Things Often Don't Go As We Expect

When I went for my analoscopy we expected that an internal hemorrhoid was the cause of my bleeding. But it turned out to be colon cancer.

When I went in for the colonoscopy to examine the rest of my colon, we expected I'd be home by the end of  the day, and prayed that things would go well. But right after the colonoscopy I had a heart attack and had to be admitted to the hospital.

Following the heart procedures to clear the blockage and put in a stint, we hoped and prayed that I would be able to spend at least a few days at home prior to my colon surgery 6 weeks after the heart was repaired. But I'm still here in the rehab hospital, with just five more days until the operation.

Arrangements had been made for DebbieLynne to come here tomorrow afternoon for a nice visit of a couple of hours. But this morning I learned that the pre-op tests and evaluations can't be done here at the rehab hospital so I'll have to be brought to Mass. General tomorrow which will tie up all afternoon. So there will be no visit with Deb tomorrow!

Once again things have not gone as we hoped and expected. Thankfully the person who was going to bring her here tomorrow for a longer visit will be able to get DebbieLynne here for a shorter visit later this afternoon. So we'll have some time together before Tuesday.

But we have to wonder. Will the operation on Tuesday go as we hope and pray and expect? Please continue to keep us in prayer. Has this time of my being hospitalized since my colonoscopy and heart attack been to help me be physically ready to survive the surgery and recover, or has it been to prepare DebbieLynne to handle life without me by her side?

We hope the surgery will go well and that after some weeks of recovery I'll be able to return home to be with my beloved DebbieLynne. She plans to arrive at the hospital during the latter part of the operation and a Christian friend will stay with her to help support her during that difficult time. Hopefully they'll get to rejoice together by the end of the afternoon if I'm awake and can let them know I'm OK.

Please do keep DebbieLynne in prayer. If I don't survive the surgery, I'll be with Jesus with no more problems of any kind. But DebbieLynne will be hurting badly. I don't want that to happen. I pray that it doesn't happen. I don't expect that it will happen. But things do not always go as we expect. So please continue to pray...and if God doesn't answer our prayers in the way we want and hope and expect He will, please help DebbieLynne however you can whenever you can.

I thank all of you for what you have done and will do for my beloved DebbieLynne. Hopefully I'll be around for a long time to do whatever I can for my sweetheart.

Updates On Two Fronts

First, as we near the date (May 15) of my surgery to remove the section of my colon with the cancer, Deb and I met with the surgeon yesterday.

Unfortunately he said it wouldn't be possible to do the surgery with two small incisions because my polio affected insides down there aren't lined up properly. So he'll have to make a larger incision in the abdomen to remove part of the large colon and sew back together the remaining colon.

There will be the possibility of infection afterwards until things fully heal, but measures will be taken to lessen the likelihood of that happening. But once the cancer is removed the daily bleeding should end. That should eliminate the need for blood transfusions I now get about once a week.

 

 He said that it is more likely that I'll have a prolonged period of limited pulmonary function. Since my heart attack the day of my colonoscopy I've only been able to be off the ventilator for very short periods. Lately the best I've been able to be without the respirator is about 20 minutes.

During the estimated 3 hours of the colon surgery I'll be under anesthesia and have a tube down to my lungs to breathe for me. The surgeon thinks it may take many weeks for my breathing to recover.

But Deb and I are thinking that with no more bleeding after the cancer is removed I may regain strength more quickly that what the surgeon thinks. And as soon as I'm able to be up in my wheelchair again, I'll be able to have my new vent on the back of my chair and use it on battery power for about 4 hours, or plug it into an electrical outlet when one is available.

Please do keep us in prayer regarding the surgery. Things haven't been going as we've hoped. The "out-patient" colonoscopy session led to the heart attack and heart procedures and this prolonged hospitalization with no time off to be home together. We don't know when I'll be able to return home after the surgery. So, please, keep us in prayer, including that I do get through the operation and recovery.

The other update I want to share with you is in regards to my earlier posting about the debt we'd incurred while paying for disability related needs to qualify DebbieLynne to be on MassHealth when she moved here to Massachusetts to marry me.

Thanks mostly to the help of caring friends, the $3,000 in credit card debt is now down to about $1,200. Thank you for all those who have helped with that. You have blessed us with your prayers and your giving.

I also want to thank all of those who have helped and will help DebbieLynne during this time of my being in the hospital. I wish I was there to do as much as I can for her myself. But until I get back there, I greatly appreciate whatever anybody does to help Deb.

Thank you for your prayers, your gifts, and your helping out in whatever ways you can. May God abundantly bless each of you.