Happy Fathers Day--Today is another amazing day--I am truly blessed! Belinda continues to do great and is getting stronger every day. It is hard to believe she is only 3 days post op and was up and walking this morning! Yesterday when she was a bit frustrated her surgeon reminded her that she had just undergone one of the most invasive surgeries they do at Hopkins. She has about 100 staples in her abdomen, externally, and who knows how many internally. To help her walk this morning was truly a blessing from God! I am amazed at the strength He has given her on this journey. Prayers have truly been answered!
I am going to include a few pictures of the liver being removed, don't look if your not curious. There is one I will not include because I don't have the medical departments permission to use it; however, it really gives perspective to the size of her diseased liver. The person in the OR holding it is not a tiny person. She is holding it in front of her own belly and it stretches the entire way across her abdomen and from her rib cage to her waist. It is clear to see why Belinda was in such discomfort and had digestive challenges. There simply wasn't room for her stomach to do its work.
The picture above is removing the liver from Belinda. Her incision runs from her breastbone down about 6" and then turns left and right about 8", it makes a Mercedes symbol. She has a second incision about 8" long below that and to the right. This was for the kidney transplant.
This is the liver removed. I think Dr. C told me it weighed over 7 pounds, more than double the size it should be. The best I can figure this is about a 2 gallon bucket they have it in. You can see her liver was covered with hundreds if not thousands of cysts.
I was blessed by some scripture a good friend shared with me this morning as I drove home, it truly sums up our journey.
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord." Ps 40:1-3
If you don't believe in miracles and the power of prayer--call me, we need to have lunch together.
