Little Did We Know...

Remember that "Life is Fragile" post? Little did we know how the events of our lives would change over the next few days and months!

9/2/09--My husband's step-dad was cleaning the roof and gutters for a friend, and fell from the ladder, hitting his head on the pavement. He sustained a traumatic brain injury, and had to be rushed into surgery. He was put onto numerous prayer chains immediately! He was in a coma for almost a month. When he woke up, his pupils were fixed and dilated, and there was no response to neurological stimuli. Fast-forward....

12/10/09--It's been just over 3 months, and now he is being moved to a rehab facility! He was able to sit up (with assistance) and put his feet on the floor. He moved his feet on the floor and smiled! That is amazing progress from where he was thought to be neurologically just 3 months ago! He can now look around, squeeze Mom's hand in response to "yes" or "no" questions; he is off the ventilator and is breathing through a trach; he seems to understand all that is being said around him, as well. He will be receiving rehabilitation as he is able to tolerate it up to at least 3 hours per day. At this rate, his recovery will be a miracle each day, and we'll thank the Lord for each breath and each step he takes!

Life is fragile!

We also had a scare for me last month...during the course of discovering I had a Chiari malformation, the MRI revealed what looked to be like a pitutary tumor or apoplexy or both. We were taken so off-guard....what began as a check-up for dizziness to find out if I had an ear infection seemed to be turning into a life-altering situation. I got placed on several prayer chains. Praise God! On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, we met with the neurosurgeon, who said that he believed what was thought to be a tumor is actually a cyst, and what looked like apoplexy, is probably just a smaller collection of blood that will most likely dissipate on its own. I have a follow-up MRI in February to make sure that they cyst is not growing and that everything looks good. I am seeking a second opinion about the Chiari malformation because the dizziness and headaches can be so difficult to handle some days. I would like to know if there is anything that can be done to manage it better besides a walker/cane, rest, and ibuprofen. We'll see...

Life is fragile!

We have four precious daughters, a husband with a job he loves in the operating room now, and a mommy who can breathe a sigh of relief. Homeschooling has never been such a blessing! These little women are growing into the finest, loveliest daughters I could ever dream of, and we are BLESSED! Lord, may we cherish each minute with these darling girls and with each other, and never take one moment for granted...FOR LIFE IS FRAGILE!