FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30

Cathie emailed me this afternoon and asked that I update the Blog. She had attached a couple of pictures and asked that I post them. Cathie's message is as follows: Yesterday we went to a carnaval at the VA and ate hotdogs (Marvin had one without much bread) We listened to music and speakers and more food and games. I shot a duck at the shooting gallery and won some VA bucks for Marvin to use at the cafe. He feels pretty bad today after the CAT scan and high blood pressure has him worried just a little. Dr Thomas doesn't know why for either one but she is trying with a battery fo tests for Monday. No PT today as he is going to have that fun stuff that cleans you out!! Thank you for the cards. They are great as was the visit and shirts. He has worn them with pride. God Bless you our friends Cathie

Wednesday in Augusta

Dear friends
The nausea has returned with a vengance. I am looking for help from other doctors and hospital that might have some experience with this in other spinal chord patients. If any of you have ideas please let us know as we have tried most drugs getting him moving as much as possible. The nausea now keeps him down abit and the feeding schedule keeps him up during the night. What a mess. Prayer is the best medicine we know. He is still doing what he can in PT and the women helping him are great cheerleaders. Often they will let him call me to celebrate something.
We are starting to get bids on the house for renovation. I think that this will be wonderful for him to be in his own home for a bit this Nov. We want to plan to celebrate with a covered dish and turkey time and I will pick a date and let you know. Some God-led people are calling me with ideas for remodeling and nursing care and even how to get loans and equiptment. I feel your support in so many ways and this keeps me going. I will return home next week and work on house and bills. Call or come by. We love you all.
God gives me strength thru you prayers,
Cathie

Marvin goes bowling

Yes, Marvin went bowling with the other patients at the VA! He said it is the only way to go if you want strikes without much effort. Talk with him about it when he come home in November. He is feeling better and is buzzing around the hall better now. Even the awful leg cramps are better.
Scott, the young marine who made it back from Iraq only to be hurt while surfing on Labor Day, has helped him answer the phone and traded stories while cheering him up. God once again has put people in our life who have helped us and shared God's love with us. Scott is in the bed next to Marvin and doing well. Add him to your prayer lists if you can. His parents are great and had to go back to NJ to move their household to Beaufort SC to be with Scott.

Wednesday

Marvin called home today to share his excitement about bio-feedback. He was able to see his muscles working with the aid of a computer even though he can't move them as yet. What a wonderful thing to hear the smile in his voice as he slowly gets back little bits of his strength. His breathing has improved and that has been a major concern. He has not had a breathing treatment in nearly a week. I watched him drive his power chair around the halls with much more ease and hope soon he can use his hand to control the switch. Right now he uses his chin and thumb. He loves watermelon and grapes so I bring them with me. He is eating better and even has a little bit of appetite which he has not had in over two months. So much can't be explained ezcept to say that prayer is a wonderous thing. I thank you all for continuing to lift us up daily and as I have told many of you, we are so grateful to be remembered with the wonderful cards and calls.
I can sometimes reach him at his bed but someone must be there to pick up the phone. I hope that very soon they will receive the special speakerphone ordered for him that will be voice activated. We move toward the day when he can come home for the holidays.
Thank you for being so faithful
Cathie

Sunday and God is Great

Once again I want to thank you for all your prayers which mean more to me than you will ever know. I often focus on what I haven't obtained yet and forget all that God has actually given me back. The nausea is now much better and I can now eat without vomiting. The severe leg cramps that kept me a wake at night, have resolved to a large degree. The periods of sweating have completing resolved and the rapid blood pressure fluctuations have also lessened. This has resulted in much more endurance and stamina when attending physical therapy. It has been very difficult to do the things that I needed to do to improve while feeling that I might throw up any minute. Bio-feedback has been very helpful. I have discoved that I have nerve connections to all muscles groups. Now my primary task is to strengthen those muscles. I feel the improvement has been the result of your prayers and I can't express in words how this lifts me up. I have finally reached the point where I will except whatever God gives me. I am passing this hope on to others on the ward.
Cathie has been with me almost constantly and as usual is my own personal cheerleader.
God's grace to all of you,
Marvin ( the Big Dog)

