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.