Six Months.

Pin It It has been six months since the tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri. That means it's been six months since my brother died. It seems like yesterday and also like such a long time.

I hadn't seen Troy since the summer of 2006, when my grandmother died. His health had been bad for the past eight-ish years, something like that.

In 2009, his health took a serious turn for the worse, and we expected that he would not survive. At that time, I had a ton of stuff going on at home. I was a single mother for all intents and purposes because Jim was in Afghanistan. I couldn't just take off and go. Then Troy got better, against the odds. He kind of did that several times.

Then the urgency of going to visit went away. He got better and the "last time" and the "say goodbye" didn't seem as pressing. We talked on the phone a few times, and I have an email from him which still makes me giggle. He knew Jim was gone and told me to let him know if I needed anything. :)

When Jim got back, life kind of took over again and we just didn't make plans to visit. I desperately wish now that we would have.

This last week, I have been remembering silly things. Games we used to play - our house in Nashville had a hall that was completely dark if we closed the doors. We did this silly charades in the dark type game. I remember the BRIGHT red carpet in his bedroom in that house. Last week I got a couple of boxes of old stuff out of my old bedroom at my parents' house and remembered him out there listening to Bill Cosby and Howie Mandel records. I remember him watching Spies Like Us over and over and laughing hysterically through the whole thing. And OH MY HEAVENS, his son Tommy? So many mannerisms of Troy. Things he says and does ... it's a little freaky. And very cool. I would have never remembered Troy singing and dancing (a little strangely) to some old Michael Jackson song until I saw Tommy do it just last weekend. And this is a blessing. :)

And now it's Thanksgiving. Really, I'm not feeling all that thankful. I have regrets for not doing things because the cost to me was perceived to be too high. And then ... to survive all that he did and be killed by a tornado? That doesn't make sense to me. So, I am partly a little angry.

Then again, I am SO thankful. We had a perfect childhood. I have great memories. I see my childhood family somewhat mirrored in my own. I have faith that one day this WILL make sense. So as I sit here in a dark house in the rain, far from home and far from my parents, I'm trying to let the thankful things outweigh the "want to pitch a fit and say this is unfair" things.

And right now? I think that's good enough.

Gratitude Journal - 251 - 260

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This is a reach.  I honestly don't know if I'm coming or going these days.  One day I'll be thinking about Troy and can just laugh at all the typical growing up siblings stuff and the next minute we'll be out of the dressing that I like and I will cry and want to scream.  I guess that's how grief goes. 

I do believe that God is good and God is sovereign, even though I don't understand, so I really am trying to keep my gratitude journal going.  I usually write these posts in advance and I didn't last night, so I guess this is an "on the fly" gratitude journal.  Just forgive me if I recycle a bunch of things.

251.  It is raining as I type.  Like a serious soaking rain.  A desperately needed rain.  Usually I am complaining about all the rain we get down here, but it's been over a month since there has been any kind of rain!  I was in the mood for a good storm, and that's what's happening.

252.   I have downloaded a bunch of free books for my Nook and I am really enjoying reading!  Most of the free books I have are from authors with whom I'm not familiar, so it's been a surprise when I've started reading them.  Most of them I have thoroughly enjoyed.

253.  For a fabulous day with friends on Friday.  Last Thursday was a bad day.  From being attacked by the radio to running out of my favorite dressing to dealing with some regrets to just stuff ... bad day.  Bad to the point where I almost canceled going shopping with friends on Friday.  I am so glad I didn't.  It was nice to just get away, to get the last of our curriculum for next year purchased, to eat some yummy Mexican food, and just relax. 

254.  For Pandora and a radio receiver in my car, so I can create my own radio station on my phone, play it on my stereo, skip songs I either don't like or am not emotionally stable enough to hear, and listen to what I want to listen to.  We've I've enjoyed some 80's stations and let the girls make their own stations too.  Super convenient little app and gadget!

