10:30 AM – The rest of yesterday Ashley concentrated on resting. Small things like talking too much or chewing would bring the headache back on. I will have to ask her to confirm but I believe this is the most pain Ashley has ever been in. She is a woman who will take the least ammount of Tylenol possible after giving birth to a child but she has willingly taken whatever they will throw at her for the pain after this surgery.
Last night she was able to get up to use the restroom twice. The difficult part is getting up but once up, she feels better walking. This morning the physical therapists came in, evaluated her and took her for a short walk. They’ve asked her to start moving as much as she’s comfortable with, and maybe a little more. They’ve also taken her down for another scan. I am not sure if we will be released today or not. They want to get her pain under control before she leaves. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.
P.S. Alberta, Ashley said that the chicken soup you brought was “The best soup I’ve ever had in my whole life”. You could just see the relief wash over her entire being as she was sipping the broth.
12:15 AM – After surgery Ashley had a drain installed in her skull that drain to a bulb. They want to remove it at 1:00 PM and it is said that it can be painful. She is asking for extra prayer during this time as she is afraid of the pain. She also wants everyone to know that she is offering up her suffering for all of your intentions.
2:30 PM – The drain has been removed. It was tied in with stitches and run under her scalp, above her skull. I was surprised at how much it resisted removal with the tube stretching before it started sliding out. Ashley was strong throughout it all. She is able to receive visitors and talk and finds it comforting. She still does not have feeling in her leg or hand but she is able to walk and the therapists are impressed with her strength.
For the morbidly curious, here is a photo of her incision and the drainage tube that was removed.
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