Hey guys! It's Cora. I know my mom is usually the one who writes the posts on this blog, but I just wanted to hop on today to give you all a little update of how my life has been post-surgery!
For those of you who don't know, June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month. I love love love that we have a whole month dedicated to scoliosis and the support of those who are dealing and living with it, but I wish it was more widely known! I encourage all of you guys to share your own journeys and your own experiences with others through social media and other ways. There are so many people in the world; girls, guys, young, and old, who are struggling with their own journey and their own experiences with scoliosis. They need your support! We all need support! Reach out to others who are going through these things and let them know they're not alone. But anyway holy cow, my scoliosis journey has been a crazy one. Just a brief recap: I had my spinal fusion surgery in November of 2016. Unfortunately, my at-home recovery took a little longer than anticipated and I was out of school for almost 8 weeks. Following those two months was four more of recovery where I was unable to dance, which was something I missed like crazy! I started being more active when the summer started and even picked up a Zumba class at my city rec center. However, as I got more active and as my dance team picked up again in the fall, I found myself in a lot of pain and discomfort, which I had been told was not supposed to happen at this point post-surgery. After some thought and some conversations with my mom, I decided to try physical therapy. I was super nervous to start physical therapy, but I loved it! To be honest, everyone at the facility thought I was some sort of superstar! They had never seen a patient who had had spinal fusion surgery and everyone was so curious about my surgery and everything about my back. The most important thing I learned with this physical therapist was that my body had been reconstructed during my surgery and that meant that I had to treat it differently. My physical therapist even taught me how to mop floors in a way that retrained the muscles in my back. However, after a few weeks of therapy, I felt like I had plateaued in my process. Although my physical therapist had taught me some useful things about how my body worked post-surgery, I was still in pain and not getting any better. Feeling somewhat frustrated, I stopped going to physical therapy. After a few more months of dealing with the pain and frustration that come every day, I once again sought the advice of my mother. This time around, we decided to try our luck with a chiropractor. This was a serious answer to prayers. My very first visit with my chiropractor, he informed me that the current cause of my pain was my ribs and the fact that the joints were inflamed. The moment he said it, I knew he was right. It made sense and the areas he said were the issue truly were the cause of my pain. I started going in for adjustments a few times a week, and immediately started seeing an improvement! I was so thankful. However, much like my first experience with physical therapy, I found myself not improving after a certain amount of treatment. I was going to the chiropractor about weekly for a few months, but I was not improving. I only felt good when I went in and for a few days after. (not to mention the copay bills were adding up). My mom and I decided we needed a permanent solution, because I didn't want to have to go in to a chiropractor every week for the rest of my life! We asked my chiropractor and he recommended using a lacrosse ball at home to massage the inflamed joints to try and prolong the amount of time between my visits, but honestly, that remedy was so painful that it wasn't worth it. Once again, feeling frustrated, my mother and I tried to think of another solution. This time we decided to go back to the beginning and meet with my surgeon. Although all previous post-surgery visits with my surgeon have been very surface, in-and-out, visits/checkups, we were hoping we might be able to get some serious answers from this visit. However, that was not the case. My surgeon and his team were just as stumped as my mother and I. They told me that no one was ever in pain over 2 years post-surgery and that they didn't even know where to start. We brainstormed for a while, trying to decide which route we should take in order to find a solution for my pain. After a while, we only had one lead: a new physical therapist, one who specialized in scoliosis patients. Feeling lost, and borderline hopeless, my mother and I went home and contacted this new doctor. Thankfully, he was very close to home and seemed eager to meet with us. My mother and I went in to our first appointment trying not to have high hopes. But. Can. I. Just. Say. Wow. Going to this new physical therapist was one of the best decisions I've ever made regarding my scoliosis. My doctor was so incredibly knowledgeable about my back and everything about scoliosis, pre-surgery, and post-surgery. He made me feel so understood and for the first time in a long time, I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel that was my long struggle with back pain. My therapist introduced me to a method called the Schroth Method, which is a method that was developed in the 1950's that is used to treat scoliosis patients. I've now been going to this new facility for a little over 2 months now and I have seen so many positive changes in my body. I feel stronger, and more confident and hope to get to a point one day where I don't require weekly physical therapy appointments. So this is the point I am at in my life. I'm still trying to stay very active. I enjoy running and going to the gym and the occasional dance party ;) I go to physical therapy about once or twice a week, but still do daily strengthening exercises at home. I also am advocating for better support for those dealing with scoliosis and the trials that come with living with it. I just want to say to anyone who might be going through things similar to what I've gone through; It does get better! There is help, there is hope, there is healing. Everyone's journey is different, and some take longer than others. But persistence, courage, and a good support system are the keys to finding relief. You are so strong, don't give up. You got this!!! Love, Cora
