Author Archives : Woody


Countdown to departure

It is official. Aaron will be leaving Magee for Select Specialty Hospital in Harrisburg on Friday, 11/6. All of us anxiously anticipate this next step in Aaron’s recovery.
On Saturday it was a full house at Magee as Gina, her sister Missy and I hung out with Aaron and watched college football with him. Aaron also got visits from Dale & Bonnie as well as Terry & Candy throughout the day. Although he wasn’t feeling that well in the morning Aaron seemed to perk up as the day progressed.
No therapy or wheelchair mishaps to report today.
PLEASE NOTE: I talked to Aaron’s mom who is visiting today and she said that Magee instituted a policy change today concerning visitors due to the flu fear that is gripping the country. Only two adult visitors are permitted at a time and no visitors under 16. There will be a similar visitor policy at Select as well. There it will be 2-3 visitors at a time and anyone who has not received the flu shot will be required to wear a mask.


Stability & Consistency

It was another uneventful day at Magee. That is to say that the day went smoothly with no unexpected pitfalls. Aaron was off of oxygen completely when Gina & I arrived. He had negotiated a deal with Dave (Resp. Therapy) through Deb (Speech Therapy) to be off for 1 hour. It went well, as before, but they didn’t want to wear Aaron down as we explained in a previous blog. He had another 10-12 hour day off of the vent.

Aaron ordered his motorized wheelchair this morning and selected Darth Vader black over KC red & PSU blue for the color. There was a nice hot pink & a lime green that he passed on as well. Based on recent events in the wheelchair we suggested that he get the airbag option.

He ate well again to day. We may have to start calling him lunch box again.

Our day was brightened when we bumped into Jermaine at the elevator. He was back at Magee for a follow up visit. You may recall that he was a patient at Magee and was discharged several weeks ago. There is a photo of us with Jermaine on a previous blog from the day that the the Chiefs & Eagles played. Jermaine is the one in the ugly green jersey. Prior to his discharge he had stopped in to see Aaron on several occasions and always had words of encouragement for Aaron. It was truly good to see him again. Please keep Jermaine in your prayers as he continues his recovery.

Gina and I always enjoy watching the GLOW on Aaron & Jaime’s faces when they first see each other after a few days apart. It is heart warming. Today was a happy reunion as Jaime had been unable to visit for a few days. Both she and Tory were sick but are feeling better.  Tory was able to returned to day care today.

Aaron’s discharge date from Magee is 11/6 and it is looking fairly certain that he will be moved to a facility in Harrisburg to continue in the vent weaning process at that point. We will keep you posted.

There is POWER in prayer! Keep them coming!


Yesterday, Today, & Beyond

 

A BIG THANK YOU to EVERYONE. For your thoughts & prayers, donations, time & effort, love & friendship. We can never begin to thank each and everyone of you individually. We don’t even know who some of you are. But please know that in this day and age where the news and media tend to focus on the negative and selfish aspects of the world today, we are uplifted and encouraged daily by the people who have , and continue to, touch ours and Aaron’s lives.  The risk that you run when you publicly thank people via a venue like this blog is that you will foget someone. May God bless each and every one of you for your kindness.

Aaron is amazing and has come so far with his breathing. I started keeping a log when he began the weaning process.

Day 1 – 25 seconds
Day 2 – 10 minutes
Day 3 – 35 minutes
Day 7 – 1 hour
Day 11 – 2 hours
Day 13 – 5 hours
Today – 10 to 12 hours daily

The last thing that he would say before he went off of the vent when he first started was “I’m going to be miserable” and he would sleep the entire time. Now he does therapy, gets showers, eats meals, talks, takes less meds to calm him prior to going off the vent, and asks if he can stay off of it over night. His calm reaction (“Can I stay off it?”) that I witnessed on Sunday when we discovered that his oxygen tank had run out was unbelievable. The first thing that he asked on Monday morning was “can I go without it again today?” It’s hard for him to back off now but their approach is to build his strength slowly towards breathing successfully everyday on his own rather than bound ahead and have him only be strong enough every other day to do so.

Monday Aaron got to do the tilt table again. There were a few minor mishaps with the motorized wheelchair. My favorite one was….Aaron was tired after his last therapy session so I left him so that he could catch a nap. I decided to walk (25 blocks round trip) uptown and check out the Liberty Bell. It was a beautiful day for it and apparently I just missed the Phillies pep rally at City Hall by an hour or two. When I returned about 1.5 hours later I checked in on him and he was still sleeping. I checked back about 15 minutes later and he was awake & talking to a nurse. After she left the room he told me that when he woke up he was going in circles in his wheelchair. NO injuries, NO damage to the room and it was good to see Aaron able to laugh at himself.

