First the Phillies won the World Series. Then Obama was elected President of the United States. And now this...
I'm starting to believe that nothing is impossible.
Musa's first surgery took place this morning at 7a.m., Ghana time. And Tom just called to tell me that the surgery was a success! Mind you, I'm hearing news third-hand from a man with a very thick West African accent, and he has received his news in 2-minute snippets over a third-world phone connection, but I'll try to convey what I got from the conversation: This first surgery was an exploratory surgery because without any medical records, the doctors needed to get a better look at what they're dealing with. They were able to identify and repair some "errors" that occurred in Musa's last surgery in Sierra Leone, and they have taken some specimens of his colon to determine how to best treat him. Hirschprungs is a disease of the nerves in the bowel, so from what I understand, they are trying to identify which are the damaged nerves and which are the viable ones so that they can successfully resection his colon. The best news is they are confident that resection is not only possible but permanent -- and Musa is healthy enough to withstand the necessary surgery. While the pathologists review his case, Musa will remain in the hospital for observation for at least a week before his next surgery -- which we all hope will be his last surgery.
Tom says his sisters, Ruth (Musa's mother) and Bernadine (with whom Ruth is living now in Ghana), are both in very high spirits. Bernadine has some connection with doctors in the hospital, and she is extremely confident in their abilities and knowledge -- and she will stay on top of them to uncover the details of Musa's case as they unfold. (We all know hospital patients need a strong advocate, and I'm sure this is 10 times more important in a Ghanaian hospital, but it sounds as if Bernadine is up to the challenge.)
Please keep Musa, his mother, Ruth, and his entire family in your prayers in the coming weeks. He has a long road ahead of him, recovery-wise, but so far everything sounds positive. I will keep you posted as I hear news from Ghana...stay tuned.
All I can say is wow. Just wow. WOW!
I'm starting to believe that nothing is impossible.
Musa's first surgery took place this morning at 7a.m., Ghana time. And Tom just called to tell me that the surgery was a success! Mind you, I'm hearing news third-hand from a man with a very thick West African accent, and he has received his news in 2-minute snippets over a third-world phone connection, but I'll try to convey what I got from the conversation: This first surgery was an exploratory surgery because without any medical records, the doctors needed to get a better look at what they're dealing with. They were able to identify and repair some "errors" that occurred in Musa's last surgery in Sierra Leone, and they have taken some specimens of his colon to determine how to best treat him. Hirschprungs is a disease of the nerves in the bowel, so from what I understand, they are trying to identify which are the damaged nerves and which are the viable ones so that they can successfully resection his colon. The best news is they are confident that resection is not only possible but permanent -- and Musa is healthy enough to withstand the necessary surgery. While the pathologists review his case, Musa will remain in the hospital for observation for at least a week before his next surgery -- which we all hope will be his last surgery.
Tom says his sisters, Ruth (Musa's mother) and Bernadine (with whom Ruth is living now in Ghana), are both in very high spirits. Bernadine has some connection with doctors in the hospital, and she is extremely confident in their abilities and knowledge -- and she will stay on top of them to uncover the details of Musa's case as they unfold. (We all know hospital patients need a strong advocate, and I'm sure this is 10 times more important in a Ghanaian hospital, but it sounds as if Bernadine is up to the challenge.)
Please keep Musa, his mother, Ruth, and his entire family in your prayers in the coming weeks. He has a long road ahead of him, recovery-wise, but so far everything sounds positive. I will keep you posted as I hear news from Ghana...stay tuned.
All I can say is wow. Just wow. WOW!
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