Oh Happy Day!!!

The last 24 hours have been amazing. Yesterday at around 2 pm, Haley was so bad that I actually texted Larry and told him that I needed him to come, that I couldn't do this alone. He called me a few hours later and by then things had calmed down, so it was decided that he would wait until this evening to come. (He was really trying not to miss work!)

Then I heard from my oldest daughter, Paige, who was taking one last mini-vacation with her husband and their 7 year old before their new baby comes in a couple of weeks. They were heading to the Washington, DC area and to the Baltimore Aquarium. I asked her what town they were staying in last night, and she said, "Greenbelt." That's exactly where I am! I asked her what hotel they were going to, and she said the Marriott Courtyard. That's right next to my hotel! So last evening, I popped over to the pool at their hotel and surprised Reagan. It was so nice to see them, and I asked Reagan if she wanted to spend the night with me in my hotel room. She said yes, so I had company for the night.

Then in the morning, we all met in the parking lot and went to the hospital to surprise "Aunt Haley". Reagan brought her some pink tulips. When we got there Haley was sitting in a chair!!! She looked so good. She was stunned to see Paige and Peter, and especially Reagan. Reags through her arms around Haley's neck and hugged her tight. It's really the best medicine. You have to understand that in Reagan's world, there is no one as wonderful as her Aunt Haley. She prays for her fervently, and loves her so much. It's really quite something. I wish I had a picture of that moment. But here are Paige, Peter and Reagan before we left for the hospital.

Dr. Henderson had already been in to see Haley when we had gotten there, and apparently he absolutely gushed over how proud he is of her. When he got her up to walk her, she went 100 yards. He couldn't believe that she pushed herself after 4 days flat on her back. He insisted on taking a photo of her with his own phone and texted it to Haley. I was sorry that we missed seeing him. I know that Dr. H is fond of all of his patients, but I believe that he has a special bond with Haley. After all she's been through, she still fights. And he says that she is very bright and very tough. He's right. When he saw that we were in her room, he came back in to brag on her to me. Haley introduced her sister, brother-in-law and niece to him. He was quite taken with Reagan (and loved her name!) We snapped a picture of the two of them.

Here's the picture Dr. H took of Haley walking in the hall with the PT and dear Sudha the nurse (hiding her face).

She was discharged from the hospital at around 12:30, but Dr. H wanted us to stay in town one night in case anything goes wrong and we need him. We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and Haley asked if we could go to Target to get a few things. She said she would be okay if she could ride the motorized cart. Here she is:

She picked out some spring clothes and a new purse (she's addicted to purses) and a book and some nail polish. She was so happy to be doing "normal things." At one point, I told her to hold a shirt up against her to see if it was the right size. She held it with her chin and her eyes got wide. She said, "Mom, I don't feel pain down my back when I pull my chin down to my chest. This is the first time in my life that I don't have pain when I do that!" Also, she remarked that her legs don't hurt anymore. She said that for as long as she can remember, her legs have hurt her. She has always called them "leg migraines" and they are so painful. She said to me this afternoon, "You mean I won't have leg migraines anymore?" We are rejoicing at the results of this surgery. After target, we returned to the hotel where she put her loot on the bed. Here she is:

I love seeing her so happy. She must've thanked me ten times for taking her to Target. She said she feels normal, and that's so nice. 

I know that EDS is a lifelong disease and that there's no cure for it, so I don't usually get too optimistic, but I have such a feeling that Haley has good things in her future. Maybe it's because Dr. H keeps telling me that she's going to change the world. Anyway, my heart is full of gratitude...to God, and to you, our friends and family who have loved us so well. And I'm really thankful for Dr. Fraser Henderson. 

As I was sitting in the van in front of the hospital waiting for them to wheel Haley out, I saw Dr. H  coming out the front door. He walked around to the driver's window, and I rolled it down. He said, "Take care of yourself. You know see's really a remarkable girl." I smiled at him and said, "You know, you're pretty remarkable yourself." He smiled and walked away. I said, "See you next week" (her post-op appointment is next Friday). I sat there feeling so thankful that God had brought that man into our lives. He has truly changed the course of Haley's life. And he knows where his skill comes from. And he, too, is thankful.