Scott Kingery Dble Aneurysm Recover
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To follow is the story of Scott since his initial medical emergency as his wife and daughter see it and live it. The journal entries are in reverse order so the top entry is what is most recently happening.
Scott's insurance (although fantastic) is not going to cover much of the remainder of his rehabilitation. His wife has been at his bedside every day helping with his recovery and has little time to do anything else.
This family could really use your help. The insurance company will only pay for 30 days at Craig. The staff there believe he will NEED 45 to 60 days based on the injuries he needs to recover from and the therapy needed to function day to day.
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAMILY'S STORY
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Apr 28, 2015 10:52pm
Today another one of our prayers was answered as Dad has officially moved to Craig for rehab! He was transported mid day today and is all settled in to a double room but will be moved to a single room as soon as one becomes available. The staff at Craig wanted to get him there as soon as possible and the double room was the only way that could happen. He had a busy day meeting with therapists and doctors.
Tomorrow will be another busy day for Dad as he goes through full evaluations before his plan of care is set. In the morning he will have an MRI, CT scan, ultrasounds to check for blood clots and lots of blood tests. In the afternoon he will meet and work with each of the doctors and therapists on his team including Speech, PT and OT.
We are very excited about the beginning of this chapter in Dad's journey. Our God has been good to answer our prayers and while this has been an emotional roller coaster we are so blessed to have you all supporting us. Keep praying that he makes huge strides during this next step in his journey!
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Apr 26, 2015 11:11pm
We are always hoping and praying for the unexpected in this journey as dad was never expected to survive the first night or make it as far as he has. While this isn't the "unexpected" that we hoped for Dad took an unexpected field trip today over to Lutheran Hospital. He has been very uncomfortable due to his catheter and the staff at CASH weren't in a position to assist with it. He was taken in to the ER at Lutheran where it was discovered that he still had the catheter that was placed the first night in the ER and it was only meant to be a temporary catheter. After a painful yet successful procedure his catheter was switched to one that is meant for long term care, he was given some pain medicine and sent back to CASH where he spent the rest of the day crashed out.
He will need more prayers tomorrow as he goes to Lutheran again, this time it is for a planned visit and he will have surgery completed by the Intervention Radiologists to have his IVC filter removed, (this was the filter he had placed to block the blood clots in legs and to keep them from moving to his lungs and heart).The intervention team doesn't allow this to be in place any longer than 30 days so now is the time to have it removed.
He is showing a lot of determination to get up and moving. They had him strapped in to a machine and got him up and walking on both Friday and Saturday. He blew the therapists away at how well he did and it was like he was trying to run away and out of the hospital on Saturday! He wants to go home and keeps asking why he can't. He has to get a lot stronger and is showing that he is making progress on a daily basis.
We are hoping to hear from Craig Hospital tomorrow and pray that they will have a spot for him to move this week to rehab so he can continue to get stronger and make further progress. Craig is one step closer to him going home. Please send prayers Dad's way that he keeps up his determination and that he will get to make his move to rehab this week!
I will update you after Dad's surgery tomorrow and keep you updated as to any news of his move! Keep praying! God is good!
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Apr 22, 2015 10:14pm
Dad had a very busy morning today with therapy. Both PT and OT worked him really hard so we were worried that he might be really tired for his evaluation with Craig this afternoon. God is good and gave him the strength he needed during the evaluation and it was decided that he is a GREAT candidate for their program and they would like to see him begin their 6 week program as soon as possible! There is a small issue as they do have a waiting list but there is a small chance he could get in as early as next week, otherwise their are additional beds opening the first week of May. We will hopefully know more tomorrow if there is a possibility for him to move and begin the program next week. If he can't get in next week there may be a fight with insurance as he is no longer deemed "medically necessary" to be in the long term care hospital.
We are so grateful to be surrounded by such a strong support system and can't thank each of you enough for your prayers and well wishes. Please continue to pray that he will be moving to Craig for rehab sooner rather than later! We will be sure to keep you all updated as we have any information on his progress and his move! Thank you to our wonderful Lord for making this all possible and praise God that my Dad continues to get stronger and is on the right path!
