Amazing Grace's Pain

The plate in her clavicle and the
scar from the first surgery.

Amazing Grace had surgery last Monday. Hopefully it's the last of the pain from the accident she had 20 months ago because this Mama's heart can't take watching her suffer.

I didn't think I could handle it that night in the hospital, looking at her in the c-collar, not knowing if she was paralyzed, waiting to find out the extent of her injuries. Several times since then I have had to hold her or watch her, desperately wishing I could trade places with her while she was crying or unable to sleep from the pain or not telling her team mates how much pain she was in just so she could finish the game with them (and later crumple in tears from the pain). I would have given anything that I had to take it all from her.

We are very hopeful this is the end of the pain for her, but there are life-long issues she will have to deal with.

Before surgery:
Amazing Grace
the Conehead.

Touching her plate skin for the
last time. It's been a unique part of
her for so long, it'll take time to get
used to not seeing it anymore.

The hospital had a pretty lit-up
waterfall to look at. 'Cause that
totally works to remove anxiety
from a waiting parent. Sarcasm.

When you get one of the 
best surgeons,
you get a nice waiting 
area before the
waiting area. In case you have 
to wait
to wait?

Her surgeon is amazing
but I'm glad we won't
be seeing this door again.

I'd never seen a prescription
medication machine before. 
I get a kick out of people 
being able 
to get drugs like 
a soda or bag of chips. 

Of course surgery was
scheduled for the day we
got 7" of snow on top
of freezing rain. 

Nerve blocks are hilarious. 
They
truly are. "It's a rubber 
arm, Mom."

Extra Daughter is in the 
background laughing at
Amazing Grace shaking her 
rubber 
arm & insisting her
real arm is hidden in my purse.

I pointed out her "bent 
pinky" & she insisted that 
"they" put her pinky 
on a rubber arm & 
that I needed to go get 
her real arm. 

"Mom, my face can feel my hand but
my hand can't feel my face!"

Amazing Grace had many "nurses" besides me to take care of her, from Steddy (step-dad) to a friend to siblings to cats. We made sure she didn't have to do anything but get better.

I made her a bed on the couch where I could keep a better eye on her & she had the TV & she didn't feel isolated in her bedroom. Zipper & Sophie were not happy that she got their spot on the couch 'cause that's where they lay all day while everyone is gone at school & work. Zipper was pretty funny laying on the floor in front of her, head between his front legs, looking up at her with the saddest look & whimpering to be allowed to lay with her. Amazing Grace was heartless & told him no matter how pathetic he got, she was laying alone. Cats, however, don't believe that anyone should lay alone, so her declaration didn't last long.

Trying to rest her head on her
completely numb arm...

...but it won't cooperate.

Persistence pays off.

As the anesthesia and strong meds wore off, Amazing Grace had days of extreme itching. I gave her a long back scratcher & she acted like it was the best present she'd ever gotten.

Day 3: Healing from surgery is itchy work. Why
use the back scratcher when you have so
many siblings?

Ginger Girl was actually happy
to put lotion on her back & scratch
Amazing Grace. Such a good 
nurse's assistant.

Nemo loved that she had someone 
laying around all the time. Free hands 
to scratch her neck & someone 
to sit on.

Nemo helped her feel better
& she made Nemo
happy so it was a win win.

Nemo: "Girl, you stopped scratching.
You know better than that. I tell
you when you're done."

Extra Daughter's father let her leave school one day last week so she could come sit with Amazing Grace when I had some place I had to be. I was worried about leaving Amazing Grace but canceling wasn't an option. Extra Daughter surprised me when she walked in the house & said she was staying with Amazing Grace so I could go without worrying. I almost cried. For real. That girl has been such a big help, she's been by Amazing Grace's side through all of this, helping out after school so I could study which is a tremendous help, & has even gone to get candy that Amazing Grace said she wanted. Extra Daughter is wonderful.

Amazing Grace went back to school yesterday & is slowly returning to normalcy after a week off from everything. Here's to hoping this is the end of her pain.