HAPPIEST OF NEWS!

Yesterday at around 1pm Molly and I left U of M Hospital for a 3 1/2 hour drive home. YES you read that correctly, Molly and I are home because she was released early. Keeping with her trend of amazing feats since she got sick, she completed everything the therapists wanted her to in order for them to know she would be able be home. Our drive home was uneventful and made it home in just about 3 1/2 hours with a stop in Bowling Green for lunch. It was a great ride home filled with lots of laughs, smiles, and tears from both of us. It almost did not seem real to actually be coming home. But as we pulled onto Westminster Drive we knew it was true. Making it even more special was the beautiful flowers and landscaping that had been done and a wonderful banner strung on the fence welcoming Molly home. Thanks to the Ladybug Garden Club and Express It signs for making our homecoming even more special. Our first night back home went great, trying to get back to some sort of regular routine and redefining normal for ourselves. The animals were funny, the cat really likes Molly's wheelchair and can't seem to get out of the way. Bravin was a little leery at first, but after a few minutes just sat beside her as if she was protecting her. It is almost as if she knows something is different and is being so gentle and careful around Molly. She got up in bed last night but was very careful to lay clear at the foot of the bed and only came up when we called her. This however does not mean that she doesn't expect to us to continuously throw her tennis ball. Some things never change! Neither of us slept great last night, but I slept better than Molly. She said that it was too quiet. Too Quiet? I guess when you spend 2 months sleeping with constant interruption in an uncomfortable bed you start to miss it when it when it is gone. Oh well, I am sure she will get used to the quiet comfort of our own bed quickly. Today, we began the next step of our journey by looking for equipment needed to make things easier at home, therapy, doctors, etc. Molly will begin therapy on her hand and physical therapy tomorrow (Friday). She had a couple of days off with the surgery, the trip home and today looking for these services, so there is a good chance she will be exhausted and sore after "restarting" therapy. Molly and I have been thinking about all the amazing things that have happened so far during our journey and want to start sharing them with you. Stories about nurses, doctors and other people we have met, along with just purely unbelievable events that are beyond explanation. They are special to us, and know they will be special to all of you as well and cant wait to begin sharing them with you. As we begin this next step in our journey, we will still need all your thoughts and prayers. in some ways, even though we are home, the most challenging part is still ahead of us. We have to get back to normal, Molly needs to learn how to walk again, and deciding how to help others with our story and oh yeah, still make a living. If anything the past 2 months has taught us is to take one day at a time and lean on and trust in friends and family and the power of prayer. We will continue to update the blog with Molly's progress, specific prayer needs, and stories. Thank you all for everything and God Bless You All! Love from Home! Molly and Jamey

TUESDAY, AFTER SURGERY

Surgery went well! Molly was taken to surgery earlier than expected by about 2 hours. When she was in the pre-op she looked at me and said, you know you have been here awhile when the surgical team knows you by name and is equally excited about you getting to go home soon. But it is also another example of how much they actually care about you here. The actual surgery only took about 20-30 minutes and went well. Dr. Wahl came out to talk to me after she was finished and Molly was in recovery. She was pleased with the surgery and should have very little limitations other than not to get the dressing wet. Good thing Molly got a few showers in last week, as we are back to sponge baths for a little while. Other than that, she is able to resume therapy and using her legs as before. With the surgery today, very little else went on as therapies were not scheduled, and with the long pre-op, surgery, then post op time along with the time it took her to get fully woke back up and the drugs to wear-off it was late this afternoon until we got up, ate, and went outside in the courtyard for a little bit. But she is feeling fine now and ready to get back to doing therapy and her regular daily routine. With only the surgery happening today, we don't have a lot of other stuff to report on. so until tomorrow, keep us and each other in your thoughts and prayers. Love, Jamey and Molly

