Post Op Grace!

Well, I suppose I should also talk about Chris surgery...

This has been over a 2 year process. To read about where Chris "has been" in the whole clef repair process (with pictures!), please feel free to click this link:

http://psalm-8410.blogspot.com/2012/05/our-assorted-upcoming-surgeries-no.html

Obviously we got our dates!

Yesterday could not have gone any better. Truly.  It was really great to see Chris' surgeon, Dr. Seldomridge in his element.  The respectful way he treats everyone, including his team at the hospital, as well as their respect for him was really wonderful to observe.  He was operated on at Lancaster General Hospital - it was SO easy to get in there, everyone went above and beyond to help us and make sure Chris and we were OK.

We arrived a half hour early, and were taken right back.  The check in lady walked us to the next stage and as she left called back "God bless you!" which really stood out to Chris - he has since begun to pray for the woman (whose name we don't know!).  The nurses were patient and gracious.  The IV process was the worst part (for Chris and the nurse who patiently worked with him).  They talked to him, and answered SO many questions from all three of us.  They allowed him to have his custom pillow case (something we picked up from CHOP and Katie - thanks Mrs. Landis!) and his bunny (whom he has had for the last 9 years!) when he went back for the procedure.  When we visited the gift shop I had brought with us the balloon that hung over his bed at his last surgery 9 years ago! They tried to fill it for us (at no charge and with other customers waiting!), then patiently explained to the crazy worried mom (I call myself sentimental. I think they maybe would drop the "senti" part) that helium balloons frequently don't hold air after nine years (see what I mean - ABOVE and BEYOND!).

He was a little longer than expected, but when we were finally called back it was to dress him and be escorted out. No calling for transport either - his nurse walked us down to the waiting car. Just an over all wonderful experience. Here are some pictures from the day...

MY bags packed and ready - both made by dear friends. Moral support (really! See... sentimental) - and that shiny blue in the front? Yup - that balloon...

Before anything - and dreading the IV...

After and waiting for us to get him out of there!

And - another stunner, but somewhat "normal" for Chris... He is on NO pain medications. He has had 3 teeth pulled, a lip fistula repaired, and a bone graft in his upper jaw, and the little man keeps stating that other than a bit sore, he is FINE. No meds needed (other than his antibiotics!).

We have to be careful that NOTHING (not even his crazy tongue!) bothers that graft site. He also has to be immaculate in his mouth until at least Sunday afternoon, so he is on a clear liquid (and liquid ONLY - no jello) until that time. That's been his biggest hurdle. He is pretty swollen up, but experiencing no bruising (which we were warned about and is pretty common after this type of event). After Sunday, he can have food again - all must be soft, and NO BITING. Very similar to the protocol for the palate repair. By Youth Camp and Wildwood he shouldn't have ANY restrictions. What a vacation that will be! 

We go back to Rothsville for a check up next Friday to have his sites checked, and again the week after (Wed.) to have his stitches removed. I can not believe this is over!!  SO grateful.

Lititz Trips for Chris surgery consultations and what we do for fun!

One perk of our visits to Lancaster for Chris' consulatations? The Rothsville office is right outside of the town of Lititz. We have grown to love Lititz. It is a great place to walk around to pass some time before a 2 hour ride home. Here are some pictures we took while we were there for our "final" surgery consultation...

On the way into the park...

These are some trained ducks - they can spot a tourist anywhere. Wondered why they were so friendly - then Mike spotted the food dispenser. So, being tourists and all, we caved...

Kate the Duck whisperer...

A picture of ALL SIX of us!!!  Note the REALLY short lady on the right... Not long now before I will need stilts. And btw - I am on raised flip flops and trying to stand as straight as possible. Note Kate's bent knees? I am telling you - everyone got Mike's tall genes.

Walking down the park's stream...

To the fountain head...

Where the springs really leave the cave... 

The "friend" Stephen found... We put him back - he was very patient!

