We had a great Thanksgiving in Ohio. Tons of family time! Mostly stayed in and played games and chilled. Benjamin flew both directions by himself (his request). His 2 flights out were very dicey. A huge storm rolled through Denver, so he missed his connection in Denver and was rebooked through Chicago (instead of only one stop in Denver). Due to mechanical issues in Denver, he missed his Chicago connection and was put on the last flight (for Cleveland) out of Chicago. He arrived at the airport in Bozeman at 6:15am and arrived at my sisters around 10:15pm! He navigated things well and learned some of the airport game, as well as talking with gate agents, advocating for what he needed, etc. I did not realize how much airlines are on top of the game when flights are delayed. They are often rebooking passengers before they even realize they need to be rebooked. His first solo flight is done! He fortunately had no issues going back!
Benjamin has been through the ringer lately. He had his hand surgery on Friday the 13th. Had huge issues with the nerve block. Then on Thursday the 19th, he had jaw surgery. This has been scheduled for several months. The white 'lines' above his teeth are the hardware they placed.
It was the first time he had general anesthesia and had a horrible time as he was coming out of it. He was very combative and ended up really swollen. (The Doctor had indirectly downplayed the recovery time, so we were both unprepared for what followed the first few days after surgery). However, a lot of his swelling has now gone down but he is still unable to chew his food. He will continue on soft foods probably until the end of the year. I have told him a huge steak dinner will follow when he has permission to chew!!
I am putting my head down for the next three weeks and trying to work long hours before Christmas break hits.
