A lot has happened since the last post, but getting time to write it down is another story...
Devin is now in Children's Hospital in Seattle, where he will be starting rehab today. We don't know yet how long he will be there, most likely 2-4 weeks. We are still very hopeful that his feet and ankles will respond well to the rehab and he will regain the use of them again. After 15 weeks, he has still not been able to stand up, even with assistance. He will hopefully be able to stand up in chest deep water with assistance soon.
Last week we learned that the neck of his left femur has not healed and the two parts of his femur are not even in contact with each other. There is a gap of about an eighth of an inch. The doctors are concerned that this will cause problems for the hip joint and were discussing surgery either a hip replacement or a bone graft. They have decided to give it more time in the hopes that once he starts to put some weight on it, it will push the bones together and they will heal. This doesn't even seem like a remote possibility, but we are still hopeful.
Looks like Christmas in the hospital this year. That should be memorable.
Week 11 Post #19 - Playing at the park
Devin was able to spend about an hour in his wheelchair at the park this afternoon where he shot a few baskets and played catch with his older brother. It was a cool sunny day and Devin was very happy for a chance to enjoy being outdoors, if only for a short time.
As we are quickly approaching the third month since his fall Devin's patients with his confinement continues to diminish. It continually becomes more difficult to find a comfortable position that does not hurt and the days seem to drag on forever - its hard for an active person to be off their feet for extended periods of time and especially hard when thinking of activities that his friends are participating in that he would like to be. Having friends over has been a real boost, helping to keep his spirits high. He has also been keeping very busy catching up with school work having two months to catch up on and having only two hours a week of tutor time is giving him the opportunity to lean on his inner drive to keep focused and make forward progress every day.
We have a lot to be thankful for this year as we approach the holiday seasons - among other things we are thankful for your friendship and support - there are many people who's prayers have made a difference and a handful of wonderful people who have made sacrifices of their time and/or money to help in these uncertain times. Thank you.
Week 10 - Post #18 - The Bodycast comes off!
After another visit to Harborview, the back surgeon said that the damage to Devin's spine was healing very well - ahead of schedule - and that he could remove his body cast. The original estimates were 3-6 months. This is great news! If his ankles/feet continue to heal as quickly as they have been, he might even be able to start rehab as early as mid-December. This is amazing progress - there is no doubt in the minds of anyone close to this situation that we have truly witnessed miracles - even friends who have never set foot in a church of any kind, at any time, for any reason...
Week 9 - Post #17 - The cast comes off!
Time has not permitted an update in the past several weeks - we are long overdue.
On Wednesday October 29th Devin returned to Harborview for several xrays and other tests, and the highlight of the day was the removal of his cast from his right leg. This was the leg that suffered from the partial amputation when Devin hit the ground. If you wish to see more photos with the cast removed, scroll down the the next post - if you prefer not to see somewhat graphic images, you might not want to look.
This is his last non-removable fiberglass wrapped cast! He will be in removable casts on both feet for several months - like the one you can see in the picture on his left leg - getting this cast off is a huge milestone for Devin. He also had the 'External Fixation' removed from his right leg, and so far he does not seem to miss it.
Week 9 - Post #17 - right leg pictures
These are not nearly as graphic when scaled from three megabyte images to 16 kilobytes - which might be a good thing.
Day 50 - Post #16: The War of the Ring!
On Saturday Devin was able to play his first board game since his accident. Our good friends and proprietors of housefullofgames.com gave Devin a cool new board game called "War of the Ring" and his friend Alex came over to try it out... It was the longest time Devin has spent awake and focused on anything and he has paid for it since then - he has been feeling pretty wiped out.
Devin has started to read a little, which is very encouraging given the problems with his eyesight, and he continues to work on regaining range of motion in his left leg as a part of his recovery from the broken femur. He cannot lift his leg by himself, so help is required for him to do this and with the various other things going on, that is one that does not happen as much as it needs to, but as often as possible under the circumstances. He also continues to have a type of massage therapy on his left leg and right toes designed to help his damaged nerves heal such that normal sensations return, and also to relieve him of the constant cramping that he has in his left foot. Cramps in your calves and feet can be very painful as anyone who has experienced them knows very well... Imagine not being able to do anything at all to get the cramping muscle to stop.
