Moving to recovery... December 18, 2013, 3:34 AM

The surgeon came out just a few minutes ago and said the procedure went according to plans and that Lee is beginning the process of waking from anesthesia. She was reportedly starting to move, which is already a good sign, but would likely not get her breathing tube
removed until she was in the recovery room for a period of time.[...]

Just getting started... December 17, 2013, 11:05 PM

As is always a risk with afternoon procedures, they are running behind so Lee JUST went back to the O.R. (6 pm EST). That means we are technically on time, just in the wrong time zone. Her biggest concern was that Dr. B had enough time in between procedures to use the bathroom and get something to eat so he is "fresh", so that gives you a good indicator that her sense of humor is intact. She was, however, getting VERY hungry since she hasn't eaten in 24 hours.[...]

Prayer for Surgery Today December 17, 2013, 2:04 PM

Hey Everybody, this is Stephanie again.[...]

Day 3...
December 16, 2013, 2:34 AM

I'll keep this one fairly short because not too much changed today, which is not a bad thing! Lee rested well again last night and had a good appetite throughout the day. We did some more walking along with some specific "exercises" as directed by her surgeon this morning to further evaluate Lee's bladder symptoms. She continues to have signs and symptoms that indicate the "tethering" may need to be addressed, so we anticipate getting definitive word tomorrow on how this will be addressed. You can be praying for both wisdom and schedule alignment for the surgeons and other staff needed to bring the plan together.
Lee's mom, my parents, and I took an opportunity this afternoon to ride the train into
Manhattan and see a few of the siights while the city is decorated up for Christmas. Lee and her dad got the chance to just "hang out" for a while and enjoy some qualtiy time and hospital food.[...]

Surgery #2 tomorrow... December 16, 2013, 8:58 PM

The neurosurgeon was just in and has confirmed his belief that moving forward with the second "detethering" procedure is the best next step for Lee. She is on the schedule for 3 p.m EST tomorrow (Tuesday). Dr. B is very optimistic that this will bring significant additional relief to some of her other symptoms including her severe leg pain and bladder dysfunction.[...]

Day 2 Updates December 15, 2013, 2:37 AM

Quite a lot transpired today, so I will attempt to summarize the highlights. The day got off to a great start when Lee was awakened by my parent's arrival this morning and her realization that she had slept all night for the first time in recent memory. She was able to have her first "full" meal and is still keeping everything down with NO vomiting. They were also able to remove the drain from her incision site and have discontinued her IV pain medications and changed her over to oral medications with reasonable pain control thus far.[...]

Day 1 Evening December 14, 2013, 2:10 AM

Well it's been an action-packed day as Lee has already gone from bed rest in the Neuro ICU to a regular room within 24 hours from surgery. Her pain has been reasonably well managed throughout the day and she's been able to sleep in a couple of 2 hour blocks. They are planning to remove her IV pain pump tomorrow afternoon and transition her to all oral medications if she continues to progress as she has today. They also got her fitted for her rigid cervical collar that she will need to wear for the next several months while her fusion solidifies.
A few great milestones were her ability to get up and around without her heart going into all
sorts of "creative" rhythms, the removal of her catheter and her subsequent ability to go to the bathroom without difficulty and, at least so far, a reasonably healthy appetite for pudding and yogurt without significant nausea and NO vomiting! She is settling in for her first night in the regular room and is in very good spirits. She continues to receive excellent care from all of the staff and the neurologist, Dr. Kula, who has a special place in Lee's heart made a special trip to check in on her this evening ahead of an anticipated snow and ice storm here tomorrow.[...]

Day 1 morning December 13, 2013, 1:53 PM

Good morning! Lee's not quite up to posting for herself yet but she wants me to say a huge THANK YOU to all for your prayers and notes. She didn't get much sleep last night as they work to make her comfortable but she is getting GREAT care from an incredible group of nurses. Having all of your encouraging notes to read has certainly helped to pass the time and encourage her. She's very talkative and occasionally a little "loopy" with her medicines (she was insistent with the nurse that it was 1983, because New Years isn't for a few weeks) but eventually works her way back to rational answers. I've not figured out how to imbed photos here but I added one to the "gallery'" (with Lee's pre-approval of course).[...]

She's awake!
December 12, 2013, 10:47 PM

What previously took 3 days has been accomplished in 30 minutes! The anesthesiologist came out and got me and said Lee wanted to "say hi", so I followed him down the hall and sure enough, Lee was awake and offered another "Happy Birthday"! She reported a "pretty bad headache" (to be expected with two rods and six screws) but otherwise "OK". The anesthesia team had done significant research and that, coupled with/directed by all your prayers brought the desired and dramatic results.[...]

Half way there! December 12, 2013, 10:06 PM

The neurosurgeon, "Dr. B.", just came out (at exactly the 9 hour mark) and showed us an x- ray of Lee's new "hardware" and said everything went just as he hoped/planned for the fusion. The next steps are to begin waking her up from the extended anesthesia, which many of you recall was the greater challenge in the past, and he hopes to have an update on their progress within the hour. Your continued prayers for that process are appreciated and I will keep you posted![...]