Luke Returns to Work!

Today was Luke's first day back on the job with the Border Patrol. He is in plain clothes working with the TEU (Target Enforcement Unit) which does intel work on smuggling organizations. He will be working days for a few weeks learning the ropes before going to his favorite shift - mids (the night shift). He is enthusiastic about the new assignment and says he will really enjoy it, even though his first day back ended up being an 11 hour day!

He quipped that he is happy to get back to work after his year long weekend.

Praise God for this huge step on his journey!

--- Bill

One Year!!

One year ago last night Luke was hit and one year ago today we flew out to San Diego to be with him. In some respects it has been the longest of years for us, and yet in others it doesn't seem that long ago that we were out there. It truly is a miracle that in this year he was able to go from the battered and broken body that we encountered when we arrived at his bed side, with all the tubes supplying air and nutrients to him and draining fluids from his wounds, as seen here, to seeing him walking, driving, fishing, tubing and hopefully soon returning to work.

Miracles happen through prayer and once again we express our deepest gratitude for all the support, through prayer, finances and friendships, that has been afforded to Luke.

So we note the passage of time, seeing remarkable progress and look to the future with anticipation for what God has in store!

---Bill

Back in San Diego

After spending a busy two months with us in Meadville, Luke is back home in San Diego. During his time here we had an open house celebration with many friends stopping in, we spent a week fishing in Canada, a day in Pittsburgh at the Dithrich family reunion, and a weekend in Pine Grove visiting Paula's family. Of course there were several visits to Applebee's to visit all his friends there.

For the trip to Canada, we rigged up a rod so he could cast and retrieve with one hand.















He accomplished the unbelievable of landing two bass on one cast!















He quipped "Some can't catch one fish with two hands, but I caught two fish with one hand!"

Of course, he had to do some tubing as well.















Luke went back to Scope Orthotics for remeasurement and they found that his leg has shrunk about an inch. They are starting the procedure of making another socket for his prosthetic and will apply again for a more sophisticated leg. He has regained a little bit of in and out motion with his left upper arm. Previously, the most he could do was shrug his shoulder. We praise God for the improvement and pray for continued healing.

He is meeting with the Border Patrol to see about going back to work. More updates will follow as things develop.

---Bill

Let's Celebrate!!!

Luke is due to return to Meadville later this week. To celebrate his return "home" we have planned an open house at our home, 10561 Pettis Road, Meadville, on Sunday, August 9th, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and welcome him back ... family, friends, acquaintances, well wishers and prayer warriors ... stop by and visit with Luke!

---Bill

Luke's New Wheels

Luke has finally been able to become mobile! Since he's getting around good on his new leg, he was anxious to be able to get to places on his own. He turned in his Jeep with a standard transmission and purchased another Jeep with an automatic tranny. Unfortunately, all our pleas fell on deaf ears with Chrysler Financial and he had to pay about $4,000 to get out of the lease on his old Jeep and turn it in. Here is his new wheels with his dog, Boston, who is equally happy to escape the confines of immobility.

---Bill

A Leg Up!! - Luke Surprises Mom and Dad!!

Luke likes to pull little surprises on Mom and Dad. For instance, we had made plans for Luke to come home in August to accompany us on a family vacation to Canada and stay a bit longer so he could attend the country music concerts at the Crawford County Fair. But what a surprise when he emailed is travel itinerary! He is flying in on August 5th and staying until the 30th of September!

But that doesn't compare to the one he got us on today! Paula returned home from a week long missions trip to Utah and so this evening Luke suggested we get on Skype to chat. After chatting for a while, Luke said he had to excuse himself for a bit and we saw him wheel away from the camera. The next thing we see is Luke walking out of the room and down the hall and then turn around and walk back. Yes, I said "WALKING!!!!" We expected to see him hopping like he did to get around when we were at the Mayo clinic in March, but we were totally blown away to see him walking.

