FROGLEGS

We’re home!

Thanks to everyone that has been praying (and those that have sent their well wishes via email and comments here). I’m sorry that we’ve not been replying to very many emails. There was no internet connection at the hospital and although I’ve tried to come home every day while Heather was in the hospital, time has been short. We are grateful for everyone that has prayed and gotten in touch over the past few days.

We saw the surgeon again this morning. He was satisfied that Heather’s incision didn’t need to be drained by a vacuum tube anymore and had a nurse take it out. He also made a date to see us next week to take out Heather’s stitches (there are nine of them and then a couple where the vacuum tube went in) and go over the results of the biopsy of the cyst.

Although the hospital was really nice and we can’t complain about how we were treated, it still isn’t like being at home. It’s good to be back with Sophia and Kati.

I’ve just come home briefly to check email and leave an update.

We saw the surgeon this morning (unfortunately, he came in while we were still asleep, so I couldn’t think of any good questions to ask him in my startled and blurry state). He was pleased with Heather’s recovery and said that he thought she’d be able to come home tomorrow morning. Yippee!

More details then.

I’m at a friends house briefly for lunch before heading back to the hospital.

Heather went in for surgery around 11:00am today. I then saw the surgeon at 12.30pm. He said that everything went fine. I then saw Heather briefly when she was on her way to the recovery room. She looked fine (although really groggy).

Not a lot more to say at this point. Yay! She’s OK.

Heather heads to the hospital on Monday morning at about 8.30am. Her operation should take place in between 1pm and 4pm.

In a lot of ways, we really don’t know what to expect. We are confident that she will be OK coming out the other side, but there are a lot of major details that we don’t know. How big will the incision be? How long will she have a drainage tube coming out of her neck? How will the incision heal? How will she feel in the days following the surgery? Will her voice be OK?

Understandably, I think we all feel a little bit insecure right now. I’m going down to the hospital on my bike this afternoon to drop off some of Heather’s x-rays and to pick up an anesthetics brief for the surgeon. I hope to be able to have a little pray on my way there and on the way back. Finding God in the midst of this and hearing him is really hard (for me).

Our community here in Sevilla has really rallied around us. We’ve got a babysitter for Sophia for at least 3 days (until Heather’s mom, Dixie arrives- yay!), they’ve organised a rota for people to bring us meals and offered to help clean house. This feels like what a community of Jesus followers should be like. I’m proud of them.

Those of you that are signed up to our newsletter already know that Heather (my wife) has a cyst at the base of her neck that is going to have to be surgically removed. If you didn’t know, maybe you should sign up for our newsletter and get “in the know”, huh?
After quite a few doctor’s visits at different clinics and hospitals, we’ve finally got a date for surgery: May 28th. The surgery will be pretty straightforward and we are fairly confident that everything will be fine. The surgeon that will perform the operation seems like a nice, capable guy. He’s been very kind to Heather. As soon as he saw the discomfort and pain she is in, he tried to do everything he could to move his own schedule around so that the cyst can be removed as soon as possible.

Heather will have to be under general anesthetic during the operation. I’m not too wild about that, but it does seem for the best.

After the surgery, Heather will have to be in the hospital for at least 48 hours. Those will be interesting days (and especially nights) as we’re not sure we’ll (Sophia and I) be able to stay with her overnight. Sophia has never spent the night away from Heather and generally doesn’t like me to put her to sleep, so it could be… interesting.

Your prayers and thoughts are appreciated. Keep checking back for further updates on Heather’s health.

I don’t want to talk about it.