Staph Aureus

Tom's drainage cultures show that he has staph aureus.  He will be released from the hospital today on Bactrim, an antibiotic to cover this type of infection.  Dr. Zerick removed a metal plate that was used to hold the bone flap and screws in place.  The infection was under that plate.  Now that the plate has been removed and the area cleaned we are praying that the antibiotic and God's touch will be just what Tom needs to get back to feeling better.

2011

25th Anniversary Memorial Tree

Riverside Methodist Hospital

Wednesday evening during Tom's surgery, the hospital was having a special ceremony and lighting of the main Christmas tree in the lobby.  We weren't sure what was going on but the lobby was packed, catered food was present and people were dressed for church!  Then last night my sister received a text from a friend who said they gave to the hospital in honor of Tom.  We walked through the lobby to see Tom's name, among many, listed on the 2011 25th Anniversary Memory Tree!  Many people give to the hospital at Christmastime either in memory of someone who has deceased or to honor someone who is living.  We are thankful that is was an honor contribution and not a memory contribution!  Thank you to the Klass family for your love, prayers and honor to Tom.  Now we know the "rest of the story".

#3 on the list

I want to thank my sister, Kelly, for the delicious pot roast, potatoes, carrots and Great Harvest bread she brought to the hospital last night for our dinner!  I haven't had roast beef since last winter...it was a treat!  Pray for Terry, Kelly and Zac as they travel to Michigan to visit their daughter, Brittany and her husband, Dan, in their new home this weekend.  Not only will they be helping with the new move-in projects, but Kelly will be helping Brittany set up the nursery.  Brittany is due for their firstborn son the end of the month!  We are all so excited.

Last night when I got home from the hospital I was so happy to find the annual Christmas gift from Tom's brother, Tim, the "citrus specialist" who created Simply Orange, a large box of Florida oranges, grapefruit and tangerines!!!  What a special treat each year to receive such a taste of sunshine.  Thank you Tim and Julie.

"With this ring, I thee wed...again, and again, and again!"

Once again Tom was asked prior to surgery to remove his wedding band.  I always hate taking the ring off and putting it somewhere safe until I can place it back on his hand.  Well today it was so sweet to place it back on his finger!

What a great feeling to be HOME!  Upon arriving home today we were surprised to see that Santa had been out early making deliveries.  This basket of goodies was waiting for Tom's home arrival.  It was filled with a Honey Baked Ham, Great Harvest Bread in the shape of Rudolf and Buckeyes on a Stick!!  What a special treat that will be thoroughly enjoyed...thank you to whoever anonymously blessed us with such goodness.

 It was so cute...on our way home I asked Tom, "what are you looking forward to doing when you get home?" and he replied, "play Skipbo!".  So that's what we did...of course, he won!  We enjoyed lunch and now Tom is sleeping soundly in his own bed!

“Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”

Mark 5:19

Hospital Update

Surgery went well.  Dr. Zerick said the infection was superficial...we are thankful for that.  Tom was a 'new man' this morning when I got here.  Clear eyes are a pleasant sight to see.  After some "doctor communication" they came to the conclusion that it would be okay for Tom to head home this evening!  Before I went to get some lunch Tom was shivering and not feeling so well.  Therefore...we covet your prayer for wisdom to know if going home this evening is a good thing.  He is not currently running a fever, but from previous experience Tom will chill, then run the fever several hours later.  We definitely want to be smart so as not to get home just to return.

About a 1/4 of the original incision was reopened & cleaned.

Stitches removed 2-3 weeks.

On the "home front"...yesterday our dog, Addy, was home alone after eating an almost whole meatloaf.  I knew that there would be trouble.  Thanks to Elden and Jennifer Deskins for their love for us and Addy, they took on the horrible clean-up duty of several "piles" and took time to play with her too!  What I owe them is beyond payment.  Thank you Elden & Jen!!!  Then...when my parents got back to our house, Addy had deposited several more piles!  I'm assuming the deposits added up to a whole meatloaf and today we will not have any surprises when we arrive home.  I already owe my parents more than I can pay...what else is new.