He has been able to eat some solid foods, but never much before he begins to feel sick. He has thrown up a few times a week since leaving the hospital and his daily caloric intake is only 20-30 percent what what it should be. He has lost about 90% of his muscle mass which equates to a little over 30 percent of his total body weight and so far has not started to regain any of it back (it is hard to imagine how he could loose more weight). The time from injury to when he can start his rehabilitation will be so long that he will need to relearn much of what comes automatically for most people regarding balance and motion. That phase will not start for 2-3 more months.
Devin continues to have a good attitude even with all of the ups and downs and we continually focus on keeping the mood light. Our family is very grateful for those that have been able to help and for those that have taken time to pray for Devin. The many challenges associated with this type of situation is more than most people can imagine - the support we have received has been helpful and much needed. Thank you.
Devin has started to read a little, which is very encouraging given the problems with his eyesight, and he continues to work on regaining range of motion in his left leg as a part of his recovery from the broken femur. He cannot lift his leg by himself, so help is required for him to do this and with the various other things going on, that is one that does not happen as much as it needs to, but as often as possible under the circumstances. He also continues to have a type of massage therapy on his left leg and right toes designed to help his damaged nerves heal such that normal sensations return, and also to relieve him of the constant cramping that he has in his left foot. Cramps in your calves and feet can be very painful as anyone who has experienced them knows very well... Imagine not being able to do anything at all to get the cramping muscle to stop.
He has been able to eat some solid foods, but never much before he begins to feel sick. He has thrown up a few times a week since leaving the hospital and his daily caloric intake is only 20-30 percent what what it should be. He has lost about 90% of his muscle mass which equates to a little over 30 percent of his total body weight and so far has not started to regain any of it back (it is hard to imagine how he could loose more weight). The time from injury to when he can start his rehabilitation will be so long that he will need to relearn much of what comes automatically for most people regarding balance and motion. That phase will not start for 2-3 more months.
Devin continues to have a good attitude even with all of the ups and downs and we continually focus on keeping the mood light. Our family is very grateful for those that have been able to help and for those that have taken time to pray for Devin. The many challenges associated with this type of situation is more than most people can imagine - the support we have received has been helpful and much needed. Thank you.
You can email Devin at RecoveryUpdate@Gmail.com
I've heard that some people were having trouble sending to recoveryupdate@Live.com, so I have created an additional account: RecoveryUpdate@Gmail.com
There has been little change since the last post, but Devin seems to get just a little better every day. The healing process for his injuries will take time, and for a 14 year old that is bedridden, time certainly seems to move slowly, however Devin is handling this situation so much better than anyone could expect. His family is doing great but a bit tired. There are just so many things involved with taking care of anyone in this condition and the lack of sleep is taking a toll. The opportunity to serve brother/son has been a blessing even though this family has always been close (the biggest argument in this house is who loves who the most), it has helped to teach the important lesson of serving others and the joy that can bring into your own life.
If you have questions about anything specific, you can include those questions in your emails.
There has been little change since the last post, but Devin seems to get just a little better every day. The healing process for his injuries will take time, and for a 14 year old that is bedridden, time certainly seems to move slowly, however Devin is handling this situation so much better than anyone could expect. His family is doing great but a bit tired. There are just so many things involved with taking care of anyone in this condition and the lack of sleep is taking a toll. The opportunity to serve brother/son has been a blessing even though this family has always been close (the biggest argument in this house is who loves who the most), it has helped to teach the important lesson of serving others and the joy that can bring into your own life.
If you have questions about anything specific, you can include those questions in your emails.
Day 39 - Post #16 - Devin's First Day Outside and first trip back to the Hospital
On Tuesday, with the help of friends, we were able to get Devin into a reclining wheelchair and take him outside! Just in time too because it started raining Wednesday and hasn't stopped yet ;-)
It took 5 people to safely move Devin from his bed to the wheelchair and about 25 minutes from the time we started until he was actually outside. His stomach still gets queasy very easily, and he went pale with just the movement from the bed to the wheelchair even though the move was very smooth. We waited several minutes before going down the ramp, then waited another several minutes - and so on... But it was worth the effort! Devin really enjoyed being in the sun if only for a relatively short time, and as an additional bonus he got to watch his Mom and Dad to some yard work and not have to help (although I think for the first time ever, he might not have minded helping...)
Today Devin had his first return trip to Harborview Medical Center. He had the neck of his left femur x-rayed to see how it was healing, and the doctors said it looked great. He could start rehab if it weren't for his other injuries. He also had his right arm x-rayed. The doctor said that they were going to have to re-break it because the positioning of the two ends of the break did not heal in proper alignment, but after more consultation with other doctors they decided not to do anything yet and see how it feels after a while and see if he is able to regain full range of motion in his wrist, so I guess time will tell... They removed his fiberglass cast and replaced it with a removable cast and gave him some hand and wrist PT exercises for his right hand/wrist/arm...
