All the Way My Savior Leads Me

All the way my Savior leads me
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His faithful mercies?
Who through life has been my guide
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort
Ere by faith in Him to dwell
For I know whate’er fall me
Jesus doeth all things well

The hymn was written by Fanny Crosby. As I ponder that now in regards to my own life, there is comfort, hope, and help. “For I know whate’er fall me Jesus doeth all things well.”

It is May, already. Where have the past few weeks gone?

On 7 March I wrote this God is the Author. As I mention there, I do no plan to make this a health blog. I am writing now to just give an update and reflect on what God has done these past weeks.

On 16 March I had surgery. My husband was able to be with me while I waited to go into surgery. That was the last that I saw him until I was discharged.

Surgery was about seven hours long during which I had my gall bladder removed, the tumor removed, and all cancer that could be seen. I ended up with 25 percent of my liver. Did you know that the liver is the only organ that will regenerate? It will not go to 100 percent but the estimate is I will end up with 60 percent of my liver. Is that amazing! I see God’s hand in that.

I spent the next seven days in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) which meant there was one nurse for two patients. I was able to get the care that I needed.

During that time my daughter was still in school though by mid-week my husband made the decision to keep her home. She was feeling stress because mom wasn’t home and all the discussion at school about coronavirus.

I was slowly regaining strength while my husband was trying to stay healthy and keep the house running. We communicated via FaceTime but felt that it be best if he did not come into the hospital.

While I was recovering, the country was beginning to go into lockdown.

I was discharged eight days after surgery. The last day in HDU I could tell that the hospital was beginning to get ready for coronavirus.

I came home to a new world. Our family has been self-isolating. My outings have been to the GP for bloodwork or to the hospital for follow-up appointments.

My surgeon continues to remind me that I had major surgery. Recently he said, “that was the most major surgery you could have on the liver.” The recovery time is 3-6 months. I am learning to slow down and that is not always easy for me.

I did end up back in the hospital for a night to drain some of the fluid in my lung. That was causing breathing issues.

So now seven weeks after surgery, I am slowly regaining energy and strength. Slowly I am learning to pace myself.

I am also thinking through all the happened in the four weeks prior to surgery. I went from feeling fine to symptoms, multiple procedures until a diagnosis of bile duct cancer, and then surgery. What does all that mean? How does it change my life? How is God working in my life?

I had a rough outline of what I was going to write on the blog in 2020. I might come back to that but over the next few weeks, I am going to share different things with the hope that this will encourage you. Tell me, what would encourage you at this time?

That is an update from me? What is new from you?

 

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 

I Thessalonians 5:24-25 (ESV)