Arend - Update - December 11, 2010

I have decided to use my blog as a means of passing along news of Arend's progress.

Our 122-year-old home has 17 steps connecting upstairs and downstairs. On December 2nd, Arend fell down 10 or 11 of them as he was on his way upstairs. Over a year ago he was diagnosed with paraplegia but he has continued to be able to walk with the assistance of a cane or rollator as well as climb stairs. Most of the time, however, he uses a power wheelchair in the house and a manual one when we go anywhere. On this particular day his legs wouldn't hold him and he rolled down the stairs.

As I was caring for him immediately after his fall, I realized that he had a fever. He said he had had it for several days. Eventually I called 9-1-1 for an ambulance (Arend didn't really want to go to the hospital but finally agreed). We got to the hospital at 10:40 and finally about 5:40 in the morning they decided to admit him for a urinary tract infection. Apparently the infection had weakened his legs even more than they normal are and that is why they wouldn't support him.

He was placed on an saline IV drip plus a Cipro IV drip and he remained on those until yesterday, a total of seven days. We are wondering whether he should still be on the antibiotic in pill form since the infection was so bad. Usually, I think, antibiotics are prescribed for ten days for severe infections.

Miraculously, Arend suffered no broken bones or even bruising! He has been on the medicine floor of the hospital ever since he was admitted, but he is supposed to be moved to the rehab floor soon. We will be glad for that because he is not getting enough physiotherapy on the fourth floor to improve his mobility and general ability to the point that he can return home.

We had already changed our family room into a bedroom to accommodate my dad when he moved in with us. When he moved into a retirement home we kept the family room set up as a bedroom. There is also a bathroom on the main floor, so Arend really shouldn't have to go upstairs at all any more. Still, there are times when he will have to climb a couple of stairs (like getting into our house). There are also a few things which he needs to be able to do that he will have to work on while he is on the rehab floor.

Yesterday when I got to the hospital he was sitting in a wheelchair in the hall. I thought that meant they were getting ready to transfer him to the third floor (rehab), but I was wrong. He had been sitting there for quite some time waiting for the physiotherapists to help him on the stairs. Eventually he went down eight stairs with the physiotherapists and then came back up them. As far as I could tell, there was no change in his ability to climb stairs as compared to what he could do prior to his fall. I was surprised and thankful to see that.

Today I didn't go to see him but I talked to him several times on the phone. He remains in good spirits, even sharing laughs about the antics of his roommate, an 86-year-old Hungarian man.

We are so thankful that the Lord spared Arend's life and kept him from serious injury in the fall. And now we are continually reminded of His care as we see Arend progress toward the day he may return home.

So many people have called, visited, sent cards and e-mails, offered help and sent up myriads of prayers. We can never begin to thank everyone for their support. The communion of saints is alive and well!