Sunday, August 21, 2011

Measuring Minutia

Tom, the double amputee from the Korean War, told us that we might want to start measuring Seth's progress every three weeks vs. every day or every week so we're not discouraged. I think we're still able to see big leaps from week to week, but his advice is good, and I'm sure in a couple of weeks, looking back every three weeks will be advisable.

In the meantime, we deal with the minutia of healing. Seth has yet to regain his appetite, so every meal is a chore, but since Friday it's been even more difficult for him to eat. Today breakfast and lunch brought tears, but he choked the food down anyway. Halfway through choking down dinner, he threw it all up. I've never cried when one of my kids has thrown up before, but I did today because I knew all the work it took to get that food down--and I know Seth worries after listening to all the lectures from the orthopedists about how nutrition is vital to his healing.

We believe the culprit is an iron supplement he's been given since Friday. The doctors added it to his vitamin regimen in hopes they wouldn't have to give him more blood. Unfortunately, the nurses just added it to his regular medication regimen and didn't pay attention to whether he took it on an empty stomach. Everything has side effects, and it's difficult to balance it all.

On Friday as I walked into the hospital, I was feeling so grateful that the big surgeries are over for now--and then I walked in on Seth's physical therapy. PT will be every bit as difficult and painful as the surgeries. It kills me to watch him fight the pain to comply with the therapist's instructions, and it makes me burst with pride all at the same time.

4 comments:

  1. That's how people measure weight loss on a diet...once a week, not every day. The fluctuations are too depressing, otherwise.

    And you should just go ahead and cultivate a seething hatred of the PT folks. They are just plain sadistic.

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  2. Thanks so much for the constant updates, Sylvia. I am always so happy when there is a new post so I can hear how Seth is doing. Tell him I say hello, that I love him, and that I could not be more proud. (Too much from a cousin? Well too bad, because it's true.) I am thinking about you both constantly, and I've also been trying to come up with a t-shirt design ever since you mentioned the notion. I'll let you know if anything worthwhile comes to mind. :) You are amazing, and I am proud of you too!

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  3. God's promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine.  ~David Nicholas

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  4. Thanks for the link to your Blog, I will read everything, just to feel closer to you. I am so proud of Seth and of you for being there with him through this difficult time. Just know that we back home are all praying for you and thinking of you. Just remember I can give you ~

    ~ an ear to listen
    ~ a hand to hold
    ~ a heart to share
    ~ a shoulder to lean on

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