Here he got his leg on Wednesday, and Becki was the only one that knew. He really wanted to wait to let us find out when he flew in on August 5th and see him walking at the airport. But he and Becki figured that we'd somehow get wind of it before then and he did want to be the one to tell (well, actually 'show') us.

He told us that he was scheduled to get his leg a while ago, but it was right after he went into the hospital with the infection in his leg, so that delayed it. He saw his orthopaedic surgeon on Monday and she gave the OK and he got it Wednesday. He is supposed to have five weeks of physical therapy, but he's doing so well on it already, they'll probably release him after a week or two.

It was so great to see him up and walking around. And here he is!!

Back At His Home

Luke was released from the hospital on Wednesday after the last flush-out surgery on Monday. He will be administering the intravenous antibiotics himself with visiting nurses stopping in occasionally to check on him.

---Bill

More Cleanup

Luke was back in surgery on Thursday for additional flushing and cleaning of the infected area in his left leg. He is scheduled for one more on Monday when they can hopefully close up the incision. If all goes as planned he should be released on Wednesday.

Infection Setback

Luke developed an infection in his left leg that proved to be very extensive. After running a fever late last week and then draining quite a bit of fluid from an abscess that developed, he went to UCSD emergency room on Sunday and was admitted. He went into surgery Monday to flush the area and perform debridement. Today he had a pick line put in because he will be on intravenous antibiotics for a month. He is scheduled for more surgery tomorrow to again flush out the area. They are hoping that this will be the last flushing he will need and they will be able to close the incision. If not, he will need another cleaning in a couple of days.

His grandmother went to be with the Lord Tuesday evening. His hospital stay will prevent him from being able to travel for the funeral. In addition, this will once more delay his getting a prosthetic leg as his leg will need to go through the healing process.

Despite the setback, Luke remains upbeat and very positive and is taking things as they come, as he has all along.

---Bill

No Hi-Tech Leg For Now

Luke was notified by Blue Cross that the requests submitted by his doctor and his physical therapist for him to get the C-Leg, the microprocessor controlled prosthetic has been denied. They feel that he is still in the healing process and that he should get a standard prosthetic leg. They said that he can apply again in 6 months for the C-Leg.

This is a big disappointment, but at least the door is still cracked for the future. At this point he is eager to get the standard leg so that he can get up and about. Otherwise he is doing well. We are hoping that things will move along in this new direction and he will have the prosthetic in order to come to Meadville in August.

---Bill

Out of the Sling

Luke had a couple of follow up appointments with doctors this week. Monday he saw his orthopaedic surgeon to check the surgery to remove the random bone growth on his left leg. She gave him a picture of all the material she removed and it is hard to imagine how much had developed in his leg! He has another appointment next Monday to see if he is ready to have the staples removed.

Today he saw his neurosurgeon to check the nerve repair surgery he had done at the Mayo Clinic. Everything is looking good and he was finally able to take off the immobilizing sling he has worn since the surgery four weeks ago. He was very happy to finally be able to take a shower! The doctor wants Luke to work on range of motion exercises now but he is doing so well that he wouldn't need to see him again for several months.

The insurance company has requested a consultation by a specialty reviewer before making a determination on the microprocessor knee prosthesis that the orthopaedic and rehabilitation people are recommending for Luke. We should hear in a couple of weeks.

Luke is heading with some of his friends to spend the weekend camping at a country music jamboree.

---Bill

Going Under the Knife Again

Luke had surgery today to remove the random bone tissue that developed in his left leg. Since it looks like it will still be a while before he gets a prosthetic leg, he decided to have it removed now. The two and a half hour surgery went very well although he did lose a little over a half a liter of blood due to blood thinners he is on. He is spending the night in the hospital as they put a drain in and plan to remove it tomorrow. He will also undergo radiation treatment on the leg to attempt to prevent further random bone growth.

The doctors are also attending to the dressings from the surgery he had done at the Mayo Clinic. He will have a follow up visit on his arm with the orthopaedic surgeon in three weeks. Until then he will continue to wear the sling to keep his arm immobilized.

