Surgeries

Jon found out last week that he will need surgery on his hand. He has a hereditary condition which is unique to older men of northern European ancestry. I guess that Dutch blood has come back to haunt him. No one else in his family has had this thing, so I have been teasing Jon about being switched in the hospital. It is the second hereditary disease he has which no one else has had, so if he didn't look so much like his parents, he might just wonder if it were true. :-) Yes, I am bad! This condition causes a growth on his tendons or ligaments in his hand. It is most often found on the last two fingers of the hand, but also the thumb, which is where Jon's is growing. As this thing grows, it contracts and pulls the digits inward toward the palm. Jon's was diagnosed about eight years ago, but the doctor did not recommend treatment at that time. The only treatment is surgery and it is not a cure. Because of the risks of losing the use of his thumb, if there should be a problem in surgery, it was not recommended as long as he had the use of his thumb. Jon can barely extend his thumb now and so surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, October 29th. (This is a photo of the condition, but not of Jon's actual hand. But you can see what it does.) It will be done outpatient in a surgical clinic and he will not be put under general anesthesia which is a good thing for Jon who gets quite nauseous from general anesthesia, but kind of weird to him to think about being awake while they are operating on him. We will keep you posted. As to my major surgery, I have found, with the help of my brother-in-law, Martin, a doctor who can perform the procedure laparoscopically. Normally this cannot be done in this manner, but there is now a robotic assistant which will enable me to be a candidate for this far less severe and invasive procedure. Rather than making a large incision to open up the abdomen for the surgery, this method only requires a few small holes to be made for the insertion of instruments. Therefore the muscles are not cut wide open and retracted for a length of time with its ensuing pain and long recovery time. With this method the recovery time is considerably shorter. In fact I will go home by the next morning or even the same evening if I am feeling up to it. This is a huge answer to prayer and I am so glad for modern technology that makes this possible for me! My surgery is scheduled for November 25th, the day before Thanksgiving, but I should be home in time for turkey and dressing. Hooray for modern medical care! We'll keep you posted on this as well.