Countdown is On!

Wow - it's hard to believe we are just days from bringing mom & dad back to their own home! We are working hard to get everything in place for them. So just three more days there and when he leaves for church Sunday - it's good-bye to Heartland. We surely have come a long way since entering their facility with dad at the end of January. We have a lot to be thankful for from that great staff of professionals. They were so good to my dad and mom, and I know that dad will miss them. Dad has made much progress since being under their care and we know that he has made friends forever there.

We are now making steps every day to get everything in place for dad's arrival Sunday. The hospital bed comes Friday, along with his lift. The bathroom is under construction and we are also working on the plumbing issues. We are lining up his therapy, home health and meds. . . and trying to get a schedule in place to provide them with the care they need from our family as they get settled into their life at home. Dad seems to be ready and so does mom. . . hopefully, by faith and hard work and persistence we will be ready too!

Getting Busy - Getting Ready

It's been a busy weekend. After church yesterday, we took mom & dad to their house and had a family meeting to discuss what we needed to get done this week in order to bring mom & dad both home Sunday June1st! I think it was a little overwhelming for my dad who is feeling like a "burden" to us and also is feeling a little afraid of leaving the only place he has really any recollection of being since his stroke. He is concerned about us taking care of his needs and also how mom will do - he wishes so badly he could be taking care of her! My brothers Dave & Tim should be at mom & dad's this morning working on tearing out their bathrooms to make way for our Uncle Tommy to come in and build the new - handicap accessible/featured bathroom that will allow dad to shower and wheel right up to a vanity to shave and brush his hair & teeth. Mom was a little scared to see the house after the "water" situation last week. She was relieved that it wasn't as bad as she was imagining. She's a little scared of all the changes we are making, but I told her that we expect her and dad to be alive and well another 20 years, so we need to make her home a place where they can establish a new way of life. I think we are all a bit overwhelmed right now - not knowing how it is all going to be. . . but we have to have faith - not fear. . . and just put one foot in front of the other and take each day as it comes. This week while the boys will be busy remodeling, Pam & I will be busy preparing for the transfer of all of dad's services, like home health and therapy outpatient. We also have to arrange all of his meds, hospital equipment and supplies. Plus, we'll be busy just taking care of mom & dad. Mom is still a bit weak, but she improves a little every day. To any of our friends and family who so graciously gave of their time when dad was home with us before, if you are able to volunteer some time on a regular basis again, we will start off June with 24 hour care shifts until we see how they manage, then we may be able to back off to just mealtimes. We love you all and appreciate every thing you are doing - prayer is the most important thing - so keep lifting up the Kisner family!

So Much to Do - So Little Time to Do it!

We have a plan! Time is not on our side though because we bringing dad home next Sunday June 1st! So here's the scoop - our Uncle Tommy (my mom's baby brother) met my brother Dave at mom & dad's house today and they have mapped out what needs to be done in the house to make a bathroom that dad can access and really use. It is going to be very nice for mom & dad both by the way it sounds. We will get right to work on making preparations for that house modification to take place. We also need to get in there and finish cleaning up from the water mess earlier in the week. We think the damage is minimal and may only require some minor upgrading to the flooring.

Although mom is really progressing in her recovery from her heart surgery and relapse with the fluid on her chest. . . she still is not capable of taking care of dad at home alone. So for at least a couple of weeks, we will make a schedule of when they will need our help and divide it among siblings & our family. Then as mom progresses and dad does too, we may be able to trim back the amount of assistance needed. Right now we have to work fast to get the house in shape and the care in place to bring him home. As good as the care has been at Heartland - I absolutely feel it is time to bring dad home - I cant' wait to be back in their home again and have dad be able to truly enjoy being there this time! We hope to get him back into some kind of therapy schedule after we get settled in as well.

Have a safe memorial weekend!

Great Home Visit-Then it Pours!

