Mike Kagerer

Hi everyone,

I just talked to Mike at 9pm.  He was still waiting for someone to help him walk a lap.  I don’t know if he just doesn’t have time earlier or if he prefers walking at night.  Anyway, hopefully he’ll get to walk.  He did do a lap last night so that was good.

He said he is glad about going to the Rehab floor.  That is a relief because I was hoping he wouldn’t feel depressed about going there.  Anyway, he is trying again and we are glad.  He does talk to his Social Worker often and I am glad about that because she is real good and very positive.

Well, take care.  Thanks again for everything.  Your support is great.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I called Mike tonight to see how he was doing.  He said that his butt was bleeding but that he was up and going to walk one lap with the nurse.  I told him that I was very proud of him and that I wouldn’t keep him from walking.  I also reminded him that the less he is on his butt, the quicker it will heal!!  You go boy!!

Mom Update: Mom is still in the hospital in Flint.  The boys and I am going to go see her tomorrow since we have a light activity day at the fair. 

Thanks for all of your prayers for Mike and our family.  It just lifts us up to know all of the support out there for us all.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Well, Mike did get up and walk 1 lap last night but today he hasn’t been up to walk.  They want his wounds to heal more.  I thought that they originally said that they would heal best if he was up and walking but he said that when he tries to get up it pulls on them and makes them worse.  Oh well, I quess they need to do it in the order that works best.  So, I won’t know if he goes to the Rehab floor tomorrow until I call tomorrow night.  Please note, that when he does go to the Rehab floor they have different rules for visitors than his regular floor.  You’ll need to check with them about when is the best time to visit if you are planning to drop in to see Mike.

He said today that a buddy from Flint and his daughter came to see him.  Denis has been a friend of our brother Joe for a long time.  I know that it made Mike feel better to see them today.

Thanks for the prayers and support.  I’ll continue to keep you all posted.  I’ll also make sure that you get his new room number when he moves to Rehab.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Well, I talked to Mike tonight and he actually sounded better than he has sounded in a few weeks.  PT doesn’t come in on the weekends but he was going to try and do at least one lap with his nurse tonight.  We talked for a while about everything and I tried to really encourage him to stick with it even though it is going to be tough.  He sounds like he is ready to try and get back on his feet.  This is welcome news to all of us.  He called our Mom today who is still in the hospital in Flint.  She is resting and they are running some tests.  She is still getting fluids because her sodium is very low. 

Thanks for your added prayers these past few days.  I feel like things are looking up.  Even though it is a long road ahead I know Mike can do it and tonight I felt as though he knows that too.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Well, life just keeps getting interesting around here.  Mom went to her doc yesterday and today he called her because she had low sodium so she is now over night in McLaren Hospital in Flint getting her fluids in her body straightened around.  She should come home tomorrow. 

I talked to Mike tonight.  I let him know about Mom and checked to see if he was able to be up and walking today.  He said the PT came in and did some exercises with him but didn’t get him up walking.  At this point he is so weak that it is going to take some tough work to get his muscles back and working.  I hope that they can workwith him over the weekend but am not sure about PT schedules on weekends.  He was supposed to go to the Rehab floor Monday if he didn’t go today.  I’ll be surprised if he’s ready by then.  I hope he will be ablet o be on that floor and get moving again.

I did talk to his Social Worker today.  I needed to vent some because I am not sure if Mike is pushing himself as much as he needs to be.  he isn’t a real active person, even though he doesn’t agree with me on that.  I just want PT and the staff to know that he could sit and wait to get better if they let him and I am hoping that they have some great motivational tools to get him going.  I don’t want to get into it with him because he probably doesn’t need a screaming sister right now.

We’ll all keep praying and hope that Mom gets back on her feet soon and that Mike gets moving and really goes hog wild on the Rehab floor and gets back on the path to good health!!

