposed to be in the low teens by the weekend.
Halloween was very exciting for the kids (Matt included). I made him dress as Zorro with a hat and cape, then drew black around his eyes to look like a mask. Shaunie was dressed as Pocohontas and Jonmarie like a witch. We decided to just go to the neighbors and Shaunie rode on Uncle Matt's lap. However by the 2nd house we were freezing, wind was bitterly cold so Matt decided to go back and we soon joined him, picking up the van and continuing on with the heat blasting! Shaunie soon had enough and wanted to go watch movies with Uncle Matt and Jonmarie and I went to meet with some of her friends in town. Unfortunately it started to rain and kept raining the whole time. Sunday morning Jonmarie had a roaring temp and I was sick as well. But we did get some great treats! The things parents do for their kids!
After Matt met with Dr. Guthrie in Edmonton, at his suggestion we are decreasing the one antispasmotic med and for the first few days, Matt was like a heavy weight. He couldn't do anything, not even spasm. We also decreased the Accutane and are trying more topical meds. So Matt was a bit worried about decreased mobility but I just said hang in there to see what will happen. Already he can move much better than he could a month ago and his spasms are more controlled then they were so that is a real blessing. Last night mom had taken the leg rests on the wheelchair off and she was sitting in front and he almost kicked her right in the head! Purely accidental, he said, while laughing. She had been teasing him about his shoes, which still look brand new after 2 1/2 years and that is one place where we have saved money! Just a little quad humor. Most of those jokes Matt comes up with himself. I think he was just jealous mom came up with it first!
Mom and Matt are getting ready to go to Weekes for one week and please, if you are in the area pop in! Matt is dying to see some friends and familiar faces. Mom is looking forward to seeing Aunty Sandy and also having dad take on night duty so she can finally sleep through the night! I doubt if she will but there is at least that option available.
Please pray for a safe journey. I am going to get winter tires put on the van just in case. The ones he has on the van now are terrible wants it gets a bit icy.

A Long Day

Mom, Matt and Cecilia finally arrived home just before 7 pm. I was starting to get worried because I knew the meeting ended at 1 pm. The story was as follows:
After arriving in Edmonton Tuesday night, the hotel had switched the room to wheelchair accessible which you think would have been great, however there was only one bed with a huge washroom (which Matt doesn't use anyway). It was so crowded when they added the cot, they needed to move all the furniture just so Matt could get in the door. There was no menu's in the room and they were unable to access the dining room because it was not wheelchair accessible (Mom didn't see the extra tiny step and fell sprawling to the floor and hurt her arm. In response the hostess said "didn't you see the sign about watch your step", very unfriendly). They had to order out for food. Next morning they wanted to get to the meeting early so tried to leave in plenty of time. However what van is quite long and unfortunately the hotel opens up parking to the city residents at 7 am. They would not allow mom to back out because it took some manoeuvring to get around the person parked behind her (where there was a no Parking sign). 20 mins after trying to get out mom finally succeeded. So they arrived late for the meeting, which isn't a great start to the day.
In half hour increments, they meet a different specialty.
1) Physio: was excellent and had great tips on strengthening exercises for shoulders and arms. Encouraged Matt to go to a private physiotherapist who specializes in spinal cord injuries. The Alberta gov't will pay for the initial assessment and 5 subsequent visits. He told Matt to go online about research projects that take place all the time and get his name in for clinical trials. One of interest is implanting a stim machine in his left arm to get it to move.
2) Recreational therapist: told Matt he must go to school, move to a bigger facility such as Calgary or Edmonton. A social network is vital and was quite concerned that Matt didn't have any friends outside of his family coming to see him on a regular basis. Explained that Matt needs to talk with people who are in a similar circumstance. Apparently Edmonton has a huge contigent of quads who meet on a regular basis.
3) Psychologist: was concerned that Matt still has flashbacks. Not of the accident but of the time spent in ICU, being on the ventilator and the nightmares associated with possible future admission to the hospital for any reason. Suggested seeing a psychiatrist and going through hypnosis and acupuncture.
4) Social worker: wondered why Matt wasn't a member of the Canadian Paraplegic Society, which should have been done as soon as he was out of ICU. They will forward Matt's name and they will contact Matt in the near future.
5) Occupational therapist: was fantastic. You could tell she had been dealing with quads, para for a long time. Was very excited to see movement in the left arm and hand and thought with the possible implanting of a stim machine and certain intense exercises, Matt still may get some use out of the Lt arm.
6) RN: discussed the importance of self-catheterizations so Matt can be more independent.
7) Dr. Guthrie: John had told us before that Dr. Guthrie did not really want to see Matt at all, so John had told mom and Matt not to mention much about wanting to walk at the present time and focus on 2 main goals. 1) Needs mobility in left hand and 2) wants to be independent as possible. One way for Matt ot get some independence is to take his driver's exam. Dr. Guthrie said 100% that was a must and will look into organizing this in about 6 months time. Matt was very excited about this prospect as he told me he will never again drive with mom in the city!! (I will explain later). Dr. Guthrie does not think Matt should try to be in a manual chair as it will cause long term difficulties with his shoulders and neck. Discussed medications. At current, Matt is on 2 antispasmodics and the one is very hard on the liver, as is the Accutane. Very important to get liver functions every 3 months and possible decreasing the use of the harmful antispasmodic and increasing the dosage of the other one to compensate. However he was very concerned that Matt's spasms are getting worse, not better which is not typical. Matt should be be experiencing very little spasms 2 years after injury. Unfortunately the MRI wasn't sent and Dr. Guthrie would like to see if the pocket that is currently around the spinal cord, which may be empty or just filled with some remnants from the bleeding that occurred after the accident, is not filled with spinal fluid. So Matt may have to see a neurosurgeon once Dr. Guthrie sees the MRI. Dr. Gutrhie stated there was very little chance that Matt will get into Glenrose as an inpatient, however there is a possibility of seeing Matt on an outpatient basis once to twice a week. Matt stated what he needs is someone to show him how to be independent, seeing someone living on their own with some assistance of course, having someone to show him how they get dressed, how they self-cath, get on the bus, etc instead of just telling how to do it. Visual learner.
So now, the team will meet and discuss everything and come up with a plan. They will let Matt and mom know in less than 2 weeks.
So overall it was a great experience, with so much vital information given. But it was a very long day and they decided to go to Earl's at West Edmonton Mall with Auntie Ardis and Uncle Ken. Big thanks for the meal, Uncle Ken. They said it ws fantastic! Get some rest Auntie (long day for her as well).
So they didn't leave the mall until 3;30 and let us just say briefly, most people can exit Edmonton within 1/2 hour. It took mom more than 1 and 1/2 hours with 2 wrong turns and getting to see areas of Edmonton they wouldn't usually see! I remember driving with mom while having just my learners and Matt will need hypnosis just for the driving with mom flashbacks! Matt said he is suffering from whiplash from few major bumps mom forgot to slow down for and also forgetting to strap him into the van! 3 very exhausted individuals when they entered the house last evening.Thanks for all the prayers that I know were being sent and next time let's pray for their save arrival and return! Nothing is impossilbe with God, even mom's driving!

