Hey all. I think we are finally starting to relax. If you don't know already, Molly's second Chiari I Malformation surgery is coming up Friday at 10am. Right now we are spending a lot of time talking and processing what we are thinking and what's coming, and getting all the pre-surgery preparations for us and the kids finished up.
I'm also still working on an upcoming sermon series, getting stuff finished up for this week's service (which I obviously won't be attending), and doing various other administrative and planning things.
Here's the next few days...
Tonight: Getting gelato with Molly and the kiddos and relaxing.
Thursday: Kids have 1/2 day of school, home at about noon. Spending a few hours with them: eating lunch, watching old family videos, having fun. Dropping them off late afternoon-ish at friends' house in Crystal Lake, IL. They will be keeping the kids until we return from the hospital. After dropping off the kids we will be driving to Schaumburg, IL to eat at PF Changs. Two church members gave us a gift card. Woohoo! Then we drive to the Chicago Hilton, which is quite expensive but only 15 minutes from the hospital. It will help us a lot to have a great night sleep and not worry about traffic.
Friday: We get up early and make sure we don't get to the hospital late. Need to be there at 9am for pre-op. Molly has surgery at 10am, should be out of surgery in early afternoon. Then to ICU for 24 hours or so.
Saturday: Sometime in the afternoon (24 hours after surgery) Molly will move to a regular room in neurosurgery recovery area.
Sunday: A long recovery day.
Monday: Hopfully Molly's last day at the hospital. Last year we were home by 3:30pm or so. If all goes well, that's probably a best case scenario. It may run into Tuesday.
Like last year I will be blogging the whole thing in one long post with the most current updates at the top. I will probably put up that post tomorrow. Last year it was titled "Operation Chiari Freedom." I'm not sure what I will call this one. Maybe "Operation Flex-i-Straw Insertion" or "Operation 'I Drink Your Milkshake'" or "Operation Chiari Smackdown." :) I will also be Twittering feverishly. That's where I will have the most photos, give brief and immediate updates, etc. I may even send myself on "assignments." What does that mean? Stay tuned!
Thanks for praying. Gonna be a long and painful weekend, but we have every confidence in the goodness and mercy of God.