Two weeks and then some

No news is definitely good news as we pass two weeks since Ben's surgery. He continues to progress each day, although we are learning quickly that it is easy for him to do too much when he's feeling really good. Between therapy appointments, walking, and going out to eat one day last week, we might have overdone it just a bit. Ben has had a couple of days in a row with more numbness and tiredness, especially in his lower legs. It is definitely frustrating for him, especially after he has days where he feels so much better.

The good news is that he bounces back! He's feeling good today, and he has been keeping up with all of his therapy exercises, even when he isn't feeling 100%. He started the shoulder and elbow/wrist exercises, and they're helping his neck muscles feel better. The neck muscles are the ones that the surgeon had to cut through to get to the spinal cord, so they're understandably sore from that. Combine the surgery with the fact that he has been trying to immobilize his neck/incision as much as possible, and it has lead to some definite muscle tightness. The first time he did the exercises, they were difficult and a bit painful. He stretched a lot and attempted them again today, to much better results! They were easier to complete, and he says he can feel his shoulders/neck loosening up a bit. He has also been practicing writing and typing each day, and he's getting better and better at many tasks that require fine motor skills. He has all of us attempting his exercises to test our own abilities--he can do some just as well as any of us can! :-)

He continues to practice his leg exercises twice each day doing more reps each day. We are looking forward to his next physical therapy appointment (which is tomorrow) so that we can add some variety into those exercises!

We've been enjoying the nice weather when possible. Ben's parents visited this weekend, and it was great to see them! Deborah and I enjoyed a girls' day out with shopping and manicures. And we all met up for a pizza dinner, which was delicious.

We want to thank you all for your continued support throughout this process. The surgery already seems like a lifetime ago, so it's hard for me to believe it's only been 2 weeks. We are so pleased with Ben's progress, but we both do realize that the road to recovery will continue throughout the next weeks and months. We have never faced a moment of feeling alone in this journey, and we are both learning so much about how to support others in their times of need.

We haven't been taking many pictures lately, but I'll close with some oldies I found on the computer. :-) We'll try to get some new photos this coming week!

Summer 2006 (look at our hair! :-)

Easter 2007 in Winston

Engaged!! July 2008

Married!! July 2009