Well what a day - it started off great! We had an excellent home visit with dad's therapists. We learned how they use the "pivot disc" for dad when they stand him up - which he does very well now. Then you just pivot him on the disc and whala - he's in the other chair you want him. So that will be nice. They have suggested widening the doors to the bathroom and bedroom - dad's wheelchair will not fit thru them right now. . . they also want us to consider modifying the bathrooms if we hope to give dad a place to be showered/bathed. We are having contractors come Friday to look at the current setup and recommend what can be done - we already have several volunteer contractors, we are hoping the material to do the renovation will not be too costly - other than that - we need to add a few handrails and remove the area rugs/carpets. . . we have a pretty safe home. Dad was not really that emotional - he was really quite funny. He giggled a lot and had fun - when they put him in his recliner - he said he could stay there for the day and his therapist could pick him up later!

Yesterday evening when I went to the house to check on the toilet in the one bathroom that I had turned the water back on for - I found over an inch, maybe 2 in the bathroom and it was running out into the other rooms and hallways - it was a huge mess. My sister and brother came to my rescue as me, lexy and brady were sopping up the water in all the areas. They seem to have a backup problem with the sewer and when I turned the water to the toilet back on to flush it - it just kept filling the toilet bowel - and overflowed basically from 9am til 6pm when I arrived. We got it all cleaned up and we have big fan on it now - we are hoping there will not be too much damage. That's what insurance is for right?

Mom is doing well - she pushed it too hard the first 2 days home and Pam made her stay home and rest all day yesterday. She has to get her strength back before dad comes home June 1st!
Still believing for a miracle in May - believe with us!

Out of Hospital. . .Taking A Cruise with Dad!

Wow - what a day! Mom came home this afternoon from the hospital to my sister Pam's house. She is feeling really good. Then this evening Pam and her husband Kelly and their son Matt took mom to see dad in the new wheelchair van they found for mom & dad. I was so excited when they called me and said they were out taking a cruise - I begged them to come see me at my house! It was so awesome. Mom and Pam were sitting in the back with dad...he was so happy. Mom was crying- it was just a special moment. This van was such a "God-intervention" as my sister said. Thanks to Denny, Kelly's uncle, who found it for us at the auction! It is an awesome ride for them - it has an automatic lift - no more pushing him up a ramp - it has a "short-wheel" base - according to dad that makes for a much more comfortable ride. It also is equipped to allow him in the future if he is able - with a drivers seat that automatically moves around to where he could transfer from wheelchair to drivers chair and then be able to use all hand mechanics to drive and steer! Whew - that's a mouthful! It has the runner lights in the back and at dusk it looked like a limo in there according to my daughter Lexy! It even has a tv with vcr. . . but the best part is the side windows that are huge. . . that will allow mom & dad to watch the kids ballgames from inside the van and see perfectly! Thank you God for putting this vehicle in our path - what a blessing!

Dad's home visit is Wednesday - we are anxious to take him home for the first time since his mind has been straight. I think it will be an emotional visit to say the least! We'll keep you posted!

Feeling Better!

Hey Everyone! My mom is feeling a whole lot better now. She is still in the hospital in Winchester, but is scheduled for release Monday. She will be going home with Pam tomorrow - her physical therapist here at the hospital has said she does not need any further rehab. She is walking around well and is eating again. Amazingly - she didn't even remember coming here by ambulance Thursday - that's how sick she was. But she is doing so much better now - and she really was so much more like herself today. Me and Lexy went up to see her after church. We were trying to watch the Orioles with her -but they were in a rain delay. Dad did go to church this morning and looked his fabulous self. He is just so in his element there being able to greet people and welcome them. He really loves that. He also loves seeing all the children and they love giving him high fives. Tonight I will be packing up mom's clothes at the rehab and I know that will probably make dad sad, but I am going to try to encourage him that mom needs to get back into her regular daily living activities and start spending some time at home so we can prepare for dad's homecoming in a few weeks. I think he will be ok - he just told mom he hates to see anyone else laying there in that bed next to his in the room at rehab. We have dad's home visit on Wednesday and I am sure once he sees the house and is inside it - he will look forward to being home again and focus on that. We will have a lot to do before then - lots of projects to make it safer. And we'll need to get his hospital bed on order as well. We are going to start investigating his outpatient therapy options and also get mom scheduled for cardia rehab as well.

