Day 2,

Again thanks everyone for all your support.  We are hanging in there and Matthew is a fighter.  All day yesterday Matthew would wake up and ask if it was Tuesday yet.  Even though it was at 4am we were happy to finally tell him it was Tuesday.  We all decided yesterday was one of the longest days ever.  I don't think Patrick and I slept very much.  Hospital sleeping defiantly has the patient in mind not the visitors, but we made it through.  After liquids for breakfast they let him have solid food for lunch.

Matthew is in a lot of pain anytime he gets out of bed.  Patrick left a little after noon to come home for Cheredith's football game. That was hard on us all.  I can't believe how he must feel.  He is an amazing dad and husband and my best friend.  I am still amazed at all the text and calls we continue to receive.  Also Matthew had a nice surprise waiting on him when he woke up from a mid day nap.  A friend from work and her mom had sent him a balloon bouquet.  He loved it.

His pain has been pretty intense today but it is getting shorter in length and he is up walking. He is mainly soar at the incision site and the stomach area is soar.  He didn't eat much for lunch but did eat good for super.  We have amazing nurses and I couldn't be happy with how they have treated us.

The doctor should come by in the morning and I have a lot of good news for him.  With Matthew eating good, walking and being able to go "potty" I am hoping we will go home soon.  That would be great.  I am so pleased with how good he is doing.

Hospital Update Day 1

First of all I want to thank everyone for thier thoughts, prayers,phone calls and text messages today.  It has been so humbling to see so many people have cared enough to check on us.  We are so blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives. 

Our day started early at 4:30 in the morning.  We had to check in at 7 in Atlanta.  Matthew slept the entire trip.  He woke up as I carried him into the hospital.  They were so good to him in the surgery area.  After meeting almost everyone that would have anything to do with his surgery they took him back to get him ready around 10am.  Since they said the surgery would take around 3 hours we decided to eat, however the food court closed at 10 and didn't open until 11.  So Patrick and I sat and waited on them to reopen for lunch.  I'm not sure if I was hungry or wanted to get back up to the waiting room but as soon as the doors opened I was in.  The food was really good, and I stuffed mine down and hurried back up to the waiting room.  As soon as I got up there they informed me that I had missed a call from the O.R. of course my heart stopped and wanted to know what was going on.  They called me right and they just wanted to let me know that they had started the surgery.  There were a few other heart stopping phone calls but it was all just to tell me he was doing fine.  I guess I wasn't use to having such a long wait for them to be finished. 

Once the doctor finished he came to meet with us and explain what all they did.  They had to remove about 6-8inches of his sigmoid Colon.  He explained that it doesn't sound like much but that Matthew is a small boy and that was a large amount to take out.  He feels like this will fix Matthew's problems.  Matthew will have to get use to his stomach acting different, but over time it will react more like normal.  He should be getting back to normal in a few weeks but it will take about 6 months for a full recovery.  After all these years it will be worth it.

Matthew is having a rough time in his room. He is in pain in his stomach.  He has 3 cuts where they went in. He had some major work inside his stomach today so I am just glad he is awake some and talking.  He has slept most of the day.  The nurses are wonderful and he has only thrown up once and is drinking pretty good.  Hopefully tomorrow evening he can have some solid food.

I will continue to keep you all updated as he progresses.  We all agree that this has been one of the longest days ever. 

I don't know where to even begin, this past week has been CRAZY!!!!!  I guess that was a good summery of how I have felt.  This time tomorrow Patrick and I will be in Atlanta getting Matthew ready for surgery.  I can't believe it is finally here.  I am relieved and nervous, but so happy to have finally found hope for Matthew.  I still have packing to do.  I can handle vacation packing but I am lost when it comes to hospital packing.  Who knows what all will make it to Emory with me.

I have been so proud of Cheredith this week.  I can't imagine how she is feeling.  She is an amazing child and is such a great big sister.  I know that she will be be fine but I know its hard on her.  We are always together and her and I have never been apart for this long.  Patrick will be back with her Tuesday and she is staying with great friends.  I know she will be happy to have Matthew better. 

Now an update on our crazy week.  Matthew went to the dentist and did great.  He had tooth filled and one pulled.  This was his first time he had numbing medicine in his cheek.  He didn't bite his inside of his cheek, but he rubbed the outside of his cheek raw.  That's Matthew for you, keeping it interesting.

Cheredith cheered to games Thursday.  All I can  say is that it exhausted me and I was sitting on the stands.  She did great and she is really loving cheer.  CVMS has some great Cheerleaders.

Thanks to some great people Matthew had an amazing Friday night.  A friend at work made Ridgelands football coach aware of Matthew's surgery.  Coach Mariakis had the football team sign a shirt for Matthew.  After one of the football players delivered the signed shirt I thought it couldn't get better.  I was so excited, but thanks to Coach Mariakis it got much better.  He offered to let Matthew come into the locker room with the team Friday night.  I couldn't wait to tell Matthew.  I was so proud as we waited by the locker room Friday night.  As the players came off the field they stopped and talked to Matthew.  One even raised his helmet and took Matthews hand and lead him to the locker room.  Patrick went in with them and filled me in.  Matthew was treated like a star and it was great.  He had an amazing night.

Saturday we headed to Matthew's last football game for this year.  He must have been paying good attention at the football game Friday night.  He played an incredibly.  He had three touch downs and some amazing tackles.  He sure showed how much fun he had. He posed after tackles and even "Tebowed" after one touchdown.  It was great seeing him enjoy himself.

We headed to Chattanooga to enjoy a day downtown with an event at Patrick's work.  We went to the aquarium, imax and Riverboat.  It was so much fun and I am so glad to my mom came.  The kids had so much fun.  It was a great way to pass the day.

Now here we are the last day home before surgery.  I am about to start getting ready for church and then finish up on last minute things.  I want to thank all the people who have prayed and have listened to God and been a blessing to us this week.  Thank you all.  I know that all is going to ok.  It is a trying time for us even without Matthew"s condition but I have been encouraged by God's people lifting us up. 

We have to be at Emory at 7 Monday morning.  I'm not sure how long the surgery will be but I will keep everyone posted.  Thank you all .