First Thoughts on Monday

This is the last full week Wil has before the surgery. I'm both ready for it to come and dreading it all at the same time, as I'm sure he is. On Friday we trekked back to Landstuhl, so the brace shop people could make a minor adjustment to Wil's current back brace (they just ended up giving him a better looking and fitting one). While we were there, they suggested that he should also go ahead and get a measurement done for the brace he was going to need after the surgery. It didn't really hit me what we were in for until I saw what Wil will have to wear. It's basically a solid sheet of clear hard plastic formed into a full upper body cast. He will not be able to sit in it because it runs a bit pass his hips. So it's either standing or laying down for a least 4 weeks, and I'm pretty sure I know what he'll do. I'd like to think that my brain is trying to spare me the anxiety of what's to come by blurring my memory of the last surgery and recovery, much like it does with child birth. I was 7 months pregnant, had a terrible sciatica, and was mostly alone taking care of him and the boys. Our friends kindly took the boys out for us a couple of times and dropped off dinners that saved us from yet another take out, but mostly it was just us four all cramped together on that mattress I dragged out from the guest room to the living room. Thankfully, the surgery was relatively small, in comparison to this one, and he was able to walk around the house unaided after coming home from the hospital. It was mentally and emotionally draining all the same having to watch My Rock be in so much pain. That's why when he felt good enough to fix our fence, for the 7th time, on Saturday, I didn't try to stop him. He needed to be the man of the house and take care of us, plus, let's face it, the polezei might just take my kids away if they get out one more time. We have talked about our fears and worries, and I'm trying my best to push them out of my head because this time around there's no room for woe-is-me moments. I've got a baby, a house, two mutts who think fencing is a personal challenge, and a husband who will have to endure a 10-hour surgery that will result in him in a body cast for at least 4 weeks afterward. I've got 8 days to psych myself up for all of it. Already told him that after all is over and done with, I'm going skiing while he mans our homestead and unruly children.