Busy, busy, BUSY!

We have been busy. I'm sure you are experiencing the same! I heard a story of a conversation between two friends. One was going on an on about how crazy his life was for quite some time while the other friend listened. Finally the silent friend spoke and said, "You don't have to do this."

The troubled friend said"Yeah, I should try not to be so worked up". The other friend said again, "you don't have to do this" in a calm voice. He then said it over and over and over again.

It seems that it is so easy to get busy but it is so much harder to stop being busy in this stage of life! Especially with all that goes on. The point of the friend saying, "you don't have to do this" over and over again is that our God is much bigger than the situation we are in. He is working through it, around it and it. He will get us through it and help us to the the next challenge. He wants us to take refuge in Him as we work through life's challenges and struggles.

May you find peace and hope in God's plans for you on a daily basis! Hopefully my story made some sense today...

The kids are good. Very busy and very much typical kids.

Dan

Bethany is home and recovering well...

A quick update on Bethany... She came home late yesterday afternoon as she was doing well with her liquid intake and pain control. They usually say two nights in the hospital because the surgery is usually done on children that are younger than Bethany. I've included some pictures that better tell the story of her (and our) experience. Thanks for all of your prayers through this. She is doing very well!

Just before surgery after we got her dressed in the hospital pjs she began to get the worried look... It makes us wonder what her surgery experience was like before we got her. We believe that she had two prior surgeries to repair her lip while in China. Shortly after this picture was taken I carried her to the operating room where the anesthesiologist gave her the "sleepy gas" to put her out for the procedure(s).

After over 2 1/2 hours we were finally able to see Bethany again. It's kind of hard to see her so groggy, bleeding and in pain. Thankfully the doctor and nurses did a great job of staying ahead of the pain. The first day she really just dozed in and out of consciousness. That was a good thing as I'm sure that everything felt sore from her ears (tubes) to her lip (removal of dysfunctional salivary glands) to the biggest part, the installation of the soft palate. The doctor said that we shouldn't look in her mouth because it will appear as if a bomb had gone off in there. He then said I know you're going to look but I just wanted to warn you. He was right. The soft palate was literally formed from existing skin from within her mouth/nose. Amazing! Keep in mind, Bethany woke up with a much smaller airway to breathe through and a much smaller space to move her tongue. Instead of breathing through a large space which consisted of both her nasal cavity and mouth ,she now had two smaller spaces to breathe through. The doc said that this can be a big shock for them as well.

Bethany's room. Notice Bethany's arms. After surgery "no no's" are strapped to her arms to ensure that she cannot touch her mouth. These are velcro-shut tubes that keep her from bending her elbows. She still has mobility but it is very limited. This was and continues to be a source of frustration. Within moments after waking up, she complained about these and thankfully yesterday we were able to remove them when she is closely supervised. She must wear them at night for the next two weeks. My parents came to help and keep us company. We were glad to have them!

Bethany really perked up when her brothers arrived for a visit on the second day. She was also glad to have the no no's off!

Finally, a picture before all of this happened. Easter morning. Doesn't everyone look happy?

Thanks again for checking in. We have a resilient and amazing little girl!

Dan for the family

Bethany's Surgery Update

Early this morning we went to Children's hospital in Minneapolis for Bethany's surgery. The procedure took about 2 1/2 hours and was successful in addressing multiple issues. First the surgeon installed tubes in her ears releasing large amounts of fluid from her ears. This has already dramatically improved her hearing. The second piece was to install a soft palate in her mouth. This took most of the time as the gap was especially large and the doctor forms the palate out of existing material from within her mouth and nose. He equated the feeling in the mouth/nose to that of a skinned knee feeling as she recovers... OUCH! Thankfully she has much in the way of drugs to help through the most difficult healing. The final piece was to remove the pits in her lower lip. They proved to be much deep and more numerous than the doctor expected so that took a good amount of time as well. The rest of the day was spent sleeping restlessly as nurses and aides cycled through the room to administer more medication and check vitals. She is doing as well as can be expected. Probably the most frustrating part for Bethany right now is the arm "no-nos". They keep her elbows straight so that she cannot get her hands into her mouth. When she did come to consciousness I would ask her if she wanted to watch tv, have daddy read a book, have Grandpa sing a song ;), drink or go potty? The only yes we got was to go potty.

We are thankful that she is doing well. We are glad that Grandma and Grandpa Hay were able to come to support us and Rox and Tim were able to spend time with the boys as we have been at the hospital. The doctor says tomorrow may be more difficult as the drug levels diminish and she becomes more active. I'm back home with the boys and Becky stayed the night at the hospital. It is likely that she will be there through Sunday but it is possible that she could be released tomorrow. Thanks for the prayers and keep them coming. Pray that Bethany will know that we will always be there for her and will love her through this. Pray for Becky that she gets some rest and that she can muster patience through her fatigue.

Dan and Becky