Griffin Family Update

Hi all!!

Yup it’s me. I hope you are all doing well. I first want thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, and support. I am so humbled by all of this, the cards, letters, blog posts, etc … You gave me much encouragment, and I don’t know what else to say but God bless all of you!!

Well some of you may have heard that I would be home soon, but unfortunately things have changed. I went to the doctors last Monday and got X-rays of my arm and legs (right now I cannot bear any weight on these limbs). The doctor said that because of the extensive damage he would like me to stay off my feet for the next 4-6 weeks. Needless to say, I was devastated. On top of that it will take another 4-6 weeks to get up and walk. So I may be here until May or June. I know it sounds bad, but I have accepted it and will just push as hard as I can to get better.

Now we scheduled a memorial service for my wife Linda for April 20th, but because of this recent news, we are going to have to postpone it. I don’t think that I could sit in a wheel chair for too long of a time and be comfortable and deal with the pain. I really want to be 100% for all of you who come. I and the church will let you know of the reschuled date when we come up with it.

That is the news so far. I would like to write more, but my typing has slowed a bit with my arm out of comission. I will do my best to update this blog as much as I can. Please feel free to comment on this if you have any questions.

Love to you al!!

Bob

March 12th, 2008 Where do I begin? Thank-you just doesn’t seem to be enough. Dave and I want to send our love to all of you who have prayed for our family and sent well wishs . We just put our granddaughters to bed and are so THANKFULL to be here for them and our son. Our faith and trust in the LORD is carrying us through. We know that our family will be whole again in time. A special thank-you to my family back home and my sisters Karen and Chris. Jim, thank-you.Steve,Bob and Jan you are my all! Dick, Sandy Dan and Linda, Jerry and Rose and Gary and Janet , Thank-you so much. Mom Woodard and Mom Griffin. Thank-you. We love you all! Kathy and Dave Griffin. ps. Yes Jared, Everything is going to be o.k.

From Prince: I visited with Bob last night at Valley Med in San Jose for about 45 minutes. He was very alert. He’s out of ICU and in a room in the West building, 4th floor. He talked about the wreck and about his love for Linda. We grieved together. I assured him that he has no financial or logistical worries and encouraged him to just be with his grief and focus on his healing. He talked about the goodness of God that he is experiencing through the staff of the hospital and his parents and the supportive people of Hillside Church. He is very grateful. We prayed together and our prayers included concern for the driver of the other car and his family. He’s very anxious about the task of being a single parent to two young girls, but he says, “I’ll do my best and I’ll ask for help.”

We talked about a time when we will have a memorial service for Linda. He said, “I’m going to want to thank everyone for their love and support.”

David and Kathy are hopeful that Bob will be transferred to Marin as soon as space becomes available in the right facility. He’s still on a lot of drugs for pain and sleep and tires easily. From what I learned in pastor school I probably stayed too long tonight but there seemed to be a lot he wanted to talk about. David and Kathy are still requesting only a few visitors at a time, two at most - please no car caravans. There will be ample time for visiting when he’s in rahab - hopefully close to home.

Bob is doing well but don’t let up on the prayers.

Bob has been experiencing remarkably lucid moments. On Tuesday morning, Feb. 26 his mom entered the room and he said, “Tell me the truth, mom, did Linda make it?” Kathy said, “No, son, she didn’t,” and they cried together. He told his mom, “I loved her very much.”

Following Linda’s wishes Bob has authorized the cremation of Linda’s remains and said that when he’s able he will scatter her ashes in the Pacific. We hope to announce a date for a memorial service at Hillside Church in the next update.

On February 27, Bob’s fever went up a bit and he’s being treated for infection. We know that Bob will have good days and not so good days but we’re confident of his recovery.

Bob is often sedated but when awake he is able to talk and receive a limited number of visitors.
Bear in mind that he in a Surgical ICU unit and it is not possible for the staff to take a phone to him.

Monday the 25th was Basia’s first day back at school and she had a good day.

Bob is breathing on his own, praise God.
Please continue your prayers for his complete healing, for all the family members near and far.
For wise decision for the surgeons and medical staff.
thank you.

I know I’m badgering you about the Memory Book, but I do believe it is important & we would want someone to do this for our children. Thank you to those of you who have sent in submissions- they are all fabulous. I wanted to update everyone that I am dividing the book into chapters & am hoping to get submissions for each of these chapters. Don’t feel the need to sit down & write out everything you ever knew about Linda- short stories are preferable & I don’t mind getting several emails from the same person, as ideas come to your mind.

