In the Midst

My last post was about new information about treatments that our girl may need.  Well, she needed them all and now we are in the middle of it.  You know what?  Life doesn't really feel very different.  Why am I surprised?  I am not sure if we have become immune to chaos, or if Angela just makes it all look so darn easy.  Maybe it is a little of both.

Here is the latest:

Angela had 3 hours of oral surgery last Friday.  By the time we made the drive home from the hospital, she was behaving as if nothing had ever happened.  Really.

On Monday, Angela's right leg was casted-the first in a series of casts that will be applied and changed every week for 4-8 weeks.  The projected outcome is that her ankle will resume its neutral position and she will have fewer falls and a more typical gait pattern.  She will be fitted for a new brace, and then we will try an electrical stimulation unit to try to optimize the function of her foot and ankle.

Ten days from now, Angela will have an Ahmed valve implanted in her left eye to attempt to lower the pressure in her eye due to glaucoma.  She has experienced a significant reduction in her vision in the past several months as we have tried to treat her glaucoma, and that will not be reversed by the surgery, but hopefully, her vision will stabilize and not continue to deteriorate.  She will be out of school for at least two weeks after surgery and she is already mourning the loss of her social life:)

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that Angela truly takes all of the inconveniences in stride and views her life as a wonderful adventure.  Who does that?  Well, I guess, a little girl who had endured major brain surgery and, despite her cognitive limitations, understands that life is a fragile gift and is not to be taken for granted.  She is so far ahead of the rest of us that she can't even see us in the rearview mirror.

How can we capture this gift for ourselves?  I am not at all sure that we can, given that most of us have never experienced challenges even nearing the obstacles that have faced Miss Angela Hope.  We can draw from her strength, though, and from her ready smile and casual outlook on her fate.  Her positive attitude is contagious if you recognize its power, and you can have it too.