Well, I guess that's all for now. . . we'll keep you posted this week.

Emergency Trip to Winchester for Mom

Yesterday (Thursday) was a rough day for mom. She got progressively worse. She did not hardly move or talk and she started running a fever. Her oxygen levels started to decrease so around 5pm Heartland called her surgeon to report the worsened condition and they decided to transport mom to Winchester ER to see Dr. Roberts and have him "tap" her so they could drain the fluid they found on her chest the day before. When the ambulance came to get her, she could barely walk and was very quiet and unresponsive. My sister and I followed the ambulance to Winchester - while many of our family came to dad's side at Heartland to comfort him - he was in tears when she left by stretcher and very worried. They ended up having quite the "fun time" in there when all the Kisner clan showed up to cheer dad up!

Around 8pm, Dr. Roberts performed the procedure on mom right in her room and when we saw her again around 8:45, it was an amazing difference. Amazingly, they removed 1500ccs from her chest which was the equivalent to more than an IV bag full of fluid. . . which was gross mom said. . . the doctor said there was some old blood and other fluid. This was just putting so much pressure on mom's heart and restricting her oxygen flow that she became very weak and sick. She had a very high heart rate and low oxygen level for a while, but she did finally stabilize and was able to rest well. I got up here this morning to her room (323) around 9:15am -just in time to help her bathe. She is still very weak and tired, but she is resting and I think she will feel much better later in the day when she finally recovers from the trauma of yesterday. Right now, the plan is to keep her a day or two here so she can regain her strength and appetite (she's barely eaten for days now). . .then they will either release her back to Heartland or possibly even straight to home (which will be Pam's for now).

Dad seemed better today when I talked to him on the phone - he had a terrible day at therapy yesterday because he was so worried about mom. He said he couldn't concentrate and he got sick to his stomach - so I am hoping today will be better for him. I am planning to go by there at lunch time and check in on him.

A Little Bump in the Road

Well we hit a little bump in the road yesterday with mom. We went for her follow up appointment with her heart surgeon, we found out the source for mom's shortness of breath and decreasing endurance - she has about 5lbs of fluid in her right chest cavity! I saw the xray myself! They said that is the equivalent to about an IV bag and a half of fluid she is carrying around in there. Dr. Roberts said 1 of 5 who have this surgery have this minor complication and the removal process is very simple - she will go to their outpatient facility on Monday morning and they will do an "image-guided" needle to the area and withdraw the fluid. They say within 24hours she will see a huge difference in her lung capacity and endurance. I think we were both relieved to hear the news actually, because I was really worried about mom on the way to the appointment yesterday. She was so quiet and tired and out of breath walking. She lost her balance a few times. We actually had been noticing this on Sunday at church and just kind of gradually since she has been at Heartland. We have been trying to focus on the positive and I guess we felt maybe the negative stuff we were seeing was just "to be expected" after surgery, but secretly we have been worried and I think she has been too. She has been working so hard in therapy to make herself feel better, and the care team were seeing her do so well - thus the reason they were planning a discharge. However, what they weren't seeing was that the rest of the day she was sleeping and not eating and just feeling exhausted. So it's just a blessing that we had that appointment yesterday and now know what's going on inside her body. The nurses there at Heartland will be keeping a close eye on her now until Monday. Dr. Roberts has taken her off the blood thinner coumadin for good now (that's why he couldn't do the procedure yesterday -she needs to be off of that and her blood at a normal level). So right now he wants her to just rest and cut back on therapy and anything else. We are not going to take mom home now until after the procedure is done and she feels better. It's important that she not take on too much until this fluid is gone.

Dad is doing great. . . he tried out a motorized wheelchair yesterday and really liked that feeling of getting himself around. They will continue to explore that with him and we may go ahead and change out his chairs. He had been so worried about how much mom had been sleeping and how tired she was looking - so he was relieved to know that there was something causing it - he is our watchdog with mom. He keeps a close eye on her and tells us if he thinks she needs us. So I think that has made him feel special knowing he is keeping an eye on her.

