Sam

[rgcraig]

I'm not sure if there's been a thread about Sam, but he's been in the hospital since Sept 11. It was pneumonia and it seems to better, but he's in rehab now relearning to walk.

I know he would appreciate the prayers of AFF.

[RandyWayne]

Praying

[Praxeas]

I'm not sure if there's been a thread about Sam, but he's been in the hospital since Sept 11. It was pneumonia and it seems to better, but he's in rehab now relearning to walk.

I know he would appreciate the prayers of AFF.
Wow. Thanks for letting us know. Praying

[MawMaw]

So sorry to hear Sam has been ill.
Praying for a speedy recovery!

[Jermyn Davidson]

I'd like to send him a card, if you have the address of the rehab hospital he is in.

[renee819]

I'm glad you let us know.
I'll be praying.

[Sister Alvear]

praying...no I did not know...

[canam]

Surprised i have him on my fb and no mention was made

[rgcraig]

Surprised i have him on my fb and no mention was made

You might want to go to his page and get caught up.

[rgcraig]

Mercy Hospital - Rehab
James Ellis
3000 Mack Rd
Fairfield, OH 45014

[BeenThinkin]

Thanks Renda. Was wondering about Sam earlier today. Will be praying for him.

BT

[ILG]

:( I didn't know. Thanks for the update, Renda. Will pray...

[KeptByTheWord]

I wondered where he was not too long ago. So sad to hear he's been sick! I will be praying!

[Ferd]

Thanks Renda. I was going to post something today about this. I have seen some of his Facebook posts over the last few days and have been praying for him.

sounds like he has had a really tuff battle.

[Luke]

will be praying.

[rgcraig]

Update from Sam:

James Ellis


I will be discharged from Mercy Hospital rehab on Tuesday October 15. I will be doing rehab at home after that. Today Pat took me home on a pass and 3 therapists went with us. I still have a way to go. I was able to negotiate the step from the family room to the kitchen with some help but unable to do the step from the garage into the house by myself. More hard work ahead.

[rgcraig]

From Sam:
"Home from the hospital yesterday. Limited mobility but this will improve with time. According to Medicare I am considered "housebound."

[Ferd]

Poor guy. praying for him.

Hey Sam! We love you and wouldnt mind you sticking your head back in here!

[ILG]

We're praying for you, Sam and miss seeing you around!

[Abiding Now]

How old is Sam and I will pray for him, also.

[canam]

It's good to be home. I got home Tuesday October 15 after being in the hospital for treatment since August 29 and then rehab since September 11. I am walking with a walker but I get tired quickly and have to rest after a few minutes. I am unable so far to get into the family room or into the den where my "real" computer is. Also, I could not get out of the house right now. I'm using my old laptop and phone and neither is very easy with facebook. I have 12 more sessions of therapy (occupational and physical) scheduled for the next 4 weeks. Still lots of pain in my left leg but it is greatly improved and I am actually putting some weight on it and using both legs to walk. It still has lots of places on it from the shingles. I am still short of breath from the ILD but the pneumonia is gone and has been gone for over a month. I am not a very patient person and this being confined to just part of the house and limited to this wheel chair because of difficulty getting up and down with other furniture is wearing on me. I am not on oxygen which is good..........He will be 76 in Dec. Posted about an hour ago

[Sarah]

Praying for you, Sam!

[Ferd]

oh my goodness! you had shingles AND Phenumonia?

I am glad you are home and have been praying for you daily since i saw a post from you on facebook about 3 days before this thread came up.

[ILG]

Shingles is bad news!

[KeptByTheWord]

So sorry to hear of all your struggles Sam! Had been missing your posts, and wanted you to know you are missed! Hope you are able to get back on here soon, and get to feeling better quickly! Will definitely be keeping you in my prayers!

[Sam]

Update from 10/22/13:


Today I visited my primary care physician as a follow up to my recent hospital stay.
Cody (grandson) came over to help me get there and Cathy (daughter) and Megan (granddaughter) dropped by the doctor's office to help me get home.

