November 11, 2004
Update #15
Good Afternoon,

Where do I begin, the things that have transpired in the last 17 days are remarkable. We are living in a whole new unfamiliar world!

On Monday, Oct 25th, Mom, Dad and Glen Jr. arrived at Scottsdale airport via a private medical jet. On board were two pilots (whom I might add looked like they were 12) and two medical nurses. I am happy to report the med nurses were not needed in route. The trip took five hours, with a touch down in Pueblo, Colorado to refuel as they were fighting 140mph headwinds!

We think our parents are happy with the home we have rented for them. It’s nice and spacious and Dad has easy access around. We had cement poured at the front door and a ramp built in the back so he can get outside and enjoy this nice weather. We also had the shower in the master reconstructed to accommodate his wheelchair.

Dad has started his rehabilitation at Barrow Neurological three days a week (M-W-F). He is accompanied by one of us three kids to each session, we have assigned days. He is transported in a rented conversion Van as we are still deciding what to do about a vehicle…they are expensive and you really need to know what your needs are up front, because there’s no going back! He seems to really like all of his therapists; they are very caring, full of ideas and eager to have Dad succeed. He has in home Occupational Therapy three days a week and we are working on finding an in home Physical Therapist; so far there haven’t been any good matches for Dad. We require a spine specialist and a lot of them don’t work in home health care. We met with Dads new Doc who will oversee his plan and progress at Barrow; she is kind and caring as well.

So far Dads physical progress has been slow, but we are seeing baby steps that offer hope for some recovery in the future. That darn spine takes FOREVER to heal. He is faced with mental challenges everyday that are not easy to overcome. This injury has his body playing tricks on his mind. I think reality is really starting to hit home and I can’t explain the sense of entrapment that Dad feels. Our hearts ache for him every day. We try to keep an open field of communication, but we know Dad is trying to be strong and doesn’t share everything; we witness his physical and mental pain everyday. He still has several daily muscle spasms, we are trying to control them with meds. Ever since his neck brace was permanently removed, it has become progressively worse. (Mayo said this would happen).

We are employing both day and night nursing, as of today. The three of us kids tried for three weeks to cover overnights (which you are up sometimes every hour assisting Dad), all therapy sessions, doc visits, in home care, insurance things, equipment needs, errand running etc…as well as the three of us all maintaining our jobs, family lives, kids etc…We realize we physically can not DO IT ALL or we wont be mentally strong for our parents. Dad’s injury requires 24-hour care, he cannot be left alone. His needs are far greater than anything you can imagine and his risks for something going wrong are too many to list.

Mom is struggling, as I am sure you can imagine. I think the shock has worn off and reality is setting in for her as well. The responsibility on her is something far beyond any she has ever had before…including raising three kids. Her three kids are trying to assume as much as we can, but she is the one who endures day in and day out, 24 hours a day. We are trying to get her out a little but the desire isn’t there and the guilt overwhelms her. We are looking for a professional to shed some light on this very dim world she currently exists in.

We want to thank our friend John Flynn for initiating The Glen Henry Medical Trust; we appreciate this overwhelmingly kind gesture. For those who did not receive a letter or have questions regarding The Trust, John has asked us to post information/FAQ on the website, we have fulfilled his request.

Thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers and emails, I apologize for taking so long to post this update but this transition has been quite a task and doesn’t leave much time to sit down, think and post something that makes sense.

Please continue to visit Dad on his website and send your thoughts (to Mom as well). They check in twice a week and love to hear from people. It’s hard to be away from your everyday life and the people you are used to seeing and talking to on a daily basis. They miss their friends and colleagues.

Take care, we hope everyone is healthy and happy and looking forward to the upcoming holiday season. We do have things to celebrate!

Love,
The Henry Dream Team