Room Mates

That was November.
Fast forward to late January,

The plan was, I would fly to Utah, stay at the LDS hospital for a week and actually learn every aspect of Merrym's care, so I could bring her to Washington state to live with my family.

Overwhelmed with every feeling that my body could emote at one time felt like sparks shooting from my pores. Excitement, intimidation, happiness, fear, disbelief, and trepidation. YEEOW!

I knew nothing about the disabled, let alone anything about the medical field.Well Crash Course Here I Come!

The hospital had the coolest set up. A room right in the rehab unit with two double beds. As similar to a hotel room as they could possibly make it.

I arrived scared but ready to learn anything they threw at me. But also ready for a little Mer hi-jinks, too.

Mer was just recovering from her latest skin graft. (I think surgeries were at #21 by now!) Her plastic surgeon was there to take pictures of her delicate work. I'm sure this kind of grafting was one in a million. Who of all of us wants to be pictured in a medical journal, but Mer knew allowing these pictures may help others down the road.

I ate, slept and breathed Mer, Mer, Mer.
I learned how to shower her, help her in and out of a vehicle, how to lift a wheelchair, UGH! Is there really a way without hurting yourself?!
I also learned how to care for her tissue paper skin, how to dress her wounds, what vitamins/meds she took and what each was for. The ickiest part of all this was her colostomy. BLECK! But there was no way she could care for herself at this time. Her movements were very uncontrollable.

You might wonder why she needed a colostomy? Well the actual wound or tissue removal was from the mid right buttock down to the top of her ankle. So they needed that area of her bottom to stay as clean as possible.

The wound itself reflected the hole that Satan and self destruction can tear in one of Gods people if allowed. It was indescribable. The horror of it was heart breaking and stomach wrenching, all at the same time. It basically looked like a very bad burn. Bone with mangled skin pulled over it!

I prayed that God WOULD help me handle every aspect of this. Mer was all that mattered at this point.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his donkey, and took him to an inn and took care of him.
Luke 10:34

Love you Mer