Progressing to Santa Cruz

I am happy to report that Tim has been moved from Stanford to Dominican Rehabilitation Hospital in Santa Cruz on Fredrick St. Tim pretty much informed Stanford that today was going to be his discharge day! ...And he was out by noon! Who's better than you, Tim?!

Tim will be undergoing three hours of therapy per day. Visiting hours are from 3:PM-8:PM every day. He will be there a minimum of 10 days and not more than 3 weeks. Friday is the first day that he can receive visitors and I'm sure he will enjoy seeing everyone in good time.

Tim will be coming home (parent's house) on Christmas eve and will stay through Christmas day. We (his family) are so happy that we won't be celebrating Christmas without him. Tim's little sister, Steph and her husband, Einar and their daughter, Liv will be visiting in January and we're sure this will be a great encouragement to Tim's spirits.

Today, our mom was able to speak with Dr. Steinberg's head nurse of 25 years. The nurse said the doctor is pleased with the outcome of Tim's surgery and is certain that Tim will make great progress toward becoming more mobile. We were all overjoyed to hear this. It is very discouraging to see him as he is now, even though we know that he won't be like this forever. It is especially difficult to see him so distressed with occasional feelings of sadness and despair. Should you be visiting him anytime soon, be prepared for him to look different to you.

We feel as though we are begging God on Tim's behalf. Please continue to join us in prayer over Tim throughout the coming weeks. I know he is counting on your prayer. Pray for his brain and body to connect during therapy sessions and that he will feel encouraged each day.

Thank you again for remembering him throughout this busy time of the year!

-Christy and family

It's a Brain Blog

Today is Tim's sixth day back at Stanford. He went in for a second surgery on the 16th. The surgery time was 6-7 hours. When Dr. Steinberg went into the brain, he found the malformation to be much worse than he expected. Nearly 2 1/2 centimeters of the mass was removed this time. Dr. Steinberg said that Tim would have certainly died without the surgery. He felt confident that they were able to remove all of the mass and did not have to sever any nerves in the process. He accurately predicted that Tim would be temporarily paralyzed on the left side of his body and the right side of his face. Tim will spend the next couple of weeks at a rehabilitation hospital in the valley. Dr Steinberg expects a full six-month recovery and he emphasized the importance of staying encouraged and patient through the process of rehabilitation.

Tim is quite anxious to go home! He really wants to take a shower. Sponge baths just aren't all that great after all! His hearing has improved a little bit and he is able to move his fingers on the left hand a bit as well as his left leg. He spends a lot of time sleeping and listening to music. Nearly everything is exhausting to him- as you can imagine. He is anxious to see friends again and will let everyone know when he is ready for visitors. Cards are an encouragement to him and can be mailed to 1505 Newport Ave., San Jose 95125. Tim is not able to speak clearly enough to talk on the phone, but today he is speaking a little better than he was yesterday.

We will write more on a daily basis. Please continue lifting Tim up in prayer during this time, as it is very important for him to not lose hope.

Thank you for being such good friends!