Wednesday, February 23, 2011

post op update

we headed to logan yesterday for jason's post op.
it went well, i guess.
the x rays look good.
he has some fluid in his incision
that they are hoping his body will absorb.
i'm supposed to watch it closely to make sure it doesn't get worse.
we have to go back in 2 weeks for another check up.
only time will tell~
it's hard to know because of all the surgical pain.
the cold weather is bad news though!
we are going to have to move to a warmer climate one day.
we are still taking it as easy as possible.
probably for another 6 weeks.
thanks to jason's sister,viv, for helping with my kids on her day off!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

the not so {glamorous} celebration

avaree wrote jason's name with ribbon all on her own.
it was darling.
i don't know how she comes up with this stuff.



we celebrated in bed, where jason is the most comfortable.
a friend brought us a yummy dinner.
we ate delicious chocolate cake with pudding frosting.
jason got some new clothes, shoes, and a gossip magazine.
avaree gave him a happy bday pin & a whole bunch of homemade {heartfelt} goods.
weston gave him a toy he had earned.
we are still hoping for the best gift of all~
a healthy jason!

Monday, February 21, 2011

happy birthday jason

jason is 33 today and recovering from back surgery #3.
it's not the first time he has spent his birthday laid up from a surgery.
he had his acl replaced a couple of days before his 25th birthday,
little did we know that there would be many more surgeries to come in a short time.
this man needs to take care of himself,
he is still young!
i just came across these pictures on my phone.
i had forgotten about them.
they are classic jason.


for a while there, date nights for us consisted of dinner out and then grocery shopping.
that's how exciting our life is.
(it's a lot funner and quicker to grocery shop with him and not 3 kids!)
we walked into walmart and his job was to get the cart.
i turned around to look for him and i could not see him anywhere.
i couldn't figure out how i could lose him already.
how hard was he to find? a big bald guy in a striped sweater.
little did i know, he was right in front of me.
i'm used to looking up for him, never down.
when i finally saw him, i could not stop laughing!
he looked so funny in that cart and i did not expect it!
he took the role seriously too and we got all our shopping done.
it was weird being taller than him for once
but we were totally legit.
we couldn't get in trouble because he really does need one for his bad back!
i think the shopping was much more enjoyable for him that evening. he made it enjoyable for me too!

jason is one of a kind with a great sense of humor.
he makes me smile everyday.
i found this taped to my garage door yesterday as i left for church.
(even with his lack of mobility)


i love you, j!
thanks for being you.
happy birthday!!


Sunday, February 20, 2011

caught up

i'm actually caught up on blogging!
i think i've been playing catch up for a year.
2010 was not my favorite year.
i think that was why i was so slow at documenting it,
but i'm so glad i did.
it's amazing how you can go through a slump,
and life goes on and you continue to learn and grow and become better.
i'm thankful for this online journal of mine.
i had fun looking through my old posts at the hospital one night.
i can't get over how much my kids are growing right before my eyes.
sometimes it takes pictures to notice because i am with them day in and day out.
i truly cherish these moments from the past,
and the opportunity i have to raise them (even on the hard days).
i'm still praying for jason's health to improve so he can enjoy this journey with me!

Friday, February 18, 2011

wind, wind go away

i've been homebound this week-
literally in sweats all day, every day,
and it's been windy.
i thought our house was going to blow away.
in fact part of it did.


i also continue to be "blown away"
by all the christ like people willing to serve our family!

franklin's latest is he escapes to my bathroom every chance he gets to play in the water.
i caught him this morning combing his hair.

as for an update on jason-
he is doing good.
back surgery is a slow recovery & i'm trying to remind him of that.
he gets anxious to work & be productive.
we have our post op on tuesday the 22nd,
and then we will go from there, slowly.

Monday, February 14, 2011

love



our family sure has felt the love from many this past week.
in sacrament meeting on sunday, the person giving the opening prayer prayed for jason.
weston said out loud in the middle of the prayer, "he is talking about daddy!"
i was a little embarrassed because it was loud but it was so cute!
the dinners, surprise treats on our doorstep, carpooling, playdates, & prayers have not gone unnoticed. thank you.
happy love day to you!