MONDAY AFTERNOON

WHEW, What a weekend. McDonalds on Saturday and then we stepped it up a notch and went to Applebees on Sunday. Had lots of excitement and fun the entire weekend with a lot of last minute, unexpected visitors from the Fourmans on Saturday, Bud on Sunday morning and Tom & Joanne in the afternoon. Joanne brought me lilacs and they have made the whole room smell wonderful. While out on Sunday we looked up neighbors from the lake that live in Plymouth. Joy and Ashley were home and got to visit with them for a short while. The nurses on the rehab unit fight over me because Jamey and I are never in the room so they don't have anything to do regarding taking care of me except forcing a few pills down my throat when we do show up at the room. This is a great physical sign that I am getting better and stronger because we are able to get out of the room so easily now and take off out and about. Except for today when they tracked us down so they could put in an IV for my surgery tomorrow. I thought I was done with holes in my arms, but this is definitely the last one. Surgery should be very quick and easy tomorrow. We do not know for sure yet, but it sounds like I will stay on the Rehab floor and they will be treating the surgery almost as an outpatient procedure and will be able to return to the rehab floor afterwards. I hope this is the case because Jamey doesn't want to have to move all my stuff to another room. He is looking into a U-Haul already to get it all home when the time comes. While my roommate Nancy is great we are not so sure about her family as they keep showing up with Maize and Blue on all the time and giving us a hard time about being Buckeyes. Not really, they are huge Wolverine fans, but they have been great to visit with and have had a lot of fun with them going back and forth with the rivalry. Given our circumstances, it has been good to laugh with them and break the boredom a little from time to time. We got the chance to visit Trauma Burn again and it was great to see some of the nurses again. It is hard to believe, but we actually kinda miss them. they had become such a huge part of our lives for several months that you get close to them and it is sort of sad when you have to say goodbye to them, even though good bye is a sign that i am getting better. so it was nice to see them again. My whole team of health care providers continue to tell me that I am progressing at an unbelievable rate and are going to start researching providers to continue my care back home. SPECIFIC PRAYER AREAS

• SURGERY! We think surgery is scheduled at 10:30 tomorrow morning, pray for safe, successful and quick surgery of the last small graft on my left stump
• HANDS & FINGERS! They continue to get better, while therapy is painful and still have a ways to go, still need prayer for complete returned function and use.
• Nancy, My roommate. She will be going to a nursing home for a few months before getting to go home. They are a great family and she needs prayers for physical and emotional healing. she gets down about her situation from time to time.

We continue to be amazed by all the cards and prayers we receive daily. We know that the speed of my recovery has to do with all the positive thoughts and prayers. Jamey and I still have a long way to go on this journey to return to normal and to decide what and how to use this experience, so continued prayers are definitely needed.

God Bless Each Of You!

Love,

Molly & Jamey

AFTER THE BIG DAY OUT

Whew, what a day! After gaining clearance from the nurse around 12:30, we headed for McDonald's. Yes the cheeseburger was yummy and the fries too. But anything would taste good after two months of "Potato Encrusted Cod, Meat Lasagna, and Chicken Cesar Wrap" which are on the menu every single day, day in and day out, never changing, always the same. It is hard to believe, they can change the whole medical staff each month as they change clinical services in the 14th best hospital in the country with over 859 discharges per day and over 11 miles of hallways, but they cant change the stinkin' menu!!! I can't wait to come home and get more Maid-rites, Jim's hotdogs and just a good steak on the grill. Speaking of coming home, we are within two weeks for sure if not sooner. I am scheduled for my skin graft surgery this coming Tuesday. We are not sure exactly what will happen after the surgery as far as what unit, how long for recovery, additional rehab, etc. We should know more on Monday. After the McDonald's meal we drove around Ann Arbor wandering what to do. At one point Jamey suggested going back to the hospital early, yeah right, I don't know who he thought he was kidding, the nurse said we had until 5pm, and by golly we were going to use every minute of it! so, we decided to head to Cabela's in Dundee which is about 15 miles south. Cabela's is a HUGE, GIGANTIC, ENORMOUS hunting and outdoor store, with an indoor aquarium, boats, fishing and hunting equipment with indoor ranges, furniture, restaurant, etc., etc., etc., even if you are not into hunting and fishing, definitely a place to visit. they have mounted animals and fish all over the place with a huge mountain and water fall with stuffed animals all over it. with all this stuff to choose from we bought licorice. Yummy! We arrived back at the Hospital about 10 minutes late because Jamey got lost. I take that back, he is never lost, he just doesn't always know exactly where he is (so he says!). Our nurse said she would excuse us and we aren't grounded so we can go out again tomorrow. Now that I have filled my McDonalds craving, I am not sure what I am looking forward to eat. I was just happy getting off the hospital grounds into the real world. Once back in the room, Jamey became a mechanic and tried to McGyver my wheelchair to keep my legs more elevated. He had my nurse running around looking for allen wrenches, supports, and other stuff, but he got it done. Then to my surprise the Fourman family walked in unexpectedly all donning Michigan colors. (They are a family I have grown to know and love from my days at South School) They made a great day even better. They were in town as they are huge Michigan fans and came up to see the first baseball game played in U of M's new baseball stadium, and it was against the Buckeyes. anyway, it was great to see them and be a nice ending to a fun day. PRAYER NEEDS

