Pre-Op - 10 days away

We are almost to the single digits in days before hip replacement surgery #1. I can't believe it almost here. 

I met Shawn 13 years ago on April 17, 2002. That night Shawn and I talked for hours sitting outside on a beautiful spring night. He explained everything about the bone disease in his hips, multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. 

From Wiki: multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) is a rare genetic disorder (dominant form—1 in 10,000 births) which affects the growing ends of bones. Bones usually elongate by a process that involves the depositing of cartilage at the ends of the bones, called ossification. This cartilage then mineralizes and hardens to become bone. In MED, this process is defective.

I had no idea what it meant or if it was really serious or not. He didn't show his pain that night. If you had told me then that 13 years later we would be anxiously awaiting hip replacement surgeries I would have laughed. 

Throughout the last 13 years his hips have greatly disintegrated. So much so the last 3 months he hasn't been able to do more than walk a few feet before his hips start throbbing, or pop out of place. It's heart breaking to say the least. He's such a proud man and it's killing him not to be able to do simple tasks such as playing with his children or taking off his socks. 

Our life right now is shifting into the new "normal."  I have had to take on the responsibilities that we normally share as a team and the tasks that he is responsible for. Such as mowing the yard, who knew I could do it! Granted I bruised my finger, sliced a fingernail off and somehow made the mower backfire. But the grass was cut! It's very challenging for me to accept these new roles on top of my own. Taking care of the kids, the house, my husband, work, helping my mom and dad while figuring out my own health issues. It's a lot to take on. 

But there's that little clause in our marriage vows that I repeat on a daily basis. "In sickness and in health." Right now it is my turn to take care of him. There may come a time in the future where he needs to take care of me and I know for sure he would take great care of me. So I am here to take care of him!