November 1, 2014 - "WHATEVER IT TAKES"

John is doing well. He is upbeat and funny and calm. It has been busy here since John's surgery on Friday. The procedure to clean out the wound area went as planned - John tolerated it well and was alert in the recovery.  The wound vac was applied and he was moved to a room where he will be for several days.

John reports moderate pain and it is controlled with minimal medication today. Mostly he is just immobile and rests in the bed although he has been up in his wheelchair for a short period. Under the care of an Infectious Disease doctor, he is receiving a strong dose of antibiotic and we are waiting 72 hours for the culture report. Dr. Motzkin found the source of the infection and feels good about the procedure. Once again, John has an "open mouth" closing at the surgical site. We ate optimistic about the outcome, but only many weeks of specialized wound care will really tell. John should start receiving some physical therapy on Monday to continue building his strength and not lose ground on the hard work he has been doing.

Having Elisa's family here is a blessing. Halloween was a busy evening and I left the hospital for a bit to see the kids in their costumes as they went trick-or-treating with cousins. There is plenty of "loot" setting around in orange plastic pumpkins! With our Phoenix Zoo membership, I dropped them off at the zoo with those cousins this morning before going to the hospital.

Our days are beginning to take on a familiar routine. I spent a large portion of the day with John and came home this evening. Staying on my low sodium diet is difficult when I am away from home, but I feel very good. Elisa, Stephen, Ava and Corbin visited this afternoon.

John has a t-shirt that says
"Whatever It Takes"
and that is our motto each day.

We pray earnestly and hope fervently for a complete healing. We know it will not be swift. We know that God is what it takes. Thanks for your prayerful intercession.