New Year's Eve News

Happy New Year Everyone,

We hope you can find time today and tomorrow to spend more quality time with your family to welcome the new year. The Harm's are planning to celebrate this evening with a delicious home cooked meal and enjoy the comforts of being home, as this will be the last New Year's we will be celebrating in our Minnesota river view home. 

The later Fall and early winter months have welcomed us with mild winter weather that has been very pleasant and safer for Jake to continue his walking progress. We were hit with a Midwest snowstorm on Monday and Tuesday of this week delivering us 12 inches of snow over two days. So now the ice and snow will cause a setback in Jake's ability with walking safely in the outdoors, and to be out and about as much as he would like. We have to walk very guarded with him to ensure he does not fall, slip or lose his balance. 

Today was our 6 month followup visit to orthopedics to get a set of xrays, get an evaluation of his progress for mobility, be provided an overview of his bone infection, and talk about options for Jake futuristically if the infection wins. We are pleased to share with you that Jake got a great report on the progress of his healing of his knee, hip and femur overall and his improvement on assisted and independent walking ability. Overall, there is new bone growth in the right places to continue to support the rebuild in both of his legs, ankles and hips to support all the metal rods and screws that is holding this amazing young man together. Yes, he still walks with a "side-step" walk due to one knee has less than an 90 degree bend, and his ankle is fused in a permanent right angle position. Jake still has a delay of range of motion on his left side of his body due to the brain injury causing some balance issues at times, but for greater periods of walking he has dramatic increased pain that is hard to tolerate, so that is where the wheel chair is his safe guard to use when necessary.  As you can see, we are taking what we can get out of every improvement Jake can make. As of this time last year he was barely walking.

At this time, Jake still has a bone infection. He will continue on with two more months of antibiotics and they will reevaluate the infection the end of February again. The good news from what the doctors can tell is that the bone infection is not spreading and looks like it is controlled at this time. This was HUGE news for us today. The doctors posed options again for futuristic orthopedic choices to help Jake with mobility and if the bone infection does not clear up. Amputation is still one of those options, but now we are told that may be further down the road as his review today looked very good. They are also talking about knee replacement, but that is only a short term solution- as he may need four knee replacement surgeries total in his lifetime due to his age, and going through these types of surgeries are so painful, takes so long to heal and to get up to be mobile again. The other option they discussed if they can save the knee and femur, is to fuse his knee like his ankle and then he would walk with a definite limp as replicating a "peg leg"  walk. 

No choice solution is perfect, all will be painful and cause setbacks. But now we are back waiting, waiting for the infection to continue to improve, and trying to help him find pain relief. The arthritus has set in, early mornings and starting into the evenings are the most difficult times for Jake for mobility- as the pain is heightened. Once he gets up in the morning -and moving- and gets his morning shower, the pain calms down to a degree he can tolerate.  In the meantime the doctor was great assisting Jake with pain relief alternatives of more suggestions of soaking in the tub- which he can not get in and out of yet, hot towels and rice bags to heat up in the microwave to assist him in the morning/evening with easing the pain, and alternating between iBuphrophen and Tylenol. Jake is adamant about not taking any type of narcotics that can be habit forming or addictive and we are 100% in agreement with this choice he has made. 

Due to the arthritic condition that Jake is now experiencing, and more to come, we are also taking the advice of the doctors to relocate our entire family to a dry and temperate climate for Jake. The west coast is calling to provide for all of us a productive and quality life change, so Jake will be able to walk more without the worry of snow, ice and dealing with below zero temps. Jeff will still be Jake's full-time caregiver to ensure Jake receives the best quality and nurturing care to assist his needs, while Naomi will be providing for the family by working with a major edtech corporation, and will continue to deliver her keynotes national and internationally. (More on our move updates in 2016 :-)  We are hoping more days of sun will also add to our entire family's overall wellness plan to keep a positive mindset while maintaining a positive attitude and demeanor as we continue another journey in lives.

Happy New Year and wishing you and your entire family an amazing 2016 that is filled with laughter, joy, good health and gratitude!