Happy Sunday. I hope everyone is able to find peace and reverence today as you enjoy your Sabbath.

There is not really a lot to update you on. Brent is just working on recuperating and getting some strength back. He is still in a lot of pain, very tired, and very nauseous. It’s a vicious circle of needing the maximum amount of pain meds that then cause the nausea. And then everyone knows that you just do not sleep in the hospital. I feel like that really hinders people’s ability to heal.

Brent is slowly losing all of the tubes. He was extubated three hours after surgery, they have removed the lines in his neck (I think, now I’m doubting my memory), and are removing the chest tubes today.

I feel like now he just needs time and energy to heal. Dr Caine said that the second time around is a little more complicated. Brent’s brother, Dennis (Md.), says it is normal for him to be more weak and tired due to the heart attack and the stress and temporary damage done to the heart. There was no permanent damage done to the heart muscle due to the heart attack and the angiogram they did to retrieve the broken off part of infection showed that his arteries were clean. I think we just need to be more patient and understand that this was very severe.

What to pray for? Pray that he is getting the care he needs, from nurses and Drs who are willing to listen to him and act promptly. Pray that his pain will be relieved. Pray that he can rest and heal. Pray that his Crohn’s can be kept at bay. That’s a whole other complication right now. Due to everything going on with the line infection that led to all of this his monthly stelara shot is a month late and his body knows it. The fact that he is now on blood thinners really is not good for a Crohn’s patient. Pray for him to have an appetite to maybe buffer the effects of the meds.

We are still in awe of the miracles we have once again witnessed. Dr Caine was a recipient of divine intervention as well as Brent. There were decisions made during the 8 hour surgery that he was guided to make specifically for Brent and his body and condition. The fact that Brent has survived the heart attack and valve replacement is miraculous in and of itself. The fact that I haven’t been arrested for breaking down the door of the hospital is also miraculous. I’m not joking. Seriously. It kills me knowing that things are happening that shouldn’t and wouldn’t be happening if I were there.

We are mindful of our blessings. We are united as a family. We feel of your love and prayers. You know, I’ve seen people say things like, “don’t say your thoughts and prayers are with someone, that means nothing. DO something real and tangible.” I strongly disagree. There is not much tangible that anyone can do for us right now. Yes, the lawn needs attention, yes, the garden looks horrible this year, yes, there are things that could be done on the house. But guess what? Those things aren’t important. What is important is knowing that we have this huge support system in place. What’s important is knowing that you all are invested in our lives. What’s important is feeling the real power of prayer and love and concern. And we do. We honestly do. We feel the love from our families, our friends who we consider our family, our neighbors and ward and stake family, and our BYU OIT family. This is why Brent is still here. This is what gets us through this imperfect mortal life. This is why we not so silently weap our tears of thanksgiving. It’s the love of our Father in Heaven, our Savior Jesus Christ, and you.