One Week at Home, One Outing, One Doctor Appointment & One group of Friends Tonight

Hello Everyone,  It's been a fast week.  I think it feels like 2 days, but it's been 7.  Not exactly sure what Mike feels about it but we do know we are getting into a bit of a routine. 

Things are getting easier.  We even had a wonderful kid named Nick come over and rake the leaves up again and a neighbor who unplugged the rain gutters.  So much for me getting all the garbage out to the road on time...  I know, I know, the night before is a good idea. 

I celebrated my 53rd birthday a few nights ago and Mike's Dad, Daughter Madison and BF Zach joined in for a family pic.  

Panoramic shot of the entire room.  Fun evening & it was great to celebrate w/ family at home.  

Birthday hugs! 

So the big question is:  

How is Mike doing and how is the "FOOT" doing?  Here' a photo of the latest progress of the flap and how things are looking. 

The Left side- 

Believe it or not - things look OK and are healing up just fine. 

The Right side -

Yes things look BIG and BULKY and they are, but we are hoping all of this will calm down and shrink to a much more manageable size. 

The Bottom of his foot.  Yes, once again it all looks just fine. 

Really? We are working with it. (wound changes) 

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT!  :-) 

On a Sunny October afternoon we headed out to Carlton to Cana's Feast Winery to pick up a much overdue club shipment.  Needless to say, we picked up the 2 bottles and canceled the membership.  Not much need for it now, but we will miss heading out there.  The views are spectacular. 

We had our one week post-hospital appointment with Dr. Gellman today.  He had an Intern with him today and between the two of them they tweaked the struts and worked their magic.  We return in 2 more weeks.  

Dr. Gellman said he thinks the Frame will remain on for 2-3 more months.  The healing process feels like a forever process!  Patients is key! 

Working their magic! 

Bones are healing!

Some of the struts had to be replaced, tightened and adjusted - we are good for 2 more weeks of tweaking!

Just Craig popped into the appointment and put some Silver Nitrate on Mike's open wound that the skin graft never took to.  It should turn black and finally begin to start healing.  

It was good to see Just Craig.  He liked how things were looking.  However.... It is super important for Mike to get his foot UP above his heart and KEEP it there for a big part of the day!  This will aid in the healing / swelling of the foot.  We aren't that excited about the way it looks, but we are optimistic about the future.   The bottom line is - the foot is THERE and that is reason to celebrate. 

Tonight Mike's friends Serge, Clay and Rich came over for dinner, vino and some much needed reminiscing.  Earlier in the day John Ralston and his wife (I wasn't here so I don't know her name and a certain someone struggles with names, but I won't mention who)  came by too. 

Mike has had some busy days - this is a good thing, but we do need to focus on keeping his foot up and resting.  Also into the mix of the day is stretching and strengthening exercises.  Doing the stairs and even the shower routine today seemed easier.  We can only hope.  

We appreciate and love everyone out there for all the support and warm thoughts that keep coming our way.  Counting our blessings everyday!  That's what keeps us going...  

Love and hugs, S&M from Summer Lake

PS - the updates won't be quite as often - but know that you are thought of very often and we would love to see you and hear from you! 

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Day 1 & 2 - Back in the Lair

Hello everyone - here is the update on what has been happening with MC since he arrived home mid'day on the 23rd.  It was a beautiful sunny day on the 23rd and 24th.  Mike took advantage of that, but today, the 25th was a bit cooler and cloudy.  Mike stayed hunkered down in the house.  He even took a 2 hour morning nap.   But here is what happened yesterday on his first full day home. 

Celebrating 3 generations.  Katelyn came over with Baby Brayden and I picked up Papa so we could all visit together. Brayden is just over 2 months old.  He sure brings a big smile to Mike's face. 

OH NO!  Not sure what thoughts were going through this little man's head, but he sure had something going on.  And YES he broke out into a full on explosion. Time for Mommy! 

Mommy's always know exactly what to do!  Nice to have Katie home. 

Cul-de-sac neighbors Ann and Kelsie came over to visit Mike & Katie.   The Mattila's also came over.  Later in the evening Toni Hoff and Steve Schwab stopped in too. 

