Thursday, August 18, 2011

God is Good!

Trey came through surgery perfectly. It went exactly as planned, and the doctor was able to only fuse three of his vertebrae.

The night of the surgery he was in very severe pain, but they changed his medicine to make it more tolerable.

On Wednesday, the day after his surgery, he got out of bed and took ten steps by himself as well as spent quite a bit of time standing at various points throughout the day.

Today, he has been to physical therapy twice. He did excellent this morning, and well this afternoon. He was kind of tired by the time he got to PT this afternoon.

His stamina is very low right now, and his appetite is as well, but they seem to be slowly increasing over time.

He will continue with physical therapy tomorrow and hopefully will continue to build his strength.

His progress has been just amazing, and we pray that God will continue to heal him so we can get home soon. I miss my baby girl!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Hard Pill to Swallow

Blindness, paralysis, limb immobility, cerebral fluid leakage, multiple future surgies, even death . . . all possibilities tomorrow.

He may never be able to hold Ryanne again.

I may never be able to hear his voice again.

He may never be able to see Ryanne or I again.

He may not be able to walk again.

It's a hard pill to swallow to think these are all possibilities with his surgery tomorrow.

The cost of treating someone with a spinal cord injury at age 25 (close to Trey's age) is approximately $730,000 over his lifetime, not including the possibility that he may not ever be able to work again.

I'm giving it all to God. Our future is in his hands.

He knows the road before us, and I trust that he knows what Trey and I can handle and has a plan for us.

Please keep Trey and the surgeons in your prayers tomorrow as he goes through his surgery. There is so much at risk, but with prayer I have faith that Trey will make it through wonderfully.


For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Surgery in the Future

We've gotten settled in and talked to the doctors here. Trey is still in pain, but hopefully soon we can get that manageable.

His surgeon ordered another MRI and CT scan to verify that there haven't been any changes to his spine since Wednesday and Thursday when the originals were taken.

It looks like we are most likely looking at surgery on Tuesday afternoon, but we'll know for sure once they get the test results back from the scans.

There are a lot of risks in Trey's future such as complications in the surgery, chronic pain after surgery, limited movement, or excessive degeneration of his spine due to the surgery. We know this is all in God's hands. Right now it is indefinite if he will even be able to go back to work in full capacity, but we are trusting God's plan for us.

Throughout our lives, we've learned that we have no control, and that his plan is the best plan. We may not see it right now, but he knows what is beneficial for us.

I am grateful that I still have my husband. As difficult as this has been, and will be in the future, I'm so grateful that I can still have conversations with him and that one day I'll be able to play footsie with him again ; )

Please continue to pray for the doctors, for Trey, and for our future. We have a long road ahead, but God knows where this road is going and he's leading our journey.

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. ~ Deuteronomy 31:8

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Moving

First let me start by saying thank you all for the prayers. There are moments when I just feel wrapped in prayer, and it is such a blessing during this time.

We have safely transported Trey to another hospital. The new hospital has a specialty spine center, multiple spine specialty surgeons, and is a Level 1 trauma center versus the original hospital which was only a Level 2 and had only one surgeon.

I feel like God led us to this decision, and I think it is the best decision for Trey's future. It's hard to think that his life, his future rests in my hands through the decisions I make, but I know that truly it's all in God's hands and I just keep praying for wisdom.

Before being transported, I asked for prayer and I prayed with him that his pain would be minimal. Going over bumps in the hallway makes him wince in pain, and the ambulance ride on a rough road we knew would be tough. Not very far onto the journey, Trey fell asleep and slept the majority of the way here. We were also blessed with awesome paramedics that transported us. I can just see God watching over him through this trial.

The doctor came in briefly and we should have an operative plan in the morning.

We are waiting now to see his new doctor, and Trey is resting thankfully. I ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers. The only thing that will get us through this is prayer. It works miracles!

What the Surgeon Says

So since Wednesday night, we've been waiting on someone, anyone to tell us exactly what was going on.  While in the ER, he had a CT scan and multiple x-rays done but we were not given any type of prognosis or treatment plan or any hint of one.

Finally, yesterday we talked to the surgeon.

This is how he explained it to me . . . in the vertebrae there are 3 parts, the main circle and two "forks" Typically when people have the type of injury Trey does, they either break just the circle or they break the  circle and both "forks.

