JUDAH WINS

Don't give up, don't give in! If you don't quit, you win!

We Are Home: Tired, But Amazed

Judah has returned home safely after surgery. Praise God for His peace and protection!

Homecoming & Initial Recovery

Judah was discharged Tuesday evening and we were home by 9 pm. It was a long couple days and a sleepless night, due to nurse check-ins around the clock.

Judah was so courageous while he waited for surgery on Monday afternoon. They finally took him back at 1 pm and surgery began at 1:30. We got regular reports from nurses throughout assuring us that all was going as planned. What was expected to be a 4 to 5 hour surgery ended up being about 7 hours. They took us to the recovery room where he was still asleep and we gave him liquids through a straw as he came to.

Monitoring & Care

Over the next 24 hours they monitored his calcium levels carefully. The parathyroid glands (God has given each of us 4 of them) are located adjacent to the thyroid and regulate the body’s calcium production. This particular surgery stuns them and they usually require a few days to recover and resume normal functioning. Signs of low calcium include numbness, tingling, muscle twitching, etc. After arriving home, Judah reported numbness in his chin and a bit of twitching in his legs. This prompted a call to the hospital and the consumption of more Tums. His chin is still a bit numb and I’ll be taking him to a local lab for blood work this morning to see if we need to increase his calcium dosage even more until his parathyroid glands get rolling again.

THANK YOU for your prayer support throughout the day of surgery and in the days since!

Spiritual Reflections

Monday and Tuesday really were amazing days, spiritually. I know it sounds cliche, but we really did feel a tangible peace throughout the event. Our pastor came to the hospital just prior to surgery and prayed over Judah with us just before he was taken in. Then, he and Eric went to the hospital’s “inter-faith” prayer chapel, where they prayed during the surgery. God showed them several open visions, including one of the angel who was attending the surgical procedure bedside. At one point the power of the Holy Spirit was so strong in the prayer chapel that Eric and Josh could barely stand to their feet. We believe that your prayers contributed to the establishment of a perimeter in the spiritual realm that wrapped the whole event in the protective power of God. It was fascinating because throughout the 7 hour prayer vigil, Muslims would come into the prayer chapel briefly to observe Salat. One of them seemed visibly moved by the power of God in the room.

We’ve often wondered about a particular passage that is SO challenging to observe on days like this. “Do not be anxious about anything…” Philippians 4:4-7.

I mean, how is it even possible to go through days like these and not give in to anxiety and overwhelm? We’ve been through enough hospital stays to know how powerful the struggle to resist anxiety and fear can be.

Yet, during these two days there was so little anxiety.

“But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Next Steps

We have follow-up visits with the medical team in two weeks. Then, in February, Judah will be admitted for a few days to receive a radioactive isotope, an oral dose of radiation that quickly runs through the body to search and destroy any rogue cancer cells left in the body. We’ve learned that this is the “normal” follow up process for this procedure and it’s extremely effective. After that, it’ll be the usual pattern of monthly treks to the hospital for ongoing surveillance.