Bucket Brigade update

Here's another cheater blog post—a letter I just sent out. I know some of you in the Bucket Brigade mainly keep in touch with me here, and I want to include you in this, so read on—

Hi, all.

Just letting you lovely folks know the latest. I have major surgery scheduled for Thursday, in two days. I'll be able to come home the same day, which is good. Rob and I met yesterday with the surgeon, Dr. Lichti, and his squad of compassionate and capable nurses, and we both felt calm about proceeding with this next step in their care. Mind you, I'm not the least bit excited to come under the knife, but this feels like the right decision right now. We'll see where it goes from here.

Some of you have sent some very encouraging words along with your prayers and good thoughts, and those have lent us strength and cheer. Again, I'm sorry I'm so behind in my communications. Maybe I'll catch up one day! Just know that none of your loving efforts have been wasted. I'm absorbing your love like a fat thirsty sponge.

From troubled hearts, a few of you have expressed some feelings and convictions from the less optimistic end of the spectrum—frightening stories about doctors and treatments. Some of you are afraid for me to follow the path I'm currently on. I want you to know I appreciate your concern too. I know that you've shared your truth and your experiences in an effort to help and protect. And I know you hurt. I hurt with you. If there's any way I can assure you that Rob and I are trying as hard as we can to be completely open and receptive to our own best course of action, please let me. I don't doubt the validity of any of what you've shared, not one bit. It gets tricky when there are so many "right" and "wrong" medical approaches coming from a dozen different directions. We're in hot pursuit of healing, and we're focused on taking this problem one step at a time. We are open to changing direction at any moment, if it begins to feel right to do so. Meanwhile, we're trying to trust ourselves to make it from point A to point B, then point B to point C, and so on, praying and testing and listening all the while. We're open to input. For now though, we feel that this step on Thursday is the best option we've been able to identify. After Thursday we'll see what's next to decide, if anything is even called for.

So, please keep us in your prayers and emotional embraces. We love you and there's no way to adequately say what your caring means to us. Likely this will all seem like a small thing in a small moment when it's past, though right now it feels so big. You will have been a large part of the reason we didn't go crazy while getting through it.

Love you muchly,
Georgia