God's plans prevailed

" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord..." (Jeremiah 29:11) But those plans don't necessarily always align with ours. His plans always supersede our own, even if we don't understand the reasoning. But that's the thing with wanting His desires and His will and His plans above our own. We don't need to know the reasoning. We just need to keep trusting Him. And such continues our faith journey.

checked in and waiting to go to pre-op!

This was the case as we sent Carson into surgery Monday morning. We were hopeful and almost giddy about the fact that Carson would be receiving a prosthetic bone to give him some hearing and we could put surgeries on the "back burner" for at least a few years. He was quite excited himself. So many family members and friends all praying, hoping, excited for our little man, and anxious to see some results in a matter of weeks.

a little snuggle with mom

a little laugh with dad in pre-op

our brave little man ready to go!!

 Surgery itself went very well in the sense that Carson was in good spirits beforehand and apparently even laughing with the anesthesiologist as they made their way back to the OR (he was by far our favorite anesthesiologist so far...a major praise!). I can't say as though I know many 7 year-old boys who would be smiling as they head into surgery. From there, the waiting began...the praying was nonstop, the verses were read over and over again, the encouraging texts came through, and the seconds ticked by at a snail's pace. 2 hours later, they called for Mrs. Anderson and I was at my son's side, once again helping him work through that nasty anesthesia. It never gets easier but God gave me the strength needed to keep it together for the sake of my son and He provided Carson with some very caring and fantastic nurses to give him the proper care. 
 The outcome of his surgery was not what we planned but was very evident God's perfect plan for our Carson. Rather than implanting that bone, the doctor removed more of the cholesteatoma that had grown back, this time behind his ear drum. He was unable to see it earlier this month because of it's position, but again, a huge praise that he found it and was able to remove it before it had grown any larger, wrapping around the nerve or ear drum itself. We knew this was a possibility, that this cholesteatoma could grow back, but we had our hopes set high since we went into this day thinking our boy would come out with the chance to hear in a matter of weeks. God's plan prevailed. And it's perfect. It wasn't easy to think that way as we sat by Carson's bedside helping him work through the sickness and nausea and flowing tears of simply wanting to go home. All I could think was that we would be here once again in a year, going through this all over again. 

And it was especially not easy as we were finally cleared to leave and in pulling away from the hospital doors, our boy asked in his soft, sweet, concerned yet hopeful voice, "did the doctor put the bone in my ear?" Floodgates opened. He continued working through the sickness as we drove home, Andy & I watched our little man sleep the drugs off as best he could, and we let the tears flow off and on as were both exhausted in every facet...physically, (amazing how tired you can be even though the day produced a lot of waiting) emotionally, mentally, etc.

We have much to be thankful for in the fact that Carson had amazing doctors and nurses caring for him, we were able to recover in the pediatric ward to which Carson could be distracted with quietness and a movie, from the smallest of details to the biggest of prayers that were being said for us throughout the day. God's blessings were, and continue to be, outpouring. Carson's faith story is all his own, written by the Creator Himself. And His plans are PERFECT!