Ruthie Update - 4/6, 11:45 am

Surgery update: 11:45am

Wonderful news! The wire has successfully and completely been removed! No word yet on what exactly had to be done to get it all out, but from what Will shared, it sounded like there were few complications. This is a fabulous update as this was a very tricky part of the surgery. Ruthie has been doing well throughout the process. Next, they will begin removing some bone from her hip to begin the fusion. Keep praying!!

Ruthie Update - 4/6, 9:30 am

Hi friends,

This is Caroline, and I'm one of Ruthie's friends who will be updating the blog (along with Katherine) as I hear from Will. Ruthie went into surgery about 7.45 am this morning, and the first part of the operation to remove the wire started at 9.46 am. The doctors will update Will every 2 hours on the progress, so he should know more around 10.30 am. The surgery will last between 5 and 6 hours, and Will will be able to see Ruthie around 4-5 pm this afternoon.

Will said Ruthie was scared but strong this morning, as she went into the operating room, and it sounds as though the staff at the Mayo clinic is caring for them both very well.

Will said their biggest prayer right now is that there would be no spinal fluid leakage. (Ruthie will be in the ICU overnight, so they can keep an eye on this.)

We should have another update for everyone in a few hours...

Caroline & Katherine

Prayer today:

If anyone in Nashville is interested in prayer for Ruthie and Will, there is a group meeting today (April 6) at Sevier Park near the parking lot at 12th and Kirkwood until at least 1 pm. Parents, bring your kids, and they can play at the park. Musicians, bring your instruments.

Donation link:

To donate to Ruthie's medical costs, visit this link, where a fund has been set up by Ruthie's hometown bank in St. Francisville, LA: http://www.bsf.net/ (The link is at the bottom left of the page.)

Ruthie Update 4/5- 10:30 PM

Hey everybody. It's Will, Ruthie's husband....i'm gonna try and keep everyone updated through the blog for the next week or two. Tomorrow, some of Ruthie's friends might help keep the updates more steady on here. So, tomorrow our day starts with getting admitted to St. Mary's Hospital here in Rochester @ 5:30 am. Please pray that Ruthie can sleep as much as possible tonight. From the time we're admitted, it will probably take between an hour and a half to two hours before the surgery is underway. So, we're looking at a start time of around 7:30 am. The first part of the surgery will be removing the broken wire from Ruthie's spinal cord. Dr. Krauss will be performing this part of the surgery. Please pray that the wire will come out easily. If it doesn't want to come out, Dr. Krauss will have to grind down the bone around it to get a better look at what the situation is. This is the unknown variable, and potentially more risky component of the surgery so please pray that it will go smoothly. After the wire is out, Dr. Courier will perform a spinal fusion at C1 and C2. He decided today that it would be best to also fuse C2 to C3 to give Ruthie's neck more stability. He will be taking bone from her hip to use for the fusion. We are hoping and praying for a successful spinal fusion (her initial fusion was not successful and this is thought to be the reason the wire broke, around 5% of spinal fusions are not successful for various reasons). Also, please pray for no complications with spinal fluid leakage or any kind of infection. The doctors are expecting Ruthie's hospital stay to be at least 4 to 5 days. I should get updates every 2 hours tomorrow during the surgery. The first update should be around 10 am. Ruthie and I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from friends, family, and even people who don't necessarily know us directly, but have heard about Ru's story. I really don't have the words to express how cared for Ruthie and I have felt. We are blessed beyond measure by all of you. thank you. we'll update you in the morning. -Will

friday was really pretty harmless, we were at mayo around 7am. they ended up canceling some of the tests they were going to run so all and all it wasnt that bad. it was kind of funny bc when i had my x rays done, the guy doing them, came over to me and was like, "mam, do you know that you have a wire sticking in your neck? i have never seen anything like this in my life!" i just laughed and said, yes, thats why im here~ i honestly felt the peace and love that everyone has been praying for me. i cant begin to explain how undeserving and humbled i feel by all the love and tender words and prayers everyone is sending my way. it truly blows my mind! i cant get over such amazing love.

so today is Easter. Easter day was the last time anyone in my family saw my dad last year. one thing that i have been grieving is the fact that i wont be able to properly mourn his death on the 15th (the actual day he passed) bc i will be in recovery. so i have decided today i am going to say the things i would have said on the 15th in honor of my daddy.

