The day after Christmas will mark 7 months since Kurt's accident. As I reflect on that time, much of it is a blur, while other parts are vivid and seared  into my memory. Since coming home from inpatient rehab in August, Kurt's made tremendous progress. That was the last time I posted, so with the holidays and new year upon us, I thought I'd share an update and a post from September that I never published. It should give a flavor of what the early days at home entailed ...

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September Post

We've covered a lot of ground over the past nearly three weeks since Kurt's return home. At the end of last week, Kurt had his follow-up heart appointment at Lankenau. They conducted an EKG and said his heart is beating as it should. They cleared him for now, so no more heart appointments for the foreseeable future!

We also returned to Lankenau earlier this week for a follow-up kidney appointment with his nephrologist. We're waiting on the bloodwork from that appointment to ensure his kidneys continue to operate as they should. Wednesday afternoon, another trip to Lankenau, this time to visit with his orthopedic surgeon to ensure all the work from his pelvis and leg fractures are holding strong. All looks good so far, but they want him to come back in November for another set of scans to ensure the hardware is secure in place. This was the first time Kurt and I both saw all the imaging of his pelvis and leg. We both couldn't believe the number of plates and screws holding him together.  

After seeing the nephrologist, we stopped up to the SICU to visit with some of our all-time favorite nurses. It was the highlight of our day and brought us so much joy to see and squeeze them! They are an extension of our family, and I continue to admire and am in awe of what they're capable of. They saved my husband's life, and they saved me, too. I will be forever grateful to Nurse Matt and his elite team of super-hero nurses. 

Yesterday we ventured back to Interventional Radiology at Paoli for a consultation to remove the filter placed at the base of Kurt's IVC, the major vein that brings oxygen-poor blood back to his lungs and heart. The IVC filter was put in when Kurt had pulmonary embolisms. The filter prevents future clots from traveling into his lungs and heart. Now that his lungs are healed and he's making solid progress, they want to remove the filter. It was never intended for the long-term. We expect that will be surgically removed in the coming weeks. We'll be back at IR this morning to have the feeding tube in Kurt's stomach removed. Though the tube was important to ensuring Kurt's nutrition, he no longer needs it. It catches on everything and is painful when jostled. It also prevents Kurt from laying on his left side and stomach. Kurt's counting the minutes till it's gone. 

Kurt has continued with his in-home therapies these past weeks, which also included a visit from a wound specialist. I can't believe how much the wounds on his head, bottom, and leg have improved in the past two weeks. When Kurt first arrived home, it took me nearly 45 minutes each day to redress all his wounds. As of this week, his head and bottom only need ointment and his wound from his compound fracture needs minimal changing compared to just a week ago. 

This week, we also introduced acupuncture into his healing and pain management regimen. He's gone twice so far, and while Kurt says "it's doing something," he also thinks "it's too early to tell." We are hopeful it will bring some much-needed relief to his chronic foot pain. We were also able to get an appointment with a pain management specialist next week, so we're praying that will introduce a new plan for his pain and healing. 

Yesterday also marked a big milestone, Kurt was officially discharged from home care and started his outpatient rehab! We went back to Bryn Mawr Rehab yesterday afternoon for his outpatient intake evaluation. Here, they assessed what he needs to continue on his healing journey. Kurt's making solid progress, his stamina and strength are returning little by little with each day. He continues to walk with a cane and leg brace, and we expect he will for some time. We are hopeful his balance will return once he has less numbness and pain in his foot. Many have asked if the issues with his foot will resolve. We remain optimistic. So far, Kurt's far exceeded every doctor's expectations, so if we look to the past, we feel confident that it will. Medically speaking, neuropathy is hard to predict and we continue to pray for a full recovery. 

This past weekend the boys had a soccer tournament up the road and Kurt was able to make it to the sidelines for a short while to cheer on Kalen and Kyle. He spent the entire day Sunday recovering from the outing, but it was just the boost his mind and spirit needed. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen and continue to share their love and words of encouragement. He cannot wait to get back on the sidelines regularly to coach and cheer on his favorite teams. 

