In Defense of Healthcare Workers

You may or may not be aware that the protections afforded to healthcare workers are currently under attack. Without these protections, my husband (along with every other healthcare worker in the country) will be required by law to take part in procedures that go against his conscience, convictions, and religious beliefs. As the wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece of healthcare workers (and a former nurse myself), I find this disturbing and very, very scary. The paragraph below was published in our church bulletin yesterday. I'm passing it on in case you feel led to get involved in supporting/protecting the rights of these workers. Please consider supporting the rights of these good servants.

"Current regulations protect healthcare workers from being required to provide services that violate their conscience, such as abortion or assisted suicide. They prevent discrimination in hiring, firing, promotion, or acceptance to courses of study (such as medical school & residency) because of one's moral & religious convictions. On 2/27, the Obama Administration announced its intention to remove these regulations. On 3/10, the US Dept. of Health & Human Services issued a proposal to rescind these regulations and activated a 30-day period for public comment. Please register your support for conscience protections before the April 9 deadline at www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection."

33 WEEKS!!

One more week down and 5 to go! Each week feels like such a victory!

More respite reflections (not necessarily in order of importance):

• When you're on the couch, and you have leanings toward introversion, and there's literally nowhere to find solitude except the bathroom (and even those trips are limited) and you've got a crew of "care-takers", some of whom are extroverts in need of lots of physical touch and some of whom are at stages of life where they are needing lots of re-assurance, it can be very, very draining. When this stint on the couch began, I shortsightedly thought that the focus of our family would shift to my needs. That has definitely been true on a physical level as there are many things I just can't do. But emotionally and spiritually, the opposite has happened. Maybe it's because there are fewer distractions preventing me from being in tune to my children or maybe their needs are greater these days or maybe both. Regardless, I sense their needs more strongly than ever and I'm so thankful for that - thankful for rich conversations with time to linger, thankful for tight hugs that seem to go on forever, thankful that I'm always available because there's nowhere else for me to go, and thankful for the opportunity to surrender my need for solitude. It's uncomfortable at times, even downright frustrating, but I see the fruit of it in my own heart and in our family. (Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if ti dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.--Jn 12:24, 25) God knows my needs and theirs. And when those needs seem to conflict, He is generous with His grace as He cares for us all.
• I now feel a kinship with all the little old ladies in the world who get gussied up just to go to their doctors appointment because it will be their biggest outing of the week!
  
• Humor is such good medicine. And thanks to some clownish kids and some comedian friends, I've enjoyed a lot of it recently. A good belly laugh can be such a balm to the spirit - and believe me, I've got the belly for it these days!!
  
• Our goal has been to get to thirty five weeks with this pregnancy. None of the docs suggested that time frame but it just seemed a good safe point in the pregnancy at which we could begin to breathe a little more easily. Not that I'll do anything differently at that point, but I will feel less of a sense of danger for this little guy. Baby's lungs should be nicely developed by then and he will also be a good 5-6 pounds. I realized last night that I turn 35 weeks on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is the goal. The Resurrected Lord is our goal. I'm learning that so much of this trial is as much (if not more) about the journey than the destination. While getting to 35 weeks will be cause for great celebration, experiencing Jesus along the way in each moment and accepting all that He has for me in this will be the greater prize.
  
• Netflix is a true sanity saver!!!
• I still have the best husband EVER.
  

Couch Chronicles - Vol. 4

Snippets from Breakfast
(Breakfast occurs in two shifts around here since the olders are always up earlier than the youngers.)

During shift 1:

"Mom, my eyes hurt."

me: "Does your head hurt, too?"

"Well, my eyes are in my head."

I can always count on this particular very concrete child to state the obvious.

During shift 2:

"It's OK if I call you weird, right?"

"Yea."

It's a good sign that we're headed for a happy day when these two wake up feeling so amenable.

WOW! Lab Results are in!!!

31!!!!!