I am also adding a chapter of “motherly advice”. I have some topics listed below that might stir your imaginations, but feel free to contribute as you are led. You might consider how you could incorporate Scripture into your advice. Also, this section is open to anyone who is touched by this story- not necessarily limited to people who knew the Griffins directly. (I know there are a lot of people praying for this situation all over the world, through prayer chains, etc. Thank you for that.)

Chapter 1
Linda Griffin- The Joyful Christ Follower

Chapter 2
Linda Griffin- The Professional Mother

Chapter 3
Linda Griffin- The Friend

Chapter 4
Linda Griffin- The Nut & Other “Right On” Stories

Chapter 5
Advice you didn’t ask for, but you’re getting anyway
Advice on issues of faith & religion in general
Advice on how to deal with identity/self-esteem issues
Advice on how to deal with boys & other issues of the heart
Advice on how to deal with bullies & creeps
Advice on choosing a career path
Advice on mothering
Advice on financial issues
Advice on substance abuse
Advice on how to deal with grief

Please email all submissions to nickiefrye@sbcglobal.net

Bob continues to show improvement. On Friday he was temporarily awake for a few minutes. He responded to the surgeon’s questions by nodding his head since he still has a breathing tube attached.

On Saturday he was aware of his mom at his bedside telling him that they were taking the girls to the family home in Mill Valley and yesterday (Monday, February 1 the girls were brought into his room for the first time and he could anknowledge their presence. This is good news.

Today, February 19, both girls have appointments with a pediatric orthopedic specialist at the Sutter Terra Linda Health Plaza. The girls will have a play date on Wednesday while David and Kathy drive to San Jose to visit Bob. Continue to pray for Bob’s steady recovery and for David and Kathy and the girls. It was a joy to see them all in worship at Hillside on Sunday.

Bob is still in the medically induced coma.
The doctors are still encouraged with his progress.
Please continue to pray for his complete healing.

The staff at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center continues to give us encouraging news about
Bob’s recovery.
He remains in a medically induced coma for the sake of healing. It’s possible that he will
continue to be heavily sedated for another ten days.

We know that he faces a long process of rehabilitation.

Bob’s parents, David and Kathy Griffin, plan to bring the girls home to Mill Valley this coming Saturday, February 16. That will return them to familiar surroundings but mean frequent long trips to San Jose.

Pray for Linda’s family members and friends who will gather at the United Methodist Church in Fulton, New York this coming Saturday at 4 PM for a celebration of Linda’s life.

We will plan a memorial service here at Hillside when Bob is able to participate in the decision making. It’s natural for us to want to rush Bob’s awakening, but we trust that his surgeon and the nursing staff are making wise decisions regarding his care and healing.

Because of the time it takes to monitor and update this site, we will no longer be posting comments.
We will continue to post an update on Bob and the girls each day.
If you wish to write a note to Bob we will keep them on the site and print them for him when he is able to read them

Thank you for the comments thus far and as the family’s needs are determined we will post those.
For now, please respect the family’s need to not have to respond to a lot of different people and wait for their needs to be posted. Kathy (Bob’s mom) has requested no play dates until they are back in Marin.
Thank You

Bob’s surgeon is pleased with the progress he is making. He remains in a medically induced coma in the Surgical ICU at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for the sake of his healing. He could continue under heavy sedation for two more weeks but all personell in that department continue to give encouraging news to his parents, David and Kathy Griffin, who are caring for the girls in a residential type motel in San Jose.

From David Griffin late yesterday afternoon:
Drs are still encouraged but it could be 5 or more days before Bob is brought out of the
medically induced coma. He IS healing, praise God.

Another good report from Bob’s mother. The Dr’s are very pleased with Bob’s progress.
Please continue to pray for complete healing for Bob and the girls and for strength for his parents.

Many people have requested an update on the children. Baisa and Bo are with Bob’s parents in a hospital provided suite. They are doing well. They have had Janet Sills as caregiver and playmate this week. She is a friend of the family and has cared for the children many times before. Basia has an appointment early next week regarding spine injury. After that appointment we will issue another update. Please continue to pray for the entire family.

Bob’s parents received a really good report from one of the surgeons.
They are now waiting for him to heal, for swelling to go down and then possibly one
last surgery. Please pray for continued healing.

We heard from David Griffin late last night. Bob was in surgery again yesterday afternoon to re-set his wrist. They hope that is the last of the surgeries to repair broken bones. He remains in critical condition. Please continue to pray for his healing and for all of his family.

David Griffin called with this information:
Bob is possibly going in for another surgery later this afternoon.
Right now his vital signs are stable and they are trying to keep infection at bay.
thank you for your continued prayers.