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Apr 22, 2015 7:57am
Just wanted to send out a quick note to request even more prayers today! Dad has his evaluation with Craig at 1:30 this afternoon. We are hoping he is alert and can shine during this time and be accepted in to their program. We will update you as soon as we know anything! Love you all!
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Apr 19, 2015 11:15pm
The power of prayer is amazing, the progress my Dad has made over the past 7 & 1/2 weeks is proof of that which is why we are asking for extra prayers of strength this week. We knew early on in this journey that Dad would have a long road to recovery and that the next step after the long term acute care faculty he is in now would be rehab. We were told that Craig was the BEST place for rehab as they only work with patients that are recovering from traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Craig is a world renowned facility and is very prestigious. With that being said we were also told that it may be challenging for Dad to be accepted as they are constantly at capacity with patients from all over the world and that their age acceptance cut off is 60. We argued that dad was only 58 but since he is so close to the cusp we needed to be prepared that they would never consider him as a candidate. Dad's team at CASH sent over a referral and we were given word that dad was a possible candidate for the program at Craig. This week is crucial as Dad will have staff from Craig come to him for an evaluation. We are hoping that Dad can shine during this evaluation and be accepted. Our biggest concern is that they will come when he is tired and won't be able to show them what he is capable of. Please pray for strength for Dad during this evaluation and that Craig is his next step for healing. The center he is in now is assuming that he will no longer need to be in this type of care in the next week or two as it is no longer "medically necessary." If that deems to be true he will be ready to move by the end of the month as long as there is an opening in the rehab facility.
Dad did have his swallow test last week and he was swallowing correctly and was moved to solid foods. He is eating three meals a day but they are keeping him on the feeding tube at night to be sure he is getting enough nutrients. He has been doing really well with eating considering how horrible the hospital food looks! He is making progress on feeding himself but does get tired quickly and needs assistance part way through his meal. He is a pro at lifting his drink to his mouth and drinking from a straw, this may have something to do that they are serving him one of his favorites, Arnold Palmers!
Next Monday, April 27th, Dad will be going on a road trip back to the hospital for surgery. He will have the IVC filter removed. This was what was put in place to block the blood clots in his leg and keep them from moving to his organs. The doctors are confident that this is no longer a concern and would like to have it removed. They will be leaving in the PEG feeding tube at this time as they can not remove it until it has been in place for at least 6 weeks.
I would also like to ask for extra prayers for my mom. This has all been very emotional on all of us but she seems to be a constant rock for us. She is by far the strongest person I know and my Dad is so lucky to have her by his side. She is at the hospital with him 12+ hours a day, every day. She does everything she can to help him and she is learning as much as she can to help with his progress. I would like to ask for prayers of strength and support for her and if you have an opportunity please also send her messages of care via Facebook or text message. She needs all the support she can get to continue helping my Dad through this very long journey.
My mom, sister and I are hoping (schedules permitting) to go to a support group Monday night for families and survivors of brain aneurysms. We are hoping that this gives us all the strength we need and to meet other families that have been through or are going through similar situations.
Thank you as always for your care, prayers and support. We will be sure to update you with any changes as they come!
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Apr 14, 2015 11:42am
"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are" ~unknown
Dad continues to prove that he is getting somewhere! We were told many times early on in Dad's journey that there was a good chance he wouldn't make it to where he is today. Dad has made the decision to keep fighting and has had the love and support of everyone near and far to help him. He was moved on Sunday to a new room and is out of the ICU. His status was downgraded out of ICU on Friday but the hospital decided to physically move him as well. He is settled in to his new room on the fourth floor and has a full wall of windows that overlooks a bunch of new construction as well as downtown football stadium. While construction isn't always the most attractive view I feel that it is very symbolic as it shows that change is needed for growth just as in Dad's journey of healing.
