4-04/09 11:59pm
Hello dear ones! It's Shannon again!
I was about to shut the laptop down for the night, but I thought I'd give a quick update to let you know how great Mark is doing. Plus, I wanted to journal for myself the wonderful accomplishments that have already occurred!
Mark's surgery yesterday afternoon/evening lasted a few hours, and it went absolutely beautifully. Dr. Rusnak came out to discuss the surgery with me afterwards and he even showed me REAL photographs of Mark's ankle opened up. Wowzers....kind of wild, but very interesting. They had to saw his ankle bone in order to get to the spot they needed to repair! Then they reattached it in all the places where it had dislocated. The surgeon said it went great! He also said that, if all Mark's injuries heal as they should, that there is no reason he will not be able to walk, hike, ski and run. That was so reassuring to hear, when I guess my mind had not really gone there yet. He will be in ICU 'til probably Tuesday or so, then head to a regular hospital room through next weekend. Most likely, he will be transferred to the rehab hospital a week from this coming Monday. At that point, according to the Dr., Mark will have about 8 weeks of NON-weight-bearing physical therapy, due to his severe injuries on BOTH legs. But he may not have to spend that whole time at the rehab place, depending on how he's able to maneuver himself.
Yesterday was REALLY hard. I was so tense by the end of the day, because of all the pain Mark was in, that I really just wanted to cry. But today his pain was well-managed and he was very content much of the day - talking up a storm, calling me Shannon and "pumpkin" and "honey." He even began his physical therapy already this afternoon and he loved it. He was super motivated and very excited about it. Of course, he's still pretty drugged and sleeps on and off throughout the day, but he is VERY positive and so sweet to everyone who comes in to help him. It's VERY cute. That made for a much more relaxing day! Plus, I and his nurse named "Hope" (kind of a nice name to have in the ICU), took him on a little field trip in a rolling chair bed kind of thing out into the ICU lobby, so he could overlook the beautiful stone lobby and see more of the hospital. That was fun and he was a happy camper!
I came home late afternoon today to be with my sweet boy Christian. He was still napping when I got home, and so after my Mom left, I snuggled up with him and we took a little nap together. I could tell he was ready to have Mommy home because he just wrapped his little legs all around mine and held me tight as he dozed back off. Then we played some of his favorite games, watched a Veggie Tales, ate some dinner, gave him a bubble bath and hit the sack. It was a great night. Hopefully, by early part of next week I can finally bring Christian up to the hospital, because Mark will be acting and looking a lot more like Daddy. That will make life much easier!
I continue to thank the Lord for His grace and mercy in our lives and I know that I know that He will work all of this for good because we love Him and are called according to His purpose. In fact, in my spirit, I almost feel excited about all that God is going to do in us as a result of this chapter in our lives. I've seen the Lord give beauty for ashes in my own life so many times, that I wait with anticipation to see the beauty that will come from what appears to be a tragedy. How grateful I am for the hope we have in Christ. As I get ready to turn in for the night, I can not even begin to imagine how lost my heart would be tonight if I could not find my rest in Jesus.
Thank you again, tonight, for your continued thoughts and intercession on our behalf. I pray that He might also strengthen and refresh you as you walk through the valley you may be facing tonight.
With love and gratitude,
Shannon
Published on Sunday, April 5, 2009 @ 10:57 AM CDT
