Dancing with the Druids at Stonehenge (;

Dad had his doctor's appointment on Thursday, and the doctor said he still can't bear any weight on his right side (where his hip had popped out), and he can bear some weight on his left, but it's not recommended. He won't be able to start bearing weight for 6 weeks. Due to that response from the doctor, there is nothing more they can do at the specialty hospital. So has been moved to Stonehenge in American Fork. This is a very new facility, only a year old, and we have already been so pleased with them! He has the best of care, and all the attention he could ask for (; He has been the talk of every place he goes because of how much progress he has made in such a short amount of time. And not to mention, the fact he's alive! As he was leaving the other hospital, all the nurses he has ever had, lined the hallway, and cheered for him as he was leaving. It touched him so deeply, he cried. We're going to miss that place! But I'm sure this hospital will be just as wonderful (: He might only be there a short time, they are talking about the option of home health, but my mom isn't sure about that yet, she wants him to have the best possible care and attention he will need. But after those 6 weeks, he'll for sure be home! But we all hope it will be sooner (: His new address at Stonehenge is 538 s. 500 e., American Fork, Utah. Room 122. Please, come visit! Visitors kinda keep him going, and cheer him up (: So don't hesitate to come whenever you can! And as often as you like! They don't really have set visiting hours there. He is also in a position to take calls and texts on his phone now, so feel free to contact him that way too (: We love you, and appreciate all you do!

Next stop...

Keith has been doing so great, they're booting him out of the rehab he's in now, because there's nothing more they can do for him. He has a doctor's appointment on the 28th with the doctor who put weight bearing restrictions on his pelvis, and the doctor will tell him if his pelvis is healed enough that he can bear any weight at all. If he can bear weight, he can either go back to the Utah valley specialty hospital, or go to the Provo in-patient therapy there, but if he can't bear right, they'll try to keep him in the Murray hospital again (although none of us like that option), or move him to Stonehenge in American Fork. He has been doing so great with all the therapy they give him. He can now stay sitting up at the edge of his bed without support, and he can even carry himself over to the commode! They also made him push himself around the whole perimeter of the hospital in a wheelchair yesterday, which he didn't exactly enjoy, but he said he loves that they push him to do things they know he can do. They are saying he still won't walk for another 3 months or so, but considering they were saying 6 months a little while ago, that's great news! Dad has also been able to take his own showers! Yesterday was his second shower and his therapist left him there for 20 minutes because he knew my dad didn't want to get out any time soon, so he showed him where the call button was, and finished up with some other patients. Dad loved it! He has actually been pretty spoiled (; and he is the talk of the hospital! Everyone is absolutely shocked at the progress he has been making. Every nurse and therapist in that hospital knows my dad, and thinks he is a miracle man! Which he is (; They were all so bummed when they heard he was going to leave soon. We will miss the exceptional care and service at Utah Valley Specialty Hospital, they have been so good to all of us. But we are ecstatic he is moving on because he's doing so well! It is such a huge blessing.But I would recommend getting your visits in within the next couple days because we don't know where he'll be after that! So feel free to come visit anytime today or tomorrow, between 9am and 9pm (: he would love to see you! Thanks AGAIN for all of your prayers, love, and support for my dad and my family. We are blessed beyond comprehension! We love all of you, and hope to see you soon!

Oh, the love!

Upon request from my dad, I am posting these videos of students from his ward that he is bishop over. 2 days after the accident, on his birthday, all of these amazing people came to my parents house, and cleaned it cleaner than we have ever had it! They got things done that we have been trying to get around to doing for years. Not surprising, every person had wonderful things to say about my dad, and to both of my parents. These videos touch my dad, and my mom's hearts so much, they wanted everyone to see how amazing these people are (: Our hearts are so full of gratitude for the service they offered my family. Not to mention, these poor college students brought home cooked meals to our home for 3 weeks, so my family wouldn't have to worry about cooking. My dad's ward has been such an extraordinary blessing in this trial, we can't thank them enough. They are all so full of love, and so ready to serve anyone in need, they are such a wonderful example of the good in the world. So if any of the YSA 247th ward reads this, know how much we love and appreciate all you have done, and are doing for our family! You guys are truly special people (: As are all of you, praying for my dad, and my family to get through this trial. He has been making such tremendous progress! He is just blowing through therapy, they already have him sitting up in a cardiac chair for a couple hours a day! They have also started him on physical therapy, down in their gym. Walking will be the last thing he does, but he will have some serious muscles up top by the time he walks! It seems like they shorten the recovery time on a daily basis! It's a huge blessing he was so healthy before this happened. 

