Life at Home

Beth writing. Monday Liz was in severe pain. She called 911 and they took her to Northridge Hospital. After being there from 7 pm to 2 am, they told us that she had a UTI. Maybe the one at Burbank never got better? They started her on antiboitics and sent her home.

We have had Occupational Therapy, and nurse, a bather and PT (which only accessed her). Today is Thursday so she has not had any PT since last Thursday. Weird system. We went to see Orthopedic yesterday. Liz got the cast off and now has a brace on her hand. This afternoon we go to get the hip part of the big brace taken off. YEAH!!!!! She can walk but still needs to use the walker some. She has to wear tennis shoes for the next couple of months. She is not happy about this.

We are still waiting for referrals from the insurance to go see the Pain guy and the back guy. I am trying to convince her to take less pain meds. Its not easy.

Please come see her. She is starting to go crazy and Grandma and I are tired of entertaining her. We need some fresh people.

Thanks for prayers and let me know what it going on in your lives.

WE ARE HOME!!!!! and Liz wants Visitors

Beth writting. Liz is finally home. She is at living with Grandma and Grandpa Griggs in Woodland Hills. She came home on Friday. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday were very interesting days. We are realtively smart people. I can't image what dumb people due. Fighting with insurance and trying to get the correct equpiment delivered. And trying to get the prescriptions so we had them before we got home, especially pain meds.

We have a hospital bed, reclining wheelchair, special walker. Thank heavens mom and dad's is set up for handicap. Makes life a lot easier.

I will going into details later. Got home from church and have been doing stuff on computer to get ready for Epiphany. I have to take a lot of stuff over to mom's since I am staying there to take care of Liz.

Liz can't get out of bed without brace on. Also needs help as night. Friday night I spent the night. Liz took her pain medication at 5:45 pm and then fell asleep about 9:30 pm. She slept until 5 am. I got up 4 times just to make sure she was breathing. She had NEVER gone that long with meds before. Now she is averaging 5 hours, which is great. We have been decreasing the medication and will continue.

We have the first doctor's appt on Wednesday. Should be an interesting trip. We plan to put her wheelchair in mom and dad's van. So far she has only sat in wheelchair for 20 or so minutes. Need to practice more the next 3 days.

Keep the prayers coming.

Are you reading?

I have been typing for 10 minutes and just lost the whole thing. Let me regroup and I will start over.

Are you reading us? Liz is curious about who and how many people are reading this. If you are, please send an email to lizyaroskaszirer@gmail.com and tell us.

Thanks.

Rehab

Thank heavens for AUTO SAVE.

Beth writing. Well right now (Sunday noonish) - I am still home. The last couple of days have been very busy. I have been at the hospital a lot. My mom and dad have taken a couple of shifts. Barbara is there now (i think).



Doctor usually comes in before 10 am - so I try to be there. Then rehab 3 to 4 times a day, sponge bath, lunch and all the sudden it's 4 p.m. Liz usually takes a quick nap before dinner. Then I make her eat then she sleeps again for up to an hour. I figure if she sleeps an hour, then I can go. She usually gets up right before I had planned to leave - so I am there for another hour or two, getting stuff ready for the night.



We are being our typical selfs. I showed up on Friday and my mom told me that she was washing the plastic silverware and putting it in the Ice Tea Box. I could not stop laughing. I still think it's funny. I told her that I could get more at the cafeteria. Since Liz eats to little - one of us finishes her meals or puts it away for her to eat later. We try to eat with her (whether part of her food, cafeteria or stuff we brought).



I spend a lot of time jumping in and out of the chair to get things for her. I have taken cold brew tea bags and one of my big cups and I make her ice tea. Then when she wants it, I have to mix in sweet and low. I feel like a mad scienctist with all I have to go through to get her drink ready (this is several times a day). I have also taken baggies to keep food she doesn't eat. They have a refrigerator and freezer where we can keep it and a microwave. I was so excited. You know how I can't waste things.



Some of the staff have looked at us like we are nuts. But hey - anything to save money. There parking there is outragous so of course I looked into discounts the first day.



Liz is walking to the gym with the walker. She can push herself in the wheelchair. She is up to 5 minutes playing balloon toss. I keep telling her that some of her cousins would love to play balloon toss with her. She can sorta' get out of the wheelchair by herself. (with PT right there). I still takes 2 people to get brace on and she is still on a bed pan. They have a meeting on Tuesday to figure out the next step. Please pray that they will keep her another week. She has to have the hip brace on for at least 1 more week if not 2. When that comes off, if should be a little easier.



Please keep me posted on what's going on in your life. Being at the hosptial so much reminds me of "Float Week" where I don't even know what's going on in the outside world.



