Update!
- Anna Morgan
- Nov 12, 2020
- 6 min read
As you can probably tell from the title of this post, I have lost my ability to be creative at the moment.
Today was difficult and sweet all at the same time. As has become tradition we had a plan to make today a family day due to it being the day surgery had once again been planned but again had been postponed. We had planned to go hiking or do something outdoors. We can’t seem to get enough of outside and nature these days, especially Brent and myself. When we realized it would be wet and rainy today we decided to change that plan. Alex has a lot of anxiety about slipping and falling since that is how all of her fractures have happened so wet ground makes her especially nervous. As always, Alex will do or try anything everyone else gets excited about doing but we wanted this day to be special and fun for her, without any reason for her to feel nervous.
Brent always has the best ideas and decided we should take them bowling and then come home and have pizza and a family movie. It has been years since we have been bowling and Alex didn’t even remember the last time. She gave us the biggest hug after the game and said it was the best kind of fun!! All of us had a wonderful time. Loads of laughter, friendly competition, and fun!!
We got an email from Baltimore with potential dates in January for surgery but when I asked if everything were confirmed and taken care of we were informed they are still working on things. We have decided not to consider new projected surgery dates as anything until we hear the details are worked out and the issues all resolved. It is just emotionally too hard on all of us, but especially Alex and the other kids, to get a date and then get close only to find out it has to be moved again. We are going to do everything we can to be sure the next time we give Alex a date for surgery we will actually be able to follow through on it. Truly, she has been amazing through all of this. She finds the positive everywhere and Is always helping the rest of us see the sunshine. God already is working mightily through this little girl. I don’t know what He has planned for her future but we will continue to encourage her to be strong and focus on Jesus.
We have been trying to spend some time praying together as a family in the mornings before Brent heads out for the day. It is sweet and encouraging to listen to these children praying for one another. We pray for patience and peace as we wait. We are certainly learning to wait and trust in new ways everyday.
We are working on getting appointments with some doctors in Dallas to get a second opinion on Alex’s situation. We are hopeful we will hear about a date for these appointments in the next couple weeks and then we will head that way. They expect to need us to be there for a few days to get all of the appointments and imaging they want to get while we are there.
Here is the picture of Alex with her friend Ella, again.
One thing I didn’t realize when this medical journey began was that we would meet and build relationships with so many others who are walking their own medical journeys. We are so thankful for these new friends and the help and encouragement they are to us. They also help us remember to pray for and reach out to those around us as we all walk through hard things.
A few posts ago I introduced you all to our new friend, Ella, who is Alex’s backward foot friend. Since the moment Ella learned about Alex and her future rotationplasty she has been Alex’s biggest cheerleader and encourager. Alex absolutely adores Ella. I am writing now to ask all of you to add Ella and her family to your prayers. She has gotten some very hard news this past week about her cancer and they are in the process of getting second opinions and planning treatment options. To learn more about Ella and her journey you can follow the blog her mama keeps for her. This family is precious and very dear to our hearts.
Now for the family update. Schooling is going really well this year. It is not an easy juggling act to keep the schooling, home management, work, kids lessons and activities, and all of the medical appointments, planning, insurance issues, and all that goes with it in the air. Let me just be real and say I haven’t kept them all in the air. We have missed therapy appointments because I got my days mixed up or flat out forgot what day it was. Forgotten to put things in the mail that needed to get out. I won’t tell how many loads of laundry have had to be redone because they sat In the washer too long or how many nights we have eaten sandwiches or cereal because I had been on the phone most of the afternoon and remembered too late that dinner would need to be put on the table. And there are plenty of other balls that have been dropped as well. I really cannot express how thankful I am for this family who all step in to help pick up the many many dropped balls. The older children have stepped up in numerous ways to help with things around the house and elsewhere.
Now for the loud and exciting parts of schooling!! LaRue, Kyle, and Paul are taking art lessons from a sweet friend. LaRue is taking piano with Aunt Peggy, and guitar from another friend. I have been working with Alex on the hammer dulcimer. LaRue is helping me teach Paul piano. Kyle has been working with his Viola and Ethan has been working on guitar and Anglo. Of course Boone will never be left out so he has been playing my penny whistle as loudly as he possibly can. It is so much fun having them all interested in different instruments and so motivated to learn. That said, you may not want to drop by the house when they are all practicing at the same time in different areas of the house!! 😄 It is the best kind of noise.
This photo below is Alex having her golden tumeric tea while using pennies for her math lesson.
Yesterday Alex had her first aquatic therapy and she had a ball. This child is part fish and would live in the water all the time if she could. Mrs. Avis, at Beyond Aquatics In Murfreesboro is wonderful with her. Mrs. Avis told us how strong Alex is. She was pointing out all the things Alex is able to do with that left leg. We have done physical therapy all year and done exercises with her at home between appointments so it seems it has really helped to keep her left leg strong even though her movement and use has been limited for so long. The primary reason to do this aquatic therapy between now and surgery is to keep the muscles that she will keep on that left side in good condition and get them strong as we can. Having been in a hardshell cast or brace for so long it is difficult for her to keep the muscles active in that left leg so this was good for us to hear.
We got the chance to spend several hours this week visiting with our dear friend, Mr. Chuck. The weather was beautiful so we sat outside and soaked up the sunshine, enjoying conversation and watching the kids jump into a huge pile of leaves. At one point Boone noticed a bunny shape in the clouds and that started a time of everyone seeing what they could find in the clouds and then a lesson on the different types of clouds from Mr. Chuck. It was a sweet visit.
This is the song we have been working on learning lately. It is one we all love but Alex asks me to play it most often.
Thank you all for praying for us, loving and encouraging us in this journey. Thank you for praying for our friend, Ella and her family.
Thanks for the update, Anna. Bowling sounds like such a super cool idea. May God grant you all wisdom and strength, courage and peace.