Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Faithful In All He Does
Less than two weeks ago, I did not know what to expect after Judson's surgery. I had prepared myself for the worst: a lengthy and frustrating stay in the hospital, a baby who was in pain and distress, and a chaotic schedule once he returned home. In actuality, none of that come to pass.
We were scheduled to be the first surgery of the day, so we arrived at the hospital at 6:00 a.m., ready to go. Because of an emergency heart transplant, we were bumped to later in the day. Although we had to wait until almost 4:00 p.m. for the surgery to start (with no food for Judson after 8:00 a.m.), he was not grumpy at all. In fact, he was a sweet little angel. I think he enjoyed having mommy and daddy all to himself all day.
The surgeon came out a few hours after surgery began and told us that everything went perfectly. Judson was taken to the cardiac intensive care unit, where he received one-on-one care for a few days.
This is what he looked like immediately after surgery:
The surgery wrapped up at about 7:30 Friday evening, and he was in the step down unit by early Sunday afternoon. By Monday afternoon, he was on his way home. I still can't believe how quickly he was able to come home.
What is even more astounding is the condition he was in when he came home. He was pretty much back to his normal self right away, except he was hungrier and he had some new battle scars to show for his time in the hospital. If you didn't see the scar on his chest, you would never know that he just had major heart surgery.
These pictures were taken just a few days after he came home:
Happy as ever!
His brother and sister were happy that he was home too:
I know it was no coincidence that everything went so smoothly. So many family members and friends were praying for him (and our whole family), and God was faithful to be with us the entire time, as He always is, and to ensure this great outcome.
We were scheduled to be the first surgery of the day, so we arrived at the hospital at 6:00 a.m., ready to go. Because of an emergency heart transplant, we were bumped to later in the day. Although we had to wait until almost 4:00 p.m. for the surgery to start (with no food for Judson after 8:00 a.m.), he was not grumpy at all. In fact, he was a sweet little angel. I think he enjoyed having mommy and daddy all to himself all day.
What is even more astounding is the condition he was in when he came home. He was pretty much back to his normal self right away, except he was hungrier and he had some new battle scars to show for his time in the hospital. If you didn't see the scar on his chest, you would never know that he just had major heart surgery.
These pictures were taken just a few days after he came home:
His brother and sister were happy that he was home too:
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars[a];
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm....
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars[a];
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm....
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18
When I hear this verse, I can't help but think of my baby boy Judson who was born "brokenhearted" in a certain sense. And it's true that the Lord has been close to him (and the entire family) over the past four and a half months. Judson's remained remarkably healthy for someone with his condition, and he's truly been a joy to all of us from day one. He's continued to grow and develop, almost keeping pace with his big sister.
Since he was born, we've been waiting for the day that he has his Glenn procedure, where the blood in his body will be re-routed in order to give him more oxygen in his blood. After this procedure, we're told that he will really flourish and become even more like a normal little baby. As you can imagine, we've been eagerly anticipating this day.
The day has finally arrived. Judson will be going into Egleston on Friday to have his Glenn procedure. It is a major surgery where his chest will be opened, so he will remain in the hospital for 4-6 days after the surgery, and the recovery at home will take months. Will you please pray with us for the success of the surgery and for his quick recovery? Please also pray for our family as a whole, as it will be difficult being split up in two different places during that time. More importantly, please pray that we would remember that the Lord is close to us.
"So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
(If you are interested in knowing what exactly the surgeon will be doing, there are tons of videos on YouTube you can watch. Most of them are for hypoplastic left heart, which is the opposite of Judson's problem (he has hypoplastic right heart), but you can still get an idea of the procedure.)
When I hear this verse, I can't help but think of my baby boy Judson who was born "brokenhearted" in a certain sense. And it's true that the Lord has been close to him (and the entire family) over the past four and a half months. Judson's remained remarkably healthy for someone with his condition, and he's truly been a joy to all of us from day one. He's continued to grow and develop, almost keeping pace with his big sister.
Since he was born, we've been waiting for the day that he has his Glenn procedure, where the blood in his body will be re-routed in order to give him more oxygen in his blood. After this procedure, we're told that he will really flourish and become even more like a normal little baby. As you can imagine, we've been eagerly anticipating this day.
The day has finally arrived. Judson will be going into Egleston on Friday to have his Glenn procedure. It is a major surgery where his chest will be opened, so he will remain in the hospital for 4-6 days after the surgery, and the recovery at home will take months. Will you please pray with us for the success of the surgery and for his quick recovery? Please also pray for our family as a whole, as it will be difficult being split up in two different places during that time. More importantly, please pray that we would remember that the Lord is close to us.
"So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
(If you are interested in knowing what exactly the surgeon will be doing, there are tons of videos on YouTube you can watch. Most of them are for hypoplastic left heart, which is the opposite of Judson's problem (he has hypoplastic right heart), but you can still get an idea of the procedure.)
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