Now that Dad is out of the ICU he is no longer hooked up to a bunch of machines, and has been fully removed from oxygen, the heart rate monitor and pulse ox.The only thing he is still connected to is the PEG in his stomach for feedings, they will be doing a swallow test today to make sure food is going into his stomach and if so they will start weaning him off the feeding tube and get him eating real food and getting rid of the PEG. When it is time for the PEG to be removed he will take a road trip back to Lutheran Hospital for the procedure. His nurses now just come in regularly to check his vitals opposed to dad being attached 24/7 and this is just more proof of progress.
Dad continues to improve physically. He still has a long ways to go before he will be able to walk or care for himself but he is becoming more mobile with the help of all of his therapists as well as help from my mom. She gets to "torture" him when the therapists aren't around and they have taught her how to move his arms, legs and head to continue with the progress, it's so important to keep him moving. His left side is ahead of the right but both are improving daily and we are seeing more movement from both. He is still very stiff from being bed ridden for so long but he proves that he wants to get better by trying to work his arms and legs on his own when his therapists aren't around.
Dad has had good days and bad days. Some days he is very alert and engaged in conversation and others he doesn't seem to recognize anyone or have any interest in conversation. This is to be expected as his brain is still healing from so much trauma. We still have a hard time understanding a lot of what Dad says so we do try to keep questions to "yes" or "no" answers but he often tries to tell us a lot more! He is still getting frustrated when we can't understand him but we are doing all we can to encourage him to keep trying. The area where his trache was is healing nicely and as the hole gets smaller Dad's voice gets a little louder.
Yesterday was an exciting day for Dad as he was able to spend about 15 minutes outside in the warm sunshine. He responded very well to the change and the hope is that he will continue to have road trips outside.
We keep praying for progress and growth and we are so proud of my dad. He is a true fighter and I am honored to be his daughter. He has always taught me to have strength and grace and even in this challenging time he continues to prove his own. If you would like to visit Dad please feel welcome but send my mom, Jaime, a quick text or a message on Facebook messenger to be sure it is a good time as Dad spends a lot of his time with therapy! Please keep the prayers coming...they work and God is good!
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Apr 10, 2015 5:58pm
I have always had this notion that my dad was invincible and that nothing could ever happen to him. This idea came from all of the fires he fought and all the people he helped and how physically and emotionally strong he was. Six weeks and 1 day ago I remember telling my mom that very thing while we sat and wept over my dad in the ER while he was in a coma and I was in disbelief that he could be where he was. Now that I know he isn't invincible I am even more proud of him because I know that he is a true fighter and has worked so hard for the progress we have seen so far. While he is not invincible he is and always will be my hero.
Dad has had a good week and we thank the Lord for that. He is showing progress in therapy and his hands and legs are slowly but surely becoming more mobile. His therapists have had him sitting up in a chair for a few hours at a time and he manages that well. He also has been put on a standing table and spent some time upright. He seems to enjoy spending time out of his bed, but who could blame him after spending 6 weeks in bed! His neck is still very stiff and he tends to keep it turned towards the left so they are really trying to get him to have a wider range of motion and also to be able to support his head better.
Today marks a very exciting day as Dad had his trache removed! This is amazing progress and this will allow him to slowly begin consuming food by mouth and will also help with his progress is speech therapy. It is very interesting that they don't stitch up the area where the trache was but by Monday the site should be pretty much closed on its own!
Earlier this evening Dad's status was downgraded from ICU to a regular medical/surgical patient. He will still stay in the ICU room as there is no need to uproot him until the room is needed for a new ICU patient. This is a huge celebration and we couldn't be more proud of how far he has come.
Dad still does have stitches in his head from the several surgeries he went through at Lutheran so the nurses are working with the doctors to have those removed soon.
Next week Dad will get to go on a field trip out of his room and spend some time outside. This should do him good to spend time in the fresh air and sunshine. He does have a small window that opens in his room but it doesn't compare to actually being outside. I catch him looking out the window often so hopefully going outside will be a good change of scenery for him.
This weekend he may have a minimal amount of time with occupational or physical therapy but for the most part weekends are a time of rest after 5 busy days of work.