That's my Hematocrit after a week and a half of triple doses of iron, spinach, molasses and lots of prayer! I am just giddy. Who would ever have thought that lab results could bring such joy??!! (People, I lost sleep over this last night. I really did!) This number means that if I were to have another "event" today, although there would definitely be risk involved, I would not be in immediate danger. It means I have some reserves whereas before, I had none. Oh-thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord, for this encouraging number and for your continued protection!!!

Big Day Out

Today, I had an appointment for a follow-up ultrasound and then later, an appointment with my OB. The ultrasound confirmed, as we expected, that my placenta hasn't budged from it's low position. The chances are slim to none that it will migrate. That pretty much clinched the deal on my requiring a c-section. We expected it would and that's really OK. Something about a c-section feels safe and controlled at this point. And those a very precious things to me right now.

The area where the bleed occurred appears to have sealed off well meaning that "event" (as the docs like to call it) is over. Now, we just have to prevent any futures "events". This basically means I'm back to the couch indefinitely with permission to get up for meals (no more coffee table dining!) and bathroom trips. August can also take me on an occasional drive which I was so glad to hear!

It was a little disconcerting today when August and the high-risk OB doc who did my ultrasound were chatting about how low my Hematocrit had gotten in the hospital. Questions like "Did they transfuse you?" and "How far do you live from the hospital?" just aren't very assuring! He sounded a little more upbeat when I told him I'm on iron supplements three times a day.

Speaking of my Hematocrit, I had bloodwork drawn today too. We'll know the results of that tomorrow. I'm really hoping for a high 20's number, thirty would be even better!

Even though it's rainy and dreary here, the day appeared glorious to me with spring blooms everywhere. To my delight, the ultrasound appointment was all the way on the opposite side of town so I had miles of opportunity to take in every Redbud, Bradford Pear, Cherry, and Forsythia bloom on the way.

The chance to see our sweet, healthy, and now chubby boy again was priceless. He's clearly gained some meat on his bones. He has lots of hair and eye lashes too! He seems to suck on anything within reach. And the girls say he has his dad's nose. I have to admit I see the resemblance too, don't you?


I know this isn't the most flattering picture I could have posted of August but it exemplifies well his life of the past few weeks. He runs all day, serving all of us so faithfully and tirelessly. Then he collapses on the couch where he's asleep in seconds. He was actually supposed to return to see his surgeon today but my appointments trumped his. Instead, he will follow-up on the phone later this week and hopefully be out of his collar soon.
I'll check in tomorrow with what will hopefully be an impressive lab report!!

Couch Chronicles - Vol. 3

What NOT to say to a woman who is confined to a couch all day:

"Mom, what can I do, I'm soooooooooooo bored."
(She says after trotting in from the balmy spring weather.)

So sorry to hear that your afternoon has been so rough, my dear.

32 WEEKS!!

You can bet we're celebrating around here. Our little guy has stayed tucked in one more week and continues to grow and swim happily! Woo Hoo! Just 6 (six?!) more weeks to go!!

A few respite reflections from the past week:

• When your confined to one spot, surrounded by your most essential things, and experiencing periods of solitude throughout the day, the people in your world become all the more precious. When they walk into the room, you put aside what you're doing and engage with them- not because you know you should but because they really are more important than your agenda. In fact, they have become your agenda and you're aware of how much you need them. From the time our girls were little, we've always told them people are more important than things. What was a family motto has become more of a heart reality for me. We need each other. We really do. We need to connect with our eyes, with our hearts, and with our touch. When other things are stripped away, the magnitude of our need for one another becomes starkly clear.
• I desperately need my friends' encouragement and help. I don't like to admit this because it's much more comfortable for me to be self-sufficient and in control. I don't like to ask for help and I don't like to be a burden. (That's my pride speaking in case it's not glaringly obvious!) Yet my friends are right there driving my kids to and fro, doing my shopping, feeding my family, being voices of hope, and praying incessantly. I couldn't "do" this without them.
• I used to pooh-pooh virtual friendships. And while I believe friendship is meant to thrive primarily in our tangible, local circles, God is showing me that there is much wisdom, encouragement, and care to be found in virtual relationships. For that, I'm very grateful.
• I miss Mass terribly. I have my bible, other wonderful reading and music at my disposal but it's not the Mass and I feel the void. Oh, how I look forward to being there again in that sacred place.
  
