Operation

Ok, so I know it has been a while, but if there is any occasion to drag me out of my blogging hiatus... this is it. Very exciting day.

 Leslie and John should have summited Mt. Meru today.  We were able to see the peak (and waved to them profusely) for a long time this morning so we are hoping they had a beautiful and clear view.  It has been raining on and off the past few days and we hear they have encountered quite a bit of rain so far so they deserve it.

 Carl had surgery on his knee today.

3 months ago he fell off a swing.

2.5 months ago an xray showed a tiny bone fragment that doctors werent worried about.

2 months ago an MRI showed 30% of the tendons had been torn from the knee cap.  Doctors suggested waiting, continuing physio, and re-evaluating in 6 months.

Since then little has changed

2 weeks ago the physio said there was no more he could do.

Last weekend we heard there were two Dutch orthopedic surgeons in for 2 weeks at ALMC where Theo was born AND another Canadian orthopedic surgeon in Moshi for a week or so.  What luck!!  He coresponded with the Canadian who recommended immediate surgery as the tendons would just continue to retract further from the knee cap.  He scheduled surgery in Moshi for Friday.  How fortunate!!

On Monday the Dutch surgeons cleared time to meet him and agreed.  They scheduled him for surgery in Arusha today.  How incredibly fortunate!!  Not only in town but to be operated by two very well respected Dutch surgeons.  This is best case scenario!!  They predict an 80% overall recovery.  That wasn't the best news but good enough and it is certainly better than how he is doing now.

His surgery was at noon today.  He had to go to the hospital by noon yesterday!!  I guess in general here they don't expect people to show up on time or to starve themselves before surgery.  No problem.  Carl left confident with only a few normal pre-surgery jitters.  The surgery only took about half an hour.  Carl was awake for the whole thing.  Weird huh!!  

When they got his knee opened they found that 99.9% of the tendons were actually torn from the knee cap!!!  99.9%!!!  I am still in shock about it.  How he as able to walk at all, manage physio for the past 3 months, get himself to Nairobi for an MRI, and do all the stuff around the house that he has been doing is a mystery!   And... if he has been working off of 0.1% of his tendons, then 80% now feels like a fantastic prognosis!!  Also the tendons had not retracted so they were easy to reattach.  All great news.

And I have to say that while I have struggled and felt discouraged about his leg at times over the past few months, Carl has hardly ever.  He has been so strong and handled this with so much optimism and strength.  I really don't have any idea how he does it.  He is truly my hero and I am so proud of him and so happy for him that we are really on the road to recovery now.  And I have no doubt that he will continue with all that strength and optimism until the day he is fine again.  I am so proud of him!!

He will probably be in the hospital tonight and Thursday night as well.  The first night will probably be the worst.  He has his phone but not internet.  We hope to visit him tomorrow and bring him home on Friday. What a surprise to Leslie and John... when they left just a few days ago to hike the mountain Carl hadn't even met with the doctors yet!!  Great turn around time.  Can't wait to get him home again.

And on a much lighter note... to add a little Africa into the blog.  This is the chicken head that I confiscated from Kaia tonight.  Saidi the night guard gave it to her to nibble on.  YU-U-UCK!!!