One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today, Mr Boy had his 19 hour and 30 minute surgery, including 8 different procedures, 3 surgeons, and necessitating a one month ICU recovery.

I've shared most the details about the surgery on the blog before, but one thing I never shared was one of my big concerns leading up to that day: How was David going to eat while I spent every second at the hospital with Mr Boy? I knew Mr Boy could be hospitalized for about a month, so I made David one month's worth of dinners. I wasn't being an amazingly kind wife, I was being controlling and cheap. :) I know good and well that left on his own, David would just eat out, and left on his own in a kitchen full of unprepared food, David might just starve. So instead of letting him spend money eating out every night, or starving, I baked 3 huge casseroles and split them up into individual portions with various, already cooked veggie sides, tossed them in the freezer and left detailed microwave instructions. I am still surprised that he actually ate from 3 casseroles for an entire month, considering he is typically tired of leftovers after night two. What a good husband.

I still don't know how we got through that month, how Mr Boy came out of the hospital more outgoing than before, or how Mr Boy started walking again, only days after getting the external fixator bars unscrewed from his pelvic bones. I also never thought the wound that formed as his skin started sloughing off, would ever heal. But months later, with diligent care and dressings, the wound finally healed and Mr Boy's quality of life drastically improved.

I could never thank our skilled surgeons enough. I could never show our nurses just how much we appreciated them. I could never praise the Lord enough for keeping Mr Boy safe and for keeping David and me sane through it all. There were definitely moments when all I wanted to do was run screaming through the halls. I can't imagine how much more Mr Boy wanted to do that!

We are so blessed that we live in a time and place that has the kind of care that enables our son to not only live, but live well. We will always be grateful for this intense surgery but glad it's already a distant memory! Can you believe that the only lasting, negative side-effect of the surgery is that David still gets queasy at the thought of Pepperoni Casserole, Chicken Spinach Bake, or Baked Macaroni and Cheese?