Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Good Evening,

Well, yesterday was John's birthday. We were so happy to celebrate his birthday! A few weeks ago, we did not know if we would be able to share this together. Oh, what a difference a few weeks make..........John spent his birthday with his brother, Don. They enjoyed their day running a few errands, but, sharing some quality time together was really the best part of the day, according to John.
When John went to his first follow-up appointment at University of Maryland, on February5, he was told that he could take his collar off at night to sleep, around the 4- week mark. This is something that he initially was not in favor of doing. The collar has certainly given him a feeling of security. Marcus suggested that he take the collar off when he took a nap on the couch, and maybe that would be an opportunity to attempt to feel a bit more comfortable before he tried to sleep the entire night without the collar. It will be interesting to see how he approaches this next step in his recovery. Just like anything else, it is a slow and steady progression toward getting back to a life of normalcy. John has never had surgery before, so he is having to adjust to healing of incisions, bone repair with fusion, and the fact that his left shoulder and bicep are requiring intense physical therapy. Quite a bit to go through on your first experience with surgery, wouldn't you say? Couple that with the fact that this was a traumatic experience, and you have quite a few obstacles to overcome. I believe he is doing quite well, all things considered.
He received a birthday cake today, from his co-workers, and they sent a baseball magazine, some well wishes on cards, and a "work authorization" to track the repair of his neck. It was done just like his staff or he would prepare a work authorization in his line of work. It is priceless, and he wants to have it framed. It caused John to chuckle and really appreciate his staffs and co-workers sense of humor. They also included a reminder for their timecards to be filled out, which is a frequent request of him, at the end of each week, on Friday. He and I feel how lucky he is to have the opportunity to work with such talented and caring individuals. Allison dropped off the gifts, because she lives close by. Again, thanks to all of you who so kindly shared in this delightful birthday treat. It is one of the most unique gifts he has ever received.

Take care and have a wonderful Valentines Day. I know we will, just being blessed to be together.

Love,
John and Sheri