Monday, July 21, 2008

I (we) Told You(them) So

Maura's central IV line has been taken out and will have to be re-inserted. After two months of telling "them" that it leaked, and having them check it three times and telling us that it didn't, it turns out that we were right. At first we thought that I wasn't doing a good job of putting a protective layer of plastic over it when she showered; then we thought that maybe she just sweat a lot; but we quickly realized that the darn thing leaked for real. Today, Maura talked to the IV therapist who we've known all along to be the most competent one they have, and she knew just by Maura's description what the problem was. "Oh, you have a duct leak." Yep, when she had the catheter inserted into her vein in May, they apparently punctured a lymph duct, or something like that, and it never healed on it's own. The doctor immediately agreed (I don't know why we never told him about it) and will schedule a new date for her CVC insertion when her white blood cells and platelets go back up. In theory, the frustration of this not having been caught earlier should be completely dwarfed by the immense satisfaction of being right. Unfortunately, Maura has to suffer because of it, so the satisfaction is short-lived. She's determined that this time she's going to ask to be put to sleep (in the unconscious sense, not in the veterinary sense) during the procedure. As usual, her attitude about the whole thing is great, and she's happy not to have those tubes hanging on her chest for a few days.

2 comments:

dhbryan said...

Whew, glad you figured out that you have to specify that you want short-time meds for surgery and not the vet-dog option! Sure sorry about the weird burning for hands and feet. It's bad enough to feel crummy; real pain on top of that!?! Hope to hear everything is better by next post. Love, the Bryans

Jim Coffey said...

http://confessionsofaslackermom.blogspot.com/2008/07/gods-divine-appointment.html
I share a story in the hope that it will brighten your day. Prayer works. I pray for you every time I notice my teal bracelet.

The above link is from a friend who had a brain aneurysm. Everyone had given up and was planning their lives accordingly. Then a funny thing happened... (begin quote from blog)

At one point her mom went into the kitchen to get something and then as she was coming back to be with dad by the computer a funny thing happened. In her head she heard Katie's voice very clearly saying, "I'm not dead yet". Now, this is not funny in and of its self. What is funny is that she said it with a Monty Python accent (for those of you who have seen "Search for the Holy Grail" you are rolling right now, for those who haven't your failing to see the humor. For that I apologize). As mom tells Dad this they both start laughing and some tension was broken and a point was driven home.

Which brings me back to the verse. Much of Friday morning for me was spent in paralyzing fear. I too was beginning to think of life after Katie rather than trusting God in the present situation. I was living in fear and it was taking my confidence. For me the turn around came through one of my best friends Mark. Mark was driving me home so that I could tell my kids about their mom and I was so scared. He looked at me and said with utmost confidence that God was going to heal Katie and in that he had no doubt. To me that was a 2X4 to the head. What was I doing? Here I am, a servant of God almighty, creator of heaven and earth, sweating something simple like a ruptured aneurism. At that point I resolved to stop living in fear and to begin to live out 2 Tim. 1:7. No longer was I going to be afraid, but rather I was going to trust God. I was not going to be weak, but rather I was going to live in God's "spirit of power". No longer was I going to be a slave of my imagination, but rather I was going to be disciplined in my mind and not give room to Satan or to fear.

So this is my challenge to you. As a family we stopped crying for Katie yesterday friday at 11:00am. Our tears now are when we think of the love that God is pouring out on us and Katie through you all, but we are no longer afraid. To be afraid is to show a complete lack of understanding, or worse yet, belief in who God is (read Phil 4:6-7). As a result God has brought a peace to this family that surpasses all human understanding. So, we are good. We really are ok. And no matter what the Dr's tell us over the next days and weeks, we will not give in to fear. Rather we are committed to trusting God completely. Please do the same.

Click the link to learn the rest of the story - it looks like it may be a happy ending.

http://confessionsofaslackermom.blogspot.com/2008/07/gods-divine-appointment.html