As for me, well, Kurt suggested I share more about how I'm doing here. I don't write about myself for a reason. Usually, how I feel is directly correlated with how Kurt is doing on any given day. I don't have much time for anything these days beyond caring for my family, keeping our household running, ensuring Kurt is getting the best care possible, and exercise (Peloton also saved my life these past dark days. Turns out crying while riding is highly therapeutic for me). I expect this is all temporary and there is nothing in the world I would rather be doing then helping my family get back to full strength.

The care and love you all have shown our family is beyond words. I still wake up most days and pinch myself, thinking how did this happen? Where the hell did the last three months go? All the plans, all the hard work, all the forward momentum ... it comes to a grinding halt and you are launched into a crisis beyond your wildest nightmares. And, we are stronger for it. One breath at a time. We move forward and look ahead and create a new path, together. We are blessed and thankful for all that we've learned these past three months. Thanks for continuing to cheer us on. 

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December Update 

As you might imagine, our days these past four months have been filled with follow-up appointments, bloodwork, therapy, rest, and much-needed family time at home. Since September, Kurt's feeding tube and IVC filter were successfully removed and he's wrapped up his outpatient rehab at Bryn Mawr. We're in a transition phase at the moment. We think we've found an amazing therapy just down the road that specializes in pelvic health. We hope to start him on his next phase of therapy early next year.

Kurt was cleared to drive about a month ago. That's been a huge help for our family and lifting Kurt's spirits. With the help of a gel-cushion seat, he's also gotten back on the Peloton a handful of times to ride (!!!). The rides are much slower and shorter than before, but he's getting stronger with each pedal stroke. 

The pain from Kurt's drop foot continues. For now, he walks with a cane and brace, but we're hopeful those are temporary. A few months ago, Kurt had an EMG on his leg to measure muscle response and electrical activity in response to the nerve's stimulation of the muscle. This was done to determine if the nerve is regenerating, which it is (wonderful news!). It's not clear how long Kurt will feel pain in his foot or if the pain will ever fully subside. It's also unclear if his drop foot will ever fully recover. We've seen some improvement in his dorsiflexion, the action of raising the foot upward toward the shin. His ability to have full flexion of his foot is critical to walking (and hopefully one day running again). 

Tomorrow, Kurt goes to Paoli for an injection in his lower back to hopefully help alleviate the pain in his foot. There's no guarantee it will work, but we are optimistic and continue to pray for relief. To date,  his foot has been the biggest barrier to faster healing. 

Kurt will also have surgery early next year to repair an inguinal hernia. Hernia repair surgery is relatively commonplace, but with all that Kurt's been through, we are taken extra precautions. In January, we're meeting with the hernia surgeon at Lankenau. We're assured that if you have a hernia, he's the guy to see. The question they need to answer is if they'll perform the procedure laparoscopically or need to open him up. 

For the foreseeable future, Kurt will have a core medical team of three doctors for his kidneys, his physical therapy, and his pain. They are an all-star team and we continue to have great confidence in their care, support, and guidance. The kidneys continue to recover but aren't back to normal levels yet, and we don't know if they'll ever get there. Despite his higher levels, he doesn't require medicine, dialysis, or a special diet. We're in monitoring mode at this point! 

We're approaching mile 15 in Kurt's marathon year of healing. I can't believe the progress he's made. We've reached a point where we have more good days than bad, but the bad days are hard and long. We continue to feel immense gratitude for the love and support from this community. We are beyond grateful to be home for the holidays and honored to be a part of Main Line Health's home for the holidays video.

From our family to yours, we wish you all the best this holiday season. Your prayers continue to find their way and are a big reason for Kurt's healing and my ability to survive this year. We are blessed beyond measure. A crazy year with wonderful blessings, indeed. All our love, Katie, Kurt, Kalen and Kyle.