i woke up this morning thinking about the light he had in his eyes. he would light up every single time he saw me. every single time i had any pain or hurt he would tell me that he would give me his heart if he could. he would take on every bit of pain i had if he could. whenever i was bad or needed a little paddling as a child i can remember after he did it he would always have me sit in his lap and he would hold me so tight and tell me that doing that was way harder for him than it was for me. i can remember him saying that with tears in his eyes.

whenever i was going anywhere special and needed to dress up he would always have me come down and show him my outfit and twirl around (even as a adult he did this) and he would just beam with pride and say "oooh, look at my little girl, you look SO beautiful!" and then he would hug me so tight~

every single morning as a small child my mom would carry me into their bed and i would wake up slowly with my daddy with his big strong warm arms wrapped around me. i always felt so safe and so secure and cared for. i never once doubted that i was loved.

he was so proud of my husband will too, he LOVED to brag on will and tell everyone that he was a "rock star" anytime will was playing on one of the tv shows, every single person in town would know about it! he adored my husband.

will has had people ask if he was scared or intimidated to ask my daddy for my hand in marriage (which he was scared and he was nervous that my dad would question the fact that he was a self employed musician and how would he provide for me) and i love to hear him tell the story bc will says that my dad was so warm and so kind and he told will that any man that ruthie picks has to be the most special guy she knows. he totally and fully trusted my decision and he welcomed will in with huge open arms.

i will never forget my wedding day and him seeing me for the first time in my dress. he was shaking with joy and excitement. he almost dropped his gin and tonic he was so excited! when we were about walk down the aisle he was beaming, almost glowing and he was shaking and squeezing my hand so hard and just kept patting my hand and telling me how much he loved me and how proud he was of me and how much God loves me.

Every single day when i was leaving his presence he would say, i love you more than God can count. remember your manners and dont forget about the little guy!

he always had a huge heart for the least among us. every single place we would go, people would light up to see him, children would surround him and he would blow his "whistle" for them. he was known every where we went. he would always make time to stop and talk with everyone he saw, no matter how busy he was.

he loved taking me to lunch at the magnolia cafe, he loved taking me around his office and "showing me off" to every person we saw. they would all say, "oh i hear so much about you!" he doted on me every second he got.

after my father died, people came out of the woodwork to tell stories about how my father had showed them love. girls told us how my daddy bought them their homecoming and prom dresses. people told us about how my dad paid for them to go on their senior trip. my godfather told us that my dad would take out loans for the sole purpose of giving the money away to people in need. we had different kids living with us in our house at different times.

i mourn the fact that my children will never know their papa. i dont feel like i can possibly begin to tell them all the amazing stories of their papa. i am so honored to say that i am the daughter of lloyd lindsey jr.

my earthly father was the most beautiful picture of our heavenly fathers love. i could not have asked for a more incredible picture of selfless, unconditional love. i miss my daddy so much. i feel like i have a broken place in my heart for him.

my sweet mom, 2 older brothers and aunt are all flying in monday to be with me for my surgery on tuesday, i am so very appreciative of them being here with will and i. they all carry with them pieces of my daddy and in some way thru them being here i feel like my daddy is here with them also.

so today is Easter, we get to rejoice today that our Jesus rose again!! how blessed am i to know a God who suffered so much for me! my sweet daddy would say he would give me his heart but my heavenly father really did! he gave his whole life, he felt all the same fears and pains and so much more than i can even imagine! i am walking into a extremely scary surgery on tuesday, my life as i know it can be changed forever, but i have to hope and believe that God knows exactly what is going to happen to me, my life seems so out of control, there are just so many unknowns for my future right now, i wish i could say i trust the Lord fully and i know He will take care of me, but honestly i dont. i have so much fear about my future, i do not want my precious husband to have to take care of me for the rest of my life! i dont ever want to be a burden on my family and loved ones, it scared me to the core of my being. please pray for peace and that i will hold onto the truth and not give into my panicky fears. God is so much greater than my fears. i hope you all had such a wonderful beautiful Easter sunday. we will be in touch soon once we know more about my surgery! many thanks, ruthie

