We had our family training day today with the various therapists, nurses, and doctors that have been working with Dad for the past week. I learned how to help him up and down stairs and the proper way to get in and out of bed. We discussed medications, side effects, and proper nutrition.

Six weeks ago I was ignorant in all of these things, but I feel like I’ve been in a crash course ever since.

He will be discharged on Saturday, so the next 24 hours will be preparing the house and buying supplies so we are ready.

Thank you for your prayers! Please pray our transition is smooth and that my father can continue to make significant progress at home!

One of the things that I miss so much about our old town is the MOPS group that I was a part of. I always looked forward to our monthly meetings and the opportunity to connect with other women going through the same stage of life that I was traveling. Our time together was precious to me.

I haven’t plugged myself into a MOPS group in our new town for a variety of reasons, but when I heard that our church would be offering a women’s bible study I was eager to attend. This evening was our first meeting.

I am very excited about this study and I find it very timely for the season of life I am going through right now. There have definitely been quite a few moments over the past few weeks when my anxiety has been in overdrive, so the Lord knows I need a study like this! My book came today, so I didn’t get a chance to start it before our meeting, but I enjoyed going through the first section and listening to the insights of the women around me. I can’t wait to dive in!

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Tomorrow is a big day. We go to the hospital for our family training sessions. We will meet with the physical and occupational therapists and learn from them all the things we need to be ready for as we prepare to bring dad home in the next few days. Thank you for your continued prayers as we approach this exciting transition. God is so good and we are so very grateful!

My heart was already racing when I got on the treadmill. We had gotten some difficult news about my father and I hoped that the running would exhaust my body and I could burn off the excess adrenaline. I was wrong. By the time I finished my run I was nearly in a panic attack. My heart was racing out of control and my legs wanted to give out from underneath me. That was over a month ago. I’ve avoided the treadmill ever since. Until tonight.

It’s been two weeks since Tim called me that horrible Tuesday morning. I was still laying in bed and I was surprised to hear my phone ring. The familiar feeling of dread sprang up in my stomach. Something was wrong. I answered the phone. Tim told me to find someone to watch the kids because we needed to get to the hospital now. He didn’t need to elaborate. I needed to get to the hospital to say goodbye to my dad.

That day was the hardest day of my life. The car ride to the hospital was torturous. Every breath was labored, every thought was pure chaos. Everything seemed so terribly wrong. How did we get here? None of this seems right.

God held me together that day, because I was a broken mess of humanity, and two weeks later he continues to show me grace, though I do not deserve it. At the hospital today we were allowed to take my father down to the patio outside of the cafeteria. For the first time in weeks fresh air touched his face and the sun shown down on his skin. He sat there, looking around, taking in the change of scenery and chatting with my mother as I hunted down a cup of coffee for him. Today was a good day.

Every day he makes progress and there has been talk of discharging him within the next week, which we are all eager to see happen. We are ready for him to be home, for his continuing recovery to be in a place of comfort among the people who love him best. We miss him terribly.

Thank you for your continued prayers for my father and for our family. We have seen the tangible results of those prayers and we remain in awe of the one who has granted them. Good night, dear friends.

Baby E came up to me this evening and asked me if we could watch “Robin Neighborhood,” and I kindly obliged, because how can you turn that cuteness down? “Thank you for letting me watch ‘Neighbor Robin Hood, mommy'” he said later.

Today was the first day in recent memory that I have not been at the hospital. We took the opportunity to work on schoolwork and have the cousins over for some much needed playtime. My sister in law and I sat on the front porch and basked in the amazing weather. It’s been over a month since we have seen each other, so there was much to catch up on and it honestly felt amazing to be sitting in the fresh air. The kids played for hours while we rested and chatted. I didn’t realize how much I missed that and how desperately I needed it, a taste of normalcy away from sterile hallways and clinical conversations.

My dad did incredibly well in therapy today and made huge headways with his walking. I’m so very proud of all of his hard work and determination. It’s exciting to see God’s miracle continue to unfold before us.

Thank you again for your continued prayers. Tomorrow my mom and I will go and visit him for a few hours to keep him company. 🙂

There are days when Dad doesn’t feel much like chatting. That’s ok, because I know he’s on a hard path right now, and it’s enough for him to have us sitting next to him. I’ve spent countless hours in hospitals at this point, and I’m honored to do it. Sometimes while we sit in silence I cross stitch. It’s a new hobby I have taken up since this all began and I find it very calming. It gives my hands and mind something to focus on and helps to keep my anxiety at bay. I finished my crab awhile ago and I have since started on a hedgehog with some mushrooms in honor of my favorite fungi obsessed child. This evening it actually started to look like a hedgehog, so I am pretty pleased.

Thank you once again for your prayers. Today was a day off for dad in terms of PT and OT but it all picks up again in the morning. He’s working hard and making steady progress and everyday gets a little easier, I think.

This afternoon I spent about five hours at the hospital with my father. We played some cards. I did some cross stitching, and my dad listened to some music. We talked, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company.

The past two weeks have been incredibly hard, and it was such a relief today to just be. My dad is working very hard each day and he is noticeably stronger. I am praising God for all of his progress. It is just a matter of time before we can bring him home. What a joyous day that will be!

There hasn’t been much time to reflect over the last few weeks, as we have been running on adrenaline and caffeine, but as it has started to slow down I feel like we can begin to breathe again. I’ve learned a great deal through this experience, and trusting God has been a huge part of that. God has taken me so far out of my comfort zone and pushed me to do things I never pictured myself doing. It’s been hard and scary and messy. I have felt small, helpless, insignificant, terrified, heartbroken, panicked, and overwhelmed, but I have also felt brave, kind, peaceful, confident, empowered, and overwhelmingly happy. Our close knit family has grown even tighter as we fight for one of our own, and the fight is made easier knowing our great God goes before us.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

My father called me this evening to tell me he finally had a decent meal. The poor man has been on a mostly pureed diet for weeks, but today he was finally upgraded.

He had been upgraded too close to lunchtime so they said it would go into effect by dinner. That was fine because Dad wasn’t really hungry. I expected his lunch to be similar to the one the day before, a tuna sandwich, but when his tray got delivered it was two flavors of yogurt and a bowl of cottage cheese. I explained the situation to the very nice lady delivering his tray and asked if we could get him some real food. Before we left, she gave me the menu and I was able to order him a nice chicken dinner. So when he called me this evening, I was thrilled to hear he enjoyed it!

Thank you for your continued prayers. Our family could still use them!

Isn’t this how everyone brings in their trash cans?

Thank you for your prayers. Dad is settling into the rehab center. Please continue to pray for patience, endurance and peace.

This evening my father got transported to an acute rehab facility to begin some intense physical therapy for the next week or two. This is the last step he needs to conquer before coming home, so we are very excited that he is finally going! He’s been doing very well with the PT and OT at the hospital, and it has been exciting to see him walking. The next week or so will be challenging, but I know he is determined to work hard and come home! ❤️❤️

Please continue to pray for his recovery. The rehab facility is pretty far from where we live, so frequent visits will be more difficult. Please pray that my dad feels encouragement and peace. Also pray for continued physical strength and endurance. Thank you, sweet friends!

It’s after 11 and I just got home from the hospital. I’m tired, exhausted, and worn out, but incredibly thankful that I got to spend the day with my dad.

Thank you for your prayers. He is getting stronger each day, and today I watched as he took a few steps. I’m proud of all the hard work he is putting in to it and I know he will be doing laps soon. Please pray for patience and peace as he continues to heal. Thank you!