Counting It Down (And a Hug Goodbye)
Dad here - ghost blogging from Nashville after a visit to NYC for the Memorial Day Weekend. Lots of news, so buckle up.
On Friday, June 17, 2005, Jonathan is scheduled to be discharged from New York Presbyterian Hospital. Can you believe it? Of course, lots of things can happen in the next 16 days to change the schedule, but everyone seems to agree it's time to go home. Well, not to our real home just yet, just to our miniature home in NYC.
We can begin to think about the next phase - which includes lots of outpatient rehabilitation. The places and times are uncertain - but it is exciting to even consider the possibilities. On the other hand, we are apprehensive that Jonathan's care will now fall primarily on himself - and his faithful Mom. Sharon's newly acquired nursing skills - including (a) wound care, (b) pain management, (c)rehabilitation, and (d) other assorted duties - will be put to the test.
Jonathan has truly entered the healing stage. The skin grafts and donor sights are progressing nicely - but still have a ways to go. Jonathan's innovative insistence to reverse his sleeping direction in his "half-Clinitron" bed has worked marvelously to ease the pressure on his back. The plastic 10 pound dumbbells are no longer sufficient challenge for his upper body exercises. He was able to walk a couple of blocks to a nearby deli for a sandwich - without any assitance. Plans are to have "dinner on the town" this weekend with Hunter - accompanied by his tilting wheel chair which relieves the pressure on his back during long periods of sitting.
Don't be misled - many challenges remain. All of our lives have been changed forever. Inflexibility in the left hip may never allow Jonathan to put a sock or shoe on again (not that he did that much before). And the nerve damage to the left foot has rendered the toes nonresponsive for now. The list goes on, but suffice it to say we soliciit your ongoing prayers and support. Every time when things seemed impossible or unbearable, someone has lifted us. The presence and expression of your love has been marvelous to observe.
Monday evening as I prepared for the (13th) trip home from NYC, I gave Jonathan the usual - goodbye, I love you, one day at a time - speech and hug. Then, for the very first time upon my leaving, he rose from his wheelchair on his own power and gave me a bear hug. An emotional moment that signaled the possible end of a very dark phase of our lives.
posted by The NYC Family @ 11:53 AM
30 comments
30 Comments:
Oh David,
My breath was taken away and tears have come to my eyes at your last paragraph.....Jonathan stood to hug you goodby....I weep with joy at the progress that has been made and how very far you all have come.
Discharged from NY Pres......Praise God!! Discharged...what a wonderful word!!
Prayers will continue for longer walks, complete healing, and "normal" around the corner.
Leave it to Jonathan to take this lemon and make lemonade out of it.
We know JD is not out of the woods yet, but he is skirting the edges and looking for the path out.
Thank you for keeping us posted. Jonathan is still part of our day, everyday.
We will be back in July......tell him we would LOVE to take him, and and any of you there, out to dinner.
lots of hugs,
lots of prayer,
lots of love,
ginge
Ok, David....now I'M CRYING THE UGLY CRY!!! Every emotion you describe as a parent we feel. All of you Shaubs express yourself so beautifully. Hope your dinner with Hunter is expensive:)....has several courses...dancing bears(?)/girls or whatever makes jonathan laugh! Have a great one on ole Huntsi bug!I can't TELL you how excited we are to hear about the 16 day count down....FANTASTIC NEWS!
lOVE,
Sallie Hillenmeyer
What a joyful news! Praise God for His good work. Jonathan is still in our prayers.
Vanya
GOODIE GOODIE GUMDROPS!
David and the rest of the Shaubs,
My heart is overflowing with praise and thanksgiving for the progress J has made. I know that you all see glorious light at the end of a very dark valley in your lives. Remember that the Lord is preparing J and the rest of your precious family for immeasurably rich and divinely orchestrated things that are just around the corner! My prayers will continue. I also pray that you will continue to update this blog even after you leave the Pres. I have come to depend on the stories of progress found here. May you all rest in confidence within the shadow of His wings. Love and prayers.
Lauren Cunningham
Abilene, Texas
WOW! What a thrill you must have all felt when you got this piece of news. How wonderful that your leaving the hospital is near, Jonathan. I know there were days when we all wondered if this day would come, but it is near, thank you Heavenly Father. Also, how great that your wounds are making progress, but prayers will still be lifted for complete healing, and SOON! I, like Karen, am not afraid to boldly ask the Father for FASTER healing. I know you must be tired of the wound care and the discomfort, but the end (of your stay at the Pres.) is in sight.
I'm glad you all seem to be over the somach virus, that is never fun. Stay healthy, keep smiling and know that prayers are still being lifted for all of you.
Love,
Elisabeth
dear ny Shaubs I am also teary eyes, again, as I read Jonathans report. I really believe the word for Jonathan was from God as he has and is making remarkable progress. and I do believe a complete healing for him. To God be the glory and praise and we love Jonathans' courage.
Love to all you faithful loved ones
Jane and Clarence
Shaubs--What a wonderful blog we read this evening...but they are all wonderful to read, even the ones that do not contain positive news....but that is all behind us now......we press on now to a higher calling...getting J out of the hospital and eventually back to good ole Nashville.What a glorious day that will be...and hopefully soon!! We know there are more hurdles to cross, but know how good our God is and how much he loves Jonathan(as we do),and we pray for complete healing of body, mind, and spirit....keep onkeeping on.....we love you all.Linda
Hello Jonathan, David, Sharon, Nicole and Megan,
What WONDERFUL NEWS!! A discharge date... A light at the end of a long, long tunnel!
Well, God is answering our prayers, as HE has been doing all along....
