Welcome home Mom and Dad! He had to see the new house on the way home
Dad requested a watermelon cake for himself when he got home :) Amber is getting to be a
pro at making these things..
Finding the Fighter Within
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Enjoying being home
Dad requested a watermelon cake for himself when he got home :) Amber is getting to be a
pro at making these things..
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Finally Home
Today Stan was finally released from the hospital and was able to come home. For those of you who don't know; we sold our home in April and have been living in Stan's parents home. Due to stairs without railing and a few other things their home is no longer an option. Stan needs to have as few stairs (with railing) as possible and a host of other things to help him get around safely. As we have gone through therapy it became very obvious that after such a long time in a bed, he would need a lot of help getting around and would be very weak. We are grateful for gracious family that have opened up their home to us while our home continues to be built. Although we are not in our own home right now we are still in Lehi and that is home enough for us.
It has been amazing to watch him recover with all of his new injuries. He has had 32 stiches in his leg where he had the fasciotomy along with the 15 other staples at the artery of that leg. This was done to save his leg when he had compartment syndrome. Due to this he has had some damage to the muscle and nerve causing his foot to not have full function and also a lot of nerve pain. Learning to walk again has had its issues as he has had to accommodate a foot that doesn't want to work like normal. We are hoping that with therapy over time his foot will recover fully. After ending up with open heart surgery you would think that his chest would hurt the most but it is that foot that causes him the most grief. We are grateful that his foot is the one thing that has bothered him the most. It could have and logically should have been worse. I'm so grateful that when it came down to it logic was not the final say in Stan's heart attach and complications. If the doctors would have been correct in their logic he would not be here today. Although I am now and will always be grateful for those miracle workers we call doctors; I am even more grateful that our Heavenly Father saw fit to save him and let him stay here with his family.
We are so grateful to be moving on to healing and to have our family back together again. The last couple of months have been hard on all of us.
It has been amazing to watch him recover with all of his new injuries. He has had 32 stiches in his leg where he had the fasciotomy along with the 15 other staples at the artery of that leg. This was done to save his leg when he had compartment syndrome. Due to this he has had some damage to the muscle and nerve causing his foot to not have full function and also a lot of nerve pain. Learning to walk again has had its issues as he has had to accommodate a foot that doesn't want to work like normal. We are hoping that with therapy over time his foot will recover fully. After ending up with open heart surgery you would think that his chest would hurt the most but it is that foot that causes him the most grief. We are grateful that his foot is the one thing that has bothered him the most. It could have and logically should have been worse. I'm so grateful that when it came down to it logic was not the final say in Stan's heart attach and complications. If the doctors would have been correct in their logic he would not be here today. Although I am now and will always be grateful for those miracle workers we call doctors; I am even more grateful that our Heavenly Father saw fit to save him and let him stay here with his family.
We are so grateful to be moving on to healing and to have our family back together again. The last couple of months have been hard on all of us.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Anniversary dinner pics
Happy Anniversary Stan & Alisha!
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| Beautiful roses |
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| + Dinner from Cafe Rio |
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| = Romantic 25th anniversary dinner with the Miracle Man! |
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Hope's birthday :)
Hope's always wanted to spend her birthday at the hospital :) cross that off her bucket list.
She said as long as she is with dad she is good!
Saturday, July 13, 2013
7-13-13
We got good news yesterday! We now have a release date! The plan is to let him go home on the 23rd of July. Finally.... The light at the end of the tunnel is becoming visible. :) and Stan is sooo ready to go home. Who wouldn't be after spending 6 weeks in ICU and then going straight to rehab. He will need a lot of cardiac therapy at that point but we are definitely on the home stretch. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I know that it has been the combined faith and prayers of his family and friends that have truly made the difference. After all of this I have come to see that God truly does work mighty miracles in our lives. And... Our new family moto :). Everyday holds the possibility of a miracle.
Alisha
Alisha
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Updated pics of our Miracle Man!
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| Stan's first day at the University of Utah |
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| Some occupational therapy work that he actually likes! |
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| Finally! He's able to hold his grand baby! |
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
7-10-13
We have had a couple of busy days and I am finally getting time to blog Stan's progress.
