I am probably one of the rare breeds of heart moms that doesn’t call her daughter a ‘rock star’. I don’t remember saying that she ‘rocked’ her last open heart surgery. I may have, but if I did I regret saying it. Did she do well during the surgery? Yes, she did. It went very well. She allowed the doctors to put her under, to open her chest, and stop her heart. As far as what her part was, that was all set.
I consider her surgeon the real rock star. He was one who made a ‘perfect’ repair on her heart. It is he that created the incision, stitched each perfect stich, and thought out which way would be best for her heart. All Izzie had to do was heal. All God had to do was restart her heart and give her back to us. Me saying that she ‘rocked’ the fontan is pure bullshit and I know it. We just happened to be blessed with this incredible outcome.
I told a mom right before her son’s fontan that he was going to ‘rock it’, and the complete opposite happened. He struggled in a way none of us could have imagined. I have been a bystander for quite some time, but those words haunt me. I truly believed that he was going to be just like Izzie, recovering as expected. This family was not prepared for what happened after surgery.
What happened with us is that Izzie healed well. She begrudgingly did what I asked her to do. She cried every time medical personnel entered the room. She allowed us to pound on her back, get her out of bed, and to comfort her when she needed it. Her body did the rest. Her spirit, strong as it is, in all fairness probably is a small percentage over how well she has done since then.
Did she ‘rock’ her fontan? No. Emani did. Her cardiologist did. The nurses did. We did. God did most of all. I know what you are thinking. ‘Is Elissa really talking about God right now?” Yes. Yes I am. I know that the God of my understanding for some reason, blessed us with this outcome. He blessed her with the strength she needed to get through the traumatic experience both inside and out. I believe He blessed that little boy by giving him the fight he needs to stay in his mommy’s arms.
The day we got home from her last surgery, Izzie wanted to ride her bike. The picture is of her sitting on her tricycle, happy as can be. We didn’t see that spirit or smile until the last few days of being inpatient. I know in my heart it is the end product of various contributing factors that has allowed her to have the recovery she has had. Boston Children’s, that incredible surgeon, the attentive cardiologist, the kick ass gastro-enterologist, her anatomy, her strong spirit added in with the hundreds of prayers she has received the past 4 years all played significant parts of how well she has done.
She is no less of a rockstar than her friend who struggles. She is not more of one either because she does not.
hopeinaheartshape 