Been hanging out here in Joanne's room for the last few hours and as usual, Sunday proves to be a quiet day. Joanne got a bath and got her hair washed, which she loves. Spent the morning with her mom and dad and I am on the afternoon and evening shift. Joanne did have a visitor this afternoon but she got here about 15 minutes after Joanne hot her pain medication. That meant that Joanne was pretty alert for the first 15 minutes of the visit and then started to fade. But she was still very pleased to see her friend.
Can't believe tomorrow starts a new week. All the days seem to run into each other because the routine really doesn't change that much for the family. Being with Joanne at the hospital is a seven day a week opportunity. Of course it allows us to mix up the visit times a little allowing Joanne's dad to be here in the morning when Joanne is most alert. And it allows the girls to come for extended visits. But there is no therapy on the weekends so Joanne really gets to rest up.
Since tomorrow is Presidents Day there will be a bit of a change-up as well. Papa is off work so he and Gran will be here in the morning. The girls are coming to the Springs with me and they will be with Nana in the morning and then will come with me to the hospital in the afternoon. Then on Tuesday it will be back to business as usual.
A few decisions will probably be made this week: when the trach comes out, when Joanne goes to rehab, etc.. We have really felt good about our time here at this hospital and are happy to stay a bit longer but at some point in the not too distant future Joanne will be ready to take the next step. I would love her to be here for as long as possible so that when she does go to the rehab hospital she is ready to rock and roll!
Joanne is resting now and her dinner will arrive in about an hour. She'll eat (although she is really not a fan of the hospital food) and then we'll get her situated for the night. Might sneak in another orange popsicle at some point. Her highlight today was some smuggled banana bread. She also has switched form Sprite and Fresca to Diet Coke-way to go girl!
Wow this is a pretty boring post, but it has been a pretty mellow day.
Prayer requests:
1. A good week of therapy for Joanne. Hope to see her become stronger and more capable every day. Also, please pray that she would experience a great sense of accomplishment that will buoy her spirits. The therapy causes her a lot of pain and discomfort so feeling like it's accomplishing something for her is a big deal.
2. Joanne has written a number of times today that she wants to come home. The reality is that she is probably a couple of months away from that day. Please pray for peace for her as she puts up with hospital life which can be difficult--anyone who has spent more than a couple of days in the hospital understands what I'm talking about.
Toben
P.S. We are doing a big praise and worship event on March 18th at Cherry Hills Community church from 7:00 to 8:30 For Joanne and Heather Noce who has also suffered a stroke. Please block it off on your calendars! It's going to be an amazing time to celebrate God's goodness even in the midst of hard times. More information to come soon.
Boring is sometime very good...thank you God for a boring day for Heims.
Posted by: Kimberly | February 20, 2011 at 04:41 PM
HHMMM... maybe bringing some trinkets from home will help her home sickness. A blanket and if she can have a pillow, a pillow, just thing to give it a more home feel. i'm sure all the inspiration stuff helps but doesn't make it feel like home.
Posted by: becky m | February 20, 2011 at 04:43 PM
Dear Toben,
I will continue to pray for Joanne. And for the family. I hope that the girls are feeling better.
I know Joanne is probably feeling both frustrated and trapped. It is an awful feeling. I pray that she can remember that the Lord is with her and give her troubles to Christ. I remember feeling so frustrated and finally one day I realized that I could not take another day, so I called upon Christ and he eased my heart and soul.
Blessings.
Posted by: Maribeth | February 20, 2011 at 04:54 PM
I hope that you can tape parts of the evening and post a link... for those of us too far away - even though we are complete strangers I feel like you are a part of my family!
Posted by: Carrie Hester | February 20, 2011 at 06:05 PM
None of your posts are boring. Thanks for any and all updates. Praying for all of you.
Posted by: Mary Ann from Alabama | February 20, 2011 at 06:08 PM
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the wonderful things you are doing in Joanne's life. I ask that You be with her right now and give her comfort. Being in a hospital room with loved one's is still not the feeling one gets at home. I know she must be aching to just have her own things about her, her own bed, not all the hospital interruptions, the noise, the pain and discomfort. Above all just to be at home with family. Only You know how to provide that peace right now that she so desperately needs. Thank you for Shelter. Thank you for holding her family so dear and for being the Almighty. In Your precious Name I pray, Amen.
Posted by: Kerry | February 20, 2011 at 06:11 PM
I agree with the prayer from Kerry! I am sure Joanne wants to go back home. It has been a long time. That makes me feel very sad. I know the time will come and I will continue to pray about that.
