I am timing this post to be published exactly at 7:45am.
This is when little Ella’s major surgery begins this morning and will last 4.5
hrs.
She is just shy of 5 years old and this is her second
major surgery of her hip and leg. This one will leave her in the hospital for the
week under epidural for pain. Then the recovery begins which will be a total of about 3 months of being in a full body
cast, then transitioning to a soft one and then intensive physiotherapy to have
her learn to walk again.
This will be really really hard for an almost five year
old who is used to dancing and moving and swimming and running and going to
daycare. To have to lie down and be immobilized, and be in a wheelchair, and
not leave the house much , and be back into diapers etc..
And her parents certainly have their hands full. A 6
month of boy and 2.5 year old girl to take care of too. They are two of the
most competent and strongest people I know. Even last night as my SoulKeeper
called me…there was still calmness in her anxious voice.
I named our bathroom at Trent “Ella Bleu” because every
room got a name. Each is named after someone who helped us get to the at
beautiful place. Her parents introduced us to this lake and so I named the blue
bathroom after their eldest daughter. PS-it’s a super pretty bathroom and one
of the nicest corners of the house.
I called this post Everyday Ella because this family has
made it’s way into my heart way beyond big crisis like this one or happy
occasions to be celebrated. This family is a forever family. We love sharing
our lives together at any moment and being there for each other through it all.
Through hearing about the first swimming lesson, to a bad mark at school, to a
first nightmare, to a cute thing Beauty says at the table.
It
feels so wonderful to share at such an everyday level.
It’s as if I have been given such a gift as my three get
older to have these three little ones in my life. I intend to take this role
very seriously. Lucky for me their Mom really trusts me and places that trust
in me. Little baby was supposed to be with me all of yesterday and Ella will be
coming for a weekend to spend with us as soon as she feels better for fun and
sleepover. My daughter is taking her two days off from school and going to
babysit Ella in the next weeks to let their Mom get out for a workout at the
gym with the baby in daycare. We have promised to teach their kids all to
waterski at our cottage while they steal away for couple weekends as soon as
the baby turn 1. They would do anything for our kids and have offered to be
mentors for our teens (not a bad deal considering both specialize with troubled
adolescent boys!)
So right now at exactly 7:45am……my darling Ella-my
thought are nowhere else but on you. Not on my child who told me he is
discouraged, not on my husband to whom has a lot going on right now..not on my
Mom who had some difficult news..not on myself for whom things have been tough
for lately. My thoughts and vibes are only for you.
And it will stay that way until you are out of surgery at
about lunchtime today safe and sound. I am of course wearing my lucky charm necklace
today especially for you.
And you will hear more about Ella! When I visit her over
the months ahead even time I am interviewing her about her experience and recovery and will take some great pics to
post to this blog.
I am excited to make her feel like a little model!!!
