I’m ready to call it a night.  This day has been a wondrous mix of almost unbelievable answers to prayer, even while I am reminded that sometimes the answers to prayer bring special challenges to families.

“Daniel,” “Certain Man,” “Mr. Daniel,” “Mr. Yutzy,” or even “Dan” (as a very few call him) has had a positively glorious day!  He walked over 300 feet in one stretch, steady, straight and exultant in his new knee.  He has nurses and doctors and therapists and CNA’s alike singing his praises, giving him gold stars for performance, (no, really!  He has an actual gold star on his physical therapy paper!) and vying to have him as their patient when they come back on the shift after being off for 12 hours.  The thing is, he is doing so well that he very probably will be released a day early.  It is amazing!  I have literally been flamboozled by this chain of events.  But then I told him tonight that I really shouldn’t be so surprised.  It’s EXACTLY what I have been praying for — almost ever since I talked him into going and having this done.  I am just so relieved and grateful and elated and excited.

I know that things can change.  I also know that tomorrow should be the day of the most pain.  But there are some really strange things going on here.  First of all, the block that should have lasted almost 24 hours lasted less than 12.  He could push his foot off the therapist hand with surprising strength last night, and could feel pressure all up and down the leg with the replaced joint.  He was a bit lightheaded from the anesthesia, but if it weren’t for that, the therapist said that he was obviously capable of walking.  And the knee didn’t hurt, he insisted.  Just ached.  And he could lift that leg and move it over the bed from one side to the other.  The professionals insist that doesn’t happen.  He likes getting up to go to the bathroom “because it feels so good to walk!”  His pulse, blood pressure, respiration rate and color are all very good. 

(And I really don’t think he is showing off.  ) 

I do believe that a Heavenly Father has given us a gift of inestimable value, and I am not taking it for granted.  He isn’t either, though in all fairness, I have to say that he probably has no real concept of how bad this could have been or of how good he has it.  But after working so hard to get him to get it done, and overcoming arguments of all sorts in these last months, I think this gift benefits me as much as it does him.  I intend to fully enjoy it.

And thanks for all the good wishes and prayers on his behalf.  These are also gifts of the best sort, and we don’t take these for granted. either.