Day 72, Tuesday Nov. 3

Day 72, Tuesday Nov. 3

Today was a trial. There really isn't another way to describe it. They discovered that Jeff has another UTI and believe that it was the culprit of today's troubles. 

Jeff woke up hurting and just not feeling well. He thinks it was residual from yesterday's over zealous workout. They took it easy during therapy, but the pain continued to steadily increase throughout the day. 

The pain became so intense (all over) that his entire body began to shake and he started to cry. He says, "It was the first time in my entire adult life that I cried because I was in pain." 

The nurse working with him was not successful in contacting the doctor and finding a solution to his suffering. Instead, Brandi sent out a mass text to see who was available to come help give him a blessing. 

Blake was able to leave work to lend a hand. It was Josh, Jeff's occupational therapist, who gave the actual blessing. We are so grateful to Blake for making himself available and to Josh for performing such a service for our dad. The priesthood has been such a comfort and blessing to our family throughout this trial! 

It took between 15 and 20 minutes before the agony he felt died down enough that he was able to fall asleep. He slept for about an hour and woke up feeling quite a bit better. Isn't the power of the priesthood amazing? We are so thankful for our dad's continued faith through all of this. 

Brad Frost came and talked with Jeff and Annette for about an hour before walking Annette out. A good end to a hard day. 

Today was Jeff's original discharge date to go home. While it's slightly disappointing that it was delayed, it's also a blessing. We are all still learning and preparing to be ready for his homecoming. 

The biggest reason for the delay in him going home is that the original date was just an estimate. It's hard to guess how quickly a person's strength can be built up, how many complications might arise, how much movement and sensation will or will not return, etc. There were so many variables to consider, and today was really a best case scenario. 

That being said, our dad is still doing very well. He hasn't regained any sensation or movement since the accident, but has learned so much to make up for what he's lost. We are proud of his hard work and thank our Father in heaven every day for his continued health, strength, and progress.