Hearing the Message in the Silence

Our normal days are full of welcome noise - voices, laughter, cheers and clatter.
Thousands of messages bombard me everyday... e-mail messages, voice messages, text messages, post-it messages...

In this shaken September - the messages have come in the silence.
In the silence of the night Neil hit his head, a message to pray.
In the silence of the neurosurgeon's office, a message to be attentive.
In the silence of our home that evening, a message to be faithful.
In the silence before Neil went into surgery, a message to be in love.
In the silence while Neil was in surgery, a message to be strong.
In the silence of the ICU, a message to reside in love, joy and peace.
In the silence of recovery, a message to surrender.

And just as the familiar tide of commotion begins to flood our shores, I find myself alone at home again in the silence. This time, the message is to remember.

A Shepard watched over us and kept us safe.
A Spirit sent us words to pray.
A Deliverer gave us strength.
A King showed us reasons to rejoice.
A Teacher taught us to take account.
Our people showed us they cared.
Our Guider reminded us that our path is purposeful.

In this silence, I sit and remember.
I allow tears of the world's weight and of joy to fall together because I feel them both.
My soul hears my Father's promises.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Flues Blues

The flu is a terrible doozy. Yes, I got it on Friday and am beginning to feel better today. I'm back at work, starting to come out of my flues blues. Why does everything seem so bleak after 5 days of the flu?

I call it the Flues Blues - brought on by - nausea, sore throat, congestion, aches, fevers, vomiting, loss of appetite, and fatigue. I read more than 50% of Americans will have had the flu by the end of flu season. The hospitals have set up tents in the parking lots. The local new channels are covering the flu shot lines in the evening news. 127 students went home sick yesterday from my local high school. So, I hope people are able to keep their chins up and realize the the flu will eventually end and the sun will shine on them again.

In the meantime- here are my flu remedies:
Sambugaurd - a bottle a day - found at Whole Foods
Throat Coat Tea - for sore throats
Cold Remedy Tea - for the congestion
Oscillum - homeopathic flu medicine
Soup
Ice packs for aches
Vaporizer with eucalyptus for congestion
Kittens and pups for cheer
A wonderful hubby for support.

Thankfully- I think I am starting to see the end of the flu and the beginning of what might be energy and health. Stay Healthy!

Day by Day by Day...

Neil was growing quite the beard. Between the scrapes on his face and the stitches in his head, he didn't feel much like shaving. And kissing him did feel much like kissing a porcupine. A sign of progress- Neil is returning to us. He shaved off the beard and is feeling better and better each day. I returned to work on Tuesday- it was good to be back in a somewhat familiar routine. Neil ate a chicken breast and his jaw muscle is feeling better by the day.

We did an MRI on his ankle and it looks like he won't need surgery for it. Another thing to be thankful for. Neil still needs lots of rest- and somehow be BOTH still feel tired, but everyday is better than the last and I can't ask for much more than that. My faith is strong that Neil will triumph away from this experience- stronger and better than ever before in his life. That was our prayer when we found the hematoma and it is still our prayer.

I've made 2 books on blurb.com - I love that site. I calculated that it's actually more cost efficient to make a book than it is to develop all the prints! Neil drifts in and out of sleep and I click away creating lovely picture books of memories in the tender silence that is our home. Although, the welcome noise is slowly beginning to return... and it's tall, dark, and clean shaven.

Home from the Hospital

Neil tells, the doctor- also the best neurosurgeon in the Austin area- and our hero- "I am ready to go home. I want to go home." He says, "Okay." These magic words actually brought a smile to my husbands face- something I have not seen in over a week. That smile was champagne to my soul. My head could have popped off right there.

Sallie and I created a plan to move all of the hospital gear and Neil down and out of the hospital in record time. In only 3 short loads we were all home safely. I had vacuumed and dusted already so the house was allergen-free when Neil arrived. He can't get congested or do anything else for that matter that could cause inter-cranial pressure.

Sallie helped us get some of the supplements and prescriptions we needed. I helped Neil shower and change out of his hospital clothes. As the rain began to fall- I felt another wave of thankfulness wash over us. Thankful to be home. Thankful to have rain. Thankful to have Neil alive and on his way to recovery.

Today is a quiet day. Minimal noise, lots of soup, shakes and other non-chewable foods. Neil is in good spirits. He is icing his head several times a day in an effort to relieve the swelling. He has kept all his meals down today. Noise and stimulation is a little too much to handle for now- so tired out pups- thanks to Barb and Steve- and sweet kittens are enough company for this day.

Neil slept most of the night, he woke every two hours to move around - helps the dizziness, and drink water. I slept like a log... didn't hear a thing all night. Our bed was a welcome sight for sore eyes after a week of pseudo-sleeping in the hospital.

We will continue to be quiet and rest today. Watching TV with no volume and eating soup. I am becoming a very good nurse.

Please Pray for my Husband - Neil

A few days ago- Neil hit his head riding our scooter. He was going less that 5 mph and fell due to the rain. The impact caused a broken ankle and a skull fracture and brain bleed. His ankle is fine. He went in for a craniotomy to remove a hematoma the size of a small orange. He is now recovering from the surgery. We have moved out of intensive care and into a regular hospital room. At this time, there is no sign of neurological damage which is also a miracle. We do not know why the bleeding stopped- could have been the cold laser treatments we were administering and the hand of God - but the bleeding stopped and he survived to receive the surgery. He survived the surgery and we now ask for your prayers to support his recovery. He will be resting for several weeks- and then he should be able to return to work. For now, we are at St. David's Hospital in Austin. Thank you for your prayers. Thank God for allowing Neil to stay on this Earth.