Surgery Success!

Going on a wagon ride. Of course, Bella would wear her hospital mask, but she refuses to wear her bows!

Bella and Grandma

Bella's surgery to install her broviach port went GREAT today. It was a long day as surgery was to be around 10 am and they did not get her in until 4 pm. She went almost 24 hours with out any food or water and she was quit unhappy about it. We spent a great deal of time today trying to distract her stomach pain. We took her for a wagon ride up and down the corridors and then to the inpatient play room where she had time alone to play with the toys and read new books. Grandma was with us in the afternoon which allowed Dave and I to have lunch together alone. Bella received a special blanket today as well as a necklace with her name in beads. Every time she gets any treatment whether its blood withdrawal, chemo, antibiotic, etc., she receives a new bead. Thus, earning her "purple heart". She also received her first chemo tonight.

Bella's immune system will be down as her bloody is not creating the necessary anti-bodies to fight anything, not to mention that the chemo will kill any good cells she does have. So protecting her from sickness will be of top priority. We are not a "germ worry" family. So this is going to present some new challenges for all of us. We are already working with the kids to wash hands and use hand sanitizer all the time. We will all need to change our cloths when entering the home after being out in public. We will basically be home bound for the first 2 months of chemo except for clinic days at the hospital. Yet, there is no place I would rather be than carring for my baby. While waiting to bring Bella home, people would often say, "enjoy this time while you have it" and my response was "I would give anything to have her home and in our arms. That could not be any more true for today. She is home with the love and support of her family and in the awesome medical care this facility. Praise you Lord for your perfect provision in protecting our sweet girl.

We hope to be here only a few more days, Bella has handled every med and treatment perfectly! Believe it or not, we are going forward with our Halloween Party Saturday night. Friends have offered to decorate for us and we are very much looking forward to the mental release of the current circumstances. Grandma and Grandpa will be taking care of our sweet baby girl at their home.

As I look at my daughter, I have grief about the 8 months of time we lost while she waited in Guatemala, and now, the infancy and toddler hood that will be consumed in her treatments. I struggle with the fact that her hair beautiful black, silky hair will begin to fall out in only 2 weeks, and the daughter I waited so long for will be in a fight that is not meant to be her own. And I praise God that He is in this, that He loves her more than me, and that His only wish an desire for her is healing and perfecting in Him. So again, we look for the joy in the journey, and expect hundreds of miracles and blessings along the way.

We are so incredibly humbled and touched by all the loving posts. We feel emotionally drained, but at peace. A peace that can only come from God and your prayers. When we were leaving for the hospital after her diagnosis, anxiety gripped my heart as I scrambled through my mind as to how we were going to handle all this....I felt alone. Today, I feel peace, the support of friends, family and the blogging community has truly lifted us up and I know we are not alone. The human spirit never ceases to amaze me. What a gift it is to be part of the body of Christ.

Blessings, Susie