• My girls are GOLD. I always knew they were pretty special but I'm seeing them rise to the occasion in ways that I never would have expected. They can whip of the clutter in the kitchen faster than me now. They are growing in servanthood - recognizing needs and moving to meet them, often without being prompted.
  
• If my girls are gold, then my man is PLATINUM. I can't even put into words how much my admiration for August has grown. His faith-filled response to the increased burdens and needs on him leaves me in awe. And as he serves us faithfully and cheerfully, despite his own fatigue (I've never seen anyone fall asleep so fast - anywhere, anytime!), he is constantly encouraging me to keep my eyes on heaven throughout this ordeal.
  

"Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.." Eph. 5:25

That's my man.

Couch Chronicles - Vol. 2

Domesticity as Seen Through the Scientific Mind

Yesterday, the older girls were mixing some bread. Here's what I overheard from the couch as they were measuring the yeast:

"This is a single-celled bacteria. It's a decomposer. It's a fungi, actually. I don't like touching yeast because I know it's a single-celled fungi."

Um..........OK

Resigning Myself to Our New Reality

I called my OB office this morning to ask if he would consider decreasing my Terbutaline (anti-contraction medication) dose. I'm contracting only occasionally and never anything regular and the stuff causes me to keep a headache most of the time.

My midwife called back with his answer. Yes, I can cut the dose in half.

I also took the opportunity to ask her if I should expect to be parked here for the remainder of the pregnancy. (I had been optimistic that when he sees me next week, he might be SO impressed with my "progress" that he might allow a little more activity. )

Her answer - "Yep."

{big heavy sigh}

Oh well, at least our couch is by a window.......and they're plenty of signs of spring to enjoy albeit from a distance.

"When we rise to respond to God's love, the obstacles disappear; on the other hand, without love even the tiniest difficulty seems insuperable. If there is union with the Lord, everything becomes tolerable. 'While all sorts of setbacks are encountered as difficult by those who do not love; those who do love, on the contrary, find them trivial and easily manageable. There is no suffering, however cruel or violent it may be, which is not made bearable or even reduced to nothing by love.' (Saint Augustine)"
--Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God, Vol. 2

Couch Chronicles - Vol. 1

I only see the kitchen during my few yet cherished bathroom trips from the couch to the bathroom throughout the day. I'm still always fearfully aware of the probable state of it. Imagine my joy when I heard this today:

older sister: "How about we play 'How-Fast-Can-You-Clean-Up-the-Kitchen'? Go!"

younger sister: "Why are we doing this? Mom says so?"

older sister: "Mom says so and I say so." (I chuckled at this because I really hadn't "said so".)

Happy Birthday Eliza!

Seven years ago today, when we first saw your beautiful face, none of us had any idea of the love and laughter you would bring to our family. For 7 years, you have been the family "baby" and soon you will become a big sister. But rest assured, sweet girl. You will ALWAYS be our special girl!

Wrestling in the Waiting

Since coming home Monday morning, I have tried many times without success to put some type of update on here. The short of it is the baby continues to be happily tucked in where he belongs - swimming, flipping, and kicking at all hours of the day. The long of it is that I was unprepared for the emotional challenge that would come with being confined to the couch or bed 24/7.

As I sit on the couch, very still (and yet wrestling with God because I don't like my circumstances at all), watching the world continue on around me, I am keenly aware of the ways I had grown accustomed to measuring myself and my successes prior to being placed on bed rest. In fact, I'm painfully aware of them because they aren't happening now. Before last Friday, I measured the success of our day (and my management of our home and children) by the sum of our accomplishments. Did we start our homeschool studies by such-and-such a time? Did everyone do their chores cheerfully? Was the kitchen (somewhat) tidy when August walked in each evening? There was also a spiritual component to our day that was valuable to all of us as well - set times for family prayer and bible readings, treating one another with respect and care. But if I'm really honest, it's the sum of accomplishments at the end of the day that gave me peace. And that's a really, really hard realization to accept when my ability to accomplish anything at all is now limited to those things within arm's reach.

