Diaries I Read:
I don't even know where to begin, so I'm just copying an e-mail I sent out to the masses today. I'll fill in all the gaps in good time. I feel like I'm in a fog.
Dear friends and family,
As some of you may be hearing this news for the first time, I will start from the beginning. Last Saturday afternoon (April 3), B and I were having a BBQ with some of my friends from work. While jumping on our backyard trampoline, B did a front flip and over-rotated. He somehow ended up landing flat on his face and slid head first into the outer metal rim of the trampoline. He was immediately paralyzed.
After being rushed to the emergency room, he began to regain feeling and was able to move all of his limbs. The only symptom suggesting that he had suffered an injury was a "tingling" sensation in his fingers, hands, and up into his lower arms; these areas were hyper-sensitive and painful to the touch. B described it as a "burning" sensation.
The X-rays and CAT scans did not show any injuries, but an MRI showed that he had a herniated disk between the fourth and fifth vertebrae in his neck. It also showed significant bruising of the spinal cord.
B went into surgery on Tuesday evening to repair the herniated disk. The surgery entailed going in through the front of the neck, removing the damaged disk, and replacing it with a cadaver disk. They also inserted two metal screws to hold the vertebrae together.
Since the surgery, B's recovery has been remarkable. Within three hours of the surgery, he was standing up and expressing his wish that he would "snap out of it" and stop being "so tired." The next morning he was roaming the hallways in the hospital. The pain in his hands has been relieved considerably since the surgery. However, because some of the weakness and tingling in his arms is due to the bruised spinal cord (not the herniated disk), it may be a few weeks or even months before those symptoms go away.
The doctor released B from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon with the orders to take it easy for the next two weeks. He does not need to wear the cervical collar unless the extra stability makes him feel more comfortable. We will see the doctor again in two weeks, at which time they will assess B's strength, etc. in his hands/arms and we'll go from there. He may do some physical therapy. Because every case is different and the bruised spinal cord will likely take some time to heal, it may be a while (anywhere from weeks to months) before B feels completely "normal" again.
After our four-day hospital stay, B was thrilled to go home and enjoy KFC and a long shower. He's still a little groggy from the surgery and the whole ordeal leading up to it, but he's doing really well. His mom and dad flew in from Texas on Tuesday night and they'll be staying with us at least through Sunday.
Thank you to everyone for your prayers and kind thoughts over the last few days. The Lord has truly showed his mercy throughout this experience, and we realize how blessed we are that B is up and walking around today. We appreciate all of the phone calls, visits, and other help everyone has offered -- we are so lucky to have so many amazing friends and we're overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and concern we've received. I can't thank you enough.
Please continue to keep B in your prayers for continued healing and comfort. Please also pray that my strength and patience will endure throughout this time.
Working at home - Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004
Toronto - Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2004
On the way to Toronto... - Tuesday, Nov. 09, 2004
A Good Day - Monday, Nov. 08, 2004
Another letter - Thursday, Nov. 04, 2004