Ethan’s Story

Site created on August 24, 2021

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Newest Update

Journal entry by Jameson Rubenzer

We are settling in at home. We both have pretty much spent this week catching up on sleep.  So I apologize for the lag in update here. 
The pain from surgery is getting better each day.  He still has a lot of nerve pain on the entire right side of his body.  Nerves are a crazy thing, if you have ever had neuralgias you know how horrible and unpredictable they can be.  His entire right arm from the elbow to the fingers is in a splint and wrapped in dressings.  He can move his fingers and feel them, so that is promising.  We are to remove the dressings on Sunday. We will follow up with the Burn Center on Thursday next week and will also return to the plastic surgeons to get his many sutures removed. He has been limping because of his pain in the bottom of his right foot and right knee, but he can walk.  He is doing things on his own and finally put contacts back in yesterday, since he was awake longer.  
His mood was much better yesterday, actually back to looking at his phone and smiling and is seeming much more like the kid I know.  Today he is finally feeling like he can handle seeing some visitors here and there. 
I’ve been hoping to get him out of the house for a ride. I was actually thinking the dump yesterday, but he was sleeping again by the time I was ready to go and he wasn’t impressed with my idea. 
I was able to sneak in yoga this morning, which was amazing....he declined the invite for my meditation and breathing. Lydia thought maybe a game of chutes and ladders, since he didn’t need his dominate hand to play (normally we would play cards). 
Thinking by the weekend he can pull the chips
Out of the deer cameras. 
I guess what he is able to do is in hold until next week. I imagine we will be looking for a great occupational therapist that works with hands and wrists in our area. I will drive to the cities If needed to get the best care. If you know any local, be sure to reach out to us.  At 19 healing isn’t fast enough, but he does know he has many things to be thankful for! 
All the prayers, love and support are priceless to us.  We are surrounded by so many wonderful people doing so many things to help us move forward. Many of you have thought ahead about things I couldn’t even begin to focus on, like having the meals really takes a load off and let me focus on him and all that needs to be done and set up for him moving forward. 
We continue to pray for full healing and recovery. 
I cannot express enough thanks to all of you as you continue to help us move forward! Personal thank you’s will come from me with time. I’m not sure how long before he will be able to write and personally thank people, but I know when it happens you will all be happy prayers were answered when you receive something handwritten (printed in his case....no cursive taught to the Class of 2020) from him. 
I will update next week after we see the doctors next Thursday (9th), Unless something changes before that. 
We have been catching up in messages and texts and hope to respond to the rest on caring bridge as well. 
Again, THANK YOU EVERYONE
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