Hello friends. So I have just a quick update on my FIL. After more tests, the biopsy that they did over the weekend ended up being done improperly so it had to be redone. SO... we are now waiting for the results once more.
Yesterday the docs did a Kyphoplasty (a procedure where they go in and inject medical cement to restore or repair the damaged vertebrae). From what my wife tells me from her conversation last night with her dad, his pain went from about a 9.5 to about a 5. From the conversation with her brother, he said the one vertebrae hadn't just been fractured, but shattered. They showed BIL the pictures, and it was pretty much gone. As he said, "the two squashed marshmallow shapes on either side were normal, the one in the middle looked more like a pile of dust". It wasn't just fractured, it had shattered.
They did get FIL up on his feet last night with a walker for some preliminary PT. He took 2 steps and then had to sit down again. They praised him for those steps, but to my brother in law verbalized some concern. They were going to be trying again today. That's all I know for now. At this point, though it can still change, DW is looking to fly out early next week to spend time with him. I've already cleared with the powers that be at work to work from home the entire time she needs to be gone since I have 2 of my 3 kids at home (we homeschool - my eldest went off to public school this year for the 9th grade and beyond). So DW just needs to set out their coursework for however long she plans to be gone, and then feel comfortable knowing that things will continue at home while she is away.
Even though I haven't been commenting or sharing as much as usual, I have been following along on my phone. Some pretty funny stuff the past couple of days. It helps brighten the otherwise dreary times my family is going through right now... thanks for the chuckles guys.

Keep it up. I'll pop in from time to time.