--- Bill

Home Again

Though somewhat weather delayed, Luke flew back to sunny San Diego Sunday afternoon while Mom and Dad were driving through blowing snow and then heavy rains on their way home to Meadville. A parting shot while saying goodbye in Rochester ...

Homeward Bound

Luke was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon and he spent the rest of the day relaxing at the motel and doing some Wii bowling. We enjoyed a final dinner together at Outback. He still is very uncomfortable from all the healing incisions but is getting better each day. He has to leave his motion restricting sling on for three weeks and will do follow up visits with his elbow surgeon in San Diego. He will have a follow up visit back here at the Mayo Clinc in about a year.

His flight back to San Diego leaves at 9:00 Sunday morning and after taking him to the airport, Paula and I will begin our long drive home.

---Bill

Slow Recovery

Luke's recovery slowed down a bit today as his heart rate was up and he wasn't as perky this morning as he was yesterday. They took a chest x-ray and his lungs showed a bit of cloudiness which could be anything from a touch of pneumonia to remnants of the hit his lungs took from the original trauma. As a precaution he is taking some antibiotics and he took a nebulizer treatment this evening.

He got in his chair at the nurse's request this afternoon and the longer he sat up the better he looked and acted. He ate all his dinner with no signs of nausea. He stayed in the chair for several hours before returning to bed.

This morning the doctors thought he may be able to leave the hospital tomorrow, but after today's tests he may stay another day. Time will tell.

---Bill

Recovery

Luke spent the day recovering from yesterday's extensive surgery. The first half of the day was in the ICU where he received two units of blood. That really perked him up. This afternoon he was transferred to a regular room. He is still feeling quite a bit of pain, especially on his chest where the splint that is immobilizing has left arm is resting on top of the incision where they transferred the intercostal nerve. Despite that, he was determined to get himself out of bed himself so the nurses could change his sheets. With Paula and I pretty much just keeping all the tubes from getting tangled, he got up and sat in a chair next to the bed. Besides the pain the only other problem he has had are a few bouts with nausea.

---Bill

Surgery!

Luke spent over 6 hours today under the skilled surgeons' knives (and microscopes!) and all in all they actually accomplished more than was in the original game plan. First of all when they opened up his shoulder and examined the brachial plexus they confirmed the findings of the myelogram in that all the roots to the spinal column were intact. However, the damage to the nerves that make up the brachial plexus began just outside the root and ran all the way across to the shoulder. He had broken his collar bone and probably had stretched his arm extensively in the collision.

The nerve damage posed a problem because of the limited amount of nerve tissue available with only having one leg to work with. They decided the best course was to use the nerve from vertebrae C6 to repair the nerve to his deltoids. They were able to successfully use the nerve from his leg and the sensory nerve from his arm to also do repairs to his biceps.

They opened up his chest to expose three ribs but could only use one intercostal nerve because of bone scar tissue that had formed from breaking ribs. The plan was to use that nerve to try to regain some sensory perception in his hand. However, when they opened his arm they found that place that they use to connect the nerve to, which in most people is just below the shoulder, is down by the elbow in Luke. The intercostal nerver would not reach down that far, so his 'special anatomy' prevented that connection. So instead they used that nerve to connect to his tricep muscles for more range of motion, which they hadn't originally planned on.

After spending two hours in recovery, it was to the ICU for Luke. He had a significant loss of blood from all the surgery and they had given him fluids. They want to keep an eye on him over night. That was where we were first able to see him again and despite the pain and discomfort he was feeling himself enough to be joking around with and harassing the nurses in his good natured way. They are amazed that he is in such good spirits and so polite after the extensive surgery he had and the pain he is in. The doctors told him yesterday that after the surgery he would feel like he got hit by a truck. His comment this evening ... "They weren't kidding!!"

We should be able to get an idea tomorrow how soon he will be able to travel back to San Diego and our return to Pennsylvania.

