An Update On David

We traveled back to Chicago on Sunday night and went to the Burn Clinic on Monday morning. For the past 5 days, David hasn’t been able to put any weight on his right leg so he’s spent lots of time in his recliner or sleeping in bed, and we’ve been using his wheelchair to get him from one end of the house to the other. We’ve not been able to see anything on his leg because it was wrapped up in gauze and Ace wraps and a knee immobilizer, so we’ve just prayed that healing was actually happening under all those dressings.

 For nearly a week, we’ve had to wait and I must admit…I’m not that great at waiting. Monday morning, it almost felt like Christmas morning, because of the high level of anticipation that comes with taking that first look after a surgery. The nurses and doctor took all of David’s bandages down and we were able to get our first glimpse of the skin grafts that were placed during last week’s surgery.

 I’m happy to report that David’s graft on his knee looks ok. It’s still very fragile so he’s been told to stay off of it for another 9 days. There’s a small place on his calf that we had the surgeon try to patch during surgery last week, and it doesn’t look very good right now. I’m guessing we will lose that graft, but it was worth a try since he was going in for surgery anyways. David’s donor site was his right ankle. This is where the surgeons shaved off his own, healthy skin to place it on his knee and calf. It’s still very raw and will just take time to heal.

Thankfully, David’s pain tolerance is high–he’s one tough cookie! The first 3-4 days were a little rough but he’s doing much better now. We need to pray that as he begins to feel better that he will continue to rest and stay off of his leg. It’s hard to keep a good man down, and David doesn’t like to slow down for very long.

 

Our surgeon decided to send off the section of David’s knee to the pathology department for an in-depth biopsy report. We were hoping to get that back while we were at the Burn Clinic on Monday but the results weren’t in yet. So we continue to wait. Have I mentioned that I’m not the best at waiting? Why is waiting so difficult? It makes me step back and question, “What does God want me to learn while we wait?”

Isaiah 40:31: But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Romans 5:3-4: More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Matthew 6:34: Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

A few lessons that I continue to be reminded of are:

• God is bigger than anything I’m facing. I cannot control things that I cannot understand. I need to keep trusting God. He’s got in under control.
• In periods of waiting I usually slow down- our crazy schedule seems to allow me to rest a little more. I need these times to regroup, to refocus and to re-energize sometimes.
• In times like this, I need to remember that I’m being refined. When I stop and rely more on God, I learn more about His deep love for me, more about His ways and truths and in return, I end up growing in the process.

Thank you all for your prayers and support during this time. Our family continues to be reminded of the importance of community, and is so thankful to be surrounded by people like you.