Joyce's reliance on the
Lord, sense of humor, love for family, friends, and everyone around her,
and her real-life earthiness show through dramatically (and that's the
right word) in all her waking minutes and hours.
Monday, November 12:
Sunday was a much better day! Joyce was able to visit
and to speak on the telephone with family members. The doctors
even removed the trach this afternoon! She is beginning to eat
some solid foods, but will have to be able to increase her ability to
intake food on her own before the doctors will remove the feeding tube
to her stomach.
Joyce continues to work with the Speech Therapists and a
small amount of time with the Physical Therapist daily. As her
energy increases, so will her time with the Physical Therapist.
Joyce is able to use the walker (with assistance) or get around a little
bit in a wheel chair; however, she saves up most of her energy to
talk...her sense of humor has been so sharp...the doctors and nurses
really love her! However, after a short visit or conversation,
Joyce needs a good rest!
Monday
Evening November 12:
As is often the case with a serious injury, there
are advances and there are setbacks.
Monday was a day of setbacks for Joyce.
All of your continued prayers are needed.
During
morning physical therapy, Joyce could not muster much strength; she was
also nauseated. Joyce was able to eat some lunch, but the nausea
worsened and a headache caused her extreme pain.
The pain seemed to be centralized on the left side of her face .
. . . the same side she had surgery on for an aneurysm on October 26th.
After consultation with this surgeon, a MRI and CAT Scan were
ordered. The pain was so
intense that Joyce had to be sedated for most of the afternoon and
evening.
The results from the tests were mixed.
The small aneurysm behind the right eye actually showed some
improvement over the past two weeks.
However, the one on the left showed some irregularity…which
could be cause for concern. The
doctors’ plan at this point is to move Joyce back to Seton Hospital
Tuesday morning for another Anteriogram.
If the surgery finds that the aneurysm looks ok, Joyce will
probably be back to re-hab later in the day; however, if it reveals more
cause for concern, they will keep her at Seton and schedule another
surgery to help protect Joyce from risk of a stroke.
Our prayers today will focus on God giving Joyce the
strength and courage to pull her through surgery and get her back on the
road to recovery. We also
ask for prayers for her husband, Francis Heatherley.
He has been by her side day-in and day-out for the past month . .
. through the critical times and through each baby-step toward recovery.
It has been quite an emotional roller coaster that he could not
have survived without his faith in God and all of the prayers that have
come in from all of you. Lastly,
we will also rely on God to provide Joyce’s children and extended
family and friends with the peace of knowing that He is an awesome God
whom watches over all of us during these difficult times.
Tuesday,
November 13 at 5 pm:
Prayers have been answered again! Joyce had the Arteriogram this afternoon and the doctors were
very pleased with what they saw. They
got a clear look at the aneurysm behind her left eye and determined that
it looked like they would have hoped it would based on the results of
the previous surgery on October 26th.
They couldn’t determine any specific reason for the large
amount of head pain Joyce experienced on Monday, but felt confident that
the aneurysm was not the cause of it.
Joyce is resting comfortable at Seton Hospital for
now, but they will transfer her back to Health South Rehab Hospital
later this evening! Francis
was again very thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers.
He was rejuvenated by the doctors’ comments and was also
pleased that Shawn (his daughter) visited briefly this evening and
brought a smile to Joyce’s face!
Wednesday, November 14th:
7 pm
Joyce got back on track to continue progress
toward her recovery today! She
continued to have some head pain, but the medical staff now has it under
control with medication. Joyce’s
lead doctor in charge of her rehabilitation came by to visit today. The doctor had just returned from Colorado Springs where she
had attended a seminar for Christian doctors that was sponsored by Focus
on the Family. Joyce made a
wonderful connection with the doctor and feels as though she is in very
good hands! The doctor
reassured them that Health South is one of the best rehab centers in the
country.
Joyce had some speech therapy today, and hopefully
the physical therapy will resume soon.
She continues to be lucid for four or five hours off and on
during the day, at which time her recall of people and events prior to
the accident is very clear. However,
much activity or visiting takes its toll and can really wear her out. When she is tired, she can sometimes get disoriented
as to where she is and has some problems with short term memory and
disorientation… It’s no wonder, she’s been moved back and forth
between hospitals and to several different rooms.
Joyce continues to progress with eating and swallowing food, but
still not quite enough to sustain her.
Having the feeding tube taken out is a goal she would like to
reach next!
Joyce’s
husband, Francis Heatherley, is sharing the many cards, e-mail, and
messages of well wishes and prayers with her…and she is very grateful!
Thursday, November 15th,
9:00 pm:
Joyce’s
husband, Francis (Doc) Heatherley, met with her rehabilitation team
today and is now more certain than ever that Joyce is in the best of
hands. They use a “team approach” to rehab including three doctors,
a psychologist, a physical therapist, a speech therapist, an
occupational therapist, and the case manager. Following is a summary of
their findings at this point:
They
feel it is likely that Joyce’s fall can be attributed to peripheral
neuropathy. This is a condition that the doctors believe may have been
brought on by the chemotherapy that Joyce was treated with for breast
cancer. Peripheral neuropathy can impact your sense of balance and would
explain why she fell backward onto her head. Considering this
information, the rehabilitation team is concentrating on both injury to
her brain caused by the fall AND damage caused by the chemotherapy.
The doctors are fascinated by how brilliant Joyce
is…and her sharp mind continues to speed her recovery.
However, Joyce’s level of intelligence also makes it very
difficult for her to be content with where she is…she gets bored…she
wants to rush her treatment…actually, when it gets down to it, she
wants to go home!!
The rehabilitation team concurred that through recovery
and rehabilitation, Joyce is now about 75% back to her pre-accident
levels of speech, understanding, and abilities.
They use the term “miraculous” when the describe her progress
so far, and they are striving for a full recovery; however, they cannot
promise what percentage of the remaining 25% she will regain…could be
only 2%…could be all of it!
The biggest news that came out of this meeting was the
doctors’ predictions for Joyce’s rehabilitation schedule.
They said that if Joyce doesn’t have any further setbacks and
she progresses forward as they expect her to, they hope to let her out
of the hospital for Thanksgiving dinner!
The doctor went on to say that they would hope that Joyce could
go home for a few hours in the first week of December. And,
even more awesome news…they indicated that with continued progress,
they would like to send Joyce home for good on December 13th!
J
It would require that she come back to HealthSouth three days a
week for out-patient rehabilitation therapy for as long as they feel she
could benefit by it…but it would get her home before Christmas!
These are only the doctors’ predictions, but they are the most
positive prognosis that have been received to date; and Joyce could have
only made it this far with the strength that God has given her.
With all of the GREAT news listed above, the reality
is that Joyce still has a long way to go to get to that point…and her
progress must continue to move forward without setbacks.
She worked with the Physical Therapist this morning, but the
efforts drained her of all energy and caused her to be in quite a bit of
pain. One of the primary
concerns right now with her rehabilitation is that her energy level is
very low. Visits and calls must
be limited to a very short period of time to allow her to focus all of
her strength and energy toward her recovery.
There is one other area of concern that we need to
focus our prayers on. Joyce
is encouraged by the doctors’ reports, but is still quite troubled by
her difficulty with short-term memory.
Joyce knows family and friends and remembers details from
before the accident, but she continues to have problems with recall from
recent events and conversations. This
is very frustrating for her! However,
the doctors have assured her that they expect this condition to continue
to improve over time.
Wednesday, November 21, 2001
Joyce’s continues to make progress with her
rehabilitation at HealthSouth in Austin.
