Home from the War

Well, Gary came home from the hospital this afternoon. There was a lot of unplugging, disconnecting, signing and explaining. He's glad to be home--better in some ways; harder in others. He still has a tube in his back coming from the kidney and draining into a bag.

The doctor gave these orders for going home. Don't lift or bend. Don't do dishes or vacuum for six months. And don't ever do lawn work again. Funny man.

The war has been won, but a few small skirmishes still have to be fought. It's good to have everyone home.

War Business

Gary's surgery went really well yesterday. For the first procedure he was in the operating room for about 1 3/4 hours. For the breakup and removal of the very large kidney stone, he was in surgery over three hours. He will feel like he has had a knife stab to the kidney for a while, and he will be very bruised. The doc says he will be in the hospital two or three night.

Today our son Aaron is having a different procedure to remove a kidney stone that he has been trying to pass for a month. He will need someone with him for 24 hours. I plan to leave him for an hour here and there so I can go to the hospital to see Gary. Usually when a family member is in the hospital I stay all day there, but I guess I won't be able to today.

Thanks for praying.

Kidney Stone Wars

My husband is having actual surgery tomorrow to break up a huge kidney stone that takes up the upper half of his right kidney according to the doctor. At 9:00 or so, he will have a wire put into his kidney through his back so later a tube can follow that wire into the kidney to be used to break up the stone. That actual surgery will be at 12:30 unless it is moved up, and it will last about three hours. He will come out of post op at about 4:00 when he will be taken up to his room. He will be in the hospital about two or three days. After that he will be out of work probably another week and maybe longer. Please pray for him.

Our son, Aaron, has also been trying to pass a kidney stone for about a month. He will talk to his doctor tomorrow and it's possible the doctor may decide a manual removal is warranted (possibly as early as tomorrow or sometime in the near future). Please pray for him.

In this war, I will be the negotiator, the go-between, the medical team, the guard, the military police and the cry baby. Please pray for me.