Perfection!

Many people strive for perfection of one thing or another.  It is rarely something "given" to you,  but instead something you have to earn with hard work, persistence, and dedication.  Perfection is hardly something I have mastered -- after all, I'm only 2!  However, today I can say it.  I can admire it.  I can relish in it.  And I can be grateful for it.  I have been blessed with perfection in a way I never dreamed possible.  In a situation in which I had no control.  I have just completed an entirely perfect round of expansion.

You may have been wondering where we've been and what we've been up to.  Well, the reason for my absence over the last few weeks is nothing more than that things have been going smoothly, and there really, truly was nothing to report.  We continued with my injections on schedule every week, even when I developed a slight cold.  Nothing has held us back this time, which is not just wonderful, it is amazing.  While I can't say it's unheard of, I can say that my parents, and the parents of my friends, enter a period of expansion with almost an expectation of complication because it seems complication is more the norm than the exception.  Case in point: I have 5 friends who recently began a period of tissue expansion, and 4 of them have already faced at least one complication.  Yes, I've had my own share of complications over the last three rounds of expansion.  And while there is mental preparation for problems, there is also hope that things can go smoothly.  But to actually achieve the things that we hope for -- to complete a round having done every fill, and having filled every expander more than its size -- is simply wondrous.  We couldn't be more grateful that God has blessed us with this gift.

My "bubbles" are, as I said above, OVER their capacity.  All of them!  It's just awesome.  My back expander (a 750) rests with 790cc, my left leg (a 350) has 445cc and my right leg (also a 350) has 385cc.  To say we've done good is an understatement.  We've done great!  But we were also lucky.  This is a process that is entirely out of our hands.  And to finish without having hard times to reflect on is almost surreal.  Again, we are so very thankful.

Take a look at how far I've come since my expanders went in July 12...   

July 18, before any injections

September 30, after 11 injections. 
Back expander at 790cc, left leg at 445cc and right leg at 385cc

 

"Stop taking my picture, mom!"

In less than 36 hours, we will be off to Chicago again, and I will face surgery #8 on Thursday.  While we have done the best we could possibly do with this expansion, the results to be yielded are still unknown.  We believe Dr. Bauer will be pleased with all of this beautiful skin he has to work with.  And we cannot wait to see what he does with it!

We are asking for a lot of prayers this week.  Not only am I facing more travel and another surgery, but many of my best buddies are facing their own troubles in their expansions.  Brayden, Aiden, Zac and even Sully have had some rough patches with their new expanders.  We hope and pray that they can all overcome their complications and return to Dr. Bauer with beautiful bubbles like the ones I am sporting.  Please pray with me.  For me.  For them.  For all of the beautiful nevus babies out there riding this roller coaster.