Tim's Accident - July 19 update

I just wanted to send a short note with the latest news from our family :)


God is so faithful and good! We have been humbled and overwhelmed by the love and support and prayers that we have received as well as the generous outpouring of tangible expressions like meals and visits and emails and phone calls from so many in the Body of Christ across the United States. "Thank You" seems so trite when laid beside these things. Our hearts would offer to you all so much more if the words were available. Thank you!!!

Saturday was really painful for Timmer and Sunday was also difficult. Yesterday was better and he has been weaning down his pain meds. He is currently running less than half of the prescribed dose which is great. Today was his best day yet; he hasn't had much pain medication at all. He is resting now but has had a lot more activity today.

Tim saw the orthopaedic - neurological specialist this morning.

The news is VERY good.

Everything in his neck appears stable. The doctor was concerned that no scans or x-rays had been taken of the ligaments in his neck. He said damage to those are very common with the mechanism of injury that Tim sustained. He will call us with the results of those tests tonight, but we do not anticipate a change in his treatment. He will be wearing the neck collar for a while. The doctor said it will probably be six or eight weeks before he is finished healing. However MUCH to Tim's delight the doctor said that if Tim is not moving (for example watching a DVD, listening to his KI class, working on the computer, etc) he can remove the brace. If he is moving around, riding in the car, up walking at all - even across the house - he is to wear the neck collar.

His shoulder was a MAJOR concern to us. He had increasing pain over the weekend in his shoulders and some limited motion. His symptoms seemed to line up with the rotator cuff tears that I used to transcribe for the ortho docs I worked for. We were praying for healing and NO surgery. The doctor today did some physical tests and looked at the scans/x-rays. He believes Tim will has an AC injury which he said is typical in high-impact type sports (hockey was the example he used). The type of injury he explained to us affects the joint around the bones there in his shoulder. I didn't have opportunity to pick his brain like I would have liked but if I understood it correctly the joint will calcify and make a bump there that his body will adjust to working around. He said if he has more difficulties in the future they would look deeper at the rotator cuff but at this point he believes NO SURGERY which is FABULOUS. We were SOOOOO blessed.

His right hand remained really swollen over the weekend and the three outside fingers were pretty immobile. Dr. Martin said it looks like he has some tendon damage but all the bones are well in place. They casted Tim today in a "clam-digger" to give the fingers and tendons in his hand time to heal properly and offer some support and protection while they do.

All in all the news is so very good. We are tremendously blessed. When I think of what COULD have been I just melt to pieces. The road ahead is going to be bumpy for a bit but God's Hand has been SOOOO evident in all that we have walked through. His hand has covered us in all the details - His hands have been extended to us through YOU - His Hands continue to carry us and support us. Tim and I were talking last night and this morning. It is so easy to wonder at God's goodness, to complain about His care and yet when we look we see that His Faithfulness and Goodness and Care and Love have been very present. I don't know if we will understand the "why" of many things that we face until we reach the other side of eternity. I do know that the sovereignty of our Heavenly Father is always for good -- ours and the good of those around us. I am so grateful to know that we face nothing that is not already Father-filtered. I am grateful we are His children.

Thank you again for the prayers and love and support. Thank you for being His hands extended to us! We are overwhelmed and so very humbled by your love. God is good -- ALL the time.