This post exists…

To update people that have asked for updates…

But also:

Because true stories escalate into rumors.

Because facts get twisted, omitted, added or just simply blown out of control.

My whole family was there when it happened but I think each one of us will give you a slightly different version of what actually happened. Weird things happen to a person’s mental state when you’re thrown in to a traumatic situation.

So I can understand how rumors and messed up facts get passed around.

However.

That still doesn’t excuse the parts that are completely false without even a shred of truth to them.

Just saying!

This is my story as I saw it happen.

Dad gets seizures and he is on seizure meds for it.

This is the part where you need to rethink everything you think you know about seizures and educate yourself because there’s different kinds of seizures and the kind Dad gets, I didn’t even know existed before he started having them.

Basically he spaces out and seems to just kinda leave his mind. While he can still move physically, he can’t think coherently. He doesn’t seem to hear us when we talk to him and if he says something, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. He also does crazy things like fight off the EMT’s that are trying to help him.

He always said that his biggest fear is that he would physically hurt his wife or one of his kids while he’s in a seizure.

Last Wednesday Mike & Rhoda (my brother and his wife) had a baby, so on Friday night I packed up all 5 kids and went to my parents house, Checkers met us there, then mom was going to watch our kids while Checkers and I took supper to mike and Rhoda. By the way they have the cutest baby I ever met. Other then mine of course. (and yes, I do feel obligated to say that because I think he might actually be cuter then mine were, but I will never admit that. 🙂  )

While we were still at my parents house, we noticed Dad was acting a little weird, a couple of us asked him questions but got no response. Mom is the one that has walked this journey with him closer then any of us kids so she knew all the signs and informed us that he is having a seizure.

She asked him to lay down, at which point he got up and walked out the door. Merv and Checkers followed him with the intent of stopping him from doing anything crazy. He walked out to the barn, through the shop, up the stairs, through the Rec room, into his office, then out onto the balcony and before Merv or Checkers had time to react he jumped over the balcony railing.

The ambulance was called, people were freaking out, blankets were brought out and I remember putting my hand on his chest and thinking that I know he didn’t die because his heart is still beating and then realizing that he couldn’t be dead because he was still breathing and moving around a bit. (Like I said, a persons brain goes a little crazy in a moment like that. 🙂 )

Like I said earlier, his biggest fear was that he would hurt his family while having a seizure and while none of us (including dad) know for sure, we do think thats why he jumped. We think he was trying desperately to get away from Merv and Checkers because subconsciously he knew he was having a seizure and he didn’t want to hurt them. It didn’t matter how many rooms he walked though in the barn (and he was closing each door behind himself) they still kept coming and when he got to the balcony, in his semi-conscious state he simply took the quickest route down.

Again we don’t know for sure what was going on in his mind and he has no memory of any of it but we think that’s what happened.

How’s he doing?

After many tests, cat scans and what not they learned that he has a crushed vertebra and would need surgery the next day. Since he was in a post seizure state and not really with it, they couldn’t get him calmed down enough to run the tests so they sedated him and hooked him  up to a ventilator.

Saturday evening he had surgery which lasted a little over four hours. His surgeon had good news for us. His nerves were bruised but not severed so he will make a full recovery.

Right now his lower legs are still somewhat numb but he can move them fairly well. His recovery may be hard and might take awhile but with time and physical therapy he should be back to his normal self for the most part.

His ventilator was removed on Monday evening and he was able to communicate even tho he was a little groggy and maybe a little high (maybe more then a little?) 🙂 from all the pain meds in his system. He kept his family quite entertained from what I hear. Sadly I missed the show. 🙂

By Tuesday he was back in his right mind and dealing with quite a bit of pain.

Now we wait…

The plan is to move him to a rehab hospital sometime in the next couple days, then he’ll be there till he’s able to walk on his own.

That’s just the plan though, the way things have been going with the hospital, we have learned that things tend to change or take longer then anticipated so we will wait and see.

Our Foster Kids

We placed our foster kids in respite for the weekend so we could spend most of our time at the hospital.

We picked them up on Sunday night and had them with us till Tuesday afternoon then they left for respite again and they will be with them for a week. We thought this was probably best for them because if they were with us this week they would be bounced from one babysitter to the next with us running to the hospital every day and with everything going on, we don’t have the time or energy to be at all of their appointments or to deal with the 4 yr old’s tantrums.

Next Tuesday they will be back with us again unless they find a new resource family before then.

Pray for them?

Pray that they would find a new family that will be able to meet their needs. Pray that they would transition well, or just pray whatever u want. 🙂

(Respite is short term or emergency foster care.)

Thank You

To everyone who reached out to my family over the last week, I just want to say thanks! We appreciate it.

Everything was so very appreciated and it taught me a lot about reaching out to others.

Meals, gifts, babysitters, clean houses and I’m not even sure if that covers it all but it meant a lot to us. Thanks doesn’t seem to cover it but it’s the best I can do so…

Thank you and God bless you!