Surgery in Utah

When we packed up the house to leave on our mission Janet's right hand carpal tunnel problem acted up again.  We left for our mission with two kinds of medicine and a brace that we hoped would fix the problem.  None of that helped and my hand continued to worsen.  I couldn't do anything with that hand that required precision, like writing, or strength, like chopping vegetables.  I was pretty useless.  We went to a doctor 5 hours away in Johannesburg who said he could do the surgery, but it would require a 3 inch incision.  I didn't know what to do:  fly to the states and hope they could do endoscopic surgery with a half inch incision or have the surgery in Johannesburg and avoid two long airline flights and the cost that flying to the states would involve.  Flying to the states also involved the complication that we would have to delay surgery for several weeks while we waited to get residency in  Botswana so I could re-enter the country when I returned. We talked to the mission doctor, the insurance company in Utah, and fasted and prayed about it.  We then felt going to the states was definitely the way to go, especially after Bob dreamed I died during the Johannesburg surgery.  I thought I would fly to Spokane to the hand specialist I had been to there, but Heather suggested that I come to Utah and stay with her while I recovered. She knew of a good hand specialist in Provo. Spending two weeks with the grandkids sounded like a good idea to me, too.

I had endoscopic surgery in Provo on Tuesday, February 28, and have done very well.  I have been almost pain free and haven't had to take any pain medicine.  They put some medicine on the sight which numbed my hand the first 24 hours.  I will get the stitches out on March 9 and fly back to Africa on March 10. Bob stayed in Africa to continue the work there.  I will be anxious to get back to him, but I am enjoying being with Lisa, Heather, Kevin, Rachel age 5, Seth age 3, and Luke, 4 months.