Day 8 - hanging with Tyler

Thanksgiving day.

good friday after golf - yep he comes home to sleep. I love it!

Thanksgiving day!

Day 8 with Tyler. Progress is happening. He is improving everyday. We hoped we would not be here still 8 days ago. I have learned that each doctor thinks very differently and describes things differently. Each nurse treats their patients different. I believe the nurses here are ready for us to leave. With no other surgeries or testing being done they are ready for us to free up a room.

We are asked continually by family and friends how Tyler is doing. This becomes hard because unless you have lived through this kind of thing you don't really understand  what recovery looks like. This has been difficult.  Trying to explain his state to others. Even when people do see him (family) he looks like Tyler on the outside.

We are so grateful for all the love and care of others.  We are holding fast to the truths and sovereignty of the Lord. It is a constant reminder to myself  that God loves him way more than i do. Through all my tears God is in constant control and he knows the end of the story.  The ultimate end is God is victorious over sin.  In the end God is King! I remind myself of this almost minute by minute.

When the doctors came in originally they gave us the diagnoses that basically his brain injury was not life threatening but more like a really bad concussion. Well i believe they said this to keep us calm with the initial shock. Now, there is not a doctor who refers to his injury as a concussion. Now they have said the words way to many times "sever brain injury".  My heart drops every time.  The brain is such a complex mass. We don't really know what the recovery will look like for him. We do know it will be a long recovery. Months even years.  He seems to have some memory loss right now and through healing he seems to live his life over again.  Every time he woke up he was in a different point of his life.  Last night he was talking disc golf all night.  This morning he told the nurse where he was in school and is studying Physics. Right now as i sit he is eating some barbecue the first little bit of food since the crackers a few days ago.  He is talking up a storm about barbecue.  "We made his rice recipe" (He does not cook) and he ate some rice for lunch as well. He was not big on the milk. Hospital food is not Tyler's favorite. He is pretty picky. Maybe i could get him some chocolate milk and chicken quesadilla.

For those who do not know me or have not been with me times of pain, issues,any situations they do not know how my body shakes. My body shakes when i  am cold, scared, stressed, in pain, nervous, am confronting something or when I am happy any strong emotion. Lots of time shaking takes the place of tears. I remember the first time my body shook uncontrollably was when my tonsils broke open. They called it shock. Yes, my body reacts and i cant control it. I just shake. My whole body. I shake and i cant eat. If i do i feel like i will throw up.  So because this is how my body reacts people worry about me, think i am not taking care of myself.  I am taking care of myself as best as i can. I am not out running and making meals but i am doing the best i can in the situation i am in. I promise i get one good meal a day usually when i get away from here and am a little more relaxed.

So how is Tyler? He's making progress. He's showing signs of  himself. We will not know the extent of the progress ever. We don't know  who the new Tyler will be. Whatever the outcome, it is well. It is well with my soul and i will love him forever and ever! We are here for the long road, we will walk by his side.  We will not stop praying for a complete recovery and welcome everyone else to pray too

How can you pray specifically? Tyler- healing, full recovery, eat his meals and take meds so the feeding tube can come out.  Family- keep looking to the Lord for strength,  calmness in our body and minds when speaking to Tyler, for the Lord to increase our power when weary (Isiah 40;29l, our thought life (Phil 4:8).

Again, we can not communicate enough how humbled we are at the support, love, care of all of the people around us. Family, friends, and even complete strangers.

We have come across so many people this last week. All hurting and all watching a loved one in pain. Please pray for all the families that are here at CMC. This is a very busy place. We hear and watch the helicopter multiple times a day.