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How in the world does time go so fast? Is it fast only for busy parents? Or is it this fast for everyone else? At what point in our lives did it start to speed up? We find it so hard to believe one year ago Cora faced her biggest hurdle ever. One year ago we were scared to death. One year ago the future was unknown. One year ago, the pain was unbearable. One year ago our home was the hospital. One year ago, Cora had to learn to sit again, to walk again, to climb stairs again...all with a new body. One year ago we saw miracles. Miracles of healing, of bounteous insurance payments, of strangers lives touching our own, of God’s peace-so undeniable. During surgery, Coras ribs were reshaped along with her sternum and obviously her spine. 2-18” titanium rods were installed along her spine, as were 18 screws drilled into her vertabre. Then cadaver bone was inserted into the spaces between the vertabre. A recent xray shows her spine now fused into a solid bone, similar to a femur. She can fold at the waist and also at the neck but the spine doesn’t twist or bend. She still has pain in her back. Some days it is severe. The doctor checked to see if perhaps she had a screw come loose, but everything looks okay. He was very perplexed. We pray everyday the pain will lessen so she doesn’t have to deal with this forever. One year ago, we watched our girl grow. Yes, she literally grew two inches overnight but she also grew in so many other ways. Cora is braver now. She can fight demons and have faith she will win. She is more compassionate. She sees others in pain and knows now the slightest bit of what they might be feeling. But most importantly, she now has a stronger faith, knowing God comes to those who ask. In the strangest way, we are glad for this challenge that came to our family. Would we do it again? You’ll have to ask Cora. She’ll answer you honestly, but probably not give you details...that’s what her mom is for ❤️ Every time I read through my past 12 blog posts about Cora, I cry. Like a Really Ugly Cry. Why? Well I've figured out over the years that when I feel my Heavenly Fathers love for me, I manifest it in tears. My heart swells, my spirit lifts, and I cry.
I cry when I think of how scared we were to learn of her scoliosis. I cry when I remember how worried I was about surgery costs. I cry when I recall sitting on Coras floor with Steve and my arms wrapped around her, allowing her to sob her heart out at the news she needed life changing surgery. I cry when I remember the HORRIBLE drive home from the hospital, avoiding every pothole I could see and praying with all my heart not to get in an accident. I cry remembering all the friends and family who called, visited and sent presents and love. I cry every time I look at pictures from those few weeks of recovery, remembering how difficult it was and how we just fought through every day. But mostly, I cry when I think of the week-long hospital stay. Not because it was terrible...it actually is a beautiful memory. Cora and I have had discussions on this very subject. She has described her hospital stay as "safe, quiet, protected". Why is the time we look back so fondly on also the time when life was so difficult, when we were away from our home, when Cora was in so much pain and anguish?? Why in the world when were surrounded by beeping machines, tubes and medicine did we feel so calm and peaceful?? Why did we both sleep like a rock?? Why when my daughter was just starting the beginnings of the hardest journey in her life thus far were we so full of love and prayer?? Why for days after being sent home from the hospital did we both wish and wish we could go back to that special place?? God. He was there. We know it. We felt it. We saw it everyday. You know that old Footprints poem? About one set of prints during the toughest times of our lives? It's true. He carries us. He hold us close. And he sends others in our lives to make the hard times more bearable. During those 6 long, dark, quiet days and nights in the hospital Cora and I saw God. Not with our eyes, but with our souls. During the weeks leading up to surgery, the stay in the hospital and the recovery afterwards, He was there. He strengthened my mother as she helped run my household and family. He comforted Steve when he wanted to be at the hospital with Cora but had to go to work instead. He prompted my other 4 children to have increased love and patience for Cora and her needs. He lovingly led me every day when I was so scared and tired and had no support from hospital staff of how to take care of my healing child. And He especially carried my Cora through the nervousness, the pain, the loneliness, the frustration and the sorrow of such a major surgery. I promise you, He loves us. He knows us. He will care for us. He is there. Allow Him to carry you, too. There have been lots of changes in Coras life post-surgery. Some we had never even considered. I thought you might be interested to learn of a few!