We were warned from the beginning that he would have good days and bad days. Yesterday was my birthday and unfortunately wasn't one of Dad's best days. He seemed a little down and slept a lot and was having a hard time remembering things. His therapist asked if he knew who I was and he said "no". They also asked if I was his daughter, he said "no". This was very hard to hear as this was the first time since he has been awake that he didn't know who I was. Typically he will say "hi Michelle". I knew this would be a hard birthday as the one thing I look forward to every year is a phone call from my dad first thing in the morning. For those of you that don't know my dad he is a pretty reserved guy yet for every birthday for as long as I can remember he has called me and sang happy birthday to me. I think it's the only time I have ever heard my dad sing. I knew this year that phone call wouldn't come which was very hard to process. I keep reminding myself what a blessing it is that he is still alive because six weeks ago they didn't think he would survive. Having him here and fighting to get better and making so much progress is the best gift I have been given. We are all so blessed by the support from each and every one of you and we thank you all for your strength and prayers. Please keep praying and sending healing thoughts as Dad continues on this path of healing.
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Apr 1, 2015 1:28pm
Dad is settled in at CASH and we are all trying to get used to the change. We felt comfortable at Lutheran and had become close with so many of the nurses that it's been a very emotional adjustment and we are very much out of our comfort zone.
Monday was a pretty uneventful day. We did meet some of dads new care team but for the most part it was just a day of rest for him.
Tuesday was a much more eventful day. Dad started off the day with having his trache capped and he has been doing great on his own. They let him breathe on his own all day and then removed the cap and put the collar on overnight to assist him to avoid wearing him out on day one of the cap.
The exciting thing is with the trache capped he can talk, his oldest grandson said he was a chatter box last night! We can't understand most of what he says but occasionally what he does say is very clear. We can understand "hi" and he has said "I love you" several times which is amazing and so powerful to hear. I was talking to him last night and he went on and on about something but I have no idea what it was, right now it mostly sounds like gibberish but he has a speech therapist working with him to help improve his speech. He started to get quiet so I asked if he was getting tired and he clearly said "a little". I did also ask him if he could feel me squeezing his left hand and he said "no" and also couldn't squeeze my hand or give me a thumbs up. It's great to see what he can do. His physical therapist came in and was working with him last night as well. She got him sitting up some, it was assisted and it was apparent how much work his muscles need. She was trying to have him move his finger to his nose and while he couldn't do it she did say she could feel his muscles trying to work. She said that is good because it shows that his brain is trying to tell his body what to do but right now he just doesn't have the strength.
This morning the tube in his trache was changed to a smaller tube. We were told that he would be on the collar for an hour to adapt to the smaller tube and then they would try capping him again. The goal is to keep him capped for 24 hours and then continue to give him periods of rest. Once he can maintain breathing on his own with the trache capped for 72 hours they will consider removing it all together!
We all feel so overwhelmed with the progress dad has made. We are so proud of him for all of the obstacles he has overcome, things he was never expected to be able to do. He has gotten this far because he is a fighter and because he has so many amazing people praying for him and lifting him up. We would really like to shower him with letters, cards, pictures, etc from those that have been supporting him through this journey.
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Feb 27, 2015 11:25am
Prayers needed for Scott Kingery.
Thursday evening Scott collapsed at home and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Once at the hospital it was determined that he had a rare type of stroke called a Subarachnoid hemorrhage and has two brain aneurysms. One of the aneurysms in his brain ruptured, they call it a bleed. He had a CT scan and during the CT scan Scott suffered a second bleed. The second bleed put him in to a coma, he was sedated and the doctors aren't sure if he would have come out of the coma or not. Through the night it was very important to keep him sedated and keep his blood pressure regulated. The highest concern was another bleed, a 3rd bleed would have been fatal.
Scott is currently in surgery where a team of specialists are doing everything they can to help Scott. This surgery will take several hours and your prayers are needed. During the surgery they are trying to put coils in the aneurysms (basically blocking them) to alleviate the risk of a third bleed and will drill a hole in his skull to drain the fluid on his brain.
We appreciate all of your support and ask for your prayers. We will update you as we can but also ask that you respect our time together as a family and refer to this site for all updates.
