For the Love of Ivey

Quick Update: Ivey had an appointment with her surgeon today - that was great!  Her upper jaw has moved forward enough that no more turns of the distractors are needed!  This was sooner than planned. From here the distractors will stay in place and she will heal for the next 6 weeks.  Let's hope that this will allow pain to subside and swelling.  Most importantly, let's hope for a little sleep, something that is a mute point as of now. At the end of the 6 weeks, Ivey will return for another surgery to remove the distractors and plates. The surgery has allowed space for her breathing to improve.  Still there is a lot of swelling that gets in her way, let's hope that improves too.  In the meantime, I leave you with this, our sweet girl when she does sleep - with distractors, plates and swelling... if the stress of this doesn't kill us, her snoring will. But it is the sweetest nerve wracking sound I've ever listened to, even from across the house. Enjo...

Ivey has been home one week today.  I wonder how many times I have said that? I was asked in the hospital just how many surgeries she has had, how many hospital stays are in her past.  I don't know.  It is a number I have never cared to keep up with.  As important as each surgery has been or day, night, week or month has been at Scottish Rite, that number is irrelevant.  It's too many.  Some things are better off forgotten.  Each has left a scar on us and in our hearts.  Scars that  will never really fade.  These scars have both physically and mentally altered us.  These scars remind me of my weaknesses, and Ivey's, and they are proof of our strength.  They define part of us, but they are not all of us.  Rather, I like to think of all the days she has lived and smiled and the number of years that she spends with us on this Earth, despite all the other.  But while this wound is healing, before the scar, while all is ...