You Can't Make this S--- Up

   

     So, once again, our life has changed on a dime... Since last posting, we were cheering because Ed had consumed half a bowl of broth and we were waiting, hoping, praying it stayed down and (how to put this delicately) "came through" ~

     And came through it did! (For my staunchly conservative Christian friends, forgive the language, but sometimes humor is the best medicine...I told my nieces and sister-in-law, we're the only family in the world PRAYING right now that Shit Happens ....and happens for us! I swear, I'll never look at that bumper sticker the same again~ LOL!)

     First of all...we thank GOD! Second, I (and of course "Thank you Ed") thank YOU...and third, we thank our family up above... (If I had not been a witness to this one, I wouldn't believe it myself)...

     So last I left him, he hadn't had a bite in 18 days (so I bit him! --Ba-da-boom!)
     But in all seriousness, his tubes were securely in place...machines were doing his bis-niss for him.
   
     I come home for a nap and a bath...next I know, I receive a text saying they're pulling his tubes and gonna try this clear liquid diet thing again... His daughter Shannon, working an internship in Boston to become (get this) a nutritionalist for trauma patients, texts "SLOWLY...GO SLOWLY ON THIS." (Last time we tried this it didn't turn out so well...)

     Keep in mind, he's looking at that hospital bowl of broth like it's a Ruth's Chris's steak. I knew if I had been on that shift, it would've been all I could do to pace things to one spoonful every 10 - 15 minutes, I can tell you that.)

     I text my other niece Tiffany to say "You might want to be there for this...I KNOW how happy he'll be." She was on it like white on rice.

     Patiently we wait... (The ultimate "wait for it...wait for it...")

     Next text (some 12 hours later) is, "They're moving off trauma...to a regular room...AND they are putting him on solid foods AND he can have whatever he wants." (I admit, I wasn't the only one asking "What the flip are they thinking?  From half a bowl of broth to totally solid AND he gets to pick?)

     Who am I to question doctors? Who am I to question God? But when I get the news that Ed has requested Uncle Herschel's Breakfast from Cracker Barrel no less, AND it's on the way, I literally laughed out loud! (For quite frankly, I thought it was a joke.)

     By the time I arrived back last night, Ed was smiling, sitting up, happy as a clam, and he proudly says to me...I've never loved our Uncle Hershel more... coming and going! 

     Folks, give yourselves a hug for us and THANK YOU for the prayers! Looks like we're rehab bound! I'm home now washing clothes and packing for a little more than a 3-hour cruise ~ (Can we say "ROAD TRIP!" Look out Atlanta, here we come!)

     In all seriousness, nothing has EVER proven that prayers work and that miracles CAN and DO happen like our last 24 hours, and we truly DO have you, your prayers, and the good Lord above to thank~

     And if ever we needed proof, that our family over yonder is with us here as well, well...this one said it for us~ Thank you Daddy, Uncle Danny...Uncle Jack...and most of all THANK YOU Uncle Herschel! ) Give our family over there a big ol hug from all of us~ (and please don't take it personally, but Ed's not coming to visit you anytime soon :)

Author's Note: FYI, I have set up a Caring Bridge page for those interested in Ed's day-to-day progress while away at rehab and will make public that (and his mailing) address with the first post. Not that this blog won't reference what's happening from time to time (as he is my life right now), but to let you know the medical progress so as to keep your prayer requests focused, it'll save me from repeating it 1000 times at the end of each day~ More to follow...Again, our sincerest heartfelt thanks to you all for your faith and prayers. Our family feels so blessed...Our God is so good! May this bring comfort to those of you likewise praying for your families...We join in lifting you up as well.)

World's Greatest Patient Award Goes To . . .

   

     My Brother, Ed!
     (If I had stars, I'd post 'em. I'm sure there're emoticons for this, but I don't do emoticons as it's all I can do to read letters, but I digress...)

     This one's for you, Ed!

     For those who know my brother, you can vouch for what I'm about to say ...
     For those of you who do not, let me paint you a picture:
   
     My brother is extremely outgoing. He is super talented. Most of all, he is super witty. To be brutally honest, he loves an audience.  It started with an audience of one when in his childhood, his favorite act was to wait for J U S T the right second to crack a one-liner at the dinner table--(as in precisely when I'd chugged some milk) -- Guy honestly made it his goal each evening to see if he could get me to spew it out my nose...

