Tuesday already...

I have fallen behind. Something to do with the business of it all. I finally get everyone to bed but can't see straight to type. Thank goodness I know I'm not getting older, just a little leg weary some days. I am so thankful for a God who promises us rest in Him. What a comfort!

We were able to bring Lonia home from the hospital on Saturday afternoon. We even attended a birthday party where she tried her first ice cream. She wasn't quite sure what to think.

Sunday we went to Sunday school and church where she made the rounds from person to person. Slowly, everyone is learning her amazing story! They were thrilled to see her and one Sunday school class decided to take on the task of getting her a car seat of her own. We have borrowed one in the mean time but she is too little for it and really needs one that is more fitting. We thank those at who have taken on this task.

Sunday afternoon our goal was to keep from going back to the hospital. We managed but all day she had some drainage that got her wet enough we had to keep changing her clothes. She was pretty fussy and didn't sleep the best. Dr. Gates was on call and of course got called in between 11:00 and midnight. He came home around 4:00 when Lonia decided to get up again.

Dr. Gates decided something still wasn't right. Although he had at least three surgeries to perform on Monday morning he took of telling us to be ready to bolt to the hospital if he could create an opening. He found his friend, a pediatric urologist who wasn't supposed to be back until Wed. He agreed to help Dr. Gates go in and look around to see if they could find out why there was so much drainage. They did a cystoscomy and found out some of the urine was backing up and draining out the hole near the colostomy because the area where it needed to exit the body was too small. Always something with this girl. Dr. Gates was relieved to find nothing else and find things looking pretty good inside, considering.

He did find she has two urethra's coming from one kidney and the other kidney is normal with only one. He said usually he would operate and make them come together into one spot and move it up higher. His friend the urologist said he doesn't need to do that with her as they have proved in studies now that there is not that much advantage to it. Praise the Lord! This is one less surgery she has to go through. He also found she only has one uterus which is another plus. Usually with the problem she has they are born with two.

She had to have a catheter put in while they did this procedure. She went to x-ray afterwards so they could get a better look at what was going on inside. He was going to send her home with the catheter in for a few days but decided he didn't need to do that because everything was looking good. I was relieved. I have had enough new things to learn with the colostomy for now.

We had a good rest of the day at home. Surprisingly enough she didn't have any drainage the rest of the day. We hope it just opened and dilated things enough for them to go where they are supposed to.

We encourage you to keep the prayers coming daily. Everything would be a mess without them. We are thankful that even our surgeon is seeking God's will for Lonia and what is best for her. Our God is so awesome to have put everything together so perfectly.

Pray Lonia continues to eat and drink well and raise her protein levels so her body can heal properly. Please pray for us as we are looking at leaving California on Friday and going to Iowa for a month with Lonia. We will return to California on August 12. Lonia will have surgery within days of our return to create her new rectum. Dr. Gates studied under the man who created this procedure. It is absolutely amazing what they are going to do because there is no hole existing at all, not even a little dent.

There is a lot to pray about and we are counting on you to help us do that! We know you have done a superb job already. We thank the Countyrside Christian Church in Maryville who stopped their activities immediately to pray for Lonia when they found out her intestines had come out and she was headed for emergency surgery to repair everything on July 6th. Thank you all for embracing Lonia and the whole situation!!!

Dr. Gates, his wife Beverly and their daughter Anna Lynn who is six, we cannot thank them enough for all they have done for us and for Lonia. It is one thing to do surgery for someone. It is a whole new ballgame to take them into your home with all of their baggage and extra surprises, as they have done with us. We have turned their lives upside down and they handle it so graciously. We pray for God to bless them as only He can for all they have done.