There have been many people coming to visit my dad, and bringing him food, drinks, cards, and all sorts of gifts, and he absolutely lives them all, and the company, even more! He has seen many old friends visiting, and many new ones! He never tires of visitors (: I have to say, although we aren't surprised, he is quite the favorite with every nurse that even meets him! He has such an extraordinarily positive outlook on his situation, and life in general, that all of the nurses think it such a treat to work with him! Especially because of his jokes and puns (; I can't think of a time he gave a nurse a straight forward answer!

Each and every one of you is a blessing in our lives, and we can't sufficiently express our gratitude, except to say, we love you all. Every day, he says he knows people are praying for him, because he can feel it. So thanks, to all of you (: 

The worst is over now!

Keith has been doing so great! He has had a lot of physical therapy, and he has been rocking it like a champion! Thanks to the fact he's such a healthy guy, he had been breezing through all of his tests and therapy (: they gave him a serious of 3 swallow tests this week to see if he can handle breathing, swallowing, and talking without the trachea tube... And he passed with flying colors (: so they plugged it for 48 hours, as a trial, and he did great! So they have finally removed the tube! And he has been eating real food, abs he even got the soda he's been waiting for this whole week (; they also switched him from the nighttime feeding tube, and they are anticipating being able to take the feeding tube out altogether today, along with his nasal canula. He is finally going to be tubeless (; he has been cracking jokes left and right to everyone that visits him, and he never stops giving the nurses a hard time, and they think he is hilarious! He's probably their favorite patient (; I hadn't known they plugged his trachea, and I came in one day and he said 'oh hey, Jayne!', and I about fainted, it was such a surprise! But a pleasant one (: and dad can't stand passing up a chance to scare someone, or take them by surprise! I'm pretty sure he lives for that (; He had a group of students come in the other day, saying they just got back from rock climbing, and he said 'hey! So did I!' And when he kept trying to get us kids to take him home (whenever my mom wasn't there ;), he said to Anne, 'We gotta go! We're going dancing tonight!' All of his excuses as to why he has to leave the hospital have been pathetic, but hilarious! Even at a time like this, he's trying to make everyone else feel better, and always lightening the mood! He is truly an amazing man, and we just love him! When they first plugged his trachea, the nurses asked him if there is anything he needed to tell them that he hasn't been able to yet, and he said 'I just want you to know how amazing my wife is!' And all the nurses thought it was just the sweetest thing (: When I was telling him my mom never left his side at the hospital, and only came home 3 times in the whole 3 weeks he was there, he said 'I guess she kinda likes me'. I think my parents are more in love now than they ever have been (: it has been such a great experience for all of us kids to see how my parents pull together with such faith in such a trying time, knowing they are going to make it through, without a doubt. We are so incredibly blessed to have such faithful parents that never doubt their own strength, or the strength of the Lord. We always say our dad is the strength of our family, but we realized, my parents are a team, and together, THEY are the rock of our family. We are so blessed, beyond comprehension, and our gratitude for all the prayers and blessings we have received, is beyond words. My dad told my mom a story a couple days ago, from President Monson, that was something like this 'a woman was very sick, laying in a hospital bed, not sure if she was going to live, and she felt an overwhelming feeling of warmth, and when she opened her eyes, she said she could see spots on her, glowing, and more kept appearing until all she could see was light. She immediately started feeling better, and when she was better, she told president Monson about the experience, and he said, those were prayers said in your name'. My dad feels the same way as this woman does, that all of your prayers have been giving him strength, and motivation to carry on. So this is coming from him, he asks you continue your prayers and fasting for him. Although the worst is over now, he has a similarly difficult trial, but much more time consuming, and it will be equally draining. Please, continue to remember him in your prayers, and my sweet mother as well, so she will be blessed with the strength she needs emotionally and physically to help my dad through this trial. My dad has so much love and gratitude for every one of you, and so does our family. Now that he is speaking, he would just love all of you to come visit! Though the comments and warm wishes posted will still reach him either way (: We love all of you, and thank you for all you do to help my dad and our family! Much love!