Scott's insurance (although fantastic) is not going to cover much of the remainder of his rehabilitation. His wife has been at his bedside every day helping with his recovery and has little time to do anything else.
This family could really use your help. The insurance company will only pay for 30 days at Craig. The staff there believe he will NEED 45 to 60 days based on the injuries he needs to recover from and the therapy needed to function day to day.
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAMILY'S STORY
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Apr 28, 2015 10:52pm
Today another one of our prayers was answered as Dad has officially moved to Craig for rehab! He was transported mid day today and is all settled in to a double room but will be moved to a single room as soon as one becomes available. The staff at Craig wanted to get him there as soon as possible and the double room was the only way that could happen. He had a busy day meeting with therapists and doctors.
Tomorrow will be another busy day for Dad as he goes through full evaluations before his plan of care is set. In the morning he will have an MRI, CT scan, ultrasounds to check for blood clots and lots of blood tests. In the afternoon he will meet and work with each of the doctors and therapists on his team including Speech, PT and OT.
We are very excited about the beginning of this chapter in Dad's journey. Our God has been good to answer our prayers and while this has been an emotional roller coaster we are so blessed to have you all supporting us. Keep praying that he makes huge strides during this next step in his journey!
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Apr 26, 2015 11:11pm
We are always hoping and praying for the unexpected in this journey as dad was never expected to survive the first night or make it as far as he has. While this isn't the "unexpected" that we hoped for Dad took an unexpected field trip today over to Lutheran Hospital. He has been very uncomfortable due to his catheter and the staff at CASH weren't in a position to assist with it. He was taken in to the ER at Lutheran where it was discovered that he still had the catheter that was placed the first night in the ER and it was only meant to be a temporary catheter. After a painful yet successful procedure his catheter was switched to one that is meant for long term care, he was given some pain medicine and sent back to CASH where he spent the rest of the day crashed out.
He will need more prayers tomorrow as he goes to Lutheran again, this time it is for a planned visit and he will have surgery completed by the Intervention Radiologists to have his IVC filter removed, (this was the filter he had placed to block the blood clots in legs and to keep them from moving to his lungs and heart).The intervention team doesn't allow this to be in place any longer than 30 days so now is the time to have it removed.
He is showing a lot of determination to get up and moving. They had him strapped in to a machine and got him up and walking on both Friday and Saturday. He blew the therapists away at how well he did and it was like he was trying to run away and out of the hospital on Saturday! He wants to go home and keeps asking why he can't. He has to get a lot stronger and is showing that he is making progress on a daily basis.
We are hoping to hear from Craig Hospital tomorrow and pray that they will have a spot for him to move this week to rehab so he can continue to get stronger and make further progress. Craig is one step closer to him going home. Please send prayers Dad's way that he keeps up his determination and that he will get to make his move to rehab this week!
I will update you after Dad's surgery tomorrow and keep you updated as to any news of his move! Keep praying! God is good!
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Apr 22, 2015 10:14pm
Dad had a very busy morning today with therapy. Both PT and OT worked him really hard so we were worried that he might be really tired for his evaluation with Craig this afternoon. God is good and gave him the strength he needed during the evaluation and it was decided that he is a GREAT candidate for their program and they would like to see him begin their 6 week program as soon as possible! There is a small issue as they do have a waiting list but there is a small chance he could get in as early as next week, otherwise their are additional beds opening the first week of May. We will hopefully know more tomorrow if there is a possibility for him to move and begin the program next week. If he can't get in next week there may be a fight with insurance as he is no longer deemed "medically necessary" to be in the long term care hospital.
We are so grateful to be surrounded by such a strong support system and can't thank each of you enough for your prayers and well wishes. Please continue to pray that he will be moving to Craig for rehab sooner rather than later! We will be sure to keep you all updated as we have any information on his progress and his move! Thank you to our wonderful Lord for making this all possible and praise God that my Dad continues to get stronger and is on the right path!