Have a blessed week and I look forward to reading all the updates and wonderful praises and accomplishments that will happen. When I was in Physical Therapy there was a big sign saying "Yard by Yard life is Hard, Inch by Inch Life is a Cinch." I don't believe that the last part is true. It will always be "hard" (not to discourage you) but I believe that Joanne and your family will make it with the help of the Lord, in His perfect timing.
In Him,
Carla in Maryland
Posted by: Carla Sorensen | February 20, 2011 at 07:30 PM
Hi Toben. I have been praying for Joanne ever since I read about her stroke and have been reading your daily blog updates. While I am so encouraged to her about Joanne's progress, I was disheartened to hear that she is drinking Diet Coke. It is full of terrible ingredients (i.e. aspartame) and is *possibly* a contributor to strokes, believe it or not.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110209/ap_on_he_me/us_med_stroke_diet_soda
You can "Google" Diet Coke and/or aspartame to read more about the many dangers.
I send this out of love and concern for Joanne, a dear sister in Christ!
Blessings to you and yours,
Casey Staats
Posted by: Casey Staats | February 20, 2011 at 07:46 PM
Thank God for boring and routine! What a blessing to have a season without drama. God is good. Lots of prayers going up for Joanne in regards to feeling like she has accomplished much each day, as well as for her longing to go home. Are there some other comfy/tactile things you could bring from home for her? Even having her favorite sweatshirt that she can have over her in bed might feel nice. Or perhaps it will be something of yours, Toben, so she has the warm scent of you with her as she sleeps? God will give you wisdom! Love and hugs from us to you all.
Posted by: Kim & Brad Oaster | February 20, 2011 at 07:49 PM
Dear Joanne,
When I read Toben, Audrey, Kristen or your posts I always pay close attention to the prayer list. I try to find that bone request that speaks to me and focus my thoughts on just that. Tonight my prayers are for your desire to go home.
I cannot begin to imagine how hard this all is. But as a nurse (bone marrow transplant for children) I have a sense of what being away from home for weeks on end can be like. Many of the families I care for have come from half way around the world for their child's transplant and will be in Seattle for 6 or more months. This is a heartache all it's own.
I will pray that your recovery is fast and uncomplicated. But until you are able to physically go home, I offer you this. A home is a wonderful and welcoming place where we seek respite and shelter. We spend a lot of time making it just so, filling it with things that remind us of people and places. We choose furnishings that are comfortable and colors that reflect our personality and taste. But at the end of the day these are, of course, things. What you miss about home is found where ever you are each and every day. Because home is not a place or structure. Home is a feeling. Home is people. Home is where you are loved. From what I have read every day since you had your stroke, you are loved every day by countless people both within touching distance and in your cyberhome. Dear Joanne...every day you are loved and you are home.
Posted by: Auntie Mip | February 20, 2011 at 08:30 PM
I really can't add anything to any of the wonderful comments already made. I would as suggested not drink any more diet drinks...the diet part is NOT good for the brain. Also, it would truly be wonderful, IF the service on the 18th could be recorded and a link put so that those of us across the country and across the world could "participate" in seeing what took place. I will pray for your prayer requests and know that I continually lift Joanne up and all of you as well. Praying for His wonderful peace to fill each of your hearts each step of this journey. Still praising God and praying here in my little corner of West Tennessee....Mary Lou
Posted by: Mary Lou | February 21, 2011 at 07:21 AM
Joanne's pain disturbs me - has she had tests to rule out broken bones? If so, I wonder if there is a pulled/pinched muscle, in which case "strong pressure massage" may help. A chiropractor or masseuse?
If you've already covered all that, please excuse my intrusion, but I've followed Joanne every step of the way, praying so hard, asking others to pray - and I just really want the pain gone!
BTW my friend had a similar stroke and recovered @95%. Able to do just about anything. And I see that happening for Joanne. Can't wait for that day. Thanks to the Lord for all he's already done.
Posted by: [email protected] | February 21, 2011 at 07:26 AM
It's a privilege to join with others who are praying and giving. My heart cries out to do more, yet I live so far away.
Wondered about how you guys are mobilizing your massive support team from all over and wanted to share a website that helped us here in Florida.
http://www.takethemameal.com/setup.php
This helped us set up meals for a friend without a lot of admin time. Maybe it could help you (or others). Perhaps there are sites like it that can be used to schedule other things that can help you in other ways--a housecleaning schedule, projects or special needs for the girls, visits to Joanne, etc.
Hope it helps. Thanks again for lifting high the greatness of our God even in crisis and suffering.
Sheryl
Posted by: Sheryl in Florida | February 21, 2011 at 07:36 AM
Not boring at all... it still made me want to cry!
Bless your LOVELY hearts.
