Healing Nicely. . .

Joey had a doctor's appointment on Thursday for his amputated leg. It is healing great! Everything looks great inside and out, and is healing nicely. Joey will keep his wound vac in for the next two weeks, which will continue to drain fluids, and then his amputation will be re-evaluated. If everything looks good in a couple weeks, his doctor will close up the hole in the bottom of his amputation. Closing up the amputation may require a skin graft, but we will know more in the next couple weeks, and as we get closer.

Joey's amputation was examined, and the black spongy material was changed in the hole in his leg. Each time the black spongy material is changed out, which is twice a week, it irritates the nerves in his amputation, which causes extreme Phantom Pains for at least twenty four hours. Joey was in a considerable amount of pain today, but being the good sport that he is, he agreed to join his family for lunch today at Chili's. Thanks Joey!





Here is a picture of Joey's amputation from Thursday. Doesn't it look awesome???? It is the perfect pink color that it should be, and everything is starting to fill in. Yeah!!!



Post Time 8:00PM

Climbing A Mountain. . .

Joey is continuing to improve daily. He goes into the hospital every Monday and Thursday to have the black spongy material changed in his amputation. He still has the wound vac, which continues to drain the fluids from his leg. Joey will see his leg doctor on Thursday for evaluation.

So far, everything is looking great, and if he continues to heal at this rate, his amputation will be completely healed by the end of March, and they will close up his amputation. Yeah!!! Good Job Joey!!

Joey still has his good days and bad days, sunny days and rainy days, easy days and hard days, and these ups and downs are all part of it--they are normal. These sunny days and cloudy days both play a part in the healing process, both physically and emotionally.

I am reminded of a Norwegian Proverb quote “Heroism consists of hanging on one minute longer”. Keep climbing that mountain Joey! Keep hanging on! Take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, and sometimes if needed, one minute at a time.

We all love you so much!

Post Time 8:15PM

In The Swing Of Things. . .

Joey is doing great and loves being home. Joey goes into the hospital to have the black spongy material changed in his amputation twice a week. Joey receives extra womb vac equipment delivered right to his door courtesy of UPS. The womb vac is replaced every few days when it gets full. It is replaced with a new one. The womb vac is small and goes into a small black pouch, so Joey can carry it around with him everywhere he goes. No, it isn't a man purse--it is a murse :)

He was able to go to Outback last night with his dad Roger and his Aunt Crissi and Uncle Nate. Joey enjoyed ribs, and even got winked at on his way out by a cute girl. Whoo Hoo Joey!! I guess you still have it going on!!! :)

Joey is working on getting some of his weight back. He has lost a total of thirty five pounds, thirteen pounds being from the loss of his leg. So Joey has about twenty pounds he needs to gain to get to where he was before.

Joey is still experiencing Phantom Pains, but they come and go sporadically. He is quite a trooper, and fights through them--no matter how long they last.

We love you Joey! Keep up the good work!!

As promised, just a little later than promised, here are some pictures of Joey getting released from the hospital, and being home. . .home sweet home. . .

Post Time 9:10PM



Joey getting the last of his IVs out


Waiting patiently. . .


Roger helping out and making sure everything looks good. . .


Joey's scar healing up nicely. . .


Saying goodbye to his room on the fourth floor. . .


In the elevator. . .first floor please. . .


Out the front door!


Joey in the car with his mom. . .


At Aunt Crissi's house. . .his dad by his side. . .


Out of the car. . .headed to the house. . .Joey glowing :)


Up the front steps. . .


Almost in. . .




Welcome Home Joey!!!


Comparing bald spots. . .Um. . .I think Uncle Nate won that one. . .but just by a little bit :)

Footprints In The Sand. . .

Joey is home and happy, and we are happy for him! Joey had his wound vac changed yesterday, along with the replacement of the black spongy material. It was getting clogged during the night, and causing the suction to push the fluids into his leg, not out of his leg, as it should be. This was painful and uncomfortable for Joey. Aunt Crissi tried to massage the clots out that were causing the vac to clog. The vac was fixed at Joey's appointment.

