Milestones

Back in April and May when Parker was critically ill, on the days I felt the universe was pushing me face first into a pit of darkness, I would clench my fists as I walked The Green Mile and say out loud, "One day Parker is going to walk down this hallway by my side... he is going to walk and he is going to live!" I believe once I punched the wall, just to be sure it heard me.

Today, for the first time, Parker walked The Green Mile with me. Walked, standing tall, no wheelchair, no cane. We went to see Yonus, one of the nurses who was so instrumental in keeping Parker alive and keeping me upright and strong during the darkest days. When we left, Parker leaned against the wall in the hallway and burst into tears. He didn't know it was the same wall, the same spot, where his brother collapsed after seeing him the first time.

We have so much to be grateful for.

Earlier this morning, before the trip to the hospital, we took Quinn to the dog park for the first time. She caught about 30 Frisbee throws, then we let her go into the area where the other dogs were. She wasn't interested in them until one of them, a little Boston Terrier, stole her Frisbee. Then she ran after that little critter for half an hour, not really that pressed over it, more interested in the principle. The trip to the dog park gave me a great idea for an article for Austin Magazine.

After the dog park Parker and I went to the fitness center to start our workouts back up. It's amazing how much harder it is after five days off. He is still not allowed to lift weights, and won't be able to until after the surgery to rebuild his abdomen. But he is working on the stationery bike and treadmill to build stamina and increase his metabolism. Sixty pounds in three months is a lot of weight to lose.

The photo above is of Quinn waiting for Parker to come back when he left to go buy her a new bed. She is a little like a love stuck teenager, the way she stares at him where ever he goes. So cute, and such a perfect companion for him.

Talked to my Dad on the phone a few times today. Although he sounds very confused and is mixing up his days, he sounds healthier than yesterday and the docs think he should be getting out of the hospital by Tuesday or Wednesday. I told him that was good. Less chance of his getting a disease. :-)

When we went to the hospital we literally ran into Lindsey coming off the elevator. Even with all her throwing up for the last two months, she has that glow of a pregnant woman and looked great. Went up to the 4th floor also and visited with Kim, Jeff and Allison. It was good to see them, but Parker was unnerved being there, too.

Even though I was by his side the whole time, it is hard to put myself in his place and imagine what it felt like to be the one who might die at any minute, or the one who was in constant pain for four months, who had to go through Ct Scans, MRI's, almost daily ex rays, medication changes, doctor visits, tracheotomy irritations, NG tubes, feeding tubes, picc line infections, MRSA and VRE, more throwing up bile than any human should have to endure, multiple ileus's, blood clots in the lung, wound vac changes ...... ugh. I can't go on.

Thank you God for bringing us through that nightmare, and for giving us the strength and wisdom and courage to understand the changes we need to make going forward in our lives.