<< Sunday, Feb 6 >>
Dear Family and Friends,
Yesterday marked 8 weeks since Sherri's accident. So much has happened and Wendy and I continue to be so grateful for the vitality of life that Sherri continues to have. It's sobering and spectacular to consider the complexities of our physical bodies and all the related and intertwined emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual dynamics that come with each of "the humans" - as I like to say.
Sherri has come a long way in 8 weeks - and she continues to have quite a journey ahead of her. Here are a couple of updates:
Good news: she saw an Orthopedic Surgeon on Thursday and he was very impressed with how well her two femur breaks are recovering. It reminds us how fortunate Sherri is to have a titanium nail in each femur as it gives a very strong support to her and allows the bone to heal even while she puts weight on it. So the doctor was very encouraged by how well the bones are healing.
As for Sherri's left leg, there has not been any discernible change. She wears the brace a good part of the day and a heavier boot at night. The brace helps her walk, and both help to battle the onset of foot drop. Nerve pain continues to be a big challenge from the knee on down. I've not commented to much on this previously,however, it is something that is usually present and often times it is significant and disruptive, especially at night. A related aspect of this, of course, is sleep disruption. Oh, the nerve.....
Pain management remains a key focus and challenge to achieve without continuing the cocktail of meds. Continued experimentation with the level and timing will go on for some time. Nerve pain can be especially trying so for those of you supporting Sherri in prayer, please keep this one right up there with prayer for healing.
Mobility is gradually increasing and Sherri now gets around her apartment using a single crutch. It appears that getting back to any kind of a normal gait much less a normal pace will be a long time coming. This isn't keeping Sherri from enjoying friends visiting in the evenings. Mobility is often hampered by things never previously thought of. For example, it is very challenging to get in and out the front door of her apartment. It's a reasonably heavy door that has a self closing mechanism. Opening the door and navigating in with the crutch is almost impossible for her right now. And presently, she is not carrying anything such as she might when returning from work or from the market.
What can be done? Mostly wait, most say. Virtually everyone we've spoken to so far indicate that we must wait. I'm aware that others do suggest certain treatments but we've not yet embarked seriously in that direction at this time. We need great wisdom in these matters and a whole lot of patience.
Activities continue to go on. Physical therapy occurs 3 times a week and sometimes there are other doc visits. Sherri continues to use the stairs at her apartment for therapy: she puts on some good music and goes up and down the 16 stairs for multiple repetitions (with one crutch). Her apartment-mate Kim has been such a great help in this (and so much more).
Family and friends continue to be a source of great encouragement to Sherri whether in person or virtually. Surely relationships are one of the greatest gifts from the Lord and it's in times like these it's especially meaningful and valued.
It's been said that as time goes on it's better to measure progress in weeks or even months. Even in just a week it is difficult to see changes. So with this in mind, updates will continue on a less frequent basis.
While the updates will not come as frequently, our appreciation for you and your standing in the gap for us continues to be deeply appreciated and noted daily. Thank you.
Gratefully,
Steve