255.  hehe ... the aforementioned storm just knocked the power out and the little one kind of freaked.  While I'm in here still typing, I'm listening to the oldest comforting him.  Very sweet.  (Don't worry about my parenting abilities - a) he is being a BIT dramatic and b) she is good to him and loves this sort of thing.  If my assistance were required I'd be in there.)

256.  For the smell of rain, which I was rather enjoying before every candle we own has been lit.  In a few minutes, I will actually be enjoying the smell of candles.  Apparently we take power outages very seriously around here.

257.  For the fact that I had already planned to have sandwiches for supper, so I'm not needing to change any plans at all if the power stays out for a while.

258.  For about six hours of school and the 2010/2011 school year will be officially wrapped up for us.  This has been a good year, but now I'm done and ready for our (light but still existent) summer schedule.

259.  For puzzles and games, which are being pulled out as I type to entertain small children.  I'd love to send them out to play in the rain, but not so much with the thunder and lightening!

260.  For reassurance, as I am haunted by the memory of a 10 year old sobbing at a funeral, that the Lord has a plan for that child, and that He loves him.  (And his brothers, of course ... I just looked at my sweet 10 year old nephew and his similarity to my 10 year old daughter, and my heart has been tied up in knots ever since.) 

Y'all please keep praying for my family.  My mom starts her radiation treatments today and needs all the prayer support she can get.  I'd love to ask y'all to pray for NO side effects of the radiation.  Pray for my dad as well, as he is taking care of her and my nephews, and just for an extra measure of comfort.  This grieving thing is hard for me, so I know it has to be so much harder for them. 

I will be linking up with Ann's blog, A Holy Experience today, so feel free to go visit and see some more gratitude journals. 

The Flash / Muffin Story

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To develop the proper appreciation for the story, you need a picture of the dog in your head.  This is not the actual dog.

Troy fell in love with English bulldogs.  He was in high school at the time, which means I had to be in college.  I'm not sure if it was the Baylor days or the Sam Houston State days ... probably both??  Oh wait ... it had to have been a little later than that now that I think about it.  So yeah, definitely SHSU days (for me) which means he was out of high school.  Well ... 20-ish years ago, anyway.

So ... the parents got him an English bulldog. 

(pause for a moment ... did *I* ever get an English bulldog??  Nooooo ....

.... not that I actually wanted one.  Just had to take this sisterly opportunity to complain.)

She really was a cute dog.  Tongue hanging out, ran kind of at an angle, like her back legs ran faster than her front legs, did the head tilt ...

In typical short round dog fashion, she did not move very quickly unless there was a lawnmower around, in which case that dog could BOLT.  TO the lawnmower.  So evidently not the sharpest knife in the drawer ... but I digress.

So ... Troy named the dog Flash.  We're all great fans of the sarcasm, so that was probably a really good name for her. 

BUT ... I was a big sister.  Getting along peacefully?  Um, no.  Needling and annoying?  Yes, please.

So ... *I* named the dog Muffin.  Which annoyed the SNOT out of Troy.  Which meant I had to RUN. WITH. IT.  Which meant, not only did I call the dog Muffin, so did all of my friends.  I made a collar for the dog with Muffin on it.  I bought him a stuffed dog and put Muffin on the collar.  I was generally as much of a pain in the butt as you can ever picture any sister being.  Ever.  And, bless his heart, I think he got really mad every single time I referred to the dog as Muffin.  Which is exactly why I kept doing it.

You want to know the really funny thing though?  I remember Troy coming here for a visit several years ago and we were talking about the dog.  Generally now I refer to that dog as Flash/Muffin.  HE ACTUALLY REFERRED TO HER AS MUFFIN.  Then he gave me that smart-aleky face that brothers always reserve for sisters.

This is the actual Flash/Muffin with Troy.

So that's the Flash/Muffin story.  And the story of how I was a rather obnoxious sister.

Just a bunch of stuff.

Pin It My mind is still reeling. Just wanted you to know that in advance in case this entire post makes no sense or something.