Keep mom in your prayers this weekend - and believe for a successful procedure on Monday! Love to all!

Mom May Be Coming Home Friday

Mom's care team meeting went really well today. Her therapists all were very complimentary on her progress and feel she is ready to be released at the end of the week. We are going to actually bring her therapist to Pam's house with Mom on Friday for a home visit - to determine if mom can stay there for a week or so before dad comes home. If she passes all the tests at Pam's Friday- she may get released that day or Saturday. I think she is ready and excited to move on. She is definitely much stronger and getting more endurance each day. I think once she gets back into her regular daily activities - she will feel more like herself. Dad's home visit is now moved to next Wednesday at mom & dad's house with him. I think dad will miss her, but he knows that it's best if she leaves and goes and gets things in order for his discharge at the end of May. In this picture dad and mom were both back in Rehab together. . . Pam and I stopped in to visit after our meeting. We are also happy to report having found a very good deal on a WheelChair van today. We are hoping to have it on the road this weekend. We want to start taking dad out more often and this will enable us to. We are hoping the weather cooperates so we can take him to a ball game this weekend! Thanks for checking in! We love you guys! MBB

Great Mothers Day!

Mom and Dad had a great Mothers Day weekend! They were able to get out and enjoy church, and we had a special time of prayer for mom & dad afterward with the elders of the church to ask for and believe for their healing (Read James 5:14-15). Then they enjoyed a day full of visitors on Mothers Day! They were so happy to see friends from one of Dad's routes he used to drive. Bud & Bertha visited from Cave Country Store in Franklin. They are such dear friends - always bring mom her "cheese" and other goodies. Mom and dad are surely blessed to have such a big family and big circle of friends. It is truly a wonderful thing to always have people speaking so highly of your parents - it seems wherever I go, someone has a story to tell about "Shug." I had a gentleman come up to me at church yesterday and tell me that it was my dad who made him feel so special from the first time he walked thru the doors at our church The Living Room. He said dad had a way of just making people feel good and welcome and that I was lucky to have such wonderful parents. And it is true - my parents are so amazing. . . and that is why at this time in their life, when they need us so much, it is so easy to give sacrificially because of all that they have done to bless us with such a rich life.

Mom and dad are feeling pretty good. Mom is still a bit on the weak/wobbly side. We are glad she is under good care at Heartland. We take her to see Dr. Roberts her heart surgeon Wednesday for a followup. It's hard to believe it's been almost 4 weeks since her surgery. I meet with the care team for her tomorrow to see what they think about her progress. I know they want to keep her around until she can make some "home-made" noodles for them in the kitchen! ha ha! I told her therapist John she couldn't come home til she was able to make noodles for us again - they have her in the kitchen every day during therapy - and we got to talking about all of her "specialties". . . and that's where that came from!

Looking forward to an amazing week in therapy - we are believing for lots of progress & continued healing. We think we might have found a wheelchair van to purchase. . . we are going to be investigating that further this week and then the we have the home visit is Friday with the therapists to see what needs to be done at home. We have had several contractors volunteer their time to assist with what ever we decide upon - thanks everyone - if we can rally a bunch of friends & family. . . we'll get it all done before they come home!

We will believe!

Hey everyone. . . I'm sure you are all wondering about the Care Team Meeting for Dad yesterday. They shared a lot of dad's progress and they have wonderful things to say about dad in general, however, his occupational and physical therapist feel he most likely will no longer qualify for "medicare" covered therapy after May. They feel he is reaching his maximum potential for recovery, although they admit that many stroke patients continue to progress minimally forever. They say dad is mastering his "sit to stand" with minimal assist - which will help significantly with transfers from his wheelchair to other surfaces. . . however because his balance is still not good enough, it doesn't look like they plan to work on "walking" with dad as it would not really be possible for him to accomplish at this point. The balance issue is a result of the damage he suffered from the bleed on the brain during his stroke - the part of his brain that controls balance has been damaged so much that - at this stage - they do not feel good about him re-learning that in order to attempt the walking.

