Urethral Surgery #3

We are settled back in after a day at the hospital. As always, we experienced the hospital time warp where things went really slowly yet oddly fast. When we checked into our room this morning I was overjoyed to see our FAVORITE anesthesiologist's name on the board. Dr. A has taken amazing care of Elijah during some of his biggest surgeries, so I had to refrain from hugging him when he walked into the room.

The surgeon today was a cohort of Dr. R's, so not our usual doctor. Elijah kept referring to her as "Dr. R's sub." :) The surgery went smoothly and quickly, but we got news we weren't expecting. The doctor thought that despite intermittent cathing (which we'll have to do daily for the next six months), this is just a patch. Within a year or two Elijah will need a much bigger surgery that sounded like a pretty big deal. One step at a time! First we have to get him through a week of being cathed and we will take it from there. We will also pray for another miracle!

He was SO brave today, even with the "scary mask." We got him a pack of Pokemon cards immediately afterward as a reward for his bravery. He was SO groggy when he woke up that he could hardly form words and he kept asking the same questions over and over. Once we got him up and moving he improved quickly. By the time we got home he was requesting a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup (fave comfort foods). He ate endlessly and I even caught him in the fridge devouring cottage cheese straight from the container. :)

We are praying that the cathing goes smoothly at school for the next few days. We have communicated with the school nurse and she is going to help him "drain" 3x/day, which is a huge blessing. If needed, I can go in and help, too. It really is amazing how secretive they make cathing these days. No one will ever know what's going on unless Elijah spills the beans. :) And great news for him! He doesn't have to use the toilet nearly as often! :)

I have to say that on days like today it sure does help to have a faith in God. SO many times today, I just deferred to Him. I trusted his promises and let Him hold all of us. We are feeling strong, confident and faithful and that has nothing to do with our strength.

I'll end with some hospital-related funnies. All of the below occurred after Elijah had taken Versed (the pre-surgery med that alleviates anxiety)..

Dr A asked if he was going to do Kung fu while they tried to put the mask over his mouth. Elijah held up Pikachu (Pokemon stuffed animal) and said, "No, but you better watch out for THIS little fella!"

A doctor asked him if he was nervous and E answered yes. The doctor asked what specifically he was nervous about and he said, "Whatever this thing is that you're doing to me."

And when Dan put on a gown to take him back to the OR, Elijah said, "Dad, you're a pretty lady! You should put on make-up!"