She is especially grateful this Thanksgiving for the strength God
has provided for her to take daily steps toward her recovery.
Some of the highlights of Joyce’s recent progress
are:
¨
In physical therapy,
Joyce is walking with a walker down to the gym, going through the
exercises, and working toward building up her strength and endurance.
¨
In occupational therapy, Joyce is working on her fine and
major motor skills. The
occupational therapist put her through a battery of tests last Friday
and later reported back to Joyce that she had “passed” all tests,
with the exception of needing some additional work in the area of depth
perception. This is where
their focus will be over the next few weeks.
¨
Joyce meets regularly
with the speech therapist with amazing results.
Joyce is speaking clearly, both in person and over the phone to
her children. After the
time in the coma and then the additional weeks of not being able to talk
due to the trach, this is truly a blessing!
¨
Joyce is getting all of her nourishment by eating meals on
her own. The feeding tube
is still in place, but has not been needed for some time, and should be
removed within the next few days.
Some of the areas in which Joyce still needs prayers
to be focused on are:
¨
Joyce continues to
experience severe head pain after exerting effort for therapy, eating a
meal, or a short visit with a family member or friend.
The doctors surmise that the pain should continue to diminish
over time, but currently rest is the best way to try to minimize this
pain.
¨
Problems with
short-term memory have been an issue over the past few weeks; however,
Joyce is showing distinct progress in this area every day.
For Thanksgiving, Joyce will be having a special
catered dinner with Doc and two of their Texas children, Shawn and Shar.
They plan to take her for a brief outing on that day, if she is
up to it. Joyce is also
looking forward to upcoming visits from her son, Rick, and her sister,
Marilyn.
Joyce sends her thanks out to all of you who have
sent your prayers, e-mail, cards, and calls of concerns during this
difficult time! She is
determined that she will prove with God, all things are possible!
Sunday, November 25:
As we look back on this Thanksgiving Holiday, we
have much for which to be thankful! Primarily, Joyce's continued
recovery!
Joyce, Doc, and two of their Texas children, Shawn and Shar, enjoyed a
catered lunch from Katz's in a private conference room at the rehab
hospital. Then, as the doctors had promised, Doc was able to take
Joyce on an outing away from the hospital. Joyce didn't consider
any other options except a drive back to Salado to visit their home that
she hasn't been to in over 5 weeks. She slept most of the
way there and back, but completely enjoyed walking through the
downstairs rooms in their home...seeing and touching her own
things...and sitting for a few minutes in their den. After about
15 minutes, Joyce said she was ready to go back to the hospital.
The trip pretty much wore her out, but it was one she was adamant about
making!
Friday, Joyce was not up to seeing or talking to anyone...she had
another bout with severe head pain. However, one of her doctors
used a different form of treatment than they had tried before, which
seems to have been very effective. The doctor determined three
"trigger points" in the back of Joyce's neck/head that seemed
to be deferring pain to her head. Then small shots of mild
sedative were injected into these trigger points. By Saturday
morning, Joyce no longer had the head pain, and actually had her first
pain free day since the fall! The hope would be that if the pain
can be controlled, Joyce can focus her efforts more toward the
rehabilitation exercises to continue to build up her strength.
The other area that has been of concern over the past few weeks has been
some problems that Joyce has had with retaining short-term memories.
It's hard to say for certain, but she also appears to be making strides
with this issue. Saturday, she seemed to recall the major
happenings of the previous 3-4 days. There are still periods of
time over the past few weeks with gapes in her memory, but the recent
signs of progress are encouraging.
In the upcoming week, Joyce will continue with her physical,
occupational, and speech therapy. The doctors have indicated that
they should be able to remove the feeding tube from her stomach on
Tuesday...much to Joyce's pleasure. She has not needed the tube
for some time now for feeding and it is quite uncomfortable. Joyce
also is looking forward to visits from her son, Rick, and her sister and
brother-in-law, Marilyn and Paul, over the next 10 days. Her
daughter, Laurie, will then be coming back down to spend some time with
Joyce and Doc as soon as
Joyce goes home from the hospital.
Joyce has seen results from all of your prayers! Please continue
to focus your prayers on giving Joyce the strength to make progress in
her rehabilitation.
Monday, November 27:
After having her first
pain-free day since the accident on Saturday, Joyce had some head pain
return on Sunday. However, the pain was less severe than in the past few weeks.
God brought Joyce
another good day on Monday! Her
head pain was intermittent and at a relatively low level.
Another positive sign was that Joyce remained awake for the
better portion of the day. In
recent weeks, she spent any free time when she was not working with a
rehab therapists resting to try to relieve the head pain.
But without the continual pain, Joyce enjoyed listening to Doc
read dozens of cards and e-mail from many of you!!
Until this time, she had only been up to hearing a few at a time
before needing to stop for rest. She
looks forward to being able to read on her own again, but at this point
her left eyesight is still blurry…this is the eye that the aneurysm is
behind and on which they have performed surgery.
With God’s help, and that of fine doctors, there is hope for a
recovery of her sight.
The decrease in both
intensity and frequency of the head pain has been very encouraging to
Joyce! She is anticipating
and counting on going home before Christmas!
Toward that goal and with the relief from the pain, Joyce is
spending most of her day working with her rehabilitation team (speech
therapist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist and
four doctors!). She
usually eats dinner between 5 and 5: 30 pm and is most often asleep
within an hour or so after dinner.
With such a full schedule, Joyce is pretty tired by then!
Many prayers
continue to be answered with the progress Joyce is making!
Blessings go out to all of you for kind words, prayers, and
concerns.
Friday, November 30:
This has been another week
of progress and continued blessings for Joyce.
Tuesday, the feeding tube
was (finally!) removed! It
was quite a painful process, but Joyce is very relieved to be rid of it!
Joyce’s sister, Marilyn, arrived on Tuesday for a few day
visit…she had been in previously when Joyce’s condition was still
quite critical, so she was very pleased to be able to see Joyce now that
she is doing so much better. Although
there are still wide swings in Joyce’s strength, endurance, and pain
level, the difference from then until now is nothing less than
miraculous! Also on
Tuesday, Joyce and Doc met with the lead doctor on her case and were
excited to hear that they are now expecting her to be released by or
before December 11th!! The
doctors are still aiming for a 100% recovery by Joyce.
They even expect that she will be able to navigate the stairs at
her house. Once at home,
Doc will be taking care of her as he did while she was going through
Chemo for breast cancer years ago.
Joyce had her first
therapy session in the pool on Wednesday.
The pain continues to be intermittent, but greatly reduced in
severity as to past weeks. The
doctors are working on a pain management program that can be followed at
home for after she is released. Joyce
still has some pain, swelling and blurriness in her left eye.
As soon as she is out of the hospital, they will schedule her to
see a neuro-ophthalmologist to get a better fix on these problems.
Her current doctors indicate that they still expect that the
sight in this eye will continue to get notably better.
One of the highlights of Joyce’s day was watching a home video
of all of their California kids and family that Terry sent!!
Thursday was another day
of progress and rehabilitation for Joyce.
She is working on building her strength and endurance.
Friday morning she even took a short walk without a
walker…although her therapists got on to her for doing so, Joyce was
REALLY excited about it! Her
sister Marilyn went home Friday morning, but her son Rick will be coming
in on Saturday morning. Getting
to visit with family now that she can really be awake and remember the
visits has really meant the world to Joyce!
Monday, December 3, 2001:
Joyce continues to make progress in her
rehabilitation. She gets a
little better and a little stronger every day!
