Miracles Big and Small, Part II - Recovery and Beyond

If you read my last post, you know that my husband, Charly, suffered a massive stroke last November.  His stroke, was the rare kind - the kind that most people don't survive.  Through a series of miracles, Charly did survive and had an amazing recovery.  His recovery continues and we continue to give God the credit for the blessings, tender mercies and miracles we experienced during this time. In my last post, I started counting the miracles we experienced, however, then I realized we had received too many to count.   Here is the rest of the story.

After 20 days in Chandler Regional Hospital, most of it in ICU, Charly was released to Health South Rehabilitation Hospital in Mesa, Arizona for intensive physical and occupational therapy.  

 Charly worked hard and did everything he was asked to do in the various therapies he underwent.

It wasn't always easy, because Charly had to relearn doing basic things we all take for  granted like walking...

...and swallowing. 

Charly worked hard and had an incredibly positive attitude.  Prayers were answered and he made lots of progress and got better and better. 

While Charly was getting better in Arizona, I was spending my weekdays, here in Utah, holding down my job, then flying to Arizona every Friday night to see Charly.  I would return to Utah Sunday afternoon or evening each week to spend the weekdays...

...here with this crowd.  My students were amazingly kind and understanding throughout the entire ordeal, and some still ask me how my husband is doing.  

Finally, by December 21, Charly had progressed enough that he was released from Health South in Mesa.

I flew to Arizona and brought Charly back to Utah with me on Southwest Airlines.  Here we are onboard, getting ready for our flight home to Utah.  

Once in Utah,  Charly stayed at Health South in Sandy, Utah for more rehab therapy.

At Health South in Utah, Charly kept his great attitude.  

He worked hard at all the therapies...

...to get ready to come home and return to a normal life.  

 We spent Christmas Day in Health South.  

 We opened presents there...

...and ate Christmas dinner together. 

Charly's best boyhood friend, Craig Marx, came to visit Charly. Craig lives in Texas but was in Utah to spend Christmas with family.  He came to see Charly several times...

...and they had such a great time talking, tell stories and recalling good times.  There was always lots of laughter and I know that these visits from his friend, were great for Charly, and helped his recovery.

Finally, on January 12, 2018, after 56 days in four different hospitals, Charly was released and walked out of Health South in Sandy, Utah...

...and I brought him home. 

Now, Charly is home and doing great, after too many miracles to count.  His doctor has even told him that he is a miracle, and his therapists have told us that his recovery is much beyond what was normally expected.  He is healthy and happy to be home.   He continues to improve and get stronger. 

Charly has now been released from all outpatient therapy, but he does exercise every day, including walking with me most afternoons when I get home.  

It is so wonderful to have Charly home, and able to do things that I used to take for granted, like going grocery shopping with me.

While Charly has retired from his teaching position in Arizona, he is staying busy at home, unpacking and organizing his books, dvds, financial records (from our move) and learning his new iPhone.  While Charly was in the hospital, his wife decided that he needed an upgrade from a flip phone to an iPhone.  Charly wasn't sure he liked the change, but he is learning to use and enjoy the new smart phone.  

And so our life goes on - in some ways the same as before, but in many ways very different, because our lives have been touched by the miracles of God.  

Miracles Big and Small - Part I

It has been so long since my last post - over two and a half months.  I owe all of my blogging friends an explanation of my absence.  Several have contacted me to find out what is going on and where I disappeared to.  It's a long story, but one with an ultimately happy ending and a lot of miracles in between.   It is the story of how my sweetheart, and husband of 38 years, got up one morning feeling fine and three hours later found himself in a hospital emergency room fighting for his life.

Charly had a massive hemorrhagic stroke on Sunday morning, November 19, 2017.  

Miracle #1 - I was actually on the phone with Charly (who was still living in our house in Arizona even though I had already moved to Utah) when the stroke struck. Because our son Josh, who had been living in Arizona with Charly, had recently moved to Utah, Charly was living in the house alone, and on a Sunday morning, he likely would have been undiscovered for hours if I had not been on the phone with him when the stroke occurred. God had other plans for Charly, and I was able to make some calls to the police and friends in the area who got to our home quickly.  A few hours later, I was on a plane to Phoenix and this is how I found Charly in ICU when I got to Arizona that Sunday evening.  

Miracle #2 - Charly survived the kind of stroke (that is really more of an aneurysm), that takes the life of most people who have one.  Charly was completely healthy right up to the time of the stroke.  He had no history of high blood pressure or anything else that might be a warning sign of a stroke. When the stroke came, however, he had an amazing neurological team and started to improve quite quickly, although progress was much  slower than I  wanted it to be.  Our oldest son, Alex, came to see his dad.  It had been a while since we had seen him, and it was wonderful to have his love and support.  

Our second oldest daughter, Tiffany, also came from Utah for a few days, to help out and be with her dad.  

This is the hospital (Chandler Regional Hospital in Chandler, AZ) where Charly spent 18 days in ICU (Intensive Care Unit).  He spent three additional days in a regular room before being transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Mesa, AZ - Health South. 

More on Charly's recovery, rehabilitation, continued progress in Part II.  

In the meantime, thanks to all of you who found out about Charly's stroke and prayed and sent messages of love and support.  Your friendship is much appreciated.  

I promise to be back with another post again soon, telling more of the miracles surrounding Charly's stroke and his recovery.  God is good.  We give Him the credit for all miracles.  :-)