Home At Last

We know it's been a couple days since we last posted, but we've just been so exhausted.

On Tuesday, Dr. Saenz agreed that it was best not to go back to the OR, thank God.  There was a very, very large mixup in communication, of which neither us nor Saenz had anything to do with.  In any case, it was agreed we would see how Karsie could do with solids.  She did very well, practically ordering some of everything on the menu, and like good toddler fashion, picked and grazed on little bits of each (except Cheerios.  She demolished all her Cheerios).

On Wednesday, Dr. Saenz walked in at 8:00 in the morning and said she's good to go as far as he's concerned.  However, since he was only a consult and not the doctor on the actual surgery, he couldn't sign her out.  So, we waited...and waited...and waited and finally at 6:00 p.m. we were discharged, drove back home and got in around midnight.

Karsie has been doing better each day.  She wanted to sleep with us the first night we got back because she was scared, and she's still been in pain, but she has been in better spirits each day.

Now comes the tricky part.  We will be going to San Diego for appointments to expand her expanders, which will make her feel uncomfortable, and in our opinion, will most likely be fairly painful.  She has already suffered a lot of emotional trauma from a surgery that wasn't expected to be as rough as it was, but now we are going to be letting the doctors "hurt" her some more.  We have a pretty tall order to try to explain to her why she is having this done to her without making her feel like her difference (a big tummy) is bad, all the while trying to convince a soon to be 4-year-old that the pain we're putting her through is a good thing.  We've been preparing her for this as best we can, but she now knows the pain that comes with each surgery and procedure, and we are praying that she doesn't lose her fight and will during all of this.

We always knew the physical hurdles we (Karsie) needed to overcome during this process.  We just didn't prepare for, or at least fully understand, the emotional hurdles that were headed our way.