Dad moves into Craig Hospital

The news on my dad is that he moved into Craig Hospital in Denver, CO which is one of the best rehab facilities for spinal injuries in the nation! He started PT, OT, etc. on Wednesday. He had a real shower/bath for the first time since the accident. HE got a pair of Crocs since his sneakers don't fit on swollen feet. No, they are not tie-dye, but a plain brown pair. I spoke with him last night and he sounded like my same. old dad. He said that he is working hard and doing everything that the doctors tell him. You know that he is Mr. "Perseverance in the Face of Adversity" :-)

He has received many fabulous cards and a great live plant! Thank you for the emails, calls, cards, and the especially all of the prayers and thoughts!!! That means a lot, really!

You may use the following addresses to send things:

Craig Hospital
3425 South Clarkson
Engelwood, CO 80113

or

Michael Dixon
1315 Elm
Denver, CO 80220

My mom's email address is jadixon54@hotmail.com if you want to write to her.

We (my family and I) all really appreciate the support and kindness that you all have shown to Dad and the rest of us as well. Many have offered to help in whatever way they can. Mom said that those of you in Medford should please make use of the gardens so that they don't go to waste. If you want to weed that would be awesome. If you just harvest the produce that would also be wonderful. Also, a huge thank you to the Robsinsons for taking Arlo in and to Doug for coming over to feed and check on the horses! Luke will be home, so maybe check on him from time to time since he is going to be taking care of the house, etc until Mom and Dad can come back. Thanks to Mike Malchow who is going to drive my parents' car out to them in Colorado. That's a tremendous help! For those of you in Medford, maybe check with the Malchows and see if Mike can take cards, etc. that you want to send out to Dad.

To look on the bright side...his accident was about a week ago and MANY good things have happened since. THANK YOU, GOD!
1. Accident was in Denver where one of the best rehab centers for spinal injuries are
2. Surgery on spine went really well according to doctors
3. Luker and Ellen were able to get there by the time Dad came out of surgery
4. ALL of us have been tremendously blessed by love, support, and prayers from all of you AND by the friends and families here in Namibia who've never even met Dad
5. By Friday last week Ellen gave me the report of the sensory tests showing that tiny bit of feeling in the thigh when poked in the ankle AND the tiny bit of muscle flextion in the hip flexors and gluts
6. Dad is really trying to stay positive and work hard on the exercises, etc that he has to do
7. The insurance companies agreed and Dad is able to be in Craig for rehab
8. By Monday this week he moved into Craig rehab facility!

Surely there is more, but these are the things on the top of my head right now. Please continue to keep my dad and mom in your prayers and thoughts as it will be a long road to recovery!!

Aunt Kathi is there now. Mike M. is coming on Friday. The Robinsons are planning to visit in early July. Aunt Barb & Jason might visit mid July. I'll be there July 25. I can't wait to see my dad and my mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

many good bits of news

After a long, hard week I am quite pleased to bring you all some good bits of news.  Ellen phoned me about a hour ago...much to report.

 

1. Dad's condition/progress: 

Yesterday he sat up in his back brace for 59 minutes and physical therapy people had him doing somethings with balance, etc.  His broken ribs and broken scapula on the right side and lots of painful bruising on the left made this challenging.  However, you know my dad, takes on challenges :-) 

 

They did a lot of sensory tests on him and found that there is a bit of muscle twitching or flexing in his gluts and hip flexors.  WOHOO, that's great news!  Also, Ellen was there during the tests and when the therapist poked Dad in his left ankle he felt it, but thought it was in his left thigh.  Hey, we are extremely greatful for the tiniest bit of sensation, of hope!!!!  All in all, God is good, healing and progress are already taking place. 

 

Dad is still in ICU, but only because there are not any other rooms available.  He is not hooked up to any monitoring machines or IVs or anything.  He even put on his glasses yesterday and watched some History Channel.  Being in the ICU means he gets even better care than he would in a regular room, so I guess its fine that he is still there.

