A Long Week Has Passed

And I am sorry for no updates but its been a busy week and it's still hard to keep up with all there is to do even with all the great help from our family, friends, and neighbors. Joel is doing better day by day. The first couple of days at home were real rough. He wasn't getting any sleep due to back spasms. Sometimes pain causes muscles in different parts of your body to tense up and since Joel's back is already strained from laying on his side all the time, the pain in his abdomen area just stresses the back even more. We think he's got it more under control now with the right amount of pain meds, motrin for the inflammation, and a little more activity everyday but he said tonight its bothering him again so we'll have to wait and see. I suggested we try and get a hospital bed here at the house.

The home care nurse comes every morning and changes the dressings on Joel's wound. Can't remember what I posted about it before but Joel's incision got infected in the hospital so they had to open it up and let it heal from the inside out. The nurse does the morning dressing and I have been doing the evening but they just told us today that we need to step it up and do it 3 times a day so I will have to come home straight from work and do it then do it right before bed too. The wound looks so much better tonight. He goes in about every 3 days and they debraide it. (scrape away the dead tissue) Really gives it a jump-start on healing. Oh and Joel had the sutures in his rear taken out today. Doc said they healed really fast and all looks good on that wound.

It seems like Joel has 2-3 Dr appts a week. He can only ride in his truck comfortably because of not being able to sit on his butt and its our only car now since I turned in my lease on Monday. Makes it hard to work and get Joel to his appts but my parents have offered to switch cars on those days and take Joel in his truck if needed. Not having the lease payment and insurance will make things a lot easier though so I can't complain.

Joel got out and took a couple of walks around the neighborhood the last couple of days which was nice. He can't stay out long but its nice to see him getting about. Ty has been so good through all of this and really takes care of Daddy. He is so careful at home to not hurt Daddy's boo boo and even asks Dad if he is ok on our walks. So cute.

Just wanted to say thanks to all our neighbors that are helping us in little ways. We really appreciate all the help. The dinners you have been providing are awesome and the timing is perfect and mowing our grass last weekend helped tremendously. We love living in a neighborhood and though its not under the best circumstances we are enjoying getting to know some of our neighbors better.