Wednesday, August 14th
It was the first day of 3rd grade for the big girls. Although I hated not to be there, I know they were secretly thrilled that Shon was able to take them. Ella seemed to forgive me that I wasn't able to finish sewing her special dress(#procrastinator). Shon even managed to snap the obligatory 1st day pics I try to capture every year.
The plan was to perform the spinal MRI which required Avery undergoing general anesthesia meant we were NPO(fancy for eat and drink nothing) since midnight. I tried to support her by abstaining as well, but I managed to sneak a few sips of water when she wasn't looking. We were not sure what time the test would happen, so we settled in for a long day.
Shortly after Shon arrived, Dr. Johnston came in to discuss the plan. Due to a backup at MRI, they would postpone the test as it wouldn't impact the approach for the initial surgery. Avery would undergo surgery the next day to remove a 3x3 mass from her 4th ventricle. They would place an EVD(External Ventricular Drain) in the top of her head and then perform a suboccipital craniotomy to remove the tumor. The surgery would take 4-6 hrs start to finish and was scheduled to begin at 8am.
We spent the day loving on our girl and doing exactly what she wanted. She painted, crafted, colored, watched movies... you name it. She was such a light that day, and I soaked up as much of it as I could. She quickly took charge of her own care... unplugging her leads and sensors and calling the nurse to unhook her IV each time she needed to get up. She would proudly call out "6(ounces)" when she was done peeing and then begin plugging all of her equipment back in as soon as she was in bed.
We coveted all of the prayers, messages, and thoughts that were being sent our way. We tried to hold onto to belief that God had a purpose for Avery, and this was just the beginning of the ways he planned to use her for His Kingdom. A close friend sent this prayer which kept resonating with me:
Lord, Your Word speaks of promises of healing and restoration, and I thank You for the miracles You still perform today. Today I claim those promises over my friend. I believe in the power of faith and prayer, and I ask You to begin Your mighty work in the life of Avery! Please reach down and surround her with the supernatural peace and strength and give her family the faith to believe that all things are possible through You. Protect her from Satan's lies and discouragement, and let her miraculous healing begin. Amen
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