My 4 year journey

In October of 2017 we discovered that I had a hole in my diaphragm, that surgeon told me to lose a bunch of weight and come back. I struggled and never could get it off or keep off what I did lose. I did receive some relief from some issues after a prayer session at my churches men’s retreat and God protected me for those years until the fullness of his plan could take effect. In the years that followed I yo-yoed in my weight and had the thoughts in the back of my head about finances haunted me. How would we pay for our portion of the surgery and how would I be able to be off work for who knows how long to recover?

In March 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic became a thing throughout the world causing all sorts of issues. One such issue was having my hours at work reduced and loosing 5-10 hours of overtime a week. In doing so it put my family in an income bracket that allowed us to get onto Oregon Health Plan saving us by removing my company insurance to make ends meet during this entire year. During this year I also had other related health issues come up causing us to start reconsidering surgery. We start the process and find out that I will be off work for 6-8 week after the surgery. In preparation we start looking at vacation time sick time to see how long we could be covered. As we got closer to surgery time we receive our tax returns as well as the stimulus giving us more than we need to get though the time that I will be off.

One week post operation. On April 6^th I went in and had the hole in my diaphragm repaired, they had told me all the worse case scenarios, such as moving from a scoped surgery to one where they would completely open my up and stages in-between. They also told me to plan on 5 days in the Hospital after. After a 6.5 hour surgery where God’s hand was with the surgeons, everything was where it belonged and the 8.5CM hole in my diaphragm had been closed up. After the second night in the hospital I was prepped sent home. Slowly over the last 5 days I have already integrated thing back into my diet that in some postop schedules would not happen for another 2-3 weeks. God is healing me and shortening my recovery.

God is continually providing and pouring out his grace, peace and love on us. (And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:8-9)