Surgery

Thank you to all who are following Gabe's progress and providing us with love and support. It has been amazing to see everyone come together and unite for my sweet Gabe. As one of my sister's so poignantly stated recently, "Sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together!!!" I am so appreciative for the opportunity this situation has brought for me to fall into the strong and supportive arms of my friends and family.

Gabe wanted to go for a walk yesterday to take his mind off of his surgery, but was unable to walk because of his pain medicine so we took him for a stroll in the wheelchair instead. He wanted us to take him all over the hospital, and didn't want to go back to his room...except to get the orange, "bronco nation" foam finger. As we walked through the halls, he waved it at all of the doctors and nurses that walked past us. Gabe isn't going to let this university forget their 33-3 loss to our Broncos a couple of years ago. His funny sense of humor is a welcome change to the difficult reality of the situation we're in.

Although he was nervous and quite scared about his surgery on Saturday night, you would have never known it this morning. I found a note he had written to his mom that said he was afraid that his surgery might kill him. It was a somber moment that reminded us of the seriousness of the surgery, and the delicate state that he has found himself in. He has been so close to the spirit lately, and I am certain that he has had guardian angels with him to help him through this trial. He actually wanted to go to church yesterday but was unable because of his condition. My dad and his brother in law Burke, gave Gabe a beautiful blessing yesterday that he was so grateful to have. I read him many messages that people have sent through various sources and he would show his appreciation and his gratitude by squeezing my hand or giving me a thumbs up every time someone would say something encouraging. He told me the letters and messages I read were helping him to take his mind off of the surgery. There were so many encouraging messages, I tried to give him a break but every time I tried, he would motion me to read more. By the end of the evening, he was feeling calm and more sure of the situation.

He stayed very calm this morning as the plastic surgeon was explaining the procedure. He nodded his head to show his agreement that he was ready for this new phase of this challenging recovery process. He will most likely be placed in the neuro intensive care unit post surgery with restrictions on visiting hours just like before. This means no visits from the girls for a few days at least, and no more staying the night with him. After our very eventful and sleepless night last night, I'm ok with that. I have discovered that there isn't really a "goodnight" time in the hospital. It keeps going 24 hours/day. I'm sorry if this post seems a bit scattered, hopefully after a good nap I'll be able to make sense again.

We will keep you updated as to how his surgery and recovery goes. In the meantime, take the time to love and appreciate your loved ones. Hug them a little bit tighter, kiss them a little bit longer, and let yourself love stronger and more deeply than you ever have before.

We love all of you ...

Gabe and Nakel