Peg tube is in

Daddy had surgery yesterday to insert the peg tube for feeding. We didn't know they'd do that so quickly. We thought it would be next week. But it was Friday and surgery happened. My friend Karen took both of my boys and kept them for the rest of the day. Shopping trips included! Thanks Karen!! It was nice to be able to stay yesterday and not have to worry about getting back home to pick up the boys. I'll be glad when my DH is back home. Only 8 more days.

laundry is piling up. house is a mess. but Daddy is better.

Off to get the oldest DS seen about -- his ankle. And church camp is next week. I hope he's o.k.

@#$%&

Daddy didn't pass the swallow test today. It seems that too much damage has been done to the muscles and nerves in his neck. That's not to say that things won't get better, but it means that for now, he'll have to have a peg tube surgically inserted into his stomach for feeding.

The swallowing issue also means that he will have to come home with the tracheotomy tube in. Since he cannot swallow anything, that even means the lung secreations that each of us swallow every day will not get evacuated, so the trach. tube has to stay in.

I'm trying to stay positive and believe the God will allow the nerves to regenerate and that Daddy will learn how to swallow again. But if I allow myself to go down the other path, it just seems awful. Having to have two tubes in your body forever. Yuck. And my mom and I will have to learn how to feed Daddy and clean both of these. I don't mind, but what if it IS forever?

Mom wondered tonight why God allowed this. I have to admit, that it never occured to me that this would be one of the possible outcomes. Our speech therapist at the hospital is so sweet and so caring, she was really upset by the outcome of the test today too. Mom isn't doing well tonight. I'm single-parenting while DH is on a long business trip (4 trips in one). This was to have been the trip I got to go on with him. Oh well....

On the homeschool side of things, I have gotten a few lessons handled. Not as many as I would like, but at least enough that I can wing it if I have to.

Starting week Four

Well...

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of this past week were bad. Monday, Wednesday and Friday were better. I am very tired. DH is gone on business, DSs are off to camp again this week. Lots of to-ing and fro-ing this week.

Thanks goodness for friends who are still preparing meals.

I must contact hospital administration if we cannot resolve the caregiver issues tomorrow.

Pray for understanding on all sides.

Three Weeks Later...

Well, alot has happened in the three weeks since Daddy was in that deep, dark place. The EMTs, the CareFlight crew and the trauma surgeons did an amazing job on my dad. His sutures are to come out this week. He's learning to talk with the tracheotomy. That is to be a temporary thing. He is sitting up for an hour and a half or more at a time now. He can talk with the trach, but it's an effort.

Cards keep coming in from friends. We keep taking them up there. Daddy has set a 100 card goal for himself. We're getting there.

The church family is still feeding us and that is a tremendous help. Mom's still here with us and I think that it's good for her.

The doctors say that a stay in rehab and then a psych facility are both required before Daddy is released. It's going to be a long summer......