battling The Bulge

36 hours of excruciating pain and various other severe symptoms finally brought my husband to the ER (following an attempt to return to work and throwing up as he got out of the car--are you kidding me?) Finally!  Now, we'll get some answers!
For months, he has been experiencing these bouts of abdominal pain coupled with diarrhea and vomiting that his doctor could not diagnose. "Just wait and see" was his only answer. Not very comforting, but he was the doctor. So we just waited for it to happen again.  And it did.
What we found out, should have been easy to diagnose given his medical history.  He was experiencing a strangulated hernia, causing a blockage in the intestines.  Yes, his intestines were pushing their way out of his abdomen via the weakened mesh that was from 2 previous hernia repair surgeries, creating a bulge that was,  fortunately able to be pushed back in by the surgeon. Ahhhhhh, instant relief!
With that relief came the knowledge that he also had a raging infection and would have to be hospitalized to get some IV antibiotics into him. Oh, and there would be surgery too.  Dependent on white blood cell counts the surgery could be the next morning, or it could be scheduled for AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  And, last but not least,  there was the inevitable (thank you Lord) lecture from the surgeon about his weight.  You see, his gut had gotten so large that there was excessive pressure on the intestines and less abdominal strength to hold them in. The surgeon (I love her) told him that he MUST lose weight or he was not going to have any ability to hold his intestines in as a result of continued obesity.
I am actually seeing that it has had some impact on him. He is agreeably relenting to dietary restrictions and he is also being obedient in his promise not to do any lifting (at least in my presence). I am praying that this is the catalyst he's needed to really make some changes in his life to remain whole and healthy.  It didn't affect any change when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He wasn't motivated to change when his daughter got married. Maybe now, with the threat of experiencing the excruciating pain of a bulging hernia, he will make a permanent change. Maybe this will be what he's needed all along, a threat to life and limb. Why didn't I think of that earlier?   LOL.  I know that I am not my husband's messenger. I'm grateful that God has ways of bringing messages to us in ways that we will, eventually, listen!
Pray with me that he will win this battle.  The battle to a whole and healthy lifestyle- the Battle of the Bulge-inside and out!