It has felt like one step forward, two steps back, two steps forward, one step back but now I think we are on a forward path with shuffled steps. It has not been a straight line forward but a windy zig zagged path to climb.
Yesterday he had his fourth stent procedure (plus his emergency surgery) to insert a larger stent and stop a duct leak that was still putting bile into the abdomen. I saw an almost immediate improvement and the bile drainage is decreasing. This is great news. Each surgery and procedure has taken a mental and physical toll. He has sat in a chair a few times but he now needs to regain his strength and do therapy to walk and take care of his physical needs so that he can come home.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be able to again do the things he loved to do before- get on this tractor and farming, but it is going to take some time. The summer will have to be dedicated to healing.
Our plan is for him to be moved, hopefully this weekend, to Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Center for 7-14 days. We have heard good things about them and it seems to be the number one option.
We are so appreciative of the care he has received at St. Francis. Being a catholic hospital it is faith based and a very lovely facility. They have a bell tower that sometimes chimes comforting hymns. Music plays when a baby is born. One nurse told me that they pray when they come to work.
There is a bird that sings his song every night, all night long, in the darkness outside our window. Using Merlin, my bird app, I have identified the anonymous singer as a Goldfinch. It has nightly reminded me to sing my praise, give my worship to God on my bed in the dark times. It will be heard.