How Could We Forget.... Pt. 2

Continued.... (Read first part here)

***Warning this may be a little gruesome for some.  Not trying to be, just trying to tell the story.***

The accident happened around 8:30pm and we were down at the ER in Asheville by 9:30pm.  

Sounds like a long time, but we were all the way up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we made very good time.  Although it didn't really matter all that much because we waited about 2 1/2 hours before we saw anyone :)

Everyone was very nice, but I was getting frustrated, like,

"Don't you all see my husband's thumb is gone and he is bleeding all over the place?!  Doesn't that concern anyone??"

Looking back I know they wanted to help us, but that is just the way the ER works.
(I have a picture of him sitting and waiting, but I think it might be too much to put on a public blog. If I can figure out a way to edit it I will put it up).
A lot of different things happened to get Matt ready for surgery.  But I'll spare you all the details!
Dr. James Thompson was the doc to do the work on Matt's thumb.

Dr. Thompson was the real deal.  Hands were his specialty.  He had worked and taught at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.  He knew what he was doing.
I got to stay in the room with Matthew, which I was glad about.  He was wide awake through the whole thing.  He said the part that hurt the worst was the numbing shot given to him right in his thumb/wound.

I can only imagine.

Dr. Thompson told us that there was a 50% chance of the tip of Matt's thumb taking back to the rest of the thumb.  This was the highest percentage he could give us.  Normally in adults they would not even try to reattach, but since it was such a clean cut (thank you, brand new Gerber Axe), and since Matt was healthy and not a smoker, Dr. T decided it was worth a try.  But he did not want us to get our hopes up.  We thought for several days that he had missed the bone, but we received wrong information in the ER, some bone had indeed been severed, which was an additional challenge for the reattachment.

So, the entire time Dr. T is working on reattaching the thumb, Matthew is sharing the gospel.  He is not mincing words either.  I was praying the entire time, not saying much, also worrying that Dr. T was going to sow the thumb on backwards or something because of Matt's straightforward comments!
There are many more details, but this blog is getting way too long...

It was a long month or so of waiting to see if the thumb had accepted the other piece.  

Matt's dad was wonderful to take him to all of his appointments in Asheville, about 45 minutes from home.  It was nearly impossible for me to take him as I was in my last semester of my senior year, doing Student Teaching.  Basically working full-time as a teacher, just not getting paid.  But I'm not complaining, I had the most amazing C.T.=cooperating teacher (and assistant and one-on-one!) ever and I learned so much from all 3 of those lovely ladies!  My C.T. was also incredible with the accident, letting me leave early some days to go to certain more important appointments with Matt.

We are so thankful for Matt's parents and others helping us out so much during this time!  We had church family making us meals and people coming out to visit and pray.  We were so blessed!

Most of all....

We give the LORD all the thanks and all the glory, because the months prior to the accident we felt like we were barely holding on with both of us working full-time and me going to school.

I remember depending on Matthew to do most of the housework and cooking, especially on his days off because when I wasn't working at my school, I was working at home to complete lesson plans for my first graders and all of my university assignments.

It was impossible to think about not having his help, but for several weeks, even a couple months after the accident, he was really unable to keep doing all the things he had done previously to serve and help me.

It was completely and totally the grace of God that we made it through those times.  

As we look back, we honestly cannot say how we got everything done that we needed to be done and that I still graduated with honors and we still made it to seminary the following January.

God is faithful.  

He carried us.  

He sustained us.  

He provided our every need.  

He was our Rock.

Some photos of the journey....

This is where Matt spend the majority of his time... I called it "the cockpit."  He had the computer connected to the TV so he could watch movies and teachings.  He had the wireless keyboard and mouse pad on the little table where Snoopy is, he had drinks, and pillows and blankets, and books all around.  I think it was at this time that he/we decided to go to Imago Dei Church when we moved to Raleigh/Wake Forest.  We had been looking online and praying about where to go and were leaning that direction, but it was during this time that he was able to watch almost all of the Galatians teachings and we were blessed and encouraged and felt at home without even being there.  We are so so thankful to be a part of this church family now!  Another one of God's gifts!

Meal Time, at the table.  This was an accomplishment!
Poor guy was so drugged up the first couple of weeks.
I was so glad when his pain meds went down and he could feel more like himself.

He was supposed to keep his hand elevated, so we called him "The Tour Guide."

November 9, 2011.  Right before going into surgery to remove the "dead" piece and reconstruct the best thumb Dr. Thompson could make.
I was sort of a wreck this day because he had to "go under" and that always comes with certain risks.  But everything turned out fine.  There are actually some really funny things that happened this day.  As mentioned in the first post, we were trying to conceive at this time so one of the things Matthew said after coming out of surgery was,
"When can we have baby making sex?!"
He repeated this question ever so loudly to all the nurses, doctors, and other innocent patients and family members.  I am sure I was beet red the entire time.  I was also praying that his parents could not hear him in the waiting room, because we had not told anyone we were trying.  Ahh... I received a lot of sympathetic looks that day.
It's ok Babe, I know you were quite drugged :) xoxo

The Bandage

He has a great sense of humor....
Thumbs up for us!
With the Lord on our side we made it through my graduation and Matt's injury and we were still headed to SEBTS!
Thank you family and friends for all the support and prayer!
We love you!

Caleb Parham and my funny guy
Nov. 26, 2011
Chelsea and Andrew Zimmerman's Wedding:)

The shirt my brother bought Matt for Christmas...
A big dog with an axe.... haha... funny Josh:)
Matthew is a pretty hilarious guy and he doesn't even realize it.
That is one of the things I love most about him.
I also love the fact that he never takes himself too seriously:)

***Warning***

The next couple of pictures might be a little more than you want to see.... Please progress with caution.  

This is what his thumb looked like before the 2nd surgery.... that blackness is deadness... no life there... maybe some spiritual analogy though ;)

What his thumb looked like a week or so after the final surgery....

We praise God for being our all in all!

We know He was with us, behind and before.  What a good and gracious Lord.

"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me." 

Psalm 139:5

We know He has and will continue to keep His promise:

"The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.  
Do not forsake the work of Your hands."  
Psalm 138:8