A Few Details of the Home Office

This, more shabby than chic, oil painting with the paint pealing off in the lower right hand corner flew home with me on a plane home from Maine back in the early '90's. The picture above is an old landscape that I picked up at a junk shop along the way.
Another group of junk shop pictures. The top one is a Nuttley print of a pretty orchard. The bottom one in the heavy walnut frame is a Currier & Ives print.
One of my path pictures on top of these two colorful rose pictures. Roses pictures that combine pink and red often find their way home with me.
Looking into the office through the glass on the French doors.
Another picture moving around the room.
The rug anchors the table and chairs in the middle of the room that is usually used by the Grand's for coloring or reading their books while I'm on the computer.........

Thanks for stopping by Life At Home and having a look around my very musty smelling home office. I really need to get the Windex out and give these dusty old pictures a good cleaning. Well, maybe later. Today more work on our totally trashed closets.

Hope your day is productive if you are up to it and that all of you dealing with that bug that is going around take it easy on yourselves.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You All!

We really understand that all of you have shared with us the tears, the fears, the uncertainty and the faith that we all held on to through out Aaron's battle with SJS/TENS. So many of you commented that Aaron was on your minds through out your days, just like he was on ours. Every day 400 or so of you stopped by this blog to check on his progress. You took such loving care of his children, left comments, wrote e-mails, you made sure his insurance needs were taken care of, sent cards, magazines, pictures, flip charts, alerted your churches and updated them on his progress so they could pray, you helped us get Aaron a bed in the hospital when we couldn't get him in any where, teachers had their classes praying, you came to the hospital even when we weren't there or when we were there and were totally out of it, Sunday school children made cards and their teachers sent them to Aaron in bundles, you picked up the slack for him at work, you rearranged meetings to accomodate the family, you made arrangements for the family to have lunch and parking passes at the hospital for six whole weeks, you sent plants, you plowed snow, you looked up Bible passages to comfort us during specific events, you sent gas cards and gift certificates, you drove in nearly impassable road conditions to the hospital and then when you got there could not find a place to park, you brought CD's for Aaron to listen to, you sent boxes and boxes of fresh fruit, breakfast food, meat and cheese snacks, you offered to cook, clean, babysit, drive, cut hair, you made toasts to him and prayed at your wedding, you brought food to feed us, you shared stories about how Aaron touched your lives, you called, you listened and most of all you prayed and prayed and prayed.

Now that Aaron has gone home you continue to uphold him in pray, inquire about his well being, bring them food, visit him, call with encouragement and continue to check in here. We want you all to know that every gesture had been and is so important to us and that we thank you with every fiber of our being and we pray that each of you knows how much you all mean to us.

Aaron & Angie are home with the children. They spent yesterday going to the eye Doctor and their regular Doctor. Angie has been very busy taking care of every one and Aaron is working hard on his recovery. His eyes have been hurting and are very watery so hopefully his new eye Doctor was able to help them out with that. It will take some time for Aaron to get his strength back but he looks amazing especially for what he has been through. He lost about 45 pounds and little Erin and Sue, two of his great nurses, gave him a buzz hair cut which makes him look different but his skin looks really good. He has some dry patches but other than that it looks completely normal and fresh.

Aaron is still so amazed at the out pouring of encouragement that has come his way. We tried the best we could to record it so that when he was able he could know how much all of you meant to his recovery and how well you all ministered to his family at our time of need. He thanks you and we thank you and will never forget every thing you all have done for all of us. We ask that God bless you and keep you in the palm of his hand.

The picture above is of our home office that yesterday I wallpapered, so to speak, with pictures that were in storage in the basement. It has been our intention to get new furniture in here and paint the walls so this room has been empty since before Christmas. Well, yesterday I finally felt good after the cold I've had for a while now, so I moved the furniture that was all over the house back in here, brought up the Turkish rug that Mom & Dad brought me from a trip many years ago and started hanging pictures. I'll write more about it tomorrow as I get back to the more mundane but no less important aspects of Life At Home.

Hugs,
Sue, Aaron and family

Thank You All @ Detroit Receiving Hospital

Aaron wanted me to be sure and thank everyone at Detroit Receiving Hospital (DRH) for the exceptional service that they provided him during his six week stay for the treatment of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and TEN. Dr. White, all the Residents, on call Doctors, Sylvia, Margaritta, Erin, Robin, Sarah, Jason, Lisa, Sue and all the other nurses, the eye doctors, the physical therapists, the dermatologists, the reception staff, the information desk staff, the parking garage staff, administrators, board member Gail Torreano, Rebeca and the entire professional, compassionate organization, we can not thank you enough for saving Aaron's life and making our time there as comfortable as possible.

