Hope for Baby Bennett: Fasten your seatbelts folks, it's going to be a bumpy ride

Friday, September 10, 2010

Fasten your seatbelts folks, it's going to be a bumpy ride

In the world of CHD's and heart kids, as it often happens, a single phone call can change everything. I received one such phone call this afternoon, as I was picking Sierra up from school and strapping her into her carseat, talking about how we were going to Wendy's and then to Bodie's weekly cardiology appointment. It was the phone call I had been EAGERLY anticipating, but which literally made my heart stop. "Amy, this is Pam from Dr. Starnes office. He has a surgery cancellation if you want it, on Monday." After I caught my breath and made a quick call to Dusk (to confirm that yes, we were actually ready for this - as it turns out, we're totally not, but we took it anyway!) and Bodie's cardiologist (to make sure she agreed that the timing is good - she totally did), I called the surgeon's office back and said yes, we wanted it! I then spent about 20 minutes figuring out Sierra's school situation (a huge shout out to Del Rey Christian Children's Center for allowing us to change Sierra from mornings to full days (3 days a week) on the spot), then dropped her back off at school and raced up to Children's for all of Bodie's pre-op work.

He did great. They did his exam, bloodwork and a chest x-ray. The only time he got really upset was when she stuck him with the needle. Literally, 10 seconds later, he fell asleep and stayed that way the entire time she finished the blood draw! Then he socked out in his stroller:

I even had time to swing by the Blood Donor Center and make a donation for his surgery. For those of you who wanted to donate blood, it looks like there's not enough time due to the last minute rescheduling of his surgery. :-( But thank you so much for offering and I hope you'll do it for another child who needs blood as well!

So, there you have it. MONDAY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2010. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 IN THE MORNING. We don't know the exact time of surgery yet, but our "call time" is 7am, so my guess would be 9 or 10am. So, please, please, please keep storming the gates of Heaven with prayers for Bodie and our whole family over the weekend and next week, especially Monday.

Please pray specifically:
1. That Bodie stays as healthy as possible between now and Monday.
2. For wisdom for Bodie's surgeon.
3. For as smooth a surgery and uneventful a recovery as possible.
4. For grace and patience for our entire family, but most especially Sierra. The mechanics of our family are very finely balanced at the moment and she is doing WONDERFULLY. But we do worry that the major change of having him back in the hospital (and mommy away again) will be really hard on her. We keep trying to stress that it will only be temporary, but that's a hard concept for a 3 year old to grasp. Please pray she does ok through all of this.
5. Please also pray for Sierra, who had a rough run-in with our dining room table tonight and came out the loser, resulting in a trip to Urgent Care to get her eye looked at (that's right, because I didn't spend enough time in the hospital today!). All appears ok, but she will definitely have a shiner tomorrow. Please pray that no infection develops!

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The Chosen Mothers by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with life threatening illnesses are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecilia. Rutledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint Gerard."

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and says, "Give her a child with cancer." The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy." "Exactly" smiles God, "Could I give a child with cancer a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But, does she have patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she will handle it." "I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has it's own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she believes in you." No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps -"Selfishness? is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take anything her child does for granted. She will never consider a single step ordinary. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them." She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side." "And what about her patron Saint?" asks the angel. His pen poised in mid-air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."