April Update

4/30/19

My goal was to update monthly, but somehow, two months flew by!  We only missed a few holidays this go around, so we are improving.  :)

Things continue to be uneventful at the Heine house.  Brian is doing well medically, all things considered.  Sleep is inconsistent and there are times I feel like we are on a reality show to see how many consecutive nights Brian can stay awake...LOL...not a game I'd recommend to anyone. :)

Brian's neck strength is improving.  He held his head upright for 8 minutes, which is pretty fantastic!  I'm praying this trend continues.  On Friday, Brian received a call from his neurosurgeon to consult with one of his colleagues about the possibility of nerve transfer surgery.  This surgery could potentially give Brian movement in his arms.   Brian's having a nerve conduction test in 2 weeks to begin this process.  "Cautiously optimistic" is how we are taking this news...it's a glimmer of hope we haven't had.  Specific prayers requested for Brian that the conduction test will go well, so he can hopefully be a good candidate for the surgery.

Over Spring Break, we took a trip to visit one of Brian's former customers, Cope Plastics.  They have been an awesome supporter of Brian during this journey and it was neat to meet everyone in person.  He loved catching up with old friends and hearing about the latest and greatest about the lucrative industry of plastics. :)

The kids are doing great!  Lindbergh hosted the Missouri StuCo Convention and it was unbelievable!  I saw the blood, sweat, and tears Kenzie put into helping plan this event, but I had NO idea how amazing it would be.  I'm so proud of Kenzie for taking a leadership role of co-president and I am beyond thrilled with the way the ENTIRE Lindbergh council worked together to ROCK the event!

Maddie just made freshmen cheerleading for Lindbergh...GO FLYERS!  She's so excited for high school and can't wait to show her school spirit!  Maddie will also be running for a position on  Student Council before the end of the school year. She attended the StuCo convention and loved it!  In March, Maddie received the Hawkins Award recognizing her "above and beyond" efforts to help others.  This was given to her by Truman Middle School and the Lindbergh Schools Builders Club. We are very proud of her!

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!  Registration for The First Annual Brian Heine Benefit Golf Tournament is OPEN!  Brian has worked so hard with the help of friends and family to create the brochure and has begun planning special events for the day.  The brochure and sponsorship letter are below for anyone interested. There are different levels of sponsorship outlined in the letter below.  Proceeds will help cover the cost of Brian's daily care.   We are hopeful the event will be a huge success!

Registration info is included on the brochure, but you can also register with the following link: form.jotform.com/heinestrong/golf

We are looking for connections to anyone that can get beer, soda, and water donated, along with Silent Auction items.  Let us know if you may be able to help!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

NOTE: Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Greetings from the Heines

February 27, 2019

Well, to say we haven't updated in a long time is an understatement.  I was going to say it's been "awhile" or "a while", but couldn't figure out which to use. LOL...

We'd like to begin by saying Happy Belated Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Groundhog's Day.

We are getting into a good routine and things have been uneventful, which in our minds, is positive. Brian is doing well.  He's medically stable, but still inappropriate.  Again, we view this as a positive thing, as Brian still has his wit and wicked sense of humor.  Brian receives physical and occupational therapy to stimulate his muscles and strengthen his neck.  We hope to ditch the head pads as soon as he can control his head independently.

Brian has working hard on his first annual golf tournament coming September 26, 2019 at The Legends Country Club in Eureka, MO.  More information about this exciting event will be posted soon.  I'm keeping Brian busy with a long "honey do" list each day.  

I returned to work at the beginning of January.  It was a bit nerve-racking at first for both of us. We'd been together around the clock since this injury happened.  I can definitely say I missed him traveling. :)  I love being back at work. It's great to see my colleagues, and the kiddos energize me.  I'm lucky to have a job I love!