Happy, Happy Grandpa - Brayden too! 

Look at this smile - need we say more.  (He was smiling at Mommy)

Next came our picnic in the backyard!  The was perfect! 

Kidderz thought so too! 

Leaves, leaves are everywhere.  Plus it looks like Mike needs a haircut!  LOL

Happy and content.  (both of them) I don't really need to say too much, but you can see that Mike is happy at home and feeling very relaxed in his easy chair. 

So here's Toni giving Mike a well needed haircut.  She cut it at the hospital 6 weeks ago the night before the free flap surgery.  Thanks Toni - you ROCK and you did all that for a hug and a glass of vino.  What a dear sweet friend.   I will have to add that YES, MC's foot is actually purple .  He sort of expired shortly after this picture.  Expired as in "needed to get off that stool and get his foot elevated".  I think both Steve and Toni were panicking - as they should have been.  Mike was turning white.  But we handled it all well.  

Today my niece Lauren and her puppy, Lilly came over for the day to create a spreadsheet with all the hospital bills.  Who is billing what and so on.  Yes we needed a spreadsheet!  We are up to 27 billers so far.  BTW, the puppy Lilly didn't help much with the spreadsheet.  Lauren did a great job and we are so thankful for her skills and the time she gave us.  Thanks Lolo! 

  Overall - life is good and Mike is home!  We have our challenges but we are figuring out how to get up the stairs and in and out of a shower.   Mike has a lot of skills to perfect, but we both know that progress will be made daily!  Please give a call and come by to visit.  We'd love to see you!  

With Love, S&M out from Summer Lake 

HUGS!!!!!

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Home Was the Goal and Home it is for MC Today

MC- IS HEADED HOME!  

Earlier today I posted a little about Mike and the fact that he is headed home today - exactly 12 weeks from the date of the accident.  We spent 4 weeks in St. George, UT and 8 weeks in Portland.  After 12 surgeries, one heart attack, dozens of Doctors, hundreds of Nurses and CNA's and countless others having a part in MC's recovery - he finally closes the Hospital Chapter of his journey.

Here is how the day unfolded.

The last friend Mike saw at the hospital was actually Mike Friend.  (cool name Mike and it was so nice of you to come by and spend an hour or so with Mike)  When you are waiting for discharge, not only does time go in slow motion, but there also seems to be countless, meaningless delays.  OK - not meaningless, but it almost seems that way when you want to GO HOME. 

Mike's Nurse saying her good-byes as well. 

MC - doing those last minute things like making followup appointments and telling me how to pack his bag. Really?   I think this is just a sign of things to come.  Hahaha

No more looking at the INFO board.   ALL DONE!!!!  

That's reason to celebrate! 

 MC's Room with a view.  Watching the fall colors come in this month was very therapeutic for him. 

My view of MC's room.  I'd park and then call him while I was walking in.  We were able to wave hello and good-bye.  No I didn't actually see him, but I knew he was there and he got a sense of the outside world when he saw me coming and going.  Mike didn't make it outside after his Free Flap surgery on September 12th - 6 weeks indoors is a crime.  

Looking good MC!  Fresh air and his car was a welcomed event.  

Getting IN the car was not so easy.  Mike's foot is HUGE with that frame on it.  We just barely got it in there.  He wasn't liking the trunk option that I offered him.  

All thumbs up and sunglasses on - ready for that short drive across town to Summer Lake. 

Here's Mikey coming in the front door.  Seemed like the proper way to come on home. 

Plus I had a few surprises for Mike and coming up the front walk was the best way to appreciate it.  He was sooooo sooooo happy to be here.  I'm sooooo glad he is happy! 

I'll keep this photo small and to the point. No description necessary however I will say - this is the first time this happened standing up since July 31st.  I know you guys out there can appreciate this.  ( BTW I creeped on him to get this photo) 

Mike sitting back in his favorite easy chair with the foot all propped up.  He promptly kicked back and took a much needed and well deserved nap in the sunshine.   I wandered off to grab some pain killer drugs and Kidderz my Kitty joined him for a snooze.  She's so happy he is here again.  Mike tends to spoil her quite a bit.  

