HI H.O., HI H.O., it's off to surgery we go. . .

    We got the call this afternoon.  We are scheduled for  11 tomorrow morning.  I know that this is good but it just seems scary because of the not so good news we got last week.
    So update: 
    Good news - Jarrad does NOT have it on the front and back of his hips.  Yeah!  It is just on the front so that means 2 surgeries (if all goes well). 
    Bad news -
    Wait!  I like to start with the bad news and end on a positive note.  Yeah, me too.  However, I need to do it this way.  SOOO . . .

Breakfast for those who need iron and protein

    Bad news- The blood tests show that his HO producing levels are still a little high and he is anemic.  We would wait a bit longer and get the levels down further and up his iron BUT the HO is such that he is not putting any weight on the "good" bone (the bone that is supposed to be there) and has developed osteoporosis.   So that means that we need to get it taken care of now. 
   The good news is that it is in the hip that "hurts" the most-  the one he wanted to start on anyway.  I am not sure what that means but he says it "hurts".  One of the ugly side effects of SCI is being able to feel the pain but not the love.  I have given up trying to wrap my brain around why he can feel some pain.  I am just going to roll with it from now on.
   So, in the last week, Jarrad has eaten more spinach and red meat than he has ever had.  He goes to work and gets a spinach and steak salad.  He takes Geritol.  Tonight, I am steaming lima beans.  We have had steak, spaghetti, hamburgers.  He gets eggs with spinach or peanut butter on sprouted grain breads for breakfast.  And raisins.  His iron had better be up. 
    This is considered a high risk surgery.  It is because they go in and chip away at the bone to remove it.  There are blood vessels there that if nicked could cause him to lose a lot of blood.  We have been "cautioned" that this is high risk by doctors and by the generic readings online.  However, we have communicated with 3 different folks who have had it done with no problems.  And this doctor seems to be confident that all will go well.  Read - no reservations that the SCI doctors (who are older, by the way) had.  I am a little nervous but Jarrad has always been an excellent surgical patient and he has had 7 surgeries - 5 of which are SCI related. 
      Still, keep us in your prayers.