Another change in plans...and disappointment

So we're not finished with our journey yet. This past week has been another challenge, and another chance for learning patience and self-control. I flew down to Vancouver for a scheduled surgery to repair the damage to my stomach that was caused by the accident. It was scheduled for Friday, and we spent the better part of Tuesday (my mom and I) in Vancouver in meetings with various clinics and anesthetists to make sure that everything would go according to plan. My last surgery for my eyes was canceled two days before it was supposed to happen due to oversights regarding my requirements for the stuff that I need to be given to make sure my blood clots - it's the same product that my boys give themselves for their hemophilia. All the tests and procedures that I have had done have shown me that I am essentially a mild hemophiliac, and need to be treated as such in operative situations. So this time they were taking no chances, and I have finally made the connections with the hemophilia clinic at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, also the same place where Jason and Aaron come for their yearly consults. They have a great support program for carriers, and it would have made everything over the past 18 months a whole lot easier if I had previously had a file with them. For whatever reason, it was never done. We had testing done way back when the boys were first diagnosed with hemophilia, and I was aware of my carrier status and that I required treatment whenever operated on, but it was always done at home in PG where they knew me, so I was never involved in trying to make the arrangements for factor replacement and treatment.

Now that this is all under control, one of the VERY good things that has come out of all of this is that the clinic at St Paul's is willing and able to provide treatment for me in surgical procedures done at UBC, where my ophthalmologist operates out of. My eye surgery was canceled due to the fact that there was no hematology department at the UBC hospital to provide coverage for me during surgery. So the doctor needed to get permission to operate out of VGH instead, and then wait for some other doctor to give up some OR time for him to do my surgery! Needless to say, I had no idea when that was going to happen! Now we can schedule the eye surgery to be done as planned at UBC, and the St. Paul's clinic will take care of all the arrangements for my blood work and treatment! Praise the Lord for that! I'm just waiting now to get a date for that one!

So back to my surgery which was scheduled for this past Friday. I went into the clinic (a private one, very lovely and professional!) and everything was going smoothly - other than the fact that it took forever for them to find a good vein for my intravenous! Ouch! The nurse was there from the hemophilia clinic, and supervised the administration of the blood product, sedatives were given, and I was taken into the OR. All was going very smoothly, and as I went under, I felt no fear, only excitement at having this all done with and the outcome of a flat stomach! Well, when I woke up I realized something was wrong, because I could see the clock, and it was only an hour later. The surgery was supposed to have been 3 hours, so I knew something didn't go right. That and I had no pain in my stomach. They told me right away that the surgery was aborted after 2 anesthetists tried 6 different ways to get a breathing tube down my throat. They found that because of my injuries, my windpipe has a very sharp bend to it, and they were simply not able to get the tube past it. In a hospital, they have other equipment to do it differently, but they didn't have it in the clinic. So I was sent home after a few hours with many apologies, a very sore throat, and the personal phone numbers of several specialists just in case anything went wrong!

All in all, I believe (as I have stated many times before) that everything has happened for a very good reason, and there was also a good reason for this. Had this been a crisis situation, the anesthetist told me that I would not have survived. I am now to have the information "failed intubation" inscribed into the MedicAlert that I wear. That would avert a similar crisis in the future. All that being said and done, the surgery is to be rescheduled for after Jason and Dani's wedding sometime in late August or early September, and will be done in the UBC hospital. Who knows, maybe I can get the eye surgery done at the same time?!!!

This is a lot of information, and I hope that it's not too much, but it needed explaining, so there it is. I am struggling a little to not be disappointed that I won't look as fantastic as I had hoped for the wedding, but that's a very selfish and conceited, prideful thought. So it's just as well that it didn't happen! It's good for me to put things into perspective again. It's just so hard when my vanity gets in the way!