On a sad note….Aaron’s fantasy team suffered it’s first loss of the season and is now 6-1 but still holds a 1 game lead over the rest of the pack.

We continue to get answers about the next step in Aaron’s care as there are many questions and we do not want to rush into a decision until we are certain that it is in his best interest. Please pray for wisdom as we look to move forward in “Aaron’s Journey.”

As always, thank you to everyone and please continue to pray for stregnth, wisdom, & healing.


Beautiful Day!!!

I must admit that I was down and disappointed when I woke up on Saturday morning. Cold and rainy. I had prayed for sunshine and when that didn’t happen I prayed for drizzle. Oh me of little faith. I should have trusted that God had something bigger & better in store for us.crowd2

Not long after we arrived at the trail head around 9:15, family & volunteers that we didn’t know started to show up. We were not finished setting up when the first wave of bikers/walkers/runners started to arrive shortly before 10:00. I have to admit that I was ashamed that I had doubted that God would add his blessing to this day as we stood and watched group after group head out the trail in a steady rain. A sea of red ponchos and umbrellas. How easy it would have been to show up and do this on a dry 60 degree fall day. It meant so much more in the rain. And not once did we hear any complaints about the weather. Quite the opposite. 4 hours of laughter and hugs. Every one of you, friends, family, & strangers (new friends) are awesome!!walking down trail

A few highlights:

People traveled from as far away as Washington D.C., Virginia & Las Vegas to participate.horse woody 6

A couple from E-town, who didn’t know Aaron but had heard of  his story decided to turn it into a friendly husband/wife competition to see who could raise the most money and raised $1000.

Several members from the E-town boys basketball team (Woody is the JV coach) participated. While most of them rode the entire 10 miles, 1 ran 6 miles and his dad ran to the event and out the trail for a total of 15 miles. One of them rode 4 of the 10 miles on a flat tire.bball team2

There were a host of volunteers, many of whom we didn’t know and who don’t know Aaron.volunteers2

And of course dedicated & devoted friends & family from Middletown, E-town, and around the state & country.nate charlie ek ed

alexisWhile all of this was going on at a rain soaked rail trail between E-town & Middletown, back in center city Philly Jaime was keeping Aaron company and cheering him on as he logged 10 hours off of the vent for the second consecutive day! No cheering in this pic, but we just really like this one. 🙂Aaron Jamie CUTE (2)

We couldn’t include pictures of everyone that was at the walk here, but there is a slide show of photos documenting the days events being put together for Aaron. If any of you took pictures that you would like to share, you can email them to Jackie Lerch at jlerch@comcast.net by Tuesday.

You are all AWESOME, LOVED, & GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!


Announcement about the Trail Fundraiser

You want the good news or the bad news first?

Ok, the good news is that it isn’t going to snow tomorrow. The bad news is that the forecast is for a chance of light rain and 45 degrees. Although Sunday’s forecast is slightly better (not much) we stand to loose many of our volunteers if we move to Sunday so……….we are on for tomorrow.

After seeing what Aaron tolerates every day I think that I will be able to take a few rain drops on his behalf. We realize that the weather may keep some away but we are looking forward to seeing those of you who can still make it.

On behalf of Aaron and the rest of his family, thank you for your continued love, thoughts, support, & prayers.

See you tomorrow. Dress warm & wear a rain poncho.


Good day or a bad day?

When Gina & I arrived at Magee Saturday morning we found Aaron’s room door closed. We know from experience that this means that they are prepping (dressing/transferring from bed to chair/morning hygiene) Aaron for the day. His door finally opened around 10:00. Unfortunately, unknown to Aaron his breakfast had come & gone while he was getting prepped. We had someone bring it back but because he had therapy at 10:00 he didn’t have time to eat it, so off to the gym we went. After we arrived at the gym it was discovered that there was no one assigned to do his therapy so it was rescheduled for 2:00. Although he was irritated this was actually OK because it gave Aaron an opportunity to eat breakfast (bacon & eggs) which he devoured.

Dave (respiratory therapists) instructed Gina & I on how to suction Aaron and we did upper body range of motion with Aaron.  An early afternoon attempt on the trach collar did not last long partly because I believe that Aaron was not in the right frame of mind from his missed therapy session. He really looks forward to the physical activity. Lunch (bar-b-que chicken/broccoli/tater tots) came which Aaron attacked.

