We had a really positive and encouraging first follow-up appointment with the plastic surgeon yesterday after Carrie-Anne’s surgery last week. Everything looks exactly like it’s supposed to look and everything’s working the way it’s supposed to be working. Such great news! Very reassuring. You know, right after surgery, through that first night in the hospital and into that first morning, we had doctors and nurses looking at things and taking care of us around the clock. But from arriving at our apartment at noon Friday through yesterday morning, we were pretty much on our own. Cleaning and draining and measuring and medicating and exercising – who knew if we were doing everything correctly and that she was doing alright?

Well, she is. And we thank God. The surgeon removed two of her four drains, which means half the discomfort, half the tubes continuously in the way, half the anxiety of catching a hose on the edge of a countertop or sitting on top of a tube. Carrie-Anne is off the prescription pain meds and down to just one ibuprofen a day and quickly regaining her flexibility and range of upper body motion. She’s pretty much back to herself. We thank God.

And we thank you. For the cards and phone calls, the texts and emails, the gift cards and flowers. For all your love and encouragement, for your conversations with our Lord on Carrie-Anne’s behalf, we are so grateful.

We have a check-up with the cancer surgeon tomorrow and are anticipating maybe one of the remaining two drains to be pulled – that would be awesome. Our youngest daughter, Carley, and her new husband, Collin, are coming here to Houston tomorrow to stay with Carrie-Anne as I fly to Midland Saturday so I can be with our GCR Church family and preach on Sunday. It’ll be good to see those two again. It’ll be good to see Whitney back home and to worship with her and our brothers and sisters in West Texas. I’ll come back to Houston Sunday night for what, hopefully, will be our last couple of days in this apartment at 8181 Med Center. We have another follow-up appointment at M.D. Anderson on Wednesday January 11 and are still on schedule to drive back home to Midland immediately afterward. And we thank God.

Peace,

Allan