Sunday, May 23

Paul continues to hang in there, having lots of visitors to spend good time with him.  A couple of weeks ago my mom, sister and two nephews came out for a short visit.  Paul was happy to see everyone and enjoyed watching a movie, "Slumdog Millionaire", with all of them.  His brother, Mark, and sister-in-law, Brenda,   came out this past weekend.  We had a fun visit with them, and good food as well.  The last picture is of Paul getting outside with his primary caregiver, Donna.  She is very good to all of us, and takes special care of Paul.  The weather has been much better for getting outside.  He enjoys the walks in the wheelchair.  Today he got up in the recliner for dinner and had another one of his Leffe Bruin.  He still enjoys following the Reds on the sling box, and any other sports that are on television.  I often get home from school and find Paul and Donna watching Sports Center.  Thanks again for all the prayers and good thoughts coming for all of us.  Carole

Friday, May 7

There haven't been too many big changes with Dad lately.  He continues to do pretty well physically - he's been out of the bed a couple times with the help of the lift.  The picture below was taken when Brian and Karen were here and helped him sit in the recliner for a while.  We've also continued to have a lot of help from friends, family and neighbors.

Right now Dad and I are sitting and having a Leffe - bruin for him and blonde for me.  Carole is headed to Minneapolis for the weekend.  It's good for Carole to finally get a weekend away, as she really needs some relaxation time.  Somehow I'm guessing that she might find at least an hour or two to go shopping!

We continue to appreciate all of the thoughts, prayers, and assistance that you've all given us.  Thank you all so much.

 

Sunday, April 25

Dad has had another good couple of weeks. He's had a lot of great visitors and has even been able to make it outside a few times. Cathy is here for a week to spend some quality time with Dad and help us all out. Tory's parents also came for a visit yesterday. Jim was also here again to help out and will be back again in a week or so. Dad really enjoys all the company even though it does wear him out. He feels bad when he has to kick people out so he can get some sleep, but we've assured him that no one minds and everyone is happy just to see him for a short time. We also really appreciate all the help!

Here are a few pictures from Dad's trips outside:



And, here's a group shot that Tory's mom took for us:

Monday, April 12

Dad had a good weekend.  Yesterday he felt strong enough to try the lift again, and he sat in the chair for 2 hours while he watched golf, skyped with Jeff, and ate dinner.  He was a little tired (and I think he was nervous without having Donna, our expert lift operator, here).  He really enjoyed being out of bed again and also enjoyed having a refreshing beverage as you can see in these pictures.

We've been lucky to have some great visitors again over the last few weeks.  Dad really enjoys having the company and we all appreciate the help!  Dad even learned that his sister Beth makes a great pot roast and brown potatoes that tastes just like his Mom makes.  We've also enjoyed the nice warmup in the weather and are using the grill a bit more often, although cold weather never stopped Brian before.  Dad is hoping to be able to use the lift to get into a wheelchair and go outside soon.

Thanks to everyone for their continued prayers and assistance!

Sunday, March 28

Thanks to the help of a contraption called a Hoyer Lift, dad is now able to get out of bed for the first time in over 2 months. The lift was delivered on Wednesday and he's now used it each day since. After being on his back 100% of the time since January 4th, it's pretty difficult to sit up for any extended period of time. However, he managed to sit in his chair for about an hour and 15 minutes yesterday including for dinner. Here are some pictures of the lift in action and the more comfortable destination:


We were disappointed to see the Boilers run come to an end on Friday night, but all in all we can't be too disappointed with the season. The next logical step is to become a Butler fan for the rest of the tournament...

Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers!

Monday, March 22

Dad would like to give everyone an update since it's been a few weeks since his last post.  The disease has progressed to the point where he's confined to his bed 100% of the time.  He's also sleeping quite a bit more, but he would never miss a Purdue basketball game.  The real challenge will come next Friday when they play at 9pm -- we're thinking that might need to be a Tivo game.  It's been a great surprise to see the Boilers make a good run into the tournament, and hopefully they'll keep playing well.

We've had more visitors the last couple weeks as Carole's mom and brother have both been out to help.  Countless people have donated meals, flowers, contraband or so many other things.  Everyone's assistance and thoughtfulness is very, very much appreciated.

We're busy watching Dancing with the Stars on the big screen now.  Dad is disappointed that Ocho Cinco didn't get better scores -- we thought he was great.

That's all for now.  Take care!

Sunday, March 7

I've had a good couple of weeks including several visitors. Two weekends ago my sister Barb brought my mother out to Iowa from Indiana, last weekend my sister Beth came from Peoria, and this weekend my brother Mark and sister Rita came from Indiana. It was great to spend some time with each of them and catch up. It was also nice for Carole to get some much needed assistance.

I've been continuing to watch a lot of basketball lately. I'm disappointed that the Boilermakers won't have Robbie Hummel down the stretch, but I was happy to see them win a share of the Big Ten title yesterday. We also enjoyed watching the Linn-Mar girls win a state championship last night!

I told Brian 2 weeks ago that I wished I could have some Leffe Brune - my favorite beer in the world. This is a challenge since the only way you can get it in the US is on tap on the East Coast. His work colleagues in the Netherlands came through quickly though and I received a shipment of 4 bottles when Brian arrived this weekend. I've really enjoyed having 1 each of the past couple of nights. "Dank u wel" to Enno and Ferens!

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.