A sweet gift in the mailbox when I arrived home late last night from Tari Hooley.

More Downs...

Well...much has changed since my last post...while Tom napped yesterday the Benalcazar's delivered a delicious dinner.  It was so nice to catch up with them.  When Tom woke up from his nap shortly after they left, I noticed he was burning up with a temperature.  I took his temperature and it was 101.3 which at 101 they want us to call the doctor.  I text Dr. Zerick and he said, "get to the emergency room".  I quickly ate a plate of food and left the covered containers on the stove.  We arrived at Riverside around 6:30 p.m.  Let's just say it was a terrible experience.  It was quite some time before Tom could even get into an ER room.  Once in the ER room it was quite another looooong time before a doctor came in, then another, then another...so many people, so many titles, so much information...such a sick husband...and nothing I could do apart from pray and read scripture.

Several verses that spoke to me through the night watch:

"My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint.

You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:

 Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion?

Then I said, “It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

 I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph.

The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.

Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron."

Psalm 77

"My soul weeps because of grief; strengthen me according to Your word."

Psalm 119:28

"Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble."

Psalm 119:165

After many communication breakdowns, blood draws, blood cultures, IV started, drainage culture, CT scan, foley catheter placement, finally an antibiotic IV started at 1:00 a.m.!!  He was not given a room assignment until 4:00 a.m.!  I left the hospital at 4:30 a.m. and was in bed by 5:00.  Back up at 8:00 for a shower and now here at the hospital at Tom's side waiting for surgery.  We are told he will have surgery this afternoon...Zerick time...means we won't know until he walks in the door!



de·bride·ment

  dɪˈbridmənt, deɪ-/ [dih-breed-muhnt], noun

surgical removal of foreign matter and dead tissue from a wound



My parents and sister spent the evening with us here at the hospital.  At midnight I said, "You must go home!".  When my parents arrived home, they knew immediately that Addy (our 10 year old German Shorthaired Pointer) had been bad.  An empty meatloaf pan was found on the floor!  While the owners are away, the dog will feast and play.  I can't tell you how unusual that is for her.  Only on rare occasions when she is especially mad does she behave in such a way...she is distraught too!  I can only say she got locked in the bathroom for the night because I thought she may vomit...she didn't, but boy were there quite few extra "piles" in our backyard this morning!  She hasn't eaten that good in a long time.  Katherine told me when they dropped of the meal that one of their standard poodles got up on the counter and ate a whole bag of bagels!  I think the meatloaf was just irresistible!

