Still Blessed!

     I can honestly say that we have had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!!

     We have had our dear friends, the Cashner family, - missionaries serving in Tain, Scotland -  staying with us for the past two weeks and it has been like a healing balm for our family.  After 9 days in the hospital and the stress and worry of Brieanna's surgery and recovery, it has been nice to have a "distraction".  I mean that will all the love in my heart:)
     Brieanna (and ALL the other kids) has enjoyed having the Cashner boys (Kyle-13, Konner-11 and Kade-9) here in the house as well.  I truly believe it has taken her mind off of some of the discomfort and even embarrassment she has faced since the surgery.  If "Steve" (the stoma) makes any noises the boys all think it is so cool - even to the point of muting the TV so that they can hear it!  They find it hilarious and it has made Brie feel so good.  She is even getting around a bit better as well!  Her progress,while slow, has been encouraging to watch.  Each day there seems to be improvement.

INSTINCT….Brieanna Two Weeks On!

     We were created with natural instincts.  If we touch something hot, we automatically pull away.  If we have pain, we cry out or at least react in some way.  As parents, we instantly, instinctively love that baby from the moment we know him or her exists in the womb.  I know in the world in which we live this is not always the case, but for most, life is precious.  We instinctively love our family and desire to protect them.
     In the two weeks since my daughter's surgery,

Heart, HOME, and Family…..Brieanna Day 9!

   

 Today was an early morning for us at the hospital.  I do not know if it was the anticipation of being allowed to go home today or what, but Brieanna awoke before 6am and could not get back to sleep.  As has been the case since we have been at the hospital, if Brie cannot sleep, neither can mommy:)
     Brie was unusually chatty this morning.  The hospital was still very quiet and Brieanna began to share her feelings about the whole operation and recovery process.  I wanted to share the things she told me for it gave me greater insight into her heart.  This is some of what Brie shared with me today:


     This has not been as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I cannot really remember the first couple of days, so that is not so bad.  =D I do remember waking up in the middle of the night just after the surgery and I felt someone was holding my hand.  

Almost Home….Brieanna Day 8!

   

     Straight away, I have to say that today was a wonderful day!  (you know as far as days at the hospital go)
     Brieanna slept better last night and her pain has lessened considerably.  We were up this morning and ready when Dr. Jaffray came into the room to check on Brie's progress.  He asked after her pain, explained a few things she should expect over the upcoming weeks and months and then asked her if she would like to go home tomorrow.  Of course Brie said "YES!"
     So exciting!  This hospital stay has been 8 days of emotional ups and down, twists and turns, expectations and surprises, but we are coming to an end.  We are so thankful that Brieanna has come through this with such strength.  She gets stronger physically each day and it brings such joy to Andy and I, well, to the WHOLE family!!  Brieanna with her new stoma, whom she jokingly has named "STEVE" will be back home with the family tomorrow afternoon! (She has named it so that any funny noises that might be heard coming from the small bag she can say "Steve did it!" lol)

Unplugged and Needle Free….Brieanna Day 7!

     WARNING….WARNING….WARNING….WARNING….WARNING….WARNING….

I want to start off this this post with a caution that it will be a lot of bragging on just how AWESOME my daughter is and how GREAT a God I serve…..

YOU

HAVE 

BEEN 

WARNED!!

:-)

     Brie was able to have the drip disconnected last night and that enabled her to have the use of her left hand again and allowed us to NOT have to cart cords and wires all over the room.  Brie was so happy!!  That meant NO BEEPING, NO ALARMS and maybe even some sleep!
     Brie was in a bit of pain last night at about 12:30am, so they gave her some medicines.  She was up again about an hour later and I helped take care of her needs.  By about 1:45am, she was back in bed and that was her until about 8:00am this morning!  What a great night!  When she did wake up, it was only for a brief time and then she wanted to go back to sleep….without any more pain medication!!  What a huge step.
     Once Brieanna was fully awake late in the morning, she decided she would go for a walk around the ward.  Now that she is fully off the drips and such, she is feeling so much better.  We took 3 laps through the halls before she was feeling a bit too sore to continue.  What a trooper!  She said "Take that physio chics!  Tomorrow we will do 5 laps!"
     I cannot believe the change in my girl - my daughter is back!