Meeting Today

Just a quick note to ask for prayers for Matt's meeting today. Mom, Cecilia and Matt left for Edmonton last night and stayed in a motel. They had to be at Glenrose by 7:45 this morning. Mom had forgotten her cell phone at Jacki's last week so we have no way to contact her. Please pray that whatever happens, we will continue to trust in the Lord and he will continue to provide for Matt's wellbeing, even if the meeting isn't successful. He is the Great Physician who knows exactly what Matt needs at all times, even when we don't. We tend to want to fix everything ourselves and only leave the difficult things to the Lord, but he says to trust in Him with all our hearts, not just when it is conveient.
Will update tonight about the outcome.

Snow, snow, go away!

Well, the prediction for snow was accurate, now I hope their prediction for +17 weather for the weekend is correct as well. I beleive the leaves are frozen to the trees, becasue they haven't all fallen off yet. We have about an inch of snow on the ground and it is cold! Minus temperatures everyday and Thanksgiving was one of the coldest on record.
I pray everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. We travelled to Calagary for the weekend and we were supposed to have dinner at Lindsay and Nolan's, however they are no longer together so plans then moved to Jacki and Gary's. Jonmarie went up with Uncle Matt and Grandma on Saturday and Shaunie, John and myself went up Sunday afternoon. John first had to stop at Mountain Equipment Co-op for kids' skipants. They make the best skipants ever. Jonmarie gets them first, then Shaunie, Bobby, Amy and I am sure Anthony. That is how durable they are. Easy to look after and very warm.
Jacki made an amazing meal, with the big highlight of homemade lemon meringue pie and 3 layered jellied salad. John and I are planning to go to South Africa in December with the kids (yikes!!) and he insists I take the recipe for Christmas meal! It is his favorite.
Matt has been a bit down and not feeling 100%. The pain in his back is gone but the pain from his acne keeps him awake at nights and during the day he can't sit in his chair properly. We still haven't heard from the dermatologist but hopefully soon. Matt was planning to take a few classes starting in January at the Red Deer College, however until his back clears up that will be put on hold.
Matt's appt for the rehab specialist in Glenrose has been moved up to October 22nd, which we hope the weather improves.

Cooler Weather Approaches

Well, we certainly cannot say anything bad about our fall weather. It has been great except the dry conditions have made the wasps come out in abundance. The other Sunday we were unable to go to church so Jonmarie, Grandma and I put on a skit about Peter in prison. We just finished the "production" and we were doing a question and answer period when Jonmarie was bit by a wasp, even though we were in the wind away from trees or anything. There are literally thousands of them. So since then I cannot get the girls to go outside, even using bribery didn't help!
On Friday while Matt was in the standing frame and I was helping. I asked if he could pick up his right leg and he was able to bend it slightly and move his foot backwards. I then asked if he could move it forward and he was able to take on step. Very exciting until he went to bend forward slightly to reposition himself and all of a sudden, his face turns pale and leans forward at the waist and whispers" let me down". So we quickly got him in the wheelchair again and asked what had happened. Matt had felt a sharp, nauseating pain in his lower back and I was quite worried I had asked too much and muscle had pulled or a disc problem. So on Monday, he only received occupational therapy and not physio. Today Cecilia and I took him to xray to make sure there was nothing significant wrong. The pain has improved and we are hoping it was just temporary.
I forgot to make mention of a visit we had from Shauna, Dale and Jada a few weekends ago. Dale had a meeting in Red Deer and Shauna and I were able to enjoy a relaxing pedicure at the spa. It was great and we had such a good visit. John and I had been invited to a party for 2 couples that had received their Canadian citizenship papers after 10 years. There was a Jeopardy question board about being Canadian and also a karaoke machine. "Great Balls of Fire" had never sounded so good, with Dale on keyboard. Throughout the remainder of the night, everyone was calling Dale "great balls of Fire". Fun times, with pictures to prove it! Thanks for babysitting Grandma!Had the kids in bed by 9 o'clock.
Mom and Matt had went to Calgary this weekend and now the kids and Jacki are coming to visit on Friday. Need to do visiting before the snow flies, which they are predicting for Sunday. Winter clothes..here we come!
Congratulations to all the newlyweds and new babies from the Porcupine/Hudson Bay area. Have to look on facebook to see if there are any pictures.

