This Great-Big, Teeny-Tiny World

Not too long ago, I wrote a blog post about Joe's illnesses and our time in the hospital. 
I was actually nervous to write it.
Our family and some close friends knew what was going on with Joe's health, but I knew once I put our story out there, it would be REAL. 
I have this thing where I kind of shut down and process things before I talk about them. 
It's my way.
It was actually easier to sit in the ICU with my phone off just staring at Joe and his monitors than it was to update people.

Once I was able to get my feet underneath me and articulate what had been going on, though... Wow.
You guys.
You sure know how to make people feel loved and lifted up and not alone.
Every Facebook comment, private message, email, text, phone call, treat delivery and visit made such an impact. 
Friends from high school that I haven't talked to in over a decade were sending us prayers. 
Friends and family from across the United States and around the world were cheering us on ... People were sharing our story with their people and strangers were praying for us.
It was so wonderfully overwhelming and humbling.
Joe was kind of in and out the whole time we were in the hospital but when he was "in," we were reading / listening to / discussing your sweet words and messages.

We spent nine days in the hospital. 
It feels surreal. 
Like it happened years ago. 
Or like I watched it happen to someone else. 
I don't know if that's my subconscious mind protecting me or the extreme sleep deprivation one endures in this situation, but, like I said in my previous blog, parts of our journey are fuzzy and others are crystal clear.

We are home now and Joe is on the mend. He went from panicked touch-and-go ... to the doctors thinking that he would maybe depend on an oxygen tank for the rest of his life ... to right now only needing supplemented O2 at night and as-needed --And we are hoping he can lose that in a week or two.
What an amazing turn around. 
I am so thankful to God and so grateful to all of you. 
I believe your prayers, your positive thoughts, your good ju-ju made a difference in our lives.
And, while I sincerely hope this is the very last damn blog I ever write about a health scare, I am so happy to be writing it with a heart full of gratitude and awe.
THANK YOU all so very much.
Love,
Beth&Joe