A Topsy-Turvy Month of March

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Topsy-turvy...that's the only word I can think of to describe the month of March. It's been disorderly, chaotic, and a bit out of joint. There have been ups and downs. Highs and lows.  It all started out well enough. My dad celebrated his 75th birthday. This was an especially big deal as he gave us all a scare last month when he came down with a staph infection, which entered his bloodstream. He was very sick and his doctor said if he would have waited 1 more day before going to the ER, the outcome might have been different.  Celebrating my dad's 75th birthday!  On his birthday, we just had a small party as he was not yet feeling 100 percent. A couple of weeks later, when Dawn was here with Faith and I stayed with my parents, I noticed he seemed like he had more energy and was feeling better. I am very thankful for that!  Another person in my family (my sister Tesa) also had a milestone birthday this month. She turned 50! We were all hoping it would work out to have ...
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The Appointment

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Faith did great yesterday with getting her x-rays taken. She stayed nice and still so that the technicians could get three good pictures of her hips. Shortly afterwards we headed upstairs to talk to the doctor and to see the pictures we had just taken. When the doctor pulled them up on the computer, even I could tell it wasn't good news.

Faith's left hip has proceeded to come out of its socket. We had been hoping and praying for no changes, as the last two x-rays have shown. This time, though we could clearly see this was no longer the case. Her hip is about 40% out of its socket. At this point, we know we have to take action. If not, Faith's hip will, over time, become completely displaced.


We set up a consult with a surgeon for November 1. From there we will set up another date for Faith's surgery to get her baclofen pump. This will be the first procedure for Faith where she will have an extended hospital stay - most likely 3-5 days. Thankfully, this can all be done here in Bismarck. We are also thankful that we are not alone - we know we can turn to other parents of kids with baclofen pumps for questions and support.

Though we are facing the reality of Faith getting a baclofen pump, we continue to pray that God will heal her hip. We know we must continue to step forward in faith while stepping forward medically as well. We welcome your prayers as we head into yet another area of uncharted territory with Faith.

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  1. ~tinaOctober 1, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    Faith - I'm so very proud of you for being a brave, patient & tough little girl ! Cari & Rob - know you are all in our prayers as you walk thru another valley with her !! I'm praying for amazing, swift hands in her upcoming surgeon as well as major gains in her standing and her strength as she recovers !!
    ~tina

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A Topsy-Turvy Month of March

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Image
Topsy-turvy...that's the only word I can think of to describe the month of March. It's been disorderly, chaotic, and a bit out of joint. There have been ups and downs. Highs and lows.  It all started out well enough. My dad celebrated his 75th birthday. This was an especially big deal as he gave us all a scare last month when he came down with a staph infection, which entered his bloodstream. He was very sick and his doctor said if he would have waited 1 more day before going to the ER, the outcome might have been different.  Celebrating my dad's 75th birthday!  On his birthday, we just had a small party as he was not yet feeling 100 percent. A couple of weeks later, when Dawn was here with Faith and I stayed with my parents, I noticed he seemed like he had more energy and was feeling better. I am very thankful for that!  Another person in my family (my sister Tesa) also had a milestone birthday this month. She turned 50! We were all hoping it would work out to have ...
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