We have a surgery date!

[Cheryl M]

Hi Everyone,

I haven't posted because we, too, have been busy, busy, busy! We are heading to church this morning and then grandparents are coming to stay with Rob next week and help support us. We have been so unusually calm this week that it blows my mind. God is good! Briann seems like she's totally fine and we are just ready to be on the other side with a brand new beautiful back.

My prayers are that each of these girls will come through this beautifully and much stronger. I pray for their Doctors and every nurse and specialist who will be taking care of them. I pray that God is handpicking the best of the best for each of these girls.

I would love to meet everyone someday too. That would be a great way to celebrate. What's in between Oklahoma, Illinois, and North Carolina? Thanks so much for all of your support, Ann, Connie and everyone else who is supporting us and praying for us. Kris, I'm taking your number to the hospital. I may need some advice.

We'll try to update as soon as we can.

Love,
Cheryl

[flowerpower]

Hi,

Just wanted to sent prayers and good wishes to the 3 Elizabeth's and their families - hoping your surgeries are uncomplicated and recoveries uneventful.

Sincerely,

Renee

[dancermom]

Thanks so much for the support. We are packing hospital bags today and I am not sure exactly what to have Elizabeth pack. She is packing 2 different bags - one for the immediate and one for when she is in a regular room. I also have to think through what I want to pack to stay at the hospital.

I agree with you Cheryl that it would be neat to meet one day as that would be a great way to celebrate the girls' recoveries. I am so thankful for your prayers and I am definitely keeping Briann Elizabeth and Elizabeth in my prayers too.

Good luck to everyone and I will write from the hospital when I can. Hope to hear wonderful results on the girls.

Connie

[AnnLF]

Hi All,

Well, we did NOT have an uneventful day. Our Elizabeth's surgery was postponed until Wednesday. We drove downtown Chicago yesterday, checked into a hotel across from the medical center, did the enema (she HATED that) and then tried, repeat TRIED, to get a decent sleep.
Got up at 4:30 to be at the hospital at 5:30 and when we got there, our surgeon was on the phone waiting to speak with us. He flew into Chicago from Florida after Thanksgiving weekend and due to flight delays, didn't get in until 1 a.m. He didn't feel comfortable doing the surgery on a couple of hours sleep. Needless to say we were devastated. We turned around, checked out of the hotel and now we're back home. At least we've had a dry run and know the drill. But we're back to the wrenching waiting game. It's been an emotional roller coaster and quite unnerving to say the least. We were so ready......

I'm so hoping the other two Elizabeths are doing well and can't wait to hear from Connie and Cheryl. I hope they brought their laptops and can get access to the internet. They've been on my mind throughout the day.

Thanks for all your support. Illinois Elizabeth is no longer one of the November 28th girls. Now, it's November 30th....
Ann

[flowerpower]

So sorry to hear about the delay. I can imagine it would feel awful to get that far and be put off, even for a couple of days. Maybe, hopefully it will make at least the night before part of it somewhat easier. Hope everything goes ok next time around and no delays. Consider it a blessing though that your surgeon had the sense to not want to do the surgery with anything less than a clear head. Kudos to him! Take care -

Renee

[AnnLF]

Renee,
Thanks for the kind words -- you're right. We're very happy the doctor didn't go ahead with it. I'm sure it's totally disrupting his schedule. Think about how this could snowball by putting off other surgeries and appointments this week. We're feeling much better than we were this morning when we were totally unglued. Ah, I hope things are going well for the other Elizabeths.
I'll keep you posted and rest assured that I'll be as helpful as I can as your son's date gets closer.
Ann

[KRIS ATKINSON]

Thank God for a surgeon with common sense! My prayers are continueing with all 3 of you Elizabeths! Kris

[billyjoe]

Dear Ann,
Sorry to hear your disappointing news. My daughter Tori and I have been following the "Elizabeth" thread and we prayed yesterday morning for each Elizabeth. Hopefully you can find the strength to get through this. Your Elizabeth is still a November girl.
We have just chosen our surgeon and have the surgery date of June 1st. It seems a long way off, but I already have so many preparations in mind. This forum helps so much. I feel better knowing that others are brave and go through this. Best of luck to your Elizabeth tomorrow. She will be in the toughts and prayers of many, don't you worry.
Sending Our Best,
Patricia

[Cheryl M]

Hi Everyone,
Briann (North Carolina Elizabeth) is doing great. Ann, so sorry about the date change but I agree with everyone that you must have a great surgeon.

