We're Back!

Yes, we're back in Prosser. My brain might take a few days to catch up, but my body is home.

Olivia's surgery went well. Thank you! She's still in some discomfort because the stitches in her upper lip (that go right up to the inside of her nose) are tight, so she can't smile. We all have to be careful not to say anything funny.

She hates taking all the medicine. She also hates it when I have to do the treatment to her stitches five times a day. I'm feeling like a full-time nurse. Administering medicine and keeping track of hydrogen peroxide treatments takes time!

Plus, we just found out my three-year-old has ringworm (it's not actually a worm, by the way, but a fungus, similar to athlete's foot -- still gross, though), so I've been slathering on the anti-fungal ointment, too. Add the baby's diaper rash and I'm about ready to open my own pharmacy!

Still, underneath all the craziness is a deep thankfulness.

(1)  Olivia made it through the surgery. Not only that, but she will look amazing once the stitches come out and the swelling goes down. At the moment she looks like she was in a beer hall brawl, what with the fat lip and all. When that goes away, I think we'll be pretty speechless with how incredible she looks. Many times I've looked past the stitches and the swelling and thought, "WOW!" Thank you, Dr. Kuang!

(2) Even though the surgery turned out to be more extensive than I was expecting, I am so grateful for Shriners Hospital. Not only do they provide all Olivia's surgeries free of charge, but they give her tons of toys and let her play video games and watch movies the whole time she's in the hospital. When your child's on an IV and heavily medicated for pain, it's such a relief when they have something to sit up and DO to keep their mind off what they're going through.  Olivia asked to stay in the hospital an extra night instead of going back to the hotel. I think that says a lot.

(3) I'm thankful for my family. Aaron's parents came along with us to Portland and that was such a blessing, I can't even begin to tell you. It gave Aaron and me the freedom to be at the hospital together at important times. Heck, we even squeezed in a date on Friday night! Nainai and Papa stayed in the hotel room with the kids (Olivia was back in the hotel by that time) and we walked into Downtown Portland for Thai food. Not to mention that having my father-in-law, who is a physician, along for Olivia's appointments is always a huge comfort and help.

(4) I got to see some people whom I love a lot on this trip: my aunt and uncle, who live across the river from Portland, as well as one of my very best friends from high school in Hong Kong. Olivia told my aunt at dinner the night before the surgery that she really wanted a dress-up bonnet (my aunt is an amazing seamstress), so my aunt went right home and got to work. She told me two days later that she was finished with it and would put it in the mail right away. Is that awesome or what? I was also so glad to see my good friend, Linda, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She let me come over even though she had just had her second chemo treatment. It was so good to see her so beautiful, so brave. Words cannot describe.

Olivia will be home this week from school so I can keep doing the hydrogen peroxide thing throughout the day. I'm excited to have her around. I love her wit and her funny stories, which are made even more priceless because she can't grin to go along with them. She's got the perfect dead-pan comedy routine going on most of the day. We're planning a big trip to the library tomorrow to get her about a gazillion books so she doesn't have to keep watching movies like she did in the hospital. I'll probably be on-and-off blogging, making sure I'm enjoying my daughter's week of "vacation."

Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers for us over these last few days! They were felt and appreciated.