Saturday, February 12, 2011

home sweet home

today we are all home together as a family again and it feels good.
we are hopeful.
jason's health has been a real humbling trial in our live.
(that i wouldn't wish on anyone)
it has forced us to have a change of lifestyle, simplify,
& reminds us to focus on what is most important.
i know the lord is mindful of each of us.
i've seen his hand in my life many times this past year.
it's too bad that sometimes it takes trials,
for us to really recognize it.
right now i am offering a prayer of thanks &
a continued prayer for jason's health.
i know that as we strive to do what is right,
we will be blessed.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

it's a miracle!

when they wheeled jason away we thought the surgery was going to be up to 8 hours with double incisions, hip bone cut out, cadaver bone put in, removal of old hardware, new hardware put in, exploration of his insides, extensive, extensive stuff to be done. very tough recovery. the nurse said she would call me every 2 hours for an update. my aunt deanne & michelle came to be with me (i'm so grateful). we went and got breakfast, walked around the hospital, and talked as we anxiously awaited the first 2 hour update. my phone rang and i was shocked when the nurse said, "surgery is closed up." i then anxiously awaited the surgeon to hear what he had to say. he said, that surprisingly his back had fused! there was bone there, even though the xrays and ct scan didn't show it. it's not a lot of bone but it is enough and it is strong. there was no need to do all that was planned! so they ended up removing the hardware that they could, cutting out some scare tissue, and cutting some bone out that was pinching on the nerves in his spinal canal... in hopes that this will give him some pain relief. our week hospital stay is now only 3 days, no icu, and a way quicker recovery. it's a miracle! prayers, fasting, and priesthood blessings do work! i have no doubt. thanks to all those who prayed and fasted on our behalf.


those are jason's x rays before the surgery
(with a lamp shade behind them)
no wonder he is in pain all the time.

this picture was taken right before they wheeled him away.
we were both super nervous.
jason really had a fear that he would not wake.
he even had the nurses crying.

when jason woke the first thing he said was, "is karlin okay?" and he made the nurses call me. he had been dreaming that i was the one experiencing the pain. he was so worried that he has had to put me through this. he was super emotional. he just kept asking, "are you okay?" it was really sweet and sincere.

this is the hardware they removed from his body.
he still has 5 of the green ones in him that they didn't want to remove because the bone had grown around them.

my cousins' wife's sister lives in logan in this beautiful home!
she graciously let me come and go to eat, sleep, & shower at her home as i needed.
i'm so grateful & i LOVE her kitchen.

WARNING- explicit picture below.


remember this?
this picture was from Jason's back fusion in 2008.
i jinxed myself when i said...
"OUCH! and I've got to change his bandage. Some of this stuff I'm not sure I signed up for but I'd do it again if I had to."

here i go again!!
it's easier this time around though...
been there, done that, & it is so much better than expected.
family, friends and faith are such a blessing in our lives.
thank you, thank you!

we are on our way home tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

back surgery

We are in Logan, Utah right now. 2 hours away from home. Jason is having another back surgery tomorrow morning. We found out in August that his fusion in 2008 didn't work so they are redoing it. Replacing old hardware, removing cages, removing a growth on his spinal canal, replacing bone (that had disinegrated), going in through the back, the front, and back again. Six hours in surgery, a week long hospital stay. Scared, nervous?? Yes, very much so!

Thanks to my family and friends who are helping at this time of need. Frankie is in Kaysville with my sweet Aunt Karma (my Mom's sister). Baylee, Griffin, Avaree & Weston are at home with my cousin, Lana, who just had her 7th baby a month ago!

We are so blessed. Please keep us in your prayers. I will give an update sooner than later. I'm praying that everything will go well. We need it too. We have had some rough years dealing with chronic pain.

Here goes...