On Thursday, October 20 I returned to Scott and White for the second procedure. Since the blood vessels in my legs are so messed up, the physican went through an artery in my left arm. The second procedure went more quickly. Here is and observation that I made. Scott and White is very progressive, and their nursing staff is excellent but not any better than Harris Methodist in Stephenville. The difference is with the doctors. Stephenville has some well qualified people, but the way they screwed with me makes me very leery of them. After every phase of the operation at Scott and White there has been very intense pain that I have had to endure for almost a week each time. From what I understand I have one more session to endure. Luther

Thursday October 13, 2005 I went to Scott and White at Temple, Texas for the first part of three procedures. A small gash was made in my right groin through which a device was inserted for further work. Next week I will have the same procedure done on my left groin. On the third week I will have grafts inserted. The operation was to have taken an hour, but due to the fact that my blood vessels were knotted, the procedure took three hours. I spent one night in the hospital and was sent home. This method was much easier on me than the one that required cutting to reach the artery which is located behind the stomach. Today I am still having some pain, but it doesn't compare with the pain I am having from the first attempt to surgically repair the damage.


Scott & White - Heart & Vascular Institute - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm - Central Texas: "endovascular procedure
In order to reduce the operative risks for patients who are not ideal candidates for direct surgical repair of their aneurysms, an endovascular treatment was developed. This method involves placing a specially constructed Dacron graft inside the aorta by passing it up through the femoral arteries and into the aorta. This process is applicable to approximately two-thirds of patients with abdominal aneurysms. Its applicability is determined by measurements of the aortic diameter and angulation and the severity of associated blockages in the iliac and femoral arteries. The delivery system of the endograft requires iliac and femoral arteries of a moderate to large size.

Women frequently have smaller blood vessels than men. Therefore, they are often unable to have endograft treatment for their aneurysm unless an additional surgical procedure is performed to provide a larger vascular route through which the endograft can be delivered.

An aortic endograft is usually placed through two small incisions in the groin made over the location of the femoral arteries. The graft is then passed up through the femoral and iliac arteries into the aorta where it is anchored just below the renal (kidney) arteries with the limbs of the graft then brought down into both iliac (leg) arteries. A special type of ultrasound delivered on a catheter placed inside the aorta measures the size of the aorta and arteries going to the legs. This information helps the surgeon decide where to best place the endograft and what size graft should be used."

http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/livesay.pdf
Good news, I think. A surgeon in Temple, Texas at Scott and White is going to insert a shunt through the arteries in my legs instead of splitting me through the mid-section to repair the damage to my arteries. This will be a far less invasive method, hopefully it will work.

This devotion that was sent by the Cathedral of Hope means more to me than any other message I've received since this horrible ordeal has started. Remember that the C of Hope is a trans-sexual church that accepts, gays, lesbians, and other sinners such as me.
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Cathedral of Hope Prayer Ministry

Devotion for Wednesday, October 5, 2005.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is from the Hebrew Testament book of Daniel. After the kingdom of Babylon defeated the kingdom of Judah, the Babylonians took the brightest and best of the Jewish people as hostages. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were three Jewish hostages who worked for king of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar. The king decided to build a huge golden idol and decreed that everyone was worship the idol. Anyone who did not worship the idol would be thrown into a blazing furnace.

With motivation like that, everyone worshiped the idol. Except for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego because they would not betray God by worshiping a graven image. They were called before King Nebuchadnezzar and to his face they refused to bow down to the false god. They told him: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if God does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)

King Nebuchadnezzar was so angry that he ordered the furnace to be stoked up seven times hotter than usual and he commanded that the three men be thrown in the fire. The furnace was so hot that even the soldiers who threw them into the furnace were killed by the flames. But then as everyone was looking into the furnace they realized that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were unhurt. "'Look!' Nebuchadnezzar shouted. 'I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire. They aren't even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a divine being!'" (Daniel 3:25) And the king called the men out of the fire and gave praise to God.

Notice that God did not prevent Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from being thrown in the furnace. God did not put out the fire that was blazing in the furnace. And God did not remove them from the furnace. What God did do was to come down and be with them in the furnace and that is why they survived.

I believe THAT is how God works in our lives. God is not going to prevent us from being thrown into the furnaces of life. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus say that following him would remove the pain and suffering from our lives. Jesus did promise that he would be with us through the fiery furnaces of our lives. He has never failed to keep that promise.

I believe that God is never silent and that God is never far from us. Sometimes we allow our pain to deafen our ears to God's still small voice. And sometimes we allow our fears to blind us to God's presence in our lives. I believe that there is no such thing as unanswered prayers - only unheard answers.

Faithful Lord, may I never take your love for granted. Thank you for hearing my prayers. Thank you for being with me through the fiery furnaces of life. Amen.


Marty Ruggles
Cathedral of Hope, Dallas
Minister for Prayer
mruggles@cathedralofhope.com

NOVELS BY LUTHER BUTLER
Barnes�&�Noble.com - Book Search: luther butler

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

-- Dylan Thomas