Life At Home

As homemakers we all know that there are many facets to keeping house. We thank God for the moments of pretty and we ask for his strength in the moments of gritty. It is all so fragile and fleeting. Thank you God for this glorious life you have given us all to grow in our ability to serve you and our fellow man, woman and child.

If the journey we have shared here with all of you over the last six weeks has been of any service to anyone than his will has been accomplished. The service to us that all of you have done by your prayers and encouragement for Aaron and our family is glorifying God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is Life at Home, life in our community, life in our state, life in our country, and life in our world. All glory and honor are yours heavenly Father.

All Glory Goes To You Heavenly Father!

It is 1:49 PM on Friday, February 22 and I am happy to be able to report to all of you precious people that Aaron just called to say that I could blog that Kyle just put him and Angie in their car and that the two of them are on their way home.

This is such a glorious day on so many levels. I'm a bit overcome with emotion and gratitude right now but I wanted you all to know how God has answered all your prayers.

It will take them about 3 hours to get home but if your would like to leave him a welcome home message at: awhite@centralasphalt.com, I'm sure he would love to hear from you.

Dancing In The Rain

Thank you all for checking in vigilantly. It has been quite a week. Dana was at the Doctor yesterday and has been having contractions 5 to 7 mins. apart, but they sent her home and she is resting. Carrie and I have been down again with what seems to be the flu. Angie's car wouldn't start this morning and the ON Star people sent a truck to give her a jump start and hour later than she wanted to leave for the hospital. Doug has been cleaning out Aaron's garage and rearranging cars. Kyle is on his way down with a coat and shoes for Aaron.

Aaron is talking and taking charge, so at his request that's all I can say right now. Hopefully later this afternoon I will have more news ;) In the mean time I thought I would share with you this story that I got from Jackie, my dear faithful friend since second grade that pretty well sums up how we have been feeling:

True love knows no bounds.

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at hi s watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised , and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He smiled as he patted my hand an d said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

With all the jokes and fun that is in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message.

This one I thought I could share with you.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the b e st of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. I hope you share this with someone you care about.

I just did.

"Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain."

We care so much about all of you!!!!!!

Love,
Sue

Thank You Jesus!!!!!!

There was a lot of praising God and thanking Jesus going on at Detroit Receiving Hospital in downtown Detroit yesterday. Every one that walked by the room from the Doctors to the support staff were stopping by commenting on how well Aaron was doing.

Sylvia, one of our favorite nurses.....they are all really our favorites....but Sylvia told me last week that once Aaron's body was through fighting off this reaction that we would see remarkable progress very fast. She said that for the last six weeks every ounce on energy and every system in his body was franticly at work repairing the damage caused by the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and TENS, but that once that was complete it would amazingly revert back to its healthy state quickly.

Well, yesterday seems to have been the day that his body finished all the really hard work. He still has a ways to go to regain his strength but he was sitting up in a chair when John and I got to the hospital around 10:30 and before that he had taken two laps around the ward with very little assistance. He is talking and able to talk on the phone and for the first time he got to call the children and talk to each one of them. He talked to Susan, Cay, Dana, Kyle and Tyler too.

He had to take a swallow test to determine if he was ready to eat and he was so proud to announce that he had passed the test. The first thing he wanted was water and he sipped it all after noon while we played Gin Rummy for several hours, Angie beat us both ~~~~ We figured that they would bring him jell-o or broth and other soft food for his first meal at around 5:30 but no, they brought him a lovely plate of breaded perch with tarter sauce, yellow rice, mixed vegetables, a whole wheat roll, fruit punch and a brownie. I was very nervous to have him eat but he picked away at it and had a couple of tastes of everything and it went down just fine.
We waited a bit to see if he would tolerate the food and he did so his nurse took out the feeding tube that he had in his nose.

Please join us in praising God for seeing us all through this difficult time and continue to pray for Aaron's on going recovery. Aaron is so grateful to all of you prayer warriors that have lifted him up in prayer so faithfully this past six weeks. We pray that God bless all you faithful prayer warriors.

Love,
Sue

Monday's Cautiously Optimistic Report

I promised you an update today and a glorious one it is. We are cautiously optimistic that Aaron may have turned the corner on this awful Steven-Johnson's Syndrome. We talked to him on the phone today but we won't get to see him until tomorrow. After we see him we'll give you the full report. Thank you all for your continued prayers for his complete recovery.

Peace, Love & Joy

Thank you all for your prayers yesterday. Aaron had the same reaction but your prayers may have caused it to last a shorter amount of time and his heart rate did not get as high as it did on Monday although it did remain elevated longer but not at such a dangerously high level. The Lord works in ways that we can not always see and I know that he was with him.

