Hey all! It’s Justun. I know it has been about 6 months since the last time I shared an update on dad (Mr. Hart) and I know many of you are curious. I’m going to do my best to condense all that has happened during these months, but there’s still a good chance this takes about as long as a Mr. Hart curtain talk ;)

JULY

The month of July was spent preparing dad to come home from Sinai in Milwaukee. We were blessed enough to have gotten a great nursing staff in place and the resources we needed to convert the sunroom at my parent’s house into a cozy room for dad. A huge shoutout to Dave and Jean Chapman, who helped us get a hospital bed (amongst several other things they have assisted with), and to all who donated toward getting him a rotating mattress to help the wounds on his backside! A huge obstacle in the process of getting him home was finding a way to keep his kidneys from failing. The options at one point were a nursing home or coming home on hospice because of kidney issues. However, after some time on dialysis at the hospital, his kidneys recovered to a level that seemed acceptable and he was approved to come home. The last thing that needed to be done was for a couple of family members to be trained on his cares, so Britni and I went through about 40-50 hours of training to get the official “green light” for discharge. The way it timed out, I finished my training on the same night the Bucks won the Finals, so kind of cool to be able to share that with him. The next day, dad was loaded into an ambulance and made the hour and a half trip home.

AUG/SEP

Dad was anxious about getting settled in at home, getting used to the nurses, adjusting to the feeling of not being in an actual hospital, etc. We were able to spend a couple weeks at home with him, which is what we worked so hard for. He was in good spirits but didn’t seem to be quite himself while home. We had some tests done and it turned out that his kidneys were going downhill again. We ended up having to send him back into the hospital, although this time it was just down the road at Aurora in Oshkosh. It was determined that he desperately needed dialysis or his kidneys were going to continue to weaken and would eventually fail. We were presented with a couple different options and him coming home again was presented as the least likely. Just as had been presented to us from Sinai in Milwaukee, our options were:

1) Sending him to a nursing home that does dialysis (nearest one is in Illinois) 

2) Try to find a way to transport him to a dialysis center in Green Bay 3-4 times a week via ambulance from home (which they doubted would be feasible/possible) OR

3) Bringing him home without dialysis (with hospice care)

Doing dialysis in the home was ruled out several times, so we were spending a lot of time deliberating the options we had, which all seemed to be… crummy. Things changed, however, when a particular doctor, Dr. Lake, happened to come in and work with dad one day and said, “I don’t see a reason we can’t do dialysis in the home”. And just like that, we were working to turn this into a reality. 

OCT/NOV

With A LOT of help, we were able to figure out doing dialysis in the home. When dad returned home and started routine dialysis, there was a dramatic improvement in his mental clarity and even appearance. He had been somewhat delusional and pale/clammy the first time around, but now the color was returning to his face and he was communicating exactly like himself. Dr. Lake made that possible and we cannot begin to express our gratitude. If not for him, dad would be at a nursing home or may not be here today at all. There was so much work put into implementing dialysis into the care routine at home by so many people, but perhaps nobody  has worked harder than Britni. Since getting dad home and getting the initial nurses in place, Britni has really stepped into a role of staffing nurses, filling in for nurse shifts, and learning the dialysis process to make sure things go smoothly for dad.

During this particular stretch of being at home, dad was able to be part of the day he had been dreaming of and doubted he’d ever see since his fall … his youngest daughter’s wedding. Not only did he see the day, he actually wheeled with Sam down the aisle and joined her for the father/daughter dance. 

 A week or two after the wedding he did have to go into Theda Clark hospital in Neenah to take care of an infection. He was experiencing quite a bit of pain and was really growing weary of the ups and downs of the past several months. One of the positive things that came out of that trip was that Theda Clark was able to place a wound vac on dad’s backside, which would turn out to be a real game-changer in the healing process.

NOV/DEC

Upon returning home again, dad started experiencing drastic improvements across the board. The pain in his neck began to subside. He began sleeping better at night and was just much more himself throughout the day. We got to experience Thanksgiving and Christmas with him at home, which seemed like a pipe dream several times over the previous year. We were able to transfer him into his wheelchair on both occasions so he could really take his place as the patriarch of the family once again. In the same living room that we stood in a year prior feeling so cold and empty, we were standing now in warmth and gratitude… sharing moments we didn’t know we’d ever have again.  

JANUARY

So that brings us to the current month. How is dad now??

Well, he’s better than ever. Truly. In every way. He is vibrant, motivated, and sassy. His wounds have continued to greatly improve. His nurses have become really well-versed in his cares but have also become extended family with our family and with each other. That’s something my dad wanted me to mention in particular, as he’s feeling quite amazed and blessed by that – such a circle of positivity around him. 

We do have some more exciting progress to share. We don’t take any of this for granted and know that there are no promises that all of these things will happen, but they are absolutely all possible. 

1)    Speaking Valve – As some remember, he had been talking with a speaking valve back in May, but unfortunately this was short-lived due to kidney function and other obstacles. Well, despite what we may have been told about this never being back on the table… here we are. He’s had a couple of successful sessions with the valve and, though his voice is a bit rusty/weak, it’s a start!

2)    Swallow Test – As dad is getting stronger, we’re starting to see what things may become possible for him, including possibly eating solid food again! Now this is going to take some work (and plenty of prayer). He had a tentative swallow test and didn’t quite pass, so they’ll be trying again in a few weeks. They gave him some exercises to try once a day, so naturally he’s been doing those about 10 times a day.

3)    Technology – We’re in the middle of acquiring a new iPad that has facial recognition capability. This, along with his sip and puff tool, will allow him to surf the internet, control the TV, and perhaps even send/receive text messages. These are all amazing ways for him to regain a sense of independence.

4)    Wheelchair and Transferring Lift – He’s strong enough now and his wounds have healed enough to spend more time in his wheelchair. This is amazing news. The recommendation now is to get him into his wheelchair two times a week. To make this process easier, we are currently searching for a lift system that installs right into the ceiling and allows us to facilitate that lift with a remote control, rather than manually cranking a lift like we’ve been doing. This would be huge!

5)    Vehicle – We are actively honing in on vehicle options to transport dad. Through generous donations, we are part of the way there! We are pursuing grants and other financial assistance in hopes of getting much closer to our goal in coming weeks.

I could have never imagined that dad would be in the condition he is in 14 months after such a tragic accident. He is such a warrior. He’s really fixed his eyes on the Lord and has gained so much strength through that. Hearing him open up about his relationship with the Lord through these days is quite a testimony – one he hopes to be able to tell to many audiences one day! Speaking of telling that story (better than it’s ever been told before)… he now has his sights set on teaching theatre again! If he’s able to gain enough strength with the speaking valve, he really wants to record video lectures for the Summer theatre program. Why not??? Dad knows that nothing is promised and there’s always a chance for more obstacles, but it’s never stopped him from dreaming – it’s one of the things I’ve always admired about him, but especially now. His resilience, hope, and faith… I’ve just never been more proud of him.

Nobody, especially dad, takes for granted the position we find ourselves in today. We are blessed to have him here. The potential progress is all amazing to think about, but it’s the little moments of just being with him that mean so much. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to fight and strive toward the goals in front of him. Specifically asking for prayers that we can avoid setbacks, that dad can continue growing stronger, and that we may be able to help him achieve the goals he has set for himself.

I will do my best to post an update about every month depending on how things are going. Thanks again to everyone who has been praying and supporting on this journey – more grateful than I can express, really.

Love love love,

Justun