Session Twenty-Nine: Making the Crooked Places Straight, Part Ten

Published on 28 June 2025 at 09:43

Our daughter’s scoliosis journey was entering a new chapter. It began by logging 4,500 miles to drive to her many appointments over the course of fifteen months for casting. We then pursued an alternative to casting to give our daughter’s ribs a break from the restrictions of the cast. She had been wearing the nighttime bending brace for a year to keep her spine flexible and slow the progression of the scoliosis until surgery.

The next chapter in this journey was a return trip to Nemours of Delaware for spinal surgery in April of 2024. First our daughter would have a preoperative MRI under sedation on a Friday. We were set to spend the weekend in Wilmington, then she would undergo surgery for MAGEC rods on Tuesday, followed by a 4 to7-day inpatient stay for recovery.

After a delightful sendoff from her second-grade classmates, we headed off for our next Travels with Our Trachie adventure.

The MRI under sedation went incredibly well. Since it didn’t take place in an Operating Room, but rather in the radiology department, we were permitted to stay with our daughter until after she was sedated. We had never seen our daughter go under anesthesia since they typically wheel her away from us in the preoperative area. The nurse warned us that some patients thrash around a bit while going under but that wasn’t what we experienced. I was able to sing to her and comfort her as she drifted off to sleep. What a blessing to sing the Our Father and entrust our daughter to a heavenly host. We've never, in all the numerous surgeries and procedures had that opportunity. I was truly grateful for the experience.

The MRI took a couple of hours to complete, and our girl was a bit groggy for the remainder of the day, but we had the entire weekend to explore the area. We checked out the Nemours Estate which included a tour of the mansion and walking around the pristine gardens during the cherry blossoms bloom, and we enjoyed some hiking at Alapocas Run State Park.

We also met some amazing new friends at the Ronald McDonald House. That Monday, two of our new friends were set to have procedures with the same orthopedic doctor. However, they were contacted about rescheduling due to an unexpected medical issue with the surgeon. We knew that our own surgery the following day was in limbo as well. The surgeon called us that evening to confirm he would be unable to perform the lengthy operation. He shared that his own doctor had told him that he was likely functioning around 70% of his typical strength. I jokingly commented that we weren’t C-students, that we wanted his A-game!

So, our daughter’s MAGEC rods surgery was postponed for a month. We were so grateful to the many souls lifting our precious girl in prayer. As for us as parents, we trusted that this was simply God working out all things for her good for He is faithful. We trusted His timing.

Join us in the next session as we prepare for take-two of the growing rods surgery.