PT in some fashion takes up much of his waking hours every day. He can do very little on his own at this point, so his family helps him as much as possible. We all want to help give him the best chances of a full recovery as is possible.
Through all of the pain, suffering and bed ridden boredom, Devin has really demonstrated all of the characteristics of a true hero. I read a quote of Hellen Keller once that read "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." I don't know if this experience is in some ways helping to shape his character or merely making it more clear for others to see or perhaps a little of both but I can say that he has been an inspiration to all who have had the privilege to spend time with him over this past month.
Thanks to all of you who have prayed for Devin's recovery.
It took 5 people to safely move Devin from his bed to the wheelchair and about 25 minutes from the time we started until he was actually outside. His stomach still gets queasy very easily, and he went pale with just the movement from the bed to the wheelchair even though the move was very smooth. We waited several minutes before going down the ramp, then waited another several minutes - and so on... But it was worth the effort! Devin really enjoyed being in the sun if only for a relatively short time, and as an additional bonus he got to watch his Mom and Dad to some yard work and not have to help (although I think for the first time ever, he might not have minded helping...)
Today Devin had his first return trip to Harborview Medical Center. He had the neck of his left femur x-rayed to see how it was healing, and the doctors said it looked great. He could start rehab if it weren't for his other injuries. He also had his right arm x-rayed. The doctor said that they were going to have to re-break it because the positioning of the two ends of the break did not heal in proper alignment, but after more consultation with other doctors they decided not to do anything yet and see how it feels after a while and see if he is able to regain full range of motion in his wrist, so I guess time will tell... They removed his fiberglass cast and replaced it with a removable cast and gave him some hand and wrist PT exercises for his right hand/wrist/arm...
PT in some fashion takes up much of his waking hours every day. He can do very little on his own at this point, so his family helps him as much as possible. We all want to help give him the best chances of a full recovery as is possible.
Through all of the pain, suffering and bed ridden boredom, Devin has really demonstrated all of the characteristics of a true hero. I read a quote of Hellen Keller once that read "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." I don't know if this experience is in some ways helping to shape his character or merely making it more clear for others to see or perhaps a little of both but I can say that he has been an inspiration to all who have had the privilege to spend time with him over this past month.
Thanks to all of you who have prayed for Devin's recovery.
Sending messages to Devin
Several people have sent messages to Devin while in the hospital, however he is no longer able to get messages sent via the Harborview site. We setup an email account for those of you that wish to send Devin a message: recoveryupdate@Gmail.com
Costs related to Devin's injury have exceeded several thousand dollars so far (above and beyond what the insurance company has paid), please help - every dollar makes a difference.
Costs related to Devin's injury have exceeded several thousand dollars so far (above and beyond what the insurance company has paid), please help - every dollar makes a difference.
Day 30 - Post #15 - Devin Released from hospital
Devin was released from the hospital after 4 weeks. He still requires care 24/7 and is restricted to remaining in a prone position. He cannot get upstairs, where all of the bed and bath rooms are, so we have done some minor remodeling to accommodate him. He is currently in the dinning room, which has been converted to his new room for the next 1-2 months when we are hoping that he will be healed enough to go into inpatient rehab at Harborview or possibly the Seattle Childrens hospital.
Day 23 - Post #14 - One week since Devin's last surgery
After spending a week in the intensive care unit and two weeks in the acute care unit of Harborview medical center, the doctors are now starting to discuss the next steps... Devin still needs professional care around the clock. With the severity and locations of the injuries, Devin is unable to do anything for himself. He is not able to even sit, let alone stand up or walk, infact it takes 3-4 people to help him change positions in bed (Try laying on one position, and see how long before you want to move). The doctors are still trying to determine what is wrong with his eyes, as he is unable to open his eyes without pain... When you are in the hospital, time seems to go by very,very slowly... and with the trouble with his eyes he cannot do things to help the time go by like watching TV or playing any type of video games or even read... Either Mom or Dad have been with Devin around the clock since he has been in the hospital - mostly Mom who has only left the hospital once in the past three weeks while Dad goes between home and the hospital trying to take care of things at home including three other children, and spending as much time at the hospital as possible to give Mom a chance to get out for fresh air, eat, catch up on some much needed sleep (both Mom and Dad have been surviving on 3-4 hours a night the past three weeks). Mom and Dad have spent a considerable amount of time ensuring that Devin does not suffer from a mistake made by any of the hospital staff, and as good as they are mistakes do happen on a daily basis and having someone here who understands all of the various complexities of what is going on has helped tremendously. They have also been able to read to Devin (He cannot yet read due to his injuries) which has helped the time pass and hopefully lower his anxiety.