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts and prayers, and I trust that you will continue to go with all of us on our journey, which as I said in the beginning, is obviously not over yet! In the meantime I had several opportunities to be gracious, thankful and give witness and testimony to God's grace and glory through the telling of my story to several nurses and doctors. His ways are way bigger than ours, and who knows what the outcome of that will be!

So I pray for continued faithfulness, obedience, patience, and a good dose of humility!! Have a blessed day! And thanks again for taking the time to read all this!!
Judy

And we're back again!

Whoa, that took longer than it should have, but we are back and doing very well, thanks! The trip was absolutely awesome, and I don't think that it could have been any better - only longer perhaps! It was so amazing to reconnect with old friends and people who used to be "youth" who are now older than we were when we were there!! One of the neatest things happened on Sunday morning when one of the men came up to us and said that he still had (and used!) the guitar that Ben had sold to his mother. At that time he was only 12 years old! It wasn't until his young son, who is now about 12, walked up to him that I finally recognized him! Ben was so glad to hear that his guitar was being put to good use - it was his first guitar, and hard for him to leave behind. But knowing that God has had His hand in all things and seeing where things are at now made it all worth while! We had a very special time of worshipping with the church family that still meets in the same room that we helped to renovate 25 years ago! God is at work in His family all over the world, and to worship with them was very sweet! Oh, and our German came back very quickly! It was almost like we had never left...almost!

We also enjoyed a bit of sightseeing time, and some amazing dinners out (although the extra pounds really weren't necessary to bring back with us!). Aaron enjoyed seeing many of the things that we had once known well. If only we had had more time to enjoy it all! Ah, but the desire to return is even stronger now! The church in Traunstein needs a new place to meet in, and is planning on a building project in the next year or so. Who knows...maybe we could help out?! It is certainly a possibility! Anyone want to come help? Just a thought!

As much as I would like to report that we had fantastic responses to prayers for open hearts from those whom we had been praying for, it just wasn't the right time for confrontations. On the other hand, relationships were re-established and communication restored in places where we pray that we will be able to have an impact in the future.  We pray that God will be able to use us somehow in the future, and we want to be available and ready.

Thank you for your prayers regarding jet lag - and I'm thrilled to report that those prayers were definitely answered! We experienced very little at all! Of course, we were a bit tired, but nothing more than usual. Aaron experienced a bit more coming home, and took a few days to really feel like he was 'working' again, but then he was there much longer than we were. I had the energy to do almost everything that I had wanted to do, and (mostly!) keep up with everyone else! Praise the Lord for His strength and good rest!

Next, I am scheduled for reconstructive surgery on my stomach to repair the damage that was caused by the seat belt. Essentially, it's a tummy tuck surgery! Never thought I would ever have that! The procedure will be done in Vancouver on July 23rd. I'm not afraid of the operation, but would appreciate your prayers for a quick recovery - the wedding is only 4 weeks after that! I want to be up and ready for it, not dragging around recuperating. I'll be staying with my mom and sister for a time after, and then my mom will be bringing me back to PG and staying to help me out after - bless her!! She is so giving and helpful! There is still no word on the surgery for my eyes.

As  for the rest, everyone is doing as well as they could be. Ben is still struggling with some discomfort and is hindered in some movements due to the pain in his foot and arm. Aaron's back keeps giving him some trouble and pain, but both of them keep plugging away. Aaron is looking for work for the summer and into the fall, as he plans not to go to school this fall after all. Pray for direction and guidance for him as he readjusts to working life, and that he finds a job that he is able to do without pain or problems. Jason and Dani are only a bit less than 6 weeks away from their special day, and are very excited, to say the least! Christopher and Corinne have to wait until October, so they will have to be more patient! Christopher has been working very hard redoing my kitchen, completing most of it while we were away! What an amazing thing to go away and come back to an almost completely new kitchen!! There are still some things to finish, but oh, is it ever nice!!

Over and over again in the past month I have been reminded to be so thankful for what we have been able to accomplish and take part in! I pray that I will never take any of this for granted!