1. Coras clothes don't fit anymore. Her t-shirts are too short in the torso, her pants fit different in the waist. And someone tell me why her skirts are suddenly too short!? Her legs didn't grow! Even her undergarments have had to be resized. Everything just fits...different. But she's loved the shopping! 2. She absolutely dreads sneezing. The sheer force of the action clenches up all her back muscles and tightens up her spine. It is very painful when she sneezes! She says this is the most painful action post-surgery so far. 3. No more mistakes! Using a pencil eraser is, surprisingly, difficult for her. The back and forth motion and the strength required to push hard is proving to be difficult for now. Wierd! 4. Playing the piano. Keeping perfect posture without a supportive chair behind her is tough. Also, Cora has noticed her arms and torso move differently now and so she is relearning to play the piano correctly. 5. She now is the proud occupant of the front seat in the minivan. I've been relocated to the back bench with Owen. :) Cora shouldn't be bending at the waist and neck to duck into the backseat. 6. She really hates being cold. It tightens up her muscles and she finds herself clenching all parts of her back in an effort to stay warm. We keep her wrapped up! 7. She has a hilarious new way of cleaning her room. It was put into practice even before her surgery when she was in so much pain. She does everything with her toes! She picks up clothes, puts things in order, and even can plug cords into outlets with her toes! It's crazy to watch how she has become adapted to not bending over. 8. Cora is back in school. She missed 7 looooong weeks of class. A lot changed while she was gone. Especially socially. It's hard to miss the friends, the boys, the parties, the private jokes and then trying to fit in where you left off? Almost impossible. 9. My biggest change? I am SUPER overprotective of her. Yes, even more than normal. It's mostly because of the ice and snow. The visions in my head of her slipping on the ice and being rushed back into surgery haunts me everyday. So, we hold a lot of hands and have a lot of drop offs VERY close to front doors. Oh, and we've gone through a whole bag of Ice Melter. Life is full of changes, it's how we react to those changes that define us. Cora is learning that everyday. Cora had her one month check up this week. This is the only contact I've had from her doctors office since we left the hospital. We've had a couple brief phone calls, but no other visits, therapy or checkups. I found that rather strange! This has just been so life altering for my daughter, however, I have felt very unsupported from the doctors office. What was I expecting? Well, I guess I have no idea since I've never mastered a spinal fusion before, but at least some physical therapy or additional nurses visits?? So, the healing was left up to Cora. And man, she has nailed it! This girl is a ROCK STAR. Check out these X-rays: What kind of freaky sci-fi hocus pocus is this?? Am I right? The rods! The screws!! That side by side comparison really shocks me every time I see it. Before surgery. Her right shoulder blade stuck out rather far, her waist was very uneven, and in looking closely, you can see that "S" curve in her spine. 1 month after surgery. Beautiful waistline, even shoulders, gorgeous posture and a pretty sweet scar! We tell her to be proud of her scar, her badge of bravery that not many people can compare to. Cora has always been special, this just adds to her amazingness! Doctor tells us she can drive now, but to be honest, I'm not ready for that. She can't look over her shoulder very well and I don't think her strength or reaction time would be there yet to prevent an accident. In two more months she can swim gently or ride a stationary bike or set out for an easy walk. She's still out of school but should be returning after the new year. She is sleeping in her own bed. We had a silly goodby to her handy dandy hospital bed and trapeze as they left today. The staff at the hospital told us it would be a waste of time and money to get one...they were WRONG. It kept her comfortable, on the main level with the family, and was able to support her in ways a normal bed couldn't. I am very glad I felt strongly about pushing the hospital staff to get one delivered for her. How can I prove to you all how much she has healed? She's back in the kitchen, making me some cookie dough :) And she let me take her and her big sister to the mall for makeovers, pedicures and lunch. Man, she was exhausted after that trip, but we sure had a memorable day. But, the moment I knew my Cora was back was when I was tucked into a blanket, all comfy on the couch and SHE hopped up to get something for me. "Don't get up, mom. You're all cozy. I can get it for you." Ah, my sweet, thoughtful, precious girl. How I have missed you.
