Changes

Big Daddy is my hero. Always has been. Always will be.

Surgery was set for Tuesday morning with arrival time at 6, for us. We were there and one by one, they came. People from our church who wanted to pray with us, for us, and for the success of the surgery. Blake, the youth minister for our children, prayed specifically for the surgeon to have a steady hand and for the medical team to work in harmony and with great precision. That had been my prayer the night before. I had also prayed that I be more than a good nurse…I wanted to be an excellent one. I prayed for the children and I to be what Big Daddy needed/wanted us to be and that his healing would be swift.

Big Daddy has never had surgery before. Never been put under or even given gas. To say he was not happy about this whole thing is putting it mildly. If he was nervous or worried, he never told me. Him not telling me is of no surprise for he surely views such confessions as weak, and he is not. I was a tad concerned when he called me at work on Monday and said that there was really no reason for me to stay with him after they took him to be prepped. His explanation went as follows:

“You just started with this new company and have zero time saved up. You need to go on to work. Just drop me off on your way and by the time I am pretty good and awake, you will have put your time in and you can swing back by.”

Seriously. This was his plan. God love him.

Needless to say, I did not drop him off and leave. Instead, we checked in…together…and then our dear friends sat with me while we waited. Lucy and her husband, Midge, wonderful friends from church and who knows who else. It was a beautiful outpouring of love and support and I realized that these same people were there one year ago as Big Daddy waited time and again for me to come out of surgery. God has surely blessed us more than I could ever put into words.

Big Daddy made it home and is recuperating nicely. He is behaving himself and obeying the doctor’s orders. Though surprised, I am elated. The surgery did not go as we had planned and we have new things to consider as we move toward intense rehab, physical therapy, and the future in general. I am not going into details because somewhere along the line while clicking the morphine pump, Big Daddy informed me that he really doesn’t like every detail of our personal life being “blogged” about. Point taken. I can tell you a few things though…

1. God is good, ALL the time.
2. Friends are God’s way of allowing us to increase the size of our family.
3. Love conquers all.

If I could take this away and go through it all for Big Daddy, I would in a heartbeat without thought or reservation. He is the most amazing man I have ever known and to say I adore him is an incredible understatement. There is nothing he cannot do. He is beyond a “good man”. For me, there is no better husband, father, provider, or man.

Big Daddy sets the bar for heroes...and that bar is awfully high.