Dad

This past week, I was in Salt Lake helping take care of my dad because he had back surgery about two weeks ago now. He is getting better every day and he is taller and straighter. You see, he has had spinal stenosis for the past 5 or 6 years and he got worse each year. He was leaning to the left and this past year he kept leaning more and looked like he was in pain more and more. Finally he went to his doctor and he sent him to a surgeon after he had an MRI done on his back. The surgeon is a good one and won't do what isn't necessary, but my dad needed two get two of his vertebrae fused together and cleaned out. In the middle of the vertebrae, there is supposed to be an opening, well the two that were fused, needed to be cleaned out as well because there was practically no space. The nerves could have been cut off and my dad could have become paralyzed. This was a necessary surgery.

Anyways, while I was down there helping out, Linda was able to go to work stress free because I was there to take care of dad if he needed anything (he's really not supposed to be alone for the six weeks following the surgery). Thursday morning, I did go up and pick up my grandma and bring her down so she could see dad since she only saw him the day of his surgery. It was good for grandma to see him, but not good on dad because when visitors come, he sits up longer than he should so he becomes sore and super tired the following day. He needs to take it easy, but I think he's tired of it and feels rude if company is over and he goes and lays down on his bed.

I'm grateful for this time that I was able to be down there and to help out dad and Linda. I feel like I didn't do much, but just knowing I lowered the stress level, makes me feel like I did a lot. Now I hope he keeps feeling better and healing quickly like he already has done (he hasn't needed any pain medications since he left the hospital).