Homework and homework and more homework. My goodness, she's drowning in homework! I never noticed before how much homework one teenager has. We chip away at it daily, and have come to the conclusion that if Cora didn't sleep in until noon everyday, she might have even more time to devote to studies. Haha! Guess waking up earlier is a good plan. Because she is so far behind, and it would totally confuse her to jump back into classes right now, I believe we are going to keep her home through the new year. Hopefully she will be caught up on classwork by then and can jump back in. Well, jumping might not be a good idea.... This lineup had been her regime of meds for a month. I've got a handy dandy little spreadsheet to keep them all straight. I still mess it up! We are seeing a lot of brain fog and inability to focus on schoolwork as a side effect. Because of that, Cora is now only taking ibuprofen for pain control. We're so happy to be off the narcotics!! Her nerve pain is still there, and we can't seem to find any meds to help. So for now, prayer is our help and we will continue to ask God to take away that constant burning in her back. The boys continue to fuss over her. They keep adding decorations to her room, making it "more Christmas-y". Marshall made the smiley face hanging in the corner and was in tears wanting it to be hung perfectly for his "Cowa". Their daily prayers are full of pleading for Cora's back and her general health to be good. The whole family has grown to love Cora even more through serving her during this time. This picture was taken the night before surgery. Cora was just a touch taller than than her big sister. This picture is taken one month after surgery. Look at that difference! Cora grew almost two inches from the surgery. I'm curious if she'll continue to keep growing! It has been a GREAT week physically for Cora. She is moving well, becoming more independent, and getting out of the house on short trips. Emotionally, life kinda stinks. She misses her school friends, feels left out of social events and is just plain tired of laying in bed all day. It's hard to keep a happy face when life has gone on without you. It hurts. I'm sure many of you can relate. We are hoping life will get back to normal pretty soon!
Cora had a couple highlights this week that we want to focus on! First, we had a couple dear friends come over and bring us lunch and stay to professionally give Cora a gel polish manicure. Now to the average reader that may seem silly, but if you are a 15 year old girl, or have ever BEEN a 15 year old girl, it's pretty awesome. Cora keeps telling me how pretty her hands look :) Cora can get up to switch rooms, she can sit up to play cards, she can stand to shower, she can even go up and down stairs. The hardest part has been stamina. She doesn't last very long at any of these activities. But Friday night was the Winter Dance Concert. She would have been front and center for most of the program. It was killing her not to be there. So, because she had had several good days in a row and I knew she could sit for the program I told her we could try it. I dressed her super warm, packed her in the car, and said a little prayer. Oy! My nerves! Man, look at that face! She was so excited to get out. She did great in the car, quite a change from the last car ride 3 weeks ago! Good thing the high school is only 4 minutes away though, I drove like a grandma. We got to the school and I literally drove up on the sidewalk to the front doors to minimize they walking distance she would have. Haha! She was so embarrassed. Love it! We got inside and one by one dancers came out of the classrooms and halls. "Cora! Cora!" It was so heartwarming to see how much she was missed. They all said the kindest things. But the best part by far was the surprise we had planned. The Dance Company was already on stage behind the curtain, listening to a motivational speech made by one of the mothers. When the speaker got to the part about "dancing for our loved ones who couldn't be here, especially our sweet Cora", Cora appeared through the heavy black stage curtain to greet them! Honest to goodness, I've never seen teenage girls FREAK OUT to that level. They all lunged at Cora to hug her!! But being the massively overprotective, highly nervous and cautious mother that I am, I stopped them short! DONT TOUCH MY GIRL! Okay, fine. Baby hugs were finally allowed and man the tears flowed!! Every one of those girls had to redo their makeup. It was awesome! Sitting in the audience after the surprise, Cora narrated to me every song choice, every difficult dance position, every costume highlight as if she was on stage with her Dance Co. I'm sure we drove the audience around us nuts but my girl was happy. Unfortunately, she paid for that outing. The next 4 days have been spent in bed with nerve pain and mounds of frustration. Cora is normally the happiest, silliest, most active person I know. To lay in bed for a month has been really, really hard on her. She was hoping to be back to school, hanging with her friends and picking up life again. But her body just isn't cooperating yet.
I feel so blessed that the holidays are approaching. She will pause for a while and she won't continue to get any farther behind, at least for the holiday break. The teachers and staff continue to be so helpful and patient as she turns in her school assignments slowly but surely. We keep holding to hope for the future and are eager to get her life back bit by bit. ❤️ With Christmas upon us, Cora's view has changed a bit. I'm kind of jealous, I love the Christmas tree lights and would truly enjoy laying next to them for a while. Her resting room/living room just feels so peaceful now.