crunch time

i am overwhelmed, overwhelmed by everything that is coming, overwhelmed by our community's outpour of love and goodness onto us, overwhelmed to not have my daddy walking with me thru this time, so many things overwhelm me right now. yesterday i was driving to meet with my tuesday night group for the last time and i was struck with the sense that this is so easy for me right now but within a week i wont be able to get up and go, i wont be able to drive for atleast 6 months, i will be dependent on my loved ones to care for me. that is a very humbling and sobering thought, i have always been SO independent. i left home for a month for summer camp when i was only 8 yrs old and loved every second of it! i am scared, and i am overwhelmed and i have lots of fears. i have been dreading this friday. that is the day i will have all of my tests run. i have pretty severe post traumatic stress from being in the hospital in high school and from watching my daddy die in the hospital. hospitals are a huge trigger for me....i usually panic pretty bad the second i start having any tests run. but yesterday when i was driving in the most beautiful weather i believe the Lord gave me a image in my head. i was reminded that this friday, the day i have been dreading, is also a really amazingly special day. it is Good Friday. this friday is the day we remember what our heavenly Father did for us on the cross. He suffered the most unbearable death and suffering on that day. He chose to give his life in the most horrific way so that i could live and be free. the fact that he took on my brokenness so that i could be healed and righteous and free is the greatest gift i could ever ask for. im ashamed at how often i forget that truth and feel so sorry for myself and act so pitiful. But i have so much to be thankful for, i have been given such a beautiful life, i have the most amazing family, most incredible husband, and the greatest community of friends i could ever imagine or ask for. i am humbled and thankful today. i hope to keep remembering and holding on to such truths. i need the gospel every minute. i forget so quickly and fall into complete hopelessness and fear. i know the truth in my head and i want to choose to remember it in my heart. my heart is so weak and broken and fragile. please pray for peace for me, please pray that i will remember the my Lord has not forgotten me or forsaken me and will take care of me thru these hard times.

i never ever want to preach at people so i am sorry if this feels like a sermon, i am just writing how i am feeling right now and it helps to me remind myself of these truths.

will and i leave tomorrow morning to fly to rochester. i have to be at mayo at 700am friday morning. one other thing i would so appreciate your prayers for, i would love to not have to wear a halo when i get out. a halo is a very intense gadget for holding your neck steady that they screw into your head. iwould much rather wear a neck brace for obvious reasons. it is much less invasive . it will all depend on how sturdy my neck is after the surgery...

thank you again for your prayers and sweet words of encouragement. they keep me going~ many blessings, ruthie

new update~

hey guys, sorry for taking sooo long to get a new update out to everyone, i took a break from everything for a while, i think it was me just trying to have a semi normal life in the midst of the chaos of this past year. but im happy to let everyone in so that you can be praying with me for whats to come!

my surgery is scheduled for april 6th at the mayo clinic in mn...i will run tests at mayo on the 2nd then meet the 2 drs that are doing the surfery on the 5th and surgery on the 6th. there is still alot of unknowns as of right now with what is to come after that date...my schedule is empty, we have one way tickets to mn bc we dont know how long i will need to stay in the hospital....no one has ever had this surgery so they dont have much to go off of...i am very very scared but trying all the while to stay optimistic and hopeful that the turn out will be a good one...

basically for those that dont know, i broke the top 2 vertebrae in a car accident when i was in HS and they took bone out of my hip and fused it with wire to my neck...the fuse did not take and less than a year ago we found out that a wire they used for the fusion broke, and is actually sticking into my spinal cord....of the dozen drs i have seen and talked to, no one has ever heard of this happening and all were in agreement that if i didnt remove the wire and refuse my neck that i would eventually end up paralyzed....the hard part is removing the wire could also cause paralysis itself but we just have to hope and believe that that wont happen! this past year has by far been the hardest year of my life! right after we found out about my neck, my sweet daddy died from a freak accident~ not having him here and his support has really been a huge void for me and a huge loss. i miss him just as much today as i did a year ago.

we will be in MN for easter weekend and im already sad about it bc that was the last time anyone in my family saw my dad...it just so happens that the only time these 2 drs could do my surgery was during the anniversary of my daddies death. VERY LOADED!!!!

