St. Patrick's Day

Oh, how I've missed sharing my thoughts with you on this blog the past few days. Since we've been home, it's been a whirlwind.

Since Friday Bryan has continued to improve. We get out for a walk around the block a couple of times a day. I have to stay on his left side because I'm afraid he'll step off a curb and then we'd have even more problems. His energy level is great, as long as he manages his pain. He hates to take Hydrocodone, but it's the only thing that really works. The doctors prescribed two every four hours but he's down to one every eight hours. I'm more of a 'pill pusher' than he wants to be because I know he needs the rest. We tried to substitute Extra Strength Tylenol, but it didn't touch the pain.

What's difficult for Bryan right now is the fact that his vision and mind is so cloudy. He compared it to a snow globe; he feels like someone has shaken his head and everything is settling down in front of his eyes. I can't imagine how he feels, but for a guy who is always so observant, so aware of his surroundings and the mood of a room, he's frustrated that he can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Loud noises and quick movements kinda rattle him, so we try to keep things calm and quiet around him. He's so gracious and appreciative to friends who come visit, though, so please feel free to stop by. If you want to call first, our home # is 972-712-4452. His phone conversations and visits usually max out at around 15 minutes, depending on the depth. Does that make sense?

Saturday he was feeling really well and decided he needed a field trip (probably not a good idea, but we tried). He wanted to treat my mom to a good Mexican food dinner, so we went to Cristina's on Eldorado. We walked in and the restaurant was more crowded and loud than he though it would be. We ran into the Burnett's which was really great, but the commotion was way too much to handle, so he closed his eyes and we quickly sat down at a booth in the corner of the restaurant. Once he was able to sit and relax, he felt  much better.

People are shocked when they see him. I think they expect to see him with a shaved head, eyes crossed and  drooling (ha ha!), but he looks so handsome and healthy. Gosh, what a stud. :-)  Such a blessing to be as healthy as he is. Amazing.

Bryan called John McKinzie (Hope Fellowship pastor & friend who prayed with us the day after surgery) on Saturday night and asked him if he would be preaching Sunday. John told him yes and was shocked to hear that Bryan wanted to attend church Sunday morning. John said that the timing of this event lined up perfectly with his sermon and said he wanted to include Bryan in his sermon but didn't want to embarrass him therefore wouldn't mention his name. Bryan proudly said that he would be honored and to absolutely mention his name, that THIS is the reason this has happened to him, to be able to testify what God is doing through him. So, believe it or not, we got dressed up and went to church Sunday morning, just six days after major brain surgery, and attended Hope Fellowship. It was an amazing service. He was able to share Bryan's faith and the hope that Bryan has had through this whole ordeal, from the beginning in Vail, through surgery and after as we anticipate the results of the pathology report.

As of right now, we still haven't heard anything from pathology. We still feel very confident that it's going to be a good report, but until we hear it from the doctor, I don't think Bryan will be able to rest easy. The last few days he has had a very hard time sleeping because he's having nightmares anticipating the results of the report. That's human nature. It's Satan trying to waiver his faith and put doubt in his mind. Honestly, I think I need to talk to the doctor and see if there's anything he can take to get good rest through the night. He needs that deep rest to heal.

So, my request to all of you right now:  Please pray specifically for Bryan to be able to receive good, sound rest so he can heal quickly and to take away any anxiety that he has. Continue to pray that the pathology report comes back clean and clear. This will get Bryan on the fast-track to recuperating so he can get back out there to help others and get back to a normal life.

This Friday, March 19th we have a 10:00 AM appointment to get the 20 staples removed.
Hopefully Monday we will receive a phone call to visit the doctor for the pathology report. They said they will call us if it's good news, but I told them to just tell us when to come in and we want to hear it from the doctor, good or bad news.
Thursday next week he has an appointment with a Neuro Ophthalmologist for a vision test. Dr. Desaloms told him to expect the test to be bad and don't get down. His vision will get better soon.

I think that's it for me right now. Y'all are super friends and we really, REALLY love hearing from y'all. Please keep posting comments on the blog and if you can't figure out how do to that, we would love to get a note from you on email if you'd like to send one: gaylacruikshank@yahoo.com or bshank26@yahoo.com.

Y'all take care and we look forward to seeing you around.

xoxo,
Gayla
3/17/10
7:40 AM