The original "Lititz Lion" and the granite sculpture added after the original was defaced.

"In addition to its beautiful stream, its shaded walkways and its well-kept, natural environment, the Park was decorated in 1857 by a lion's head elegantly carved by J. Augustus Beck, a native of Lititz; and strategically placed to the right of the spring-head near the steps. Sometime later, Paul E. Beck, his father, Abraham; and his brother, Herbert, put a stone tablet into the wall at the Springs' head-end, upon which was engraved a German inscription, Gottes Brunnlein hat Wasser die Fulle ("God's Fount is never failing.")" 
( http://www.lititzspringspark.org/lsphistory.html )

AMEN!! Love this plaque!

They have a railroad car that has been turned into a museum as well. It was always closed when we went before. We caught it open!

And we NEVER leave Lititz without a visit to Wilbur chocolate museum!!!!!!

It's a fascinating place! And gives us something to munch on the way home...

Of course these next posts will be the size of a small novel!

It's been a while since I have posted. Life does that sometimes. Also, well, Facebook is back over here, and it is easier to simply do a sentence or two. But I am not a fan of writing small novels on Facebook as posts (I know - wouldn't know that from my small novels on Facebook...), plus there is SO much to say today I decided to do an update. Or a series of them. Or something.

This past week was a big week for us. As most of you know, Christopher, after 2 years of preparation, has finally had his jaw reconstructed. It is over. I will go into a whole lot more detail on that later, but suffice it to say that sometimes you have no idea how much something has become a part of your life until it is no longer a part of your life. I will give his "big day" its own post. Before we go there though (since I am unable to do things out of order...  : ) ), I have to do a "remember when" that really served to encourage me this week!

On June 12th of last year, Katie was in CHOP having a cath/ablation procedure. This is Katie the morning after the procedure.... It's SO Kate! Remember that law that states "An object in motion tends to stay in motion". That was written for my daughter and was why we went ahead with surgery over medication. The child NEVER stops!!!

Unless she has a book in her hands....

And this is her this year... Taller than me by 2 inches (at least!), sharing my shoes, and making our lives more exciting every day. How we LOVE this girl (young woman... )!!! 

 
As we visited the library for some books for the week and Mike and I were attempting to keep up with the kids walking home (hey - we were carrying the books - and they were HEAVY! ), I finally gave Kate the keys and sent her running full till down our street to unlock the door. It was then it occurred to me that she was in the hospital exactly one year ago that day. We have been SO blessed. That whole experience really did give us strength for that day and bright hope for tomorrow (in this case, Chris procedure - June 13th this year.). He has been good to us and our family!

Done school for the year!!

OK - I'll clarify I guess.  Done for the calendar year.  Ever since we started the surgery for Mike circuit, we decided to cancel all breaks.  That meant that Thanksgiving week was a normal week for us - BUT - we are taking December off.  ALL OF IT.  Sooooo - we are done for the calendar year.  Can you possibly hear through the fonts how excited the teacher is??????? SOOOOOO Excited!!!!  Kids over the top happy right now too. We are DONE! So what happens now? I start deep cleaning, of course. And we are starting Christmas decorating (early for us - we try to wait until after Michael Ben has his birthday so things don't all run together, but this year no one seems to mind).  And can I add a little confession here?  The other exciting thing is that we get Mike home for most of the month as well.

The last two days, they cancelled his OT and had him coach people instead. On a strange schedule. It was 11:30 AM until 8 PM. He did go in early to catch up on paper work, but still, the later morning gave us an idea of what having him home means to us. And let me tell you - it means A LOT.  Knowing of course that he will not be "himself" - especially at first.  Still we can't help it.  Mike here adds a level of joy that is missing. And we have missed him.

