Successful Surgery...

warning:  If you're squeamish about needles, you might want to avoid this post.  

I will not be responsible for fainting readers.

However, it's not a real live animal being stitched up...it's a stuffed warthog.

{grin}

All set for surgery...where's the patient?

Looks like the patient is all prepped and ready for surgery...

 Stitching him up...

Anxious Papa...

It's going well...

Still anxious...

The last stitch has been sewn...

Good as new & he'll never miss that tusk (not living in the wild, you know)...

Hey!!!  I told you that the warthog needed to rest for a few hours!!!

Update on Ray

Real quick, here. Ray's valve replacement surgery went very smoothly yesterday. Before me Mum and I left about 8:00 p.m., he was doing 'as expected'. His blood pressure was low, so the plan was to give him 2 more units of blood. Well, about 10:00, Mum's phone rang...there was a blood clot or pool of blood pressing against Ray's heart, so they were taking him to surgery. Back we went. Everything is fine, now. He was oozing blood around one of the pacemaker wires (they placed a pacemaker yesterday that may or may not be temporary), so they took care of all of that and that was done. Ray's breathing tube is still in, so me Mum was encouraged to stay at home this a.m....they're going to awaken him slowly during the morning. Please keep Ray (& me Mum) lifted up in prayer...God is surely listening. Thank you all so much.

A Special Request...

I'm wondering if you all would say a prayer or two for me Mum's husband.

His name is Ray and he's having cardiac surgery tomorrow (Wednesday).

He has a very bad aortic valve that needs to be replaced.

The success rate is approximately 80 percent, but he's more at risk

because of his battle with stomach cancer...and the resulting surgery last year.

No more stomach. Chemo. Radiation.

The fact that he isn't where he should be at this time.

He is well below normal weight for a man his height, and

just not where the doctors wanted him to be

before they went ahead with this surgery.

And, to top it all off, one of his carotid arteries is 80% blocked.

That, of course, only increases his risks.

Could you add a little p.s. for me Mum, too?

She has Parkinson's Disease,

so all of the stress in the last 18 months

has definitely taken its toll on her, as well.

I need to be with her...

to make this as easy for her as I can...

to be there for her.

I'll be driving up to Eau Claire tomorrow morning

and should arrive while Ray is still in surgery.

If all goes as planned, I'll be home on Saturday.

edited to add: I just found out that the surgery is rescheduled to be done on Friday.

Kinda messes up my plans, but I'll still be there.

Just different days.

Prayers ahead of time can't hurt, though.