Weekend at St. Luke's

Brandon got transfered to St. Luke's rehab facility in Cedar Rapids on Friday. My sister asked if I would come stay with them for a night so she could have some company while she gets used to the new place. Kirby stayed home with the kids so I could come have some quality time with my sissy and Brandon. I came to help her but I had no idea how theraputic the visit would be for me.

He was doing so well during the time I was there. He had been having a lot of nausea because of all of the pain medication but they had given him and appetite stimulant and he was actually getting his appetite back and feeling like eating. He said his pain wasn't bad at all.

When no one else was there in the evening we were able to just talk. Talk about everything...e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. We talked about the accident, the future, hopes, fears, concerns, all from Brandon's perspective. Things I had not really been able talk to him about before. It was wonderful and SO normal, there was absolutely nothing I felt uncomfortable asking him. I got to have a heart to heart with my sister while we were eating dinner. She said she often askes herself why this happened and I told her that God is getting their attention. We had an emotional conversation about that. I am very relieved to know that this ordeal is bringing them closer to God not pushing them further away.

Also, I was able to SLEEP! I have not been sleeping well at all since this whole thing happened. I wake up at night thinking about everything, then I start crying, then I can't go back to sleep. So just being here with them helped me to relax and actually get a good night's sleep, even on this rock hard couch thingie.

"Wheelchair" is a word everyone seems to be getting more comfortable with. At first I think everyone was hoping he would just be able to get up and walk, but now we are all realizing that a wheelchair is a reality he is facing, at least for a while and maybe forever. But they know, too, that he will be able to live a very normal life in a wheelchair if it comes to that. The hope is still that he will walk one day but for now they are taking it one day at a time and learning to adapt to their new "normal".