Not Quite What We Were Expecting--Surgery Scheduled

We went to the surgeon's office this morning prepared to schedule exploratory surgery, and, instead, were caught somewhat off guard with his recommendation. The doctor sees no point in delaying things with exploratory surgery. We feel very strongly that the problem is that the colon is so diseased that it is not healing. Jason's steroids will mask so many of the signs that it would make it difficult to detect or diagnose using CT scans. His white count is always elevated due to steroids, so it is not a good indicator either. But, the pain and the bulging definitely point to the colon being inflamed. The steroids also make it difficult to heal, so it is not surprising that his colon hasn't healed with the antibiotics.

Jason is scheduled to have his bowel resectioned at 2:30pm next Wednesday. We have to be at the hospital at noon that day, and "prep" will begin Monday with a clear liquid diet and "cleaning out" solution starting on Tuesday. Basically the surgeon will cut out the diseased portion of his intestine and reattach the remaining colon.

A normal patient is expected to be in the hospital for about seven days after this surgery. Jason could be there longer, as he is at increased risk for complications because of his steroids. We discussed reducing or discontinuing the steroids for a time to reduce chances of complication, but the surgeon feels that this is not an option for Jason because of the seriousness of his disease. Complications could include infection, slow healing, no healing, leaking of the intestine (which could result in a colostomy).

The advantages of doing this as an elective procedure are: 1. Once he heals, he will hopefully have a reduction in pain that will allow him to resume normal activities. 2. If we wait and have to do the surgery at a later time on an emergency basis, there is a greater chance of complications that could result in a permanent colostomy.

We would appreciate your prayers as we prepare for the surgery. We scheduled it for next Wednesday, knowing that next date the surgeon was available was February 13th, and Jason is in too much pain to wait that long. If it is not God's will, we pray that he will make this clear and that he will either heal Jason, or block our path so that we know that it is not the right choice. Also, we are both overwhelmed with everything. This is a big decision with potentially life-long consequences. Please pray for me to be clear-headed as I make preparations over the next few days. I want to know that things are taken care of and running smoothly for my kids and their caregivers while we are gone.