Yesterday he was moved to the University of Utah hospital for rehab. Things are very different here than they were at IMC but we are beginning to see some positive things. He has been upgraded from soft foods and thick liquids to a regular diet including water!! He is super excited about water... There is something not quite right about every liquid you take in being thick like syrup. Also today they did some cognitive testing and he did very well...in fact I'd say he all but aced it! The walker he had been using at IMC was replaced with a thick belt around his waste. They do this because of his chest wounds. After that kind of chest trauma there is some concern of pressure being placed on his sternum.. The chance of doing damage to his sternum and ribs is not very likely but they would rather not take the chance. Instead the belt they put on him serves as a grip for the person helping him to steady him without trying to catch him and causing accidental injury. Not having that walker is hard for him; he was using his arms so much to help support himself. Now he has even more balance issues. Also we are finding that the stroke has possibly caused some vision impairment. At his point they watch it and see. We are hoping that as he heals his vision will clear. Overall some great things.
Yesterday he was moved to the University of Utah hospital for rehab. Things are very different here than they were at IMC but we are beginning to see some positive things. He has been upgraded from soft foods and thick liquids to a regular diet including water!! He is super excited about water... There is something not quite right about every liquid you take in being thick like syrup. Also today they did some cognitive testing and he did very well...in fact I'd say he all but aced it! The walker he had been using at IMC was replaced with a thick belt around his waste. They do this because of his chest wounds. After that kind of chest trauma there is some concern of pressure being placed on his sternum.. The chance of doing damage to his sternum and ribs is not very likely but they would rather not take the chance. Instead the belt they put on him serves as a grip for the person helping him to steady him without trying to catch him and causing accidental injury. Not having that walker is hard for him; he was using his arms so much to help support himself. Now he has even more balance issues. Also we are finding that the stroke has possibly caused some vision impairment. At his point they watch it and see. We are hoping that as he heals his vision will clear. Overall some great things.
Monday, July 8, 2013
7-8-13
Last night was a long one... Stan's blood pressure dropped just enough to be a problem. The doctor came in and said not to worry, Stan had been in lots worse condition and it wasn't low enough to worry about too much. This morning the doctors came in again and said that they would adjust his heart meds to help regulate his heart rate and blood pressure to a more regular rate. Because of this eventful night the University said that they didn't want him coming until his blood pressure was more stable. We are now shooting for the move to come tomorrow.
Today is our 25th anniversary. This is a major mile stone that I wasn't sure we would reach a month ago so I am feeling very blessed to be celebrating it here in the hospital. At least we can :).
I know we have had our ups and downs but thank you Stan for 25 incredible years! I love you!
Alisha
Today is our 25th anniversary. This is a major mile stone that I wasn't sure we would reach a month ago so I am feeling very blessed to be celebrating it here in the hospital. At least we can :).
I know we have had our ups and downs but thank you Stan for 25 incredible years! I love you!
Alisha
Friday, July 5, 2013
7-5-13
He just keeps getting better. Although progress is slow he is recovering. Over the last couple of days I have tried to update him more fully on how far he has actually come. I'm not sure he will ever really understand but it is hard for him to see how far he has come when he doesn't know the extent of what he has gone through.
Last night, thanks to his great nurse, we were able to wheel him down the hall where we had a great view of the fireworks Murray city had going. Very little of our time has been normal at all so it was nice to do something relatively normal on the Fourth of July. So grateful for the little things.
Today he was moved out of the TICU to a regular room. This was really a wonderful thing even though it was kind of hard for me. We had gotten to know so many of the nurses there and had found some true friends as well. We are so grateful for the miracle workers that make up the TICU at IMC. Without their staff, Stan would not be with me today. And of course his doctors who performed those miracles that came so abundantly. We will always be grateful for the entire staff of that unit.
Today he has walked a lot. It's been interesting to see him progress so quickly this week. The first time he only was able to take 12 steps and had to break half way through. This he accomplished while the therapist physically held him up. Today it was with a walker with some assistance of the therapist. I still travel behind him with the wheelchair just in case but he is doing so much better.
