A month later...

Tomorrow will be a month since the terrible nightmare began for us and so many others.  I still can't believe it; it literally seems like a bad dream and almost seems like we've lost a whole month.  I know the whole world hasn't stood still, but it seems as though our world has. We miss Mama more everyday and the pain has not eased.  She was also the medical "expert" in our family and we need her now more than ever! It has been so tough being without her for the past month.  So many tears have been shed, and so many hours of sleep have been lost.  We are making it though, one day at a time. The words to that song now have a different, more powerful meaning.

Now let me say again that the faith of our family is VERY strong.  I have asked for prayers A LOT in the past month, I will continue to do so, and I am not ashamed to do it.  We know that God is in control, He has a plan, and He WANTS us to depend on him.  Amanda & I arrived in Nashville 2 weeks ago.  After many trips to the OR, her foot is not much different now than it was then. Her second freeflap attempt failed and was removed today.  Because of both procedures, she is missing muscle tissue in her back and thigh, and some skin tissue in both legs, but we know that the doctors have done everything in their power so far to fix it. The plastic surgeon has done MANY of these freeflaps over the past 30 years, and Amanda is the only one of his patients who has had TWO that have both failed.  The failure rate is only 5%-10% for each procedure, and she just happened to be within that small percentage...TWICE!  It seems that the pregnancy is causing circulation problems.  The doctor doesn't want to try another one because he is afraid that after 2 failed attempts, the third will fail as well.   This leads us to believe that God has other plans and Amanda is at peace with whatever may happen.  We do not want it to be said that our prayers have not been answered.  They just may not have been answered in the way we wanted.  We are still waiting on the doctor to come and talk to us about what is the next step.

Mitchell is doing better.  He got out of the hospital last Friday and is at his mom's house in Cullman.  He and Amanda are ready to see each other, but it is just not possible right now.  They get to talk on the phone more now than they were, which helps.

The baby is still fine!  I was forced to put another doctor in his place yesterday. Not really, but he gave me his opinion so I gave him mine.  He is a very sweet high-risk OB here at Vandy. He told me that he didn't think Amanda had ever dilated to 5 cm. Although 3 ultrasound techs and another OB had confirmed it, he said that for her to go into labor and still be pregnant now, a month later, and not be dilated, was something that just doesn't happen.  So I politely told him that we know our faith, and miracles DO happen!

Now here is something funny. Amanda is hot-natured, I am cold-natured.  This girl is FREEZING me in this hospital room.  She has ice packs on her, and I wrap myself into a cocoon of 2 blankets. The problem is, my face has to be uncovered so that I can breathe, and I have developed some type of sinus/throat sickness.  (I don't have time to be sick!) And THEN, I was on my way back up from the holding room during Amanda's surgery this morning, and I slipped down in someone's spilled chocolate milk, right into some newspaper machines.  So I am coughing, sneezing, sniffling, and now I am limping too!  And Amanda is making fun of me!!  These SICU rooms are big so she says that I can get a bed put beside hers or just get in the bed with her.  She can get her laugh right now though-even if it is at my expense. lol  Seriously, she is in good spirits right now and it is awesome.

Again, thanks for the prayers and for everything you've done for our family. You don't know how much it means to us.  Just a kind word, or to let us know that you're praying has helped to get us through each day.  Please continue to pray for us all.  Pray over the decisions to be made.  Pray for other storm victims in all areas, especially those families who have lost loved ones, and those who have loved ones who are still missing.  We went less than 24-hours not knowing where Mama was, and it was a terrible feeling.  Our hearts go out to them especially.

Love to all, Alicia