The pain behind her eye is still fairly constant, but it is much
less severe than in past weeks; and her general head pain is
intermittent and also much reduced.
Joyce’s left eye is still somewhat swollen and her vision in
that particular eye is blurry, but the eye is starting to open more
naturally. Doc hopes to
meet with the doctor early this week to solidify a home pain-management
plan…and to firm up the date that they anticipate releasing Joyce from
the rehabilitation center.
After a great visit by her sister, Marilyn,
Joyce’s spirits were again lifted high by a visit over the weekend
from her son, Rick. It was
a joyous time considering that the last time Rick had come in from
California was just after the fall when his mother was on life support.
Some of the Texas children (Shayne, Donna, and family) were also
able to come for a visit on Sunday!
Joyce is working hard with all of the rehab
therapists to reach her goal of going home some time by or before
December 11th! She
has sure enjoyed hearing Doc read the many cards and e-mail that have
been sent with prayers and notes of encouragement…they are all much
appreciated! She continues
to be quite busy throughout the day with her rehabilitation and looks
forward to her rest at night…but her endurance is increasing over
time…slowly but surely!
Please continue to keep praying for Joyce’s
strength and rehabilitation as the day comes closer for her to leave the
rehabilitation hospital.
Friday, December
7, 2001:
Praise be to God!
Today, almost two months after an almost fatal fall, Joyce will
be returning home! She,
Doc, and all of their children and families appreciate all of the
prayers that had a direct impact on her recovery and continued
rehabilitation!
Joyce has been
anticipating this day for some time now and looks forward to the comfort
and peace of being in her own home.
She has been experiencing what they refer to has “hospital
fatigue”…this is where the schedule, commotion, noise, etc. of a
busy hospital begins to wear one out.
The doctors agreed that the peace and comfort of her own home,
coupled with 3 days of
out-patient rehab treatments per week, 4 hours each day, will promote
faster progress at this point in Joyce’s rehabilitation program. Joyce has decided to continue with her outpatient therapy at
HealthSouth in Austin because the team of doctors, therapists, and
nurses has worked together with her so effectively thus far.
The doctors also feel
confident that the pain behind Joyce’s eye can be successfully managed
at home. Joyce has an
appointment with a neuro-ophthalmologist on December 19th.
In addition to the pain, she continues to have some double vision
in this eye. She is able to
read or focus for short periods of time, but not for sustained period.
Please focus prayers on the restoration of her full use of both
eyes.
It is anticipated that
Joyce will continue to need lots of rest over the next several weeks as
she adjusts to being at home and traveling back and forth to Austin for
rehab. We also request
prayers for Joyce’s increased strength and endurance as each day
passes!
We rejoice at this time
and give thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon all
of us…but especially today for the miracle he has worked in Joyce’s
recovery over the last two months!
Monday, December
10, 2001:
How incredible it is for
Joyce to be home…at last! After
almost two months since her fall, Joyce is experiencing such peace to be
in her own surroundings with her husband, Doc!
With the help of a few friends, they even have a few Christmas
decorations out…Keith and Andrea Miller set up a small, lighted
Christmas tree…and another small tree from a neighbor…sure
brightened up their home…along with lovely flowers, poinsettias,
get-well cards, etc.! Joyce
and Doc have also been blessed by meals being delivered from some of the
members of their church, their neighbor (Randy) offering to do grocery
shopping and fixing their streetlight, and the many kind e-mail
responses…the list goes on!
Theresa will be coming in on Friday to spread even more holiday
cheer! J
Some recent things to be
thankful for:
Joyce continues to get
stronger every day. She
goes up and down the stairs (with Doc’s assistance) several times a
day.
Her level of activity
is steadily increasing…slowly but surely!
Joyce’s short-term
memory continues to improve. She
not only remembers most things that have happened over the last couple
weeks, but seems to even be remembering things from a few weeks before
that she had seemed previously to have forgotten.
Requests for continued
prayers:
Joyce currently is
relatively pain free about half of the time; however, the other half of
the time can still be quite painful!
Please continue to focus prayers toward the increased
effectiveness of her pain management.
The pain is most often centralized behind the left eye where she
has the aneurysm and/or in the area of her head where craniotomy was
performed.
Please also continue to pray for the healing of the sight
in her left eye.
She had her first
out-patient therapy session back in Austin today…she will be going to
therapy 3 days a week for around 4 hours a day, until further notice. Today’s
session was mainly taken up by getting all the paperwork and procedural
things taken care of…but by Wednesday, she should be back on track
with therapy!
December
14, 2001:
Upon her first week at
home, Joyce counts her blessings as she continues her recovery.
She is getting into daily routines both at home and with her
3-day a week return to Austin for rehabilitation therapy.
Joyce had an appointment
with her family doctor for the first time since the fall and he was
pleased with her recovery. He
even suggested that a good test of her progress would be to try to play
the piano…she had not done so since she’d been home.
Joyce sat down at the piano as she has been doing all her life
and played beautifully! It
was an emotional “shot-in-the-arm” for her to take this step and be
successful! Her voice is
also sounding less muffled than it has been over the past weeks; she
even was able to sing a few bars with Doc!
Even with the many strides
Joyce has taken, there are still some problems she continues to struggle
with:
Joyce is still
relatively weak and has some dizziness, but getting stronger every day.
She still has days
with considerable pain behind her left eye, but those times continue to
be fewer and less severe.
She still has some
concerns in the area of short term memory, but this also continues to
improve.
Joyce’s left eye is
still a little swollen and her sight in that eye is still blurry, but
she has an appointment with the neuro-ophthalmologist next week and
hopes to get a better prognosis on the potential for recovery at that
time.
After a few days early in
the week with some pretty severe head pain, Joyce and Doc met with the
lead rehab doctor to try to improve her pain management plan.
As they continue to reduce the levels of pain medication, they
are now prescribing home therapy with hot and cold treatments
alternating on the pain trigger points in her neck.
She hopes to see continued improvement with this new therapy.
Theresa (Joyce’s
daughter-in-law from California) comes in this evening for the
weekend…Joyce and Doc really look forward to the visit!
God continues to work through neighbors, friends, and family to
provide support in many different ways…all of which are greatly
appreciated.
Wednesday,
December 19th:
As we celebrate the birth
of our savior, Jesus Christ, this year, we also rejoice for the many
blessings that have been bestowed upon us.
We are thankful for Joyce’s continued recovery…she takes
steps each day that are very encouraging.
In addition to the 3-day a week rehab in Austin, Joyce performs
pain management therapy at home that has proven to be very successful.
She has been combining a program of massaging the pressure points
in her neck with alternating hot and cold rice pack treatments.
The pain she experiences now, although quite constant, is at a
much lower level of intensity as in even the recent past.
Our prayers focus on the
following areas:
Joyce still has a
small amount of swelling in her left eye. The pain she experiences is mostly centered behind this eye
where the aneurysm is. Its
vision is also still somewhat blurred.
Wednesday Joyce will be going to the neuro-ophthalmologist to
obtain a prognosis. We pray
for encouragement from this doctor.
Although her sense of taste is intact, since the accident
Joyce has had no sense of smell at all.
Joyce continues to gain strength and build endurance; but,
relative to her pre-fall condition, she is still quite weak.
Joyce and Doc will be
meeting with the rehabilitation team at HealthSouth in Austin this week.
They will be discussing Joyce’s status in detail and projecting
future needs and goals in her rehabilitation program.
Joyce is in good spirits
this holiday season. Her
keen sense of humor is as sharp as ever.
She and her entire family are ever so thankful to be at the point
in her recovery at which she is. At
some points this fall, we could have never hoped for so much!
