Wow! Time flies and stuff happens. It's been a long time since I posted here and several people have reminded me that I am still supposed to be updating the notes here. There really has been a great deal happening in our family and time has been stretched somewhat tight. But I do want to update all our readers on what's been happening.
The last time I posted, school was just about to start for the year. It was mid-August and the summer break was drawing to a close. School has promised to be just as difficult as we contemplated for Juliane. We took off for the Feast of Tabernacles in October and it took Juliane several weeks to catch up after our return. She actually just caught up yesterday.
Becky has continued working her body in whatever ways she can. Though she is not in a structured, managed program of care, she goes to the YMCA and does exercises on weight machines there and walks in the swimming pool. She has worked her way up to walking just over a mile in the pool and is really happy about that. It takes a little over an hour for her to accomplish it and she is thoroughly exhausted after completing the walk.
Becky visited our chiropractor's office yesterday for the first time (as a patient) since her accident. She got a short therapeutic massage and a very mild adjustment. Today she said she believes it was helpful. Hopefully, she can regain some range of motion and flexibility with continued visits and exercise.
As time has passed, we have been somewhat forcibly drug into less pleasant aspects of this ordeal. There are certain issues that must be dealt with through the legal system. Becky's long term disability carrier chose to cut off her benefit payments several months ago and we are having to fight a legal battle to try to get those benefits reinstated. Also, there are legal issues we must deal with involving our own auto insurance and the insurance company for the driver who hit Becky's car. That is now in full swing and is requiring a significant amount of time and expense. Finally, as I mentioned before, we are fighting our own health insurance company to require them to pay for services Becky has received and needs to receive. This fight has been escalated to the Texas Department of Insurance. If we don't get the needed results there, it will need to be taken into the legal (court) system. Of course, as all this transpires, we have to pay legal costs and expenses. Since the LTD payments stopped, there is significantly reduced income and I have to take time away from my business to handle the legal issues. So, I would ask for your prayers that the issues we face will be decided quickly and in our favor.
Please also pray for Becky's continued improvement. She is maintaining a great disposition and working diligently. As we continue in what seems like a "new normal" situation, we keep looking to God for improvement and provision for our needs. He is a wonderful God and has shown His love to many people in many wonderful ways.
Thanks for your prayers, your expressions of encouragement and concern, and your love. We pray for all of you and have confidence that God hears those prayers.
Love,
Dennis & Becky Bounds
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
August 16, 2008
Wow! It’s been a month since I posted anything on this blog. It is hard to believe it’s been that long. Much has happened since then, so I want to get it out here.
When I last wrote, Becky had extended her walking to 8 minutes at a time. That took a lot of effort and made us both happy and just a bit proud. She’s now walking for 11 minutes and has even managed up to 15 minutes once. As I said before, you can not watch her working at this and not be proud. We go to Meyer Park near our home and walk there. They have a nice paved walking path, the park itself is very nice, and there are always friendly people there that we spend some time visiting with. Our time there is really a positive experience for us in several ways. It provides walking time for Becky (and me), we get to visit together and strengthen our own bond, being in a relaxed setting such as the park is a great stress reducer, and it gives us a chance to take our beautiful Sheltie, Chester, for a walk that he loves. Other things have happened since I last posted that have made for significant differences too.
The last time we went to Physical Therapy, Becky’s physical therapist told us that he thinks Becky has reached a point where she can do just about everything at home that she was doing at the clinic. He said he would prefer to transition her out of the clinic setting more slowly, but insurance had not paid for any of her visits in what is now a year. (I had not known that and am now fighting the insurance company.) With the lack of payments and her improved condition, he said it was time for Becky to work on her own, so we are working on that and have been for several weeks.
We joined the YMCA and Becky has started going there to exercise on some of the equipment and in the pool. Just yesterday, she walked for 45 minutes in the pool. She is pretty sore from that now, but I think she’s encouraged by being able to do those things.
Our church family has noticed that Becky comes walking into church now rather than riding in her wheelchair. Her increasing ability to do that, and to stand and sing hymns in the service, moves me to tears. I remember the time immediately after the accident, during the time she was in the hospital, I couldn’t sing hymns without breaking down. It was something we had done together that I learned was particularly special to me. Not until she left the hospital could I sing hymns in church. To have her stand with me again now and sing was more than I anticipated.