 

His attitude is good.  He is staying positive and working hard on the exercises that they give him.  This could be quite a long road, so pray that that positive, perseverance spirit remains! :-)

 

2. The Craig Rehab situation:

As I said in a previous email, this is quite a reputable place for spinal injury rehab AND it is right next door to the Swedish Medical Center where Dad is now.  Mom's working hard with the doctors and social worker to get Dad in there.  The hang up in the insurance right now.  They want him to be in a rehab center in Eau Claire or Marshfield, but hello people he is paralyzed in Denver and one of the coutnry's best spinal rehab centers is next door!!!  To me it seems like a no-brainer, but the insurance world is a bit more complex than that.  Ellen reported that the Craig doctors are going to talk with the insurance doctors and hopefully they will agree that it's fine for Dad to go to rehab there.  Pray that this goes smoothly and that insurance will allow for Dad to move next door to one of the best spinal rehab facilities.

 

God willing, he'll move to Craig on Tuesday. :-)

 

3. Sending things/visiting:

As you all email, even though I can't write back to everyone, I write Mom a summary of who said what and to pass the messages on to Dad.  Some asked what to send -- not flowers.  Luker reminded me today how Dad says that flowers just die and then their water starts to stink.  Maybe send a funny card and write a personal message.  I sent a Father's Day card in Akrikaans which he won't understand, but then I translated it to English and sent some photos.  You certainly don't have to send things, but I know that some asked about it so I thought that I would put this part in.

 

4. How's the family doing?

Mom is totally a trooper and you all know that.  She is getting things done.  Last time I talked to her she was going for greek food and visiting with some old friends from Medford who know live in the Denver area.  Sounds like she takes breaks from the hospital to get rest and is hanging in there.

 

Luke is going to have Q-doba (oh, I am jealous) for lunch and run nine miles later today.  Ellen has visited with friends from Medford who are randomly out there.  Both Luker and Ellie seem to be better than earlier this week and are taking care to get a little R&R as well.  I think that they fly back on Sunday.

 

Many have asked how I am.  Even though I am far away, I stay connected through email and phone calls.  Dear friends and my Namibian families have been AWESOME.  Many colleauges and other friends in Mariental and abroad have smsed and emailed that they are praying for my dad and family.  That means so much to me!!  People's kindness has been so overwelming that I sometimes cry because my heart is just so full.  In the beginning of the week it was scared and sad tears for my dad, now they are happy, I-cannot-believe-how-great-people-are, tears!  I will go home the end of July for a visit.

Dad's Surgery, etc

Wow, thank you for all of the prayers, thoughts, and emails!  I've been really blessed by the response, kindness, and offers to assist in any way possible.  The kindness that people have shown to me here and abroad has made it much easier since I am so far away from my family right now.

 

Now for some news on my dad.  His surgery went well.  The doctors were able to clean up the T12 and then put pins and rods in the two vertebrae above and two below to stablize his spine.  The doctors are quite happy with how this six hour surgery went.  Yesterday Dad was fitted with a back brace and was sitting up for a while.  My mom has been in touch with Craig Something rehab facility in Denver which is supposedly one of the best in the US for spinal injury rehab.  It seems quite likely that he will get a place there when it is time to move to rehab.  Today they are planning to move him out of ICU or where ever he was just after surgery and into a "normal" hospital room.  He is at Swedish Medical Center in Denver.

 

On not such a happy note, I learned last night that there was more to the injuries than Mom first told me.  Dad has +/-3 fractured ribs and his right scapula is also fractured, doctors wanted to try to splint that if possible.  All of these other fractured bones are quite painful, so even though he can move his upper body, it's not very nice.  He also has a lot of bruising and swelling.  However, despite all of this, he has a positive attitude.  Mom said he is smiling and teasing the nurses, probably calling them all "Sweet Pea" or "Suzy".  That shows that even in these circumstances he is still my same dad with the same contagious personality and slunky spirit!

 

Please continue to pray for the recovery process.  There is still no feeling in his legs.  Join me in praying my father through to a walking recovery!

My Dad

Last night I received a call that every Peace Corps Volunteer dreads. My mom phoned around 8pm, she never phones out of the blue unless we have a phone date or I call her first to tell her that I am home. I knew something had happened. My parents are in New Mexico, I think, helping someone build a new house. My dad fell from a loft in the house and is now paralyzed from the waist down. He is having surgery at 7:30am New Mexico time oon Tuesday June 12.