But with faith and prayer, all is possible.
Blessings and good tidings
to you and your family!
January
4, 2002:
Joyce
and Doc are grateful for the blessings they received this Christmas
holiday season! Some
of their Texas kids brought Christmas dinner over for them to enjoy
while others stopped by for a nice visit on their way through town.
Friends and neighbors visited and expressed their thankfulness
for Joyce to be home for the holidays!
Joyce's daughter, Laurie, and granddaughter, Jennifer, came for a
visit from California just after Christmas to bring in the New Year!
They were all even able to go out to dinner on New Year's Eve and
then came home for an early celebration.
This year, instead of resolutions, they celebrated by lighting a
candle and saying an individual prayer for each member of their
California and Texas families! It
was a very special evening.
Joyce
continues to make progress in her recovery and rehabilitation.
Her head pain is not as severe and she is getting stronger every
day. There seems to be no
more concern about her short-term memory.
She does still have some problems with dizziness, but she
actually had been experiencing some dizziness PRIOR to the fall...which
may also have been a contributing factor.
She will be going to an optometrist on January 9th to get an
adjustment to her prescription that should help with some of the
problems she's had with double vision ... although that, too, seems to
be improving daily!
Over
the holiday, Joyce was feeling so well one evening that when dinner was
over she instinctively started clearing the table and walked (with NO
walker) to the kitchen to take a few glasses to the sink!
When she and the others realized what she had done, there was
quite a celebration.... She
usually is more cautious, but it was exciting to see that could do this
on her own!
After
a short break from rehab, Joyce went back to Austin to continue with her
3-day a week outpatient program on January 2nd.
She and dad will be having a meeting with the entire
rehabilitation team on January 10th to discuss Joyce's progress and how
she will proceed with rehabilitation from here.
Thursday,
January 10th
Joyce woke up with some
head pain; but she didn’t let it get her down…it was a big day!
She and Doc had a family conference scheduled with her entire
Rehabilitation Team. She
got up early, put on her make-up, and donned a long black, knit dress
with a vest for the meeting. At
the meeting, the doctors and other team members elaborated on how well
they felt Joyce was doing with her rehabilitation; so well, that they
released her from the regular out-patient rehabilitation program. At this point, Joyce will only come back to HealthSouth
Rehabilitation Hospital two times a week for the next few weeks for
appointments with the Speech Therapist and Psychologist.
The focus of these sessions will be on her continued issues with
dizziness and balance. Then,
on January 23rd, Joyce has an appointment with the doctor
that performed the craniotomy in October; this doctor will determine if
another CT Scan is needed. Soon
after that, Joyce will meet again with the lead doctor on the rehab team
to determine if any further rehabilitation treatment is necessary.
In addition to the rehab
team meeting, Joyce saw a few other doctors last week.
She had an appointment with her Cardiologist where her EKG was
normal; therefore, she was told she does not need to come back for a
year. Joyce also had an optometrist appointment.
This doctor went over the Neuro-ophthalmologists report in detail
and gave her a thorough eye exam. Joyce
will be getting new glasses with an adjusted prescription and was told
that she does not need to go back to the optometrist for six months!
With the decrease in time
that she must spend in Austin at the Rehab Center, Joyce will focus more
of her time this week in rehab at home.
Her pain continues to lessen in severity and frequency, much to
the success of the home rehab program that her lead doctor imposed.
Joyce has gone as long as 7-10 days without severe head
pain. At the first sign of pain, she practices some of the
recommended therapy and the pain usually subsides.
Joyce also continues to see a reduction in the problems with
dizziness and an improvement in her short-term memory.
Joyce had a restful
weekend and was determined to attend church on Sunday.
However, after getting up and ready, she had a bout of dizziness
that prohibited the outing from actually happening.
…hopefully, soon. Joyce
did take one other big step this weekend, though.
Over the past few weeks, she has had some problems when she has
attempted to do much reading. The
letters would jump around as she tried to focus in on them making it
very difficult to read. However,
on Sunday she sat down with the goal of trying to read a few pages of The
Painted House by John Grisham and ended up reading 30 pages.
She found that using a ruler to keep her focus was very helpful.
The doctors have assured her that her left eye is still healing
and over time, this should continue to improve.
Joyce and Doc look forward
to a week that is slower paced than any they’ve had in a long time.
They thank God for their health, their friends, and their family.
January
26, 2002:
A personal message from
Joyce as told by Shalone (one of Doc’s daughters):
I had a very nice visit
with Joyce over the phone a few days ago and got some first-hand
comments and feelings as to how she is progressing.
She had just had an appointment with her neurologist and had
“passed” all the tests given to her!
She is still very weak relative to the level of strength needed
to function normally throughout a day; however she is walking on her own
some of the time to continue to build up strength and endurance.
Joyce
and Dad went to their church last Sunday for the first time since her
fall. Joyce got dressed up,
wore her red hat, and had the opportunity to thank the members of their
church for all of the prayers and assistance they have given over the
past weeks and months, including many delicious and nourishing meals
delivered to their home. Another
first since the accident came on Friday night when Dad and Joyce
went on their first date since the fall!
They went out to dinner and to the movie …Joyce even walked
into the theater and back without her walker. J
It sounded like a very enjoyable evening out.
Joyce
continues to return to Austin to the rehabilitation hospital twice a
week, but the doctors and other staff members have commented on how
it’s sometimes hard to recognize her based on how well she now looks
compared to when she was there as a patient just over a month ago!
Her neurosurgeon even mentioned to Joyce that she must have had
an Angel on her shoulder throughout her recovery!
Joyce agreed!
Joyce
elaborated on her schedule, her continued progress in her
rehabilitation, etc. But
she ended our conversation with what she said was the most important
thing to remember… Joyce
is thoroughly convinced that it was through your prayers for her during
the time she was most critical and on throughout her recovery that God
gave her strength and used his power to heal her.
She is indeed doing much better than we could have ever hoped for
as we saw her struggling for her life those first few days and weeks.
However, her biggest fear is something she’s seen happen many
times before after someone’s been hurt or lost a loved one…the
prayers are strong at first…but as weeks and months go by, we tend to
forget to keep praying and/or feel that those prayers are no longer
needed …but they are! Joyce
asks that we continue to pray for her strength and recovery….and
continue to pray for others in our lives that still need our prayers even
though time has passed since their injury, loss, or other reason for
concern. I know that my
life has gotten busy…kids soccer, hockey, and gymnastics practices and
games…work…homework…meals…laundry…the list goes on. This has been a reminder to me of the power of prayer…how
it can work miracles in our lives…and how we need to be vigilant with
our open and regular communication with our Lord.
February
26, 2002:
The updates on
Joyce’s condition come further and further apart…but it is obvious
to all involved that prayers have continued to focus on her
recovery…and God continues to utilize his healing powers!
For Him, and for all of you who care dearly, we are eternally
grateful!
Joyce had her first
session of Vestibular Rehabilitation at Seton Hospital in Austin on
Monday. This therapy
focuses on the key hurdle that Joyce still strives to get over…the
balance issue. Seton has
the latest hi-tech equipment for this therapy and has an excellent
therapist who individualized the rehabilitation program to meet
Joyce’s needs. Joyce
will be going through this therapy two times a week for three weeks in
addition to a new, more vigorous home therapy plan that has been
implemented to try to build up her endurance.
Joyce is very encouraged; she and Doc even celebrated after the
first day of therapy by going out to the movie!
There have
been several other positive signs with Joyce’s recovery over the past
few weeks. She has played
the piano several more times and sounds just as lovely as she always
has! We’ve determined
that it must be kinda like riding a bike…it comes back to you!
