Joy's Surgery

Surgery #4 is complete for little Joy Joy! We woke up extremely early and left for the hospital at 5 a.m. Joy's first words were, "Is it March 10th?" The girl was so excited for her surgery. It continually amazes us that she literally gets giddy about doctor visits and hospital procedures. She is a resilient little thing, not to mention I think she kind of likes the special attention. Right as we were about to turn into the hospital Joy wanted to recall the Bible story we read last night about Moses. She really seemed to identify with Moses and his fear about going to pharaoh. She remembered how God told Moses that His name is "I Am" which showed that He has always been and always will be. He never changes, and He promises to always be with us and to never leave. I love that she is learning how to trust in the Lord with all of her heart and to know that He is good and faithful all the time! Here she is in the waiting room before going back to pre-op . . . all smiles!

We were escorted to our pre-op room, and Joy was greeted by a bed full of special toys, books, coloring pages, and stickers. The hospital does such a wonderful job at making kiddos feel special, and the care is outstanding. Needless to say, Joy was happy and comfortable while we waited.

Joy was dancing and entertaining everyone who came to visit. She truly brings "joy" to others, and it is always a blessing when we have the opportunity to tell our story of how this joyful little girl became ours.

The nurse gave her the "silly juice", and then she got all prepped to go. She was calm and sleepy as we kissed her and told her we loved her. We whispered in her ear that God loves her and He is with her. She smiled, happily returned our affection, and simply said "bye-bye".

The surgery only took an hour and a half, but we were expecting two and a half. That was a welcome surprise! The doctor said everything went great, and Joy is now hardware free! She is all bandaged up with thick dressings on her thighs and around her waist, and she will stay that way for a week. (Although a week pales in comparison to five months in a spica cast.) She needs to lay low for a while and limit her physical activity in order to let the bones gain strength. We will care for the incisions, and pray that they heal quickly. She is experiencing some pain and discomfort, but regular Ibuprofen and Tylenol seem to be doing the trick. And of course a promised strawberry shake from Chick-Fil-A definitely helped her feel better. It is our pleasure to care for and love on our special girl. We are thankful to be home, and we praise the Lord that the surgery is now behind us. May the joy of the Lord be her strength!