Sorry about the late blog, I completely forgot! Time flies when the weather is so good. We have been busy with Jonmarie and Shaunie's schooling, Jonmarie is taking swimming and gymnastics and Shaunie is taking Music Together with me so to sit down in front of the computer has not been happening.
Congrats to the newlyweds and a big congrats on the news of Michelle being pregnant with twins! Always great to have new babies in the family.
Matt finally got his new wheels and it is working great! So much more compact then the other one and has 2 big wheels plus four little wheels for stability. Matt is down to having therapy only twice a week now, one with OT and one with PT. However we have an appt to see Dr. Guthrie at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Center November 5th. Matt needs to be there 8 am and it lasts until 12 pm. He will meet with the physio, occupational therapist, psychologist and the physician. They will be doing a functional assessment and will be comparing it to the discharge notes from City Hospital, Parkridge nursing home, and also the therapy he received in Red deer. If they feel he has not improved much than they won't take him as an inpatient or outpatient so prayers that they will find some positive improvement and be able to provide more rehab.
Matt is still on Accutane for his cystic acne, however it is slow going and it sure dries out his skin! He is one big flake!! But we love him anyway.
Well, it is Wednesday and you know what that means,,, wing time. I believe it is my turn to pay so hopefully he will only have one plate and not 3!

New Pictures

I thought I would update some of Matt's blog pictures. Needed some with the Sask. Roughriders.
Therapy continues and we are using a homemade plith board at home. What is it you ask? Dad had taken a small table, cut it down to Matt's sitting height, then had the top padded and covered by an upholstery clinic in town. It isn't very wide but it is easier for Matt to practice his sitting exercises when he has a hard surface, instead of the bed. When he sits in the bed, it is too soft and he keeps falling to the side when trying to lift his arm up while sitting.
We are excited to be getting his new wheelchair within the next week. We should also be getting his specialized tilt commode so we are definitely crammed for space!! Everything has to come in extra large too!
The weather has turned, more like fall weather and my cucumbers were touched by the cold nights. Otherwise everything else in the garden is still okay. Zucchini is finally growing and we can't keep up.
Mom and Matt did go to Calgary last weekend and got to see Nolan and Lindsay's new house. Unfortunately Matt can only get in the one level but still, it is better than nothing. Jacki played ball all weekend and Matt was going to watch her, however it was extremely windy and Matt's skin is very dry due to the Accutane for his acne, so he just stayed with Gary and the kids.
We have a new driver named Darlene to take Matt to therapy and his bath. It sure takes the pressure off me to try and re-arrange my schedule.
We would like to send our best wishes to Denita and her soon to be husband. Matt so wants to come however he wanted to wait until his new chair came, as he is having so much trouble with his current one. I am not sure about Sask, but the weather is supposed to be in the high 20's this weekend. We will send some of it your way.

Awesome Weather!

What great weather we are having. My cucumbers and zucchini squash are finally showing the fruits of my (and dads0 labour and we are again enjoying zucchini soup and cake, and made about 6 jars of pickles. Tomatoes are coming nicely as well. As long as the weather holds up we may even get some corn. Tried a few last night, but still small. Tasted great though.
Matt did meet with Dr. Mclean on Wednesday and had a good chat about therapy and Matt can continue until January and have another reassessment. That was a relief. It not only provides him with therapy but also an outlet for meeting new people. We are looking into some college classes for Matt and he will probably take a small business class Wednesday afternoons. Just have to find time to meet with the student advisory for students with disabilities. It will be a three hour class and Cecilia will have to go with him, as he cannot catheterizes himself yet. Still working on it.
Matt started on Accutane last week and we are hoping that it will work. It inhibits healing so some of the areas on his back are not healing so we have to be super careful of infections.
Mom drove up on Saturday to see Auntie Ardis and also be with Shannon on her birthday. Happy belated Shannon!. Mom took Jonmarie and Shaunie with her as I had to work and Cecila came to watch Matt. After I got home we went to Tony Roma's for supper. We love the wings so much we decided to have them when they are not on special. However the cost was $10 for only 8 wings. On Wednesday they are 10 wings for $3. So I think we will stick to Wednesday Wing night! I didn't mind but if was Matthew's turn to pay!
Sunday was Mom's birthday and Jonmarie made a picnic basket and Shaunie, myself, Jonmarie and Grandma had a nice lunch in the shade. 28 degrees with no wind. Matt was abusy watching wrestling so didn't partake in the festivities. Cecilia's birthday was also on Sunday, so I made zucchini cake for the 2 of them on Monday. It was a lazy day and we had good intentions to go for a trip to town but laziness prevailed and we watched a movie. John was at Jasper with some colleagues walking the Skyline. A weekend for the men to test out their camping gear and get away from work.
Tuesday Jonmarie started back at school. She was happy to be in grade 2 but not keen on actually going to school. Very tired afterwards. Still in summer mode of going to sleep late. Grandma is not too happy about going back either! Grumpy pants in the mornings!
This weekend Mom and Matt are planning to go to Calgary.
Must go. Matt wants to go to Tony Roma's again for cheap wings. thank goodness it is my turn to pay!

