“I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
This passage from Isaiah 41 is one of the texts
that we read multiple times throughout the day as Markus had surgery to remove
his cancer infested humerus bone and replace it with a new one.
It is hard to anticipate how your mind, body,
and soul will cope with waiting around the hospital while your child is in the
operating room having major surgery. Praise God that as the day moved along we
once again felt his nearness, presence, and powerful Holy Spirit in our hearts.
It was also so good to receive many texts and emails and other messages of
support from friends, family, and people in our church community. The steady
stream of messages throughout the day was incredibly encouraging!
The day started early with a 7:00am appointment at
BC Children’s, but it was another beautiful summer day. Markus was very calm
leading up to the surgery. He continues to display incredible trust and peace
with what is going on in his life right now.
Dr. Clarkson, the orthopedic doctor performing
the surgery, was also in good spirits. When I asked him how he was feeling he
told us, “Very good. I had a great sleep, and everything is ready to go in
there.” So thankful for the gifts God has given to people like Dr. Clarkson and
his team!
I walked with Markus into the operating room and watched as
they put him to sleep. About 4 hours later Dr. Clarkson came to report that
things went very well. The new bone worked, and he was able to rebuild the
shoulder joint just as he had planned. The anesthesiologists also inserted
a nerve blocker in Markus’ neck. The purpose is to cause a sort of “freezing”
sensation in his arm for the first 3 to 4 days after surgery. It’s a way of
managing the pain and so that things can settle down with all the new parts.
A little while later we could see Markus in the
recovery room, pretty groggy but awake enough to be able to chat a bit. With
all the cutting and rebuilding in his arm the next few weeks are going to be
all about pain management. It is our prayer that there are no complications or
infections. We move forward in the full confidence that God will strengthen us
and sustain us, no matter what the road ahead looks like.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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| Internal prosthetic replacing the cancer filled humerus bone |
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