Leading up to the hospital

First blog post, what to say. . . First off I'm starting this blog for a few reasons; a way for my friends and family to stay updated, something for people to look at who are considering this surgery, and as something for me to look back at later and be able to see Gods faithfulness through.  Oh and because this place is so boring I think I may loose my mind sometimes!!

So from the beginning, when I was 12 years old a friends mom noticed something different about my back when we were swimming.  By the time I went to the doctor when I was 13 I was told I needed surgery.  My first x rays showed I had a 90 degree curve.  My family situation was not ideal for me to have surgery, and I was absolutely terrified!!! So the decision was made not to have it.  As I grew so did my curve, it was so slow and gradual I didn't notice it.  In high school it started getting worse.  By worse I mean it started compressing my lung, I didn't need a doctor to tell me that, I could feel it.  Still in my mind surgery was not an option, it wouldn't help anything.

The summer before my senior year my world fell apart.  My mother, my only family, died.  I was 17.  Lots of complicated things happened after that, including a "fun" car accident, but through all that something amazing happened. . . God gave me a family!!  That in itself is a crazy story that goes to show God's goodness and faithfulness.

Jim and Angela are two incredible people!  I didn't know them at all before my mother went into the hospital.  Soon after  moving in with them and their family Angela quickly learned how to "convince" me to do things (it also helped that she was ALWAYS right)!  She got me to promise to see a doctor about my back.  That was not an easy thing for me.  Once I turned 18 that winter it was doctor time. 

The first specialist I saw was in St. Louis.  When he out my x rays up my eyes started to water, I almost lost it!  I could see my curve had gotten so much worse!  Seeing that x ray was all I needed; I knew something had to happen.  That doctor, however, was not going to touch me.  He instead referred me to Dr. Lenke, also in St. Louis.  So I got an appointment to see him in August.

In the meantime I went to prom, graduated high school, and registered for college, no big deal.  My appointment in August was incredibly difficult.  When we finally sat down with the doctor all I heard was 6 weeks of traction and 2 surgeries.  After that my mind shut down.  As we were leaving the hospital all I kept saying was no.  I told Angela over and over again I couldn't do it, that obviously didn't last.  On the way home Angela had a thought.  i had wanted to apply to the 6 year medical program at UMKC.  I had been misinformed about the application deadline and had not been able to apply the previous year.  Now that I would need to take the year off for surgery I could reapply.  A little bit of good news.  We had to wait a while for my surgery dates.  Because my insurance was going to cut off when I turned 19 we needed it to be that year.  That, however, did not happen.  The dates were set for April!!  That whole thing started a process in which Angela battled numerous Medicaid workers and government officials.  I was never made aware of the entire process she went through to get my insurance extended.  But I remember everyone was sitting in the living room one day praying and we prayed that we would know it was God providing.  That prayer was answered!
So there was lots of anticipation leading up to February when I would go into the hospital to begin Halo traction.  I had to buy lots of sweats and big shirts that i could fit over my head with the Halo on.  I also had to get together lots of stuff to keep me busy.

Well that's about all the back story needed.  Now everyone is caught up to right before I entered the hospital. 

I should go and eat some delicious hospital food now. HA!!
Plenty more to come!!