Joyce has also sung a few bars here and there with Doc!
She even picked out a card and wrote a short note to her
granddaughter, Rachel, for her 8th birthday…it’s some of
the first writing she’s done since her fall.
One other
very special event has taken place since the last update…the birth of
Hayden Ty Heatherley…another grandchild born to their Texas family.
Ty’s parents, Shayne and Donna, and his sisters, Lauren and
Hailey, are so proud and excited about his arrival!
Even with all
the positive news, we still ask for your prayers to be focused on a few
areas. Joyce has struggled
through the last month with cold and cough symptoms.
None of the treatments have been successful in making her feel
better. The doctors
recently began treating her symptoms with allergy medication.
Joyce hopes the change in medication, coupled with the
intensified rehabilitation, will give her relief from the cough and
increase her strength. Doc
recalls Joyce having some of these same symptoms this time last year, so
the prognosis of it being allergy related sounds likely.
Doc also had a short bout with a cold, but fortunately, he felt
better within a few days.
Joyce and Doc wanted
to extend their gratitude to the members of their church in Salado. Families have been providing several meals a week…which has
been a true God-send. A
caring lady from the congregation spent several hours with Joyce at home
so that Doc could run some of the many errands that he had been putting
off. Their church’s new minister also came by to visit.
The support and assistance from their church family, along with
many other friends and extended family, have been incredible…and
continue to be very much appreciated!
Easter
2002: Message from Doc's Daughter, Shalone Willms:
He has risen. He has risen indeed. Blessings to all of you
on this Easter Sunday. It is truly a day to be thankful for all
that Jesus gave to us through his sacrifice on the cross. In Him,
we are forgiven and saved!
The sermon at my family's church (Fellowship Church, Grapevine, Texas)
on Sunday, March 20th was entitled "Impossible Possibilities".
The scriptural basis centered on the occasion when Jesus spoke for many
hours to a crowd of over 15,000 people…but as the hours went on,
everyone grew tired and hungry. As we've heard so many times
the story of Jesus taking the few loafs of bread and fish and feeding
the multitudes of people, we have to believe that the impossible IS
INDEED possible! It is that belief that has pulled our family thru
Joyce's long recovery process since that fateful October morning.
As we reported in our update last month, Joyce began a new series of
out-patient vestibular rehabilitation treatments at Seton Hospital in
Austin. In short, the aim of these treatments is to improve her
sense of balance…to help her regain her ability to walk independently,
and, hopefully, also to help clear up the blurring in her left eye.
The blessings of these treatments have been mixed. Joyce's balance
has improved measurably. But her new confidence, exuberance, and
impatience also contributed to one fall and medication to another.
Luckily, each of these falls was on a carpeted area at home.
The first of the falls happened during the first week in March. I
was off on Spring Break that week, and took our children, Rachel (8) and
Derek (10), to Temple to see their new cousin, Ty. We then
proceeded to Salado to have dinner and spend the night with Dad and
Joyce. My brother's family (Shayne, Donna, Lauren, Hailey, and new
Ty) joined us for an enjoyable dinner and visit. Joyce looked
GREAT to me…it had been Christmas since I had seen her last. She
walked so well (with Dad at her side), enjoyed listening to Rachel sing
her 2nd Grade Program songs from the Sound of Music (even sang along!!),
watched some of Derek's big hockey championship video tape, and held and
sung to new baby Ty. However, I found out later that not
only is my step mom an outstanding writer and singer…she is also an
awfully good ACTRESS! Joyce had actually been in quite a lot of
pain all night, still related to the fall a few days before.
The next morning, when Joyce awoke, her head pain was the worst it had
been since coming home from the hospital in December. Dad called
her neurosurgeon who requested that Joyce go in that afternoon for a CAT
scan to make sure there had been no further injury to the brain or no
additional problems with the aneurisms. To our great relief, the
CAT scan readings were good and Joyce was sent home to rest.
Over the next few days, Joyce began to see a slight decrease in the
levels of pain. But then, the unthinkable happened yet
again…Joyce got up in the middle of the night, still under the
influence of the pain medication, took another fall, and again hit her
head! This time Dad and Joyce were alarmed by a hematoma (broken
blood vessels) that appeared on the outside of her head. They
decided to call EMS who came quickly and took her to Scott & White
Hospital in Temple where another CAT Scan was administered. We
again were thankful for the reassuring results of the tests.
That Monday, Joyce had an appointment with her neurosurgeon. The
doctor again reassured Joyce and Dad that both of the recent CAT scans
showed there was no re-injury to the brain. However, Joyce has
continued to be in intense pain over the past couple of weeks.
And, of course, the pain is accompanied by both discouragement and
delays in treatments. Because of the considerable on-going pain
from the original injury, pain management continues to play a major
role, both in Joyce's quality of life and recovery process.
Similar to the Impossible Possibilities stories heard in the sermon at
my church recently, we have witnessed such a case over the past 5
months as Joyce has made such huge strides in her recovery from her
near-death fall. For that we are thankful to God. However,
it is time again to pray for more possibilities…for continued
healing…for an end to the pain…and for continued progress without
setbacks.
May peace be with you and your families.
Monday, April 1:
At rehab today, Joyce has officially "graduated" from using
the walker to a CANE! She was very excited! The doctors
feel the therapy she's been doing has helped her balance to a point
where she can successfully use the cane!
She was in very high spirits....prayers
continue to be answered!
Friday,
April 19:
Joyce is continuing to do great with the cane (and often walks WITHOUT
it)! The pain had also subsided some with her return to therapy
for her final few sessions. However, then the Texas spring allergy
season came and Joyce was hit hard with coughing spasms that triggered
another bout with extreme head pain. (Joyce cannot take anything at
this time for her allergies because she is due to go to the allergist
in a few weeks!!) This time the pain was so intense that she
had to go to Scott & White Emergency Room in Temple (Saturday, April
13th). The spinal tap and CAT scan both turned out fine, so
the doctors finally treated the pain with medication and sent her home.
By Sunday, the pain was greatly decreased, but Joyce is looking forward
to getting to the allergy doctor soon so that such an event doesn't
repeat itself.
Yesterday,
Joyce returned to Seton Hospital in Austin for her scheduled 6 month
arteriogram to check on the
condition of the aneurysm that had given her so much trouble behind the
left eye...this was the aneurysm that the doctors feel was a result of
the initial fall last October.
The
results could not have been better...the aneurysm that had been behind
the left eye was GONE! Everything looked GREAT! The small
aneurysm behind the right eye was still there, but it was
inconsequential and has probably been there for years without anyone
knowing it. It is not causing any problems and has no activity.
This proves that the embolization surgery performed in the fall had
truly been successful!
Doc
and Joyce wish to express their sincere appreciation for all of your
prayers, cards, e-mail, etc. They have continued to give Joyce
strength and encouragement!
May
22, 2002:
Over the last few
weeks, Joyce has been dealing with an extreme amount of pain again.
It generally is focused behind her left eye where the aneurysm
had been (but is now gone...). The
home-therapy that had been quite successful previously just is not
making the pain decrease.
Joyce had a full
allergy work-up a few weeks ago and has been put on some allergy
medication. There is still
some hope that as the allergy medication takes full effect, the pain
will lessen due to the decrease in the heavy coughing that she is now
experiencing due to the allergies.
To further
complicate things…Doc broke his foot a few weeks ago while running up
the stairs to bring Joyce hot compresses for her home therapy!
He’s managing well, but it’s slowed him down a bit!
