. . . and in Conclusion

After receiving numerous requests to update my condition, I'm going to add this last one as the conclusion of my adventure in what one of my friends called my "motorcycle induced vacation" though it was hardly a vacation.

As stated before, I had my last surgery on my upper right leg to remove an ossified muscle (turned to bone due to "over-calcification" as my brain tried to tell my pelvis bones to make more bone.) Once that procedure was done in November, a whole new world of comfort and ability opened up for me.  I finished up with home health and my physical therapist, Mike, by the end of December.  I still have an assignment from Mike to do a series of stretches everyday until the anniversary of my accident.  There is a lot of scar tissue that needs to be broken down to regain as much of my full flexibility as possible.

The miracle of healing continues.  Six months earlier than the disability administrators planned, my lead trauma surgeon cleared me to go back to work on January 6.  My schedule has been modified a little out of concern about how my stamina would be.  I teach two classes of World Religions on Monday and Wednesday and two classes of Acts to Revelation on Tuesday and Thursday.  Full schedule would add three more classes a week.  I'm back to producing the video announcements for the institute, too.  I have also returned to being an advisor to the LDSSA Interfaith Committee.

I can walk almost perfectly and unassisted.  When I get a little tired some notice a slight limp, but increasingly that is diminishing, too.  The big news, to me at least, is that I rode my bicycle around the block yesterday and my physical therapist cleared me to ride on our local bike path today to see how I do.  Someone will be with me to spot me, but once I'm on the bike I do fine.  It's getting my leg over the bike that I am working on.  More stretching to be sure.

My return to bicycling includes a plan to ride in the Salt Lake Century in May and be a part of a relay in what is called the "Salt to Saint" (Salt Lake City to St. George) ride in September.

My stamina has exceeded the expectations of my supervisors.  I feel great.  Everyday is a new and fresh day.  I love things that I used to dread. .  . like taking out the garbage, cleaning the garage, feeding the dogs, running errands.  I get excited because instead of complaining the thought comes into my mind, "at least you can do it".  After laying for months in a bed not being able to walk, I loving doing anything.  I have a great anticipation for Spring.  It can't get here soon enough for me.  Today will be a record high for February of around 60 degrees but colder weather will be back again later this week.  I'll take these hints of the coming spring weather, though.

I have been asked by close friends if I had an "experience" while I lay near death.  My response has been that I may have but I don't remember it.  I was in a medically induced coma for almost four weeks.  But as I have thought about it, I do know that I feel much differently about things and my heart feels softer.  My perspective of life and relationships has changed dramatically.  One associate said I'm still a little sarcastic, but it doesn't have the edge it sometimes has.  He said I'm different in a nice way.  I'll take it.

The more I reflect on this experience, the more amazed I am at the power of prayer.  As people have shared with me their experiences in praying and fasting for me I am humbled by their love and by the love of God for me.  I know many don't experience the outcomes I'm experiencing, but I'm convinced that in my case I'm here because a ton of faith was sent heavenward in my behalf.  I can not express in words how I feel about my friends, students, and family that prayed for me and continue to do so since I'm still in recovery mode.  Gratitude is on my mind and heart continually.

As I sat in my office a couple of weeks ago and noticing the small scars on my hands and thinking of the bigger scars on my hip, leg, back and forehead, I thought about how guys usually like to tell the stories of the scars they've received in their lives.  Then a powerful impression came into my mind that one day a group of people will ask One, "what are those marks in your hands and feet?"  Then He will have a story to tell.  Now I know why Jesus, even though resurrected, still has the scars.  It's because they tell the story, His witness and ours, of who He is and how He gives us God's love.

The seminary and institute teachers and their wives have been rehearsing in a choir in preparation for the broadcast of "Evening with a General Authority".  We are singing "Jesus Once of Humble Birth". The choir director was explaining the dynamics of the music and was showing us how the music is low and ominous but crescendos as it is declared that Jesus is victorious over death.  He asked us to imagine the darkness, then the two angels rolling back the stone, the light bursting forth and how all the pain, sadness, and misery Jesus had experienced was now in the past.  It was a new day, death was conquered and Light would prevail.  I was overcome with realizing that in my own little way I had experienced something similar.  My darkness, pain and misery are past.  It is a new day.  Hope is now Eternal.  The victory of Christ is my victory, too.  None of this would be possible if not for the gift of love from Jesus Christ.

As I still process the events surrounding my accident, I'm certain there will be more God has to teach me.  I am grateful that such as thing has happened because of what I know now.  It was a painful way to learn it, but the lesson is wonderful.

I probably won't add to this blog anymore.  It's time to move on and dwell on the celebrations of life. I'm loving the marriages that have and will take place.  Our twin granddaughters bring us incredible joy.  Please feel free to talk and share by phone, Facebook messaging or e-mail (keithearllongmore@gmail.com).  I love hearing from you.  Your faith builds mine.

