Trusting...

26 March 04 7:55 am 7 lbs 110zs
Baby Girl Fields

The day before.... Thursday.... Life was normal. House clean. Held a staff meeting and took my team out to lunch. Made a pit stop at Wal-Mart to buy a new stroller.

Berkley and Tyler came home from school. Cooked dinner as usual. Vince brought home unexpected guests for dinner. Life was good. We went to Berkley's basketball game at 6:30pm. Everyone asked when our little girl would arrive. I laughed and said, "in the morning!". After the game, my husband loaded the van. Off to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Friday....March 26.....perfect delivery by C-Section....7:55 am heard those beautiful sounds of her first cry and then I cried... it happens every time.... I can't help it....

11:55 am....Life changed.... I changed.... the world changed.... TRUST.... decisions.... strength...

Diagnosis....Mal-Rotation of the Intestines and Lipomyelomeningocele.

So much happened after Madilyn's birth. I don't have time to share each and every detail. The one thing I want to share is the advice I was given by a very special doctor who saved Madilyn's life on April Fools Day. After explaining the mess he found with her intestines, he looked at me and said to "trust my instincts when it came to her care". I have never forgotten those words.

Those words told me to leave a Neurosurgeon's office because it was not the right place for us. They led us to UVA Children's Medical Center to a team of doctors that saved Madilyn's life a second time. Those words gave me courage to head to the ER because something was not right...it saved Madilyn's foot when she had a pressure ulcer in her cast...it gave me courage to call her Neurosurgeon and ask him to see her before her scheduled appointment....something was wrong and after a 6 hour surgery, it confirmed I was right.

I am always amazed at people who tell me they could never allow someone to put their child to sleep. I have to trust those who take care of Madilyn. We have had 14 MRI's and 8 major surgeries thus far. Each one has improved the quality of Madilyn's life and preserved vital functions. I would have never survived if I had not learned to trust my instincts and change doctors when it was necessary.

Today.... I look back at her birth with joy and not sorrow. I see that I was stronger than I ever believed I was and that the choices we have made in her care have been the best we could have made.... Madilyn just finished Kindergarten yesterday and was promoted to the first grade!

TRUST..... yourself.... God is watching over all....