If you haven't met Kidderz - Here she is!  Loves to travel and can multitask while doing so.  She's was just a tiny new kitten when Mike and I dated in 02.  She's been through a lot - I can tell she is very happy to have Mike back "in the house"

 I had an interesting evening sorting meds - OH MY!!!   Lots of early, mid and evening doses of prescription and non-prescription pills and patches.   I look forward to many of these being eliminated in the near future.   I'll be doing this all over again next week and daily reminders until I can eventually pass the buck to "Mr. These are my pills and I will take them as I am suppose to". :-)   I'm all about empowering and not enabling - so I expect Mike to be making great progress soon.  Perhaps I should have him start laundry, make the bed and do the dishes in the morning.   LOL  OK, I'm not that mean. 

How can we say how much we love you and appreciate your support? 

Speaking of support, Mike's Dad, Jim bought the 100th MC's Angel T-Shirt.  Seems fitting.  13 more days to get yours.  Would be fun to run into some random person you've never met and yet you are wearing the same shirt.  I guess you would have something to talk about. 

GUEST TOPIC:  Mike would love to have guests.  Just give a quick call and see if he's home and up for the visit.  Chances are - YES & YES!

SB & MC out from Summer Lake (together) 

PS Stay tuned for upcoming chapters and updates.  Remember it will be another 12 weeks before Mike will even be able to put his foot on the ground.  This will first require an additional surgery to remove the frame.  Then the real therapy begins.  Go Mikey Go!!

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12 weeks ago today ... & MC finally gets to go home!

Hello FFF,  (Family, Friends and Followers) 

Fall is in the air and have we every had a more beautiful October here in the Willamette Valley, Oregon?  Yes, it's true, 12 weeks ago this morning Mike had that accident that will forever change his life and touch the lives around him.  In some ways you could consider it a gift, in other ways perhaps one would see this as a burden he will endure the rest of his life.  They say (not sure who they is) "Change your thoughts, change your world".  MC will be coming home today and he gets to decide what life will look like for him now that he's back in his own domain.  12 weeks is a long time to not sleep in your own bed, or cook in your own kitchen or even kick back and watch your favorite TV show from your favorite easy chair. 

I'll post more this evening once we take that journey out of room 3503, down elevator A, to the main entrance of Legacy Emanuel, into the SHO (MC's car) , 15 miles through town and into the suburbs to Mike's little slice of paradise on Summer Lake Dr. 

Fall really is in the air!  I tackled the leaves and grass in the back yard over the weekend.

This job took a few hours, 20 lawnmower bags full, 4 LARGE hefty bags and a lot of gas.  :-)

Only to look like this the next day!! 

And you should see it today!  But never fear, we have a young lad coming by on Saturday to gather all the leaves once again. 

Mike has been cleared by his skin Doc, bone Doc, heart Doc, OTs & PTs & his entire Trauma Team!   It took an army, a lot of will power and vision to get Mike home today!  Stay tuned for the update on his journey HOME!!! 

Thanks for all the love and support thus far!  As you know this is just the beginning of the "next" chapter.  

Sherry & Michael Scott Colligan 

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MC's Angel T-Shirts - GET YOURS WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!

Hi Everyone, This is a special note today generated by something that Mike's oldest Daughter Katelyn thought to do for her Dad.  Read on:

To all my dads ridding buddies and friends , 
PLEASE take a look at the fundraiser I started for him..all the proceeds are going directly to him to help with his hospital expenses..MC's Angels t-shirts are $18..every little bit helps, help me meet the 75 shirt goal so we can pay it forward!

The next post from Katelyn
Facebook friends and family...so far 28 shirts sold..I'd love for us to exceed the goal of 75 maybe even hit 100! Remember all the proceeds from these shirts are going directly to my dad...its only $18 for a shirt, but the impact will be tremendous!!! ! A BIG thank you to everyone who has bought a shirt and is showing their support! Fundraiser ends Nov. 4th, so click the link below and get your shirt TODAY!!! 