I love you.  Jesus loves you.  And Heavenly Father loves you.  Never forget!

A Grateful Update

Shame on me for not updating sooner.  I have written an update on the Facebook page "For the Love of Keith Longmore" set up by my kids.  I'm on here because Jayne showed me how.

God has been very merciful to me and my family.  Surgery on my hip a month ago has been very successful.  My range of motion is almost back.  I have a series of stretching exercises I do each day, and now have begun using some of the leg strengthening machines at the gym as well the stationary bicycles.  I ride about an hour a day for the equivalent of eight miles.  That is eight miles an hour.  My normal is  fifteen to twenty miles an hour.  So I have some work to do.

I can get in and out of my own bed and can shower on my own.  My walking gait is normalizing.  All the hospital equipment we had in our home is gone.  No hospital bed, no wheelchair, no walker.  To top all of that off, I have been cleared to go back to work on the 15th of January. I will have a slightly reduced teaching load to see where my stamina is, but I'm pretty excited to be back in the classroom.  I'll be teaching the Gospel and World Religions and the second half of the New Testament.

My orthopedic surgeon told me to walk, walk, walk.  He is an avid bicyclist himself and he said to ride to my heart's content on the stationary bike, but no pavement riding until March when he said, "There better not be a speck of snow or ice on the road."  He also encouraged me to ride bike paths, of which we have a great one nearby.  Then when I have my bearings down, I can do more riding where ever.

I'm even driving again and Karen made me get a second car.  Her reasoning is that if we had had a second car, I wouldn't have felt the need to take a motorcycle last summer.  I didn't argue with her.  We bought a second Honda Element.

My home health nurse has discharged me.  My awesome physical therapist has his last session with me today and then he will discharge me.  I still have a lot of work ahead of me in continuing to get full range of motion back and to overcome the stiffness that comes along with my injuries.  But the prognosis is full recovery.  I am six months ahead of schedule.  The initial schedule would have still had me in the hospital.  Many thought I would be in a wheelchair the rest of my life.

Again, and I'll never be able to say it enough, thank you for all your prayers and expressions of continued prayers.  One of the greatest things I learned from all of this is the very real power of prayer, and of love and friendship.  I'm not quite done so your continued prayers will make good things great.

I am grateful to be alive to see the birth of our first grandchildren, twins.  They are still in the NCU, but are doing well.  They should come home around the first of the year.  Names:  Adaline and Everly.

May the New Year to come be full of blessings for all of us.  When the world seems so dark and ominous, don't forget we are in the last days.  But we have had many assurances that as we live the gospel, we can still enjoy a great measure of happiness and contentment.  I know that to be true.  Even when things are hard, God can bless us with happiness.  I love all of you.

New surgery date

They have rescheduled my hip surgery for this Wednesday with a three day hospital stay.  A new adventure begins!

Change of Plans

My orthopedic surgeon called a couple of days ago and said that after looking over the CAT scans and consulting some anatomy books and a collegue, that he felt he was not the surgeon for the job.  The extraneous bone growth is laying alongside my femoral artery and that is a rather high risk surgery for someone not used to that kind of thing.  So he referred me to a surgeon that specializes in orthopedic tumor removal.  He is used to sensitive things like this and can access difficult places in creative ways.

So. . . no surgery tomorrow as scheduled.  I will meet with Dr. Scott on Tuesday for consultation and suppose that a surgery date will be set then.  In the meantime, I am improving and getting my right leg stronger which will help in recovery after surgery.  I even walked across the street to church on Sunday just holding Karen's hand.

Again, and I'll say it often, I am the answer to your prayers.  I still need them, though.  I'm not quite done!  My love to you all.

Keith

All About Gratitude

To all my friends and Family:
I'm up and running well enough now that I had Jayne show me how to use this blog.  I was going through the many cards I received from so many.  I am a very blessed man to have so many that have prayed for me and expressed their concern and well wishes.  I will repost this on the Facebook
"For the Love of Keith Longmore"

I simply cannot respond to all who wrote, visited and called.  Though this is against the age old rules of etiquette, I hope all of you won't be offended by this kind of an expression of gratitude.  I have been told over and over by my caregivers and doctors that my recovery is nothing short of a miracle.  One professional told me there were seven things that happened to me, any one of which should have killed me.  I sincerely want my friends and family to know that I am an answer to your prayers.  God has given me a second chance to do my best to bless my fellow man and woman.

