just a grand 'ole day!

Gracie's heart looks great! Future doctor, Derek, and I headed to Rochester this morning for Gracie's echocardiogram and a meeting with her cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon. All is well...actually all is amazing! This was the first echo that had no issues--yep, that's right--no issues. Well, Gracie still has a heart that is like no other, she still uses just two chambers, has a variety of strange arteries, some missing, some extra...yet, it's beautiful AND it's working well! She will have her fontan procedure in March--we get the winter off--woohooo!!

As we were driving this morning, I shared my most favorite God moment ever with Derek. If you've been following Gracie's story for awhile, you know we almost lost her. She had a surgery in March of 07 where it was deemed unsuccessful--we made the most difficult decision to turn off ecmo and allow her heart to stop. Her body, according to medicine, could not survive. Well, anyways, on this day, March 14, Gracie had a "last resort" surgery. Her brave surgeon attempted once more to close this tricky valve. As the nurse called me to the "meeting room" where the bad news would be delivered, I panicked. I had a very dear friend with me, but I didn't have Curtis. He had taken umpteen days off of work due to the adoption, the months in St. Louis--and along with the adoption we had acquired much debt--he needed to work. Back to the story--I panicked. I called Curtis and told him he had to get to Rochester NOW. He was seeing a patient and just left--sorry if you are this patient, by the way! Rochester is over 70 miles away and the doctor was coming to meet me. Logistically, this makes no sense. None at all. By the time the doctor arrived, who wasn't running late, Curtis ran into the room. It was as if God stopped time for him to get there. Even if he was driving 100 miles an hour, he couldn't have beat the doctor walking from surgery to the "meeting room"--impossible. Today I shared this with our son. At the time, I was so overcome with grief and emotion...heart-sickening sadness, that I didn't even realize the miracle that brought my husband's strong arms to me when I needed them most. I do now. I have for a long time...He is faithful.

Today, we heard three different doctors tell us how great this same little miracle baby is doing and we have no shock. We know God's hand is on her, we know He knows how this journey is going to unfold. We know He is good, He cares for us, He adores Gracie.

Have a great night--we are celebrating today's news!
Gayle