Lea underwent another transport to surgery today, although the surgery didn’t go as we hoped it would. Dr. Mah said that he wasn’t comfortable doing any closing of the wound once he looked at it in the operating room. The area looked good on Thursday and Sunday, but wasn’t as clean as he had hoped for, so he chose to just put in a couple of “huge” drains and let her continue healing.
The bright side is that this delay may allow her to lose more of the swelling in the abdominal area, and might permit the skin to be closed nicely at the same time the muscle layer is brought together. Unfortunately, that probably means a couple more weeks of delay in closing and turning that big corner.
Right now, the skin couldn’t be closed without excessive stretching, due to swelling still present, and it may not ever be possible to pull the skin close enough to just stitch it up. A skin graft may be necessary, and that is not going to be attractive. But, I don’t figure that an “attractive” scar clear across your belly would be too pretty any way. The important thing is that we get her back so we can worry about what it looks like.
Lea had been pretty heavily sedated prior to the surgery, in expectation of a more extensive procedure, and remained asleep throughout the rest of the evening. Dr. Mah said that she tolerated the surgery well, and is expected to be alert again tomorrow. She continue to be weaned off the narcotics, and may be given a different, non-narcotic, medication if her pain level requires it, but it is seen as a short term requirement. Her organ systems are working, and her lungs are recovering. The pancreatitis is gone, praise God!
Thank you, again, for the kind thoughts and good wishes. I can’t tell you how heartwarming and quieting the encouragement has been for us over the seven weeks we have been in the hospital! Thank you for your prayers, which have delivered us time and time again from the throes of death. God has been so merciful to us, and worked so many wonderful blessings throughout this time, it has been very humbling, to say the least.
May God’s blessings go with you today, and through the night, protecting and shielding you wherever you go. May your acts of kindness come back to you a hundredfold. May God bless your heart with true love.
As always,
Larry
Surviving God's Woodshed 
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March 28, 2007 at 11:56 am
Pray-ers
DAY FIFTY-THREE
FROM: Clint and Linda
Sept 6 @ 6:36 AM
Absolutely wonderful news! Even though we can’t be there with you physically, we’re there in spirit. Both of you keep up the good work.
FROM: Shana
Sept 6 @ 9:17 AM
Hi Larry, I just wanted to let you know I will be thinking of Lea this morning as she enters her surgery. I pray that the incision will be ready to be closed. I am so happy Link and Deanna are there with you! I look forward to your update tomorrow.
FROM: Marilyn
Sept 6 @ 8:38 AM
Joy, Joy, Joy! What a wonderful bit of news! Will continue to keep all of you in my prayers.
FROM: Marlowe
Sept 6 @ 9:38 AM
Larry, I am so excited for you, Link and Deana to begin to experience real interactions with Lea! God is indeed good and merciful! What a well-earned reward for all your days of one-way efforts to communicate your love! We will be praying especially for the surgery tomorrow, that it will be a major step forward in her recovery, God willing!
Your e-mails have been so inspirational, especially the last few days. I had determined not to forward them every day since she was more stable, but I find I must continue to share your reflections with my list of pray-ers. You really must write a book about all this. (really, it’s already written) What a page-turner it has been!
FROM: Bill
Sept 6 @ 10:02 AM
Larry – I have been kept up to-date from Sherrie, however I thought I would like for you to add our name to your e-mail updates. Phyllis and I are praying for both you and Lea. So sorry to hear about Lea and hope she will recover soon and that you can return home. We cannot imagine what you are going through, but we know that the Lord is with you both. We will be keeping you in our prayers and thoughts. Peace to both of you.
FROM: Mary Linda
Sept 6 @ 2:36 PM
Dear Larry, My husband Adalid and I (Mary Linda) are some of those people praying for Lea and for you who have never met either of you. Your son, Lance, is our niece, Kristin’s, fiancé. Marlowe is my sister and she has forwarded to us all of your emails. Unfortunately up until now, we have not responded with a card or email although our prayers have been with you all this time. I have also passed the request on to a Prayer Circle maintained by one of my co-workers here at Paradigm Geophysical. So here in Houston and beyond there is a large group of people praying for Lea’s healing and for comfort and strength for you.
Praise the Lord that we can join together in the community of faith in Jesus Christ over the miles and make our pleas known to God. And He is ever faithful. (I picked up a little card in a Christian bookstore last Monday, a Pass It On message card, which says: “Trials are not enemies of faith but are opportunities to prove God’s faithfulness.”)
We cannot tell you how much your emails and the spiritual insight found in them have meant to us. Your faith in God, and love for your dear wife, have shown through the emails you have written, proclaiming God’s faithfulness and witnessing to His grace. This has been a true inspiration to us and we thank you for sharing your deepest thoughts in such a trying time. We will continue to pray that the Lord will grant that miraculous healing we are waiting for, even more miraculous than what He has done so far, after all, all things are possible for the Creator who loves us so much. Blessings always from Bellaire, Texas
FROM: Debra
Sept 6 @ 2:54 PM
Indianapolis, Indiana. (Irwin employee and have known Lea for 19 years)
FROM: Dave
Sept 6 @ 5:12 PM
I share this with you because I know you and I know Lynn. I hope this message has some meaning to you personally and that you know someone who would benefit from hearing this message.
—– Original Message —–
FROM: Lynn
Subject: Katrina Victims
I listened to the TV this morning and got an earful of what the government is not doing and what we are not doing fast enough and how horrible things are in Louisiana….while I don’t doubt that it is all true, I have to tell you that what I am seeing here in North Dallas and specifically in the Grand Prairie shelters is not the case.
Brian and I have been working in one of 2 shelters that city set up to welcome survivors of Katrina. We were ready to accept about 500 people (500 beds) and we received only 150. We have food provided by private citizens and service organizations, churches, etc. We have had volunteers working around the clock and waiting for buses to arrive After waiting for buses for about 15 hours we were sent home to wait.
Our bus arrived at 3:00 a.m. and volunteers were given about 20 minutes to get dressed and get to the center. It was crazy….We actually had almost as many volunteers at that time of the morning as we had survivors. The response was unbelievable. Then, these lovely people who had survived God knows what actually apologized to the volunteers for getting them out of bed. It was such a humbling experience. No one was demanding anything or complaining about anything. These people had been on a bus for over 40 hours and they were so happy to get somewhere dry and safe. All they wanted was a shower and some hot food.
The children were in great spirits and you could see that this band of weary travelers had created their own family and were watching out for each other. No one was pushing ahead of anyone else or trying to see what they could get for themselves. The children and the elderly were the priority and no one was looking after themselves until these people were taken care of. There was a young man there with his Great Aunt and he was so sweet to her it would bring tears to your eyes. There was a woman there who saw her entire family swept away and go under the water. She is alone now. There is a boy of about 9 years old who may lose his eye because some kids were rough housing and he got hit in the eye with a water bottle. His father was saddened, but they felt lucky to be alive and be in a safe place.
In this community we continue to have an outpouring of volunteers and donations. We are starting to get calls for jobs for these people. The kids will start school with new uniforms today and will have newly donated backpacks and school supplies provided by the school district. I’m not sure why it was important for me to write this down other than the fact that the press is politicizing the issue to such huge proportions that I needed to speak out to someone. Shame on the looters and any one who is taking advantage of this tragedy. Shame on the press for making that the story. This is a time in history when we need heroes and angels and they are all around us, but no one is looking for them. That’s a greatest tragedy in itself.