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Well, my friend Brenda (aka pajama girl) and I headed to Ann Arbor today to see Mike.  It was 4.5 hours of driving (lots of construction, burning car, etc) and about a 2 hour visit with Mike (filled with talks with the aid, nurse, PA, PT, Social Worker and a trip to the pharmacy).  it was a short very busy visit to say the least.

Mike doesn’t have any blood clots in his legs – they thought he did but the ultrasound was negative.  He doesn’t have anything wrong with his heart – they did an echo on him yesterday because his heart was slightly irregular but it was due to his blood pressure med and they did an adjustment.  He is supposed to be transfered to the Rehab floor tomorrow or Monday but I think it may be more like Monday since he didn’t even get up to walk today.  The PT was coming back later to walk with him and evaluate him.  When I called him tonight they were trying to get him into bed, he hadn’t walked, and didn’t have time to talk. 

I think Mike is going to have to get into his mind that he has to dig his heals in at this point and work very hard to get back to the life he had before.  He isn’t moving much at all.  He isn’t able to be up alone at all.  It is going to take a lot of work for him and him alone to get better.  If he doesn’t cut the mustard on the Rehab floor (which the nurse told him was a total privilege to get to that floor) I’m not sure what will happen.  We’ll just have to wait and see.  Our mom is really struggling with her own health issues right now so I am really hopeful that Mike will get on the Rehab floor and work hard and be able to stay there to recover more. 

So, I am calling all my prayer warriors at this time to really pour it on for Mike that he can get up the mental energy to do this.  I will try to keep you posted as best I can this next week.  I will be gone to the Fair many days but will check in with Mom nightly to see what is happening.  Hopefully it will be positive news.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I talked to Mike briefly tonight.  He was up in a chair and his bottom was hurting because he has some sores that they are trying to get healed up.  He was going to ask for some pain meds which he doesn’t do too often.  I was glad.  You just need relief from pain at times to get well!

Anyway, he had some heart tests today.  An ultrasound which he didn’t know why.  Probably just trying to make sure everything is working right through all this.

I would like to go tomorrow to visit him but am just going to have to wait and see.  If I don’t go tomorrow I won’t be able to visit until after next week – 4-H Fair week is a crazy busy time.  I hate to not see him for that long time.  I’ll see.

Thanks for the prayers once again.  You are probably sick of hearing that from me but I wish I could say it a million times to each of you in person because your prayers are what are helping us all get through this life-changing event!!

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I just talked to Mike before he goes to sleep tonight.  He had a surprise visit from some Alaskan friends today.  He said that it was great.  Their kids came too but they just waited in the hall while mom and dad visited Mike.  I think it really lifted his spirits since none of us have been able to get to UofM yet this week.

He said the PT and OT were in today.  The PT walked him 1 lap.  He isn’t able to be up very much right now.  He figures the blood clots are doing okay because no one has said differently.  Of course, he doesn’t ask either!!!  He said they are giving him some new meds but he wasn’t sure what they were for.

I would still like to get down there this week but I am quickly running out of days.  I’ll keep you posted as best I can without being there.  (I’m the question asker you know!!)

Take care and thanks for the prayers.  You don’t realize how much your continued support means to us all.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I didn’t get to talk to Mike personally today but Mom talked to him tonight and said that he had gotten out of bed today and walked a couple laps.  I am so glad to hear that news!  I’m not sure about the small blood clots and Mom said that Mike didn’t say anything about them.  So, we think the nurses must be taking care of that stuff.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support.  I’ll talk to Mike tomorrow and get more of the scoop!

love, Ann

HI Everyone,

Well, it looks like Mike will be down for a few more days.  Today they were running tests on him and did an ultrasound of his legs and he has some small bloodclots that need to be dealt with.  Fun, fun.  Just when we were all hopeful that he was getting up and about again, now he is laying low and doing what they tell him too.  Which is what he should do!!

Keep praying and know that we really appreciate all of your support. 

love, Ann