Kenzie is doing very well.  Her high school is hosting the state convention for Student Council, which is a huge honor. She is the co-president for this major event and has been working her heine off to make it a success.  Fingers crossed the weather cooperates next weekend so that kids from across the state can travel safely to St. Louis. Kenzie is also now a working woman. She is beginning to understand the value of a dollar and learn that money doesn't grow on trees. Kenzie selected her senior courses for next year and I'm in shock that she won't be with us much longer.  

Maddie is doing great!  She just finished her cheerleading season at school. She was voted Miss Congeniality by her cheer coach who described Maddie as having sass and class. Ha! That's pretty spot on. Maddie joined Student Council at her school. She was named Guidance Student of the Month for December.  We just finished completing her high school course selection for her freshmen. I cannot believe it.  Maddie wants to be a Physical Therapist and work at Craig. 

Elsie is still the furry baby princess of the house.  As much as I'd like to say I am her master, she really owns me.  So much for all the training books I read before we adopted her.  

We are so thankful for the support we continue to receive from everyone.  Our family has been amazing helping out with Brian while I'm at work, helping me with his cares, and keeping Brian company.  

P.S. Apparently photography hasn't been at the top of my list as I have no photos of the family except this one at Halloween.  Maddie was Eleven from Stranger Things. 

A Great and Busy Week

A Great and Busy Week (Oct. 25, 2018)

Brian and I had a great week!  We were out and about almost every day.  On Tuesday, we went to Maddie's Student Led Conference at her school. The staff was extremely accommodating to us and were even waiting at the door for our arrival.  Maddie was so proud to have her dad there too!  That made him feel extra special.  I had to chance to be swabbed as a possible bone marrow donor while we were at her school.  Check out "wil ohler’s fight with leukemia #wilswarriors" on Facebook to read about how a Lindbergh High School senior is fighting a battle with cancer and needs to find a bone marrow donor.  There are several locations having bone marrow drives in the upcoming weeks.

On Wednesday, we took a trip to see our Edward Jones advisor.  That night, friends came by the house for dinner.  It was nice to get caught up on the latest and greatest with them and enjoy a glass of wine too. :)

Thursday was Abilities Awareness Day at Crestwood Elementary.  I haven't been back in the building since Brian unexpectedly took a trip to the ER last January.  I was excited, but nervous to see everyone because I knew it would be a reminder of how life was prior to Brian's injury.  However, Brian and I were welcomed with hugs and smiles from the students and staff.  Brian gave 4 presentations to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.  He talked about his injury, how its impacted his life, and how we choose to live with JOY each day. The students were absolutely amazing and asked such thoughtful questions. I'm so proud that Brian wanted to speak to others, especially because we've only been home for 2 months.  He loved every minute of the day.

We also got to meet Officer Flamion and his wife, Sarah.  Sarah has helped me so much with the many questions I've had about doctor recommendations, daily living, and just the complexity of caring for someone with a spinal cord injury.  We enjoyed lunch with them after the presentations and look forward to visiting again soon. 

Like always, we thank you so much for your love and support. Can't wait for another great week!

Our New Normal

Our New Normal (10/10/18)

We continue to adjust to our new life.  I think we will never fully understand how drastically life has changed, but we are getting through each day with the best attitude we can.  We have more up days than down.

Brian's health remains good.  He has PT coming to the house three days a week for range of motion stretching and neck strengthening exercises. Nursing stops by to check in and draw bloodwork once a week.  In the new future, we will transition to an outpatient PT program that will help Brian continue his recovery.

We've had a great few weeks.  My brother came into town for Brian's birthday. We haven't seen him since we left Craig hospital. Brian had an awesome visit with a former co-worker and got caught up on all the scoop in the industry.  We hosted a game night at the house and hosted several family gatherings. Kenzie had homecoming and Brian was thrilled that she wasn't embarrassed to have friends come by for pictures. 

We have been test driving two vans and hope to finalize the purchase this week.  So far, we've taken trips to family members' home to see if Brian can enter using portable ramps, saw our niece's soccer game, made a trip to Ted Drewes, and picked up Maddie from school.  Freedom feels so good! 