When just the circle is broken, there is minimal risk for spinal cord damage, so they just put the patient in a brace and keep them on bedrest for several weeks while managing their pain.

However, when they break both the circle and both "forks", there is risk that essentially the torso can become disconnected from the bottom portion of the body, severing the spinal cord. To prevent this, they place pins in the 2 vertebrae above and below the damaged one in surgery to maintain the stability of the spinal cord.

His surgeon is perplexed as to which way to treat it because he is in the gray area. He doesn't want to treat it on the lax side and risk Trey severing or damaging his spinal cord if he was just in a brace, but at the same time he doesn't want to take the risks (death, paralyzation, spinal cord fluid leaking) involved with surgery if it is not necessary.

He told us he was going to speak with another surgeon and he would be back in a couple days to give us his advice regarding the treatment.

I'm praying that God will help me to make the right choices, and the surgeon as well. I know it's all in his hands.

It's so difficult to think about the possibilities, so I just try to keep them out of my mind. I'm counting our blessings that Trey is not injured worse than he is, but he's still in a lot of pain and a lot of risk.

Thank you all for your prayers. We will never be able to thank you all enough for the prayers.

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. I've seen so many little things he's done and I just know he's right here beside me, holding my hand.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.~ Phillipians 4:13 

Friday, August 12, 2011

In an instant. . .

Wednesday night, my phone rang from a strange number I didn't recognize. Typically, I don't answer those calls, but my gut told me I wanted this one.

On the other end was a lady from the fire department letting me know that Trey had fallen at work off the pole they slide down. Over the past few days, I've gotten differing stories but the general consensus is that he fell at least 12 or more feet, and landed on his back on the cement floor.

I rushed to the emergency room and sprinted in to check on him. Fear consumed me. Was he paralyzed? Was I ever going to hear his voice again? I was so utterly terrified.

To my surprise, I walked in to watching him wiggle his toes as the doctor examined him. My heart skipped a beat. I was so thrilled to see that tiny movement I once took for granted.

He was in severe pain, and we had a difficult time getting help to manage it while in the emergency room.

Finally, about 6 hours later, and after lots of tears and pain, they got us moved to a regular hospital room, and Trey was put on a pump so that he could better control his pain.

While in the ER we found out that his L1 vertebrae was broken, as well as a hairline fracture on his ankle.

Since then, we've been fighting an uphill battle.

My husband is not one to be in pain easily. He played several football cames in high school WITHOUT his arm attached completely to his body (his shoulder was severely dislocated). Clearly, it takes a lot for him to be in pain.

To watch him cry and scream in such agony is like ripping my heart out and stomping it on the ground.

He's was given high doses of morphine in an attempt to relieve his pain. His back has been spasming non stop for the last 48 hours and causing him so much more pain as his entire body flexes around his injury.

The morphine made him itch severely and also caused tons of nausea. His blood pressure bottomed out twice last night and they had to pump him full of fluids. Such scary moments.

This afternoon, they decided to put a filter in to try and prevent blood clots from spreading to his lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism. They can't put him on blood thinners due to the risk for him to need surgery.

During this procedure, they gave him more morphine to control his excessive pain, and he went into respiratory distress.

They have now moved him to the intensive care unit, and we are fighting to get his oxygen levels back up.

Just know that life can change in an instant. The things I prayed for Tuesday night seem irrelevant today. I just want to see my husband smile again.

I know God is in control and I'm trusting that he's watching over Trey and that our fate is in his hands. There is a little more going on in our life that I don't care to share right now, but I'm asking for your prayers.

Please remember Trey and the journey ahead as you pray. Pray for the surgeon and doctor's to act with wisdom that only God can give them, and please pray for strength for me. It's difficult to wear many hats and deal with everything in daily life as well as taking care of my husband's medical future.

*I'll update details about his surgery/treatment as has been discussed with me tomorrow. I'm going to bed now* 

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Pinteresting

Pinterest is my love addiction. It is a giant time suck, but I just love looking at outfits, nursery ideas, and ideas for our future home. I could spend weeks on there non stop, I believe. Wouldn't that be stellar parenting? Don't call CPS!

