SECOND TIME IS A CHARM!

Here were are in the hospital still and it has been a whirlwind to say the least.  With surgery being cancelled Monday due to the stoma placement markings not having been done, we had to wait until Tuesday morning to actually have the surgery performed.  What a night!  Andy was miserable and exhausted and he had not even had the surgery yet!

TUESDAY MORNING CAME AND ALL PREPARATIONS WERE MADE

DOUBLE CHECKED THIS TIME!  SURGERY WAS A GO!

Praise the Lord, Andy was finally going to go into surgery.  The sun was just coming up over the horizon in Cincinnati when they came to take my hubby away for surgery.  Prayer was said around his bedside and off he went again.  Off we went again - the waiting room!

wait,      Wait,      WAIT       WAIT

Andy was taken back to the OR at 7:15am and other than the occasional update of "surgeon is still working and he is doing fine" we did not know any further details on how the surgery was going.  Long about 1:00pm my little waiting room pager beeped and it was time to see the surgeon.  The 6 hour surgery was over!  Praise the Lord.  Brie and I braced ourselves to hear what the surgeon would say.

"HE DID GREAT!" were the first words we heard!  What a true answer to prayers.   Andy lost a lot of blood during the surgery (1.5 liters) but the surgeon had expected that.  She said he should make a full recovery and that she was very pleased with how the surgery had gone.  Once again, the surgeon apologized for the delay and  then told us we would be able to see him in a couple of hours.

Finally, at 5:00pm, we were told to go up to Andy's room and he would be brought up there. A few minutes after we arrived in the room, Andy was wheeled in.  Definitely groggy and tubes running in and out of him, but he was okay.  God is so faithful.  The prayers of God's people moved the hands of the surgeon.  Relief flooded in as well as exhaustion!  Sometimes the worry can keep you awake, but relief seems to wash all of that away and you are just left feeling drained.  Andy's father had been with me all day and he finally went home.  Andy's brother and his wife visited for a few minutes that evening and after they left Brie and I decided to go home for some sleep as well.  Seven hours of sleep in 2.5 days is just not enough and we were feeling it.  The nurse said Andy would sleep most of the night still under the effect of the anesthesia so Brie and I felt it was okay to leave him.

Exhaustion can make you do some crazy things and feel some  crazy emotions.  These couple of days have been a roller coaster of emotions - disappointment, fear, worry, relief, thankfulness and many more.  My guy has been through the surgery and is doing well and so the emotion I clung to as I left the hospital to head home and see my children was GRATEFULNESS!  

I AM GRATEFUL!

The surgery was a success!  My children are happy and healthy.  Our church family has been amazing, caring  and so supportive.  Our extended family has sent messages of love and prayers and support.  Friends from all over the world sent messages of encouragement, concerns and prayers.  We are so blessed.  God has been so good.  There is always a reason for everything.  God knew when we started this journey that there would be a delay.  He planned it perfectly and we know that His way is best.  We absolutely know that this second time around is God's plan and we rest in that comfort.  Now the long road of healing can begin.

FOR OUR GOOD AND FOR HIS GLORY

It's time for the inevitable surgery.  It's time for the surgery that we knew was in the future several years ago...THE FUTURE IS TODAY. :-/  (even though we wish it was never!)

Today is the day Andy will have his next major surgery.  The J-Pouch that was formed almost 14 years ago is failing and making him miserable.  In order to have a better quality of life, that internal pouch will be removed today and a permanent external pouch (ileostomy) will be put in place.  We have been very anxious over this procedure but like it or not, the time has come. 

After talking and preparing ourselves mentally and physically until 2:00am this morning, we went to bed....but 4:30am came very early!  Off to the hospital!

The usual prep and pre-op procedures went great and according to plan.  7:30am came and Andy was taken back to surgery.  We all prayed and took a deep breath. God knew what He was doing!

UH   OH!!  (never good to hear)

Not long after Andy went back to the OR, I got a page and was put on the phone with Andy's doctor.  His surgeon was NOT happy at all!  The surgery that we had carefully planned for was being cancelled!  All of the medicines and prep work was for naught as the surgeon discovered that Andy had not been marked for the placement of the external pouch.  If the surgeon just gave an educated guess as to where to place it, a second (or more) surgery may be needed and would pose a higher risk of future complications for Andy.  The surgeon decided that in order to give Andy the best care possible, she would have to postpone the surgery until tomorrow.  Andy had already been given the anesthesia for at least a four hour procedure and now he would be woken up and told that they could not do what they had set out to do - he would have to face it all again tomorrow!  Frustration and disappointment all around.

THESE THINGS ARE SENT TO TRY US FOR SURE!

We still had to wait most of the day to get to see Andy.  The anesthesia had knocked him out as it was supposed to.  He also awoke with pain from the pre-op procedures and had to be given some pain meds.  Finally, at close to 1:00pm, we were sent to Andy's room and told that he would be brought up soon.

I FINALLY GOT TO SEE MY MAN!

Unfortunately, Andy was not in good shape.  He was quickly settled into bed and told to rest - it would all begin again tomorrow morning at 7:30am.  I know our friends and family prayed all day for Andy and our family, however, God answered in the most unusual way.  There is a reason.  God always has His own reason for doing something outside of the way WE think it should be done.  I cannot see the reason but even amongst the frustration and disappointment, we all realize that He is at work.

For now, Andy rests and waits and we plan for another day just like today - waiting rooms, prayers and hospital.  I cannot say enough how thankful we are for the prayers of God's people and the grace that has been given from the Almighty.  We were not prepared for today, but HE was!

There is a definite peace in knowing that 

GOD IS NEVER SURPRISED OR BEWILDERED! 

He has already been in our tomorrow and knows what's ahead! 

So tomorrow morning we start again - 

FOR OUR GOOD AND FOR HIS GLORY.

(round 2 here we come!)

   

My waiting buddy:-)