Because of the eye problems that Devin has, when he first opens his eyes after having been asleep, everything is a total dark blur. This is very unnerving, as you can imagine. Initially he was also seeing double, but this problem has slowly subsided as the swelling in his face began to come down, after about two and a half weeks this problem went away.
The doctors are currently discussing the next steps for Devin as it will be several months before he is able to start rehab. Mom and Dad would love to bring him home as soon as possible, however the house is no where near ready for someone with his level of care needs and getting him to and from the hospital for the various doctor appointments that he will need will require the equivalent of an ambulance ride to and from the hospital (which cost $12,000 per round trip which make a $2,000 per day stay at the hospital seem cheap). There are a lot of unknowns, and not too many answers... The doctors are currently saying that they think he will be ready to be moved from the acute care unit by this weekend - but to where?
Because of the eye problems that Devin has, when he first opens his eyes after having been asleep, everything is a total dark blur. This is very unnerving, as you can imagine. Initially he was also seeing double, but this problem has slowly subsided as the swelling in his face began to come down, after about two and a half weeks this problem went away.
The doctors are currently discussing the next steps for Devin as it will be several months before he is able to start rehab. Mom and Dad would love to bring him home as soon as possible, however the house is no where near ready for someone with his level of care needs and getting him to and from the hospital for the various doctor appointments that he will need will require the equivalent of an ambulance ride to and from the hospital (which cost $12,000 per round trip which make a $2,000 per day stay at the hospital seem cheap). There are a lot of unknowns, and not too many answers... The doctors are currently saying that they think he will be ready to be moved from the acute care unit by this weekend - but to where?
Day 21 - Post #13 - X-Ray images: Surgery-Left Ankle
During the long surgery on Devin's left ankle, he had over 20 pins inserted into his foot to help hold things in place while two large pieces of bone from a donor about the size of two cherry tomatoes, were grafted into place after the surgeons made wide gaps in the Calcaneus when trying to reshape that bone back to its normal size, shape and position. The Calcaneus bone had been severely crushed, misshaped and misaligned, and getting the normal size and shape were critical to the healing process. The good news is that the cartilage between the Calcaneus and Talus bones was still there (unlike in his right ankle).
After hours of reshaping the bone, and putting the pieces all back together again including the new bone grafts and pinning it all together, then the plates were added as a more permanent way to hold everything together while the bone heals over the next several months. Most of the initial pins driven into the bone were removed once the plate was secured with larger screws, however as you can see from the x-rays, not all of the pins were removed.
After hours of reshaping the bone, and putting the pieces all back together again including the new bone grafts and pinning it all together, then the plates were added as a more permanent way to hold everything together while the bone heals over the next several months. Most of the initial pins driven into the bone were removed once the plate was secured with larger screws, however as you can see from the x-rays, not all of the pins were removed.
Day 17 - Post #12 - Major Surgery #5
On September 16th, Devin had what we are hoping will be his final surgery. The surgeon could not keep from continually yawning as he briefed us after Devin's surgery... It was a long one - Devin left his room at 6:30am and did not return until 8:30pm and all of that time was spent on the Calcaneus and the cartilage between it and the talus bone, which, unlike on the right foot, was mostly salvageable... When I asked the doctor what he thought the chances of the cartilage healing correctly, he said that it sure better because this was his good foot and his right foot has no cartilage there at all, and that he spent over an hour just repositioning and cleaning up the cartilage and did everything he could to save it...
The doctors did a new nerve block on Devin's left leg and his foot is totally numb. He cannot feel it when I rub my finger across the top of his foot, however he has significant pain the same area that he did pre-surgery in the area around the bottom of his left foot and this nerve block has done nothing for that pain. I suggested that I thought it might not have anything to do with his foot at all since his foot was totally numb, that perhaps the pain was actually happening due to the damage to the nerves in his back, and the signal to the pain center in his brain were getting mixed up as a result. This theory was relayed to the pain management team and they decided after some discussion and review that this theory was most likely correct. As a result they have increased the medication given to patients with neuropathy, which seems to help but only to a small degree. They cannot perform a nerve block to the nerve in his back due to the recent back surgery, so it looks like his only option is to suffer through it, and hope/pray that it somehow stops. The doctors have told us that his injuries put him in the same pain category with giving birth, which might put this into perspective for anyone that has had that experience without the use of an epidural, except that this level of pain has been there going on three weeks know and time tends to have a exponential effect on ones ability to tolerate it.
