The Adventure Continues

Our Church Council granted me a sabbatical for three months during the summer of 2010. My intention was to learn Latin American Spanish and to explore Latin American cultures here and abroad. Now that I have had some opportunities to lead mission trips to Yuscaran, Honduras, and to visit Mexico three times, the adventure continues.



Seeking New Horizons

Seeking New Horizons

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

On to the Hospital!

     Last June I had a double spigelian hernia operation, which is on one's belt line.  The surgery went very well and related problems were fixed.  Two weeks later I developed a severe infection and went back to the emergency room.  In trying to find the cause of the infection, the medical team found an unrelated problem: a suspicious cyst on my right kidney.  My doctor was concerned, but not alarmed.  "If you were old," she said, "we would not bother with it at all, but you are only 66."  Then she added, "On the other hand, if you were young, we would be all over this, but you are already 66." 
     So I'm happy that we found this, and that robotic surgery will be able to remove the cyst.  I have confidence in the surgeon and other personnel at the Lahey Hospital in Burlington.  The surgery is now scheduled for Friday, October 30, and I expect to be sent home on Sunday, November 1.  I have no pain, nor any other symptoms, and I am neither worried nor anxious about the procedures.  I just regret missing so many interested things and people during the recovery process.  I had thought I would be back to normal in just a few days, but the pre-op doctor told me to not go back to work or drive for at least 4 weeks, and that the surgeon will be recommending 6 weeks!  That will cover all of November, and maybe parts of December.  It's like a long vacation without the fun parts of travel and trying new things to do, to eat, and to drink.
     As I have been musing about the upcoming days, I have been thinking that it will actually be something new.  I've never had surgery this invasive, and I've never been laid up this long.  I suspect God will be teaching me something new, but if it is patience I need to learn then I must be in the graduate level of that course, as I've been learning that for decades.  Maybe I will learn some new ways of communicating, like reviving this blog, which was a great friend up until 2013, when I turned to other interests.  So for those that want to read what's on my mind, this will be the place to find it.  For now, I am so thankful for all the people who are filling in for me in my various responsibilities, and for all the people who are praying for me and wishing me well.  "I thank my God every time I remember you."  (Phil 1:4)