Frank Chamberlain's Accident
Cathy and the family want to thank everyone for their continued concerns, prayers, and support during this time. We are asking people not to come visit right now so Frank can get the rest and care that is needed. We are hopeful and optimistic he will be transferred back closer to home once the worst is behind us. We’ll continue to post updates here as we can. If you want to pass along any cards with prayers or well wishes, you are welcome to leave them at the Central church office and we can make sure they are delivered to Frank and Cathy.
Update - Oct 31st, 10:00am
Frank is back at home!!! It's been almost 1 month since Frank fell and we're constantly amazed at God's protection and healing hand over these past weeks. With the surgeries on his hip (which we learned included a broken femur) and his shoulder, Frank is still needing lots of rest and is taking it easy. He can't put any weight on either for 6 weeks after the surgeries to allow them to heal. Later this week he will visit the surgeon in Hamilton to get an update on his hip and femur. There will likely be another trip to Hamilton soon for a checkup on his shoulder surgery as well. If you would like to visit Frank now that he is home, feel free to get in contact with Frank or Cathy before stopping by.
Update - Oct 23rd, 1:00pm
This update is a little overdue, and if you ask Frank, maybe long overdue. I think he's getting a little bored! He is continuing to recover well in Fergus and getting more mobile every day. He's able to get out of bed and spending time sitting upright while Cathy or the rest of the family are visiting. Speaking of visiting, Frank is looking forward to seeing your familiar faces again. To help make sure he doesn't push too hard, we're asking everyone to connect with Cathy before visiting and to be mindful of how long you stay.
Update - Oct 19th, 1:00pm
Good news! Frank was transferred back to Fergus last night. He's mending well from his two surgeries, but he still has a long recovery ahead. The nurses are helping to manage his pain, but he still often finds it hard to get comfortable, and isn't always able to get a good night sleep. He can't put any weight on his left leg or right shoulder so mobility is still a challenge. We are still asking that people not come visit so Frank can get as much rest as possible. Hopefully he has more energy for visitors in the coming days but we will keep this updated as things change.
Update - Oct 14th, 8:00pm
As Frank continues to recover there are less changes each day and updates will probably be a little less frequent. Recovery is slow and painful but it continues to go well. Frank's voice is getting stronger and he is looking better every day. He still tires easily and often finds it difficult to stay comfortable. The swelling in his face is mostly gone and the bruising is starting to lighten up. They have removed all of his vital monitors and the only things still connected are an IV and tube to drain excess fluids from his chest. He had another chest x-ray today and they've told us that no news is good news once they look at those. Physiotherapy is continuing with small stretches of sitting up and lifting his arms and legs.
Update - Oct 12th, 6:00pm
Yesterday's planned shoulder was cancelled late in the day, but Frank has gone in for surgery this morning. His surgery went well, and he is back in his room with a new shoulder/arm brace. We're waiting for the doctors report from the surgery tomorrow morning. He was moved last night from a constant care/supervision room in the trauma ward to standard patient room but still in the trauma ward. These are all good signs that Frank is progressing well in his recovery.
Update - Oct 10th, 9:30pm
Frank had another fairly quiet day with Cathy by his side. Every day he looks a little better as the swelling in his face goes down and he's always able to move a bit than the day before. He had a CT-scan on his head this morning. Results haven’t come through yet, but praying for good news there. They also set him up in a stretcher chair to help him sit up and get started on physio. They asked him to lift his legs, move his arms, and take deep breaths as long as it didn’t cause too much pain. We had hoped for shoulder surgery today but finally at about 7:30pm they told us surgery wasn't going to happen. You could tell he was a little disappointed, but we're still optimistic that we will get that surgery tomorrow.
Update - Oct 9th, 5:00pm
It was another quiet day in the hospital. Frank didn't receive his shoulder surgery today and they haven't said for certain when that will be. We are still hoping for sooner than later. The doctors are happy with the blood flow in his hip following his surgery. We're praying for a complete recovery there. Some of the grand kids came to visit today which seemed to brighten Franks day. We were then able to enjoy some pumpkin pie in the hospital waiting room and remember we have so much to be thankful for.
Update - Oct 9th, 8:00am
Frank had a pretty quiet Thanksgiving Sunday. He listened to Centrals Sunday service online in the morning and then went for more x-rays and a CT-scan around noon. We are waiting for more details, but it looks like he has partially collapsed lower lungs that they need to keep an eye on. They have been able to reduce his oxygen supply which is good news. They are also trying to reduce the amount of pain medication as Frank is able. Frank is quite drowsy while on those heavy meds and does become more alert and talkative between doses. There is still a chance Frank will have shoulder surgery today depending on staffing levels over the holiday.
Update - Oct 7th, 4:00 pm
As many of you may have heard, Frank had an accident while at work at around 8:00am on Thursday October 5th. He was working on his own so we aren't really sure what happened, but it does look like he had a really bad fall. He was taken to Groves with some serious trauma and air lifted at around 10am and taken to Hamilton. Since then he has had many scans, x-rays, and specialists come through to see him. Here is what we know so far, and I hope I can relay all the information accurately.
- Frank suffered a broken left hip and had surgery Friday afternoon to rebuild it. The doctors said that surgery went well and we were able to see him after it.
- He also suffered a broken right shoulder and 7 or 8 cracked ribs. We are still waiting on a timeline for shoulder surgery to repair his scapula. They have told us this may be on Monday. The broken ribs will be sore and will need time to heal on their own.
- There are also some spinal fractures in his neck and back. The specialists have said he doesn't require surgery and they will heal on their own.
- He also hit face and head on the left side when he fell. There are some fractures there as well, but again, they have said surgery is not required and they expect that to heal on its own in time.
- The neurologists did some sensory and cognitive test on Thursday afternoon. Frank responded well to all the questions and even joked about not getting to the cottage this weekend. He was also able to move his arms, legs, finger, toes, and could feel any touches throughout his body.
- He also suffered a broken right shoulder and 7 or 8 cracked ribs. We are still waiting on a timeline for shoulder surgery to repair his scapula. They have told us this may be on Monday. The broken ribs will be sore and will need time to heal on their own.
- There are also some spinal fractures in his neck and back. The specialists have said he doesn't require surgery and they will heal on their own.
- He also hit face and head on the left side when he fell. There are some fractures there as well, but again, they have said surgery is not required and they expect that to heal on its own in time.
- The neurologists did some sensory and cognitive test on Thursday afternoon. Frank responded well to all the questions and even joked about not getting to the cottage this weekend. He was also able to move his arms, legs, finger, toes, and could feel any touches throughout his body.
It’s amazing to see God’s hand on Franks life, even through the trauma and the pain. It’s easy to see how things could have been much worse and we are thankful for all the positive reports so far.