6 weeks from surgery

Cora made the six week mark for post-op from the heart surgery.  I didn't realise how anxious I was about the recovery process this time.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief and felt a tension leave my body when I looked at the calendar and saw that Cora has made it to this mark without problems.

There has been so many struggles for Cora during her recovery process and too see the changes in her this time continues to delight me.  Her strength is gaining every day and although she is still challenged with muscle coordination and movements, she gives it her best shot every time she sees something she wants.

To see this change in her fills me with a great wave of love and compassion. It took her nine months to get to the point of being able to have the stamina and body that would allow her to explore the world around her. It is such an amazing miracle. I am ever grateful to watch as the miracle of her growth plays out everyday.

I watch her wiggle and move and roll and squirm.  I see her take many breaks to catch her breathe and gain her strength.  I sit and wait and sure enough, she lifts herself up on her arms and starts the wiggling and squirming all over again.  She is very tenacious and keeps at it until she reaches whatever has caught her interest.

This morning her brother was sitting on the couch and totally engrossed in his new Wii game.  Cora was fascinated by his hand movements and his game play.  Sure enough, she rolled herself off her blanket, across the living room floor and right up against the couch to be able to watch Phoenix closely.  He didn't realize that Cora was at his feet until she reached out and patted his foot with her little hand.  When he looked down to find Cora and started laughing she joined right in with a huge smile of her own.

I sometimes feel sadness when I am getting her medicine ready and think about her taking the thirteen doses of different medicine everyday.  I cry with her when she cries about the NG tube being inserted so she gets all of the doses that she needs. (Without the tube she is pretty slick at spitting all the medicine back out.)  Most times she tolerates it like a champ, but there are days that she even seems to tire of the routines that keep her heart doing what it needs to do. For the most part, she takes it all in stride and without complaint.

It is an important  lesson given by Cora today. To take it all in stride and don't lose sight of the goal.  With tenacity the goal will be reached, and when you get there, smile a huge smile. 

 Cora watching a music video sent to her from her Auntie Brenda.