And the real work begins!

The worst is over/The real work begins
After 4 weeks in the hospital, Gary is coming home!

He comes home:

• eating a normal diet
• horribly stiff neck from before surgery gone
• tinnitus gone
• hearing better
• speech almost back to normal, but he'll have lots of speech exercises to do (working on d's and r's especially)
• with a stomach tube he doesn't need to use that can't be removed for 4 more weeks
• 12 lbs lighter
• 30+ stitches in his head
• still with hypotension - mornings can be 90/50 (Crucial prayer request - low blood pressure causes him to get dizzy, get a mild headache and almost pass out. He has learned to exercise in bed go help raise bp and get up very slowly to make sure that he doesn't fall.)
• using a wheelchair (during low bp time), a walker and held by a gait belt around his waist
• weaker on his left side
• with double vision that is corrected by wearing an eye patch, but will need the help of a neuro-ophthalmologist
• attending 3 sessions of physical therapy every week
• with many hours of exercises a week required
  
• his sense of humor completely intact - he's celebrating the handicapped sticker we get to put in the car:)
• his sense of compassion intact - on Thu. a sweet friend of Alyssa's will be coming to live with us for a period of time...2 weeks, 2 months or even longer...last Sept., her mother died after a long battle with breast cancer and now her father is in critical condition, fighting a bacteria that is destroying his vital organs. It could be many weeks or months before he is able to care for his 5 children again. Please pray for this dear family as the kids are put in different homes and the father fights for his life.

We are so thankful for how God has watched over Gary and we appreciate all the visitors, prayer and support we have received over this month. Please come and visit now that we're home too. We've enjoyed seeing everyone and are look forward to many more hours of company.

Love,
Gary, Kay, Amy and Alyssa