The funeral was today and we just got home a little while ago. I am exhausted, seriously. We stayed in a hotel last night, and apparently I missed the part where the hotel said it had double beds and not queen beds. Wanna guess how much sleep happened in a double bed with me, Jim, and the little one? Ding ding ding if you said little to none.

I was remembering being a kid and sitting in the back of the car and playing this game with Troy where we sat with our backs on the doors and put our feet together in the middle and kicked back and forth. I remember mom or dad telling us not to do that and thinking that they just didn't ever let us have ANY fun. I can't imagine why in the world they didn't love that game! Giggling now thinking that that particular game is a kick in the face just waiting to happen and wondering why *we* didn't realize that at the time. Probably because *MY* legs were longer. :-P

Since I pick on my kids here at the ole' blog all the time, now it's time that I can pick on my oldest nephew a little. Last night at the visitation at the funeral home, I kept seeing people that I really KNEW I should know but couldn't remember exactly who they were. For a while I could solve it by slipping up to peek at the guest book but then there got to be too many people there so that didn't work anymore. I asked my 18 year old nephew who somebody was, and his exact words to me were "I don't know, they all look alike after 45." Awesome. (Really - I have giggled about that ever since he said it.) I'll be 42 this year, so sometime over the next three years, I guess I'll morph into indistinguishable features as well. Again, awesome.

I REALLY hope that there are pets in heaven. The very thought of Troy running around with Muffin/Flash is making me smile. I wonder if her name is Muffin or Flash in heaven? Probably Flash. I hope that she will still let me call her Muffin.

Okay, I suppose that's it for my rambling for now. I do reserve the right to ramble more later ... ;)

My Brother Troy

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January 17, 1972 - May 24, 2011
Love you, brother.

Update on my brother

Pin It This is from a "guest blogger", my mom. :) (giggle ... I always wanted to have a guest blogger!)

We have just returned from an absolutely wonderful visit with Troy. While we know that he has some health issues that may not improve, he was much better than our last visit. We spent some great quality time together and during this visit he was able to express his emotions and carry on a real conversation with us. While there, we called both of his sisters and they enjoyed the phone visit. I believe thei was possibly only the second time this year they have had such a visit.

In talking with Troy we discussed his uncanny ways of always beating the odds. He stated that it was "on a wing and a prayer" ... oh, how right he was -- always on the wings of angels and on the prayers of so many! We really just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you so much for your prayers and concerns. Every time any one of you asks about Troy, it definitely lifts our spirits. Your prayers are working miracles. We never would have dreamed that Troy could have improved so much. We don't know what the future holds for him, but do know that he has some major health issues and does now and probably always will need lots of medical intervention and lots and lots of prayers. However, none of us are promised tomorrow but we are promised a future, a healthy new beginning in heaven.

Thank you all for showing us a little heaven here on earth. If there is every anything we can ever do for you, please do not hesitate to call and ask.

I don't think I blogged about my phone visit with him. We talked for a while, and it was just like talking to my same-ole brother, if that makes sense. I got tickled that he no longer has pink hair. He now has a mohawk. Too funny!

Another brief update

Pin It Troy's plans have changed. For the next month, or from whenever he is released from the hospital, he will be going into an assisted living center for a month, in Missouri. What happens when that month is up is still kind of up in the air. The good thing about him being there is that he will still be able to be around the boys.

Please continue praying, and please know that I really appreciate it.

Troy Update

Pin It I realize my blog posts are all over the place these days, which seems appropriate as my thoughts are all over the place these days as well. Also, it's a little incongruous to be away on vacation while things are in bad shape at home. So, forgive the mixed up posts - Troy updates in the midst of a "not me" post or a "week in review" or various other posts.

