Congratulations Josh & Lisa!

Congratulations Josh & Lisa!  Baby Holt is due in late September 2014!  Can't wait!!!!

Wedding Pictures

I know it is a long time coming, but here they are anyway.  Click on the pictures for a better view.  

ANGEL

The song is called "Angel" by Casting Crowns.  Josh dedicated this song to Lisa at their reception.  I added pictures to go with it.  I love this song too.

Wedding Count Down

19  Days

8-19-12

Update on Josh: Another good day! Just pray that he can patiently make it through four more weeks of total bed rest. I won't go into detail, but he has an uncomfortable bodily issue going on that is out of his control and it is really bothering him. Please pray for that to either clear up or that he would learn to deal with it. Thank you so much for praying.

8-18-12

Update on Josh: SUPER GREAT DAY!!! Josh felt well, he ate a good amount of food, and enjoyed time with his family (mom, siblings, fiance, and dogs). Kristi and Isaiah had a sleepover at the hospital last night and are going to do the same tonight. They have their snacks, video games, ipads, etc. I am so glad they are doing this. I'm sure it makes Josh feel like he is at home. I told them not to stay up too late and they promised, but I know my kids, they will be up late AGAIN!!! But, I think they are more tired tonight and will probably get to bed sooner. I guess the nurses woke them up every couple hours to check on Josh, so not a very restful night last night. Anyway, there are a couple pictures of Josh and Buddy, and Lisa with Izzy on Facebook.  You can find it on my wall - Susan Stricker Holt.

8-15-12

Update on Josh: Called Josh on my lunch break today and he was not feeling well. But, by the time I got there around 6 pm, he was up to eating some food. Kristi brought Buddy and Izzy up to see Josh. They are such good dogs. They laid by Josh's bed most of the time, and greeted everyone as they entered the room. That made Josh's day!!! He misses his dogs.

8-12-12

Update on Josh - He had a few days this past week where he was nauseous, vomiting, and had diarrhea. Yesterday and today he felt a little better and could finally eat something. Josh sleeps a lot too. I guess when you have to stay in bed 24/7, what else is there to do. I know sleep helps the healing process, so that is good. I saw a few weights by his bed. I didn't ask about them, but I am sure he is doing some OT strengthening his upper body. Please keep praying that he is able to beat the bacteria in his body and the C-Diff. I got some good advice from a friend at church who had experienced C-Diff. We have to make sure they are taking an aggressive response to the C-Diff so it doesn't progress into something worse. Thank you for praying!

8-9-12

Update on Josh: I stopped by Josh's room tonight after work for a little bit. He is still not feeling well at all. His skin color still doesn't look normal either. The nurse called it "ash". Lisa asked for lab results and things are all in the normal range. They will keep a close eye on everything. I actually called the hospital this morning before going to work to see how Josh was doing. Josh hadn't been answering his cell phone, so I just wanted to see what the nurses thought of Josh's condition. They didn't seem worried. So I went to work and waited til afterwards to go see him. He isn't eating any food since he feels so nauseous. They are keeping track of how much water he is drinking as well, to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated. I am hoping they can figure out what is making him so nauseous and get that corrected soon. He can't afford to lose any more weight.

Lisa made a interesting observation. Quite a few rooms on Josh's floor of the hospital have that special sign outside their room that indicates a contagious condition and for people to wash their hands before and after entering the room. We are wondering if Josh got the C-Diff from the other patients on his floor. The nurses are supposed to either wear gloves or do the hand washing regimen every time they come in and leave the room. Lisa noticed that they don't always wash their hands when entering, but are pretty faithful in washing on their way out of Josh's room. I read that C-Diff is prevalent in nursing homes and extended stay hospitals. Just an observation!

Keep praying! 
Sue

8-8-12

Update on Josh: Josh seems to have a day or two that looks like he is on the mend and then he gets hit with more. I didn't go see him tonight, but Lisa did. She said he is not doing well. I could tell he wasn't feeling too great Tuesday night when I was up. A mom just knows when her kids aren't feeling well by their eyes and faces. Josh had a different color (olive hue) to his face and dark circles around his eyes. He had that look Tuesday night. Lisa said he looked even worse tonight. He has diarrhea and has been vomiting.

Two things are going on in his body (hopefully no more than these two). When they did the culture of the tissue in his pressure sore, they found that he had a bacteria in it. They are treating that with the proper antibiotics. Now, it looks like he has C-Diff. This is highly contagious and the main symptom is diarrhea. If you go to visit Josh, wash with soap and water when entering and when leaving. Anyway, Josh probably got it from taking so many antibiotics that his body's immune system is weak. They can treat it with certain antibiotics. C-Diff can lead to more serious complications, so please keep Josh in your prayers. If it is not one thing, it is another. I can't wait for all of this to be behind us and Josh gets to move on with his life with Lisa. I am a little worried, but as I learned in church last Sunday morning....I need to give it to God. God is in control.

