Crisis mode

We are in crisis mode here. Tevye is in hospital waiting for spinal surgery tomorrow. He suffers from quite severe scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and has had two major bouts of surgery in the past during which rods were inserted in his back to brace his spine. For the last few years his back has been doing well, only giving him pain if he has overdone things or is very stressed. Last weekend he began to get considerable pain at the top of his back, which deteriorated to the point where he went to the Accident and Emergency unit of our local hospital on Tuesday. It turned out that the top end of the topmost rod has become infected and needs to be removed to prevent the infection spreading. He is booked for surgery tomorrow morning.

Although this has all come as shock - this time last week he was fine! - we are thankful on various counts:

* The intense pain has gone. On Tuesday night he needed morphine for the pain; on Wednesday morning it disappeared.

* It looks as though the infection has been picked up quickly (although we will not know for sure until the surgeons get a look inside). If left, it could have become very much worse.

* This didn't happen three months ago, when I was dealing with intense nausea and first trimester exhaustion.

* It didn't happen in three months time, when Little Cherub is due.

* The predicted recovery time is only a matter of weeks. His previous surgeries involved two months in a full body cast and a six to twelve month recovery period. He should be back to normal (or thereabouts) by the time Little Cherub arrives.

* We have a number of wonderful friends here who will do anything they can to give us practical help, and many, many friends around the world who are keeping us in their prayers. To enjoy so much loving support is a privilege.

My resolution for Lent was not to complain. It seems I'm being given a particularly good opportunity to put that into practice. I am also trying hard to remember that we have no cause to be afraid. God is with us. He has a plan. We could use any extra prayers you care to send our way, though!