Thank you all for all your prayers and support. We know that it is through the combined faith we have had that he has recovered to this point.
We have truly found that through faith The Lord moves mountains. Also that miracles do still happen today and we have witnessed many ourselves.
Keep up the fight Stan
I love you
Alisha
Last night, thanks to his great nurse, we were able to wheel him down the hall where we had a great view of the fireworks Murray city had going. Very little of our time has been normal at all so it was nice to do something relatively normal on the Fourth of July. So grateful for the little things.
Today he was moved out of the TICU to a regular room. This was really a wonderful thing even though it was kind of hard for me. We had gotten to know so many of the nurses there and had found some true friends as well. We are so grateful for the miracle workers that make up the TICU at IMC. Without their staff, Stan would not be with me today. And of course his doctors who performed those miracles that came so abundantly. We will always be grateful for the entire staff of that unit.
Today he has walked a lot. It's been interesting to see him progress so quickly this week. The first time he only was able to take 12 steps and had to break half way through. This he accomplished while the therapist physically held him up. Today it was with a walker with some assistance of the therapist. I still travel behind him with the wheelchair just in case but he is doing so much better.
Thank you all for all your prayers and support. We know that it is through the combined faith we have had that he has recovered to this point.
We have truly found that through faith The Lord moves mountains. Also that miracles do still happen today and we have witnessed many ourselves.
Keep up the fight Stan
I love you
Alisha
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
7-3-13
He has walked quite a bit today! It's amazing to see the progress he has made in the last few days! Even his doctors and nurses are amazed. He had his dialysis catheter taken out today which means the doctor is comfortable saying he won't need it anymore. It also means his kidneys are recovering nicely. Because of medical insurance he is going to be moved to the university if utah for acute physical therapy where he will be for at least another month. We have gotten comfortable with the doctors and care we have gotten here so this will be a difficult move; at least for me. But I have been told that the U is a great facility as well. At this point we are very happy with his progress and are looking forward to better days.
I'm sure Stan is not aware of how far he has come but to see him now compared to where we started he looks amazing even though he has lost a lot of weight! I'm sure it is hard for him to understand what he has come through when he doesn't remember it and feels so very weak. He only knows what he is told by everyone who has been here and by the doctor telling him "you came as close do death as anyone possibly could". We are all so grateful for his desire to work so hard and forge ahead to recovery.
We are also very grateful for the wonderful doctors and staff that have cared so well for him at IMC. Without them he wouldn't be here today.
love you Stan!
Alisha
I'm sure Stan is not aware of how far he has come but to see him now compared to where we started he looks amazing even though he has lost a lot of weight! I'm sure it is hard for him to understand what he has come through when he doesn't remember it and feels so very weak. He only knows what he is told by everyone who has been here and by the doctor telling him "you came as close do death as anyone possibly could". We are all so grateful for his desire to work so hard and forge ahead to recovery.
We are also very grateful for the wonderful doctors and staff that have cared so well for him at IMC. Without them he wouldn't be here today.
love you Stan!
Alisha
A Miracle We Can All Take Part In
Volunteers Needed For Awhile
As many of you know, Stan & Alisha sold their home in the Spring and moved into Stan's parents home while they built another home. Stan turned in his building permit the Thursday before his heart attack. Stan The Man, of course had plans to do most of the work himself. Tony & Wesley, Stan's brothers have taken over on building of the house. Stan is making a miraculous recovery and will need a home to come home to. We can all be a part of another miracle in Stan & Alisha's life.
There have been several people wanting to help in some way. There have been several great helpers already and have been very much appreciated. Stan's new home is at a point where volunteers are needed. Starting tonight we will be framing and would love volunteers. Tonight we will start about 6:00ish.
The 4th of July plan: Volunteers needed! We will start our day at 6:30am. Work until around 1:00 then the Johnson's will be feeding the work crew some of the the famous yummy smoked pulled pork. After lunch we will return to Stan's house and the Gurney Family will plan to work until 5:30ish. We will have plenty of water and a jug of Gatorade. If anyone wants to drop by with some snacks or treats I am sure they would be apprecaited.