We want to thank everyone again for your generosity throughout this journey. Here is an update of  how your donations (private, GoFundMe, fundraisers) have helped us cover some of the costs we are incurring: 

$33,000: Home renovations to accommodate Brian's power chair
$21,500: Backup generator, updated electrical panels and circuits for medical equipment
$20,000: Down payment for a used accessible van. Very limited options due to the dimensions of Brian's chair including the ventilator tray. 
$5,400: Motorized garage lift to enter the house
$1,500: Elevator feature on Brian's chair.  This allows him to communicate "eye-to-eye" with others.  If recovery progresses and he regains movement, it will also help him reach items in the cabinets.
$1,500: Voice activated technology with microphone
$500: Voice activated SMART home modifications
$500: Portable ramps
$400: Monthly prescriptions
$2000+/month (out-of-pocket cost) home health care (a few hours a day, Monday-Friday).
$$: All bills/medical supplies not covered by insurance

With that being said, we are excited to announce that we are in the planning stages for our First Annual Brian Heine Benefit Golf Tournament.  Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 26, 2019 at the Legends Country Club in Eureka, MO.  More details to come. Brian will be active in planning a day of fun for all!

Please pray or send your good vibes for Brian's continued improvement, strength, and mobility.  We prepare for today and remain hopeful for things to come! We are grateful to our supporters. 

A Night at the Ballpark

A Night at the Ballpark (10/10/18)

This is a past-due update...we had the pleasure of attending the Cardinals game in the press box on Sept. 2th.  We chatted with Cards broadcasters, Dan McLaughlin and Al Hrabosky.  Dan talked about Brian during the broadcast that night. Click on the video below to hear it! (Don't mind the crying baby in the background...lol)

Here are a few pics from the evening.  A special thank you to Brian's brother, Jeff, for arranging the evening and Dan Farrell for making it happen.  People are so kind.

Another update coming shortly!

The First Few Weeks

9/15/18

The first few weeks have been good.  We are quickly establishing a routine for morning and evening transfers.  The medication schedule is working well...minus the time I accidentally took a Sudafed instead of giving it to Brian.  Sleep deprivation can do these things to you...lol

We have been out and about to four different doctor's appointments and a trip to Joey B's.  We are renting a vehicle for each outing and hope to purchase our own very soon.  It's not too fun being stuck at home, but luckily we've enjoyed great weather outside!

Being in the comforts of home have been wonderful, but also hard for Brian.  I think he's understanding the realization of his situation and the things he can no longer do like yard work, errands, petting the dog...all the little things we take for granted.  We work through the down days and focus on the good.  Brian can navigate the computer, phone, TV, lights through voice activation.  It allows him independence to do things on his own.

Brian's health has been good, which is a HUGE blessing!  Blood pressure can still be tricky, but manageable.  His breathing has been better with the humidity of St. Louis.  Who would've thought we would look forward to humid days?

Thank you for your continued love and support through this journey.  It's great to know we have an army of supporters behind us.

#heinestrong

We Made It Home

We Made It Home

We are home, safe and sound!  I landed last Monday with the team from Craig, and Brian came home on a MedFlight on Tuesday.  Maddie had teeth pulled the day Brian landed, so she was home for his arrival.  Unfortunately, Kenzie had to go to school, but was home within a few hours of him landing.  

It's been a very busy week unpacking boxes from the home renovations, working with the Craig team, visiting with family, and adjusting to our new life.  I would say, overall, things are going very well.

When the Craig team was here, we practiced morning and evening transfers, troubleshooted equipment issues, and went on an outing to the middle school and the high school.  These are two places we will be in the future.  We are in the process of looking for a van that fits Brian's chair best.  Hopefully, we will have our own transportation sooner than later!  

In-home nursing and PT stopped by last week.  OT will be visiting for the first time today. 

It's so good to be home....with the kids, the pup, our family and friends. We cherish so much that has been taken for granted in the past.   

Thanks for your support and continued prayers for a smooth transition and continued recovery for Brian. We thank God for the blessings He's shown us, and pray for more to come!