~ April 5, 2025

We wanted to share periodic updates on our website about how Joey’s recovery process is going. Here is our latest blog entry and link to the CaringBridge site we’re writing on:

Finding our New Normal – CaringBridge Blog Site

It has been a bit of an adjustment this past week going from hospital life to nursing home rehab life. The staff at Elevate is very friendly and attentive, and Joey is settling in well to his new routine for the next phase of recovery. He is receiving OT & PT every day, along with wound care and nurse attention 24/7. Together, Joey and I have navigated 2 follow up doctor appointments. One to the Neurologist and another one to the doctor who fixed his wrist and hand.  The Elevate staff coordinates all of the transportation to and from his appointments, which is a definite benefit of staying at a facility near Advocate Lutheran. Both visits went well, and the doctors reiterated to us how lucky he is to be on the road to recovery so quickly. To hear doctors using words like “miracle” is still something that is hard to wrap our heads around, and we are so thankful to be in this space right now. 

Joey enjoyed spending time with some visitors this week. Jamie’s Mom was able to come up for a visit. It was the first time Joey was able to see her since the accident, and it was good for both of them to spend time together! He also had a great visit with his friend AJ and together they were able to Facetime with Mark. Those three have been through lots of “life” together over the years, and it’s so good for Joey to have support from friends during his recovery. On Sunday, the Harford crew came up for a fun game of Uno and brought sushi for lunch! The kids were so sweet to bring Joey a card holder to use since they knew his arm was in a cast. He gave the match his best effort, but Jett was the winner 🙂 Yesterday Joey had a wonderful visit from Pastor Ayla & Linnell from our church. Their prayer group has been lifting Joey up daily since the accident, and he definitely feels that love surrounding him. 

Once he got discharged from the hospital, we had to move out of the apartment Advocate made available to us. It was so convenient to be right across the street from the hospital, and it gave us so much peace of mind to be close by. I have been trying to get back to work more and more as his condition improves, working remotely from my laptop. After Joey got out of the ICU, Jamie was able to start traveling back and forth each day. He spends mornings at the nursery getting our crew set up for the day and heads north after lunch to spend dinner with Joey and I. It’s a lot of road time but it works, and Jamie is right where he wants and needs to be. One of our nursery friends reached out and offered a condo in Skokie that her friends have available right now for a few weeks. It is just a few miles down the road from Elevate, and it has been the perfect new home away from home for me. We are so grateful that strangers are so gracious to share their space with us. What a blessing!

As Joey continues to improve and navigate his new surroundings, I made a difficult transition myself and went home for the first time since his accident in February. Honestly, I have been dreading that step a bit. I am not sure how to go back to my life at home, and I’m not sure I want to. I think the trauma of this entire situation is starting to settle in finally, and it’s difficult to find what our new normal is or should be. I am a bit of a strategic planner, a classic “Virgo”, so operating in these unchartered waters is very tough for me. I am trying to embrace the day to day more, and I must admit it’s a rather refreshing approach! The time I have spent with Joey this past month has been priceless. I was telling Chris & Marlee the other day, that despite how scary & difficult the situation has been, it has simultaneously been the best month of my life. I’m not quite sure what to think about that yet, but that’s okay. For now, I will roll with it and enjoy my time with Joey and embrace living in a cool condo in Skokie in the meantime!

My short visit back home was filled with love from Fern & Benji. I have missed them so much and their snuggles and love recharged my soul. Jamie gave me a ride around the nursery, and everything looked great! With tears in my eyes I was finally able to see our crew and welcome them back for the season. Words cannot express how thankful Jamie & I are for these guys! 

It helps to write these posts every few days and share honestly what our family is experiencing. We have never been in a sudden trauma situation like this, and it gives you a completely different perspective on everything. The love and support from everyone is truly life-giving right now. Thank you to everyone from the bottom of our hearts for wrapping all of us in love!

My pics today are of some fun visits with Joey and cool city views from my “home away from home” for now. As we head into April, I want to share this beautiful poem from Ullie-Kaye:

“april”

april is beautiful because it teaches us to wait it out through a time of uncertainty.

april shows us how to be secure in knowing what is yet to come and trust that it gets better.

april is the work it takes to see the results that make it all worth it.

it is the slow changes.

the small growth.

the intentional choice to endure.

the weathered spirit on the cusp of a new beginning.

april is a human effort with God powered strength.

ullie-kaye