Yesterday's visit with the surgeon was not as harrowing as I had expected it to be. (Which in large part is I think because God gave me the strength to hear the things I needed to hear)
The verdict is that the surgeon is assuming he's going to have to remove a little section of my small intestines and possibly remove a bit of my bladder. The scans weren't really good enough for him to be sure on the bladder issue though. Consider the prediction he had made about removing whole organs in our last conversation I think this is a nice improvement. Praise the Lord.
I also discovered how much of the process I will be out and let me tell you it is a good amount of it. (There would be NO other way they would get a breathing tube down my throat unless I were solidly unconscious.)
The surgery is firmly set for November 26th, and it looks like I'll have to be there at about 5:15am that day. Don't know when the surgery will start but the surgeon said he expects it to be a 6 to 8 hour process.
We got some idea as well about recovery and it pretty much sounds like I will be in the hospital for about 2 weeks following the surgery in order to allow me to recoup properly. This followed by several weeks at home as well. So much like school days it looks like I get December off. (Not that the thought of having December off to have metal staples hold me together for most of it sounds like FUN mind you. However I wonder if I can get them to use red and green staples, just to be festive and all...)
Prayer requests: That I stay healthy in the next week and a half before surgery, that Lisa stays healthy, that the surgeon has a good restful vacation, that God would be preparing my body to handle the stress of this surgery and provide me the mental fortitude it is going to take to recover from this. (Oh, and that the surgeon will be able to get everything and the healing would be complete!)
Thanks everyone for the support.
~B.
Ben,
ReplyDeleteRed and green staples - why not? Thanks for keeping us informed of your journey - and for your faith. You and Lisa have been an encouragement to those in our Talbot community who are also going through some very tough times. We continue to pray for you as a faculty and family. We love you both, and appreciate your honesty through this whole struggle. And here's trusting the surgeon will, indeed, have a restful break - and be God's hands of healing in the OR :-)
__Uncle Mick__