Monday, March 16, 2009

Monday, March 16

So here it is Monday again, and it seems like the weeks are piling up. We have a good routine on Monday's, one that flows right along, and today was no different. But lets recap the week-end first shall we? Saturday I got a good day of work in on the room addition, my son Josh helped me strip off the old roof and load it in a trailer, and then my good friend John Caruso came over and we cut loose the floor joists and jacked the whole thing up level. It was really cool. I have felt like a slug lately and just needed to get something done with no interruptions. Mission accomplished! Luckily, I covered it with plastic just in case it rained because when I awoke on Sunday, water everywhere. Oh well. The rain bummed me out a little, as I felt we were making progress, but it gave me time to go to the dump to empty the trailer and clean up some mess. We finished off Sunday with a few visits from friends. Jack, Kelly, and Jake Williams stopped by with a awesome apple pie, and Gretchen, Ed, and Gabe Luboff brought over fixins' for Ruben sandwiches, so we just sat around and ate food all evening. Thank you all for you're good food and great company. So back to today. Like I said earlier, we have a pretty set routine on Monday's so we got up and had Jerry ready to go to SCI-FIT by 1:00, and things were working out just fine. We rearranged the seats in the van so Jerry could ride shotgun, and it made the ride a lot less bumpy. Now I know how he felt nausea because riding over the hill in the back of that van is like being in the back seat of a roller coaster for an hour and a half. It's enough to make anyone feel sick.....But all went well and we got there in plenty of time. Today he worked on some more range of motion stuff, and then got all set up to do the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) bike. It takes a while to get it all set up the first time, and the therapists needed to see for themselves how Jerry would react to the stimulation, but it all went well and he rode for about 35-40 minutes. From here on out he can ride it without taking up his gym time, he can do it either before, or after his regular workout, as long as nobody else is scheduled. So we got that going for us. A stop by Wal-mart on the way home to get a few things, and the day was over. A good day indeed. It seems that the days are getting less complicated as of late, they are still busy, but we all seem to be handling them better. Jerry's nausea and pain have been at a minimum, and that helps out a lot. Katie and I have got a sort of routine down for the most part, and that makes things go smoother for everyone, including Jerry. Were hoping for nice weather for the next couple of days, so I can get the rest of the floor done on the addition and other than that, life is good. I thank you all for sharing this time with us, and I thank you all for your prayers and support, because without that, we would truly be lost. May God bless you and you families tomorrow as He has blessed ours today.

Good night, Dennis

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

God is Good!
Routine is good!
Jerry riding shotgun in the van is good!
Jerry working out in the gym is good!
Dennis making progress on the room is good!
Katie taking care of the rest of the family is good!
Josh, Jenae and Jessica helping out is good!
Life is good!
Thank you Lord! Amen.
Love,
Gretch
P.S. Happy St. Patrick' Day MacCallisters!
Remember to "go green" or risk being pinched.

Anonymous said...

Your family is an inspiration to me. My son went to school with Jerry and I've been following the blog since it was created. Sometimes your words bring tears to my eyes, other times they bring a smile to my face. All times, they are touching and remind me how quickly our lives can change.

Dennis and Katie, your love and devotion to your children is inspiring.

May you continue to find comfort in your faith, support from your friends, and love within your family.

From a mother, who has been touched by your story

Anonymous said...

Well said, Anonymous... I too am inspired by your family and have been following your progress and praying for you.

I hope today is a good day!

Anonymous said...

The best "hello's" to the Boulder Creek MacCallisters!
--
You all have been working very hard, but I am glad you have been able to get the van "fitted" nicely for your rides, and that the room remodeling is going well (..hope the weather cooperates!)
--
I am glad that Jerry found another runner to train with (..John), and also got that good looking haircut!
--
Here's praying that nausea stays away, sleep comes regularly, and those awakening back muscles continue to revive. God Bless!

"Happy Tuesday!"

Anonymous said...

You are an amazing family! I am blessed just by reading your blog.

Unfortunately, I had bookmarked your Monday Feb 23 posting and have been missing your updates. Duh!

I sent Jason Hall an email to introduce him to Jerry. Jason has made an amazing life for himself after his injury as a teen. He write about it in his blog: http://jasonhall.com/

Jason did respond to my email and left a message on your Feb 23's entry. I hope you'll check it out. I just feel Jason would really inspire Jerry and would be great to talk to.

Ok... enough from me. I continue to hold you in the Light of God's Grace and keep Jerry in my prayers.

Many blessings to your wonderful family.
Chris Flynn