I've watched elderly people in my life struggle to find meaning due to their physical limitations and perceived inability to contribute tangibly to the "family team". Now I understand this struggle first-hand. I understand that, so often, we think the depth and value of our relationships is based on what we do for each other, rather than who we are for each other. I'm beginning to see that that's a lie. It just takes a while for truth to travel from my thick head and become firmly rooted in my heart.

I was reminded yesterday that I have plenty of time to pray and how that's no accident. I know those words are true. And I'm also convinced there's no more powerful use of my time but the human side of me still looks for something tangible to show for my efforts - a neatly folded stack of towels, a sparkling kitchen floor. It's so hard to see the meaning in the stillness.

Yet, I will say I'm enjoying lots of snuggles and laughter on the couch with August and our girls at times of the day when I would usually be distracted with other duties. And I suspect those times will be some of the most precious and lasting treasures of this experience.

I've had a chance recently to get to know someone who recently went through a nearly identical experience and has a beautiful, healthy, sweet bundle of love to show for it. I snagged this quote from her blog since I really needed to hear it:

“Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not tell you so. Love demands a personal commitment to the will of God.” — John Paul II

And from my own reading today:

"Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life......" Dt. 4:9

Remembering Opa

One year ago today we said good-bye to August's dad, beloved husband, friend, dad, and opa. Life has changed so much since that time - for August, his siblings, and especially his mom. We found our new normal, but it took a while and it wasn't without an awareness of the void that he left. We continue to live with that void but are thankful for the great memories he left us. We love you Dad.

Going Home!!

After a quiet night and some stable lab results this morning, I'm going home! Home to my girls, home to bedrest on my comfortable couch, home to spinach, and blackstrap molasses, and beets. Home!

A Big Day for August

Today is August's first day back to work since his neck surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago. He'll be working mornings and then home with me (assuming I go home) in the afternoons this week. Pray for him. He'll need fortitude and stamina as he gets back to the grind of the office - on top of everything else he's juggling at home.

Your Turn to Weigh In

I've gotten a couple of great suggestions for iron-rich foods/supplements in the comments box and also by email. I'd like to hear more! When I told August where my Hematocrit was this morning and where my doc wanted it to be, his reply was, "Oh, that's quite a jump."

SO.............help me out here by sharing ANY ideas you have for ways to boost my iron. Otherwise, I'll be eating burgers and collard greens for weeks!

The Best Medicine Ever

Shortly after my pity party this morning about not going home today, a whole bunch of sunshine walked through my door. They came bearing all sorts of treasures - the best of which were hugs, smiles, and kisses. Something tells me their visit did more good than any Terbutaline could ever do! (Now if I'd only thought to ask them to bring a couple of rib-eyes, blackstrap molasses, spinach and fortified cereal it could have been a real "iron fest"!)

Thanks for the iron-rich suggestions. Keep 'em coming!

When Will I Get it That I am Not the Author of This Story?

I won't be going home today. {Insert immensely sad face here since I can't seem to figure out how to do that on Blogger.}

I'm not contracting and I'm not bleeding so those are praises. JP is active and happy as can be in my belly. But, my hematocrit (red blood cell count) is still low. It was already low when I came in and for someone at risk of bleeding, it needs to be HIGH. So here I am for another night. (I'll be googling high iron foods today and making a grocery list for August. I foresee a week of steak, spinach and prunes!)

I can't deny my disappointment at being here another night. Once again, I had the day figured out. And once again, I'm reminded that I'm not the one penning this tale.....God is. And it's really not my tale anyway. It's JP's. The fact that he even exists at all is a miracle in itself - well worth a post for another time. God is good and He is trustworthy and it is to those truths that I'll cling today.