Thankful for Prayer….Brieanna Day 6!

     "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” 

(James 5:16).

Well, this morning was a bit rough for Brie as she was in quite a bit of pain and could not get comfortable enough to sleep well.  We were up and down most of the night:(
     The nurses were able to get Brie sorted and by about 6:45am she was able to get some rest.  As I said it was a rough night, but Brie weathered it quite well.
     Today has been bit of a lazy day for Brie in that the physiotherapists and stomas nurses have the weekend off.  Brie did take great strides, however, in the area of pain manageability and just general moving about.

Climbing Mountains .…Brieanna Day 5

   Late posting today, but SO much going on!

     Brie started out today very early and very ill!  About 6:00am, she was feeling nauseated and had been coughing.  The morphine in her system was starting to make her sick.  Despite the anti-nausia medication, Brie was sick twice.  Then she began coughing more violently.  Both of her lungs are partially collapsed due to hours of intubation and anesthesia.  The coughing and deep breathing will help those to inflate fully - both actions are extremely painful to someone who has just had abdominal surgery.
     Finally, Brie was able to get an hour or so of rest.  By 9:00am, the nausea was back as was the physiotherapists, the surgical team, the stoma nurse, pain management nurse and her regular duty nurse for vitals every hour.  The room was a hub of activity for a while.

Up, Down, Up, Down…Brieanna Day 4

Well, today was a hard day for my girl.  (Sad, sad face)
     Brie suffered with a fever off and on all night and even into the morning.  She had a rough go of it all night and we had to adjust her positions several times and, still, she found it hard to get comfortable at all.  Even the pain medication did little to comfort her on this night.
     The Physiotherapists came first thing and got Brie out of bed and sitting up in a chair in her room.  This act was not without ALOT of pain and gritted teeth, but Brie managed it.

Baby Steps...Brieanna Day 3

   

 Today I was brought back in time - almost 15 years back in time!  I felt myself brought back to when Brieanna was just a few months old trying to gain a little independence.
     The physiotherapy girls came in today and told us that they were going to try to put Brie into a chair to sit for a bit!  I was so surprised.  I asked "Is she allowed to do that already?"  Surely this was some sort of mistake and they had the wrong patient, or at the very least, the wrong information!  It has been less than 24 hours since my little girl got out of BOWEL REMOVAL surgery and you want her to get out of that bed and sit up in a chair??  Incredible!  Impossible, right? ......  NOPE!

The BIG DAY...Brieanna Day 2

 

   Well, "surgery day" finally arrived.  I must admit that I hardly slept at all last night and seemed to wake with every sound Brieanna made.
     As the night sped on, Brie seemed to develop a cough and stuffy nose.  This made me worry and I began to pray in earnest for God to take the cough from my little girl.  By morning the cough was worse and both Andy and I began to worry they might cancel the surgery if it was too bad.
     We discussed our concerns with the surgical consultant and the anesthetist - the surgery would continue as scheduled!  Yay!  Even though God did not take the cough from Brie, He still allowed the surgery to proceed,  God's people were praying - we could already feel it!
     Brie was allowed a last drink of water at 6:30am and then nothing after that.  By the time the team came at 11:00am to take her to the operating theatre, Brie was so hungry and thirsty!  More than anything, though, Brie was nervous.  Andy and I prayed one last prayer with Brie to calm us all.  The funny thing was, Brie was not nervous about the surgery itself but  nervous about having the cannula / port put into her hand!  After they tried 5 times to take blood the night before, she was fed up with being a pin cushion!!
     As it was, Brie had to have gas to put her under and they put the cannula in after that.  Her veins just seem to be TOO small!
     I was the only one allowed in the anesthetist room with Brie.  She got all set up and I watched my nervous, shy, quiet 15 year-old girlie lie down upon the cot and get ready to take a huge step in her life.  The gas put her under pretty fast and I was allowed to kiss her goodbye, gather her robe and slippers and head back to Andy in the waiting area.  We were escorted back to Brie's room and left on our own.  It was such a strange feeling to be in the room - minus her bed - waiting while the team of surgeons worked on our daughter.   All of the imaginings from the last 12 years were coming to pass.
     Then began the WAITING....and waiting ... and waiting!!!

