I took Evangeline to CHOP today for her checkup for her broken leg. It appears to be healing, but the doctor will decide tomorrow during her surgery if he will continue to require it to be immobilized.
Tomorrow Evangeline will have surgery to lengthen the muscles and tendons in her feet. We have looked into other options and decided to have the doctor lengthen the cords on her left foot and where he can on her right foot. Her right foot is much worse. It is so out of alignment that she walks on the first metatarsal bone. No matter what we do, we have been unable to prevent her from getting open sores.
She will be in dual casts for six to eight weeks, and then she will go directly into AFO’s (braces) to support her feet and ankles. She will always have to wear the braces because her nerve and muscle function in her feet is not strong enough to keep her feet aligned.
She has also been asking me everyday to look at the Baoji CWI website. I think she is missing the people at the orphanage. I have looked at it with her a couple of times, and we have found a few photos of her.
She is the little girl in the front left holding the sign. In the picture below, she is the little girl in the front row in the middle in the green coat.
Isn’t she just the cutest little girl?
She is still only four feet tall.
On Friday, we begin seeing many doctors and disciplines to evaluate her spine. We do know her spine is very complicated, and it does not appear that she even has any spinal fluid around parts of her spinal cord. It is just amazing that she walks.
We are so thankful for your prayers for our little bumblebee.
We’re so blessed to have the privilege of parenting Evangeline.
Good luck Diane, I’ll be thinking of Evangeline and you!
Warm regards, Claudia, the Netherlands
Thank you, sweet Claudia!
Many prayers will be coming your way. Praying for God’s healing touch for Evangeline and for strength for you. Blessings to your family.
Chris Lessly recently posted..Home From Africa….Sisters Meet…and LOVE
Thank you, Chris! I appreciate your prayers and your pictures of your sweet girls! I hope you are all well now!
Hang in there Diane and Evangeline! We will be lifting you in prayer asking the Lord to provide you peace and strength as you walk this road of surgery and recovery. Blessings to you!
Thank you so very much, Erin!
Dear Diane ~ I am a former Peds nurse and I want to share my thoughts on cathing. If you make an effort to not think of this being a personal thing or even that you’re dealing with private areas, it will help both of you. Try to think of it as any other body part that you need to care for. If she sees that you are not embarrassed and that you’re just doing what needs to be done, she will likely follow your lead. I would guess that her being in casts will necessitate a lot of personal care for her. Explain that you are her Mommy and that you take care of her needs, just like you care for All of your children. And, don’t be surprised if they suggest teaching her to self cath. It’s really quite simple and most kids learn to do it at a pretty young age. Perhaps that will happen while she is inpatient and both of you will learn. I’ll be praying for sweet Evangeline tomorrow and the days after, as her body heals. And, for you, as well. Love, Jo
Karen J Moseley recently posted..IVY JOY NEEDS OUR PRAYERS
Thank you, Jo! You are so right!
WE CAN DO THIS! 🙂
Emily and I will both be praying for you tomorrow ! Emily is on oxybutinin for her bladder spasms and it has really helped. Her post op was today. She is at 38 degrees curvature now. Much better than 52.
Hoping and praying things go ok tomorrow.
Love,
Karen and Emily
Thank you for your prayers, Karen!
I’m so glad to hear the veptr surgery went well. We begin the battery of tests right after surgery to determine if the veptr surgery and removal of the bone in the middle of her spine is worth the risk for her.