Lily, My Lily

Here's some awesome news: Lily's biggest surgery is finally behind her. Emotion filled me when they rolled her into the recovery room, mostly because I was heart-broken to see my precious child in such discomfort and disorientation. That was her sixth surgery, fifth since she's been forever home. I had not been prepared for how relieved I would feel. We had built up to the bone graft surgery for years. We knew it was coming, and we knew that it was going to be hard. Most children born with cleft palates must have this surgery, where bone material is extracted from the Iliad bone (hip) and grafted into the cleft(s) along the gumline. (Lily has HAD two.)  The hip bone and surgery site hurt far more than the mouth as they both heal, and her precious little mouth can only have liquids and pureed foods for about three weeks.

Lily has been so brave throughout the weeks and days leading up to her big, big surgery.

The morning of the surgery, she woke with ease and didn't complain one time.

She was the first patient of the day for her plastic surgeon and oral surgeon. I thanked God all the way to the hospital that morning that He so graciously arranged for us to bring home this little girl at this time, and that He placed our family in a corner of the world twenty minutes from a children's hospital with a cleft surgeon. There was no hotel stay. No driving four hours to the next big city or care.  My sailor husband is not deployed, and Lily and I didn't have to go through this without him. We have excellent health insurance and we don't have to worry about a single hospital bill.

How good is my God?! So, so good!

God provides for his children! All the worries I'd ever entertained or tried to push away over the past six years--since we first looked at her sweet face on the computer screen--were completely and utterly erased when I saw her on the gurney, face swollen, eyes refusing to open just yet. We'd made it through!

Her surgery was a 100% successful.

Not a single percentage less than 100.

Daddy and brothers made several visits.

 

 

 

Although the hospital stay of two days seemed loooooong, Lily still fondly remembers the hours and hours of Avatar: The Last Airbender--her all-time favorite show--she enjoyed via the joy of free wifi and Netflix. (I am not an actor paid to make that statement.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A quick visit to the playroom resulted in Lily beating me in three rounds of Connect Four.

 

 

 

I can't express my level of thankfulness. My fighter-girl was already perfect. Now she's even more perfect. Yes, it does make sense! All you have to do is meet her and see!

It only took about 3-4 days for the swelling to go down and then another 2-3 days for the bruising to dissipate.

Praising God, praising God, praising God.