12 Days to surgery!

[busymom9501]

It's almost here!   After a long drawn out dramatic event with the first hospital we are now on the road to surgery at a new one.  We do our final crossmatch and other lab work tomorrow and surgery will be July 23rd!

 I'll admit that I've been having some worrisome and anxious feelings about the surgery the last few days.  Not necessarily about any of the "minor" risks but about dying.   I have a 10 yr old and a 7 yr old and they are worried too.  Rightfully so.  It's a big deal! However, we are believers in Christ and we put our hope and trust in Him that things will work out.  They understand that God has put this on my heart but it doesn't make it worry free. And, while I know that the chances of dying are super slim, not be able to give them a 100% guarantee is hard on this mommy's heart!   

I'm most excited about my friend being able to feel better and hope things go well on her end!

[PastorJeff]

"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Isaiah 41:13

Pretty nice promise for you as you go forward.  I am about to get a surgery date myself.  I pray that the Lord surround you with his peace in Christ.

[elephant]

Dear busymom,

It would be a little weird if you weren't both nervous/excited about the upcoming transplant. Wow!  This is an amazing event, and a loving gift from you. Indeed, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends"

Please try to change from busymom to takeiteasymom, at least for a couple of weeks.  Don't turn down offers of help.  After all, why spoil someone else's opportunity to do something nice for a friend? 

Love, elephant

[busymom9501]

Thank you both for your scripture references. They are a comfort to my heart. . I am looking very forward to taking it easy and being pampered for awhile and have an amazing support system full of family and friends. I will be well taken care of!

[Fr Pat]

      I know that it may not be much of a "consolation", but we know that we can't give our loved ones a "100%" guarantee that we'll get back safe from a trip to the market: a drunk driver might hit us, or an odd blood clot may suddenly get lodged in the brain, or a sudden tornado might sweep us away. That's not to play down (of course) the small but genuine risks involved in donation surgery. But we would never get out of bed in the morning if we required a 100% guarantee of a safe day. We take the risk of drowning, just for the pleasure of splashing around in the ocean (and let the kids take the same risk!) So to take some risk in order to help somebody else may not seem quite so bad when we think of all the other risks in our lives. We do pay our police and firefighters to take risks every day, year after year, to help keep us safe.
     Well, just some random thoughts in case they might be helpful.
     Best wishes and prayers for your surgeries.
    Fr. Pat