---Bill

Doctor Visit Before Surgery

We met with one of the surgeons today to go over the surgery that Luke will undergo tomorrow. The great news we got was that the myelogram that was done on Friday showed that none of the five roots of the brachial plexus were torn from the spinal column. Praise the Lord!

The goal for surgery is regain motor function in his shoulder and elbow. They will first open his shoulder and neck to examine the brachial plexus to determine the location and type of damage to the nerves. Once that determination is made they will use sensory nerves in his lower left arm and his right leg to repair the damaged nerves. Taking the nerve from the leg will create a numb area on the side of his foot but not affect balance or motor functions at all. The nerve in the arm is to an area already without feeling. If this part of the surgery is successful it will still be about a year and a half before the nerves regrow through the sheath and motor function comes back. We were told that there is a 70% chance of the nerves being repaired to actually take. We are praying for 100% of the nerves to take.

They also plan to take a nerve from the chest that runs between the ribs and reroute it up the side and down the arm to gain feeling in his hand to serve as a defense mechanism. Although any sensory stimulus to the hand will be felt in the chest, over time he will learn that the sensation is coming from the hand.

We need to report to the hospital at 5:45 a.m. and after all the preparatory work is done they expect to begin the surgery around 8:30. They expect the surgery will take around 8 hours to complete and then there will be clean up work and recovery after that. There will be a team of three specialist performing the surgery.

Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they further evaluate Luke's brachial plexus injury and do the surgery. Pray for Luke's recovery both now and over the next 18 months. Praise God for his hand of intervention and healing thus far.

---Bill

p.s. Thanks for the tip, Lisa (MNgirl)! We enjoyed a delicious steak dinner Saturday evening at the Timberlodge!

Meet The Doctors

This morning we met with the "Dream Team" of three top neuro surgeons of the Brachial Plexus Clinic, part of the Mayo Clinic. After reviewing all tests and pictures and examining Luke they believe that they can get some function back to Luke's left arm. There are three types of damage that can happen in the brachial plexus. There is avulsion, which is where the roots are detached from the spinal column, stretching and rupture. They still are not yet sure if any of the five roots are avulsed so Luke is scheduled for a myelogram at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow which will show any avulsions.

If the damage is the result of stretches or ruptures they will perform repair surgery next Tuesday. They are hoping to get function back to the shoulder and arm. The problem with attempting to regain function to the hand is that length of time for the nerves to regrow. After successful repair surgery the nerves will have to regrow to the end tissues at the rate of about an inch per month. That means approximately three years to reach the hand. Unfortunately, by that time, the muscles change to an irreversible state. The doctors feel attempting that would be futile.

Luke had a chest x-ray and one of his hand after meeting with the doctors. Then he had some blood drawn for type and cross match and his pre-operation interview.

---Bill

Testing Day

Luke spent a good part of today Mayo Clinic hospital. He had two series of MRIs taken of his shoulder area and then after lunch had an EMG done on his left hand, arm and shoulder. We won't find out the test results or prognosis until we meet with the doctors tomorrow.

---Bill

Off to Mayo Clinic

Luke flew in to Rochester, Minnesota, on Monday evening. Paula and I were at the airport to greet him after making the 13 hour drive from Pennsylvania. This afternoon we paid our first visit to the Mayo Clinic. We met with the neurosurgeon. He examined Luke to get a general idea of his condition. We spent the rest of the day working from our laptops and then played some games.

Tomorrow will be a busy day with Luke scheduled for an EMG and two MRI tests. We will meet again with the doctors on Thursday to determine what can be done to help Luke regain the use of his left arm.

The weather has been very pleasant with sunshine and temperatures in the 50s, although there is still some snow around on the slopes facing north.

--- Bill

Luke's Vehicle Plight Makes Evening News

Luke's dilemma over his Jeep reached the ears of KUSI TV's Michael Turko and he interviewed Luke on Monday and it was broadcast last evening on San Diego's channel 9 news. The news cast and interview can be viewed here - http://www.kusi.com/features/turko/40271422.html.

