We are Home!

Happy Monday. I hope that everyone is having a good start to the week.
Yesterday I brought Wade home from the hospital!! He had ben fever free, his blood test look good and his bowel was making all kinds of noises. The hard part about coming home is that he is still in a great deal of pain. Everything we read and hear, and what Dr. Mast tells us, is that there is a great deal of pain involved in the healing process from a serious surgery like Wade had. They sent us home with some POWERFUL drugs, and we are hoping they get Wade through the worst of the pain.
We are still scheduled to fly to Canada on Sunday! We both cannot wait to be there. We both have been looking forward to sharing Hunter with his Canadian side and relaxing with family, I would hate for this injury to stop us from going. Please pray for continued healing for Wade so that he can travel and enjoy his time in Canada. Please pray that there is no infection or further complications.
I am attaching a few pictures, one of Wade's battle scars and another of Hunter getting some daddy time while Wade was in the hospital.
Thank you for being a part of the healing process with us. Know that we would be there for any and all of you in a heart beat.
Xo

Things are moving and Shaking around here!!

Wade got some sleep last night. The morning was rough, he was in pain and his spirits we really low, but we have been making a great deal of progress through the day. His intestines are showing signs of healing as they are making noises!! He got to eat some Jello and drink some Tea. Now we wait and see how his guts handle the nutrients. We have been walking laps around the hospital a few times a day. Wade is sore after, but they seem to be helping him get things moving. Tomorrow we meet with Dr. Mast again. We are hoping that he will let Wade eat regular food and if it all moves through his system well, go home in a day or two. Thanks for all your love and support. If you are reading this...We love you.

What a Beautiful Day!

July 24, 2008

This is the song that Wade and I walked down the isle to! That was a good day and so is today.
Wade struggled through the night as he dealt with reactions to mediations, fever and inattentive nurses. Thanks to Steve, Natalie and Alex I was able to be by his side and remain focused on his recovery and know that Hunter was being taken care of.
My parents arrived at 3am this morning! They are helping with Hunter and the house so that I can be at the hospital as much as possible. They are a blessing to us.
Dr. Mast came to visit around 8:30am. He outlined the entire surgery and explained what complications arose and how they were handled. He had to unattach Wades small intestine from his large intestine, remove the appendix and then reattach the small intestine in a different location. These complication caused Dr. Mast to open a rather large section of his right side (8" opening) in addition to the three small openings for the scopes. He was impressed at how well Wade had recovered so far from such a challenging surgery. He ordered that the catheter be removed and that Wade begin to move around a bit. Wade is still taking a great deal of pain medications, and is in a great deal of pain. Hopefully soon the pain will subside and we can begin getting away from pain medications that freeze up the bowel. Ultimately we are after a working gut. Burping and Farting are celebrated occurrences!! He still has not eaten anything but ice chips...we are expecting to get some food into him in the next day or so. Dr. Mast still expects us to be here at the hospital for another 4 days or so.

Please continue to pray for Wade's recovery. Pray for attentive and intelligent nurses who are opening their ears and eyes to Wade's needs. Pray for his intestines to begin moving and working. Pray for his pain to subside.
In the midst of all of this chaos our house is being painted. I had serious nightmares about choosing a paint color because we would be stuck with it for 20 years. We drove around looking at houses for ideas, got bids and made a color choice. "Muddy Creek" was the color we went with. On my way into the hospital this morning I was thinking about our color choice and how much I love it. The color really does look like a muddy creek where the dirt has been stirred up in the water. I began thinking about how perfect that color is for this time in our lives. The past year we have been 'stirred up' with all the flurry of activity around us. Life has been challenging, demanding and very painful at moments....but I love it. With great privilege comes great expectation and with heavy pain comes supernatural strength. I do not want our lives to be crystal clear and perfect, in fact I do not mind muddy. We are stronger, braver, smarter and more in love with life because of the "dirt".
Thanks for listening. Thanks for praying. Thanks for loving us.

