Post-operative

After several anxious hours, dad and I headed back to the hospital when we'd had the phonecall to say it was done.  The surgeon came out and showed us the photo he had taken of the tumour - I think he was quite surprised himself!  It was roughly the shape and weight of a medium-sized apple - imagine having one of those living INSIDE your heart!!  My poor mom had been dragging this thing around with her.  Over these last two weeks, I've been back and forth to the hospital with my dad twice daily...unfortunately ICU visits are quite limited and mum has been in and out of sleep.  Glad to have been on hand though for foot rubs (hers, not mine), hand holding, hair brushing, and moral support for dad.  Actually we were mutual supports - some days we'd leave the hospital with dad in tears, other days I wasn't keeping it together so well - but never both of us at the same time!

In between visits, I had a grand time visiting with family and a few friends.  It was a blessing, despite my mum's suffering, to be back in my homeland amongst 'my people'.  

I got to see Nick's family too - and met the littlest nephew, Logan, for the first time!

Sadly, by the time I left my mum was still in hospital, but since writing this blog she has been discharged and is making slow progress from the comfort of home.  So thankful to the Lord for this opportunity to visit!

Hearty prayers answered

A week or two ago, my dear mum was diagnosed with having a tumour in her heart.  Surgery was scheduled rapidly, and I was wonderfully and generously sponsored to fly back to South Africa to visit. I asked the travel agent to get me on the earliest flight, as I desperately wanted to see my mom before she went in for the huge open-heart surgery.  We prayed for a miracle!
The surgery was scheduled for 7 am Saturday morning and my plane was supposed to land at 6.55 am. Well, the Lord graciously sped the Boeing along and we came in a few minutes early and since we had asked for my luggage to be prioritised I got out quickly.  Alan, Kate, Zoe, and my dad were at the airport to meet me with the news that surgery had been delayed until 8.  There was no real reason that we could fathom, other than once again, the Lord's working.  We raced to the hospital and found mum waiting on a gurney in the pre-surgery area. Thank you Lord for the beautiful answer to prayer...we had about 15 minutes together. During that time the theatre nurse asked if she could pray for us so we had a marvellous gathering.  Now follows the wait...