Soon off to the Mayo Clinic

Luke recently received a referral to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and is scheduled for examinations and evaluations on March 17, 18 and 19 of his brachial plexus injury. He has had no improvement in either sensations or movement with his left arm. If they determine that surgery is necessary, it will be on March 24. Pray that the doctors will be able to diagnose and repair his nerve injuries.

Luke is still waiting to receive his prosthetic leg. Insurance is the current hold up as they must evaluate and determine that the microprocessor leg is necessary for Luke. Pray that the decision will come quickly and he will be able to get the leg that SCOPe is recommending for him.

Despite the frustrations of the delays with his leg and taking care of the bills that are coming in, Luke remains in good spirits.

---Bill

Playing the Waiting Game

Luke is patiently (more or less!) waiting to get his prosthetic leg. He has waited a couple of weeks as his leg was shrinking. Now he is on hold until they figure out what to do about some random bone growth in his leg. During his final leg surgery they put a hole through the end of his femur to attach the leg muscles to. They believe some material seeped out of the hole and some bone tissue has developed from that material. The orthotic people are going to be checking with the leg surgeons to see what may need to be done. So it is going to be another wait and see.

---Bill

Prosthetic and Therapy Update

This past Wednesday Luke went back to SCOPe Orthotics for a progress check. The lower part of his left thigh had shrunk an inch with the help of the sleeves he wears. Once the leg stops shrinking they will take a cast of it to make the cup which he will get the following week and then he should get his prosthetic leg in another week. He is so much looking forward for that big step! (pun intended)

On Thursday Luke went back to Sharp Rehab Center for his first out-patient occupational therapy. After a few minutes of working with him and seeing how well he is doing, his therapist told him there was no use for him to come back until he gets his leg and cancelled his future appointments.

On Tuesday his Border Patrol Station held a Luke Dithrich Blood Drive. It was a huge success, even surprising the San Diego Blood Bank staff, with 75 pints of blood collected. Luke paid a visit as their guest and when someone jokingly asked if he was going to donate, he laughed and quipped, “Why not…it’s not mine anyway!”

He has been kept busy with friends and fellow agents visiting and taking him out. He certainly hasn't had the problem of being bored.

---Bill

Meadville Tribune Article

Today the Meadville Tribune published an update on Luke. The following link will take you to the online article http://www.meadvilletribune.com/homepage/local_story_014230336.html The article isn't 100% correct, but the majority of it is.

Taking Advantage of Bad Weather

With the severe weather warnings for Pittsburgh, I didn't want to take the chance of getting stranded on my journey home. Since the airline would allow me to change my itinerary without any surcharges, I decided to postpone my flight until Sunday.

Luke and I took advantage of the extra day and paid a visit to the aircraft carrier Midway. We both had a great time as evidenced by the following photos:


Luke giving the go-ahead for the catapult to launch a jet.


Luke inspecting a jet,


and posing with the 'Huey,' his favorite copter on board,


and a heavily armed fighter.


Luke hangs on for a wild ride.


And gets a little too close to a jet engine intake!


Luke "facing" danger!


He decides to tow a jet around the flight deck.


Dad admires and old fighter.


The highlight of the day was climbing into a fighter jet flight simulator cockpit that physically moved in all the directions that the pilot steered. Luke took us up steep climbs, deep dives, barrel rolls and flying upside down! What a ride! And he even shot down three enemy planes too!!

And so the sun sets on my final day in San Diego.


---Bill

Visit to Neuro Surgeon and CT Scan

Luke had a follow up visit to his neuro surgeon on Friday. As was the case with all the follow up visits he has had with his other doctors, the neuro surgeon was very pleased to see Luke in such an improved condition. He is not able to give a precise prognosis to the extent of the damage to the brachial plexus. It is, however, a very good sign that Luke is getting feeling sensations on the inside of his upper arm. Nerves will regenerate, but only at the rate of one millimeter per day. Also, they do not just repair a damage area, but must regenerate from the injured area all the way down to their end. Since the damage is in Luke's shoulder, it will take months for the healing to take place. Essentially, we don't know how much feeling and mobility Luke will finally regain as only time will reveal that.