Saturday the 6th of July will be similar to the 4th only we will work longer and the Johnsons won't be serving pulled pork :( It will be a big day too!
Help in General at Stan's House: Stan's house is at a point now where a lot of help is need for quite awhile. We will be framing for awhile, roofing, electrical, etc. Members of Stan's family are at the home every night but Sunday. There is plenty of work to do at the house. If any of you have any spare time at night we would love some help. Also, guys love treats and would love some. If any of you great women who have been concerned for the Gurney family but don't know just how to help here is an option. You could drop something by anytime, that would be great.
If you are able to come anytime you will be a blessing to us all.
Stan & Alisha's New Home Address is: 948 N. 1700 W. Lehi, Utah
Things to bring:
Hammer
Tape Measure
Big Caulk Gun
Tool Belt
Nail Gun
Skil Saw
Any other tool you think might be helpful.
A BIG Thank you to you all and as it is now said in the Gurney Family, Each Day Holds A Possibility Of A Miracle!
As many of you know, Stan & Alisha sold their home in the Spring and moved into Stan's parents home while they built another home. Stan turned in his building permit the Thursday before his heart attack. Stan The Man, of course had plans to do most of the work himself. Tony & Wesley, Stan's brothers have taken over on building of the house. Stan is making a miraculous recovery and will need a home to come home to. We can all be a part of another miracle in Stan & Alisha's life.
There have been several people wanting to help in some way. There have been several great helpers already and have been very much appreciated. Stan's new home is at a point where volunteers are needed. Starting tonight we will be framing and would love volunteers. Tonight we will start about 6:00ish.
The 4th of July plan: Volunteers needed! We will start our day at 6:30am. Work until around 1:00 then the Johnson's will be feeding the work crew some of the the famous yummy smoked pulled pork. After lunch we will return to Stan's house and the Gurney Family will plan to work until 5:30ish. We will have plenty of water and a jug of Gatorade. If anyone wants to drop by with some snacks or treats I am sure they would be apprecaited.
Saturday the 6th of July will be similar to the 4th only we will work longer and the Johnsons won't be serving pulled pork :( It will be a big day too!
Help in General at Stan's House: Stan's house is at a point now where a lot of help is need for quite awhile. We will be framing for awhile, roofing, electrical, etc. Members of Stan's family are at the home every night but Sunday. There is plenty of work to do at the house. If any of you have any spare time at night we would love some help. Also, guys love treats and would love some. If any of you great women who have been concerned for the Gurney family but don't know just how to help here is an option. You could drop something by anytime, that would be great.
If you are able to come anytime you will be a blessing to us all.
Stan & Alisha's New Home Address is: 948 N. 1700 W. Lehi, Utah
Things to bring:
Hammer
Tape Measure
Big Caulk Gun
Tool Belt
Nail Gun
Skil Saw
Any other tool you think might be helpful.
A BIG Thank you to you all and as it is now said in the Gurney Family, Each Day Holds A Possibility Of A Miracle!
Monday, July 1, 2013
7-1-13
Just a quick update...
He is doing well and getting stronger every day. In fact he is progressing even faster than his doctors and nurses expected. Right now we are looking at taking out his dialysis IV on Wednesday. As long as everything is going well and he has no setbacks we are looking at making the move to rehab later this week or next Monday. Because of insurance we will be moving him to the acute rehab center at the University of Utah. We have felt very secure with his care at IMC so this is kind of scary move to make but we need to do it. Also we have continually felt that things are going to be ok so we are exercising faith as we look ahead to this transfer. And as we have throughout this journey, we move forward with faith. :)
He is doing well and getting stronger every day. In fact he is progressing even faster than his doctors and nurses expected. Right now we are looking at taking out his dialysis IV on Wednesday. As long as everything is going well and he has no setbacks we are looking at making the move to rehab later this week or next Monday. Because of insurance we will be moving him to the acute rehab center at the University of Utah. We have felt very secure with his care at IMC so this is kind of scary move to make but we need to do it. Also we have continually felt that things are going to be ok so we are exercising faith as we look ahead to this transfer. And as we have throughout this journey, we move forward with faith. :)
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