Halfway

It's already the end of April, which means we are almost to the end of week 4 of our 8 week exercise of perseverance and patience.  I've been asked many times, "How is Joe recovering?" and "How are things going at home?"  There isn't a simple answer to these questions and I'll tell you why...

The recovery for Joe's procedure is going well.  His incisions are healing nicely and his implant is working properly.  For the first week after his surgery, we could see how the implant was really going to change the way he would deal with his back pain.  A week after his surgery, he began to have some stomach troubles.  We thought maybe he had gotten a stomach bug or maybe food poisoning, but after three days with symptoms worsening, he went to the doctor and ran some tests.  Bright and early Saturday morning, Joe's doctor called and told him that he tested positive for a bacterial infection called c.diff.  It lives in the intestines and is awakened by taking strong antibiotics like the ones that he did after his surgery.  In order to wipe it out, they prescribed even stronger antibiotics.  Saturday was a really rough day, as Joe couldn't even keep the new meds down and slept most of the day.  As the day went on, he seemed to get worse, so I called the on-call doctor and they suggested he head to the ER.  He was dehydrated so they gave him IV fluids and sent him home.  He struggled for the next couple of days to get on top of the vomiting and nausea and finally started feeling a little better after taking an anti-nausea pill every 4 hours and adjusting his meds schedule.  The saddest part of this all, is that Joe had to pretty much stop using his implant during this time as the vibration from it made his nausea worse.  He also had to cancel his shoulder surgery (the goal was to overlap his recovery times so that he could minimize his down time), which really bummed him out as well.

It's been two weeks since then and although Joe is more functional now, he still struggles with nausea and exhaustion.  We've heard from others that have had c.diff, that it can take a couple of months to fully recover and get energy completely back.  We've gotten glimpses of how it will be once his back is fully recovered and the c.diff is defeated, but it has been discouraging for Joe to feel this bad for this long.  It has been such a blessing, though, for all of the meals that we've been brought, as cooking has been one thing he hasn't had much energy to do.

Things at home have continued to go well!  I've gotten in a rhythm with all the people coming in to help and it seems to get easier every day.  One of the greatest things to come out of this time is the knowledge that we now have a greater pool of people that can help me, and we know how to train others to help as well.  This is a good step for us to manage my care needs for the long-term.

Transportation is one of the biggest struggles at this point in the game.  Currently, I have to be transferred in and out of a vehicle, so that very much limits where I can go.  We have been waiting for nearly two months to be approved for a waiver that would allow us to purchase a wheelchair accessible van.  This van would give me complete independence in getting in and out our vehicle (I just drive my chair right into the van!) which would allow just about anyone to take me anywhere!  It feels like we are so close, but yet so far!  In the meantime, I've got my transportation to and from work figured out, but besides that I'm spending a lot of time at home.  I really like being home, so it's not too much of a burden, but there are times when it's a little sad to miss out on things we are used to doing together each week.  When the weather has been nice, Alex and I have gone on some good walks to the park and have checked out a few geocaches within walking distance as well.  Alex even found one, which is always so fun!

Even though I can't go anywhere with him right now, Joe is so sweet to bring some fun to me!  Last weekend, he went to a new donut shop and brought me the best blueberry cake donut I've ever had!  (p.s. Aren't Alex's new glasses so cute!) 

Overall, we are doing well and trying to make the best of our current situation.  Joe and I are constantly reminding ourselves that we are truly blessed and try to keep our eyes on the positive and not get too discouraged by hard stuff.  We would love prayers for Joe's continued healing and for the waiver for the van to come soon!  Thanks for checking in on us!