Grace in Time of Need.... Brieanna day 1

Well, it has begun. That time of our children's lives that we have discussed and dreaded for almost 12 years. The days of doctors, surgeries and hospitals... the time is here. It is all starting today with my eldest baby, Brieanna Nicole.

We went to the hospital this afternoon and Brieanna was admitted. We met with her surgeon Mr. Jaffray and he explained the details of Brieanna's "laparoscopic reconstructive proctocolectomy and ileostomy." Whew!!  Plain speak, removal of the whole large bowel!  This will also include creating an internal pouch out of the small bowel and allowing it to heal while using an external pouch for about 6 weeks.   A second surgery will then reconnect it all.  Yes, the days of changing my child's life are here!!  It almost takes my breath away!!

Someday, I Won't Have To Miss A Thing...

     I LOVE our new technologies and social medias.  Now, I know there are dangers in technology and I understand the social media sites can be great time-wasters and even home-wreckers when used unwisely.  Having said all of that, I do love the social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Why do I love these sites?  Because I love my family and friends and I get to feel like I am part of their lives through some of these sites.  It is almost like a tiny window into each of their lives:)  Being so far away I feel, at times, that

I AM MISSING EVERYTHING!!

     Our family is a close family.  Not just my immediate family of 6 kids and Andy, but our extended families as a whole.  We are quite close to Andy's brother and sister's families as well as his mom and dad and I have always been close to my three brothers and their families and especially my own mom and dad.  I have an 8 month old nephew and a 19 month old niece that I have yet to meet.  I know, too, that if I were to see half of my nieces and nephews today, they would not know me.  It breaks my heart not to be a real presence in their lives!  I always dreamed of being that "fun Auntie Amy" to my nieces and nephews! When I see pics of them getting older and celebrating little and big milestones in their lives, I admit I can feel a twinge of regret at times.  NEVER regret from the life we live serving our Lord, but just regret that we could not be there to celebrate with them and have a part in their precious lives  I do feel, at times that                                    

   I AM MISSING EVERYTHING!!

    The reality of our lives in the ministry is that no matter where we may be serving, I will probably never be in the same town as most of my family.  My grandparents have always been far away - Texas and Arizona so we grew up use to the distance. Now, with an older brother who is pastoring in Ardmore, Oklahoma, a younger brother as an assistant pastor in Durham, North Carolina, and my baby brother who is a pharmacist and helping to start a mission church in  Cincinnati, Ohio - my family is all over the map!  I praise God for parents who taught us that being in the center of God's will is more important that being together.  My parents always stressed that "It is safer in God's will on the other side of the world than next door and out of the will of God."  I wholeheartedly agree!  I am thrilled to be used of God here in the country of England!  So I ask myself

AM I MISSING EVERYTHING??

  

   I have been blessed to be born in an age where I can chat with my family over the internet.  A time when phone calls cost a fraction of the money they did even 20 years ago.  I live in a time when I can text my family FOR FREE any time and receive a response almost immediately - FROM ANYWHERE!  I can take pictures of everything I am doing and share them with friends and family in an instant and they can do the same with me!  To be honest, the close physical presence of family is missing but, I do get to "see" my family quite often. I have to admit in those moments when I feel so far away - it really is not all that bad:)  Getting to share little moments - even over the internet is still very special.

     I am also reminded on a daily basis that our time on earth is so fleeting.  It is but a "vapor" and then we are gone.  Heaven is forever!  I seem to look forward to that day more and more as I get older.  Heaven - where I will sing praises to our Lord WITH my family again!  Heaven - where I will NEVER have to say another goodbye!  Heaven - when there will be time for and with EVERYONE! Heaven - where 

I WON'T HAVE TO MISS A THING!!!

"O that will be glory for me!"