Watching and Waiting.....and Sometimes Contracting

I'm still at here, in the hospital that is. They are keeping me until tomorrow and then "we'll see". Today, my body has done all it was supposed to do or should I say hasn't done anything it wasn't supposed to! The bleeding appears to have stopped and I thought the contractions had too although as I'm writing this I'm timing them. That's not good. Although it is very normal for a women in her fifth pregnancy to contract a lot through pregnancy, you don't want that to happen when there's a risk of bleeding. Maybe by the end of this post I'll be able to tell you that they stopped.

My doctor visited this afternoon. Here's a quick run down of that visit. First the most encouraging details:

• I now have bathroom priviledges. Woo Hoo!! (I'll not go into details, but you can just imagine how exciting this it!!) My dark-haired, sweet "nurse" with the cervical collar has been WONDERFUL, as he always is, but there are just some things you'd rather not need help with. 'Nuf said??
  
• I've been taken off the continuous monitoring.
• My terbutaline has been stretched to every 6 hours instead of every 4. (Although that may change if these contractions keep up.)
• I've been moved out of L&D and into a regular room......way more comfortable and quieter.
• I may get to go home tomorrow - YAY!

Now for the more sobering details of his visit:

• I'll be on bedrest once I'm home - at least for a couple of weeks but he wouldn't be any more specific than that.
• August, who was only given permission by his surgeon to drive a mere 2 days ago, is now suddenly the only driver for our family. (Please pray that he is protected whenever he's in the car. It could be devestating to the healing in his neck if he were to be rear-ended.)
• My doc says, in his opinion/experience, there's a 50% chance that I will have another bleeding episode in the future.
  
• I need to expect that I'll require a c-section. (Which is just fine by me anyway, given all the risks involved with this pregnancy.)

I'm sorry this update has come so late in the day. It has actually taken me 3 hours just to get this post written. Today has been very full. The girls came and brought lunch and ended up staying all afternoon. The evening has been a whirl of room changes, phone calls, visits, and now.....contractions (which have almost stopped now). Speaking of which, the doc just doubled my Terbutaline dose. Here's hoping for a quiet night!

A New Day of Mercy

Wow, it is so good to be where we are this morning and not where we were yesterday at this time. All of us (myself, "JP", and my lovely, handsome, nurse who happens to be wearing a very hard cercival neck collar) had a GREAT night - no contractions, bleeding seems to have stopped and JP's little heartbeat it ticking along fast and strong.

I have a glimmer of hope that they may let me go home today but I suspect tomorrow or even a few days from now is more likely. The truth is I feel really safe here - attached to the baby monitor with the constant droll of his little heartbeat always in the background, and directly across the street from my midwife's and my OB's office. (I have typically had all my babies with a midwife but the events of the past 2 days have now moved me to the "high risk" category so the OB in her office has taken over.) I could probably even see their office from my hospital room - if I were allowed to walk to the window. I also take great comfort in knowing that my OB is a runner, and a fast one. (He's out doing a "short" 10 mile run as part of his Alaska Marathon training as I type.) So I have no doubt he could be here quickly should we need him.

Yesterday is all a blur to me - full of fear, anxiety, and confusion. I found it hard to really be intentional and focused with my thoughts and prayers. I'm really hoping and expecting today to be an entirely new day in that regard. It feels like a day of promise.

We won't know anything about the plans for today until this afternoon with my OB comes in to visit. Until then, it's business as usual - shifting side to side in bed, wishing I could get out of bed to look out the window, and some good reading/prayer time. I'm also told our girls will be coming in the visit so that should be exciting!

The View From the Hospital Bed

August has returned from home and finally, I have my laptop, bible, prayer books - in essence - all my lifelines.

I so appreciate Marina putting the news on here - although I'm not sure I'm a big fan of that picture!

First an explanation about the name Jakie Pat. Back in December, before we knew our baby's gender, August's sister, Monica, coined the name "Jakie Pat" for our baby since both "Jackie" and "Pat" are two of those ambiguous names that can go either way. We all laughed and laughed at the name and it has stuck ever since. Please be assured, that is NOT his name.

