Tuesday, June 5, 2012

And I stand, I stand in awe of you I stand, I stand in awe of you Holy God to whom all praise is due I stand in awe of you.


God asked us to "Surrender All" to HIM as we said goodbye this morning. Mom talked about how it felt like Abraham offering Isaac because the surgery felt like sacrificing your child. Kristi's stomach is marked completely with all the dye and lines of where all the incisions would appear and there were small x's cut with a scalpel marking where the bladder and colostomy bags would be attached. She had a central line in her neck, a tube down her throat and 8 different i.v. type lines in her.  Kristi recollects counting nearly 30 people in the surgical room with two 8 foot long tables completely covered with tools required to complete this surgery (full pelvic exenteration)  And......"God Provided a Ram" prior to the first incision! I have thought about how just as with Abraham and Isaac, God saw Abraham's faith and could have intervened with the ram when he first set out on his journey, or on the walk up the mountain, or prior to putting Isaac on the alter, but He didn't.  He chose to wait until there was "FULL Surrender".  It was like that yesterday for us.  God could have intervened in many ways earlier, but He chose to allow each of us at different levels and in different ways to "fully surrender to God's will and fully trust Him to provide what we needed as we needed it."  God's Glory could not have been seen apart from the painful process of surrender.  How often do we not receive what God has for us (the Ram) because we hold onto some small part of our life, our plans, our control, our Issac?  Full surrender opens our heart and life up to what God wants to do!!   (Genesis 22:1-19)  Below is the process of surrender! 
 5:15 a.m.....The dreaded long walk down the hall to surgery and hugs of love and surrender.  Chuck Swindoll once said, "I have learned the greater the struggle to surrender the greater the surprise". 

Before going to pre-op room!

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength
Kristi laughing at the Oreo Illustration, while Danina is crying and hugging her goodbye for all her siblings.

Isaiah and Alyssa start the day at Aunt Amy's in their
purple blanket and purple jammies....praying for their Mom! 


When the Dr. came to tell Kristi the news in recovery, her nurse had been so excited that she had already told her that there would be no surgery.  Kristi was confused!  Her nurse wouldn't even take lunch or leave Kristi's side until she went home because she wanted to celebrate with everyone that came by.  Numerous people that were on the case stopped by to congratulate her and many who had only heard about Kristi stopped by and read her case file to "find the one" who had been rescued from this radical surgery with only 50% recovery rate.  When the Dr. appeared with Billy they were both smiling from ear to ear, and that is when Kristi knew that what the nurse had said must be true!!!!  She said to her Dr. "Did I get my Miracle"?  He smiled and replied that his wife says that "miracles are a change in perspective".  He worked hard to explain how this could have happened and took full responsibility for the confusion, but we knew the only explanation is that God chose "for His name's sake" to heal Kristi.  There was no scientific explanation.  May God use this in the lives of these Dr.'s and staff. Our family, along with many of you, have prayed that above all God would be glorified in this journey.  We continue to ask this!  This is God's story and we get the joy and responsibility of joining him in this story!
When we left this morning at 5a.m. for MD Anderson we were anticipating surgery at 7:30 and to see Kristi in ICU following surgery around 10 hours later.  Instead, here is Kristi returning home to the apartment less than 12 hours later!  We were anticipating her being in the hospital for 2 weeks, and now she is home!!!  She could barely walk and was in a lot of pain, but she was walking!!

Here is the kid's celebration picture!!  
Kristi feels there are no words for this "gift" and feels humbled that God would choose to do this for her. She immediately asked Billy upon understanding this reality if her family was going crazy in the lobby and if had he called Isaiah and Alyssa.  Billy told her we were really happy, but we were trying to be respectful of others waiting and suffering.  Dad asked Billy if he could turn cartwheels!
Praising God!!!  Mom, Me and Phil and Leona (Billy's Parents) 
God used this day to let us pray together, wait together, read scripture together, and talk about
Who God is together!  "God uses all things together for good for those that love him and have been called according to His purposes" Romans 8:28

I laid with Kristi and heard all her thoughts until she finally fell asleep under her purple blanket!  This was a gift to me, and to you as I write them! 
Phil and Leona came to see Kristi tonight before leaving for home tomorrow!
It will not be long before you get to hear from Kristi.  Thank you for standing with us today.  We feel so loved by so many from all over the country, and because of this......we all experience God in new ways.  We all get to "Stand in Awe and Worship Our God"!
After 2 1/2 hours of sleep last night.....I bet we all sleep really good tonight!
Love and Thanks to all...........Danina for us all! 

7 comments:

  1. Thank you Danina for the beautiful post. Thank you Kristi for your faith, courage and joy. Thank You LORD God Almighty for providing a ram!

    I have "June 5, 2012 Kristi Wright" written in my Bible next to Isaiah 43:2

    Praising God while listening to When the Stars Burn Down by Philips, Craig& Dean. "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! Rev 5:13

    Brian Hyde

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  2. Thank you for your steadfast updates!! Kristi, how many times are you gonna make a girl cry in one week?!?! LOL I love you and I love your story and this newest chapter. I love getting to watch God use you in the most insanely beautiful ways.

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  3. Continuing to weep tears of joy and praise our Loving Father and Great Healer as we celebrate this Miracle with all of you! Much love and continued prayers.
    Trecia

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  4. just so awesome. there are no words. just tears of joy and happiness. can't wait to hug you friend!

    Lesley

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  5. I keep going back to this blog tonight because the words on it are so amazing! I am so happy for you all!

    Love,
    Lindsay (Taylor Pool's mom)

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  6. In all of your exhaustion, you are still willing to share just as Kristi would desire. Thank you to all of you for witnessing to us. Thank you Lord for healing Kristi for us to share and learn from. I am assured God has many tasks prepared for her. She is so proficient at serving him!
    Filled with so many tears of thanksgiving and joy I can hardly stand,
    Misty

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  7. The tears of Joy just don't want to stop!!! Praising God! Praising God! Praising God! Praising God! Praising God! Praising God!
    Which will never get old!!! May His wonders never cease... So many thoughts in my head, just can't write them all down. We love you Kristi...
    Melba & Mike

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