Peroneal Nerve Repair

Ammon sleeps in the bed five feet away from me - I am where I should be.

We arrived an hour before surgery number four. Reggae lullabies played on Pandora while Hamilton and Ammon napped. The surprise return of Carly brought a smile to his face. We talked and laughed for a bit and then it was time to go to pre-op. This would be the final repair surgery to prevent foot drop. His spirits were up. He was happy and talking about trying to break free of the hospital scene this weekend. And then the surgery happened...oh and Taylor (Ammon's girlfriend) left.

It was a difficult surgery. It only took an hour but the anesthesia, the meds, the pain, the hospital, it's all getting to him. Life is full of ups and downs and today is a down day.

We calmed him down with lavender oil and reflexology. He slept for a bit. Now he's up and asking where everyone is. The boys are in the hall playing cards. Hopefully they are not disturbing other patients. The nurses don't seem to mind so I guess its okay. Rakai and Carly will be spending the night.

The peroneal nerve was sliced in several places. I'm not a doctor so I cannot explain in medical terms but basically the surgeon, Dr. Durham, installed a connector. We are hoping the nerve will repair itself and reconnect and that it will work again. If it does not then Ammon will struggle to lift his foot. If it does then Ammon will be out on Lake Powell again next summer.

This is generally the luck of the draw. Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't. We will pray and hope for the best. Once Ammon is well enough I'm sure he'll be doing some research and working to make his leg function normally.

GOOD NEWS! The bed is taller than Ammon! Just before the surgery they asked him how tall he was. He told them 6'3". He added an inch. And now the bed is taller than Ammon and we don't need to use caution tape anymore.

It's nearly midnight. We are here. Sitting in the dark. Whispering to each other and trying to keep Ammon calm. I am exhausted. Rakai, Carly and I made a quick stop at the bridge today before heading across the reservation. Carly said, "the river is really green." Ummm Carly, that's why it's called the Green River.

Goodnight all. We hope tomorrow will be a better day.