     May I take this moment, pre-Mother's Day to say, "Mom, we're sorry." (Bless her heart she got to clean up a lot of messes and I got a lot of early baths, but I do think that was the start of his career.)

     In my teens, his talent took wing: he was front and center on Opryland stages: I was front and center, front row every chance I got. Seeing Ed in productions like "For Me And My Gal" and "I Hear America Singing" felt like knowing the cast of Chorus Line... As far as I was concerned, Opryland was Broadway and Ed, pure Broadway material.

     As an adult Ed traded barbershop costumes for business suits, but (how to put it nicely)  Ed hasn't changed much. In fact, he still likes attention and he's actually a bit of a control person. (See kid sister be kind.) He likes to know things, own things...be the first to share things --be on top of the latest. For all the love we share of music and comedy, I rolled my eyes when he PROUDLY posted a selfie of himself, #20 in line, waiting for the latest iPhone. (For the record: being in a mall, much less sleeping there overnight, to purchase a mechanical device is my idea of hell, but by gum, Ed was there, and darn proud of it!)
   
     I share all this to say, that the Ed I'm seeing today is nothing but pure miracle...and by miracle, I don't mean he's amazingly up and walking...what I mean is that if you had told me a year ago that my brother would suffer a broken neck and all that entails, I would've said "Dear Lord, help us all."  My brother likes to control things...and the thought of not controlling things like legs or stomachs or bowels, well, my brain had no place to file that.

     But I'm here to report, Ed's got a new take on control and once again I find myself marveling at the foot of the master...  To be honest, I would never have pegged him a good patient, but he's proven to me that I am the cynic in the family while he is king.

     For those who have asked, Ed's spirits are high; his progress a bit slower than we would've liked, but he's a trooper.  In his "loves attention" way, leave it to him to be stumping the world's finest doctors. While his spinal cord's not severed (and we did backflips over wiggly fingers and toes), his digestive system has taken a bit of a hit and we need him processing food before he can get checked into rehab. But lest you think this a setback (as is our tendency--shame on us) let me tell you about my brother today ...

     For starters, I find it ironic, that for one who has suffered a broken back, he IS the back bone of this family. How he can lie there with no fear, defies logic, but if he has it, he ain't showing it. He is emotional, for sure. But his emotions aren't fearful ones...they are grateful ones --sheer, raw gratitude is all you'll see coming from Ed today.

     Case in point: his first room in Vanderbilt's trauma unit (we've had several) faced the Life Flight helipad. I wasn't there the night it happened, but he shared with me that when the first flight came in his thought was "Crap. I'll never get sleep...Like I need that on top of everything else..." But then he added "It hit me...Whatever/whoever that copter is bringing in right now, is, in this moment, living their worst nightmare... So I began to pray. I decided I can't do much, but I can do this much. I can pray for whoever's being flighted in." 

     More personal yet, my brother says thank you--for EVERYTHING...A clean washcloth, a bed pan, a midnight (wake up) check of things...Thank you. Thank you.Thank you. He's wearing out the thank you's. At one point, while thanking me for an ice chip (and not just one...each and every one) I laughingly said, "Bro...I love you...And I KNOW you're grateful... I truly do...But you've got a tube up your nose and down your throat, what say to spare the vocal cords and take it as a given on the Thank you's...I KNOW you're grateful...and I love it, but for the sake of your throat... It's all good."  to which he said, "Sis...it's the one thing I can do right now for myself...let me have it." 

     Normally I'd turn away so he wouldn't see me tear up....but these days tears have become our new  language...

     While we wait for his tummy and bowels to kick in and join the party, all I can say is his heart is doing double time...and his spirit, taking over.

     Your prayers we do welcome. Colorful cards, just as much...And he can accept visitors, though there are rules for how many, so you might check first. We are hopeful that next week he'll be moved to rehab in Atlanta where I'll be by his side for as long as it takes...Will do my best to keep you posted in the meantime.  I have begun a Caring Bridge page, but I've yet to have time to post anything, so consider you, my FB friends, the first to know...Please share the update if you know someone who's asking about Ed. Keep him, keep us in your prayers.

     While what he's going through I would not wish on my worst enemy, I must say, I would not take anything for this journey...He strengthens my resolve every day.
   
     Let's love him home...Your thoughts, prayers and well wishes are palpable...They lift us more than you could ever know...

     Ed would want me to say to you all ... "Thank you!"