Surgery has started...

So, we got here at 5 am and there wasn't many people here. In fact, the whole second floor was lit by only one or two lights. Come to find out, the regular staff doesn't even show up until 6 am. So we sat back, turned on the plasma hanging from the wall, and watched over half of "3 Musketeers."

Finally, 6:00 rolled around and they went ahead and called her back into the preparation room. They put her into her gown and these elastic compression stockings (to help prevent blood clots during and after surgery). She had a little 30 second crying spell when the nurses walked out, but that was cut short by the swarm of nurses that came in to prep her. Shortly after that, her parents got here and got to spend some time with her before it all started.

At this point, the Dr's started arriving. We went over things with the general surgeon, the anesthesiologist, then the back surgeon. They have all been very helpful...I'll list their names at the end of this so any prayers can call them by name.

At roughly 7:25, the anesthesiologist came back and gave her the "feel good." It was time to go back to the waiting room for me....but not until I waited around for the show. :) She started the mumbling and saying something about how she "wasn't a druggie, so she's never really felt this way before." As they weeled her away, I could still hear her just a talkin' to the doctors. They had told me it would take nearly an hour before they actually started surgery from that point.

At 8:10, they called and said they had just started surgery. The nurse said they would call and give me updates probably around every 2-3 hours. It's now around 10:00...so I'm getting anxious to hear something soon. If I had it my way, they could do it a little better... If I had it my way, when the nurse called, I actually talked to her. Instead, the nurse calls the "volunteer desk" and the "volunteer" lady...who just so happens to be Chinese...comes and says "Docta' say surgwy starded an eveyting goin' goot." Of course, she says that while standing with her feet together, her hands cupped in front of her, her back ever so slightly bent forward, and that little grin that only the Chinese can do. Oh well, at least she's not rude. :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Back Surgeon - Dr. Sachs
General Surgeon - Dr. Moore (lady)
Anesthesiologist - Dr. Ruben
Nurses - Lisa and Annette

Well, we're in Plano now

Well, we're in Plano now. We've done the whole "registering" thing at the hospital, Kristin has given a vial of blood so they can match her to some good donor blood to have on standby, and we even had time to take her out to a good ol' Japanese hibachi grill for that "last good food for the week" meal. She's still doing pretty well. She's only had one "moment" so far....when we were up at the hospital going over everything with a couple of nurses.

Anyway...it all starts tomorrow at 5:00 am (surgery at 7:00 am). The surgery is estimated to last around 5 hours, so hopefully she'll be up around noon. I hope to post another post a litte after then tomorrow to let everyone know how she is. It's scary, yet exciting for her. It's like turning a whole new page on her life. The next couple of weeks, maybe months, are going to be pretty painful....but she's been focusing on the final result.

Thanks to all who have spent time with their heads bowed for her. God has given her an incredible peace about this whole thing...and we know He'll be wearing his "Physician hat" come 7:00 in the morning.

It's getting near....YIKES!!!!!

Alright, we have finally come to a decision about surgery. After 3 opinions, $64 of requesting x-rays & Dr. notes from TX, and numerous conversations b/t us we are going through with it. This has been a long road and I know that it is going to be even longer after next week. What do ya do with so many choices? I 100% feel that God has led us in the right direction, now all we need to do is trust HIM even more so and know that HE is taking care of us!!!! As the time gets closer, it gets a little more overwhelming and scarier by the minute. We are leaving next Thursday to pre-register at the hospital and have more blood drawn. We have to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. Friday and the surgery will start at 7 a.m. I was told that it would be a 5 hour surgery and that we would be in the hospital for 5 to 7 days. I even had one doctor tell me that it was going to hurt like hell! Now I could be wrong about this....but this doesn't sound like something you tell a patient.

Want to hear a funny story? It's not really funny it's just a story that I think is somewhat odd! Im supposed to give a unit of blood just incase it were needed. Well I march my happy lil self over to Lifeshares Blood Center and find out it is going to cost me $300 to donate MY own blood. Needless to say, I called the dr.'s assistant and asked how important it is to donated my blood. When I wanted the x-rays from TBI I had to pay money as well. Why should I have to pay more money for my bones and blood? It just doesn't make sense to me?!?!

Anyways ,I ask and beg you all to keep my family and myself in your prayers especially on Friday. I know it gets a little harder for everyone as it nears!!! I know nothing is going to happen to me, but it's amazing how much you learn when talking to your spouse about the death topic

On a happier note....we are leaving today for 6-flags. We are going with 5 other couples and are coming back on Sunday. We are looking forward to this. To be honest, there has been so much to think about that we just remembered we were going to 6-flags yesterday. If I can remember correctly we have had this trip planned well before school got out. Anyways, we will let you know more about 6-flags and hopefully we will have pics.

