An Official Warrior

Last Saturday the UH Warriors were in town, and as usual our family headed for Aloha Stadium...but this time Abbie was WITH us!! Kyle going to a birthday party left us with an extra ticket, so it was an easy decision about who should get it. All day I prayed for the weather to be good, and must admit I worried a little as Abbie and I sat in the van during tailgating to avoid the fat drops of rain.

Fortunately, the handicap seats just a few rows above our normal seats were open, so Abbie and I set up camp there. As I watched sheets of rain dance aross the field, I was surprised we weren't getting wet. I looked up to realize that the wind was blowing in just the right direction for the stadium to protect Abbie and I...actually it felt like God's hand, not a steel mammoth, but nonetheless, we stayed dry.

I kept trying to turn her head to watch the action on the field, but during the first quarter she was pretty much glued to the end zone. I thought perhaps, with all the commotion around us, she was just checking out. Think again, Silly Mommy! On the other side of the end zone were the Rainbow Dancers, with their choreographed moves and shiny pom poms...what little girl cares about sweaty boys when there is dancing to be watched??

This little girl who was just getting over a cold did not have to be suctioned, nor did she cough even once the whole time we were there. She was as content as she could be, even when it looked like she was inside a pup-tent made of yellow ponchos. As I sat there holding her hand I recalled what an oasis UH football games had been the year Abbie got hurt...our one escape from a brutal reality. Now, with her by me, I knew that I no longer needed an oasis because our reality is no longer brutal. What a joy it was to have my girl with me!!

At one point a woman named Michelle came up to say "She is just SO beautiful!!" I did admit my bias before I heartily agreed. We talked for a bit, then she continued out to get snacks. Upon her return she came up and thrust cash into my hand saying she wanted to help with Abbie's care expenses. I tried mightily to refuse, but then allowed the blessing to flow from her hand right into Abbie's, who was thrilled to hold "paper money!!" It overwhelms me when strangers pour love out so freely.

As for all the new things we have recently added..they do seem to be making a difference. One place that the myxedema, (swelling caused by excess mucin) affects is the lungs, one source called it "decreased pulmonary vitality." Now that Abbie has been on iodine and Armour thyroid for 8 days we are noting great changes in this area. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, over the last year Abbie has required more oxygen support. She used to never need it, then only when she was sick, then sometimes at night, to now needing it at some point almost every night. With the thyroid things on board she has been satting so well, even at night, which makes for better sleep for all of us. Her face has begun to slim down a little bit, as has her lower lip. I've decided that it droops over not only as a result of poor muscle tone, but also because it is just so big and heavy. As it has gotten smaller and able to stand up more, drooling has decreased significantly. She is not having any seizure/muscle spasm movements to her right any more. This matches what the family of another near-drowning survivor who recently started Tremal is seeing. I FINALLY got the book on Type 2 Hypothyroidism today after a month-long Amazon drama. I read portions of it during tonight's UH game to dilute the pain when they were struggling. I have learned so much already that I look forward to sharing in the near future.

As we tucked Abbie into bed the night of the football game, RJ asked if he could sleep with her. She indicated a vigorous "yes" before all the words were even out of his mouth. They fell asleep shoulder to shoulder, and even with her eyes peacefully closed she seemed to be smiling about the wonderful evening we had all shared....and she wasn't the only one.