8-6-12

Update on Josh: Monday is another great day. I called Josh right after I got out of work to see if he had eaten today or if I had to pick something up. He proudly told me that he ordered off the hospital menu for all three meals today and was eating his dinner right then. Yee Haw!!! (There goes the country girl in me - LOL) The kitchen is open from 7am to 7pm and he can order whenever and whatever he wants. This makes mama very happy!!! I stopped by to see Josh for about 20 minutes and then headed home. He was in great spirits and had a room-full of visitors (his friends). They didn't need me around. Just had to share the great news. Thank you everyone for your prayers and concern. ♥

8-5-12

Update on Josh: Yesterday was not a good day for Josh. They started him on some more antibiotics that made him nauseous and then gave him anti-nausea meds to counteract it, which in turn made him sleep for 5-6 hours. Today he felt much better and even ate pretty well. I finally got him to order the hospital food. Normally, he won't eat hospital food (he assumes all hospital food is yucky) and then I end up bringing food to him so that he will eat. He can't afford to go without eating since he is so thin and I can't afford to buy him food everyday for the next 6 weeks. He ordered the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, with a Caesar side salad. He ate it all except the stuffing. It didn't taste like my Stove Top stuffing, so he didn't like it. LOL Anyway...things are going well. Just continue to pray that Josh can tolerate the lengthy bed rest regimen and that all infections will be taken care of by the antibiotics.

8-2-12

Update: Josh is still doing well. The plastic surgeon inspected the area today and said it is looking good. She did say that the culture of the tissue in the would is growing something and said it is probably staff. She will make sure they keep an eye on things. He has two drain tubes coming out of his thigh as well. He is in a special Clinitron Air-Fluidized bed that will help in the healing process. Here is the description of a Clinitron Bed: An air-fluidized bed contains several hundred glass beds inside the main bed unit, which is covered by a thick, polyester sheet. Warm air circulates through the sea of beads, causing them to fluidize, meaning the base of the bed supports the patient through a steady stream of pressurized air. The polyester sheet enables air and moisture to pass through the bed, helping the skin of patients remain dry and avoid the damage caused by incontinence or excessive moisture.

The bed produces heat, so Josh needed to keep the room temperature low to keep from overheating. Unfortunately, those of us not in that bed were freezing. Lisa and I had to cover up with hospital blankets. 

Josh will be moving to a subacute facility soon. It could happen tomorrow or Saturday. The surgeon mentioned Great Lakes Specialty Hospital. It is brand new and is actually in the same building as St Mary's Hospital where he is at right now. I am hoping that is where he will be sent. He will be confined to that Clinitron bed for 6 weeks. He is not allowed to sit up at all during that time. The head of his bed can be raised a little, but not to a sitting position. Since the bed evenly distributes his body weight, he is allowed to lay in any position in the bed, even on his back. 

I will continue to keep you all updated on Josh's progress. Thank you so much for your prayers in this matter. I would like to also request prayers for the husband of one of my co-workers. His name is Ben. He is hospitalized too and just a few doors away from Josh's room. He has some serious health issues and will probably remain hospitalized for quite some time until they can figure out how to help him. They would greatly appreciate your prayers too. ♥

8-1-12

Update: Surgery took a little over four hours. Everything went really well. I gave the surgeon a HUGE hug! There was enough tissue in his thigh to completely fill in the hole that the pressure sore created(which was pretty big). The surgeon said the tissue in the pressure sore looked healthy. She did remove some of the infected bone and even sent bone and tissue samples for a culture to just be safe. Josh will be at the Lacks Center part of St Mary's Hospital for a couple days before being moved to a facility to recover for six weeks. We are waiting in Josh's room for him to be brought up from post-op recovery. We are extremely excited with the results so far!

CHANGED SURGERY DATE

They changed the surgery date AGAIN!  There is now a conflict on the doctor's schedule for August 2nd, so they moved it up to August 1st.  Fortunately, my work has been very understanding about these changes and I shouldn't have any trouble getting this new day off.  Unfortunately, Lisa may not be able to get off from work.  The bad part is, if there is another emergency that is more important than Josh's surgery, it will be postponed again.  Pray that there are no emergencies.

New Surgery Date

Josh's new surgery date is August 2nd. He is hanging in there in
the meantime. He is still on IV meds for the bone infection and
still has the wound vac. Josh is doing very well with his bed rest
too. Everyone's prayers are a blessing for us. :)

More Updates

6-15-12  Update on Josh - A home-nurse came again today and watched Josh change the meds for his IV. He is a pro now. He knows what to do and is doing pretty well today. He is back to normal, except for the pressure sore issue. We are hoping to get that second opinion from another Infectious Disease doctor concerning the amount of time needed before the flap surgery on the pressure sore.