I have 4 more days to get us ready - and one with him in one piece to get us "set up" before he becomes  one of the kids for a bit. Then again - Michael Ben is getting to the point where he can do a lot of things that used to be squarely in Mike's realm. That will also help. We may have time to rest this season after all - and we sometimes need those rests forced on us - we can be foolish with our time at times.  So - is that bad that I am looking forward to him being here and the forced reduction of schedule?  I'm not convinced it is!!

I'll finish with a picture from "Christmas past"... Hoping to get one this year before the fun starts, but great memories!!

So confused, but trusting

Well - we had cleft clinic today. This is the time all of Chris' doctors are all under one roof. It is the hub of all cleft teams - they all have a set aside time for their patients to be seen by every professional responsible for their care in quick succession . Short visits, notes are exchanged. No appointment - line at each door. We've been doing this since Chris was an infant. Nothing new. But - a word of advice, it's a challenge to see a doctor after you have transferred away from their practice. Not fun. But necessary. Especially when they are still a part of the patient's care.

We've apparently set off a firestorm with Chris' care. Not a one of Chris' doctors is excited about giving up their part of his care. This is both flattering and frustrating. Apparently the doctor's office in Lancaster didn't represent the Oral Surgeon properly. Neither the oral surgeon, nor Chris' plastic surgeon are excited about any transfer of care at this stage. The surgeon reiterated again that he absolutely will take our insurance - and if not will absorb costs. We only have to worry about the hospital - and he will do everything in his power to make sure everything is completely covered. Anything. He was quite annoyed with his office staff and explained that he would have to have a little talk with his receptionist. Didn't mean to do that. Didn't even know that's what we were doing (causing trouble over the insurance).

I met with Chris' plastic surgeon after the oral surgeon and ortho, and he reiterated that he would prefer his original oral surgeon as well. So now we have had two consultations with two other oral surgeons that have to be "undone"?? Not sure how to do that...

Woke up this morning with the song from Laura story "Faithful God". Particularly the chorus. It says:

"Faithful God - every promise kept. Every need you've met - faithful God. All I am and all I'll ever be is all because you love faithfully - faithful God!"

The line that stuck out at me this morning was that line "Every promise KEPT. EVERY need you've met."

Wondered when I got up why it was on my heart. I think I needed a pre-med. A reminder before I went into the clinic today. I am grateful for that thought being up front in my mind before facing the day. At the same time we got home and all I wanted to do was to sit down and cry - both out of frustration and out of confusion. Really don't know where to go from here. Just feeling very overwhelmed with all of this. Putting Chris through this procedure at all is painful for me. The negotiations, the constantly changing courses is really starting to get to me in all kinds of ways. So - I am trusting in our faithful God, and yet feeling very weak and confused. I know He has it and eventually I will look back on this and see how much of His hand has been on this. It's just that, for right now, it is hard to go day by day.

On a happier note - here is a recent picture of all my crazy kids!! We had some peanuts we had to roast ourselves (did you know you have to do that sometimes? I didn't - see I'm learning stuff!), then we made it into peanut butter. Yup - the peanut butter comes out a hole in the elephants arm.... is that bad??

A Great Message!!

Nancy Guthrie: "Pain that Can’t be Prayed Away" (Audio)

Nancy Guthrie:

My Needed Reminder... because I am still too thick headed to learn yet!!

This passage has a tremendous amount of significance for me. It is a struggle for me to keep my focus - and I find myself repeating Peter almost word for word sometimes....  Here is the passage in the ESV.

John 21:15-22

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

He said to him, "Feed my lambs."

He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

He said to him, "Tend my sheep."

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?"  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

Jesus said to him, " If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!"

Let me start out by saying this isn't a theological treatise.  In fact some of what I say may not be exactly right on...  The thoughts you are about to read are me personally having this passage take a dig into my heart and mind attitude. 

