Team Johnston

Praise God! Chad is completely healthy! It's been a long day (as you can tell by the time stamp on this post!), but the outcome is such a blessing. Chad still has both boys in tow, which he was very happy to discover during his recovery time!

I'll keep this short...mostly so I can go to bed and get some rest! As it turns out, the mass attached to Chad's spermatic cord was actually a swollen, scar-tissue filled vein that was the result of some past injury. This could have happened several months, or even a few years ago. The surgeons went in and removed the damaged portion and were able to reattach everything so that healthy blood is once again flowing. Apparently this vessel was 3-4 centimeters long and hard as a rock, so the doctors were glad it was removed. They were also very happy that the mass was completely benign, as we were as well!

Recovery from the anesthesia (wow that's a hard word to spell this late) took a little longer than after last week's surgery. When the nurse was trying to see if Chad could walk, she quickly found out he could not as he fell back into her arms. It's a good thing she was strong! After trying to get him walking a few more times with no success, she called the doctors, and the urologist returned to the hospital to check on Chad.

The doctor determined that the numbing agent they put on his spermatic cord during surgery had also been placed on a nerve, causing his left quadricep to be completely numb and essentially useless. The effects will wear off, but probably not until early morning. Therefore, the doctor decided it was best to admit Chad to the hospital over night, just to make sure everything was fine. Plus, I don't think he had much confidence that the 8-month pregnant wife would be able to hold Chad up should he continue to fall here at home!

So, Chad is at the hospital, happily drugged to sleep. He will be released in the morning after the doctor sees him.

Thank you all so much for your prayers! We felt them all day and know that they made all the difference. Now it is time for me to hit the sack as well...I have a baby shower in the morning!