January 31, 2022

Putting life back together piece by piece! Lucy's scans were clear! Her echo cardiogram was completely normal and her CT scan just turned up some small calcified nodules that are pretty common. So the doctor has no concerns. We have been so incredibly blessed throughout this whole process with everything working out so smoothly. Thank you, Lord, for this blessing!!! Next, we have a doctor's appointment on February 7th where they will do an IV draw of blood to determine whether her blood is clotting enough to take the port out. If those tests clear, Lucy will get her port out on Friday the 11th. We won't know anything for sure, even the expected time of the surgery, until two days before. So, as always with this process, we are practicing patience and flexibility! The day of the scans was rough for our little warrior. It started with some administrative confusion that had us shuffling between different buildings and offices for over an hour. Finally they determined that they needed to give her an IV in her arm as part of the CT scan. This was really difficult for Lucy. The first time she got an IV was in the ER at the beginning of this whole process. So she was really scared of getting this one, especially from nurses she wasn't familiar with. Thankfully once the IV was in everything else went smoothly. She faced the giant magnetic donut like a champ and was able to stay really still. I was proud of her. It has been amazing to see the self-control she has learned through this process. And the courage she summons to face things that are so scary for her. The most inspiring moments for me are in the midst of her fighting against getting a port access or IV. Eventually she pulls it together, gets her game face on and bravely faces the challenge. I hope she can carry that kind of courage and self control into the challenges she will face in the rest of her life. As far as home life, things have been going pretty well. Lucy physically feels great most of the time, for which we are so thankful. Emotionally, it's harder to heal from the past six months. It has been a complicated and difficult process finding our way back to normal. We are sorting through so much stress and tension that built up over the fall. I have been convicted myself of the need to focus more on my kids' hearts then my to-do list. There were so many big emotions and big events we were not able to process at the time. So we are trying to take things slow and give ourselves and each other a lot of grace. We are so thankful for our family and our church family that is helping us with this process in every way. Please be praying not only for healing and growth for all of us but also for an extra helping of wisdom for JD and I as we figure out how to help our kids sort through their experiences. Prayer needs: - For courage for Lucy to face more IVs (at least 1x per month) - For Lucy's counts to clear for the port removal - For that surgery to go well and especially for her waking up from anesthesia to go well - For continued healing inside and out for the whole family - For wisdom and strength for JD and I as we try to guide the family rebuilding. - For Josiah and Lucy to have more patience and forgiveness for each other as they reform their relationship - For God's wisdom and guidance as we think about ways to give back and bless others from our experiences. Good family time: We got to spend time this weekend with my mom, my sister and her family and with my aunt, uncle and cousins from Colorado. It was such a neat time of deep conversations, laughter and encouragement. What a blessing!