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We went to the next Dr. appointment on Monday morning. Bone graft is looking great and no more cast for Josh! We were all very excited for this big day. He is walking around the house in regular shoes, though still a bit weak from atrophy.
His only restriction is open field (grass) sports to keep from hitting any unseen holes, etc. For all he went through, now he says he can hardly believe it all happened!
Yes....it has been too long. No excuses, but it has been quite busy. Soon after my last post, a good friend offered to refashion my blog. So, watch out for news soon and a whole new look. I am VERY excited!
Then, for those who may not have heard, a tragic Metrolink Train Crash occurred on Friday, September 12 just outside our city. 10 of the 25 killed were residents of Simi Valley. The next week was very busy as I had the honor of being involved as a Police Chaplain in a couple of remembrance events. I'll write more on that later.
Topping it off is Colleen's new job. She's teaching the night class of the Certified Nurse's Assistant Course at the Simi Valley Adult School on Monday nights, Wednesday nights and all day on Saturdays. She loves it, but the prep work is enormous as this is her first semester to teach the class. Every spare minute is spent prepping for the next class, so I've been trying to be around extra for the boys as Colleen studies away.
Add to the mix the Fall season at Church (always extra busy) and a building program we're trying to get happening. You get the picture.
Enough for now. It's late Saturday night, and there's something about church in the morning.....
First off, this is NOT an endorsement of any candidate. It's just a humorous observation.
Most of us know, but few of us talk about, name searches on the web. The more visible and popular your name, the more important for you to buy the domain of your own name before somebody else does. No telling what others can do with your name.
Now, I haven't done much with this, but to illustrate this VERY popularly, click the following two links:
Joe Biden & Joseph Biden.
To me, FUNNY! Someone somewhere got paid a lot of money to strategize this all out for both McCain AND Obama. Someone sat at a computer a while ago, tried to buy josephbiden.com and said &%#$*!!!!
Arriving on Wednesday, we left town way later than I wanted. It's kind of my way I guess. Say I want to leave by noon and not get out till 3:00. Anyway.....
Left me only an hour or so of light to set up camp. Most campers don't think much of us RV'ers, and are probably boo-hooing my "set up camp" comment, but while it is WAY easier than tent camping, there's still a bunch of work to it.
Here we are having just arrived and the kids setting up their tent. What were we thinking bringing FIVE BOYS with us? I don't know!
This is the first actual vacation we've taken as a family this year. Colleen and the boys were gone for a bit at the beginning of Summer in relation to Colleen's upcoming new job and then 4th of July with her family that I wasn't able to get to. In that regard, this has been very nice.
There's not much like your son's prayers actually being answered! I know, strange coming from a Pastor, huh?
We saw the Doctor on Monday morning for Josh's 2nd post-op x-ray and progress report. First since 3 weeks ago, and it's been 5 weeks now.
Remember, initially the Doc said he'd be in cast for 6 weeks, with a possible removable cast for last 1/2 of that time. Then, he said in cast for 8 weeks, mentioning he built the cast in surgery to last the entire 8 weeks.
At the first follow-up, he said he would most likely leave the whole cast on for the entire 8 weeks because they did 2 procedures .... fixed the fibroma with the bone graft AND drilled holes in the growth plate to arrest growth of that bone. He wanted to go slow with it.
Josh was bummed! His big deal was he didn't want to go to school with the cast or on crutches. Now (3 weeks ago), he was facing the first 2 weeks of school with cast AND crutches.
All through the last 3 weeks, preparing for this Doctor's appt, he's been asking God to let the cast come off. We began making plans to go camping this week. That ADDED to his desire for the cast to come off so he could at least get in the pool.
Being the great spiritual leader that I am, I was AFRAID his heart would be broken. So, I was TEMPERING his prayers with reality...."Josh, you know what the Doctor said, and we're gonna do whatever he says."
Few days before the appt, I say, "Josh, it never hurts to ask the Dr. After you greet him, ask him if the cast can come off and tell him that would be really cool. Just be ready in case he says no."
Monday comes, long wait in the waiting room, we finally go in, long wait in the cast room for the x-ray. When the Dr finally comes in with the x-rays, he declares everything is looking GREAT! Josh POPS the question! I was so proud of my kid!
The Doctor looks intently at Josh, at the cast, walks over to the x-rays, comes back to Josh, looks at us, and FINALLY says, "I think we can do that. We'll put him in a cam walker that will immobilize the foot. He can take it off in bed and for baths/showers and can get in a pool."
YYYAAAAHHHHHHOOOOOOO!
Here he is ......
He can walk on it more and more as he gets used to it, eventually leaving the crutches behind. He does have to leave this on for 6 weeks, rather than the 3, but he's OK with that since he can take it off and feel a bit more normal.
It was a HUGE day for him and for us. A huge day for me as a Dad too. My kid's prayer got answered. I am telling you, he prayed with focused intensity. Laser-like! And his prayer was answered! COOL!
An article was in today's Ventura County Star about Pastor Glen Jackson. You can read it here. I encourage you to continue to pray for the Jackson family and for the Faith Christian Church family as they process their grief.