Matt had a great therapy session yesterday. He was able to stay sitting up with back straight without any help for a few minutes. It is important that Matt continue to make improvements with his therapy because he is meeting with Dr. McLean, the rehab specialist in Red Deer on Wednesday and she decides if therapy will continue. Friday therapy wasn't very good because Matt was sick. He had been up Thursday night dry heaving and also throwing up, temp 39.6, chills with cold sweats. We are not sure what it was, it could have been a urinary tract infection or something but he is on an antibiotic for his severe acne on his back so there is not much they could give him anyway. Mom was quite tired too because she has to get up with him. Thank goodness she is still on holidays and is not working yet. They were supposed to go and see Nolan and Lindsay's new house in Calgary but they decided to stay home.
Matt began feeling better Saturday evening and by Sunday was his old self. Still spiking a temp occasionally but nothing too severe. We had company for supper and Matt was able to stay upstairs visiting the whole time.
On Thursday Matt seen Dr. Myburgh regarding the severe acne on his back and should be starting on a med to help today. A referral is in to a dermatologist however it could take months before Matt sees anyone. Matt went for bloodwork on Friday prior to his therapy session.
Yesterday after his therapy Mom, Matt, Cecilia, Airene, Jonmarie and Shaunie went to Innisfail for Matt's tub bath. i was working so they wanted to take the girls for a play in the park. Shaunie is doing so much better, not running away as much and her verbal communication is improving as well. They were even able to take her for supper at A&W, which is a big step.
Thanks to everyone who reads the blog and thinks of us here in Red Deer. We are continuing to take one day at a time and be positive, giving our concerns to the Lord. He continues to care for us and provide us with the answers we need.

Rain, rain, rain!!

Well the weekend of the wedding was a wet one. There was a few brief periods where it didn't rain but we still weren't able to have a fire and a good old wiener roast. I think I missed that the most. It was good to see so many of the family and on Friday we all visited in Auntie Karen and Uncle Neil's garage. Matt didn't get to sleep until 4 am and that made for a long Saturday. Jamie's wedding was lovely and it was all in the same place so we didn't need to travel from place to place. It was in the lower level of the Army and Navy building but it had an elevator so Matt could attend. He didn't last long and needed to have a sleep in the van. Gary was out there because Bobby was asleep in their van. So he kept an eye out for Matt. After a short nap he was feeling better and enjoyed visiting and watching teh kids go crazy on the dance floor, or was that the adults!
Sunday we had a birthday party for Jada and Shaunie. It was also dad's birthday too but he did not attend as he stayed in Weekes. There was a pinata, stick the flower on the the picture, a cupcake cake. A great time was had by young and young at heart. Many of the family were heading back to their respective homes but there were a few that stayed until Monday. We had such a late start on Sunday night that Mom and Matt decided to stay one more night and head back today. It was a good idea. By the time we hit Provost it was dusk and their were so many deer out that we often would have to come to a dead stop and then could only travel 70 kms per hour. We didn't get home until 12am.
Mom and Matt are still not here but should be arriving shortly. They had stopped at Parkridge to see if any one could take a look at Matt's wheelchair. It is on it's last legs and unfortunately they will not fix it until it is completely broke down. Then they ship it off for 2-3 weeks to get repaired. That doesn't help much when that is currently Matt's only mode of transportation. They had to miss rehab today but has another appt booked for Wednesday.
Great to see everyone at the wedding/reunion. next year it will be in Shell Lake. Rain, rain go away!

One More Week

Well, the gang has been in Weekes for over a week and are certainly busy. Matt went for wings to the Weekes Hotel on Wednesday with Denita and Kevin. He also goes everyday to the Golden Age for coffee and cards. Auntie Margaret, Terry and Aray came on evening to visit. Yvonne was able to pop over as well. Matt loves to meet up with people and see some familiar faces, however he has noticed that there is a lot of younger ones he doesn't recognize. It is like the song from Gloria I believe it was "You Can't Go Back Home". Everything continues to move forward and you cannot stop the changes going on. I think he is feeling a bit down, missing his old way of life, which happens to all of us.
Bobby is taking swimming lessons this week at the Porcupine pool and mom is going to take Matt so he can motor around town. Hopefully he will be able to meet up with some friends and go for a coffee. He was upset on Sunday because he wasn't able to go to church. He no longer has his manual chair and the entrance has a huge gap that his chair can't get over and with the power chair they were unable to lift him. Oh well, God is everywhere so that isn't the problem. Just some fellowship that goes along with the worship is nice.
Hope to see many of the family at the wedding in Saskatoon this weekend and pray for nice weather!

Back In Weekes

Mom and Matt left yesterday followed behind by Jacki and the kids. They left at 1130 and got to Weekes at 1130 at night. Lots of stops along the way and hit some pretty heavy rain between Melfort and Crooked River. They missed the lovely weather we had last night. It was the strongest wind we have ever experienced since the hail storm 2 years ago. It broke one the trees on the south side of the house and the lightning and thunder was continuous for 2 hours. The rain was perpendicular and was impossible to drive in. The same wind blew through Camrose and caused devastation at the Big Valley Jamboree, killing one person adn injuring 15. Let's just say, we spent the time in the basement just in case.
Hope everyone from Weekes will get a chance to visit with Matt while he is home. He will be there until the 14th of August and then up to Saskatoon for the wedding. They were going to go to church this am but just couldn't get themselves in working form, the kids getting up at 6 am and making for a very short night of sleeping.
Auntie Margaret and Terry came to visit on the Thursday night before Matt and Mom left and we had such a good visit. Terry came into town with me and I picked up portable ramp for Matt, so he could get into Auntie Karen's house and anyone else's. It folds out to 8 feet so works quite well to get into places with a few stairs. It was brand new and cost $800 where they usually cost $1200-1400. Stills seems like alot of money.
Matt will continue to have a bit of therapy with mom and they took the standing frame too. Hopefully he won't lose too much while he is gone.

