Surgery Eve!!

Lacey is doing slightly better today and seems encouraged by the thought of today being her last day of life as a patient with pancreatitis. She has several things today that will be prep for surgery. There will be plentiful blood tests today as well as visits from surgeons, social work, dietary, labortory, surgical, and lots of other specialty staff. This hospital is simply amazing and God has placed us in the best possible facility I believe in the world. From the janitorial staff to the cheif 40 year veteran surgeon, every person has been absolutely wonderful. Lacey is also required to take two showers with a surgical scrub today and we have finished the first shower this morning. The showers are challenging because Lacey is very weak, in pain, and has lines and cords stuck everywhere. We made it through the first shower and she did well.
Lacey has also been having problems since the flight in with convulsions, shaking and shortness of breath. These episodes come about every 4 to 6 hours. They are very scary for Lacey and the family as well as for the doctors. Lacey's parents remembered that she had reaction just like that in her teenage years after recieving high doses of phenergan. The doctors have ordered today for us to stop the phenergan in hopes that these spells will stop. She has done well last night and today so far just with zofran, which is a milder medication for nausea.
So the surgery is scheduled for 740 in the morning and they will take Lacey from the 6th floor down to the 3rd around 545 for surgery prep. We will have some family time around 615 and the surgeon Dr. Sutherland will come and talk to the family around 715. Lacey is very excited and we are counting down the hours and minutes. They will take out her pancreas, spleen, and appendix, which will take about 5 hours. They will then take her pancreas to a lab about 15 minutes away to extract the cells that make insulin. The pancreas will be placed in a centrifuge and spun down and the islet cells rise to the top. The cells will be delivered back to the operating room and injected into the portal vein of the liver. They will then close up her incision. The doctors will give Lacey blood transfusions during the surgery due to high blood loss. They say it should take about 9 to 10 hours but could last up to 16 or mor depending on the cell extraction time. They've encouraged us that long operating times do not mean complications, the hold up is often based on how long it takes the lab to extract and transport the islet cells. I will keep the blog updated frequently tomorrow so keep watch for updates.
Wanted to share a prayer from a puritan that my father in law shared with me. Mind you that these puritans faced suffering, trials, and persecution..mentally, physically, and spiritually, and some were even put to death for their faith in Christ. Read this prayer and consider sufferings:

SOVEREIGN COMMANDER OF THE UNIVERSE,
I am sadly harassed by doubts, fears, unbelief,
in a felt spirital darkness.
My heart is full of evil surmisings and disquietude,
and I cannot act faith at all.
My heavenly pilot has disappeared,
and I have lost my hold on the rock of ages;
I sink in deep mire beneath storms and waves,
in horrow and distress unutterable.
Help me, O Lord,
to throw myself absolutely and wholly on thee,
for better, for worse, without comfort, and all but hopeless.
Give me peace of soul, confidence, enlargement of mind,
morning joy that comes after night heaviness;
Water my soul richly with divine blessings;
Grant that I may welcome thy humbling in private
so that I might enjoy thee in public;
Give me a mountain top as high as the valley is low.
Thy grace can melt the worst sinner, and I am as vile as he;
Yet thou hast made me a monument of mercy,
a trophy of redeeming power;
In my distress let me not forget this.
All-wise God,
Thy never failing providence orders every event.
sweetens every fear,
reveals evil's presence lurking in seeming good,
brings real good out of seeming evil,
makes unsatisfactory what I set my heart upon,
to show me what a short sighted creature I am,
and to teach me to live by faith upon thy blessed self.
Out of my sorrow and night
give me the name Naphtali - 'satisfied with favour' -
help me to love thee as thy child,
and to walk worthy of my heavenly pedigree.

From The Vally of Vision - A collection of
Puritan Prayers and Devotions