April 15th, 2014 -- Baclofen Pump Removal Surgery Today!!!

Hello dear prayer warriors!  We would love to have your prayers covering Hope today as she has the surgery to remove her Baclofen pump!  Her surgery is slated for about 12:30 pm today.  We'll arrive at the hospital and get admitted around 10:45 am.  Then Hope will need to have some pre-op blood work drawn. . .

. . . blood work is definitely the thing she is most worried about right now. . . she really doesn't like having blood work done. . . don't blame her from watching how many pokes her little body has suffered over the past 2 years!  So thankful that she doesn't remember most of them! 

Hope will be staying in the hospital for 48 hours after surgery, staying flat on her back because of some cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage during surgery, and then in order to give ample time for the dura (covering of her spinal cord) to seal and prevent any further CSF leakage, which causes severe headaches and nausea.  I will give updates today as I am able, and continue to share how it's going and any specific prayer requests for her.  My sister called from Oregon tonight and asked Hope if she was feeling excited or anxious.  Hope responded, "A little excited, and a little anxious."

So as we say goodbye to Hope's "hockey puck," we took some pictures tonight to remember another miracle that God has done in Hope's life and body!  We praise Him and are so very thankful for another milestone soon to be celebrated!  Hope asked Gabi to, "kiss it goodbye for me," this morning before Gabs left for school.  I think Trev and I are also supposed to "kiss it goodbye" before the surgery!  I so love her sense of humor and ability to apply it even as she expressed to me this morning that she is a "little nervous" about having the surgery.  What an amazing difference it will be to simply go through this surgery with a little girl who can talk to us again!!!  She was just telling me this morning that when she had her MRI of her brain (May of 2013) that she wasn't aware of what was going on, but when she had her last MRI of her spine (November 2013) that she WAS aware of what was going on, and that she will be this time, too!  Such a blessing!!!  She woke up out of GA in May 2013 very disoriented and refusing to drink. . . it was very stressful!  We know that she will be much different this time, and we know that our gracious God is to be thanked and praised for her continued progress in recovery in so many areas. 

Okay, back to the Baclofen pump. . . here is a picture of Hope's Baclofen pump that we took last night . . .

And in one of Hope's favorite sayings, you can join us in saying. . .

"See ya later, alligator. . . in a while crocodile. . .
not too soon, you big baboon. . . I'll knock you with a broom on your big cocoon (Hope's little rhyming addition)!"

ADIOS HOCKEY PUCK!!!