This morning was the first time the doctors brought up a potential release date saying that at the earliest it would be is in about a week, but that Devin would need constant care around the clock 24/7 for the foreseeable future. He will be bed ridden for several months and will need help doing physical therapy several times throughout the day. We do not yet understand how this will be possible...
The doctors did a new nerve block on Devin's left leg and his foot is totally numb. He cannot feel it when I rub my finger across the top of his foot, however he has significant pain the same area that he did pre-surgery in the area around the bottom of his left foot and this nerve block has done nothing for that pain. I suggested that I thought it might not have anything to do with his foot at all since his foot was totally numb, that perhaps the pain was actually happening due to the damage to the nerves in his back, and the signal to the pain center in his brain were getting mixed up as a result. This theory was relayed to the pain management team and they decided after some discussion and review that this theory was most likely correct. As a result they have increased the medication given to patients with neuropathy, which seems to help but only to a small degree. They cannot perform a nerve block to the nerve in his back due to the recent back surgery, so it looks like his only option is to suffer through it, and hope/pray that it somehow stops. The doctors have told us that his injuries put him in the same pain category with giving birth, which might put this into perspective for anyone that has had that experience without the use of an epidural, except that this level of pain has been there going on three weeks know and time tends to have a exponential effect on ones ability to tolerate it.
This morning was the first time the doctors brought up a potential release date saying that at the earliest it would be is in about a week, but that Devin would need constant care around the clock 24/7 for the foreseeable future. He will be bed ridden for several months and will need help doing physical therapy several times throughout the day. We do not yet understand how this will be possible...
Day 15 - Post #11
Devin has really had a lot of very painful days/nights. The doctors consisting of his "pain management team" are doing their best to keep the pain level to tolerable levels, but his injuries are so severe that he is still unable to rest due to pain. With his inability to move or do things for himself, it has made for many very long nights...
The doctors expected severe pain with the surgeries done to his right ankle/foot/leg, but the pain to his left foot has been much more severe. The doctors think that is due to nerve damage so bad that the nerves are sending pain signals to the brain for areas that were not even injured.
Devin goes into surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) for his left foot. He is scheduled to be the first and only operation for his surgeons and they expect that it could take all day. Please continue to keep Devin in your prayers, he is only at the beginning of what will be a very long recovery. He has appreciated the cards and messages he has received (you can send messages to Devin from the Harborview web site).
The doctors expected severe pain with the surgeries done to his right ankle/foot/leg, but the pain to his left foot has been much more severe. The doctors think that is due to nerve damage so bad that the nerves are sending pain signals to the brain for areas that were not even injured.
Devin goes into surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) for his left foot. He is scheduled to be the first and only operation for his surgeons and they expect that it could take all day. Please continue to keep Devin in your prayers, he is only at the beginning of what will be a very long recovery. He has appreciated the cards and messages he has received (you can send messages to Devin from the Harborview web site).
Day 12 - Post #10 - The second Foot & Ankle surgery to the right foot
Devin was scheduled for a 12 hour surgery to his right foot. This foot was just operated on 3 days ago and the surgeons were going in to finishing putting what was left of his foot and ankle back together again. Based on the information that we got concerning missing cartilage and bone fragment, it has been difficult to feel very optimistic about his chances for a recovery that would enable him to compete in track as he had done previously. Osteochondritis is most certainly going to occur, and walking pain free let alone running are statistically very unlikely.
The surgery today seemed to go well. I don't have all the details, but it only lasted half of the expected duration. The surgeon was able to determine why Devin had such severe pain when the general surgeon team made its daily rounds and insisted on grabbing Devins big toe... The extensor hallucis longus tendon was misaligned due to the trauma and was actually stuffed inside of the joint between the talus and calcaneus bones - very painful...
The surgery today seemed to go well. I don't have all the details, but it only lasted half of the expected duration. The surgeon was able to determine why Devin had such severe pain when the general surgeon team made its daily rounds and insisted on grabbing Devins big toe... The extensor hallucis longus tendon was misaligned due to the trauma and was actually stuffed inside of the joint between the talus and calcaneus bones - very painful...
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