i keep having so many sweet people ask me what they can do and the main thing is to pray~ please cry out to our God that he will be merciful and restore me back to health. that the Drs will have all knowledge and skill to do exactly what is needed to restore my health. i have tried so hard to not let fear get the best of me this past year. i have been warned by the drs to be ultra careful in my everyday life, the simplest fall or bump could be devastating. having that information and still living life as normal as possible has been a huge trial that i have succeeded and failed at...

i have been BLOWN AWAY by all the friends, family and community that have shown up for will and i. we have been so lavished with love, prayers, food and peoples resources. we have been soooo humbled by all the amazing generosity people have shown us.

after my dad passed my godfather set up a medical fund for my surgery for people to donate to in honor of my precious daddy, since my insurance call my problem a pre existing condition. the amount of love and generosity we have received thru that fund blows me away!!!!!! its also so amazing to me bc the day my father passed he was coming to see me that night to tell me he would sell everything he had to make sure that i had the surgery that i needed...in some way i feel like thru this fund that was started bc of his death, he is still loving and provided for me in some way...

thank you so so much for taking the time to read this and care for me so well.. will and i wish we could thank every individual person who has prayed, donated, brought food and so many other countless things. thank you thank you, it means more to me than you will ever know, i feel so undeserving of such incredible love and generosity and i hope that i am able make others feel half as loved and cared for as YOU have made me feel. with complete thanks, ruthie sayles

CREATIVITY!!!

so i first want to apologize for how long i am going between posts~ it has been such a long time, but i have been REALLY BUSY! some really exciting things are happening over here in nashville. so first off, i have started 2 little businesses in the last few months, the first being my skin care. i offer glycolic peels with a mini facial. i go to peoples homes and am able to spend really sweet time with people which i love. i basically have designed it in a way that is the least amount of stress on my back as possible.

secondly about a month ago i decided i really wanted a hair piece made out of an old 50's pin i found at a thrift store. i made it and got really amazing feedback on it and was asked to make some for other friends. from there a small little business was formed...i basically make really fun hair pieces out of all vintage 40's 50's and 60's jewelry. Right now they are being sold at Fruition Salon and Emmaline Boutique in nashville and next week they are going to be sold at Grandmothers Buttons in st francisville~ i feel so honored to have these stores want to carry these hair clips, it has been such a fun creative outlet for me and it excites me even more bc this is something that i will be able to continue doing after my surgery. six months ago i would never have called myself an "artist or designer" being surrounded by so many amazingly talented friends here in nashville (not to mention my incredible drummer husband) has for sure intimidated me. i believe after everything imploded 6 months ago with finding out about my neck and the upcoming surgery and then losing my daddy just weeks later, i had to set my thoughts on things that were beautiful and heavenly. i dont know that it was even intentional. but for the first time i began taking each day as a gift and wanting to use my gifts and talents to their best potential. which included me tapping into my creative self.. i began slowly redecorating rooms in our house, by going to antique malls and flea markets. then friends started asking for my help decorating their spaces~ what an honor! i LOVE helping people make their spaces become a home, where they feel peaceful, welcomed and inspired. i also began finding great vintage jewelry which eventually became part of my new hair pieces! a dear friend recently pointed out the verse Phil. 4:8 ⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

i believe in a round about way that has been one of the things that has helped me so so much this past season, surrounding myself with beautiful people and excellent surroundings, and thinking on those things has kept me feeling joyful and inspired!

we are going to do my surgery hopefully by early feb. will has been asked to be a part of the new Sixpence None the Richer record and we are waiting to hear when that is going to be recorded so that we can make sure will can be involved with it~ also, speaking of will, this summer he was asked to record on the new Norah Jones record and it just came out~ you really should ck it out, its amazing!!! im so so proud of my sweet boy!

so lastly, our dear friend Reid Rolls was here staying with us last week and while he was here he took some incredible photos of our home and my hair pieces for us, well i submitted a few pics into my very FAVORITE website called design sponge.com they are going to feature our little house on their website this coming wednesday! i am so so honored to be on this site, if you have not checked it out before, do yourself a favor and do it now! it is absolutely breathtaking and awe inspiring! as many of you know i have a super hard time sleeping at night bc of my neck and the one thing that keeps me calm and happy during those restless nights is hours and hours of searching thru all the creativity of design sponge~

thanks for taking the time to read this and care about me...x0x0 ruthie sayles