Miracles...

What a day...What. A. Day. Our friend Sara and her family got good news today. The very best of news. Finally. Sara had a successful operation this morning at MD Anderson to remove a tumor she has been fighting for over a year. She carried a healthy baby to term while getting chemo after finding out early in her pregnancy about her cancer. After delivering Alice safely, she found out she still had cancer...and it had spread. She endured months and months of chemotherapy as a mother of not just a newborn, but a toddler as well. She endured finding out that the tumor was still too big to remove, or that it had grown, as she was waking up from the first attempt...and failure...to remove it. She then endured a "chemo sprint"...heavy doses of chemo every other week for a smaller, specified number of treatments to hit the cancer hard and fast. And hit it hard and fast it did. That's the news we received today. 

This family...what an example of faithfulness and grace. Friends and family prayed...and prayed...asking over and over for her to be healed. This family never gave up...not for a minute. Faithfulness. Things don't always go according to our deepest desires or plans. Faithfulness. They kept plugging away. Faithfulness. They continued to ask...and continued to be told, "Not yet..." Faithfulness. What an example to all of us, to all of our kids. I am amazed. Trey and Sara, you define Faithfulness. 

Lia had a pretty incredible day too. It had its own set of challenges, but she had a very impressive day. She had a great night last night. She was comfortable and slept off and on throughout the night, which is more than I can say for myself or mom.  They gave us the boot out of the CVICU around 11 this morning, which seemed really quick to me but they kept saying she looked good. I believe them. 

On the cardiac floor today, Lia's had to walk to the bathroom twice. That's no small task when you have 2 chest tubes, but she's done very well. It's hard to balance her pain control with waking up from anesthesia. She only had open heart surgery yesterday... She's uncomfortable, sometimes really uncomfortable, but seems to be a little disoriented and confused when waking up from her narcotics. It's hard to balance all that out with getting up and walking, but trying to keep her comfortable as well. I'm hoping tomorrow is easier. Nobody's mentioning taking out her chest tubes yet.  Hopefully she will get a little more comfortable and gain a little more strength each day. She tires out really quickly right now. But again...open heart surgery...yesterday. She's also 4 years old...so I think she's doing awesome. 

Here are a few pics from today:

Before we left CVICU, we had lots of lines to remove and dressings to take off. We all had to wear a mask, even Lia. 

Later we got to participate in the Pet Therapy program...

She wasn't really sure what to think...

This is what she did a lot...and what she's still doing. We'll get there. She definitely isn't her sassy self yet, but every now and then our Lia shows back up. I'm ready for her to be completely back. Baby steps...she's doing good.