Three and a Half Years

Yup! It HAS been that long. I'm very pleased to say that healing continues to improve!!! Praise God!!! Terry has commented that his overall pain levels are going down. Others have noticed that just looking on. Also, his abilities are expanding, too. He is walking better all of the time, and best of all, with more security! I haven't held on for his safety for a long time, and a couple of nights ago, we even forgot to put on the gait belt when he walked to bed! I think back to when I felt like I was personally almost carrying him, he leaned on me so much! It's WONDERFUL that he's come this far!!!

There is hope that they are going to change the filtration system in the pool. I may have written that I am allergic to the chlorine (something I FINALLY figured out after MANY problems!!!). When they do get it changed, we will begin water therapy again. Not formal therapy, but with me as the therapist. I HOPE it will bring added strength and stability. Only time will tell.

We are continuing with our ministry. We have made some VERY SPECIAL friends! We try to do what God would have us do. We visit more often, stopping by for a few minutes several days a week after we leave the gym. Then we also have the Bible study, once a month at one nursing home, and twice at another. We do a little bit of visitation at some hospitals as well.

I think that's about all for now. There are many things for you to keep in your prayers, though. There's praise for new life, but also petitions for those that are sick or hurting. There is SO much need around us!! We ask God to bless those that need Him, and to draw those that don't know Him.

I'll write again eventually. God bless you!! Lynn

THREE YEARS!!

Hello everyone! I know it's been awhile, but I don't have as much to tell these days. We did reach the three year mark. It's hard to believe the changes! We certainly look back at these times, and remember that first day. God has brought us S-O-O-O far!! We're thankful for the gifts He's given us--- a new awareness of how precious life is, and how wonderful it is to share it with someone special. We have the JOY of family times, the FUN of friendships,and the support -- given and received -- in the hard times.

We've made MANY new friends: in therapy, at the gym, and in the ministry (she doesn't know it, but I've adopted a grandma!). Our relationships have more meaning these days, too. We KNOW that things can change in the blink of an eye, so we try to be more AWARE of everything!

Terry and I are a much closer couple, too. We've weathered the worst(we hope) of the storm and come out stronger AND more aware of God's hand in our lives. There are so many things we might have missed or not even noticed. I PRAISE GOD that He's shown us so much more, and re-directed our lives in the past three years!

I pray that we will continue to try to follow His leading. I look forward to see the new opportunities He has for us! We keep you in our prayers. There are many battling illnesses or injuries, and many struggling financially. There are also those that are grieving. There are so many hurting, needy people out there. Pray that they will come to know Jesus and the salvation only He can bring!

I'll write again when I have more news. God bless you! Lynn

December 27 Update

Hello! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! We certainly did! Over the two weeks before Christmas, I did a lot of cookie decorating with my grandchildren. We had a train, a barn, a house and a gingerbread BOWL that we decorated, as well as MANY cookies! We also made some other cookies that didn't need decorated. Anyway, it was a WONDERFUL time to share with them! I always feel a little closer to them when we can create something that others will enjoy, and we have such FUN while we work!

My brother and his wife did get home from England. Now we're working on catching up. It's amazing how precious those hugs are to us! Being able to see and hear someone is great, but touching and being touched is so uplifting! I think God made us to NEED hugs and to share them as often as possible!

Terry's sister and family came up from North Carolina for about a week at Christmas. Her grandchildren got to decorate cookies with some of their second cousins. Also, several of us "girls" enjoyed a special lunch at Kopper Kettle. They stayed through the 26th, then drove home. It was GREAT to see them!

We had a little bit more festive time at the nursing homes this month. We sang carols together with some of the residents, then went door to door for those that couldn't get out. Some of the musicians from our church went with us, so we had a good bunch. I think we ALL enjoyed the time.

I think that's all for now. Please keep us in your prayers. I pray YOU will have a blessed new year! Love, Lynn

November 21 Update

Hello again friends! I do have some news to share. On Nov.16, the doctor tried to insert the neurotransmitter for pain reduction. Unfortunately,there was too much bone overgrowth and scar tissue. The doctor tried working from several different locations and angles, but it just couldn't be done. Terry says that God must have another plan. Please be praying with us that God will show us the way past this pain problem, or acceptance of the pain.