Today Joey and his parents met with Dr. Zoe, the pain management doctor, to go over some things and get some questions answered.

Before Joey left the hospital on Wednesday, he was able to meet with some of the doctors and nurses that were instrumental in saving Joey's life and in providing Joey's great care. Each one took a turn telling Joey goodbye and good luck. There were tears of joy and strong emotions as some expressed their true feelings of what possibly could have, and should have been the reality of Joey's serious condition. Some told him they didn't think he would survive, and ever step foot outside the hospital again--let alone have full kidney function, and on crutches, walk himself out of the hospital, only thirty five days later. Joey has exceeded every expectation--and everyone couldn't be more thrilled!

Thank you again to all his doctors and nurses! What a wonderful group of awesome, intelligent, caring people! Also- Thank you again to Dr. Kim and Nurse Boone---Thank You---Words cannot express. . .

We are on to round two. . .another chapter in Joey's life, another beginning to Joey's life legacy. . .and the future is bright. . . we eagerly await to see. . . what's up ahead. . .ahead of all of us. . .one step at a time. . .baby steps. . .are our footprints in the sand. . .

Post Time 4:00PM

Home At Last. . .

Wound Care finally got the wound vac late this morning, and Joey got his release papers. Yeah!! Joey is now home (at Aunt Crissi's) and very glad to be there. Shortly after leaving the hospital, he was able to go to Burger King, his favorite place to eat, as well as step outside, breathe in the fresh air, and see the beautiful outside world!

He is tired but happy. The wound vac will be changed by wound care again tomorrow. He will also see Dr. Zoe, the pain management doctor, on Friday morning. He is very independent, which is great and will get Joey far. His dad was able to get Joey all the necessary equipment that Joey can take home with him, to help take care of himself.

Joey's phone has been turned back on, so he can receive calls and texts.

It has been a good day. There are difficult times ahead but beautiful times ahead as well. He needs continued prayers, love and support. We are truly moving into the next phase, and it is an amazing step forward.

We will have some pictures to post tomorrow. He has made incredible strides and our hearts are full.

Post Time 11:00PM

HOLDING. . .

Joey did not end up getting released from the hospital today. It is sounding like it will be tomorrow now. The paperwork and proper authorizations did not get completed, so Joey is staying tonight, and will be getting released tomorrow. In addition, Joey will need a new smaller pump for his amputated leg. The new pump will continue to drain the fluids. The new pump did not come in today. Wound care will be bringing the new pump in tomorrow.

Everyone is hopeful that he will be getting discharged around noon tomorrow. The news was a little disheartening, but the front doors are getting closer and closer. . . the end is in sight. . .and Joey is ready for the next step!!!

One more night Joey. . .one more night. . .

Post Time 11:00PM

Today Is The Day. . .

Today is a new beginning. Today is the first day to a fresh new start. Joey is leaving the hospital today! Yeah!! Joey will be saying goodbye to his doctors, his nurses, and many of the staff that he has become close with over the last month. We so appreciate as a family the great care Joey has been given by the staff. Joey has commented that the hospital feels like a second home, but he is glad to be leaving. As a family we are all scared and excited for this next step. It will be a big transition in Joey's life, and today is day one.

Joey will be leaving the hospital with the tubes still in his leg. The tubes will continue to drain the fluids from his leg until his leg is healed and can be closed back up. Joey will also be doing frequent out patient physical therapy.

Thank you to all the family and friends for your support, for your visits, for your kindness, for your love, and especially for your prayers. Please keep it coming!

Post Time 12:00PM

Happy Valentine's Day--And An Early Release!

Joey had a better day yesterday. The pain management doctor visited with Joey, and was able to give him some pain medication for his leg. This helped ease Joey, and allowed him to get some relief and rest. Yesterday afternoon improved, and into today. Joey and his parents visited with the doctors. They talked about releasing Joey from the hospital on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Yeah!! Awesome! What great news!! None of us could believe it!