They have since moved a microwave upstairs to heat up the
compresses!
At this time,
Joyce and Doc are in need of the prayers from family and friends.
Prayers for a decrease in the pain…for continued healing…for
strength… for patience… and for faith that God has a plan…it is
just not always clear to us what that plan is.
Please send
your prayers to Him for these things.
June
25, 2002:
The
past month has been another rough one for Joyce.
However, she comments frequently about the power she continues to
feel from prayers from family members and friends!
The
hope had been that once she began treatment for allergies around six
weeks ago, the coughing would subside and provide some relief from the
head pain. However, the past two weeks or so she has been experiencing
some of the most intense pain since she came home from the hospital.
It has been during this time that she has been more grateful than
ever for your prayers. A
few days ago, the doctor prescribed Prednisone to try to minimize the
coughing. With a decrease
in coughing, the pain finally broke on Saturday and gave Joyce some
much-needed relief! With
two low-pain days behind her, her spirits were raised and a small
measure of hope was building again. The plan is that if the doctors can
KEEP the pain under control, Joyce can return to physical therapy to
work on re-gaining her strength and balance.
These weeks of severe pain have caused her to have to spend much
time at rest, which has lowered her endurance and caused some of the
balance issues to return.
Thank
you for keeping Joyce’s healing and recovery in your prayers!
Bless you all.
Sunday, August 18:
It’s been over a month since
we’ve posted an update to all who have prayed so hard for Joyce’s
recovery...and it's been over the past 4-6 weeks that Joyce has had much
needed relief from the extreme pain that had been upon her in May and
June.
Allergy medication and steroids were used to control the allergies and
persistent cough that seemed to be causing some of the worst head pain
that Joyce had experienced since coming home from the hospital in
December. It was such welcome relief! Joyce began building
up her strength and endurance, progressing with her rehabilitation
exercises, and being able to stay awake for longer periods of time.
She was even able to get out and do a little shopping…a few hours at
Bed Bath and Beyond can brighten any woman’s day!!
Since her fall last October, Joyce has not accepted any requests for
speaking engagements…she just has not had the strength to do so.
However, over the past few weeks she has been considering the
possibility of speaking to a local church this fall. Just the
consideration of this possibility speaks volumes as to the healing power
of our Lord and how He continues to help in Joyce’s recovery.
For this we are so grateful!
However, today we also come to you with another request for prayers.
The good news is that Joyce’s current condition doesn’t appear to
have any connection to her accident or to her previous bout with breast
cancer. The bad news is that Joyce is currently back in the
hospital. On Thursday night she experienced some severe cramping
in her stomach. By Friday morning, Joyce still had the stomach
pain and had evidence of internal bleeding. She was taken to the
closest clinic, where they proceeded to take her by ambulance to Scott
and White Hospital in Temple. Joyce and Doc were very concerned
because their first thought was that the cause of the bleeding was
cancer. Much to their relief, the tests indicated that the pain
and bleeding were related to diverticulitis. Except for being on a
liquid and clear food-only diet since Friday, Joyce is resting
comfortably at the hospital where they will do a colonoscopy on Monday
to confirm the diagnosis. Our prayer is that upon confirmation,
Joyce will be able to return home by the end of the day Monday.
Another positive note… Joyce was so pleased last week to have her
daughter and son-in-law, Laurie and Terry, come visit from California!
They had some wonderful time together before the stomach pain hit on
Thursday night. It is always such a blessing when family is close
… to share in the good times … and to be there when things are not
so good. Laurie and Terry were a true source of strength and
encouragement during this time.
Wednesday,
August 21:
On
Monday, Joyce underwent a colonoscopy which confirmed her doctors'
diagnosis of diverticulitis. They further described this condition
as "ischemic colitis," which is an inflammation due to poor
blood circulation in a remote area of the colon. They took
biopsies which are now being tested. The results should be in by
the end of the week. The doctors concede that it is not unlikely
that Joyce may have other similar episodes, and that she may eventually
need surgery to remove a portion of the colon…but they are still
pleased with recent test results!
Joyce was released from the hospital at noon on Tuesday. . . and was
thrilled to get back to “real” food after four days on a liquid
diet. She is very weak, but her sense of humor is still intact. After 12
hours of “stomach cleansing” on Monday in prep for the colonoscopy,
when her doctor (trailed by five pre-med students) asked her how she was
feeling, Joyce's witty response was, “Drained.”
August
24, 2002:
The biopsy reports came back
negative. More information to follow.
October
26, 2002:
After
Joyce’s release from the hospital in August with the diagnosis of ischemic
colitis and attempts to control her allergies with medication to
decrease her head pain, Joyce had high hopes of going home and building
her strength back up to make forward progress in her rehabilitation.
Apparently, this was not God’s will.
Joyce
could not seem to gain any strength back and assumed it was due to the
loss of blood or maybe anemia. The
doctors ran tests, but did not find this to be the case.
Throughout the months of September and October, her strength and
endurance continued to wane. Often
she could not take more than two or three steps without assistance.
She spent much of her time resting and could not return to her
rehabilitation exercises.
Late
in the summer when Joyce had some relief from the head pain, she had
started talking about speaking at Austin Cornerstone Church…and
determined that the one-year anniversary of her injury would be a good
day! The church’s pastor,
Rick Randall, had visited Joyce several times while she was in ICU, and
he told Doc he knew she was going to “make it through”…even when
the doctors were not making such predictions. While Joyce was still unconscious and on life-support, Pastor
Randall told Doc that he would like Joyce to consider coming to his
church for her first speaking engagement after her recovery. Later, when Joyce heard about this, she was determined to
honor his faith.
As
the anniversary date grew closer, there were times when Joyce wasn’t
certain she would be able to follow through with her commitment due to
her continued decline in strength; however, God provided the strength
for her to speak during the Cornerstone worship service last Sunday!
Joyce was given a very warm welcome by Rick’s congregation as
she recounted her fall, her time in ICU and rehab, and her continued
struggles with pain, balance issues, and lack of strength.
The crowd roared when she told them that the haircut the surgeon
gave her made her look like Janet Reno. And
tears came to her own eyes (and voice) as she read the words of her and
Doc’s favorite hymn sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, “So You
Would Know” (*See the credits and words to the song following this
update). She used the words
of this song to express how God is with us through all of our
journeys…through all of our hard times…and He even gave his only Son
to die on the cross for our sins to show how much He loves us! Through all of the hardship she has endured over the past
year, these words of God’s love continue to bring peace to her heart!
Please
continue to keep Joyce in your prayers.
Pray that God provides her with strength…which has been
diminishing for the last few months.
Joyce has appreciated all of your prayers over the last year and
has experienced first-hand the healing power that prayer can provide.
But, she is quite discouraged right now with only brief spurts of
energy. Let us pray that
she is able to regain strength and lift her spirits.
The
lyrics and music for So You Would Know were written by Al Hobbs (©
Copyright 1997, Hobeal Publishing/SESAC.
Arranged for the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir by Carol Cymbala).
One of the things Joyce loves about this song is that it is
written as if God himself is talking to us.
Think about this as you read the following lyrics:
SO
YOU WOULD KNOW
How
many times must I prove how much I Love you?
How many ways must my love for you I show?
How many times must I rescue you from trouble,
For you to know just how much I love you?
Didn't
I wake you up this morning, you were clothed in your right mind?
When we walked up on a problem, didn’t I step right in on time?
When you were weak along life's journey, my angel carried you,
So you would know just how much I love you.
How
many days must I be a fence all around you?
How many nights must I wipe yours tears away?
