Doctors Report

I guess you can see that our lives are starting to get back to a normal hectic pace as I have not taken the time to write a new post until now. As for Tracey, she got her staples out with little to no pain. Her first real outing was on Thanksgiving. We actually made it to two family homes to enjoy food and family. It was very enjoyable even though we could not stay long. Her appetite has been good but in small amounts.

In the past, a day of strengh usually brings on a following day of fatigue. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Black Friday was a good day as well. However, we are not ready for shopping yet, when Saturday got here it caught up to her and she crashed...... Maybe next year! She spent all day in bed but the good days are getting longer and the bad days are shorter.

Now to the Doctors Report. Today we got a call from our Baltimore Surgeon. This was very goods news. We got to hear his positive outlook. He made the statement that he has performed well over 500 of these surgeries and out of all of them less than five had better results than Tracey. That is 5 not 5%. Also no addtional chemo was recommended at this point. WOW!!!! God is Good!!!!
Thank you for all your continued prayers and support.

Todd

Saturday 2 weeks after surgery

Now that I am back to work and Jackson has basketball practice and homework after school my posts may be weekly instead of daily. However, it has been a good week. She has good days and bad days. Her mobility is getting much better. She uses a walker for stablity. This is the first time after surgery that we have used a walker but it has been very helpful to get from point A to point B by herself. Her mother is still staying with her during the day and keeping the house in order while she sleeps and rests.

On Halloween she hung out on the couch while I handed out candy. Jackson went Trick or Treating with friends which made Tracey happy knowing that he was having a good time. Thursday she felt like riding in the car with her mother to pick Jackson up from basketball practice. That turned out to be a bad choice as her pain was much worse the next day. She is not quite ready for that kind of movement yet. At some point this weekend our wonderful neighbor Dr. Wenger is going to remove her staples. I can't wait to count them as they come out as there are a lot. I am sure Tracey is not as excited.

Keep the prayers comming as we can feel God's power in her healing.
Todd

Time at Home

Well it is now Sunday night and I am just now getting around to updating the blog. Saturday and Sunday have been very busy. She spent most of the weekend either on the couch, in bed, or in the bathroom. Due to the amount of surgery and chemo with her bladder the amount of time between bathroom visits is about one hour and a half. Her mobilty is limited and it takes help for her to get up and down that many times day and night. Thus the busy weekend. The amount of time between visits will increase over time and eventually make our life much easier.

We both would like to THANK all the people who have showed us support with food and gifts. I am headed back to work tomorrow and Tracey's mother will be staying with her during the day. The food allows us to spend time helping her heal and not being worried about perparing meals. She still feels very weak but hopefully one day soon she will feel like talking with each one of you. Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Todd

Going Home

It is Friday eight days after surgery and we get to go home. The orginal plan was for 10 days so getting to go home two days early is a blessing. We have packed up all our things and taken down all the wonderful photos of friends.

Now we are just waiting for the discharge and the plane flight. I can't wait to see Tennessee soil. Especially since Huricane Sandy is on course to hit the Baltimore/Washington area. Tracey has weathered the first leg of her personal storm and now we are getting out of here before the actual storm. Thanks for your support while we were away.  Hope to see you soon in Tennessee.
Todd.

Thursday Afternoon

Since our post yesterday afternoon, she is now wireless with final removal of the IV and drain.  It sure makes getting up alot easier. We have now taken three steps forward instead of two and she is getting stronger everyday. The Doctor was in this morning and cleared us to go home. Woohoo!!!! It will be nice to heal in the comfort of our own home. Most of all Jackson's first Middle School basketball game is Saturday and that means at least I will be able to attend. I can record it and let her watch when she feels up to it.

She is doing good and she feels like she is ready to come home. Thank you for all your prayers during our hospital stay. She knows a long road of recovery is still ahead and sometimes anxiety and fear overcome her thoughts.  Please continue prayers of strength and healing.
Todd

Wednesday Afternoon

From the old saying "two steps forward and one step back" well we took one step back last night. Late last evening they removed her catheter. Since most of the surgery was around her bladder it is very weak. That means that she has been up every hour since last evening. That also means that she is uncomfortable and exhausted. However, we did get started on solid food so we can progress back to regular functions. Now we are clear to take two steps forward again. Please pray for strength.

Thanks Todd

Tuesday Afternoon

Well its Tuesday and we have been here one week and our current vacation resort is getting a little old. Even thought Baltimore has been good to us Tracey asked that next time we plan a trip it has to have a few more five star features. She is starting to get back to her old self again.

On a productive note we made a lot of progress today. The epidural was removed and she will be treated with oral meds now. That leaves us with only two more wires to get removed and then were "wireless". Her 1:30 walk was a huge success as well. Our PT came by and we made the journey down the hall to a stairwell with glass windows. The PT allowed us to soak up some vitamin D for a few and then we tackled a small fight of stairs. Wow....she did great!!!

Todd