Once Joey is released from the hospital, he will continue outpatient physical therapy on a regular basis for his leg. The doctors plan to leave the tubes in his amputation, which will continue to drain the fluids from Joey's amputated leg. Joey will have the tubes in until doctors feel the amputation is healed. As the doctors stated, the amputation has to heal from the inside out.

Today is Valentine's Day. It is a special day to tell the ones that are dear to you--that you love them! It is a good day for reflection, and for all of us to think about what really matters the most in our lives.

As we have all learned from experiences in our own personal lives, and the possible reality we were faced with over this last month, life is so fragile, and can be taken in a fleeting moment. Time is so short. It is something we can never get back. Life is full of distractions--these little distractions that seem like big things in the moment--until something BIG really happens, and then we realize these big things really are little things. How quickly our perspectives can change, and cause us to look at the world so differently. It makes us appreciate the important things in our lives, like our families, our loved ones, each other. Every moment we have is a precious gift! Doesn't it make you so grateful for this time that we still have? What a beautiful miraculous gift!

There's no time for tomorrows--so make today count! No regrets! Slow down for the day, and spend time with the ones you love. Hug your mom, your dad, your siblings, your children, your husband, your wife, a little longer---a little tighter. Tell your loved ones that you love them---and not just for one day, not just on Valentine's Day, but everyday.

Post Time 4:45PM

The Warrior. . .

Joey slept most of the day. He tried to get some rest and some relief. It was a long day.

So many different emotions---so many different challenges. Each day brings a new challenge, a new stepping stone, a new bridge to cross. Yet each day that passes also brings Joey one step closer to healing--healing for the body, the mind, and the soul. Each day that passes brings new opportunities, new direction, hope---hope for the future, for a brighter tomorrow. There is always hope to make today better than yesterday, and tomorrow even better than today.

I am reminded of a quote: "The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curse ." Carlos Casteneda

Joey, you are a warrior! Your trials are your challenges, and they are not small, but you are not weak. We are never given anything that we cannot handle. Our struggles make us stronger, and through them, they become our strengths. Someday you will look back on today and see how far you've come. You will look back and see where you've gone, how you've grown, and you will be amazed at who you've become. Then you will see, what I see. . .a warrior. . .

Post Time 11:30PM

A Long Day. . .

Joey had a long day today. The doctors decided to take Joey off the morphine drip. In order for Joey to move off the fourth floor (cardiac unit) and onto the next floor, Joey has to be off the morphine drip being administered through his IV. Moving to the next floor will mean one step closer to going home. Yeah!!! We should have a better idea in the next couple days when Joey will be able to move floors.

Without the morphine pump, Joey was in a lot of pain today and was having a hard time getting comfortable. His leg was hurting him, and his Phantom Pains were intense. He tried to rest, but little rest would come. We are hopeful that Joey will be able to rest this evening for awhile, and that in the next couple days, the pain will be more manageable. Joey's visitors tried to help Joey keep his mind off the pain the best they could.

Hang in there Joey!! We are all praying for you, and we love you!! We pray that you will find the strength to fight through these next couple days with all your might, and find the comfort and peace that you need. There is sunny days up ahead---hang on---and we love you!!!

Post Time 11:30PM

Those Phantom Pains. . .

Joey had a hard night last night. He got up to turn off the lights, and slipped and fell on his amputation. He was given some Morphine, due to the amount of pain he was in from the fall. He has been on a small dose of morphine for the last couple of days, which is being administered through a drip system. He is on the morphine for the hole in his amputation and also for the Phantom Pains. He will remain on the fourth floor until he is taken off the morphine drip.

Joey's potassium and magnesium levels were down today. Joey was given a bag of potassium through his IV to raise his levels back to where they need to be. Joey has been experiencing severe Phantom Pains. We are looking into options to help ease his pain. Thank you for the comment posted earlier about the suction pump from Valley Medical Supply. We have been doing some research on this product to see if this could be an option for Joey.