Aaron looked really good yesterday. Much of the swelling that he has been experiencing was gone and he seems so small. Susan was able to get down for a visit yesterday and lovingly remarked that this was quite an extreme way to get such drastic spa results, all new skin and major weight loss.

My next post will be next Monday. Thank you all for you vigilant concern and prayers for Aaron and his family. You have all held us up with your prayers so that we have had peace, love and joy even in the midst of this most difficult time. Knowing that there are so many of you out there that understand what Aaron is going through and are helping to shoulder the burden is truly evidence of Gods loving grace. We know that so many of you carry prayers in your hearts day in and day out just as we do and for that we are so blessed and eternally grateful.

Friday is Dana's birthday. If you get a minute please drop by her blog and wish her a happy birthday. She and her family will be down here with all the kids helping Angie over the weekend.

We hope you all have a love filled Valentines day and again thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts for your prayers, messages and good wishes.

Much love and God bless,
Sue

One O'Clock

Yesterday they were going to try to get Aaron up to sit in a chair but at around 1pm his fever spiked again and his heart rate went way up so they were not able to. This is the third day in a row that at around 1:00pm this happened.

They have no idea what is causing it and still have not been able to locate where the infection is coming from. After giving him some Tylenol the fever breaks and he rested for most of the afternoon. Will you please join us in praying for Aaron this afternoon between 1 & 2 pm.

Carry On

Yesterday ID (Infectious Disease) told the Doctor they could take Aaron off all antibiotics and his Doctor said that they hope to have him back where he was by the first of this week. He is still spiking fevers but they are controlling them with Tylenol and cool baths. He is having sore muscles from being in bed so long but they are giving him pain medicine to help relieve that discomfort.

They are not giving him the anxiety medication any more so yesterday was a rough one for him while he adjusts to being more aware of what is happening to him. We know that he is strong both in spirit and body so he will find his place of peace soon. Please pray for continued healing and peace for Aaron as his body shifts back from reliance on medication to the only sure place to find peace, through Christ our savior.

Aaron has a long way to go and we have to carry on as we know he wants us too. Next weekend a close family friend is being married in Florida and John is insisting that I go, which is very difficult, but he says that I need to get away for a few days. Kyle and Carrie are in the wedding. The whole family was hoping to go and we were so looking forward to celebrating our dear friends marriage together, but life does have a way of throwing us a curve ball.

With God willing, Kyle, Carrie, John and I will head to Florida. Angie, her parents, Dana & Doug, Grama & Grampa and all the kids will be down here to see to Aaron and to celebrate Valentines day and Dana's birthday. Hopefully the trip will get us rested up to be ready to welcome our new grandson in the next few weeks and to continue to support Aaron with his recovery.

Enjoying His Visitors

Aaron is still trying to fight off the infection. We pray that God will do what no medicine, at this point, has been able to. All things are possible with Christ who strengthens us.

Aaron looks good and they have the ventalator turned off so he is breathing on his own with some difficulty but he is fighting through it. When the nurse adjusted his position in his bed yesterday by lowering the head of the bed then pulling him up higher on the bed by pulling the sheets under him he got very congested which caused his heart rate to race and his fever to spike. She suctioned his lines and mouth out which, while no fun, seemed to calm him. Then she gave him a dose of Tylenol, some pain medication and something to relax him. Within the hour he was peaceful again and his heart rate and temperature came back down to normal.

By late afternoon Aaron was ready to see visitors other than John and I. His Granpa & Grama were here and are always a comfort to him. Kyle, Carrie and cousin Steve were telling him stories and even had him laughing. Angie, her Mom, Dana and Doug were all up north taking care of the kids. I talked to Taylor on the phone who sounded so old, but so good too.

Again we want to thank Susan and Tyler who have been taking such good care of the girls and Cay and Jill who are doing the same for Aidan. It is such a blessing to know that they are being cared for by such loving care takers during this difficult time. Dana had Aidan for a couple of days last week and Blake was delighted to have his buddy Aidan to play with again.

As most of you that know us know, we are not strangers to dealing with prolonged illness. We are all adjusting to the current circumstance and have faith that the good Lord that brought us to this will also bring us through it. Please pray for Aaron and we wish you a blessed Sunday.

Hugs,
Sue

Quick Update

Thank you all for continuing to check on Aaron. When I checked with the nurse last night after we got home from dinner he said that they were working on getting him off the ventalator and that he was doing well. Yesterday he was pretty much the same as the day before.

Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love

Yesterday the Doctors were working on locating the infection that Aaron has. An X-ray of his sinus cavity didn't show any thing. Late in the afternoon they were going to change all of his many lines to see if any of those were sources of infection.

