Yo Adrian!

I went to Wal-Mart today without whooping a kid. Of course, she wasn't with me. Jeremy had been smuggling bootleg toilet paper into our house for about a week and we were chaffing so Charmain had to come back to the Timmons residence. I'd been dreading this trip. It only cost me $100, an hour and a half of my time and a bucket of tears. I don't think I've ever cried so much in a Wal-Mart. I just couldn't stand there and let these people cry alone. It's unsouthern to have someone in your presence crying and you don't even shed a tear, so I cried right along with them when they asked about Heath, or told me how sorry they were. I can't tell you how many stories that I hear like : He used to wave at me every morning or He would grin big every time I saw him at the store. Everyone feels that human connection. That thing that makes us all feel like a big family. Everyone loves to see those big white Chiclet teeth shining into a big warm smile. Everyone is ready to see that smile.

Whenever anyone asks how he is doing, I'm cautioned about answering. I try not to blow sunshine and make things seem like they are wonderful. I don't want to take away from the progress that he's made and make it sound like he is doing terrible. So I mostly say - "He's holding his own." The nurses and doctors are impressed by his progress and his strong will. Burnies (I just made up that term - its not technical or anything) are so slow to recover. Some days are a carbon copy of the day before. They will have the same pain, the same fever, the same aches for 2-3 days at a time. And then the next day you will finally see progress. You know it's eventually going to happen but its going to take some time. What we are waiting on is nature. We are waiting for skin to grow. It's slow and tedious. Precious skin that Heath doesn't have right now. When it does grow, we will take this precious skin and use it as donor sites for grafting.

Progress does happen, just take today for instance on day 23 in the Burn ICU. Cue the Rocky Theme... no really start humming it in your head. Therapy has started. Shannon (the awesomest OT)- So you think you want to walk today? Heath - Yeah Hell Yeah . Heath swings his legs slowly and painfully off the side of the bed. He steadies himself to a standing position and walks to the door. It feels good to put two feet on the floor. As they make it to the doorway, he decides he can go a little further - to the nurses station. One by one he takes slow, painful, wonderful steps. Shannon and Big Daddy are beaming like two proud parents. He turns to make the journey back to the bed. Daddy can't hold the tears back any longer. It must be better than watching him walk for the first time 26 years ago. Casey and Jeremy hold each other up and enjoy one of the sweetest moments we have had in a long time. The walk is only 10 feet but the accomplishment is that of running a marathon. Just like that terrible, horrible morning when God was there guiding him through the fire - He was here today guiding his first steps to recovery. The road to recovery is long, slow and painful. Every little thing is going to be a fight and a struggle. And he may not win the first time. Endurance is the key. Stamina and strength will win out.

Just remember- Rocky didn't win that first fight, but he got up and he fought again.

'Til Tomorrow