Thursday afternoon

He has gone to the movies as of 3:00 today! I am home fighting insurance "fires" with billing and will return Sat. His new chair gives him more mobility and he can use his thumb to change gears so to speak. He can make it tilt go back or forward or faster.Now that's a scene that I missed but was told that he ran into a door twice and the therapists were laughing so hard. He grinned and told me he wasn't hurt but might get a bad driving rep if he isn't careful.
The nausea continues and another test was taken today. I will let you know what and the results soon. It seems that nothing is really digested so perhaps there is an answer there. We still hope for home by Thanksgiving for Marvin for a month. It will be "covered dish and join us" time to celebrate with turkey etc. and friends. I don't know yet how I will care for him but each day I find a new source or idea. Some care programs that are great we are not elligible for now. I have to give these worries to God and to wonderful friends who interpret insurance claims for us. I have a possible clay workshop for teachers in Augusta and hope for some in Chas. area.
Thank you for keeping us up with prayer, cards, and calls,
God's blessings to you
Cathie

Tuesday

Last night Marvin surprized me with being able to cross his right ankle over his left while lying in the bed. I cheered and he grinned. Today he has been with the therapists most of the day while I spoke with Dr. Trincher about possible ways to help the nausea. She is a wonderful lady who has a battle of her own with cancer to fight. Keep her in your prayers also as she helps run this unit and keeps up her treatments. The nausea plagued us last night but he doesn't give up. When it stopped he asked for a grape!
We got so many wonderful cards yesterday! They had been kept for a few days til they found us. Even received some candy from Ann T that looks great. He is so overwhelmed by the messages on the cards and that you keep remembering us in prayer with so much demand on your own lives. Thank you hardly seems enought but I hope my efforts to help others here can be a way of passing on the love I feel from you.
God Bless youCathie

Saturday 10th

Dear Friends
I have been touched by all your concern, cards, and prayers. I wish I could answer each card but my handwriting is even worse than before! I read each card carefully and have a book made to keep them. Soom of them bring tears to my eyes. The prayers mean so much and I am thankful for what God gives me back in HIs time. I often ask God to bless all of you for your support. Hopefully one day I can do that in person. Bless you,
Marvin
The nausea still has him down and it seems to be because of the paralysis. The dr. doesn't know what to do and this is another time when God healing is so needed. He is on feeding tube into the bowel now to help with the nausea. Bill and Shim were here today and cheered him on as he tried to use his hands. Bill made Marvin laugh so much. We sat outside in front of the hospital entrance to enjoy the beautiful day. He sipped a homemade peach smoothy and kept some of it down. I celebrate that small feat with him!
I pray for all of us as the hurricane approaches Charleston. Please keep Mandy and Trey in your prayers as they rearrange their lives to help Marvin and me. They have so many decisions to make and need God's guidance.
Thank you for praying with us
Cathie

Labor Day

Dear Friends
Talked with Marvin today and he told me the nausea was still a very big problem. He will have some tests done tomorrow to help determine if the cause is other than a medication conflict. He was having a tough time speaking so I couldn't get much more about the upcoming tests but we can pray that they find a way to help him. The lack of nurtition has been a problem for muscle strength. He needs so much now that he has more feeling returning. He is too weak for rehab to do all that they would like. He told me that Saradell and Brian Dantzler had been in to see him and Trey and Laura were there with him this weekend. Several of you have spoken of visiting and I know he loves to have company. Visiting hours are after 4 on week days because he is in with the therapists but you can watch him work out or help him with his lunch at 12. On weekends they are more relaxed because the place clears out! It is like a ghost town. I am checking on home changes to help Marvin here and will be with him soon and Mandy and Trey will keep things going here. It is very hard to call him as he cannot pick up the phone but a new phone is on order for him. The cards and comments are wonderful. Prayers for us are the best thing we can ask for. God has given us so many people and much more hope than we once had. I am sorry that I have not returned calls or written to all of you to let you know how much you mean to us. Please know that we count you as blessings.
In God's love
Cathie

Family Conference

Cathy relayed to me this morning that the Family Conference the Murdaugh's had with the Dr.s at the VA went well. Although Marvin is very weak, his nerves are firing so the Doctors think there is a lot to work with.
His nausia is still a problem, but there are now two possibilities they are exploring.

1. The nausia may be a side effect of one of his medications. OR
   
2. The nausia may be related to slowness in the digestive track caused by the paralysis.

Either way, this is still a source of concern, but it appears that they are working towards a solution.

Marvin is very happy to announce that your cards are again finding their way to him.
For future cards, his new address is:

Marvin S. Mardaugh
Veterans Hospital SCIU
att. 1GF-101-3
1 Freedom Way
Augusta, GA 30904

Cathy said that Marvin is back to his determined self and this will be critical in the coming months at the VA.

-K