How many storms must I bring you safely through,
For you to know just how much, how much I really love you?
Didn't
I put food on your table? Show
up when the bills were due?
When the pains were racking your body, didn't I send healing down to
you?
When you were lost in sin and sorrow, I died to set you free,
So you would know just how much I love you.
Since the last update, the
seasons have changed from Fall to Winter, Thanksgiving has come and
gone, the celebration of Christ’s birth has reminded us of the
“reason for the season”, and a new year has begun…along with
resolutions for change and improvement. Throughout these months,
Joyce has enjoyed hearing from many of you via e-mail and regular mail
…and continues to appreciate all of your prayers for strength and
healing.
January
15, 2003
Unfortunately, the new
year does not bring better news. The truth is that Joyce’s
health issues continue to compound and she is struggling to keep up her
always-positive attitude and sense of humor. During the past two
months she persisted through a life-threatening allergy shot reaction,
the excruciating pain and itching of shingles, minor surgery to remove a
growth from her left hand, and a temporal arterial biopsy to check the
level of inflammation of her arteries, which might have been causing the
pain behind her left eye. (Thank God, biopsies from both surgical
procedures were negative.) One of her doctors has put her back on
vestibular rehabilitation to try to help restore her sense of balance
and rebuild her strength, which continues to wane. It just seems
as though each time she makes some progress with one issue, another
crops up to knock her down again. Without strong faith in God, she would
have given up long ago. Please pray for the strength and
healing that only He can provide!
On a positive note… over the holidays, Joyce had a few days of relief
from many of her symptoms, so she and Doc snuck away for a few days to
Lake Marble Falls –about an hour from their home in Salado. The
change of scenery and routine was refreshing for them both.
Also, Joyce looks forward to visits from both of her children.
Rick and Theresa are due to visit the end of this week and Laurie is
planning a trip to Texas in early March. Joyce and Doc always enjoy any
time they are able to have with family! And they are wonderfully
blessed with the support they continually receive from their church (Salado
United Methodist) and their incredibly understanding and compassionate
neighbors.
Thanks again for your concerns and prayers…please keep them coming!
February
27, 2003
Hope and encouragement have
been higher in the past few weeks for Joyce than they have been in a
long time! Joyce recently started back on her vestibular
rehabilitation - this time closer to home at Scott and White Hospital.
She had been so pleased with her former physical therapist that she was
a little apprehensive about the change; however, she has been very
pleased with the new PT….who is also a Christian, is sensitive,
skilled, easy to be around, and even laughs at Joyce’s one-liners!
With the progress, Joyce has been able to resume physical therapy at
home, too! She is even walking more....with Doc close by.
The obvious progress over the past weeks has given them both a huge
boost in their morale. Joyce is eager to continue to take “steps
forward” with her therapy in the upcoming weeks and months.
As mentioned in the last update, Joyce was so pleased that Rick and
Theresa were able to visit in January…however, it was BEFORE things
had started turning around for the better for Joyce. Now, Joyce is
anticipating a visit from Laurie in March!
All of your prayers have helped Joyce through many difficult times over
the last year and a half; please pray that God will continue to build
her strength and endurance. Many blessings to you all!
May
23, 2003
Considering all
that Joyce has been through over the last 19 months, 2003 has been a
blessing. God has heard our prayers and has continued to provide Joyce
with improved strength, cognitive alertness, and a very strong will to
continue the progress of her rehabilitation. These improvements
have been measurable since soon after the first of this year when she
began her vestibular therapy at Scott & White Hospital in Temple,
Texas.
However, as with most processes of rehabilitation, Joyce's progress
continues on the tracks of a roller coaster - some days and even weeks
see steady progress - and others are times of sliding backwards. Frequent
dizziness provides reason for concern and frustration. Joyce's
family physician and her vestibular therapist have referred her to a
specialist to evaluate this specific issue. She has gone through
the initial battery of tests, will have her appointment with the
specialist on June 4, and perhaps follow-up with additional tests and
evaluation! Please keep her in your prayers during this time in
hope that these tests provide her doctors with the best direction for
treatment.
Joyce's spirits are high. She is as sharp and witty as ever, most
of the time. Infrequent and temporary short-term memory loss has
improved over the last year and a half but can still be scary!
Yet, Joyce is as determined as ever and continues to work diligently at
her therapy which has paid off with increased strength, endurance, and
alertness! She is very encouraged by her progress!
Joyce is deeply grateful for all of your prayers, and draws strength and
courage from your letters, cards, and e-mail. Please keep her in
your prayers as she continues to fight the daily battles of
rehabilitation!
God be with you all!
September 26, 2003
The following
message is from Shalone Willms, Doc's daughter. Thank you, Shalone,
for composing the updates seen on this site since Joyce's accident 2 years ago.
In our hectic daily lives, it is often
difficult to find time to talk to God as much as we would like. This
year Texas passed a law mandating that all public school children take
time each day to say the Pledge of Allegiance, the pledge to the Texas
flag, and recognize a moment of silence. As a staff member at a public
high school, I have found that this practice has made a great difference
in my demeanor and attitude as I face each day. Just after praying for
patience (remember, I do work at a school!) and the faith and strength
to do those things that God would want me to do, I pray each day for
those in my life who are experiencing hardship or illness. I pray for
Joyce each day during this time I know she
receives strength from my prayers and from yours!
I have delayed posting an update for some time in order to get important
reports back from Joyce's doctors* and I regret that the news is not
what we had hoped for. Joyce has been seeing a specialist in an attempt
to determine ways to overcome her problem with dizziness. However, a
recent MRI indicates that she has a continuing problem with
demyelination, a condition that involves the protective sheath on the
brain nerves. Additionally, the MRIs indicate a history of stroke
possibly before, during and/or after her accident almost two year ago.
These results explain why Joyce's balance issues have persisted. The
doctors had hoped that these tests would lead them to a plan that would
not only help with the dizziness, but also improve Joyce's issues with
balance. But, the results do not offer such known options.
However, the doctors continue to be amazed at how well Joyce is doing
considering their findings. Her communication skills, humor and
personality have not been diminished by all of the adversity she has
been through. The doctors suggest that Joyce do the following: 1)
Keep active at home with both physical exercises and writing to keep her
brain reacting constructively; 2)
Continue with out-patient physical therapy at Scott & White Hospital;
3) Acquire a hearing aid that will improve the hearing in her
left ear and possibly filter out some of the cerebral noise which
worsens when she is under stress or overly tired.
So, this is the plan that Joyce is following. And, with her
determination and faith, I am certain she will continue to amaze her
doctors with her progress!
Joyce and Dad send their love and gratefulness to you all! Please keep
them in your prayers* both for Joyce's continued improvement and for
their business. Balcony Publishing has been under considerable stress
over these past two years; both because Joyce has not been able to be
out speaking and writing and because Dad has to focus most of his
attention on Joyce's care and rehabilitation. They thank God for Emmett
Kelly who has helped so much in keeping Balcony Publishing going during
these difficult times. I ask that you remember Joyce, Dad, and Emmett
in your prayers during your "moment of silence" each day!
Shalone
March 22, 2004
The following message is from Shalone Willms, Doc's daughter:
I talked to Joyce last night and she gave me a message to share with you in her own words:
"I cannot tell you how much your prayers have meant to Doc and me. Each night when we pray, you are included. Even if we don't have each of your names in front of us we know that the Lord knows we are praying for blessings to come to each of you for all of your support. I'm certain that by God's wonderful touch and your prayers for me, I was able to come from near-death to nearly being well. I have been at home (sort of) making it through stages of recovery by three things:
1) Prayer
2) Rehab therapy at Scott and White Hospital
3) Rehab at home with the help of Doc
I don't know which one has been harder. I have determined that recovery is like taking a proverbial "slow boat to China." It seems to take so long. Two-and-a-half years have passed since the accident. It has certainly changed our lives. No one can tell how long this process will take, but I trust the Lord with it.
