On April 21st Tori, our 13 year old daughter, had surgery to have a stainless steel rod attached to her spine to correct her scoliosis. She had worn a hard plastic brace that wrapped around her body and extended from her waist to just under her arms for a year and a half. One day she went in for a check-up and her doctor told her and Andrea “The brace is not working we will have to do surgery.” The doctor’s news hit us hard because the brace had held her spine relatively straight since she had worn it.
On the morning of Tori’s surgery Andrea and I kissed her and told her we were praying for her as she lay down in a rolling bed that was wheeled away down a long hall towards surgery. It was one of the hardest moments of my life - to trust our daughter into the hands of doctors, anesthesiologists and nurses. I get emotional just thinking about it.
As I think about it though, that’s what we have to do with God. Let Him have control of everything (the things which we can and cannot control).
After about four hours of surgery, Andrea and I went to see Tori in the recovery room. She was tired, sore and thirsty but in good shape for having her back cut open and rods installed into her spine. Andrea looked at me when we were finally able to touch our daughter again and help her as she recovered and she said “I can do this.” Being away from Tori during surgery was hard but being in her presence again made it better.
She got out of the hospital and as she recovered the incision on her hip where they took bone for a graft around her spine started hurting. At a check-up with her doctor we found out that she had an infection and would have to go back to Texas Children’s for surgery to clean that spot. After another week long stay and multiple surgeries, Tori was released from the hospital a second time. She had intravenous antibiotics for a while and then had to take antibiotics by mouth to kill the infection. Last night at nine o’clock she took her last antibiotic. And tonight we plan to surprise her (shhhh) with a Survivor Party.
We asked a bunch of close friends and family who went through all of this stuff to come over and watch the first Survivor of the new season (which Tori loves) and celebrate our daughter’s survival.
I am amazed at how well Tori has handled these last five months (and more). She has grown so much and I for one am impressed. Tori is our Survivor!
I know that so many families go through so much worse. I am grateful that it was not harder. God has been very good to us.
I love you Tori!
Thursday, September 16, 2004
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2 comments:
Tori's recovery was something to behold. Family and friends gathered for her support. To watch you and Andrea care for her without neglecting the rest of your family was a blessing. I love you guys. Ollie
Kudos to you Tori! and to you Tommy for being a good father throughout all of that. I could tell that my parents had a hard time when I destroyed my elbow to pieces (literally). I don't know if that's because I may have temporarily cut off circulation in my dad's hand when they were sticking the I.V. in my arm or if its because they knew the pain I was going to have to deal with for the rest of the year (and life probably). Its not easy going through sugery (ies) on either side of the surgical bed. But God is the ultimate healer and as long as we recognize that, we are in good hands.
So good luck in the future guys.
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