Normal?

Great news.  Erin had an appointment Monday and the infectious disease doctor said her CT scan was completely normal and all the infection was gone.  He told us to stop the IV antibiotics, took her PICC line out and said, "I don't want to see you anymore unless it is at Eric's graduation."  God is good.  The 2.5 weeks of inconvenience paid off and all signs point to Erin being totally healed.  Thank you all for the prayers, cards, cookies, emails, comments, posts, visits, food, cookies, flowers, and cookies.  (It is amazing how many plates of cookies and desserts people send you when you are in need.)

I've been back at the hospital full time for a while now, and earlier this week I was taking care of a patient on my service who has a pretty insulting injury.  She is in a state similar to what Erin was in two months ago and is battling with a lot of the same issues.  (Thanks to HIPA I have to be extremely vague on details.) I was glad to be the doctor this time, and glad to be a doctor that could now empathize.  One afternoon while I was doing a dressing change the patient made a comment to me that brought back memories and also allowed me to remember how far Erin has come in the healing process.  She told me that she was observing people in the hall who were walking around and was amazed at how easy they made it look and that they totally took it for granted.  Erin made that exact comment to me when she was moving slow and all the doctors tried to be encouraging to her by saying "You'll get there."  Now we have come full circle and are in the position to be the ones encouraging others.  I pray these memories will stay fresh enough to capitalize on opportunities to meet others needs when they arise.

Well, things must be back to normal now, because Erin is walking like a normal person, and is even taking it for granted.  There are a whole lot of other things we are doing now that reaffirm that we are back to normal.   Right now we're in Traverse City staying at Great Wolf Lodge...swimming, playing, and getting little sleep as seven of us are in one hotel room (Erin's mom is still with us until Sunday).  As I present some research at a conference, Erin and Chris are keeping the boys in order.  Besides the scar, you would never know that Erin ever got sick.  Her energy is back, her attitude is positive, and we are now just dealing with the fact that we have four boys.  As long as the fevers stay away, my prayer will have been answered...that Erin would have no long term sequelae except a scar and memories.

So, now that things are back to normal, we will again turn our energies toward the future and the planning that has been on hold for the past two months.  We are still on pace to go to Kenya as missionaries beginning in August of 2013, and look forward to posting about our journey.  For those of you who don't know, our family will be serving for two years at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya through World Medical Mission and their post residency program.  Our time will be a period of both training and service and will be full of learning, experiencing, teaching, and operating.  I will post more details as time allows.  However, as a teaser, here is a link to the WMM website. There are some great videos and testimonies available to watch that will give you a glimpse of our future.    http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Serving_Overseas/Post_Residency

For the near future, I'll be working here in Grand Rapids for one year as a general surgeon.  This time will allow me to take my board exam, pay off some of my loans, gain experience as an attending surgeon (an attending is a surgeon who has finished all his training and actually has residents working under him),  as well as learn a few other surgeries I will have to do in Africa.  (i.e. obstetrics, gynecology, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, urology, etc.)

We will also use this time to raise prayer and financial support, and organize all the logistics of moving a family to another continent.  (Yes, we are taking the boys!!  I am surprised at the number of people who ask me, "Are you taking your family with you?")
If you want more information on how to support our ministry to Kenya you can email me at ericjmitchell@hotmail.com or visit the World Medical Mission website at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/giving/wmm_doctors/

More to come.  God is good...all the time.