They still plan to test out a "motorized" wheel chair for dad - we are in the process of getting one in there for him to experiment with. We will be doing a "home visit" with mom and dad next Friday to determine what changes we need to make before bringing them both home. We are going to be asking our family members who are contractors for some advice on reconstructing their 2 bathrooms into 1 that would feature a shower that a chair could be wheeled into. . . we are also going to look at some other minor changes. The therapists will recommend the best things to help them live at home successfully. We want to continue dad's therapy or some time of wellness program for him at the Wellness Center after he leaves Heartland, so we are checking into that as well. We are also investigating the purchase of a wheelchair van. Lots to plan for. . . at this point we are not sure how much help mom and dad will need at home in June - we are going to see how that goes once we get a little closer. The therapists say mom may need to stay a week or 2 longer this month to build up her endurance and strength. While she is mastering a lot of skills, and is cooking for them at therapy and doing her exercises well. . . she is still a bit weak. Her therapist has had to "catch her" several times during her work outs - so we don't want to bring her home too early- we do not want her to take a fall! I meet with her care team on Tuesday, then her surgeon on Wednesday.

NOW. . . all that being said. . . I want to share with you an excerpt from Dodie Osteen's book on her supernatural healing of cancer from God. It is a part of the book where the doctors are confirming her healing. . . "What happened to Dodie Osteen? The answer is simple. She was healed, not in the traditional medical sense, but supernaturally, in answer to prayer. God touched her in a special way. We're discovering some tremendous things in medicine today, especially about how attitude affects healing. We're learning now that a person's positive attitude in fighting and refusing to accept illness can literally change white blood cell counts in the body. Why don't I see more or hear of more miracles like Dodie Osteen's? The answer is straightforward. God manifests Himself to us in the area in which we are willing to believe Him. If a person believes God for salvation and eternal life, God will manifest Himself in this way. Dodie Osteen believed God for her healing, and God manifested himself to her in this way. God is no respecter of persons. He is willing to heal anyone if they will only believe."

If Attitude can heal a body. . . dad's miracle is on it's way, because there is definitely no man with a better attitude or more faith in God to heal him. . . so we just want to ask you to BELIEVE WITH US - that God can and will heal dad and he will walk again one day. . . we won't rest until then - we will stand on God's Word and His promises and do all He says to receive the miracle dad needs. It may not be easy, hey-if it was, everyone would be doing it. It will take obedient faith, even on the days that seem bleak - but God's word never returns void. . . if it says healing is available, then we will find it - won't we??? We must be vigilant!

Getting Better Everyday

Mom and Dad still seem to be getting better and stronger everyday.  Mom is up and around a lot better - and seeming more like herself every minute. I won't be surprised if mom gets out next week after her appointment with her surgeon.  The care plan meeting with Heartland for mom is Tuesday and her surgeon we see on Wednesday.  

Today I will be meeting with dad's care plan team.  He is very unsure about going home at the end of this month.  He told mom and I the other day - he wondered if they might let him stay one more month so he could work harder and get stronger.  I will get that feedback today when I hear from his team.  I'll post later and let you know.  

Working hard at therapy!

Mom & Dad were working hard at therapy today when I stopped by to visit. Mom was learning a cool way to put on her socks without bending over - they have all these neat gadgets to help them be independent without straining or hurting themselves. Dad was working on building his muscles in his left arm - they have his left arm strapped to the machine with an ace bandage and he is lifting the lever with a 5lb weight on it. . . he was doing a great job - I was so proud of them both!

Mom looked so much better today. She is still tired, but I think she gets a little better each day! The sun was shining into that therapy room and they had the door open. . . that fresh air really seemed to make all the patients feel good.

This is going to be a great week - I can just feel it! Keep us in your prayers!

Nice Weekend!

