Wondering What We've Been Up To?

Happy New Year 2024!

To God Be the Glory.

2023 started like any normal year, we took down the tree put away all the lights and decorations and prepared to begin our regular walks and bike rides on the West Orange Trail.

My birthday, January 14th was the first of the year celebration, and set the tone for the year to come.

Little did we know what God had in store.

Thirteen days after my birthday, I had a life threatening stroke, in the brain. This stroke surrounding the cerebellum was followed by two additional strokes during two of 7 brain procedures (3 surgeries and 4 Angiograms)

My husband was by my side for all of 33 days in ICU and 42 days in in-patient rehab and during that time hundreds of you, my dear family, and friends were praying faithfully for me and for total healing.

It has been a long road since my last surgery to insert a VP shunt in my brain, which I have to this day; replacement of the ET tube with a tracheotomy tube, removal of the NG tube, avoiding placement of a PEG tube for stomach feeding and ultimately removal of the Trach tube.

April 11, I was discharged and have continued Occupational, Physical and Speech therapies sessions, every week. Because of the torticollis in my neck, I also do two sessions of neck therapy each week.

Sam was true to his promise that if I was free of the Trach tube, then we would join our group on a planned River Cruise in the South of France and spend three days in Paris. It was a wonderful experience, despite getting a mild lung infection during the last three days of the trip that landed me in the French American hospital. As travel agents we were able to experience the trip through the eyes of the disabled and extended our stay post discharge to enjoy the charm of Paris from our hotel down the street from the Arc De Triomphe.

I’m happy to say that one year almost to the day, while I have not yet totally healed, but praise God, I am still here and on the mends. I can walk with a walker, almost without assistance and have full use of my faculties as there has been minimum to no cognitive impact. Giving God all the glory as Sam and I are repeating the Draw the Circle study and re-reading the New Testament bible in one-year, together. God is faithful and this journey has only increased our faith in him and the vows we took when we married almost 48 years ago. It is truly a covenant relationship.

Eva