Ups & Downs of Life...Mostly Downs

I'll start with yesterday...
After getting Tom down for a nap, I knew I had about one and a half hours to squeeze in some shopping.  I didn't want to go out on a rainy, nasty Monday...but, I had a 20% off coupon to JCPenney along with a $10 off any $25 purchase!  If you know me, I can't pass up a coupon or a bargain, so off I went.  Earlier in the day I had my wallet out and didn't put it away after using it, I even thought 'you should put that away or you'll forget it'.  I got ready to pay for my merchandise and low and behold...you guessed it...I didn't have my wallet!!  I kicked myself all the way to the car...opportunity wasted.  I did get back to JCP after dinner to use the coupons that almost burned a hole in my pocket!
Last night Tom went to bed early and made a few 'weird' comments about how he felt...but you have to understand that Tom's communication, especially about feelings (not physical objects) is very hard for him.  He is so tough and so sweet that he is enduring far more than any of us can imagine.  He woke up around 2:30 a.m. to use the bathroom and said his head hurt.  I talked him into taking some Tylenol and then he slept until 10 a.m.!!  When he woke up I thought he seemed a little sluggish, but we were in "get ready" mode for therapy.  "Get ready" mode is a lot of work...getting dressed (very hard dressing a 6'7" man whose dominant side doesn't want to cooperate!), eating and brushing teeth takes every minute of the hour and 45 minutes we had before leaving!  Kay Scott, our home health PT and good friend, met us at therapy to check in on us and the PT staff there!  She wants the best care for Tom.  She saw right away that Tom's incision site was still draining (which it had slowed down, but this morning had regained it's pace) she encouraged me to text Dr. Zerick about it.  I did right away and Dr. Zerick said to come to his office on our way home from therapy.  After doing some PT we all noticed Tom's sluggishness, so the therapist checked his heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen level.  His heart rate was high, blood pressure low and oxygen was normal.  They said he could be dehydrated and made him stop and drink some water.  Of course by this time I was in tears and ready to crumble...I'm finding myself rather frail and easily moved to tears lately.  By the time the OT came Tom was physically shivering and unable to get warm or stop shaking.  She was able to do a little therapy before we loaded him in the car and headed straight to Dr. Zerick's office.  Because Tom had breakfast at 10:30 we didn't get lunch in before therapy so I thought that maybe he was just hungry and needed "refueled".  When entering the doctor's office Tom said he needed to vomit.  We quickly ran into the women's restroom (one thing I've noticed since all this has happened is no "family" handicap restroom is seen too often...what is a women to do with her husband who needs to use the facilities...men's vs women's??)  Thankfully he didn't vomit...close call.  While waiting we decided to eat some pretzels from the vending machine...regret that decision later.  We finally saw Dr. Zerick and he touched Tom's incision and out came the puss.  They took a culture of the drainage (results on Thursday) and decided Tom needs to have the incision opened up to irrigate/clean out the infection.  We are thankful that the surgery will be an out-patient procedure.  He will be put on heavy antibiotic IV while he is having the surgery.  An oral antibiotic has been restarted.  On our way home from the doctor visit Tom made a gesture and a grunt and I knew it wasn't good.  Thankfully my parents (who were with us) had gone to Lowe's to pick up some items I needed and had the bag ready when the vomit flew south.  Unfortunately, the gift card that they used didn't come out with the contents and swam in the murky mess.  Unfortunately, again...the bag had a small hole (I'm thankful it was small) that allowed some of the contents to flow onto our new car and Tom's jacket!  What a scene that was made on the side of the road...the Lord kept us safe as I was able to keep my foot on the break while holding the bag (I didn't have time to put the car in park!).  My dad jumped out of the backseat to come around and help, but the door was locked!  It all got taken care of, we're home, Tom's sleeping (after vomiting again at the bedside), the prescription is picked up, dinner is being delivered AND I even fished the gift card out of the vomit with a glove and some Clorox, it's brand new again!
Is this enough drama for a couple of days?  We think so!
PS - Therapy cancelled for Thursday...filled that slot with out-patient surgery!

"The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health."

Psalm 41:3

This Gospel, Jesus

And this Gospel? It doesn’t come wrapped in twinkling lights and satin bows; it comes straight into our pitchest black. The Gospel of Christ, it’s a messy, bloody thing and this is how God was born, bloody and bruised, and that’s how God chose to die, bloody and beaten. And our God, He knows the comings and goings of our bloody battles, and this is exactly where He meets us.
The Gospel is good news in the eye of the worst news.
-Ann Voskamp
God is meeting us...good news during our worst news.
We pray that God meets you today right where you need Him.
Tom & Lisa

Happy Birthday, Joyce!

Today I want to honor my sister-in-love, Joyce.  Joyce is the model of the Proverbs 31 woman.  I truly have and will continue to look to her as a godly role model.  What an awesome daughter, pastor's wife, mother, grandmother, sister-in-love and friend she is.  She is the "S" personality to a "tee" ~ sweet, sensitive, smart, steady, supportive, servant, self-sacrificing, shy and sentimental.  Some of her other great traits are that she is a good listener, reliable, calm and patient!  What an influence she has had on my life and to think that had I not married Tom I may have never had the privilege of knowing her this side of heaven.  Thank you Joyce for being who you are...a confident woman of God.   I love you SO much!

