...And Finally....

Hey sweet friends.  I have not been very organized about who I am emailing, as its rather off the cuff.  I know I will miss someone and just please apologize to that person for me :)  I have included my first 2 emails below.

I will be having surgery next Monday May 4th.  The original issue that required waiting ended up being a non-issue, wonderful news.  I am currently on liquids only, so the sooner the better!  

They believe that what is going on is not necessarily my Crohns, which is also a huge praise.  For those who want to know, my past surgeries re-routed my stomach and gave me a new exit in my stomach.  That exit, of course, doesn’t have a “flap” so the acids in my intestines reflux back into my stomach and have essentially eroded my stomach.  When I say ulcers, the pictures aren’t pretty.  They are like 24+ ulcers that have merged together and perforated in multiple locations….the reasons I have had to have blood transfusions, the reasons I can’t eat, the reasons for so much pain, nausea, vomiting.  So when I tell you that they are going to remove a portion of my stomach, that is music to my ears! :)    TAKE IT!!  They are going to remove all the ulcerated/diseased areas, repair what they can and reconnect me.  These doctors are so confident that I will be a new person on the other side of this surgery, so I will share their confidence and excitement. {sorta}

My new GI said this surgeon is the only surgeon in Houston he would let touch my stomach.  {in his Turkish accent}  “Only doctor I let touch my sister.  If I had sister…” ;)  I will be in Methodist Hospital for about a week and home to recover for 6 weeks.  We are SO grateful for our army.  We have family lining up schedules to come help with the boys and the patient :)  We have amazing friends who have already offered to help us at home and with my business.  We are so blessed and so grateful.  I cannot wait for a few months down the line to report to you how wonderful I feel!

Thank you for your continued prayers.  I get messages all the time from friends of friends and some strangers that are praying for me.  People get my name of prayer lists.  That makes me cry all the time…tears of joy.  But, WOW!  Strangers who take the time to pray for me and for my family.  It’s a lot to put my overly-emotional head around.  We are so completely humbled by all of it.  There is nothing more overwhelming and appreciated all at the same time!  Please keep my boys in your prayers.  They know they want me to feel better, but they are already nervous about me leaving for a week to go to the hospital.  Oh, how that makes me so sad.  God please cover and protect my family in my absence! ;)  XOXO