Tuesday, April 26, 2011

It all comes Together

Well, a miraculous report from my neurologist yesterday brings lots of things together. I am calling it miraculous because I was not expected to back off of medication for at least several months after the thymectomy, and have already started backing off today. Well, he was actually excited. I told him I was glad he was excited, and that I was so glad I was checking out well. At the end of the visit he said, in a professionally composed way - "it takes a lot to get me excited. This is good. This is very good."

The visit went something like this:
-tapped my reflexes with a mallet from his classic leather doctor bag
"Okay, pull my arm, push my arm. This is good. This is very good."
"Squint your eyes. This is good. You don't know why this is good, but this is very good." (Almost baffled and smiling in amazement)
"Follow this light with your eyes. Good. This is very good."
"Good, Good. This is very good."
- jots down some notes
"Good. Very good. I am really impressed with how good this is."
"How is the stairs, walking, etc."
- "I have not had hip pain"
"Good, good, good. Very good."
- jots down some more notes
- has me whistle
"Gooood. That's the best test for you. Very, Very good."

I was floored. I think the rest of the day and today I was in shock. I hardly knew what to do with such a good report. I called family and let them know, ran 3 quick errands, and headed home. I had two great girlfriends over for lunch, well, actually they brought me a delectable lunch and we had an excellent visit. And then . . . without my nap . . . took both kids to the park. My neighbor brought her 5 month son with us, and we all had a great walk to and from the park, and a fun time while there. A little sore neck, but the walk felt good. Then the kids ate, I got them in bed, and the house was quiet by 7:30. Mike made it home about 9:00, and I was still functioning well enough to play our game and talk. We resigned about 11, and were up at 6 to get ready for the new day.

On the way home from the doctor's office, I was listening to Reach FM (our christian rock station), and there was a man doing the "Restoration of Israel Minute." He started with, "What you may not know is that Israel and the Jewish people have also contributed other blessings over the centuries such as amazing medical and technological advances that have saved lives . . . Even in the midst of all their challenges with persecution, terrorism, threats of war and natural disasters, they continue to bless the world—because that is their calling from God ages ago." The verse this is based upon being:
". . . and through your offspring all nations on the earth will be blessed because you [Abraham] have obeyed Me.” Genesis 22:18

Why is this applicable? Well, one of the first month's Mike and I were dating in college, I had a problem with my knee. Someone prayed for me, I was healed. One minute my knee was snapping back and forth when I stepped, and the next minute I was walking fine. How could this be? Why should anyone become a doctor if God can just heal people?

The awesome understanding that Mike and I have been talking about, is how God has used Doctors, medicines, and even a surgery to improve my function. He has shown his faithfulness THROUGH these people and procedures, and has already orchestrated the research behind each of them so these past 6 months I could reap the benefits of them. I am humbled that our omniscient God would put together all of this, and be so specific as to time it for me. Even more so, God is using and will continue to use Mike in his medical training as he finishes up his last year and goes on to a new job to reach, touch, heal, and minister in other people's lives.

March 17, 2005. A letter that we were moving to Pennsylvania for Mike to do his residency at Penn.
November 28, 2010. A Sunday, Mike on call with my Neurologist. Treated.
January 18, 2011. Diagnosed officially.
April 12, 2011. Surgery with world class expert, 4 miles away.
April 26, 2011. David crawls across the room for the first time, and I can catch up to him and pick him up.
April 26, 2011. I read a very long book to Naomi, sang her songs, and sang in the shower. Not a quiver or a slur in my words.
April 26, 2011. Just said goodnight to Mike and he feels like he has his wife back.

Lots, lots, lots to be thankful for. Many details that I am not even aware of that have worked out have not just "worked themselves out." We are so grateful for the omniscient omnipotent God who works through creation, including us, for His glory. In His sovereignty, he allowed this trail to happen, and has drawn our family closer to Him and His promises. Naomi's standard prayer for the past 6 months has been, "Please pray for Mommy's hips and Daddy has a nice work, and Naomi has a nice work, and David has a nice work, and Amen."

God answers prayer and times things perfectly.

This is good. Very good.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

A Great Surgeon

Have you witnessed from above the clouds, the perfectly organically shaped river carving through the earth? The valleys and streams, so well marked and painted, towering below you, and puffy lightness dressed in pure white, occasionally clouding your view? Chiseled, I would say. The same word a close friend used while staring into our newborn daughters face. Chiseled.

You can't fake greatness. Height and depth of knowledge, unclouded skill. Experience chiseled procedures, down to an art and a science.

Mike and I arrived at the hospital, all ready to go for my Thymectomy. It almost felt like we should be stopping at Dunkin' Donuts for an iced coffee, because it was so nice to be together in the morning, and that's our 'going-on-an-excursion' routine. But I was good and fasted since Midnight. I dozed off slightly in the admission waiting room, and was awake again until I remember a cute little resident guy putting a gas mask on me, telling me it was oxygen and that I would soon feel sleepy, yup. There I went into sleep again.

I don't really know exactly what went on during that nap, but I do totally trust my great surgeon. It was from about 1:30pm until 5:30pm, when I remember Mike talking to me while I was in and out of consciousness, realizing the surgery was over. I find it absolutely amazing that in a little 5 inch incision and the surgeon was able to get my whole thymus gland out, which apparently descended longer than usual. Not that this is a usual anyway. From what I can gather, I was on my back, stretched with my head back, I had a breathing tube, and the surgeon went in behind my sternum and got the enlarged gland.

It was a totally new experience for me. The anticipation was a lot worse than the actual day and event. Actually, my only really bad day of anticipation was the Saturday night and Sunday beforehand. Me and my vivid imagination couldn't fathom someone going inside my body and taking something out. Not to mention in one of the sensitive areas of my body. (I never really liked anyone touching the front of my neck.) I had creepy fears of a slashed throat and that the knife would slip and my head would cut off, and proceed to roll on the floor of the operating room. Then what would they do!? This did not happen. Plus, Mike reassured me that this was ridiculous and would not happen.

This fascinates me. A Thymectomy is such a rare procedure, but my surgeon is an expert. He even uses tools that were designed for him. For me and countless others around me, it was a different and rare procedure, and abnormal day for us. For my surgeon, this was probably a standard "day at the office" with an interesting "case."

As they were rolling me down the hall to the operating room, I caught a glimpse of my surgeon going into the elevator, and the nurse said, "There's your doctor!" You probably would not pick him out of a bunch. The same way you wouldn't peg Isaac Stern as a master violinist or my relative as a navy seal. It is definitely not a God that we see that carves out the rivers and streams and pulls the mountains out of the earth. All work in their expert chiseling.

I am so grateful for their expertise.