Anyway . . . on with the pins. These are some of my favorites of all time. Since this is my first week joining in on this link up fun, I'm allowed to share my all time favorites, right? Good. You know I'm all about following the rules. *UPDATED* You can follow my Pinterest here.

I LOVE this outfit. Wedges are my very favorite heels. Mainly because I'm addicted to heels, but they are they only heels I can maintain my balance on while carrying my less than cooperative toddler. 

Isn't this stunning? Hey Babe . . . you know husband I'm talking to you . . . doesn't your wonderful wife deserve an amazing bathroom like this? Oh, I suppose you can use it too. 

I am in love with this as well. For as long as I can remember, I've always dreamt of having a table like this in my kitchen. It just seems so cozy to crawl in and eat breakfast next to your loves!

And this is my promise and life motto to my kids. Swear. 
This nursery for the Ryanne's future brothers (Lord willing) is just adorable. Sign me up! 
I love this monogram. It's just brilliant. Why don't I ever think of anything brilliant? 

These frames are just breath taking. I need to teach my Dad to make them. Or maybe I'll just bite the bullet and buy one. Or ten. Remember this post from yesterday? Totally using those here. 

If only the people of pinterest were willing to bargain the goods in the pictures for my superior skills . . . if only I had superior skills to bargain with. Ha! 

Hope that everyone has a fabulous Wednesday!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Worth 1000 Words . . .

We had a few pictures taken one scorching evening . . . and Ryanne was not interested. At all. Haha! But that's part of the beauty of this age, right? ;)





I died my hair . . . because I was bored and hormonal. Not sure if that was a good idea.


Trey with his parents


Amanda Harris of 3 Lil' Bears Photography took our pictures. She has taken them since Ryanne was born and I just love her. Not to mention that the pictures get better every time she takes them ; )

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Fun in the Sun!

We went over to my Mom's this afternoon to let Ryanne play in the pool & eat dinner with them. 
 She loves going down the little slide!


You think she's a little dramatic? Me neither. 

 My brother is so super at playing with her, and was such a good sport to climb in the tiny pool with her.


 That's the mischievious grin. Moments after she started jumping off the slide, little daredevil!

 It's moments like these that I cherish and that makes all the other less fun times worth it.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Ryanne's 2nd Birthday Party

Better late than never, right? Okay, good. I didn't need someone telling me that I'm a mom failure for posting birthday pictures a month later. Thanks for not doing that. ; )
My sweet birthday girl and I went outside to take a few pictures that morning! 

We had sweet tea and pink lemonade. I taped the "labels" on but the sweat on these kept making them fall off. Oh well! 

We had these jars of "orange preserves" or orange slices that we gave as favors to the kiddos. 

The table-scape. I made smores by taking marshmallows on a stick and dipping them in chocolate and then rolling them in graham cracker crumbs. They were a big hit. 

The adorable farm animal cupcakes! 

I had this balloon banner made to go on our deck (as well as a wheel barrow full of drinks and stick horses set up for horse races) but it was over 100 degrees and there was no way we were volunteering to go out there. Note to self: next year, book an indoor location!! 

Love the arm in the picture, don't ya? ; ) Ryanne had an awesome birthday party with her little friends. 



I spent hours decorating and then failed to take more than like 20 pictures. Oops! I think I'm going to hire someone next year to come take pictures so I don't have the same problem. I get too wrapped up in the fun.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Blogging Tips

Not that I am a blogging expert or anything, because I am constantly learning in this world, but I just wanted to share a few of the vital tips I've learned throughout my blog career.
  • Keep your blog looking "neat and clean." The text should be easy to read, and it should not be overly cluttered. Old posts should be easily accessible.
  • Add a search button. For the love of all things bloggy, add a search button. I have deleted blogs from my reader before because they don't have a search button. Not that anyone cares, but it is of vital importance. If I can't find something I've already read, but want to see again I want to be able to find it. 
  • Add connect buttons to your blog. People want to know more about you! Do you have twitter or a facebook page? Add a way for people to connect with you there.
  • On the same note, add share buttons. Sometimes I read awesome posts and I want to tell all my friends about them. Unfortunately, I'm not motivated enough to hunt down the link, and move it to twitter or facebook. If you have a share button, you better believe I'm going to share it though. 
  • Comment. Comment. Comment. One of the most amazing things about blogging is the community that you build. It's like a whole new world of "virtual" friends, but you have to make the first step! Reach out and tell people how much you love their blog. Most people will reciprocate. Or at least come read your blog.
  • Don't be afraid to speak your mind. I find many people (including myself) apologizing for saying things that they think could be interpreted as offensive. It's YOUR blog. Don't be afraid to say what is on your mind. 
  • Be careful. Don't share too much information. If you wouldn't want it on the front page of the metro newspaper, or on CNN.com, don't put it on your blog. I've had too many blog friends be stalked, harassed, or bothered so please be careful what you share on your blog.
  • Make a blog notebook. Write down your ideas. I find that I come up with tons of ideas, but I often forget them or can't remember when I sit down to blog. So I got a notebook that I carry around with me and I jot down ideas as I think of them, so I can blog about them when I have time. 

Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Big O

Organization. What did you think I was talking about?

Organization has a special place in my heart, right next to chocolate and my first born.

Several of the blogs I read have shared their home organization notebook, and I thought the idea was just brilliant. Probably the biggest challenge for me is keeping our house clean, because I'm not organized enough to do it. Insert home organization notebook: i.e. brilliant idea to keep things that are presently scattered throughout the house in one lovely place.


My binder is just a plain black binder for the time being, mainly because I couldn't find a lovely one to use. So I made this cover sheet to spice it up a little bit.

 I made these 5 tabs bigger because they will be most frequently used. Oh, and because I accidentally bought two different types of tabs. Ha! They are daily, chores, food, Bible, and nursing.
These are less frequently used tabs: Ryanne, projects, finance, gifts, blog, party, vacation, and notes.

 In the daily tab, I have this week at a glance chart to include things to do so I can see what I have to do for the week, as well as keep up with activities.
This to-do list is behind the week at a glance. I love it because it works for each week well. I can do daily to dos and cross them off as I finish, as well as weekly and weekend to dos. I also like that it has a delegate spot so I can can donate part of my list to Trey : ) 

In the chores tab, I have a weekly view of the chores to keep me on top of my not-so-expert housekeeping. I know making beds seems rather obvious, but that is my one weakness & I know it will help to physically cross it off each day. 

 I also have this weekly chore checklist to remind me of things I may forget. I can check them off throughout the week as I finish them.
In the food tab, I have this weekly meal planner with an attached grocery list so I can make sure to have all the ingredients when I plan for the week. Behind it, I have a favorite recipes list as well as a large grocery checklist. I'm debating putting a pantry/freezer inventory in here as well. I also have a page protector that I slide recipes into for the week if it is not something I know well. 

In the Bible verses tab, I list verses that speak to me, that I want to remember, or that I know I need help with so I pray them for myself (like this one; I feel like a failure wife most days while I'm in school)
In the nursing tab, I have this weekly planner worksheet to lay out assignments, things to print, when my lectures are, and the like. Obviously, I'm out of school right now so it will blank for the next two weeks : ) 

 In Ryanne's tab, I list things that she says or does that I want to remember as well as questions I may have for her doctor, or things I need to remember to do for her.

In the projects tab, I'm listing things that I have working like organization projects, planning a yard sale, Church outings, etc.
In the finance tab, I have this worksheet to list all of our bills, their due dates, and to check off when they are paid. I also got a zipper pocket to put actual bills and a checkbook in to keep up with them easier. I also included a financial goals worksheet to help us reach our future goals. 

 In the gifts tab, I have this worksheet to keep up with occasions & gift ideas. I also have a birthday checklist, a Christmas gift idea list, and a black friday shopping list (yes, I like to plan ahead!).

In the blog tab,  I have this weekly planner to use to list my ideas for blog posts, as well as any photographing or other things I need to accomplish for a post. 

In the party tab, I have this party planning worksheet to help plan cookouts/holiday gatherings and the like. I also have an extensive birthday planning worksheet to help plan for next year's 3rd birthday party. Oh my word! Did I just say that? 
 In the vacation tab, I have a few copies of this vacation planning worksheet to help keep up with ideas and plans as we prepare for vacations.

Just having this notebook finished makes me feel so much more organized. I really think it will be revolutionary in my accomplishment of tasks. Ha! I need structure, and this will definitely do the trick.

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