Cora has had a rough few days. Her pain at times is unbearable. I don't feel any support from her surgeon's office. I will leave a message for the nurse and not receive a call back for days! Refilling her prescriptions has been a nightmare and we are now relying on leftover painkillers from Steve's surgery last spring. There's no therapy ordered, no follow up phone calls and no in-home nurse to come and care for her. I feel as if they rebuilt my child, patted her on the head, and sent her on her merry way. I'm very frustrated. She is bored off her rocker. She hasn't been able to walk farther than the mailbox or stand longer than 10 minutes for the shower. She would kill for a quick run to Target or a hot cocoa run to Starbucks. It's hard to concentrate on homework when she is doped up so much. However, she has been able to make up a couple missing assignments. Next week, the siblings go back to school, leaving us with each other and a very quiet house. We hope to get her up some more and tackle a bit more schoolwork. Maybe we will even get her some sunshine and fresh air. However, Cora is sleeping well at night. I do count that as a blessing! I haven't left her side. I've been sleeping on her floor for 2 and a half weeks. I'm really scared to leave her. Some nights she needs a listening ear, so I wipe the tears and try to comfort as best I can. Some nights we stay up late, giggling over movie quotes and dreaming about Christmas to come. Most nights I just tuck her in, smoothing down her crazy hair and kissing that beautiful forehead. It reminds me of her nights as a baby, me not wanting to leave her side...not trusting her to find peace the whole night through without me. Ive been reminded of my favorite nursery rhyme I would sing to my babies: Sleep my child and peace attend thee, All through the night. Guardian angels God will send thee, All through the night. Soft the drowsy hours are keeping, Hill and dale in slumber steeping. I my loving vigil keeping, All through the night. It's been two steps forward, one step back this past week. But at least that's progress! She is trying so hard to be brave. Thank you all for your visits and prayers. They mean so much. Today I read the news. I haven't had a lot of time to myself lately and I needed to catch up. Man, it was depressing! So many sad, sad stories. So many lost lives. So much anger. I refuse to add to that in this post. So today, I give you this : This is the face of triumph and courage. This is the face of learning how to do hard things. This is the face of the strongest 15 year old I know. Yesterday, I heard her singing. All alone, downstairs while she had her earbuds in. I sat down right there in the upstairs hallway, closed my eyes, and listened. At that point I think I took my first big breath in about 3 weeks. And I knew, it's all going to be okay. We've been home from the hospital one week. Honestly, It's been really hard. I've never seen a child of mine in such excruciating pain before. It's unbearable to watch. I've never had to juggle so many medicine schedules. 4-5 times a night I've had to wake her. I've never ignored the rest of my family this much before. Thank goodness Grandma is still here! I've never muttered so many prayers under my breath asking for strength to be given to someone. Each of those prayers have been heard. And I've never seen so much kindness and love spread around like it has been in our home this week. Cora is learning new things. Today, she showered. It was a very big deal. And then, she put her own shirt on! Last night, she actually joined us at the dinner table for a couple minutes and ate! Amazing feats. Every one of them. Especially because of Doctor's orders: NO bending, NO lifting, NO twisting. I challenge each of you to try that for an hour. It's almost impossible. Cora has had lots of visitors. It's so fun to evesdrop and hear their laughter. They have all brought sunshine into our home and sometimes fun gifts too. She is sleeping great at night. We are recognizing that as an amazing blessing. Night before last, she slept 16 hours straight! Trust me, I checked her breathing as much as if she was a newborn babe. All you moms know exactly what I'm talking about 😊 Another blessing has been this hospital bed, trapeze bar and an empty room to put it in. She has such a hard time getting comfortable, and this has helped immensely. The twins think every opportunity Cora's not in it is a chance to fold themselves up like a taco. Every day is different. Some are rotten. Some we cheer with little victories! Some days her lower back, or ribs are so sore, most days it's nerve pain in her shoulder. Some days, the little boys drive me insane and some days they are so sweet and helpful. But every day, EVERY ONE OF THEM, had shown me how much My Heavenly Father has strengthened and carried my Cora, myself, and my entire family through this. He loves each of us and gives us what we need ❤️