That said, things are not going well with Troy. He is not going to recover from this. He's wanting to be in Trinity, and his wife is not wanting that. There seem to be some battles for control going on. Then there are the boys. It's heartbreaking to even think of them, and I've been pretty much trying to keep my head in the sand regarding them. I'm a "fix it" person and as I've sat and thought and thought and thought about viable solutions, I really couldn't come up with any. I'm trying to rest in the knowledge that the Lord loves these boys, and loves Troy, and has a plan for them. I don't have the first idea what this plan includes. I pray that some years from now we'll be able to look back and see that whatever has happened to them has worked together for good in their lives.

All that to say, this whole situation needs prayer and lots of it. There are immediate logistical needs to be worked out, and long term needs as well. We all just need prayer.

Thank you.

Troy needs prayers.

Pin It I don't have time for a long post with details because we'll be headed to the airport in an hour, but wanted to let y'all know that Troy is in a serious situation and needs prayers. His condition is terminal, and he knows it. He's been spending some time with the hospital chaplain, which I believe is a good thing.

Specific needs: that a way would be found to get him to Trinity (where my parents live), and for the boys. To be honest, I don't even know what or how to pray for them. I am trying to rest in the knowledge that the Lord loves them and can see a plan that I can't see.

I would really like to be able to see him again, so I would appreciate prayers for that as well.

Thank you, friends.

Various updates

Pin It I forgot to update a little ...

Jim arrived safely in Kuwait and we got to talk on the phone a couple of times this weekend. I haven't heard from him since he left Kuwait for Afghanistan, but I assume he has arrived safely there. I'm expecting a phone call or email or something today or tomorrow. I didn't think it would be so rough for me when he left Georgia for Kuwait, I mean away from home is away from home, right? Well, not so much. I was a mess on Friday. Since then, I've been okay again. Trying to take one day at a time, which works pretty well when each day is jam-packed with stuff to do!

We're managing pretty well around here. Yesterday was the first day since Jim left that I would have gladly given away one of my children. (I didn't.) (Even though I was tempted to about 75 times.) (Pray that this child has a good day and TAKES A NAP or I may not be responsible for my actions come this afternoon or evening.) We haven't had sandwiches every single day, and we're not all wearing clothes that are too big/too small. The laundry has been maintainted, not perfectly, but it wasn't maintained perfectly to begin with. The kitchen is staying clean ... and (get ready to gasp~!!!) THE FLOORS ARE VACUUMED!! I know, shock, right? (It's true - I detest laundry, but I *don't* vacuum. But I have been!! That's the task that I will gladly hand right back off when Jim gets back. Even for his two weeks ... hey honey, I'm SO glad you're home! Could you vacuum?) Anyway ... we really are managing pretty well right now. I think the kids have discovered that mornings are way more pleasant around here if mama doesn't trip over a toy or have to deal with dirty dishes. :)

In other news, since I know that y'all all prayed for my brother, I received an email from him. He's doing okay. I think good days and bad days. It really surprised me to see the email, and to be honest, I wasn't absolutely certain it was from him. It was though! :) Please, if you think about it, continue to hold him and his family in prayer. There are some things that I hesitate to put out there on the blog, but God knows the specific needs there. And of course, please pray for continued healing.

Okay, so there's our Monday morning update, now we need to get ready for VBS!

The Prayer Request Post

Pin It Lots of people have asked about specific prayer needs we have. Here are a few:

My oldest: She is the one who is struggling the most. Bless her heart, she's at a tough age anyway, and she's trying to be all stoic and unemotional. It keeps coming out as a bad attitude. I'm really not quite sure how to handle it, to be honest. I understand why she's acting the way she is (have I ever mentioned that she is so much like me that it's scary? Poor kid!) but I don't want to let the bad behavior go. She needs to be able to express her emotions in a healthy manner. Screaming at her sister for the tiniest infraction is not expressing in a healthy manner! Also, could y'all pray that I won't rely on her TOO much? She's so fabulous with her brother, and is very capable around the house, but she's also ten, and I want her to enjoy being ten and not stepping up to fill a role that isn't hers to fill. I don't want to get lazy and push too much responsibility on her.

