Day 347 | AUGUST 23, 2022
Good Evening Friends. Today is day 347 of our new and fantastic life!
Today the boys were up a little later again, and I welcomed the extra few minutes of sleep.
When we came downstairs, Charlie was already in the kitchen with her coffee in hand 🙂 we had our breakfast as a family.
Charlie had PT around midday, and she did great today; they timed her walk, and she walked 534 feet in 6 minutes, yes it is at a slow pace, but for Charlie, this is part of a miracle, the fact that she is standing and walking with the support of a walker it is incredible! Remember, she can’t bend her knees!
After her PT session, it was time for the doctor appointment we had been waiting for, the Hand Surgeon Dr. Chabbra!
I met with Charlie at his clinic, and we made our way up to the second floor, where we checked in; after a brief wait, we were taken into an exam room.
The interaction was very courteous and professional, a nurse checked Charlie in, and a Resident Dr. Did the initial evalu. Dr. And I could see how amazed he was by Charlie’s hands and how shocked he was with Charlie’s hands. Of course, he knew of Charlie’s story over the news, but he was intrigued by her skin grafts and hand deformities.
After a few minutes, Dr. Chabbra came in to see Charlie, and he was followed by five other people, nurses, Dr, and medical students.
He was very calm and genuine and asked several questions, and the consultation became emotional when he asked Charlie, “I know you have small kids, but how old are they? “ Charlie replied, we have 20 months and a five-year-old; the entire room had tears in their eyes, including myself; it is not easy to look at a young mother in a wheelchair, and without the use of her dominant hand, it did hit home to everyone in the room.
He said that her case is very complex; the main issue is the skin grafts contraption and scared, and the addition of the RA inflammation involves her tendons and nerves.
But here is the positive news, he can help Charlie, but not now. He needs that her skin grafts are fully maturated and healed.
That is also the disturbing news; it will take up to 18 months to fully maturate her skin grafts, so we still have another seven or so months to go, and even after surgery, her right hand won’t be anything like it was before, she will have minimal mobility. Still, at least she will have some function in that hand.
Yes, we did find the surgeon that can help Charlie, and for that, I so grate. We were told that nothing could be done to her right hand, and now we do have a second opinion, and, yes, something can be done to help her hands.
I am so grateful that God has guided us to Dr. Chab. We felt that he genuinely cares and is willing to perform very complex surgery, and I am so appreciative!
Now the work will be to keep the damage to her hands stable and not allow it to continue further damaging her hands.
Charlie is very hopeful and grateful for the future of her hands 🙂
Please continue to pray for us; It is not an easy journey.
I continue to struggle with my PTSD symptoms; I thought I would be feeling better by now. However, I am not; it is tough to feel numb; I wouldn’t say I like how I think. I know how much I have to be grateful for, and yet, I can’t shake off the unfavorable state I am in; I will continue to push and try to get better, but it has been very hard; I don’t recall feeling like this for this long in the past.
Please pray for me.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
May God Bless You.
André