On a good note, Joey received a jar full of candy from Aunt Beta (Lorinda) a few days ago, and some Valentines goodies. She headed up a craft project for Joey, where Joey's nieces and nephews made Valentines for Joey. So thoughtful Beta! Cheryl taped all of them up in Joey's room to help brighten his day. Joey was also happy to receive a visit from his older brother Josh, who has been traveling in Israel for the last seven days. Joey was happy for his safe return.

We love you Joey!! Keep up the good work! You are so strong, and you move mountains with your determination, your motivation, and your desire to get better. Hang in there!!!

Post Time 6:00PM


Joey's Valentines spread out on his bed.


Joey taking the candy jar away from Jared.

Super Bowl Sunday Come Early. . .

Saturday night was a little wild. Joey was trying to help the nurse in his room clean up a spill on his tray, when he accidentally pulled out all three of his medication lines, including his pic line. It was pure chaos because Joey immediately starting bleeding out from the holes where the lines had come out. The nurse in his room reacted instantly, tackled Joey like a pro powder puff football player, and began applying pressure on all the open areas on his arm. She wrapped Joey's arm and applied pressure firmly until the blood flow slowed down and began to clog. Joey mentioned after the fact, that the whole ordeal was pretty crazy and chaotic, but getting tackled by his nurse Super Bowl Style was pretty cool ;) That's why we love our Joey! :)

Joey was taken down to Radiology this afternoon, where they re-inserted all his IVs and a new pic line. He also had his wound changed on his amputated leg. Changing out the black spongy material from the hole in his amputated leg is extremely painful, but Joey said it went better today than it did a couple days ago. Joey received a special gift from Tim, a good friend, who works in wound care at EIRMC. Tim went out and bought Joey a Boise State blanket and pillow days ago, when he was in extreme pain, to help cheer him up. Thank you Tim for being so thoughtful and wonderful!

Joey is doing great. He is still on blood pressure medicine, but his kidney doctor has taken Joey off his special diet. Yeah!!! Joey was ecstatic about that. Joey's friends all came into the hospital this evening and watched the Super Bowl game with him. They brought lots of food, and Joey's favorite---buffalo wings!!! So Joey had great company, good food, and an added bonus----the Saints won! Yeah!! I know Joey was touched that his friends would miss their big Super Bowl party to spend the evening in the hospital with him. Thanks guys!! :)

Tomorrow Joey will be taken in to have his dialysis catheter removed permanently. Yeah!!! We won't miss that, and I know Joey won't either!! Goodbye dialysis catheter, and hello Kidneys!!

Last item of business: Joey has requested that I post pictures of the hole in his amputated leg (2" wide X 8-1/4" deep) and the overall process of the fasciotomy on his arm (at his friend's request). Only because I love Joey, have I agreed to post the pictures. Joey, you know I love you. I do need to warn readers though. They are extremely graphic, so if you have a weak stomach, you may not want to scroll down. Enter at your own risk!!!

Post Time 11:15PM


Here is a picture of the bruising on Joey's arm from all the IVs he has had over the last month.


Here is a picture of the open fasciotomy on Joey's arm after the black spongy material was removed, and the doctors started the process of closing the wound back up.


After the wound was stitched closed. Joey got to keep his tatoo :)


Here is a picture of the hole in Joey's amputated leg. This picture was taken while the wound was being cleaned out, and the black spongy material and tubes were taken out.

ANOTHER MIRACLE

Miracles happen everyday--unexplainable miracles, ones that cannot be explained with all the modern medicine in the world, ones that cannot be comprehended by us as human beings on this great earth, what a beautiful mystery they are to us when they do happen, these tender mercies sent from a Father up above.

Joey's kidneys are---WORKING!!!! Doctors were positive that Joey would require a kidney transplant. He would have to be on dialysis for one to two years before he could even be put on a list to be a receiver of such a beautiful gift of life from another, a second chance at life. He had ZERO kidney function, and has had ZERO kidney function for weeks, for the last month. His labs came back last night, and his doctor said the words. . ."Joey's kidneys are working. He will not require dialysis any more." The words hit---and I stopped everything---even breathing---for moments---and stood in wonder and in awe---what a beautiful miraculous gift that has been given to us---to Joey!!!

