Doug and ladders don't mix!

Here is the imfamous stairwell that Doug fell into on the
28th of June. It is a long way down there and it is really
a hard landing on the cement.


After 4 days in the hospital, he got to come home. We
weren't sure that either of us were ready for the homecoming.
He was in a pretty bad way for the first week home!


He is trying to smile, but I really don't think that
he means it! The first 2 weeks his heel was in a
splint... but it was his back that was causing all the pain!


Here is a "drugged" smile. If you could only have talked
to him... then you would have known how "out there" he
was. I am sure that he didn't know where he was or even
who he was for the first 2 weeks! :)


Doug is ready for his busy day... He has his remote control,
jug of water, horn to honk if he needs me, and the blow bottle
to help him keep his lungs clear. This is not "too" staged!


A few days later... Doug on the phone with the kids.


This is a "fruit bouquet" that our missionary friends at
the correctional office sent us.


This is Doug's skinny leg after 2 weeks in a splint. We
can't wait to see it after 3 months!


Pour little ankle (after 2 weeks). You can't really tell
that it was bruised by the time we took this picture. I should
have taken a picture of his back and backside... Now there
was some color!


Doug is getting around pretty good now. He still moves
slowly, but he can get up and move without back spasms
and that is good!!!!


Doug got to start physical therapy after one month!
They finally decided that he was to the point that he
could stand it. He does his exercise after 20 minutes
with the heating pad and his legs in this position.


When we bought our 2000 Subaru last month, we put
the big truck down in the lower garage... we didn't realize just
how big and roomy our garage really is without that huge
truck in there!

Lots of room.... :)

You can even walk in front of the cars to get to the

lower garage... now that's a first!

Doug was washing windows on the 28th of June (his idea, not mine!). As he climbed up his ladder to wash the last window he reached one way, and the ladder went the other way. He fell about 14+ feet into our basement stairwell. He landed absolutely flat in the stairwell, missing the sides of the house, the railing, the glass door, etc. We had the parametics come and he was taken by ambulance to LDS hospital emergency room. Everyone thought that he had broken his back because he was in such pain from back spasms. The CT's came back showing no fractures in his spine. The only fracture was his left heel.

Because his spasms were so bad, he was admitted to the hospital. they couldn't get them stopped so after 4 days, they threw him out of the hospital and sent him home. Steve (Doug's brother) came to help me get him home and in the bedroom. We would have never made it without him! He couldn't move. For the fisrt week home, it was touch and go for spasms.

His foot doctor wouldn't do anything for his back because it wasnt his area of expertise! the back specialests wouldn't see him because he didn't have a fractrue in his back. We were absolutely so frustrated... We couldn't get any help from anyone! The next week we finally got in to see a doctor of physical medicine who specialized in soft tissue injury to backs! (Who knew there was such a thing!) He got Doug on a different type of muscle relaxer and withing 2-3 days his spasms were almost completely stoped!

With his spasms gone he could get up and move a little... he still was in a lot of pain, but without the spasms he felt like a new man. After 2 more weeks they have finally let him start physical therapy on his back. It will be another month or so before they can do anything with his heel.

He cannot put any weight on his left foot... because of the loss of lateral stability in his spine he can't use cruthes, so he is using a walker. This week we had to put a little "basket" on his walker so that he can carry things with him... It is pretty funny, but functional!

His work has been really wonderful. They have set up an internet direct to his computer at work. they also put a wireless internet hub in our house.... now Doug can use his computer while he is sitting in his recliner.... which is the only way he can sit! He is doing several hours of work each day now that his mind is clear (er) from drugs... He feels much more useful now!

I guess that is all of the news from us. We are doing pretty good. (I'm much better than Doug!) I am grateful that my work has let me off so that I can take care of him... Things are getting better each day so hopefully in a few more weeks we will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We are so grateful that Doug wasn't hurt worse than he was.... it could have been so much worse. We really feel like the angels were watching out for him and only through their intervention was his life protected. How blessed we are!

We love you all and hope that you are all well. Talk to you again soon! Delores & Doug