Thanksgiving

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." (T. Wilder)

My extended family--the Beilers-- came to our house today to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. (That's me and my 7 brothers and sisters on the picture shown above.)

Today we recognize the many treasures we have been given--the joys of family life, gathering around a table laden with delicious food, the faith, love and committment of parents, sisters and brothers, children and grandchildren. Along with these precious gifts, we also remember to give thanks to our God for the gift of life. By His mercy, our family circle still remains unbroken. We do not have any guarantees for tomorrow: all we can do is cherish the moments we do have.

My heart goes out to those who are suffering today with any kind of pain, especially the loss of a loved one. Somehow, in the way that only Jesus knows how to provide, I pray for peace and a sense that He is still in control.

-Fan

3-wheeler bicycle

We got to spend an unexpected two days longer on beautiful Anna Maria Island in Florida, thanks to the hospitality of our friends John and Carol Stoltzfus, who invited us to stay at their home after the Hollingers returned to PA. The weather was warmer those last two days, so we spent lots of time outdoors. Carl decided to rent a 3-wheeler bicycle and we biked around the quiet streets of the little town.

This is how we accomplished that feat: John duct-taped Carl's left foot to the left bike pedal (!!) so he was able to propel the bike forward with one foot. His right foot rested on top of his crutch, which was also duct-taped in place. I'm not sure Carl's physical therapist would approve of the method, but it was a very good workout for his left leg and it was so much fun!

Sunny South

Early this past summer, we had planned a November trip to Florida with our friends David and Debbie Hollinger. After Carl's cycle accident in August, we realized we would need to cancel most activities and plans we had made, at least for several months. But Florida we held on to, as a goal for us to reach for. The doctor gave the go-ahead and 15 weeks after the accident, here we are!

Traveling went well, we flew from Philadelphia to Tampa non-stop. No one else sat in the row where Carl was sitting so he was able to rest his leg across the entire seat!

It is unseasonably cold here in Anna Maria Island, but we are not complaining. Even though the temps are chilly, the sun is warm. And Mandi called to tell us it's snowing in Pennsylvania! That makes it hard to think about heading back home tomorrow.

perspective

Our situation is abruptly put into perspective when I consider the unfathomable pain of my cousin and his wife who lost their 20-year-old son this week in a terrible accident. My heart breaks for them. Their loss is so very permanent.

back to work

I thought I should tell you that today my husband loaded a tractor-trailer. He really did! He spent several hours on a forklift in our HomePlace Structures warehouse, loading outdoor wooden products which are packaged in shrink-wrapped kits. It was so good to see him in his element!

Crutches!

It has been an emotional day for us. Our visit with Carl's surgeon was as we expected it would be, both positive and negative. First the good news: As of today, Carl can put weight on his left leg! He was so-o excited about the prospect of "being vertical"! He got crutches and went straight to therapy after the appointment. His leg can hold his weight for a short time but the biggest issue at first is an ability to balance. After 13 weeks of being off his feet, it's understandable, and will be short-lived. He'll be up and around very quickly, I suspect.

We all took turns getting standing-up hugs from him today. It was wonderful to be held...

The results from Carl's nerve test were mixed:

*his right femoral nerve (front of thigh), which allows the knee to straighten, sustained moderate damage from the crash and has a good chance at recovery.

*the tibial nerve on the inside of the right leg provides sensation to the inside and bottom of his foot. This nerve allows the foot to push down, like on a pedal. This nerve was severly damaged and recovery remains to be seen.

*the peroneal nerve on the outside of his leg was severed. It is gone, with no chance of recovery. This is the nerve that allows the foot to flex upward (toward your head.) So the doctor will eventually fit Carl for an insert or "boot" placed inside his shoe which will act as a spring and propel his foot upward when he walks.

Carl's right leg can not bend because of severe scar tissue in the knee. During the initial surgery, they had to remove a lot of cartilege and now it is mostly bone against bone in that area. The surgeon will likely need to go in and clean up (scope) the knee area. He wants to wait until all the bones are healed on that leg to pursue other options--probably surgery to bend it or as he calls it, "manipulate" the knee. Some other possible future treatments include a surgery to release muscles and tendons, including the achilles tendon. This should allow the leg to loosen up a bit to allow him to learn to walk. He is also a candidate for knee replacement in the future but the doctor wants to put that off as long as possible. Dr Essis said, "We'll get you a gait" which means he will learn to walk somehow!

I know this is a lot of information, maybe too much. But for tonight, we look at how far Carl has come in the past 3 months and rejoice in the fact that he can now use crutches. We still don't know what the future holds---but then, who among us does?