Follow Up

On Thursday DH had a follow up visit at our local hospital and on Friday I spoke with a nurse who used to work in the eye clinic at Wellington Hospital. It seems that whenever we speak to these health professionals that one message comes through loud and clear:

DH's situation was serious and the chance of a full and complete recovery was far from guaranteed.

In other words, we have been extremely blessed.

We know that, of course, but when the message is repeated again and again, you are left in no doubt as to the seriousness of his condition.

The specialist at the local hospital that we saw on Thursday was the same one who sent us immediately to Wellington without passing Go or collecting $200! I think her words were, "How soon can you get there?" with the impression being that if we were there that very second it would not be too soon. However, at that time all she said about her diagnosis was that he had a giant tear and it was starting to detach.

It wasn't until later we learnt that he had several tears as well as the giant tear and that the retina had started to detach and was beginning to curl up. His was the type of damage you might expect of someone who had been in a brawl.

[Apparently the last time he was in a brawl of any description was when he was ten!]

All this to say, that we are aware of how close DH came to losing his sight and that his recovery from the surgery is a miracle. And we are extremely thankful to our God and for all He has done.

Anywhere along this journey some small thing could have gone wrong and DH could have lost his sight ... but it didn't and he didn't.

We were led to a skilled surgeon who was on call on the eve of a long weekend and took the necessary time to perform the operation when colleagues and friends were most likely that very hour heading out of the city to enjoy a three day break.

DH (much to his mother's amazement) was able to lie flat in bed, on his back, and not turn his head to the left or the right for nine days, in a darkened room, thus allowing his body to do the work of healing. Nine days! (He did have visits from The Most Adorable Granddaughters#4, #5 and #6 to look forward to each afternoon where they read to him and raided his food stash and helped break up the boredom.

And of course there was the travel and the accommodation for me and all the support we received from family and our church family.

We have much to be thankful for. And as we pray and thank God for His goodness in all of this we also pray that He will establish the work of the surgeon's hands and use his skills to bless others as they were used to bless us.

Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:17, ESV)

Comments

bunches of yarn said…
Hi Jules: Came to ask you how you fared during and post the earthquake, and I see your hubby had some kind of trial...yikes!...oh, but GOD! he is our refuge in time of trouble, and the provider of all good things!!!!!
I stopped worrying about the earthquake and began to thank the Lord after I read all your posts about your South Island adventure. Was your holyday near where the temblor, subsequently happened?
Had not come to your blog in a couple of months or so, but had been thinking of you and all the ladies who used to be on the hair loom. I have not been there in a while--maybe a couple of years. Don't want to turn this into a huge catch-up story, just glad you and your family are well, and/or recovering well. Let everything that hath breath, praise the Lord!...Ps. 150:6
Blessings to you, iknit ^__^
Jules said…
Hi iknit, thanks for dropping by. I'd love to catch up some time!

The epicentre of the 7.5 earthquake that hit this morning and was felt up and down the country was in the upper South Island. The first two photos on my first South Island post (https://julesoneagleswings.blogspot.co.nz/2016/10/our-southland-adventure-day-one.html) are roughly of that area. We can be thankful that, unlike the earthquakes that devastated Christchurch, it is not a highly populated area. However, even one fatality (and so far the death toll stands at two) is one too many for the loved ones of the deceased.