Second Day Home

This is my second day back home.  Thanks to all of you who have played such an important part in this last week--before, during and after surgery.  Your presence, your prayers and messages have been a huge encouragement to me.  As Tammy said in the previous message, everything went as expected.  We will have our post-operative mtg. with the surgeon next Tuesday where I'll also have my stapes removed.  There are lots of them!

What made this experience so amazing and memorable to me have been the people and all the highs and lows.  

Some of the people...Earl, my ICU nurse:  His words when something went well--and they went well a lot were, "Super Duper!".  He was fabulous.  Stayed flexible when visitors came pouring in and he still managed to do his very important job.  The nurses and Patient Care Technicians on the surgical ward:  Their job was to take care of me and educate me.  What an amazing group of men and women.  They listened, repeated as often as I needed (and, believe me, I needed a lot of repitition) and kept Becky and Don informed--day and night.

I haven't been able to read, listen to music (except for a hospital channel that had a nature slide show with music), or much else.  Becky and Don read to me but I had trouble staying awake.  This is the first time I could attempt to write on my blog and have some confidence it would make sense.  I've stopped the heavy drugs, though, so am thinking more clearly and feeling stronger.  Abdominal surgery is no picnic.

I'd love your prayers that I'd be able to eat (swallow) more easily and that my throat would clear up so I can talk more easily.   It's all part of recovery for me.  Trusting, resting, listening...