06-12-12: A Day of Rejoicing!

Qavah's Bone Marrow Transplant took place this afternoon at 1:30pm. Qavah was pre-medicated with anti-nausea medicine. The hospital room was prepared with a crash cart, oxygen, doctors, and nurses.  However, none of the "emergency" equipment was needed.  There were no complications!  My mother said that, even before the BMT infusion began, the hospital room was filled with a peace that came from the Lord Himself.  Now, we pray and wait with "hope and patience" as the new blood marrow assimilates into Qavah's body.  That takes about twenty-one days.

Praise to the Lord the almighty the king of creation! 

Oh my soul praise Him for He is thine help and salvation! 

Let the amen sound from his people again. 

Gladly for aye we adore thee.

A Physical Miracle

Yesterday, I stunned the "pharmacy ladies" (as I like to call them) when I walked into the store to pick up a prescription.  The last time I had been in there was when I was using my walker, or even the wheelchair.  At that time, I was still contemplating whether I even wanted to follow through with hip surgery.  Exactly one month later, I was walking into the store with very little hip pain. 

Looking back to the day of surgery, I definitely think the surgeon was more nervous than I was.  He kept pacing the pre-op room, waiting for the OR to become available.  However, the Lord guided his hands and the surgeon performed the operation well with little complications.  For the first time, I returned home after surgery within the normal, scheduled time-frame (three days).  I began home health care right away with Gentiva Health Services.  While I only had a few sessions of occupational therapy, nurse care and physical therapy have filled up my days these past four weeks.  No complaints from me!  I've actually come to really look forward to seeing those medical professionals.  Everyone has been so kind, understanding, and patient.  Even the physical therapy exercises have been helpful enough that I plan to continue doing them on my own.  Pending any unexpected setbacks, this is my last week using Gentiva.  I will miss the home health team that helped me "get back on my feet"!

Normally, recovery from hip surgery does not go as quickly as my progress has been.  It has truly been a miracle from the Lord.  He has not only preserved my life yet again, but God has done above and beyond what I asked Him.  Before my surgery on May fourth, it had been January since I had walked with ease.  Really, I experienced a semester of continued debilitation.  In a matter of a two-week time span, I went from vacuuming upstairs and downstairs to using a wheelchair and living on one level.  Then, in almost the same span of time, I went from extreme pain to walking again!

Sometime in the future, I plan to write about the spiritual lessons I've learned from this experience.  However, for now, I just want to praise my Heavenly Father.  I was desperate, cried to Him for help, and He healed me (Psalm 30:2).  There has been one Bible verse that I continue to recall as I heal from this hip surgery.  It's a verse that I believe will become reality - in its entirety- in the weeks and months ahead:

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31.

Upcoming Surgery

God worked in awesome ways today!  My surgery date is scheduled for Friday, May 4 at 1pm (I'll have transfusions and platelets on that day, as well). The original date was for May 23. My pre-op tests (that I'm told lasts about 3 hours) takes place on May 1.   When I first learned of the original surgery date, my mother looked stunned and I burst into tears.  I couldn't help it - I'm so weary and couldn't imagine myself trying to live another month this way.  In addition to the pain, the oral pain medication has activated my Crohn's symptoms, making it so that I can only eat little bits of food a few times a day.  I've already lost ten pounds in one week.  

While the scheduler stepped out of the room, Mom prayed and called my father to ask him to pray.  After quite awhile, we could hear the surgeon and nurses making calls to my hematologists' office and working with other staff to find another surgery date.  When May 4 was announced, I felt relief inside.  I know the Lord will sustain me until then.  

For those who've asked, the plan right now is to replace the femur ball and remove any other "dead bone".  However, the surgeon said he suspects pressure build- up and deterioration of the surrounding cartilage, which would account for the severe pain.  As far as my leg circulation is concerned, he believes that I'm experiencing nerve spasms, again due to the pain.  If too much deterioration has taken place, then the surgeon will go ahead with doing a full hip replacement.  He won't really know until he is able to look inside my leg, how much bone has to be removed or replaced.  Either way, I may have a lot of relief right away and definitely more as my hip area heals.  In the end, after many weeks of recovery, I should be able to walk again! 

I so appreciate the prayers, cards, messages, visits, and other acts of love and friendship.  In fact, I'm designing a guest book journal, so that I can remember in years to come all of the kindnesses the Lord is showering me with right now by way of family and friends.