Miracles, Miracles

Every time I have tried to write this blog entry, I have been unable to find the words--only tears. It is funny how God truly gives you more than you could ever imagine or hope for. When we began the adoption journey, we were worried about special needs. We read about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and institutional delays, so we decided (like most adoptive parents) that we wanted a child as young and as healthy as possible. Through the home study process and years of looking through adoption profiles on Rainbow Kids, God slowly changed our hearts and we were able to ignore the naysayers (our home study social workers) and applied to adopt a child with special needs who was older than age 3. Even though Grace's medical report is lengthy and confusing, we were certain that we were supposed to adopt her...a decision made entirely on faith. I'd like to say that we never looked back, but I remember the day we received a new detailed medical that included several new diagnoses...the fears resurfaced along with the tears. Did she have cystic fibrosis, was her one kidney failing, did she have COPD and permanent deteriorative lung damage? I wish I could say that we knew God would heal her, since this little girl had stolen our hearts, but we didn't really expect that to happen. I guess sometimes my faith just isn't much bigger than a mustard seed...

After our positive experience with the urologist...we headed to the pediatric pulmonologist, Dr. Shafi. The first good news...She is 36 inches tall and weighs 26 lbs. She has grown nearly 3/4 of an inch and gained 1 1/2 pounds in a month! Dr Shafi talked with us for about 15 minutes, reviewed Grace's chest x-rays and the MRI from Bulgaria, and reviewed her medical records. He estimated by her weight that she was born at 26-28 weeks gestation, and fired off a list of questions: Does she have trouble sleeping, does she cough a lot at night, does she choke frequently when she eats, have you noticed rapid shallow breathing, do you know if she or her birth mother received steroids?  No, no, no, no, and no. He also commented on how she followed his directions well, colored with a crayon, and had good coordination, and told us to expect that she will be delayed in development because she is not really 5 yet physically. Then he examined her chest and listened to her heart. He looked at us and said, "I don't hear any crackling or wheezing at all. Most of the children I see who were born this prematurely are on oxygen support because of lung damage." He explained that her oxygen saturation level in her blood was better than his at 99!

I guess he didn't even believe it because he wanted to take a photo of her chest, consult with another specialist to determine her need for more tests, and sent us for an EKG to see if her chest deformity is affecting her heart. They may send us for another MRI of her chest to compare to the one from a year ago to see if her chest deformity is improving. Dr. Shafi thinks that her sternum is in the correct location and that since the ribs are pliable and growing, they may straighten as her lungs expand and grow. He doesn't know if she will even need surgery in the future to correct the deformity as long as her chest is not affecting heart function. Even though it was way past lunch time, we went straight to the SIU lab for the EKG. Gracie was so good, she didn't even fuss when we postponed lunch and only had a few pretzels and water while we waited.

At first, Gracie was a little frightened by the "stickers" that the doctor was putting on her chest for the EKG, but as soon as she realized that they didn't hurt, she was fine and tried to count the 15 or so connections...1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10... Well, she got it nearly right. As soon as the EKG was finished, after about 30 seconds, the doctor said, "Well, her EKG is normal!"

At this point, Grace's diagnoses merely helped us find her on the other side of the world. They seem to be a reminder of how God watched over her and sent angels to Bulgaria while she was alone in the hospital for nine months. He sent caring women to look after her in the orphanage and love her while she was waiting for us to come. So far, her medical report appears to be merely her history and not her future. I can't wait to see what He has planned for her next!

Dressed up to go to the doctor.

We had a great day, and I wore my favorite jacket.

"Potcorn" to celebrate

Mommy and me