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Apr 22, 2015 7:57am
Just wanted to send out a quick note to request even more prayers today! Dad has his evaluation with Craig at 1:30 this afternoon. We are hoping he is alert and can shine during this time and be accepted in to their program. We will update you as soon as we know anything! Love you all!
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Apr 19, 2015 11:15pm
The power of prayer is amazing, the progress my Dad has made over the past 7 & 1/2 weeks is proof of that which is why we are asking for extra prayers of strength this week. We knew early on in this journey that Dad would have a long road to recovery and that the next step after the long term acute care faculty he is in now would be rehab. We were told that Craig was the BEST place for rehab as they only work with patients that are recovering from traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Craig is a world renowned facility and is very prestigious. With that being said we were also told that it may be challenging for Dad to be accepted as they are constantly at capacity with patients from all over the world and that their age acceptance cut off is 60. We argued that dad was only 58 but since he is so close to the cusp we needed to be prepared that they would never consider him as a candidate. Dad's team at CASH sent over a referral and we were given word that dad was a possible candidate for the program at Craig. This week is crucial as Dad will have staff from Craig come to him for an evaluation. We are hoping that Dad can shine during this evaluation and be accepted. Our biggest concern is that they will come when he is tired and won't be able to show them what he is capable of. Please pray for strength for Dad during this evaluation and that Craig is his next step for healing. The center he is in now is assuming that he will no longer need to be in this type of care in the next week or two as it is no longer "medically necessary." If that deems to be true he will be ready to move by the end of the month as long as there is an opening in the rehab facility.
Dad did have his swallow test last week and he was swallowing correctly and was moved to solid foods. He is eating three meals a day but they are keeping him on the feeding tube at night to be sure he is getting enough nutrients. He has been doing really well with eating considering how horrible the hospital food looks! He is making progress on feeding himself but does get tired quickly and needs assistance part way through his meal. He is a pro at lifting his drink to his mouth and drinking from a straw, this may have something to do that they are serving him one of his favorites, Arnold Palmers!
Next Monday, April 27th, Dad will be going on a road trip back to the hospital for surgery. He will have the IVC filter removed. This was what was put in place to block the blood clots in his leg and keep them from moving to his organs. The doctors are confident that this is no longer a concern and would like to have it removed. They will be leaving in the PEG feeding tube at this time as they can not remove it until it has been in place for at least 6 weeks.
I would also like to ask for extra prayers for my mom. This has all been very emotional on all of us but she seems to be a constant rock for us. She is by far the strongest person I know and my Dad is so lucky to have her by his side. She is at the hospital with him 12+ hours a day, every day. She does everything she can to help him and she is learning as much as she can to help with his progress. I would like to ask for prayers of strength and support for her and if you have an opportunity please also send her messages of care via Facebook or text message. She needs all the support she can get to continue helping my Dad through this very long journey.
My mom, sister and I are hoping (schedules permitting) to go to a support group Monday night for families and survivors of brain aneurysms. We are hoping that this gives us all the strength we need and to meet other families that have been through or are going through similar situations.
Thank you as always for your care, prayers and support. We will be sure to update you with any changes as they come!
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Apr 14, 2015 11:42am
"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are" ~unknown
Dad continues to prove that he is getting somewhere! We were told many times early on in Dad's journey that there was a good chance he wouldn't make it to where he is today. Dad has made the decision to keep fighting and has had the love and support of everyone near and far to help him. He was moved on Sunday to a new room and is out of the ICU. His status was downgraded out of ICU on Friday but the hospital decided to physically move him as well. He is settled in to his new room on the fourth floor and has a full wall of windows that overlooks a bunch of new construction as well as downtown football stadium. While construction isn't always the most attractive view I feel that it is very symbolic as it shows that change is needed for growth just as in Dad's journey of healing.
Now that Dad is out of the ICU he is no longer hooked up to a bunch of machines, and has been fully removed from oxygen, the heart rate monitor and pulse ox.The only thing he is still connected to is the PEG in his stomach for feedings, they will be doing a swallow test today to make sure food is going into his stomach and if so they will start weaning him off the feeding tube and get him eating real food and getting rid of the PEG. When it is time for the PEG to be removed he will take a road trip back to Lutheran Hospital for the procedure. His nurses now just come in regularly to check his vitals opposed to dad being attached 24/7 and this is just more proof of progress.