I want to also take a moment to brag about our daughter, Adriane. On Thursday, August 14, she completed her coursework for her college degree!!! Adriane has worked so hard and so diligently – and now she has reached a wonderful milestone. I don’t know how we could be more proud of her! In addition to this milestone, she and Benjamin celebrated their first wedding anniversary on August 4. Congratulations to you both!!! We love you and are proud of you!!!
Cameron and Juliane start back to school in just over a week. Cameron will leave home again tomorrow to return to Texas A & M to prepare for classes, so we have another change of the season now. Juliane is embarking on what promises to be a very tough year – her sophomore year of high school, in which she’s going to have a tough schedule.
With each of our children, we’ve learned a very important truth. Through lofty aspirations come great successes and promising futures. In their own determinations, each of our kids have shown this to us time and again. As are parents everywhere, we’re really proud of our kids!
Take care and thanks so much to all of you who’ve continued praying for Becky and for our family, giving encouragement. You are so important to us in this time of trial and recovery. God gives us what we must have and you are part of that.
Love to all,
Dennis & Becky Bounds
When I last wrote, Becky had extended her walking to 8 minutes at a time. That took a lot of effort and made us both happy and just a bit proud. She’s now walking for 11 minutes and has even managed up to 15 minutes once. As I said before, you can not watch her working at this and not be proud. We go to Meyer Park near our home and walk there. They have a nice paved walking path, the park itself is very nice, and there are always friendly people there that we spend some time visiting with. Our time there is really a positive experience for us in several ways. It provides walking time for Becky (and me), we get to visit together and strengthen our own bond, being in a relaxed setting such as the park is a great stress reducer, and it gives us a chance to take our beautiful Sheltie, Chester, for a walk that he loves. Other things have happened since I last posted that have made for significant differences too.
The last time we went to Physical Therapy, Becky’s physical therapist told us that he thinks Becky has reached a point where she can do just about everything at home that she was doing at the clinic. He said he would prefer to transition her out of the clinic setting more slowly, but insurance had not paid for any of her visits in what is now a year. (I had not known that and am now fighting the insurance company.) With the lack of payments and her improved condition, he said it was time for Becky to work on her own, so we are working on that and have been for several weeks.
We joined the YMCA and Becky has started going there to exercise on some of the equipment and in the pool. Just yesterday, she walked for 45 minutes in the pool. She is pretty sore from that now, but I think she’s encouraged by being able to do those things.
Our church family has noticed that Becky comes walking into church now rather than riding in her wheelchair. Her increasing ability to do that, and to stand and sing hymns in the service, moves me to tears. I remember the time immediately after the accident, during the time she was in the hospital, I couldn’t sing hymns without breaking down. It was something we had done together that I learned was particularly special to me. Not until she left the hospital could I sing hymns in church. To have her stand with me again now and sing was more than I anticipated.
I want to also take a moment to brag about our daughter, Adriane. On Thursday, August 14, she completed her coursework for her college degree!!! Adriane has worked so hard and so diligently – and now she has reached a wonderful milestone. I don’t know how we could be more proud of her! In addition to this milestone, she and Benjamin celebrated their first wedding anniversary on August 4. Congratulations to you both!!! We love you and are proud of you!!!
Cameron and Juliane start back to school in just over a week. Cameron will leave home again tomorrow to return to Texas A & M to prepare for classes, so we have another change of the season now. Juliane is embarking on what promises to be a very tough year – her sophomore year of high school, in which she’s going to have a tough schedule.
With each of our children, we’ve learned a very important truth. Through lofty aspirations come great successes and promising futures. In their own determinations, each of our kids have shown this to us time and again. As are parents everywhere, we’re really proud of our kids!
Take care and thanks so much to all of you who’ve continued praying for Becky and for our family, giving encouragement. You are so important to us in this time of trial and recovery. God gives us what we must have and you are part of that.
