Haylee (Daughter)

When I was laid up in that hospital bed, my husband and I spent many moments discussing all the things we would do when we got out of the hospital. Looking back now, I realize we were being a little unrealistic with the timeline of things. Maybe he didn’t fully grasp what discharge would look like for me or maybe he was just trying to keep things light hearted and humor me with all my requests. I’m banking on the latter. 

I don’t remember everything we talked about, and I know there are way more than the ones I’ll list here, but I figure these ones must mean a little extra to me since these are the ones I do.

1) Camping

I know this one is definitely one he humored me with. I had no idea the extent and severity of my injuries. I had no idea that my abdomen and core was (and still is) non-existent. I can barely get out of my regular bed every morning. How did I think I’d be able to get off the floor of our tent? 

Camping is something we loved doing before all of this. Life got busy last year, and our time out in the wilderness came in at a whopping zero. We made it a priority to make sure we made it out this year. Obviously, you know that didn’t happen, but, Lord willing, we will make it out to the forest, or the beach, for camping in 2027.

2) Hotel Stays + Food Delivery

I think we both hoped that my stay in the hospital was the end of the road, that it would just be discharge to home. Unfortunately, discharge from the hospital turned into admission into a skilled nursing facility that would, eventually, turn into home. We entertained the idea of being discharged and checking into the nearest Hilton hotel, cranking the AC down as low as it would go, and ordering whatever our hearts desired from Doordash. After spending all those days in a hospital bed (& a recliner chair) and not being allowed to eat real food, the scenario we worked up, seemed like a dream. 

While we didn’t get to live out that dream in the way we’d hoped, we have spent a good amount of time in hotel rooms these past few months. Driving 4-5 hours every 4 weeks for doctors appointments has allowed us with opportunities for many hotel stays and many food deliveries.

3) The Aquarium

Our little one was affected by this just as much as we were. She spent 36 days without Mommy and Daddy, including her 2nd birthday. One thing we knew we wanted to do was take her to the aquarium. It didn’t matter which one, we just knew she’d love seeing all the “fishies”. From the very beginning, this little love of ours has loved all things ocean and sea creatures. The Little Mermaid? Yes. Marlin, Nemo, and Dory? Of course. Nature documentaries? Absolutely. 

We had talked about taking her to the aquarium more times than I can count, but we always seemed to make an excuse. Living in rural Arizona, our nearest one is 5 hours away. It just seemed more like a chore than an adventure. Well, I’m happy to report, that in one of the many trips we took down to the Phoenix area for an appointment, we made it happen. 

We were all exhausted from traveling. I was weak and in more pain and discomfort afterward. I had a hard time getting around with all the walking, but we did it. She loved it, and we loved watching the wonder and excitement dance across her eyes and face.

4) Taking More Trips

Another thing I remember us talking a lot about was taking more trips, specifically trips that involved visiting with family. We don’t live close to most of our loved ones, and again, it was another thing that we always seemed to put off and make an excuse for. Needless to say, given my current condition, we haven’t taken those trips yet, but boy do we plan on it. This whole experience has reminded us of the importance of family, quality time, and ensuring that we take every opportunity to experience every aspect of the life we’ve been given.

My 2026 Bingo Card is essentially empty. Everything I had hoped to accomplish this year, experience, or learn has been put on hold for the foreseeable future, but that’s ok. I’m alive. I’m with my family. My husband still has a wife. My daughter still has a mother. 

I am blessed.