Monday, November 7 - Thursday, November 10, 2011

So it's been a while since I updated this, but I didn't want to bore you. Overall the past 4 days have been pretty good. Billy has done a lot of sleeping and I mean A LOT of sleeping. He definitely needed the sleep considering that he was woke up every single hour (even through the night) the entire 12 days he was in ICU and it didn't get much better in the step down unit. I told him not to come down the stairs without someone knowing since he's on pain meds. and is so weak, but there have been at least 5 or 6 times I've turned around and there he's in the kitchen or living room. I've decided this is not a battle I want to fight because there are going to be plenty of others. Overall he is walking around good and really steady. It was a huge blessing that Billy was so strong before this happend, which has helped him be able to get around by himself so soon. He's been able to shower and get dressed by himself, but after he is wiped out and has to take a nap. Taking a shower and getting dressed is typically how most of us start a normal, busy day and yet this task is a huge accomplishment for BIlly at this stage of his recovery. This is definitely humbling and reminds us how much we take for granted. Good health is such a wonderful blessing!!

Billy has been able to watch some TV, but again his brain get tired very quickly. About a 2 hour stretch of talking and watching TV is about as long as he can do right now. It's hard for him to process everything going around him at the same rate he could before the surgery. The doctors tell me he should eventually regain all of this but there is no way to know exactly how long this could take. We have an appointment next week for a cognitive evaluation. Billy can carry on normal conversations and he is remembering more all the time, but like I said he just doesn't have the endurance that he needs. The cognitive therapy will teach him how to strengthen his brain and be able to use his brain for longer periods of time. Physically he is able to move the way he needs, but is limited due to his strength and the doctor's instructions were for him not to pick up anything heavier than 10 pounds and no pulling or straining at all. I look forward to the cognitive evaluation because they will be able to teach me things that I can do to help him as well. One of the other things that Billy is experiencing is at certain times he is hyper-sensitve to light, sound and touch. Sometimes he can tolerate it very well and then in a matter of minutes he needs it quiet, wants the lights off and he doesn't even want me to softly rub his back or touch him at all.

Billy is getting very frustrated with the fact that he's in bed all the time. He wants to be able to do the things he used to do and I tell him he will, but it will just take time. He really doesn't like to hear this and I totally understand how he feels. When I had my back surgery in May after 2 weeks in bed I was going crazy. In theory it sounds so nice to just lay in bed, sleep and watch TV, but in reality it's only nice for about a day or so. He can start walking when he feels like it so we are trying to get in some kind of schedule where he can start walking a little bit at a time.

Today, I was going to Billy's work to pick up something up and he insisted that he needed to go get something in his office. I told him no but he kept saying he really needed to go. I finally gave in so we headed to his work. Thankfully it's very close because he can't ride in the car very long without getting sick. When we got there everyone was so excited and shocked to see him. He talked to a few people, gathered some papers and then decided he needed to turn on his computer to check his emails. Again, I sound like the nagging wife and told him he shouldn't be doing that, but he insisted he had to. It didn't take long for him to start feeling bad so we left, went and picked up Logan and headed home. We had probably been gone about an hour round trip and Billy was truly exhausted. He had to go straight to bed and nap for an hour before he could even think about having dinner. Typing the word "dinner" reminds me of something else that he is experiencing. Since we've gotten home he says everything taste the same or he can only taste the grease or fat in something. The other night he wanted to some chips so I got him some and he said all he could taste is the grease. He's not eating a lot to begin with and now that everything has such a weird taste he is having to make himself eat. I think this is a combination of the medicine he is taking and the fact that he did have brain surgery, however I know it's depressing when you are hungry and craving something, but no matter what, it tastes gross.

The next 3 weeks and possibly longer are going to be challenging for Billy because he is more alert and feeling somewhat better, but he still has so many restrictions. Billy now needs prayers for him to be able to handle this long recovery process and to be a good patient!! He goes back to the Neuro-Surgeon December 6th so until then he is very limited to what he can do. Considering it's not even been 3 weeks since the aneurysm rupture, Billy is doing remarkable.

Thanks again to all of you for your thoughts and prayers. Thank you to everyone who has brought us dinner, picked up and dropped off our children, helped us with things around the house, taken over our church callings and picked up the slack at our jobs, etc., etc. The kindness, selflessness and sincere concern by so many has truly been overwhelming. I keep telling my mother and Billy that we have the greatest family, friends and neighbors in the entire world. I honestly feel extremely blessed in so many ways. I feel like my "thank you's" will never be able to really express how I really feel, but until I come up with something better or get really really rich, I'll have to stick with THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!