Friday, July 17, 2009

July 17, 2009 update FINALLY!!!

Hello everyone! It has taken a LONG time, but I'm finally going to "catch up" with all of you. It seems that time is really speeding up at this point, and I get behind before I know it. Anyway, I apologize, and here goes.

Terry has been working hard these last two months. On May 19 he walked 375 feet at one stretch. He has also been working out at the gym. James taped him for the second time on July 9. We haven't seen the comparison video yet, but it should be enlightening. James thinks it would be a good idea to tape every 6-8 weeks, so we'll try to keep that in mind.

In June, James suggested we quit therapy for a while. The gains are not coming quite as fast right now. He thought we should take some time, gain strength and balance, then come back when we think we need an expert. He IS available for questions or problems, and he'll also try to keep in touch so that he can tell us when Terry might need to come back. It was a little hard to quit, I had come to depend on James's wisdom and guidance, as well as his ability to PUSH Terry. We'll just have to work harder! We joined the gym, and plan to go there 4 times a week. Two days to walk, and two days to work on the upper body machines.
Terry fell FOUR times in two weeks! It doesn't really hurt him, but it DOES make him more wary. Consequently, he hasn't walked as far since then. We're TRYING to work our way up, but it's SLOW. James couldn't see any difference in Terry's walk, so he said he just needed to be more intentional in locking that right knee with each step. It has been over a month since he fell, so he's getting braver again, but now he needs to regain the endurance for the distances. It's a vicious cycle! He IS doing the walking at home pretty well, although he has shortened them, as well. I pray for improvement.
Terry has been experiencing more pain for several days now. That limits him, as well. We saw a different dr. to try to find a reason for it, but he really couldn't say. He did reccommend a specialist. We'll see him at the end of July.

It's been a busy two months in our ministry. We are getting closer to the people, and having some GREAT Bible studies and discussions.

Since it is summer, we've been to a couple of horse shows to watch our grandchildren. We've also been to the county fair and the zoo. We've watched the grandchildren a bit, also. We hd the two youngest for 5 days! Grandma was TIRED, but we enjoyed them.

We had a death in the family this month. Terry's uncle died. He had been ill for quite some time, so it wasn't entirely unexpected, but we'll certainly miss him. We also have friends and relatives battling various diseases, and I ask you to be praying for all of those that are struggling each day.

I think that's about all for now. Please keep praying for Terry. His pain level is pretty high sometimes and that makes EVERYTHING seem harder to bear. Also, we BOTH need wisdom to handle each challenge WELL. We're keeping you in our prayers, as well. Thank you for your support. Love to all! Lynn