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Have any of your
kids ever gone into
surgery? I remember
the first time my
little Isaac, at
three pounds, had to
go into surgery.
Actually, the
surgery wasn’t
necessary, but
knowing that it
could potentially
keep him from
becoming completely
blind, we opted for
it. He was about 6
weeks old when he
had his first eye
exam, they noticed
ROP (Retinopathy of
Prematurity) and
told us about the
optional surgery. I
remember being
incredibly
frightened, knowing
that he was so
little, and that
some
anesthesiologist
would be holding my
baby’s life in his
or her hands. I
wondered how they
could measure the
right amount of meds
for such a tiny
guy? We prayed him
through that surgery
(along with our
friends from
church), and he came
out just fine.
His second surgery
was when he was 5
lbs and 3 months
old. We had been
able to take him
home from the
hospital only 1 week
before that (for the
first time since he
was born!), and then
we learned that his
other eye
needed to be
operated on. This
eye had progressed
to a state that was
much worse than the
previous eye had
been in, and they
would need to do
laser surgery, as
well as a vitrectomy
(funny, my spell
checker thinks I am
trying to type
vascectomy, which is
a very different
type of surgery).
In a vitrectomy,
they remove the
vitreous (the
gel-like substance
in the center of
your eye) and
replace it with
saline. Isaac had
an unnatural growth
coming off of his
retina and into the
vitreous, and the
vitreous was tugging
on that growth and
forcing the retina
to detach. The
theory was that if
the vitreous was
removed, the growth
would subside and
his retina would not
detach. That
surgery, which was
incredibly scary,
did not succeed.
Thankfully the first
surgery worked, so
that Isaac is not
completely blind.
The eye that was
operated on (in a
“study” to see if it
would work) when he
was 3 lbs is now his
“good eye.” Isaac’s
“bad eye” sees only
light and shadows,
and tends to
wander. Thankfully
we trusted that God
would protect our
precious son in that
first surgery,
otherwise today he
would probably not
be able to see.
Isaac had to have
anesthesia, the part
of the surgery that
scares me the most,
one other time—in an
MRI. I remember
taking lots of
pictures of him that
morning and hugging
him a lot, thinking,
“what if he has a
reaction to the
anesthesia and
doesn’t make it?” I
knew he had done
fine in two other
surgeries, but I was
scared. That time
everything worked
out fine, also.
Tomorrow morning our
sweet Isaac, who has
never really eaten
enough to grow, has
to go into another
surgery. More
anesthesia. More
scare for me. More
trusting God, that
is. I know that God
will protect him. I
know that God loves
our little boy. But
still, I’m scared.
A friend who prayed
for me the other day
(about this very
situation) said
“Lord, you know the
heart of a mother is
so tender.” I like
that line…Today my
tender heart just
longed to hold my
son, who is now a
very busy three year
old and doesn’t want
mommy to be holding
him all day long!
Oh how this mom
thing is harder than
I ever thought it
would be. Kids are
definitely not just
an attachment to
life as it was.
Children permeate
every aspect of life
and make it so much
more complex, and
yet, so much
better. I love my
kids SO much that it
hurts to even think
about Isaac going
into a surgery! I
was trying to
explain to him today
what would be
happening tomorrow.
I said “the doctor
is going to put a
hole in your tummy
and put a tube in
there.” In his
three year old
wisdom, Isaac
blurted out “that
will hurt!” I told
him that he would be
asleep, and that
when he woke up he
wouldn’t have the
tube in his nose
anymore. He looked
confused, but I’m
sure he understands
more than I could
recognize.
If you read this in
time and think of
it, please be
praying for our
family. We have to
be at the hospital
at 6 am, and his
surgery will
probably be 1 to 2
hours after that.
We know that prayer
works, we have seen
in answered so many
times in our life,
and especially
through God’s work
in Isaac. Thank you
everyone, I will
write an update as
soon as I get a
chance… |