She is also the most amazing Christmas hostess!

So many fun Christmas' we've shared together.

Their first-born, Hannah...growing up just like her mama!

Joyce:  Mother of Six Beautiful Children

Julie, Rachael, Joyce, Lisa & Sarah ~ 1988

Sisters-in-love

Mother-of-the Bride

Joyce gets this privilege 4 times!

Becoming a Grandma!

"Mimi"

 Who can find a virtuous wife?

For her worth is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

So he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good and not evil

All the days of her life.

She seeks wool and flax,

And willingly works with her hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

She brings her food from afar.

She also rises while it is yet night,

And provides food for her household,

And a portion for her maidservants.

She considers a field and buys it;

From her profits she plants a vineyard.

She girds herself with strength,

And strengthens her arms.

She perceives that her merchandise is good,

And her lamp does not go out by night.

She stretches out her hands to the distaff,

And her hand holds the spindle.

She extends her hand to the poor,

Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of snow for her household,

For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

She makes tapestry for herself;

Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,

And supplies sashes for the merchants.

Strength and honor are her clothing;

She shall rejoice in time to come.

She opens her mouth with wisdom,

And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

She watches over the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her:

“ Many daughters have done well,

But you excel them all.”

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:10-31

We Love you, Joyce!

Happy Birthday!

The quartet that greeted us with song as we entered the church!

Dave O'Roark, Danny Nathan, Josh Beatty, Brett Muschott

Tom

Tom and I had the pleasure of attending LCT (Living Christmas Trees) last night, compliments of our church.  The church delivered a care package of groceries, a turkey and 10 LCT tickets at Thanksgiving!!  We extended invitations to two of Tom's Neuro Critical Care nurses and their husbands, however neither of them could come.  Two of our nieces who have recently married, their husbands have never been to LCT so we invited them along with my parents and sister.  This year is the 25th year our church has put on the production of the real meaning of Christmas.  What fun it is to see SO many of our church family come together in this amazing show.  It is a huge commitment with 12 performances over three weekends!  I believe Tom and I have been to all 25 performances over the years!

If you live in the Greater Columbus area and you need a little Christmas spirit in your life...make plans to come and go to LCT...it is amazing once again.  I have to say that Tom and I both shed a few tears throughout the evening.  The song that "hit" me in the heart was "Christmas in Heaven"...wow.  Then Tom needed a tissue during "A Baby Changes Everything", which I cried through on Sunday when they sang it!  Continued powerful reminders of our brief existence here on this earth.

Terry, Kelly, Travis, Emily, Tom, Lisa, Lauren, Tim, Granny & Papa

New Wheels!

My brother, Mike, took on the challenge of finding us an appropriate vehicle that would accommodate our new needs.  He was able to find this beautiful SUV that is more than we could have imagined!

2008 Saturn Outlook

Now when we travel to MVNU, rehab, church, doctor's appointments, etc. we ride in style and comfort.  It has more "bells and whistles" than all our previous cars combined!  Thanks Mike and Cheryl for all you did to make this happen...we are blessed.

"And you who travel on the road—sing!"

Judges 5:10b

Speaking of cars...Tom was such a proud owner of his dad's 1992 Pontiac Bonneville.  I'll never forget the day that he drove up in his "new" car with such a smile on his face.  Tom's dad worked at General Motors for 35 years before retiring and it is Tom's dad who taught him how to maintain and care for a car so it would last for years.  Tom has always taken great care of our cars and has had them maintained and serviced on a regular basis.  He keeps a small notebook in each vehicle to record each oil change, tire rotation and any service required!  Anyone who wants to know these details can easily obtain them...I'm not sure who wants to know other than himself!  Well...Tom has (I think) come to grips with selling his prize possession...his dad's Bonneville.  I do know that students at WCHS knew when the principal was on campus...his car always parked in the same spot...until he realized the tree he parked under dropped berries!  He gave up the "prized" spot for a couple spots over to whoever didn't mind berries on their car.  He meticulously waxed his car twice a year to keep it looking good.  The Bonneville is now listed on Craig's List and is currently sitting in front of our home with a "For Sale" sign in it.  Our brother-in-love, Terry, is taking this responsibility on for us.  We trust in God's timing He will provide the right buyer for the fair amount.  I do realize people don't pay for sentimentality!  We are thankful to Matt for taking the time to clean the car while he was home for Thanksgiving break.