After the doctor appointment, Luke had a check up CT scan done on the stent that patched the tear in his aorta. This was the first of many periodic scans that he will have to make sure the stent is holding steady.

Luke had a visit from several Border Patrol agents that are a part of the Patrol's peer support group on Thursday. They presented him with mugs and coffee cups with Border Patrol logos on them, but the primary reason for the visit was to present a gift from the chief of the San Diego Sector of the Border Patrol, Chief Fisher. It was a 2008 Pittsburgh Steeler football which was signed by all the players on the team. Here is Luke admiring the gift.



Friday evening Luke joined with several other Border Patrol agents for a farewell party for a fellow agent that is transferring to another station in Texas. Luke thoroughly enjoyed the time together with his co-workers.

---Bill

PCP and Prosthetic visits

Luke had his introductory visit with his new primary care physician this morning. He hadn't seen a doctor since moving out west until the collision. The visit enabled the doctor to familiarize himself with Luke and his condition. Luke will need to be seeing him for check ups on the stent in his aorta, and for any illnesses he comes down with since they can become serious more easily with the loss of his spleen.

Then it was a visit to SCOPe Orthotics for a set of measurements of his leg to chart the progress of the shaping from the sleeves he is wearing. He will be seeing them weekly. His leg still has a way to go before it is ready for the prosthetic.

After that visit we made a trip down to his Border Patrol station so he could pick up his credentials that they have been holding for him since the collision. They are just as anxious for him to get back to work as he is! It also gave me the opportunity to say good-bye to several of the great folks there that have been so helpful and supportive of us during this whole ordeal. I will be heading home this weekend.

Luke is doing very good in getting around the house and fending for himself. I took him shopping the other day and pretty much just pushed the cart as he did his shopping.

He has an appointment Friday with the neuro surgeon. His fellow Border Patrol agents and his housemates and neighbors have all volunteered to drive him to his appointments after I leave and until he gets his prosthetic leg and is able to be much more independent.

---Bill

Day 67 - Home Sweet Home!

Luke was discharged from Sharp Rehab Center this morning and it was homeward bound, but not before making a couple of stops. First was the DMV to pick up his handicap plates and then to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. When we got to his house we were greeted by Boston and this:

Later on some friends gathered at the house for a welcome home shindig. They got into a jam session playing Rock Band with a couple of guitars, a set of drums and a microphone. Before long Luke had the drumsticks in his hand and was a member of the band!

Needless to say, Luke was elated to be home again.

Now that Luke is home and the steps of his recovery are not daily occurrences, I feel that it is no longer necessary or expedient to provide daily updates. So today's post will be the last of the daily posts, but rest assured, it will not be the last update. I know many of you have made this a daily routine keeping up with Luke's progress and I don't know the best way to let you know when future updates will be posted other than to say ... keep checking back. Luke has doctor appointments on Tuesday and Friday next week, so there will most assuredly be updates those days. I will also post updates every time there is something a significant event.

Please stay tuned!

---Bill

Day 66 - New Year and Last Therapy

Luke celebrated New Year's Day by having his last day of in-patient therapies. He got some workout exercises to do at home for his left leg. He won't have any out-patient physical therapy until he gets his prosthetic leg. We don't have a schedule yet for any out-patient occupational therapy.

First thing this morning, Paula said good-bye and I took her to the airport.

This evening we loaded up his jeep with things that he's collected during his stays at the medical center and the rehab center, then went and picked up his dog, Boston, took him home and got things set up for his return home. He is able to get around the house really well with his wheel chair. The only places it won't fit in is the bathroom and kitchen, so he will be using the walker in those rooms.

Tomorrow we will get his discharge orders and prescriptions, pack up his clothes and toiletries and head for home. We will be stopping at the DMV to pick up his handicap plate. He is very excited to be finally going home.

---Bill