We thought this week would be final preparations (finally) for heading back to our home in Uganda. We were prepared for goodbyes, last minute shopping and of course the marathon packing experience that two more years overseas in a place with little, entails. And we were ready. What was supposed to have been a six week HMA has already become nine weeks.

Instead we are preparing for surgery, recovery and another month here in the States.

This was all perfectly orchestrated by the big God we serve. I went into Bethesda Naval Hospital on Friday for routine follow up with the endocrinologist who has been seeing me for what we believed was hypothyroidism, a very common and treatable health issue (but NOT easy to live with!)

I ended up spending the entire day at the hospital, arriving before breakfast and leaving at dinnertime . . . . It was a saga; blood work lost and retaken, waiting and more waiting. A friend who lives close to the hospital came to sit and wait with me and as we sat and talked outside the endocrine department, a doctor friend of hers stopped by and we met. He went in to try to expedite my appointment process and got caught up a bit on my health situation as he talked to my doctor. After a couple of hours of waiting, my blood work was finally in and I got to sit and discuss it with my doctor.

Turns out my situation is slightly more tricky than hypothyroidism – they recommended I have surgery to remove the entire gland, not as simple as usual since my thyroid is very atypical in anatomy and location.
Long story short, turns out that doctor friend of a friend that I had just met, is an ENT surgeon and the most experienced thyroid surgeon at Bethesda. My doctor paged him and he agreed to schedule my surgery, which would normally have a three month wait, for three DAYS later instead, on Tuesday of this week. He brought me for some minor procedures to help them understand my anatomy and scheduled me for my MRI and pre-op on Monday.

So! We can so clearly see God’s hand in how all this worked out. It would be tedious to write (or read) all the details of the day in this blog, but suffice it to say that there is no doubt in my mind that it was a “God-thing”. I have no opportunity to second-guess, to wonder if this is the right thing to do. God was clear. And it’s an amazing reminder that God doesn’t require my super-human efforts to accomplish things. As I sat in that doctor’s office, feeling that my concerns about my health, given my African lifestyle, were not being taken seriously; I heard God tell me ” I am your advocate, your protector, let me speak for you.” So I let go of my fear, my worry and uncertainty, and trusted God. I thought I was trusting Him in for the long haul of not feeling well and uncertain conditions of health, but turns out I’m trusting Him for surgery, recovery and a delayed return.

Either way, it works.

We’d appreciate prayer for 9 am Tuesday surgery with 1-3 nights in the hospital. It’s a significant five hour surgery involving my neck and tongue. Naomi and Quinn are fairly worried about it because, as Quinn said in his prayers tonight, “God you know we don’t really have any fun when Mom’s not home so help her to get better really quick.” So pray for them to have peace and know God’s presence with or without me.

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