Rod’s (Hovy’s) Road to Recovery

Hey everyone it’s Michelle, Rod’s daughter! I’ll first preface by saying THANK YOU EVERYONE for the love and prayers & following my dads journey! After FOUR long months HE IS HOME!!! I’ll admit, I hate the name of this website ( Go Fund Me) to me it sounds very needy, which it’s very hard to admit when you need help or ask for help when you need it. That’s not the Hoversten way. I know my dad has been there for many people in their time of need and this website helped me grant my best friends wish when she had cancer. Everyone keeps asking how they can help and this seems to be the easiest way. Don’t look at this and feel obligated to donate, that’s not what I’m asking and honestly not everyone agrees with fundraising like this and that’s ok, scroll on by.

What I will tell everyone is that I have been behind the scenes this entire nightmare! It all started with a frost bit toe in March of 2021 ( damn cattle chore) that toe was amputated and he began hyperbaric treatments Monday through Friday for 30 total treatments. He has had the shittiest luck, sorry for the language but there’s not a better word to describe it! Those treatments unfortunately were not helping his blood flow so he was getting prepared for a trans metatarsal amputation ( removing all the toes). He had his first stroke June 14 following a scheduled angiogram ( which is another very long and frustrating story). This stroke set back his trans metatarsal surgery! He spent 9 days on MGMC’s acute rehab unit 6/16-6/25 and was sent home. Was home about a week then admitted emergently July 1 because those toes needed to be removed ASAP, the infection was spreading. His TMA ( toe removal ) was done July 1 and was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, infection in the bone bc again he has had shit luck through all of this! He really wanted to try and save his leg but the blood flow just wasn’t there for it to heal so they proceeded with the BKA ( below knee amputation) on July 12. FINALLY we saw progress, his stump was healing and the infection was gone! So another stay on MGMC acute rehab 7/15-7/23. He was ROCKING it in therapy!! Stand by assist for transfers and hopping on one foot with a walker for like 20 feet! They were even preparing for discharge home soon. Then I got a call from him on July 21 and I could tell his speech was slurred. MRI was done and showed right sided stroke, CT angiography showed his left artery was blocked 90%. But his stroke was on the right side of the brain which left his left side completely paralyzed. Therefore they believed this stroke was from his diabetes. He was transferred to Mercy to see if he was a candidate for surgery to clean that blocked artery out but his stroke was too severe! So he then spent about 3 weeks at Mercy acute Rehab then transferred to On With Life in Ankeny for continued rehab. On With Life specializes in acute brain injuries and strokes. He was there from 8/18- 10/28 and has made the most progress! When he transferred to OWL he couldn’t even sit unsupported! Now he can stand pivot and has his prosthetic leg to begin working with! WHEW!!! I have this all on a timeline in my phone because it’s been quite the journey! If you have read this entire thing, it’s EXHAUSTING!!! It has been such an emotional roller coaster! But to hear that belly laugh again makes it all worth it!

My dad has been through hell and back and honestly 2 months ago I was afraid we would never get him back! He has been medically cleared at this time for the left Endarterectomy ( cleaning out that blocked artery) because that still places him at a high risk for another stroke! NO THANK YOU!!! We brought him home on Thursday and my oldest daughter McKenna and I have been helping my mom take care of him. He needs help with ALL transfers , we have a lift machine that has been a life saver! He has a pretty sweet electric wheelchair that allows him to get around the house, we call it his Cadillac! Mary Greeley Home Health will begin this week with home therapy, nursing, and shower assist. We have found them a handicap accessible van that we will be picking up this week! As you can probably assume, this has all taken a HUGE toll financially. Medicare is great but it doesn’t cover everything . I’m not sure how much longer Kenna & I can manage it on our own so I’m looking into some private caregiver options. I keep telling myself that we are in the thick of it right now. He has only had that prostheses for a week and only a few sessions with therapy at OwL with it, so it WILL get better. We just have to make it through this part!

He is so happy to be home and he’s been a great patient! It’s so hard to see him like this but I have to remind myself he has come a LONG way! He’s lost so much through all of this, his last harvest, the cattle, and farming all together . BUT he’s here!!!!!

Again, thank you all so much for the prayers, support, and encouragement! Keep praying, we need all the prayers we can get! We love our small town ❤️