Mom & Dad had a nice weekend. . . Saturday we watched the Kentucky Derby together and the Orioles game. It was very relaxing. Mom and Dad both went to church Sunday - even though it wore my mom out. . . but it was good for her to get some fresh air and get out a little bit. Dad looked awesome in his WVU shirt as he greeted at the front door. In the picture he is with my daughter Lexy at right and his little friend Cynthia Zimmerman at left.
Not sure how long mom will be staying at Heartland, but she is able to stay until she feels better. She doesn't see her heart surgeon until May 14th. But her insurance allows her to stay for up to 90 days 100% covered so she is in no hurry to leave until she is strong enough to be on her own. For now, she is content being with her man. Looking forward to an awesome week for both mom & dad. Thanks for checking in!

A Nice Friday

Hey Folks! Dad and mom are doing well. Mom seemed a little better today, but she still remains very very tired. Her therapy is very exhausting. When I took them lunch - I got to see her walk all the way down the hall with her walker with her therapist. She can walk around without it as well, but she only makes short trips to the bathroom and sink. She mostly just rests in between therapy, which is good. We don't want her up trying to take care of dad, she needs to get herself well. I was trying to think of something different to take them for lunch and so I stopped at Petrucci's Market across from our development. Mom & Dad's neighbor Donnie was working and he really hooked me up with some fresh cut country ham sandwiches, sweet tea, a chunk of cheese for mom and even a beautiful flower for mom. Thanks Donnie for making mom & dad's lunch so special for me. I know that he really misses mom & dad's company next door. . . we can't wait to be sitting out front watching the cars go by and having friendly neighborly conversations again with you Donnie!

Dad was proud to share with me that he sat up today - unassisted on the therapy table - for 20 minutes! I think that's a record time for him! He was really focussed. He is determined and his faith is stronger each day. He really works hard at therapy and is believing for miraculous things to come!

Looking forward to a great weekend! Not sure if mom will be up for going to church, but I am sure dad will! We have a Care Team meeting for dad next Thursday - we are going to get an update on his progress and maybe schedule a "home visit" for them to see what their home looks like and if we will need to make any changes before bringing dad home next month or whenever they determine his discharge should be... mom's Care Team meeting is scheduled for the 13th, then she sees her heart surgeon on the 14th - so I guess we'll see where she is then and determine if she is ready to come home. Right now she is content right where she is - with dad and under the care of professionals.

A Good Evening

Tonight I thought mom and dad seemed really good. Mom decided not to go back for afternoon therapy because she wanted to rest - but actually I think she felt better because of it. We took Chik-fila for dinner and they both ate well and seemed in good spirits. I think mom was especially happy because some of her sisters came to visit her today & they cheered her up. Dad was really proud of his day in therapy - he said "I think its a step in the right direction" - he kind of broke down crying - and he told me his therapist had suggested he try out the stationary bicycle that is low to the ground - his therapist warned him that it may not work because he would have to be able make the left leg participate to be successful - well what do you know - DAD did it! He was so happy with himself. . . he cried. He said, "I haven't moved that leg like that in a year!" Then he laughed because he said - mom was down there having therapy and she didn't even see his great moment!! I encouraged him and reminded him that today we began "Miracle May". . . the month where God was going to move in a big way thru his body!!! Here we go!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. . .

Therapy & Rest

Not much to report really. . . mom and dad pretty much have therapy and rest each day. Last night we worked on paying bills and getting that all caught up. I think dad has been a little worried about mom because she has been so tired lately, but I think she is just working really hard at her therapy and needs a lot of resting. I have asked the nurse to keep a close eye on her to see if she notices anything out of the norm. Her appetite has been very little - but she is eating some.

Well here we are in the month of May - it's hard to believe it's been 6 1/2 months since dad's stroke. But I still believe this is the biggest month yet for his progress and that mom & dad's best days are ahead of them! I have been reading Dodie Osteen's "Healed of Cancer" book and although neither mom or dad have cancer, it basically tells the story of having faith to believe for a healing - because God's word says it's available to those who believe and confess it with their mouth. I am reading that to mom & dad when I visit and trying to increase their faith for a healing of their bodies. Please join our family and believe for the complete healing of their bodies - and believe with me that their best days are yet to come!