I don't expect that everything I share on here will be happy but I know that no matter what happens God is still in control and therefore we are blessed.
Two weeks ago today my 18 year old son, Drew, came home from work with a bad stomachache. Throughout the afternoon it only got worse. By that evening, he was on the couch in pretty severe pain.
Almost eighteen years earlier Drew had undergone 2 major abdominal surgeries before he was even 12 months old. The doctors told us then that we would always have to watch for issues that might arise from the formation of scar tissue, or adhesions, which is very common with abdominal surgery. These adhesions can cause intestinal obstructions at any point in your life with little or no advance warning. Yea!
So, off to the ER Drew went. He got there about 10 pm that night and after several tests and a lot of waiting he was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of an intestinal obstruction. It wasn't my worst fear but not good news by any stretch.
The surgeon came in very early the next morning and explained to us that sometimes these things will work themselves out if the body is just given a chance to rest and any inflammation that is in there is reduced making the adhesions less of a factor. That would be the best case scenario.
If that didn't work within a couple of days, Drew was facing another surgery. The problem with that is that the body heals itself by forming scar tissue. Can you say "snowball effect"? Yuck! Not a good plan but maybe his only option.
I don't have many pictures of Drew from his time in the hospital as an infant. It was a difficult and scary time for me and I really didn't want to remember what he looked like then. I did take a picture of him before his first surgery so that he would know that he wasn't actually born with the scar that now makes him look like he was cut in half at some point.
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With hindsight being what it is, I do wish I had one or two pictures from that month because they really would be a testimony to God's healing hand. This picture was taken the day before he was released to go home. He was sitting on a couch in the playroom at the hospital watching Daddy and Jeremy (his big brother) play Nintendo. He looks small and pale to me but it was a huge improvement over the previous few weeks.
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Keith said that when he walked into the hospital the morning after Drew was admitted and saw him laying there with yet another NG tube, it nearly brought him to his knees. Drew is much bigger than he was 18 years ago but it is amazing how quickly those years fall away when you are looking at your child laying in a hospital bed.
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2 comments:
Tracy,
God is good all the time, isn't He!!
Pj was keeping us informed of everything and we praying quite often for him.
Love, Heather
Look at your handsome boy! :) Whew! We made it...with God's grace and provision, we made it!! Love you bunches!
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