People, please pray for my dad and for my mom! They are in a hospital far from home, far from my sister and brother (I think they are making plans to join my parents),and far from so many friends who also love my dad so much. God IS the Great Physician, Healer, Comforter, He is the God of Peace, and so many more names are used to describe Him in the Bible, but these characteristics of God are what I am praying for my dad and mom to experience right now. I know that this paralysis is not final. It is only the second day. Please join me in bending His ear toward my dad's healing, inside and out, and for my mom as she is seeing him through all of this.

Many of you reading this know my parents and also love them dearly. Please just pray for them.

I was already planning to go home in about a month, but if the condition changes I think that Peace Corps allows us some kind of emergency leave for circumstances like this. I will keep you posted.

Thank you for reading, for praying, and for also loving my dad and my mom! They are so great!!!!!

Ah, end of term 1...

Well, this term has not exactly been what I expected, but despite the twists and turns it's been a really great start to my second year! The term started out as anticipated with school visits, a Window of Hope workshop, the kick off of Danie Joubert Girls Club...all went well.

One of the unexpected turns included being asked to teach grade 4 English and Environmental Studies for the last two months of the term. I stepped up to the challenge of teaching grade 4 in Namibia and it turned out to be a great experience! I have been missing teaching, so it was nice to have some practical experience in a Namibian classroom. My classes had 35 and 34 kids to whom I taught 30 periods per week. I was able to implement some of what I help other teachers with in terms of Reading instruction, learner-centred education, and classroom management. I feel that my two months of teaching will help boost my credibility as a resource teacher in the region.

Now that all of the kids' progress reports are written, signed, stamped, and sealed it is time to get back to work at the actual TRC. I plan to catch up on projects over the school holiday and map out the plans for next term.

In addition to work in Mariental, I was able to spend of couple of days in Windhoek at the Reconnect Conference for the group 26 volunteers who are mostly teaching in the north and in Kavango Region. I facilitated a session on LCE and classroom management as well as shared best practices ideas with the other TRC volunteers. I do enjoy supporting and assisting other volunteers. My experience in Namibia has been so positive that I also want to see others make the most of it as well!

Cape Town!

Wow, what a fabulous corner of the world! Megan, Jaco, and I drove
12 hours for a long weekend in Cape Town. We met up with Megan's
good friend Tara who travelled with us and is now touring Namibia.
For a long weekend we packed a lot in: Table Mountain, Cape of Good
Hope, penguins at Boulders Beach, Stellenbosch wine tour, Robben
Island, and for me a pedicure and manicure! Enjoy the photos.

supporting holistic HIV & AIDS education in grades 4-7

These teachers all facilitate Window of Hope clubs at their schools.
Here they are presenting one of the songs from the WIndow of Hope
program to the rest of a group of teachers gathered for a refresher
course.

The week after visiting Hoachanas schools I helped put on a refresher
course for the Window of Hope teachers. Window of Hope is an
excellent, holistic, after-school, HIV & AIDS education program that
was developed by UNICEF for grades 4-7 in Namibia. The program uses
songs, games, stories, art, drama, and discussion to teach kids about
self-esteem, goal setting, their own changing bodies, and many of the
issues around HIV & AIDS such as transmission, stigmatization,
prevention, and positive living. It is supposed to be in all primary
schools in the country. I cannot speak for the rest of the country,
but in Hardap Region that is true. All 47 primary schools have this
program up and running. This year we (WOH Trainers and RACE
Coordinator) brought all of the facilitators for Junior and Senior
WOH clubs together to discuss the successes and challenges of
facilitating the clubs, to answer their questions that came up along
the way, and to plan for the future of the program in their specific
clusters (groups of schools in one town or area/village). The formal
training of facilitator for Window of Hope is one week. This
refresher was one day, so we had to be pretty efficient with our
content and use of time. Overall, the feedback from the teachers was
really positive. They seemed to enjoy the opportunity to discuss
challenges, come up with solutions, and share ideas with teachers
from different schools and different towns. Hopefully this refresher
course will help to not only continue Window of Hope, but improve its
implementation in our region.