Thanks for the prayers and food and everything.

Epiphany Ministry

Paul/Clint and I are part of the Epiphany Ministry. This is a three day ministry where we go into the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility for 3 days from 7 am to 7 pm. Paul does not go in. He handles food and such for us on the outside.

We have a Prayer Vigil that runs from Friday, September 4 at 5 p.m. until Monday, September 7 until 7 p.m. We ask that people sign up for 1/2 hour intervals. We will give you ideas of what to pray about.

I have been assigned the following California times: (please plan your time to match ours)
Friday 9/4 8:30-9:00 pm
Saturday 9/5 6:30-7 am
Saturday 9/5 11:30-noon
Saturday 9/5 9:30 - 10 pm
Sunday 9/6 2:30-3 am
Sunday 9/6 12:20-1 pm
Sunday 9/6 5:30-6 pm
Monday 9/7 2:30-3 am
Monday 9/7 7:30-8 am
Monday 9/7 2:30-3 pm
If these times are not good for you - pick any 1/2 or hour you want and I will sign u up. Please email me your first name, state and what time you would like.

Also, we collect money for meals and bibles. These are called Meal Buddies/Bible Budies. The cost is $5.00 per meal/bible. It is tax deductible.

Thanks for any help you can give. bethyaros@sbcglobal.net

Insurance

Beth writing. It is Wednesday. Sorry it's been so long, but wanted to wait until I knew more.

On Friday at 3:15 - Liz called me in tears and said "They are sending me home today." I said "No there not. I'll be right there." By the time I got there they had decided that they would send her home on Saturday. I said "No." I ran though all the reasons. After fighting with Case Manager and Insurance for 2 hours, it was decided that we re-evaluate on Monday. Well, Monday came and they still wanted to send her "HOME". No nursing home would take her. Again, I explained that her grandparents could not safetly take care of her and there was no money to hire help.

Well, end result was that she was transferred to St. Joseph's in Burbank yesterday at 4:30 p.m. She is in rehab even though she is not supposed to be because she can't walk yet. That is the requirement for Rehab. You have to be able to walk if you are going to be able to walk. (This is for my family - symantics).

They agreed to keep her 1 to 1 1/2 weeks if I would agree to take her home at that time. I am leaving it in God's hands that it will work out that she will be able to stay there. Please pray for this. We wanted Northridge, but her insurance doesn't have a contract there. I am and will be spending long hours because of distance.

You know they say that God doesn't give you more than you can handle - well I think I'm done (but obviously God doesn't). My boss today (the church Pastor) told me that as of September 1 there is no more money to pay me. I am being laid off. I have not been happy there for a while with all the politics and stuff going on and was deciding what to do. Guess God took the decision out of my hands. We could use the money, but I am praying that he opens some other door that I can use.

I will try to update more often, but with no laptop and only home to sleep - it's kinda hard.

Thanks for the prayers and everything.

Wheelchair

Beth writing. Liz actually got in the wheelchair today. I took her outside for a while and then she got hot so we went in. She had me leave her in the hall for a while. She wanted to get out but PT was not back yet so we went up and down the halls.

She did very well getting out of it. I still took 2 people to get her in and out, so it's not something I can do on my own.

Liz would really like visitors. If you have any time, please stop by. If she is asleep - WAKE HER UP.

Yesterday the Occupational Therapist came in and asked Liz "Do you want to get up and brush your teeth?" Liz said "no." Then he asked 'Do you want to sit up and dangle you feed off the bed?" Liz said "no." He just had her do some exercises. I asked Liz if she had told him that she can't get up and she said "He should read the "f-ing" chart. It's not my fault if he's stupid". We just can't believe some of the people. I remember when Zack/Keith was in and nurses and such would come in the room and ask if he was ready to go for a walk. He had all kinds of comebacks. For those of you who don't know. The week before Thanksgiving in 2006 my nephew had an ATV accident and broke the same vertebrae. His break compromised his spine so he is paralyzed. What are the chances of 2 cousins breaking the same vertebrae?

I believe that going through all that with Zack has let me deal with what is going on with Liz better than I might have. When I got the phone call about Liz - the Lord told me that she was bad but going to be okay. When I got the Call about Zack - we left to drive to Palm Springs and I did not know if he was dead or alive until we got very close to the hospital and one of my sisters called from the hospital. Life is nver dull in our family.

Again, thanks for all the prayers, food, gifts, visitors and such. They have been a Godsend. It's interesting how times like these show you who your friends really are. Some people have stepped up that I never would have expected and some that I expected have not. I don't know if traumas bring out the worst or best of people. I have learned a lot from this trauma and it will change how I do things in the future.

God Bless.