Prayers for Ruthie, Please

Ruthie has spina bifida, but she gets around very well. Most people do not even realize that there are any problems other than she is little pigeon-toed and tends to run a little funny. This, of course, is a blessing, except it tends to lull you into thinking that she is less handicapped than she really is. This was brought home to us in late November, when her urologist decided to repeat some of the tests that were done three years ago. We learned that her right kidney is failing, and without intervention, she will lose it entirely. So - Ruthie is scheduled for major bladder surgery on Monday, March 3rd. She will have her bladder augmented plus the ureter will be reattached from her kidney to the bladder to avoid the reflux that is currently destroying the kidney. She will also be undergoing a procedure related to her spina bifida, which should help her tremendously. The downside is that she will be in the hospital for 7-10 days and will miss 3-4 weeks of school. We have talked at length about the surgical procedure (without really discussing the postoperative pain part), and she is okay with that. She knows that one or both of us will be with her at all times, but she really, REALLY does not want to stay in the hospital. The last two weeks have been difficult for all of us in that she has been been very difficult - crabby, not sleeping well, complaining much more than usual. She often states (out of the blue) that she does NOT see why she should have to stay in the hospital for seven days.

We would covet your prayers for Ruthie and for us during this upcoming surgery. She's a tough little cookie, but this is not going to be easy. We would also ask for prayers for Abby and Joanna during this time. I surely don't want to undo any of the progress we have made with Joanna so far, and it is going to be a balancing act to meet everyone's needs. Thanks so much!