VIEW FROM THE RECOVERY ROOM

Greetings from the Recovery Room. I should wait another day before writing to clear my brain. But I have an irrepressible compulsion to communicate good news. The fog in my head won’t let me be clever or witty in this report. But there is wonderful good news from the ‘theatre’, as the post-colonial Africans refer to the OR. The moment the surgeon saw Shirley after the operation he uttered those great words “we believe we got it all!”

I’ve only been under a general anaesthetic once before in my life, and only briefly so I can’t tell you what happened during those 8 hours (except the Maple Leafs lost again.) Seriously, I have tried to explain to people what happened as I regained consciousness. It was an experience of the presence of Jesus like I’ve never had before. There was a complete hour where they left me alone and I just waited in the presence of God. The theologians call it the experience of the ‘ineffable’ – can’t be put into words.

There have been some pretty intense periods of pain since then. But nothing beyond what God has helped me to bear. Shirley tells me the incision which they had to do to make the skin graft is about a foot long,,, and deep… well let’s not go there. I won’t go into the gory details. But the healing is going well through the first critical days. Liter after liter of drainage… well, let’s not go there either. All I need to say here is that I am so incredibly glad to be alive, in the hands of our loving God, expert surgeons and care-givers and surrounded by not just a heavenly host of well wishers but an EARTHLY host as well. I was told there might be some significant change in my physical appearance after this. I don’t think that will be the case (no nips or tucks from the plastic surgeon) but you can be sure there’s a new man on the inside.

Must close for now. They are saying I will be in hospital until at least next Tuesday. More views to come from the recovery room. Yours in Christ’s love and care.
KEN AND SHIRLEY