The Most Painful Night of My Life

Hi friends,

This is one of those hospital updates where things looked like they were going brilliantly… until they didn’t.

I went into the Brompton expecting to have lung ablations done, one on each lung. The doctors had warned me that if the first lung collapsed, they wouldn’t be able to do the second one. And, as many of you know, my lungs have taken every possible opportunity to collapse in the past.

So we were praying that both procedures could be done in one go. When I woke up, that’s exactly what had happened! Both lungs treated, no drains in place, and the plan was for me to go home the same day. It felt like a real breakthrough.

But just before I was due to leave, the final x-ray showed an air bubble in the lining of my lung. Not good news. That meant I needed a chest drain. Normally this is fitted during the ablation while you’re under general anaesthetic. This time it had to be done under local.

I can honestly say it was one of the most painful experiences of my life. They went straight through my chest wall and into my lung — a bit like those TV scenes where they push in a needle to release trapped air. Except this time it was me on the receiving end, and the pain was excruciating.

That was last night. What followed was a very long and very painful night. Every single breath was agony. I didn’t sleep at all, and the pain meds barely touched the sides.

Today, though, there has been progress. Two more x-rays showed things were improving, so the drain was removed. Breathing is still hard and painful, but nowhere near as bad as it was, and the medication is finally helping. I’m hoping tonight brings some rest, and maybe even the chance to go home tomorrow.

It’s difficult, isn’t it? Everything was going so well, and then suddenly it all went pear-shaped. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know this isn’t the first time. The same thing happened after bowel surgery. It would be easy to despair.

But I still believe this: God is good all the time. He’s the one who decides how many days I have, the one who carried me safely through the anaesthetic, the one who kept me alive through the emergency drain. My life is safe in His hands.

So while I’ve had my tears, I still choose to see the good. Both lungs have been treated. The drain has done its job. And though tonight may still be painful, joy will come in the morning.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me. I can’t tell you how much it means. As always, I just want to be real and honest about what’s going on.

Bless you all,

Andy