Since the hospital...

We came home from the hospital Monday, February 11.  As I mentioned in my previous post, Liesel definitely had a UTI and started running a fever Monday night.  Tuesday morning, I went to the pharmacy and filled the prescription for antibiotics that we came home with.  By Tuesday evening, her fever was down, and we thought we were in for smooth sailing.

Tuesday evening, Liesel also began coughing.  Neither hubs nor I thought much of it.  The doctors and nurses had told us that her lungs would be weak after being in bed for the better part of six days.  Unfortunately, the cough continued.  She coughed all night Tuesday, as well as all day Wednesday and Thursday.  By Thursday night, she was running a fever of 101.6 again.  So, once again, I called the nurse practitioner.  After spending some time talking with the pharmacy, she decided to switch up Liesel's antibiotic, just in case the UTI was making a comeback.  She also recommended that I take Liesel to the pediatrician's office so that they could check her lungs.

At 7am on Friday, February 15 (which also happened to be Liesel's 5th birthday), I went to the pharmacy to pick up her new prescription.  After my doctor's appointment that morning, I took Liesel to her pediatrician. Fortunately, he didn't hear anything in her lungs.  She was still running a low-grade fever, but he felt that she had likely picked up a viral upper respiratory infection, which we'd just have to ride out.  She stopped running a fever Sunday and hasn't had one since.  She did have a brief bout with vomit on Monday, but we feel that it was probably related to her cough.

Today, I can say that I really feel she is on the mend.  She's still coughing, but not as much during the day and not at all when she's sleeping.  She's been sleeping 12 hours at night and taking nice long naps during the day.  As far as her incision, it seems to be healing quite nicely.  Her stitches are beginning to dissolve, and she's moving around better and better every day.  People have been asking me if she can walk.  Yes.  She's walking, going up stairs, climbing on her chair, playing (some) with her sister, etc...  She still has trouble bending down to pick things up off of the floor.  She still can't lean over very well, and she also can't sit with her back unsupported.  She's also not allowed to jump, run, play rough, or sleep in her bed (she's on the top bunk).  Currently, her mattress is on the floor.  But she is making amazing progress, especially considering she had major spinal surgery just two weeks ago.

Her post op appointment with her neurosurgeon is a week from today, Wednesday, February 27.  Until then, we will continue to lay low.  We really want to give her back a chance to heal well, and we also don't want her exposed to any more germs/illnesses during her recovery period.  We are glad to report that we haven't had to get out much.  Our wonderful friends have been bringing us meals, and I've even managed to line up a few play-dates for Juliet this week.  She's enjoyed being able to get out of the house and play with her friends.  We are hopeful that Liesel will be cleared for more activity at her February 27th appointment.  We're also hoping she'll be cleared to return to school.

Mostly, we just feel so grateful for all the people who've been so supportive of us in this time.  This has been one of the most difficult seasons I've ever had to walk through as a mother.  It's never easy to see your child in pain.  I feel like she's been hurting or sick for two weeks straight, and it has really taken a toll on me.  We know we never could have gone through this without the loving and encouraging support of our friends, family, and church family.  We know we have been bathed in prayer, and we have felt it.  We are also thankful that God brought Liesel to us as the time He did.  We know that she probably would not have received the quality of medical care that she needed had she remained in China.  We also know that as her condition deteriorated, her quality of life would have done the same.  We remain in awe of our God, who knew her desperate situation and rescued her out of it.  God has been and continues to be so very good to us all.