My middlest: She's the emotional one around here. For her, it's more a struggle to get her to NOT express every emotion she has in the exact moment she has it. ;) She's struggling too though, bless her little heart. She's the one who asks why and about 18,000,000 other questions, and will ask them all 30 times if she doesn't get a satisfactory answer. (And apparently, "because" is not a satisfactory answer.)

My youngest: Maybe we just need patience as we deal with him. He's a sweetie, really he is, but OHMY, what a HANDFUL he is! He likes to play rough and be tickled and have piggy back rides. Mommy isn't so great at that. It's going to be tough for him, and for us, to meet his "100% pure BOY" needs. We may need to rent a dad every now and then.

For me: Really the only request I have at this point is that I don't get depressed or overwhelmed. Both seem to just incapacitate me. It would be great if the adjustment goes well and we can get to some sort of schedule ... or at least right now it seem that it would be great. In reality, who knows.

For Jim: Honestly, I don't know. He's excited but his wife FREAKS if he happens to mention that. He's a good dad, and I know it's going to be incredibly difficult for him to be away from his kids for this long. Maybe I'll let him hijack my blog and let you know specifically how to pray for him. No matter what his specific needs are though, God knows. Of course, please pray for his safety.

For all of us -- these next two weeks are just emotionally charged. Please pray that we can enjoy each other and can get past the whole stress of it all.

And, something has happened again with my brother, and he's not doing well. My parents don't know many details, other than he's in the hospital again. My mom is planning to talk with his doctor tomorrow.

Thank you all for praying for us.

Troy Update

Pin It Sorry, guess it's been a while since I posted a specific update on Troy.

He has been released from the hospital! He is not yet completely recovered, but there is every hope that he will be. His health does remain fragile, as does his current mental state. He is seeing a variety of doctors and I believe his care is being well managed.

Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers. My specific prayer for them right now, besides for his continued recovery, is that they would recognize the progress he has made as the miracle that it is.

Again, I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers for him, and the love and care you have all shown me through this.

My Plate is Full ...

Pin It ... but my cup runneth over.

I'm going to try to make that my new life's motto. Or maybe I need a motto that doesn't revolve around FOOD. LOL.

I am completely overwhelmed with life right now. Overwhelmed nearly to the point where I can't even see straight. In the midst of the things going on with Troy (please continue to pray for him and his family!) and Jim leaving, I'm dealing with my reaction to Jim leaving, and the girls' reaction to Jim leaving, and the various emotions with all of that. Most of these are not pretty, and I should probably just leave it at that.

In case that wasn't enough for me right now, here's a picture of this week and next:

Monday was a wild, busy, crazy day ... fun, but I was completely exhausted by the time it was over. Then Tuesday, we took Brendan to the doctor to get some lymph nodes looked at. I was expecting to leave with a prescription for antibiotics. I left with surgery scheduled. (It's 4/9, btw.) Today was thankfully a quiet, easy day. Gabbi and I got haircuts. Nice when that's the only thing on the schedule. Tomorrow should also be an easy day, and I'm happy dancing about that. Friday, the kids and I are going to meet a long time online friend in Houston. I've never met her IRL before, so I'm really excited about that! Monday, Gabbi goes to Houston for a doctor's appointment, and it's entirely possible that we will leave there with some sort of medical intervention planned. Wednesday, Brendan has to go to the hospital for pre-admission stuff and bloodwork. That oughta be fun, right? Thursday is his surgery.

All of this is going on now, and I'm also making plans for a couple of months from now, just trying to figure out how to make everything work, and just dealing with what life is going to look like then.

Did I mention that I'm overwhelmed? MY PLATE IS FULL. Thinking of things like folding laundry is too much for me right now. I've decided to start thinking of the laundry on the couch that needs to be folded as a new slipcover. You know, that patchwork look. It works in there. Plus, it cycles through pretty quickly, so we don't have to worry about getting bored with it. :-P

Through all of this though ... I have to tell you, my cup runneth over. Amazingly, awe-inspiringly (yes I know that's not a word), blessedly running over. The love and support of friends has just blown me away. The ability to be completely honest and let the ugliness out and know that I'm not judged for it, and to know that I'm being prayed for and cared for and just loved ... wow!! A friend said just today that if the Lord placed her in a certain situation solely for the purpose of putting her in this circle of friends, it was worth it. I have to give that a big, hearty, AMEN.

