As I decorate the house for Christmas and bask in the afterglow of singing holiday music with a terrific a’cappella quartet at our community holiday house tour and a fundraising event this week, I reflect on what was happening exactly one year ago.  What a difference a year makes!

At 9 AM  December 4, 2020, Chuck’s 2nd postop day after spine surgery, I called the hospital to check on his condition before coming in to visit him.   To my horror, the hospital operator said she had no record of a Charles Lusk on that floor.  She put me on hold for a few minutes and when she got back to me she told me she had located him.  She gave me a room # that sounded suspiciously like an ICU room #.  I asked what kind of floor is that?  She said…”Neurological ICU.”    My heart nearly stopped.  I remember pacing my hotel room not able to function, but trying to get myself to hurry and get dressed to go to the hospital.

When I found my way to the tower at Duke Hospital that housed the Neuro ICU, I was greeted in the hallway outside Chuck’s room by the whole ICU staff.  They obviously wanted to brief me on what had happened to Chuck overnight and to support me as I saw him for the first time after his cerebellar brain hemorrhage and 1:30 AM emergency brain surgery.   The rest is a blur right now, except for the most painful task I have ever had in my life, telling our children that their father had a stroke.

Now 12 months later, we are in a totally better place!  Chuck has made miraculous progress, and we are going to celebrate the holidays this year like never before!  Carly, Chad, Christine, Avery and Trevor will all be here!   We are so extremely blessed!!

Chuck and I are so grateful for all our family and friends who have been there for us all year!!  We thank you for your love and support and we wish all of you a Blessed Holiday Season!