We are home from Seattle Children's Hospital and adjusting to life post surgery. Savanna had surgery last week to correct some issues that have occurred over time. (For those of you that are not familiar with her story, Savanna was born at 28 weeks and has Cerebral Palsy.)
I am going to try to not make this too long. I know that I ramble when I am emotional and being that I am already bawling as I type, I know that I will probably be a rambling mess throughout this post. Love me through it.
Neuromuscular and neurological disease make surgery much more complicated. The biggest piece of this procedure was to correct all of her toes. Every one of them had curled tightly and completely under her feet. Some had crossed over each other. They would never relax. Even when we pulled on them and tried to hold them straight, they were too tight to straighten.
As you could imagine, this was incredibly painful for Savanna. Running was sheer agony. Walking was misery.
Her scoliosis worsened as her toes curled tighter and tighter over the years. She couldn't have her toes and feet corrected any sooner because we had to wait for her growth plates to close in her feet to decrease the chance of this reoccurring. Both of her feet had to be done at the same time because the emotional and mental trauma would be too intense for her to endure twice.
Her surgery was long. Four hours seemed like four decades while waiting for her to come out of surgery. My anxiety normally would have been out of control, but constant prayer and conversations with The Lord, eased my worries as the hours of surgery slowly went by.
The first few days were awful, to say the least. She was in pain and very emotional. Savanna is a very strong willed and determined person. Having her mobility limited like this angered her in a way that I was not prepared for. Even though she wanted her feet and back not to hurt, she (we) could not have readied ourselves for how hard this journey would truly be.
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Seeing her hooked up to countless monitors and an IV gave Jerry and I flashbacks. She lived in the NICU for months when she was born. We watched her be beat back to life day in and day out by her doctors and nurses because her heart would stop beating. Savanna should not have lived past day one. We were told that she would be severely handicapped.
While the noises of the hospital brought back many of the overwhelming fears that we felt so many years ago, we also were reminded of her remarkable strength as we watched her lift herself out of bed and get into her wheelchair one day after surgery. Her team of doctors were blown away.
This experience has forever altered our entire family, for the better. We all had to come together with love and support for her and each other. Bonds that I thought were already strong were strengthened even more. Friends and family stepped up and helped us with our other children. Her school and her friends have all rallied around her. Kids that she does not even know from school, have sent her cards and get well messages.
Savanna is doing remarkably well. Her spirits have been restored! She is happy and as onry as ever! Savanna was sent home from the hospital much earlier than expected because of her remarkable strength and determination. Her physical therapists were so impressed by her comprehension of their instructions, her eagerness to learn, the strength of her spirit, along with her physical strength.
Savanna will be in a wheelchair for six weeks. She will hopefully return to school soon, with assistance. I have taken an extensive leave from my position at the Dermatology clinic. My bosses and co-workers have been incredibly supportive and understanding.
Jerry and I feel that our marriage was fortified by this experience, as was our relationship with The Lord. The love and dedication that our children have for each other was strengthened also. Friendships have grown deeper because of this too.
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We have been reminded that God has his plans and purposes. Countless blessings have came from this surgery.
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I am going to try to not make this too long. I know that I ramble when I am emotional and being that I am already bawling as I type, I know that I will probably be a rambling mess throughout this post. Love me through it.
Neuromuscular and neurological disease make surgery much more complicated. The biggest piece of this procedure was to correct all of her toes. Every one of them had curled tightly and completely under her feet. Some had crossed over each other. They would never relax. Even when we pulled on them and tried to hold them straight, they were too tight to straighten.
As you could imagine, this was incredibly painful for Savanna. Running was sheer agony. Walking was misery.
Her scoliosis worsened as her toes curled tighter and tighter over the years. She couldn't have her toes and feet corrected any sooner because we had to wait for her growth plates to close in her feet to decrease the chance of this reoccurring. Both of her feet had to be done at the same time because the emotional and mental trauma would be too intense for her to endure twice.
Her surgery was long. Four hours seemed like four decades while waiting for her to come out of surgery. My anxiety normally would have been out of control, but constant prayer and conversations with The Lord, eased my worries as the hours of surgery slowly went by.
The first few days were awful, to say the least. She was in pain and very emotional. Savanna is a very strong willed and determined person. Having her mobility limited like this angered her in a way that I was not prepared for. Even though she wanted her feet and back not to hurt, she (we) could not have readied ourselves for how hard this journey would truly be.
Seeing her hooked up to countless monitors and an IV gave Jerry and I flashbacks. She lived in the NICU for months when she was born. We watched her be beat back to life day in and day out by her doctors and nurses because her heart would stop beating. Savanna should not have lived past day one. We were told that she would be severely handicapped.
While the noises of the hospital brought back many of the overwhelming fears that we felt so many years ago, we also were reminded of her remarkable strength as we watched her lift herself out of bed and get into her wheelchair one day after surgery. Her team of doctors were blown away.
This experience has forever altered our entire family, for the better. We all had to come together with love and support for her and each other. Bonds that I thought were already strong were strengthened even more. Friends and family stepped up and helped us with our other children. Her school and her friends have all rallied around her. Kids that she does not even know from school, have sent her cards and get well messages.
Savanna is doing remarkably well. Her spirits have been restored! She is happy and as onry as ever! Savanna was sent home from the hospital much earlier than expected because of her remarkable strength and determination. Her physical therapists were so impressed by her comprehension of their instructions, her eagerness to learn, the strength of her spirit, along with her physical strength.
Savanna will be in a wheelchair for six weeks. She will hopefully return to school soon, with assistance. I have taken an extensive leave from my position at the Dermatology clinic. My bosses and co-workers have been incredibly supportive and understanding.
Jerry and I feel that our marriage was fortified by this experience, as was our relationship with The Lord. The love and dedication that our children have for each other was strengthened also. Friendships have grown deeper because of this too.
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This photo was taken a few days prior to Savanna's surgery
We have been reminded that God has his plans and purposes. Countless blessings have came from this surgery.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