Jonathan, your last blog the other day was wonderful!
I laughed at your description of yourself walking down the streets of NY in the hospital hose and gown!! Dare I say that maybe, in NY, you just fit in?? HaHa-- You know that is a southern Tennessee girl saying that.....
Our prayers continue here. The joy I feel for you all is overflowing....
Love to you all--
Christy
Who could ever doubt the mighty healing hand of God? We are all thrilled at the news and celebrate with each of you. Jonathan, it is hard to believe that just several weeks ago you could hardly move... I knew the thought of camp would spur you on... hooray for OCBE!!! Listen to your Dad... take one day at a time and meet it with the force that you have met every other challenge in your life... We love you and a praying for you.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!
I could feel the warmth of that bear hug here in Lebanon. I am touched to the core.
Pam Thorne
June 16th!!!!!!!!!!! Come quickly!!! We are so thrilled for all of you. Praise God for the strength He continues to give to live.....and live with a joyfilled passion for where He has us.
To each one of you--you amaze me with your outlook, your faithfulness to God and one another, and your openness to share your lives with us.
WE long to see you home and all together again.
We love you so...
Daniel, MaryAnn, Caitlyn and Caroline
David, That must have been one of the greatest hugs you ever received, and one of the greatest Jonathan ever gave!
Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah.
Tony, Anita, and Maria.
David -
That hug will probably be in the top ten events of your life. Praise the Lord for the progress that Jonathan is making each day. We continue to pray for Jonathan and you all - for strength; perserverance and hope that you can feel the Otter presence each and every day. We love you guys.
Jeff and Deb
What wonderful news! I know all of you are overjoyed with Jonathan's progress. I'm sure he will have some limitations, but practice and time will take care of some of those problems and of course the Good Lord. I know He has continued to give you strength when you were all in deep dispair and I am so glad that he will be able to leave the hospital. Therapy will be very hard at times, as he has already experienced, but I feel sure that he will have great success. I am so happy for all of you and continue to pray for Johanthan and all your family.
Yours in Christ,
June Calhoun
De Ridder, LA
Praising God, and so thankful that you all are now on the brink of Jonathan's release from the hospital. Thanks be to God.
Hallelujah! What wonderful, marvelous news, especially the description of the HUG! I rejoice with all of you that the end to your hospital stay is in sight. We will pray for continued healing for Jonathan and for endurance for Sharon, David, Nicole & Megan as you support J through rehab.
I was just updating friends on J’s progress. They were so excited to hear that he had taken a walk outside the hospital. I know they will be equally thrilled to hear the discharge date has been penciled in on your calendars.
Psalm 40:1-3 says “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and hear and put their trust in the LORD.” I am praising God for the healing thus far for Jonathan and boldly asking for MORE. Thank you all for your shining examples of faith. May God continue to shower you with His abiding love.
Lynn
Praise God. We all love you guys!
What wonderful news. There is light at the end of that dark tunnel. We saw Nicole today - it was wonderful to see her. We told her to give Jonathan a Big Hug for us. All of you are in our daily prayers. God is so faithful. We love you all. The Flow Family
David, that is awesome! So glad to hear Jonathan's getting out of that hospital...and I'm hoping and praying he will be able to tie his shoes one day! I know God's got big plans for that guy! Take care and let him know we are still cheering for him!
Brenda Tant
Whoo-hoo, rock on! My prayers continue that such progress will also.
AMAZING!!!
Indeed, this IS the day the Lord has made and we WILL rejoice and be glad. It is just what we expected, is it not? He is faithful and He is good. Blessed be His name!!!
From our hearts to yours it seems weak to say, but very deeply felt, Much Love!!!
Nancy
MP standing over my shoulder as I read your blog...patting me on the back as the tears flow. Just praising God that you are at this point and continuing to solicit Him for His never wavering attention to Jonathan's and all your needs. I truly cannot think of a more capable mom than Sharon to handle Jonathan's ongoing needs. Just wishing you could be here in Nashville where we could tend to Sharon's needs. We love you all, the Switzers
David,
I continue to pray for all of you guys. I ask God for miracles to happen with Jonathan's left leg and for unbelievable healing to occur. I have already seen some powerful witnesses to God's faithfulness through all of this, but I still pray that God will do MORE to bring good out of all this. I hope you can feel the power of the prayers that are offered for you daily.
Marty Dodson
Great news! You're just in time for the wedding. We still have a tux with your name on it. Seriously, even though you still have alot of work to do, hopefully the worst is behind you (no pun intended). You continue to be in our prayers each and every day. The guys are getting together tonight for a "tool" party. I'll send some pictures next week. I'm sure your BIG news will be the talk tonight.
Dianne
I am speechless!
The Psalm that Lynn Mott shared says it all!
Praise God!
Karen
What absolutely wonderful news! It takes a lot of make this old girl cry, but that blog did it! Can't wait to tell David and Jessica the wonderful news.
We love you,
The Turners
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! What marvelous news! We continue to pray for healing and strength for all of you. Robin, Tom, and Charlie
Bateman
Shaubs, yes, continue to blogg! We live for the news! That J is writing and walking and going to dinner is wonderful, glorious news! Our prayers will continue to flow upward to The Throne of Grace! Love you all, The Findleys
What a great moment to hang on to. A milestone of sorts. It's wonderful to think of new challenges and blessings as you move to a new stage in Jonathan's recovery. Hugs from a son are a gift to us fathers. I know there are many here who would like to give Jonathan a special hug and look forward to that time when we can share our hearts of joy and thanksgiving with him. We eagerly await that special "homecoming" back to Nashville.
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