Thursday, May 17, 2012

Emma update

It's May and I'm barely afloat.  Silent blog.

I just sent out an email missive about Miss Emma's surgery, and thought I'd at least put it up here.

Good morning!  I'm sending off a little Emma report now that we are a few days post-surgery and the haze is wearing off!  For some of you (Emma's teachers!) this update may be more than you bargained for, but while I have a moment I wanted to send off a note to give everyone an update.

First of all, thank you all for your prayers.  Surgery went well on both hands and the doctor feels that the damage done to her right hand by the infection that occurred last year after her hand surgery has been amended and repaired.  We ended up doing a bit more work on her left hand than we intended to, and the end result will be beautiful. Jim realized amending her left fourth finger would allow an engagement ring to sit beautifully on her hand someday, which ceased all discussion around changing or leaving that finger and rendered us all speechless, teary and willing.  So fourth finger now ready for the day that some blessed young man might claim her as his bride and pledge his troth to our beloved daughter.  That, and playing piano just got a whole lot easier.  :)

Emma's pain level these first days was managed with oxy-contin, and made for an interesting experience.  She has experienced managed pain, for sure, and been either esctatic with love, "Oh, you are my most wonderful rainbow heart dad.  I love you so much.  My best father ever I want to hug your arm and kiss you", or vaguely suspicious and fearful with things like, "why are you touching me?  Do you want to cut off my arm and kill me?" when we adjust her shirt sleeve or pat her arm.  Interesting, to say the least.  And now we have bid oxy-contin adieu.  Tylenol in frequent doses is keeping the pain at bay.  Thankfully.

We go next Tuesday to Gillette's and Dr. Van Heest will remove the wrap on her left hand.  Hopefully it will not be re-wrapped, and while fragile for a few more days will have Emma well on her way to returning to school!  Her left-handedness is showing its superiority (types her left-handed mother).  :)  The cast is slated to remain on her arm for a month.  We shall see...

I have been Emma's sidekick, and we are finding great fun together.  God seems to keep turning recovery into sweet bonding time, and having to rely on a mom for every single need and then some has been truly delightful for both of us.  Sweet Emma takes so much in stride, and is so dear.  It really is a selfish treat to have these days with her.  Yesterday we ventured out in the afternoon to have ice cream at Sebastian Joe's for lunch (okay, we'd had an early lunch, and I made it sound like the ultimate adventure by framing the lunch as ice cream and the real food as a snack; it's all PR, people!) and take a mini-stroll along Lake Harriet.  We rescued 2 caterpillars and were hissed at by a Papa Goose, to Emma's great consternation.  Sunfish were out in the lake and we sat in the sun for awhile and chatted, enjoying time painfree and outside!

My mom is coming up on Thursday so that I can go to bible study and get my phone fixed.  And on Friday I gave Anna the day off to accompany us on a girls outing to Como Zoo with a picnic lunch afterward.  That will be a good thing to look forward to!  If it rains, we will move to plan B2.   

As all of this has transpired, Jim and I have remained in awe of the Lord's provision for Emma and for us.  On Friday, I was afraid for Emma and the pain of recovery and also so mindful of the plenty and unmerited mercy of the surgery.  We live in a place where this kind of medical treatment is available, and we can give it to her.  For so many people in the world, this is not true, and my heart was so aware of this truth as we prepared Emma for surgery.  These are gifts from the Lord, and we are profoundly humbled that we are the ones He selected to be parents to the treasure of Emma and given the additional wonder of being part of her healing and physical restoration.  What a true and utter blessing.  I would not have missed a second of this for anything, and I had no idea about the joy of any of it before her.  Isn't it just like the Lord to give us so much more than all we could ask for or imagine when we are still completely unaware of the fullness of what a "yes" means.  I'm so grateful to belong to the King.

Thank you for walking alongside us and loving Emma with us.  She would call you all rainbow hearts, too!
Love,
Sara and Jim


1 comment:

Christine said...

So glad Emma kate is healing well and so thankful for all that GOd has done in her life in such a short time. It is humbling and exciting! What a joy to see her enfolded into your beautiful family and thriving so! God is faithful. What a treasure!!!