Preparing for Surgery

It’s hard to believe that in 3 weeks, we’ll be at VCU Hospital with our little man!  Ever since we were told about Brady’s cleft palate (you can read more about that HERE), we knew this time would come, but it’s really surreal to think that we are only 20 days away from his cleft palate repair surgery.

The first couple of days after we were told about his birth difference, I did a little grieving.  If I’m honest, I was disappointed that I would not be able to nurse him as I did with Savannah.  I was disappointed that he would have to use a special bottle in order to get his milk.  I was disappointed at the possibility of my child having ear issues and speech problems.  But, in the midst of those human emotions, the Lord was with me and gently reminding me, Sarah, I’ve got this.

And He does. 

While discovering that our baby had a hole in the roof of his mouth was a total shock to us, it was absolutely not a surprise to God.  In fact, for whatever reason, He allowed it to be there.  I’ll probably never completely understand God’s sovereignty, but I do know that while He could have intervened while Brady was in the womb, He did not.

And thankfully, the Lord has really guarded my heart from guilt.  When I’ve questioned what I may or may not have done to cause Brady’s cleft, the Lord has been faithful to remind me that He is bigger than me.  Even if I had unintentionally missed a day or two of taking my prenatal vitamins or if I accidentally ate something I shouldn’t have, He’s reminded me that He’s bigger than all that. 
And He is.

There’s no way of knowing exactly what caused Brady’s cleft palate and the Lord has really been gracious in not letting my mind dwell in that place for too long. 
So, here we are just a couple more weeks before Brady’s cleft palate repair surgery and I have to confess that I’m a little nervous about the unknowns.  I have no idea what it will be like to hand my 8 month old baby off to a nurse.  I have no idea what it will be like to watch them take him away to surgery.  I have no idea how the surgery itself will go and what specific things they will do to repair by son’s precious little mouth.  I have no idea what Brady’s recovery will look like and if he’ll be in a lot of pain when he wakes up.  I have no idea if he will eventually need another surgery down the road.  But….and hear me when I say this……

God does.

I’m so incredibly thankful that my heavenly Father does.

I know that I will be an emotional wreck on surgery day (heck, I’m getting a little emotional just thinking about it), but I am so confident in the fact that God’s love for my son transcends all of my worries.  God’s got it…..God’s got Brady Wayne Eddins…in the palm of His hands, in fact. 

We are so thankful for Brady’s good health and that his cleft palate really hasn’t been a hindrance to his growth in any way thus far!  God has been so very, very faithful to us and our precious son.  All praise goes to Him! 

If God leads you, would you pray with us for Brady’s upcoming surgery on June 19th?  I’ve listed some prayer requests below, if you feel led.  We have his pre-op appointment on June 14th with the surgeon who will do the repair.  I plan to ask about the details of the surgery day and what we can expect as far as recovery, etc.  We also have his appointment with the pediatrician on June 17th to give final clearance for surgery.  Thank you in advance for all your love and support!  

– Pray for good health for Brady leading up to the surgery.  We would hate for surgery to be postponed due to illness.