With MUCH LOVE n PRAYERS
Posted by: Ruthy :o) | February 21, 2011 at 08:46 AM
I am a good friend of Yvette's. I have been following and praying for you all since the beginning. I am from California, but will be out there in March to see my daughter, who is Yvette's cadet from USAFA. So, I am excited that I will be able to be there for the Praise and Worship at Cherry Hill! I am looking forward to praising God with all of you for what He has done for Joanne.
Posted by: Molinda Hern | February 21, 2011 at 08:54 AM
Hi Toben & Joanne, I have been reading your blog since a week after Joanne's stroke after a friend posted a link to it on Facebook. I have been praying daily for Joanne and for your whole family. I feel like I've come to know you and your dear family even though we've never met. I am SO praising God with you over the progress Joanne has made in the past few weeks! God is SO good! However, I am troubled greatly that she is now drinking diet coke. Contrary to what the FDA says, aspartame is a very dangerous substance, and I really hope you'll do some of your own research on it, staying away from the govt. funded studies. Joanne's brain has a lot of healing left to do, and aspartame is very detrimental to that. Here are a couple of links for you: http://www.thatsfit.ca/2011/02/14/can-aspartame-cause-strokes-heart-attacks, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/03/11/one-woman-s-astonishing-experiment-with-aspartame.aspx. Please know that I'm not trying to be a "busybody" or judgmental or anything like that. It's just that I've come to really care for your sweet family, and it literally scared me for her when I read she is drinking diet coke! I do look forward to continuing to read more of Joanne's good progress reports. Please know that I continue to pray, pray, PRAY everyday for Joanne, for you, for Audrey and Emma and everyone! Sending hugs from a homeschooling family in AZ. :)
Posted by: Pam C. | February 21, 2011 at 10:15 AM
God bless you! I just heard you and Joanne speaking on Family Talk... I came into the broadcast late so I didn't hear any setup (if there was any) stating that the conversation was previously recorded, etc.
I was captivated by your message, and heard Joanne say that she had been so focused on preparing for the wedding day that she hadn't thought about what came next. And then, like a bombshell out of nowhere, the Dobsons smacked me upside the head with the fact that she didn't plan for her stroke on January 11th.
I had to search out this blog to find out more. Little did I know that I've already run into Joanne (virtually). I am a crafter, blogger, frugal mom & wife, and most importantly, Christian. I've come across The Simple Wife many times in blogland, but hadn't been here since the first of the year to hear the news.
I'm captivated by her, your, story - I've read every word you've written since 1/11 in the past 30 minutes or so.
I will be praying intensely, and following for updates.
I also wanted to share my own story. My husband was a deputy sheriff. In September I flew to Minneapolis for business - about an hour after I arrived I received a phone call from my husband's cell. It was a police officer informing me that he'd been in a wreck. That was about all the information he gave, but I immediately got on a plane back home.
He had rolled and flipped the car and landed upside down, suspended by his neck (choked) by the seat belt which somehow wrapped around his neck during the tossing. He 'died' 3 times on the way to the hospital, and responders on the scene told the tow truck driver who hauled off our car that it was a fatality accident.
To make a long story short, he had a traumatic brain injury with bleeding on the brain, and we were told that if he woke he would have lingering damage and would at minimum spend 6 months to a year in a brain rehab facility.
TWELVE (long and difficult but gloriously God-filled!) DAYS after the accident, he came HOME. We were told to expect 6 months of home health visits for physical and occupational therapy, but on the nurse's first visit (where she would evaluate his progress and schedule his therapists) there was no reason to bring further therapists to our home.
Life is far from "normal" today. My husband cannot return to law enforcement; he has a plate in his hand and is still working to regain his strength. Balance is still an issue and he has a lingering fuzziness of his memory (that used to be like a steel trap). But he is ALIVE - and basically fully functioning.
We wouldn't be where we are today without God, and without faithful prayers of friends and family. We are now following God's leading and opening a Christ-centered business in an area in which my husband is passionate - something we never would have even dreamed of before the wreck. God is using this amazingly difficult event to revolutionize our family, and shift our focus back to him and each other.
Just a bit of positive news in what I know is an extremely difficult time for your entire family. I have seen first-hand the miracles of God... my husband is living proof! I've also experienced God's peace in times of immense pain and turmoil. I cannot put into words how He has comforted me throughout the whole ordeal. I pray He will do the same for you, and that Joanne will experience the same miraculous recovery that we've seen!
GOD BLESS!!!
Posted by: Jessica | February 21, 2011 at 11:39 AM
Not a boring post at all. Love hearing all the details and daily things regarding Joanne and her progress.
Posted by: Dionna | February 21, 2011 at 11:51 AM
To me, "boring" means nothing traumatic or troubling happened today...and that's a really good thing:) Still praying...
Posted by: Leah C | February 22, 2011 at 04:04 PM