Life is funny in the way it throws big things at you when you aren't looking for them. My 11 year old daughter has scoliosis. She was diagnosed a couple of years ago, and has been wearing a brace 23 hours a day ever since in an attempt to delay the inevitable surgery to correct the three curves in her spine. She has been seeing her spinal surgeon every three months, with xrays every six. Our appointments always go quickly, with the doctor looking at her spine and checking the curves and declaring that not much has changed, which is a good thing. Until today. And I knew the moment that he paused for more than two seconds in looking at her latest xray that something was different.
He was quiet as he ran the level over her spine and looked at the numbers, then turned again to look at the xray. I knew. And Hubby knew. Something was different. One of the curves has reached the point where surgery can't wait any longer without risk of being unable to fix it. What we didn't know was how long we had before the surgery would actually occur. Turns out it is weeks. Within 10 minutes we had a date scheduled - December 3. 5 weeks from now. 4 to 5 hours of surgery, followed by 3-4 days in the hospital, followed by 6-8 weeks of recovery at home.
So now we are in that in-between place. The "hurry up and wait" zone. Where I want to be in planning mode, but there isn't much to plan for. Just time to think. About the best way to soothe her fears. About waiting in the hospital. About the long incision down her back. About managing her pain once she gets home. The good things as she sees them? She no longer has to wear her "shell" as we call it. Ever again. And after surgery she will have gained a few inches from the straightening of her spine (she may even be eye to eye with me - that is thrilling to her.) The hospital itself is not a scary proposition - we were on the same floor a little over a year ago when she was diagnosed with diabetes. But the rest is a big unknown. And it wigs me out a little. So here we go - 31 days and counting down.
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Hugs to you. Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. It's so hard to see our little ones suffer. I hope things get better soon.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! We will keep her in our prayers. Everything is going to work out I'm sure and she'll probably be taller than you in the end :) So there's something to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this :( I'll be keeping your daughter and your family in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you and praying hard. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteWow - sorry to hear that about your daughter, but it sounds like she is in good hands! I like how she is focusing on the positive things - like being as tall as you! :D
ReplyDeleteI am posting the biscuit recipe tomorrow - its so simple - they were ready in 30 minutes start to finish - and the stats aren't too bad - 173 per biscuit:
Mile High Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 500. Spray a 10 inch cake pan with Pam.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt and mix together. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to flour mixture, and using a pastry blender, blend the butter until its about the size of a small pea.
3. Add buttermilk and mix together. Note the batter is going to be really sticky!
4. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop out batter into your floured hand and shape into a ball. Don't work the dough too much otherwise they will be more dense.
5. Put 8 balls around the cake pan, 2 in the middle. Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 450 and cook another 15 minutes.
Happy Halloween! :D