Up the Roller Coaster Wed. July 14th

The strategy we developed yesterday plus all the prayers worked!  This AM Lynn was able to move into a wheelchair and sit there for almost an hour!!!!!!!!!!!  This was a huge step forward from yesterday.  He has not had any IV pain meds for almost 24 hours.  Remember this is a criteria for being discharged to the Rehab Center in Eugene.  The spasming in his back is much lessened.  Cold compresses all night and some heat packs this AM have eased the pain from spasms.  Plus a good conversation this AM with the neurosurgery nurse, Vivky Beck, really helped too.  What was happening is that yesterday when the back began to spasm, he was mentally thinking that he was about to relive the initial trauma event.  This, of course, caused him to tense up which resulted in more spasms.  Vicky explained the that the pain he was experiencing in his lower back was from the disc pressing on the spinal cord and that he would NOT experience the total seizing up of his body.  That was over because they did the surgery.  The relief on his face was striking.  Later in the conversation he explained how yesterday he dreaded the PT, Greg, coming in but now he would embrace and look forward to his arrival.  This was a HUGE!!!!!!! mental shift and I believe led to what he did today.  The new plan is for him to go to the Rehab Center tomorrow or Friday.  They have a bed open then.  My new prayer request for him is that he continue to progress here with his physical therapy and that his Fear of the "next step" will be minimized.  I will say this again and again.  The "thought" of all of you praying for him is such a help to both of us and to our children.  I can't imagine going through something like this alone.  God bless all of you!  Nancy