Adjusting at Home

I haven't update as quickly as I would have liked, but Bradley has been home 6 days and is adjusting to his new normal. He has recovered much better and quicker than what we both thought, praise God! When we first got home, he slept most of the next 2 days and didn't move around too much. That first night home wasn't a pleasant one and he slept only a few hours.

But after that, things got much better. He's moved around much better than what I expected, and amazingly, he's hardly had any pain! He has some aches and pains, some headaches, and pain in his leg from a groin incision, but he's only taken about 1 dose of pain medicine a day. Thank you Lord for such a successful recovery so far. I thought that pain management would be the most difficult part of his recovery, but it's almost been a non-factor!

The biggest complaint he's had is a twitching in his chest from his pacemaker. The wires (called leads) from his pacemaker run through a vein and into his heart, and when it sends a shock to help his heart beat, it sometimes makes his chest muscle seize and twitch. It's very uncomfortable for him. You can actually see his chest quivering when it does that. He went in for a post-op check up on Monday, and because of their "protocol," they were not able to fix it. Hopefully when he goes in for another check-up on Friday, they'll be able to fix it. Otherwise they'll have a not-so-happy patient on their hands. ;)

But overall, I think the biggest obstacle he'll face during this recovery is the downtime. For at least 6-8 weeks, he can't lift anything over 5 pounds and he can't drive. He can't even sit in the front seat of a car. A deployed airbag into his chest would cause some major problems. So, he's kind of stuck in the house. He's not up for walking long distances yet, and he hasn't been cleared to be around big crowds, like the mall or church. So for now, his days are filled with sleeping, watching TV, watching movies, playing PS3, sitting outside, eating, somewhat playing with the boys, etc. It's been 6 days, and he's already bored out of his mind. I pray that this time will pass quickly and he can find things that will stimulate his mind. It's so easy to get lazy when you don't have deadlines or motivation, especially when you have physical limitations that prevent you from doing things you really like to do.

Please join me in praying for Bradley's physical recovery, his mind, and his spiritual development during this time. Pray that the Lord will use this as a refining time to draw him closer. It's a unique opportunity for him to spend time in the Word. And please pray for me too. While I knew that this would be a difficult time for me, I'm starting to feel the effects of wearing so many hats - wife, mother, nurse, chauffeur, housekeeper, etc. I've been so blessed for Bradley's mom and step-dad stay with us. They have been lifesavers. Bradley has also been very patient with me. I pray that I may see this time in our lives as an opportunity to serve my family, and that I do not resort to laziness when things get difficult. I'll need to be on my A-game during this time. :)

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for everyone who visited us in the hospital and here at the house. Thank you to those who have brought us food and kept us company. Thank you for reading this, as it is rather long. :)

We praise God for you in our lives. We have seen the way the body of Christ moves and works and it is humbling. May God get all the glory!