The skin on his arms is very red, he is very puffy from all the fluids that they had to give him, and his face and left ear show signs of the reaction that he had on Saturday. He looks very different from when I saw him looking so good before I got sick last Friday.

Please pray that they locate the infection and can find a treatment for it that does not cause another allergic reaction.

There are so many Thank Yous that we want to express to all of you that we don't even know how to begin. I just want the take a minute today to thank A & A's many, many Fraternity & Sorority brothers and sisters from all over the country that have spread the word of Aaron's struggle and have been upholding them in prayer, sent countless messages, cards, packages of encouraging gifts and gas cards for Angie. You so often hear about the negative of Fraternities & Sororities, but these people have been an amazing net work of supporters and I sincerely thank each and everyone of you today.

Oranges

We are pretty skeptical about taking medicine around here so we are going through bags of oranges to help cure our colds and it seems to be working. Today, weather permitting, I will go to the hospital.

It is getting very hard to keep up with the Doctors, God bless them, so it is also very hard to describe all that is going on with Aaron. They believe there is an infection some where, they think his set back was due to an allergic reaction, his left arm is still very red, he is now being fed again through the tube in his nose. Things seem to change very fast, then again not much at all.

Aaron was some what responsive yesterday but slept 99% of the time Angie was there. At about 5:30 she came home had some dinner and headed up to bed to fight off her cold symptoms.

We hope you are all well and appreciate your concern and prayers.

Still Waiting

Today, if all went well last night, the Doctor said that they would start to ween Aaron off of all his hook ups. Sorry for the non technical terms but I can't even keep up with everything they have him hooked up to.

Please continue to pray and I will try to post later when we know more.

Day of Rest

The Doctor said that they think his set back was a result of an allergic reaction and that it has not progressed so they will let him rest for the rest of the day and then tomorrow start to ween him off of everything.

Sorry, no news yet today

Thank you all for checking in today. I've been in bed fighting off a cold and have been waiting to hear from Angie from the hospital. The last word we had was at 2 am when his nurse said there had been no change but that he was more peaceful last light than the night before.

I'll update when we learn more.

Set Back

Yesterday Aaron had a set back. He had been listless and a bit unresponsive so they gave him something for it and he had a reaction. His skin got that beat red color and his blood pressure drop significantly. They discontinued what ever they were giving him and put him back on the respirator so that they could sedate him again and do what ever they needed to do to stabalize him.
It took about 20 minutes to get him stabalizes. The nurses said that these things happen and that he will not go into the full TENS again with the severe burning. They said that by today they will again start weening him off the respirator and he should be back where he was before in his progress.
Friday he was doing so well, he was kind of quiet but I attributed that to his resolve and determination to deal with the fact that he had not had anything to eat in any form since last week. Dana asked the nurse if they had fed him and she said no that they were going to start feeding him last night through the new line in his right arm that they had put in on Friday morning before he had the reaction yesterday.
Please pray for Aaron today Sunday's always seem to be good days for him.

~note~For some reason blogger won't let me upload pictures or activate spell check and I'm too tired to look up my misspellings...................

Glory To God

All glory and honor is yours dear Heavenly Father. Yesterday was the first day I was able to ask Aaron if he wanted me to pray with him and he nodded yes. What a blessed time it was praying with my son again.
The sacrifice that God made for us so that we might have salvation fills me with so much trembeling that it is almost inconceivable. When you go through something like this so much of God's word becomes even more visable. We have no answers to why some things happen to some and not others nor do we know the out come of our trials. The only thing we have is the promise of God to be with us through it all if we have faith. He tells us in His word that it only takes the faith of a mustard seed and at times that is all I've had but it is enough for today and for that I praise Him.
When we first got to the hospital Aaron didn't have any glasses with him because they were broke. He usually wears contacts but with his worsening condition couldn't wear them so we asked Dad to see if he could get him a pair from Walmart, where they had his prescription on file, so he did and brought them down to us. Yesterday he put those glasses to use and was sitting up in bed watching the tiny TV that is on a swing arm near his bed.
Last weekend some of us watched Doug LaBelle ll in the golf tournament. Today, God willing, at 3:00pm on CBS Aaron will be watching him too. Go Douggie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stormy Weather

Please pray for continued healing for Aaron and for strength for him to remain positive and peaceful. He is giving everyone lots of thumbs up and remaining very strong.

The weather is the big story around here today. John went into work early but will come home to get me so we can go up to the hospital if the weather permits. I called the hospital this morning and they said that there was no change with Aaron over the night and they assured us that they were taking good care of him.

God bless the workers that are busy keeping our streets clear and the people that have to be on the road today traveling.