Eric and I had a date night tonight. We went out for dinner. It was great to just relax and have a nice dinner out together. We brought home leftovers that were quickly polished off by our starving children that were left behind. :)

I heard a wonderful song on the way to work this morning. I did post it a couple hours ago here on FB. The Hurt and the Healer by MercyMe.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxqfDs-64I0&feature=share)   It brought tears to my eyes. They were actually tears of joy and thankfulness. We are the "hurt" and when we collide with the Healer (God), wonderful things happen...the hurt get well or blessed in some way. I am truly blessed. God is with us every step of the way helping us and even carrying us at times. He allows opportunities of trials in our lives so that we will grow closer to Him and also glorify Him. For all those who are hurting in your lives, I hope you collide with the Healer.

Keep the prayers coming. We still have a long road ahead. We are human and will definitely falter at times, but your prayer support will lift us back up during those times. Love you all,

Sue

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6-16-12   Still not sure if Josh will have his surgery next Tuesday. I hope they let us know soon.

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6-24-12  It looks like Josh's surgery will NOT take place this Tuesday. He has an appointment set up for Friday with the plastic surgeon. We will learn more at that time. It is probably good that they wait a bit before having the surgery to give the antibiotics time to work on the bone infection. We will keep you posted.

Update 6-14-12

Update on Josh - HE IS HOME!!! God is so good. Josh is in his bed all hooked up to IV's with heavy duty antibiotics. The home-nurse was here and hooked it all up and showed us how to care for Josh. They have a 24 hour phone line if we need any help. Josh will be taking other meds orally as well. He is set up with doctor visits in the near future to check on things. He will have blood drawn at times by the home-nurse. As I mentioned before, the infectious disease doctor said that Josh needs to be on these IV's for 6 weeks before he can have surgery and the wound doctor said it would be ok to have the surgery on time (June 26th). We are going to get a second opinion from another infectious disease doctor on this. I will keep you posted on the surgery date. Josh requested bratts on the grill for supper tonight. We were very happy to supply that meal to help fatten him up. ***THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS*** God has given me a wonderful Medical Case Manager through our auto insurance. I still have not met her in person, but she is going to help me with making sure the hospital and all the doctors involved bill our insurance companies correctly. Somehow they are not processing the bills properly and thus, they are not getting paid. And guess who is getting the bills and threats of collection. We have always done the proper thing and paid our insurance premiums and now they want to do this to us. We went through all of this 8 years ago. It is soooooo very frustrating when we are trying to just stay afloat with the medical issues at hand consuming our time. Among the many things that Jennifer (our case manager) is going to do for us, she will take all the bills and our insurance information and take that burden off my hands. She will contact each provider and help them understand what to do. She is a God-send. I can feel the weight lightening off my shoulders. When I finally meet Jennifer in person, she is getting the biggest hug ever.

Update 6-13-12

Update on Josh - Was hoping he could maybe come home today, but no such luck. He is still on IV meds for the bone infection. The infectious disease doctors said that Josh will have to wait 6 weeks before having his surgery (which is set just 2 weeks away right now). They want to let the the meds work on the infection. The wound doctor told Josh that he should be able to keep that surgery date for June 26th and that the surgeon will just scrape off all the infected part of the bone during the surgery. So....which way is it??? I asked the nurse if the two sets of doctors could discuss Josh's case together and come up with a plan. She said she would talk to both doctors and get them together. If that happens, it will be great. But I have been promised things by the nurses and they never really happened. If nothing happens by tomorrow afternoon, the doctors will hear from me in person. Josh does need to put some meat on his bones before the surgery too. His protein levels are way down, just like when he was in the hospital in March. Lisa brought him some food for dinner tonight and he ate more than I have seen him eat in a long time. I commented on his big appetite, but he then let me know that he wasn't really hungry at all, but knew he needed to eat as much as possible so he could have the surgery. He didn't feel well a few minutes after eating all the food. So, he will have to learn to graze throughout the day and make sure the food is full of protein. From what I understand, Josh will be able to come home with the IV's and Isaiah (brother) will help him with everyday needs. Josh will still be on full bed rest until the surgery and will need someone to do everything for him and even help him transfer to his wheelchair to shower or use the bathroom. Enough for now. Time for bed. Thank you everyone for your prayers. God is listening and answering.

Update 6-12-12

Update on Josh - I am writing this from a hospital computer. I called Josh on my lunch break today and he sounded GREAT. He sounded like he was back to normal. I asked if he could come home tonight. He thought maybe he could since he was doing so well. I called again on my way up to see him after work and he said he could not come home tonight. They are watching his kidney function. It was on the abnormal side and they want to keep an eye on it a little longer. The bone biopsy came back and he does have an infeciton in the bone. They are giving him antibiotics for that. The infectious desease doctor is supposed to come up tonight to go over some things but we haven't see him yet. Maybe tomorrow....of course I will be at work. I will have to ask that they give me a report by phone or in written form. This computer is really slow. I will maybe type more when I get home.