I'll be honest with you, I'm wondering where the life I thought I had went. I know that sounds all melodramatic, and I apologize for that, but it's where I am right now. Things that I trusted and held on to seem shaky at this point, and I'm wavering between a couple of extremes. Even my faith is shaky, which is completely insane because I've *JUST* seen God's hand work a mighty miracle.

You know what's amazing, though?

God is being gentle with me. He is sending me friends who listen to me, love me, and gently remind me that He is still God. I can seriously feel Him telling me that He knows this is not what I want, but that He is still there, and that He understands. He is all about restoration, and is patient with me while gently bringing me along. I'm doing an awful job describing it. Maybe you've been there and understand. Or maybe you really are starting to wonder about my sanity right about now.

I'm wondering why it is that I start out to write a silly post or just an informative post, and frequently end up putting some really personal thoughts out there! Why is that?

So there's what's going on in the life of Melanie these days ... my plate is full, but my cup runneth over.

The Miraculous and the Everyday

Pin It Ever been witness to a miracle? Ever experienced one personally?

I mean a TRUE miracle. Not "the girls did their math without complaining," although at times that certainly feels like a miracle. Generally there is some explanation for that other than something only God can do.

I have.

Let me set the stage. Picture a really hot day, and you're in a car with three children. One is 7, one is 4, one is three weeks old. You're recovering from surgery and haven't even been released to drive yet. Your car contains a significant portion of the material things that matter to you. Your car does not, however, contain food or water. Your car is moving approximately 2.7 miles per hour, and your drive on an ordinary day takes 2 1/2 hours. You have money in your pocket, but can't find a single place open to buy food and water. Because of the food/water situation, and because of the extreme heat, you don't want to turn the air conditioner off because when five hours into the trip, you're less than 20 miles from where you started, you know it's going to be a loooooong trip. Oh, and twelve hours into the trip, let's add throwing up by the 4 year old, and thirteen hours into the trip, let's let the 7 year old join in.

All of this awful stuff ... what is your biggest fear?

I'll tell you what mine was. It wasn't the hurricane we were running away from. It wasn't that we would starve to death or never make it to our destination. When the phone would ring, what I asked people to pray, the one gauge that I watched most closely ...

My biggest fear was running out of gas.

I received a miracle that day. We did arrive safely at our destination, eighteen hours after leaving our house. We got the kids fed and hydrated, and everyone was fine.

The miracle? Eighteen hours in a car with the air condition on the entire time ... and we arrived with half a tank of gas left. Physically not possible. God heard the prayers and did it. Not a single question in my mind about it.

Another miracle ... Troy has been released from the hospital. The funeral we were all planning is postponed, hopefully for many MANY years. The recovery is not yet complete, but there is every hope that there will be a complete recovery. Amazing.

Wow.

WOW!!

I think this is where it tends to get a little weird though. We want to explain away the miraculous. Well, because the car wasn't actually MOVING most of that time, it used less gas. It's amazing the advances made in the medical field these days.

I've been reading two different blogs for quite a while now; they're both over there on the sidebar. Both have posted recently about miracles and how sometimes you have to really just recognize the miracle in things that to the outside world don't look so miraculous. Both are more eloquent writers than I am, so I’ll just link their posts here.
Bring the Rain - Miracle
My Charming Kids - No Matter What
(btw - both of these are FABULOUS blogs, and both of these families are in need of prayer. If you're not already reading these blogs, you'll be blessed to add them to your blog list.)

