The Reality of Surgery

Today was a long day. While we were only at the hospital for about four hours, it seemed like we were there for several days.

Coop got his chest x-rays and blood work. We met with Dr. Gus, - Coop's surgeon - two of the PAs, Dr. Rosen - the anesthesiologist - among others.

The most serious of the meetings was with Dr. Gus. I know that there are possible complications with every surgery, but they are still difficult to hear and imagine.

Through it all, you hear percentages of "less than .5% of this or these four
conditions combined don't equal 2%." But I kept thinking back to our IVF transfer.

When we were deciding how many embryos to transfer, we had a choice of up to three (we only had three viable ones and that was the most WVU Center for Reproductive Medicine would do regardless). And the doctors kept saying that, if we chose all three, the chances of all three implanting were less about 1%. But to that one person it happens to, there is a 100% chance they will carry three babies and there is an increased risk with triplets.

So I kept thinking and are still thinking, even though the chances are minimal, they are real. And they have happened.

Please keep us in your prayers. We need them now more than ever. Reality is slowly, but surely creeping in.

Please pray that God will be with Dr. Gus and his team. Please pray that surgery and recovery go well. Please pray that there will be no long term complications.

We found out that the first 24 hours after surgery are the most critical. Please pray that by this time next week - next Wednesday evening - everything has gone as well as it could.

After our appointment, we drove to Virginia for my sister-in-law Sandy's wedding. For most of the way we listened to the Christian music playlist on my iPod, which mostly features Casting Crowns, Third Day and Mercy Me. At one point, Pam asked me what was my favorite Bible verse.

I don't really have an answer as to why it is, but it's Matthew 21:21:

And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

I remember reading at one point in the last few years to not have faith in your faith. But have faith in God and in Jesus.

Please pray that our faith in God and in Jesus will remain as strong as ever.

Thanks.