Treasuring Tuesday Testimony

Our daughter is a miracle. 

Nuff said.

We just got an extensive report from the PICU pediatrician who has been here since Day 1 for Chrissie.  I refer to her as Wonder Woman, but her real name is Dr. Holder.  I've conversed with so many doctors over the last 2 weeks that I have a tough time keeping their real names straight, but I've got my little nicknames for everyone.  (Dr. Holder doesn't wear scrubs like the rest of the staff; she's a young doctor who is always dressed in cute little outfits so no one ever realizes she's actually the doctor in charge of this entire PICU!)  Well, the day that Chrissie "crashed" (when she died for an hour), Dr. Holder was the head pediatrician on duty in the PICU, and she had been here through all of Chrissie's ups and downs.  She had just given us an amazing report on Chrissie that morning just before Chrissie's heart stopped suddenly.  Dr. Holder held things together and God sent all of the right staff to bring Chrissie back (which was probably about 30 people or so!!!).  The next day, Dr. Holder showed up in the PICU wearing a Wonder Woman shirt with scrub pants.  It was the first time I had seen her in anything but a well coordinated skirt and blouse with matching jewelry and shoes.  Dr. Holder explained that her daughter had wanted her to wear the Wonder Woman shirt on that Thursday when Chrissie crashed, but she didn't wear it.  So, after Chrissie was revived and was being kept alive on the ECMO machine, Dr. Holder felt like she should wear her Wonder Woman shirt to work after all she'd been through with Chrissie's journey of life in just a few days here at Methodist Chidlren's.  From that point on, I've always referred to Dr. Holder as Wonder Woman.

Anyway, Wonder Woman is the PICU pediatrician today, and I was blessed to have a good, long conversation with her.  She gave me the "straight up" on Chrissie.  (Dr. Porisch...I still miss you soooooo much!)  It was perfect timing because my hubby, Matt, had stopped by to see Chrissie on his lunch break.  (He's back at work part-time this week, and he drove an hour one way to see his baby girl.)  We grilled Wonder Woman with lots of questions, which she answered as best as she could, and we are lifting our hands to the Lord in awe of His amazing wonders.  Grateful for such an amazingly positive report on our princess!!!

Wonder Woman believes that Chrissie will be completely off the ventilator within a week!!!  PRAISE THE LORD!  Be praying for that miracle to happen within a week!  Unbelievable news.

Wonder Woman also arranged for the physical therapist (PT) and occupational therapist (OT) to come in our room to evaluate Chrissie so they can begin rehab with Chrissie!  This was such a good sign because that means they're planning more long-term recovery and support for Chrissie.  That means that things are steadily heading in the right direction, where we can begin to feel secure that Chrissie is going to make it through all of this!!!  The plan is that PT and OT will come in a few days/week until Chrissie is off the ventilator, and then they'll work with her daily after she's extubated.

Such a miracle.

To think that our baby girl has died twice and lived through what seems like every possible ordeal that could ever happen to a child in PICU completely leaves me in total awe of our mighty God who is alive and active to this day.  Miracles are not something that occurred only during "Bible times".  Chrissie is a testimony of His miracles that occur right here, right now, and are worthy of our praise and recognition.  There is no medical/scientific explanation of how Chrissie has survived two deaths and the myriad of other crises over the past two weeks.  It's ALL God.  May God receive ALL of the glory.  He is mighty to save, our Jehovah Rapha, who loves His princess dearly and has so very graciously chosen to share His princess with our family.  We stand in total awe of His miracles and His healing hand and His graciousness and good gifts, and we don't even have words to describe our gratitude for how God chose to bestow on our family one if the greatest blessings that we could possibly ever be given:  the miraculous life of Christyn Joy Patterson.

Chrissie still has a long way to go before she can get home, but I'm shouting praises to our Savior that I'm able to write these words:  SHE'S COMING HOME!!!  To our Forgotten Saw Ranch home!  Hallelujah!!!  With God, all things truly are possible, even when the world and medical community shouts IMPOSSIBLE.  Our God is mighty to save.

All of the medical community at Methodist Children's is EAGERLY awaiting an MRI of Chrissie's brain.  There are so many people here who have worked to save Chrissie's life, and they've witnessed first-hand the crashes and obstacles Chrissie has survived.  I am not kidding when I saw that staff are just pacing the floor, waiting for the moment when they can view Chrissie's brain MRI.  Up until this time, Chrissie wasn't stable enough to go for an MRI, even though all of the doctors and specialists are "faunching at the bit".  Wonder Woman has been able to keep them all in check since Chrissie wasn't stable enough to leave the PICU, even for a minute, but today Wonder Woman informed us that she's ordered the brain MRI for tomorrow (Wow Wednesday).  It's going to be Wow Wednesday because Chrissie is going to show them the Wow Factor of her God with the results of her brain MRI.  Everyone is expecting to see a horrid MRI because of all Chrissie has endured medically over the past 2 weeks, including an hour long "death" episode.  I'm believing God is going to WOW them all with the results of this MRI, so please join us in that prayer.

It's kind of funny because Matt and I don't even want Chrissie to have the MRI (other than the fact that it's a way for God to show off more of His miracles), but the medical staff is counting down the seconds until they can view the MRI!  I was telling Wonder Woman today that I feel like it's a similar situation to when I was pregnant and they wanted to run tests for Down Syndrome and a variety of birth defect tests in utero.  I always declined those tests because it would never affect my love for my child nor would I choose anything but life for my child, no matter what they might have discovered.  That's how I feel about the MRI.  We are praising the Lord that Chrissie is ALIVE, so any neurogical damage seems so trivial at this point.  We will not love Chrissie any less or any differently if she has neurological issues.  God will give us the strength and ability to meet Chrisse right where she's at, no matter her physical or mental condition.  She is our Serbian Sensation who we love dearly and adore with all our hearts.  Our love for her is not dependent upon her ability, her looks, or even her personality.  Our love for her is unconditional.  Forever and always, no matter what.

Thank you God for your unconditional love for us.  We are so messed up physically, mentally, intellectually, and spiritually, yet your love for us never waivers.  Forever and always, no matter what.

Treasure these things up and ponder them in our hearts.  Unconditional love.  What a treasure!