Heat Wave Continues

Every year at this time, we always consider putting in air conditioning because it gets so hot in the house. But then soon the cold weather will return and we forget about it for another year. But boy is it hot! 31 yesterday and today much of the same. And very little cloud which gives some relief. Matt cannot handle the heat so is enjoying the basement. We all went down to invade his space yesterday so we could enjoy movie night in comfort.
Since dad has left we hired an extra person to help with driving Matt to his therapy and bath during the week. She is a EMT and works on the oilfields but they are having a down time right now and will probably be going back in the winter. But she is very nice and tall which helps with the transferring and when he is in the standing frame. The Alberta government has allocated so much money per month on caregiver services so we are able to provide more relief for mom, who is driving at the moment and trying to watch my girls while I am at work.
Yesterday we noticed that Matt could do something new. While in the standing frame, Matt tries and picks his right foot up but he can only bring it up and move the foot backwards. But now we noticed with alot of concentration he can move his foot slightly forward. The front of his foot still drops and catches on the carpet, but he could actually move it forward. We tried to get him to move his leg slightly outward when he lifts it but his hip muscles are so weak that he just couldn't do it. His endurance continues to get better and even on his off days he still does some therapy.
Jacki brought the kids on Thursday and they really enjoyed being in our little pool. It isn't much but it sure cools them off on the hot days. We also have one of those slip and slides and that was a big hit. Unfortunately the water comes from the well and seeing that it is 250 feet down the water feels like ice water and freezes their little backsides. So the pool feels like a hot tub after that. Matt watched them for awhile and then goes to check out the garden to see if there are any peas to pick. Moles have killed some of the potato plants so may have to get a mole trap. Not sure what else to use to get rid of them.
One more week and Mom, Matt, Jacki and the kids will be in Saskatchewan.

Summer is Here!

We are finally getting some summer weather but not everyone is happy about it. Matt has a hard time with the heat which we noticed yesterday when we went to the Westerner Days in Red Deer and it hit 31 degrees with the humidity. We were not there very long before we went inside the air conditioned building. John's son Kennie is down from New Zealand and Jonmarie and him went on the rides while we looked at the donkey show and met up with Denise Young (sorry Denise, I can't remember your married name at the present). It started to cool off a bit later in the afternoon so we watched Dale, Wade and Evan race in the chuck wagons. It was nice to see some people from home. We actually had a good giggle about how many people Matt knew at the fair. We chatted with one of the girls from the rehabilitation unit and a little while later we talked with one of the home care staff from Innisfail. He knew more people than I did! Everyone had a good time but when we finally got home a 10 pm we were exhausted.
Prior to going to the Westerner Days Matt had therapy at 2pm and she worked him quite hard. I continue to see improvements and one of the things she had Matt do was sit upright on the bed with his feet on the floor and then she lifted the head of the bed up. Matt had to reach with his right hand and run his hand down the head of the bed. It makes him use his arm instead of his shoulder. He has a difficult time using those muscles because they are so weak and tends to overuse his shoulder and neck muscles causing him pain. Then he had to lean on his elbow while it was on the head of the bed and then try to push himself into a sitted position again. The head of the bed was at a 45 degree angle. The therapist had to keep reminding him to use his abdominal muscles by having him push his shoulder blades back so his back was straight. He tends to lean forward and again use his neck muscles. These exercises all help when we transfer him in and out of bed.
We were excited to get a new lift from ADL (activities of daily living) which provides equipment for people with disabilities. The lift can drop down so if Matt is on the floor it will lift him up. So it is easier for one person to do his floor exercises and we don't need 3 people to lift him. We put a sling behind him and then hook it on the lift which is run by power and it lifts him from the chair to the floor and then back again. This new lift also folds down to make for easier transport. So when we travel to Jamie's wedding in August and Matt stays in a motel where the beds do not go up a down like his power bed then the lift will come in handy.
Matt, Cecilia, Kennie and myself went to Tony Roma's on Wednesday afternoon and it was great. They have a special on wings all day so we decided to go at 2pm. No one was there and we got a table right away. I am craving them already!
Dad went home on Tuesday with Quasimodo and said it ran great. The fuel consumption was so much better and we will probably keep it for anyone who needs transportation with a wheelchair accessible van. I phoned him on Friday to tell him he has to come back! I forgot how much work it is to keep a garden and cut all the grass, keep the weeds in check, etc. But the grass in Weekes is so long he might have to get it baled so I will have to suck it up and get working!
Today I am working so mom is in charge of the girls and Matt. The temp is again going to be above 30 degrees so she is making everything outside on the barbecue. Without air conditioning Matt loves to have the basement because that is the coolest place.
Must get back to work. It is slow on a Saturday so it has been non stressful. Good thing once and awhile.

Time Does Fly!