 Jesus is risen and the relationship between Jesus and Peter has been restored.  Peter had denied Jesus three times.  In a row.  Three times.  He had even been warned ahead of time that it was going to happen.  And when. He even swore that he would never do it.  So, you can imagine, from a human standpoint what it may have been like for Peter when he saw Christ again, after the resurrection, for the first time. This was the third time for the disciples however.  Here is the scene.  Jesus calls to the fisherman from the shore as they are coming back from fishing.  It was the morning after a long night with no success.  He tells them to cast their net on the other side.  This is unusual for two reasons. It's morning, and Jesus is instructing professional fisherman.  But at the same time - this is also not the first time this has happened, and John - the disciple Jesus loved - recognizes the situation and his beloved Lord first.  John seems to have a knack for that kind of thing.  Peter however, being the man of action that he is, puts on his garments and jumps overboard (not the first time Peter has done this either).  They get to shore and a breakfast of fish and bread is waiting for them.  Already ready.  After they had eaten, this dialog between Jesus and Peter is recorded.

There is a lot in this passage.  For instance, Jesus asks Peter three times.  Three.  In a row.  He asks if he loves him.  Peter (I imagine very eager to right himself - just my feeling) answers three times.  But after each answer Jesus calls him to respond with an action - specifically to feed and tend His sheep. The third time Peter slightly changes his answer by acknowledging that the Lord knows all things - He knows Peter loves him.  Jesus answer is stunning.  He explains to Peter that tending and feeding his sheep will come at a great cost to Peter.  His freedom.  He is prophesying Peter's death by crucifixion - a death John describes as the kind of death though which he would glorify God.  And immediately after giving Peter this glimpse of cost he says "Follow me."

Peter is really captivated by Christ during this conversation - his focus is on the Lord and on Him only. But then he does something interesting.  He turns his gaze and allows it to rest on John.  And he just can't help himself.  He has to know.  Um... what about him? And Christ arrests his gaze again as he reminds Peter - John's future is His business.  Not Peters.  Peter is to focus only on one thing. 

YOU FOLLOW ME. 

I can totally relate to Peter.  If I am focused on Jesus - I am captivated.  He leads me to follow Him.  As each opportunity to follow Him in one way or another comes into focus, it brings a similar response - "Lord - you know all things. You know I love you!" These are some intoxicating mountaintop experiences.  I wish SO much that this was my normal.  It isn't.  The fact that is ever happens at all is the grace of God - and it is a grace I am thankful for - and also leads to some pretty heady promises - again, like Peter - "I will never deny you. Not me. Never."

But my more natural tendency is to look to my left and right.  To look at those around me, focus on what they are or are not doing, or what blessings they are receiving, and say "What about this one? What are you going to do through them / or for them / or in them? Will they have the same cost as I do? Or will they have it easier / harder?" 

Kindly His answer is the same to me. "YOU FOLLOW ME." 

And that's hard.  I want the same treatment.  The same promises.  The same challenges.  I mean, if there is going to be suffering or challenge it's only fair if we are all in it, right?  That's "just".  Peter wanted to know if John would have the same experience.  The same challenges.  The same cost.  The answer wasn't given to Peter as to what John would experience.  It had to be enough for Peter to refocus on the following instead of the balancing of the scale. 

We know that John was the only disciple that was not martyred.  It's not that he didn't have a cost to follow Christ.  He was exiled.  He suffered much.  But the truth is, we are all called to follow Christ differently.  It is helpful for me to remember that the call is to follow.  And there will be a cost.  But how that works itself out in others around me is going to look different than it looks for me.  I need to focus more on challenging and encouraging those around me to follow Christ.  Not what I think Christ calls believers to do.  I understand there are the obvious ones.  I am not promoting a "Just do whatever feels like a call to you." - not at all.  But what I am saying is that when I look around at others and answer Christ's call with, but why them?  Or why not them?  Or any other comparison I want to make, the answer remains.  He calls me to follow HIM.  Only him.  Spend my energy on the pursuit of Christ and what he is calling me to - and trust him for the results.  Don't lose focus by looking to the left or right.  Focus on one thing.  Him.  Hoping to be a faster learner!!