"All Done"

Obviously, her shoulder is better!


As Uncle Greg would say, "Where's your brain?"

Reading with Great-Grammother.

(And her left knee is bent!)

They are bigger than in the books!

Well, it's almost completely over! Friday morning, Peyton went back to Children's and had her leg cast and arm sling removed. And her blood work came back great, so she got to have her IV taken out as well. What an unexpected blessing! The Kaminshine clan stayed with my parents this weekend, and Peyton obviously had a lot of fun! I am sure it felt great to for her to use both legs and both arms! It has been about a month since she has walked or worn shoes, and Mom said that when they put shoes on her again, she kept pointing at her feet. I am sure she was thinking, "Why are they making me wear these again??" Also, she got her first bath in two weeks. Basically, things are back to normal. I just keep thinking how wonderful "normal" really is! Peyton is on oral antibiotics for a little while longer, and she is limping when she walks. But I imagine that I would too had I been through so much! I love this little girl with all of my heart. I feel like I have been holding my breath for several weeks now. Thank God that He wanted her to be healed! As Peyton would say... "All done!"

Update

This is one exhausted little girl.






Peyton being wheeled around the hospital for some sight-seeing!



Peyton loves her Mumzy!


Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers for my niece, Peyton, while she was in AR Children's Hospital. If you don't already know, she is home and doing very well! On Friday, she is supposed to get her leg cast and arm sling off (hopefully, her IV can come out, too). Since she is doing so well now, I thought I would post a few pictures of her stay at Children's. We are so thankful for the treatment that she received while she was there.

Max Lucado autographs

This past week, Mom called and told me that she had received a wonderful surprise. When my grandmother died two years ago, my cousin, Hugh, found these two books by Max Lucado that my mom had given her. He took the books back to Texas with him, had them autographed by Max at their church, and sent them back to my mom. We love some Max Lucado in our house! What makes them even more special is that there are places in the books where Mimi had highlighted, underlined, and made notes. She was such an amazing Christian! And I must say that the books couldn't have come at a better time. I know we could all use some uplifting right now! I really appreciate Hugh being so kind and thoughtful to my mom. This story really touched my heart.

All bandaged up!

Pop, Aunt Janice, and Peyton

I told her to smile for the camera, and she looked up and smiled at me instead.

Peyton got to come home from AR Childrens Hospital today! ACH has arranged for the Home Health nurses from St. Edwards Hospital to come and work with Peyton at home. I drove to Fort Smith today to see P and everybody else. As you can see, her right arm is secured across her body, and usually she wears a sling (which she thinks is a purse.). She has a splint in her left leg and it is wrapped up as well. She can't walk on it yet. Adrienne and Marshall have had to learn how to give Peyton her medicine through her IV and will do that three times a day for two more weeks. I think everyone (especially Marshall and Adrienne) is nervous about the next couple of weeks and not looking forward to what they are facing. But at the same time, we are all incredibly relieved that this will pass quickly and that there is no life-long diagnosis for P to live with. Thank you, God!

As for now, Adrienne, Marshall, and both sets of grandparents are in for a LOT of Elmo!!

A bit of humor to make your day!

I know this is two posts in one day, but this story is too funny not to share. My mom just called and was talking about how awful it was to see Peyton carried off into surgery. Her medicine to calm her down had not kicked in yet, and she was screaming when the anesthesiologist took her away from Marshall. In fact, Mom said that of everything Peyton has had to endure, this was the hardest thing to watch. But just as she was being carried off, Peyton yelled, "Momma!... Daddy!... Elmo!!!!!!" haha, I can't stop laughing!

Promising progress

Peyton LOVES to read!


Playing with a friend.


Somebody got into the kitchen drawers!


Today proved to be a very promising day for "P." She had surgery at about 1:30 this afternoon to remove the fluid off her knee and shoulder. During surgery, some test results came in showing that her "virus" that they have been dealing with for a month is actually Kingella (a bacteria that disguises itself as a virus). It is hard to diagnose, so thank goodness she got to Arkansas Children's Hospital. The antibiotic she was started on yesterday is the appropriate one to treat Kingella. Also, Kingella pretty much requires surgery to get rid of, so everything that has been done to this point has been the right thing! Peyton will be released from the hospital when the tubes in her shoulder and knee stop draining and everything looks ok. She still, however, will be on an IV for two more weeks. She will have a stint in her leg to keep it straight and a sling for her arm for two weeks as well. Last I talked to my mom, P was resting very peacefully (thanks to the Morphine, I am sure), and when she is awake, she loves for her daddy to hold her!

Basically, the next two weeks will be difficult, but we will take them! The doctors expect a full recovery. Her surgeon said that someday, all she will have to show of this is a few battle wounds!

Thank you for your prayers, and please don't stop. Pray for Peyton's recovery, and also for Adrienne, Marshall, and my parents as they all will be working hard to take care of her. We believe in prayer and are comforted by the number of people who are keeping Peyton in their thoughts. Thank you again!

Good news and bad news

"Dr. Peyton" at Halloween


I have good news and bad news today.

My 20-month old niece, Peyton, is at Arkansas Children's Hospital right now, and they are getting ready to do surgery. At times, she cannot walk at all because of fluid on her knee. Also, she cannot move her right arm at the shoulder, and she screams because it hurts her back when you lift her legs to change her diaper. She truly is in a lot of pain. Please, please, please hit your knees that she will be OK and not have any long-term repercussions from whatever this is. Pray that it will pass soon and be easily treated. Also, pray for my sister and family as they are scared and tired. Thank you!

OK now the good news. Greg and I got power back yesterday morning after a week of no electricity! We have had so much cleaning up to do, but we are thankful to be able to do it! I walked in our bedroom yesterday and didn't even flip the light switch. I was working in the dark and finally realized that I could turn the light on. Oops... old habit! Most of all, I have to thank Justin and Amanda a million times for letting us live with them for a week. What great friends!

It is Sunday afternoon, and still no power at the Northen abode. I am starting to get a little nervous... I think Greg may want the power to stay off so that he can keep playing Halo on the XBox at Justin and Amanda's. Can I get a little intervention here??