Russell's Septoplasty

Today, my sweet boyfriend had to go under the knife. Because his nose was broken, he had to have his deviated septum repaired. The procedure is called a Septoplasty, and it is actually a complex surgery. The surgery lasted for one hour, and the recovery lasted for over two hours. His nose looks great! There is very little swelling and no bruising so far, which is great news! He is in a great deal of pain, though, and it kills me to see him hurting so badly. When Russell and I walked into The Surgery Center, I saw John and Eloise Sawyer! I was so touched by the kindness they showed by being there for Russell before his surgery. It meant so much to both of us, and I appreciate them taking their time to come. They are both wonderful people, and it is obvious that they really do care about our church family. They have been a blessing to all of us during these hard times. After John and Eloise left, my mom came. I am so thankful to have a mother who is there for me, as well as the love of my life. She sat with me for hours, and she will never know how much that meant to Russell and me. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mom! She treats Russell like family, and it brightened up his day to see her face after he woke up in recovery. I hope she knows how thankful I am for her constant support! I wouldn't trade moms with anybody in the entire world. Mom might not be perfect, but she has a heart of gold. And, when you get down to it, that is ALL that matters. I just got off of the phone with Gail, who called to check on Russell. I know a lot of people, and even though there are SO many amazing people in my life, I have to admit that Gail is my favorite person in the world. She is always there for me. She understands me. She knows my faults, but they just don't matter to her. She loves me unconditionally, and I have no idea what my life would be like if she weren't such a huge part of it. Other people have called Mom to check on Russell, and I'd like to thank all of them, too. Everyone opened their hearts to Russell at our church, and I have never been happier! It's so wonderful to be in love with a person who also loves all of the people that are so important in my life. I would never be able to be with someone who did not see in my church family exactly what I see. He really does love that church. He really loves my family. He really loves my church family. He really does love my friends. And, he really, really, REALLY does love me! We occasionally argue over stupid things, but I know that as we continue to grow and mature, these petty arguments will become more rare as time goes on. And, even if they don't, I'll still love him just the same. I want to spend the rest of my life loving and learning with him, and if that is God's will, then I know that it will happen. He may be in a lot of pain today, but we are going to make it through it just fine. Thank you all for your thoughts, phone calls, and prayers. They mean more than you will ever know. I love you all so much!

HLT