The Post Surgery Life

I have been incommunicado these past few weeks. Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to leave people hanging on how the surgery went! It feels like this surgery has been looming over us for so long, and then preparing for it has been such a focus these past few months, getting her stronger, extra doctor’s appointments, prepping our home, adjusting my work schedule, all the things, that it was almost surreal once we were actually there. Especially because I had just come home from my big conference, which was wonderful but also intense. So much going on!

Let me first say that A is doing remarkably well, all things considered. We had her two week follow-up appointment at the hospital yesterday and everything looks like it’s healing well. She is now able to get up on her own to the bathroom (which is huge), carefully navigate our stairs (!!!), and she’s sleeping better and overall being a champ with everything she’s having to deal with. It hasn’t been easy. There were a few complications while we were in the hospital (at this point we kind of expect everything with this kid to be complicated) and we ended up staying about twice as long as the doctor had hoped we would. Now that we’re home, though, we’ve been settling in to a new normal. All in all I really can’t complain.

I was with A at the hospital through the whole week (maybe wasn’t conducive to getting good sleep, but I was grateful they allowed me to stay), while my mother-in-law was here at the house with my other kids. So thankful for her and for the kids’ efforts to pitch in and help things go smoothly while we were gone. There were understandably some difficult things for me about once again being in a hospital, one severe trauma response in particular, but I made it through and there were so many blessings throughout all of it.

I also wasn’t there alone. I plan to dedicate an entire post soon to this, but I am seriously dating someone. He came to be with me every single day we were in the hospital, often for 7+ hours at a time. It was incredible, and almost makes me cry to recognize how the Lord knew exactly what I was going to need, what A and I would both need, and how circumstances aligned to make that happen. I feel so, so blessed.

So that’s the general update. Life continues to be full and crazy and amazing and just….so. I have changes happening with my business, friends with numerous critical things happening in their lives, children with big needs, questions I don’t yet have answers for, but throughout it all I feel such a profound peace. And yes, I am very very happy.