Prayers for Savanna
I just wanted to ask you all to pray for Savanna’s appointment tomorrow morning at 8:00 (sorry for the last minute request). She is going in tomorrow to have a new back brace made. As most of you remember, this is where they put her on a “table” that consists of a piece of gauzy tape about 4 inches wide and make a full cast of her trunk area and then cut it off. She will also have casts of her feet made for new AFO’s (orthotic shoes). Last summer when we did this she did beautifully and I am praying that tomorrow goes just as well. I have already talked to her about it tonight so she understands what we will be doing tomorrow and I told her that Mama would be praying her special angel would be with her tomorrow so that she won’t be scared and that everything will go well.
I would also like to ask you to begin praying for wisdom and guidance for us as we will have to make the difficult decision of which type of back surgery to do for her in the very near future. Her orthopedist feels that we cannot hold off much longer without doing some type of scoliosis surgery. Because of her young age, we cannot do a full spinal fusion because once that is done her trunk will no longer grow. Our options are then to either do growing rods or a titanium rib. Both surgeries would be considered a major surgery and would require hopsitalization for at least 7 days. They are also just temporary, meaning they are just to buy us time until we can do the spinal fusion surgery. The earliest they like to do spinal fusion surgery is 5 or 6. The problem with doing the growing rods or the titanium rib is that both involve additional surgeries about every 6 months to extend the prosthesis as she grows which carries a risk of infection each time.
I have already shed many tears over this new hurdle but am now trying to face it with a “brave face” and realize that it could greatly improve Savanna’s quality of life to not have such severe curvature, which is about 80 degrees at this point. If it continues to worsen, it could greatly impede her breathing ability. As her orthopedist told me, the surgery in itself is a risk because of the degree of surgery. It takes so much of her “reserve” that there is a risk of her not coming back off the ventilator. I know thru prayer and the strength and determination of Savanna that we can get thru this and she will do great, but can help but feel very emotional about the whole ordeal since it is my baby. As always, I would trade places with her in a heartbeat to protect her from having to go thru so much, but this is the path God has chosen for her. Again, my sweet Savanna is not in the least bit scared of all of this. We have talked about her needing surgery and she told me she is not scared. Her faith and trust in the Lord is truly amazing.
I hope you all will have the opportunity to read this email before our appointment tomorrow and can take a minute to say a prayer for my little angel. I will send an update email after her appointment and will assume that everything will go beautifully with all of our prayer warriors praying on our behalf. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
Love,
Mindy
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