Off to the gym again for the rescheduled afternoon therapy session which……you got it…..got interrupted. We asked to be set up in the family lounge where Gina, Aaron & I watched the PSU vs. Illinois game which we enjoyed. Followed by dinner (spaghetti w/ clam sauce) which Aaron also enjoyed. Back to his room where his 7:30 shower got pushed back to 8:30. Needless to say we were all exhausted and Aaron was having trouble staying awake for his shower.

Having said all off that it didn’t sound like the best of days. However, we have changed what we consider a good day to be.

Aaron did not have a fever. He no longer has an I.V. stuck in him. His appetite is great (I now understand where the nickname lunchbox came from). The peg tube (used for feeding before he could eat solid food) is no longer being used and could be removed in the near future. We got to watch football together and comment on the game with him. We got to see him smile and spend the day with him.

IT WAS A GOOD DAY!

For those of you who are praying for Aaron pray specifically for peace, strength & healing.

We love you Aaron.


Are you ready for some football?!

Jermaine, Woody, Aaron, Jaime, Tory

Jermaine, Woody, Aaron, Jaime, Tory

It was a so/so weekend for football. Friday night Middletown & Elizabethtown High School’s won their games. However on Saturday Penn State laid an egg. Today we watched football at Magee. Chiefs vs. Eagles, and although our Chiefs never really showed up, lots of friends and family did, and we enjoyed watching the game together. Unfortunately the Steelers (Aaron’s 2nd favorite team) lost as well. The day did end on a positive note however as Aaron’s fantasy football team locked up another win to go to 3-0.

Aaron spent 25 & 30 minutes off his vent today, which although he didn’t increase his total time, the time off was less stressful, his stats remained at an excellent level, and he didn’t get wiped out and take a nap afterward like he usually does. His stamina & confidence while off of the vent continues to build.

Jermaine is a resident of Magee that we have had the pleasure of getting to know. He always has words of encouragement for Aaron and us. He is moving on to a facility closer to his home in Easton tomorrow. We wish you the best; you’re in our prayers Jermaine.


Awake & fever free

Sorry for the lack of blogs lately. I am happy to report that Thursday was a good day. Aaron was more alert and fever free. He was able to participate in his therepy which included playing pinball using his shoulders to activate the flippers. I know that some of you will be disappointed because you like his new mountain man look, but he got a haircut yesterday and will be getting a shave on Monday (pictures to come). Don’t worry, in my unbiased opinion he is still a handsome fellow. He was able to eat solid (pureed) food for the first time. The feast included chicken, mashed potatoes, & zucchini. Aaron was not a big fan of the zucchini but did manage to eat a few bites of the others. The goal is to gradually move his sorce of nutrition from the bag food to real food.
We also had a meeting with his care management team. Among the many things that we discussed was his after Magee care and the vast expenses that are not covered by insurance. On that note please watch for info on this website concerning upcoming fundraisers on October 17th & 24th. It will be posted in the very near future. Thanks again for all of your support & keep the prayers coming.

We love you Aaron!


It takes a thief…

Ok….before I confess let me set up the scenario.
I stayed with Aaron over night last night and anyone that has done so can tell you that you don’t get a lot of sleep. Lights on…lights off…. bells and whistles going off….nurses in and out. So I get up this morning at 5:20 to drive straight to work getting dressed in the dark. I get the news from Diane around noon that Aaron’s sneakers have gone missing. After a long day at work I drive home and pop open the tailgate to my Jeep Cherokee and guess what I found…………you got it. Aaron’s sneakers. I WAS SET UP! I THINK THAT IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB! THE EVIDENCE WAS PLANTED! I plan to turn my self into the authorities at Magee on Saturday. I will probably be placed under house arrest! Anyone who knows me is not surprised by this wild tale.
In all seriousness I am sorry for any undeserved suspicion that was cast towards anyone at Magee as they have been nothing less than wonderful.
Jaime & Aaron are having an NFL kick-off party at Magee tonight for the Steelers vs. Titans game. I took Aaron’s terrible towel down to him on Wednesday so that he would have it tonight. Enjoy yourselves tonight guys!

We love you!

Signed,

Sticky Fingers Wood (my criminal name)


Thank You

We have been amazed by the outpouring of love and support by friends, family, co-workers, classmates, church members, and people that we don’t even know. Your kind and comforting words, emails, cards, calls, and most importantly prayers have been uplifting for Aaron as well as his family. We continue to hear of people and churches from all around the country that are praying for Aaron. Please continue to pray daily as we trust God for strength and healing.
Aaron continued with his therapy today at Magee. The skill and commitment of the staff as they work with Aaron to help him meet his goals is very apparent. We look forward to each new day and the hope and progress that it brings.