To say this day has been surreal doesn't even describe it. I remember being the OB nurse - monitoring patients, watching for contractions, administering Terbutaline. I wasn't supposed to ever BE one of those patients. I was due to go back for another ultrasound in two weeks to check the status of the previa. I was certain it would be resolved. It was supposed to be a non-issue! None of this was on the agenda - bleeding, bedrest, shots upon shots of this and that medication. But life has gotten in the way.

So now we all have to figure out how to live in the center of what the Lord has for us - fully embracing Him in it as He embraces us. I really don't know what that looks like yet - and it makes me tired right now to try and figure it out. I suspect for today and tomorrow and the next day it will come down to doing the next thing- uttering the next prayer, catching the next nap, enduring the next shot.

I'm two days shy of 31 weeks. This little guy is just too young to come yet. Pray that we can gain at least another week, or two, or three. Thanks, friends.

How thankful I am to know a God that does not change. The past few weeks have definitely reminded me that, although there's so much we think we can bank on, there's really very little that won't disappoint us. How crucial it is for us (I mean that as a collective all of us since I know many are dealing with trials of their own.) to choose to cling to that which does not disappoint.

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in my need of Thy mercy. (Oh, Jesus, how we all need your mercy today. Be generous to us.)

Our Sweet Mom

Dad's home for lunch and brought with him some pictures that he took of Mom! Here she is at the hospital.
Dad says that she had to be started on a medicine (terbutaline) in order to stop her contractions. She's also still bleeding a tiny bit. The nurses have been very nice and caring.

August here with a medical report:

Martha is bleeding from her placenta previa. About 20% of her placenta has separated (abruption) from the uterine wall. There is a clot there, but probably not fully clotted yet. She is still trickling some blood, but much less than before. One of the doctors mentioned the possiblity of DIC (Dissseminated Intravascular Coagulation) which means that a cascade of clotting has used up some of her clotting factors and platelets. We hope and pray that this will stop. If she were to continue to use up her clotting factors and platelets, she may have difficulty with future clotting. Please pray that she stops bleeding soon!

Mommy and Jakee Pat #3

Mom is having a few contractions, and she's still bleeding. They're having to give her medicines to stop the contractions.

Dad sounds really tired when we talk to him on the phone.

Mommy and Jakee Pat #2

Mom's bleeding is slowing down a lot, but she might have to be in the hospital for a week.

Mommy and Jakee Pat #1

This is Marina again.

Mom started bleeding around 4:40 this morning. She has a placenta previa, so the bleeding was probably caused by it. Mom and Dad went to the hopital around 5:00 this morning, but they might not be back again for a couple of days. There still is a small chance that she would come back today, but probably not. If she did come back today, she would probably be in bed for awhile.

They're still not sure yet if Mom's going to have surgery. They might have to have a c section so that Jakee Pat (We call our baby 'Jakee Pat' because we don't know its name yet) can come out.

We girls are here at home by ourselves praying and waiting eagerly for more news.

Mom and Jakee Pat really need your prayers.

Happy Progress Report

Today, August, the girls and I took a family roadtrip to Richmond for an action-packed day. Although the primary reason for our trip was August's follow-up visit with Dr. Young, we also took the opportunity to visit some Civil War landmarks since we're studying that period of history (a post for another day), our favorite Asain Supermarket, (I think they're starting to recognize us in there!), and one of the best (in our opinion) Vietnamese Restaurants around.

The point of this post, however, is to share that August had a glowing progress report from Dr. Young. He had an x-ray taken which looked great. His neck is healing well. AND.....{insert drumroll and a happy dance here}.....his numbness is starting to subside!!!! WOO HOO!!!! He suspected that maybe that was happening earlier in the week but I was hesitant to post until he was sure. It definitely comes and goes but we're headed in the right direction! I'm just so excited for this piece of encouragement for him. This means so much to his livelihood - his ability to examine his patients, his handwriting, and - above all - his tennis game!

