Daily Miracles?

I missed posting yesterday, as well as one other day this week. This is a bit of a let down, but it is what it is.

Last weekend I was talking with another adoptive mom about our common journey. She spoke with conviction about how in her current situation she see what she believes are daily miracles. As we talked, I understood what she was talking about. She has come to rely on prayer as she meets the daily challenges of her life. The challenges for her are big ones. She says that often when they can't see how things can possibly work out, one small but significant things will change, making it possible to keep going. I've been thinking about that a lot.

Yesterday we drove up to Lincoln to be present for some medical stuff for our son. We are thankful to have had good help at home to keep the farm going so Chuck could come with me. 

Our son was having a surgery so we wanted to be present for that.

Doctors vary widely on how much they prepare their patients for what recovery will look like. One thing we had been concerned about even before going to be with Ron was what the recovery process would be like, and whether he had the help he needed. 

Medical professionals, on the whole, are caring and compassionate people. They manage all kinds of situations and care for all kinds of people while maintaining a caring and non-judgmental attitude. So many great people were involved in Ron's care! We were impressed with the many people we met in both the surgery unit and later on the hospital unit.

We met Ron at the hospital at noon and hung out with him until he was taken to surgery. Then we grabbed a quick lunch at a fast food place across the street from the hospital. We discovered that Burger King has a pretty good sour dough Philly cheeseburger, but it is a half pound burger so it was exactly the right size to share. By the time we finished eating, the surgery was already completed, so we rushed back to hear from the doctor and be with Ron while he recovered.

This surgery is usually outpatient, and the doctor gave some quick instructions about how long to use a sling and how long to avoid lifting, etc. I thought I must have been over-reacting in my concern about recovery support. Never-the-less, we were glad the doctor was willing to make this an overnight stay instead of outpatient surgery.  When we were with Ron after surgery, it seemed that he would need significant help during the early days of recovery. I was worried, but hoped I was wrong and there would be quick and visible improvement before we left town.

We hung out with Ron until around 8pm and then went to find the motel where we had made reservations. We were hungry but confident that there would be plenty of restaurants near the motel. As we neared the area, we realized there were not many restaurants at all. The motel was across the street from a prison. 

 We decided to register and ask at the desk about food. The desk clerks were kind and helpful, and gave us a discount for being there to help with our son at the hospital. They also gave us a menu for a restaurant they recommended, so we ordered take out and ate in our room.

In the morning we headed back to the hospital thinking Ron would be released yet before lunch. It was clear when we arrived that Ron needed more help than he would get at home. I was feeling pretty anxious about how this would get worked out before we left. Before we could really address it, though, the occupational therapist came in to work with Ron. After a few minutes working together, she called in another support person. Between those two and Ron, they came up with three or more resources for intermediate care. The support person's role is to manage the surrounding care that patients need, so she would take responsibility for finding appropriate help while keeping Ron in the loop and allowing him as much choice as possible about final decisions for temporary rehab placement. He won't be left to fend for himself.

I was reminded of my conversation with the other mom, and of her recognition of answers to prayer. It does seem like Ron frequently has the right people show up in his life at the moment he most needs them. It is beyond what I can explain logically. I'm grateful. We left the hospital confident that he had what he needed.

 We had to pass through Beatrice, NE on our way home, and they have a street named Ella Street, so we circled around to get a photo of the street sign for certain beloved Ellas in our family.