All is well! Peter continues to take small steps that we feel will add up and become great big strides. It is hard to believe that this time last month he was just returning to Montview Drive, and just the month before that he was just coming out of the ICU in Charlottesville. The man has had a busy summer.
In one of my previous postings, I wrote that Peter had been upgraded to full-time status at Shepherd Pathways, when in reality he had only been upgraded to 3 days a week (rather than 2). Gradually, the therapists there have added days to his therapy schedule, so NOW he is officially enduring five days of workouts each week.
Peter can flex and lift his right leg. Until recently he has had zero feeling in his right arm and shoulder, but as of this week he's begun to feel sensations in his shoulder and his hand.
Pete is able to speak much more clearly than before and has done well with his speech therapy homework assignments which require him to recite several brief factual sentences about himself ('My name is Peter Kintz. My wife is Mitzi. We live at 2309 Montview Drive.'). Peter, himself, proudly reports that his reading ability is much improved.
Health-wise, Pete is doing incredibly well. His blood sugar appears to be stabilizing somewhat. Often, he requires little or no insulin.
Mitzi has become an expert interpreter of Peter's sometimes mixed-up language. The other morning he was in the bathroom getting ready for the day. He turned to Mitzi and said, 'I need a hacksaw.' She wasn't sure exactly what Peter meant by this, but left the room and returned with a washcloth. She held it up and said, 'Is this what you wanted?' Peter nodded. Mitzi made him tell her the correct name of the item (which he did on first request) before she would give it to him.
Friends and neighbors (who are also friends) have continued to heap blessings on the Kintzes. Peter Dahl, Mitzi and Peter's neighbor, walks Charlotte every morning during the week so Mitzi has one less thing to do before she goes to school. A teacher friend, Kat Mattimoe, has volunteered to come to give Peter art lessons once a week. (Last Saturday, he drew feathers with charcoal.) Jim Duggan, David Childers, Brad Beard and Brian Kirsch recently relived the old Pedro DuBois days, arriving to Montview with 20 lbs of tomatoes and other ingredients to make salsa with Andrew and Peter.
These are just a FEW of the wonderful, life-giving things that the community is doing for the Kintz family - not to mention the prayers, meals, phone calls, offers to run errands, etc. Thank you all for your love and support.
As we pray for Peter, here are a few specifics that we are keeping in mind. Please join us as we consider the following:
- Mitzi and Peter are headed up to Highlands tomorrow (Friday). They will stay in the cabin for ONE night. Please pray for safe travels for them and that they will receive the rest they seek.
- Pray for the return of all Peter's abilities - speech, reading, right-side motor skills, especially - so that he can begin to feel more 'back to normal'
- We ask that Peter would continue to feel encouraged by his progress, no matter how slowly it sometimes seems to come.
- We continue to pray for Mitzi's capacity to serve Peter during this time, and that she would have energy to teach with enthusiasm. She loves her work and her students, and we are so grateful for that.
Thank you for joining us as we continue to pray for Peter.
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