Miracles

Last Saturday during the football game, my dad began texting me as usual. We were both not looking forward to the inevitable loss...yada yada yada. I knew he was at a men's retreat for church and began wondering why he had all this time to 1) know what was going on in the game and 2) have time to text me. He told me that the retreat had stalled because they had to take our pastor to the ER cause he had passed out. Obviously at this point, my dad didnt seem too concerned.

However, by the end of the game, he told me that the outlook was pretty bad and to be praying...for what we still didnt know. In between me leaving the game and getting to McAlisters ( for the inevitable eat because we lost meal) we found out that the doctors in Amarillo couldnt help him and they were putting him on an medical jet to houston. The doctors in Amarillo had initially thought it was a heart attack so had correctly given him a ton of blood thinners...however, they quickly saw that it was an aortic aneurysm and that somehow the inside walls of the aorta were ripping from the outside walls.

So, long story short, i drove to houston saturday night knowing that Bobby was about to have extensive surgery...25% fatality rate (bypasses are <1%) . I got there earlier than the plane arrived. His 80-year-old parents were in the waiting room (all of the family is basically from houston) and they are the most precious people. Somehow i knew even more than them (maybe they had forgotten) but I waited with them for the plane to arrive. It finally did and we went down to meet them. I had no idea what to expect but before we got there, a bed came around the corner with bobby on it and 1)he was awake 2) he recognized me 3) but he was clearly delirious. That was the last i saw of him. His mom started chasing after him saying "bobby, bobby, are you alright?" but the nurses quickly stopped her and they disappeared around the corner. We went and found bobby's wife (Marty-my mentor from home, youve probably heard me talk about her) and the waiting game began.

A bunch of their family began to trickle in and thankfully we were the only ones there. ( it was 1130 by this time). Oh yeah, and the reason they came to Houston was that there were only 3 drs in the state who could do the surgery...all in Houston...all at this hospital. A week before (Ike) there would have been no where for him to go. Marty and her daughters( they flew in from LAX on the last flight) go to spend some time with him before surgery. But the drs got him in as quickly as they could. At 4, they came and told us they had made the first incision. It would be a 6 hr surgery. We slept maybe an hour. The nurses kept coming and giving us updates. No real bad news, except the blood wouldnt clot because of the previous blood thinners. But the doctors already knew this would happen.

Finally they came and told us he was done. About 10 am. We were exhausted and delirous and couldnt imagine how the drs had lasted so long. Everything went well the nurse said, and the doctor would come see us soon.

Talk about the most brilliant man in the world. The dr. came in a few minutes later. He was probably 35. From Canada, school at Stanford. He proceeded to describe everything that he had done. I wont bore you with the details except 1) it was a grey's anatomy surgery where they cool the body down and stop his heart and somehow do a bypass so his brain is still getting blood 2) it is the dr's favorite surgery and 3) so far so good.

(Brief pause to describe this dr. Ok i admit, i was in love. Not because of looks or anything, but when he opened his mouth and talked it was like listening to ocean waves or hypnotic drumming in the amazon rainforest, or whatever puts you to sleep. I dont know why, but this guy was obviously brilliant and he could explain so well, and he was confident but not cocky, and compassionate. ok so i wont go on, but clearly i was blown away. Ive just never been around a real live person like that.)

A few hours later they let us go see Bobby two at a time. i let every else go first cause i was really there for the family, and they were all family. But somehow time didnt run out and i was able to go back there with marty. He was asleep with a ventilator. And he looked terrible. tubes everywhere. I knew it would be like that, but knowing and seeing are so different. i just started crying. And you know i dont cry.

We finally got to go sleep a little, and the nurses kept reporting that he was on schedule and doing as well as could be expected. I went home Sunday night after everyone had seen him again and there was still no bad news. And today being Friday, they are thinking he might be released from the hospital tomorrow. Which is way ahead of schedule. basically nothing ever went remotely wrong. what a miricle. here are a few more, just as a reminder of what our awesome God can do. some i already mentioned:

1. If this would have happened a week earlier, he could not have been flown to Houston
2. If he would not have drank coffee that morning, his blood pressure would not have increased and he would not have felt any signs
3. His daughters were both 10 min from LAX when they found out and were able to get to houston to see him before the surgery.
4. I never passed out with all the talk of blood.
5. I made it back to college station with 3 hours of sleep. barely. i began to have conversations with my imaginary friend.

Sorry for the length...and the boring details. I wanted to remember and I hate writing, so this serves a double purpose as my diary and to encourage all of you in the sovreignty and power of God.