By Jennifer Davis
In November 2023, my daughter Lizzy underwent major surgery on both of her legs. Her recovery has been slow and painful. Four months later, I’m trying to remain positive and remind myself that the situation is what it is.
Two weeks ago, we had a follow-up visit with Lizzy’s orthopedic surgeon (on February 19). By this point, Lizzy’s progress had plateaued in terms of strength and flexibility. The doctor agreed that, at this stage post-surgery, this was likely the best we could expect. Unfortunately, “the best” wasn’t the result we had been hoping for.
I’m working very hard at this point in my life to keep my emotions and mindset in check so that when things like this happen, I can respond calmly instead of reacting emotionally and missing opportunities to make things better. I mention this because I’ve noticed the laws of polarity and rhythm playing a significant role in my life these past two weeks.
- Polarity: Everything has an opposite. In a bad situation, there is an equal amount of good—you just have to find it.
- Rhythm: When you’re feeling down, be grateful, knowing that “by law,” an upswing is coming.
These principles have given me hope and the ability to pray to God for Lizzy’s specific needs.
The good news is that Lizzy’s left leg is now almost completely straight, and her femur bone has healed. Her right leg, however, is a different story—not good or bad, just what it is. Despite undergoing the exact same surgery, her right leg didn’t have the same results. It has turned outward again, almost as badly as before the surgery. She’s still in pain, and after four months, the femur bone hasn’t healed.
The doctors mentioned that if this continues, they can remove the bottom screw holding the rod in place, which would force the bone to compress. I understand the theory behind this, but I still have a lot of questions.
Lizzy’s orthopedic surgeon is just as frustrated as we are that the surgery didn’t yield the expected results. She referred Lizzy to another doctor with a slightly different specialty for a second opinion, hoping this doctor might have new ideas. I was told Lizzy would see this new doctor “soon.” However, “soon” turned out to mean mid-June—four months away.
I didn’t believe we could wait that long. I emailed Lizzy’s surgeon and left messages, hoping to make her aware of the delay. At the same time, I prayed, focused, and did everything within my power to address the situation.
The surgeon never got back to me, but something interesting happened today. The new doctor Lizzy was supposed to see decided to leave PCH (Phoenix Children’s Hospital). The office called me to reschedule.
While the receptionist was checking availability, I braced myself for more delays. She mentioned another doctor available on the same day, which wasn’t ideal. Then she paused and said, “Let me see if this doctor has anything sooner.” After a moment, she came back and said, “He can see her on May 9.”
I thought, Well, one month sooner is better than nothing, and agreed. Then she said, “To confirm, that’s with Dr. Belthur on May 9 at 10:00.”
Wait—Dr. Belthur? No, no, no. I explained that Lizzy had been under Dr. Belthur’s care for seven years at CRS, and he had done almost nothing for her. He didn’t even order x-rays—just told us to “come back in six months.”
The receptionist understood and checked the availability of another doctor. Then, almost miraculously, she said, “Oh! It looks like the other doctor has an opening next Friday at 11:00. Will that work?”
Hello, upswing! “Yes, that will definitely work!”
I am so happy and grateful that I remained calm and continued to hope for the best possible outcome. Finding the good in Lizzy’s current situation is still a struggle for me. I wonder if perhaps the good has less to do with her directly and more to do with the blessings others may receive as they pray for her.
As for me, I’m learning patience and striving to be grateful in all things, regardless of the circumstances.
- Your Feelings are Real - December 8, 2023
- Finding The Calm - December 8, 2023
- Finding the Good in Any Situation - December 8, 2023