Today I conquered a major hurdle that has been bothering me since I got home from the hospital.
I was able to get down the step from the kitchen to the family room and down the step from the family room to the garage.
It is an 8 inch step and it was very intimidating to me. I was able to negotiate it with minimal help.a

The doctor was pleased with the way I looked.
He confessed today that when he saw me in the hospital he wondered about me ever getting out of there,
figuring I would wind up in a nursing home.
Actually I guess I was pretty close to death but my faith has taken away the fear of death.
When I faced death during a heart attack in 1995 I was amazed at my calmness and confidence in our Lord's mercy and lack of fear of death.
Thank God for His mercy and grace and healing power.
I consider hospitals, doctors, nurses, therapists, and medicine plus prayer to all be part of God's healing process.

I weighed 198.6 pounds which is much better than the 240 pounds that I was up to early this year.
I don't remember my blood pressure but it was good.
The doctor put me on a different water pill because of swelling in my legs which the furosemide/latex did not seem to help with.
I have been on 40 mg of furosemide for a long time. The replacement is spelled similar to furosemide but begins with a "t."
Also he put me on iron (ugh) because my count is a little low.

I still have future appointments with my cardiologist, urologist, and lung specialist.
I will be having occupational and physical therapy at home for the next 4 weeks.
I didn't realize how much of normal bodily functions I had lost. For a while I could not even sit up in bed.
Now I am getting up and down from the bed and chairs, etc with the help of a walker and even dressing myself.
Of course Pat is a great help. She is a wonderful lady and wife. Thank God for her being part of my life for over half a century

I am doing better, walking is a little less painful as I try to put more pressure on my legs.

Thank you to all those who have called, visited, prayed, sent cards, and who are concerned.
With the Lord's help and with the help and support of family and friends I am going to beat this.

I did not have access to my computer with its address book all the while I was in the hospital so you may or may not have seen or heard this stuff before.

Jim Ellis

P.S. These are some pictures from the hospital of me in ICU, with my pastor Wendell Coning, and of me walking from the lunch room back to my hospital room.

[Sam]

This is an update from yesterday:

Today I had another doctor's appointment. This time with the lung specialist. My weight is 197 pounds so I'm still under the 200 pound mark and much lower than the 240 pounds I weighed earlier this year. My blood pressure was 102/50 which seemed awfully low to me. The nurse took it again and it was about the same. The doctor was not concerned. After being home for a while I took a couple readings on a bp monitor we have here and it was in the 130's over 60's range. I had a pft (pulmonary function test) prior to seeing the doctor today and the lungs have deteriorated some since the last test. Each if the past several tests had shown "slight improvement." The doctor said he did not know if it was because of my recent pneumonia or because I have been off the cellcept since early in my hospital stay. He did not put me back on the cellcept/micophenolate. I am scheduled to see him again in December and expect some improvement in my lungs.

[Abiding Now]

Great report!

[seekerman]

Update from 10/22/13:


Today I visited my primary care physician as a follow up to my recent hospital stay.
Cody (grandson) came over to help me get there and Cathy (daughter) and Megan (granddaughter) dropped by the doctor's office to help me get home.

Today I conquered a major hurdle that has been bothering me since I got home from the hospital.
I was able to get down the step from the kitchen to the family room and down the step from the family room to the garage.
It is an 8 inch step and it was very intimidating to me. I was able to negotiate it with minimal help.a

The doctor was pleased with the way I looked.
He confessed today that when he saw me in the hospital he wondered about me ever getting out of there,
figuring I would wind up in a nursing home.
Actually I guess I was pretty close to death but my faith has taken away the fear of death.
When I faced death during a heart attack in 1995 I was amazed at my calmness and confidence in our Lord's mercy and lack of fear of death.
Thank God for His mercy and grace and healing power.
I consider hospitals, doctors, nurses, therapists, and medicine plus prayer to all be part of God's healing process.

I weighed 198.6 pounds which is much better than the 240 pounds that I was up to early this year.
I don't remember my blood pressure but it was good.
The doctor put me on a different water pill because of swelling in my legs which the furosemide/latex did not seem to help with.
I have been on 40 mg of furosemide for a long time. The replacement is spelled similar to furosemide but begins with a "t."
Also he put me on iron (ugh) because my count is a little low.