He's outta there!

Keith was moved out of the Murray hospital yesterday, and is now situated at the Utah valley specialty hospital  in Provo. This is a great hospital, and we have only heard good things (: he is very antsy, and irritated, so he has not been having a very good experience. But he has been very interactive with everyone! Lots of smiles, and he mouths a lot of stuff, we can usually understand (; he has been sassing everyone and cracking lots of jokes! Ladies and gentlemen, he's back! (: He has been all about going home. He kept trying to have us lift him out of bed, so he could come home, and at least twice an hour he said he wants to go home. Then he kept asking for a soda, and would get so frustrated when we told him he couldn't have one. There has been a lot of eye rolling, and shrugging, because sometimes we can't understand the mouthing. But he definitely gets his point across however he can! (; this new facility does allow visitors that aren't family, as long as it's only 2 or 3 at a time and you must sign in up front. The hospital is called Utah Valley Specialty Hospital, in Provo. The address is 306 W. River Bend Lane, Provo, Utah. 84604. He is in room 251 (: Come on over! We are so grateful for all of you, and your prayers and caring for my dad and family. We love you all, and would love to see you soon!

Change of Scenery!

As of today, it has been 3 weeks since Keith's accident. He is making a lot of progress, especially in the last few days. Although, he does have an infection in his lungs (they think might be pneumonia), and has acquired a bladder infection recently as well. It has been decided that they are not going to operate on his head anymore, because the risk of infection is greater than the need to operate. They were planning on moving him from the Murray hospital on Monday, but because the bladder infection came up, they thought it best to hold off. They were then talking about moving him today, but if the infection is pneumonia, they have to wait a little longer. He has already been there a week longer than they were expecting him to be, so we are praying he can be released soon! He will be moved to a progressive treatment/rehab center in Provo, called Utah Valley Specialty Hospital. There are only 3 centers like this in the state of Utah, so he will be in great hands. And he's only a couple miles away from home too! So he will get lots of friends visiting (: They put the speaking tube in yesterday and asked him a bunch of questions, and he answered them pretty clearly, which is a good sign. He thinks it's still July, and when they asked him where he was, it sounded like he answered Lincoln City, which is where he and my mom were supposed to be vacationing in Oregon at the end of July. He still doesn't understand why he's in the hospital though, which really frustrates him. All he was saying was 'I want to go home' and 'I don't want to be here', so it's pretty clear he's over the whole hospital scene (; They think he might have some short-term memory loss, but he remembers all of his kids, and my mom, and recognized all of us, so it also might just be the brain swelling. He will have to have some sort of assistance breathing for the next couple months, until his lungs are back to normal, and he is going to have to be in a wheel-chair for about 3 months as well, because he can't put any weight on his pelvis at all. He will be doing a lot of physical therapy for his legs in bed though, and he will get lots of therapy on his arms right now. Being in bed for 3 weeks, he has lost most of the muscle in his legs and arms, but they don't think it will be much of a problem, with some therapy. Keith is very restless, and uncomfortable, as you can imagine, so he has not been a happy camper! It kills him to be incapacitated like this, because he is such an independent, hard working, stubborn man! So he doesn't do well being stuck in a bed all day, not being able to do anything for himself. And not knowing why, makes it even harder. The doctors say the brain usually blocks out the accident altogether, and most of the time in the ICU as well, so he will have lots of questions! We realize more now than before, how difficult this recovery is going to be on him and his spirits, so please, please pray for him to handle it well, and leave lots of encouraging messages! He will never get tired of them (: and he will need them, for sure! Thanks again to all of you for your prayers thus far, and for all of the love we have received from all of you!

Recently...

There is not much new progress with Keith lately. They have discovered some fluid in his lungs, so they are going to be watching that closely to make sure it doesn't turn into anything serious. He has been very responsive, understanding questions and trying to reply. He has also been trying to talk, but it's just mouthing right now, but we can usually make it out (: He is doing so much better, they are predicting he will be moving from the ICU by the end of the week (: At that time, he will be accepting visitors (: We will keep all of you posted as to when that time will be. But my mom is always accepting visitors, and phone calls! (; We are grateful for every one of you, and love you ALL!