We now are the proud owners of a brand new, made to order, wheelchair!  The man from Columbus Medical had never outfitted a wheelchair for a 6'7" person.  There were quite a few specifications for modification on this "new ride".  What a piece of equipment it is.  There are some things that we really like about the new wheelchair...and, unfortunately...some things we don't like so much.  This wheelchair is called and "ultra-light"...I'm not picking up on the ultra-light piece of the description.  We were praying that I would be able to lift this new chair with much more ease...not the case.  I do believe I need to take a weight training class to better get me accustomed to this new lifestyle...a LOT of lifting.  This new "made to order" beast is not fitting into the new vehicle as well as the old beast = disappointment.  We are still tweaking and learning the best ways to use and do things, just when we were in rhythm with the old wheelchair, now something new!  We'll get it down and we want to remember to:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near."

Philippians 4:4-5

This is a hard topic for me:  meals!  So many sweet friends have offered meals...I am now ready to say that we would be more than blessed to have meals on the Tuesday's and Thursday's that Tom has out-patient rehabilitation.  I am so grateful to Carylee Meyers who has graciously taken on the organization of the meals.  If you are so inclined to honor and bless us with a meal, you can contact Carylee:

Home (614)895-7886

Cell (614)205-9234 (text too)

E-Mail:  meyerscarylee@gmail.com

Today when we arrived home from therapy there was a package on the front step!

With love from Kevin & Leslie Foley

Chocolate Covered Giant Strawberries

We are so sad Zac, our son-in-love, isn't here...this is his absolute favorite treat!  Well...we're not too sad...we can enjoy them all to ourselves!  Thank you Kevin and Leslie for indulging our taste buds and being such godly influences/friends in our lives.

Some tidbits:

I never mentioned that the Lovenox shots that I had been giving Tom are now finished.  When we met with the oncologist he thought that an aspirin a day would be just as good at keeping the blood clots away.  I can't tell you who is more excited about that, Tom or myself!

This past Monday Sarah and Zac were able to stay in town until 3:00 and our goal for the day was to put up the Christmas tree!  Goal accomplished.  What a bittersweet time...sweet having Zac and Sarah here to help...bitter thinking "how do I make Christmas any more special"?  I have to be honest and say that the tears flowed too easily and frequently on Monday.  With each decoration a memory was stirred and each Christmas carol the heart strings were tugged.  We are thankful for all the good memories and special Christmas' we've enjoyed together.  We trust God for His grace and mercy to see us through many more...and yet the reality of what Tom is facing is ever present.

"Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul."

Psalm 54:4

The hand-painted manger scene my mom made for Tom & I on our first Christmas in 1985!

My parents have been staying with us and what a help they have been.  I've always teased my mother-in-love about older people never have dirty laundry...well, my mom has kept the washer and dryer running and the laundry chute is always empty!  Not only has she kept the laundry done, but she has done all the ironing too!  Both my parents have been quite the troopers in making our outings smooth.  They are the wheelchair tag team.  I'm not sure I'll ever be able to take Tom out alone I'm so used to all the help.  There are so many things they have done...fixed dryer, helping with meals, tending to Tom, helping organize the house, decorating inside and out, playing Skipbo with us and just plain loving on us!

Tonight we were blessed with a meal from Anne Marie Weakley.  She made homemade turkey meatballs with ravioli!  It is something I've never made from scratch and I was so impressed and it tasted amazing too!  Thanks Anne.