Also, I think I heard Bradley say that he is going to try...key word being try to post while we are in Plano next week. This way if anyone cares to know how things are going you can read all about us on this blog. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their summer!!!!

What's been going on with The Parkers?

It has been a long time!! A lot has happened since the last time I have last posted. I will start out by saying that Bradley and I could use some prayer. For some that may not know, I have Scoliosis, it is where you spine curves. Bradley and I have talked a lot about trying to have a baby in the next few months or so, that was until, I decided to just ask my general Dr. about carrying a baby. I will spare the details on how crooked I am (ribs poking out, shoulder higher than the other, can't breathe, and in pain a lot...lol) Anyways, I asked the general dr. and he said as far as delivering a baby he thought it would be fine but carrying would not be very good...I have no room on my left side. So he referred us to a Dr in Plano, TX at the Texas Back Institute. Bradley and I went last Monday and got some bad news. Though this is not a life threatening thing I was told I needed surgery. Deep down I knew he was going to tell me this but I keep telling myself to calm down and to not get worked up about something I wasn't even sure about. The minute he told me I needed surgery I immediately started crying. Thank goodness Bradley was there cause he wanted to know all about the surgery and what was going to happen to me. I was so emotional and only concerned about having a baby that I didn't even care what all he was telling me he was going to do to me. He said that my curve is in the middle of my back and that on top of it being curved it is also twisting forward causing my left side of my chest/ribs/hips to protrude or push forward. To actually see your spine and to see where your curve is is amazing. I have always thought it was down bottom cause that's where it hurts the most. To be honest it hurts all the time. The doctor thought this was funny he said that my bottom part of my back is having to compensate for the top part and that the bottom part is pretty much what is holding everything up. I told the doctor I feel like those flexi straw, you know the ones you can bend anyway and then push them back down to be a straight straw. I feel like I could be pulled from both ends and then be straight, this is what the dr. thought was so funny. He said he has never heard it put like that b/4 and then said he is going to have to use that analogy for other people. I thought that was kinda fun. Back to my story.........

The scary part is, is that he wants to do the surgery anterior as opposed to posterior. This means he wants to go in through my side. Just a little tid bit of info, my sister also had this same thing and she had surgery posterior. She has the long scar going all the way down her spine and then had a small bone taken out of her hip and grafted into her spine. She also has rods in her back that were fused to her spine. Well here is the scary part or atleast it is to me, in order to do the anterior surgery my lung has to be deflated and a rib or two will have to be removed and then put into my spine, then I will have rods fused to my spine also. I have done a lot of research and in some cases I also read that some peoples diaphram's have to be detached. Now I don't know about you guys but this all doesn't sound so fun. It is a 5 hour surgery and I will be in the hospital for 3-5 days, which doesn't sounds like alot when you just had metal rods fused to your spine. SO you can imagine how Bradley and I need your prayers. I have set the surgery date for June 16th. Just to be sure we set up a second opinion with a Dr. in Shreveport. We just want to compare what each Dr. says. I set the date b/c we know I need surgery and the recovery will take awhile, so this isn't something I can wait on.

If any of you know me, you know I am dying to have kids like right now. The sadest part was the Dr. telling me to not have kids until after I have the surgery. Bradley and I talked it over and thought we would just have one and then next summer have the surgery. This would put a baby around 1-3 months old and we just couldnt do that, anyways the dr. said this was not a good idea and that I would be in even more pain than I am in now. So he told me we needed to wait atleast a year after surgery to get pregnant and then looking at another year of pregnancy and trying. So you all can see my heartache of having to wait almost 2 years to have a baby.

Bradley and I have been going back and forth with what dr to use, where to have it done at, when to have it, whether anterior surgery is better than posterior and so forth. But you know one thing is for sure GOD IS GOOD!!! He has taken care of us in so many ways. He has continued to show us HIS mercy and grace and He is continually opening up new doors/avenues. GOD works in neat ways. I could go on and on about how wonderful He is and I could tell you all about how He is showing us which dr. to use, where to have it done at, financials with all of this, and giving me contact after contact of people who have been to this facility. All I can say is I am in the best Physician's hands!!!!

I know I talked alot about this surgery, but this is what we have been dealing with for the past 2 weeks. Bradley and his dad have done amazing things around our house. Our house has done a 180 in the way it looks. I tell you our Sunday School class is coming over Sun. night and it has motivated the men to get out there and spiffy everything up. I will have to post a picture of the house and all the changes later on. I thought I would leave you with a picture of my curved spine. LOL I dont think it looks that bad but everyone else thinks the opposite.