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I have realized that, though I’d like to write and post often, I have quite a lot of things to tend to so I haven’t been able to. I’m thinking that if I write less I can post more often. We’ll see how that works out.
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Day One
Driving to the hospital that morning, I was calm and confident because I knew that the Lord had arranged this engagement. I was directed to a reception waiting room where I shed my normal clothes for a hospital gown of what seemed to be made of paper and it had a hookup for a heater hose on the wall, in case I felt cold. Martha, my wife, our son, Brian, and daughters, Deb & Lisa, along with Deb’s oldest girl, Andrea (14) were accompanying me while waiting to be ushered to the operating room for the surgical procedure.
Placed on a rolling bed, I was wheeled to another waiting area where there were several other persons separated by curtains waiting their turn too. The temptation to feel some trepidation came to mind –how is this going to work out? –What if such and such occurs? I’d never been through this before so I didn’t know what to expect but all these fears were overpowered by that special peace I had inside from God, that perfect peace He gives when you trust Him, that persuasion of simply knowing and believing all is going to work out fine.
A nurse came with some paperwork asking me about allergies etc. and if the medical procedure indicated was correct. It’s standard procedure to ask repeatedly the same questions to make sure they are getting it right and so it was. An IV was placed in my arm and afterward an anesthesiologist showed up to inquire about allergies and explain the type of anesthesia and method; first administered through the IV, then through a gas mask, which is monitored along the way. Dr. Fleming arrived at my bedside and after a few words with the anesthesiologist, a nurse, my wife, and me; all was ready.
My next conscious thoughts were of waking in a hospital room with absolutely no recollection of what I’d just been through. I was feeling pretty good even after having had major surgery. Probably the anesthesia was still having an effect. I was hooked up to an IV but could stand up beside my bed without assistance. This was turning out better than I had anticipated.
Having just waited about three hours, my family came to see me. They told me about what Dr. Fleming explained to them post op, that all had gone well. He removed the cancerous mass a little larger than a baseball and found that all my other organs were pristine, no evidence of cancer spread. Thank God!
We spent the rest of the afternoon getting some pictures and enjoying each other together and recounting events of the day and other experiences. Martha was staying overnight with me but that meant interrupted or little sleep for both of us because every four hours a nurse would come to check my vitals. Summing up the day, we were all pleased with the outcome and looking forward to a smooth recovery.