Sorry about such a long delay and hope people don't think we forgot about them but I have been on holidays for the last 2 weeks and just haven't had time to get on the computer. First we were off to Fairmont as soon as Jonmarie was done school and then did a quick turnaround at home to get ready for a camping trip with Shauna and Dale at Gull Lake. Not a great week for camping as it rained and was cold everyday but we still survived and made the best of it.
Matt has been busy. He said the RCMP dog show was fantastic and they did some demonstrations with the puppies first and then the mother of some of the puppies came out to show what she could do. Matt was very impressed and was shocked that each dog after training is worth around $16,000.
Continuing with weekly therapies and Matt had a good session today and then off to his bath in Innisfail. Watched him do some standing exercises and was impressed how much easier it looks to rig him up in his standing frame and how much more trunk control he has.
We have had lots of company lately. Uncle Wince and Auntie Carol from B.C. came to visit and it was so funny to watch him and dad argue and tease each other like they probably did when the were younger. They even came out for the afternoon to the campsite when Jacki brought the kids and Grandma. Matt was unable to come because of the rain.
John's son Kennie from New Zealand arrived at the end of June and Jonmarie is loving having her big brother to do things with. They are always off swimming or playing games and she will really miss him when he goes back at the end of July. Shaunie likes him too but likes to be with her mom and dad.
Matt, mom and dad have made many trips to Calgary and have watched Nolan play ball a few times. Lindsay has been off since injuring her knee ligament and is waiting for possible surgery. Not a happy camper! Matt again is going up this weekend to Calgary and it is great that Jacki and Gary get there house re-organized every time he visits. Nolan and Lindsay have bought a house together and made sure there is an entrance that Matt can get into, even if it is on the lower level it still helps for when he comes to visit.
Good luck with the wedding tomorrow Lanna and wish you both the best. Sorry we couldn't make it down but maybe will see you sometime in August. Dad is going back on Monday or Tuesday and I don't know what I will do without him helping in the garden which has survived and cutting grass. Matt and mom will head to Weekes August long weekend and stay until after Jamie's wedding. Things have been so busy here that Mom says she needs a holiday from her holiday!

Crazy weather

Some days I am not sure if summer is really here or winter/spring/fall is happening. Our garden has taken a hail beating twice and there was enough hail that we could make snowballs! The next day it was so hot we were thinking of setting up the inflatable pool, the following day we had the fireplace going!
Matt continues the slow onward trudge and works out everyday at home, plus physio and OT at the outpatient department. Monday he was unable to finish his rehab, the spasms take over his body and there is not much anyone can do. His body gets so toned you can't bend him. Last week he had a bad morning and had to give him some of Shaunie's ativan(the ones she will never take again!). I only gave him 1 mg and he slept for hours. Still groggy after he woke up but was feeling less anxiety. He doesn't ask for them very often but they sure helps when he needs them.
Matt and dad went on Saturday to watch Nolan play ball in Olds. Nolan's team won 2 games and were supposed to play on Sunday but it was rained out. That was okay. Matt was feeling pretty tired and had a bit of heat stroke, even though he had an umbrella over top and a hat. He reacts more quickly to changes in temp then he ever did so we must be more diligent.
It was great to see Heather on Saturday as she had to work in Red Deer over the weekend and stayed for supper and some wine. It was such a beautiful evening that we sat on the deck until 11 pm watching John's new bug zapper in action. It was a great source of entertainment!
On Wednesday Matt was invited to attend an RCMP dog show in Bowden by a good friend of ours so that should be exciting.
Mom is feeling much better, though she is still tired by the weekend. It will be a nice break in the summer for her to take some time and relax, though I doubt if she will. If she has a free moment she usually finds something else to fill it up with.
Dad is a great garden boy and has put up a snow fence to protect the garden against the deer and kids! We will have to replant the carrots and dill though. When it rained and hailed the plants were too delicate and were washed away. Not sure if the growing season is long enough but we shall see.

Jeff Dunham

Matt, Nolan and Mom went to Edmonton yesterday to see Jeff Dunham, the ventriloquist comedian at Rexall Place. Matt and Nolan said it was hilarious and were really glad they went Couldn't have asked for better weather, 29 degrees. Thanks so much for Auntie Ardis and Uncle Ken who came to meet mom at Rexall Place to take her back to Shannon and Ray's for a visit. While they were gone Jacki brought the 3 munchkins to the house for a visit. Baby Anthony is so good that we went outside with the kids and grandpa stayed in the house to watch Anthony. We were busy doing yard work and got such a kick out of Bobby. He should be on the farm. He wanted to "dig something" so I told him to go dig the weeds. He was out there for over an hour with his shovel. We still have weeds but very little dirt anymore!
Matt now has physio/occupational therapy on Monday's and Friday's so 2 hours of "work" on those days. Wednesday he goes to Innisfail for a bath. We were happy to hear we got approval from the Alberta Government for payment of a nanny. Up until now Matt has been paying for Cecilia out of pocket and now with the funding we can get another one for weekends and evenings possibly. It will take some of the stress off mom and dad, who have been amazing troopers up until now. We aften have people look at us in amazement for what we have done for Matt and we realize not many families would change lifestyles and living situations to accomadate a person with disabilities. You must just look at the benefits and not just the negatives. We have been so blessed to have such a great family and we seem to make it work. Of course it helps when you have someone like Matt who has the most amazing attitude. And having the nannies help tremendously and we thank God everyday for them.
The other day I was watching Matt do his standing exercises and was amazed again at his continued progress. He may not see it but when he was standing they do not have to have the belt so tight and he can bend his right knee slightly and straighten it again. I have a great video on my camera of him reaching over a grabbing the control to let himself down when he was tired. Wish I could put it on the blog but the file is too big. Need to become more computer literate!

Not so Beautiful Anymore!