We did have our night away from home. It went VERY well! Terry did have a little extra pain, but we BOTH enjoyed the change! We'll have to plan another night a little farther from home in the near future. It's nice to look forward to something different!

We're getting excited about Thanksgiving! We get to see several relatives then that we don't see often, so we'll enjoy that time! I've also found out that my brother is FINALLY getting to move back from England!!! Praise God! We have missed him SO much! We have been able to talk with the aid of a computer program, but it's not the same. We'll have LOTS of hugs to catch up on when he gets home!

I think that's about all for now. Please keep us in your prayers, as we keep you in ours. Also, there are many people who don't have family to share Thanksgiving with, keep them in your prayers, too.

I'll write again soon, I hope. God bless you! Lynn

October 19, 2009 update

Okay! Once again I'm behind. I DO have the highlights of the past two months, so I'll share them.

One of the WONDERFUL points is that we MAY have found a different avenue toward freeing Terry from pain! He may be able to have a neurotransmitter implanted in his back that would send electrical impulses at a different frequency than his pain, therefore blocking it and creating a warm, tingly sensation instead. We're VERY hopeful that it will all work. We should know no later than Nov. 20.

The summer went fairly well. We had some family visits from out of state, and out of the country! It was nice to catch up. We also had horse shows and go-cart races to attend. Then, when school started, our 5-year-old grandson began getting off of the bus at our house. That means we see him almost daily! MOST of the time it's a joy! There are SOME days though....

We had some repair work done on the outside of the house. It looks SO much BETTER!!! It had needed a face-lift for quite some time.

Our ministry is going well. We have made some wonderful friends, and we have many great discussions about the Bible. We've added a few new people, as well, so we think we're on the right track.

Terry had a fall on 10/06! It had been a while since I had held on, so when he started to fall, I had to grab quickly! I pulled some muscles and have a minor injury to contend with. I AM being very careful these days. I've also gone back to holding on again. We'll get brave again soon, I'm sure. Terry is MUCH better at catching himself most of the time.

We're going to try a night away from home soon. If Terry can manage in a motel for a night, then we could do a little travelling. We could CERTAINLY use a change of scenery! It's been a LONG time of the same routine every week.

I THINK that's about all for now. I'll try to write again by Thanksgiving to let you know the results of a couple of things. For now, please keep us in your prayers! We have certainly seen God at work. Also, please keep those battling cancer in your prayers. There are SO MANY hurting people.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement! It keeps us going! Lynn

August 30 Update

I'm BACK again! Hello to all of my friends! This will be fairly short, as there are not as many changes these days.

Terry's time at the gym continues to bring improvements in strength and ability. We are adding weight in some areas, repetitions in others. His walking distance has taken a GREAT leap in the past week! He walked THREE HUNDRED feet on Monday and Thursday! Also, his upper body strength is enough now, that when he "begins" to fall, he catches himself more readily. It has given me the confidence to begin to let go when he walks. I'm still not TOO relaxed, but it's coming. He hasn't had a fall for almost three months. PRAISE GOD!! Falls are so hard on both of us, not physically, but mentally.

We had some WONDERFUL visitors in the past month! My brother, who is working in England for 2 years, was home for three weeks. It was GREAT to see him. Also, Terry's sister, who lives in N. Carolina, was here for a few days. We had a chance to get all of the family together to see her family. It was SO GOOD to see them. They also got the opportunity to see Arlyne's children compete at the State Fair. Terry and I were there that day, too. We arrived at 10:30, and didn't leave until 6:30. It was a LONG day, but Terry was not too uncomfortable. YEAH!!! The kids did very well, too. Wyatt got a second place in Pole Bending, and Rylee got a FIRST in Flags! We also had a couple of friends competing as well, so it was nice to be there.

School has begun, and our 5-year-old grandson, Garrett, is in kindergarten. He rides the bus home to Grandma's every day. Finally, we're getting to see more of them. Mom wanted to spend as much of the "last summer before school" with them as possible. We do see them most days now, at least for a little while.

That's all for now. Please keep us in your prayers. Also, there are so MANY people out of work or facing financial problems. Please pray for them. God bless you! Lynn

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