The doctors have decided that I did not simply slip and fall at the airport that fateful October day. I actually fell when I went unconscious due to a stroke or two. Then, when I arrived at the hospital, I had a seizure and possible another stroke or two. I didn't know it then, but I really needed all of your prayers, and we did, indeed, receive so many prayers from family and friends during that very difficult time. When Doc and I wake up each morning (he has been an incredible caregiver!), we thank the Lord because He is so good to His children.
Shalone has been so wonderful to us and has faithfully written to you as to how I am doing. For this, we are deeply grateful to her!
I would certainly appreciate your continued prayers. It is still "up-hill" from here, but we know that God will prevail.
Our love to you all!
Joyce and Doc"
* a few closing remarks from Shalone:
What a blessing it is to have Joyce able to "speak" to you all directly. She was so excited while she was dictating to me that I often fell behind in my note-taking (I REALLY should have taken shorthand!). Since she has been alert, Joyce has always participated in these updates, but felt compelled to voice her appreciation to you all personally with this message!
I'll continue to keep you posted; take care!
Shalone
Thoughts from Shalone, Doc's daughter, on the anniversary of Joyce's accident:
October 12, 2004
An anniversary is often a joyous celebration: the anniversary of our Savior's birth, the anniversary of a marriage, the anniversary of a baptism. But sometimes an anniversary is for something we'd rather NOT have happened: the anniversary of the loss of a loved one, the anniversary of September 11th. Today, October 12th, is the third anniversary of the fall that caused a near-fatal
injury to Joyce. In one breath, I declare it to be a day I look back upon and wish I could have erased from the calendar. But, He knows more than I and has reasons for things that I cannot begin to understand. In the next breath, it IS indeed a day of celebration! A day to celebrate the life of Joyce that some medical professionals thought would be cut short! A day to celebrate that Joyce gets stronger in some physical or mental capacity every day! A day to celebrate how much my Dad, Francis, has grown as a husband and care giver and how Joyce has been able to accept the care gracefully! For all of
this, we are grateful to God!
I spoke to Joyce last night and talked about the last three years. She spoke as eloquently as ever about her three long years of recovery. She indicated that she now has some marvelous days and recognizes how good God has been to her and my dad. She is grateful for the prayers and kind words that have been said for her. She has only recently been able to personally read through many of the compassionate letters and e-mails from those of you who care so much! Joyce mentioned that it is very emotionally draining, yet uplifting to her spirits!
Joyce spoke fondly of the doctors who provided for her care in the early days after her accident. After she was out of danger, one doctor predicted a 9 - 12 month recovery period. Another predicted 12 - 18 months. Both sounded so hopelessly long and now, three years later, Joyce continues to just get past one health issue and get a glimpse of the horizon and then gets hit with another setback. It was amazing for me to hear Joyce go on to say how GOOD God has been to her and Dad. She laughingly described how Dad has even learned to cook, do laundry, keep up with the housework, etc. I guess the Lord DOES indeed work in mysterious ways! Joyce, in turn, has learned to accept assistance, has been up and down on the roller-coaster of recovery, and in spite of it all has derived a number of interesting and sometimes humorous book titles and concepts without actually being able to follow through with the writing of the manuscripts - YET! She's a very determined lady, so I never discount
that this could happen in the future!
In closing, I address so many of you whom I've grown to know and care for over these three years to say THANK YOU for your prayers and concerns. Please keep them coming Joyce's way; she can use them as we all can! She and my Dad will spend tonight out celebrating life. May we all be thankful for what we have today because we never know what tomorrow will bring!
God Bless!
Shalone
January 12, 2005
Message from Shalone, Doc's daughter--
You know the old saying, "No news is good news"? Well, it is a wonderful feeling here at the beginning of this New Year to be able to have that saying to be true! I've been planning on posting an "update" on Joyce's condition just after the start of the year, but have had a case of "writer's cramp". It just dawned on me that this is due to the fact that there is nothing horribly wrong, new or different in her life to report at this time. While that may not make for the most exciting "update" ever, it is something in which to be VERY thankful!
Over the last six months, Joyce has made great strides
in rehab. Her balance issues continue to improve, as does the persistent cough that has previously brought on head pain. However, she continues to struggle with fatigue and a recurrence of the problem of pain behind her left eye.
My family was fortunate to have enjoyed a dinner out with Dad and Joyce over the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as some time together to celebrate Christmas. Joyce looked great and kept us laughing and interested in dinner conversation with her wit and personality.
Joyce has high hopes in 2005! She recently started a series of dental procedures and looks forward
to completion in February or March. The first few days after Phase One were pretty painful, but she is starting to get over the hump and back to her daily routine. Joyce and Dad are also in the process of trying to relocate to another home. They need a home that is one-story and has a bit less space to take care of. We pray that this works out for them in the next few months. They are looking forward to settling into a new home; Joyce is already busy dreaming up ideas for decorating!
I spoke with Joyce recently and she diverted the bulk of the conversation toward how I'm doing and what my children
are up to -- that is just her nature to care for others! She is thankful for all of your correspondence and prayers! Keep them coming!
May God bless you all in 2005!
Shalone
September 15, 2005
Almost Full Circle...
It was October 12, 2001, only a month after 9/11. As many of you know, Joyce and Doc were at the Austin, TX airport, on their way to Dodge City, KS for Joyce to speak for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon. However, they did not make it onto that plane because Joyce fell in a remote parking area of the airport and experienced a severe internal head injury. She was unconscious and on life-support for eight days, underwent a seizure in the emergency room, two life-saving brain surgeries, a tracheotomy, and, by now, nearly four long, arduous years of physical therapy and recovery.
It was not until May of this year that Joyce finally was able to walk independently. With that huge advancement, she began to improve in so many other ways that she and Doc began considering whether it was time to begin accepting speaking engagement invitations again. Only a few days later, their phone rang. It was Alle Craig from the Dodge City chapter of the American Cancer Society asking if Joyce would speak at their Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon on October 22. Joyce replied, "I've been wanting to keep that appointment ever since I woke up in ICU and thought, 'Oh no! I didn't show up for my engagement in Dodge City!'"
Back in May of 1993, as Joyce was barely waking up from a biopsy procedure, she and Doc were stunned as her surgeon quietly said the words, "Joyce, the tumor is malignant. You have both insitu and invasive cancer. It's about to break through your chest wall, so we need to do surgery very soon." Following the mastectomy, Joyce underwent chemo therapy treatments for six months. Although now she is "officially" "cancer free," she just recently went through another one of those "cancer scares" that survivors have so often; a lesion on the left lung that after five months of cat scans, MRI's and blood work-ups has proven to be benign.
As frightening and painful as the cancer was back in the '90's, Joyce was yet to go through the most life-threatening experience of her 69 years. In many ways, Joyce is still in recovery from the fall in 2001 and likely will be for the rest of her life. But, at 73, she is still that vibrant, full-of-life and insight, humorous, people-loving, God-fearing woman who loves very few things (i.e., her two great grandsons) more than standing before her audiences, reading their faces right through to their hearts and minds, and using her very special God-inspired gift for comforting, encouraging and empowering people to live through their own roads to recovery, no matter what put them there. Joyce is truly a "wounded healer".
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