Look Who's Recovering

Well, 1 week and 1 day later and I don't think if you passed Nathan on the street you would have any idea what his little body had been through!  We are AMAZED at how well he is recovering physically and what a champ he has been through the entire process!

The first couple days were really rough as the anesthesia was leaving his system, regulating pain, never truly sleeping, etc. but all that is to be expected.  Even in all of that, we were so thankful that even at the peak of his swelling, everything moved out and down the back of his head so his eyes were never swollen shut this time around!  The first week has been a wide range of pain, energy, fatigue and emotion.  We've been back home for about 5 days and that's been a great thing for all of us! 

A couple of classic comments from the week:

"But Mom, my head hurts!  I didn't want to have surgery!"

"My head feel squishy."

"I want to put my head down but the bumps hurt!"

"What's on my head?  Can you take it off?"

I think the last 24 hours he has rounded a strong corner in terms of less pain and more energy!  We were also thankful to learn that even though most outdoor and physical activity needs to be limited for 6 six weeks, he is cleared to swim as long as he feels up to it!  That at least brings a little normalcy to his day.  He definitely has his 6 year old boy moments of being mad about what he's not allowed to do but ultimately, he somehow gets that protecting his brain while his head heals is really important.  And let's be honest, who wouldn't love to be pushed in a stroller while the others huff the hills on their bikes? :)

His siblings have been amazing.  Every day Bryce asks, "NayNay, can you wrestle yet?"  To which Nathan responds, "No Bryce.  Not for 6 weeks.  July 1st I can wrestle you, ok?"  Maddie (who turns 8 on Friday) has learned to share the attention of her birthday week, is the queen of coming up with creative games to play on the floor and remains his most dedicated therapist/cheerleader.

We've been exceedingly blessed by the outpouring of love and support - phone calls and texts, meals, scriptures and songs shared with us, people making videos, recordings and dropping off of toys and goodies to keep him occupied and entertained as life. slows. down., to even folks asking and wanting to help stand in the gap for potential insurance concerns (we're still in the process ;).)  We do serve a BIG and GOOD God who knows, attends to and ministers to our needs, hurts and fears.  He can and has used people who love Him and people who don't even know how much He loves them to care for us - we give Him ALL glory.  He IS good, regardless of outcome.  The answers to our prayers have not always been "yes."  We have wept bitter tears alongside many of you who are reading this for times in our lives or yours when He has not acted how we have begged.  Perhaps, it is through those tears we have learned and grown to be more keenly aware and so deeply thankful for an abundance of "yes's" in the last 8 days.

Thank you, as always, for standing with us in prayer and support.  Assuming all continues to go well, Nathan will not need another major surgery until he is 9. :)