An unusual week

This has been an unusual week, as weeks go in our house. It's the first time I’ve got a husband in hospital. It wasn’t unexpected, we’ve known about this for several weeks. The timing wasn’t great...but when is hospitalization ever a good thing? (Barring my friend’s situation who has a severely disabled son and her local hospital provides them with respite regularly.)

Anyway, he’s not particularly ill, though surgery will sideline you for a bit. He’s had a run-in with skin cancer. Something that we could see coming. He’s fair, Australian, and has a family history of it. Anyway, it is a very local problem in a very visible area: his hairless forehead (he’s been balding for many years now). The surgeon took quite a lot of skin on Wednesday and now he’s recovering from that.

I could say a lot about Japanese hospitals. Between the five of us over the last 19 years, we’ve had five periods of hospitalization and it’s always a stressful time. Thankfully, though, this time doesn’t involve young children.

Not only is being sick hard but dealing with it in a system you don’t quite understand in a language that doesn’t come easily, is challenging.

But I don’t really have time (and you possibly don’t have the patience) to rave on about that right now.

The timing this week has been particularly bad, just because it is smack bang in the middle of a ten-day celebratory season for our family: two birthdays plus our anniversary (today). We celebrated two of those over the weekend, pre-empting David’s absence. I’m thankful that the boys are older now and don’t need me as much (not to say they don’t need me, and times like these I’m aware so much more of how I’m something like the ballast that holds things steady).

The little room on the surgery floor where I waited to talk to the surgeon. I didn't know what was going on at this point as
the nurse had told the operation wasn't yet finished. It was a stressful moment on Wednesday! Turns out it was finished
and she just wanted to tell me how it had gone. Phew

I wasn't sure if I'd make it in to visit him today, but it turns out that I can. Friends have offered to take care of dinner for our guys tonight, which I’m very grateful for. They’re old enough to manage here on their own, but it’s a lovely positive gesture to feel that practical care from someone else.

Yesterday we experienced the care of others in a different way. I met a friend and college at a park near the hospital. It is a well-established inner-city park that I’ve never been to before. Amazing, actually (check out these photos). It’s been around for several centuries and has some amazing trees. Yesterday was a gorgeous still day (not too hot) with a blue sky that reflected beautifully in the ponds. (Note to self: go back on my own with my fancy camera one day.)

Then we went together to the hospital where her husband had eaten lunch with David. We chatted for a while and then they led us in communion. Something I’ve never done before in a hospital or with just four people.

Though we know many have prayed for us this week, it was very encouraging to have someone in person to hear the stories of the week and pray with us.

I have to head out now. We're hoping that he'll be released on Sunday.

PS sorry if this doesn't make sense in places, or has big mistakes! I'm in a hurry and haven't checked it as well as I'd like...please message me with whatever you find so I can fix it later.