Tuesday morning

Dear Burk,
I just opened my e-mail and there was an update from Mom.  It's easier for her to update everyone that way rather than making dozens of phone calls.
Apparently your surgeries were never moved to Wednesday but will actually be happening today.  There are so many different doctors working on you.  Sometimes it's hard to get the correct information as things can change from minute to minute.
I haven't talked to mom or dad yet.  I try to give them a little peace in the morning before the phone calls begin.
Mom will probably quit sending e-mails if I keep including them in this blog, but I'm doin it anyway.  I know other people are reading this (alot of people actually) but ultimately, this blog is for you.  And it will be nice for you to have other perspectives besides mine.
So here is a part of an e-mail mom sent to the family:

"Just when I think things have to have gotten as hard as they are going to, we have a day like yesterday.  Thankfully, we also have the regular quiet assurances that come either directly through the Spirit, or through other people, or through some seemingly non-significant, seemingly unrelated, couldn't-be-coincidental  happening that lets us know the Lord and His angels are very much aware and participating. It's impossible to not let doubt overwhelm with thoughts of  'where is this headed?' At those times, we have to reduce the frantic-future-viewing to one day, or one hour, or one minute at a time, advice, curiously enough, my father gave me on our driveway in Blackfoot, Idaho, many, many years ago when I was thinking just the daily raising of 6 children was crushingly hard and virtually impossible,  advice I have never forgotten and still call upon regularly 40-some years later.  My parents have been very much on my mind of late.  Perhaps they are included with those angels.

 

We won't know for sure until we get to the hospital this morning, but the shoulder and ankle surgery on Burk we found out late last night when Kelli checked, are today after all, and 'never were' postponed until Wednesday, which I thought is what the trauma doc told me as he was making rounds on Burk yesterday morning.  We will let you know.  Dad and Craig are planning to give Burk a blessing sometime before the surgery.  He received a hasty one from Dad just before Wednesday night's surgery which, just in case anyone is wondering, we know is still in effect, but we decided it would be good to have the opportunity to perhaps review some things that may not have been said and do it in a less rushed setting."

Surgeries make me nervous.  A number of things could go wrong.  They'll probably have to give more transfusions as you will probably bleed during the shoulder surgery.

I know right now it doesn't feel like it, but we're doing our best to "help".  You have some of the best doctors around.

Some of your nurses from previous days have stopped by to see how you're doing.  They genuinely care.  As do hundreds and hundreds of other people.

Hang in there.  The road ahead is hard and rocky, but you've done hard and rocky your whole life.  Nothing you can't handle.