• Hand and Fingers! They are slowly getting better, but a ways to go yet to get total function and feeling back in them
• Wounds! continued healing of legs and stumps
• Stumps! Healing of course, but also strengthening, reduced contractures, and shaping needed to get a good fit for new legs.
• SURGERY! Successful, quick, and safe skin graft on Tuesday. (We will update on Monday evening or when we know a more definite time)
• Spirits! They are good and we are thankful, however, we still have a lot of bridges to cross and challenges to face, so continue to pray for Jamey and Ito remain positive as we continue on our journey
• Safe Travels! for Jamey as he travels to and from the hospital and friend and family as they make visits.

God Bless You All for your continued prayers and thoughts, we could never had made it this far with out you, and will not be able to make it further without each and every one of you. You are all very special and dear to us both! Thank You!

Love,

Molly and Jamey

FRIDAY EVENING

We are both sorry it has been a couple of days since our last update, but I couldn't get Molly out of the car. Yes that is right, physical therapy had us go to our car and had Molly get in the car. when it was time to get out, she refused, crossed her arms, pouted and said, "lets go home!" OK that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is close. Anyway, things continue to progress in all areas. Molly is now starting to sleep better, continuing to impress the docs and therapists, transferring from the wheelchair to just about anything she wants, taking showers regularly (YEAH, and not just for her, but all of us), eating good, very few medications, using absolutely no pain meds at all, not even during dressing changes, etc, etc, etc. We got the chance to go visit some of the nurses in the SICU that took care of Molly when she first got to the U of M hospital. It was good to see them and to say thank you, even though thank you will never be enough. They were all happy to see Molly and just can't believe how much progress she has made and how well she is doing. while they have seen many people with similar illnesses, they have not seen anyone get well so fast. We are looking forward to this weekend as we get to escape for a little while with a day pass for Saturday and Sunday. As forward as I am looking to our upcoming excursion, I am not looking forward to Molly's choice of food fare, McDonalds! For some reason she craving a McDonalds cheeseburger and fries. She is not even sure why, hopefully this will pass. anyway, it will be great to get off the hospital property for a few hours. Looking toward next week, therapy will continue so Molly can keep getting stronger, more flexible, and more able to use her wheelchair and other things we all take for granted. The trauma surgeons should be in in the next day or so and take a look at her legs and make a determination as to when they want to do the final skin graft on her left leg. this will be the final surgery and in the big scheme of things should be minor and short. Recovery and healing of the grafted area will be quick so we can get home and continue with outpatient therapy in Greenville. SPECIFIC THINGS TO PRAY FOR

• Hands and fingers to keep gaining feeling and flexibility
• Healing of open areas on stumps and overall healing of grafts
• Keeping high spirits for both of us as we continue to discover our new definition of 'normal' and return home to everyday life in the next few weeks.
• Finding the right outpatient therapy center that can provide the needed services
• Finding the right prosthetist when the time comes to be fitted with new legs
• Clarity for what we are supposed to do to help others from this experience

Thank you will never suffice for what each of you have done for us, but nonetheless, Thank You for the prayers, positive thoughts, cards, gifts, comments, visits, etc. etc. etc.

God Bless you all!

Love,

Molly & Jamey