Mars was in an accident

[jbirdswife]

Venus - - I am so sorry to read about his accident! I know this is going to be a trying time for both of you!

We will definitely be praying for Mars' recovery as well as peace and patience for you! I know you have family pretty close by, but if you need anything AT ALL, remember that Jason and I are not too far away and that I am home during the week. "Babybird" and I would be more than happy to take a ride and help you with anything that you need!

Kimberly

[Venus Pax]

Sorry so long responding; I've been at the hospital.

Step-dad is filling in for me tonight so that I can sleep.

Here's the update:


Mars was in a bad accident with an 18-wheeler on Wednesday. He was rushed to Hermann in Downtown to their trauma unit.

He had a rupture in his small intestine, which required emergency surgery. It went well and is now healing up fine, despite the many risks associated with that surgery.

He also has a shattered right knee-cap, and his right ankle is fractured in several places. The ankle was also dislocated. They did surgery on the knee and ankle late Thursday afternoon. I was told Friday that it will be about three months before he can walk, and that he would not be able to return to work during this time. Since we live on the third floor, I'm hoping to move by the end of the week. (I was so thankful to discover that his employer offers a good short-term disability benefit.)

Please keep us in your prayers; we have a road ahead of us. We're believing God for a quicker recovery, and praying for Him to guide us through this season.
I appreciate your prayers so much.

Love,
VP

[Keith B]

Thanks for the update Venus. We will continue to pray for Mars, you and all of your family, and hope for a full and fast recovery.

Please keep us updated as things progress and let us know if there is anything we can do for you guys!

In Christ,

[chewy555]

You will both be in my prayers.

[WildBill]

I was so thankful to discover that his employer offers a good short-term disability benefit. - VP

Not to hijack your thread, but if your company offers this type of insurance please sign up for it - it is, literally, only a couple dollars a month. I have known several people who have needed it and it made a tremendous difference during their recovery. Continued prayers for Mars' recovery and Venus' strength.

[Venus Pax]

I don't know when I'll be back online, so I wanted to post an update.

Some friends of mine are helping me pack today. My movers will arrive tomorrow, so I'll be in the disability-accessible location by tomorrow evening.

Mars is feeling better, but still has pain. His progress is slow, but evident. I still have no clue when he'll be released from the hospital.
Please keep praying for him. We're believing God that he will be walking independently before the three to four months that the doctors gave. Mars is a home builder and is used to running all over the place and staying active. He's not going to be happy at home with so little productivity. (Some people don't do well mentally when they are forced to stay home for long periods, and he's one of them.)

This is quite a tragedy we're going through, but I can see God's goodness throughout it. I never knew how blessed we are until now. We still have our jobs, and our church, friends, and family have helped us bear this burden. Most importantly, Mars is still alive and he WILL get better. We are blessed beyond measure.

We live in an evil world, and life here will have tragedy and hardship. But God is good all the time.

VP

[Crossfire]

Venus, we will continue to pray for you and Mars. Keep the faith.

[longtooth]

Thank you Lord Jesus for the spirit of victory that you have given VP & Mars.
Grant by your healing hand a speedy recovery for Mars. Give him patience through a complete healing that restores strength, energy & vitality. Let the peace of God bathe both of your servants. Grant VP rest as she works to provide & care for Mars.
Continue to encourage them w/ family & church support. Let the long distance support from their friends on this board be evident is my prayer in Jesus NAME.
Amen.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Thank you Lord Jesus for the spirit of victory that you have given VP & Mars.
Grant by your healing hand a speedy recovery for Mars. Give him patience through a complete healing that restores strength, energy & vitality. Let the peace of God bathe both of your servants. Grant VP rest as she works to provide & care for Mars.
Continue to encourage them w/ family & church support. Let the long distance support from their friends on this board be evident is my prayer in Jesus NAME.
Amen.

Amen. Venus, your words will be helpful to others facing their own problems.

God bless you both,
Chas.

[KD5NRH]

Mars is a home builder and is used to running all over the place and staying active. He's not going to be happy at home with so little productivity.

Speaking from limited personal experience, (very badly dislocated knee at the height of my rollerblading phase) he's going to be bored out of his mind between PT sessions. Anything he is able to do, you'll need to keep him doing; you didn't mention any arm injuries, so I'm assuming he will be somewhat mobile with the wheelchair on his own, so find a park with good sidewalks and get him all the excercise he can stand. I've seen at least one story about folks recovering from lower-body injuries becoming downright amazing at rimfire target shooting, since they were able to focus on it for hours at a time. Take advantage of the time together; it may be a really crummy vacation, but treating it as a vacation anyway will help.

Failing that, park him in front of a reloading bench, stock up on components, and tell him to get ready for a really big range day as soon as he's healthy again

[Venus Pax]

Failing that, park him in front of a reloading bench, stock up on components, and tell him to get ready for a really big range day as soon as he's healthy again

Excellent idea!

Tuesday, friends helped me pack. It took eight ladies from church (plus me) under two hours to pack our apartment. On Wednesday, the movers came. On Thursday, a friend came over and helped me unpack. Saturday, they released him from Hermann in downtown.
Our insurance company wouldn't fill his pain Rx w/o dr's approval by phone. Since it's the weekend, the soonest I can take care of that is Monday. He was up every hour or so last night. A friend brought over some Naproxen after church, so I'll call the pharmacist to make sure that doesn't interact with anything else. Maybe we'll both get some sleep tonight.
I'm looking forward to the physical therapists' visits. I'll learn how to help him bathe and exercise properly. He's either been stir-crazy or in pain since coming home.
Please keep praying for him; thanks for the prayers you've offered so far. It may be slow, but we see improvement each day.