Day 14-Post Fontan, Promises Kept

Today was just amazing from start to finish. Amazing in that so many things happened, unexpected blessings from God who knows my own heart.

On the way to see Sam in the cool early morning Jack and I lifted our eyes to see a rainbow arching over the hospital.  It reminded us of God's promise to Sam and us. 'Sam will have life in abundance, he will tell the nations of his healing.' On arriving at the hospital we were met with Sam's surgeon who had reviewed Sam's case and had decided it was time for the drain to be removed.

Do you remember yesterday, when I asked you to pray about the drain? God made a way.

Even though Sam was afraid, he knew that the drain had to come out. He wants to go home too. So they gave him Medazolam and we waited for it to take effect.  When it did I carried him to the treatment room while he cried out in protest. I managed to calm him for a few moments on the table before they started. That in itself was miraculous. I held Sam's hands at either side of his head whispering words of comfort into his ear. Two nurses held down his legs and the surgeon went to work removing the tapes, the stitches and the drain, as well as the dressing over his chest wound.

Stop hurting me! Don't let them hurt me! Raaaaaa! Raaaaa! Over and over and over.

All the while, Sam held fast not moving his legs or his body, keeping still though in pain. Such bravery I have never seen. He is my brave lion, the courage of ten thousand and the roar of the king of beasts.

As I held Sam, God reminded me of his other words to us. 'Things never happen the same way twice dear one.  If you were any braver, you would be a lion/lioness.'

Afterward, as he whimpered and thanked his nurses and the surgeon and cuddled into my chest while I carried him back to his bed, still unable to walk because of the effects of the Medaz. So now Sam is drain and wire free, his little body is his own again.

A chest x-ray followed and another will occur tomorrow before we are released.  There needs to be no accumulation of fluid. And then by God's amazing grace we may be discharged.

We have also made some amazing new friends in hospital, some of which I will be sad to leave.  Such brave families; brimming with such tremendous kindness and compassion.

Bittersweet is how I would describe today. Somehow the hope of the end of our hospital stay buoyed us for the procedures that needed to take place. I know that we are all going to leave hospital with scars, some visible, some hidden. Not one of us has escaped this battle unscathed. But I can tell you that we have fought hard.  We have run the race and we will succeed.  There is new life waiting for us on the other side of this.