Blessings come from raindrops

I think we're nicely getting used to the spica cast.  Annabelle has been sleeping relatively well, she has been eating well, and is a bit less frustrated now about her lack of mobility.  I think her pain is doing a lot better too. 

Looking back on our journey so far, it's been frustrating, it's been full of worry and tears.  We have learned a LOT.  They always say parents with kids with conditions become experts, and while I'm definitely not an expert, I feel relatively well educated ... enough to answer questions when people ask them ...

Every day since Annabelle was born I have been so grateful that her hip dysplasia was caught early.  As Dr Olney has told us, this is often not detected this early in life.  Most of his surgeries are done on older kids, aged 2-3 who are diagnosed after they start walking.  I thank God that Annabelle *WILL NOT* remember the Pavlik Harness.  She won't remember the Rhino Cruiser, or mommy and daddy twice handing her over to the OR nurse.   She won't remember the Spica Cast, she won't remember the pain.  She will remember the stories we tell her down the road, and how much love her mommy & daddy had for her through this whole journey. 

The few weeks before Annabelle's surgery, she cut six teeth, to bring her total to EIGHT.  Those few weeks were frustrating beyond belief.  A few days before her surgery I decided that her cutting her teeth then was a blessing.  She endured that discomfort prior to surgery and going into her spica cast.  Now I don't have to worry that her fussiness/discomfort is from incision pain or from the spica. 

While we were waiting outside the recovery room for Annabelle to be transported to her room, there was a family with a little boy that looked to be about two years old.  His mommy was explaining to him that he had to walk with the "nice nurse" and she would see him afterwards.  I feel so blessed to not have had to explain to my daughter why I was sending her away.  To not wonder if she would look at me afterwards wondering why I sent her off to be in pain.  The last glimpse I have in my head of her being taken to surgery, is her smiling at the OR nurse while playing with her hat.

I am also extremely thankful that the closed reduction was unsuccessful.  We didn't have to endure 3 months in spica, with a cast change at 6 weeks over the hottest summer on record. 

All in all, I am so, so, so grateful that the condition our daughter has is FIXABLE, CURABLE, and something that we will be able to put behind us.