Love to all,
Dennis & Becky Bounds
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Walk On
Big News! Last night, Chester & I walked at Meyer Park. I did the longest interval ever -- 10 minutes. And I did it four times. (The last walking I had done was over a week ago, pushing very hard to do 8 minutes.) Yeah !!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
July 16, 2008
It's been a couple weeks since I've posted anything on the blog and I think it's a good time to update those who choose to come to the site. To each of you... Thanks!
Becky has been working hard in her Physical Therapy and in her own exercises and walking efforts to improve her strength and endurance. By its very nature, increasing endurance is a struggle and Becky is not an exception in this. She is determined to do a little better than the therapist says she must do, so she now walks about 8 minutes rather than the 7 minutes dictated by the therapist. She struggles with it, particularly if it happens to be hot and muggy where she's walking, but she keeps at it. You can't possibly see her work at this without feeling immense pride and respect for her.
Unfortunately, Becky has not been feeling well for about a week. She has had significant feelings of exhaustion and general weakness; so much so that she has rescheduled her Physical Therapy twice. It has to be pretty bad for us to reschedule. So, I would ask for prayers on her behalf, particularly that she will feel better and more energetic and lose the weakness and sometimes irritable stomach she's been feeling. She really does need to be able to return to her therapy, exercise and other activities.
Thanks to all of you who've continued praying for Becky and for our family. It is amazing to see God's hand in our lives as issues work out and we are able to accomplish necessary things. God surely expects us to do our part by working like everything is all up to us and ultimately looking to Him and knowing that it is really all up to Him. Your prayers, encouragement, cards, etc. are an ongoing source of strength that God has provided and we never fail to give thanks for it.
Love to you all,
Dennis & Becky Bounds
Becky has been working hard in her Physical Therapy and in her own exercises and walking efforts to improve her strength and endurance. By its very nature, increasing endurance is a struggle and Becky is not an exception in this. She is determined to do a little better than the therapist says she must do, so she now walks about 8 minutes rather than the 7 minutes dictated by the therapist. She struggles with it, particularly if it happens to be hot and muggy where she's walking, but she keeps at it. You can't possibly see her work at this without feeling immense pride and respect for her.
Unfortunately, Becky has not been feeling well for about a week. She has had significant feelings of exhaustion and general weakness; so much so that she has rescheduled her Physical Therapy twice. It has to be pretty bad for us to reschedule. So, I would ask for prayers on her behalf, particularly that she will feel better and more energetic and lose the weakness and sometimes irritable stomach she's been feeling. She really does need to be able to return to her therapy, exercise and other activities.
Thanks to all of you who've continued praying for Becky and for our family. It is amazing to see God's hand in our lives as issues work out and we are able to accomplish necessary things. God surely expects us to do our part by working like everything is all up to us and ultimately looking to Him and knowing that it is really all up to Him. Your prayers, encouragement, cards, etc. are an ongoing source of strength that God has provided and we never fail to give thanks for it.
Love to you all,
Dennis & Becky Bounds
Friday, July 4, 2008
July 4, 2008
Now that Becky has gotten fully into therapy, exercise, and recovery mode, everything seems to move slowly and the single biggest need is for drive and endurance. Becky's physical therapist has set short term goals for her endurance to increase in walking. She has been walking with a walker but has been limited to about 3 minutes before she has to sit and rest. With her posture being so out of line due to her skeletal issues, more has just been too hard to do. She has been working very hard in therapy, though, and has increased her walking time to 5 minutes, and that with a cane instead of the walker. Within the next 10 days or so, she is working to increase the time to 7 minutes. She has been able to reach that amount of time, but it is exhausting. Hopefully, continuing exercise, and lots of practice will help her become accustomed to going for that long. As time goes on, she can hopefully continue to increase her stamina, endurance, and strength. I can tell you that it is beautiful to see her walking and pushing herself to new heights, extending her limits.
With the coming of summer, Becky is really starting to miss some of the activities she has always loved. Camping, rafting, and hiking along scenic creeks are some favorite pastimes that we've not been able to do since Becky's accident. Now she is craving them. There's little doubt that we'll be working to find a way to do some of those activities soon. I hope we can make it work!