And the Next:
Hey everyone so there's still 24 days left of the fundraiser and we've sold over the goal of 75 and are now at 82!! I'm hoping we can reach 100 if not more by the closing date Nov. 4th so if you haven't already gotten a shirt theres still time!!! 

This is how things look today - Katelyn hopes you'll get your MC's Angel T-Shirt TODAY!  

Great Job Katie!!!

www.booster.com/mcsangel

The photo above is NOT a link, but you can go to www.booster.com/mcsangel to order your shirt today.  

On another note:

Mike is doing it!  He made it to the gym yesterday!  He even did his stairs up and down.  I know he felt a real sense of accomplishment!  If he keeps this up, he'll be home inside of another week.  This is great news for all of us.  (Mike's foot is looking red/purple, that's because it IS!!  His blood vessels don't know how to carry the blood back up and out of his foot.  Dr. Frome has said it will need some training.  Lots of up and down time during the day.  The UP time has to be much greater than the down.  It's all a process.  One that can be tackled!  

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Hugs and more Hugs from the S&M couple!!  

Mike steps OUT and the Family Drops in - Katelyn, Madison and Grandson Brayden are in the house - room.

Good Day All - happy to report in that Mike is having some great days.  Pain is getting manageable.  OT and PT are keeping him busy.  Dr. Frome & Just Craig also stopped in for a much needed / wanted visit.  Dr. Frome likes how the flap is looking despite "how it is looking".  Dr. Dustin came in and helped Mike adjust the 6 struts on his frame that will need daily tweaking.  Much like braces, the struts will be moved slightly each day, bringing the foot up to a normal position within about 3 weeks.  The frame will be on for 12 weeks or so. 

Here's MC just a day out of surgery taking a walk to the hallway and back.  Today the dressing has been changed and the bleeding has stopped.  Basically they wrap the frame instead of the wound.  Things look much cleaner today. 

Mike is rather proud of his ability to get out of his room and to the hallway with his walker and back again.  Once they are back they do some light weightlifting exercises.  All in a days work. 

Yesterday's biggest blessing is that Katelyn came by with her baby boy Brayden.  This is Mike's one and only Grandson who turned 2 months just a couple of days ago.  Miss Madison was there as well.  Not much makes Mike happier than having his family around him.  Baby Braden is a huge win for his day!!!  Just look how precious this little guy is! 

  

  

Mike really enjoyed sitting in his easy chair with that baby all propped up on one of his pillows - sound asleep doing all the stuff babies do in there sleep.  You know, they squeak, they stretch,  smile, make noises that came from ? and make sucking motions with nothing in their mouth - oh the list goes on.  You just have to wonder what they dream about. 

I really liked this photo of Mike and Brayden - I'll just call it being reflective and enjoying the cycle of life.  At one point when the girls had left the room for a few minutes, Mike was looking at Brayden and said "look what I had a part in making" ( something like that)  It can be a little surreal when you are holding a precious new life!   

MC was warming the toes and doing baby exercises with Baby Brayden.  I've added all the baby photos because honestly - this is a huge part of his recovery, his journey and his ability to realize that there is life outside those Hospital walls.  And it's all waiting for him! 

It's fun playing Grandma and knowing some of the tricks to stop the fussy baby blues.  A little pressure on the tummy and a wrist to suck on and Brayden's world ( as big as it is - since he ONLY lives in the moment. Something we should all strive to do.)  becomes just fine. 

Folks, I have to say - Katelyn and Cody did a great job on this little guy!  He's just about as cute as they come.  Still a tiny one, but his growth spurt is just around the corner.  

Big, Big Blessing to have the girls and Brayden come by.

TODAY'S PLAN:  Mike is very excited about today - He gets to take a shower for the first time in 36 days - translated that's 5 weeks and 1 day.  Not to say that he hasn't been cleaned, but when you haven't had any water run over your body in that many weeks, you tend to feel a little dried out.  The other big item on his agenda today is to make it to the PT Gym on crutches and do a workout from there.  Mike is even going to attempt to do some stairs.  That is the one task he will need to master prior to coming home since sleeping downstairs is NOT an option for him.   Looks like home may be just another week away.  

Have a blessed day everyone - be safe always!! 

Love from the S&M couple.  

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