My prayer now for my brother and his family is that they would recognize the miracle. I don’t know why some receive their miracle answer and some don’t, or why the miracle looks so different for some than it does for others. I don’t think it’s possible to look a miracle in the face and come away unchanged, if the miracle is recognized for what it is, rather than explaining it away. Pray with me that this miracle is acknowledged, proclaimed even! Pray with me that lives are changed because God chose to answer prayers in this manner.

To God be the glory, great things He has done.

I'm too old to have pink hair

Pin It So now you know. 39 is too old for pink hair.

At least according to TROY, it is. Yep, that's what he told me on the phone just now!

YES!! I just talked to him on the phone!

He knew exactly who I was and told me all of the different colors he's had in his hair the last few years.

In case you're considering a change in your own hair color - 37 is NOT too old for pink hair. 39, evidently, is. Keep that straight, okay?

Seriously - it was so amazing to talk to him on the phone. He had me giggling through the conversation and then just crying in amazement.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Hi/Lo Thursday

Pin It (Troy update is below this post, in case you missed it.)

This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and get your link on their site.

High for the week:
Obviously it's the improvement seen in Troy. I was seriously expecting that we were going to be attending a funeral this week, and I am over the moon elated at the improvements that have been made. I had a conversation with a friend yesterday who has been feeling distant from God, but saw her prayers answered in Troy's improvement. Awesome!! I know recovery is a long road and there are plenty of milestones still to make, but praise God for HOPE!!

Low for the week:
This one is pretty obvious as well. Husband gone for ten months is going to be tough to deal with. I think the low point will actually be tomorrow, when we have to tell the girls. I have been so blessed with so many people who have offered to help out in any way they can ... maybe prayers that I will be able to ask for help when I need it would be a good thing.

So there ya go ... hi/lo Thursday!

Dad, go take a walk

Pin It update: He's moving from ICU into a room!

Troy told Dad to go take a walk. Well, we've all probably wanted to tell him that at one time or another. ;) This is significant though - he recognizes my parents for sure.

Today's update is better than yesterday's. He's awake again and talking, although the things he's talking about are kind of out there.

He is drinking some and seems to be doing well with that.

All in all, a good update.

Delayed update, sorry

Pin It I talked to my dad at about lunchtime, after they had spoken with the doctors.

The agitation that Troy was experiencing earlier this morning is apparently par for the course. They're still very pleased with his progress and have said that this is a long road which will be filled with ups and downs.

The good news: he swallowed a pill. His motor function seems to be as it should be.

The bad news: there is some definite brain damage, the extent of which cannot be determined at this time.

The heart damage and the cause of the strokes are assumed to be a side effect of the infections he's had through the years. They're not sure yet how treating that and prevention of future problems is going to work.

I'm still thrilled that there is talk of preventing future problems!

Mom and dad enjoyed a visit with their grandsons earlier today. (Troy's three boys.)

On a completely unrelated note: My children don't know yet that their father will be leaving in June. I intend to have Jim spend some time with them Friday and let them know. Please if your children are friends with mine, don't share this with them yet. I'm sure that's a complete non-issue, but I thought I'd put it out there just in case. Thank you for understanding.

We're on the Rollercoaster

Pin It I just talked to my dad. Last night and this morning have not been as good as yesterday afternoon. Troy has not been coherent, and appears to be in pain. He has been completely free of pain medicine the last couple of days. He's been on heavy duty pain medicine ever since the amputation ... five years or so, so at least in my (admittedly very non-medical) mind, it makes sense that if he's without it completely, he's experiencing some pain. I believe the plan is to revisit the need for pain medicine.

He is still breathing sufficiently on his own, so that's a very good sign.

The neurologist and cardiologist are deciding what to do next. There is a possibility that given the improvements over the last couple of days, the thought of surgery on the aneurysm could be reconsidered. I think there are a lot of other factors to consider there though, so it's a wait and see thing.

Who wants to PRAISE THE LORD with me?

Pin It Troy is awake.

Troy is TALKING.

TROY IS BREATHING!!!

Nothing else I can add to that, except PRAISE GOD!!