Thanks to all of you for continuing to pray for Becky's healing and comfort, as well as for me and the rest of our family. Your prayers make a difference in so many ways.
We love you all!
The Bounds Family
With the coming of summer, Becky is really starting to miss some of the activities she has always loved. Camping, rafting, and hiking along scenic creeks are some favorite pastimes that we've not been able to do since Becky's accident. Now she is craving them. There's little doubt that we'll be working to find a way to do some of those activities soon. I hope we can make it work!
Thanks to all of you for continuing to pray for Becky's healing and comfort, as well as for me and the rest of our family. Your prayers make a difference in so many ways.
We love you all!
The Bounds Family
Sunday, June 1, 2008
June 1, 2008
When someone you know and care deeply for is enduring a severe trial, you feel that trial in your own life as well. When you can empathize with them because, like them, you have touched the bowels of death and returned to continue a passionate life, you feel their trial a bit more intensely. When that person is a young person, just starting their journey of life, you agonize over what they may not get to experience and the pain you know their family is enduring. And when they overcome the trial, through medical treatment, personal effort, and, most of all, God's direct divine intervention, you rejoice with and for them and their family in a way that is deeply personal. So it is as we have learned that our friend, Kevin Whitley, has been declared free of the cancer that has threatened his life for many months. To him and his family, we say "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" and to God, we say "Thanks! We knew you could and would."
Becky is continuing to recuperate from her most recent surgery. Stiffness, soreness, and being very tired are the most notable conditions she feels most of the time. Regardless of that, Becky has maintained a positive outlook and works diligently to overcome the difficulties with her hips and legs. Becky's doctor has told us that Becky's entire skeletal structure is deformed due to the accident. Now she is working to overcome the deformities. She lost a lot of muscle in her left inner thigh when the left hip was replaced in February. The softball-sized bone mass that had to be removed from her left femur encompassed a lot of muscle. Of course, that muscle had already been destroyed, but we didn't comprehend the loss or realize its impact until the bone was removed. The full impact only became clear after the second hip replacement in May. A long term heavy exercise regimen will hopefully rebuild and develop the muscle that was lost. The surgeon told us that Becky will still be recovering from the left hip surgery, done in February, long after she has fully recovered from May's right hip surgery.
Becky has a tremendous amount of work to do to recover from her injuries and surgeries. We appreciate the prayers and encouragement that many people have given. Please continue to pray that Becky will have the strength, stamina, patience, and courage to do the work she must do to see this through. Also, please pray that I, and the rest of the family, will have what we need to help Becky through the rest of this process. Most importantly, please pray that God will hold Becky in His hands and carry her to full recovery in as short of a time as possible. We rely on Him.
Thanks again to all of you!
Love to all,
Dennis & Becky Bounds
Becky is continuing to recuperate from her most recent surgery. Stiffness, soreness, and being very tired are the most notable conditions she feels most of the time. Regardless of that, Becky has maintained a positive outlook and works diligently to overcome the difficulties with her hips and legs. Becky's doctor has told us that Becky's entire skeletal structure is deformed due to the accident. Now she is working to overcome the deformities. She lost a lot of muscle in her left inner thigh when the left hip was replaced in February. The softball-sized bone mass that had to be removed from her left femur encompassed a lot of muscle. Of course, that muscle had already been destroyed, but we didn't comprehend the loss or realize its impact until the bone was removed. The full impact only became clear after the second hip replacement in May. A long term heavy exercise regimen will hopefully rebuild and develop the muscle that was lost. The surgeon told us that Becky will still be recovering from the left hip surgery, done in February, long after she has fully recovered from May's right hip surgery.
Becky has a tremendous amount of work to do to recover from her injuries and surgeries. We appreciate the prayers and encouragement that many people have given. Please continue to pray that Becky will have the strength, stamina, patience, and courage to do the work she must do to see this through. Also, please pray that I, and the rest of the family, will have what we need to help Becky through the rest of this process. Most importantly, please pray that God will hold Becky in His hands and carry her to full recovery in as short of a time as possible. We rely on Him.
Thanks again to all of you!
Love to all,
Dennis & Becky Bounds
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