I will update more later, gotta teach a class and then head out!
Thank you everyone for your well wishes and prayers.  Everyone says
the hard part starts now as she re-acclimates to being home and being
cautious about her movements!

Thank you again for being wonderful friends, family and prayer warriors!
Melissa

As for mom, as to be expected her emotions are on edge and she has or
is hitting one of her lowest points since the surgery.  While she is
progressing wonderfully, meeting all the goals the therapists have set
for her, this is still a very unique position to be in as she is still
unable to do many things for herself and this is discouraging.  I
think we all were not prepared for the slow and lengthy recovery
process.    When I talked to her this morning, she was emotional and
said she just had the mully grubs.  She said that her therapist had
told her during her shower that this is to be expected. She also told
me that she couldn’t do so many things for herself – SIDE NOTE:  the
reason she can’t do them is that they don’t want her to yet, not that
she isn’t trying.   Please stop and say a quick prayer for renewed
strength both physical and emotional for momma and for daddy, Mark and
I as well, as her caregivers.  Daddy is handling things well, but his
sugar was up this morning and we are hitting tax season, so things are
very busy.  He also continues to come to Muscle Shoals every night to
visit with mother.

We meet for Family Education today at 2pm and they will tell us how to
prepare to bring mother home (which could be as early as Monday or as
late as next Thurs/Fri).  I likely will not email over the weekend,
but just know that we all covet your prayers at this time.

Thank you again for your continued love, care and prayers!
Joe and Shelia Tucker
Melissa, Jamey, Tucker and Heather Medlin
Mark, Leah and Baby Laney Beth Tucker

Mother is in therapy of some kind around 4-5 hours a day.  She is
adjusting well, though last night was a bit rough – the activity of
therapy on Tuesday really brought on some major pain.  Though
everyone, doctors, nurses, Mark and the rest of us have told her to
take meds for pain, she has tried not too, she now realizes that she
may need a little more than Tylenol to help her through therapy.

Her incision from the surgery has brought on some minor concerns…the
doctor at rehab has ordered a culture to see if there is any active
infection, and they have started her on an antibiotic 4 times a day.
She had been on IV antibiotics in the hospital, but hasn’t had
anything since Monday.  The dr said he did not feel it was anything to
be concerned about, but he still wants to take proactive measures by
giving the antibiotic.

Daddy, Mark and I will go for our family meeting on Friday afternoon
to learn how to best care for Mother once she is released.  We have
heard a variety of release dates; as early as Monday, Jan. 19 and as
late as Saturday, Jan. 24.  In some cases it’s a day by day decision
based on her therapists and Blue Cross.

We continue to be very proud of her stamina and positive attitude…if
anything, she is trying to be too strong and not allowing herself to
hurt a little!

Thank you again for your continued love, care and prayers!
Joe and Shelia Tucker
Melissa, Jamey, Tucker and Heather Medlin
Mark, Leah and Baby Laney Beth Tucker

I am on my way to pack up her things now!  I will update tonight or
tomorrow with further details!

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes via email or Facebook
(I’m going to try and figure out how to post an update there as well!)
Please forgive me for not responding to everyone individually, we
have certainly appreciated your prayers and they have been answered!

The surgery went VERY WELL on Friday.  Mom’s hip was much worse off
than any of us thought, including the dr.  She had a lot of arthritis
in the hip and the dr was surprised she was making it as she was.
During pre-op, she decided to go with a spinal rather than full
anesthesia and also participated in a pain study …so those things
combined have made the surgery recovery better than the average.  Of
course, I say, as good as it can be with a huge gash in your
rear…but she’s handled things SO WELL!!  We have all been very proud
of her and her attitude and optimism.  Her parents (Grandmother and
Granddaddy Maddox, have been especially proud of their daughter!)
Tucker doesn’t understand why she is having to stay in the hospital
since the dr has already, “fixed” her hip.  But, we also haven’t let
the kids see how hard it is for her to get up either!!

She has done everything the Physical Therapist asked of her and even
walked about 3-4 steps during PT yesterday.  She is able to raise up
in bed with assistance, but hasn’t actually “walked” down the hall
yet.  I must say, I’m getting a little more than I bargained for.
I’ve been in the hospital a lot with having the kids and all, but to
see my mother in such pain the first time they got her up, I got a
little weak myself, but that has gotten better too.

Please continue to pray for strength and endurance for rehab.  We hope
to find out today if she qualifies and she could potentially move to
in patient rehab in Muscle Shoals today – we won’t know until later
this afternoon.  There’s a bit of conflicting information as far as
her release and PT evaluation date.  I’ll update as I know more.

Thank you again, we are all blessed with wonderful Christian friends
and family to lift her up in prayer, call and visit with well wishes.
It has been an encouragement to us all.  We are also grateful for jobs
and opportunities that have allowed several family members to help
with her care – thank you Uncle Steve and Grandmother!!  Mark and I
have taken the night shifts so that daddy can get some good rest and
be available during the day, we want him to stay strong as well!
Many of you have offered to help as well, and if this lingers far into
Tax Season, we may give you a call!!

Sorry for the delay in updates, I’ll try to update once a day as we know more!

Thank you again for your love, care and prayers!
Joe and Shelia Tucker
Melissa, Jamey, Tucker and Heather Medlin
Mark, Leah and Baby Laney Beth Tucker

I trust you all received our Thanksgiving card and enjoyed a wonderful
holiday season!!  We certainly did!!  Our traveling was diminished
somewhat and we really enjoyed a lot of time at home with one
another…maybe bordering on a little too much time!

I am writing today to ask that you remember my mom on Friday.  She
will be having hip replacement surgery here in Florence.  We are very
optimistic about it all – Granddaddy had it done by the same dr a year
or so ago and did great…we expect no less than the same results.
However, for those who know momma well, she HATES doctors, hospitals
(well, except to welcome grandchildren) and suffers from White Coat
Syndrome terribly!!  Please pray for an unexplainable peace for her
before Friday and for the procedure to go well.

We also ask that you pray about her rehab afterwards.  I have been
working today to get all the information together to get her into a
very good facility in Muscle Shoals – it is strictly a Rehab facility
rather than being connected to a Nursing Home and we feel this will
provide exactly what she needs.  Plus, it will enable daddy to work
during the day and have a short drive to check on her in the evenings;
and, Jamey and I will be just down the road should she need anything
in the evening – or during the day for that matter.

We hope all is going well for each of your families!  Jamey is working
to set me up a blog so I won’t inundate your email box with my “Medlin
epistles” as a dear friend calls them.  We’ll let you know when it is
set up.

We have photos of what “we’ve done to the new house” but haven’t
posted them yet…we’ll let you know when we do.  All new pics will be
at www.picasaweb.google.com/james.medlin

Also, Jamey and I are both on Facebook now for all you fellow
facebookers…it quite addicting…really!!!

I better get back to work, but wanted to ask our prayer warriors to
begin your prayers!

Much love to all – we do miss you, but are enjoying our new life as
well, God continues to bless us beyond all that we could ask or
imagine!
Melissa