Hello Out There!

So sorry for the long gap in posting!  I was out of town for a Women of Faith conference in Philly and then came home to email that was locked up and just a really busy week.  So please accept my apologies for being so distant!  Dad and mom are doing wonderful!  Mom is enjoying her new fitness time at the Wellness Center 3x per week.  Dad returned to therapy today and had a good session.  He also had his blood drawn this morning and I am anxious to hear the results.  The nurse who drew the blood who knows my dad because he comes so often really was bragging on dad today.  She told him his arms felt more muscular and she was able to find a good vein in his arm this time and his blood drew so easily.  She told him he looked so good in the face - she asked him what have you being doing to yourself Mr. Kisner - you look so good!  (he really ate that up!)  In fact, dad has been using a hand weight daily now to work on building back some muscle tone - and I am so excited that she could feel a difference in his arm!  His ankles are both in great shape and his cough is all but gone. . . just a little cough here and there.  I have to tell you the guy is working so hard at home on his therapy  - so much that Sunday in church he kept trying and trying to bring his left arm to his face. . . it brought him to tears!  But he never gives up - he keeps on trying.  My brother David is working so very hard on the bathroom for my dad- he's there several afternoons per week and they are getting closer and closer.  We are so excited about that!  

Thought you might in enjoy this picture of Dad and mom with their newest great -grandchild:  Jeffrey Joseph Hamlin III (Trey).  This is my sister Pam's grandson... her daughter Sarah gave birth to him last week Sept. 8th and this makes her second child - she has a little 19 month old Brynna too!  

Love to all - keep praying for dad to make some significant progress in his strength and at therapy - that is what keeps him going. . . working toward all of therapy goals and believing about what the future still holds!

Still Coughing but plugging away!

Dad still has that cough, but he is working hard to get rid of it and plugging away at therapy still. He is going to have a little break from now until next Tuesday off of therapy and that should help him get rid of this chest cold for good! Let's pray that anyway! He said he felt good about his therapy today and I have learned a lot of new ways to help him work on his therapy at home so in the next few days at home we are going to work real hard on those things and believe for a big day next Wednesday when he returns to his OT & PT. The boys are still hard at work on the bathroom and making progress. Just a quick update on dad (his foot is doing great right now). . . gotta run! Keep praying for that miraculous healing in his torso - we need strength there so bad!! love you guys!

Hanging in there!

Hey friends and family. . . it's been a slow road to haul the past few days for dad.  That cold didn't leave dad as quickly as we had thought it was. . .it began to linger and then kind of come back in the form of a hacking cough - he doesn't have a fever and his chest does not sound like it did before, but it's still wearing him out!  He went to church Sunday and ate breakfast in the cafe and greeted at the front door, but ended up coming home just before service started because he felt so tired and "giddy-headed" he said.  He slept most of Sunday.  He did go to therapy yesterday but his therapist said he was very weak - and we all know when we have a cold how it zaps our energy.  So we are just struggling to get this out of his system. . . he gets frustrated when he doesn't have a good day at therapy and the past few times he's gone he just hasn't been able to give it his all!  So please pray for dad that he gets this cold out of his system completely and quickly so we can move forward with our therapy!  

Family NEWS flash! Last night around 8pm. . . mom & dad's 5th great - grandchild was born! My sister Pam's daughter Sarah delivered her second child Jeffrey Joseph, III (Trey) Hamlin in Winchester.  The baby is healthy- mom is great- and big sister Brynna (who I got to spoil all day long while mommy was in labor!) is oblivious. . . she saw him and kinda just was like "whatever". . . she was more interested in playing with her daddy and all the visitors in the hallway!  ha ha! 

