Nana, Ruthie and I embarked on what we hoped would be our last trip to Cincinnati for a while. We nicknamed it our "Miracle Confirmation" trip. Because by all intensive purposes, Ruthie appears healed and has never shown any sign of respiratory distress or any problems or concerns since her surgery. We assumed she was healed and haven't really worried much. That is until about 2 days before her appointment.
I have had a peace about this appointment for the past year. I just knew she was fine and that all the doctors would tell us she was fine. But, about two days before the appointment, I began to doubt. Stupid me forgot how far she had come. Forgot how God had met us so far. Forgot how amazing prayers worked. I am ridiculous. We got her to the hospital and she was a trooper. She wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything because of the anesthesia she had to have. I held it together most of the day. Excluding one moment, when I had to hold her down while they held a mask over her face so that she could breath in the medication. Then, with her fast asleep, I passed her to the nurse. Walking out of the room, I just kept thinking, she's fine, she's fine, they are taking such good care of her, she's fine, I'm fine..... then, like a shot to the gut, I rememebered the verse that had gotten me through the first 6 weeks of her life in the hospital, and the first 2 weeks at home. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything. But but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And God immediately restored my peace. I was able to eat lunch and relax. They called me about 45 minutes later to come pick her up. She was awake and ready for me to come and get her. Boy, she was MAD! She was inconsolable. She wanted to eat and drink but couldn't because she was so mad at everyone! Mom and I finally got her to eat and drink something. She took a good nap and finally snapped out of it. She was back to her old self and we were ready for the results.
Dr. Lim (yoda - the surgical genius that God sent our way) walked into our room with a smile on his face. And a "Wow! she is so big!" We looked at her CT scan together and I couldn't believe my eyes. I was looking at two, count them, 1, 2 lungs!!! They had told us that her lung capacity would grow until she was about 3-5 years old. She may have limited activity until then.... So, when I see this CT picture, I was a little confused. Two full sized, functioning, full of blood vessels and NO residual CPAM mass. I was speechless. Yoda told us that he wasn't surprised but very happy. This is about all the emotion you will get from him. But we could tell he was very pleased and excited about her recovery. Her "miracle" lung is still recovering. The lung is full size but is still thickening and regenerating. (AMAZING) But as far as activity, she is ready for anything. She has no restrictions. She is no longer at severe risk of future problems. We discussed many things but he continues to reiterate that if Ruthie had not been at that hospital, with our surgeons, had she not been born via Exit procedure, not only would she had probably not made it, she wouldn't have the recovery she has today. In being willing to put myself at a greater risk, they were given the time they needed to remove all the mass and were able to giver her a better outcome. I would do it again in a heartbeat. God basically paved a pretty, clear path to Cincinnati for us....all we did was follow it. So, all in all, pretty amazing stuff. As Dr. Lim was walking out of the room, he said he had to go check on two other CPAM babies in the NICU. I told him I pray they all come out as well as Ruthie has. He just smiled back at me and said "oh! Me too!"
Oh and when do we go back to Cincinnati for a check up....oh try 2 years!!! Yep when my child is 3 years old we have to go back for another CT scan! Woot Woot!
Ruthie is currently sick. She has a fever but we know it's not her lungs! Onto typical toddler sicknesses....I must keep repeating Phil 4:6..... over and over and over again!
Nana, Ruthie and I embarked on what we hoped would be our last trip to Cincinnati for a while. We nicknamed it our "Miracle Confirmation" trip. Because by all intensive purposes, Ruthie appears healed and has never shown any sign of respiratory distress or any problems or concerns since her surgery. We assumed she was healed and haven't really worried much. That is until about 2 days before her appointment.
I have had a peace about this appointment for the past year. I just knew she was fine and that all the doctors would tell us she was fine. But, about two days before the appointment, I began to doubt. Stupid me forgot how far she had come. Forgot how God had met us so far. Forgot how amazing prayers worked. I am ridiculous. We got her to the hospital and she was a trooper. She wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything because of the anesthesia she had to have. I held it together most of the day. Excluding one moment, when I had to hold her down while they held a mask over her face so that she could breath in the medication. Then, with her fast asleep, I passed her to the nurse. Walking out of the room, I just kept thinking, she's fine, she's fine, they are taking such good care of her, she's fine, I'm fine..... then, like a shot to the gut, I rememebered the verse that had gotten me through the first 6 weeks of her life in the hospital, and the first 2 weeks at home. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything. But but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And God immediately restored my peace. I was able to eat lunch and relax. They called me about 45 minutes later to come pick her up. She was awake and ready for me to come and get her. Boy, she was MAD! She was inconsolable. She wanted to eat and drink but couldn't because she was so mad at everyone! Mom and I finally got her to eat and drink something. She took a good nap and finally snapped out of it. She was back to her old self and we were ready for the results.
Dr. Lim (yoda - the surgical genius that God sent our way) walked into our room with a smile on his face. And a "Wow! she is so big!" We looked at her CT scan together and I couldn't believe my eyes. I was looking at two, count them, 1, 2 lungs!!! They had told us that her lung capacity would grow until she was about 3-5 years old. She may have limited activity until then.... So, when I see this CT picture, I was a little confused. Two full sized, functioning, full of blood vessels and NO residual CPAM mass. I was speechless. Yoda told us that he wasn't surprised but very happy. This is about all the emotion you will get from him. But we could tell he was very pleased and excited about her recovery. Her "miracle" lung is still recovering. The lung is full size but is still thickening and regenerating. (AMAZING) But as far as activity, she is ready for anything. She has no restrictions. She is no longer at severe risk of future problems. We discussed many things but he continues to reiterate that if Ruthie had not been at that hospital, with our surgeons, had she not been born via Exit procedure, not only would she had probably not made it, she wouldn't have the recovery she has today. In being willing to put myself at a greater risk, they were given the time they needed to remove all the mass and were able to giver her a better outcome. I would do it again in a heartbeat. God basically paved a pretty, clear path to Cincinnati for us....all we did was follow it. So, all in all, pretty amazing stuff. As Dr. Lim was walking out of the room, he said he had to go check on two other CPAM babies in the NICU. I told him I pray they all come out as well as Ruthie has. He just smiled back at me and said "oh! Me too!"
Oh and when do we go back to Cincinnati for a check up....oh try 2 years!!! Yep when my child is 3 years old we have to go back for another CT scan! Woot Woot!
Ruthie is currently sick. She has a fever but we know it's not her lungs! Onto typical toddler sicknesses....I must keep repeating Phil 4:6..... over and over and over again!
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