So, I am catching up on some updates. There are reasons why my posts have been sporadic. Right after surgery was tough. Worrying, wondering, waiting. Heaven had a really, really rough time. She had been told that she would go under, have her surgery, and wake a little while later, groggy. As some of you know, that wasnt the case. For those of you who dont, heres the short version. Heaven crashed after her procedure... while the surgeon was telling Dave and me how well the surgery had gone. The surgeon said we could see her in about a half hour...it was almost 2 hours...the whole time we had no idea anything was wrong. No one prepared us for what we saw when we finally got to go to our daughter. We had no idea she had crashed. We had no idea her lungs had filled with fluid. We had no idea she was on a ventilator. We had no idea she was on a half dozen narcotics that were keeping her in a drug induced state. No one prepared us. The last we heard, the surgery had gone well. I do have 1 photo of Heaven from that time, but I am reluctant to share it. It is really powerful and heartbreaking. I created this group from Heavens room on the first night of her stay, while sitting under the small counter to the right of her bed. I had a pillow and a blanket and that is where I slept each night because no one made room for a cot and I couldnt bear to be away from her. Heaven wouldnt eat while in the hospital...a bite here and there. Once, when she did try to eat she vomited. It hurt so badly that she refused to eat anything else. It didnt help that when it happened, we rang and rang and no one came to help. Heaven did not sleep. Once she came out of her drug induced state and realized she had missed 3 days, she did not trust anyone at the hospital and was terrified that, if she allowed herself to sleep, she may not wake up again. She wouldnt let me sleep, either. If I happened to doze off, she would toss something at me to wake me up. She was afraid to be alone. Even after we brought her home, she wouldnt sleep alone. Eventually, things got better. Heaven ate and started sleeping on her own. We bought a house in May of that year and moved to Altoona. Heaven was still very tentative about most things and was afraid to get hurt, but we saw her getting stronger each day. Things were looking up...and then school started. For the better part of her 6th grade year, Heaven had a bully. He wasnt the call you names kind of bully. He was the say mean things and physically hurt you kind of bully. He would isolate her from the other kids and hit her, wait for the gym teacher to turn his back and whip basketballs at her chest, kick her and laugh as she cried out in pain, you name it. He was a real jerk. Dave and I decided to try and let Heaven deal with the situation and advised her to tell the teacher. She went to her teacher time and time again to try to get help, but was either told that the teacher didnt want to hear it or was asked why cant you just be friends with him. The teacher never reported the bullying or abuse to the principal like she was supposed to. So, when Dave and I decided it was time to step in, there was no record of anything and the principals hands were tied. After 6 months of taking our daughter to the doctor and the ER, feeling helpless as she wheezed and struggled to get up the stairs, making sure she had enough pillows to prop herself up with because she couldnt sleep lying down, having meeting after meeting with the principals and teacher, we were finally given the option of moving our daughter to another 6th grade class and we took it. As far as we know, the boy was never dealt with in any meaningful way. During all that time, Heaven was scared all the time and hated school. Our A/B students was getting horrible grades and could be a nightmare to get out the door in the mornings. After the classroom transfer, her demeanor changed, her grades came back up and she started to seem more like herself again. She got through 6th grade and, this year, headed to junior high. In 7th grade, Heaven made a few friends, joined the Drama Club and found a love of working behind the scenes doing props and tech. She auditioned a few time for parts in the drama play and musical and parts for chorus, but experienced crippling stage fright and usually ended up crying, running off stage, or both. No matter how many times she embarrasses herself, she keeps trying. I love that about her. Each time she tries, she gets a little louder, a little less shaky, and cries a little less. She is still a work in progress and, although she is aware of how far she has come, sometimes she forgets how strong she is and how she stared death in the face and fought to live. So, there you have it. The short version. :) It has been a busy, heartbreaking, victorious time and, sometimes, I didnt know what to say. Heaven is doing great. We are blessed each day that the LORD brought her through everything that has come her way these past couple of years and that he continues to strengthen her with each passing day. I will try to update a little more often as I feel it is important to do so. Please continue to keep Heaven in your prayers. Thankies!
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:17:56 +0000
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