I jinxed it all by saying we were having great weather. Last week it froze twice during the night and killed my beans and some of the corn. Turned the tops of the potatoes brown. So we did some replanting and hopefully everything will survive but they are predicting a frost warning again tonight. The tomato plants near the house are still thriving so that is one blessing.
Matt had a busy week as he had OT twice, a bath in Innisfail and started physiotherapy on Friday. However they mostly asked questions and will start the physio this week. Mom was telling me what Matt did the other morning. He could lift his head while lying in the bed and then pulled his knees to his chest after much thought and deliberation. Airene and Cecilia also mentioned when they use the standing frame, Matt is much stronger and I took and video of him standing with the frame and touching his head with his right hand at the same time. It doesn't seem like much to us but it takes alot of effort to do standing and moving at the same time.
Nolan and Lindsay came down for the weekend thank goodness to spend some quality time with Matt. The weekends get boring when the weather is poor and they play Wii and card games with Matt. Next weekend Matt got tickets to see Jeff Dunham at Rexall Place, a comedian/ventriloquist that both Matt and Nolan like so are going up to Edmonton on Sunday. I may have to go and be available for assistance but I didn't get tickets to the show. Wondering if any of the Edmonton relatives may be available for supper near the arena to visit with. Let me know.
Matt felt quite bad last week when Jonmarie and Shaunie were downstairs fighting and Uncle Matt was trying to get them to stop. He told Shaunie to go upstairs as she was being very mean to Jonmarie. Shaunie just would not listen and he yelled really loud and pinched her toe with his right fingers. By the time Grandma came down, Shaunie was backed up on the couch crying her eyes out. He didn't hurt her but she had very hurt feelings. But Shaunie needs to understand when Uncle Matt says something she must listen, especially if they are outside and she starts to run away. So I told Matt not to feel bad and she needs to be a little scared of what he might do (even if it is not much more than yelling). Welcome to the joys of having kids!

Beautiful Weather

We have been having some great weather and Matt has been soaking it in. On Sunday they went to Jacki and Gary's to see baby Anthony for the first time. He is so cute already and such a great baby. Sometimes you forget he is there. Sleeps. eats and makes good use of his diaper! Gary, Matt, and Dad then went to see the Calgary Vipers play baseball. Matt got a touch of heat stoke so wasn't feeling up to par the next day at rehab. He continues to do abdominal exercises so he will not lose what he has gained.
It has been great with dad being here. Grass is always cut and loves working in my garden. He takes Matt for his rehab and baths, so that is one less stress to think about. John has started Dad on some new medication that has done wonders. So that is certainly an answer to prayer.
Deanna, Matt's outpt occupational therapists has been to the house numerous times to make sure we have everything. Matt is going to get a new power chair from AADL, or Alberta activities of daily living program that gives financial assistance to people with disabilities. So we have spent time trying out different ones, including a manual chair as well. I am busy drafting a letter stating why Matt needs a power chair with all the whistles, such as tilt, recline, etc. They will look at all the applications they have had and see which one is most worthy at that time. So we have to make it look good. It is difficult to transfer him from chair to chair all the time because they only provide one cushion. Matt needs the special ROHO cushion which runs about $700, so they only give one per client. We are also trying out some new commodes as well. Matt's had to be custom made so they will provide the cost of the commode, but not the modifications. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork! It is a full time job.
ON Wednesday night, Matt did some painting at the rehab department with the help of Cecilia. Some of it was pretty good, the easiest was coloring in the already traced picture.
Friday Matt had his bath in Innisfail and loves to soak in the tub. The home care aide really enjoys Matt and they are constantly teasing each other.
Mom has been feeling really under the weather and can't seem to shake it. Deep cough in her lungs and feeling prety exhausted most of the time. We had went to see Jonmarie's performance on Friday night and mom had a difficult time just making it to the end. So John has given her a req for a chest xray and some antibiotics to get her back into action. Prayers that God will heal her physically and emotionally, as being sick makes for a very frustated mom!

Trip was a Success

Last Friday we left for Weekes at 10am and didn't get to there until 1030pm. We had to stop in Parkridge to see some of his friends and staff, which always takes awhile because everyone wants to talk to Matt. The girls are great travellers and the portable DVD player doesn't hurt either!
It was so good to see all the family members that were able to make it home. Aunty Karen and Uncle Neil have bought Grandma and Grandpa's house and it felt like old times, everyone trying to find a spot in the little house to sit and visit. Saturday Matt visited with some friends and didn't go to sleep until 2 am but we still managed to get him up for church the next morning. It was so good to see so many people and everyone helped get Matt into the church. IT has been the first time since his accident he has been in the church and it was a bit emotional. We did communion and on the way home I asked Matt how he was feeling and stated" I feel like nothing could get me down today". You could see in his eyes that he was relaxed and unburdened. The Spirit can do amazing things. It was so nice to see that there is finally a new minister and the message was charged with scripture and hope. I am not sure but I think it was hard for mom and Matt to see everyone and know that they were just visiting.
The trip back to Red Deer was uneventful but of course we had to stop at Parkridge again to visit. The weather cooperated for the weekend but sure was miserable for travelling. Cold, rain, wind. The van is very tall and catches the wind all the time so I needed to be diligent the whole time. Dad came in Nolan's mustang and he tried to drive the van for a bit but the seats are quite uncomfortable and his neck got too sore so we switched again.
Thanks everyone for the great trip, the fellowship, and the occasional tears that flowed. It was nice to know that Matt hasn't been forgotten and that people are still praying for his continued journey.

