SK's Surgery

Update Thursday afternoon:  We're in our room SK is resting comfortably off and on and not resting comfortably off and on. She is crying out some in pain, which is utterly unbearable. Things went well in surgery according to the doctor.  We were in recovery for 4 hours because SK couldn't keep her temperature, her heart rate or her O2 sats up.  Her vitals have been stable since we got in a room.  I think her throat hurts from the breathing tube just as much as her incision sites b/c every time she coughs or tries to cough she cries.  


The brace she is in is awful.  I don't know any other way to say it.  It's big and metal and very unforgiving.  I hate it, but I am trying to put on a brave face for baby girl.  It's so huge, she's not even going to be able to wear her own clothes.  For now they want her laying flat on her back which is the worst position for her as far as her gagging and coughing fits go.  


Pray for her recovery (both immediate and long term).  We will be home bound for a while seeing as how he wants her in the brace continuously for 4 weeks at least.  This has been a very difficult day.  I have broken down several times over the sight of her in this brace, it's crushing my heart to see her like this. This is a mountain for sure and the biggest one we have had to climb in a while.  Thanks for covering us in prayer.


From earlier today:


Sophie Kate's surgery is today.  Yes, I was just posting about Jacob's surgery one week ago today.  In fact, this is his first day back at school.  He's doing really well and is feeling good the hard part now is going to be keeping him from any activity for the next two weeks, especially when he is feeling better and better each day.


Sophie Kate's surgery has not been nearly as cut and dried as Jacob's. It's been a difficult decision to be quite honest and certainly not one we entered into lightly.  The thing with Jacob's surgery and SK's previous surgeries is that they were in pain, they were hurting and the surgery was going to fix that and it did.  SK was much better after her other surgeries.  


With this one though, there's no guarantee.  Her hips aren't completely dislocated at this point.  This surgery doesn't guarantee that they won't become completely dislocated...that could still happen.  This surgery is called a soft tissue surgery, they are cutting tendons in the hopes of lengthening muscles in her hips and knees so that her hips have a chance of developing normally.

The other thing that has made this surgery decision so difficult is that we are taking a perfectly happy little girl and putting her in pain, that as her mother is killing me.  In the past she was already in such pain that surgery was a relief, it made things better, she wasn't hurting anymore.  I just couldn't help wondering this morning as I was watching her smile that huge smile of hers, when I would see it again.  I can’t be without that smile.

She's in surgery now.  Please pray for her recovery (specifically her being extubated and breathing on her own immediately after surgery), her pain and for her long term recovery, that this surgery will allow her hips to develop normally.  She is going to be in a brace for 4 weeks post surgery.  Pray that she is able to tolerate it and I guess that we are able to as well. This is what kept me up last night...she's going to hate that brace and how am I going to hold my girl in that brace. Anyway, I could go on and on....thanks for thinking of her and praying for her throughout the day.  I'll update on here later today.