I slept really well the first night after surgery.  The pain – or, rather, the CHANGE in pain – was hard to describe.  I really didn’t have any of my age-old disc pain left; it was just pain from the surgery itself.   This day, Wednesday, was the first day I was allowed to sit up, which made me a bit nervous, but made me feel good.  I sat up for a normal breakfast, read my Psalms, and was overwhelmed with GRATEFULNESS.  To be in this place, at this time, with these doctors…it all felt so perfectly planned.  Planned by a God who knows exactly what is needed, and, miraculously, continually seeks our greatest good.

LouAnn and the gang came up late morning, and we spent the day hanging out.  Georgia and Aunt Netter worked diligently on their get-well magazine collages, several for me, and then ones for both Guenther and Tasso.  Lunch included alphabet soup, but of course all the words that formed were in German, so I couldn’t read a thing….

After lunch I got up and walked around.  I kept making excuses to get up.  “I’ll take those coffee cups to the kitchen!”  “I’ll get you some coffee!”  But I also rested.

LouAnn and I checked on Tasso later in the afternoon, and he was not doing well.  He was in a lot of pain, and having serious regrets about deciding to have the surgery.  He was in a tough spot.  We did our best to cheer him up and urged him to have PATIENCE, reminding him that each day would be better, and to not let his emotions run away with him.  Georgia gave him his get-well collage, and we left him.

Good morning, Salzburg!

Yes – Austrian alphabet soup!

Georgia and Netter working on their sweet collages.

Finding reasons to get up and walk around.

LouAnn was ONE SLEEPY GIRL.

My FB post from that day:  “When I FINALLY got this Sweet Girl to agree to lie down beside me for a bit on this hospital bed, she fell asleep immediately. A full week of managing kids, an injured husband, doctors and nurses and office clerks, drives back and forth through town, laundry, and all in a FOREIGN COUNTRY. She’s earned a nap, to be sure. And she’s done it all with full LouAnn style – with love, generosity, selflessness, and laughs.”  She’s been amazing.

The gang back at Bloberger Hof for dinner that evening.

Jack re-telling his now-famous LEMUR STORY.

Schnitzel…..

…..and strudel.