A Little Setback...

After a long night last night and long day thus far, I can admit that there has been bit of a setback for Richard on this road to recovery. Since coming home yesterday, he has experienced lots of pain, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness and now his temperature is rising. Please pray for him. If you are able, please take one minute right now and ask that God heals him.

The neurosurgeon's CNP says that these symptons are not typical of a fusion but that they sound like metabolic problems. Please pray that, as he rests, God will restore his body back to good health and proper healing. Thank you all. I will keep you updated.

If you are finding your calls to us going unanswered or unreturned, please forgive us and know that we will return them as soon and as best we can.

He Looked Great Today!

I didn't realize just how rough Rich looked yesterday until I saw him today. As I entered his room this morning, he was in the middle of standing up for the first time since the procedure. The team of people who helped him stand, helped him sit in a chair nearby. He was able to sit for 40 minutes before getting back in bed, which was very good. The swelling in his face was gone, his color was back, he was more 'with it' and his great smile had returned too. I was so glad to see that my hubby had improved.

We were able to spend all day together, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa's visit here to South Dakota. By mid-afternoon, a PT staffer had him walking down the hall. Although it was pretty painful, it was progress, which led us all to believe that this is going to be a good recovery.

I returned home at dinnertime to relieve my in-laws from child-duty so they can pay their son a visit as well. It was so nice to walk in the door and enjoy a delicious home-made chicken and rice casserole. As I sit here typing this blog and thinking about the events of the day, I feel so thankful and think to myself,

"It has been a very good day."

Richard is... Recovering

"Mrs. Flood, you do know that he will have back pain this afternoon..."

It was one of the first things I heard the neurosurgeon tell me after giving Rich his much needed spinal fusion this morning. To be honest, I really was not sure if he was serious or just kidding around with me! I was just relieved to hear that my husband, who I love so very much, was okay after the 2 hour procedure and waking up in recovery. The Dr. told me that all went off without a hitch, and I thank God for that. I also thank all of you who prayed for a successful surgery.

May I ask that you continue to petition our Father in heaven for a positive recovery and healing? Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

I got to see Rich late afternoon and he looked, as I expected, a little rough. He probably felt worse than he looked (turned out that he did) but still managed to tell me how happy he was to see me.

Good night everyone. I'll be in touch.

Back Surgery for Rich

On Tuesday, October 21st, Rich will be going in for back surgery. Please pray for a successful operation and speedy recovery. My in-laws will be coming into town this weekend to help with the kids while I nurse my hubby back to health. Although I wish they were visiting under different circumstances, it will be so great to see them again and have them meet our new church family.

This time around, Rich will be getting what is called a spinal fusion in his lower back. It will be great once all is said and done. They told him they will be having him playing tennis in three months. Of course, I don't think they realize that in three months there will be lots of snow on the ground!

Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers! I will keep you posted.

Here you can view our latest photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/RJFlood/SiouxFallsSD#

Anna's Unexpected New 'Do'

As I was making my bed the other day, Jonah & Anna came upstairs to see me and I thought to myself "she looks different for some reason..." Anna disrupted my thought process with "Mommy, Jonah cut my hair!" She was so happy.

*GASP!!!*

That's all I could do. I brushed my fingers through the right side of her hair and *gasp*...it's all gone!

*Gasp* what..how could...OH NO *gasp*

I ran downstairs and as soon as my eyes laid upon all the beautiful curls on the dining room floor, I just started to cry. I don't think I cried solely because my 4 year old cut the entire right side of his 3 year old sister's hair all off because "she told him to," but that's what it took to bring me to tears.

Well, to make a long story short, after receiving some encouragement from Richard and a few sisters from church, I gave her a new "do" and I think I really like it. It's cute and makes her look all grown up. Here she is before & after:

Come to find out, it's happened to lots of people! I've heard countless scissors-to-the-hair stories from friends and family ever since I've experienced this Mommy "rite of passage."

And I'm sure there's lots more to come...

A Positive Update!

Richard visited with the local neaurosurgeon this morning and left feeling very encouraged. After spending at least a half hour with Dr. Fox, it was a relief to know that the dr. did his homework and knew much about Rich's medical history and recent injury. He showed Rich all of the MRI pictures and explained them in detail. Ok, here's the deal. Rich injured his back about a month ago, which resulted in a significantly herniated disc in his lower back and a few torn ligaments. The trauma of the injury landed him a week in the hospital where he was treated for pain and inflammation. The anti-inflammatory steroid did wonders for the nerve that was badly injured, so today Rich can tell you that he feels pretty good. Dr. Fox told him to resume normal activity, with mild to moderate lifting, and if he can exist without significant pain, he will not have to have surgery. This is great news! A complete answer to prayer, I believe. On the other hand, if Richard does experience significant pain after several weeks of resuming normal activity, then Dr. Fox will revisit the possibility of fusing his lower spine. Either way, Rich is on his way to living pain free. And to that, I truly say "Thank you, Lord."

Please pray for Richard

Hi all,

Although life in Sioux Falls has been great, we have encountered a little 'hitch' in our adventure. Last Tuesday Rich herniated a disc in his lower back and has been in the hospital since. Lord willing, he will be able to come home on Monday after he receives a cortisone epidural that afternoon. Please pray that his body responds well to the treatments and that the pain he is experiencing subsides and eventually goes away completely. If he does not feel relief, then possible back surgery becomes a reality.

The church here has been such a blessing to our family as they continue to provide meals for us, help unpack the hundreds of boxes in our house and even provide free babysitting so I can visit Rich alone in the hospital. Although this trial has been a difficult one to deal with, the Lord continues to be our strength and holds the victory in our life.

The kids are doing well and they miss having Daddy around. Noah loves Kindergarten and is making lots of friends, Jonah is getting a little used to not having Noah around all the time and Anna and Josiah continue to be the dynamic duo of the house. As for me, well, I'm hanging in there! Although I did not envision having to squeeze a 2500 sq. foot house into a cozy 1300 sq. foot house, having my hubby spend a week in the hospital with a slipped disc and taking care of a Kindergartener with 3 siblings surrounded with boxes from floor to ceiling, it's all okay and just part of the big adventure of life. All I can say to that is "Praise God!" for the many trials in our life that build strong character and produce wonderful godly hope.

Love to all...