Time Out

Whew! We all needed a "time out" today! Scott came down on Saturday (after a rough morning - our friends from home may have heard about the experience of some hunters that morning - Scott was one of said hunters) and was able to stay until this evening because of the MLK holiday. Sarah Kate didn't have any therapy over the weekend - instead, we have a set of exercises that we were to do with her three times per day. We didn't have a lot of luck as far as cooperation goes, but we were told this morning at PT not to worry - that reaction is pretty typical at this stage of the game.

We all three went to PT this morning at 11am, and things went downhill pretty quickly. We saw some whining and some crying and various other dramatic elements, and there were threats of time outs. Scott and I were "sent to time out" first, meaning that we left and went to the waiting area. The escalation would have been for Sarah Kate to get an actual time out, but it wasn't necessary. Although Scott and I were out of sight, we were not out of earshot, and we could hear laughter and chattering about thirty seconds after we left the room.

Tuesday will be a long day for us. PT starts at 8am, she will receive Botox injections at 1pm, and then we'll go back to PT at 3pm. For those of you who are not familiar with the non-cosmetic use of Botox, it is used to weaken the muscles in which it is injected. In her case, her hamstrings are "overriding" her other muscles when she moves, so those other muscles aren't able to take charge like they are supposed to do. The Botox lasts 3-6 months and will open up a window of time for those weaker muscles to gain strength, which will in turn help with her movement and prevent other problems down the road. Serial casting is also still a possibility, although we won't know for sure for a few more days.

Today, Lisa, the lead PT, spoke with us at length about Sarah Kate's future and what we should expect. Although we knew going in that the SDR surgery was not a "silver bullet," things have gone so well up to this point that we've been, in some ways, negatively affected. She told us that corrective surgeries are still highly likely down the road, although most likely only during the years when she reaches the growth spurt of puberty. It's not much fun to think about this condition as a permanent journey of doctors, therapies, and surgeries. I have had to remind myself, though, that the outlook would be much bleaker without this first surgery. SDR is the only preventive option available for kids with cerebral palsy. Everything else is corrective. For now, we must continue to keep our perspective in the here and now. Tomorrow is unknown, and is in God's hands.

Many of you continue to offer assistance, and I appreciate you all so much. At this time, we truly have everything that we need. I ask that you continue to pray for Sarah Kate's healing. God can still work miracles, and I am seeing Him work tiny ones in her every day.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:34