The End of The Longest Day

Hello Family & Friends,
THANK YOU for all of the love, light, positive energy, prayers, poems, stories, shares, and donations. I am humbled and grateful in the highest sense of the words. It's been a long and emotionally exhausting day here at Team Givehand so please forgive the brevity, but I need to sleep while Damon sleeps so that I am ready for what tomorrow brings. 

Damon had one surgery with three different procedures today that included him getting: 

The tracheotomy will help him have an open airway as they address the tumor in his neck over the next few months.

The feeding tube will help him eat and get the nutrients his body needs in order to get strong enough to endure whichever course of treatment he decides to pursue.

The medi-port will allow doctors and phlebotomists to administer certain medications and or draw blood without having to poke him in the arms, hands, and fingers over and over again.

At this time, Damon is sleeping somewhat peacefully as a result of the sedation from the surgery. He is recovering in the ICU as there was a MINOR complication at the end of his surgery that required the Ear, Nose, & Throat doctor to return to the surgery and address. They assured me that it was handled and that Damon will be sore but moving towards healing all the same.

He's going to require lots of therapies in the coming months (physical, occupational, and speech) to help him begin to rebuild and strengthen all the things. His faith is steadfast, his spirit is strong, and his mind is aware. And with those three (and a community like this one) we believe all things are possible.

A huge THANK YOU to Tiffany & Kristal for sitting with me during the entire surgery and most of the recovery and transfer to ICU, even though I said I didn't need anyone to come. Turns out, I DID NEED YOU, so thank you both. I am forever grateful.

And to Pops (Donald G.) for showing up and supporting in the ways that only a Father/Father-in-Law can --thank you - 143.

To my PPP and LifeAlchemy community -- especially Lily, Jamie,  Rachel T., the Temple Keepers (Aly, Suzanne, Kelli, and Ebonee) & Katerina; and to LeAnne T. & Becky H. of SoulCollage®; thank you for your understanding and grace.

To Mary Beth Shaw and the Stencil Girl family -- thank you. And to my blood relatives in the family group chat -- THANK YOU for the prayers, songs, hearts, blessings, constant reminders of support, and love. 

And if I didn't name you today in this update, please know I see you and I thank you and I'm super tired in this moment. 

Lastly, the days ahead hold more than we can begin to fathom and yet somehow the way our family, friends, and community have rallied around us makes me feel like we have a fighting chance. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you... 
Kiala