Joey has been given a second chance at life, a second chance to live and function a normal life, a second chance to make a mighty change, and to make a difference in this world. Joey is still with us today, which is nothing short of a miracle in itself. The odds were not in his favor, doctors did not give him much of a chance for survival in the beginning. Many were surprised he made it twenty four hours. . .and here he is today, several surgeries later (I believe nine or ten), three full blood transfusions later, going from multi-organ failure and on full life support, to full organ functions. Here we are a month later, with Joey, continuing to improve everyday--living, breathing, and loving.

Then another miracle---a precious gift, a true tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father above---kidney function. Joey's doctor said that the labs are up enough, he may not even have to be on his special diet---AMAZING!!! My heart is full, and I am---GRATEFUL!!! SO GRATEFUL!! I can't help but kneel down and give thanks as I have done many times in the past, with a full heart, and cry tears of gratitude because---he knows us, he hears us, he blesses us, he heals us, because we are one of his own--- and because he LOVES us!!!

Thank you Heavenly Father for giving Joey a second chance at life, for comforting us through this whole roller coaster ride of ups and downs, and for comforting Joey, and giving him the strength to continue here on this earth. Thank you for hearing our prayers, our pleas in times of need, for bringing us together as friends and family, and for taking us in your hands this last month, and providing the miraculous gift of healing and love to one that we love so much, and taking him in your gentle arms as one of your own, while at the same time, loving and healing millions of others in this same world at this same moment. Thank you Father---I am GRATEFUL!

Improvement On A Friday

Joey started off the day with breakfast and dialysis. Two hours into dialysis, Joey's kidney doctor called and said that the labs have shown some improvement and look pretty good. The doctor decided to take Joey off dialysis at two hours instead of running the full hour hours! Yeah!! We are so hopeful that this is an early sign of some kidney improvement. Only time will tell. For now, Joey will continue having dialysis every other day until we hear otherwise. Joey will also remain on his special food diet until his kidney doctor says otherwise. This will put a damper on Super Bowl Sunday, as Joey would really like to top off the game with some buffalo wings.

The doctors came in today to change the black spongy dressing and the tubes out of the hole in Joey's amputated leg. This will have to be done every couple days. They numbed the site, but the pain was still excruciating for Joey because of so many exposed nerve endings, and the process of replacing the old spongy material with the new.

In addition to the pain, seeing an empty hole in his leg two inches wide by eight and a quarter inches deep made Joey and everyone else a little queasy and dizzy. Jared stood in front of the mirror during, so that Joey wouldn't have to watch the entire procedure being done on his own leg. Suprisingly enough, Jared also was able to watch the procedure and remained upright the entire time :) Joey was relieved when the procedure was complete.

Joey has been resting most of the day, but is doing well. He certainly is a trooper, and is growing stronger both physically and mentally everyday. We love you so much Joey! Keep up the good work!! XOXOXO

Last item of business--Joey will be cheering for the Saints---so GO SAINTS!!!!!

Post Time 5:30PM

The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow. . .

Joey was pretty sore today. The surgery he had on his amputated leg yesterday was causing him a lot of pain today. Joey tried to get some rest for most of the day, and tried to get comfortable enough to sleep.

This evening the doctors put Joey on a morphine drip to try to ease the pain, because his other pain medications weren't curbing the pain, from the large hole they cut into his amputated leg yesterday.

We are hopeful that in the next few days, Joey will start feeling better, and the pain will be more manageable.

We want you to know Joey that we all love you. We wish we could divide up little pieces of your pain amongst us all, and make these big trials smaller. Unfortunately, this is your mountain to climb, and although it is a monster of a mountain, you can and will make it to the top---and we will be here for you---cheering you on with every step of the way.

You can do this! You can conquer this beast! We love you so much! It hurts to see you hurt, but together we can get through this! We all love you Joey! You have so many people that care--friends and family, thinking of you, praying for you, and just loving you. Hang in there! Sunshine is coming. . .