Briann was in surgery for 6 1/2 hours. Longest hours of my life. She did lose a lot of blood and one of the screws pulled out......dr. says it shouldn't be a problem.....this happened during the surgery so he was able to fix it but he will keep an eye on it. She was in recovery for 2 hours. Started on ice chips there. She ate a few bites of a popsicle last night. Had fruit loops this morning and has ordered chicken noodle and spaghettios for lunch. She has good bowel sounds!!!! She did have to receive some blood last night. Her hemoglobin dropped below 7. They're checking that now and hopefully that will be the end of that. Her pain is well under control. She is moving side to side a lot and they are getting her up at noon to sit in a chair. She keeps asking to get up....we'll see how she likes it. She does feel some numbness in one thigh. It's the side where the screw pulled out and Dr. says the nerves were probably sensitive and that this is not uncommon. Her incision sight feels numb. I think I read that this is normal as well. Would love comments on this.

Better go. They're going to be getting her up.

Prayers to Illinois Elizabeth on Wednesday and we'll just call them the November girls from now on. Prayers for Oklahoma Elizabeth. Hope to hear from her soon.

Thanks for your ongoing prayers for the November girls.

Luv
Cheryl

[flowerpower]

Hi Cheryl,

I also left a short note on Spinekids. Just really glad to hear Briann's surgery went well and she sounds like she is doing awesome so far! Seems like these months of gathering info and preparing have paid off well for the both of you. Hope things continue to go well. Take care & keep us posted -

Renee

[AnnLF]

Dear Cheryl,

Hurrah! We are so glad to hear from you and hear that Briann/Elizabeth is doing so great! You, Connie and your girls are the first thing I thought of this morning. Too bad these computers don't have sound, because I just let out a long sigh of relief for you.

I was delighted to hear she must have an appetite...it just shows you how these kids can re-bound. As I write this, it's almost noon on North Carolina time, so I sure hope she gets in that chair comfortably. Baby steps.....

Hope to hear from Connie soon. In the meantime, we're in this odd state of limbo. This waiting game is wrenching, as you all know.
Love, Ann

[KRIS ATKINSON]

Cheryl, glad you made it through! Congratulations to being on this side of it all! Kris

[nikyergen]

Ann,
I am glad your surgeon was wise enough to cancel surgery because he felt uncomfortable with trying to do surgery for as tired as he was. Crystal's surgery was cancelled 4 weeks before she was to have it. It was two weeks before the end of basketball season. When I picked her up from practice that night, I told her on the way home. Oh how she cried. She was so wanting to get it done as she was so tired of the pain caused from her back. Then two weeks after that, do the day, we got the call that her surgery was scheduled again, same day, same time. Talk about feeling a huge wave of emotions. It's hard, but there was a reason and God was watching out for all of us. You to, along with the other Elizabeths and their families, will be on the other side too. You want another funny, my middle daughter is an Elizabeth. She to has scoliosis. She was a wait and watch. At her last appointment Dr. Krajbich determined she was done growing and her curves wouldn't change any more. Hurrah. Actually all three of our girls have scoliosis and/or kyphosis. Crystal had surgery for her kyphosis in March, but also has a real low scoliosis curve. Dr. doesn't see a problem with it though. It hasn't changed in 18 months and she is well past being done growing. Her kyphosis was causing her all the back pain that she had, she had an 88 degree curve. She feels so much better now. Michelle, our youngest, has to wear her brace another 8 months, and then she is done. Hurray, no surgery for her. It's a huge relief to be this far.

All of you are in our prayers. It is good to hear the reports on the girls as the go through this stage of life.

Love and prayers,
Nikki

[Cheryl M]

Hey, stepped out again for another minute. I haven't slept but 30 minutes since 3 a.m. last night. Can't wait to get back to sleep tonight.

Briann got up and walked out the door, back in, sat in a chair for 10-15 minutes. Then she got a little woozy and got back in bed and slept all afternoon. We are so proud of her. Tonight her appetite is coming back. Cookies and tea. Not too nutritious but it's what she wanted. She wants to get back up a minute and sit on the side of the bed. Her hemoglobin is still low. We're hoping she doesn't have to get more blood tonight or tomorrow and she is running a temp without tylenol. We just upped her morphine dosage a little as the anesthesia is wearing off.

Illinois Elizabeth, we are praying for such success for you tomorrow. God's timing is perfect. Hope to hear great news soon from your mom.

My continued prayers for all the November girls and can't wait to hear from Oklahoma Elizabeth.

Better go in case they've come to get her up.

Cheryl

[KRIS ATKINSON]

Cheryl, are there others at the hospital with similar surgeries to talk to? Keep up the good work! Kris