Super Natural Strength

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The last 24 hours have been full of trials. Wade, Hunter and I are in the hospital tonight. Together as a family we are fighting Wade’s appendix. We won and the appendix is gone, but now we must battle infection and pain. Today has been filled with one battle after another. I am so sick of fighting. I want things to be easier. I want the answers to come to me written out on a piece of paper wrapped in a cookie. I want to focus my time and attention where my heart is and no where else. Where do people find the strength to keeping fighting?

Wade is a doer. He makes it happen. His mind is always running the race of a lifetime. He is an inventor and a stong believer in the power of the cross. He reminds me that our strength is not our own but comes from Christ. There is a plan and purpose for our lives. There is a reason we are in the battles we face. I will wear the armour of the Lord, I will call on His strength. I will step aside and let Him fight for me, for my family.

July 23. 2008

I am back with good and bad news.... First the Good. Wade is out of surgery! I just received a call from Dr. Mast and Wade is resting in recovery. They were able to remove his appendix and he will make a 100% recovery.

Now for the Bad. Wade's appendix was wrapped up with his intestine and seriously infected but not ruptured. In order to remove his appendix Dr. Mast could not operate laprascopically he had to cut into Wade's stomach muscles and into his intestine. His recovery will be longer and harder. We are looking at 3-6 days in the hospital depending on Wade's pain level and healing process.

I stand in awe of God's goodness and his ability to remind us of how out of control we are. There is a lesson in every day, in every struggle and in every blessing. The hardest moments make us stronger and remind us of what is important. In the summer of 2008 I have come to realize what is important to me...Serving the God I love, being a wife of noble character, loving my son more than I Love myself and focusing on being the best I can be today. God is in control and good thing!

Thanks again for all your love and support. We love walking through life with every one of you.

July 23, 2008

The last 24 hours have been quite a journey. Wade was having a great deal of pain in his abdomen yesterday morning. We blew it off for gut pains...but by lunch he was doubled over. We went to the doctor and our conclusion was that he had an ulcer. Wade got a shot for pain and some medications. Unfortunately that did not help and the pain grew worse. Finally at 3 am we headed to the ER. A CT scan concluded that Wade's appendix was near bursting. They gave him some serious pain meds and scheduled surgery. They just took him back a minute ago. He will have surgery a little after 10. It will take an hour and then he will be in recovery for an hour before they bring him back to his room.

Please pray for the surgeon Dr Mast and for all the nurses that are surrounding him. Pray for their eyes and ears to be open and aware of Wade's needs. I will send another mail as soon as Wade is out of surgery. We have been in the hospital more than our fare share of time these past few months...I do not know how we would have physically and emotionally survived without all of you. Thanks for all your love and support

More

Friday July 18, 2008

More.....a concept I have grown accustom to these days. Hunter wants MORE food, I need MORE sleep, the house needs MORE cleaning, my husband would like MORE attention and so on. Then suddenly as we reach the sixth week of Hunter’s life things have changed. Hunter slept 8 hours!! Wade and I got to take the Harley out for a ride. I even got to have an extra tall margarita to celebrate the last few weeks.
The past six weeks have taught me not only that more is required of me now that I am a mother, it has taught me how much more I am capable of. I never knew that my heart could produce this much love. As I watch my husband hold my son I am overcome with MORE love than I ever knew my little heart could produce. As I hear my dad talk about his grandson, his long awaited boy, my eyes swell with tears. The best is watching my mom. I do not have any memories of my mother when I was Hunter’s age, so getting to watch her stare at him for hours and comment at his ever movement and sound is a glimpse at how she has loved me. Motherhood is MORE than I ever could have dreamed it would be.
We are planning to take Hunter on his first adventure to Canada in August! Wade’s family has loved and embraced me from day one. I know that the distance between us and them must be agonizing. We are going to soak up as much as we can of them. I cannot wait to see Neil’s face as he holds his little grandson that carries his name. I know that Sherry will cry and that her tears of love and pride for her son and grandson will be a small glimpse into my own future as I raise my son and imagine him with is first child. I love these Canadians MORE every day.
If you are reading this We LOVE you. XO Renee