Getting Ready

Well the weather is not cooperating for our trip. Yesterday we had a few snowflakes and today it is wet and cold. Much the same tomorrow I think. We will be arriving in Weekes late Friday night and not leaving until Tuesday.
Matt tried out a new power chair. Since he is in Alberta and the previous power chair is from Sask, we will have to return it sometime. So the Alberta government will purchase a new chair for Matt once we fill out the paper work and wait for approval. We can have one for a trial basis and Matt really likes it. It is more compact and turns on a dime, much more stable. However we don't think we can take it to Sask. because it is not the right size and needs a few more extras for such a long trip. We also looked at a few manual chairs but he will need a one hand chair, so all the movement comes from his right hand. However Matt may not have the strength he needs to use it properly so they are going to come back with some different models. The problem again is Matt is so tall that everything is too short so extra modifications need to be made and that isn't as easy as it sounds.
Prayers for a safe trip tomorrow and Thanks to God that we have a new van for the trip.

Kitty is no more

We had a difficult experience for Mother's Day. Our little kitten was killed by the neighbor's dog in front of the kids. It was awful. Everyone had gotten so attached to Molly and Matt was so upset. We will probably get another one but it is hard to erase that image from everyone's head. Shaunie kept trying to pet it and saying "kitty sleeping, wake up kitty". Needless to say the rest of the day was not great.
Matt has been going for outpatient OT Mon and Wed. And the girls continue to keep him busy. I am finding he is more independent than before. If we don't lock the basement door he can open it. He can open the fridge door and get something out if not too heavy. Matt had a sore on his right thigh and states he can feel it better than he could before. That can be a good or bad thing. More sensation can lead to neuropathic pain which if any one has it, it is horrible. But it could mean more sensation, more movement. So prayers that it is a positive thing.
We went to the Red Deer College for the wheelchair ball hockey and basketball. Most of the participants were quite young and Matt mostly just observed. We tried some badminton and Matt did okay but his arm got so tired so fast. He couldn't do the basketball as they don't allow power chairs. They had an para-Olympic athlete there and he was so good. I think Matt gets a little jealous of the paripalegics because they have full use of their arms.
Jacki was down with the kids this weekend and she was having pretty consistent contractions but they subsided by Sunday. So no baby yet! But she is 38 weeks so anytime now.
Getting ready for the big drive this weekend. Matt is so excited to be going home and seeing everyone. So please, if you are in the area, pop over for a visit. The door will be open.

Back at Home (Red Deer)

Matt was discharged from the rehab department on Friday. It was very bittersweet. The therapists became like friends and so did many of the staff and patients. They knew they could have kept Matt there indefinitely, there where so many things to work on but they can only do so much. Now it is up to him.
During the last 3 months, Matt has improved his core muscle strength, increased dexterity with his right hand and arm, able to move his left a bit more when he concentrates, stands with the machine for longer periods of time, had his bladder stones removed (which was one of the biggest blessings), and has more confidence and is becoming more independent.
This weekend Mom and Matt travelled to Calgary for Bobby's birthday party. They even got to see Lindsay play ball for a bit before she blew her knee out and had to spend hours in the ER waiting to see a doctor. The joys of playing sports!
Today the girls were hard at work doing Matt's exercises in the am. Matt had outpatient OT therapy at 1 pm so at my lunch break from work I drove home to pick up Matt and Cecilia and take them to the hospital. Shaunie was home from her school and Matt was already outside waiting. I needed to get something from the house and when Shaunie saw me, she said "Uncle Matthew gone!!" She was very worried that Matthew wasn't where he should be! Matt and Cecilia stayed after therapy and did some visiting until I picked them up after work so we could go to Walmart and get some goodies. We even went to the meat market to get some bison pepper jerky, which was so yummy. Mom bought $20 worth.
The weather was so good tonight that we were able to enjoy supper sitting on the deck. It is nice for Matt to be able to join the family for supper again. We must have been outside for 2 1/2 hours at least. Until the bugs came out.

Stop the world, I want to get off!!

Working full time makes for a busy life!! Time is just flying and I keep forgetting to purchase my ticket!!
Matt seems to be feeling better. He is on antibiotics and we think he may have had strep throat. Mom and Matty were supposed to go to Calgary last weekend but Matt woke up on Saturday with a flaming red throat and was so sore he could hardly swallow. Good thing we have our own pharmacy in our cupboard we just fixed him right up! However we are hoping to go the Calgary this weekend for Bobby's birthday party since we were unable to go to Jacki's.
Tomorrow is Matt's monthly family meeting and we have a sneaky suspicion that Matt will be discharged by the end of the week. So we are preparing for that. So I will write in the blog tomorrow to let everyone know what is happening.
Last week Matt tried something new. The therapists got him to lay on his stomach on the plith board. They used a wedge under his tummy to get him up on all fours, like a baby ready to crawl. Then they asked him to arch his back like a cat. He was able to do one and was exhausted! That is not only working on his abs but also the lower back muscles which are extremely weak. Just getting him on all fours was a challenge!
So it is an exercise we will have to keep up at home.
May 8th there is a wheelchair open house at the Red Deer College to see if there is an interest in wheelchair sports, such as wheelchair basketball and wheelchair ball hockey. We are encouraging Matt to attend but he is like the rest of us, so competitive that if he isn't the best he doesn't want to try, but we are going to abduct him and take him anyway. The coordinator said he can just come and observe first and then participate later. However she has to look for a wheelchair big enough for his height.
Update you more tomorrow.
Pray for better Alberta weather!