“I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

This passage from Isaiah 41 is one of the texts that we read multiple times throughout the day as Markus had surgery to remove his cancer infested humerus bone and replace it with a new one.

It is hard to anticipate how your mind, body, and soul will cope with waiting around the hospital while your child is in the operating room having major surgery. Praise God that as the day moved along we once again felt his nearness, presence, and powerful Holy Spirit in our hearts. It was also so good to receive many texts and emails and other messages of support from friends, family, and people in our church community. The steady stream of messages throughout the day was incredibly encouraging!

The day started early with a 7:00am appointment at BC Children’s, but it was another beautiful summer day. Markus was very calm leading up to the surgery. He continues to display incredible trust and peace with what is going on in his life right now.

Dr. Clarkson, the orthopedic doctor performing the surgery, was also in good spirits. When I asked him how he was feeling he told us, “Very good. I had a great sleep, and everything is ready to go in there.” So thankful for the gifts God has given to people like Dr. Clarkson and his team!

I walked with Markus into the operating room and watched as they put him to sleep. About 4 hours later Dr. Clarkson came to report that things went very well. The new bone worked, and he was able to rebuild the shoulder joint just as he had planned. The anesthesiologists also inserted a nerve blocker in Markus’ neck. The purpose is to cause a sort of “freezing” sensation in his arm for the first 3 to 4 days after surgery. It’s a way of managing the pain and so that things can settle down with all the new parts.

A little while later we could see Markus in the recovery room, pretty groggy but awake enough to be able to chat a bit. With all the cutting and rebuilding in his arm the next few weeks are going to be all about pain management. It is our prayer that there are no complications or infections. We move forward in the full confidence that God will strengthen us and sustain us, no matter what the road ahead looks like.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!