Our family has been praying for Bryce to have a quick recovery. When Tom gave Bryce a blessing before he went in for his first surgery, Tom blessed him that he would recover quicker than normal and that he would be able to do what is required of him to return back to good health. We fast for him every Fast Sunday so that he will be able to continue to make the progress he needs to and that he will be able to return on his mission. He has been in our prayers every day since he left on his mission.
When we arrived at our appointment today, we found that the Doctor was an hour behind schedule. Bryce used only a cane to get in to his appointment and it was for his left hip. (He's getting faster too!) We waited for two and a half hours just to get into our room and then we waited another 30 minutes for Dr West to come into the room. I was wondering if this was a test to see how well Bryce could endure sitting in an upright position without breaking down. They brought us snacks twice and a bottle of juice while we waited which was nice. I thought for sure we would be home by 1:00, so that I could break my fast then. However, it didn't go the way I had planned and we are finding that there isn't much that does go as planned. So, I broke my fast then as I could feel that I was getting very light headed and a headache was creeping in. (Not a good combination when you are the driver! Especially in Salt Lake traffic. )
Yesterday, as I was getting ready for the day, I had a feeling that I should fast again for Bryce, so that our appointment would go well and that we would be able to come to a reasonable decision about his next surgery. I began with a prayer that we would be able to talk to the Doctor and be able to get moving as soon as possible on his left hip. We have been working hard to get him more mobile and his muscles stronger, but that left hip is sure giving him a bad time. The most unfortunate thing about the left hip- is that medicine and ice do not take the pain away. It is always hurting. The more activity we do, the more it hurts. His pain does decrease after resting, but it's quick to elevate once we get moving again.
Dr West came into the room and apologized for the wait and he asked us several questions about his hip and if Bryce had made any plans - like going to school. He even asked if Bryce had even thought about his future much, or if he was stuck inside the tunnel still. Bryce told him that he was planning on attending school this fall- as he has talked to the Scholarship Committee and they will allow him to use his scholarship for one year and then take a leave again to finish his mission and they will hold his scholarship for him. They just need medical verification that he does have a medical reason for being home. He also told Dr West that he would like to return back on his mission. Dr West smiled and said, "Great."
This is where the 'tender mercy' comes in. "Normally", Dr West said, "most patient's wait at least three months before having the second surgery done." We are currently at 7 weeks from his first surgery. June 4th will be approximately 10 weeks. (Two months from April 4th -the first surgery date.) Then, the words to the blessing that Tom gave to Bryce, popped into my head. I knew that this was an answered prayer and that the Lord is watching over us.
Marty, our awesome P.T., was in the room with us during our visit with the Doctor and he talked to us for a while after the Doctor left. He told Bryce that for the next three weeks, they are going to push him harder so that they can build up the muscle in his right leg and to help with his right knee. (Which has been giving him some grief as well...) Marty said that it's going to be painful for his left hip, but necessary for him to be ready for his surgery and for his right hip to support his weight after surgery. He showed us his CT scan again and talked to us about what the surgery would be affecting. This surgery won't be as difficult as the first- according to his X-ray, his cartilage and labrum were still looking great. However, it's been 5 months since his first X-ray.
"Constant and Steady wins the race!" is our new motto. We are so grateful for answered prayers and for your prayers. We have really been blessed- even in our trials. Having the time to swim in the pool for an hour every day has been a huge blessing. We have learned so much on this journey and look forward to getting Bryce better. We do know that everything is going to work out and that is what keeps us going.
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