Dad continues to improve physically. He still has a long ways to go before he will be able to walk or care for himself but he is becoming more mobile with the help of all of his therapists as well as help from my mom. She gets to "torture" him when the therapists aren't around and they have taught her how to move his arms, legs and head to continue with the progress, it's so important to keep him moving. His left side is ahead of the right but both are improving daily and we are seeing more movement from both. He is still very stiff from being bed ridden for so long but he proves that he wants to get better by trying to work his arms and legs on his own when his therapists aren't around.
Dad has had good days and bad days. Some days he is very alert and engaged in conversation and others he doesn't seem to recognize anyone or have any interest in conversation. This is to be expected as his brain is still healing from so much trauma. We still have a hard time understanding a lot of what Dad says so we do try to keep questions to "yes" or "no" answers but he often tries to tell us a lot more! He is still getting frustrated when we can't understand him but we are doing all we can to encourage him to keep trying. The area where his trache was is healing nicely and as the hole gets smaller Dad's voice gets a little louder.
Yesterday was an exciting day for Dad as he was able to spend about 15 minutes outside in the warm sunshine. He responded very well to the change and the hope is that he will continue to have road trips outside.
We keep praying for progress and growth and we are so proud of my dad. He is a true fighter and I am honored to be his daughter. He has always taught me to have strength and grace and even in this challenging time he continues to prove his own. If you would like to visit Dad please feel welcome but send my mom, Jaime, a quick text or a message on Facebook messenger to be sure it is a good time as Dad spends a lot of his time with therapy! Please keep the prayers coming...they work and God is good!
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Apr 10, 2015 5:58pm
I have always had this notion that my dad was invincible and that nothing could ever happen to him. This idea came from all of the fires he fought and all the people he helped and how physically and emotionally strong he was. Six weeks and 1 day ago I remember telling my mom that very thing while we sat and wept over my dad in the ER while he was in a coma and I was in disbelief that he could be where he was. Now that I know he isn't invincible I am even more proud of him because I know that he is a true fighter and has worked so hard for the progress we have seen so far. While he is not invincible he is and always will be my hero.
Dad has had a good week and we thank the Lord for that. He is showing progress in therapy and his hands and legs are slowly but surely becoming more mobile. His therapists have had him sitting up in a chair for a few hours at a time and he manages that well. He also has been put on a standing table and spent some time upright. He seems to enjoy spending time out of his bed, but who could blame him after spending 6 weeks in bed! His neck is still very stiff and he tends to keep it turned towards the left so they are really trying to get him to have a wider range of motion and also to be able to support his head better.
Today marks a very exciting day as Dad had his trache removed! This is amazing progress and this will allow him to slowly begin consuming food by mouth and will also help with his progress is speech therapy. It is very interesting that they don't stitch up the area where the trache was but by Monday the site should be pretty much closed on its own!
Earlier this evening Dad's status was downgraded from ICU to a regular medical/surgical patient. He will still stay in the ICU room as there is no need to uproot him until the room is needed for a new ICU patient. This is a huge celebration and we couldn't be more proud of how far he has come.
Dad still does have stitches in his head from the several surgeries he went through at Lutheran so the nurses are working with the doctors to have those removed soon.
Next week Dad will get to go on a field trip out of his room and spend some time outside. This should do him good to spend time in the fresh air and sunshine. He does have a small window that opens in his room but it doesn't compare to actually being outside. I catch him looking out the window often so hopefully going outside will be a good change of scenery for him.
This weekend he may have a minimal amount of time with occupational or physical therapy but for the most part weekends are a time of rest after 5 busy days of work.
