I said “we” in the title because this was not a solo trip by any means. We had a whole clan of 14 descending on Jacksonville, Florida.

My family of four, Nicole’s family of four, our mom, dad, stepmom, two aunts, and an uncle all came for the surgery. Nicole had an Airbnb, so the night before surgery we were able to gather together, have dinner, and pray as a family.

There is something so powerful and comforting about standing in a circle with your family of believers and calling on the Lord to protect and cover us during and after surgery. I already had peace and no fear, but there is still something incredibly comforting about hearing my father pray over us.

I also love how close and connected our family is. They don’t just say they love you. They show up.

After dinner, David and I checked into our home for the month, The Gabriel House of Care. It is a recovery home for transplant and cancer patients, and it is located right on the Mayo Clinic campus.

The building is beautiful and well designed. There are 28 spacious rooms that feel more like hotel rooms, with two queen beds, a reading chair, a desk, and a private bathroom. There are two floors, three cozy family rooms for relaxing and watching television, a reflection room, a library, a fitness center, and coin-operated laundry rooms on both floors.

The kitchen is huge, with four cooking stations, and each room is assigned its own refrigerator and freezer space. The screened-in back porch has tables for eating outside and a long row of rocking chairs that overlook a wooded area and pond.

One thing that surprised me was that we weren’t allowed to have televisions in our rooms. The purpose was to encourage people to connect with others who were going through similar experiences. And honestly, that turned out to be such a blessing.

During our time there, we were encouraged by others, and we were also able to encourage and support many people with prayers, conversations, and sometimes just a shoulder to cry on.

This is where we made ourselves at home.

 

 

That evening, I received a call from the hospital asking me to come in early so the doctor could remove some extra fluid in preparation for surgery the next day. So, I grabbed my overnight bag and headed to the hospital a little sooner than expected.

Once I got settled in, I spent the evening catching up on text messages and getting ready for the next day. I also had to shower with antiseptic soap because the sanitizing process starts the night before surgery.

And just like that, everything was becoming very real.