Dear Helen and all,
Mary is just now out of a four hour surgery...and it was SUCCESFULL! Mary is laying FLAT on her back and speaking better German than I was when they wheeled her into her room here at the hospital! Mary had been unable to lay flat on her back for the last five years or more.....Dr. Korell is as skilled a surgeon as we had thought. He has proven to us to be even more then we had anticipated, my friends!!
Thank-you for your prayers and thoughts as we truly did feel that strength this morning prior to Mary's surgery. And based on Dr. Korell's description of this laparoscopic procedure on Mary, he too thinks that GOD had a hand in it. It was very, very difficult even getting into Mary's abdominal cavity; but he persisted and once he succeeded in entering it, he completed the procedure as Mary had prayed for...laparoscopically!
Germany is wonderful!! So many, many wonderful people all willing to assist us in any way that they can...from directing us to where we need to go, to running to a store for more toilet paper for our apartment. ( Now that is another story folks!! ) Our accommodations here are on the hospital grounds - a very nice apartment with a balcony. We eat in the hospital cafeteria, have met many English speaking staff here and actually feel right at home...well, as much at home as one can feel being away from their loved ones!!
As long as it meant we must leave you all behind in order to give Mary her chance at a new life, we thought it best to make the best of this situation, and the best of it we have gotten today...Mary is free of her adhesion pain. Praise God for that!! I am overwhelmed, happy, words cannot express how I am feeling as I am so blessed to be here to actually witness this with MARY...
Dr. Matthias Korell is a very kind, compassionate man. He is very knowledgeable in his understanding of ARD and appears to have a fierce drive to help those who suffer the pain and indignity of ARD! He is open and honest, and obviously very skilled in his adhesiolysis procedure. Today he gave MARY BACK HER LIFE...and a smile that is filling Mary's face from ear to ear. That I CAN relate to!!
Our flight was eight hours ( out of Chicago ) and we utilized a Taxi from Dusseldorf to Duisburg. Our first night was spent a the Ibis hotel, but that proved to be very small and uncomfortable. We had an elevator only to the third floor and had to carry our luggage the rest of the way...NO service or assistance at all...and NO ICE!! Sunday we were moved to the apartments on the hospital grounds and this is so nice...
We are documenting everything as we go along and will share all when we get back to the States next month. I will try to get a message out as I can, but it will not be possible on a daily basis as I will be assisting Mary once she returns to the apartment. I do not want to use Dr. Korell's office anymore than I need to as he is so busy, yet so accommodating to us. I do not want impose on him. He is willing, but I am not. I respect his office business..:-)
Carmen, his secretary, is wonderful. She is so caring and speaks great English, as does Dr. Korell. We have also met a wonderful nurse here, Bridgette; and we have been invited to her house as soon as Mary is up and walking!! See how accommodating these people are!! How blessed we are to feel so special and comfortable in a country so new and unfamiliar to us. Yet we have felt so welcome and cared for...
I will close for now, as I will have to get back up to Mary's room. She is so thrilled! Dunka to all of you.
In friendship
Beverly