Several people have been asking about Donnie, so thought it would be a good time to give you an update.  If you have ever had any abdominal surgery, you find out that your abdominal muscles are attached to so many activities!  HA!  So many activities you never knew you used your abdominal muscles for . . . simple things like talking, sneezing, blowing your nose, hiccups, moving your toe . . . hahaha . . . you get the drift.  Donnie is very sore around his belly button, where the “lion’s share” of the surgery took place.  He cannot even stand to have his t-shirt touch his skin there.

He is off his extended release morphine now, and is only taking hydrocodone for pain.  He weighed 178 pounds before surgery, and now he weighs 163 pounds. He eats about half the amount of food he was eating before surgery.  It was just a big surgery (5 hours long), so it is going to take a while for him to build back up. His hair is growing back with a vengeance.   Ronnie, Darlene, Lorraine and Diana (1st cousin) visited on Monday and said he is starting to look like himself again 🙂 He is really doing AMAZING!!!!

A dear friend of Donnie’s (and mine) came to visit yesterday:  Odie.  We were both so uplifted and thrilled to see her!!!!!!!  She worked side by side with Donnie as an ICU nurse at Altamonte, and I had a nurse anesthetist class with her in 2014.  I had the privilege of interviewing her for her “life story,” due to the cultural class we were taking together.  It is an amazing story of perseverance and thankfulness to God.  Some people just touch your life forever in a positive way, and she is one of those people.  Her sweet spirit fills the room!! She graduated from nurse anesthetist school in May, and passed her boards.  WHAT AN AMAZING PERSON SHE IS!!  She was telling us the literacy rate in her country of Haiti is 1%.  She gives so much hope to her countrymen!!!!  Just look at what you can do, if you want to do it bad

enough.  She came to America 14 years ago, not speaking a word of English, and she came with an amazing positive attitude, and the love of God that she shares with everyone around her!!!!  Look at how much she is accomplishing! WOW!!  She brought us amazing authentic Haitian food she made herself.  It was a wonderful visit.  We were both so happy to see her.  You can especially see the love on Donnie and Odie’s faces!!!  She prayed for us before she left, and we felt so blessed by God, and so blessed to know her 🙂

Donnie’s sweet Mama has been staying with us during the week for 4 weeks now . . . BLESS HER HEART!!!  She is an awesome cook, so she has been cooking cornbread, all kinds of vegetables out of our freezer, etc., and showing Donnie the “love.”  Donnie has really enjoyed the support, and having time just to be with her.  It’s pretty mutual!!  You can only imagine how much I appreciate her being here!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She’s so easy to be around.

Donnie continues to improve just a little every day.  He’s still not getting out of the house, because he is too uncomfortable yet.  Hopefully that will change in the next couple of weeks as he gains some strength.  Our family continues to help us and minister to us, which is wonderful when you feel crummy, and it has been a long journey since December for him.  We still have not had our follow up visit with the surgeon, as the office keeps postponing it.  By the time we see him, Donnie will probably be doing jumping jacks.  That would be fine by me!!

Thank you for all the beautiful cards, words of encouragement, phone calls, and gifts of encouragement (like banana pudding from Mrs. Frances!!).  Donnie has come a long way baby, and he talks about how blessed he is by God, and by the love that surrounds him in his life.  We are both so grateful!!

Don’t be worried if I don’t blog much, as he is simply slowly recuperating, and I am working from home, trying to figure out my new routine.  Please continue to pray for strength, healing, and improvement.  We praise God for the opportunity He has given us in allowing Donnie to live, and praise His name for this amazing change that can only be explained by the hand of our creator!  Even the doctors and surgeons agree.  It is a blessed mystery!!!!

Much love,  Donnie & Tina