I still have future appointments with my cardiologist, urologist, and lung specialist.
I will be having occupational and physical therapy at home for the next 4 weeks.
I didn't realize how much of normal bodily functions I had lost. For a while I could not even sit up in bed.
Now I am getting up and down from the bed and chairs, etc with the help of a walker and even dressing myself.
Of course Pat is a great help. She is a wonderful lady and wife. Thank God for her being part of my life for over half a century

I am doing better, walking is a little less painful as I try to put more pressure on my legs.

Thank you to all those who have called, visited, prayed, sent cards, and who are concerned.
With the Lord's help and with the help and support of family and friends I am going to beat this.

I did not have access to my computer with its address book all the while I was in the hospital so you may or may not have seen or heard this stuff before.

Jim Ellis

P.S. These are some pictures from the hospital of me in ICU, with my pastor Wendell Coning, and of me walking from the lunch room back to my hospital room.

Thanks for the report, sam. God is a good and healing God, no doubt about that.

May you continue to be blessed.

[Sam]

Thank you for your prayers. This is taking longer than I thought it would but I am improving. Today I just turned down my pastor who wanted me to preach one night of a 4 day revival in our church in mid-November. I just don't think I will be well enough by then.

I've preached one night in this event the past 2 years. Last year I had to sit down while preaching because of back problems. This year it looks like I won't get to be there at all.

[seekerman]

Thank you for your prayers. This is taking longer than I thought it would but I am improving. Today I just turned down my pastor who wanted me to preach one night of a 4 day revival in our church in mid-November. I just don't think I will be well enough by then.

I've preached one night in this event the past 2 years. Last year I had to sit down while preaching because of back problems. This year it looks like I won't get to be there at all.

I'm praying you will be able, sam. You have a kind and Godly heart and folks need to hear your testimony.

[Sasha]

I have been on 40 mg of furosemide for a long time. The replacement is spelled similar to furosemide but begins with a "t."


Torsemide. Also known as Demadex.

Makes ya pee. :)

[ILG]

Thank you for your prayers. This is taking longer than I thought it would but I am improving. Today I just turned down my pastor who wanted me to preach one night of a 4 day revival in our church in mid-November. I just don't think I will be well enough by then.

I've preached one night in this event the past 2 years. Last year I had to sit down while preaching because of back problems. This year it looks like I won't get to be there at all.

Right now, Sam, you need to take care of YOU! That is the most important thing you can do. ;)

[LOVE JESUS]

Thank you for your prayers. This is taking longer than I thought it would but I am improving. Today I just turned down my pastor who wanted me to preach one night of a 4 day revival in our church in mid-November. I just don't think I will be well enough by then.

I've preached one night in this event the past 2 years. Last year I had to sit down while preaching because of back problems. This year it looks like I won't get to be there at all.

Thanks for all the updates Bro. Sam. Praying for you.

[Sam]

oh my goodness! you had shingles AND Phenumonia?

I am glad you are home and have been praying for you daily since i saw a post from you on facebook about 3 days before this thread came up.

yes, and the left leg is still very very sore.
The shingles are just scars, no bleeding or running or oozing but the leg is very sore. Using percocet to try to alleviate the pain. some times it works, some times it doesn't.

These are pictures from a couple days ago. I am walking with a walker but can only go for short periods of time and short distances. I am learning to put more weight on my legs (including the weaker left one with shingles) than on the walker. I am also trying to spend more than a couple minutes without hanging on.

[seekerman]

yes, and the left leg is still very very sore.
The shingles are just scars, no bleeding or running or oozing but the leg is very sore. Using percocet to try to alleviate the pain. some times it works, some times it doesn't.

These are pictures from a couple days ago. I am walking with a walker but can only go for short periods of time and short distances. I am learning to put more weight on my legs (including the weaker left one with shingles) than on the walker. I am also trying to spend more than a couple minutes without hanging on.

Great to see you're doing better, sam. We miss your voice of reason on the forum, and look forward to seeing you posting more frequently.

[Abiding Now]

Happy to see you up. Praying for a complete recovery.