God is so good, and the power of prayer and loving friends and family are amazing! Thursday and Friday were remarkable days here in Chicago (except for the subzero windchill!). Jenny came through her surgery fine, and we are extremely pleased with the surgeon, Dr. Amy Jo Ptaszek, and Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview. This is a satellite hospital that Northwestern University uses as a teaching facility, and only orthopedic surgeries are done here. It is a beautiful facility, and Jen has a private room that is very large and brand new.
Her surgery was 2 1/2 hours on Friday morning, followed by 3 hours in recovery. Some of the previous hardware was removed in order to fuse to joints. Her top foot bones were derotated down, and the main joint at the top of the joint fused to hold them down. Then the heel joint was tipped inward slightly and also fused as an extra measure to hold the foot down. Women orthopedic doctors are rare, and when it came to removing the metal plate, there was only one tool made to do this. The surgical supply company was out of it, so she said "I had to be real creative, but I got it out."
Dr. Ptaszek also said this was a good week, as she was well-rested, and Jenny would have an A+ team doing the surgery. Later yesterday Jenny said, "I think this was a bigger deal than I thought going into it!" She had a spinal block, instead of a general anesthetic, so that helped considerably with recovery. Jenny also has a pain pump that will continue until we leave, probably on Monday, and another calibrated pain relief tube to self-administer.
Jenny had a good first night, but on Saturday morning determined that the pain pump may not be working as effectively as needed. An anesthesiologist is coming in to make some adjustments. She has very good nursing care, so we have been very blessed by the excellent medical care and facility.
Her Aunt Twila and I are staying at a Marriott just 5 minutes away, so that has worked very well also. She will return home to Carlock, IL on Sunday.
Jenny surprised us with two special gifts, in her delightful creative fashion. One involves an amazing story about meeting a new friend in Canada, but I'll save that wonderful story until the next blog. The second was a Princess teddy bear with a pink boa, jean skirt and pink T-shirt. On the thank-you note, she wrote,
"Today is the start of a new beginning. I will one day walk, dance, and wear shoes
that make me feel like a princess. Thanks for being a glittering gem on the road to
the shoe castle." The card was decorated with a crown, high heels, and a fairy wand.
Our "verse for the weekend" has been Psalm 32:7: "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance," shared in a note to us from Pastor Bill Jones. We truly feel the blessings from the prayers of so many of you! The singing has started! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
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