One Last Chance

 

One Last Chance 

to 

Buy A Necklace

and

Make A Difference

What's Available:

These super cute hand-stamped necklaces with either the outline of China or Africa on them.

ONLY $17/each (includes shipping)

Simply click the "Chip In" on the sidebar.

Please indicate which country outline you would like to have.

OR

 

I will be placing the order for the necklaces on Monday, so please place orders by noon on Monday.

THANK YOU so much for being a special part of Bringing Emma Claire Home!

Walking

Gratefulness

Maylee was discharged form the hospital yesterday afternoon.

Since we live 3 hours from the hospital, her surgeon asked if we would stay one more night at the FedEx Family House just to be on the safe side.

Boy, oh boy! Were we a sight to behold!

One very sweet and helpful 9 year old boy pushing the 4 year old boy in his wheelchair while also carrying my very heavy purse.

Then, there was me.

I pushed Maylee in her chair all the while also rolling a bulging suitcase with a very full duffle bag hanging on top.

Oh, and did I mention that I did this while dodging the large mylar balloon which was tied onto the wheelchair.

Yeah....we were quite a sight!

But, we made it!

And, I simply cannot say enough nice things about the FedEx Family House.

We are so grateful for this incredible gift of a place to stay nearby the hospital.


Bennett and Sam David have been real troopers being cooped up in the hospital room!

So, once we got settled into our room, we headed downstairs for a little playtime that everyone could enjoy.

Bennett enjoyed playing the Wii.

Sam David enjoyed a snack.

 and loved playing with just about everything there.

and Maylee played with the dominoes.

And, don't forget to check back with us.

Next post, you will see a precious little girl going for a little walk.

And, there it is!

Boy oh boy, what a rough couple of days we had!

Maylee's pain has been intense, but that was really the least of our worries.

We could not get her allergic reaction under control.

Turns out, we now have 3 medications to add to the allergy list.

So, after much Benadryl and many doses of Decadron, it is beginning to look better.

Late this afternoon, we hit the 48 hours after surgery mark; therefore, it was time to slowly try to sit up.

We made sure that Maylee had just had a nice dose of pain meds and took it really slowly.

She was so scared, but I knew she would feel so much better to sit up and be able to use a pillow again.

And here, my friends, is that famous Maylee smile that I have missed so!





Tomorrow, Maylee will stand up with assistance and be visited by Physical Therapy.

If all goes well, she could be discharged tomorrow.

Her neurosurgeon wants us to stay at the Fed Ex Family House for a day or two just so we will still be close by.
I'm good with that, but I sure am ready to be home.

All in God's timing.

Thank you for the continued prayers!!

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That sweet smile from this morning didn't last very long.

Maylee is in a lot of pain. The meds help, but as soon as they wear off, the pain returns.

Another cause for concern is that she is breaking out again. Her lips even swelled for a moment.

Please continue to pray for our little hero!


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Location:Didn't last long...

Little by Little

Well, we did not get up into a room until 8:00 pm and hit a few bumps once here.

As expected, Maylee is in a great deal of pain. Both her back, where the incision is, and headaches from the spinal fluid kept both of us up most of the night.

She also had some sort of reaction to the foam that was holding her chin and forehead during surgery.

Almost as soon as we entered her room, hives began to form all over.

Thankfully, Benedryl did the trick and no breathing problems ever showed up.

They had just cleaned the room with a strong smelling cleaner and I really think that is what caused the hives.

As for the foam, I'm not sure. Hope to find out today exactly what it is made of so that we can avoid it in the future.


Here is a sweet picture from the night before surgery with her beloved Mickey.

The one thing that makes surgery just a little bit better is that each child takes a trip through the Bunny Tunnel before surgery in order to pick out a special toy/treat.
Maylee picked out this journal. I'm sure her selection has something to do with the color PINK, which is her favorite!

As for the surgery, well...it went as well as could be expected.

The surgeon was able to do a good bit of detethering on the right side, which is great because that is the worse leg/foot.
She worked some on the left side as well. But, it was so difficult to differentiate the fibers and nerves, that she did not want to mess around too much and destroy nerves.
As for nerves, there was one nerve on the left side that was clipped. This will probably cause some loss of sensation on front of that leg. But, only time will tell.

One of the biggest struggles is that Maylee has to lie flat for the 48 hours after surgery. She can't even have a pillow, which is really bothering her.

But, all in all, I say she has fared pretty well considering all that she has been through!

Thank you for the prayers! They have been felt!

One last picture of Miss Maylee this morning, STILL SMILING!!

It never gets easier

Maylee has been through numerous surgeries.

But, it never gets easier.