Post Time 9:00PM

Surgery Today

Joey had surgery today on his amputated leg. His leg was swollen, retaining fluids, and had dead muscle that needed to be removed. The doctors cut a hole in the bottom of his amputation about two inches wide by six inches deep. They put a black spongy looking material in the hole, and connected tubes to the material to more efficiently drain the fluids. More than likely, Joey will have these tubes in his amputation for a couple weeks. The amputation needs to heal from the inside out.

As you can imagine, this was a hard day for Joey. He was in extreme pain, and was given additional medications, to help him sleep through the pain until this evening.

Joey also had a round of dialysis this morning. He is having dialysis every other day for now.

We love you Joey! You are going to get through this and pretty soon, you will begin to have more good days than bad. You are stronger than you know!!! We love you!!!!

Post Time 11:45 PM


This is a picture of Joey's fasciotomy that was done on his arm. This is a similar procedure to what was done on his amputation today.

Sunny Day

Today was one of the best days that Joey has had in weeks! Roger, Joey's dad, got Joey out of bed and into his wheelchair, and wheeled him outside into the fresh air and sunshine! Joey was ecstatic and loved every minute of it!

Joey also had a pleasant surprise when his uncle Nate brought in his TV, XBOX, all his games and some movies. His brother, Jared, got everything hooked up for him. Now Joey will have a way to spend the long days.

The topping on the cake was when Joey's nerve block finally started to kick in! Hallelujah!!!! We were all so happy and relieved to see Joey finally getting some relief from his pain. The nerve block can last anywhere from one to six months.

Hopefully, this will be the first of many great days to come. We love you Joey and are so proud of your strength!!!

Post Time 10:15PM

Nerve Block In Place

Joey had a big day today. He was given a new pick line today. The one he had was getting old and starting to leak out his antibiotics, so the doctors put a new one in. Joey also had a round of four hour dialysis today, so he was pretty tired and slept for awhile.

He also received his nerve block today, which is great news! Inserting the nerve block was not a pleasant process for Joey though. It involved two extremely long needles almost a foot long, inserted into his back. The process was pretty time consuming and painful, but we are hopeful that Joey will notice a significant decrease in his pain, and it will be manageable.

Joey is still experiencing Phantom Pains. Joey's pain management doctor stopped in today to visit with Joey, and also Dr. West came in this evening to drain more fluids from Joey's amputation.

Joey--we love you! You are an inspiration! We love your smile, your drive, and your desire to fight this thing and get better! We love to see you laugh, give you hugs and kisses, and tell you that we love you--because we do--so so much!!!! Lots of love, and keep up the fight! XOXOXO

Post Time 8:10PM

Better Day. . .and Crutches

Today was a better day.

The tubes that drain fluid out of Joey's amputated leg kept getting clogged. Joey's doctor came in and drained 350cc of fluid from the amputation with a syringe. This help relieved some of the pressure that had built up. Joey's doctor also said that he would have radiology look at implanting a nerve block in Joey's back. This will also help decrease some of the pain Joey is feeling from the amputation. Radiology will look at putting the nerve block in either tonight or in the morning.

Joey is still battling the infection, and has a small fever off and on. He is showing signs of improvement, and we are hopeful in a few days that he will have it beat.

Joey had physical therapy today. He graduated from the walker to crutches. Yeah!! He was able to go clear to the exit sign and back on crutches!!! Yeah!!! Good Job Joey!!! Joey is getting stronger and stronger everyday. He has a huge heart and a strong mind. He is determined to get better, and overcome all of these obstacles--and he will.

We love you so much Joey! Hang in there and keep fighting! You amaze us everyday with your determination, your strength, and your drive. Keep pressing forward, even when it's hard. It will all be worth it in the end. Then someday you will look back on where you've been, and be so proud of how far you've come, and know--that you can get through anything up ahead.

We love you!!!! XOXOXO!!!!

Post Time 11:30PM