I am walking now without the aid of a walker.  Actually I waddle more than walk, but that should be taken care of with the hip surgery I will have on Thursday.  My physical therapist says I'll be going great guns by Christmas.  The lead trauma surgeon (who refused to give up on me) told me yesterday that I should be riding my bicycle outside this spring.  Woo hoo!  I'll have the spring and summer to get back into good condition before going back to teaching in the fall.

My employer and my insurance company have be VERY good to me.  The support group around me has been awesome.  Almost everyday one of my colleagues from work comes to visit me and even take me for a walk around the block.  I have heard from dear high school and college friends.  That has touched me deeply.  This has pulled my crazy family together in nice ways.  They have taken good care of me.  My wife has been a rock.  I married well.

I will still get on here occasionally until my recovery is complete.  I've had a few requests to do so.  May our most powerful God bless you for your love and concern.  While the world races toward evil and darkness, those who choose to follow God can still bask in His Light, Safety, and Strength.  My testimony of God's power is solidified in my trials.

Thank you again.  My love to you all.

Progress!

Dad had an appointment with the orthopedist on Monday to determine whether or not he was allowed to bear weight on his pelvis, and he received the 'okay' to start walking! A week before they anticipated! And just the day after being approved to start walking, he walked as if he never skipped a beat! And today, he walked 100 feet with his walker, without any assistance! What a stud! He has had the best attitude! Only 3 months after the accident, and he's already walking. They weren't expecting him to walk until January! Not only is he walking now, he will be walking unassisted by the time he comes home on October 17th (: We are ecstatic about this sudden progress, and can't wait until he's home and walking on his own! Dad wants to thank everyone for their continued prayers, he couldn't do it without them! We love you! Thanks for all the support for our family (:

Recap!

mom and dad home together at last (:

memes a girl in our ward made for him.

Me taking dad back to church!

A lot has happened since I last had time to update the blog, so here's a recap of what's happened since! His doctor told him he couldn't bear weight for another 6 weeks, which means he can't stand or start walking on it until his next doctor's appointment on Oct. 13, so he is still in the rehab in American fork for now, which is a GREAT facility, we have been very pleased with them. It is top notch there (; His time there ends 4 days after October 13, so we are now trying to figured how to prep our house to be more accessible for him. Now that he isn't in pain anymore, aside from his hip, he has become very mobile! We have mastered the art of moving him in and out of his wheelchair, to the point that I can now help him move him into a car! And my parents car is the perfect height as well. So needless to say, I busted him out of that rehab this Sunday, and we went to church! To his own ward! He was so excited, and the ward was even more excited to have him back! As soon as we wheeled in, one of his elders quorum presidents practically lifted his chair up the stairs, and he got to sit on the stand during church, like a bishop (: and he thought he would only be able to make it for the first hour, because he gets really stiff and uncomfortable, but he sat through all 3 hours! We were so excited (: Once we were on our way back to the rehab, he said, "you know what? I'm doing great. Let's go home!" so for the first time in 2 months, my dad came home (: He was so excited to see his dog, and she was all over the place with excitement! And it was a surprisingly easy transition to the couch for him. He even got to stay for  Sunday family dinner! He had lots of visitors too, so he didn't end up going back to the rehab until 9pm. Now that we have that system down, we are letting everyone know that on Sundays, he will be at home, not Stonehenge. So still feel free to come visit! The address is 1717 N. 200 W., Orem, Ut. 84057 (; If you give us early enough notice, you might even be able to join us for dinner! (; That might be his permanent recovery place sooner than we know because he is doing so good! Just today he called me, bright and early, and when I answered, he said "Jayne. I STOOD. BY MYSELF." He was so excited! He also started pedaling last week, and he was more excited about standing than pedaling, which, if you know him well enough, he would rather pedal his bike than do anything else in this world haha. His physical therapist is so impressed at his progress that his therapist almost gets more excited than he does (; So needless to say, he is doing GREAT! This super speedy recovery has been a miracle. We have no doubt it's because of your continued prayers for him. He has never been a stronger believer in the healing power of prayers than he is today. He still needs them though, his fight isn't over (; We are so extremely grateful for everyone's support, love, service, and prayers. We are so blessed to know such amazing people in our lives! We love you all. Do remember to come visit, hoo! Visitors are what get him through his boring days, and each and every one of you that visit, give him a little more strength to carry on (: I can't imagine anyone being able to have a better attitude about life, and everything that had happened, than my dad. He has been SO optimistic about everything. He is, by far, all of the nurses favorite patient. He's really knew maintenance, too, so I'm sure that has something to do with it (; He looks like a spring chicken at that place! Whenever he talks about being there he always says "I feel like I'm 17 here", and it's true haha everyone is at least 20 years older than him. So he can't wait to start walking so he can come home! We can't wait either (: So again, we ask that you keep him in his prayers, and come visit! Visitors get him through the day (: We love you! Thank you everything you do to help our family (: