Surgery Day

Today's Chapter - in which Christina has an Evil Lump and Dr. Dunbar removes it.

Pooh Said:

"Piglet, I have decided something."
"What have you decided, Pooh"
"I have decided to catch a Heffalump.  I shall do it by means of a trap.  And it must be a Cunning Trap, so you will have to help me, Piglet".

Pooh and Piglet decided that the best way to catch a heffalump, was to dig a pit that the heffalump would fall into.  Christina is now in surgery. They are "digging a pit" to catch an Evil Lump.  They are sampling her lymph nodes to determine how many need to be removed, removing her tumor, ensuring "clear margins" to make sure they get it all and inserting a port which will be used in her subsequent treatments for blood and chemotherapy treatments.  We wait now for a bit in the waiting room.  Christina's parents are here as well as my sister Trish.  We wait.  We are a bit in the dark now, but we are not afraid.

Our "Cunning Trap" consists of three parts.  The Sacrament of Anointing which she received on Sunday, your prayers which have been offered up since the earliest days, and the healing ministry of the surgeon and medical professionals.  We have great hope that we will catch that evil lump.  We know that God will work through the surgeon and Christ will be with us to carry us through.

Today also happens to be the birthday of Christopher Robin Milne, A.A. Milne's son about and for whom the Pooh stories were written.  We did not choose this date for surgery, it is just God's way of saying "I am here, and I have been listening to you." Apparently, He has been reading the blog as well.

When they thought they had caught a Heffalump in the trap, Piglet was scared and found Christopher Robin. Christopher means "Christ Bearer", and we too are without fear when we find Christ in times of trouble.

"Piglet wasn't afraid if he had Christopher Robin with him, so off they went...  'I can hear it can't you?' said Piglet anxiously.  'I can hear something.' said Christopher Robin."

I can hear something too.  It is that soft still voice of God saying, "Do not be afraid.  I am here".