Back to Cincinnati

Just a little news about Tabitha's next medical adventure.  On October 11th and 12th Heath will be taking her to Cincinnati for a bunch of urology tests.  The plan is that she will have surgery on the 16th.  However, if these tests show that she needs a bigger surgery instead of the one planned, she'll come back home, and we'll schedule that for another time.  If the tests show that the current planned surgery will be enough, she'll have that done on the 16th and be in the hospital for 4-7 days.

The purpose of the surgery is to fix her kidney reflux.  In other words, to make her ureters into one-way streets instead of two-way.  They're supposed to be "exit-only," but hers allow reversing from the bladder back into the kidneys.  And the kidneys really don't appreciate that!  So this surgery should stop that from happening.

The doctors will also be giving her a "Malone."  This is a small hole in the belly button that will be used to do her enemas.  It will make that daily ritual much less of a hassle, and give her the potential to do the enemas herself instead of having a parent do it for her.  (Hallelujah for when that day comes!)

Prayer requests are many:  that she could have the smaller surgery and not need the bigger one, that everything heals quickly and without complications, that her kidneys would suffer no further damage and wouldn't cause her problems later in life, that the Malone is in fact as good as it's supposed to be, that the enemas would work 100% so that she could be clean every day and get out of diapers.  And of course we'd love to have a miracle where she wouldn't need enemas or catheters anymore.  Medically that's very unlikely, but we know a Great Physician who can do it if He so chooses.

Things to be thankful for are also numerous:  excellent medical insurance, having the best doctors in the world for Tabitha's needs, the ability to travel to/from Cincinnati without too much hardship, supportive family and friends, and a God who is not only in control but also knows the "why" for all our wondering, the answers to all our questions, and who holds the future in His hands.

Thanks for praying with us.