His Grace Multiplied: A's Big Adventure . . . The End Of February!!

Just now getting around to blogging about this event. We found out last fall that "A" had a condition called pectus excavautum. My hubby has the same condition but never got it repaired and he so wishes he had. It is a surgery that is usually done when relatively young. It is when the middle of the chest sinks WAY in and as you grow older it seems to make life uncomfortable.

"A" had a battery of tests for her heart and respiratory. Reminds me when she went to the cardiologist the nurse was looking at her heart by sonogram and then talking to "A". The nurse found out about our family size and she asked "A" if she liked where she fell in the family. "A" answered "I like what I am." The nurse smiled and said "You just made my day." "A" then saw the doctor and the doctor seemed to very much enjoy "A's" way she approached life. Doc said "You have the most beautiful heart I have seen all day." That's a blessing!

It was suggested to us by a couple doctors to get it repaired. The end of February she went into surgery. She was such a brave heart as you can see by the pictures of she and I before she was wheeled into the operation room. They put a steel bar in her chest cavity and then popped the bar upward to expand her chest and then left the bar in. It will be in for a couple years now.

The nurses were happy seeing her happy smiles as she was being wheeled back to the operating room. When we got to the operating room the anastegiologist was SOOOO funny. He asked if "A" wanted dog breath as the scent to smell as she went to sleep!

When they came to get me when she came out of surgery the nurse warned me she was in a lot of pain. I found out much later from a therapist that it is one of the most painful surgeries there are and worse in terms of pain than heart surgery.

It was terrible watching her be in such extreme pain but I was so thankful I was there to help her through it. As I was thinking about being glad I was there she said "I am glad you are here." Days, maybe even a few weeks before surgery in our family devotions we read about Jesus calming the storm when they were in a big storm at see and we talked about how we need to "turn away from the storm and to Christ." I had the kids repeat after me that phrase a few times. I told Annalina she may need to remember that after surgery and sure enough she did need it and I reminded her. I encouraged her to also slow her breathing, etc. She did an AMAZING job with the help of her Saviour. One of her young hip and cool nurses that cared for her in her hospital room said "She is going through this with such grace. She doesn't act like a kid from this country. She doesn't act like an American kid. I don't know how else to say it." The reason she was able to do that was because it was by an all powerful God that gives her HIS GRACE and it is by that alone!!

For days she was on IV morphin which was no fun watching. That first night in the hospital was exhausting. Annalina would wake me up needing help. I would have to stand there for just a few moments to get my thoughts together. It is one thing helping little babies during a night but big heavy kids in a lot of pain is another thing. I have come through this year with a Huge respect for parents with severely disabled kids. It takes a lot of physical and emotional strength. And they have to keep going day in and day out year after year. I respect them. I only had to have a taste of some of what they go through. They have to be some of the strongest people on earth.

I was really amazed watching Annalina's healing process. Each day brought significant improvement which was so encouraging. Prayers were truly being answered. The nurses had seen pectus excavatum patients before and they were surprised at how well she was coping. God is good all the time!!

My younger brother came to visit her, phone calls were made to us, someone plowed our driveway to make way for our return home, food was brought! We were blessed by care and love. "A" received BINS and BINS of gifts. There was an amazing outpouring of love to her personally.

As "A" was laying in the hospital hours after the surgery in pain and at times very uncomfortable breathing she quietly mentioned a lady from church that had said she wanted to pray with "A" on the way to the hospital and it didn't happen. "A" wanted me to call her and have her pray with her but to tell her she couldn't talk but just listen. It was beautiful to watch this saint of the Lord pray for my daughter as she lay in pain. It was obvious "A" appreciated it!!

A funny side note . . . our family stayed at a nearby air force base during her procedure and Babe and I switched off staying to care for "A" after her first night and the other one of us stayed with the kiddos at the temporary lodging facility. When Babe was at the TLF the fire alarm went off and the fire department came and then they got nervous when they saw the girls were on oxygyn! It became more of an ordeal than necessary but they were being cautious.

When I came back to the TLF to switch off with Babe I walked in and "Big C" ran up and hugged me. I said to him, " Did you miss me?" His reply was sweetly "No, but I like you a lot!" I started laughing that was so funny and so "Big C"!!! While I was away Babe told me that "J" would stand at the window and say "Mama, Mama!" When the day came to leave the hospital as I pulled out to leave to pick her up the van died and it was Super Bowl Sunday in DENVER!! Eventually, we got a very interesting ride back to our room which is another story!! Babe and "A" had to take a taxi to get a rental car but it all worked out!!

The hospital we were at in Denver was sub par but we made it and we are thankful for how the healing process has gone. She was restricted in what she could do for awhile but now is almost back to a completely normal life. She still has doctor's appt.'s checking up on her and making sure all is ok.