Surgery and more
It has been awhile since I posted on Substack. I have been otherwise occupied. I had an umbilical hernia repair surgery a month and a half ago. Thanks be to God the surgery and recovery have gone well. Nevertheless, it has been quite a process and I have had to wrestle with the limitations that come from having a surgical procedure and subsequent injury.
I first noticed the bulge in my belly button in college. It was only recently, however, that I noticed it was growing. I decided to find a surgeon and get it repaired. At the initial consultation, he advised me that only fat was pushing through the hernia and not my intestines (which is good). He explained that the surgery would be outpatient and I would be able to get back to exercise soon after the procedure. He did not push me to get the procedure done — he only suggested that it would be good to do it now while I was still in good shape. I went ahead and got the surgery on the calendar.
After working my way through the never-ending pre-operation screening (blood work, EKG, meetings with nurses, etc.), the day arrived. Thursday morning, my wife took me to the hospital. I checked in and was shown to my pre-op slot in the surgery ward. After examining and questioning me again about everything, I was wheeled off to the operating room. The attending nurse greeted me and helped me off the bed and onto the operating table. I had barely laid my head back and told her I was comfortable that they put me under general anesthesia.
When I woke up, I was in a post-op slot by myself. People immediately showed up to check on me and ask questions. I was discharged and went home. I was grateful that everything had gone well.
The first day was not so bad because of the pain medication they had given me for the surgery. That night, however, I started feeling the discomfort and pain. I settled on Advil to manage the pain. Much to my relief, the Advil took care of it so that I did not have to take the painkillers they gave me.
Over the weekend, we were getting ready for bed. My wife and son were in the bedroom playing with the dogs. I was trying to explain to my son something funny that had happened earlier. What I had to share did not really prompt much laughter, except in me. I laughed and immediately grabbed my abdomen — “Aaaaaaaaaah! That hurts!” Well, my family thought that was hysterical and they both started laughing. Laughter like that is contagious, so it made me start laughing again. Each laugh — “hah, hah” — prompted a scream from me — “aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The situation was rapidly going downhill into everyone uncontrollably laughing. I fled to the bathroom and closed the door, thinking I could escape their laughter and get myself under control again. Much to my dismay, I could hear them laughing through the wall. And, in turn, they could hear me in the bathroom start laughing again, and then scream — “aaaaaaaaaah!”
My son now likes to describe the process as — “hah, hah, aaaaaaaaaah!” — with the cry of pain sounding like a screaming sheep or goat. Every time it comes up, all three of us break out laughing again.
After the initial few days and a weekend, I returned to the gym the following Monday and started moving again. The doctor had instructed me — no abdominal exercises and no lifting over 40 pounds for 30 days. Do not do anything that causes pain.
The first week back, I was glad to be able to lean on the restrictions. I was actually surprised at how much this minor surgery and the anesthesia had impacted me. My energy level remained low for weeks. Over the next thirty days, however, I slowly recovered and was able to increase the intensity of the exercise. Once the restrictions were lifted, I continued to monitor progress. I did not perform movements that were too aggressive on my abdomen.
Two Saturdays ago, I went to the gym. The workout that morning was outside and involved a lot of resistance band work and running. Halfway through the workout, I was running with someone holding a resistance band around my waist and I felt a “pop” in my left calf. I also felt intense pain. I finished the workout sitting in a chair with hand weights. A calf muscle tear was going to impose another recovery period on me.
The first day my calf was pretty tight and painful. I could barely walk. I continued treatments over the next several days and it gradually loosened up again. Four days after the injury, I had no problem navigating the garden to complete chores. I can almost walk normally now. Watching me shuffle around the house the weekend of the injury, my wife sent me a video of Tim Conway doing the “old man shuffle.” Very funny.
The recovery continues this week, but I am again under new restrictions. Last week, I apparently overdid it trying to roll out my calf and then over-exerting myself on the exercise bike. My ankle swelled up over the weekend and I had bruising! As a result, my trainer has me on strict restrictions at the gym — what I can do and how hard I can do it.
The reality I am confronting is that I need to be humble and patient about my restrictions. The restrictions impact not only the gym, but also other activities like the garden. I have found myself cutting back the scope of my garden planting this season because it is too much physical work. All of this is extremely difficult for me as I am intensely competitive and want to do more. If I do not respect the recovery process, however, I may have additional complications. As a result, I submit to the leadership of my trainer in the gym and follow his advice.
I am trying to offer up my suffering and trials in this process to the Lord for graces for the world1 and for a mission trip I will be taking this summer. I am also trying to accept that this situation and process is God’s will for me at this time. God did not will that I injure my calf, but he has allowed it to happen for a greater purpose.2 He is trying to teach me something new. Finally, this process is forcing me to recognize that I am not perfect—I have limitations.
In all of this, I have tried to keep a sense of humor. Yes, life is difficult. But if we cannot laugh at ourselves from time to time, it can get very difficult. Let’s not take ourselves too seriously! Instead, let’s take Jesus and His Word seriously as we have the opportunity to spend eternal life with Him in heaven if we persevere until the end.
“He who endures to the end will be saved.”3
I will also pray for you that the Lord will be with you in the struggles that you are facing. God loves you!
Eric A. Welter is an employment lawyer and trial attorney with a long-time devotion to intercessory prayer. He is a Catholic Christian who has been involved with intercessory and healing prayer ministry for over twenty years.
Colossians 1:24 (“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”).
Romans 8:28 (“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him,[b] who are called according to his purpose.”).