Another exciting bit of news is that he has permission to be out of his hard collar and in a softer one during the day. (Ironically, he says the soft one is no more comfortable than the hard one but it sure looks a lot more comfortable if you ask me!) You can see him modeling it here. He is also free to drive some but still no tennis yet - believe me, he asked!!

The girls got to meet Dr. Young face to face and I think that was a treat for all involved. He entered the room carrying a brown paper bag which he proceeded to hand to me. He said it was a treat for the girls - a snack for later. I thought, "Uh oh, I won't mention the fact that we're all avoiding sweets for Lent." You'll never guess what we found in the bag when we opened it later in the day - fruit! Although I might never have the courage to say it to his face, he is such a sweetie! Doesn't he look like it!?


We will head back to Richmond in two weeks for another follow-up appointment.

No News is Good News

Things are moving along nicely around here. August is sleeping well and his incision looks great. The numbness in his hand still hasn't resolved but we're told that could take a few months. I try to remind him that this will be a marathon and not a sprint to recovery. He has a love/hate relationship with his collar. He appreciates the support and protection it provides but his skin underneath is reacting to it so he's scratching a lot.

We return to Richmond on Thursday to follow-up with Dr. Young. I know August is hoping that he'll be told he doesn't have to wear the collar anymore. I'm skeptical but don't want to dash his hopes. I'll let you know how the visit goes.

Tonight's the Night!!

Out on the Town

This morning was our first real outing as a family since August came home from the hospital. He had been out to run a few errands with me earlier in the week but not for a very long time. Today, thanks to the generosity of my friend Cindy, we took the girls to see a condensed version of the Moscow Ballet's Cinderella. I was hesitant at first to accept the tickets but August assured me he felt up for it. So we left the house around 9:30, to drive downtown. (I don't think I've mentioned how nerve wracking it can be to drive someone with a neck injury around! With every turn and jolt, I would notice him holding his collar securely in place with his hand - all the time assuring me he was "fine".) The ballet was such a fun treat although I caught someone with his eyelids looking very heavy about midway through. Afterwards, we capped off our "family date" with lunch out together. It was such an enjoyable morning. I warned him beforehand, though, that it might wear him out to be out on the town already. I don't think he believed me. Well, we had been home maybe 30 minutes when he was already changed into his comfy clothes and heading for bed. (I keep telling him that now he can understand the fatigue a woman feels after giving birth. I'm hoping his experience buys me even more sympathy come May!)

I am happy to report though that last night was the first night he was able to sleep without taking any sleep medication. I know that may sound like a baby step but it feels like a real victory around here!

Convalescing

This is August.

It's now six days after surgery and I feel almost back to normal. I no longer have any pain on swallowing or fevers. I am finally sleeping through most of the night. Thank you everyone for your thoughts, prayers, cards, meals and fruit baskets. I feel God's love through all of you. I also feel His love through my beloved wife, who now has to do so much for our family. What a blessing it is to see her homeschool our children and care for me each day. God has given me this sweet time to show me the blessings he has given me. Thank you!

The symptoms for which I initially sought medical care, numbness and tingling in my right hand, however hasn't resolved. This could be because of persistent swelling or it could mean another disc compressing the nerve roots further down the spinal cord;my MRI did show multilevel disc disease in my cervical spine. Please pray that these symptoms will eventually resolve.

Post-Op Day 3

I don't really know who's still stopping by here to check on August but if you are, he's doing really well. He had a slight fever yesterday but it wasn't anything a little Tylenol couldn't take care of. He tires quickly which is to be expected. So he spends a lot of time on the couch or in bed. Today, after church, we all got cozy by the fire and played card games for the rest of the afternoon - with an occasional catnap thrown in here and there. We're all enjoying being together and having him home. It's a good thing because he'll be home every day for the next 2 weeks.

It will be interesting navigating homeschooling and caring for him at the same time. I read a good quote about raising and teaching children recently:

"Formation is more important than information." --Laura Berquist

That probably encapsulates what the next couple of weeks will be like for us. I imagine there are some really good life lessons that no textbook could provide in this experience for all of us.

Thanks for checking in. August tells me he may post something one day soon..........stay tuned.