Prayers for Jerry Den Herder
We want to share with you some health news about Jerry. Last Thursday, December 8th, Jerry was here at work. He felt light headed and a tingling sensation in one arm. Tom ignored Jerry’s wish to wait it out and called for an ambulance.
Jerry went to Allen Hospital and shortly after was air lifted to Mayo for bleeding in his brain. We can’t thank our Tom, the ambulance crew (special shout out to Nick Anderson!) and Allen Hospital enough for their quick and accurate actions!
Mayo was able to stop the bleeding and eventually got his blood pressure to a normal level (it was all over the place). What we know is Jerry had a hemorrhagic stroke.
This type of stroke is where blood vessels leak inside the brain. This type is not as common as the ischemic stroke involving a blockage of blood to the brain (e.g., a blood clot).
Jerry did not have to have surgery to relieve the pressure or remove excess blood on the brain. This was great news!
Road to Recovery
Jerry is experiencing some consequences of having a stroke. His left side is good, but he is working to gain more function back on his right side. He has OT, PT, and every kind of ‘T’ working with him to get him back to full speed!
His speech is understandable if he speaks slowly. For those of you who know how fast he talks, you can imagine this will be the biggest hurdle for him. (We say this with love, Jerry!)
Very thankfully, he is not experiencing cognitive issues–he knows what happened, current events, who people are, and the like.
He has a few more weeks at Mayo. The healing from a hemorrhagic stroke is like a bruise healing. The body will absorb the blood and the swelling will lessen. Once this happens, we are hopeful his recovery will quicken.
It is too soon to know how long it will take him to get back on his feet. We don’t know when Jerry will be back in the office. Knowing him as we do, he will want that to be tomorrow!
Take Nothing for Granted
Obviously, this has taken all of us by surprise and filled us with concern. We know many of you care for this man as much as we do here.
His wife, Ronda, and daughters Susie, Carrie, and Alexa, have all been able to be together as a family. They are incredibly strong, as is Jerry. But even the strongest need support. When we ask his family what we can do, the only thing they say is “pray.”
Prayers for Jerry
Jerry is a man of deep faith. This faith is carrying him right now. We ask that all of you, however you choose, keep Jerry and his family in your thoughts or prayers.
Send Him a Note
We here at Den Herder Vet know that you might want to send him a note of encouragement or a funny story to make him laugh. We are thinking of this like a card shower, but for healing and support. He could use an extra dose of humor about now.
If you would like to write a card or funny story, please drop them off here or mail them to the hospital: 974 Home Plaza, Waterloo, IA 50701. We will collect and deliver them to him frequently.
If you would like to send him an email, please send those to: [email protected]. Put “For Jerry” somewhere in the subject line. We will send those to him. He does not have a personal Facebook account, so a paper note or email will be the best way to reach him.
We will keep you updated as we learn more. We are humbled at how wide the circle of love and friendship is surrounding Den Herder Vet. And that is because of Jerry. He has touched the lives of so many and God willing, he will impact many more in the years to come.
