Bad news and good news

The surgeon kindly informed C on Friday that her anterior cervical fusion (broken neck) has officially failed to fuse. Apparently 10% of people have this problem and she is one of the lucky few. That is the bad news.

The good news is that they can fix it by doing a posterior cervical fusion (PCF)! Instead of going in the front, they go through the back of her neck and instead of using bones to fuse, they will put in two more metal clamps. The recovery is a bit more extensive since they cut 6 layers of muscle, but C is happy to do whatever it takes to get healthy and pain free. 

Her cervical rhizotomy is set for December 23, then they can fix her shoulder. We are hoping to have everything done and have C in physical therapy by late February.

We are so blessed to have such great doctors that have been able to narrow down the issues and find the correct procedures to fix each issue. C is getting blessings for each procedure and has the utmost confidence that she will make a full recovery by June!

She is off work and at home. She is filling her days resting, doing simple crafts, reading and cooking. She is starting to organize all of our photos and spends an hour each day cleaning. She is also making a trip to the temple every week! My wife is a trooper and I am such a blessed man to be married to such a patient, kind and resilient woman.

The 'Specialist'

Sounds like the title to a bad horror flick! I went into see the 'Specialist' this morning. He was a very pleasant fellow who stuck a tube (with camera) up my nose and down my throat to take a look-see. I have had a great many medical procedures in my day but none quite as disturbing as looking at the inside of my nose... GROSS! Nobody should ever be subject to that, and it isn't like they give you notice to blow and clean up a bit - they just spray the numbing medicine and whip out the tube!

Long story short - I have right side vocal cord paralysis from my gentle surgeon mashing my delicate neck back and forth. Doc says my voice should come back in 1-3 months and until that time, I will have the great pleasure of choking on my food and water and sounding like Mickey Mouse. They are ordering speech and swallow therapy to help me get through the next 2 months and I follow up the beginning of August.

I hope, hope, hope it doesn't really take that long. I mean, I can't talk! I can't holler, I can't yell. Do you know how hard it is to scold a dog while not laughing because I sound like a pissy Mickey?! It is really ruining my reputation around the house.

One more thing - the sensation that I am being choked - the pressure... he said it will take another 2 weeks for that to go away and it is just from surgery. I suppose of the two issues, this bothers me the most because it is anxiety forming. 2 weeks - I can do anything for 2 weeks.

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7/1/10 - update! Went to the doctor yesterday and was told that I have 2 more weeks off. They don't want me going back to work until the breathing is better and swelling has gone down. So at this point, I am crossing my fingers for a return to work on 7/19.

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We are so excited to hear that our dear friends M&M are going to be able to take their little Ben to the temple soon. What a wonderful blessing. I was thinking the other day, after reading her post - people who have children naturally do not get this extra opportunity in the House of the Lord. Just another one of the many, many reasons adoption is such a special path to follow.

We look forward to meeting our Birth Mother than will allow us to take our child to the temple to be sealed for eternity. Where ever you are, what ever you are doing, please know that we are praying for you and thinking about you on a daily basis. Some way and some how we will find each other and your gift will complete our family.

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