Cleft Palate Surgery #2

     Surgery is done.  We have waited and agonized and prayed and considered and now it is done.  Of course, it really isn't DONE, just completed.  We may not know for months if it was a success and that is only after we get through 3 weeks to see if the surgical site heals and doesn't fail.  It is hard not to fail.....

 Arrived at Ronald McDonald House.

 Playing on the playground.

Let's DO THIS!

 Trying to motivate her to eat so we could make it through the morning with NOTHING until surgery at 12.

 Coloring to pass the time.

Official nurse for the day, badge, stethoscope and gloves.

     Our goal is that the longer palate will enable her to speak better and be able to use consonants.

     #1 cause of failure: infection.  This can happen easily and taking antibiotics is crucial....funny thought since the meds taste NASTY, there are 12 ml each time and they must be taken 3 times a day.  Oh and did I mention that swallowing is painful since the entire back of her mouth is stitched and swollen. Yes, we have tried ALL of the tricks.....all of them so don't even go there. The best and quickest method may cause her to need therapy later in life, but it gets it down so we go with it.  It involves wrapping her in a blanket so she can't move her arms, straddling her and holding her mouth open, while one person rubs the swallow reflex muscle on her neck, another holds her nose and one uses a syringe to put it in her mouth.  It can't be put in the far back because of all of the stitches, and popsicles cannot be used...again, stitches.  Food...tried it, juice, done, shakes, every flavor as well as slushies.  Sleeping, funny.  She still spews some out and I wear most of it, but we put more in the syringe than is needed hoping she gets at least half of the dose.  Yes, we would appreciate prayers on this.  Today is Day 3 of 5.  We can make it....I hope.

     #2 cause of failure: a cold.  Yes, a cold.  Dripping down on the palate is a sure fire way for it to fail and a hole to appear.  Wow!  We have 6 kids.  We go lots of places.  They also said to resume all activities.....where. there. are. cold. germs.  For crying out loud.  For now we are diffusing the Doterra Essential Oil Onguard like crazy and a few others just for safe measure.  We are also washing lots of hands!  We'd wear masks if I could get away with it.

 Waking up...kind of.

 Moved to room...not wanting to wake up.

Caroline comforting her.  What a great big sister!

     The surgery went WAY better than before!  We told the anesthesiologist about how violent she is when she wakes up....like has to be held down for a long time as she screams and writhes and fights.

 As a side note: Screaming can cause failure too due to the added pressure on the site.

   He tweaked her meds and she came out calm.  In fact she really didn't completely come out until the next day at 1 :30 am.  Lucky me. She would respond, but she wasn't truly awake.  Miracle.  Pain level was low and manageable...until we got home and that is another story all together.  That also involves more medicine....that actually tastes good, but after the nasty medicine you can't convince her that is tastes good or will help anything so we are back to  the blanket thing again and future therapy for being held down by her mom and being forced to take nasty medicine.  Not a pretty picture. I hate it, but I want her to be able to speak properly and so we march on.

   

 Bonus:  We had a corner room with a "dining room" with a view that was incredible!

 My dinner view.

  Night view!  Isn't God cool?

    We all think we can already tell that she speaks better, but we are so hopeful that we could be imagining it.  Plus the doctor said weeks or months could go by before we hear any results.  The palate is longer so as long as the surgical site heals we have done what needed to be done .....for now.  There could be more surgeries, we just don't know.  I am thankful for her and thankful  that I get to be her mom and fight this fight for her.  Even if she may not see it that way right now.

 Feeling a little bit better.

 Not feeling so well, but trying hard to play with Becky in the playroom.

Trying to be brave!

    I am also thankful for Becky and Caroline being with me through it all.  How did God choose me to receive so many great blessings?  For Becky to be able to be off work and Caroline for being willing to come.  For my mom watching the other kids and spoiling them rotten.  Yes, Kylie thinks she is a princess most of the time.  For all of the many FB messages offering prayer and encouragement!  Wow!  They have blown me away.  For friends to comfort and encourage me when we got more medical news that we were expecting and the weight of that was huge.  As it turns out, it may be a mistake.  We will find out more next week as we go for tests to confirm or deny.  This visit will be a rough one since Paris is already on "high alert" when around doctors.

 It's blurry, but you can see the stitches across the entire back and up the front making a T.  They are black.

Not wanting to open her mouth, but trying to smile since getting the word that she can go home!

     This journey is hard, but not overwhelming.  God knew Paris needed someone to fight for her and with her.  She is a fighter in her own right.  She has come so very far from that starving little girl who came to us.  She was not given much of a hope for anything...

(this came from the hospital staff as well as caseworkers, not from us.  We politely, but firmly told them not to ever say that again about a child in our care.   God would have the last word and that we would put everything we had into her care and we had GREAT hope for her)

Picture of Becky with Paris at the first surgery.  She was almost 1. She was still in foster care.

.....but those who said that about her don't know my King and don't know who she really is.  We have witnessed so many miracles on her behalf and I know there will be many more.  My heart overflows with who she is today and the knowledge of who she will be in the future.  God has so many great things in store for her life and I get to sit in the front row and watch God paint this incredible portrait.  WOW!  I have no words for being chosen like this.  All because I said, "Yes" to being willing to hold his precious children in foster care.  I.... had.... no.... idea.  I knew it would be tough..... and it has been.  I knew there would be heartache.... and there has been.  I knew we would be mocked and questioned by our very own friends about our choices...and they have, BUT no one sees what we see. Not really!  It is miraculous!  It is the very hand of God at work right in front of us. To God be the Glory!