Im having a terribly hard time writing today's post. I really don't want to look back on the last week, but I know I'll regret it if I don't write down my thoughts while they are fresh. Surgery morning was a beautiful day. We listened to Coras favorite music on the hour's ride to the hospital and tried to keep conversation light. "How about those Cubs??" It wasn't hard to see how scared we all were. We left all our over night bags in the car and headed in with one sweet, cuddly stuffed lamb for comfort. The hospital staff was nice, they always are! But honestly deep down inside I was screaming at every one of them. "Do you know how anxious this child is?? Do you understand her giggles and smiles are all pretend?? Can anyone understand our emotions right now??" Cora was so very brave, even though later she told me she was trying so hard not to vomit on the anesthesiologist. Then they took her from me. I just broke. My heart is with every parent, everywhere, that has to watch their precious child be wheeled away on the hospital bed into the unknown. We waited 4 hours. I visited with other parents in the waiting room, ate some crackers and watched stupid daytime television. Steve put on his headphones and checked out of the world for a while. We all cope differently, don't we? Here I wanted to hide my fears and be social, learn of others' stories that may be worse than ours and Steve found solice in his music. I was so glad he did. Then it was over. We got called back to see her. Everyone was happy and smiling and walking around doing their jobs and all I could see was my girl, crying her heart out and signing furiously to us. Yes, signing. She loves ASL and was trying so hard to communicate with us. She was still half asleep, so scared, and no one could understand a word of what she was trying to say. The nurse actually asked me if she was hearing impaired. I asked Cora to slow down and use finger spelling. Finally I could understand "ow ow ow ow ow". It was one of the hardest things I've ever watched, but on the other hand so adorable that her brain reverted to sign language when she needed to communicate. We got settled in her room. Unfortunately we were placed right next to the busiest nurses station. It was a high traffic, high energy hallway. Because if this, we kept the shades drawn, the lights off, and the door shut for the next 6 days. Our days consisted of beeping machines, blood pressure checks, pills after pills and sleep. Sleep so deep she snored. It was adorable and so comforting to me to know she was comfortable enough to rest. I slept on the couch for 5 nights. It wasn't bad. I watched a lot of movies, got to know the pellet ice machine really well, and cursed the poor cell phone coverage. We had so many lovely visitors. Each with a message of hope for Cora. Flowers, posters, cards and chocolate just poured in. She was so grateful for each and every act of love. This picture is especially tender to me. You can feel the love between Cora and her sweet uncle. The nurses told me spinal fusion was the most painful surgery performed at Primary Children's Hospital. I'm not sure if that brought me comfort or if that made me feel worse. Regardless, I did feel as if we were in good hands and they took care of our every need. All in all, the surgeon installed 18 screws, 2 titanium rods and lots and lots of cadaver bone. Ideally, the bone will fuse around the mechanics of it all and give her one, solid spine. She will be able to bend at the waist, which is a huge blessing! Soon, it was time for Cora to start moving. She did amazing. Sitting up, standing up, sitting in a chair for 30 minutes, walks to the nurses station, and finally a trip up and down stairs. I could see the pain in her eyes, but I could also see a look of courage, of "can-do", of strength even I couldn't understand. If you know my Cora Jane, you know she is always sitting cross legged, always stretching in weird positions or curling herself up to get comfy. Having to sit as straight as a board or lie flat on her back was terribly out of character for her. Discharge day came and we weren't ready. Her pain was through the roof and knowing that coming home would bring challenges we weren't prepared to face (can someone say 3 little brothers???) we agreed with the doctor to let her stay another night and day. I'm so glad we did. She was so nervous to go home. It literally took us 45 minutes to get Cora in the van to go home. She can't twist or bend her neck or back. So imagine trying to get into a minivan, turn yourself around , find a comfortable angle for your neck and back, and then shove all the 8 pillows we had with us around you, all while staying as stiff as a board. In hindsight, I probably should have had an ambulance transport her home. We hit rush hour traffic and it was dark and I HATE driving the freeway. Plus, honest to goodness I felt as if I had a car full of glass I was driving so gingerly!!! Every bump in the road, every man hole cover, every crack in the pavement, she felt. She cried the whole 70 minutes home. It was horrible for both of us. My incredible husband traveled in a separate car behind our van, protecting us from the rear. We all knew a rear end collision would be catastrophic. Steve tells me ironically, "I've got your back. I won't let another car hit you". What a stud.
Our triumphant return home consisted of 3 little brothers squealing to see Cora, massive amounts of balloons, flowers, signs, and well wishes in our yard, and a perfectly timed delivery of a hospital bed for her use. We're happy to be home, but we also completely understand that her journey of healing has only just begun. |
AuthorMy name is Kirsty. I am the mom of an amazingly courageous daugher with scoliosis. This is our story. Archives
June 2019
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