This is a first for me as I am releasing two blogs on the same day. This second blog may be a little different. While you may be expecting uplifting words and advice on how to look at things through the eyes of love, you’ll be hearing my personal journey through a current event, one in which I hope to practice what I preach.
Forty years ago, I had an inguinal hernia repaired on my right side. Just recently, the repair gave way leading to a rather massive hernia. Not a big deal, I’ve been through this before. In fact, in addition to the inguinal hernia repair 40 years ago, I suffered another hernia on the left side 20 years ago which was also repaired. In other words, I was pretty much prepared for what the doctors were going to tell me with this new one.
When I went to my doctor, he immediately sent me to a surgeon. The other day, I had that appointment with the surgeon. After examining me, the surgeon proceeded to tell me that they would repair it with robotics, which would be less intrusive and require much less time for recovery. I was pretty excited as my previous hernias were all “open repairs” with 6 inch incisions allowing access for the repairs.
I asked the surgeon if they would be able to do this with a block type of anesthesia as general anesthesia can cause difficulties to someone with Myasthenia Gravis. He replied it would be a general anesthesia, but they would use techniques that were safer. He then said he was going to call my neurologist and discuss the case with him. He left the room to make that call.
When he returned, he informed me he had spoken with my neurologist and that I would not be a candidate for robotics. They would need to do an open repair. He explained to use robotics, they would have to use a type of anesthesia called paralytics. He explained patients with MG can have an altered response to paralytics because their autoimmune disease damages their neuromuscular junction. Standard doses of paralytics in MG patients can be dangerous and robotic surgery requires the use of paralytics. For this reason, they would have to repair the hernia via an open incision.
For those of you with MG, please keep this in the back of your mind if you ever need surgery. Be sure to have a frank discussion with your surgeon and anesthesiologist prior to that surgery about this important aspect of Myasthenia Gravis.
I must admit, I was really looking forward to the robotic repair. The open repairs I’d had in the past were extremely uncomfortable and it took a rather long time to recover. In addition, the surgeon warned they may keep me an extra day in the hospital just to make sure my system recovers properly from the anesthesia they would be using. To top it off, I may not be in a position to travel for Christmas. I have never missed a Christmas with my grandchildren, but hopefully I’ll feel well enough to make the trip, and if not, there is always FaceTime.
So, bad news upon bad news. That could make a person depressed, but I’m following my own prescription about looking at everything and everyone through the eyes of love.
I’m so blessed that I have good doctors that watch out for me and don’t take unnecessary risks. I’m so blessed that I will be in the hands of competent, outstanding doctors, nurses and staff, that I don’t have to worry about anything. I’m so blessed that I have family that will understand if I’m not able to be with them at Christmas. I’m so blessed that if I’m not able to make the trip, we have FaceTime that will allow me to be with them from afar.
I’m not worried about this surgery. God loves me and has my hand. Besides, I have very kind, compassionate, and competent people who will get me through. I know recovery will be difficult, but I now understand that if I look at everything and everyone through the eyes of love, I will get through it in the best way possible. When I get done, this repair should last me the rest of my life, so I shouldn’t ever have to worry about it again (at least on the right side, ha ha).
Perhaps my recent blogs on “Through the Eyes of Love” were God’s way of preparing me for what was to come. It would be easy to get down, but having to think about looking at everything through the eyes of love in order to write these blogs might have been a lesson for me. Now I need to practice what I preach. Instead of getting down, I choose to stay strong and positive. I choose to look at everyone and everything through the eyes of love.
I’ll ask for your prayers, but not your worry. I’m going to come through this just fine. God has my hand. He has your hand, too. Through all your trials and tribulations, God is always right there with you and is encouraging you to see life through the eyes of love.