The Charmer is set to have the first of two major surgeries on Friday. He has been in a wheelchair since he came home to us two years ago. He was born with Spina Bifida which resulted in lower limb weakness. There are other issues that have kept him from walking, however. Both of his hips are dysplastic (the head of both femurs are not in the hip socket.) He needs both hips to be fixed, before we can move closer toward his dream of walking. Once those hips are corrected, we'll pursue braces that will give him the stability to take his first steps.
Standing on the Standing Board with supports...his physical therapist believes he needs to have the experience of standing...something to connect with all that is coming and that he must endure...to someday stand, without being strapped to a board!
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This Friday the left hip will be surgically corrected. It will be a big surgery and a major "cultural experience" as I have only visited local hospitals here for BRIEF periods of time. We will like need to stay in the hospital for ONE WEEK. Staying in the hospital here is vastly different than in the West...to list a few things:
1) All care for the patient, including moving from bed to bed, or anything that is required for the patient must be done by the family.
2) Every expense must be paid for in advance (every bandage, bedpan, blood draw, stitch, and IV) has an "invoice" issued first, where we must go down to the cashier to pay, and then care is given. There is no such thing as "billing."
3) There are no private rooms/bathrooms...we will spend the first two nights, post-surgery, in an "observation room" with SIX other patients. Then we will hopefully move to a room with three other patients where we will need to stay 24-7 with our son.
4) All food must be brought to us at the hospital (there is no cafeteria)...even for the patient. So we have to organize for people to BRING us meals at the hospital!!
5) There is no internet, no vending machines, and we even have to bring our own pillows! :)
6) Some nurses are known to be very, very harsh. We will have to be vigilant, all the time, to make sure that we're firm but kind in advocating. This can be really tricky in our second language!
7) There are many different ideas about "best practices" in terms of care, therapy, and even what foods can/should be eaten!
8) For a parent to stay, we have to rent and "army style" cot, and most rooms don't have space for every patient's family member to stay...so, many have to sleep on their cots in the hallway...
9) We need to bring EVERYTHING we need...soap, water bottles, towels, even the jello and juice that our little man will need...I'm sure there are plenty of things that we don't even know that we're going to need.
10) Every exchange we will have with the medical staff besides the surgeon, who is a foreigner...will be in our second language.
Would be lying if I didn't say that today I've had a little ball of anxiety that worked it's way up from my core...and has now lodged in my throat.
Two weeks ago, we didn't have the money in hand to acheive the surgery, but as of tonight, we do. Students from our school have been doing a Read-a-Thon as a fundraiser...people from all over the world have joined the effort to help The Charmer acheive his dream...to walk.
We stand in awe again of our Father's grace and mercy. We believed and we followed Him when He told us to "trust Him" and to bring The Charmer home through adopion...once again, He's showing us in grand style...that He is FAITHFUL.
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