A year later ...

I wasn't able to get this posted until tonight. I wrote this yesterday on November 15th.

Jack Dennison. November 14, 2009. Just prior to having his blood clot in his brain removed.

Yesterday was Jack's big year mark from the time he had his brain surgery. It was an interesting day. I think I didn't end up being nearly as thoughtful as I wanted or hoped to be because the kids tend to keep us busy. :)

When Dale and I went to bed on Friday night and the clock hit 10:30 I knew my mind would do this for the next 24 hours.

You see, 10:30 is the time that we left our house to take Jack to the ER.

Then I woke up randomly at 3:30 AM. My first thought was that was about the time the doctor came and told us that Jack had a blood clot in his brain.

Jack woke up screaming at 5:30. That's about the time he took off on a helicopter.

At 7, Dale and I had just gotten to PCMC.

Around 10:30 AM Jack got out of his MRI.

We waited until 1:30 that afternoon to find out the results of that and what would be done.

4:30 was the next time I saw the clock. Jack was in the middle of surgery.

At 6:00 PM Jack had just finished up his surgery, and was doing well.

After that things are a bit of a blur for me as far as time. I know we saw him, and had some family and friends stop by. I know we went to bed early, we were obviously tired and exhausted in every possible way.

I don't think I knew what to expect as far as how things would go after taking him home. What a little miracle he is in our lives. He has been through a lot since November 14th. He's had to see a stroke specialist 4 times, and will continue to see her in 6 months and then yearly for a while. He had to see a pediatric ophthalmologic, and he was in physical therapy for a little while.

However, since all those irregular doctors visits, and appointments he has been doing SO well. He is hitting all the milestones he should be hitting. He usually hits them on the later end, but he does them. He's trying to talk, and he's pulling himself up, and trying to cruise along the furniture, he's crawling, laughing, talking a little bit. He doesn't seem to have any problems. It's a miracle. It really is.

Jack Dennison. October 16, 2010. Such a happy little boy.

I am so grateful for the lessons I learned for everything we went through, and everything Jack went through. I appreciate my children a LOT more. I am so grateful for the service other people rendered and the example they were for me while we were busy at the hospital. I feel like I never thanked so many people that helped us in so many ways. So many watched our kids, and fed my family, and were so willing to help in any way possible. I don't even know how many people prayed for Jack ... but I know there were more than I can even imagine. I know that those prayers were heard.

I also feel like after everything was said and done I saw how the Lord had guided everything just so. I know that the doctors were helped in knowing what they could do for Jack. I know that they were given help they needed. I also know that Dale and I were given the comfort and help we needed to get through everything that was happening. Sometimes I don't know how I didn't fall apart while it was all going on. I know it was with the help of my Father in Heaven and the help of my wonderful husband. I also know that those that prayed for us helped us get through that time as well.

I'm so grateful to have learned that I need to be willing always to help in any way possible. I am grateful that I've been able to understand other peoples situations a little bit more because of everything we went through with Jack. I am so grateful he's in our family. He's so much fun! I can't imagine what our family would be like without him. I will always think of November 13-21 as those miracle days for Jack. I'm glad they fall in November. It makes me that much more thankful for my family, and for modern medicine, wonderful doctors, and wonderful nurses, and wonderful friends and family.