olivia | the journey of a twisty spine

Yea.  I know.  Same song, different verse, a little bit louder, and a little bit worse.  I'm terrible at this blog life.  I'm not even going to pretend to be otherwise anymore.  But, this entry - this one isn't about me or my lackluster blogging performance.  This one is for Livy.

June 30th.  To most it's the day before July 1st.  It's five days until we celebrate the independence of America.  It's the third in the short list of the nursery rhyme we all know and love that helps us to remember that it doesn't have a pal, June 31st, right next to it.  But to Olivia, and to us, it's the day of her Spinal Fusion surgery.  This winter, Olivia was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis.  She has both cervical and lumbar curves in her spine.  Just imagine the letter 'S', and that's what her silly little spine looks like.  She always has been a mover.  Girl can't hold still to save her life, even when she lived in my belly.  Looks like her spine has followed suit.  I won't bore you with the medicalese of it all, mostly because I barely understand it myself.

What I will bore you with, though, is how strong and amazing Olivia already is.  If it were me, I'd be a basket case.  I probably would have called every friend and family member I know to verbally process my anxiety, called in sick to work to mentally cope, sucked Steve into doting on me as much as possible, and whined about my discomfort on a daily basis.  At the very least, if I was her, I'd try to get out of my household duties.  Not Olivia.  She's a strong one, that girl.  In her own words, she's a "fierce tiger lady"!  That sounds super sweet, but it's from an awful music video that is her current favorite.  Oh, I'll try to post it so you can all experience Liv's sense of humor.  Get excited.

From the moment she found out she had scoliosis, she has been nothing but positive. She's expressed thankfulness that it can be fixed, been an advocate for herself when a local orthopedic surgeon suggested bracing it, and has truly looked for the good that it has brought out in all of us.  "I'll just be in the hospital for five days.  That's not very long, Mom.  I'll be uncomfortable for a little while, but in the end, my spine will be fixed.  So, it's worth it!"  Yes, Olivia, it is worth it.

We are grateful for many things through this, for Liv's positive spirit, that we work for a company with worldwide health coverage,  for the kind people we have met via FaceTime and email at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, that we live in a time that her scoliosis can be corrected, and for our family and friends who are already supporting Livy.

Her surgery is scheduled for June 30th at the Children's Hospital of LA.  We chose that particular hospital after hours of research.  Research that started with a google search, "best orthopedic hospitals in the United States".  Another thankfulness, the opportunity to choose where her surgery can be done.  She will be in the hospital for 4-5 days and will have Steve and I by her side every step of the way. We will remain in LA for a couple of weeks after she is released from the hospital to continue her recovery before we fly back to Oregon for a short little summer there.

Yes, this is rather public sharing of what might seem a more personal family issue.  Who am I to decide who gets to care about Olivia?  I share this on a public forum because you know what isn't a bad idea?  People praying for and caring about Liv.  Lots of people!

I will (promise) keep this blog updated as we move closer to her surgery date.  Here, I will post updates on how she is doing and how you can send messages to her directly.  The month of June marks the beginning of a journey for Olivia.  At the end of this journey, she'll be two inches taller.  "Will I be taller than Zoey?"  she loves to inquire.  Probably, Livy.  Probably.