We were warned from the beginning that he would have good days and bad days. Yesterday was my birthday and unfortunately wasn't one of Dad's best days. He seemed a little down and slept a lot and was having a hard time remembering things. His therapist asked if he knew who I was and he said "no". They also asked if I was his daughter, he said "no". This was very hard to hear as this was the first time since he has been awake that he didn't know who I was. Typically he will say "hi Michelle". I knew this would be a hard birthday as the one thing I look forward to every year is a phone call from my dad first thing in the morning. For those of you that don't know my dad he is a pretty reserved guy yet for every birthday for as long as I can remember he has called me and sang happy birthday to me. I think it's the only time I have ever heard my dad sing. I knew this year that phone call wouldn't come which was very hard to process. I keep reminding myself what a blessing it is that he is still alive because six weeks ago they didn't think he would survive. Having him here and fighting to get better and making so much progress is the best gift I have been given. We are all so blessed by the support from each and every one of you and we thank you all for your strength and prayers. Please keep praying and sending healing thoughts as Dad continues on this path of healing.
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Apr 1, 2015 1:28pm
Dad is settled in at CASH and we are all trying to get used to the change. We felt comfortable at Lutheran and had become close with so many of the nurses that it's been a very emotional adjustment and we are very much out of our comfort zone.
Monday was a pretty uneventful day. We did meet some of dads new care team but for the most part it was just a day of rest for him.
Tuesday was a much more eventful day. Dad started off the day with having his trache capped and he has been doing great on his own. They let him breathe on his own all day and then removed the cap and put the collar on overnight to assist him to avoid wearing him out on day one of the cap.
The exciting thing is with the trache capped he can talk, his oldest grandson said he was a chatter box last night! We can't understand most of what he says but occasionally what he does say is very clear. We can understand "hi" and he has said "I love you" several times which is amazing and so powerful to hear. I was talking to him last night and he went on and on about something but I have no idea what it was, right now it mostly sounds like gibberish but he has a speech therapist working with him to help improve his speech. He started to get quiet so I asked if he was getting tired and he clearly said "a little". I did also ask him if he could feel me squeezing his left hand and he said "no" and also couldn't squeeze my hand or give me a thumbs up. It's great to see what he can do. His physical therapist came in and was working with him last night as well. She got him sitting up some, it was assisted and it was apparent how much work his muscles need. She was trying to have him move his finger to his nose and while he couldn't do it she did say she could feel his muscles trying to work. She said that is good because it shows that his brain is trying to tell his body what to do but right now he just doesn't have the strength.
This morning the tube in his trache was changed to a smaller tube. We were told that he would be on the collar for an hour to adapt to the smaller tube and then they would try capping him again. The goal is to keep him capped for 24 hours and then continue to give him periods of rest. Once he can maintain breathing on his own with the trache capped for 72 hours they will consider removing it all together!
We all feel so overwhelmed with the progress dad has made. We are so proud of him for all of the obstacles he has overcome, things he was never expected to be able to do. He has gotten this far because he is a fighter and because he has so many amazing people praying for him and lifting him up. We would really like to shower him with letters, cards, pictures, etc from those that have been supporting him through this journey.
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Feb 27, 2015 11:25am
Prayers needed for Scott Kingery.
Thursday evening Scott collapsed at home and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Once at the hospital it was determined that he had a rare type of stroke called a Subarachnoid hemorrhage and has two brain aneurysms. One of the aneurysms in his brain ruptured, they call it a bleed. He had a CT scan and during the CT scan Scott suffered a second bleed. The second bleed put him in to a coma, he was sedated and the doctors aren't sure if he would have come out of the coma or not. Through the night it was very important to keep him sedated and keep his blood pressure regulated. The highest concern was another bleed, a 3rd bleed would have been fatal.
Scott is currently in surgery where a team of specialists are doing everything they can to help Scott. This surgery will take several hours and your prayers are needed. During the surgery they are trying to put coils in the aneurysms (basically blocking them) to alleviate the risk of a third bleed and will drill a hole in his skull to drain the fluid on his brain.
We appreciate all of your support and ask for your prayers. We will update you as we can but also ask that you respect our time together as a family and refer to this site for all updates.
Organizer and beneficiary
Michelle Heath Stuerke
Organizer
Golden, CO
JAIME KINGERY
Beneficiary
