Why my mom is in the hospital right now...

When my mom was a little girl she fell out of a moving car. The result was nerve damage in her face. There was no way to repair it. Since then, she has had a beautiful yet crooked smile. She had come to accept that and be okay with it. But a few years ago a doctor asked her about it and told her that they now how the ability to repair the injury she suffered so many years ago. After much prayer and consideration, my mom decided to pursue this option.

Last year was the first surgery. The doctors cut her leg from the heel to the back of her knee joint and removed a nerve. Then they cut along one side of her face from the neck to her ear and attached the nerve on one end and fished it to the other side.

Over the last year that implanted nerve died yet became a channel for a new nerve to grow.

Yesterday, my mom went in again to complete the procedure. They cut into her thigh to remove some muscle. And they cut her face, again from the neck to the ear, on the other side so that they can attach the muscle to the nerve.

When I spoke with my mom the night before the surgery, she was confident. Even thought she was a bit nervous when she thought about it, she said she really wasn't worried. She knows that God has led her thus far, and she's leaving the outcome in His hands.

As it turns out, the procedure went well. She went into surgery about 8am and was out about 3:30pm. Then she was in recovery for about three hours before being moved to her own room. That's when I first spoke with her. She was in pain but doing well. She asked for us to pray she could sleep through the night. My dad was there all day, but went home last night.

When my dad arrived this morning she was sitting up watching TV and alert. When I talked with her this afternoon she fell asleep mid-sentence. She had just taken some medication and it made her quite drowsy. Before she drifted to sleep she told me that her fibromyalgia feels like it's flaring up, but her shoulder is not hurting as much as last night. She was slurring a bit because of the medicine, but also struggling to speak because she has not been allowed to drink water yet. She does have an IV. But it may be another day or so before she is allowed to swallow and chew.

So that is the news on my mother as I know it. If you get a moment please, petition the Lord on her behalf. Pray that her pain would be minimal and her healing quick. I know my mom is trusting in God. Let us do the same.