Thursday, January 10, 2008

Prayers

We have seen such answers to prayer! Things we had been told were impossible happened through answer to prayer. We are asking for prayer again.

David has done some research and found out that the physical therapy he is receiving right now is totally inappropriate for his situation, that it is maintanence only - but he has much progress he needs yet to make - not just to maintain where he is.

He's been in contact with his former PTs, and they have told him that what's going on is totally inappropriate and that he needs to be in a different situation if he is going to progress and regain full function.

Wheels are now turning. David is on the phone lodging a formal complaint with insurance as I write this. His former PTs are going to meet with the insurance rep at English Oaks to see if they can get him back in on at least a once a week basis, because that's what his need is.

We praise God for answers to prayer we have seen already, and we would ask you once again to join in prayer for us that this may be worked out so that David may receive proper care.

THANK YOU!!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Consider it done!

Anonymous said...

WoW! That's just crazy! I thought the place he is going to now, is one of the best in Modesto. Did you let Tim know? Keep me update.
xoxo
Amy

Heidi said...

I imagine they ARE good at what they do, but what they do is not only not what David needs but is something that at best will just keep him where he is, at worst will cause him to lose ground.

He's been told he has a certainly window of opportunity after his stroke to really make gains to get back what he is going to get back. The stated goal of the place he is going now is to help people maintain where they are - not to go further. At least that is what David has found out in multiple calls to the place itself, the insurance company, his doctor's office and English Oaks.

While we are more grateful than we can say that David can walk and ride a bike and drive, he cannot yet even put his left hand in his pocket without looking and putting a bit of effort into the process. He's a runner who can't run. He has a tendency to drop things. Walking, although he can do it, is still an effort that takes focused concentration. Maybe not a big deal - but when he plays video games with the kids and has to move the joystick with his left hand and also look at the screen, he loses, because his left hand comes off the joystick when he looks at the screen, and he can't tell that his hand isn't on the joystick. That's not the be all and end all of life, but he'd like to be able to play with his kids in that way (effectively!).

We/he can live with this if this is the way it HAS to be. Afterall, he could have been in a car accident instead and lost a limb or something and would have to just adjust to that, but we had been told that, given his age, his state of fitness, his type of stroke, his discipline and willingness to work hard and the quickness with which he was initially treated, that he should get back 97% to 98% of his function.

Well, he's nowhere near that and insurance has him at a place where he is MAINTAINING the level where he is at rather than moving forward to get that 97% to 98% that he should be able to get.

So, like I said, the place probably is good - for what they are set up for, but they are not set up for someone in David's position.

Yeah, actually Tim knows. Tim went with David to observe on his second visit. David wondered after that second visit if Tim's presence as an observing PT may have made the assistant nervous, so that's why we wanted to give the benefit of the doubt and gave it until the third visit to judge whether it was good or not, but then the third visit was "worse" than the second, so . . .

David's doctor's office has put in a request to insurance for him to get back to English Oaks for 2 days a week, and they said that it should take 7 to 10 days to hear a decision on that, but every week that goes by is a significant period of time lost for David in this initial 3 month window. David asked them to put a rush on that for that reason, so hopefully it will come about. As I said in my post, we've seen prayers answered before - real miracles. We're looking to see one again!