A Good Friday

Hey folks. . . meant to post yesterday but the day got away from me.  Dad's blood INR was good - in the range they want it - it did increase from 2.5 to 3.05, but we will stay at current dosage of blood thinner (yeah) and redraw his blood in a week in a half.  Dad had a good day today at therapy.  His Occupational Therapist passed him thru for another 30 day session.  This 30 day period dad's PT & OT are going to give me a list of the tasks that he can work toward achieving and that way we can begin to work harder at home. Dad had a coughing spell in the middle of last night - but overall he is doing well.  He was still a bit tired today after therapy - that cold has really taken a lot out of him.  He works so hard and then comes home and crashes in his recliner.  His foot looked better today and he was able to use it during therapy.  It is still tender and a bit swollen, but much better.  My brother Dave was busy at the bathroom construction again today.  They are making progress every day... dad's therapists are excited about that getting done so they can add tasks for him to learn to do there that improve his independence at home.  Again, the key to continuing therapy is to keep having goals that make dad more independent and able to help in the care of himself.  That shows that the therapy is improving his quality of life and if we can keep him in therapy, I really believe he can get stronger . . . the area we need to focus our prayer on for dad is that we need a complete healing of his "trunk muscles".  His PT thinks the stroke really wiped those out or at least the ability to balance himself. . . with out the sitting balance. . . we can not progress to walking.   

God we know that you are able to do more than we can think or imagine - we join together to ask you to please return strength and balance to our father (Shug). . . give him the strength to stand up and move from bed to chair. . . even just that would improve his quality of life immensely.  It would give him the ability to get more places. . .and take care of all his personal hygiene - we know that you love dad and you will bless and heal him according to your will - and we pray your will is go beyond what we can think or imagine and then you Lord will receive all the praise and glory - in Jesus Christ name we pray, AMEN!

Back to "work"

Dad got back to work today - his work being his therapy!  His foot was still swollen and sore, but his therapist worked with it and helped him with exercises to reduce that swelling...things that will increase the circulation in his foot to hopefully get more blood flow going and reduce the swelling. . . since he had been sick over the weekend and with his foot sore, they had a "light" day. . . but that was perfect to get him back in the swing of things.  We stopped by and had his blood drawn on the way out after therapy.  I'm anxious to see if his blood levels have changed . . . I hope they have increased so that we can decrease his coumadin. . . i should know by the end of tomorrow.  His cold is all but gone. . . just  a few coughs here and there.  After therapy he got into his recliner for the day til my brother David came.  David was working on the bathroom tonight and my Uncle Tommy comes tomorrow to do some additional work on it.  

Good news for mom - she has decided she will continue to work out at the Wellness Center even beyond her final day of Cardiac Rehab.  She is going to go over tomorrow and meet with them about getting her program setup to start next week.  I think she is excited about it and I know that dad is very glad she is continuing it.  We really notice how much it helps mom and gives her a chance to get out and do something for herself to keep herself healthy too.  Yeah mom!  

I'll touch base back when I hear how the blood tests go!  Love to all and thanks again for your love support and continued prayers!

Out of Bed & On the Mend!

Thank you God and thank you friends who prayed with us for dad to heal quickly.  He's doing much better today!  Mom & I bathed him this morning and got him out of bed into his recliner and when I called him at noon - he said he wanted to stay there a little while longer. . . so I'm gonna stop by on my way home this afternoon to get him back in his bed, but I expect he'll be wanting to get some fresh air this evening with my brother Tommy when he comes in.  It's such a relief that he is on the mend.  His ankle is still a little bit sore, but it is healing too!  We go for therapy tomorrow afternoon - so it looks like dad will be able to go to it after all!  Thanks again for keeping dad in your prayers... and so far, mom is doing just fine too - no signs of the cold in her!  She only has 2 more days of cardiac rehab. . . she has met all of her goals!  We are trying to talk her into joining the Wellness Center to keep on track with all her progress. . . of course she's being frugal fanny - saying it costs too much - but we'll talk her into it!

Feeling A Little Better Today

Dad is feeling better today- thank you God.  He is still very hoarse and is still coughing some, but the worse looks like it might be over.  He is still very tired, and resting.  But his blood pressure was great at 116 over 74 and no temperature. His foot is still swollen and sore on one side. . . so we are concentrating on the other side that is swollen and tender for treatment.  Dad seemed much more like himself today that in the days before.  We watched the WVU Mountaineer game that was replayed today on tv.  He had watched it Saturday too with my brother Tommy, but he wanted to watch his nephew Nate again, because he did so well in the game!  He still wasn't ready to get up out of bed today, but I think by tomorrow he will be ready to start getting up and around and maybe sit outside if weather permits.  He doesn't have therapy until Wednesday so that's good.  Mom is still feeling really well - so our prayers are covering her and keeping her strong!  Thanks for praying for dad's speedy recovery with us!  Keep it coming!