In fact, it keeps getting harder.

I think a lot of it is that she is older and very much aware of what is about to happen.

Nonetheless, this was my sweet girl as we waited for them to take her to the operating room.





We passed the time with puzzles and coloring pages.

And, then the inevitable came.

As always, the nurse had to pry her from my arms and screaming began.

It is hard!!

I will update as soon as I can.

Keep the prayers coming!


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Detether....Again

Our precious Maylee will be headed into the operating room once again in the morning.

As most of you know, Maylee has spina bifida.

To be exact, Maylee's form of spina bifida is

Lipomyelomeningocele.

Explanation below:

Lipomyelomeningocele is an abnormal fat accumulation that extends from
the spinal cord into the tissue of the back. The spinal cord may or may
not extend out through the spine. The lesion is covered by skin and
usually found in the lower spine area. It is not painful. These lesions
typically need to be repaired, however surgery can usually be delayed
until the infant is several months of age. Most infants born with
lipomyelomeningocele will not have hydrocephalus and will not need a
shunt. Most patients will have near normal leg function but may have
bladder and bowel difficulties. Some children will need additional
surgery as they grow due to tethered spinal cord.          - courtesy Dept. of Neurosurgery Univ. of Fl.

And a little visual:

  

As indicated in the explanation above, a tethered cord can be an issue, in particular with this form of spina bifida.

Maylee had her 1st detether surgery about 3 years ago.

It was hoped that she would never need one again or at least that it would be another few years away.

Well, those of you who know Maylee, know that she continues to grow like a weed.

This continued growth coupled with the amount of scar tissue that she has, has led to the need of another detether surgery.

Leaving a cord tethered can lead to a host of problems; such as the worsening of bladder and bowel function and weakened mobility.

Therefore, after much prayer and doctor's advice - 

Here we are, once again.

Maylee's neurosurgeon still says that Maylee's 1st detether surgery was the most difficult case she has ever treated.

What was supposed to be a 2-3 hour surgery, ended up being over 6 hours.

So, we are a little better prepared emotionally to not expect any certain time frame.

Prayers are very appreciated for a successful surgery, no infections and a speedy recovery.

Thank you and we will keep everyone posted!

Here is our sweet girl enjoying some hot cocoa before bedtime at the FedEx Family House.





We are so blessed to call Maylee our daughter.

She has brought so much joy into our lives and taught each of us so much about patience, endurance and strength!

We are praying for you, baby girl!

Homecoming Week

This is Homecoming Week for Heidi.

She has enjoyed participating in the themed dress-up days so far.

Monday was Senior Citizen Day.









Tuesday was Redneck Day.









And Wednesday was Disney Day, so she dressed as a Dalmation.





Oh, how my full-of-spirit child loves to have a good time!

Keep it up, Heidi!


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What a Week

Well, have you ever just had one of those weeks??

My mom called me on Monday morning to let me know that my dad had been hit by a car and was in the hospital.

His leg was broken just below the hip joint and required surgery.

Me and the three youngest kiddos drove down on Tuesday morning and my dad finally went to surgery around 6 pm on Tuesday.
Surgery went well and they placed a pin to help heal the bone.

Therapy has been hard, but that is expected.

He was just moved to a rehab center a bit ago to stay for a few weeks. This has him very upset, but it is best. He is just ready to get home.

Me and the kids will head home tomorrow for a few days.

Then, we will head to Memphis on Thursday in preparation for Maylee's spinal cord detether.

She will have an MRI on Thursday and surgery on Friday.

Prayers are appreciated for both my dad and mom as well as Maylee as she faces surgery and recovery.



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No Turning Back

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We are still taking orders on these incredibly cute hand-stamped necklaces. Outlines of Africa or China available.
ONLY $17!!
Just click our chip-in on the sidebar.

THANK YOU!!!

"I Have Decided To Follow Jesus"

photo courtesy of Kyle Hancock Photography

 

1. The world behind me, the cross before me;
   The world behind me, the cross before me;
   The world behind me, the cross before me;
   No turning back, no turning back.
2. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
   Though none go with me, still I will follow;
   Though none go with me, still I will follow;
   No turning back, no turning back.

New Fur Baby

Introducing the newest member to the growing pet menagerie at Rainbow Farms...




Heidi saved up for a while and bought her own dog.





She named him Tebow and he is the sweetest puppy ever!





He quickly became acquainted with some of the animals here at Rainbow Farms.

Here he is meeting Hercules, our mini pot belly.


And, here Tebow is getting to know Gracie.





But, by far, Tebow enjoys the chickens most of all!









I can't say that the feeling is mutual from the chickens!


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