The biggest thing in life for us during the last three months has been Evie's health.
I've been less than fully open about this,...more so on Facebook...but she had a brush with death in March.
She began to experience sudden intense lower abdominal pain. Living in a retirement community, I "pulled the cord" and a nurse ran to our apartment.
She took Evie's vital signs which, as it turns out, were essentially nonexistent. At one point there was no discernable blood pressure and a weak pulse in the low 40s.
The ambulance got her to the ER of the local hospital that has the best ER in time. Tests were taken.
She had diverticulitis and her intestine had ruptured in two places. Infection was spreading. She developed peritonitis. She was given massive doses of antibiotics yet her white blood cell count continued to rise.
The day after she arrived at the hospital, a surgeon performed emergency surgery. It was touch and go for about a day. Until she began to gain strength.
She survived, but has a colostomy, which she HATES!
At about that time, she experienced a recurrence of an ongoing, unrelated problem which, doctors advise, should be resolved through surgery.
So, Wednesday, June 24, she'll undergo procedures from two different surgeons: First a hysterectomy performed by an oncological gynecologist. Then a reversal of the colostomy by the surgeon who created it.
Evie's still very weak from the trauma of the ruptured colon and the emergency surgery. She's extremely weak and lacking in stamina. However, if the colostomy can be reversed successfully, she can't wait long to have that surgery.
I decided with my parents, as their health began to decline, that quality of life is important. I didn't want to maintain their lives, if their lives weren't worth living.
It's been hard, but I'm at the same place with Evie. Neither of these procedures are absolutely necessary. But, to be able to have a robust life...
So, please pray for her.
This one could be tough.
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