infection:: please pray for Emma

You know when you know, as a parent?

Emma's cast started smelling on Monday, and on Tuesday we knew something wasn't right.

I had a doctor's appointment scheduled for Wednesday to have a post-operative check-up on her leg.  When we went, I asked the nurse specifically about her hand and the smell.  She said it was fine and normal.  I should have called our hand surgeon, in retrospect...

This morning I called the hand surgeon's office and began with, "I might be way over-reacting, but..."and described the smell of her arm/cast {think rotten fish with a sweet underscent...and then gag as you think about it}.

Needless to say, you see where this is going since you already read the post title.

Emma's cast came off at 1pm today.  If it weren't my daughter I would have cried, thrown up and fainted.  Instead, I plastered {no pun intended} a very fake and cheery grin on my face for her and made my eyes soft and gentle.  And then I desperately tried to only breathe out of my mouth.

Her skin was mascerated.  And the skin graft between her pointer finger and middle finger is compromised.

Please pray.  For healing.  Of the infection and that the Lord restore the skin graft.

We left with a heavy-duty antibiotic, instructions for wound care for the next three days, and an appointment next Tuesday morning to assess.

I'm so tired.  For Emma.

She is, in typical fashion, finding a spot of bright in it all.  She has no cast!  We rejoice with her that she has no cast.

Now pray she complies with all the limits of no cast and a fragile, infected hand.

And maybe say a small prayer for me, too.  For some reason I feel a bit overwrought with this one.